Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 145
Episode 145: Battle. (4)
‘Coordination is an important issue, so all the top parties in Joseon are gathered together. We hope that all top officials will attend.’
Proclamations containing the above contents were soon distributed to large and small merchants throughout Joseon.
“… That’s why he issued this edict, so don’t forget to attend.”
“Yes, Nari.”
The head of the upper chamber, who received the letter and bowed his head respectfully to the words of the Hojo official, carefully asked a question.
“But do you know what the ‘big questions’ are?”
The Hojo official answered Daebang’s question with a perplexed look on his face.
“What would an unsophisticated person like me know? “The only thing I heard is that it is a kind of test that His Majesty the Prime Minister is taking on the top officials.”
“Is it… a test?”
“It’s not exact. Then, please come to the palace on time on the appointed date.”
“Go take a look!”
After seeing off the official of Hojo, Daebang (大房) immediately gathered the provincial governors and ministers.
“… So I have to go up to Hanseong by a certain date.”
The provincial governors and ministers who passed around reading the letters with King Sejong’s official seal looked at each other with serious expressions on their faces.
“Do you know the inside story of what the King has called you for?”
“The problem is that you don’t know that. “I only know that it is the ‘test of the Lord.’”
“Do you mean a test?”
“It’s a test… Hey, I’m the assistant. Did you hear anything from Area 51?”
The middle-aged monk who was asked the question scratched his head and answered.
“Even so, there is a message from the guy who planted himself near Area 51. “The king visited Area 51 with his ministers a few days ago.”
“Hmm…”
The faces of Daebang, the governors, and the guards became even more serious after hearing the report from the governor.
Everyone in Joseon knew that when King Sejong visited Area 51, something that would shake the world would soon appear.
Thanks to this, even among those who were rumored to be doing a lot of business in Joseon, there was no one who did not plant people around Area 51.
By planting people like that and trying to spread the word faster than others, there were quite a few people who doubled the size of their business.
Far away, there were people who obtained the secret to making dry food for soldiers and made and sold it as emergency food to eat when on the road or when disaster strikes, and closer to home, there were people who made and sold flavored powder used for cooking chicken.
Of course, due to the newly created ‘Intellectual Property Management Act’, I had to pay quite a lot of wealth to the government, but I was able to obtain more wealth than that.
Those who could not find the reason for King Sejong’s summons even after thinking over and over again had to choose a stopgap measure.
“If the king is giving a test to merchants, wouldn’t it be related to wealth? Just in case, let’s check how much wealth our merchants can use right now before leaving.”
“Yes, Daebang.”
The leader who gave the order looked relieved.
“Fortunately, we are close to Hanseong in Gyeonggi-do.”
“That’s right.”
* * *
While the Joseon Dynasty’s superiors under King Sejong’s orders were preparing, the government promulgated a new decree.
It was the promulgation of the ‘tenancy law’ that shook the rural areas of Joseon.
-The rent received by landowners should not exceed half of the produce.
-Jeonju owners cannot collect seed and fertilization fees.
“If it’s going to be like this, why do I have to give it a sharecropping!”
Many landowners were upset because of the above clause.
There were many cases where Jeonju received additional seed and fertilizer fees from tenant farmers in addition to rent, but the government completely banned this.
-Tenant farmers must unconditionally bring the grains harvested from the rice paddies and fields they are farming to the monopoly.
-Check the exact amount of produce in front of the Hojo officials at the monopoly. Afterwards, taxes levied by the country are paid and rent is paid to the owner.
-This entire process is carried out under the supervision of a Hojo official.
-If additional rent is secretly extorted before or after this collection process, the crime of delusion of military power will be applied.
Many landowners protested against the tenancy law promulgated by the government by filing appeals, but the government did not even budge.
-‘There is no land under heaven that is not your land, and there is no one to the ends of the earth that is not your subject.’ It is written in the city council.
-All the land in Joseon belonged to the king, but convenience was provided so that those who studied abroad could study without worrying about portability.
-Just as the jeonju are the king’s subjects, the peasants are also the king’s subjects.
-Therefore, it is the king’s job to ensure that the peasants live without fear of starvation.
As the government asserted its legitimacy based on the ‘kingdom ideology’, the Jeonju people’s resistance had no choice but to lose momentum.
“Damn it….”
“I can’t help it….”
This was because the government even brought out the ‘delusion of military delusion’.
“If heaven is not on our side, we must change it!”
“Look! Shh! Shh!”
Some radicals even claimed rebellion, but those nearby quickly buried their claims.
They began to build their own power by taking advantage of the long period of famine in the late Taejong and early Sejong years, but as long as the Joseon army still showed absolute loyalty to Sejong, they had no chance of victory.
* * *
Those who benefited the most from King Sejong’s renovation were the military.
Of course, there was a civil servant-centered administrative organization called the military service, but all military positions (actual positions in charge of practical work) were assigned to military officers.
Thanks to this, military officers had to suffer from the double burden of having to have not only martial arts skills but also academic knowledge.
Even though they had to suffer from such a double whammy, the military officers were still happy. Before the military parade began, all high-ranking posts in the military were occupied by civil servants.
A clear example of such superiority over civil servants was Hyeonryeong. Looking at the position, the prefectural governor was a strictly non-military position. However, most of the county offices were occupied by civil servants.
However, according to the rumored reorganization of the local administrative organization, the prefecture was scheduled to return to military officers.
In addition, the problems of living were resolved as the government paid proper bonuses to not only Gapsa but also ordinary soldiers and was responsible for supplying them.
Thanks to this, the military showed absolute loyalty to King Sejong from top to bottom.
And King Sejong and the ministers did not just believe that. In addition to the purpose of recruiting human resources, the opening of government positions to Northwestern figures and nobles was also another purpose of keeping in check the power of landowners represented by the Samnam region.
Lastly, there was also a being that only a very small number of people, including King Sejong and Hyang, knew about.
It was a sword world.
At least the movements of powerful families in Hanseong and nearby areas were reported directly to King Sejong through Geomgye.
And the scent didn’t stay still either.
Hyang, sitting in the East Palace, opened a long wooden box and looked at the items inside.
“I hope this doesn’t come into use… but if it does, it will make the other person feel like it’s a nightmare. Just go over Gwanghwamun and have a look.”
Inside the wooden box were five long rifles. If you enjoyed watching western movies, these were guns you would feel familiar with.
* * *
At a time when the ‘tenancy method’ was causing a stir, merchants from all over Joseon flocked to Hanseong.
“Your Majesty, please come!”
The merchants waiting in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon bowed down on the floor and shouted at the sight of the merchant ship.
“Humble merchants meet the supreme king of Joseon!”
“Thank you for coming. “Get your posture right.”
As the merchants straightened their postures, King Sejong continued speaking.
“Recently, officials of Area 51 developed a new device. “We could use this equipment to build a royal workshop, but I don’t think this will be helpful to Joseon’s national interests, so we’ll leave it to you.”
The merchants perked up their ears at Sejong’s words.
Sejong, who saw that the merchants’ attention was concentrated, gave orders to the merchant ships.
“Call the Crown Prince”
“Yes. majesty.”
After a while, when the incense that had been waiting appeared in Geunjeongjeon, the merchants once again showed their respect.
“Stand up.”
“Yes sir.”
When the merchants stood up again, Hyang bowed to King Sejong.
“Then Abama. “I will take them with me.”
“okay. “I hope it brings good results.”
“I will do my best.”
After bowing to King Sejong again, Hyang came down the stairs of Geunjeongjeon and walked into the yard.
The incense toward the merchants beckoned them while they were guarded by Naegeumwi.
“Follow me.”
Waiting for the merchants who came out of Gwanghwamun following the scent were large vans pulled by two large horses.
“The carriage is big. Lowering.”
“This is my first time seeing such a big horse. Lowering.”
Hyang smiled and explained the words of the merchants who came from the countryside.
“It’s a van that will soon run on the main street of Hanseong. “Hurry up.”
“Yes sir.”
After seeing that the merchants were riding in three vans, Hyang got on his horse.
“Then go.”
“Yes sir.”
* * *
“Hiya~.”
“It truly is a world apart!”
The merchants on the van continued to exclaim in exclamation.
Roads paved with plaster were not unfamiliar. This is because paved roads were being laid little by little in large cities in the province.
What surprised the merchants was its scale. A wide road stretched across the east and west of Hanseong and stretched all the way to the south, so that eight of the large carriages they were riding could move horizontally in a line at the same time. The rumored rickshaw was running on such a wide and straight road. In the passenger seats of the rickshaw, there were aristocrats riding, but there were also female courtiers and gisaeng riding in the passenger seats of the rickshaw.
One of the merchants muttered while looking at the gisaeng with coquettish expressions on their rickshaws.
“I heard that Hwamunsan (flower-patterned parasols) are popular in Hanseong these days… There is a reason.”
The gisaengs in the rickshaws and the court ladies were all holding parasols with colorful flower patterns to block the sun.
* * *
Hyang, who guided the merchant to Area 51, introduced the ‘automatic loom’.
“This is the object I would like to introduce to you.”
The merchants who were looking at the loom that used cows as a power source asked Hyang a lot of questions.
“How many cars can you run with one cow?”
“Maximum of 6. “If you mobilize more than two animals at a time and connect them well, you can run up to 20 animals at the same time.”
“Do we really have to use cows?”
“Horses and donkeys are possible, and if there is plenty of water, water wheels are also possible.”
“How many wins can you get?”
In response to the merchant’s question, Hyang gestured to the person waiting behind him. At the gesture of Hyang’s hand, the person behind him brought a rolled-up cotton cloth.
“Let me take a look.”
“Yes sir.”
The merchants who had been looking at the fragrant cotton cloth looked at the cotton cloth being woven on an automatic loom again with surprised eyes.
“Lowering! “This looks like at least 10 wins, right?”
“Exactly 15 wins and four losses. “If you pay a little more attention, you can get up to 20 wins.”
As the scent was explained, the faces of the merchants who were examining the cotton cloth became increasingly serious.
“Lowering. So what happens to the Jeongbo (正布)? If this cotton cloth is released, the cotton cloth will be valuable….”
“No way! Is the currency finally operational again!”
Hyang nodded to the merchants’ questions.
“The currency will be operational within this year.”
After the explanation of the automatic loom was over, Hyang got to the point.
“I want to sell these looms to you. The wealth required to make a loom is 35 nyang of silver per unit.”
“It’s a little expensive, but…”
“If you order more than 20 units, we’ll even give you 30 nyang of silver.”
At Hyang’s words, the merchants closed their mouths and began to carefully calculate their profits and losses.
‘In order to have proper product value, at least 20 units must be turned at the same time.’
‘That’s probably why the crown prince said he was in his 20s. Even if it is woven automatically, human hands are needed. In that case, we should hire women who are good at weaving and pay them…’
While the merchants were worrying about various problems, Hyang added.
“The contract will be limited to the three companies that ordered the most looms. Area 51’s own production capacity is limited and there are a lot of things going on. Instead, let’s give them exclusive rights for five years.”
Hearing Hyang’s words, the merchants strengthened their resolve.
‘let’s go! It’s your chance! ‘If you have a first monopoly, it’s an opportunity to get ahead!’
‘It’s impossible this time! All you have to do is save up capital for 5 years and make it even bigger! It’s a welcome consultation!’
Merchants who decided to retreat immediately wrote down the name of the merchant and the number of looms they wanted on a piece of paper and submitted it to the township.
In this way, the three top positions were decided.