Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 177
Episode 177: The end of Gyeongjang. (2)
By February of the 12th year of King Sejong’s reign (1430, Gyeongsul year), the distribution of hopae was nearing completion not only in the Samnam region but also in most of the entire Joseon Dynasty.
After confirming the situation, King Sejong promulgated two teachers.
-For this year only, we will allow slaves to be exempted from their duties even during the spring crisis. However, the conditions that must be observed when dismissing a slave are the same.
-Recruit those who will tenant farmland confiscated from traitors. The rent is 30%, the same as Gungbangjeon, and preference is given to those who have started a family.
The two proclamations issued by King Sejong in succession led to a mass migration of people throughout Joseon.
* * *
The first thing that happened was the removal of the slaves.
In the fall of the year of Giyu, landowners who had to pay a large amount of taxes for retaining slaves began to hastily exempt the slaves as soon as Sejong’s special permission decree was issued.
However, this process was not smooth.
“How on earth should I dismiss someone…”
According to the regulations promulgated by Sebon, the standards for dismissal were as follows.
-If the slave to be dismissed is raising a family, he will be dismissed as a family. However, if the children are adults, they are not included in the family.
-When ordering a cotton cloth, you must provide enough money to live for three months.
-During the spring season, cotton cloth is not ordered.
-Nothing (奴) or wife (婢) over the age of 60 will be exempted.
“Hmm…. It is not a problem since they said that only this time, exemption from duty will be allowed during the spring season….”
Those who owned slaves began to suffer from the problem of who to remove from duty and how.
Of course, those who were worried like this were landowners who had survived the previous rebellion without being swept away.
Those who had at least 20 to 30 slaves were concerned about this problem, and for households with only four or five slaves, the decision was surprisingly easy.
A nobleman’s house in Chungcheong-do. Although it was a tile-roofed house, the owner of the house, Song Saeng-won, talked with the slaves in the yard of the small tile-roofed house, a little over 20 square meters long.
“Your children have become adults this time, right? “I will exempt my children.”
“oh my! Thank you. lily!”
Song Saengwon’s wife, who was sitting next to Song Saengwon, spoke to the slave couple with a gentle expression.
“You guys are old, so just grow old with us.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
In this way, it was common for only the children of slaves who had reached adulthood to be exempted first.
And among those who were looking at how the world was going, there were some who took a more active role.
A tiled house at Gangjinsa Temple in Haenam, Jeollanam-do. Jinsa Kang gathered the slaves and made a bombshell announcement.
“I’m going to take this opportunity to get everyone discharged! Some people become Myeoncheon. Who will feel at ease if they continue to be slaves? “I’ll give everyone a cotton cloth!”
The slaves bowed and expressed their gratitude to Jinsa Kang’s big decision.
“Thank you Nari!”
“The farming and housework you have been doing up until now will be done the same as before, but we will replace it with wages.”
“Thank you Nari!”
Unlike the slaves who repeatedly bowed and expressed their gratitude, Jinsa Kang’s family was full of worries.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Father, this decision is…”
When the family members showed concern over the decision to turn all the slaves who did farming and chores into hired laborers, Jinsa Kang instead reprimanded them.
“ma’am! Don’t you know how the world is changing now? And yes this guy! “If the eldest son of this family doesn’t have this kind of perspective, how can you trust this family?”
The eldest son, Kang Jun-man, was forced to lie down on the floor due to Jinsa Kang’s yelling.
“I’m sorry!”
“It is a time of upheaval. In order for the family to survive during this time, we must be one step ahead of others!”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“He is good at answering…”
Jinsa Kang, who was looking at Junman with a pitiful expression, explained the reason why he made this decision.
“The biggest reason the king has made this decision is to secure tax revenue, but it is also aimed at weakening the power of landlords like us. Perhaps the next kings after this one will further strengthen this policy and not go back. So what should we do? Are we going to wake up like those idiots in the fall?”
“no.”
Jinsa Kang clicked his tongue at his eldest son’s answer.
“Tsk! “Think about it and live!”
* * *
Many slaves from large and small noble families across the country came out as servants.
The first place the slaves who became Myeoncheon headed to was the local government office.
Gijang-gun, Gyeongsang-do
“It has become Myeoncheon?”
“Yes, Nari.”
After hearing the story of the slaves, the governor of Gijang-gun called an official of Hojo who was in the building next door.
After hearing the story, the Hojo official turned to the slaves.
“Follow me.”
“Yes, Nari.”
The Hojo official who gave orders to the slaves politely bowed to the governor.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“We are people who work together on the country’s public affairs, so cooperation is natural. Good luck.”
“thank you.”
After exchanging light words of well-being with each other, the Hojo official led the slaves to the Hojo building.
The governor of Gijang, who sent the Hojo official, looked serious.
“Ah, look at the dark spots under that gentleman’s eyes… Hmm…”
The governor of Gijang got up from his seat and walked towards the clock erected on the pillar of the main hall. The governor looked anxious as he looked at the time on the clock and the calendar hanging next to it.
“I don’t have much left in my term… Which gentleman should I send this gift to? These days, you don’t even receive gifts… I wonder who you can send them to to avoid bad luck…”
It was the governor of Gijang County who was weighing his personal connections with a face full of worry.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Hojo official who brought the slaves into the Hojo building next to the county office sat down and looked at the slaves.
“So… you received a cotton cloth?”
“Yes, my master, Nari, said that the horoscope should also be changed….”
“Of course it is! “Tell me your name, year of birth, and whose house you were a slave at.”
“yes. “In the house of Oh Saengwon, pear tree valley…”
After hearing about the slave’s fate, the Hojo official rummaged through the family register books in a bookshelf on one side and took out the family register.
“There you are.”
The official who checked the family register wrote the date in the remarks column and entered the word ‘Myeoncheon’.
“Give me the trophy.”
“Yes, Nari.”
The official who received the tablet from the slave handed it to the craftsman behind him.
The craftsman peeled off the frame of the seal with familiar hands and took out the iron plate. The craftsman placed the iron plate on the anvil, placed the steel stamp on an empty space on one side of the plate, and then struck it with a hammer as hard as he could.
earth!
After confirming that it was stamped correctly, the craftsman reassembled the frame, stamped the seal again, and handed it to the official.
“It’s here. Hmm… are there any jobs?”
“There is none. “I thought about renting a farm, but they said there was no space.”
In response to the slave’s answer, the Hojo official quietly started fishing.
“okay? Hmm… Road construction is starting throughout Joseon this spring… I heard that construction on the road up to Hanseong is starting in Dongrae as well. how is it? Would you like to go and work there sometime? Working at the port until spring. “What do you do when you play?”
The slave quickly asked the Hojo official’s waving fishing.
“Is that so? I was going! “I said I would!”
The official was pleased with the slave’s answer and continued speaking.
“okay? Just wait a moment. If you go alone, isn’t the road dangerous and boring? “If there are enough people, they can help you find transportation, so wouldn’t you be able to get there safely and comfortably?”
“Hey, he said he would do that!”
While listening to the slave’s answer, the Hojo official looked at the faces of the other slaves standing behind him. The Hojo official was internally delighted when he saw that most of the slaves, most of whom were young men, had similar facial expressions.
‘Oh yea! It’s a big one! ‘The ship is full!’
When it was reported that cotton cloth would be produced in large quantities, the government immediately took countermeasures.
“This is an expected situation, so proceed as planned.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
According to King Sejong’s order, dispatches were sent to Hojo monopoly offices and Joseon battlefields across the country.
The orders sent by the government to the monopoly and the Joseon battlefield were simple.
-Get as many people out of the countryside as possible and absorb their wealth into the battlefield.
According to an order sent from the government, the officials of the Hojo government went fishing with the slaves who had now become adoptees.
The Hojo official, who had succeeded in sending the slaves who had become slaves to the construction site, now turned to fishing for the ladies.
“So… did you guys find a job too?”
“I haven’t found it yet.”
“Do you guys know how to weave?”
“Where are the women this old who can’t even weave?”
At Biddle’s answer, the Hojo official smiled in remorse.
“Large spinning mills are scheduled to be built in Daegu and Gyeongsan this time. What do you think about hiring women who are good at weaving there? Are you willing to do it?”
“It’s a bit far away…”
When Beadle looked slightly hesitant, the Hojo official gently waved the bait.
“Didn’t you say that even if you stayed here, you wouldn’t have a proper job? So what happens in the end? “Shouldn’t I live from day to day as a day laborer or, if I make a mistake, as a field worker?”
“That’s true…”
When the Hojo official pointed out the reality, Biddle nodded with a serious face. This was because many people had already experienced difficult situations just because of the rain. Of course, the law made such a thing illegal, but the law is the law and reality was reality.
In the end, Biddle had no choice but to bite the Hojo official’s fishing rod.
“I will do as you say. But…”
“It seems like a really good opportunity, but it’s a long way to Daegu…”
When Biddle showed hesitation at the last minute, the Hojo official beat his chest and boasted.
“cancer! Would you expect a woman to go that long and rough road to Daegu alone? Once we have a certain number of people, we will find transportation for you! “What are you going to do?”
In the end, Biddle had no choice but to accept the recommendation of the Hojo official.
* * *
In front of the slaves who came out after receiving proof that they had become adoptees to the Hopae, another person came forward.
“Hey guys, why don’t we talk about the future together?”
“to? “The future?”
“Listen to my story for a moment. I am the one who came from the battlefield over there. “You’ve heard about the battlefield, right?”
“Yes, Nara built it….”
“That’s right! “I am working in a place established by the Lord, so do not doubt and follow me for a moment.”
Like that, the slaves followed the battlefield staff and crossed the threshold of the battlefield with faces fascinated by something.
* * *
Entering the battlefield, the battlefield official dragged his slaves into a large conference room built on one side of the battlefield – the living room of the original landlord.
“Please take a seat first.”
“Hey…”
As the slaves sat down in their seats, the battlefield staff slowly got to the point.
“Now~. “What do you see out that window?”
The slaves turned their heads to the employee’s question. As the scenery of Apsan Mountain was visible through the wide open conference room window, the slaves responded in unison.
“I can see the mountains.”
“yes. Then…”
The employee closed the window. The employee closed the window covered with Korean paper and asked the slaves.
“Can’t you see it like this?”
“Hey…”
“This is your future. “You can’t see anything… In short, if you go outside like this, you’ll feel at a loss.”
“hey?”
As the slaves were puzzled, the employee opened the window again and continued speaking.
“Oh really! Think carefully! You guys will now leave here and go to work somewhere else, right? And if you work, you get paid, right? So what are you going to do with it? Right now, you have money in your hand, and all kinds of merchants and street dealers will flock in looking for that money. After a few days of being so excited, the only thing left is empty-handed. I will continue to live penniless until I receive my next paycheck. “I guess so?”
The slaves nodded without even realizing it at the words of the employee. This was because they had experienced various merchants latching on to them the moment they left their master’s house.