There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 34

< Days at the Training Institute (1) >

“You’ve done a truly remarkable job. I shall grant the Crown Prince some of my private funds and reward the officials who have worked hard.”

“You can exclude one person.”

The hurt I felt from Hwang Hee hadn’t healed yet.

So, Hwang Hee’s ‘penance’ was still ongoing.

Then, Ha Ryun stepped forward and said,

“I, State Councillor Ha Ryun, report. In the past, when Emperor Gaozu of Han obtained Guanzhong [a strategic region in ancient China], Xiao He took the lead in acquiring the legal documents of the Prime Minister’s office and the Censorate, so he was able to clearly understand the population, the realities of the terrain, and the taxes collected by the country.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Gaozu’s success began here.

Isn’t His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s technique applicable not only to the construction of Hanyang but also to any administration?”

Ha Ryun, this old man, has a good sense.

My father said he was excellent as a working-level official, so he must be keenly aware of how much utility the introduction of graphs and charts brings.

“The State Councillor is right. Those bar graphs and charts are easy to understand at a glance, so it’s better than pointlessly wasting paper with lengthy descriptions.”

Lee Bang-won also agreed with Ha Ryun’s words.

‘It was worth driving Hwang Hee and Maeng Sa-seong to the brink of exhaustion to make those.’

It was really hard supervising them from the side.

Lee Bang-won didn’t just stop at praising me.

“All civil and military officials should learn this great technique created by the Crown Prince from now on. If this method is introduced in all documents in the future, how much greater will its utility be?

No, make a book out of it!”

“Yes, y-yes?”

The faces of the officials lined up stiffened at Lee Bang-won’s bombshell.

‘Are you suddenly telling us to submit reports in that way too?’

‘Not only with bars and charts but also to explain new projects in each government office like that?’

The officials buzzed with discontent.

They had only seen the Hanyang Construction Bureau’s PPT [PowerPoint presentation] for fun and didn’t seem to have any intention of doing it themselves.

It’s said that one should improve daily, but there’s always resistance to learning or adopting new things.

It was obvious they were scheming to get out of it with some excuse.

‘I need to make a preemptive move.’

Before the officials could say anything, I spoke up.

“Father.”

“Yes? What is it, Crown Prince?”

“The officials I had in the Hanyang Construction Bureau learned step by step from the beginning and know this matter well. I beseech you to allow them to receive training to improve this ‘information processing ability’.”

“Oh, so there are already enough teachers to teach them!”

Lee Bang-won shouted.

“H-However, Your Majesty!”

“Furthermore, I have used numbers from Tianzhu [ancient name for India] to further improve efficiency, and it would be good to have them learn this as well.”

Are the Arabic numerals used today the same as the Indian numerals?

Well, it’s none of my business.

It’s not like anyone here will go to India to check.

“Hmm, Tianzhu numbers… Is that really necessary?”

“It’s much easier to write and learn than using Chinese characters. Even a child can master it in half a day.”

‘I wonder if Lee Bang-won will understand this?’

Just as I was about to explain it more carefully, Lee Bang-won waved his hand.

“Well, you’re probably right. Let the Crown Prince take care of it.”

“······.”

It was such a cool and refreshing answer that I, who had been preparing myself, was dumbfounded.

It’s good that my father trusts me like this, but it’s also…

‘It feels like I’m getting dumped with work.’

Surely he doesn’t have such a lighthearted thought like, ‘Since I have a trustworthy son, I’ll just pass on all the troublesome work,’ right?

‘Really, surely not.’

I glanced at Lee Bang-won’s face and muttered.

===

– Learn the new method of document creation from the Hanyang Construction Bureau!

When this story was told, there were cries of anguish among the officials of the Six Ministries.

After all, it had only been 10 years since the country was founded.

It was still in the process of establishing its framework.

Adding new tasks here made it impossible for good words to come out.

The backlash was especially severe in the Ministry of Revenue.

“Minister!”

Young officials flocked behind the Minister of Revenue, Kim Han-ro.

“Oh, you’ve come.”

“Minister, we heard that our officials have to go to the Hanyang Construction Bureau for a few days to learn something called information processing ability!”

“Yes, His Majesty said so.”

The officials were at a loss for words at Kim Han-ro’s nonchalant words.

“Minister, His Majesty is just so fond of the Crown Prince that he issued such an order. We don’t even know how helpful that information processing ability will actually be, so why waste time in vain?”

“The Hanyang Construction Bureau is just a temporary government office, so should our Ministry of Revenue bow our heads and ask for guidance?”

The junior officials, including the Vice Minister of Revenue, grumbled, and Kim Han-ro tilted his head.

“Hmm, is that so?”

As Kim Han-ro seemed to agree, the officials shouted even more excitedly.

“The Minister should step forward and advise His Majesty!”

“That’s right. Isn’t the Minister the representative of our Ministry of Revenue?”

“We only trust the Minister!”

Kim Han-ro wasn’t exactly from a prestigious family, and he had only secured his position because he was a classmate of Lee Bang-won in the past and had some practical skills.

He had been living his life like water mixed with water, and alcohol mixed with alcohol [living a very ordinary life].

So, as the officials below subtly pushed him, his thin ears began to waver [he began to be swayed].

“Only the Minister can handle this matter.”

“That’s right. Please be an example for your juniors, Minister!”

“Hmm.”

Kim Han-ro, who had been contemplating, hardened his face and raised his head.

“There’s some truth in your words! I will personally meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and probe him!”

With that, he moved towards the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Ooh!”

“As expected of the Minister!”

“Everyone, follow me! The Minister is leading us!”

Kim Han-ro hastened his steps even more at the sound coming from behind him.

It was right after Crown Prince Yi Je had finished his training with Yi Seong-gye at the Supreme Hall and returned.

“Your Royal Highness!”

Kim Han-ro found Crown Prince Yi Je and strode towards him.

The eunuch next to him told the Crown Prince that he was the Minister of Revenue.

The Crown Prince wiped his sweat and asked.

“What’s the matter?”

“There are things to be nailed down regarding this information processing ability training!”

“Nail them down.”

“Does Your Highness know how busy the Ministry of Revenue is?”

“I don’t.”

“······.”

Kim Han-ro’s words were immediately cut off by Yi Je’s immediate answer.

“To be precise, I don’t know why you’re so busy. The Hanyang Construction Bureau doesn’t work by rummaging through every document, listing the items, and adding them up haphazardly.”

The faces of the Ministry of Revenue officials turned red, but Kim Han-ro’s expression became subtle.

“I’m not trying to insult or harass the Ministry of Revenue, but only to strive for the advancement of this country’s administration.

Minister, you just need to encourage your subordinates to learn diligently and work hard.”

‘Is that so?’

Come to think of it, Kim Han-ro didn’t seem to have much to do.

Rather, after hearing the Crown Prince’s strange explanation, he felt he understood it better.

Normally, the Ministry of Revenue would have to handle the budget for the Hanyang Construction Bureau, so even filling a cart with data wouldn’t be enough, but with just a quick glance, it could be organized in an orderly manner.

Kim Han-ro confidently straightened his shoulders again, just like when the officials had been pushing him.

Then, he turned around and said.

“You are to go to the officials of the Construction Bureau and learn from them.”

“Yes?”

The officials who had only trusted Kim Han-ro shouted.

“But, Minister, your words are different from before?”

“Ahem, after listening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it seems right to do as originally ordered.”

Kim Han-ro betrayed them, and the officials wore bewildered expressions.

“B-But…”

“Ahem, the Minister has spoken! Don’t say any more and devote yourselves to the country! How can you call yourselves scholars if you fear learning!”

It wasn’t something that the Crown Prince, who hated learning to the point of quitting, should say, but the Ministry of Revenue officials couldn’t dare to refute it.

Unless they were high-ranking officials like the Minister, they couldn’t dare to talk to the Crown Prince.

===

The Minister of Revenue came and talked nonsense, so I just brushed him off and he left.

It seems like the real culprits are those guys behind him…

‘I’ll make you guys work especially hard.’

“You are to follow me immediately.”

It’s good to be the Crown Prince now that I’m the heir.

The fact that officials have no choice but to pay attention to my every word.

The guys followed with grim faces.

After passing through the Crown Prince’s palace, they soon arrived at the most cramped building.

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here!”

As No-bi shouted, the door of the building creaked open, and a hand popped out.

Then, a person came out from the dark space where sunlight didn’t reach well, and suddenly revealed a face stained with black grime.

“Y-Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May I go out now?”

“Not yet.”

“Kkyaaaa!”

At my answer, the man began to scream like Munch [referencing the famous painting ‘The Scream’].

One of the Ministry of Revenue officials who saw the sight shouted.

“Gasp!”

He began to slowly back away.

“Sir Hwang Hee, the Chief of the Seungchu Department?”

That’s right.

Hwang Hee, who was known for his neat work and generosity, had only his face exposed, stained with grime.

It was truly a crucible of shock for the officials who remembered him.

“I came to Gaeseong [the capital], but why can’t I go home?”

“Ahem, didn’t I say it’s still a period of penance?”

Hwang Hee’s eyes died.

I hope he doesn’t really go like a glass fish [become lifeless and fragile].

I need to show him hope at times like this.

“However, if you teach these officials well, I will consider lifting your penance.”

As I said that, Hwang Hee’s dead eyes suddenly lit up.

And that gaze turned to the Ministry of Revenue officials.

===

“Do you know where this place is?”

“W-Well, I don’t know.”

One of the Ministry of Revenue officials barely answered Hwang Hee’s question.

“This place is the gulag created by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“······.”

The notoriety of the gulag was known to all the officials here.

It’s said to be better than killing, but the intensity is by no means low.

I heard that it’s a place where prisoners are exploited under the pretext of reforming people through labor.

Outwardly, it was packaged as being created by the Crown Prince’s benevolent request, but there was even suspicion that it was due to the Crown Prince’s nature of trying to exploit even prisoners.

And this place is that gulag.

Hwang Hee asked with a gloomy face.

“Do you know what your crimes are?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Hwang Hee suddenly burst into laughter.

They don’t even know what they did wrong.

Of course, he didn’t know either, so he had nothing to say.

“It’s that you caught the eye of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

At the same time as that word, several hands popped out from inside the building.

Hwang Hee’s hand was the same.

The hands dragged the Ministry of Revenue officials in without giving them a chance to resist.

“L-Let go of me!”

They were strong from whatever they ate, and the Ministry of Revenue officials, who had only held brushes their whole lives, couldn’t handle it.

Hwang Hee laughed like crazy and shouted.

“Welcome to the Hanyang Construction Bureau!”

The Ministry of Revenue officials were sucked into the door without being able to say anything.

And they didn’t come out for several days.

< Days at the Training Institute (1) > End

ⓒ Pitkong