He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 23

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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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Jiphyeonjeon GPT (2)

Having no house in Hanyang, I had paid to stay at a private residence when I first came to take the civil service examination.

Unless I had been confident I would pass the examination, for an 18-year-old youngster, taking the civil service exam was just considered gaining experience.

When I was going to take the examination, my family thought there was no need to buy a house in Hanyang, so I had to rely on staying at someone else’s house.

“Oh my, Lord Kim Suchan. How is this house? Do you like it? The area is about 70 kan, and the location is Gwangwang-bang, so the advantage is that it’s not difficult to commute to the Six Ministries, Jiphyeonjeon, and the Royal Palace.”

“70 kan… Isn’t that too big a house for me?”

“For Lord Suchan who will become a minister in the future, I’m worried this might even be too small a house.”

“What are you saying? Even if I get married in the future and have more servants to help with household affairs, I think it’s too big…”

70 kan, if converted to pyeong, is roughly about 130 pyeong. Gwangwang-bang would be equivalent to somewhere in Gangnam in Seoul terms, a central district.

Even though I’m a 6th rank official, I was confused whether it was appropriate or excessive for me to get a house of 130 pyeong including the courtyard in such a place. It seemed like I should go for somewhere smaller.

That’s because a house like this would be equivalent to buying a 100-pyeong apartment in Gangnam, no exaggeration.

Even though real estate prices in early Joseon Hanyang were cheaper than 21st century Korea, a house of this level seemed too excessive for me.

While I was pondering, Kim Man-deok who was beside me gave me a hint.

“With the gifts Lord Suchan received from Jinhae County, you could buy four houses like this. So don’t be stingy about spending money.”

“But I’m single, aren’t I? I don’t have a wife and children yet, and the servants I brought are just Dolsoe over there and one maid to cook.”

“With your reputation and wealth, honestly you should have a house of about 150 kan in Gwangwang-bang, not just 70 kan. The marriage matter is the same. If Lord Suchan wishes, you can choose any daughter from various noble families as your wife, and there are beautiful women lining up to become your concubines… How can you say a house of only 70 kan is big?”

Honestly, I don’t like the idea of political marriage, and since I’m only 19 years old now, I’ve been postponing marriage again and again.

Marriage in the Joseon era is done according to parents’ wishes rather than one’s own will. In other words, if father decides, I would have to make a lifelong vow even with a woman 20 years older than me.

However, I passed the examination with top honors at 18, and since father never even held a 9th rank position, he’s been accommodating my stubbornness in a way that doesn’t fit the Joseon era, so I’ve been able to hold out without getting married.

Originally, it wouldn’t be strange to have one or two children at my age.

When Kim Man-deok gave a look, Kim Gyeoul who was beside him also chimed in.

“Being too incorruptible and upright might not always be good.”

“… I understand. Let’s go with this house.”

Honestly, I’m dumbfounded. Of course, our main family home in the provinces is much larger than here… but that’s because it’s in the ‘provinces.’

Who would have thought I’d be buying a house in Seoul, specifically in Gwangwang-bang of Bukchon, famous for its high land prices.

Now that I decided to buy the house, the House Broker, the real estate agent, came right up close to me.

“Oh my, you’ve made an excellent decision. As expected, Your Honor the Sucheon has exceptional judgment. This house was once briefly lived in by the renowned honest official, Right Kim Jeoljae (Kim Jong-seo), after he passed the civil service examination.”

At this time, Kim Jong-seo would be nothing more than one of many competent slave candidates, yet seeing this guy boast about that fact to me… I guess who previously lived in a house when selling it is extremely important.

Well, I’ve heard that even in real estate, if it’s the same apartment, a house where someone who got into Seoul National University lived sells for at least 10 million won more. In Joseon, which is obsessed with the civil service exam, such facts could indeed affect house prices.

“Gwangwang-bang itself is near the Royal Palace and near Unjong-ga (Sijeon), so the land prices are quite expensive. So even though it’s 70 kan, you’ll need to pay 400 seom of white rice.”

… 400 seom of white rice, it’s an enormously large sum, but it’s not more than I can afford. Just converting what I received during my term as County Magistrate into rice would be roughly 2,000 seom.

The location is good and the area is spacious, so this much is worth paying.

“I understand. However, it might take some time to exchange the gifts I received for rice at the Sijeon…”

“Oh my, I’ll introduce you to Sijeon merchants I know. Then you can exchange them quickly.”

I don’t have many connections in Seoul. Still, dealing with a Jiphyeonjeon 6th rank official, that House Broker bastard wouldn’t dare to rip me off too badly… At most he’d skim off 20-25% and call it quits.

Still, I never intended to entrust the disposal of gifts to that bastard from the beginning. I have my partner in destiny, Kim Man-deok.

When I gave Kim Man-deok a look, he chuckled and firmly gripped both of the House Broker’s shoulders.

“Listen here.”

“What are you doing? Right now I’m in conversation with His Honor the Sucheon…”

“Don’t you know what kind of person our Sucheon is? He’s someone who achieved jangwon in the civil service examination.”

“So what about that?”

“He achieved jangwon in the civil service examination, and during his time serving as a local magistrate, he accumulated so much virtue that he even received a Merit Stele. If you’re someone who does business in Hanyang, you must know the story about how the Retired King wore a black Gonryongpo and smashed the head of a bastard named Jeong Hak-so in Jinhae County, right?”

“Who in all of Hanyang doesn’t know that…”

Kim Man-deok pointed at me and raised one corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“Do you know what the Retired King said when he ordered Jeong Hak-so to be killed? ‘Joseon must be a country that gives hope to the Common People. The Jinhae County Magistrate did just that.’ And this person you’re trying to sell a house to is that very former Jinhae County Magistrate.”

The smile disappeared from the House Broker’s face. Then he started sweating profusely.

Even if he were attacked in his sleep by a virgin ghost who never held a man’s hand until death, he probably wouldn’t tremble this much.

“I’m also someone who did fairly big business in Jinhae County, so I know well about your ‘price markup’ to pocket extra profit… But you should look at who you’re messing with before you mess with them.”

“… Are you threatening me right now?”

The House Broker’s tone changed. That bastard was already caught by Kim Man-deok.

“No, I’m just saying that’s how it is. So that fellow merchants don’t end up bleeding.”

Looking at the Seongjong Annals and other records, among the reasons written for why markets should not be opened, it says it’s because ‘bandit groups’ appear.

Bandits sometimes refer to the monster-like ‘mountain bandits’ that appear in mountains like in fantasy games we commonly think of, but since their behavior was no different from mountain bandits, merchants were also called bandits in the sense that they were swindlers who just didn’t carry swords…

Since Kim Man-deok is also a merchant who’s been seasoned in Jinhae County, his skill at intimidating people is no joke.

“So how much?”

“350 seom of white rice. No, 300 seom! Just give us 300 seom!”

“How much if we include furniture?”

“Oh my, if we include furniture, 350, no 340 seom would be sufficient.”

Kim Man-deok looked at me and grinned wickedly.

“Lord Suchan, this price seems reasonable.”

“That may be so, but didn’t you beat him down too harshly?”

“That fellow is also a merchant. He wouldn’t make a deal that would cause him losses to the point of putting a knife to his own throat. That price was probably reasonable from the start.”

“You’re quite ruthless too.”

“I heard that in Hanyang, since only the most cunning merchants gather, the Sijeon merchants even hire thugs to engage in gang fights.”

During the reigns of King Sukjong and King Yeongjo, there were groups called Geomgye who went around stabbing people like gangsters, and their power was so great that the Royal Court had to mobilize the Military Training Agency to crush them with full force.

Just because it’s early Joseon doesn’t mean such violent groups didn’t exist at all. Moreover, Joseon is full of the perception that commerce is base and should be suppressed…

‘It’s bound to be overflowing with thugs like those selling computers in Yongsan.’

Seeing how they try to overcharge even a government official like me, they probably threaten ordinary common people with clubs. Saying things like “Customer, if you don’t buy this, you’ll get hurt badly today.”

These bastards will all need to be “reformed” someday.

“How long would it take to bring in furniture for 340 seom of white rice?”

“How much would it cost to bring in 340 sacks of white rice plus furniture?”

“Oh my, Lord Suchan. We can get everything done including cleaning in one week.”

“Oh my, Lord Suchan. I can get everything completely cleaned up within a week.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“I’m asking you a favor.”

This way, I was able to leave all the cleaning to them as well.

This way, I was able to leave even the cleaning entirely to them.

And I drafted a sales contract.

And they drew up a sales contract.

After confirming that the sales contract was completed, Kim Man-deok immediately tried to leave.

Kim Man-deok confirmed that the sales contract had been completed and immediately tried to leave.

“I’ll go join the Sijeon Guild first, then go sell the gifts that Lord Suchan brought to the market. And Gyeoul-ah.”

“I’ll join the guild (association) in the city first, then go sell the gifts that Suchanna brought to the city. And Gyeoul-ah.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Yes, Father.”

“It won’t be easy for Lord Suchan to take care of household affairs, so you should help him.”

“Lord Suchan, managing household affairs must not be easy for you, so you should help him out.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best.”

Kim Man-deok just left like that, leaving behind Dolsoe, one female servant in her 40s who cooks, and Gyeoul-i.

No wait. He also left behind a few servants he employs to help with house cleaning.

Kim Gyeoul began quickly gathering the minimum household items needed for the house, taking my place as I stood there dazed.

“Jangdeok Mother, hurry up and cook rice first. Dolsoe and the other servants, go to the market and buy some side dish ingredients.”

… It’s as if she’s become the housekeeper of our household.

Thinking of her as a housekeeper feels somewhat… damn, since my body is a youthful 19 years old, even the slightest wandering thought makes things strange.

After giving out all those tasks, Kim Gyeoul turned her gaze to me and whispered in a small voice.

“On a day like today, it’s good to give the servants plenty of meat and alcohol.”

Ah, that’s right. Today is a joyous day for the household, so it would be wrong not to feed them properly.

“The furniture hasn’t arrived yet, so we can’t live here right away… but today is a happy day as I’ve acquired a house in Hanyang, so I’ll make sure you can eat meat and drink alcohol to your heart’s content. You’ve all worked hard.”

Once my instructions were given, everyone began moving busily.

“Thank you. Man-deok is one thing, but to receive help from you as well.”

“Father commanded me to value Lord Suchan’s affairs more than our own household matters. I merely followed that command.”

Of course that would be it. It’s not like falling in love or anything like in dramas…

“But I am also truly happy to be able to help Lord Suchan, who has high virtue and righteous intentions. Please continue to rely on me in the future.”

The phrase “in the future” sounded particularly ticklish to my ears.

Kim Man-deok and Kim Gyeoul continued to visit our house often afterward to help with work. Thanks to them, I was able to complete the major task of moving house without much difficulty.

After finishing the move and resting for a few days, before I knew it, it was my first day at Jiphyeonjeon.

Being my first day, I arrived at Jiphyeonjeon with a sense of nervousness.

There, the Hall of Worthies Vice-Chancellor greeted me very warmly.

“Our Kim Suchan, welcome. There’s a great deal of work that only you can do.”

… Please send me back to Jinhae County.

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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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