Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 117

The Chief Censor soon waved a white flag, and not long after, Jo Mal-saeng entered the hall.

Seeing Jo Mal-saeng walk in, clad in white robes and wearing a traditional hat, Hyang thought he heard the theme music from a famous western movie composed by Ennio Morricone¹.

‘All he needs is a cigarette in his mouth!’

Jo Mal-saeng, emitting an air of perilousness, strolled up to the platform where King Sejong sat and deeply bowed.

“Sinner Jo Mal-saeng has arrived, heeding His Majesty’s command!”

“So, how’s life at the Records Bureau? I hear it’s terribly strenuous for everyone?”

In response to Sejong’s query, Jo Mal-saeng forcefully answered.

“How could I complain when not only have you spared this deserving sinner’s life but also granted me a chance to atone for my past sins?”

“Heh heh heh….”

Upon hearing Jo Mal-saeng’s reply, King Sejong chuckled, making the ministers uneasy.

‘Did he go to the Records Bureau to learn documentation or just to practice fawning?’

As much as the ministers felt disgusted, Sejong, who had been chuckling, suddenly became serious and looked at Jo Mal-saeng sternly.

“This King intends to give sinner Jo Mal-saeng an opportunity. The post of the Minister of Military Affairs is vacant. Can you handle the responsibilities of this position?”

Faced with Sejong’s query, Jo Mal-saeng prostrated himself on the ground and responded loudly,

“Sinner Jo Mal-saeng! If you entrust me with this task, I will do my utmost, pouring in every ounce of my energy!”

Sejong made his decision.

“Start your duties from tomorrow. If you fail to do well, you will be immediately dismissed and returned to the Records Bureau.”

Jo Mal-saeng firmly planted his forehead on the ground and shouted,

“I will bear it in mind, and remember it again!”

“Let’s see how you do over the next three months. If you manage your duties well, I will grant you a piece of suitable land in Bukchon and build you a new house. Otherwise, who knows what will happen?”

Jo Mal-saeng promptly answered,

“I understand! Even if I die, I will die at the desk of the Minister of Military Affairs!”

“Then go and rest. Minister of Military Affairs.”

“Your Grace is boundless! May Your Majesty live a thousand years! A thousand years! A thousand years!”

After shouting “A thousand years” three times, Jo Mal-saeng cautiously backpedaled out of the hall. King Sejong looked around at his ministers.

“Well, now that we’ve filled the position, let’s get back to work. We don’t have much time left before the end of the royal examination.”

“We heed your words!”

Meanwhile, the scribe who had documented all these proceedings added a note.

-…Thus, the ministers did not oppose the reappointment of Jo Mal-saeng.

The scribe mused,

His Majesty is fearsome.

* * *

The next day, Jo Mal-saeng, dressed in proper official attire, immediately started working on improving the military’s issues.

“…As the northern stronghold expands, there are communication problems arising. A comprehensive overhaul of the relay stations is needed as a solution,” he suggested.

“A revamp of the relay stations, you say…”

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At Jo Mal-saeng’s suggestion, King Sejong stroked his chin beard, lost in thought.

Starting in China and being introduced into Korea since the Three Kingdoms period, the relay stations or beacon system had been one of the most critical elements in the administrative network.

“Does the Minister of Military Affairs have any thoughts?”

“First, we need to identify the problems that have arisen from the existing system. Until now, we’ve granted land to residents living around the relay stations and entrusted them with its management. Horses required for the stations were secured by levying the Stand-horse Labor Tax on local residents, servants at the stations, and government soldiers. 

However, this has caused significant drawbacks.

“According to the records that I reviewed at the archives, the number of diplomatic missions between Joseon and Ming has increased, raising the demand and cost of horses. It’s even leading to people selling all their assets to afford this Stand-horse Labor. Consequently, the number of people running away from the relay stations or becoming vagrants is increasing.” (Note 1)

At Jo Mal-saeng’s report, King Sejong’s expression became serious.

“That is indeed a problem… What’s the solution then?”

“The easiest method is to recruit residents living near the stations as Auxiliary Labor Households and levy the Stand-horse Labor on them. The next option would be to supply government horses from pastures stationed in each region. I believe the latter is the best choice.”

“The latter, you say?”

Jo Mal-saeng continued to advocate for its necessity.

“Recruiting Auxiliary Labor Households may be convenient for now, but people will eventually run away or become vagrants again. The current taxation reform aims to simplify the tax obligations of the people, so the first option doesn’t align with this goal.”

“That’s true.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s words, both King Sejong and the ministers nodded in agreement. Seeing the positive reactions, Jo Mal-saeng continued.

“Thus, distributing government horses bred in regional pastures would be the best solution.”

Kim Jeom raised an objection.

“Although His Excellency’s opinion is valid, the supply of horses is the issue.”

“Why is the supply a problem? Have you forgotten the petition that came up from Jeju Island in January?”

Kim Jeom hastily rummaged through his memory at Jo Mal-saeng’s reminder. Seeing this, Jo Mal-saeng clicked his tongue.

“You’ve forgotten, despite nothing changing… How could a Minister of Taxation be so careless?”

“Uh…”

Stunned by Jo Mal-saeng’s sharp criticism, Kim Jeom could only mutter.

Jo Mal-saeng turned to King Sejong.

“In January, there was a petition transferred to the Ministry of Military Affairs from Jeju Island. It was a petition sent by Jeju’s local military commander, related to the horses in Jeju Island.”

King Sejong, after a moment of recollection, responded.

“I remember. It was about regularly releasing the horses from Jeju Island, right?”

“Exactly.”

* * *

Author’s Notes

Note 1: ‘流離 (Yoo-ri)’ refers to the act of wandering aimlessly, often due to extreme circumstances like war or famine. It indicates people who have become displaced and are drifting from place to place.

***

In January, a horse breeder from Jeju submitted a petition.(Note 2)

– The residents of Jeju rely solely on horses for their livelihood, so they are eager to sell them to the mainland.

However, the government has prohibited the sale of female horses, causing problems. Male horses are often sold for a low price when they are not even two years old, leading to a skewed sex ratio and decreased fertility rates.

Therefore, they requested that female horses also be allowed to be sold to the mainland every two to three years.

The issue in Jeju was connected to Joseon’s tribute system.

As Jeju rose as a critical horse breeding ground, regional officials focused on increasing the number of breeding horses.

As a result, only the female horses that could bear foals were left, while the male horses were sold off.

This led to hardship for the residents of Jeju.

Although most of Jeju’s land was pasture, there were some who farmed. However, horses from the ranches trampled or ate the crops, causing significant damage.

Eventually, people in Jeju increasingly gave up farming and relied more on livestock. 

As a result, the lack of grains became an everyday issue, and the horses they were raising began to starve and die.

What made things worse was that the horses that couldn’t get proper nutrition grew poorly. Also, the loss of prime male horses and repeated inbreeding led to the overall degradation of Jeju horses.

“The foals born in Jeju become smaller in size no matter how good the breed is,” became almost a common saying.

This was a disaster caused by short-sighted decisions of regional officials and residents.

* * *

When King Sejong recalled, Jo Mal-saeng explained more about horse management.

“Currently, due to excessive livestock farming in Jeju, the condition of the horses is not good. We should reduce the number of horses raised in Jeju to a reasonable level, raise them well in the inland ranches, and supply them to the offices, post stations, and the army.”

Upon hearing Jo Mal-saeng’s counsel, King Sejong looked at the other ministers.

“Is there enough pastureland in the inland areas?”

Kim Jeom immediately responded.

“Early in your reign, Your Majesty, we have been expanding ranches nationwide. However, there is a shortage of pastureland at present.”

“If what I have verified while organizing records is correct, we will have increasingly more pastureland in the future.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s counterargument, King Sejong looked at Kim Jeom. Kim Jeom looked at a distant mountain.

Jo Mal-saeng continued to propose policies.

“If a lack of pastureland in the inland is a problem, employing the wealthy Jurchens tribe can be another solution. They are well-known for raising good horses. We can acquire good horses, and the Jurchens can quickly assimilate as they are guaranteed a stable livelihood.”

“Can we trust the Jurchens?”

“If we keep being suspicious, the Jurchens will never become our people!”

“But, even though we are expanding ranches following the new policy, there is a limit! A limit!”

“Have you forgotten about the Eastward Expansion movement? According to Eastward Expansion’s plan, we’ll advance to the Greater Khingan ranges once the battlefronts in the Tumen River basin are over. Isn’t the land we acquire in the process not land but waste?”

The ministers continued to counter, but they kept losing to Jo Mal-saeng, who had data on his side.

Eventually, King Sejong made a decision.

“It seems that the Minister of Military Affairs’s opinion is correct. Decide on the policy with his opinion at its core.”

“I accept the order.”

At King Sejong’s decision, Jo Mal-saeng loudly expressed his thanks.

“Your grace is immense!”

The scribe who recorded all this added.

– And so, a decision from above was made.

The scribe pondered.

What had the Minister of Military Affairs experienced in the Records Office?

Meanwhile, Hyang, who had been watching the debate between Jo Mal-saeng and the ministers, suddenly remembered something.

‘Come to think of it… Otaibi, what are these noblemen doing taking so long? Are they planning to start from pairing the horses and then bring them?’

* * *

The situation was dire for the Otaibi family as Hyang found himself lost in thought about them after a long time.

“Just a little more and we’ll be in Joseon! Put in a little more effort!”

“Yes!”

Responding to the leader’s orders, the ship’s captain shouted commands to the crew.

“Shoot the arrows! Shoot!”

Following the captain’s orders, the crew fired flaming arrows at the pursuing pirate ships.

But it wasn’t just the Otaibi family’s merchant ships that were firing arrows at the incoming pirates. The merchant ships of the accompanying Azram family were also desperately fending off the pirate attacks.

The pirates were equally desperate.

“Catch them quickly!”

“Boss! We’re almost in the patrol zone of the Joseon Navy! It’s dangerous!”

Upon hearing his subordinate’s report, the leader of the pirate fleet, Wang Gahak, gritted his teeth and replied.

“I know! But if we catch those ships properly, we won’t have to imitate these foreigners for another 2-3 years!”

These men were dressed as foreigners, but they were actually fake Japanese, who were Chinese.

Shishi-shik!

“Flaming arrows!”

“Put out the fire!”

“Shoot our flaming arrows!”

As the Otaibi and Azram families’ merchant ships and pirate fleets engaged in a frantic chase, smoke rose in the distant northern sky.

Puff-puff-bang!

Multicolored smoke clouds burst in the air, and the subordinates shouted towards Wang Gahak.

“Boss! It’s the Joseon Navy!”

“Damn it! Turn the ship around!”

“The pirate ships are turning!”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!”

Upon hearing the captain’s report, Otaibi rushed to the bow of the ship and looked at the pirate ships.

The pirate ships that had been chasing them with intent to kill were now changing their direction dramatically.

“It’s fortunate, but why?”

Surviving by the skin of his teeth, Otaibi was more curious than relieved.

“It seems to be related to the smoke that burst in the sky earlier.”

“That smoke?”

Otaibi immediately recalled the multicolored smoke cloud that had burst in the sky earlier.

“What on earth is that?”

As Otaibi couldn’t hide his confusion, a crew member who had been looking through the lookout at the top of the mast shouted.

“Ships are coming from the north!”

Upon hearing the sailor’s words, the leader and the captain rushed to the bow.

As the sailor said, ships with yellow sails were approaching them from a distance.

“It’s not any kind of ship.”

“Indeed.”

On these square-shaped vessels, multicolored flags depicting various animals were fluttering.

* * *

Note 1) Korean Cultural Encyclopedia https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0036639#self

Note 2) January 6th, in the 10th year of Sejong.

1. Probably referring to the movie called, ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.[↩]