He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 4

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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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Normalization of Tribute Goods (1)

They say numbers don’t lie. But that’s only knowing one thing and being ignorant of another.

When you write fake information on paper, the information written there becomes false.

But just as a long tail gets stepped on, when lies are written in account books, it’s usually obvious to the eye.

“Clerk Kim.”

“Yes, sir.”

“According to what’s written here, the county collected 4,859 seom of rice as land tax. Additionally, the tribute goods to be offered are 300 geun of dried persimmons, 200 geun of anchovies, and 400 sets of bowls, spoons, and chopsticks made from paulownia wood. This is what’s written. Is this correct?”

“Yes, it’s exactly as written in the account books.”

At this time, Joseon’s total population would be just under 7.7 million people.

In Jinhae County where I was appointed, about 20,000 to 30,000 people would be living.

Those living in the town center, which could be called a city, would number about 1,000 to 1,500 people.

So collecting tribute goods and land tax like that would be correct… but the problem is this.

Did those bastards actually collect the land tax properly?

Well, even if investigating the land tax right now is one thing, what about the tribute goods?

Most people living in Joseon are those who spend their entire lives only farming rice, barley, and beans, so they wouldn’t be able to make or catch things like dried persimmons or anchovies.

Did those who took on the role of submitting these on their behalf really not pull any tricks?

If they didn’t pull any tricks, it would be commendable and I’d want to give them a reward, but I have a feeling I’ll never have occasion to reward those fellows.

Buddhist temples of this era used the money they received from handling tribute submissions to recklessly repair temples and even indulge in luxury. In Joseon, a country that promoted Confucianism and suppressed Buddhism, no less.

“The people couldn’t have made and offered things like paulownia bowls, dried persimmons, and anchovies directly. So like other counties do, weren’t you procuring goods through temples?”

“Yes, sir. Our county has been procuring goods through temples for the past 10 years.”

“Don’t the people dislike it?”

“At first, there were some who viewed unfavorably the government office collecting rice, giving it to temples, and gathering specialty products… but now everyone likes it.”

That statement would be half right and half wrong.

For example, let’s say I were to make a paper clip from start to finish.

To go to an iron mine and dig iron ore, build a blast furnace capable of melting it, melt it in the blast furnace, put it in a mold, cool it, draw out wire, and complete the bending process?

To make paper clips that cost 1,000 won for a box of dozens at a stationery store, you’d need to spend at least 10 million won. That’s how difficult self-sufficiency really is.

For farmers who only grew grain crops, being told to offer tribute goods must have been an enormous burden.

So for such farmers, being told they could just offer grain instead of tribute goods must have seemed like a good deal.

At least they wouldn’t have to spend 10 million won every time.

Instead, those temple bastards would use economies of scale to buy tribute goods at cheap prices, then charge massive fees.

The burden would naturally fall on the people, and in the process, part of the money received would relocate to the pockets of clerks, local officials, and various high-ranking people.

In the end, farmers would be driven into situations where they had to pay 20,000 won to contribute 1,000 won worth of tribute.

Of course, it’s still better than spending 10 million won, so it’s a golden age. Joseon is running quite well.

“So exactly how much rice was spent buying all the tribute goods?”

“We collected 8,234 seom of rice from the people.”

“The tribute tax is more expensive than the land tax. What a complete mess.”

For reference, I declared to those bastards that I wouldn’t accept bribes.

Thinking about it backwards, those bastards are embezzling specialty goods enough to have leftovers even after bribing me.

“But this is only natural, Your Honor. As you well know, if we tell the people to make and offer the items needed for tribute themselves, that would truly open the door to suffering for them. Items to be offered to the Royal Palace must be carefully selected good ones, and specialty goods are extremely expensive.”

When lying, you usually hide it among facts.

Just like when hiding a tree, it’s safest to hide it in a forest.

“If the system is wrong, shouldn’t we fix it? And Joseon is a nation of Neo-Confucianism, so how can Buddhist monks be involved in state affairs?”

If I had my way, I’d want to sweep away everyone from the clerks here to all the related nobles.

But if I pulled such stunts, it wouldn’t just end with my resignation – they’d try to take my head by charging me with being disrespectful to the nobles.

There would be a rush of petitions to King Sejong, and then it would be exile at minimum, exile.

I said I wanted to resign and live comfortably. I don’t want to go into exile and live like a beggar.

So I’ll precisely screw over only the bastards who deserve to be screwed over.

Honestly, since Joseon is a Neo-Confucian nation, if you have proper justification, monks are considered beings you can force into voluntary military service.

No one would oppose crushing the monks for committing the sin of skimming from tribute collections.

‘The fortress built by dragging monks around was Namhansanseong Fortress.’

“Which temple handles the tribute?”

“Seongheungsa Temple is in charge of it.”

“Seongheungsa Temple, Seongheungsa Temple.”

“I need to go there immediately and settle this matter. A temple, of all places, handling tribute collections. That’s absolutely unacceptable. Ibang, follow me at once.”

I shot up from my seat.

Strike while the iron is hot – I need to start the day I make up my mind. Otherwise, I’ll never finish it even if I die trying.

**

Seongheungsa Temple was far too lavish to be called a temple.

All the wooden pillars of the temple were lacquered, and the main gate was painted red.

Before chemical paint was invented, painting things red was so expensive that even nobles couldn’t do it carelessly. How could a temple be so extravagant?

The smell of rotting money was overwhelming.

“Where is the Head Monk of Seongheungsa Temple?”

Hearing my words, an elderly monk cautiously walked out.

“Namu Amitabha, welcome. Are you perhaps the magistrate newly appointed to our county?”

“That’s right. I heard that Seongheungsa Temple has been handling all of Jinhae County’s tribute… It seems Seongheungsa Temple has accumulated enormous wealth while managing the tribute.”

“This humble monk only handled the tribute to help the poor people. Thanks to us, the people avoided great hardship, and Seongheungsa Temple earned a small income which we used to repair the temple.”

… For that kind of thing, you’re taking way too much money.

When I calculated it, the actual value of tribute goods the people should pay would total about 500-600 sacks of rice.

But these Seongheungsa Temple bastards skimmed from the middle, gave bribes to clerks and other officials, and had to pay tribute money to higher authorities, so they collected over 8,000 sacks of rice…

Can this really be considered right?

No, if I collected only about 1,000 sacks and covered labor fees, bribes, and tribute money from that amount, I wouldn’t even touch it.

I would have let it slide, thinking you also need to work to make a living.

But according to the Sejong Annals, they acted as if they were some kind of royal envoys, even intimidating magistrates.

“From now on, the temple will only accept donations. You can survive just fine on donations from the common people and the ladies of yangban scholar families, can’t you.”

“Namu Amitabul, we only work for the people’s sake. Before we took over paying the tribute goods, the people bore hardships two or three times greater than now. But when this humble monk, with Buddha’s compassion, engaged in lowly commerce to save the people, their burden was clearly reduced. So how can you tell us not to do this work?”

I don’t want to cause a scene on my first day as county magistrate.

If I cause trouble from day one, it’s obvious what will happen to my personnel evaluation and how the county people will view me…

But this bastard is making my blood boil.

What kind of cult are you guys?

No wait, early Joseon Buddhism was better than late Goryeo, but it did have some ‘cult-like’ characteristics.

That’s probably why the Royal Court increasingly treated monks as lowborn as we moved into mid and late Joseon.

They brainwash people using religion and the afterlife, so if you recognize them as commoners, there’s no telling what trouble they might cause.

Well, even those so-called educated yangban would engage in ‘aristocratic politics’ without proper control, so you can’t say only these guys are bad.

I really tried to hold back since it’s my first day.

But this doesn’t seem right. I guess I need to give them some harsh training.

Well, I’m not thinking of burning down this temple… but I need to show them what real consequences taste like.

Monks who only pursue personal gain are indeed cultists…

“Ibang, listen.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Tie them all up and arrest them. And investigate how much money is needed when the county purchases tribute goods. If the money these bastards took exceeds twice the price of the tribute goods… I won’t let them off easy.”

Ibang’s expression soured. No, it went beyond souring to complete distortion.

Then he grabbed my sleeve and started pleading.

“Your Honor, you really mustn’t do this. Public sentiment will turn bad. The people are already prone to being swayed by supernatural superstitions, so if you oppress the high monks…”

“His Majesty sent me here to comfort the people and ease their suffering. How can I just stand by and watch this situation!”

I shook off Ibang and gave the order.

“Immediately seal this temple’s warehouse and thoroughly search through the account books!”

If these guys turn out to be cleaner than I think after I’ve done this, I’ll be the only one who ends up dead.

Don’t worry about that.

There’s no way I’ll lose.

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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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