< Episode 36: Laughing at Enthusiasm, Crying at Enthusiasm. (1) >
Episode 36: Laughing at Enthusiasm, Crying at Enthusiasm. (1)
In particular, Ryu Jeong-hyeon was a civil official who lived through the turbulent period of the late Goryeo and early Joseon, and had been appointed as the Commander of the Three Armies, commanding Yi Jong-mu and leading the conquest of Tsushima Island.
He was evaluated as having laid the foundation for cultural prosperity during King Sejong's reign, but unlike in the original history, he became a criminal of delusional military plotting and met his end.
It was a bitter example of the butterfly effect created by an existence named Hyang that exceeded expectations.
However, the most unfortunate was the Uuijeong (Right State Councillor). In October of the previous year, the 5th year of Sejong's reign, Jeong Tak, who had been Uuijeong, died at the age of 61, and his successor had risen to the position through Ryu Jeong-hyeon's recommendation. Having ascended to the Uuijeong position, within a few months he lost his power and property and was sentenced to exile.
* * *
Having completely seized power through Ryu Jeong-hyeon's execution and the exile of the old ministers, Sejong summoned the great ministers in March and made a declaration.
"I shall implement the Gyeongjang (Reform) for this Joseon!"
With Sejong's declaration, the Great Gyeongjang began, taking 10 years to prepare and 5 years to execute. It was the beginning of the Great Gyeongjang, later evaluated as having 'completely changed Joseon's constitution.'
Historians considered the day of Sejong's declaration as the beginning and named it the 'Gapjin Gyeongjang' or 'Gapjin Great Gyeongjang.'
* * *
The foundation of the Gyeongjang that Sejong declared to implement was Hyang's work.
Long before Sejong's declaration, when he was just preparing to administer smallpox vaccinations to the people of Hanyang.
Deep in the night, Sejong visited Hyang.
"I'll be taking the Gwae-do (charts) you created."
"Pardon? Please do so."
"Thank you. Sangseon, gather the charts."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
At Sejong's command, Sangseon collected Hyang's charts.
"Ah, and do not tell anyone that I took these."
"Pardon? Yes."
After Sejong took the charts, Hyang realized he had dug his own grave.
After the morning assembly ended and some time passed, Sejong would visit Hyang.
"About this part here..."
"Yes, that is..."
Examining the charts and finding questions, Sejong would visit Hyang to ask, and Hyang would answer.
"Then I shall take my leave. Good work."
"Not at all."
After seeing Sejong off, Hyang buried his head in the table and sighed.
"Haah~. I dug my own grave..."
Before he knew it, Sejong's visits had become a daily routine. That much was fine. The problem was that as time passed, the depth and sharpness of Sejong's questions were rising almost vertically.
Eventually, Hyang's daily life became a series of overwork. In the morning, he had to attend Gyeong-yeon (royal lectures), in the forenoon he had to discuss with the guests of the Seja Sigangwon (Crown Prince's Tutorial Office) or attend the morning assembly to observe state administration, and in the afternoon he had to complete the regular course of training martial arts with the military officers of the Naegumwi (Royal Guard). And from evening, he had to do source-laundering work in preparation for Sejong's visits.
"If I say 'Everything came from my head,' who would believe it? Even I can't believe it. Or I'd be ground down from morning to night."
By the time the source-laundering work was finished, Sejong would burst in. After a session of questions and answers with Sejong, before he knew it, the 3rd gyeong (11 PM to 1 AM) had passed and they were heading toward the 4th gyeong.
And Hyang learned the full picture of the work when Sejong declared the Gyeongjang.
Having taken Hyang's charts, Sejong began creating a master plan to reform Joseon's overall institutions based on them.
"The greatest purpose of the Gyeongjang is the realization of 'King's Way Politics' and 'Benefiting All Mankind.'"
Skillfully using the punctuation marks he learned about through Hyang, Sejong created the plan for the Gyeongjang.
Starting with reform of administrative organizations and extending to the expansion of education, Sejong created frameworks and added flesh to them as he planned, and when questions arose or he hit obstacles, he would wait for nightfall to visit Hyang.
Through this process, when about 80% completion was achieved, Sejong tossed the Gyeongjang plan to Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of Worthies).
"This is the Gyeongjang-chaek (Reform Plan) that I have created. Examine it deeply to find areas for improvement or problems."
"We receive your royal command!"
"If there are areas for improvement or problems, immediately submit them in writing to me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Also, maintain silence about this matter until I make an official announcement. If anyone speaks of it, they will be punished for Daeyeok-jwe (crime of great treason)."
"We will engrave it in our bones and minds!"
The scholars of Jiphyeonjeon who received the Gyeongjang-chaek from Sejong began their analysis with utmost effort. However, they encountered difficulties from the start. It was because of something only Sejong and Hyang knew—the punctuation marks.
"Your Majesty. What are these symbols?"
"Ah, those are..."
Having learned about punctuation marks from Sejong, the scholars of Jiphyeonjeon began concentrated analysis of the Gyeongjang.
And from that point on, the level of questions Sejong threw at Hyang rose in difficulty almost vertically.
When Jiphyeonjeon found problems and reported them to Sejong, Sejong would contemplate answers to those problems. If he still couldn't find an answer after repeated contemplation, Sejong would visit Hyang to discuss it. When a good answer was found, Sejong would toss that answer to Jiphyeonjeon, and Jiphyeonjeon would apply that answer and begin analysis again.
When the Gyeongjang was announced and Hyang learned of this fact, he complained to Sejong.
"Would it not have been more efficient if you had let me work together with the Jiphyeonjeon scholars?"
At Hyang's complaint, Sejong answered with a smile.
"You rascal. You know well the difference between knowing and doing versus doing without knowing, don't you? This is work that changes the entire country. If the king does not properly understand, the king becomes merely an existence that says 'Do so' and stamps the royal seal."
"If you had listened to explanations in advance..."
"Which brings better results—the king directly participating, pondering and understanding, or merely understanding by listening?"
At Sejong's words, Hyang deeply bowed his head.
"I cannot help but admire Your Majesty's brilliant insight."
This was Hyang's sincere feeling.
The foundation of the Gyeongjang that Sejong announced was Hyang's, but Hyang's color was so diluted that it was difficult to call it Hyang's. That much of Sejong's deep thought had gone into the Gyeongjang.
The reason Sejong consumed a full 10 years of preparation even after announcing the Gyeongjang was because he devoted his mental power to a nearly obsessive degree.
* * *
Having declared the Gyeongjang, Sejong did not immediately tear everything apart and reform it. Starting with finances and preparing step by step, the work of revising the framework of the Gyeongjang continued through various large and small events that occurred in between.
When he thought preparations were somewhat complete, Sejong issued orders to the great ministers.
"The ministers of the Yukjo (Six Ministries) shall select personnel."
Sejong created a reduced model of the new executive branch—precisely speaking, a reduced model of the central government—with personnel selected from the Six Ministries, and began experiments. He observed in real-time with the great ministers the distribution of work and operational efficiency created through reports and petitions actually coming up from local areas and field sites, and began adjustments.
When the experiment on central government reorganization proceeded with some success, Sejong began experiments on local administrative organizations.
"Select 5 locations in Hwanghae Province, 7 in Gyeonggi Province, and 5 counties in Gangwon Province."
The selection process was not random.
- Hwanghae Province represents Joseon's northwest region, Gangwon Province the northeast region, and Gyeonggi Province areas similar to Joseon's central and Samnam regions.
- Areas must be within one day, or at most two days' distance from Hanyang using pabalma (relay horses).
After selecting the counties, full-scale experiments began. Personnel were newly deployed according to the local administrative organization Sejong created, and it was an enormous-scale experiment where large numbers of investigators—scholars from Jiphyeonjeon and officials from the central government—accompanied them to observe their actions.
As the experiments began, relay horses loaded with reports—reports written by those directly responsible for administration and reports written by investigators—rushed daily from the counties where experiments were being conducted to Hanyang. Sejong, Hyang, and the great ministers continued making adjustments while reviewing those reports.
Despite such careful adjustments, once actual execution began, large and small problems popped up from all directions.
Ultimately, 5 years were consumed solving those problems and making adjustments to settle the system.
But now, it was just the moment of putting the first button in place following the declaration to begin the Gyeongjang.
* * *
As Sejong ordered the nationwide implementation of smallpox vaccination, relay horses carrying Sejong's orders rushed out to all eight provinces.
Following Sejong's command, all local officials across the country began preparing for smallpox vaccination. Among them, noise began to emerge, and the epicenter was the local notables.
"You say I must pay the vaccine fee?"
"Here is His Majesty's handwritten order. He is recommending that the local gentry, the sadaebu, pay the vaccine fee."
The notables who read the letters presented by the provincial governors or magistrates fell into contemplation.
"Since the King wishes it, we must follow his command."
"This is work that helps not only our households but also our neighbors, so of course I must pay!"
Quite a few sadaebu readily paid the vaccine fee without any particular complaint. The officials sent by the provincial governors recorded this fact without exception, and this went straight up to the court.
"I cannot pay!"
"Our household members have all already had smallpox once, so there is no need to be vaccinated!"
Of course, among them were not a few who refused because they didn't want to part with the vaccine fee. They could take that stance because Sejong had not forced them but said he 'recommends' it. Of course, even if the King wrote 'I recommend,' following it would have been common sense, but there existed those whose eyes were blinded by wealth and forgot common sense.
"Look here, Scholar Gwon. Still..."
"I said I cannot pay!"
Although the county magistrate or other notables continued to urge, there were those who stubbornly held out until the end.
Thanks to them, the frustrated magistrates had to write appeals hoping for Bidap (royal response).
"To think such outrageous people exist!"
Having received the appeal, Sejong could not hide his anger. Gripping the scroll of the appeal, Sejong glared at the empty seats of the three Prime Ministers and the Daesagan and Daesacheon, then turned his gaze to the ministers of the Six Ministries.
"Sangseon, read this appeal aloud!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Having received the appeal from Sejong, Sangseon read the contents in a loud voice.
As the reading continued, the heads of the Six Ministry ministers gradually lowered toward the floor.
When Sangseon's reading ended, Sejong spoke.
"Are these truly sadaebu, the elders of the villages?"
"We are mortified!"
"The total number appearing in the appeals received so far exceeds several tens! Several tens! Are these truly sadaebu? Are they ones who have declared they would serve in office to brighten this Joseon?"
"We are mortified!"
"Truly... truly..."
Unable to contain his anger, Sejong stammered. Watching this from the side, Hyang was startled.
'He's going to collapse at this rate! Dangerous!'
"Father! Please calm your anger! Your precious body may be harmed!"
"Hoo~."
At Hyang's words, Sejong began to calm his anger with a long deep breath. Hyang urgently continued.
"Those people have already proven themselves to be wigunja (hypocrites). How fortunate is this? We simply need to not treat them as gentlemen henceforth! Through this incident, we have been able to distinguish gems from stones, so it is rather fortunate!"
At Hyang's words, Sejong breathed long and then spoke.
"The Crown Prince's words are correct. Through this incident, I have learned what these people truly think of this country called Joseon and its people. Minister of Personnel, create a roster of those who did not pay the vaccine fee until the end of this smallpox vaccination. And for the people in the counties where those who refused to pay live, have nearby counties help them receive vaccination to minimize those who cannot be vaccinated. However, exclude the families of those who did not pay from vaccination. If they caused trouble, they must also take responsibility."
"I receive your command."
"Then let us rest for a while. I am quite fatigued."
"Yes."
As the Six Ministry ministers paid their respects and withdrew, Hyang immediately spoke.
"I will call the royal physician immediately."
"It's something that can be resolved with a little rest."
"Your mental energy has been greatly depleted. Father must stay healthy for Joseon to function properly."
At Hyang's words, Sejong showed a pleased expression.
"Just hearing those words makes me feel better. Very well, let us do so. Sangseon, call the royal physician."
* * *
The royal physician who came running at Sangseon's call immediately took Sejong's pulse.
"Your pulse is somewhat rapid, but there is no cause for worry. I will prepare medicine, so please take it and rest for a while."
"Let us do so."
A short while later, after confirming that Sejong, who had taken the medicine brought by the royal physician, was resting with a peaceful face, Hyang finally left the main hall.
Returning to his own room, Hyang finally let out a sigh.
"Hoo~. That was close. Still, it seems that willow bark earned its keep."
Having long taken tea brewed from willow bark, Sejong's pulse maintained a stable condition. Sitting in a chair and drinking tea, Hyang muttered quietly.
"My core insider sister survived too, so you must live a long, healthy life."
< Episode 36: Laughing at Enthusiasm, Crying at Enthusiasm. (1) > End
ⓒ Gukppong