There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 36

< The Era of Worthless Wretches (1) >

“What is that?”

“A salt pan.”

“Hoo…”

Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil sighed deeply.

“Salt is precious, but the nation already controls salt production, leasing salt pans to various royal relatives. As members of meritorious subjects, we also received salt pans.

But wouldn’t that be no different from the present situation?”

In the end, the Min family was already managing salt pans, and they weren’t particularly interested in collaborating with Han Sang.

But who am I?

‘The owner of this nation’s innovation.’

“I will try a newer method.”

Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil tilted their heads at my words.

The method I was going to use could be sufficiently supplied through Han Sang’s distribution network.

The salt pan I was planning to introduce was a solar salt pan.

‘There’s nothing new about it.’

To me.

Originally, Bupyeong in Incheon was famous for its solar salt production.

If solar salt pans were established on a large scale in the Incheon area, it would be easy to supply to Hanyang [modern-day Seoul] and well worth utilizing.

When I roughly explained the method of laying pieces of earthenware on the salt pan floor, trapping seawater, and continuously pushing it to obtain salt, Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil looked intrigued.

“Is that really possible?”

“Of course. Haven’t you seen water sprayed on the ground in the middle of summer evaporate in less than an hour?”

I spoke bombastically.

Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil were finally convinced.

However, they still seemed to have doubts.

“Many people who grew up in the palace have never seen salt pans and don’t even know that salt is precious. How did you come to think of obtaining salt?”

A very good question.

I had prepared an answer in advance in case this question came up.

===

“Those who work in the gulag [forced labor camp] sweat a lot because they spend long hours digging ore in humid tunnels.

In other words, their yang energy [vital energy in traditional Chinese medicine] is depleted, so how can their bodies be healthy?

They need to replenish it by eating natural salt, but its price is high, so the site is stingy with providing it to save money.

Although the gulag laborers are criminals, shouldn’t we consider this measure to protect their health?”

– The Crown Prince loves the gulag so much that he even puts officials in there!

Recently, I had been troubled by these strange rumors about me, but how full of compassion this statement was.

A Crown Prince Lee Je who warmly cares for even the difficulties of criminals.

The name of Crown Prince Lee Je would surely be recorded in history.

Just as the distribution of furnaces had spread rumors that I cared for the people, improving my image, I planned to actively use this salt to create such an image as well.

“Salt can be obtained without using firewood, and the cost is low, so other people will be able to eat salt to their heart’s content.”

“What you say is indeed correct!”

Lee Bang-won clapped his knee.

And he looked around at the officials gathered in the main hall and said.

“What do you think? Isn’t the Crown Prince’s intention truly beautiful?”

“Yes, it is.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

The people spreading nonsense about me would fall backward when they saw the salt fields.

As expected, Lee Bang-won, who was looking at me with warm eyes, said.

“You are truly a talent destined to rule the nation!”

“Haha, you flatter me.”

“To take care of even the smallest things for fear of disrupting the gulag’s work. If this isn’t true micromanagement, then what is it?”

“Pardon?”

My face, which had been smiling pleasantly at the praise, froze.

‘No, why is it interpreted this way?’

Is this how everything looks in the eyes of the iron-blooded monarch Lee Bang-won?

But when I looked around the main hall, the eyes of the other officials were the same.

“Well, mining must be a bit difficult. No one wants to do it, and even if you bring in new people, it takes forever to get used to it.”

“So, he intends to provide salt and make them work for a long, long time. Really…”

They were looking at me with eyes that said, ‘He’s planning to suck the marrow out of the slaves.’

‘Damn it!’

Everyone’s already crazy.

Where is someone who will recognize my innocence?

===

Unfortunately, there was no such person in the world.

“The Crown Prince has created a new method of making salt to supply to the gulag!”

“I heard it’s to make the criminals work a little longer?”

“Hehe, he’s been close to merchants, so he only sees people as numbers…”

The gentry of Gaeseong, who were in conflict with the Crown Prince, clicked their tongues, but unfortunately, the common people in the marketplace were not very interested in the Crown Prince’s character.

Instead,

“I heard that our Prince is going to pickle the heads of the Mansan-gun criminals who caused a riot in Geumju last time, but the price of salt is too high, so he’s creating a new salt pan?”

“No, no. I heard that he invented a new salt-making method to pickle disobedient guys whole in a jar of salt!”

Strange rumors began to spread, adding flesh to flesh.

“As expected, the Crown Prince is truly the grandson of Taejo [King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty].”

“That’s right. To come up with ideas that you’d only see in the Spring and Autumn period [a period of Chinese history known for warfare and political intrigue].”

These were ideas that Crown Prince Lee Je had never even thought of, but since the story of him killing the leader of Mansan-gun had spread widely, these rumors were accepted as plausible.

And positively.

Perhaps due to Lee Seong-gye’s influence, Joseon people liked manly men.

“Hey, whether the gulag guys eat salt and take care of their bodies or not is their business, and we’ll be happy enough if a lot of salt comes out of the new salt pan!”

“Who says no? Our Crown Prince is scary, but he’s also very ingenious.”

Since the inventions made by the Crown Prince were already circulating in the marketplace, the attention on the salt pan was bound to increase.

Everyone believed without a doubt that salt would soon pour out, and they were watching the Crown Prince’s residence.

===

“Choi Hae-san!”

I stormed into the Military Supplies Office.

“I’m going to gather a few workers soon and go to Bupyeong with me!”

I was also thinking of developing the nearby Bupyeong silver mine.

If salt and silver production areas were created near Hanyang, supply would be easier.

And if Incheon was developed, the power of Gaeseong would naturally weaken.

The salt pan would be funded and staffed by the Min family, but the silver mine was another matter.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Choi Hae-san bowed his head and stammered.

The other artisans were the same.

As if they were welcoming a precious guest who was visiting here for the first time.

‘Why are they suddenly like this?’

It’s strange that they’re suddenly acting reserved when I used to see them all the time.

Have I been overworking them too much?

‘I haven’t really touched them since I came back from Hanyang.’

Then, suddenly, I felt a presence right next to me.

‘I didn’t feel anything until just now?’

“Wh-What!”

– Thwack!

I reflexively took the defensive stance I had learned from Lee Seong-gye.

‘Is it an assassin from the Goryeo Restoration Movement who came to assassinate me?’

But as soon as I saw the other person’s face, I knew what the situation was.

The identity of the person who had been blending into the surrounding objects until just now was none other than my great-uncle, Jeongjong [the former King].

“Ahem!”

Lee Bang-gwa cleared his throat and said.

“You don’t even greet,,, an elder,,, when you see him,,,!”

‘He’ll get angry if I say I didn’t see him.’

“I apologize for my discourtesy, Former King.”

“Yes,,,, why,, did you come,, to find me?”

“Pardon? The Military Supplies Office is originally my area, and you’re the one who came, Great-Uncle…”

“Quiet.”

Jeongjong interrupted me.

But even after that, he hesitated and couldn’t easily speak.

‘It seems like he has a favor to ask.’

That’s why he came all the way here.

The reason he didn’t come to the East Palace is that he wants to save face by making it seem like he ran into me by chance at the Military Supplies Office.

My great-uncle is as predictable as ever.

“Ahem,,, does the Former King,,, who isn’t even included,,, in the Six Dragons [influential figures who helped establish the Joseon Dynasty],,, not have any business,,, with you?”

“Ah, that’s…”

It seems like he was quite upset that he was the only one left out when I recited the Yongbieocheonga [Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, a Korean epic poem] last time.

‘But I only told my father?’

I thought that the Six Dragons could be interpreted as the six kings of the previous generation, excluding the current king…

‘That’s impossible.’

Who would think that?

Of course, it’s Lee Bang-won plus six people.

‘Great-Uncle also knows that he’s not included in the Six Dragons.’

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Jeongjong still had a hurt expression, but he reluctantly spoke.

“However,,, I have decided to give you,, a chance to be forgiven.”

‘I don’t really need that.’

“Instead,”

As expected.

The main point was starting to come out.

What is the reason why my great-uncle personally visited the Military Supplies Office?

Jeongjong spoke quickly, as if rapping.

“I have many sons, and it’s so unfortunate that they can’t even function as human beings for various reasons. I asked the King to lease them salt pans as royal relatives, but the costs keep eating up the profits, and they all keep failing.”

Seeing his usual slow speech disappear, it must have been a difficult request to make.

‘Certainly, I’ve heard that Great-Uncle doesn’t have any legitimate sons, but he has many illegitimate sons.’

Great-Uncle wiped away sweat and asked.

“I heard,,, that the method,,, you’re trying,,, is low-cost,,, and easy,,, is there anything you can do,,,”

‘Well, the more salt pans I contract with, the better for Han Sang to receive a stable supply of solar salt.’

But I can’t just do it for free.

I smiled brightly and said.

“How can I ignore my cousins? What’s the point of having family?”

“That’s right!”

The Former King clapped his hands and rejoiced as if he would jump.

“But if I want to develop Han Sang in earnest, I have to pay attention to many things, so all the salt from the solar salt pans must be contracted with Han Sang.”

“That’s,, not difficult,,,”

“And I will personally take 30% of the salt produced there.”

Hearing the second condition, the Former King jumped up.

“You’re like,, a thief,,,!”

“I hear that a lot.”

Mostly from Lee Seong-gye.

Lee Bang-gwa listened to my words and went into contemplation.

Clearly, the conditions I set were advantageous to me, but he must have been worried about his children who kept failing.

‘It’s an era where even royal relatives can hold official positions, but there aren’t any of Jeongjong’s children who have been particularly successful.’

They have to manage even the little wealth they have well so that they don’t get looked down upon anywhere.

Of course, that’s just among the royal relatives.

“Okay,,, let’s do that,,,!”

Finally, Great-Uncle made a decision.

I praised the Former King for making a wise decision.

“That’s a wise decision. I will manage it specially and make sure it succeeds!”

The legend of the salt pan consulting that shook Joseon begins here.

Probably.

Before starting the work, I asked my great-uncle.

“So, how many cousins do I have?”

I didn’t even know about Grand Prince Yangnyeong.

Was it because they weren’t legitimate children, so he didn’t care about the illegitimate children?