Black Corporation: Joseon

“Ah! It’s moving!”

Upon witnessing the train in motion, King Sejong clapped with delight.

Hyang, watching with a proud face, opened his mouth to speak, “This is the land transportation system I’ve been thinking about that uses steam engines. If research proves successful, one could travel from Hanyang to Busan in a single day. No, we could move from the southernmost to the northernmost tip of Joseon in a day. If that happens…” Hyang’s words trailed off, prompting King Sejong and the ministers to focus their attention on him. With all eyes on him, Hyang finally delivered his conclusion—

“….If that happens, the once stagnant pulse of Joseon will beat again.”

“The pulse of Joseon will beat again?”

“Yes, that’s correct. If we look at the current situation, the pulse of Joseon is stagnant. There is virtually no movement of goods, and the common people are unable to leave their place of birth, they live and die on the same land. Unless a significant event happens, they won’t know what is happening in the outside world, and their lives remain unchanging. Then, who do you think benefits the most? Only the landlords who rule these villages benefit. Isn’t it the same even now? Why did Your Majesty prohibit accusations from the populace? Even though there are as many disadvantages as there are benefits.”

At the mention of the ‘Law Prohibiting Accusations from the Populace1‘, the faces of King Sejong and the ministers hardened.

Upon its founding, Joseon strived to strengthen central authority. Conflict with local powers and administrators appointed by the central government was inevitable. Whenever such conflicts arose, a deluge of accusations followed. The countless accusations filed by local nobles against officials, either individually or in collusion, had more than once filled King Sejong’s desk.

Eventually, King Sejong made a decisive move.

“Confucius said that ‘The military is one body!’ The regional officials are those who have been sent on behalf of this oneself, to carry out this oneself’s will! Just as it is not in accordance with propriety for a child to criticize their parents, it is also not in accordance with propriety to criticize them!”

Referring to the classics, King Sejong created a law prohibiting accusations from the populace, which even the reigning King Taejong agreed to implement.

However, the Crown Prince’s comment on the ‘benefits and disadvantages’ suggested there was a problem with the ‘Law Prohibiting Accusations from the Populace’.

“So, you’re saying that it was not right to prohibit accusations from the populace?”

“In the previous situation, it was an unavoidable choice to prohibit accusations from the populace. But as time goes by, those who take advantage of this to satisfy their own greed will appear. Isn’t Your Majesty trying to prevent this by pushing for reforms?”

“Well, that is true.”

“I believe that everything in this world, if it has a beginning, it also has an end. Even people have lifespans, so why shouldn’t laws have them too?”

“Well, that’s a valid point.” Upon hearing Hyang’s words, King Sejong nodded in agreement.

Hyang then turned his gaze towards the Minister of Law and Enforcement, Heo Jo, who was standing behind Sejong, and continued, “I think the important thing about a law is not its content, but the principle it represents. Your Majesty prohibited accusations from the populace because you wished for your will to be properly executed even in remote areas, so once the reforms are completed, won’t this law become unnecessary?”

“Well, that is true.” King Sejong repeatedly nodded his head, and Heo Jo, who was known to be a strict principled person, also nodded.

Hyang first knew about Heo Jo when he switched sides from the former Left State Councilor  to Sejong’s party. Hyang, who had predicted that if a purge took place, Heo Jo would be washed away with the Left State Councilor, was perplexed by Heo Jo’s change of course.

“A principled person, you say? Why is he so fickle?”

As time passed and Hyang gathered various rumors, he revised his assessment of Heo Jo.

“This gentleman is a staunch royalist and Confucian fundamentalist, he’s in a risky position…”

While adjusting his assessment of Heo Jo, Hyang changed the subject.

‘He will be a useful card if there’s a problem with the Avengers in the future.’

And so, Hyang continued his explanation, having broached the ‘Law Prohibiting Accusations from the Populace.’

“If we look at how blocked the roads are in Joseon right now, there are famous villages for apples and pears, but it takes so much effort just to cross one mountain to see them, and if we cross two mountains, it would be fair to say, ‘there is such a thing.'”

‘Oh! I want to eat the mackerel from Andong… Argh, my mind’s wandering off again!’

Hyang hurriedly gathered his thoughts and continued, “However, if we lay down these railroads and run trains, we can move many people and goods at once. Then, Joseon, which has been stagnant like a pond, will flow steadily like a stream.”

“Hmm…”

After Hyang’s explanation ended, King Sejong stroked his beard, lost in thought.

“Your Excellency, look here.”

As King Sejong was contemplating, Hwang Hee called Jeong-cho in a soft voice.

“What is it, Sir Hwang?”

When Jeong-cho asked for the reason, Hwang Hee pointed at the model locomotives and trains with the tip of his chopstick and asked, “Do you think these toys will be of practical use?”

At Hwang Hee’s words, Jeong-cho chuckled and responded, “Do you think those are mere trifles for amusement, Your Excellency?”

“It’s not that, I’m curious if they will be effective.”

“Do you see the chunks of iron placed on the carts behind that toy?”

“I see them.”

“If we add those up, they weigh about 10 geun (6kg). The toy you referred to can move 15 geun, including the weight of the cart. Do you grasp the magnitude?”

At Jeong-cho’s words, Hwang Hee closed his mouth. The other ministers who were present did the same.

Meanwhile, King Sejong, who had been lost in thought, asked Hyang a question, “It’s well known that the roads in our Joseon are in a mess from ancient times. Therefore, not only in ancient times, but also in our Joseon, we mainly use boats to transport goods. Will these railroads be able to substitute that?”

“There would be a substantial amount of resources invested in the construction process. However, as time passes, it will not only recover the invested resources, but also more. Furthermore, if we discuss water transportation, every time we transport the collected grain from the southern regions (Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do) by ship, a significant amount gets lost each year. Every year, a tenth of the total amount of grain coming in is lost, usually due to the ships sinking in a storm or getting stranded on hidden reefs. Isn’t it a successful situation if we only lose a tenth?”

“Indeed.”

“Is it really?”

“Eh?”

At Hyang’s question, King Sejong and the ministers’ ears perked up. Hyang continued, looking at King Sejong and the ministers.

“The sailors of the cargo ships transporting the grain have a lot of experience. Do you think these people wouldn’t know the signs of a storm? Or they wouldn’t know the location of the reefs on a path they travel back and forth all the time? Isn’t it simply the lack of concrete evidence that makes us overlook it?”

“That makes sense…”

At Hyang’s point, King Sejong and the ministers nodded. As Hyang pointed out, most of the grain collected from the southern regions was transported to Hanyang via cargo ships. During this process, a significant amount of grain was lost due to various accidents. The government had tried various ways to prevent this loss, but no optimal solution had been found. Once the ship went out to sea, communication was impossible until it arrived.

‘No! There were times when even Cheonan and Wonju were considered part of the metropolitan area! Crossing the Han River and communication is cut off – how does that make sense! We’re talking about a country that’s only as big as the palm of your hand!’

Hyang insistently laid out the benefits of the railroad.

“It’s not only beneficial for the transportation of people and goods. It is also very advantageous for communication.”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong stroked his beard and nodded his head.

“‘Beneficial for communication’… indeed. If we can arrive at Hanyang from the southern or northern end within a day, as you said, we would be able to receive urgent reports more quickly. Then we could respond more rapidly and accurately.”

“That is indeed correct. Of course!”

When Hwang Hee and the other ministers who were about to speak appeared, Hyang raised his voice. As Hyang’s voice rose, the lips of the ministers who were about to say something tightened shut.

Hyang, who silenced the ministers, continued, “Of course, we have the ‘Beacon System (bongsudae –  an ancient beacon system) even now, and we are still announcing emergency notices through beacon fires. However, we can only receive information related to national defense through the beacon fires. Even then, we can only know that something has happened in a certain direction, and we have to wait until the couriers arrive to get detailed information. If we’re not careful, we might miss crucial moments while waiting for the courier.”

“… That’s true.”

At Hyang’s point, the ministers nodded. Hyang continued, “Emergency notices are not only confined to wars. There are things like epidemics, floods, and droughts. If we can receive news faster when such disasters occur, wouldn’t we be able to handle them with a bit more leisure?”

“That’s certainly true.”

The ministers also started to lean towards finding the railway useful.

Hyang then called Jeong-cho. “You there, submit the plan to His Majesty.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s command, Jeong-cho, together with Jeong In-Ji, took out a pile of thick books and laid them on the table with the railway model.

“What is this? Hmm…’Comprehensive National Land Development Plan?'”

“It is a plan to strengthen Joseon’s capacity based on the geography and economic situation of Joseon, which we surveyed while traveling across the country for astronomical observations, population distribution, and the distribution of underground resources reported by the resource agency. I prepared it hoping it would be of even a little help to His Majesty’s reform policies.”

King Sejong counted the number of books Jeong-cho and Jeong In-Ji had brought.

“One, two, three…… Forty-two, this doesn’t seem like ‘a little bit’?”

“It’s just a little bit.”

“Hmm…”

At Hyang’s response, King Sejong sighed as he opened the book.

“Hoo~.”

The book was filled with sentences written in small characters. As he read the densely written sentences, King Sejong muttered quietly, “I hate metal pens at times like these.”

The reason why the officials preferred metal pens over brush pens was that they could write smaller. Although a brush pen could also write small using fine calligraphy, a metal pen could write even smaller. This reduced the consumption of paper compared to the past, which was good, but it was a torture for the ministers whose vision was declining. Hence, King Sejong had to specify a minimum character size for official documents.

Having briefly examined the content of the book that was on top, King Sejong handed the book over to Hwang Hee.

“I think it’s worth reviewing. Examine it with the rest of the ministers.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Having handed over the books to Hwang Hee and the ministers, King Sejong examined the interior of the room where the railway model was placed. He hadn’t had the chance to look around as his attention was drawn to the railway model as soon as he entered.

“There are many maps?”

“Yes. There’s a world map derived from Zheng He’s navigation records, and a map of Joseon based on the surveys by researchers who went out for astronomical measurements to correct the ephemeris2.”

“Hmm…”

As he examined the map of Joseon hung on the wall, King Sejong turned to look at Hyang. “It’s much more precise than the old maps.”

“It’s thanks to the researchers’ efforts.”

“The hard work is evident. Everyone, come and see.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The moment King Sejong’s order fell, the officials approached and began examining the maps. The one showing the deepest interest was Jo Mal-saeng3. After scrutinizing the maps, he made a request to King Sejong.

“Your Majesty, the army is in most need of these precise maps. Although we have gathered talents through military reform, there are many shortcomings in carrying out their intentions, and the maps are part of them. Please bestow these maps to the army.”

“The Minister of Military Affairs speaks truly. Crown Prince, make sure to pass these maps to the military.”

“I will obey your order. However, is it alright even if they are not the finalized version?”

“They are not the final versions?”

“The research institute has only been established for seven months. We lack people, so it’s impossible to produce a proper outcome.”

“We lack people?”

As King Sejong pondered, Jeong-cho spoke earnestly, “Indeed, the lack of talented personnel is a serious issue. Even now, including us, the rest of the members of the research institute can hardly go home.”

“Is it that serious?”

At King Sejong’s words, Jeong-cho nodded his head with a face that seemed on the verge of tears.

“As you can see, Your Majesty, we’re not just dealing with one or two tasks. There are many tasks and few people, how can we possibly be comfortable?”

“Can’t we gather more people?”

At King Sejong’s question, Jeong-cho replied, almost whimpering. “The rumors of the work being arduous deter people from coming. Initially, we managed to bring people in with promises of promotion, but whenever the number of people increased, you assigned more work… As you may see, the research institute has barely been established for over half a year, but it has produced so many artifacts and performed tasks. Among these tasks, not a single one is easy.”

Recalling the hardships, Jeong-cho’s eyes filled with tears, and he could not continue his words properly.

Looking at the pitiful state of the elderly official, King Sejong glared at Hyang. Upon receiving King Sejong’s sharp gaze, Hyang playfully stuck out his tongue.

“Oops!”

“You rascal! Enough!”

Footnotes

During the Joseon Dynasty, there was a law called “부민고소금지법 (Bumin Gosogumjib)” that prohibited the filing of complaints against high-ranking officials by commoners. This law aimed to protect the privileged class and maintain the social hierarchy. Under this law, commoners were not allowed to take legal action or bring grievances against the aristocracy or government officials, regardless of any injustices they may have experienced. The law essentially shielded the elite from accountability and prevented commoners from seeking justice or challenging the authority of those in power.[↩]a table or data file giving the calculated positions of a celestial object at regular intervals throughout a period.[↩]Minister of Military Affairs during King Taejong’s and Sejong’s reign. In the history, he was a civil officer during King Taejong and King Sejong’s reign. In 1401, he passed the civil service exam and became a government officer. Even though he was involved in bribery scandal in 1428, he was seen as competent as King Sejong never allowed him to resign even if he appealed to the king about his health problems several times. In the end, he couldn’t retire before his death as is often the case with King Sejong’s subjects.[↩]