He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 46

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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 (5)

 

In Joseon, when the king and ministers gather to discuss state affairs, it is called a royal court assembly.

 

This royal court assembly usually brings together King Sejong and the Three State Councilors, the Left and Right Deputy Prime Ministers and Councilors, and the Ministers of the Six Ministries to discuss national affairs…

 

But today there was a somewhat special participant.

 

He was a man wearing a black gonryongpo, openly displaying his discomfort right below the Jade Throne – King Taejong Lee Bang-won.

 

The ministers couldn’t know what agenda had brought King Taejong to attend the royal court assembly, but there was one thing they could guess.

 

Hwang Hee and Jo Mal-saeng exchanged a conversation through their eyes.

 

‘It seems someone somewhere has been acting like a Goryeo ghost, Your Excellency.’

 

‘Indeed. The atmosphere is so ominous that it feels like a bloody storm is coming.’

 

While those two were in the midst of their eye conversation, King Sejong called for the Chief Royal Secretary in a solemn voice.

 

“Chief Royal Secretary.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Chief Royal Secretary, read the petition submitted by former Jiphyeonjeon Assistant Kim Dae-bung.”

 

When the name Kim Dae-bung was mentioned, the ministers including Hwang Hee were overwhelmed by a tension that made every hair on their bodies stand on end.

 

The resigned Kim Dae-bung and the Iron Mace King Lee Bang-won appearing in a black gonryongpo.

 

It was clearly not a good combination.

 

This evoked something ominous, a terribleness comparable to eating blue crabs and dried persimmons at the same time.

 

The Chief Royal Secretary, who had become the center of everyone’s attention, hurriedly began reading the petition.

 

Its contents were extremely shocking.

 

It contained a very detailed account of loan sharks who opposed the Bangwon Method, or more precisely, those who had no choice but to oppose it.

 

“When bad harvests occur, Your Majesty’s and the common people’s hearts are filled with worry, concerned about how to avoid starvation. However, when bad harvests occur, those engaged in loan sharking bring out precious alcohol to raise toasts, rejoicing endlessly as they anticipate the enormous wealth they will earn through usury. For them, bad harvests are precisely the time to make money, a good time to increase their wealth.”

 

Upon hearing this part of the petition, Ryu Jeong-hyeon felt an ominous aura enveloping his entire body as cold sweat streamed down his back.

 

While loan sharking is legal in Joseon, Joseon’s laws tend to be applied according to the king’s mood.

 

Hwang Hee and Jo Mal-saeng standing there, and even Maeng Sa-seong, had all been implicated in major corruption at least once. However, they had been released after their competence in doing their jobs was recognized.

 

Of course, he himself was a minister with slightly superior abilities compared to Hwang Hee, and had accumulated wealth ‘within the bounds of not breaking the law.’

 

Until now, whether the Office of Inspector General impeached him or not, he had confidently enjoyed his power saying ‘I have never broken the law’… but…

 

‘This is extremely dangerous!’

 

“In good harvest years, the Common People’s household warehouses are also full of grain, so even when the spring famine comes, they don’t need to borrow rice from usurers. But in bad harvest years, they don’t even have grain to eat immediately, so when the spring famine comes, they are forced to borrow rice from usurers. If you borrow rice in a bad year, you have to repay it at jangri (50% interest rate) or gapri (100% interest rate), so what an enormously profitable business this becomes!”

 

The faces of Lee Bang-won and King Sejong hardened even more.

 

Even though they already knew the content from reading this petition, hearing it again made anger surge up once more, twisting their insides.

 

What good would it do to work and dedicate one’s entire life as a king for Joseon and the Common People living in Joseon?

 

When parasites who only engage in usury are killing all the Common People.

 

“When I listened to the stories of Common People who borrowed from usurers, nothing could be more tragic than this. If you borrow rice through usury to avoid starving to death immediately, you become even poorer next year. In the end, those who have fields inherited from their parents must sell their fields, and those who have no inherited fields can only watch helplessly as their own daughters are dragged away as Slaves to become norigae for nobles.”

 

Tears fell from King Sejong’s eyes.

 

Thinking of the hearts of parents who could only watch helplessly as their infinitely precious children, whom they had given birth to and raised, became Slaves and lived miserable lives as norigae for old and ugly nobles.

 

His heart ached as if being squeezed, and tears naturally welled up.

 

Although Joseon’s laws did not regulate this, it was because royal authority had not yet reached that far.

 

“In this way, those who engage in usury accumulate enormous wealth. Therefore, they always want the Common People to remain in poor and destitute circumstances.”

 

Kim Dae-bung truly wished for the happiness of the Common People.

 

That’s why he wrote this petition.

 

Moreover, he was mistaken that by writing this petition and bringing down the Chief State Councilor, he would be considered a troublemaker who had sliced up the Chief State Councilor in the Royal Court, thus obtaining ‘eternal freedom (resignation).’

 

“I have never lived through Goryeo. However, I am certain that those who have tormented the Common People suffering from usury are truly the Goryeo Remnants and specters.”

 

When the expression Goryeo Remnants and specters appeared, all the ministers flinched.

 

And the petition finally focused on one single person, the individual Kim Dae-bung had truly determined to eliminate.

 

“While this incompetent subject was committing the disloyalty of failing to uphold the grace of Retired King and His Majesty and requesting resignation, preparing to return to his hometown, I heard a hideous story. What that story was, is that Chief Minister…”

 

Kim Dae-bung’s petition contained Gapseok’s story in detail.

 

When Gapseok had nothing to eat, he borrowed grain from Ryu Jeong-hyeon, but couldn’t repay the usury due to the suddenly increased tenant fees the following year. Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s servants appeared, thrust a contract at him, and dragged away his daughter as a slave.

 

Furthermore, Ryu Jeong-hyeon had placed his servants throughout the nation to engage in usury. Those who did well in the usury business were given positions as post station chiefs, and when they completed their terms, they were even given military positions.

 

At this point, King Sejong clenched his teeth tightly. The grinding sound was so loud that everyone in Pyeonjeon Hall could hear it.

 

At the same time, Lee Bang-won rose from his seat.

 

Then he sent a meaningful look to King Sejong. He was signaling for him to say what needed to be said.

 

Understanding the meaning of that look, King Sejong abruptly stood up from the Jade Throne.

 

“… Chief State Councilor.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Are you a subject of Goryeo, or a subject of Joseon?”

 

Cold sweat poured down Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s face and entire body.

 

He knew very well what King Sejong’s words meant.

 

“I am a subject of Joseon, Your Majesty.”

 

King Sejong shook his head.

 

“When I think about it carefully, you are not a subject of Joseon.”

 

“What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? I have devoted my entire life to the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State. I have done my best to efficiently use and economize the taxes collected from the people. I did so because that is the path to a prosperous and strong nation that Xunzi discussed.”

 

Before Kim Dae-bung appeared, Joseon’s economic policy was primarily focused on reducing tax collection amounts. This was because of the belief that the less taxes were collected, the better the people would eat and live.

 

In Joseon, everyone agreed with that policy according to Confucian teachings…

 

But now they had come to think that collecting taxes without proper measures was a path that would kill the people.

 

The market policy that Kim Dae-bung had shown in Jinhae County was the most representative example.

 

When taxes were raised, the people should have become impoverished and complaints should have arisen, but instead they saw people praising Kim Dae-bung as the best, submitting petitions of a thousand people and even erecting merit steles, which made everyone abandon their mistaken common sense.

 

“Joseon is a nation that embraces its people. That’s why we sought to reduce the people’s burden by lowering taxes. We did so because we thought reducing taxes was truly for the people’s benefit…”

 

King Sejong looked at Ryu Jeong-hyeon and smiled a bloody smile. The subjects who saw this were reminded of Lee Bang-won.

 

The gonryongpo that King Sejong was wearing was clearly red, but they even had the illusion that the color of his clothes had momentarily changed to black.

 

“Kim Dae-bung personally proved that collecting taxes appropriately is what serves Joseon and its people. That showed us that the policy you have advocated all this time was mere armchair theory. Even so, I did not greatly doubt your loyalty. I knew about the usury, but since everyone does it, I was going to cover it up appropriately.”

 

King Sejong did not view negatively the fact that Ryu Jeong-hyeon had taken the lead in killing Sim On, who had been his father-in-law. He even considered Ryu’s suggestion to demote him to commoner status as part of his loyal heart to prevent the influence of maternal relatives.

 

However, excessive loyalty and treason are separated by only a sheet of paper…

 

Seeing him continuously oppose and delay the implementation of the Bangwon Method in various ways… King Sejong’s evaluation of Ryu Jeong-hyeon, who had been somewhere between loyal subject and treacherous subject, was finalized by Kim Dae-bung’s petition.

 

A treacherous subject and powerful subject who ruins the nation.

 

Furthermore, someone trying to make Joseon into a country dominated by Powerful Noble Families like Goryeo.

 

“Your slaves are spread throughout the nation, those good at collecting usury loans are appointed as post station supervisors, and later even given military positions. Considering all of this together, if this isn’t treason, then what is? You’re exactly like the Powerful Noble Families of Goryeo, the Powerful Noble Families.”

 

Ryu Jeong-hyeon stiffened rigidly on the spot.

 

“Your actions of opposing and delaying the Bangwon Method with various excuses can only be seen as being done because usury lending would become difficult.”

 

“Your Majesty, I was merely for the sake of Joseon.”

 

King Sejong did not want to hear his excuses.

 

“What are the Naegeum-wi doing?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Imprison Ryu Jeong-hyeon in the State Tribunal, and strictly interrogate him to reveal whether he has connections with those who submitted petitions opposing the Bangwon Method this time.”

 

Ryu Jeong-hyeon was dragged away.

 

“The State Tribunal shall consider that man who tried to block the Bangwon Method as a traitor and interrogate him strictly.”

 

And before long, the full details of Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s crimes of viciously accumulating wealth through usury and fabricating petitions to oppose the Bangwon Method were revealed.

 

**

 

Immediately after the interrogation ended, Ryu Jeong-hyeon and Kim Jeom were dragged out to the Hanseong Sijeon with their bodies battered from all kinds of torture.

 

Due to King Sejong’s royal command to treat them as crimes equivalent to treason, guilt by association was also applied, including all males over 15 years old from the Three Clans of their households.

 

King Sejong concisely and quickly recited why these men were traitors and then proclaimed:

 

“The traitors Ryu Jeong-hyeon and Kim Jeom sucked the lifeblood of the people just like the powerful subjects of Former Goryeo. Therefore, those two shall be executed by dismemberment (in Joseon, quartering was called dismemberment), and males over 15 years old from the Three Clans of their households shall be executed by beheading to establish national law.”

 

Lee Bang-won watched this scene with a pleased smile.

 

While solving problems through dialogue is good, those who cross the line must be strictly punished for order to be established.

 

Because executing dismemberment on the ghosts of Goryeo is truly a desirable action.

 

“Execute the punishment!”

 

On that day, dozens of people were executed.

 

However, not a single person among the common people of Hanyang mourned or grieved their deaths.

 

Rather, everyone rejoiced.

 

Because the ghosts of Goryeo had been exorcised.

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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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