There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 328

329. Pax Joseonia (1)

The trip to the zoo was quite enjoyable, but as always, the most important thing is what happens afterward.

As if realizing this despite his young age, Dan’s face turned pale as the palace drew near.

It’s fun to play, but dealing with the consequences is another story.

“What brings Your Majesty here with the Crown Prince, keeping him from his duties?”

As expected, my wife was waiting for us in front of Sukjang Gate.

Excluding our young and not-so-busy daughters, Joo So-hwa’s barrage seemed ready to pour entirely on the Crown Prince.

“Crown Prince! Have you memorized the ‘Myeongnyun’ chapter that was given to you by the Sigangwon [the Crown Prince’s education institution]?”

Joo So-hwa asked, her eyes wide.

My wife’s eyes truly radiated the charisma of Ju Yuanzhang’s daughter [referring to her powerful and commanding presence, like that of a princess from the Ming Dynasty].

Dan looked at me with resentful eyes.

He was so happy to follow along just a moment ago.

Alright, this dad will save you this once.

“What? There was homework?”

I asked, feigning great surprise.

“Crown Prince! If you hadn’t finished your studies for the day, you should have said so in advance!”

I sternly rebuked Dan.

“As the foundation of the nation, it is a great fault to neglect your studies and follow your father’s outing.”

When Dan’s eyes met mine, I winked subtly.

Quick-witted Dan, wearing a tearful expression, shouted.

“I was wrong!”

“Do you think it will end with just saying you were wrong? I won’t let it go today!”

“Wait, hold on!”

Ignoring Joo So-hwa’s cry, I grabbed Dan’s arm and strode away.

Follow me quickly.

===

Dan giggled, seemingly pleased to have escaped under the pretext of his father.

I still spoke sternly.

“This time, it’s because your father called you, so it’s alright, but usually, you must work hard on your studies and homework. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t just say yes. This father will check?”

Lee Bang-won himself was a successful candidate in the civil service examination, and both parents are smart, so if this kid studies a little, he’ll achieve great things.

‘My child is smart, but doesn’t study.’

That was the same for me, though.

“You said it’s enough to just know how to write your name!”

He must have picked up what Xiang Yu [a famous Chinese general known for his strength but ultimate defeat] said during the lecture on deception.

These kids, I need to teach them how Xiang Yu died.

“Xiang Yu failed because he didn’t learn history and cultivate his character. If you want to rule this country, you need a certain amount of knowledge.”

The basis of every argument exchanged by officials is rooted in scriptures and historical precedents.

But what if they just make a ‘what are you talking about, you weeb [someone overly enthusiastic about foreign cultures]’ face no matter what they say?

Me? I don’t care. Because I have achievements.

Officials have to adapt to me, not the other way around.

“But it’s not very fun. They just tell me to memorize things every day.”

It can’t be helped.

In this era, rote learning is the default.

But it’s the same for me too.

I want to give them creativity-boosting education, but I’m someone who studied by rote myself.

The only thing I can do is to encourage a sense of competition.

“Either way, your mother would be so upset if you fall behind your cousins. Wouldn’t your pride as a brother be hurt?”

I was trying to instill in him the desire to do better than his cousins who study with him, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

“Even if my younger siblings are better at studying than me, I’m the one who becomes the king. So, my pride isn’t really hurt.”

Who did this kid take after, never backing down.

‘Isn’t he too complacent because he’s the only son?’

Is this why the monarchs of the past tried to create spares [having multiple potential heirs]?

If there are several sons, your eyes will inevitably be drawn to the smartest one.

It’s inevitable that they even replace the eldest son and try to hand it over.

It was a very Lee Bang-won-like idea.

As long as Dan’s personality isn’t terrible, I wouldn’t think about changing the Crown Prince even if another son is born.

“Then let’s make a promise. Still, you have to finish reading the ‘Four Books’ [Confucian classics]. Understand? After that, your father will think about how best to teach you.”

I could just force him to study, but I honestly have doubts about this method of finding all references in the scriptures, so I can’t force him to the end.

Above all, there are cases where charisma or political power is more important than scholarship.

Dan’s face brightened.

“I promise!”

As I was linking pinkies with Dan, I heard someone approaching from the side.

I quickly released my finger and pushed my son away.

“Eek.”

Dan, forcibly pulled away, wore a disappointed expression, but I ignored it.

No-boon was approaching with hurried steps.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

No-boon looked back and forth between me and the Crown Prince and said earnestly.

“The Queen Consort has asked that you not scold him too harshly.”

“Ahem! The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation, so this is a matter of national affairs, not a family matter! How dare a woman interfere in national affairs!”

I deliberately shouted so that it would echo beyond the wall.

Dan also watched my reaction and secretly dabbed saliva on his eyes.

“Waaah! I was wrong!”

‘That cunning fellow.’

I hope my wholehearted acting works.

===

“I scolded him severely, so rest assured, Queen Consort.”

Joo So-hwa looked at the two of us with a suspicious expression.

She sent No-boon to stop me from scolding him too harshly, and now that I’m back, suspicion is creeping in.

As expected of my father-in-law’s daughter.

It was obvious that she wanted to question me, but seeing Dan’s face stained with tears (fake), it was clear that she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

After successfully glossing over it, we entered the room, and Joo So-hwa took off my clothes and tidied them up.

Then, she suddenly hugged me from behind.

“So, was it fun?”

Joo So-hwa is acting as usual, perhaps because we’re not in front of others.

“Yeah, well, so-so.”

“And you didn’t take me.”

Joo So-hwa said that and pinched my waist cutely.

‘Now that I see it, is she sulking because of that?’

I should have taken my wife with me if I had known.

I didn’t call her because she seemed busy with matters of the inner court.

“It’s still a bit chaotic because it’s the first day. Let’s all go together later when it’s properly organized.”

We even brought some animals, so it would be nice for the kids to play with.

Dan initially chose a tiger but then picked a cat, but he lost it on the way back because he’s so clumsy.

And Kyung-yi chose a fancy peacock, but of course, we can’t raise it in the palace, so it was rejected.

In the end, the only ones we could bring were the two rabbits chosen by Hyun-yi.

“I chose them because their numbers increase quickly and their food is easy to obtain.”

To choose a pet for such practical reasons.

It’s scary.

‘His aptitude is certain.’

In fact, you can’t guarantee that preferences will last until childhood.

Like how kids who memorized all sorts of dinosaur names forget everything but Tyranno when they grow up.

Still, raise them well. Dad will support you.

===

After resting with the kids for a while, troublesome economic problems overwhelmed me.

One of the policies I’ve been most interested in since taking office is the establishment of currency.

The Joseon bank notes I issued were fundamentally different from the paper money that Lee Bang-won failed with.

They are guaranteed by silver, and the market itself is large enough to accommodate currency.

The credibility of the court is at a level that cannot be compared to the past, so the demand for currency is also increasing rapidly.

However, the problem was that this was excessive.

As a result, a different kind of currency problem overwhelmed me.

“A money shortage?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The price of rice, which was three nyang [a unit of currency] for one seom [a unit of volume]… no, one hundred and forty kilograms, has fallen to less than one and a half nyang.”

The officials tilted their heads at Kim Suk-ja’s report from the Joseon Bank.

“Is it really a good sign that the price of rice has fallen sharply because people can’t get money?”

In rural areas where it is difficult to obtain money, people are simply carrying rice and cloth to trade for goods.”

Compared to the original Joseon, commodity money alone is a remarkable development, but from our perspective of having issued banknotes, it is as if we have witnessed the market regress in an instant.

“Have you identified the cause?”

It’s called a money shortage, but Joseon is not minting copper coins but issuing banknotes.

So it can’t be because of a shortage of raw materials.

It’s no longer the old days when paper was scarce.

However, in Joseon, which implements a silver standard system, the amount of currency supplied depends on the amount of silver mined.

It means that you can’t just print banknotes by running the printing press just because you have paper.

“The reason why banknotes are not circulating must be because of those who have hoarded them for wealth accumulation. These people are the cause of the money shortage, so shouldn’t we severely punish them and open their warehouses?”

“How is that different from the politics of thieves! If that happens, who will trust and use money?”

The officials gathered here are all seasoned veterans.

However, like a disciple of a loyal subject of Goryeo [a previous Korean dynasty], Kim Suk-ja scolded her senior without hesitation.

Yes, that’s why I put you in the Joseon Bank.

So that you don’t agree with nonsense when strange winds enter the court.

I also have no intention of throwing the credibility of the currency that I have worked so hard to build into the trash.

From the beginning, this was somewhat expected when we first printed the currency.

It would be nice if we could recover the currency through the gradually emerging private banks, but so far, it seems that many people are storing it in their home chests.

‘But the fact that money is so scarce must be due to another reason.’

Cheonghaejin was even more knowledgeable about this.

“I am afraid to report, but I believe it is because our money is circulating overseas.”

“What?”

I asked, raising my eyes.

But when I thought about it, it wasn’t that strange.

In this era, coins from the failed previous dynasty or coins from other countries are used as means of transaction.

Even counterfeit coins mixed with impurities are used well as counterfeit coins.

However, since Joseon bank notes are paper money, it would be difficult to join the ranks of those coins without nationality. Silver convertibility is only possible within Joseon.

“It’s easier to buy Biawak [Southeast Asian goods] with Joseon bank notes.”

“······.”

“Even if that’s not the case, as Cheonghaejin’s reach expands, there are few who do not trade with Joseon, directly or indirectly, so Joseon bank notes seem to be quite reliable.”

“There are more and more people who are gradually demanding Joseon money in addition to gold, silver, or goods. Since money is easy to transport, our ships also carry currency to purchase goods.”

I looked across to the court officials with an expression that said, ‘Come up with a solution.’

“Shouldn’t we strictly prohibit the outflow of currency?”

Yes, I didn’t expect much from that side.

‘Can you stop it by stopping it?’

Joseon’s trade volume continues to increase.

It has slowed down slightly as the Zheng He fleet’s absence has lengthened, but even though the growth rate has slowed, the absolute amount of trade is soaring.

We cannot monitor each and every external trade payment made with Joseon money and force it to be used only domestically, and its effectiveness is questionable.

“Then shouldn’t we just print money as much as possible? More than what is being leaked out of the country.”

“Considering the reason why Gyochos [paper money issued during the Goryeo dynasty] failed, we cannot print more banknotes than the amount of silver stored. Rather, it would be better to send more people to Iwami [a silver mine in Japan] to mine more silver······.”

I also know from somewhere the reason why the gold and silver standard system ended.

They say you have to give up the moment the economic scale becomes much larger than the mining speed.

However, even if the Joseon economy grows, it is still a pre-modern country.

I thought that the silver mined from Iwami would be enough.

Because Joseon bank notes are becoming something similar to a key currency at a strange timing, a situation has occurred where the mining volume cannot keep up.

As I was wondering what to do, a clear voice echoed in the grand hall.

“Your Majesty, is it necessary to guarantee the value of money only with silver?”

Pax Joseonia (1) End

ⓒ Pitkong