Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 313

Episode 313 Hanseong. (2)

After the ‘Hanseong Circular Railway’ was officially opened, it was full every day for a while.

“It’s really amazing!”

“yes? “A cart that moves without a horse in the world!”

“Look at that window on that wall! “Everything is covered with glass!”

“wow! Look out that window! “It flies by!”

Hanseong residents who boarded the carriage were amazed to see the movement of the scenery inside and outside the train.

In the meantime, it was natural for various problems to arise.

“owner! Come here! “There’s room!”

“This person! “I came first!”

“What the hell! Did you take a nap in broad daylight? Anyone can see that I didn’t come first!”

When a vacant seat happened to become available, a fight broke out to occupy it. And at that time, the manager who was riding in the carriage came out.

“Choose. Are you going quietly or are you going to get off? Or should I go to the coffin?”

“greatness! “Keuhum!”

Those who had started a fight over seats at the manager’s warning cleared their throats and sat down.

“Look! “Should I, a nobleman in name and appearance, sit with commoners!”

Occasionally, people would show off that they were noblemen and ask for a separate seat. Each time, the manager raised his finger and pointed to the plaque hanging at the top of the front of the carriage.

– Seating should be done without division. King of Joseon.

Next to the sentence, written large enough to be clearly read from the other end, was a royal seal.

“If you are truly dissatisfied, you can file an appeal. Do you know anything? “Would you like to get a special offer?”

“greatness! “Wow!”

“Foot!”

The noblemen who took issue with the manager’s words cleared their throats and sat back down. And those around them burst into small laughter.

-Be prepared when writing an appeal. Will you be shamed throughout Joseon or will you be banished to Gyeongbokgung Palace?

This was a fact that not only Hanseong but also the people of Joseon knew.

And Hanseong residents knew one more thing.

-The really rich and powerful people ride horses and carriages, or at least ride rickshaws.

Even Maeng Sa-seong, a well-recognized man, rode a donkey or a cow, and those who paid 1 copper coin to ride the train were lowly noblemen.

* * *

After about a month, the initial heat faded away.

Many people still used the train, but they were people who rode the train out of genuine necessity, not curiosity.

As fall passed and winter began, trains began to fill up again.

After the harvest, local people who had money and time to spare came to see the Hanseong train, which they had only heard about through rumors.

“Wow~.”

“Ome! Look at this thing running! “Jirigeunneing.”

“That’s cool!”

The residents of Hanseong muttered softly as they looked at the people expressing admiration in all kinds of dialects.

“Country bastards….”

* * *

Meanwhile, a heated debate was taking place in Daejeon regarding the expansion of train operations.

“Even if it is impossible to establish every city in Joseon, at least a provincial office must be established!”

“you’re right! Appeals are already pouring in to build a train in the town where you live! “Hasn’t the operating performance over the past few months already proven that a surplus can be achieved?”

“This is also necessary for balanced development throughout Joseon! “It is said that the saying ‘If you want to live like a human being, go to Hanseong’ is already common among the people living in the provinces!”

The ministers and vice ministers of the Ministry of General Affairs and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport were strongly advocating for the expansion of trains.

It was a natural claim for the Ministry of General Affairs, which is in charge of national administration, and those in charge of national land development and transportation policies.

However, there were quite a few people who opposed this, starting with the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

“They say they saw a surplus, but the initial construction costs haven’t even been recovered yet! The surplus is not just a result of comparing the monthly fuel and maintenance costs with the freight collected! “We still have a long way to go to get out of the real deficit!”

“Think of the production costs of railroad tracks, transportation costs, installation costs, production costs of iron horses and passenger cars, and transportation costs! Those things cost a penny or two! Also, think about the cost of training stokers who will move the iron horses and managers who will manage the carriages! But do you have to install Dohobu as well? “Say something that makes sense!”

“The production capacity of the first and second steel mills is still saturated! The number of places asking for iron is still increasing, but the availability is limited! Should we shoot bows again instead of guns and cannons?”

The opposition centered on the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of National Defense, and their power and arguments were formidable.

As the war of words heated up, the conversation began to devolve back into personal slander.

“How did the past come to be with that head?”

“what? “A great man who wouldn’t have even been able to make it to the local area if it weren’t for the book!”

“what! “This guy!”

“hey!”

When the level of personal slander went too far, citing not only the past grades he had achieved to become an official but also whether or not he had obtained pornography, King Sejong hit him with an armrest.

bang!

“stop! Be quiet!”

Following King Sejong’s words, Daejeon instantly became quiet.

King Sejong did not hide his anger and criticized the ministers.

“There can be differences of opinion when deciding a country’s policies! This is natural! If there is such a difference, it makes sense to persuade the other person with reasonable grounds! Why do you keep slandering people? There’s a lot of work to be done, but what can we do if we can’t cooperate like this? And yet you are the ministers who lead this Joseon!”

“Please forgive the gods for their indecency!”

“Please forgive me!”

The ministers bowed their heads and asked for forgiveness, but King Sejong’s criticism did not stop.

“Is the only time when the sutras become one is when they gossip about someone at a drinking party? Is that something like that?”

The faces of the ministers, who had been astonished by King Sejong’s words, became even more pale.

“You are saying this without any reason.”

“How could you do something so outrageous!”

The ministers vehemently denied it, but King Sejong, who took the opportunity, fiercely pushed the ministers away.

“Why are these people who passed the exam with such excellent scores unable to speak at the contest attended by the crown prince and me? “The competition that used to be held every morning and evening has been reduced to once a week, so there is enough time to prepare, but why is this like that?”

In response to King Sejong’s criticism, the ministers who boasted about their past grades in the state examinations became confused.

* * *

What Sejong said was true.

The contest held against the king was a set law. Therefore, King Sejong had to hold competitions every day, twice a day.

This was a system in which ordinary (ordinary, not outstanding) monarchs or even lesser monarchs could run state affairs with a minimum level of culture and administrative knowledge, but the opponent was King Sejong. As the competition continued, the ministers lost more and more.

In this situation, even Hyang, who had been crowned crown prince, got involved in the contest and the scales were completely tilted in favor of King Sejong. When a war of words broke out, the ministers were busy breaking up with King Sejong and Hyang.

Eventually, after the purge of the senior ministers led by Ryu Jeong-hyeon, the number of contests gradually decreased.

“There is a mountain of government affairs to take care of, so I hope they reduce the number of contests. “What do you think?”

“I think it is a very reasonable treatment.”

“Then let’s do it.”

With that agreement, it was decided that the contest would be held once a week.

* * *

Sejong also said something to the other side.

“And since you received a government position through a secret letter, your qualifications are the problem? So then, what is it about me who became a king because my father was a king? If you think about it, haven’t I also benefited from reading a book?”

“Huh!”

The faces of the ministers became contemplative at King Sejong’s point.

It was a statement that could definitely cause problems if we were to go into it.

Sejong continued to urge, looking at the faces of the ministers who had turned completely leaden.

“I thought that the incident at the drinking party was just complaints from officers who were tired from overwork, so I passed on it. But what a disgrace! “Do you really want to question it before going in?”

In response to King Sejong’s threats, the ministers all bowed down on the floor of Daejeon.

“majesty! “Please forgive the gods for their indecency!”

“Please forgive me!”

“Please forgive the gods for their disgrace!”

Sejong, who had been glaring silently at the ministers asking for forgiveness, opened his mouth.

“Okay, I’ll just skip it this time. but! If you slander the other person’s parents or person again in the future, I will never condone it! I will take into account everything that has happened so far and punish you severely! Do you understand?”

“I will keep this in mind!”

“Get up. “Let’s work.”

“I am devastated!”

At King Sejong’s words, the ministers stood up and sat down on their chairs again.

* * *

Hyang, who was watching the scene from the side, looked at Sejong with a face full of curiosity.

‘Are you going to ask and go to Tablo? Is that really it? By the way, I think you guys had an accident while drinking… When? where? ‘There hasn’t been any drinking party these days, official or unofficial.’

While Hyang was groping his memories with unanswered questions, the officers who recorded all of this added their words.

– …So the minister sternly rebuked and admonished him, and the ministers truly reflected.

The officer says:

As you pointed out, opinions can differ and it is reasonable to persuade the other party with reasonable grounds. However, it is not right to slander the person of another person without doing this.

This is not something I say as a secret.

By the way, when and where did the ministers get hold of the book?

As he was writing this, the officer across from him glanced at him and diligently made fun of Geumpil.

– says the officer.

I believe that the position of party superior is a position that is promoted based on one’s knowledge and ability to handle state affairs, and is not a position determined by one’s family background or grades when passing the state examination.

This is not because I passed the civil service examination in the civil service examination.

By the way, it seems that the rumor I heard a while ago is true.

* * *

The meeting proceeded quite calmly thanks to King Sejong’s chatter.

“So, how would you like to operate railroads and iron horses in local cities?”

Hearing Sejong’s words, Maeng Sa-seong stepped forward and settled the situation.

“It is true that if railroads and iron horses are laid in local cities, we can prevent people from concentrating in Hanseong and also balance Hanseong and the provinces. However, considering the cost and cost of building, transporting, and installing railroads and iron horses, as well as the time and expense of training the personnel necessary to operate them, this is not an easy task.”

“Hmm…”

After listening to Maeng Sa-seong’s explanation, King Sejong stroked his beard and thought hard.

‘I feel like I can vaguely see the answer… What was it?’

Sejong, who was digging through his memory to think of the vague answer, became frustrated.

‘The ministers will also feel uncomfortable, so it would be better to take a break for a while. It’s been a while since I rode a horse… Horse? word!’

bang!

“Seja!”

When King Sejong, who was struggling, slammed down the armrest and called out to the Crown Prince, not only Hyang but also the ministers looked at King Sejong in astonishment.

“Yes Abama! “Did you call me?”

“okay! “What do you think about running a stagecoach that was previously planned?”

Hyang, who had thought about Sejong’s suggestion for a while, immediately responded.

“It is entirely possible! Although local cities are large, they are inferior to Hanseong. A stagecoach can handle it!”

In response to Hyang’s positive response, King Sejong looked back at his ministers.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s a reasonable solution!”

“The best solution is here!”

“Then, let us first place stagecoaches in the provinces and major provinces among the local cities, and then replace the iron horses and railroads when they are ready. Once the replacement is completed, let’s have Mok and Dohobu operate the stagecoach. Ultimately, let’s make a plan to operate the stagecoach to the county.”

“I will do so!”

In this way, one of several policies for balanced development of Hanseong and local regions was decided.