Chapter 177: The Latter Half of the Gyeongjang Era. (2)
As February of the 12th year of King Sejong's reign (1430, the Year of Gyeongsul) approached, the distribution of hopae was on the verge of completion not only in the Samnam region but in most of Joseon.
Having confirmed the situation, Sejong issued two royal decrees.
- For this year only, the emancipation of slaves will be permitted even during the spring lean season. However, the conditions that must be observed when emancipating slaves remain the same.
- Recruiting tenants to farm the agricultural land confiscated from rebels. The rent is 30%, the same as Gungbangjeon, and those who have formed households will be given preferential treatment.
Due to the two royal decrees that Sejong successively issued, a great migration of population occurred throughout Joseon.
* * *
The first thing to occur was the emancipation of slaves.
Landlords who had to pay heavy taxes in the autumn of the Year of Giyu for possessing slaves began rushing to emancipate their slaves as soon as King Sejong's special permission was issued.
However, this process was not smooth.
"Who exactly and how should I emancipate...?"
According to the royal decree issued by King Sejong, the standards for emancipation were as follows:
- If the slave to be emancipated has formed a household, they shall be emancipated as a family unit. However, if the children are adults, they shall not be included in the family.
- When emancipating, wealth sufficient for three months of living must be provided.
- Slaves shall not be emancipated during the spring lean season.
- Male slaves (No) and female slaves (Bi) over the age of 60 shall not be emancipated.
"Hmm... since they said emancipation is permitted during the spring lean season only this time, that won't be a problem..."
Those who owned slaves began suffering headaches over the question of whom and how to emancipate.
Of course, those who worried like this were the landlords who survived without being swept up in the recent rebellion.
At the very least, those who possessed more than 20 to 30 slaves were worrying about this problem, while households with only four or five slaves found the decision surprisingly easy.
At a yangban household in Chungcheong Province. Though it was a tile-roofed house, in the courtyard of a small tile-roofed house with just over 20 rooms, the owner, Song Saengwon, spoke with the slaves.
"Your children have become adults this time, right? I will emancipate your children."
"Oh my! Thank you, sir!"
Song Saengwon's wife, who was sitting beside him, spoke to the slave couple with a gentle expression.
"You two are getting on in years, so just grow old together with us."
"Thank you, madam."
Thus, it was common to prioritize emancipating only the adult children among the slaves' offspring.
And among those who observed how the world was turning, some took a more proactive approach.
At the tile-roofed house of Gang Jinsa in Haenam, Jeolla Province. Having gathered the slaves, Gang Jinsa made a bombshell declaration.
"I will emancipate everyone on this occasion! If some are emancipated and others remain slaves, would our hearts be at ease? I will emancipate all of you!"
At Gang Jinsa's generous decision, the slaves bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Continue doing the farming and household work you've been doing exactly as before, but I will change it to paid wages."
"Thank you, sir!"
Unlike the slaves who kept bowing and expressing thanks, Gang Jinsa's family was filled with worry.
"Old man, are you really sure about this?"
"Father, this decision is..."
Seeing the family members worried about the decision to change all the slaves who did farming and miscellaneous work into paid laborers, Gang Jinsa rather rebuked them.
"Wife! Don't you know how the world is changing now? And you, rascal! If the eldest son of this household has such poor foresight, how can I trust you to carry on this family!"
At Gang Jinsa's shouting, his eldest son Gang Junman had to prostrate himself on the floor.
"I am deeply sorry!"
"It is a time of upheaval. For this family to survive in these times, we must stay one step ahead of others!"
"I will keep that in mind."
"Your answer is good..."
Looking at Junman with a disappointed expression, Gang Jinsa explained the reason for his decision.
"The King made this decision primarily to secure tax revenue, but he also intends to weaken the power of landlords like us. The kings who follow this King will likely strengthen this policy further, not reverse it. Then what should we do? Rise up like those fools in autumn?"
"No, we shouldn't."
At his eldest son's answer, Gang Jinsa clicked his tongue.
"Tsk! Think before you live!"
* * *
From large and small yangban households throughout the country, many slaves were emancipated and came out.
The first place the emancipated slaves headed was the local government office.
Gijang-gun, Gyeongsang Province,
"You've come after being emancipated?"
"Yes, sir."
Having heard the slaves' story, the Gijang-gun magistrate called an official from the Ministry of Taxation in the building next door.
The Ministry of Taxation official who heard the story looked at the slaves.
"Follow me."
"Yes, sir."
Having given orders to the slaves, the Ministry of Taxation official bowed politely to the magistrate.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"We are all doing the country's public duties together, so cooperation is natural. Good work."
"Thank you."
After exchanging light pleasantries, the Ministry of Taxation official led the slaves toward the Ministry of Taxation building.
The Gijang magistrate who had sent off the Ministry of Taxation official wore a serious expression.
"My, look at that nobleman's dark under-eye circles... Hmm..."
The Gijang magistrate rose from his seat and walked toward the clock standing by a pillar on the main hall floor. Looking at the clock's time and the calendar hanging beside it, the magistrate's face became anxious.
"My term is almost up... Now, which nobleman should I send a gift to? These days they don't even accept gifts... To whom should I send it to avoid the Ministry of Taxation..."
The Gijang magistrate was calculating his connections with a face full of worry.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Taxation official who had taken the slaves into the Ministry of Taxation building located next to the district office sat down and looked at the slaves.
"So... you've come after being emancipated?"
"Yes, my master said I need to change my hopae too..."
"That's only natural! State your name, birth year, and whose household slave you were."
"Yes. I am from Master Oh Saengwon's house in Pear Tree Valley..."
Having heard the slave's personal details, the Ministry of Taxation official searched through the household registries on a nearby bookshelf and pulled out the registry.
"Here it is."
After verifying the registry, the official wrote the date in the remarks column and entered the word 'Emancipated.'
"Give me your hopae."
"Yes, sir."
Having received the hopae from the slave, the official handed it to an artisan behind him.
The artisan removed the hopae's frame with practiced movements and took out an iron plate. Placing the iron plate on an anvil, the artisan positioned a steel stamp on one empty space on the plate and struck it hard with a hammer.
Bang!
Confirming it was properly stamped, the artisan reassembled the frame, stamped the seal again, and handed it to the official.
"Here you go. Hmm... Do you have work?"
"No, sir. I thought about tenant farming... but they said there's no place available."
At the slave's answer, the Ministry of Taxation official began subtly fishing.
"Is that so? Hmm... This spring, road construction will begin throughout Joseon... They say construction will start on the road from Dongnae to Hanseong too. How about it? Want to go work there? You could work at the port until spring. What good is doing nothing?"
At the Ministry of Taxation official's dangling bait, the slave quickly bit.
"Is that so? I'll go! I'll do it!"
At the slave's answer, the official brightened and continued.
"Really? Wait a little. If you go alone, the road is dangerous and boring, isn't it? If there are quite a few people, we can arrange transportation, so you can travel safely and comfortably."
"Yes, I'll do that!"
Hearing the slave's answer, the Ministry of Taxation official examined the faces of the other slaves standing behind. Seeing that most of the slaves, predominantly young men, wore similar expressions, the official cheered inwardly.
'Yes! It's a big catch! A full haul!'
Having received reports that emancipation would occur in large numbers, the court immediately devised countermeasures.
"It's a situation we already expected, so proceed according to plan."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
By King Sejong's command, messengers were dispatched to the Ministry of Taxation monopoly bureaus and Joseon Jeonjang throughout the country.
The orders the court sent to the monopoly bureaus and Joseon Jeonjang were simple:
- Send as many people as possible out of rural areas, and absorb their wealth into the Jeonjang.
Following the orders sent from the court, the Ministry of Taxation officials began fishing with the slaves who had now become yangin (commoners).
Having succeeded in sending the emancipated male slaves to construction sites, the Ministry of Taxation official now cast his fishing line toward the female slaves.
"So... have you found work as well?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Do you know how to weave?"
"What woman of our age doesn't know how to weave?"
At the female slaves' answer, the Ministry of Taxation official smiled meaningfully.
"A large textile mill is planned to be established in Daegu and Gyeongsan this time. They say they're recruiting women skilled in weaving there. How about it? Any interest?"
"It's a bit far..."
Seeing the female slaves hesitate slightly, the Ministry of Taxation official waved the bait enticingly.
"If you stay here, didn't you say there's no proper work? Then what will happen in the end? You'll live day by day as a day laborer, or worse, live as a barmaid, won't you?"
"That's true..."
When the Ministry of Taxation official pointed out reality, the female slaves nodded with serious faces. This was because many female slaves had already experienced harsh treatment simply for being slaves. Of course, the law defined such things as illegal, but the law was the law and reality was reality.
In the end, the female slaves had no choice but to bite the Ministry of Taxation official's bait.
"We will do as you say, sir. But..."
"It seems like a really good opportunity, but the road to Daegu is far..."
Seeing the female slaves hesitate at the last moment, the Ministry of Taxation official thumped his chest and made a bold promise.
"Of course! Would I tell you women to travel that long and dangerous road to Daegu alone! If there are enough people, we'll arrange transportation! What will you do?"
In the end, the female slaves had no choice but to accept the Ministry of Taxation official's suggestion.
* * *
Thus, before the slaves who had received proof on their hopae that they had become yangin, another person stepped forward.
"Everyone, shall we talk together about the future?"
"Huh? The future?"
"Just listen to my story for a moment. I came from the Jeonjang over there. You've heard about the Jeonjang, right?"
"Yes, I heard the King established it..."
"That's right! I work at a place established by the King, so don't be suspicious and just follow me for a moment."
Thus, following behind the Jeonjang employee, the slaves crossed the threshold of the Jeonjang with faces as if bewitched by something.
* * *
The Jeonjang official who had entered the Jeonjang took the slaves into a large conference room built in one corner of the Jeonjang - originally the sarangbang of the former owner of the house.
"First, sit down."
"Yes..."
When the slaves awkwardly took their seats, the Jeonjang employee slowly got to the main point.
"Now~. What do you see outside that window?"
At the employee's question, the slaves turned their heads. Seeing the landscape of the mountain in front through the wide-open conference room window, the slaves answered in unison.
"We see a mountain, sir."
"That's right. Then..."
The employee closed the window. Having closed the window covered with Korean paper, the employee asked the slaves.
"Now you can't see it, right?"
"Yes..."
"This is your future. You can't see anything... In short, if you go out like this, it means you're lost."
"Huh?"
When the slaves were bewildered, the employee opened the window again and continued.
"Ah, really! Think about it properly! You're going to leave this place now and go work elsewhere, right? And when you work, you'll receive wages, right? Then what will you do with that? Right now you have money in your hands, and all kinds of merchants and barmaids will swarm in eyeing that money. If you live excitedly for a few days like that, what remains is empty hands. You'll live completely penniless until you receive your next wages. Isn't that right?"
At the employee's words, the slaves nodded without realizing it. This was because, immediately upon being emancipated and leaving their master's house, they had already experienced various merchants attaching themselves to them.