He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 2

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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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Drafted by King Sejong (2)

I have no intention of excelling in the civil service examination to rise to high office.

I’ll just achieve decent scores, receive a modest position, work as an official for about three years, then retire to the countryside.

If I catch King Sejong’s attention, I’ll likely end up like Hwang Hee. Am I crazy enough to be overworked like Prime Minister Hwang Hee, going around saying “Moo, I’m a yellow ox!”?

“The examination topic will now be announced!”

Whatever the topic is, I’ll write something mediocre and leave.

But I am curious what the question will be. Will they ask us to discuss impressions of poetry, or to discourse on Confucian teachings…

The other fellows beside me with their deadly serious expressions are probably desperately praying for questions in their areas of expertise… but honestly, I don’t care what question comes up.

Having come this far, passing the examination is a foregone conclusion, so I have nothing more to wish for.

Looking at the notice board, the question is written in large, easy-to-read letters. But the topic is similar to what came up in my conversation with that plump young scholar I met yesterday.

[Rotten Goryeo has fallen and Joseon has been founded, allowing the people to enjoy a golden age of peace and sing songs of triumph. Many scholars argue that the country is governed according to Confucian principles, and that Joseon stands upright because the king possesses virtue. Discuss your opinion on this matter.]

No matter how much Neo-Confucianism, which could be called Joseon’s ideology, emphasizes becoming a minister who offers “loyal counsel.”

The king is ultimately human, after all.

So when some greenhorn who’s barely about to enter office—not some seasoned minister—launches a fact-based bombardment… it’s bound to turn his stomach inside out.

There’s a reason for the saying that good medicine tastes bitter, and loyal counsel grates on the ears.

But if I only flatter too much, I’ll be considered a sycophant and lose points, so I should answer this question like this:

About 95% praise for the king’s good points and excellent governance, and about 5% of my own thoughts on areas for Joseon’s improvement.

Yes, if I wanted to achieve the top score in this examination and become a yellow ox getting ground down like Hwang Hee, that would be the way to do it.

‘But I have no such intention.’

From beginning to end, I’ll discuss Joseon’s shortcomings and add improvement measures on top of that.

If I do that and receive a 9th-grade position, I’ll earn the right to work for just a few years and leave the Political Circle. No, if things go well, I might earn the right to leave immediately.

[People say that Joseon is enjoying a golden age of peace, but Your Majesty must never be satisfied with this. Even the Sage (Confucius) was 70 years old when he reached the level of conducting all his personal actions according to law and principle—how much more challenging must it be to govern a nation?]

Getting good grades by excelling on my own is relatively easy. But raising the entire class average is extremely difficult.

Because I have to drag along 30 other guys besides myself.

Moreover, how much worse must it be for this country with over ten million people living in it by early Joseon King Sejong era standards? A golden age where everyone lives satisfied? Not even close.

[Your Majesty has shown mercy to the people by reducing the heavy taxes from the Goryeo period, and it is an undeniable fact that poor people live better than before. However, the reality is that the majority of people who are classified as janjanho don’t even have a single plot of farmland, yet they are grouped three households together and taxed the same as those who own 5 gyeol of land. Can this truly be called right? For the janjanho, it must feel like having the liver sucked out of a flea.]

Joseon’s tax system has a very inefficient structure compared to other countries. It’s fortunate that they collect low taxes, but if they had collected massive taxes like neighboring Japan while having an inefficient tax structure…

Joseon would have collapsed within 100 years, not 500.

What’s truly laughable yet sad is that the conclusion Joseon’s kings and officials came up with, thinking they were doing right by the people, was ‘an utterly shoddy tax system.’ How can I just sit still knowing this?

Of course I have to submit a direct petition to fix it.

Of course, even though this answer sheet is for an examination personally overseen by the king, there’s a very high probability it’ll be dismissed with ‘that young man is being presumptuous’… But still, speaking one’s mind is the spirit of Joseon scholars and the duty of a reader who’s devoured tons of alternate history novels.

[Furthermore, Your Majesty has allowed people who only grow rice and barley to offer tribute (specialty products) through Buddhist temples instead, worried it might be difficult for them to offer tribute directly… but the wicked monks of these temples are using this to cause tremendous harm to the people and villages.]

In technical terms, this is called bangnap. Bangnap is when it’s difficult to pay taxes directly, so you use an agency service to pay… the problem is these crazy monks were taking 300%, 500% commissions.

After King Sejong’s era, that is, according to the great minister Ryu Seong-ryong from King Seonjo’s time, if you don’t use bangnap, 1 doe of rice is sufficient, but if you pay through bangnap, you have to offer 18 doe of rice (17 doe of which is commission).

Though there’s some exaggeration, it’s not far from the truth.

In early Joseon, it was Buddhist temples doing this racket. Even King Sejong wasn’t an omnipotent superhuman, so he didn’t know about these circumstances.

What was meant to help the people ended up killing them instead.

It’s like a grandparent giving peaches to their grandchild out of love, not knowing about the peach allergy, and the grandchild dying.

[An old saying goes that harsh politics is more fearsome than tigers. Right now, Joseon’s flawed tax system is a disaster more terrifying than tigers to the people. Therefore, Your Majesty should see clearly and bestow grace upon the people by abolishing this corrupt tax policy.]

Just abolishing the damn bangnap system would dramatically increase the people’s income. Let’s say right now you earn 2 million won and get 1 million won ripped off in taxes every month.

Just normalizing the bangnap system would reduce taxes to 600,000 won. Then the money I can spend would increase from the previous 1 million won to 1.4 million won.

[For this purpose, we must activate the markets that are prohibited by law, and the county magistrates must control them while collecting taxes. Or, create a system where taxes are collected from people only in rice, and the collected rice is used to purchase tribute goods. Then the people will sing songs of peace and praise Your Majesty’s grace.]

The standard for good kings versus bad kings is surprisingly simple. Did they increase the income going into people’s wallets, or did they decrease it?

If you help me live well, you’re a good king, and if you make my life miserable, you’re a bad king.

Now that I’ve finished writing, let’s go.

I neatly folded the Answer Sheet and handed it to the examiner. Since this was the palace examination, the examiner was wearing red Official Robes. These were the robes worn by officials of the 3rd rank or higher. He seemed to be a very high-ranking person.

Moreover, judging by his completely bent waist making him hunchbacked…

Could this person be that famous principle-obsessed figure, Heo Jo?

“… The other students are busy writing their answers, yet you’re quite arrogant. Is it because you’re a young person these days? Your thinking seems very shallow.”

“I apologize.”

“Do you think saying you’re sorry ends the matter? In my time, we couldn’t even think of writing and submitting answers as quickly as you did. Really, these young people these days…”

A principle-obsessed person, or in other words, the ultimate old-fashioned traditionalist?

He’s the number one type I wouldn’t want to serve under as a superior.

This person supposedly rejected all sorts of things by invoking “principles.” How much must the officials serving under him have suffered? I too want to avoid that person at all costs.

“Please be generous and overlook this young man’s rudeness, Your Excellency.”

“Well, fine, let’s leave it at that. Anyway, whether you become a 9th junior rank from this exam, or start as a 6th senior rank participating official… that’s all your fate.”

Even becoming a 9th junior rank is equivalent to passing the administrative exam, and 6th senior rank would be a bureau chief-level civil servant in each department, or at least a director level in company terms.

Since the difference based on passing rank is so severe, everyone has serious faces and writes their answers desperately.

For me, who has no intention of staying in government service long, it doesn’t matter either way.

**

The palace examination generally produces results within a day.

When the next morning came, the ranking list was announced.

I searched for my name starting from the bottom like others were doing…

“… Why can’t I see my name?”

Since I had written plenty of advice inappropriate for a youngster to give, I thought I’d be at the bottom of the byeong-gwa (11th-33rd place). So does this mean I’m in eul-gwa (4th-10th place)?

I wasn’t in the eul-gwa list of successful candidates either. Next was gap-gwa (1st-3rd place).

And there in the gap-gwa position, specifically in the top scholar position, my name was written clear as day.

“… Shit.”

Curses came out naturally.

What, I’m the top scorer? Even placing in the second tier would be a high enough rank to run away claiming I’m not fit for office. Why did I have to be the top scorer of all things?

In Joseon, whoever scores first in the exam usually becomes a high-ranking official (King Sejong’s personal slave). What kind of disaster is this?

Regardless, around me was a scene of mixed joy and sorrow.

“I’m the runner-up! Mother! Your son has done it!”

“… It’s good that I passed, but why only second tier… If I had been just one rank higher, I’d be a 7th grade official.”

“Now the world is mine! Mwahahaha!”

Shut up, please… Please just shut your mouths.

I’m the one who wants to cry my heart out, shedding tears and snot.

And not long after, officials came rushing out from Gwanghwamun and took us away.

It was to go through the procedure of granting official positions to the exam passers.

As the top scorer, I had the honor of receiving the royal flower directly from the king.

Huh, but why does the king’s face look so familiar? Ah, that scholar I saw yesterday…

“… Jukheon, no, Kim Dae-bung. His Majesty was deeply impressed by your loyal counsel. Please assist me with that wisdom for the rest of your life.”

… Damn it, so I’m King Sejong’s lifelong slave…

“Kim Dae-bung, who placed first in the exam, is appointed as the 6th grade magistrate of Jinhae.”

A local official on top of that, does this even make sense?

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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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