Chapter 200: The Beginning of Spring. (5)
The idea that Kim Jong-seo put forth soon took shape through the hands of the officials.
However, the person who handled the largest portion was Kim Jong-seo himself.
While accepting Kim Jong-seo's proposal, Hwang Hui said a few words to him.
"Your words sound plausible enough that I'm planning this out, but let me say one thing—if you don't do this properly, you'll be returning from Hanyang having seen only Gyeongbok Palace."
"Oh my, my lord. I'm doing it properly!"
At Kim Jong-seo's words, Hwang Hui snorted.
"Hmph! Is that so? Have you forgotten what kind of person the one who will review this proposal and give approval is? If you just make it haphazardly and get rejected, you'll be packing your bundles and coming right back."
*Gulp!*
At Hwang Hui's words, Kim Jong-seo swallowed. Given Hwang Hui's personality that he had experienced so far, he could certainly do that.
Looking at Kim Jong-seo's face, Hwang Hui continued speaking.
"But if you make it properly and approval is granted, then from preparing the funds for execution to handling various matters, it will take a long time to stay in Hanyang, won't it? How long do you think it will take?"
"At least a month...."
Kim Jong-seo, who answered without realizing it, responded with tense nervousness.
"Just leave it to me! I won't make you ask twice!"
"Do well. Your time staying in Hanyang depends on your own two hands!"
"Yes, sir!"
It was Kim Jong-seo, blazing with fire for the first time in a while.
After that, until the proposal was completed, Kim Jong-seo thoroughly grilled his subordinate officials.
"You rascal! The numbers here are wrong!"
"Hey! I told you not to use Idu!"
"Oh my~. Look at this wretch? Did you write this sentence with your hands or your feet? Do I have to rewrite it for you?"
It was Kim Jong-seo scolding his subordinate officials using the regional dialects he had learned while living with officials gathered from all eight provinces of the country.
* * *
Thus, with the proposal that had been prepared for about a month, Hwang Hui and Kim Jong-seo returned to Hanyang.
While developing the northeastern region and coming down along the connected eastern coast, passing through the Chugaryeong Structural Valley that goes through Wonsan and Cheorwon, Hwang Hui looked back at Kim Jong-seo.
"We're currently creating a plan to rebuild the road network throughout all of Joseon. For the northeastern region, the path we came would be the best, right?"
At Hwang Hui's question, Kim Jong-seo nodded.
"It's far better than crossing the mountain range wrongly and becoming tiger food."
"Record it."
"Yes."
At Hwang Hui's words, Kim Jong-seo took out a writing board containing brush and ink and took notes. Perhaps because he had lived in the northeastern region for a long time, Kim Jong-seo's writing was as smooth as flowing water even while writing on horseback.
Hwang Hui, watching Kim Jong-seo's handwriting from the side, grumbled inwardly.
'This fellow... looking at just his handwriting, he seems bold and sincere... but looking at how he acts, he just lazes about.... How should I handle this....'
"There! I wrote it well! It's a masterpiece!"
Kim Jong-seo, who didn't know Hwang Hui was worrying about such things, finished writing and couldn't stop praising himself while looking at the characters he wrote.
At that sight, Hwang Hui looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh.
"Huu~. How did I end up with a life sentence serving with this kind of fellow.... How should I break these damned sons...."
Hwang Hui's pitiful feelings for his sons disappeared far away at his own pitiful situation.
* * *
Having experienced this and that, Hwang Hui's party passed through Sukcheongmun, the north gate of Hanyang, and the streets of Hanyang came into view.
"Hanyang~ I have returned!"
*Woof woof woof!*
"Shut up!"
At Kim Jong-seo's loud voice, the sound of dogs barking was heard from a nearby thatched house. Kim Jong-seo, who became awkward at the sudden barking, shouted, and Hwang Hui who was next to him said a word.
"Stop chatting with your friend and let's go. We need to enter Gyeongbok Palace before the sun sets."
"Yes... yes? My lord! What do you mean friend! Am I a dog? Your words are a bit harsh!"
"Shut up!"
Thus, continuing their banter, the two drove their horses toward Gyeongbok Palace. The guards following behind them whispered quietly.
"Truly a match made in heaven."
"Right. Seeing them grumble like that every day yet always sticking together...."
* * *
"Hmm...."
Sejong examined the report Hwang Hui submitted while making a nasal sound. He had already heard explanations orally with the ministers, but this was the process of confirming once more while looking at the actual document.
After reading to the end, Sejong closed the document and looked at the ministers. Seeing Kim Jeom calculating something by counting his fingers with his gaze in the distance, Sejong muttered quietly.
"The answer has roughly come out...."
However, since there were procedures, Sejong coughed loudly.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Gathering the ministers' attention with his cough, Sejong brought up the main topic.
"What do you all think?"
At Sejong's question, the ministers who organized their thoughts for a moment opened their mouths one by one.
"In my opinion, I think it is a sufficiently good idea."
"I also agree. The Jurchens are originally rough in nature, so if their lives are not stable, they will immediately reveal their fierce nature. It will cost considerable wealth, but since we can stabilize the Jurchens' lives and subdue them, it is by no means a loss."
The ministers evaluated the proposal Hwang Hui brought as useful.
At the ministers' evaluation, Sejong looked back at Hwang Hui.
"I will accept the proposal you brought. Immediately consult with the ministers of the Six Ministries and determine the scale of necessary funds. Since you have come a long way, rest for a day first and then start the work."
"I am infinitely grateful for your grace!"
At Sejong's command, Hwang Hui expressed his gratitude with a deep bow. It was good that they accepted the proposal Kim Jong-seo created, but what he was most grateful for was being given a day's rest.
The same was true for Kim Jong-seo.
"I am infinitely grateful for your grace!"
At the sight of Kim Jong-seo offering thanks with a loud voice, Sejong chuckled and opened his mouth.
"Are you Kim Jong-seo?"
"That is correct, Your Majesty."
"I have heard the rumors."
With an enigmatic smile, Sejong looked at Kim Jong-seo and continued.
"As long as you keep your conduct, I will not say anything."
"I am infinitely grateful for your grace!"
* * *
'Hanyang's drinker has returned!'
Kim Jong-seo's return was immediately announced in the gisaeng house district.
"Which house will he visit first this time?"
The touts of the gisaeng houses looked out at the road, waiting for Kim Jong-seo to come.
Not long after, Kim Jong-seo appeared in the gisaeng house district and shouted loudly.
"I have returned!"
"Oh my, sir! Please come in!"
"Sir! Please come to our house today!"
"No, please come to our house first!"
At the touts' solicitation that was even more intense than expected, Kim Jong-seo looked back at Hwangbo In who accompanied him.
"Why does the solicitation seem to have gotten worse?"
"The economy in this neighborhood isn't good either."
"Hm?"
At Kim Jong-seo's tilting head, Hwangbo In explained the reason.
"The officials are so busy working they don't have time to go to gisaeng houses."
"Ah...."
Kim Jong-seo, nodding at Hwangbo In's explanation, dragged Hwangbo In into his regular gisaeng house.
"Since it's been a long time, prepare a good table!"
"Yes, sir!"
After a while, a drinking table was prepared and a gisaeng entered. The gisaeng's song and dance began, and Hwangbo In, who put the liquor glass to his mouth, frowned.
"The liquor is weak! Bring proper liquor! Otherwise I won't pay for the drinks!"
"Oh my! Yes, sir!"
At Hwangbo In's scolding, the gisaengs moved quickly to change the liquor pitchers.
"Hm? Isn't this the original taste?"
At Kim Jong-seo's question after tasting the liquor in his glass, Hwangbo In answered briefly.
"You may not know, but I have to report to work tomorrow. To not get scolded for being even a little late, I need to drink quickly, get drunk quickly, and sleep quickly."
"Well...."
At Hwangbo In's explanation, Kim Jong-seo shook his head.
"Liquor is originally meant to be enjoyed slowly...."
"If you want to keep surviving in Hanyang, you'll need to get used to it."
At Hwangbo In's answer, Kim Jong-seo had a face full of loss.
'The Hanyang life I thought of isn't this....'
As an aside, drinking strong liquor to get drunk quickly and end the gathering became a custom and bad habit passed down through generations of Joseon officials.
Just as sailors of the Age of Exploration or lower-class people sought rum to get drunk quickly at a cheap price, Joseon officials sought strong liquor.
* * *
Having received Sejong's approval and even prepared the funds, Hwang Hui set out on the road back to the northeastern development area with Kim Jong-seo.
"No, was leaving Hanyang that unpleasant? Why are you making that face like you've lost everything?"
At Hwang Hui's question, Kim Jong-seo answered in a gloomy voice.
"Well, you see...."
When Kim Jong-seo told the story of what he experienced whenever he went to gisaeng houses, Hwang Hui chuckled.
"You fool! Do you know what words come out of the court every day now? It's 'there are no people!' How bad must it be that there's even talk that whenever a petition comes up, the ministers of the Six Ministries swarm in to evaluate it? There are no people and work keeps piling up, do you think there's leisure to slowly drink liquor?"
"Still, liquor is meant to be drunk slowly...."
At Kim Jong-seo's expression still unable to hide his regret, Hwang Hui subtly brought up a topic.
"Certainly... liquor should be drunk slowly to taste good. In that sense, isn't the drinking gathering at the development area better? The liquor is a bit rough, but if you go to Gilju, there's decent clear liquor too."
"That is true...."
At Hwang Hui's words, Kim Jong-seo nodded without realizing it. The work at the development area was hard, but the drinking gatherings still had charm.
"Right? So how about it? Take this opportunity to settle in the northeastern region completely. Before long, we'll go to develop the virgin land in the east...."
"I absolutely cannot! I will return to Hanyang immediately after finishing up at the development area!"
Kim Jong-seo strongly rejected before Hwang Hui's words even finished. At Kim Jong-seo's reaction, Hwang Hui smacked his lips and muttered.
"What a pity.... He was almost convinced...."
* * *
With the funds supported from the central government, Hwang Hui and Kim Jong-seo soon created a new institution.
'Labor Support Office'
After creating the institution and placing officials, Hwang Hui and Kim Jong-seo soon began recruiting labor from the surrendered Jurchens.
"So you're saying you'll give wages?"
"That's right! That's not all. While doing reclamation work and agricultural assistance, you can learn how to farm, and if you go out for road construction and learn civil engineering skills, you can get a job right away!"
At the official's sweet talk, many Jurchens looked tempted.
Among the Jurchens, there were not a few who farmed, but their farming methods had hardly developed from the methods of the ancient Samhan era. However, Joseon farmers were more developed than that.
Of course, in the eyes of Hyang who had experienced the 21st century, they were about the same.
Moreover, since the court guaranteed wages, more and more Jurchens were applying.
It was because they could solve the problem of survival, which was the biggest problem among the reasons why Jurchens had to live a wandering life. Therefore, many Jurchens, regardless of gender, knocked on the door of the Labor Support Office.
The existence of the 'Labor Support Office' was also a great help to the farmers who went up as part of the relocation policy.
The average area of farmland each farming household received was 2 gyeol. Converting this area to majigi, it was about 60 to 80 majigi (12,000~16,000 pyeong).
They received as much as they wanted due to greed for land, but for one household to reclaim this was a very difficult task. The country supported farm cattle and farm horses, but it was still unreasonable.
Even combining efforts with neighboring farm households was a problem. The areas to be reclaimed increased in proportion to the increase in manpower.
At times like this, the Jurchens supported through the Labor Support Office were a great help. Having endured in harsh environments, the Jurchens were sturdy.
They worked using hand gestures and foot movements since they didn't communicate well in language, but before they knew it, having conversations mixing Jurchen and Joseon languages, the Jurchens and Joseon people reclaimed the farmland.
Through the reclamation of farmland and expansion of irrigation facilities, the development area in the northeastern region gradually transformed more into the appearance of Joseon.