He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 80

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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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King Sejong’s Trap (1)

 

In the military, there are certain positions you must go through to advance in your career.

 

Command positions like platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander, and staff positions at regiment or division level – you must go through these to earn your stars.

 

In Joseon too, if you want to become a high-ranking official, you must go through several good positions.

 

Positions like Jiphyeonjeon scholars, officials of the Three Offices, local governors, and so on.

 

I’ve already gone through all the positions necessary to become a high-ranking official, so I have no particular reason to be obsessed with going to the State Council.

 

“If I can serve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State with my meager talents, I wouldn’t mind spending my entire life in minor positions.”

 

“If another official had said that, it would have sounded like false modesty. But when our Kim Jeongnang says the same words, I can feel the sincerity. Even the same words convey such different meanings depending on who says them.”

 

Unlike when I first entered government service, my dream these days has changed to working until retirement age, then retiring and living peacefully with Gyeoul-i in the countryside.

 

Recently, since King Sejong began considering overtime work as a corrupt practice that rots the civil service, all officials’ working hours have been reduced to about 8-9 hours, making the work environment much more comfortable…

 

But still, everyone dreams of working for a while and then retiring.

 

I too have that dream, so I plan to retire at an appropriate time and live comfortably without suffering Hwang Hee’s fate.

 

“When the Chief Minister persuaded Jeoljae (Kim Jong-seo) to join the State Council as an inspector, he probably used wealth, honor, and power as bait. But would you be someone who moves for such things?”

 

Right, if you understand that, then give up now and just go to the State Council by yourself.

 

Don’t drag me along and make me follow the tech tree to become a lifelong Chief State Councilor.

 

These days I’m already anxious because Lee Bang-won, who seems to have extended his lifespan by 10 years compared to original history, and King Sejong, who has become healthy through daily mountain climbing, seem to want to chain me to the Royal Court…

 

At this point, volunteering for the State Council would be no different from volunteering to enlist when seeing marines in Red Underwear, would it?

 

I’m not foolish enough for that.

 

“Let’s talk openly and clear the air between us.”

 

Jo Mal-saeng’s eyes flashed.

 

If this were a fictional world, like Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Japanese romance novels where King Sejong and the ministers had become ‘women’…

 

The atmosphere would be such that I’d be kidnapped to a bedroom immediately.

 

Of course, fortunately the place I was reborn into is a perfectly normal Joseon, so that won’t happen.

 

“You have outstanding abilities, but you don’t covet power or wealth and glory, so you can be called a loyal retainer like Zhuge Liang or Yue Fei. That’s why you’ve been able to rise this far at such a young age.”

 

“Those are excessive words that I cannot bear. Please take them back.”

 

“None of the ministers who have entered the Royal Court would deny my words. Even Minister Heo of the Ministry of Rites, from whom the Office of Inspector General couldn’t find even a speck of dust when they investigated him thoroughly, says he feels ashamed of himself when he sees you.”

 

A wicked smile formed on Jo Mal-saeng’s lips.

 

His grinning appearance looked like a villain with evil thoughts from a movie.

 

Ah, come to think of it, Jo Mal-saeng was also a villain who was spared from execution due to his competence and sentenced to lifelong service in Joseon.

 

“However, Kim Jeongnang, you are also human, so how could you not have any desires?”

 

There is no one in this world without desires.

 

Even Gandhi, who consistently practiced non-violence and non-possession, though he was a vegetarian, had an anecdote about drinking lemonade like water, which resulted in quite high food expenses.

 

I’m not completely without desires either.

 

“Kim Jeongnang, isn’t your desire to look after the Common People of Joseon broadly and benefit them?”

 

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

 

“Then Kim Jeongnang, you must advance in your career. Just as I was able to rise to the position of State Councilor thanks to you, you should also use me to climb higher and fulfill that aspiration.”

 

I couldn’t refute his words.

 

The reason I continue to remain in government office is because I want to directly see and hear how the policies I’ve implemented benefit Joseon, and confirm that the Common People’s lives have improved.

 

For that purpose, I’ve set aside material desires and postponed my wish to resign from office.

 

‘Ironically, to achieve my goal, I must advance in my career.’

 

“I just received an official report sent by the commanding generals of the Ten Commands. According to them, during the hot summer months, soldiers would often fall ill and many would get sick. Usually, over 100 people would die nationwide during the summer. But this year, only about 5 people died.”

 

Doctor Semmelweis, who first discovered the importance of hygiene, operated his obstetrics department as cleanly as possible.

 

This was in an era when other hospitals would wear blood-stained instruments like badges of honor, and it was natural to help another woman give birth while covered in blood from delivering a baby.

 

People called him crazy, but his passion created an overwhelmingly low maternal mortality rate and proved that his claims were correct.

 

He reduced the mortality rate from over 18% for hospital births to less than 2%.

 

Similarly, the soldiers of the Ten Commands probably got sick less often once hygiene began to be properly managed.

 

“If we make the Common People wash themselves clean like we did with the soldiers, the number of people dying from disease in Joseon will decrease dramatically.”

 

“That would be the case.”

 

“… But isn’t it truly regrettable?”

 

Jo Mal-saeng whispered quietly in my ear like a devil.

 

“If you were the Governor of Hanseong, you could mobilize all of Hanseongbu’s manpower to force everyone living in Hanyang to wash themselves. How many lives of the common people could you save then?”

 

There’s one thing I learned while passing the administrative exam and working as a bureaucrat.

 

A treacherous villain and traitor like Lee Wan-yong couldn’t become one simply by wanting to.

 

The reality was that unless you were quite capable, you couldn’t even get the chance to make a name for yourself as a traitor.

 

Jo Mal-saeng was also a very capable person, which is why he could seize the opportunity to profit when the Kim Do-ryeon incident occurred.

 

When such a person incites greed, even I can’t handle it.

 

If I continue climbing up like this and end up working with Hwang Hee and other ministers, what will become of me…

 

“And Kim Jeongnang, aren’t you deliberately refusing daughters of prestigious families because you don’t want to leave even a single weakness… I’ll accommodate even that. I have a distant cousin who couldn’t even pass the preliminary exam, but his daughter is renowned for her exceptional beauty. I think she would suit you well – would you consider it?”

 

It’s a difficult offer to refuse, but there’s no such thing as advancement without a price in this world.

 

Well, Jo Mal-saeng probably isn’t the type of person who would ask me ‘Want to be buddies?’ and involve me in corruption.

 

“To make a great vessel requires time. The same would be true for my advancement.”

 

Jo Mal-saeng shook his head regretfully upon hearing my words of refusal.

 

“How disappointing. I truly believe you will become the Chief State Councilor after me.”

 

“I apologize.”

 

“Well, if it’s Kim Jeongnang, you’ll surely rise to a position below one and above ten thousand even without my help. Then let me ask just one more thing.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

“Kim Jeongnang, what is your true dream?”

 

My dream is this.

 

“To widely benefit the people of Joseon. After achieving that, I plan to immediately return to my hometown and rest comfortably.”

 

Jo Mal-saeng made a serious expression upon hearing my words.

 

Then he left his seat.

 

**

 

Minister of War Jo Mal-saeng, he really liked Kim Dae-bung.

 

No, unless you were Ryu Jeong-hyeon who was obsessed with usury, there really wasn’t any minister who disliked Kim Dae-bung.

 

If you just kept him under you and guaranteed he could act autonomously, he would solve most problems in an instant.

 

Above all, he was a subordinate who provided support so his superior could achieve merit.

 

Where in this world would you find someone who would dislike such a person?

 

Jo Mal-saeng wanted to rise to either Right State Councilor or Left State Councilor, then forcibly promote Kim Dae-bung to senior fourth rank to make him a State Council Secretary and use him as his own person.

 

‘Good things should be used by me alone.’

 

Then when other ministers protested, he could negotiate with the other Six Ministry ministers and Hwang Hee over Kim Dae-bung’s usage rights.

 

At that time, he could gain more benefits as well.

 

With endless regret in his heart, Jo Mal-saeng slowly walked to the State Council.

 

It was to report the results obtained from thoroughly maintaining hygiene in the Ten Commands.

 

“Chief Minister.”

 

Hwang Hee chuckled when he saw Jo Mal-saeng.

 

“What’s a young fellow like you doing with such a worried face?”

 

Hwang Hee could say this because he was a full seven years older than Jo Mal-saeng.

 

“I’m already 56 years old. I’ll soon reach my sixtieth birthday.”

 

“Aren’t you still younger than me?”

 

“My apologies, Chief Minister.”

 

“Good that you know. So, what business brings you to the State Council?”

 

“Good changes have occurred in the Ten Commands from having the soldiers wash their bodies clean, so I wish to submit an official report to His Majesty. I came to receive a review before submitting the report.”

 

Hwang Hee read through the entire official report and gestured to Kim Jong-seo, who was serving as State Council Inspector.

 

“Inspector Kim, when I was your age, I worked busily moving almost as if using the Earth Shrinking Technique… but lately you’ve been leaving punctually every day, haven’t you gotten a bit slack?”

 

“My apologies.”

 

“If you’re sorry, then work exactly half as much as Kim Jeongnang in the Ministry of War… no, that’s not right. If you want to become a minister, you must make effort upon effort anyway.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

Jo Mal-saeng, who witnessed the scene of Kim Jong-seo being scolded right before his eyes, spoke up.

 

“Do you know something?”

 

“What should I know?”

 

“They say Kim Jeongnang is full of thoughts about resigning from the Royal Court once he finishes his work, just like Zhang Liang.”

 

Upon hearing those words, Hwang Hee’s expression crumpled.

 

Right now, the Six Ministries were pursuing rapid reforms and were always pressed for time with work.

 

In the midst of this, if they worked overtime even once, His Majesty would personally encourage (scold) him, the Chief State Councilor, to manage his subjects properly…

 

If the day came when Kim Dae-bung disappeared, it would become even more difficult to solve the challenging problems he resolved.

 

Then overtime would increase, and he would be scolded by King Sejong.

 

Therefore, Hwang Hee subtly inserted the fact he had learned into the official report he was writing.

 

[Kim Dae-bung says that like Zhang Zifang, the strategist of an ancient emperor, he wishes to recognize when the time comes and resign to return to his hometown, and his mindset is truly beautiful beyond measure.]

 

King Sejong fell into very deep contemplation after reading this content.

 

It was a serious report that Kim Dae-bung was thinking about escaping (resigning).

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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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