He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 76

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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 (5)

 

One of the most essential abilities for a civil servant is Work Cooperation Ability.

 

While inter-departmental cooperation is important in any organization, it’s even more crucial for civil servants who must follow established rules and procedures when carrying out their duties.

 

As a civil servant of Joseon, I came to the Hanseongbu Government Office today to request cooperation for implementing a new policy called ‘Creating Saltpeter Fields’ to dramatically increase gunpowder production.

 

“Your Honor Left Assistant Governor, I am Kim Dae-bung, Jeongrang of the Ministry of War. I have committed the rudeness of suddenly requesting an audience today, so please show mercy and forgive me.”

 

“What is there to forgive? I understand it’s because of urgent official business. Hanseongbu is also a government office in Hanyang, so how could I not know that much? Don’t worry about it.”

 

The Hanseongbu Government Office and the Gyeonggi Province Provincial Office are both located in Hanyang.

 

So they work like civil servants at Seoul City Hall, being neither purely local officials working within Hanyang nor central government officials.

 

A Left Assistant Governor would be equivalent to a deputy mayor in Seoul terms, and in court rank terms, he’s a Senior Second Rank official, so there’s no way he wouldn’t know about the series of events that turned the Royal Court upside down.

 

“Thank you for understanding. Since my business is important and urgent, I’ll get straight to why I came. Human Waste is needed to make saltpeter. Therefore, I would like to receive support from Hanseongbu’s manpower and budget to collect it. Could you help us?”

 

No matter how much I’m among the rising stars of Junior Fifth Rank, coming to meet the Left Assistant Governor of Hanseongbu without making an appointment first is against etiquette.

 

In Joseon, there’s an implicit agreement that it’s acceptable to crack the skull of someone who doesn’t follow proper etiquette, and at the village level, it often happens that ill-mannered people get beaten nearly to death as education.

 

So I can’t say there’s nothing wrong with me suddenly visiting the Left Assistant Governor and asking for help… but I currently have the protection of the Minister of War.

 

Not just any Senior Second Rank Minister of War, but a Junior First Rank Minister of War – essentially a Deputy Prime Minister-level Defense Minister is backing me.

 

The Left Assistant Governor of Hanseong probably already knows this fact.

 

Moreover, what I’m requesting now is work that leads to the core of Joseon’s national defense – increasing gunpowder production.

 

‘If he doesn’t help, he’d be a traitor.’

 

“If it’s necessary work for increasing gunpowder production, I should naturally provide whatever help I can give. So what do you need help with?”

 

“We need Soil Collection troops, carts, and Wooden Buckets to collect Human Waste, urine, forest and mountain soil, Rice Straw, and Ash.”

 

“Specifically, how much do you need?”

 

To regularly collect all the Human Waste from Hanyang, where over one hundred thousand people live, we’d need hundreds of carts alone, and as many workers as there are carts.

 

Besides, while Rice Straw can be roughly collected, forest and mountain Humus isn’t easy to gather…

 

The personnel needed to handle all of Hanyang would be at least 300 people at minimum.

 

Of course, since there are already people working as Soil Collection troops, the actual number of new recruits would be less than 300…

 

In fact, even if we mobilized all the slaves, soldiers, and bailiffs in Hanseongbu, filling the personnel quota wouldn’t be easy.

 

“His Majesty said he would first create a system to collect human waste from all of Hanyang, and then introduce this sequentially to all major cities above the level of protectorates. So I calculated first, and collecting human waste and such in Hanyang requires at least 500 people.”

 

500 people is actually an exaggeration.

 

But originally, you have to start big with things like this.

 

Then your superior will tell you to stop talking nonsense and reduce it, and that’s when you gradually reduce it and reach an agreement.

 

“I can provide even 100 carts, but the personnel I can give – even combining all the bailiffs, soldiers, and government slaves – is at most 40 people.”

 

“Couldn’t you lend us a few more carts and people?”

 

“… I can’t give more carts… but if I try hard, I could somehow provide up to 45 people.”

 

I let out a sigh filled with disappointment.

 

Then I bowed my head to the Left Assistant Governor.

 

“Left Assistant Governor, making gunpowder is a matter of national importance.”

 

“The Ministry of War’s Gunpowder Craftsman… no wait, the Ministry of War probably doesn’t have much spare manpower either.”

 

“The Minister of War has already mobilized the maximum personnel the Ministry of War can use for making gunpowder. Please, sir. Help us just a little more.”

 

“I’m also an official of Joseon, so I want to roll up both sleeves and help with making gunpowder. But even if I squeeze Hanseongbu dry, this is all the personnel there is – what can I do about it? Try asking other government offices for help.”

 

“… I’m already on my way back from visiting all the other government offices. Since things have come to this point, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll have to request help from other nearby counties.”

 

At the mention of other counties, the Left Assistant Governor’s eyes completely changed.

 

His gaze alone could shoot a person dead.

 

Well, if someone said something like this to me, I’d be angry too.

 

No matter how much times change, civil servants immediately pass work to other departments if they judge the responsibility doesn’t fall within their domain.

 

At the same time, if it’s their domain and another department tries to encroach on it, they light fires in their eyes to drive them out.

 

The reason is simple.

 

If you get caught up in work with unclear responsibility even once, not only the later responsibility and cleanup, but all similar future cases become your department’s responsibility too.

 

“… What did you just say?”

 

“Isn’t producing saltpeter to make gunpowder a great national affair? So we must complete it even if we have to borrow people from other counties. I’ll tell the Governor of Hanseong through the Ministry of War and request cooperation.”

 

This is exactly why I deliberately came to see the Left Assistant Governor of Hanseong, the second-in-command of Hanseongbu, rather than the Governor of Hanseong.

 

The Governor of Hanseong has the same rank as the ministers of the Six Ministries, and his position is that of a senior second rank who was passed over for promotion to chief minister, like a colonel who gave up on becoming a general.

 

Therefore, if he finds something disagreeable, he can even ignore the words of the Minister of War.

 

However, the Left Assistant Governor of Hanseong is junior second rank, and depending on his performance, he can advance to important positions including minister at any time.

 

In other words, this person is someone who cannot ignore the Ministry of War nor his direct superior, the Governor of Hanseong.

 

‘It’ll be somewhat easier to guide his actions as I want.’

 

“But now that I think about it, there aren’t completely no other methods.”

 

“What method are you referring to?”

 

“Aren’t there many unruly groups in Hanyang? Gamblers, ruffians, those scoundrels who do nothing but drink alcohol and cause problems.”

 

Thanks to installing CCTV almost to the level of an obsessive-compulsive patient, in Korea you can leave your laptop at a cafe and go to the bathroom without anyone stealing it.

 

In European countries like France, it would be common sense for someone to steal it within five minutes.

 

However, what all these contrasting countries have in common is that ruffians gather with other ruffians to engage in swordplay for territorial disputes, and they commit all sorts of other bad deeds whenever they get the chance.

 

Needless to say, this is even more true in Joseon, which has no CCTV and where maintaining public order is half-autonomously handled by the Common People themselves.

 

The thugs who know how to use their fists in Hanyang generally live without causing major problems because they’re wary of Joseon’s Ten Commands (Central Army).

 

But even so, they sometimes cause serious problems and always maintain their presence as potential criminals.

 

If we conscript these guys and use them as workers to scoop excrement, who besides themselves would dislike it?

 

“You’re saying to mobilize the Chungmu Guard to round up the ruffians? To gather those scoundrels and put them to work making gunpowder and scooping excrement.”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

The Left Assistant Governor of Hanseong fell into contemplation.

 

However, his contemplation didn’t last long.

 

“It’s for the country, so it can’t be helped. And it’s the work of making gunpowder, no less? If we’re short on personnel, we should do this work even if we have to borrow soldiers and slaves from neighboring counties.”

 

“I apologize, sir.”

 

“Since we’re doing this anyway, mobilize the Chungmu Guard that protects Hanseongbu. It would be excellent if we could round up all the ruffians in Hanyang with this opportunity. So that those who only engaged in lawless behavior can work for the country. Yes, I’ll personally write your proposal and submit it as an official report to His Majesty.”

 

And the next day, King Sejong, who has exceptional interest in gunpowder, immediately accepted my proposal.

 

**

 

I personally visited the back alleys of Hanyang with the Chungmu Guard soldiers, or more precisely, the slums.

 

Poverty is not a crime, but those who drink alcohol and disturb social order are clearly criminals.

 

And Joseon really loves reforming such people.

 

“Hmm… what exactly are you four doing gathered here at this hour?”

 

Just like in Korea, gambling is strictly illegal in Joseon too.

 

Of course, we can’t catch all gambling, and I have no intention of cracking down on light games like Go-Stop played for 10 won per point just for fun.

 

But those who gather to drink and gamble during working hours, corrupting families and society, should all be voluntarily enlisted.

 

Those doing this at this hour in the Joseon era are either wannabe gangsters or active gangsters.

 

The caught bastards, sensing an ominous premonition, didn’t answer my question and immediately started running.

 

“Shit, run! We’re dead if we get caught!”

 

They seemed to know very well what would happen if caught, and began running desperately.

 

As if that would help. What could you bastards possibly do?

 

Scoundrels gambling in broad daylight are nothing but fleas before the Central Army.

 

“I’ll give one Mal of rice per bastard. Catch them all and give them a chance to work for His Majesty!”

 

With the bounty of one Mal of rice announced, both officers and soldiers moved faster.

 

And they began chasing the bastards desperately.

 

The caught bastards were beaten up first.

 

“Aaah, please spare me. I only… only gambled…”

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll live righteously from now on. I’ll become a good citizen.”

 

Yeah, I’d rather believe King Sejong would give up meat than believe what you’re saying.

 

People don’t change easily, so how could you voluntarily reform yourselves?

 

“Welcome to voluntarily joining the Soil Collection Corps to receive His Majesty’s grace!”

 

Of course, not a single one of the bastards caught here would have voluntarily wanted to do shit-shoveling work.

 

But soon they will volunteer to enlist of their own accord.

 

Because to encourage their voluntary enlistment, His Majesty has.

 

Permitted the Chungmu Guard soldiers to provide some ‘physical education’ to correct their rotten mentality.

 

“You will now become respectable heads of households who earn their own living through His Majesty’s grace.”

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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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