He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 150

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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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Joseon Iron Works (2)

“Are you really saying that you’ll step forward and reduce the work of our Ministry of Public Works?”

“For the development of Joseon, producing things like weapons and tools is more important than anything else.”

For example, even when doing something as simple as cleaning, there’s a huge difference in efficiency depending on whether you have cleaning tools like dustpans, brooms, and rags or not.

That’s why humans have created and used tools to make difficult, time-consuming, and laborious work more efficient.

Thanks to this instinct-like ability, humans who are physically inferior to other animals in almost every way except for Throwing Ability were able to become the rulers of Earth.

“Actually, the work of the Ministry of Public Works will only increase in the future, not decrease.”

I plan to build the iron works first, and then throw blueprints for various new machines to the Ministry of Public Works for Jang Yeong-sil to make.

Manual washing machines, lathes and drilling machines utilizing animal or water power, flying shuttles and looms, cotton gins, Spinning Machines, and so on…

If I come up with ideas and roughly draw blueprints with just a bit of explanation added, Jang Yeong-sil will make everything on his own.

Even with the Matchlock Gun, I only gave him very rough blueprints and ideas…

Yet it was made perfectly.

With his skills that can even make automatic water clocks like the Jagyeongnu, anything should be possible.

“But right now, the biggest problem is that while work keeps increasing, there are too few officials compared to that, isn’t it?”

Lee Cheon nodded in agreement with my words.

“What’s the point of holding Civil Service Examinations frequently and selecting many people? All the newly selected officials get completely taken away by the Ministry of Taxation and Ministry of War, so only about 3 people are added to the Ministry of Public Works each year. I know the Ministry of Taxation is busy and has more work to do, but while the Ministry of Taxation gets nearly 100 officials added each year, our Ministry of Public Works… Sigh, if they just gave our Ministry of Public Works exactly 10% more of the personnel going to the Ministry of Taxation, would that hurt anything?”

“Actually, in my opinion, the Ministry of Public Works is just as important as the Ministry of Taxation and Ministry of War. The fact that work has increased significantly compared to before is proof of that.”

There’s also a hierarchy among the ministers of the Six Ministries.

The order is Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Taxation, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Works.

Among these, the Ministry of Personnel is the highest and the Ministry of Public Works is the lowest.

So if a Minister of Personnel transfers to become Minister of Public Works, it would be considered a tremendous demotion.

Even though all the Official Positions are the same rank of Senior 2nd Grade.

Because of this, the Ministry of Public Works keeps getting pushed back in the priority for personnel increases, but since work keeps increasing, how difficult must it have been for the Ministry of Public Works all this time?

“To benefit the nation widely, collecting taxes well is important, training soldiers to protect the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State from frontier dangers is important, and officials to manage all of this are necessary too… but to collect taxes, ships for transportation must be built, and to defend the nation well, making good weapons and Armor for soldiers is also important. The Ministry of Public Works may not be very visible, but it plays an important role like Xiao He of the Han Dynasty, supporting everything from behind.”

“The Ministry of Public Works is like Xiao He…”

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty, made Xiao He, who was the ‘chief logistics officer’ that created the environment for them to fight, his first-rank meritorious subject rather than the military commanders who bled and fought alongside him.

At first, all the ministers opposed this, but it is said that Liu Bang silenced them with these words.

‘So can you bastards fight while starving? Can you kill Xiang Yu without weapons?’

“I will speak well of this matter to the Chief Minister, no, to His Majesty.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that Colonel Kim thought so specially of our Ministry of Public Works.”

“Then please lend me Judge Jang (Jang Yeong-sil) and Judge Jeong (Jeong Bun) for a while.”

“… What are you planning to do?”

Iron is absolutely necessary for strengthening Joseon’s military power, but it is also essential for improving other industrial capabilities and agricultural productivity.

We must make iron, and make more iron.

Anyway, we must produce a lot for industry to establish itself and take root.

Even if I can’t see ironclad ships or iron-made vessels and various steam engines in my lifetime, I must at least lay the foundation for them.

No, I might actually be able to see steam engines that can be practically used in industry.

If I keep working Jang Yeong-sil for about 20-30 years and Iron Smelting Technology develops well, it seems possible.

After all, steam engines and machines from the early industrial revolution period were sometimes directly manufactured by skilled blacksmiths.

“I’m thinking of building a giant forge, no, an ironworks that only produces iron in Jeryeong, Hwanghae Province. If we succeed there, I plan to build similar facilities in other places throughout the Eight Provinces of Joseon.”

“… Is this why you thought we needed to increase the Ministry of Public Works staff?”

“Actually, we’ve installed shipyards at each naval base, but shouldn’t the Ministry of Public Works handle all merchant ships used by civilians, even if not warships?”

Lee Cheon tilted his head after hearing my words.

“If the Ministry of Public Works becomes exclusively responsible for building merchant ships used by civilians, many people will offer appropriate gifts (bribes) to the Minister of Public Works in the process of requesting merchant ships.”

“Then would the ironworks be the same?”

“Since it’s an ironworks established by the state, wouldn’t the iron produced there be under the Ministry of Public Works’ authority to decide how much to release to civilians and how much the state will use?”

“… Well, this means my work will pile up like a mountain. Heh heh heh.”

In the current Early Joseon Period, it’s difficult for civilians to properly operate ironworks.

The scale of capital required is enormous, technical skills are lacking, and the business itself is extremely critical.

“Work will increase, heh heh. But how can someone who entered government service to serve the country loyally avoid hard work? In that spirit, I’ll lend you Judge Jang and Judge Jeong, those two.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Incidentally, Lee Cheon, who is currently serving as Minister of Public Works, is a similar type of person to Hwang Hee and Jo Mal-saeng.

He has outstanding abilities and many achievements as a technician, but he was heavily impeached for being quite fond of bribes.

So even if work increases, he’s probably delighted at the mention that there will be more opportunities to receive ‘bribes’.

He’s already a wealthy man, yet seeing his endless greed for money, that guy will probably end up with lifetime service punishment too.

Unaware of my inner thoughts, Lee Cheon looked at me and said with a grin.

“Colonel Kim is truly a loyal subject.”

And not long after, King Sejong held a special examination at Seonggyungwan and selected over 50 additional officials.

All the selected officials were made slaves of the Ministry of Public Works…

No, they were assigned to handle the work of the Ministry of Public Works.

Not long after, several officials submitted resignation petitions saying they couldn’t bear it any longer.

However, King Sejong granted them Royal Meal Grants and refused their resignation petitions.

**

King Sejong promoted me again.

With his desire to make me a high-ranking official as soon as possible, even if it’s just one day sooner.

He newly created a subordinate office called the Iron Works Department, a 3rd rank office under the Ministry of Public Works, and placed me as its head.

“Assistant Secretary Jeong, do you think this is proper according to protocol?”

Jeong Bun laughed incredulously upon hearing my question.

“Isn’t this how it turned out because Director of Iron Works insisted that too rapid promotion disrupts the nation’s protocol?”

“4th rank Bongryeol-daebu Acting Director of Iron Works. Well, this is truly speechless.”

Joseon has a system called the acting rank system.

If ‘acting’ is attached before one’s official title, it means someone who is a brigadier general in Korean terms but remains as a regiment commander for various reasons, and if ‘temporary’ is attached, it means someone with the rank of brigadier general is appointed as a division commander, a position that should only be held by a two-star general – that’s how this system works.

By this principle, I was promoted to 4th rank while exceptionally performing duties that can only be handled by officials of 3rd rank or higher.

“I have never seen a single person other than My Lord who dislikes promotion.”

“If you succeed too much at a young age, you can’t die in peace.”

During King Sejong’s reign, the only ministers who were purged for political reasons were Sim On and Kang Sang-in, no one else.

So even if you rise quickly, there’s virtually no chance of being politically impeached and dying miserably.

The problem is that you’ll never be able to escape from King Sejong’s grasp, who squeezes his officials to a degree that would amaze university professors.

In other words, you end up like Hwang Hee.

Unable to retire and having to come to work every day until death, performing official duties.

How terrifying is that.

“Since His Majesty has entrusted me with such an important task. What remains is for us, including myself, to work with complete loyalty to repay his grace. Isn’t that right, Colonel Jang?”

Jang Yeong-sil answered.

“Yes, My Lord. If my skills can help Joseon, I should gladly work hard with the spirit of dedicating my entire being.”

“That’s a splendid answer. I like it. Then please make these things from now on.”

I had organized blueprints of various machines that I drew in my spare time while working at the Ministry of War into book form, and I handed it to Jang Yeong-sil.

Jang Yeong-sil, who received and opened the book, clicked his tongue.

“What is this blast furnace here, and what is this thing marked as reverberatory furnace?”

“A blast furnace is making an iron smelting kiln very large to melt iron ore. A reverberatory furnace is a machine that can refine wrought iron into steel.”

“… Are you telling me to make all of this?”

“I’m planning to build a large iron works in Jeryeong County, Hwanghae Province. But before that, I’m thinking of making one properly functioning blast furnace and reverberatory furnace in Pocheon to test them. His Majesty said he would gladly provide royal private funds if the budget is insufficient, so don’t worry about the budget and just focus on the work. Make that first, and after finishing that work, please make the other machines written in this book.”

Jeong Bun and Jang Yeong-sil’s faces turned pale white.

I’m not some man-eating ghost, so I don’t know why they’re acting like this.

“Oh, and Deputy Minister Jeong, please organize content about how large the iron works should be built and how iron ore should be transported, and write it up as a report as quickly as possible. If you’re ready, I’d like you to go to the site right away – would that be alright?”

“Yes, My Lord…”

Now I just need to stay here and help with Ministry of War work while waiting for them to get ready…

Gapseok suddenly appeared at the government building that the Iron Works Department was temporarily using.

“My Lord, they say Madam has been having labor pains for a while now.”

Upon hearing those words, I immediately had the public slaves here convey to the Minister of Public Works that I would be leaving for the day, and then left work on my own accord.

And I immediately conveyed this news to Kim Man-deok as well.

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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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