He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 20

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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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Merit Stele (4)

The news that Kim Dae-bung would soon be transferred naturally reached the county’s nobles as well.

When they heard news of other magistrates being transferred, they would accept it easily, saying “Ah, it’s time for him to go!”

If it was a corrupt fellow, they would click their tongues saying “I wished he’d leave quickly, and now he’s finally going.” If it was a capable magistrate, they would feel regret, wishing he could stay just a little longer…

But Kim Dae-bung was far too capable.

A crazy magistrate who satisfied the nobles, satisfied the local clerks, and even satisfied the merchants and common people.

Feeling a sense of crisis that such a magistrate would never come again, Kim Nam-jo, the county’s foremost scholar, gathered the county’s people to his house.

Originally, involving common people when discussing county affairs was itself nonsensical, but this time their strength was especially needed, which is why he called them.

“Ahem, ahem… Setting that aside, the reason I’ve gathered you all here today is because something very regrettable has happened to our county.”

One of the common people objected to those words.

“What on earth do you mean by that? Thanks to the Magistrate, even poor widows have found ways to make a living and don’t have to starve their children anymore, and they’re happy about it. I too am pleased that I can feed my children three meals a day. Our county is full of good things, so what bad thing could there possibly be?”

Kim Nam-jo himself agreed with these words. The county had changed since the new magistrate arrived.

The common people’s faces were full of vitality, and unless there was a bad harvest, even the poor wouldn’t go hungry.

Thanks to the newly built reservoir, water needed for farming was well supplied, so this year brought a good harvest. As a result, even his own storehouse became full of rice. Only good things kept happening.

‘It would be wonderful if we could continue living like this.’

“The Magistrate will be promoted.”

Promotion meant being advanced to a better position. It was certainly something to celebrate and be happy about, but…

Not only the county’s common people, but even the local clerks and nobles couldn’t rejoice at this good news.

Among some of the more emotional common people, there were even those who burst into tears.

“… Thanks to the Magistrate, we’ve been able to live like human beings and every day has been happy. How can he leave so quickly?”

“Oh my, Magistrate. Our dear Magistrate has only been in this county for a mere year and a half.”

“Even if not for a lifetime, shouldn’t he stay for at least 10 years?”

Kim Nam-jo himself also wanted the magistrate to stay in this county for a long time. Furthermore, if during his long stay, he were to ‘accidentally’ meet his daughter and, overcome by spring passion and youthful vigor, commit certain acts that would lead to marriage…?

What glory this would bring to the family!

Even if that failed, the fact he’d experienced was that the longer this Magistrate stayed in this county, even for just one more day, the richer he could become. The richer he became, the more he could give, so his family’s reputation would rise and the county’s common people would respect him even more.

The more he gave, the richer he became – what kind of absurd, supernatural fortune was this?

He had not the slightest desire to let this opportunity slip away.

“If His Majesty has made up his mind, then there’s nothing we can do about it. But it’s not like there’s absolutely no way.”

Everyone gathered here perked up their ears.

“Is there really a way?”

“According to Joseon law, a local official’s term is 5 years. But our Magistrate has only been in this county for a mere year and a half. In other words, if the scholars of our county join forces to submit a petition and it’s accepted, our Magistrate could stay in Jinhae County for another 3 and a half years.”

Everyone was delighted to hear this. It would be even better if the Magistrate could stay for about 10 years, but staying another 3 and a half years was much better than leaving right now.

Magistrate Kim Dae-bung had developed the county this much in just a short year and a half. How much more would change if he stayed another 3 and a half years?

“But what can ignorant people like us do?”

Kim Nam-jo smiled and spread out a blank sheet of paper.

On it, the names of county nobles and local clerks, including himself, were already written in a row.

“I’ll call out your names one by one. Then I’ll write your name on this paper. After that, you’ll press your ink-stained palm below it.”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“We’ll submit a petition to His Majesty saying that not only nobles like me and the local clerks, but even common people like you want our Magistrate to stay in this county for a long, long time. Then wouldn’t His Majesty, who loves the common people, look carefully at our petition? If that happens, the chances of our Magistrate staying in this county for a long time will increase.”

Everyone was convinced by those words. Neither the common people nor the nobles here had ever met the king.

However, the king had not only sent them an excellent magistrate like Kim Dae-bung, but had also immediately cut off the head of someone like Jeong Hak-so who had crossed the line.

Would someone who loved the common people so much ignore their voices?

If they raised their voices, His Majesty would surely look into their situation.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and form a line and tell me your names.”

At Kim Nam-jo’s words, all the common people who had come here formed a line and came forward in turn.

“My name is Kim Gap-dol.”

“Good, Kim Gap-dol… I’ve written it down, so press your palm below here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Next!”

Kim Nam-jo had all 100 common people gathered here record their names and handprints, then spoke.

“Other villages are probably doing something similar. But there must be some fellows who aren’t participating, right?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“If you want to serve our Magistrate for a long time, go urge them to come immediately and put their handprints down. Make all the adult men participate!”

If Kim Nam-jo were forcing this, it would be a matter that could cost him his head for treason.

Because it would be an act of inciting public opinion to protest against the Royal Court’s orders. However, if all the common people wanted it, and he gathered that public opinion to convey it to the king…?

This becomes a beautiful example of a virtuous gentleman observing the people’s will and conveying it to the king. Naturally, this was the latter case.

“Yes, my lord!”

The common people who answered vigorously rushed out quickly to find those who hadn’t heard this news yet.

They thought they needed to inform the adult men around them who hadn’t put their handprints down to join in submitting a petition to keep the Magistrate for a long time.

Three days later, the ‘Petition for Magistrate Kim Dae-bung’s Term Extension’ with 1,578 names from across the entire county was completed.

The petition reached King Sejong before a new magistrate was appointed.

**

King Sejong Lee Do was reading the first petition in Joseon history written jointly by both nobles and common people.

[The humble scholar Kim Nam-jo of Jinhae humbly prostrates and reports. (omitted) The new County Magistrate of Jinhae has provided a way to make a living even for wandering people. As a result, they too have become abundant in food and clothing, and have come to understand the duties one must uphold as a human being. Furthermore, they have put down roots in Jinhae County and become His Majesty’s subjects.]

It was the highest praise a noble could give to a magistrate.

Providing the common people with a way to make a living so they understand human duties.

It meant he had directly achieved what all scholars must do and the goal they must accomplish. It was praise greater than politely asking about someone’s parents while cursing them out in a game where five people with corrupted personalities team up against me.

King Sejong knew there were exactly two cases when local nobles praised a magistrate like this.

The vast majority, the first case, was when the nobles and magistrate colluded very well to exploit the common people to the limit while handling it well enough that it wouldn’t reach the king’s ears.

The other case was when the person appointed as magistrate did his job so well that the nobles begged not to take that person away. Such cases were extremely rare, and when King Sejong Lee Do encountered such a person, he immediately marked them as a candidate for Chief State Councilor (no retirement).

Because they were people who should be treasured and watched over for a very long time.

Kim Dae-bung is naturally an exceptionally talented individual who falls into the latter category.

[His Majesty has conveyed his care for the people through the County Magistrate of Jinhae, and the people of our county feel His Majesty’s benevolence as warmly as the morning sunlight. However, when His Majesty suddenly decides to replace our County Magistrate, all the people of our county are greatly distressed.]

King Sejong read up to this point and looked at the very thick stack of papers piled beside the memorial petition.

That stack of papers contained the names written by the nobles, local clerks, merchants, and common people of Jinhae County.

Since there was no sign whatsoever of forced incitement, he wondered just how good his governance must have been to achieve such a result.

[We humbly request that His Majesty, for the sake of the people of Jinhae County, please allow our County Magistrate to complete the full term permitted by national law.]

King Sejong finished reading the petition and laughed heartily.

“While there are many in this world who only boast with words, those who keep all their promises are rare. I have obtained such a talent!”

However, King Sejong had no intention of accepting the petition sent up from Jinhae County.

Though their words were very reasonable, he could not keep Kim Dae-bung, who should soar high like his name suggests and benefit all of Joseon, confined too long in the narrow confines of Jinhae County.

His talents should rightfully be used for the benefit of all Joseon.

King Sejong personally took up his brush to write a royal reply in response to the people’s sincerity.

And as time passed, a new County Magistrate to replace Kim Dae-bung. No, as Jinhae had grown and the county’s rank had been elevated…

A County Governor (Junior 5th Rank) rather than a County Magistrate (Junior 6th Rank) moved to replace Kim Dae-bung.

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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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