He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 72

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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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Gunpowder and Hygiene (1)

To be honest, the Japan policy I’ve implemented is practically a policy encouraging Japanese Pirates.

Historians will evaluate it like this when they read the petition I submitted under Jo Mal-saeng’s name:

‘Until now, Japanese Pirates had no proper place to dispose of the various Luxury Goods and slaves they obtained by plundering Ming Dynasty coastal cities, so trade was not very active. However, after free trade was permitted in Jeongui County on Jeju Island, the trade of Ming Dynasty slaves and Luxury Goods became active there, and the Japanese Pirates’ momentum grew stronger day by day.’

In other words, the economic activities of the Japanese bastards who secured the huge Market of Joseon would become more active.

“Kim Jeongnang.”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Let’s walk for a moment.”

Jo Mal-saeng took me to a secluded place where no one was around.

If Jo Mal-saeng were a man and I were a woman, this would have been a very suspicious situation.

It would have created a scenario of going to have a secret friendship with someone of uncle age.

No, if this were Japan, Jo Mal-saeng with his great and powerful authority would…

Ugh, it’s horrible just thinking about it.

To think I’m having such bad thoughts.

Should I seriously go find a shaman and get a ritual to drive away Japanese ghosts?

This is all because of those evil Japanese Pirates.

Because the Japanese are tormenting Joseon, I keep thinking about their true nature to deal with them efficiently, and even the knowledge sealed in my eyes full of doujinshi has surfaced.

After confirming there were no people nearby, Jo Mal-saeng carefully asked:

“Using the strategy you proposed, all the Japanese Pirates have flocked to the Ming Dynasty. While it has caused great harm to the Ming Dynasty, on the other hand, the Common People of Joseon have become very comfortable.”

The Ming Dynasty’s foreign policy, especially their policy regarding Japan, can be summarized in one phrase:

‘Being afraid of maggots and unable to make soybean paste.’

The Common People of Joseon must make Soybean Paste to survive.

If they can’t make Soybean Paste, they literally have to live eating only plain rice.

So making soybean paste is directly connected to survival, but if you’re afraid of maggots that might appear if you make it wrong and don’t make it at all, what would happen?

I’d end up having to eat plain rice.

If the Ming Dynasty wants to develop their own economy, they should aggressively pursue trade while building up their navy to drive out the Japanese Pirates…

But their solution to eliminate Japanese Pirate damage is ‘don’t let anyone live in the coastal area’…

What truly magnificent idiots they are.

How is this different from being obsessed with the theory that if luxury goods increase, the people will engage in excessive consumption and the country will collapse, so they regulate against producing or consuming high-quality, expensive goods?

“I heard that the Ming Dynasty is relocating all the people who lived in coastal areas to Liaodong and making them into soldiers.”

“That’s right. I heard that story too. It refreshed my heart like drinking cold water on a hot summer day. I do tend to be somewhat fond of wealth… but I’m not a corrupt official like that bastard Ryu Jeong-hyeon, nor am I a traitor… so how could I look favorably upon those Ming bastards who have been demanding excessive tribute from Joseon all this time?”

I unconsciously protested Jo Mal-saeng’s words with my eyes.

You’re going to receive a massive bribe from Kim Do-ryeon before long, and you’ll soon be impeached for that.

When someone like that says they’re only somewhat fond of wealth but don’t cross the line…

It’s about as convincing as King Sejong saying he doesn’t like meat.

However, while I can’t agree with this man’s claim that he’s not a corrupt official, I actively agree with the fact that those Ming bastards are the axis and root of evil in this era.

“Those Ming bastards maintain barbarian customs by demanding tribute women and eunuchs, then send Joseon-born eunuchs to extort massive amounts of local products, bleeding the Joseon people dry. And then they say they’re the suzerain state so we should serve them properly – it’s truly laughable and disgusting.”

Just wait until the Tumu Crisis breaks out – I’ll turn the Ming Dynasty into complete ruins.

Even if I can’t devour Manchuria, I’ll thoroughly crush those Ming bastards so they can’t recover for the next 100 or 200 years.

Isn’t that the mission given to anyone who is Korean, or rather, anyone born and living on the Korean Peninsula?

“But you didn’t call me here separately just to have this kind of conversation.”

Jo Mal-saeng suddenly made a dark expression and let out a deep sigh.

“First, I’m thinking of moving warships from Gyeonggi and Hwanghae to Jeongui County so the Japanese Pirates won’t dare to plunder. Unless the Japanese are idiots, they won’t easily resort to piracy to overturn trade, but isn’t there a saying about temptation arising from seeing something desirable? Seeing massive amounts of luxury goods, silk fabric, gold and silver, rice, horses being traded, who knows when they might turn to piracy.”

Most of the violent crimes we commonly hear about – murder, rape, arson – aren’t carried out under meticulous planning.

They’re in a foul mood today, and seeing someone passing by makes them inexplicably angry, so they end up killing that person.

They got rejected by a woman today and are feeling down, then seeing a woman in front of them triggers an impulse to rape – that’s the psychology of criminals.

Yet there are quite a few people in this world who demand leniency, claiming their crimes were impulsive rather than premeditated.

The nature of the Japanese is no different from such criminals.

Therefore, as Jo Mal-saeng said, it’s important to monitor them so they can’t commit crimes ‘impulsively.’

“This isn’t something that can be resolved with just a Show of Force against them. We must have the power to turn Tsushima Island to dust with just the warships stationed in Jeongui County, if we so choose. For that, we need cannons and gunpowder above all else. Cannons are possible with the copper the Japanese bring, but gunpowder is…”

The Ming Dynasty has potassium nitrate mines, so it’s not too difficult for them to make saltpeter, the key component of gunpowder.

In the Early Joseon Period, there are records of the Ming Dynasty generously bestowing saltpeter upon Joseon out of pity.

However, since Joseon is a country that doesn’t produce saltpeter…

The materials for saltpeter must be voluntarily donated by the Soil Collection units.

Those crazy Soil Collection bastards even stormed into Seonggyungwan and completely dug up all the ground near the toilets, and they’re the type to completely take away even the toilet soil from noble houses.

This does end when the new gunpowder manual comes out and the technology for creating primitive saltpeter fields spreads, but that’s still far in the future.

“Soil Collection is the biggest problem.”

Soil Collection – there’s nothing as difficult as procuring soil.

“In my opinion, since Soil Collection is absolutely necessary to make gunpowder… we’ll have no choice but to increase the Soil Collection units and have them dig up more nitrate-rich soil.”

“The inconvenience to the Common People will increase, but there’s no alternative.”

“Please give the Soil Collection units appropriate wages, and when they go to collect nitrate-rich soil, make sure they give some vegetables or at least one doe of rice to the Civilian Houses. That will significantly reduce complaints.”

From the perspective of houses having their nitrate-rich soil collected, receiving something would at least reduce their complaints.

Moreover, the Soil Collection units do disgustingly hard work, but their wages are so meager they have to worry about starving to death.

Since they’re in a similar situation to marines in marine literature who have to procure everything themselves, they had to cause trouble when entering other people’s houses for Soil Collection just to earn living expenses.

“The work they do is very arduous, but until now the Royal Court hasn’t given them proper wages due to budget shortages. So from now on, please give them one seom of white rice each month, and for those who work diligently, give up to 4 mal extra to help with their livelihood. If anyone still causes trouble to civilians after this, beat them with a beating stick to establish discipline. This should solve the major problems.”

“I’ll do that. The Royal Court has abundant budget now, so we can afford that much.”

One seom of white rice plus 4 mal per month is quite a lot to give to ordinary soldiers by Joseon standards.

However, the work they do is extremely arduous and dirty.

Jo Mal-saeng agreed that this much should be given because he knows this too.

“… I should also send an official report to all Government Offices in every county nationwide, ordering them to further encourage gunpowder production. The bell just rang announcing the end of the court session, so you should hurry and leave too. If you do unnecessary overtime work, I’ll scold you.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Our father-in-law who works at the Ministry of Taxation said.

That day there was quite a bit of work at the Ministry of Taxation, so he worked overtime for about one si-jin (2 hours).

The next day, Minister of Finance Jo Gye-saeng was summoned to Cheonchu Hall and was told that working overtime more than necessary and overworking one’s body was failing to fulfill filial piety.

And as a king who must educate all the common people, it was behavior that failed to encourage filial piety.

He also said that he himself was training his body by climbing mountains daily according to Lee Bang-won’s orders, so his subjects should also follow his example and take care of their bodies.

After that, leaving work on time became mandatory for all government offices in Joseon.

“Then this minor official will now leave work.”

After declaring I would leave work, I immediately left the Ministry of War and returned home.

I would have liked to just walk home, but… there was this thing called the dignity of a yangban official, so I had to ride a donkey.

And I wasn’t even the one holding the reins—Gapseok, our household servant, was holding them.

What an utterly inefficient affair.

If you’re going to ride a donkey, just the rider alone should be enough, but why do you need to bring along a servant to hold the reins?

I sighed and looked down at the ground during this absurd commute home where rationality was nowhere to be found no matter how hard you looked.

Looking closely at the road, I could see dog feces scattered everywhere.

Until now, I had just brushed it off thinking that’s just how Joseon was…

‘Come to think of it, all this excrement is gunpowder material.’

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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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