He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 94

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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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Transportation Reform (1)

Park Je-ga, the scholar who wrote Bukhakyeui, said this.

‘There are no carts in Joseon.’

Until the early to mid-2010s, the historical academic community tended to take these words at face value and misunderstand that Joseon was a country that rarely used carts.

However, the reality was that Korea’s terrain had so many mountains that carts couldn’t be used for transportation, not that they had no intention of using carts.

Therefore, having to rely mostly on ship transportation for cargo transport was also derived from the spirit of using gums when you have no teeth.

“I am truly delighted to work together with Jang Byeoljang and Judge Jeong.”

Upon hearing my words, both men momentarily flinched and trembled.

Good grief, anyone watching would think I’m going to devour them.

Far from devouring them, I won’t even torment them.

They just need to work alongside me for the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State, Joseon, and the Common People, keeping work hours and working to death until closing time.

‘Civil Engineering is ‘Jeong Bun’, and ‘Jang Yeong-sil’ is a living human 3D printer’

Just hearing the names makes my heart swell with this amazing combination.

If we add Jeong In-ji to handle Mathematics, everything will be perfect.

Jeong Bun responded to my words.

“While Inspector My Lord is indeed younger than us, your rank is clearly higher and your contributions to the country are far greater. How can you speak so formally to us? Please speak comfortably.”

“If you say so, I shall follow Judge Jeong’s words. I truly consider it an honor that two Government Officials renowned in Joseon for their excellent skills will work alongside me.”

Jang Yeong-sil is such a famous figure that no explanation is needed, but the name Jeong Bun might be somewhat unfamiliar…

Regarding Civil Engineering, Jeong Bun is a person who can be called the best in Joseon.

If he had been only moderately good at supervising Civil Engineering, when he became Right State Councilor, everyone would have stepped forward to dissuade him from supervising, saying it would diminish his dignity.

Jeong Bun was a person with such skill that even after becoming Right State Councilor, the Royal Court was forced to allow him to directly supervise Civil Engineering.

I don’t know about building ships, but his great abilities will be well demonstrated in building shipyards for making ships.

“Let’s leave building camaraderie among Warship Construction Office members for later, and first decide on the important matters one by one.”

These two are talents specialized in implementing whatever I specifically instruct them to do, rather than administrative work.

So as a manager, I just need to present the direction and desired outcomes, and after that I can work on other things.

Rather than me, a liberal arts nobody who doesn’t know much, coming in and making unnecessary interference.

‘If a quack interferes, the ship will end up on a mountain.’

“Now, let’s first decide on the salary for the craftsmen from Ming Dynasty who will start working from today. Jang Byeoljwa, how much do you think we should give the craftsmen annually?”

“I’ve only lived as a craftsman my whole life, so I don’t know much about such things.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking Jang Byeoljwa. To properly utilize the craftsmen from Ming Dynasty, we need to understand the craftsmen’s hearts and circumstances, and give them enough salary to make them want to work hard.”

Joseon has called employing craftsmen ‘corvée labor’ and considered it the same obligation as military service.

So they made craftsmen work while giving them only the absolute minimum wage.

Those at the factory manager and deputy factory manager level were given substitute positions and paid realistic salaries while working, but other craftsmen were essentially worked almost for free.

By almost free level, think of it as giving them about 100,000 won per month in salary.

‘That’s insane, really.’

“To be honest, with just the salary the country gives now, craftsmen absolutely cannot feed their families. So when craftsmen do the corvée labor imposed by the country, they just pretend to work while killing time, and barely meet their quotas.”

In Joseon, they imposed labor obligations like military service on craftsmen while giving them almost no pay.

If the country treats them like that, I’d probably do sloppy work too.

That way there’d be energy left to do night driving or delivery work.

“We need to provide at least the salary level of a 9th rank junior grade. Only then can they make a living.”

Jeong Bun nodded and agreed with Jang Yeong-sil’s words.

“Local clerks and clerical staff can use their meager power to earn quite a bit of money, so they’re fine without salary. The same goes for managers like me and Jang Byeoljwa.”

“That’s right.”

“But craftsmen are people who must live solely on their salary, and if we make them work without giving them even 12 seom of white rice per year… it’s no different from telling them to starve to death.”

Joseon’s budget execution methods changed quite a bit right after I took office.

In the past, the Ryu Jeong-hyeon virus was embedded in the Ministry of Taxation, so if you said craftsmen should be given adequate wages, they were quick to point fingers and call you a bad person who wastes the people’s tax money.

Moreover, officials who were continuously influenced by the Ryu Jeong-hyeon virus even argued that their own salaries could be cut by several percent each year, desperately trying to save taxes.

However, things have changed a lot now, and if you present reasonable justification and request budget expenditure, they willingly provide it.

“Then I’ll petition His Majesty to give the craftsmen who came from Ming Dynasty salaries ranging from junior 6th rank to junior 9th rank.”

Hearing my words, Jeong Bun asked with a worried expression.

“The Minister of Finance will surely scold you, but will you really give such generous salaries?”

“I’ll manage somehow. If it doesn’t work out, I’m even prepared to petition His Majesty directly.”

“Inspector, you seem to have very strong convictions.”

“This is all for the country’s sake. If things go wrong, well, I can just resign.”

“… My Lord, you speak of resignation.”

The look in Jeong Bun’s eyes as he gazed at me was quite irritating.

‘You look like you couldn’t resign even if you died.’

Facing his gaze that contained such meaning… it seems I should give our Judge Jeong more work to do.

He’s having such bad thoughts because he has too little work and too much leisure.

There’s an old saying about this.

When people are too idle, they get depression.

Useless thoughts also arise from being too idle, so if our Judge Jeong works hard on building the new shipyard, all his misguided thoughts will disappear.

“Now, let’s settle the wages for the craftsmen working at the shipyard like that. Now let’s build a completely new shipyard to construct ships.”

“Are you planning to build a new shipyard?”

“The current shipyard is too cramped, so we can only build small ships. The craftsmen who naturalized from Ming Dynasty used to build ships that could carry over a thousand seok, nearly ten thousand seok of rice… Even our so-called large ships can only carry cargo worth a thousand seok of white rice. How could such a shipyard possibly build large ships worth ten thousand seok?”

They say Zheng He’s treasure ships had a maximum cargo capacity of over 800 tons.

That’s a cargo capacity that could be called the limit for wooden ships.

Considering that carracks and caravels used for circumnavigating the world had cargo capacities of just over 100 tons, these were truly enormous ships.

“I’d like you to build a shipyard according to this design I’ve conceived. Would that be possible?”

Jeong Bun’s gaze instantly changed, taking on the sharp focus of an expert.

As expected of someone who, even after becoming Right State Councilor, would lean on his cane while supervising and shout at craftsmen, “That’s not how you do construction!” while giving precise guidance.

And then, even though I was right there with him, I suddenly became a non-existent person…

I immediately fell into a world of just Jang Yeong-sil and myself.

“Jang Byeoljwa, would this be possible?”

“When I previously made the Nokro and Geojunggi, I used something called a pulley. This appears to be a complex arrangement of those pulleys… but it’s certainly possible.”

“Good, then you’re saying it’s entirely feasible to make it this way.”

Since those two said it was possible, next I should show them the blueprint of the ship I intend to build.

I need to show them the conceptual design, and then go to the Ministry of Taxation to secure wages for the craftsmen.

If I don’t hurry, I’ll have to work overtime, and then Minister Lee Cheon of the Ministry of Public Works will give me grief.

“Let’s stop that discussion there, and take a look at this drawing.”

This time, Jang Yeong-sil’s eyes widened.

“This is a large ship with wooden planks added to create walls and a pavilion.”

“Since it’s a ship with added planks and a pavilion like a house, I’m thinking of naming it Panokseon. Though this pavilion might not seem like much, I plan to have the captain or military officers board it to survey the battle situation.”

“Making it itself wouldn’t be too difficult. But why are you trying to build such a uniquely shaped ship?”

“When I was at the Ministry of War, I heard stories about the Japanese… Their ships are small in size and low in height. Taking advantage of that fact, they really enjoy boarding enemy ships to engage in close combat. However, since the Panokseon is made by adding wooden planks to an already large ship… they won’t dare to board it.”

“Truly befitting of Inspector My Lord.”

Actually, it’s not just the Japanese. It will be of great help even when facing the Ming Dynasty.

Well, that’s still a secret only I know.

“And make sure to learn how to build Ming Dynasty’s Chinese Treasure Ships as well. We plan to replace all of Joseon’s Jounson with Chinese Treasure Ships in the future.”

And before storming into the Ministry of Taxation, I first stopped by Minister Lee Cheon of the Ministry of Public Works and successfully obtained his permission.

Now it’s the Ministry of Taxation.

A mere 4th rank junior official Kim Dae-bung is about to storm in to get budget approval from the 2nd rank Minister of Finance.

What a truly heart-stirring moment this is.

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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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