**Chapter 117: He Has Returned! (3)**
Not long after the Chief State Councillor waved his white flag, Jo Mal-saeng entered the main hall.
Upon seeing Jo Mal-saeng walking in wearing a white daoist robe and a hat, Hyang thought he could hear the famous Western movie theme music composed by Ennio Morricone in his ears.
'If he just had a cigarette in his mouth, it would be perfect!'
Jo Mal-saeng, exuding a dangerously ominous atmosphere, walked before King Sejong and performed a deep ceremonial bow.
"The sinner Jo Mal-saeng has come by His Majesty's command!"
"Good. How is life at the Record Office? Everyone says it's hard enough to die."
At Sejong's question, Jo Mal-saeng answered vigorously.
"Your Majesty has not only spared a sinner deserving of death but also given me the opportunity to pay for my past crimes. How could this be hardship?"
"Hohoho..."
At Jo Mal-saeng's answer, Sejong burst into hearty laughter, while the ministers felt their hands and feet curling in embarrassment.
'He didn't go to the Record Office to organize documents—he must have only practiced flattery!'
Just as the ministers found it absurd, Sejong, who had been laughing emptily, straightened his face and glared at Jo Mal-saeng.
"I intend to give the sinner Jo Mal-saeng an opportunity. The position of Minister of War is currently vacant. Can the sinner take this position and do the job properly?"
At Sejong's question, Jo Mal-saeng prostrated himself on the floor and answered in a loud voice.
"Sinner Jo Mal-saeng! If you entrust me with this duty, I will devote my very life and crush my bones to serve!"
At Jo Mal-saeng's answer, Sejong made his decision.
"Report for duty starting tomorrow. However, if you cannot perform your duties properly, you will be immediately dismissed and sent back to the Record Office."
Jo Mal-saeng pressed his head even deeper into the floor and shouted.
"I will keep this in mind, again and again!"
"First, I will observe for three months. If you handle the Ministry of War's duties properly, I will grant you suitable land in Bukchon and rebuild your house... but if not, surely you know what will happen next?"
At Sejong's question, Jo Mal-saeng answered immediately.
"How could I not know! Even if I die, I will die before the desk of the Ministry of War!"
"Then go and rest. Minister of War."
"Your grace is boundless! May His Majesty enjoy ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years!"
After chanting "ten thousand years" three times, Jo Mal-saeng carefully retreated backward out of the main hall. Seeing this, Sejong turned to look at the ministers.
"Now... the position is filled, so let us work again. There is not much time left before the first phase of the Gyeongjang reforms ends."
"We obey your command!"
Meanwhile, the historian who recorded all these events added the following note:
-...And thus, the ministers did not oppose Jo Mal-saeng's reappointment.
The historian comments:
The King is terrifying.
* * *
The next day, properly dressed in official robes and having reported for duty, Jo Mal-saeng immediately began work on improving problems within the military.
"...As the northern territory expands, communication problems are arising. The solution to this requires a major overhaul of the station and inn system."
"An overhaul of the station system..."
At Jo Mal-saeng's proposal, Sejong stroked his beard and fell into thought.
The station and inn system, or relay station system, which originated in China and began to be established in Joseon since the Three Kingdoms period, was one of the most important elements of the administrative network.
"Does the Minister of War have a plan?"
"First, we must identify the problems arising from the system inherited until now.
Until now, land was given to those living near stations to manage them. Horses to be stationed at these stations were also secured by imposing the horse provision duty on station workers, station slaves, and government troops as corvée labor.
However, this has very large side effects.
According to what I confirmed while organizing documents at the Record Office, with the escort and reception duties for envoys traveling between Joseon and Ming, demand for horses has increased, and horse prices have risen. People have even begun selling all their assets to fulfill their horse provision duty.
Because of this, even though Joseon was founded not long ago, the number of people fleeing from stations or becoming displaced is gradually increasing."(Note 1)
At Jo Mal-saeng's report, Sejong's expression became serious.
"That is a problem... So what is the solution?"
"The easiest method is to designate households near stations as service households and have them provide horses. The next option is to supply government horses from ranches established in each region. I believe we should choose the second option."
"The second one?"
Jo Mal-saeng continued to assert its necessity.
"Having service households provide horses may be convenient for now, but as time passes, people will again flee or become displaced. Looking at the Gyeongjang reforms currently being promoted, the goal is to unify the taxes that the people must pay. Therefore, the first method does not align with the purpose of the Gyeongjang reforms either."
"That is true."
At Jo Mal-saeng's words, Sejong and the ministers nodded. Seeing Sejong and the ministers respond positively, Jo Mal-saeng continued.
"Therefore, it is best to deploy government horses being raised at ranches located in each region."
At Jo Mal-saeng's words, Kim Jeom raised an objection.
"The Minister of War's opinion is reasonable, but the supply of horses is the problem."
"Why is supply a problem? Have you forgotten the memorial that came up from Jeju Island this January?"
At Jo Mal-saeng's point, Kim Jeom hurriedly searched his memory. Seeing this, Jo Mal-saeng clicked his tongue.
"The seasons have changed, yet you forgot... How can the Minister of Taxation of a country be so careless?"
"Mmm..."
At Jo Mal-saeng's strike, Kim Jeom could only make a groaning sound. Having silenced Kim Jeom, Jo Mal-saeng addressed Sejong.
"In January, there was a memorial from Jeju Island that was transferred to the Ministry of War. It was a memorial submitted by the Jeju Pacification Commissioner, regarding the horses of Jeju Island."
At Jo Mal-saeng's words, Sejong, who searched his memory for a moment, answered.
"I remember. It was about regularly releasing Jeju Island's horses, was it not?"
"That is correct."
* * *
In January, the Jeju Pacification Commissioner submitted a memorial.(Note 2)
-Jeju residents rely solely on horses for their livelihood, so their desire to sell horses to the mainland is strong.
However, because the nation prohibited the sale of mares, problems arose. Male horses are often sold at dirt-cheap prices before they are even two years old, and consequently, the ratio of males to females is unbalanced, leading to declining reproduction rates.
Therefore, please allow mares to also be sold to the mainland regularly, every two to three years.
The problem of Jeju was also related to Joseon's tribute system.
As Jeju Island emerged as Joseon's core horse breeding ground, local officials became obsessed with increasing the number of horses raised.
For this reason, they kept only mares that could bear foals and sent out the male horses.
Because of this, only the people of Jeju Island suffered greatly.
Most of Jeju Island's land was pasture, but there were some who farmed, though in small numbers. However, as horses from the ranches trampled and ate the crops in the fields, the damage was severe.
Eventually, the people of Jeju Island increasingly gave up farming and became more and more dependent solely on livestock raising.
As a result, grain shortages became commonplace, and even the horses they raised frequently starved to death.
Even worse, the horses that did not receive proper nutrition had poor development. Added to this, as vigorous male horses disappeared and only old and decrepit stud horses remained, repeated breeding led to frequent inbreeding, bringing about the overall degradation of Jeju horses.
The saying 'Even if it's a fine breed of horse, if it gives birth on Jeju Island, it gradually becomes smaller in stature' had almost become conventional wisdom.
This was a disaster brought about by the short-sighted decisions of local officials blinded only by results and the residents.
* * *
As Sejong recalled, Jo Mal-saeng continued immediately.
"Currently, due to excessive livestock raising on Jeju Island, the condition of the horses is not good. We need to reduce the number of horses raised on Jeju Island to an appropriate level, increase the number of horses raised at inland ranches so they can develop properly, and supply these horses to the government, relay stations, and military to meet demand."
At Jo Mal-saeng's recommendation, Sejong looked at the other ministers.
"Are the inland ranches sufficient?"
At Sejong's question, Kim Jeom answered immediately.
"In the early stages of the Gyeongjang reforms, according to Your Majesty's decision, we are expanding livestock ranches throughout the country. However, as the Minister of War just said, there are not enough pastures."
"According to what I confirmed while organizing records at the Record Office, pastures are currently insufficient, but they are scheduled to expand gradually in the future."
At Jo Mal-saeng's rebuttal, Sejong looked at Kim Jeom. At the unspoken question Sejong threw, Kim Jeom looked at the distant mountains.
Jo Mal-saeng continued to propose policies.
"If inland pastures are insufficient and that becomes a problem, employing the surrendered Jurchens is another method. If we entrust horse breeding to the Jurchens, it would kill two birds with one stone. The Jurchens are renowned for raising horses well. We can obtain good horses, and the Jurchens, with their livelihood guaranteed, can be assimilated more quickly."
"Can we trust the Jurchens?"
"If we continue to only be wary, the Jurchens will never become our people!"
"That may be true! But even though we are expanding ranches according to the Gyeongjang reforms, there are limits! Limits!"
"Have you forgotten Dongjin? According to the Dongjin plan, once the annexation of the Tumen River basin is complete, we advance to the great forest region! Is the land we will gain in that process not land but dung?"
The ministers continued to raise objections, but they only recorded defeat against Jo Mal-saeng's counterattacks based on records.
Eventually, Sejong reached a conclusion.
"The Minister of War's opinion seems correct, so decide the policy centered on the Minister of War's thinking."
"We obey your command."
At Sejong's decision, Jo Mal-saeng expressed his gratitude in a loud voice.
"Your grace is boundless!"
The historian who recorded all these events added:
-And thus, His Majesty's decision was made.
The historian comments:
What exactly did the Minister of War experience at the Record Office?
Meanwhile, Hyang, watching the debate between Jo Mal-saeng and the ministers, suddenly recalled something.
'Come to think of it... Ottabi, why are these gentlemen still not here? I told them to bring horses—are they planning to start from mating and then bring them?'
* * *
While Hyang was thinking about Ottabi for the first time in a while, the Ottabi family was standing at the crossroads between life and death.
"Just a little more and we'll be in Joseon! Just hold on a little more!"
"Yes!"
Answering the head's command, the ship captain shouted at the crew.
"Shoot arrows! Arrows!"
At the captain's command, the crew fired flaming arrows toward the pirate ships chasing from behind.
It wasn't just the merchant ships belonging to the Ottabi family shooting arrows at the pursuing pirate ships. The merchant ships of the Azram family traveling with them were also desperately blocking the pirates' attacks.
The pirates were equally desperate.
"Catch them quickly!"
"Boss! Just a little more and we'll be in the Joseon navy's patrol zone! It's dangerous!"
At his subordinate's report, Wang Gahak, the overall leader of the pirate fleet, gritted his teeth and answered.
"I know! But if we can properly capture those ships, we won't have to pretend to be Japanese pirates for another 2-3 years!"
Their clothing was that of Japanese pirates, but they were actually fake Japanese pirates—Chinese pretending to be Wokou.
Swish swish swoosh!
"Flaming arrows!"
"What are you doing! Put out the fire!"
"We'll shoot flaming arrows too!"
While the merchant ships of the Ottabi and Azram families and the pirate fleet were engaged in a desperate chase, smoke rose from the northern sky in the distance.
Boom boom boom!
As colorful clouds exploded in the air, subordinates shouted toward Wang Gahak.
"Boss! It's the Joseon navy!"
"Damn it! Turn the ships around!"
"The pirate ships are turning their prows!"
"Are you certain?"
"They are certain!"
At the captain's report, Ottabi ran to the stern and examined the pirate ships.
The pirate ships that had been chasing them with deadly intent until moments ago were turning their ships as they changed direction.
"That's fortunate, but why on earth?"
Having survived by a hair's breadth, Ottabi felt curiosity rise before relief.
"It seems to have something to do with the smoke that exploded in the sky earlier."
"That smoke?"
At the captain's words, Ottabi recalled the five-colored smoke clouds that had exploded in the sky earlier.
"What on earth is that?"
Just as Ottabi couldn't hide his questions, a crew member watching from the top of the mast shouted.
"Ships are coming from the north!"
At the crew member's words, the head and captain ran to the bow.
Just as the crew member said, ships with yellow sails were approaching them from afar.
"They're not junk ships."
"I see."
On the square-shaped ships, five-colored flags with all kinds of beasts painted on them were fluttering.
* * *
Note 1) Encyclopedia of Korean Culture https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0036639#self
Note 2) Sejong 10th year, January 6th.