He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 144

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

Matchlock Gun and Northern Expedition (8)

My prediction hit the mark without a single error.

As soon as I transferred, I had to endure severe hazing from the lower-ranking military officers.

“Hey, newbie ghost (short for new recruit ghost).”

“Officer! Kim! Jong! Shin!”

“Where the hell did you leave your common sense? Did you drop it in some gutter somewhere?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Does saying sorry end your military officer career? Even though we’re at war now, the Royal Court budget is plenty sufficient, and this place is clearly near Hanyang. So shouldn’t you have properly prepared for Myeonsillye before coming? But what?”

A military officer in his mid-40s violently kicked my shin.

For the first time in my life, I experienced what’s called a Joint Kick.

As they say, even rotten fish has its worth – since it was kicked by someone who passed the Military Examination, it hurt so much I thought my shin might actually be broken.

“You couldn’t prepare for Myeonsillye because you didn’t have money?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Ha, what the hell is this bastard doing? If you didn’t have money, you should have borrowed from loan sharks. Didn’t you know it’s proper etiquette to borrow even at 100% annual interest to treat your seniors? Because of you, I can’t hold my head up in front of My Lord the commander! If I don’t get promoted this time either, it’s all your fault…”

No, if you’re an officer who passed the Military Examination 10 years ago and still can’t reach 6th rank, anyone can see that’s because your performance evaluations failed due to your own lack of ability.

There are other things to blame people for.

Taking it out on a junior with violence – what kind of rotten mentality is this?

This is exactly the kind of crazy behavior that’s only possible because it’s the Military.

I really think it was good that I took this assignment undercover.

If I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have known such injustices were happening and they would have just been left unchecked.

“Jeong Sa-maeng, after today’s duties, gather all the officers in the Tong above that bastard and below me. The discipline of the Joseon Army has fallen to the ground, and we can’t just overlook this, can we?”

“Officer Kim My Lord, what crime have we committed because of that bastard who has no sense at all?”

“With war approaching and discipline fallen to the ground, I have no choice but to personally take up the rod and give guidance with the heart of a father disciplining his child! Strictly speaking, isn’t that senseless bastard’s inability to act human all your fault?”

Just listening to what this bastard says makes my head ring and throb.

Among military officers, “you above, me below” is actually practiced.

And the reason for being gathered like that isn’t because someone did something wrong, but because a newcomer didn’t prepare Myeonsillye and didn’t offer a Bribe…

Well, the country of Joseon originally had this kind of aspect to it.

During King Seongjong’s reign, there are records of a military commander (2nd senior rank) being called by name and subjected to condescension and ostracism by a Ministry of War trainee (who didn’t even have a proper rank) just because he didn’t perform Myeonsillye.

A mere 9th junior rank newcomer who not only refuses to offer bribes but also won’t perform Myeonsillye – this reaction isn’t particularly surprising.

And if the corruption among military officers is this bad, one can only imagine how severe it must be among the soldiers.

“Hey, and honestly speaking, do I have time to look after that bastard who has no concept mixed up in soup rice? You guys should be the ones to make him into a proper person. And tell everyone firmly not to treat that bastard as a military officer until he properly performs Myeonsillye, got it?”

“Yes, understood.”

“Tell the soldiers too. Anyone who follows his orders, I’ll beat half to death.”

After saying that, Officer Kim left.

As soon as he left, the other guys who had passed the Military Examination began mercilessly tearing into me.

They were all supposedly military officers, so except for that hopeless bastard, none of them resorted to direct violence, but they made it blatantly obvious that they didn’t consider me human.

Can a military with such rampant corruption really properly conquer the Jurchen tribes?

“Hey, Shin-gwi. We won’t assign you any work until you finish Myeonsillye. What you need to do right now is go to the Hanyang Market merchants and borrow money, even at high interest rates. Then perform Myeonsillye properly. If you don’t arrange a gibang by today, we really don’t know what we might do. Handle it well.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

They didn’t even respond to my words and just left.

And I was given no work whatsoever, and after about 2 gak (30 minutes) passed, even passing slaves wouldn’t greet me.

“This is really a mess.”

In my heart, Lee Bang-won, no, the axe is crying out.

Should I just destroy Lee Sun-mong, the Right Army Commander who is the supreme commander of this Right Army where I’m currently stationed under false identity…

He may be 2nd senior rank, but if the problems are this severe, I feel like I could take an axe and march to Gwanghwamun.

“No, that’s not right. I can’t just overturn everything just because I don’t like it.”

If I submit a written memorial from here and completely eliminate someone, then instead of cleaning up military camp corruption, they’ll just get better at concealing harsh treatment.

While I was seriously pondering how to solve this grave problem, I saw soldiers bullying new recruits right before my eyes.

Among the military officers, they at least stopped at “not treating someone like a human” since they were supposedly gentlemen, but the soldiers had no such restraints and were just conscripted…

The degree of corruption was truly appalling enough to make one’s tongue wag.

While the soldier was lying face down, they kicked his back and stomped on him mercilessly until he was beaten to a pulp, then forcibly pulled him up and slapped him so hard his head whipped around.

“Hey, with such loose discipline, do you think you can even fight against the Jurchen tribes?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Will the Jurchen tribes die just because you’re sorry? Will they die? You shouldn’t have done something to be sorry for in the first place – didn’t your parents teach you that? Is your father an idiot?”

“I’m sorry.”

“After giving birth to a bastard like you, did your parents at least get to eat seaweed soup? If I were them, I would have wanted to die from the shame of having a child like you. Don’t you feel sorry toward your parents? Actually, no. There’s no need to feel sorry. Trash just gave birth to trash, after all.”

The soldier being tormented was bleeding from various places and sobbing while covered in purple bruises wherever his flesh was exposed, but his tormentors were still giggling and laughing.

They say that even in the 1980s military, privates and junior soldiers couldn’t sleep from anxiety if they didn’t get beaten before bed…

The absurdities of Joseon military camps are truly appalling.

These crazy bastards, really.

This kind of behavior must be eradicated as quickly as possible, not a minute or second later.

“I need to go see Minister Lee Sun-mong myself, right now.”

Actually, I’m being quite generous here because Lee Sun-mong is a senior minister of the Royal Court and a military officer who has long served Joseon faithfully.

If I really wanted to escalate this matter properly, I would have gone straight to Supreme Commander Choi Yun-deok and confronted him directly.

**

I made my way to the government office where Lee Sun-mong conducted his business.

When I arrived there, soldiers who didn’t know me blocked my entry.

“Who are you?”

“I am Kim Dae-bung, Colonel of the Five Guards. I’ve come to meet with the Right Army Commander-General. Could you relay this message?”

“The Commander-General is currently busy. If you have a message to convey, I will personally deliver it for you.”

“Ah, even though I said I’m a Colonel of the Five Guards, this is merely a temporary position. Think carefully – if I were an ordinary military officer, I would have introduced myself as a Colonel of the Loyal Left Guard or something like that. I am currently a Colonel of the Five Guards who holds the role of simultaneously overseeing three departments (similar to bureaus in central government ministries) in the Ministry of War.”

Upon hearing my words, the military officer gulped when he reached the part about me handling three departments in the Ministry of War.

“I’ve come to see him about a very important matter. But since you’re telling me the Commander-General is busy and I should return, if I follow your advice, I’ll miss the timing to resolve the issue. Then the problem will grow beyond control, so you need to think that far ahead when making decisions.”

These soldiers are simply controlling access to uphold the principle that not just anyone can enter the Commander-General’s office.

It wouldn’t be right to respond to such people by threatening to file a complaint immediately if they don’t cooperate.

“The Commander-in-Chief is inside. Please follow me, My Lord.”

The soldier who understood my words led me to the office where Lee Sun-mong was.

In the office, several wine bottles were placed around, and his face was slightly flushed red.

As expected of a madman who, despite his outstanding abilities, openly violates regulations like prohibition orders and has been imprisoned several times for drinking heavily.

This may not be a battlefield, but to drink alcohol during work hours when it’s not even a day off during wartime preparations.

While I was feeling suspicious in my heart, Lee Sun-mong suddenly stood up from his seat and said.

“Wait, aren’t you Colonel Kim?”

“Do you know me?”

“When the Retired King was trying to implement currency, I once watched you submit a written memorial. And since I heard you tamed the Lord of Tsushima with just a few words, I’ve been keeping an eye on you. I’m very pleased to meet you like this.”

He looked at me while adjusting his clothing here and there.

“Ah, I do have the bad habit of drinking while working, but I don’t drink to the point of being completely drunk.”

“I know well that you are not that kind of person, Your Excellency.”

Actually, that’s not true.

You would definitely drink while working and mess up big time.

But since I don’t want to make this into a big problem, I’ll just let it slide.

“That aside, Your Excellency. I received a royal command and just finished inspecting the Right Army while disguising myself as a newly appointed 9th rank military officer… and the state of things was truly a sight to behold.”

“What do you mean?”

When irregularities occur, unconditionally punishing the high-ranking officials above only increases the irregularities.

Because those above don’t want to be unjustly punished, situations often arise where even those below who actually committed crimes receive pardons.

“I established the regulations for Drill Training, and the Retired King issued a royal command to strictly punish according to military law anyone who beats military officers, Gapsa, or soldiers without reason… but what do you know, they’re beating people for being bored, creating all sorts of ridiculous justifications!”

I rolled up my pants to show the shin that had just been kicked.

Lee Sun-mong was shocked to see the severe bruising on my shin.

So much so that the slightly intoxicated look completely disappeared from his face.

“I have a duty to report this fact directly to His Majesty immediately… but if that happens, His Majesty would reprimand Your Excellency who has done absolutely nothing wrong, so I came to see you before making my report. How good would it look if I reported to His Majesty after Your Excellency has completely resolved this problem?”

Lee Sun-mong gripped my hand tightly and asked.

“What should I do?”

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