Black Corporation: Joseon

When King Sejong and Hyang were enjoying the daytime festivities, the high and low-ranking officials were bustling about, forgetting the fun.

“Writing tools! Writing tools!”

The officials who returned to their respective offices hurriedly dipped their brushes in ink and began to write on paper.

“What did he say?”

“Darn it! There’s so much to write down!”

Those who had thought lightly of the nine-year-old’s speech were now racking their brains, trying to remember and record what Hyang had said. While the members of the Council of State and the Six Ministries struggled with their papers, some were surprisingly relaxed. Among them were the military officers.

“Hey, Your Excellency, Instructor, do you understand what the Crown Prince said?”

“If I understood that, would I still be here as the instructor?”

“Hehe! That’s true.”

Those who laughed bitterly were those who had risen through the military examination. Sejong had added a classics section to the military examination as soon as he ascended the throne, but many of them were still more like hoodlums in official uniforms.

Another group were the officials from the Ministry of Taxation. Having brought writing tools from the start, they could take notes whenever necessary. Thanks to that, during their breaks, they could enjoy the daytime festivities at ease.

Hyang’s longer-than-expected presentation ended around sunset.

Having finished the presentation, Hyang looked at King Sejong and the ministers. “Do you have any questions?”

“…”

There was no one who immediately opened their mouths to answer Hyang’s question. Since no one spoke even after waiting for a moment, Hyang concluded, “Then, I will conclude my policy presentation here.” Hyang, having finished speaking, politely bowed to King Sejong on the royal dais.

“You did well. Let’s have dinner together later.”

“Yes, Father.”

King Sejong, who had not hidden his satisfaction, looked at the ministers. “Let’s end it here for today. You all worked hard.”

At Sejong’s words announcing the end, all the officials stood up from their chairs and bowed politely. As Sejong and Hyang left the hall, the officials began to exit as well.

The faces of the officials leaving the hall, starting with the high-ranking officials, were more serious than ever. The only difference was that the high-ranking officials held only writing tools, while the lower-ranking officials and intermediate officials also carried chairs.

“What do you think, Chief State Councilor?”

In response to the Left State Councilor’s question, the Chief State Councilor replied irritably, “How can I think? My brain has gotten freezing!”

“We must write a memorial to the throne immediately! The Crown Prince wrapped it up with fancy words like ‘Hongik Ingan’, but he is ignoring the values of tradition! Not only that, he intends to follow the teachings of Legalism rather than Confucianism when it comes to establishing laws. I cannot help but lament!”

The enraged Right State Councilor headed towards the Council of State building with a quick stride. Similar reactions came from the remonstrators of the Office of the Censor.

“We must write a memorial to the throne immediately!”

“That’s right!”

“The Crown Prince’s words may seem right at first glance, but they follow the hegemonic path of the Legalists! This is like following the oppression of Qin Shi Huang[1] and must be stopped at all costs!”

Various opposing remarks jumped out chaotically, and the intensity of the comments grew stronger.

“If necessary, we should consider replacing the Crown Prince!”

“Look at this! Isn’t that too extreme?”

“What’s extreme? Even the current king wasn’t originally the Crown Prince!”

“Shush!” the colleague who silenced the official who made the problematic remark looked around and warned him. “Be careful with your words! Do you think you have an iron plate around your neck?”

“Why? Did I say something wrong? A 9-year-old is making such an inappropriate statement! This is because the Crown Prince’s Tutoring Institute and its guests have failed to teach properly! Discipline should be strict, but only praising their achievements leads to such unfortunate events!”

“Well, you should just say that discipline needs to be strengthened, not replacing the Crown Prince…”

“Look at the current situation! Even if we try to correct, it’s already too twisted! For the sake of the royal way of governance, it’s better to replace immediately!”

“Hey, lower your voice!” the colleague warned the official whose voice had grown louder again and looked around. However, the young officers from the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Censors pretended not to hear.

But the cautioning official knew very well. There were many who seemed to agree silently but would report the situation when a crisis approached. On the other hand, there were quite a few officials who actively agreed with the Crown Prince’s opinion.

“Ha! It’s been a long time since I felt so refreshed!”

“I agree! Hearing a realistic and reasonable statement after listening to nonsensical talks all the time feels like our ears are cleansed. Hahaha!”

“Loyalty and filial piety are important, but there are things that must be protected first, and that is the trust and righteousness between the nation and its people! Wow, that was a great saying!”

“Did you see the King’s expression? It seemed like he would adopt the policy immediately.”

“The Crown Prince is so outstanding, and the King is wise; this is the prosperity of our Joseon!”

The officials who continued to praise the King and Crown Prince were mostly practical bureaucrats from the six ministries, including the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Personnel.

The proposals and related measures suggested by the Crown Prince, along with the King’s positive response, were like refreshing cold water to the bureaucrats who had been struggling with various administrative issues. However, the bureaucrats of the six ministries, who were showing a favorable response to the Crown Prince and the King, heard the noise from the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Censors.

“Those scumbags who waste their time!”

“Just bear with it!” the six ministry officials, who heard the remarks from the inspectors and censors, cursed in response.

Some hot-tempered officials tried to grab the collars of others, but their colleagues stopped and dissuaded them. The bureaucrats from the Office of Censors and the Office of Inspector General also stopped walking, and both sides stared at each other.

“Fake righteous men clinging to power!”

“Fake righteous men who only have mouths!”

Both sides insulted each other as fake righteous men and exchanged curses. Soon, they spat on the ground and turned their backs.

“Ptooh~. Go! It’s useless to talk with those fake righteous men; it will only make our ears dirtier!”

“Ptooh~, Go! Who wants to talk? Go!”

As they turned their backs, the bureaucrats shouted to their colleagues.

“Write a petition! Only a petition is the answer!”

“Agreed!”

This is how the ‘debate on the correct view,’ had left a folk tale saying ‘it raised the price of paper in Hanyang,’ took place.

◈◈◈

King Sejong and Hyang were enjoying their dinner together, not knowing whether they were aware of the commotion happening among the officials.

“Today’s speech was excellent.”

“Thank you.”

“Although it’s the wisdom of a nine-year-old, I missed a lot too. There are many policies that I want to adopt and implement right away.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. But honestly, the policies would be too difficult to implement right now.”

King Sejong nodded at Hyang’s remark and opened his mouth, “Is it because of the budget?”

“Yes. To be honest, it’s beyond our control, but I think it’s better to postpone the circulation of copper coins planned for next year.”

“Is it because of the problem with the supply guarantee you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Can’t we start with the secured budget first?”

In response to King Sejong’s question, Hyang put down the spoon and opened his mouth, “Then, the issued coins will all end up buried in the granaries of local landowners, and the people in need will continue to trade with rice and cotton.”

“Why would the issued coins end up in the granaries of local landowners?”

“It’s simple. No matter how well rice and cotton are stored, they can’t last more than five years. But coins aren’t like that, right? They’re small in size too.”

King Sejong nodded his head with his arms crossed at Hyang’s answer, “Hmm… I see. So how do we solve this?”

In response to his father’s question, Hyang leaned towards the king and whispered after looking at the historians and scribers sitting next to him.

“In my opinion, we need to prepare thoroughly for at least 10 years, or even 5 years, and then launch a decisive attack at once. Like starting a war, no, it’s a war.”

At Hyang’s leaning, Sejong leaned over as well and asked in a small voice, “War?”

In response to Sejong’s question, Hyang answered in an even quieter voice, “It’s a war. A war that decides whether the state will move this Joseon or the local landowners who have come down from the old days of the Three Hans (Three Kingdoms) era. Only by winning this war can Joseon truly establish itself as a country of our people.”

“I see.”

Bang! Clatter!

As King Sejong nodded his head while listening to Hyang’s answer, he suddenly stood up at the unexpected noise and looked towards where the sound came from. The noise came from where the historians and the scribes were. As King Sejong and the Crown Prince quietly exchanged words, the officials and scribes leaned in to listen, causing a commotion when they stumbled over each other.

“Really… If you’re tired, why not take turns with others? What a disgrace!”

At King Sejong’s scolding, the historians and scribes bowed their heads immediately, “Our apologies, Your Majesty!”

“Apologies aside, can you tell us what conversation the two of you were having? We need to record it…”

“It’s a private conversation between father and son. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Despite King Sejong’s response, the officials added the following statement.

An official says that there should be no secrets in discussing the policies of a nation. However, today, the King and the Crown Prince have discussed the important matter of currency operation with many secrets, which is not right.

After the small commotion, a messenger arrived to relay the reactions of the ministers. Hearing the messenger’s report, King Sejong seemed to lose his appetite and put down his chopsticks.

“You did well. Has the Crown Prince finished eating?”

“Yes.”

At the Crown Prince’s response, King Sejong pushed the table forward. “Then, clear the table and bring the tea tray.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The attendants came in and cleared the tables for King Sejong and the Crown Prince, who then sat facing each other with teacups between them and continued their conversation.

“From tomorrow, there will be a downpour of petitions.”

“The Royal Secretariat will have a hard time.”

“Maybe we should send some royal cuisine to the Royal Secretariat.”

“That would be a wise decision, Your Majesty.”

The father and son, who expressed their condolences in advance to the officials of the Royal Secretariat who would suffer from the influx of petitions, continued their conversation.

“Father, could you please tell me about the progress of smallpox vaccinations for the residents of Hanyang?”

“The palace has already completed all vaccinations, and preparations for vaccinating the residents of Hanyang have also been completed. As the New Year’s Day closing in three days, vaccinations will begin on the first day of the first lunar month.”

“I hope many people can escape smallpox through vaccination.”

“I share the same hope, my son. If we manage to prevent smallpox, you will have accomplished a great feat.”

“What have I done? It’s all due to your decision, Father. I have no merits to claim.”

“My boy.”

At the Crown Prince’s response, King Sejong looked at him with admiration. ‘If the smallpox vaccination brings the expected results, no one can stop you. No, even if someone tries, I will remove them! Because it’s an important step for our Joseon to rise!’ With a firm resolution in his heart, King Sejong looked at the Crown Prince. ‘My son! You will be my greatest treasure sword! Let’s lay the foundation for the prosperity of Joseon together!’

Suddenly, the Crown Prince felt an inexplicable chill wrapping around him.

‘What is this strange feeling?’

Footnote
[1] Emperor Qin Shi Huang (Qin Dynasty) was a follower of Legalism and implemented many Legalist principles during his rule, such as centralizing power, standardizing laws and punishments, and implementing a strict hierarchy of officials. He also established a system of spies and informants to monitor the activities of his subjects, and ordered the burning of books and the burying of scholars who disagreed with his ideas.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s use of Legalism helped to consolidate his power and establish a strong, centralized government in China. However, it also led to widespread repression and harsh treatment of his subjects, which ultimately contributed to the downfall of his dynasty.