There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 49

“Royal Secretary Hwang, are you alright?”

The officials asked, seeing Hwang Hee going in and out of the restroom all day.

Hwang Hee’s face was gaunt, half of what it used to be.

“Ugh… my stomach again…!”

Before he could even answer the officials’ question, his face turned blue, and he rushed back to the restroom.

“Your Highness, is Royal Secretary Hwang alright?”

The officials asked, their faces pale.

Anxiety filled their expressions.

I said with a nonchalant expression.

“It seems he overate.”

I don’t know why Hwang Hee is like that, even though I tried to remove the gossypol [a toxic compound] toxicity from the cottonseed oil.

‘Our King Father is fine, though.’

Maybe it’s because he’s just a strong person.

‘He probably ate too much greasy food.’

‘Or maybe Hwang Hee is just weak.’

Even if I removed as much gossypol as possible, such a reaction could occur in someone with a sensitive stomach.

‘Still, it’s good enough to use for livestock.’

After squeezing oil from the cotton seeds, cottonseed meal, a byproduct, remains, which I heard can be used as animal feed.

That was a good thing.

‘It means nothing is wasted.’

If I mix the cottonseed meal, washed with lime, into other feed, wouldn’t it become edible for animals to handle in their stomachs?

If I’m going to invent something, I should use it frugally.

Though I need to be careful with humans.

“Although we have tried to remove as much toxicity as possible from the cottonseed oil, it may not be good for your health if any remaining toxins accumulate. Be sure to follow the detoxification process for cottonseed oil, and even then, do not use too much.”

If you break this rule and die from eating it, it’s not my responsibility.

I explained that it was detoxified, but the officials’ faces still looked uneasy.

“As expected, the oil made by Your Highness…”

“He even made salt to soak the gulag slaves… and now oil… Does he still hate Hwang Hee…”

The officials were whispering useless things, so I glared at them, and they flinched and turned their heads.

Bastards, daring to slander me.

Thus, although the consumption of cottonseed oil was subject to various restrictions, the things that could be done with the newly obtained oil were not limited to frying chicken.

Meng Sa-seong said.

“Either way, it is fortunate that we can obtain a lot of oil.”

“What do you mean?”

The people who were happily eating chicken until just now are now saying ‘either way’.

I was about to get a little annoyed when Heo Jo clapped his hands and said.

“That’s right. How much oil do we use just to light lamps and lanterns at night? It will be a great help to scholars who read all night long. I heard that even in the deepest parts of the palace, the lanterns are never turned off all night.”

The deepest parts of the palace, huh.

I, as a child of the new nation, go to bed early and wake up early, so who is reading books all night long?

Still, if the scholars’ preparation for the civil service exam becomes easier thanks to me, that is also a fortunate thing.

I was feeling proud when Hwang Hee trudged out of the restroom.

He looked even thinner than when he went in.

“Royal Secretary Hwang, are you feeling alright?”

“Ugh, I feel better after having some diarrhea.”

He didn’t look alright at all, but I guess it doesn’t matter since he said so himself.

I patted Hwang Hee on the back kindly and said.

“Tsk, you should have eaten in moderation. It’s no wonder you got sick from suddenly eating greasy food.”

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, you said earlier that it was because there was poison in the cottonseed oil…”

“Be quiet.”

Is there a law that says it’s definitely because of gossypol?

It’s also very likely that it’s because he only ate weeds at the Donggung Training Center [Crown Prince’s residence].

Then Hwang Hee’s eyes changed strangely.

“Could it be that Your Highness, the Crown Prince, did this on purpose…”

“No, how could I have done that?”

I waved my hand.

However, Hwang Hee’s suspicious expression did not disappear.

“I thought I had been pardoned for everything with this incident… Was that not enough?”

“No, I really did pardon you.”

I was frustrated because of the officials’ reactions, who saw me as the embodiment of resentment.

It’s really unfair.

===

Whether Hwang Hee suffered from a stomachache or not, work continued.

Transporting the materials needed for the construction of Hanyang [old name for Seoul] from Gaeseong was also under the jurisdiction of the Hanyang Construction Office.

The laborers employed by the office were mostly mobilized from Gyeonggi Province, but many new people had also fallen into the gulag [forced labor camp] this time.

“Come on, move it, move it!”

“Ugh, I’m so tired!”

“Let’s take a break!”

“You bastards, do you think this is your living room!”

Those who had spent their lives playing with brushes [scholars/nobles] were now sentenced to labor re-education for this ‘military secret leak incident’, so there was no way the work would be done properly.

As the work supervisor’s scolding continued, they groaned and began to load materials onto the wagons.

“Still, they have become much more familiar with the work than before.”

“It’s worth it to have trained them intensively.”

Even if those sentenced to labor re-education were nobles, their status now was merely that of ordinary criminals.

I told them to massage the back of their heads [beat them] without hesitation if they resisted, and their work attitude quickly improved.

The labor force secured in this way was being put to good use.

It’s much better to exploit them like this than to kill them.

However, problems still remained.

“Your Highness, what should we do with their wives and daughters?”

Lee Cheon asked, bowing his head.

The management of the gulag was entrusted to Lee Cheon, a military officer.

It was good to have a tough military man in charge to show the resisters a bitter taste.

However, even he, who had become accustomed to managing the gulag, didn’t seem to know how to use the women.

Men could be thrown into mines or made to do construction work as usual, but the use of women was ambiguous.

Then Hwang Hee, who was dying next to him, suddenly perked up.

“Shouldn’t they be distributed to meritorious subjects?”

“To meritorious subjects?”

I asked back in confusion at the unexpected words.

“Where are the meritorious subjects in this incident?”

“Isn’t there me? Thanks to me, the gang that leaked military secrets was rounded up…”

As Hwang Hee opened his mouth with a greedy expression, I sighed deeply.

‘He still hasn’t come to his senses.’

I knew it from when he took bribes, but he’s a greedy person while pretending not to be.

However, Hwang Hee’s wish was something I could never grant.

‘Would I want to use the wives and daughters of my former colleagues as slaves?’

That’s the kind of thing that the Grand Prince Suyang gang of later generations would do.

Above all, the whole family should be forced to work together in the gulag. Why would I divide them up as someone else’s private slaves and create separated families?

As a modern person who values human rights, I could never do such a thing.

I said to Lee Cheon.

“Gather the women in one place and have them weave or sew.”

Women in this era can all sew, so even if they are weaker than men, it would be good to use them as skilled workers.

Making work clothes for the laborers is also an important task.

However, my expectations were shattered in a spectacular way.

===

“Not efficient?”

How can the work speed be so slow when I’ve gathered so many people?

“It seems they are not used to sewing for long periods of time.”

“They are complaining that long-term work is difficult because they are women who used to do embroidery as a hobby.”

“Aren’t they just being lazy?”

I clicked my tongue and asked.

It’s not like I’m making them sew for sixteen hours a day, but they’re already falling apart like this.

“It seems they were raised preciously…”

“They get stronger the more they work. It wouldn’t be as hard as the husbands doing construction work.”

My grand plan to run a large-scale clothing production gulag was in danger of collapsing from the start.

“What should I do?”

As I stroked my chin, Hwang Hee, who was watching me, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, why don’t you just distribute them to meritorious subjects…”

“Be quiet.”

Do you want slaves that badly?

After shutting Hwang Hee’s mouth like that, I continued to ponder.

Even after returning to the palace, my worries continued.

After eating dinner half-heartedly and sending it away, the court ladies from the embroidery department came to the East Palace.

“Your Highness, we have completed the repairs and have come to see you.”

I asked them to repair the clothes I tore while playing ball a while ago, and it seems they have arrived now.

Perhaps because the embroidery court ladies’ skills were good, there was no sign of the tear, and it was sewn quite well.

I heard that the most veteran people are in charge of the royal family’s clothes.

However, in contrast, the young court lady who brought the clothes had fingers that were a mess, stabbed here and there by needles.

Looking at the court ladies who bowed their heads, I asked.

“Is sewing difficult for you too?”

“N, no, it is not.”

There’s no need to make excuses when I can tell just by looking at your fingers.

However, you probably can’t honestly say it’s difficult in front of someone so high up.

When I was a private in the army, if the officers asked me if there was anything difficult, I would always say no.

“It must be hard to learn how to sew.”

It’s not an easy task.

How can I make sewing easy for them?

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the court ladies, thinking hard, when No-bun looked at me and said softly.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Why?”

“Those children are still young.”

I nodded at No-bun’s unexpected words.

“Yes. So?”

When I asked back in a monotonous voice, not knowing what it meant, No-bun grabbed my hand and said earnestly.

“They say heroes are womanizers, but those children are too young for Your Highness to be close to.”

What is this bastard saying now?

Come to think of it, I think I heard something similar when I visited the Queen’s Palace last time.

‘His Majesty enjoys women, so I’m worried that His Highness will follow his example.’

Is Lee Bang-won’s womanizing image being superimposed on me?

“No, isn’t it strange to have such thoughts when looking at those young children?”

I’m not necessarily adhering to monogamy even after falling into this era, but I have no interest in them whatsoever.

I hit my chest in frustration, but No-bun’s eyes were still suspicious.

‘My father’s karma is coming to me!’

Like father, like son, they say.

Come to think of it, my grandfather also liked women quite a bit, and so did the original Prince Yangnyeong, Prince Hyoryeong, and King Sejong….

‘There’s a reason why No-bun is wary.’

I understand, but….

“It’s really not like that.”

I protested to No-bun, but he still tilted his head.

“Is that really so?”

“Yes, it is!”

“Then I will believe you.”

“Of course, you have to believe me.”

I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but that guy No-bun says everything he wants to say in front of me.

I don’t know if it’s because of his original personality, or if he’s lost his sense of fear after being with me for so long.

I should sew his mouth shut with a sewing machine.

‘Wait, a sewing machine?’

I slapped my knee.

‘A sewing machine!’

Anyone can easily use this with practice.

Even without any special skills!

It was even easy to make.

“That’s it!”

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

No-bun asked with a dumbfounded expression as I jumped up and shouted.

Where else would I go?

“I’m going to the Military Arms Office!”

Choi Hae-san, he hasn’t left work yet, has he?

End

ⓒ Pitkong