There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 322

323.

I remember slogans that were common in Korea back in the day.

Slogans like, ‘Let’s have only two children and raise them well,’ or ‘If you have children without planning, you’ll end up in poverty.’

Nowadays, they sound like something from a bygone era, but I know they were desperate pleas for their time.

So, I don’t want to criticize population control in itself.

The real question is, is it truly necessary now?

And what’s an even bigger issue?

‘Is this really something a scholar wrote?’

Even though I’ve stepped away from formal study, I know this isn’t the kind of thing a Confucian scholar [a scholar adhering to Confucianism, a system of philosophical and ethical teachings] should be saying.

I’m sure the Sadaebu [the scholar-official class of Joseon Korea] also think so.

My maternal uncle, Min Mu-gu, was so shocked when he understood the situation that he rushed over and kowtowed [knelt and touched his forehead to the ground in a sign of respect].

But the person I really needed to question was someone else.

“Your subject, Min In-saeng, is here to see you.”

It was Min In-saeng, the editor-in-chief of the Yeoheung Soonbo [a fictional newspaper].

He’s a man who has even resigned from his official post, but there’s no one in this country who can refuse to see me if I summon them.

When a royal order is given, they must come immediately.

Min In-saeng seems to have hurried to the palace, but he didn’t appear particularly worried.

“Why did you publish this kind of article?”

I asked, waving the Yeoheung Soonbo, and Min In-saeng replied calmly.

“Because a reader submitted it.”

“Can you just publish everything that’s submitted?”

“I created a section for personal opinions, but surprisingly, there weren’t many submissions. So, I published an article that seemed like it would be quite controversial.”

Min In-saeng is making it clear that ‘this has nothing to do with the newspaper’s official stance.’

It was even more absurd that he seemed somewhat defiant.

“I even kindly added a disclaimer at the bottom stating that it’s just a personal opinion.”

“That’s just burying your head in the sand.”

I folded the Yeoheung Soonbo and tossed it aside, saying, “Someday, those Liaoxi and Liaodong regions [historical regions in northeastern China] might be filled with people, but currently, we don’t even have enough to populate the mainland. Jeong In-ji’s words are just a hypothetical about a distant future.”

That’s why Jeong In-ji only mentioned it briefly and moved on.

We should be trying to increase the population as much as possible, but instead, we’re hearing this kind of nonsense.

“I think so too.”

Min In-saeng said confidently.

“······.”

“I’m planning to publish an article in the next Soonbo that refutes this point by point.”

Is he planning to turn the opinion section into a battleground?

“Was this your intention from the beginning?”

“Please consider it an effort to make the Soonbo a forum for public discussion.”

“What if I hold the Soonbo company responsible?”

“Then, as a historian, I’ll have to accept it with composure.”

‘What a crazy bastard.’

I gave up on questioning Min In-saeng further and decided to deal with the actual author of the article first.

“Who wrote this article?”

Annoyingly, the entire piece is written in Chinese characters.

‘I’ve heard that the Sarim [a faction of Confucian scholars] don’t really like Hangeul [the Korean alphabet].’

Still, even the scholars are slowly becoming uncomfortable if they don’t use Hangeul – most of the books being published right now are in Hangeul – so there aren’t many people who are this closed-minded.

Considering that, I thought the author would be an old, unemployed geezer, but an unexpected answer came back.

“It’s the son of Jeong Heum-ji (鄭欽之), the director of the Bureau of Astronomy.”

“So, he’s probably not that old?”

I know Jeong Heum-ji.

He’s a pretty stubborn guy, but I remember assigning him to the Bureau of Astronomy because he was skilled in arithmetic and calendrical science.

But that guy is probably a little over forty.

“I believe his son is about twenty years old…”

I wondered if they published an article written by a child, but in this era, the concept of age is different, so even if you’re sixteen, you’re considered an adult.

That means he’s old enough to take responsibility for what he wrote.

Of course, there’s no reason to be lenient.

===

The Yeoheung Soonbo was a newspaper that was gaining considerable recognition among the Sadaebu class.

The military officers subscribed to Sin Byung-ga [a fictional publication], and the women subscribed to Joheun Saenggak [another fictional publication], but the Sadaebu didn’t have a dedicated space to satisfy their intellectual desires.

In that situation, the Soonbo appeared, announcing the policies of the court and gathering public opinion, so how could they not read it?

This Soonbo had an opinion section, and in name, it promised to publish anything that anyone submitted, so it was natural that interest would be focused on it.

However, surprisingly, there weren’t that many people who came forward to publish articles yet.

“Everyone must be timid.”

The older ones had lived through turbulent times and knew they could suffer from literary persecution, but it couldn’t help but seem that way to the young scholars.

The one who didn’t miss that opportunity was Jeong Heum-ji’s son, Jeong Chang-son.

He was discussing the aftermath with several friends.

“Your ‘Hogu Theory’ [a fictional theory] that you published this time is being heavily criticized. They say you’re recklessly discussing radical policies even though the country’s population hasn’t increased excessively yet.”

But Jeong Chang-son was confident.

“Wasn’t that section created to discuss such policies? If there’s a problem, it’s with the Yeoheung Soonbo.”

That’s why he published it in the Yeoheung Soonbo.

If there’s a problem, isn’t it good to hide behind the Yeoheung Soonbo to avoid responsibility?

This time, another friend spoke up.

“I’m also conflicted about whether it’s good for the population to increase. But strangely, I agree with the measures you mentioned.”

“That’s because the real problem isn’t the population.”

Jeong Chang-son wasn’t really interested in discussions about the population increasing exponentially, or the land and grain becoming scarce.

That’s something that will happen long after he’s dead.

What he really wanted to say was this.

‘Stop treating the commoners so well, and let those who are going to die, die.’

He had been uncomfortable with being treated the same as the ignorant commoners.

It was good that the King had invented the smallpox vaccination, so they could overcome the terrible smallpox, but what was the reason for spending the country’s money to vaccinate even the commoners one by one?

Also, there was the new writing that Prince Chungnyeong [King Sejong] had created.

‘They made it easy for anyone to learn, but what are the commoners going to use writing for?’

Just like a farmer doesn’t need a net, and a fisherman doesn’t need a plow, there are people who need writing and people who don’t.

Even if you know the letters, if you don’t know the purpose of reading, it’s better not to learn. But these days, people read novels and pretend to be literate.

Even the court is gradually expanding the use of the new letters, so I can’t help but click my tongue at the times.

“But all of your policies are just returning the court’s work to the way it used to be? The country won’t accept it like this.”

“It doesn’t matter at all whether it’s actually accepted or not.”

Jeong Chang-son said.

“What do you think when you see this article? Doesn’t it feel refreshing?”

“Well, yes, but…”

Jeong Chang-son nodded.

“That’s enough.”

‘My father said.’

The King is someone who pushes his policies even if no one says anything if he’s convinced.

Anyway, the King isn’t someone who will listen to this kind of talk.

But it doesn’t matter. The people he wants to see this article are the scholars.

“I’ve scratched the uncomfortable feelings that the scholars have been secretly holding.”

At first, he just scribbled the article with the recklessness of a young man, but as the situation gradually came into view, he felt confident.

‘Even if they curse at me, saying it’s not something a scholar should say, they’ll actually feel relieved.’

As he said, the scholars were talking about the Hogu Theory, telling the commoners to have only two children.

The justification was the population disaster that would come in the future, but in reality, it was clearly due to their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

‘I’ve put forward a good justification.’

It’s not just a nonsensical story, it’s a story that came out of the Jiphyeonjeon [Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute], where all the country’s smart scholars are.

Even if someone questions it, it’s just that a scholar was so surprised by the research of the Jiphyeonjeon that he made a fuss.

“The times have changed. A guy named Hanseong Geosa [a fictional writer], who publishes novels in Joheun Saenggak, is more famous than Confucius these days.

Even that novelist can make a name for himself, so a scholar who can lead public opinion with writing will be treated even more preciously.”

Jeong Chang-son surprisingly saw through the trends accurately.

Since ancient times, great scholars outside of officialdom have been treated better than ordinary officials, and the king was anxious to give them official positions.

But now the times have changed again.

You don’t have to spend decades studying to make a name for yourself, there’s plenty of space to make a name for yourself.

That’s why he paid attention to the Yeoheung Soonbo.

He can’t associate with the group of military preparation students called Sin Byung-ga, and Joheun Saenggak isn’t worth discussing.

Above all, Sin Byung-ga and Joheun Saenggak are all written in Hangeul, which is used by women and commoners.

Joheun Saenggak started as part of the Hangeul dissemination, so it’s purely in Hangeul, and Sin Byung-ga also mainly uses Hangeul.

There’s a reason why they call those two 잡스러운 기록 (miscellaneous records).

At least the Yeoheung Soonbo mixes Chinese and Korean characters, and the articles that scholars occasionally submit are published in Chinese characters as they are, so it’s better than most.

The only problem is that he might be targeted by the court and have difficulty entering the civil service examination…

‘That’s something I’ve already made up my mind about.’

There are so many brilliant talents popping up in this era.

The civil service examination style has also changed greatly from before, so scholars who can’t adapt often give up on the civil service examination altogether.

Some people go to Yaeun Academy [a fictional academy] to ask for learning, but it’s not easy to have outcasts and Japanese pirates as seniors.

Jeong Chang-son has also made a decision for that reason.

But now that will be a premium to decorate him.

‘A scholar who doesn’t take the civil service examination and is nobly buried in the wilderness. But a young scholar who speaks his mind about the wrong trends.’

The backlash against provocative words can be dismissed as the recklessness or indignation of a young scholar, and the effect can be enjoyed as it is.

He was delighted to have devised a great strategy.

===

‘This guy’s tricks are obvious.’

Just by looking at the writing, he’s subtly created several loopholes to escape.

To the extent that he’ll get cursed at, but won’t be dragged to the Uigeumbu [a Joseon Dynasty law enforcement agency].

But no matter how many holes he’s dug for evasion, it doesn’t matter to me.

If I say he’s hateful, he’ll just go to the gulag.

“What did Jeong Heum-ji say?”

“He said he has nothing to say because he didn’t teach his son well.”

I could scold Jeong Heum-ji and order him to be whipped, but it’s the same now as it was then: grown-up children don’t listen.

The Samsa [Censorate, an office that monitored the king and other officials], who were watching my mood, repeatedly made requests.

“Your Majesty personally receiving the smallpox vaccination comes from your extreme love for the people. Jeong Chang-son’s article is no different from insulting this.”

“Punish Jeong Chang-son for posting a reckless article, and dismiss his father, Jeong Heum-ji, as well!”

I don’t intend to dismiss Jeong Heum-ji.

Jeong Heum-ji is a pretty useful official.

“It’s too much to blame the father for this level of crime.

Also, I’m trying to compile a new calendar, and I was planning to have Jeong Heum-ji teach arithmetic to the officials. Maintain his position, but have him supervise the compilation.”

Instead, I gave him work.

It’s going to be a series of night shifts.

“I will punish Jeong Chang-son.”

But not right now.

It’s obvious that I’ll just be giving a medal to a half-baked commentator who only writes provocative opinion pieces in the newspaper.

These small fries who try to use public opinion will continue to pop out.

‘But if I punish them every time, the purpose of the press will be tarnished.’

I didn’t see Min In-saeng’s idea of creating a forum for public opinion as a bad thing.

So, the conclusion.

I must severely punish them enough to give a warning to the others, but I must bury their reputation as commentators so they don’t become martyrs.

Fortunately, I had a second self who could do this for me.

Have you ever heard of Hanseong Geosa, the best writer in Joseon?