He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 42

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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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Chief State Councilor Slayer (1)

The Ministry of Taxation was undoubtedly the one that took the hardest direct hit from Kim Dae-bung’s resignation memorial.

Until now, they could somehow finish today’s work within today by working overtime, so they could at least rest on holidays…

“Minister, please save us. We’re going to die at this rate.”

“If I could just sleep for 3 shijin (6 hours) a day, I’d have no other wishes… Haha, at this rate my wife will forget my face and voice.”

When Kim Dae-bung was around, even though the Ministry of Taxation officials were frantic because of the Bangwon Method, they didn’t stumble around like walking corpses.

Because whenever unsolvable problems arose, Hwang Hee would throw them all to Kim Dae-bung.

Kim Dae-bung, who received the work, would precisely calculate what preparations were needed to implement the Bangwon Method and output the results, and the Ministry of Taxation officials just had to work according to those guidelines.

Therefore, they could somehow endure even when a workload bomb exceeding 2-3 times the normal amount poured down. Of course, that was only the story until a few days ago.

Cutting through the deadly atmosphere within the Ministry of Taxation, Minister of Taxation Hwang Hee called for his second-in-command, the Vice Minister of Taxation.

“… Vice Minister of Taxation.”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Stand up straight there.”

The Vice Minister of Taxation was frozen stiff just like he had been when he first passed the civil service examination.

If Kim Dae-bung had seen this, he would have found it very amusing that such a high-ranking person as the Vice Minister of Taxation was standing at sharp attention like a new recruit who had just been transferred to his unit.

Of course, the Ministry of Taxation officials witnessing this situation were inwardly calling upon their deceased ancestors or Buddha.

Although Joseon was a nation of Neo-Confucianism where yangban scholar-officials didn’t openly worship Buddha…

Since it had been only about 50 years since Goryeo’s fall, the current Joseon officials secretly believed in Buddhism to some extent.

A certain loan shark expert who was also the Chief State Councilor had blown through 5,000 seom of white rice holding a Buddhist memorial service, which says it all.

So today too, the Ministry of Taxation officials prayed to Buddha and their ancestors out of habit.

‘Merciful and compassionate Buddha, please save us.’

‘Ancestors, please… save this only son for two generations.’

Regardless, Hwang Hee began tearing into the Vice Minister of Taxation while laughing heartily.

“Ah, you can stand comfortably. Don’t you know, Vice Minister? I’m not the type of person who nitpicks about trivial things like posture like some fussy Minister of Rites. You can relax. Just relax completely. You just need to properly answer the trivial questions I’m about to ask.”

“This subordinate finds this more comfortable.”

“I see. Now, look at this enormous pile of official documents stacked on my desk. I understand that documents pile up like this when work is busy. That can happen.”

Anyone who has worked in government service in Joseon would know. Here, saying “I understand” was an emphatic way of saying “this is an incomprehensible and terrible thing.”

Therefore, this thought naturally had to enter the Vice Minister of Taxation’s mind.

‘I’m dead today.’

Of course, Hwang Hee, who well knew the terror of top-down scolding, wasn’t berating the Vice Minister of Taxation just because there was “a lot of work.”

“But you see… with this much work. Lately, Ministry of Taxation officials have been making many small mistakes. Didn’t I say that except for things going directly to His Majesty, you don’t need to worry about formalities and such?”

“How could we not know of Your Excellency’s consideration?”

“But you see. That Kim Jeongnang over there wrote 16 du when he should have written 18 du of white rice using the Bangwon Method. Thanks to that, all the calculations got tangled up. And our Counselor Park reported to me what the mountain officials calculated using those wrong numbers.”

A chill ran down the Vice Minister of Taxation’s spine.

No matter how busy they were with work, this kind of mistake was something that absolutely should not happen.

What if their calculations were wrong and King Taejong Lee Bang-won discovered this disaster?

It was extremely fortunate that Hwang Hee, the Minister of Taxation, had found this.

Because encouragement (top-down scolding) starting from the Minister of Taxation was 10 billion times better than encouragement to do work properly starting from King Taejong Lee Bang-won.

“Besides this, let me see where else numbers are wrong and content is incorrect…”

From Hwang Hee’s mouth came a stream of names, not only from the Ministry of Finance Main Office but also from those belonging to the subsidiary offices.

Every time their names were called, the Vice Minister of Taxation trembled.

“Vice Minister.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“You need to do well, don’t you think? Can I trust you?”

“How could there be any question?”

And the faces of those whose names were called were uniformly pale as white paper.

Among them, Kim Jong-seo, the exceptional talent that Hwang Hee had special expectations for, was given a very great honor.

It was being personally scolded by the Minister of Taxation.

“Kim Jeongnang.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Just because Kim Soo-chan isn’t here, does that mean you should show such a sloppy appearance?”

“I apologize.”

“Does apologizing end your government service? Is the Bangwon Method all completed? Do you think I’m saying this for my own benefit? This is all for your own good, and I’m saying this to properly serve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State. If you make such mistakes again…”

Hwang Hee sternly warned Kim Jong-seo, with a slight hint of longing for someone who wasn’t present at this moment.

“For the next ten days, I’ll work you like Kim Soo-chan.”

Kim Dae-bung had accomplished the work of six Ministry of Taxation officials by himself.

Even when given extremely difficult and complex tasks that might take days just to find a solution, he would handle them efficiently in less than half a sijin (1 hour). Working him like Kim Dae-bung?

There were exactly two possible outcomes Kim Jong-seo could face.

Become a bound spirit of the Ministry of Taxation, or die in the Ministry of Taxation.

“I apologize, Your Excellency.”

“Don’t create situations to apologize for. I’m doing this because I think highly of you, understand?”

Hwang Hee said this and pointed to the officials being scolded by the Vice Minister of Taxation over there.

There were no profanities, but they were being thoroughly beaten down to the bone.

“… Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“Do well from now on. Working hard is useless… just do well.”

Then Hwang Hee picked up his brush and looked at the documents while thinking.

‘Kim Dae-bung, that bastard.’

Since he couldn’t bring himself to curse Lee Bang-won even in his heart, he cursed Kim Dae-bung, the culprit who had thrown this work bomb at him.

At the same time, he missed him. Because if he returned, the Ministry of Taxation officials would be given holidays again.

“I want to rest… I don’t need anything else, I just want to rest… I want to leave work…”

A sound that broke the silence echoed through the Ministry of Taxation where all officials were working to the point of exhaustion.

“His Majesty has granted a Royal Meal Grant! His Majesty has commanded that after eating the meal, you may leave work for today.”

Even after hearing they could leave work, the Ministry of Taxation officials didn’t have the energy to shout cheers.

To borrow Kim Dae-bung’s words, this place was truly overtime hell.

It’s the night shift hell filled with King Sejong’s grace, where officials who voluntarily began their government service wanting to serve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State are worked to death like wringing out a dry rag, and this is transformed into ‘sustainable labor.’

**

Peaceful Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, Kim Dae-bung’s house.

Kim Jang-ik, the head of this household and Kim Dae-bung’s father, could not control his pounding heart.

In a country where choosing death without 0.1 seconds of hesitation for the sake of honor is considered a virtue… a Royal Edict from the king has come down to him, who has never held office even once.

This is truly a glory that his family can boast of for generations.

“Scholar Kim Jang-ik of Yanggu County shall receive the Royal Edict.”

At the words of the Royal Messenger who came to deliver the royal command, Kim Jang-ik knelt down and bowed to receive the Royal Edict.

The Royal Messenger began to read the Royal Edict aloud.

“Ah, I once issued copper coins intending to benefit the people widely. Looking back, what I intended to do for the people nearly became something that would kill the people. However, I have a loyal retainer Kim Dae-bung, and through his advice at the risk of death, I was spared from committing an error.”

Tears overflowed from Kim Jang-ik’s eyes.

Just his son passing the state examination with top honors and making a name for himself through Good Governance as County Magistrate of Jinhae was already overwhelmingly moving…

But for the king to personally say that thanks to his son he was spared from committing an error – isn’t this the highest glory and honor a scholar can enjoy?

And this is an era where a son’s achievements are considered the father’s achievements as well… so Kim Jang-ik’s name has also risen accordingly.

Now the position of the most renowned scholar in this county would undoubtedly belong to Kim Jang-ik himself.

“And thinking about it, wasn’t it possible for Kim Dae-bung to offer loyal advice with the resolve to regard his own life as worthless as grass only because you taught him strictly? Therefore, I wish to greatly praise you, Kim Jang-ik, father of Kim Dae-bung, who raised a pillar of the nation and a loyal retainer.”

Kim Jang-ik decided. This Royal Decree would be family treasure number one for generations to come.

“And one thing I wish to request is that there are always those who slander near loyal retainers. I know that Kim Dae-bung’s heart has been greatly hurt by those who slander him. So Kim Jang-ik, please encourage him so that Jiphyeonjeon Scholar Kim Dae-bung, who is a talent to support the nation, can rise again. Though it may seem trivial, I regard Kim Dae-bung as a loyal retainer like Zhuge Liang, Wei Zheng (loyal retainer of Emperor Taizong of Tang), and Yue Fei… so Kim Jang-ik must do this with all sincerity.”

Throughout the reading of the Royal Edict, tears did not stop flowing from Kim Jang-ik’s eyes.

With a trembling voice, he answered solemnly.

“I, Kim Jang-ik, scholar of Yanggu County, shall obey the royal command.”

Thus Kim Dae-bung’s father Kim Jang-ik began discussing with his wife how to properly encourage their son and send him back to government service.

Thus, Kim Dae-bung found himself in a situation where even his parents were blocking his resignation from the Royal Court.

If his son truly disliked serving in government office, he would have hesitated, but looking at the conduct he had shown so far and the letters he had occasionally sent…

Kim Dae-bung had become addicted to caring for the common people while living his life as a government official.

It was a father’s duty to make him devote himself to Joseon as was proper, and since a royal command had been issued, there was even less need to hesitate.

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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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