He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 60

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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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Secret Royal Inspector Kim Dae-bung (11)

It took a full six months from being dispatched as a secret royal inspector until returning to Hanyang again.

Though it was certainly not a short time, considering how much time was consumed in Anseong County, it seemed I had returned quite quickly.

This was possible because I had set a proper example in Anseong County.

“Royal Inspector, no, the officials and clerks who serve under Secretary My Lord must have quite a hard time.”

“Aren’t I pretty decent though?”

Unless it’s something very urgent, I generally don’t make people work overtime.

Instead of hurling personal insults or curses when subordinates make mistakes, I kindly explain how I would handle it.

When giving instructions to subordinates, I try to be as concise and clear as possible.

For example, if there’s a readability issue with electronic document fonts, I’d say something like “change it to 10pt Batang Font.”

Thanks to that, our secret royal inspector party hardly worked overtime in Anseong County, except when conducting land surveys and Land Documents work for implementing the Land Survey Method.

Instead, I only demanded maximum focus on work during business hours.

“My Lord accurately sees through each person’s capability limits and makes them work to their full potential, doesn’t he? I was quite surprised at first too. When I realized I could complete in one day without mistakes the amount of Documents that would have taken me two days to process before.”

“I merely helped you, Mandeok, to properly utilize your capabilities.”

Kim Man-deok looked at me and sighed. Then he shook his head back and forth.

“My Lord will surely rise to the position of Chief State Councilor. And you will bring prosperity to Joseon. It has been a great honor for me to assist such a lord.”

“If I’m dispatched as a secret royal inspector again next time, would you be able to come with me then too?”

Kim Man-deok’s expression suddenly changed upon hearing my words.

It seems he had quite a hard time accompanying me as a secret royal inspector.

But in Anseong County, I made sure he felt the hardships were worthwhile, and I even arranged for his merchant guild to exploit six new skilled workers at reduced wages…

Aren’t I a decent boss?

I do assign a lot of work, but I also take good care of them accordingly.

“Shouldn’t My Lord hurry to the Royal Palace and report to His Majesty that ‘I have completed my duties as inspector and returned safely’? Please go quickly. Then we shall take our leave now.”

Kim Man-deok hurriedly disappeared toward Unjong-ga with his party.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel utterly deflated watching that scene, but I shook my head once to drive away such distracting thoughts and moved my steps again, approaching Gwanghwamun where King Sejong was located.

Though curfew hadn’t begun yet, Gwanghwamun was firmly closed since the Royal Court’s work hours had ended.

However, when I approached, the gate opened by itself.

I suppose I’ve been quite busy making a name for myself.

Seeing how everyone, including the gatekeeper, recognized the face of a mere 6th rank official and immediately opened the gate for me.

“… Am I going to end up like Hwang Hee?”

An ominous thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I shook my head.

They say words become seeds and negative thoughts eventually become reality.

The very act of thinking I might end up like Hwang Hee is extremely dangerous.

After all, I haven’t committed a single ‘crime’ by Joseon standards.

When I reach an appropriate age, I’ll be able to retire and spend my later years in comfort.

Hwang Hee was worked to death because he had seriously accumulated many sins and karmic debts.

“I’m different, completely different.”

With no weaknesses to exploit, how could I possibly be worked until I’m 60, 70, 80, or 90 years old?

**

Guided by a court eunuch, I was summoned to Manchun Hall in Gyeongbok Palace.

This time too, I expected both King Sejong and Lee Bang-won to greet me with bright smiles, asking if I had done good work.

But inside, there was only Lee Bang-won alone.

“Retired King, have you been well during this time?”

Lee Bang-won received my greeting and showed a very pleased smile.

Looking at just that smile and gentle expression, one might wonder if this person is really the Iron Mace King Lee Bang-won.

“Thanks to you, hasn’t the Royal Court’s tax revenue, which was always insufficient and troublesome, increased by nearly double? Moreover, the poor common people are singing songs of joy, saying their lives have improved compared to before and they no longer need to worry about starving. The problems that tormented and worried me throughout my life have been resolved like this, so these days my body and mind are truly at great ease.”

“I am deeply honored, Retired King.”

“Now that I face you directly, I even think this must have been the joy and satisfaction that Emperor Liu Bei felt when he met Zhuge Liang.”

Zhuge Liang is like a symbol of loyal retainers.

After being discovered by Liu Bei, he said even mealtime was precious, eating only the bare minimum, and took care of every trivial detail like an obsessive patient.

As a result, he died at Wuzhang Plains when various ailments from overwork worsened.

That’s why Lee Bang-won’s words don’t sound like praise to me.

No, it is praise and it is encouragement saying I did well, but…

‘I’ll work you like a science PhD student.’

Why do I feel like I’m hearing such hallucinations?

“Since Retired King cherishes this humble subject so much, I don’t know what to do with myself. However, one thing is certain: the Bangwon Method has only just taken its first steps. There’s still a very long way to go.”

“A long way to go, you say.”

“Gyeonggi Province is close to Hanyang, so there was little room for yangban of the county or those who didn’t support Joseon during Former Goryeo and lived in seclusion to interfere. On the other hand, remote places like the Lower Three Provinces, Pyeongan Province, and Hamgyeong Province are far from Hanyang, making it easy for wicked and greedy people to collude with magistrates and Local Clerks to corrupt the purpose of the Bangwon Method.”

Even in the 21st century, in remote rural areas, rules that work naturally in places like Seoul, the Metropolitan Area, or Metropolitan Cities often don’t work well.

When young people, knowing nothing but burning with the will to try farming, try to settle in the countryside, don’t they make all kinds of excuses to try to use them like unpaid slaves of the village?

It’s also common for them to pressure a young woman in her twenties who moves in to marry, saying she’d get along well with a 40-year-old bachelor in the village.

If you protest asking isn’t this sexual harassment, they typically isolate and ostracize you thoroughly in the village, making it impossible to live there.

Moreover, this is Joseon with no internet or TV, so what’s the point of talking about it?

“Those words are correct.”

It’s said that Lee Seong-gye’s family in late Goryeo virtually controlled all of Hamgyeong Province.

Among those studying history, they sometimes chuckle as a joke that if you ask who the northern grand duke in romance fantasy novels is, you could answer it’s Lee Seong-gye.

Lee Bang-won would have directly seen Lee Seong-gye during his days as the Hamgyeong Province grand duke, so he would empathize even more with my words.

Because even when all of Goryeo was a burning hell, only Hamgyeong Province, which Lee Seong-gye actually ruled, was said to be land where people could live… what would make that possible?

It means there was some degree of political independence as it was far from the capital Gaeseong.

“If land in Gyeonggi Province increased by about 2 times or 2.5 times, then in Gangwon Province the land area will increase by more than 2.5 times. In the Lower Three Provinces it might increase by nearly 5 times, but this wouldn’t be surprising. So wouldn’t the yangban of the Lower Three Provinces, whose tax burden increases dramatically, try to bribe the magistrates?”

“… Are you saying we must send Secret Inspectors to all counties nationwide, including the Lower Three Provinces?”

“If we don’t do this, they will try to hide vast amounts of land by any means necessary to avoid paying taxes. And Joseon won’t even be able to find it.”

Just because I’m a Secret Inspector doesn’t mean I can catch 100% of land concealment. However, if we use the Land Survey Method and Secret Inspectors simultaneously, we could catch about 95%.

Even if it’s not perfect, this is the best method we can use right now.

“And I’m worried about Jeju Island’s tribute tax.”

Lee Bang-won’s expression darkened. Honestly, for places like Pyeongan Province and Hamgyeong Province, we could really push hard and force them to pay in rice or substitute with things like cotton cloth (hemp fiber).

However, Jeju Island’s land is quite unsuitable for farming, and it’s a region that produces many ultra-expensive goods like abalone, sea cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, and tangerines… The Uniform Land Tax Law was never introduced in Jeju Island until Joseon’s fall.

“Is there a solution?”

“Among all the special products from Jeju Island, except for the amount needed as tribute goods, please have the royal court purchase the special products and pay for them with rice.”

The special products from Jeju Island are very precious items that people on Joseon’s mainland desperately crave. So even if the royal court purchases everything, it wouldn’t be a losing business.

Someone might ask what would happen to the existing merchants who used to buy goods from Jeju… The merchants dealing in Jeju Island special products are truly masters of exploitation.

Most of them are scoundrels who cause trouble by saying they won’t give rice unless people sell dried abalone at 95% discounted prices to common people who are starving because they can’t get rice after having tribute goods extorted from them.

But if the royal court steps in and purchases Jeju Island residents’ special products at appropriate prices, those bastards will lose their footing and be wiped out.

“The Chief State Councilor once said that when the royal court has difficult problems, they can generally be solved by seeking out Kim Dae-bung. Indeed, those words are correct. To see parts that I and the officials failed to notice, and even provide solutions… You are truly like Zhuge Liang of Haedong.”

Zhuge Liang of Haedong, somehow that reminds me of the evaluation that King Sejong received unanimously from his subjects.

They called him Yao and Shun of Haedong, so does that make me Kongming of Haedong? I’m grateful for the praise, but I can clearly see the impure intentions hidden behind it.

“Your talent and abilities far exceed the realm of ordinary people, so I think it would be proper not to apply ordinary standards when promoting you accordingly. What do you think?”

… I’m not serving in office to advance my career.

“It is sufficient for me to serve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State and care for the young common people.”

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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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