Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 128

Episode 128

Five days after the decision to establish the construction site was made, a report was received to King Sejong.

“The Crown Prince is residing at the Records Office?”

“That is so, Your Majesty.”

“why?”

King Sejong expressed doubts about the merchant’s answer, and the ministers became very nervous.

‘What on earth are you planning again!’

‘What kind of accident are you planning to cause this time?’

‘Please don’t bring me any work! really!’

While all the ministers were swearing, praying, and praying in their hearts, the merchant ship answered.

“According to the reports of the serving officers, it was said that the answer to the order given by His Majesty the Lord was a little inadequate, so he was doing so to complement it.”

“haha! “It is indeed Cesaro!”

Upon hearing the merchant ship’s report, King Sejong burst out laughing with a face full of pride and pride, while the ministers closed their eyes and cursed under their breath.

‘Holy shit!’

At the same time, Hyang, who was organizing documents at the timekeeper, was swearing.

“Damn it! The conclusion is, of course, earth construction!”

* * *

Five days, or ten days, after the merchant ship’s report, Hyang appeared in front of King Sejong.

“Abama, I have brought you a second plan for the fate you gave me.”

Sejong was pleased with Hyang’s words.

“I was waiting. Announce it quickly.”

“Yes Abama.”

As Hyang walked to the center of the main hall, the ministers focused their attention on Hyang.

“It’s been a while since I saw you all.”

After lightly greeting the ministers, Hyang cleared her voice and opened her mouth.

“The first thing I thought of in order to carry out the orders given by Abamama was the battlefield. “There is no change in my belief that the battlefield is the best way to break the economic shackles between local residents and peasants.”

King Sejong and the ministers all had the same question about Hyang’s remarks.

‘But what’s the problem?’

Hyang seemed to be aware of the question and continued talking.

“But if only the battlefield is created, unexpected problems may arise.”

“What is an unexpected problem?”

Hyang immediately answered King Sejong’s question.

“There is a problem of movement.”

“movement?”

When Hyang mentioned the problem of movement, King Sejong and the ministers began to think deeply about why it was a problem.

As expected, the first to find out the answer was Sejong.

“I see. There are hundreds or even thousands of products that the people need, but there is almost no place where they all come from. “If Toho monopolizes this product, it could become another shackle.”

Hyang blinked at Sejong’s answer and couldn’t close his mouth.

‘I didn’t think of that either?’

“Is it Crown Prince?”

Hyang, who had frozen at the unexpected answer, suddenly came to her senses at Sejong’s call and bowed her head.

“Here comes the Emperor. You pointed out something I hadn’t thought of, so I was momentarily taken aback! “I am just amazed by Abamama’s wisdom!”

Sejong responded with a smile to Hyang’s flattering remark.

“I was just lucky. “But since this father has lived longer than you, he has seen things that you have not seen.”

The ministers looked in tears at King Sejong’s answer.

‘Then what are we!’

‘Shit! ‘In terms of age, he’s about the same age as my grandchild!’

‘Are you telling me to die!’

“huh? “Why are you looking like that?”

In response to King Sejong’s question, the ministers quickly adjusted their expressions and bowed their heads.

“I was so impressed by His Majesty the Lord’s insight that I lost my mind for a moment!”

“Your Majesty’s wisdom is the blessing of Joseon!”

King Sejong responded with a slightly embarrassed expression to the compliments heaped upon him by the ministers as representatives of the ministers.

“haha! Like I said to the Crown Prince, I just got a little lucky. Who can compete with the insight and wisdom of the sutras? “What is the difference between the days lived?”

“That is too much to say!”

“I am devastated!”

They all bowed their heads in response to King Sejong’s words, but the ministers’ inner thoughts were complicated.

‘Is this a compliment?’

‘I don’t think it’s a compliment…’

‘It sounds like you’re not worth the night…’

No matter what the ministers thought in their hearts, Sejong’s attention was focused on the crown prince.

“So… Crown Prince, what was the answer you were thinking of?”

In response to Sejong’s question, Hyang talked about the problem she thought of.

“As Abamama said, not all products are produced in one place. If so, you will have to bring the necessary products from somewhere else. However, since transportation is inconvenient, the quantity is bound to be limited, and then products have to be purchased from places far away from the production site at a high price. If that happens, tenant farmers with low income will have no choice but to borrow money from Toho again.”

The sentencing judge asked a question about Hyang’s words.

“Would you like to borrow money from Toho if you have a battlefield?”

Judge Heo Jo immediately answered the question of the sentence judge.

“Unless wealth pours out infinitely from warehouses on the battlefield and there is a limit to the assets held as collateral, unlimited loans are impossible.”

“Isn’t that the same for Toho?”

In response to Heo Jo’s answer, the sentencing judge asked the question again as if he still did not understand.

Kim Jeom screamed in response to a question from the sentencing judge.

“Look, sir! Tohos do not charge interest when lending loans! “You don’t know the difference?”

“Ah…”

At Kim Jeom’s scolding, the sentencing judge closed his mouth with a humble expression on his face.

When the sentence judge closed his mouth, Hyang continued speaking.

“This is the first problem that will arise as movement is restricted, and the next problem will be that of communication. Because emergency reports such as drought, floods, and epidemics arrive late, there is not enough time to respond. Then, the response on the battlefield will be delayed and the people will be tied to Toho again.”

“I see.”

King Sejong and the ministers nodded at Hyang’s words.

Hyang, who judged that King Sejong and the ministers understood the problem, presented the answer he thought of.

“So the solution Soja came up with was to expand roads throughout Joseon.”

In response to Hyang’s words, the Public Relations Officer immediately began to refute.

“Road construction is still progressing steadily.”

“That’s right. But then comes the question of duration and form. If we look at the current road construction situation. Construction begins after the harvest and into winter and lasts for about five months until the end of the spring hunger season. “Right?”

“you’re right.”

“Construction is carried out in the middle of winter, so a lot of air space is required and progress is slow. “Right?”

“you’re right.”

The Minister of Public Works nodded at Hyang’s point. Because what Hyang said was right.

Digging hard frozen ground in the cold of midwinter was an extremely difficult task. In the 15th century Joseon, where there were no large-scale civil engineering machines like those of the 21st century, manpower and shaft power had to be mobilized for all of this work.

Of course, most of the problems were solved by pushing people in.

As the Minister of Public Works nodded repeatedly, Hyang pointed out the problem it caused.

“Like the construction of the dam and reservoir, the road construction began with the nature of relief. However, once the battlefield is established, road construction for relief purposes must stop.”

At Hyang’s words, Kim Jeom came forward.

“I understand very well what the crown prince is saying. However, the reason why construction was carried out during that period was not only for the purpose of relief, but also because there was a problem of supply and demand of personnel. “This is because we cannot leave people out during the busy farming season.”

“It is rather easy to lose people during the busy farming season.”

“yes?”

“huh?”

Because Hyang’s answer shattered existing common sense, everyone from King Sejong to the officers who wrote down Sacho could not believe their ears for a moment.

“Sejaya, the reason we call it busy farming season is because we are busy with farming. But how can it be said that it is easy to get rid of people?”

In response to Sejong’s words, Hyang explained the reason.

“It’s because of the transplanting method, Abama.”

“Transplanting method? Hmm… Wasn’t the transplanting method used because it could increase yields?”

Kim Jeom added to Sejong’s point.

“That’s right. “The increase in output was smaller than expected.”

Hyang responded to Kim Jeom’s point.

“yes. The increase in yield was smaller than expected, so researchers and farmers are still working hard to research varieties that can increase yield. However, the number of farmers using transplanting methods continues to increase. Isn’t it?”

Kim Jeom responded to Hyang’s comment with a humble expression.

“That’s right. “It was said to be less than expected, but even the lowest grade bakto increases by 10%.”

Like Kim Jeom’s answer, the number of farmers practicing rice transplanting was increasing. This was because it was possible to increase production by at least 10% compared to the existing direct seeding method.

Of course, ‘just spitting can cause a big storm.’ In the highest grade fertile soil, there was an 80% increase in production.

Hyang explained other effects brought about by the transplanting method.

“Of all the effects brought about by the transplanting method, the ministers only focused on the harvest and did not look at other effects.”

Kim Jeom, who had been opposing Hyang’s words until now, showed strong interest. Because it was a department that dealt with money, he couldn’t just ignore it.

“What other effects does it have?”

“Once the planting season and rice planting season are over, there will be workers left over until the harvest season.”

“yes?”

Hyang explained the changes brought about by the transplanting method.

-The transplanting method of transplanting seedlings that have grown to a certain level allows rice to grow stronger than the direct seeding method, as long as it can withstand the shock generated during the transplanting process.

-Due to the water-filled nature of rice fields, the types of weeds that can grow are limited. Therefore, the number of weeding operations and manpower can be greatly reduced.

-Therefore, if you exclude the process of sowing and growing seeds and the harvesting period to grow the first seedlings, there is a significant amount of manpower left over.

“… Let me give you an example. There is an appeal that came from Muan-hyeon, Jeolla-do two years ago. This is an appeal in which the county governor of Muan County at the time reported that in the process of road maintenance, the maintenance was able to be completed before the end of the rainy season because rice planting was over and there was more manpower.”

Sejong, who was remembering Hyang’s words, nodded.

“It was like that. I remember praising the county governor at the time for handling it wisely and giving him a good evaluation. “Is it true?…”

While Sejong was nodding his head repeatedly, the discussion between Kim Jeom and Hyang continued.

“Is that why the crown prince wants to hire workers during the busy farming season to work on the road?”

“It’s not a kick-off. Then the link between Toho and farmers cannot be severed. “I plan to hire a company that specializes in road construction.”

“Then you end up spending more money than necessary! It’s not possible!”

As Kim Jeom raised his voice in strong opposition, Hyang’s voice also rose.

“My purpose of saving the upper class is not for the purpose of salvation. “The goal is to create a professional group that takes civil engineering as its business!”

“yes?”

When Kim Jeom paused at the unexpected remark, Heo Jo intervened.

“Do you, the Crown Prince, intend to relocate the surplus manpower from the rural areas?”

“That’s it!”

Heo Jo looked troubled by Hyang’s strong affirmation.

“But will they have the manpower to escape like that?…”

As Heo Jo trailed off, expressing doubt, Hyang looked back at Kim Jeom.

“Captain Hopan! How much has the rural population increased now? “How many people have died?”

Kim Jeom answered Hyang’s question right away.

“The average number of deaths each year after surgery is approximately 60% compared to before surgery.”

“ah! I see!”

In response to Kim Jeom’s answer, Sejong slapped his knee and let out an exclamation.

“I forgot too! As we inoculated against cowpox and cultivated and distributed medicinal herbs, the number of deaths decreased significantly! It’s Gwaine’s mistake! “I can’t help but feel sorry for you!”

When King Sejong admitted that it was his own mistake, the ministers unanimously denied it.

“No, Your Highness!”

“This is the gods’ mistake for failing to properly assist you! “Punish the gods!”

“Punish me!”

After the skit where everyone shouted sorry to each other, Sejong looked back.

“I will think deeply about the policy you mentioned.”

“I am devastated!”

Hyang bowed deeply at Sejong’s decision.