Black Corporation: Joseon

When the high-ranking officials heard the news, they rushed to the Royal Secretary Office. The Chief State Councilor had just finished writing an appeal to the king.

“Your Excellency! A petition? What a rash act!”

“In a situation where it would be insufficient even to prostrate oneself before the king in remorse, you are submitting a petition? Are you out of your mind?”

Although the high-ranking officials gathered and criticized him in succession, the Chief State Councilor’s expression remained calm.

“It is a petition that must be submitted. If we consider not the present of Joseon but its future, we must inquire into this matter and defy the king’s will.”

“Your Excellency! Are you truly possessed by a reckless spirit?”

When the Minister of Taxation raised his voice, the Chief State Councilor also raised his voice in succession, “The king has forgotten how significant it is to rule the country! He has also forgotten why there are officials!”

“Your Excellency!”

Although the other high-ranking officials tried to stop him, the Chief State Councilor entered the Royal Secretary Office, holding the petition, and handed it over.

“Submit this petition to the king.”

“…Understood.”

Seeing the nervous expressions and voices of the officials, the Chief State Councilor added, “Don’t make such faces. This is all for the future of Joseon and the king.”

The official, whose face had hardened at the Chief State Councilor’s words, received the petition from the man’s hands. “…I will submit it to His Majesty.”

◈◈◈

“It’s the Chief State Councilor’s appeal.”

“Leave it and go.”

The Chief State Councilor’s petition was placed on King Sejong’s desk, passing through the official and the courier. Without a word, King Sejong stared at the rolled-up petition and began to read it as he unfurled it.

“I, Chief State Councilor Ryu Jeong-hyeon, prostrate myself and submit this petition to His Majesty. In brief, the matter of state administration…”

The contents of the petition written by Ryu Jeong-hyeon were as follows:

State administration is, as the name implies, the management of a nation. Therefore, making and implementing policies lightly is something that must never be done. What must be avoided when deciding and implementing policies is changing one’s mind frequently and capriciously, a fact known even to a child three feet tall. This is because the issue involves the trust of the people in the nation and its policies.

However, looking at the nationwide implementation of the cowpox vaccination, the king has abused his power through a unilateral decision. This is not right.

Initially, the plan was to vaccinate the residents of Hanyang and confirm its efficacy before implementing it nationwide, and this was something the king also agreed to. However, as a few people submitted an appeal to expand the vaccination nationwide quickly and made a breakthrough, reversing the initial plan is not a change but rather a capricious act.

The king criticized the majority of the scholar-officials based only on the fact that a few scholars and merchants made a breakthrough. This is not right. The efficacy of the cowpox vaccination has not yet been proven. Therefore, most scholar-officials are waiting for its efficacy to be confirmed. Of course, there may be some who refused to perform their duties as nobles due to their own greed, but they are an extreme minority. After all, these are the nobles who have mastered the classics, followed the teachings of the sages, and have known righteousness and principles.

State administration, that is, the creation and implementation of policies, should only be carried out through consultation between the king and his officials. What is the reason for needing officials in the management of a nation? It is because it is not an easy task for the king alone to see and judge wisely. The king and the officials must examine from various angles, gather their intentions, and make decisions in order for policies to move in the right direction. If all matters of state affairs were decided and implemented according to the king’s will, what need would there be for the royal court and officials? It would suffice to have eunuchs in charge of document management. This is not only a departure from the royal way but also from the hegemonic way and is simply a dictatorship.

Furthermore, it is not right for the king to habitually abuse power as a customary practice for the future of the nation. We have no doubt that His Majesty, the present king, possesses the qualities of a dragon among men and will not deviate from the righteous path. Also, the Crown Prince has outstanding qualities, so there is less worry. However, what about the future? If a tyrant likes Jie of Xia1 or Zhou of Shang ascends the throne and abuses power because it is custom, what will become of the fate of Joseon? In order to prevent such a situation, the consultation between the king and his officials must be strictly observed, and policies determined through that consultation must be carefully prepared and implemented.

Our Joseon has barely passed 30 years since its founding. To compare it to a house, it is now just laying the foundation. Ensuring consistency in the relationships between the king, officials, and policy implementation is the only way to avoid political disasters and ensure the perpetual prosperity of Joseon. The reason Goryeo went down the path of destruction was that it neglected this.

In conclusion, the nationwide implementation of cowpox vaccination through the abuse of power should be stopped. As initially planned, its efficacy should be confirmed first, and then a decision on nationwide implementation should be made.

“…If it is indeed effective, I, Ryu Jeong-hyeon, will gladly offer all of my property.”

Upon reading the entirety of the Chief State Councilor’s petition, King Sejong clenched his fists in anger and put down the document.

“What a cunning man!” Holding onto the arms of his throne, King Sejong suppressed his boiling anger and issued an order to the court attendants. “What are those haughty ministers doing now?”

“They are currently performing the ritual of repentance in front of the Royal Council Hall.”

“Order them to enter the main hall immediately! Without missing a single person!”

“Your command shall be obeyed!”

Upon receiving the command through the court attendants, the ministers hurriedly entered the main hall. Starting with the Chief State Councilor, the ministers took their places, and King Sejong handed the problematic petition to the court attendant.

“Read it out loud, so that all the ministers can hear.”

“Yes.”

Upon King Sejong’s command, the court attendant read out the Chief State Councilor’s petition loudly.

As the content unfolded, the ministers’ faces, which had been tense from the beginning, grew even stiffer. The petition criticized King Sejong’s decision-making as dictatorial, although it was written in polite language. The final sentence, which offered to submit willingly, could actually be interpreted in the opposite way.

I was told to get vaccinated, but would it really work? If it does, I’ll give away all my wealth!

After finishing the reading, the court attendant quietly rolled up the scroll and placed it on King Sejong’s desk. Meanwhile, the main hall was silent as a tomb. The secretaries and scribes also stopped their brushes, merely swallowing their saliva.

King Sejong broke the silence, “When I first learned about the vaccination, I have thought about implementing it nationwide immediately. However, the Chief State Councilor said it was too hasty, and I agreed with his reasoning. I ask the ministers, have I ever abused my power?”

“…”

“Have I ever abused my power before or after that? I have always consulted with the ministers and chose the measures that everyone agreed were right. Is that also abusing power?”

“…”

“The Chief State Councilor regards the abuse of power as a sin, but it is also one of the tools of governance a monarch possesses. When managing a country, there are times when quick decisions are necessary. However, if the situation remains indecisive, a monarch has no choice but to abuse power. Is not a monarch who misses the opportunity while waiting for his subjects to reach a conclusion truly incompetent? Whose responsibility is it that the practice of abusing power becomes a routine? The monarch or the subjects?”

“…”

As King Sejong’s rebuke continued, the ministers’ heads sank closer to the ground.

“The more I read the Chief State Councilor’s petition, the more cunning it appears. The sentences are beautiful, but they reek of malice. Most of the scholars know shame and propriety? Then, why reward the aristocrats who open their granaries to relieve the people during a famine? If they follow the way of the sages and know shame and propriety, shouldn’t relieving the people be a natural duty? However, that is not the case, so they are rewarded to set an example for others. Why is what the Chief State Councilor says different from reality?”

“…”

“Chief State Councilor, answer me!”

At King Sejong’s command, the Chief State Councilor bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, I humbly apologize.”

“What are the aristocrats who, whenever there’s an outbreak of smallpox or another epidemic, spend their wealth to buy medicinal herbs to treat their neighbors, even resorting to summoning shamans to perform rituals in hopes of borrowing supernatural powers? And what about those aristocrats who, like now, spend their wealth to buy cows for vaccination? Are they just acting hastily due to their shallow understanding?”

“Your Majesty, I humbly apologize. However, in the case of cowpox, its effectiveness has not been definitively proven…”

“What about the cowherds of Jeju Island! Generation after generation, they have been vaccinated with cowpox and avoided smallpox. Wasn’t that evidence enough?”

“Allow me to reiterate, Your Majesty. The number of cowherds alone is too small!”

“Enough!”

King Sejong, who had been gripping the brush in his hand, released his grip.

“Fine. I’ll ask you one thing. If smallpox were to break out in Gangwon Province instead of Hanyang, what would you do? Wait for it to spread from Gangwon Province to Hanyang? Even if many people die or become disfigured or disabled in the meantime?”

“…”

“Is it worth sacrificing so many lives by not vaccinating, even though we have a way to prevent smallpox, just because it has not been proven sufficiently? Is it worth only following the ways of the military and abandoning civilian control?”

“While it is heartbreaking that sacrifices are made, establishing a firm national policy is of greater value. It is pitiful for the people suffering from smallpox, but there have been smallpox victims since ancient times. If it is to properly establish the laws of Joseon from the beginning, I believe we can endure that level of sacrifice!”

“Ridiculous!”

There were sighs among the ministers at Chief State Councilor’s answer. To the ministers, Chief State Councilor’s response seemed stubborn.

At Chief State Councilor’s answer, King Sejong clenched his teeth, “Fine! I will definitely prove its effectiveness! Starting today, if there are reports of smallpox outbreaks anywhere in the eight provinces of Joseon, immediately move 103,328 people, including all officials in the palace and Hanyang residents, to the outbreak site! Investigate those among them who contract smallpox to verify the effectiveness!”

At Sejong’s bombshell statement, all the ministers stood up.

“Your Majesty! Please reconsider!”

“Please reconsider, Your Majesty! This is impossible!”

“Moving 100,000 people is an impossible task!”

All the ministers opposed King Sejong’s decision. However, King Sejong’s resolve was firm.

“Silence! If we follow your wishes, we will have to wait until smallpox spreads from somewhere other than Hanyang or until it breaks out in Hanyang! Who will bear the resentment of the people who have been sacrificed in the meantime! And is moving 100,000 people impossible? How do the military forces move then! This is nothing but an excuse!”

After a brief pause to catch his breath, King Sejong stared at Chief State Councilor and concluded, “I will not tolerate any objections to this, as it is for the sake of firmly establishing the laws that protect the people from the whims of the military! And, Chief State Councilor, listen! If the effectiveness is proven, you will be held responsible for this sin!”

With his final words, King Sejong stormed out of the room.

“I will not tolerate any opposition, as this is to firmly establish the rule of law to protect the orders of military officials! And, Chief State Councilor, listen! If the efficacy is proven, you will bear the guilt upon your neck!”

King Sejong finished speaking and stormed out of his seat.

The scribe recorded everything without omission:

The Chief State Councilor’s objection was like pouring oil on a fire, exacerbating the situation.

After finishing the record, the scribe immediately added a comment.

The implementation of royal governance requires harmony between the king and his ministers. However, harmony is merely a tool, not the ultimate goal. Today’s statements and remarks made by the Chief State Councilor can be considered an inversion of priorities. My heart aches seeing the fall of the esteemed old minister in the spring.

Upon hearing about the conflict between King Sejong and his ministers, Hyang bit his tongue. “It has completely turned into a chicken race. Politics is about legitimacy, but this is going too far, isn’t it?”

Hyang, who had been clicking his tongue at the dire situation of the court, suddenly became serious.

“Could this lead to a rebellion that has never happened in history?”

Hwang, with a serious face, crossed his arms and sank into thought. After a while of mental calculation, Hwang concluded, “I should start preparing just in case.”

That night, Sejong visited Hyang’s room.

“Crown Prince, I assume you’ve heard about today’s events?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think your father went too far?”

“The intransigence of the Chief State Councilor is indeed frustrating. Legitimacy is important, but so is practicality.”

King Sejong smiled at Hyang’s answer and patted his shoulder. “Crown Prince, I feel reassured with you here.”

“You flatter me too much.”

“Whew.” Sejong let out a long sigh and grumbled, “Now that things have come to this, I find myself hoping for an outbreak of disease nearby.”

“You will surely achieve a favorable outcome.”

◈◈◈

Five days later, urgent news reached the court.

“An outbreak has occurred!”

“Where?”

“In the Yeongdeungpo2 area of Geumcheon County!”

Upon hearing the location of the outbreak, King Sejong and his ministers appeared relieved. They had all been exhausted from the stress brought on by the tense situation that felt like walking on thin ice.

“Perhaps this is for the best. It’s for the best.”

 

Footnotes

걸주 (桀紂) – refers to the tyrant kings Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, who were notorious for their brutal and oppressive rule.[↩]Southwest area of current Seoul.[↩]