Black Corporation: Joseon

The second group consisted of officials mainly from the Ministry of Taxation, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of Public Works.

“Shouldn’t we bring writing instruments in five days?”

At the words of the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Taxation stroked his beard. “Do we need writing instruments?”

“They are absolutely necessary.”

“Isn’t it just the opinion of a nine-year-old child?”

At the Minister of Personnel’s objection, the Minister of Taxation explained his reason, “Of course, the young prince is only nine years old. Thanks to that, some people say that the King is behind all the actions and words of the prince. However, I don’t think so. The prince is a heaven-sent genius, even astonishing.”

“Is there a reason to think that way?”

When the Minister of Personnel asked for the reason, the Minister of Taxation’s eyes gazed into the distance. “There are several things. First, do you remember the day when the King wielded a club on the prince?”

“How could I forget that?”

“The fact that the King wielded a club means that the prince’s eccentricity was unheard of until then. That’s why he was so furious.”

Hearing the words of the Minister of Taxation, the Minister of Personnel immediately refuted, “That can be thought of that way. However, isn’t it too much to say that all other cases were the prince’s independent thoughts? Think about the prince’s age. He’s only nine years old. Isn’t it more reasonable to think that he was caught by chance that day?”

“It would be easier for an outsider to think that way. But have you been to the famous library of the Eastern Palace?”

“I haven’t. Have you?”

“I had been there when the prince asked for books and told me to take the list. I went into the library and saw that the books were all covered with fingerprints, and red lines were drawn on the passages that were considered important. That’s not all. Some books had papers inserted, and on those papers, there were plenty of writings about how to apply it when introducing it to our Joseon. And the handwriting was not the King’s.”

At the words of the Minister of Taxation, the Minister of Personnel’s face became serious. “That means…”

“We are looking at a truly frightening person. He’s smart, has execution power, and has power on his side.”

“Huh…”

At the words of the Minister of Taxation, the Minister of Personnel sighed, either out of admiration or lamentation.

The third group consisted of young officials from the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Censors.

“What do you think?”

“What do you mean what do I think? Shouldn’t we immediately raise a complaint? The Crown Prince is only nine years old! What is national policy? It’s what moves the country. National policy is that heavy, and what could a nine-year-old possibly know? This is the King deceiving us, his subjects!”

“But, as you can see from this golden brush, don’t you have to admit that the prince’s abilities are outstanding?”

“What I regret the most is this golden brush! I should have opposed mass-producing it! Because of that, everyone from the King to the attendants only thinks about wealth, and I can’t help but lament! What’s the difference from the previous dynasty? Why did our Joseon enter this situation?!”

Unable to hold back his anger, the young official’s fists trembled as those nearby seemed to agree. “Let’s go! We must write a complaint quickly!”

◈◈◈

The reactions of the subjects were quickly conveyed to Sejong through the inner servants.

“You’ve worked hard.”

King Sejong, who gave thanks to Chief Eunuch, let out a long sigh.

“Sigh~. How come there are only such stubborn people?”

King Sejong deeply lamented upon hearing the reactions of his ministers. The officials were now openly protesting.

‘If they had actually acted, they should have met outside the palace. Very discreetly!’

Seeing King Sejong’s poor complexion, Chief Eunuch quickly made a comforting remark, “There were also quite a few who showed their loyalty.”

At his servant’s words, King Sejong bitterly laughed. “Is that something to be thankful for? After all, it’s often hard to believe that even the crown prince is nine years old…”

King Sejong, who had been smiling at Hyang’s excellence, let out another long sigh. “Sigh~. These young officials have no flexibility at all…”

What disappointed him the most was the rigidity shown by the young officials coming from the Office of the Inspector General and the Ministry of Rites.

The Chief State Councilor’s group was also rigid in their thinking, but they had moved somewhat flexibly when needed, based on their experience. However, the problem lies with those young bureaucrats. They were the ones who blindly upheld Neo-Confucianism as their everything.

They thought that thinking and living in accordance with Neo-Confucianism was the only righteous path. To them, everything that Hyang promoted was enough to be called heresy.

In fact, they were making a much unnecessary fuss.

“The country is going backward! Prioritizing commerce! That’s why King Jeonjo fell! Have we forgotten the principle of focusing on fundamentals and suppressing the trivial?”

King Sejong let out another long sigh and lamented, “There is a lack of talent. A lack of talent.”

It had been five years since he had received the throne from King Taejong and over half a year since King Taejong’s death, but his own father’s shadow still loomed large.

As soon as he inherited the throne, King Sejong partially reformed the cabinet, and the ministers followed his words well. However, he knew that he was still seen as a fledgling in the eyes of his ministers. In the end, King Sejong needed competent talents who would follow his words well.

“It’s still too early to call upon them…”

The “them” King Sejong was thinking of were Hwang Hui and Maeng Sa-seong.

Hwang Hui and Maeng Sa-seong were talents recognized by his predecessor, King Taejong. However, both had faced crises by being involved in King Taejong’s efforts to strengthen royal authority. In the end, they returned to the central government but had weak grounds to be immediately placed at the core of power.

“The problem is whether they alone can properly control those ignorant young officials…”

King Sejong, recalling the young officials with rigid thinking, put his hand on his forehead. “I have a headache.”

At his remark, Chief Eunuch’s face was immediately filled with concern.

“Shall I call the royal physician?”

“It’s not that bad. I’ll feel better after a short rest.”

King Sejong, who stopped his servant from calling the royal physician, turned his gaze to the documents and petitions he had not yet processed.

◈◈◈

King Sejong was agonizing over a problem when Hyang heard a similar story from his inner servants.

“So, to what extent has the distinction between us and them been made? Anyway…”

Hyang muttered softly, tapping his writing desk with his finger, “We’re still in the early days of Joseon, and already at the level of the Taliban…”

“Your Highness? What did you say?”

“It’s just me talking to myself. Don’t mind it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the servant closed his mouth, Hyang became lost in thought while tapping his writing desk.

‘Damn it! If we’re already at the level of the Taliban, what are we supposed to do? How can I deal with these people who have minds as solid as the foundation stones of Gyeongbokgung (Main) Palace?’

Hyang felt distant at the thought of dealing with the young officials, particularly those from the Office of the Censors and the Office of the Inspector General. After various deliberations, Hyang finally reached a conclusion.

“Servants, leave me alone for a while.”

“Yes?”

“I have some things to sort out on my own.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Sending the inner servants away, Hyang, who was alone in the room, clenched his fist tightly. “Damn it! They solve everything without considering the circumstances! Our King Sejong will surely pick out the best from within! Starting with that, I’ll execute the rest as soon as I ascend to the throne! If they can’t keep up, just replace them all! Those who need to go will go, and those who need to be pushed will be pushed, and things will eventually work themselves out!”

Having reached a conclusion, Hyang spread a blank sheet of paper. “Hmm… where should I start?”

How long had it been since he flipped his own switch?

The inner servant who was standing outside the door shouted loudly, “His Royal Majesty, is entering!”

Hearing that King Sejong had arrived, Hyang got up from his chair, checked his clothes, and politely greeted his father, “Have you arrived? Your Majesty.”

“It’s late at night, and you haven’t slept yet? That’s not good for your health.”

“Is sleep an issue when I have things to do? Besides, your health is more important than mine.”

“My child…”

King Sejong, seemingly pleased with Hyang’s answer, lightly patted his shoulder and turned his head to the writing desk.

“May I take a quick look?”

“Yes.”

However, King Sejong began to read the papers even before Hyang’s answer, examining the contents carefully. Seeing this, Hyang pouted his lips and grumbled inwardly, ‘If you were going to read before I even answered, why did you bother asking? These high-ranking people…’

Not knowing whether he understood Hyang’s feelings or not, King Sejong, who had been carefully reading the sentences written on the paper, asked Hyang a question, “Hyang, what do these ‘?’ and ‘!’ mark next to the sentences mean?”

“They are punctuation marks used by the Western barbarians. The curved ‘?’ signifies a question, and the straight ‘!’ indicates an exclamation or surprise.”

“Really? A single symbol can make the meaning of a sentence clearer! Hmm… I see, I see…”

Having learned the meaning of the punctuation marks, King Sejong examined the papers even more closely.

“Your Majesty, would you like to sit down and read?”

“I was just thinking my legs were aching a bit.”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong sat down in a chair, showing a half-smile.

‘Hey, you nobleman, lose some weight! Why do you still have a pyramid-shaped body even though you’re jumping rope?’

Seeing the obese King Sejong, Hyang grumbled to himself and sat across from him. With numerous papers spread out on the desk, King Sejong examined the contents, moving back and forth, and then glared at the papers with his arms crossed.

“Administrative reorganization, diversification of local positions, reforms to the tax system, land system reforms… This is not just a simple policy proposal, is it?”

“My policy is indeed simple. It’s the ‘Hongik Ingan’[1] that Hwanwoong[2] once mentioned. Aren’t the golden sayings of the sages ultimately the same meaning?”

“You’re right.”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong nodded his head as if he agreed. It was called royal politics, but the conclusion was simple: ‘Let’s live in peace, from the king to the common people.’

“To actually implement such a principle, there are many shortcomings in the current system. Correcting these shortcomings and creating a peaceful Joseon for the royal family and the common people is my dream.”

“That’s a good dream. Honestly, just by looking at what you’ve written, I would want to adopt it as a policy immediately. However, there will be many people who will not listen properly, finding fault with your age of nine.”

At King Sejong’s point, Hyang shrugged his shoulders. “Isn’t that not wrong? It’s a fact that I’m only nine years old, and because I’m young, my experience is shallow.”

At Hyang’s response, King Sejong clicked his tongue, “Tsk! Prioritizing age and experience in discussing politics and governance is not the intention of the sages…”

“Doesn’t that help in some ways?”

“Help?”

“Doesn’t it make it easier to identify those who are genuinely helpful to you?”

“That’s true!”

At the same time, King Sejong and Hyang smiled. It was a pleasant sight to see a father and son laughing together, but if the ministers had seen it, they would have been sweating.

Feeling uplifted by Hyang’s response, King Sejong stood up from his seat. “Stop and go to sleep. Children should sleep early to grow well.”

“Yes, Father. You should go to bed too. The peace of Joseon depends on your good health.”

“Alright.”

With a snicker, King Sejong was about to head outside when he stopped and looked back at Hyang. “Ah! I just remembered! The attendees at your presentation will include not only high-ranking officials from the central government offices (ranging from first to third rank) but also middle-ranking officials (ranging from the lower third rank to the sixth rank). Make sure you’re well-prepared.”

“Yes.”

“Take a break.”

After sending King Sejong off, Hyang furrowed his brow, “Damn it!” The scale of the event had grown larger than he expected.

Footnotes

[1] Founding philosophy of Joseon. “Hongik Ingan” is a Korean term that roughly translates to “benefiting all mankind.” The term has its roots in the traditional Confucian philosophy of Korea, which emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility and ethical behavior in creating a harmonious society. [↺]

[2] Hwanwoong is a figure from Korean mythology who is said to have been the grandson of the god Hwanin, the lord of the heavens. According to legend, Hwanwoong descended from the heavens to establish a new civilization in what is now Korea. He is often revered as a symbol of wisdom, virtue, and leadership. Read more on Dangun mythology HERE. [↺]