Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 928

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 928
The Minister of Agriculture.
One of the lowest-ranking minor positions among the ninth rank.
In simple terms, it’s the Ministry of Revenue that handles finances, and you might wonder why a position with the character for “agriculture” is responsible for finances.
But in this era, rice is currency itself.
Agriculture falls under the purview of finance.
When the Emperor rewards imperial meritorious officials, he doesn’t grant money but rather land to cultivate.
That is, he values fiefdoms more highly for a reason.
In this era, fields and paddies are money.
They are finance.
Of course, the Ministry of Revenue also handles actual currency.
That’s why the ministry has many departments, and the lowest position within the agriculture-related department is precisely this Minister of Agriculture title.
Typically, those who obtain the qualification of Talented Scholar through the civil service examination enter such minor positions.
Since the ninth rank itself is already a minor position.
It’s natural that the Talented Scholar, the weakest tier of the civil service examination system, gets appointed to such roles.
Our Hwa Empire is divided into Regular and Junior ranks, comprising eighteen grades in total.
So Regular ranks higher than Junior, and even among the ninth rank, Regular ninth is higher than Junior ninth.
In that sense, ‘Junior’ ninth rank is the absolute bottom of the barrel!
But even if it’s the bottom, an official position is still an official position!
To enter this lowest tier, one must still possess the qualification of Talented Scholar.
One must pass three examinations—provincial, prefectural, and county—to obtain the Talented Scholar qualification, so despite being a minor position, it’s incredibly difficult to enter.
‘Scholars don’t abandon their studies and become officials for nothing.’
Even the most brilliant prodigy in that field would be lucky to secure such a position.
Of course, special cases like Jin Cheon-hee receive appointments as Magistrate, but this requires truly exceptional merit.
In any case, half of those who entered this academy came into such Junior ninth rank positions.
And the other half hold positions one rank higher, Regular ninth rank positions.
And now.
Having received education in Jin Cheon-hee’s Six Senses Standard Deviation Administrative Method.
And having completed training as Minister of Agriculture, Yuk Yeon, a collateral branch member of the Yuk Family, observed how his superiors and seniors handled their work and thought to himself.
‘Ah. Damn. That’s not how you do it….’
His fingers itched.
His hands itched terribly.
Yuk Yeon suddenly recalled that monster, Professor Jin Cheon-hee.
The moment someone made a mistake on an assignment, he would laugh with a cruel smile and mercilessly stab them with a blade, twirling it around!
‘Tch, hold back. My black flame dragon!’
That black flame dragon whispered to him.
Point out the seniors’ mistakes coldly and demand they be corrected!
But he held back.
‘If a newcomer starts nagging, I could end up dead?’
He did have the Yuk Family, one of the Imperial Eight Families, backing him up.
He was a distant collateral branch relative—someone so far removed that the direct line wouldn’t even recognize his face.
At eighteen degrees of separation from the main family, he occupied a position that the direct descendants had long forgotten.
So he decided to keep his head down.
There was no point in correcting a superior’s mistake and risking dismissal!
A month passed like that.
“This newcomer has meticulous work habits.”
“Competent? Remarkably so. Whatever task you assign, he completes it flawlessly.”
“Is this training institute producing something different?”
The seniors began competing to praise his abilities.
Yet as he heard such accolades, our newcomer thought to himself.
‘Ah… this really won’t do…’
But he had to endure it.
Social life isn’t about always speaking the truth.
Consider Shun Yu, who served Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period!
He spoke righteously and received only an empty coffin for his troubles!
However.
One day.
He finally reached his limit.
“Senior, would it be acceptable if I attempted that task?”
It was.
A trivial matter.
A senior who had joined a year before him.
The same rank—both were Scholars.
His name was Dangjin.
A collateral descendant of the Sichuan Tang Family, he had lacked martial talent since childhood and pursued scholarship instead, eventually securing an official position in the imperial palace.
He was currently struggling with creating charts—a system newly introduced to the palace.
Of course, Dangjin wasn’t alone in this.
Others were also finding the chart-making task quite challenging.
But for Yuk Yeon, it was unbearable.
‘What’s so difficult about this!’
After just a month under Professor Jin, making charts was hardly a challenge.
This was basic engineering work!
“Hmm? You?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now that I think about it… you received instruction under Cheonhailgwang, didn’t you? Is there some special technique to chart-making?”
Dangjin didn’t call Jin Cheon-hee by his official title of Jin Tae-su, but rather by the epithet Cheonhailgwang.
It seemed natural enough—he came from the Tang Family, a martial clan rather than a prestigious scholarly house.
The moment Yuk Yeon received the charts, he began working through them at lightning speed.
Everyone stared in astonishment, their mouths falling open.
“Huh… you’ve got real skill! Hey! Ga Baek! Come look at this!”
Ga Baek, a member of one of the Imperial Eight Families and a classmate of Dangjin’s, arrives upon hearing the commotion.
This one too.
A branch family member.
However, even as a branch family member, the Gaga clan is famous for taking meticulous care of their blood relatives, so they wield considerable influence.
“What’s the matter?”
“Look at this.”
“Isn’t this a chart showing the average barley production over five years? Why would that be?”
“And he created this in just one bureau!”
“What!?”
Murmurs rippled through the room.
The seniors began gathering around. They were all astounded by Yuk Yeon’s speed!
And their superior appeared at the sound of the commotion.
“What’s all this noise about? Is the work finished?”
“Gyeong Jubu, you’ve arrived!”
A rank-8 Jubu official.
Naturally a higher position than the rank-9 Saenong, primarily responsible for document management.
In modern terms, a department head!
Every bureau has one such position.
One of the so-called middle management roles!
“It’s that….”
One of the Saenong officials confessed what had just happened.
Upon hearing this, the kindly-faced Gyeong Jubu broke into a grin.
“How remarkable. I never knew I had such a capable manager under my command!”
Gyeong Jubu beamed with genuine delight.
But his inner thoughts were different.
‘This fellow works quite well. If I just keep him working like an ox, things will become much easier for me. And he’s blood-related to the Yuk Family? Excellent.’
And at Gyeong Jubu’s reaction, the seniors began regarding Yuk Yeon with jealous eyes.
Yuk Yeon realized his mistake too late.
He had just committed the greatest taboo of organizational life.
‘Ah…. I couldn’t hold back and showed off. I made a mistake…. And Gyeong Jubu is famous for piling on work. I’ve dug my own grave!’
Yet at the end of such a grueling path awaited rapid promotion.
‘Now all that’s left is overwork.’
Unaware of this fact, Yuk Yeon could only shed tears inwardly.
* * *
After it became known that the twins were both alive.
Changes occurred in both the imperial capital and the empire’s political circles.
What was once hushed up during the Suksin Tribe incident—the hunt for the Imperial Eight Families.
When Miga’s head fell, it came out into the open entirely.
The existing balance of power had shifted.
One of the most representative examples of this was.
Publicly, the Emperor is Pung Ha-geum.
Then what is Pung Ha-eun’s official position?
There is none.
He is merely of imperial blood.
Publicly, he holds no title.
However.
Pung Ha-eun has begun wielding the same actual authority as Pung Ha-geum.
Since these two are twins, it is impossible to tell them apart by appearance alone.
In truth, even deep conversation could not distinguish between them.
If they deliberately acted as each other, no one could detect the deception.
And what official would dare say to the Emperor on mere suspicion, “You scoundrel! You’re Pung Ha-eun of the imperial family! Withdraw at once!”?
Any such fool would already be buried in the ground.
This would be different if imperial authority were weak.
But now, no one dared question these two dragons’ peculiar and enigmatic governance.
Already, the Miga family among the Imperial Eight Families had fallen, and numerous houses allied with them were in decline.
Among the other Imperial Eight Families, the Yuk Family, Gaga, and Han Family openly stood with the Emperor.
General Pungju-ha, who held the military firmly in her grasp, was a figure who completely shielded the Emperor, and she had achieved great victory in the war against the Suksin Tribe.
With the empire enjoying such peace and prosperity.
The imperial relatives and the Imperial Eight Families connected to them, along with other powerful noble houses, could not move recklessly.
And.
Now, in the heart of the imperial palace.
Emperor Pung Ha-geum sat in his office, reading through reports.
It was an investigation report from Dongchang.
Specifically, documents concerning the actual state of Baek Rin.
“Indeed…. Remarkable. So this is why Baek Rin grows so formidably.”
Beside him, the Eunuch General stood respectfully, pouring tea.
“There have been reports on this matter several times in the past, but this is the first detailed account to reach us.”
The number of administrators in Baek Rin was at least four times greater than in other regions with the same area and population.
The peculiarity was that there were quite a few personnel overseeing the administrators.
This was no different from saying he did not trust people.
“And how have the results been from the education program?”
The Eunuch General rubbed his hands together and spoke.
“Quite excellent, Your Majesty. Those who completed the education institute handle administrative duties far more smoothly than others. Our Dongchang is even considering recruiting a few and sending them for secret training.”
“Hmm…. Now that they’ve received this education, have them apply the Six Divisions Standard Deviation Administrative Law in full. First, have the ministers who head the Six Divisions learn it.”
“Yi Bu-sangeo and the Minister of Rites have already learned it, it is said.”
“Impressive indeed. See that they receive rewards.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Setting down the documents.
The Emperor fell into thought for a moment.
“Indeed… such talent is wasted confined to Baek Rin alone. Yet seizing him is difficult because of that master of his….”
Despite his refined appearance, his true nature was perfectly suited to being called a monster.
Baekrin Uiseon Jegallim.
He was no easy opponent.
‘Though it is entertaining.’
It was a bad habit of mine.
I had scolded Eun for doing such things, yet I possessed the same tendency myself.
Always seeking amusement and moving accordingly.
At least I exercised more restraint than Eun did, so that was something to be grateful for.
“Baek Rin certainly has extensive connections in the political sphere, you see.”
Baekrin Uiseon.
Though he showed no outward signs, the truth was.
The Baekrin Medical Guild commanded deep respect not only among the Imperial Eight Families, but also among the mid-tier noble houses.
One of the three greatest medical guilds under heaven.
Naturally, they could not lack connections.
In the past, the Hwaju Medical Institute had possessed even broader and more numerous connections.
However, that situation had completely reversed quite some time ago.
The miraculous medicines produced by the Baekrin Medical Guild flowed into the hands of noble houses, and in return, they extended their favor to the Baekrin Medical Guild.
The Yuk Family, the Ga Family, the Han Family.
Three of the Imperial Eight Families had openly patronized the Baekrin Medical Guild.
And they maintained quite cordial relations with the other families as well.
“Baek Rin… that man’s intentions are difficult to fathom. He is even more troublesome to deal with than the heads of the Imperial Eight Families.”
As I was muttering thus.
The Emperor’s study door opened silently, and someone entered.
The door opened without the Emperor’s permission!
Moreover.
The one who entered was behaving most carelessly.
In one hand he held a paper bag, and in the other, dumplings.
His cheeks were puffed out like a mouse that had starved for three days, and he was chewing something noisily.
Pung Ha-eun.
He had appeared.
Pung Ha-geum immediately frowned upon seeing this.
“Show some decorum. What in the world is that display?”
“I am the Emperor, so why should I?”
“Sigh… Yes, I suppose that’s true. But those were clearly made for my portion—why are you walking around eating them!”
“Then go wait in the kitchen yourself.”
His tone was crude.
It didn’t seem to be like this in the old days, but somewhere along the way, he had changed.
Had he picked up these habits from frequently seeing that Jin Cheon-hee fellow?
“Your Majesty, might this humble servant also have just one dumpling…?”
At that moment, the Eunuch General spoke pitifully from beside him.
His bright eyes were like a puppy caught in the rain.
In modern terms, it resembled a wet Chihuahua.
“What! You didn’t even give Grandfather any dumplings!”
When Pung Ha-geum expressed his frustration, the sheepish Pung Ha-eun pulled out a dumpling and offered it.
“I forgot. Here, Grandfather.”
Then he handed the pouch to Pung Ha-geum.
Only three dumplings remained inside.
“I’ll have to ask Hee to make more.”
Pung Ha-geum sighed deeply.
He was busy with state affairs, yet his twin kept stealing his dumplings—there was no satisfaction in being Emperor.
‘What fortune am I even trying to see by living like this?’
Pung Ha-geum was experiencing a kind of burnout.
In the meantime, Pung Ha-eun spoke.
“Still, when someone else makes them, even with the same ingredients, they don’t taste the same. I wonder what the difference is.”
Then the Eunuch General spoke while chewing on a dumpling.
“Wouldn’t that be the cook’s touch, Your Majesty?”
“Ah yes. The cook’s touch. That’s important!”
As Pung Ha-eun nodded in agreement, Pung Ha-geum took out a dumpling and put it in his mouth.
Still.
Even in this exhausted and weary state.
The dumplings were delicious.
“So how did the work turn out?”
“Excellent, as expected.”
“I need to think of a way to bring Hee here.”
“We should.”
While eating dumplings, Pung Ha-geum nodded.
No matter how much he thought about it, he coveted it.
Jin Cheon-hee’s automatic food dispenser.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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