He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Great Fire of Hanyang (6)

To cut to the conclusion, this Great Fire of Hanyang was much larger in scale than the original Great Fire of Hanyang in history.

This fire burned down 18% of Hanyang, and the estimated death toll reached 1,200 people.

From what I heard, if Queen Soheon and I hadn’t desperately responded, the damage would have been twice as great.

Others praised me, saying I handled it really well, and told me I had no reason to feel guilty… but having seen that horrific scene firsthand…

‘I can’t help but feel guilty.’

I clearly understood why firefighters suffer from PTSD.

“Are you truly thinking of torturing them yourself, My Lord? That won’t do. This is no ordinary horrific and cruel matter – how can someone as noble as you do such work directly?”

It’s not like I view torture favorably either.

Actions like applying Juri torture until a person’s shinbone is exposed, or stacking multiple millstones on thighs to crush and break leg bones are unspeakably cruel.

Well, in cases like this, since we’re doing it to bastards who truly deserve to die, such ‘cruel acts’ are naturally acceptable…

But I’m also against using such torture in ordinary investigations.

Because if investigations involving torture become normal, captured people will make false confessions out of fear of torture… and then truly innocent people might end up being killed.

There was a decisive reason why torture was later abolished from investigations – it turned out that statements obtained through torture were often complete nonsense, not because it was abolished for humanitarian reasons.

“Are you all lowly then?”

The Guard tilted his head at my words.

“Aren’t you the ones who take the lead in doing the bloody work, the horrific work that others don’t want to do?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“That’s truly noble work. During this fire suppression, I saw countless people who died burned in the fire. It was a sight too hard to bear with open eyes. You torture criminals, but aren’t you doing it for the country while witnessing such harsh scenes?”

There’s only one reason why people view torture technicians like No Deok-sul unfavorably.

It’s because those he tortured weren’t heinous criminals like serial killers, but admirable people who fought for independence.

Honestly, if he had tortured serial killers or demons of the age, he wouldn’t have received such criticism.

“Those you torture are those who committed treason, those who committed crimes against moral order, and those who committed arson like now. They deserve such treatment.”

Treason, when you think about it, isn’t much different from suicide bombing aspirants like Al-Qaeda.

Gangsang crime refers to someone who killed or beat their own parents, and by Joseon standards, it’s considered a worse crime than even serial murder.

In fact, even by modern standards, public opinion would be split in half even if someone beat ‘parents who habitually committed domestic abuse,’ so what’s the point of discussing it in Joseon.

“What you all do is never lowly. So I too will gladly stain my hands with blood for the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State and the Common People.”

If we can’t find all the information related to those bastards’ gang here, such incidents could happen again in the future.

In fact, even during the actual Great Fire of Hanyang incident, there are records that another fire broke out the day after the Great Fire of Hanyang.

“First, before the Torture, I heard that the Governor of Hanseong is imprisoned here somewhere?”

“He’s here.”

Governor of Hanseong Min Jeon, his appearance was so pitiful it was hard to look at with open eyes.

Unless he had committed treason by incurring the wrath of King Sejong and Lee Bang-won, it seemed he had received Torture that normally wouldn’t be applied to Yangban.

At least the Min family was a huge clan that was difficult to carelessly brand as traitors, even though Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil had been purged and lost their influence.

It seemed they hadn’t applied treason charges and only tortured him to the extent that he wouldn’t die or be left disabled…

‘If left alone, he’ll just be beheaded.’

In fact, right now in the Royal Court, King Sejong is wearing black Gonryongpo and even holding Lee Bang-won’s Iron Mace, pressuring his ministers saying that if they can’t solve the butcher problem, Joseon will collapse.

The Naegeum-wi and Gyeomsabok warriors working at Gyeongbokgung Palace are dressed in full armor instead of their usual everyday attire of cheollik robes.

“Governor of Hanseong.”

“Lord Mayor of Hanseong.”

Min Jeon was lying down groaning, but when he heard my voice, he crawled like lightning to the Prison bars.

Minjeon was lying there groaning, but upon hearing my voice, he crawled lightning-fast to the prison bars.

“Kim Je-geom, please I beg you… Please save me. I’m really going to die at this rate. I was completely wrong. I really was wrong, so please…”

“Inspector Kim, please I’m begging you… Please spare my life. I’m really going to die at this rate. I was completely wrong. I was really wrong, so please…”

I know that man suffered from overwork, and I know he made efforts in his own way to create safety measures.

I know that person suffered from overwork, and I also know they made their own efforts to come up with safety measures.

But honestly, it would be somewhat unfair for his head to roll.

But honestly, it would be a bit unfair for him to lose his head over this.

Besides, it’s just the right time when funds are needed to provide relief for those who lost their homes to the fire and are starving.

Besides, it just so happens that we need funds to help those who have lost their homes to fire and are going hungry.

“Do you want to live?”

“Do you want to live?”

“Please just let me live. I really did wrong. Please just let me live.”

“Please spare my life. I was really wrong. Please just let me live.”

“It’s not that there’s no way. Right now, immediately tell His Majesty that you will offer all your wealth, then you’ll be released within 3 days.”

“It’s not that there’s no way out. Tell His Majesty right now that you will offer all of your wealth to him, and you’ll be released within three days.”

“All my wealth, you say?”

“All of my wealth?”

“Isn’t it better than being tortured like this and then beheaded together with those traitors over there? And if His Majesty takes your circumstances into consideration, he’ll probably leave you enough to return to your hometown and live comfortably.”

“Wouldn’t this be better than being tortured like this and then beheaded alongside those traitors over there? And if His Majesty takes your circumstances into consideration, he’ll surely leave you enough to return to your hometown and live comfortably in retirement.”

“I understand. Please use my wealth for the disaster victims. And please save me…”

“I understand. Please use my wealth for the disaster victims. And please spare my life…”

Honestly, if that gentleman were to lose his head, I would have felt a bit uncomfortable about it too.

He had too many other things to do besides installing safety equipment, so he couldn’t properly handle that task, and killing him because the fire damage grew worse due to that… it’s a bit much.

“Guide me to where the Criminals are.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Now that I’ve dealt with the Governor of Hanseong issue, who was the only one among those imprisoned here with mitigating circumstances, I can go beat up the trash who can only atone through death.

Going deeper into the Prison, I could see over 30 Criminals imprisoned there.

They looked quite decent, as if Torture hadn’t been used on them yet.

“Bring out one of those who isn’t the ringleader.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

The Guard who heard my words brought out one arsonist bound with Rope Restraints.

The bastard probably knew he was going to die anyway, but he was making a very dignified expression like “kill me if you’re going to kill me.”

Wow, anyone looking would think this bastard is some hero who remains dignified even before Torture for the sake of the country.

‘It’s like Lee Wan-yong cosplaying as An Jung-geun.’

Since he’s going to die anyway, he’s forcing himself to smile and act cheerful.

He’s hypnotizing himself into believing he’s not afraid of death.

In his own way, since he’s going to go anyway, he’s desperately trying to leave behind at least a somewhat cool image.

However, truly strong people don’t smile when facing death.

They simply accept death with composure, and if they have time to write a will, they write down things they couldn’t say to their family and such.

Then they endure through sheer stubbornness and grit to avoid showing their weak side trembling before the fear of death.

‘What bullshit.’

“We Hwacheok have made our living throughout our lives by slaughtering cattle, horses, and pigs and selling their meat. My father did so, my grandfather did so, and my great-grandfather did so. In Former Goryeo, no one said anything about us living this way, but when Joseon was established, they told us who had lived as Hwacheok all our lives to live by farming fields. How absurd is this?”

The guards and Uigeumbu investigators near me tried to shut that bastard’s mouth.

However, I stopped them.

Because his words were actually necessary for Joseon.

Honestly, issuing cattle prohibition orders and horse slaughter bans doesn’t accomplish jack shit.

They lie about cattle and horses breaking their legs and then slaughter them without getting caught in crackdowns, and selling beef is practically openly tolerated, so what’s the point of these damn prohibition and ban orders.

‘It would be better to just boldly lift the restrictions and have them raise more cattle.’

And while these bastards are beyond redemption as he said, shouldn’t we still try to reform the butchers who haven’t committed crimes yet?

“How could we do well at farming work we’ve never done in our lives? Yes, it’s true that you gave us land. But what good does giving us land do? The village people despise us as butchers, and the county Magistrate dumped all sorts of hard labor on us. Make and offer Yugi vessels. Make and offer baskets made from reeds. What complete bullshit! So we couldn’t live and ran away! Thus we came to live by petty thievery, and it’s all the fault of you and your king! Ah, now that I think about it, I have regrets.”

“What regrets?”

“Since I was setting fires anyway, I should have set bigger ones, and raped more women! The taste of women you force yourself on is killer. Do you know such pleasures of the flesh! Ah, of course you don’t.”

“Have you said everything you wanted to say?”

“Yes. Kill me if you’re going to kill me.”

Hearing those words, I fitted juri torture device on his thighs.

Then I joined forces with the guards to twist his juri.

I’d like to keep bastards like this alive for life and torture them day and night to torment them, but I can’t do that…

For the sake of the victims too, I’ll only execute him after making his entire body a complete wreck.

“I’ll make you beg to be killed quickly.”

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