He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 143

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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 (7)

I had finished all the basic preparations needed to begin the Northern Expedition—no, the subjugation of the Jurchen tribes.

The budget and provisions needed for the expedition were all secured, and Gungi-si continued to rapidly produce gunpowder weapons.

Also, various workshops in Hanyang were mass-producing hwando, spears, and the new flails I had proposed and created…

Now there wouldn’t be any urgent matters until the training of soldiers conscripted from the Eight Provinces was completed.

“Right State Councilor.”

“Colonel Kim, have you finished today’s assigned work?”

“I’ve thoroughly planned the supply operations and completed all other necessary administrative tasks.”

“Colonel Kim seems to have abilities comparable to Xiao He from the Han Dynasty era. How did you finish so much work so quickly and even perfectly plan the supply operations?”

“It was manageable since we didn’t have to worry about the budget thanks to voluntary donations from officials and merchants.”

Jo Mal-saeng shook his head upon hearing the word “manageable.”

Then he pointed to Kim Jeongnang, who was sitting at a desk over there in charge of supplies, and said:

“Kim Jeongnang over there doesn’t seem to think so, does he?”

Kim Jeongnang in the direction Jo Mal-saeng pointed looked like a mummy, to exaggerate slightly—there was no sign of life in his entire body.

With his current complexion, if he closed his eyes now, it seemed like he might never wake up again…

Actually, that guy only did about one-third of the work I’m doing, yet he’s in that state—is he naturally weak?

“I can’t… I can’t do any more… Save me… Please save me, Colonel Kim, My Lord…”

Seeing him like that, I do feel a bit sorry for him.

Still, he must have gained an opportunity to grow through this work, so I hope he becomes stronger through this experience.

Anyway, it’s true that he worked hard, so I’ll speak well of him to Minister of Personnel Maeng Sa-seong.

I’ll tell him that Kim Jeongnang from the Ministry of War has a strong sense of responsibility and excellent work capabilities.

“We should let Kim Jeongnang leave work early today. It looks like he’s worked too hard.”

Upon hearing the word “leave,” Kim Jeongnang’s face visibly brightened.

Then, like students who feel like they’re dying from illness while at school but miraculously recover as soon as they leave early…

Vitality returned to Kim Jeongnang’s body as well.

His walking steps became as light as feathers.

“I don’t overwork people, my lord. I simply help them utilize their abilities to the fullest.”

“… I’m truly grateful that I don’t serve under Colonel Kim. And by the way, I’ve had a request for you for quite some time – please don’t go to Jiphyeonjeon while I’m still alive.”

Not only Jo Mal-saeng but other ministers say similar things.

They beg me not to go to Jiphyeonjeon while they’re still in office.

According to Hwang Hee, the reason I can’t go to Jiphyeonjeon is because the ministers earnestly requested not to send Kim Dae-bung there…

Well, honestly, I don’t like going to Jiphyeonjeon either.

Serving as a Jiphyeonjeon lecture official under King Sejong, who jumps up from sleep whenever new knowledge or scholarship is mentioned and devours new knowledge and learning?

The end of work would be delayed by at least one hour every day because of the lectures.

I’d have to prepare for lectures even at home, which would extend my actual working hours by three hours compared to leaving on time.

Would I want to go there?

“I really don’t want to go to Jiphyeonjeon either. Don’t worry about that. And there’s one favor I’d like to ask of you, my lord.”

“What is it? If it’s a request I can fulfill, I’ll do anything.”

“I want to disguise myself as a military officer who just passed the Military Examination and go on a secret mission.”

“Are you planning to play the role of a secret inspector? If it weren’t Colonel Kim saying this nonsense in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t understand why.”

“It’s because wherever many people gather, there are always those who try to do bad things.”

This is especially true in the military.

Since it’s such a closed organization, they take advantage of the fact that ‘reporting’ itself is difficult, and all kinds of beatings and violence committed for entertainment are usually covered up and overlooked.

Moreover, in a Joseon Period military, wouldn’t beatings occur during free time after training or on days when no training is conducted for physical management purposes?

The system currently adopted by the Joseon Army is close to line infantry, so they do allow violence for things like ‘breaking formation’ or ‘failing to follow instructions during training’ through minimal procedures according to established rules…

But beatings conducted without specific justification, just out of boredom or because a senior doesn’t like someone’s face, should absolutely not be tolerated.

‘Even if someone dies, there’s a high probability it would just be buried without a sound.’

“There are people in this world who create all kinds of injustices for no reason and torment others by beating them.”

In Former Goryeo, there was a custom of tormenting those who passed the civil service examination or those who changed departments under the pretext of Myeonsillye when a new official took office.

Especially the Myeonsillye targeting those who had just passed the Civil Service Examination was truly severe.

In cases of departmental transfers, they didn’t beat people to death or make them do strange things…

But the Myeonsillye targeting Civil Service Examination passers could beat them to near death if unlucky, and it was common to receive curses while being told that even uprooting the household pillars wouldn’t be enough to properly treat them.

Why was that? There’s only one answer.

Under the pretext of disciplining newcomers, only those who enjoyed tormenting others would engage in such acts to relieve their boredom and tedium.

“There are two ways to eliminate irrationality in the Military.”

“You seem to know Military affairs better than military officers.”

I had served as an officer before.

And I knew these things because I had heard stories from my Administrative Examination colleagues who had served as ‘soldiers.’

“Isn’t it good to know widely? To continue the story, to eliminate irrationality, you either make training deadly difficult or make punishments extremely severe.”

We commonly say this about guys who get aroused and try to hit on women whenever they see them.

That they’re the type who would do it if they had the strength to hold Chopsticks.

Those who commit irrationalities out of boredom and abuse their petty power are also the type who would lead in various irrationalities and beatings if they had the strength to hold Chopsticks.

Then thinking conversely, if you don’t leave them with even the strength to hold Chopsticks, could they commit irrationalities?

‘I feel like I’m about to die right now, how could I commit irrationalities?’

That’s why there’s a saying that units where training and duties are insanely difficult have no irrationalities.

However, if you drive soldiers like this, non-combat losses could be enormous, and about 10% of the troops could die before even reaching the battlefield.

So there’s only one alternative.

Hammering into their heads the recognition that if they commit irrationalities or beatings, ‘you will die first.’

This wouldn’t completely solve irrationalities, but it could greatly reduce their frequency.

“But from the military officers’ perspective, having irrationalities occur in their Military Unit would be like admitting they failed to manage their subordinates. Therefore, if I were a military officer, I think I would try to cover it up even if someone died from irrationalities. So even if His Majesty orders soldiers not to privately beat or torment each other, it would be useless. They could just coordinate their stories and make it ‘never happened.'”

Jo Mal-saeng’s face turned pale white.

Honestly, it would be hard to imagine a group collectively committing treason to cover up military misconduct, risking the extermination of three generations of their families.

But in an organization like the military, such things can definitely happen.

Closed organizations are terrifying in this regard.

“That’s why I want to conduct a secret investigation. I’m young, so everyone would believe I’m just a military officer who recently passed the civil service examination, wouldn’t they?”

“… You’d be perfect for soldiers to look down on. If you say you’re a military officer, they’ll all think you’re just a scholar playing soldier through family connections.”

“If I catch them in the act and give those unit officers a very stern warning, what do you think would happen?”

“Are you planning to threaten them with an axe?”

“If they don’t reform, I’ll have to submit a written memorial at Gwanghwamun.”

Some history professor with extensive knowledge said that written memorials were like WWE – political actions where people’s heads don’t actually fly off.

However, in current Joseon, a written memorial literally means this:

‘Even if I die, I will definitely say this. Either kill me, or accept my words.’

“But if I just give them a stern warning and request they reform on their own without submitting an official report to His Majesty, all the military officers will keep their eyes wide open to crack down on misconduct. They’ll worry that if such problems occur again, something terrible will happen.”

“Extreme, but it would be effective.”

The reason some rotten officers try to cover up misconduct ultimately comes down to one thing.

It’s not because they find the soldier who caused the misconduct endearing and want to protect him.

It’s not because they hate the soldier who suffered the misconduct either.

Whatever the situation, they coldly prioritize their own promotion and future, so they just try to cover it up.

So if you let them know that trying to hide misconduct will actually lead to terrible consequences, they’ll step forward to kill the bastard who committed misconduct in their own unit.

This alone should eliminate a considerable amount of misconduct.

“I’ll submit a petition to His Majesty. It will go up without going through the Royal Secretariat, and if he approves, you’ll be taking sick leave.”

And my request was approved immediately.

From that point on, I was no longer Kim Dae-bung, Colonel of the Five Guards, but Kim Jong-sin, a 9th rank military officer.

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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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