He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 142

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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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Matchlock Guns and Northern Expedition (6)

Currently, Kim Man-deok is Joseon’s greatest tycoon.

All those who were previously known as the greatest Merchants had their histories of using abnormal means such as hoarding and monopolies exposed by Kim Dae-bung, resulting in half their entire fortunes being confiscated.

Kim Man-deok was able to stand tall as the greatest merchant because he had operated his trading company so soundly from his days doing business in Jinju until settling in Hanyang, and thanks to his son-in-law, he had also solidly established his influence in newly developed commercial areas near Hanyang.

Additionally, he gained enormous profits by using the dozens of Chinese Treasure Ships he owned to transport goods like Rice in large quantities.

On top of this, he enjoyed very high respect among the Market Guild Merchants.

“You must have had a hard time coming to our house at such a late hour. Is business manageable for everyone?”

“Recently, the situation with ships available for business has improved, and thanks to markets being established in every County throughout the Eight Provinces, business has become so much better. Therefore, I was able to earn more than double the income compared to last year.”

From the Merchants’ perspective, Kim Dae-bung was like a disaster.

He precisely pointed out the evils of monopolies that no one had ever questioned before, and when he pointed his finger saying “You’re finished,” didn’t the head of someone who had been profiting from Rice through monopolistic methods that everyone else was doing get blown clean off?

He designated the practice of raising prices through collusion to gain excessive profits as a sin, and stripped away half of their entire fortunes.

Nevertheless, those who followed Kim Dae-bung’s instructions and conducted business soundly were able to reap even greater profits than before…

So they couldn’t simply hate him and keep their distance.

No, since it was certain that lost wealth would never return, they knew well that their only path to survival was to cleanly forget about it and stick close behind Kim Dae-bung to catch every crumb that might fall.

“If a great merchant like you earned more than double the income, others must have also gained significantly. Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

The faces of the Merchants gathered here bore not artificially crafted fake smiles, but genuine beaming expressions.

This was because everyone had gained great profits from the nationwide Market expansion.

“Isn’t this all thanks to His Majesty’s grace? The way of the world is such that if something goes, something must come. We cannot be an exception. Having received such great grace, shouldn’t we also repay His Majesty? That’s what I’m saying.”

Upon hearing about repaying grace, the Market Guild Merchants’ faces immediately hardened.

Surely they wouldn’t be told to go to the Military and fight with swords, or go somewhere to work as Local Clerks…

In the end, it was obvious he would say that the country needed a lot of money to prepare for war, so they should hand over money.

Those who quickly turned their minds began acting pitiful to get away with paying even a little less money.

“In my case, I have some circumstances. While business is going well, the amount of money that went into it was enormous…”

“While my heart wishes to generously donate wealth for the country, the ship that departed last time encountered a storm…”

“I will contribute as much as I can manage, but please understand if it’s somewhat modest.”

Kim Man-deok chuckled as he watched them.

It was utterly ridiculous.

Certainly, if they had said such things in front of the Minister of Taxation he served or other high-ranking officials, they would have thought ‘They must have their own circumstances’ and tried to reduce the amount they were trying to collect.

However, Kim Man-deok, who had grown experienced as a merchant, could tell from their pretending-to-be-helpless faces, hand gestures, and body language that they were thoroughly acting.

‘They’re putting on quite a performance because they don’t want to pay taxes.’

“I say, are your circumstances really that difficult?”

At Kim Man-deok’s words, Kim Ju-il, the merchant guild leader who operated a large farming tools workshop in Yongsan, answered cautiously.

“It’s not that our circumstances are difficult, but we spent all our money on business expansion, so we don’t have much wealth we can pay immediately.”

“Hmm, I see. But looking at your face closely, I get the feeling you’re lying.”

“It’s true, My Lord…”

“If you’re a merchant, you should be able to lie without changing a single facial expression or look. However, there are tricks we all know among ourselves, aren’t there? Even you right now kept your complexion and expression well, but your pupils were trembling slightly. It seems you’re thinking of paying only about half of what you could contribute and calling it done.”

Kim Man-deok disliked having to gather merchants on his day off and pressure them to donate money because of his son-in-law.

He was told that if he achieved results here, he could become a 7th rank official, so strictly speaking, it wasn’t bad for him…

That was one thing, but he was already living exhausted from overtime work, and on the day off he barely secured, he had to do this kind of work… his irritation seemed to rise to the top of his head.

‘He’s not a son-in-law but a demon possessed by an overwork ghost.’

But what was truly frightening was that the tasks Kim Dae-bung assigned seemed impossibly difficult and demanding, but when you worked yourself to death, they all got done.

Being overworked beyond limits, beyond the very concept of limits, was true terror.

Remembering the time he had overworked under Kim Dae-bung during his Secret Royal Inspector days, his spine suddenly felt chilled.

And the irritation and fear he felt was directed toward the merchants who dared to barely pay taxes and begrudged contributing money at times like this.

“Do you know this? Yangban landowners pay about 16% of the yield from their land as taxes. They pay 10% as land tax and roughly 6% through the Bangwon Method. But what about us merchants? Isn’t it just paying about 10% based on the assets and income written in account books that were used to deceive with moderate trickery?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Since those account books are manipulated this way and that, recording only about half the assets and cutting income in half too, in reality we’re only paying about 2.5%. Well, since Joseon’s current system doesn’t crack down on all of this, I’m not going to make a fuss with an axe like my son-in-law would.”

At the mention of “my son-in-law,” the merchants began trembling.

Because in their minds, they simultaneously pictured Kim Dae-bung wearing Official Robes while holding an axe and dancing like an Executioner.

Kim Dae-bung had never actually done such a thing, but that’s how he appeared to them.

A madman who condemned all tax evaders and those who harmed the nation to death.

They also still remembered the words they heard while actually seeing that axe that Kim Dae-bung personally sharpened every day.

‘I’m always prepared to submit a written memorial. And if my petition is not accepted and my head is to be cut off, I keep the blade sharp so I can die comfortably in one stroke.’

“But even when the nation faces great trouble, being so stingy with money doesn’t look very good. Well, fine then. Let’s do it this way.”

Kim Man-deok thought that since his son-in-law had dumped this task on him, he should handle his assigned work comfortably, even if it meant selling out his son-in-law.

If the easy approach didn’t seem to work, then he could directly use his son-in-law.

“If you can say the same thing in front of my son-in-law, then do so.”

“For now, we don’t really know how much we can contribute.”

“I understand completely.”

Even if you’re the owner of a merchant guild, you don’t grasp every flow of Wealth in your organization.

You need to discuss with your subordinates how much you can spare before taking it out.

If you rashly promise to contribute a certain amount, you might not be able to pay for goods you need immediately.

“I’ll give you one week. After one week, I’ll see how much you voluntarily contribute to the nation’s finances.”

“Yes, My Lord…”

“The Ministry of Taxation will review your sincerity. Now go on your way.”

Upon hearing those words, the Merchants fled as quickly as if they had seen ghosts.

In the place they left behind, all sorts of precious items lay scattered like war spoils.

Among them were Sugar and Fruit that had become relatively common to obtain these days.

“I should give this Sugar and Fruit to our Gyeoul-i.”

**

King Sejong came to reevaluate the financial power of the Merchants.

The reason was that the scale of voluntary donations made by Kim Man-deok and other Merchants (after Kim Man-deok’s conversation and persuasion) exceeded all imagination.

“The money collected by the Hanyang Market merchants amounts to over 150,000 seom of white rice when combined… Commerce is truly remarkable.”

Looking back, it was truly absurd that I had tried to neglect those who handled such enormous wealth.

What was even more surprising was that despite offering so much wealth, they weren’t significantly affected.

“Even though the Hanyang Market merchants are the finest among all merchants in the Eight Provinces of Joseon, 150,000 seom of white rice from them alone.”

Seeing what the merchants had contributed, the yangban officials also stepped forward to offer their wealth here and there, and the Royal Court accumulated over 400,000 seom worth of white rice and other goods.

Thanks to this, even though the war hadn’t started yet, all the naval bases in the Eight Provinces of Joseon had to mobilize to transport rice and various other goods to the Planned Advance Area from now on.

It was a problem of abundance.

Rather than worrying about lack of resources, we were worrying because we had too much rice.

“Kim Dae-bung’s capabilities are truly remarkable. To secure all the budget needed to feed over 25,000 troops and purchase weapons and other necessities. But how infuriating he is.”

This fellow who works so well shows no weaknesses whatsoever.

If he were a true loyal subject, he should remain in office until death like Jo Mal-saeng…

Why does he make statements about resigning before reaching sixty?

And the fact that in just one gak (15 minutes), his time for researching new letters would be cut short and he’d be dragged away by Father to practice Mounted Archery made him even more irritated.

And not long after, Lee Bang-won came to find King Sejong.

“Do-ya, have you gotten any sense of the new letters?”

“I’m still at the stage of reading books and devising methods.”

“Hehe, they say even a thousand-li journey begins with a single step, so take your time. Yes, Confucius also emphasized the Six Arts and encouraged archery and Horseback Riding. Let’s go move your body today as well. Isn’t this all for the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State and for you?”

King Sejong thought to himself.

Isn’t he just happy to get an excuse to go hunting using my health as a reason?

However, being a filial son, King Sejong couldn’t bring himself to voice those words.

Today too, King Sejong became a little healthier thanks to Lee Bang-won.

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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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