He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 78

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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 (7)

“Did not Confucius say not to speak of strange powers and chaotic spirits? You surely know these words, so why do you listen to and show interest in such strange powers and chaotic spirits?”

To explain strange powers and chaotic spirits at this time, Confucius said he would not speak of things that could not be understood by human common sense, and he completely excluded them from the subjects of discussion.

These were words spoken with the intention that people should focus on their present lives, since there was no way to find out what happens to souls after death, whether Hell or Heaven, or even if one earnestly studied things like the principles of lightning.

Because of these words, the scholar-officials of Early Joseon Period, a Confucian state, officially distanced themselves from Buddhism that spoke of the afterlife, calling it strange powers and chaotic spirits, and also suppressed shamans.

“Confucius only said not to discuss strange powers and chaotic spirits, but he did not deny their existence, did he? Even county magistrates call shamans to perform rituals when droughts are prolonged.”

Joseon is a country that officially denies superstitions but uses them when they are helpful.

Thus, when public sentiment is poor, the royal family even spends budget to hold water and land ceremonies praying for the souls wandering the Nine Heavens to reach Paradise.

According to the records, that bastard Ryu Jeong-hyeon also held a water and land ceremony using 5,000 seom of white rice in his later years, perhaps thinking he would fall to Hell when he died.

In the Joseon where I was reincarnated, he died branded as a traitor before holding the water and land ceremony though.

“Performing rain rituals does not make rain fall, and holding water and land ceremonies does not send the dead to Paradise. However, these methods can be used to govern public sentiment and suppress discontent, so we do these actions even though they correspond to strange powers and chaotic spirits.”

“Kim Jeongnang, you are right. When the Common People are discontented because it doesn’t rain, it’s right to at least perform rain rituals. Otherwise, public sentiment becomes chaotic and someone might appear to incite civil unrest.”

“Therefore, I wish to introduce something from among strange powers and chaotic spirits that I believe will be helpful to Joseon.”

“So what is that?”

“One must wash their hands with water several times a day, and once every 2-3 days, wash their entire body with some lye water and water. The shamans of Hanyang say that evil spirits that cause illness like dirty things and dislike clean things. Those whose bodies become clean become safe from evil spirits that spread disease.”

Joseon people also prefer clean things over dirty ones.

They just don’t know the concept that clean bodies are less likely to get sick.

“And what I heard while going back and forth to Hanseongbu for the past three months to gather the Soil Collection Corps is that after this superstition spread widely, the number of people getting sick decreased remarkably. The Hyemin Office and Hwalin Office also reported to Hanseongbu that the number of patients clearly decreased during this period.”

Jo Mal-saeng tapped the table with his finger.

“We shouldn’t just dismiss it as superstition. If that superstition is truly effective, it could save the soldiers of the Ten Commands and those stationed in Pyeongan Province and Hamgyeong Province from epidemics and various diseases.”

The problem that most troubled Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who recorded an exchange ratio of 1 Joseon soldier to 100 Japanese soldiers without any exaggeration, was precisely the absence of hygiene concepts.

Because he did not know the principles that water should be boiled before drinking and bodies should somehow be washed frequently, he could not properly establish hygiene measures.

As a result, Admiral Yi Sun-sin lost 7.5% of his subordinate forces to infectious diseases.

The Ten Commands, Joseon’s central army, and soldiers serving on the front lines are not starving since this is not wartime, so the rate of death from infectious diseases is significantly lower than that, but…

Still, non-combat losses due to infectious diseases are quite serious.

“I have also made my concubines, servants, and slaves wash their bodies and hands frequently since before. As a result, they rarely get minor illnesses. Also, when infectious diseases spread in the surrounding area, those diseases dared not invade my household.”

“As Minister of War, I cannot ignore this story.”

Jo Mal-saeng’s eyes lit up.

Right, I’m the one proposing and leading this project, but you’re the one who recognizes its true value and approves it…

A certain share of my success in increasing gunpowder production several times over will become Jo Mal-saeng’s achievement.

Moreover, if this project proceeds well and dramatically reduces the number of soldiers dying from infectious diseases, that too will partially become Jo Mal-saeng’s achievement and greatly help his promotion.

Since you’re aiming for the Chief State Councilor position after Hwang Hee, you won’t be able to resist this.

Plus, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to take a cut while proceeding with this project.

“But there’s one thing that worries me.”

“What worries you?”

“The regular soldiers drafted for military service hate training and hate fighting too. They only like mealtime while thinking of ways to slack off. They find everything bothersome.”

I would probably be the same.

In fact, while they somehow provide food during military service, necessary weapons and military uniforms must be paid for out of pocket, so many go into debt because of military service…

During military service, there’s virtually no salary.

Well, there is a system called bongjok where other households whose heads aren’t doing military service send pocket money level funds. But how much could that be?

To feed their families, the head of household himself needs to start plowing fields at dawn watching the stars and work to death until sunset, and even that’s not enough.

Even I would hate to faithfully perform military service.

“If we tell such people to consistently wash their bodies, will they follow that order well?”

Me imposing the duty to consistently wash their bodies would feel exactly like this.

If the duty officer on weekend duty makes them do things like maintaining military equipment, firearms maintenance, and sun-drying, it would feel quite strange.

I passed the civil service exam before going to the military, so I went as an officer and only did administrative work, but according to colleagues who served as enlisted men…

When the sergeant on weekend duty starts with “You know I don’t bother you if you just follow what you need to follow, right?” and then acts difficult, it was really tough.

Complaints would naturally burst out of their mouths.

“Isn’t the military an organization where those below must follow orders from above? We just need to make the commanders of each military camp and naval base comply.”

I held back an embarrassed laugh and spoke to Jo Mal-saeng.

“I have a plan.”

**

An order came down from the Ministry of War to Kim Mu-seon, who served as the supreme general of the Chungmu Guard among Joseon’s central army.

When Kim Mu-seon confirmed it, he was dumbfounded.

“Why would Minister Jo suddenly issue such an absurd order?”

The contents of the order were as follows.

Recently, shamans in Hanyang have been advising people to wash their bodies frequently as a way to drive away evil spirits from people.

However, after this superstition spread, the number of people suffering from diarrhea and various other diseases has drastically decreased, and this fact has been confirmed by reports from the medical office to Hanseongbu.

Although the source of this superstition is shamans who deal with supernatural forces, it has had great effect in preventing the spread of epidemics… As Minister of War, I cannot ignore this matter.

Therefore, the supreme general should instruct the soldiers to wash their bodies with water and lye water at least once every three days, and guide them to always wash their hands before eating.

After reading it all, Kim Mu-seon was so dumbfounded that his insides boiled with anger.

No matter how high the Minister of War ranks in the Ministry of War, to order soldiers to follow a plan that shamans said would help drive away evil spirits just because it proved effective in preventing epidemics.

“At this rate, we’ll end up building temples in Hanyang to worship and enshrine Buddha. Propriety and law have fallen to the ground. If our deceased ancestors knew of this state, their hearts would burst and they’d try to break out of their graves.”

What Kim Mu-seon said would actually come true later.

In his later years, King Sejong built the Inner Buddhist Hall inside the palace to pray for the souls of Lee Bang-won and Queen Wongyeong, and King Sejo, who lacked the strength to wield an iron mace and had slaves do the mace work, built Wongaksa Temple right in the heart of Hanyang.

Having unknowingly become a prophet, he wanted to disobey orders immediately, but a mere 3rd rank official couldn’t go against the Ministry of War, which was both his direct superior and higher department.

The Ministry of War was currently showing off, saying they would increase gunpowder production by at least 3 times, or even dozens of times…

This matter was also a policy implemented because Kim Dae-bung, the Jeongrang of the Ministry of War, directly proposed it to Jo Mal-saeng, the Minister of War who was at the center of this high momentum.

It was a situation where he simply had to comply when ordered.

And Kim Dae-bung provided an additional reason why Kim Mu-seon desperately had to make his soldiers wash.

“… If other divisions adopt this and no epidemics spread this year with no deaths from disease, His Majesty will be extremely pleased…”

Thinking about this phrase in reverse, other units that obediently followed the Ministry of War’s instructions and washed their soldiers saw reduced non-combat losses… but only his unit, which disobeyed the Ministry of War’s orders and didn’t wash the soldiers, would have non-combat losses?

Something very unfortunate would surely happen.

As a military officer who had risen to the 3rd rank, there was nowhere higher to go, but what would happen if other units achieved good results while he alone bore the dishonor of failure?

If others of his same rank received praise while only he failed and lost face.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

And when you think about it, how difficult could washing soldiers be?

Obtaining lye water and washing water wasn’t exactly a difficult task.

“Anyway, if something goes wrong by doing this, the one who’ll get blamed is the Minister of War who gave the orders.”

Thus, a new duty was added for the soldiers stationed in the Ten Commands.

The duty to maintain cleanliness.

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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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