He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 38

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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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Daedongbeop (3)

Now the rotten currency policy has disappeared from our Joseon.

The people of Joseon no longer need to worry about economic hardships caused by coin-shaped garbage. I have saved all the people of Joseon.

With this much, won’t future historians call me a hero who saved Joseon? No wait, I am indeed a hero since I saved Joseon from the Great Depression.

When I first entered government service, I just planned to pass the military examination, submit a resignation petition at an appropriate time, and hole up in my hometown to live…

“Nothing in this world ever goes according to my will.”

When I grumbled that Joseon’s tax policy was problematic, it just so happened that King Sejong overheard it, so I ended up achieving ‘top honors’ in the examination.

After being appointed as Jinhae County Magistrate, I became a beloved magistrate to all the people of Jinhae County through tax policies where the rich pay a bit more and the poor pay less, and through commercial revitalization.

As soon as my term ended, I was summoned to Jiphyeonjeon and became a human search engine shared by the ministers of the Six Ministries, suffering from a terrible workload.

“And I barely managed to stop the currency implementation by submitting Joseon’s first written memorial.”

After talking with Kim Man-deok, I felt that even knowing the outcome of currency, if I didn’t submit a petition to stop it, I would regret it until my death.

So I went home and wrote a lengthy petition of over 5,700 Chinese characters—no, over 10,000 characters—explaining why currency should not be implemented.

The next morning, during the time when all officials were reporting for duty, I held an axe, spread a mat, and submitted the written memorial. In that process, Lee Bang-won said he would employ me if I bent my will immediately, but I told him to either kill me or abandon the currency…

I thought I would end up being transferred to Jeonokseo and just waiting for my death, but Lee Bang-won came and released me.

“Daedongbeop instead of currency. No, Bangwonbeop.”

Just thinking about it made me smile. Instead of killing the people, we can implement a law that gives them a better tomorrow.

As someone who knows history, there could be no greater joy than this.

Even in the original history, after Kim Yuk implemented Daedongbeop in Chungcheong Province, the people of Chungcheong Province voluntarily came to pay their respects to Kim Yuk out of gratitude.

In other words, it shows how much great hope and strength to live for tomorrow the implementation of Daedongbeop gave them. Of course, in that process, both I and the officials will work ourselves to death.

Rather than doing work where the more I work, the more Joseon’s people die meaninglessly, it’s better to do work that benefits everyone even if it’s more difficult.

When I entered Jiphyeonjeon, the Jiphyeonjeon officials approached me with bright smiles.

“Kim Soo-chan! You are a loyal subject who will remain in Joseon history forever!”

“Thanks to you, we no longer need to search for copper mines throughout Joseon to make copper coins, and we don’t need to calculate how to impose labor duties on the people for mining.”

“Before you submitted your petition, we had mathematicians calculate the demand for copper coins, and they said that even if we melted down all the cannons in Joseon, we couldn’t meet that demand, so we were worried about how to submit a petition… Now we don’t need to worry about that, so it’s truly a celebration, a celebration.”

All the Jiphyeonjeon scholars gathered around me and began showering me with praise.

Even Choi Man-ri, who was almost the same age as me but quite strict, approached my side.

As soon as he came over, he bowed his head deeply and poured out lavish praise toward me.

“Kim Soo-chan’s loyalty is in no way inferior even when compared to Wei Zheng who assisted Emperor Taizong of Tang or Yue Fei of Southern Song. I knew that minting copper coins would torment the common people, yet I failed to offer counsel that this should be stopped.”

There was one common trait among the victims who died because of King Taejong’s paper currency and the ‘copper coins’ that King Sejong had just tried to implement. Not a single government official, nobleman, or wealthy person fell for it.

Even though national laws were established openly threatening to beat people to death with beating sticks if they didn’t use paper currency or copper coins, they continued trading well with rice and cotton cloth.

Still, I couldn’t curse them… If you truly believed in that paper currency or copper coins, your wealth would just vanish in an instant. Those nobles also had to grit their teeth and engage in bartering to survive, looking out for each other.

“I understand that filial piety means respecting one’s parents while also respectfully advising them with gentle words to correct their wrongs when they do something mistaken. The duty of a subject is the same – when the king implements wrong policies, one should properly offer counsel even at the risk of death… but I failed to offer counsel because I feared losing this worthless life. I am truly ashamed.”

The harmonious atmosphere of Jiphyeonjeon suddenly grew heavy.

It was because Choi Man-ri had cowardly used facts to point out their mistakes. But since those words themselves left no room for rebuttal…

Even Jeong In-ji, the Vice Director of Jiphyeonjeon, instead of saying anything to those words, just stared into space and cleared his throat awkwardly.

If this were the 21st century, everyone would offer comforting words saying they all had families to protect and servants under their care, so how could they recklessly risk their lives.

But I really don’t know what words to say about this.

“Wasn’t it just a difference in method and sequence? Eunggyo Kim had already calculated that thousands of people would need to be sent to copper mines throughout all of Joseon. Wouldn’t Eunggyo Kim have also submitted a petition advising that implementing copper coins would be difficult?”

“That would be so.”

Even in the Veritable Records of King Sejong, King Sejong saw hundreds of years ahead of his time and tried to implement currency by force if necessary.

However, his subjects submitted petitions with almost obsessive persistence about why this wouldn’t work, and tried their best to reduce side effects somehow.

However, since they didn’t know economics, it would have been difficult for them to oppose with solid evidence, so no one submitted a written memorial.

In the somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere, Jeong In-ji called me with a smile.

“Kim Soo-chan.”

“Yes, Vice Director.”

“Now that I hear it, you… haven’t married yet, I’m told.”

“Yes, that’s correct. I’ve been quite busy.”

Jeong In-ji looked at me and sighed as he spoke.

“How can such an excellent talent like Kim Soo-chan still be unmarried? What a lamentable situation this is. This won’t do. I happen to have a young lady among my relatives who has reached marriageable age… How about holding a wedding ceremony with that child?”

“… Pardon?”

“The age difference between you and me is only seven years, so if we had similar timing in our government service and ranks, we could have been friends, couldn’t we?”

In Park Je-ga’s case, he had an age difference of eight whole years with Lee Deok-mu, who was closest to him, but they lived as very close friends. Not like a close older brother, but just friends who spoke casually to each other.

This was because Joseon had a culture called ‘sangpalhapa,’ where if there was an ‘eight-year age difference,’ you could just be friends if you got along well. So Jeong In-ji’s words weren’t wrong.

“From now on, you may think of me as an older brother. And since I have no siblings, seeing you reminds me of having a younger brother, which is why I’m making this proposal.”

… Marriage with Jeong In-ji’s relative? For some reason, I feel like if I accept that marriage, I’ll be ground down until I become Chief State Councilor. I absolutely hate the idea.

I’m going to resign quickly, date Winter, and live comfortably by taking a pretty wife in my hometown.

Right after Jeong In-ji’s proposal, the Jiphyeonjeon scholars (average age in their 40s, most having children of marriageable age) approached me with determined steps.

“I feel awkward saying this, but my daughter is quite beautiful and virtuous. She would suit you quite well…”

… This is driving me crazy, really. Why do only old men who’ve aged beyond their years like me?

In anime and manga, beautiful girls are busy obsessing over the protagonist, so why are only these old men obsessing over me? Is this even a country?

“Regarding my marriage, I should probably discuss it with my parents according to proper etiquette…”

“That’s also right.”

Wait, if my parents give permission, I’ll have to hold the wedding ceremony right away.

While my mind was becoming confused in various ways, Minister Hwang Hee entered Jiphyeonjeon with a deathly pale face.

Behind Hwang Hee, a servant was carrying books and scrolls on an A-frame carrier.

The expressions of the Jiphyeonjeon scholars who saw that instantly soured.

Jeong In-ji saw that and pinched his own thigh while asking.

“Minister, what are all those numerous documents?”

“… These are documents related to the new law that will be implemented instead of Kim Soo-chan stopping the introduction of copper coins.”

“What kind of law are you trying to implement that requires so many documents…”

“Retired King wishes to implement the Bangwon Law.”

Jeong In-ji’s expression hardened immediately. Calling the king by his real name was a crime equivalent to praising communism while selling military secrets in the army.

“Ah, King Taejong Lee Bang-won was so pleased with the law that Kim Soo-chan proposed through direct petition that he decided to create a law bearing His Majesty’s personal name. That’s why this law became known as the Bangwon Law, and he issued a command that the taboo naming convention would not apply when writing the title of this law.”

“Bangwon Law…”

Hwang Hee quickly explained the main points of the Bangwon Law, the law I had proposed to Lee Bang-won.

The expressions of the Jiphyeonjeon officials listening to the story grew increasingly grim by the moment.

“… It is indeed a very good law.”

Hwang Hee shook his head.

“You’ll have a hard time. Starting today, it seems Royal Meal Grants will be provided to the Six Ministries officials for a while. His Majesty commanded that cattle be slaughtered to feed all the Six Ministries officials generously.”

Everyone’s resentful gazes turned toward me.

Hwang Hee suddenly pulled me toward himself.

“Kim Soo-chan has been assigned to the Bangwon Office temporarily established within the Ministry of Taxation. So we in the Ministry of Taxation will be taking this loyal subject with us.”

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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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