< Chapter 41: Laughing at Obsession, Crying at Obsession. (6) >
Chapter 41: Laughing at Obsession, Crying at Obsession. (6)
Returning to Geunjeongjeon Hall, Hyang began explaining to Sejong and the ministers.
- Just as with the salt monopoly, sugar and pepper must also be monopolized by the state.
- In the case of sugar, the need for monopoly is even stronger because sugar is highly addictive.
- If left to private merchant groups, sugar is most likely to lead to monopoly or collusion. No, monopoly or collusion will certainly occur. This is because sugar is not produced in our Joseon.
- If monopoly or collusion occurs, all of this burden will fall on the people. And the people's resentment will be directed at the court and the King.
- However, if the state monopolizes it, appropriate profits can be collected to fill the treasury, and prices can be stabilized.
The Minister of Personnel, who had been listening to Hyang's explanation, raised a question.
"If there is such danger, would it not be better to simply not import it? After all, we have managed well enough without sugar until now. As for sweetness, do we not already have jochung and honey?"
At the Minister of Personnel's question, Hyang asked a question in return.
"Honey is difficult to obtain, and jochung... with not even rice and barley to sustain meals, would that be possible?"
"... I see."
At Hyang's counter-question, the Minister of Personnel had to step back.
In reality, to obtain 1kg of jochung, 2kg of white rice was required. Taffy required even more grain than jochung.
Hyang, who had not known this fact even in the 21st century, learned this at the marketplace.
Having received Sejong's permission to tour the marketplace, Hyang spotted a taffy seller and began haggling. However, upon hearing the price of the taffy, Hyang was taken aback.
"Excuse me, the taffy price is more expensive than I thought?"
Though wearing a dao robe and gat hat, when the young Hyang started arguing about the price, the taffy seller answered with a smile.
"Oh my! The young noble master doesn't seem to know the ways of the world well! Do you know how much barley or rice goes into making this taffy?"
And the taffy seller explained the process of making taffy to Hyang in detail. Listening to the explanation, Hyang nodded.
"I see. I understand well. Then give me some of this dark taffy."
"Yes~."
After Hyang finished calculating and disappeared, the taffy seller tilted his head in puzzlement.
"A young noble master I've never seen before? Has some noble family recently moved to Hanseong?"
* * *
At Hyang's explanation, Sejong and the ministers exchanged opinions.
"Certainly, if we bring in sugar, it can replace jochung and taffy, thus reducing the waste of rice and barley."
"I oppose this. Sugar is not produced in our Joseon, so our Joseon's wealth will flow out to foreign countries. However, though jochung and taffy are made from precious rice and barley, they are produced from our land. This can prevent wealth from flowing out."
"I oppose that opinion. Even now, those who can obtain sugar are obtaining it. But compared to the purchase price of sugar that the Crown Prince has procured, they must buy and eat it at least dozens of times more expensively. Furthermore, since it is an item prohibited from import, they will certainly offer bribes every time they cross the border, and this will lead to corruption. Rather, having the state monopolize it would reduce corruption and stabilize prices."
The ministers, divided into pros and cons, engaged in fierce debate. Those opposing argued, 'There are substitutes, so why spend money to import?' while those in favor argued, 'Anyway, the wealthy ones are somehow obtaining and eating it. It is more profitable to openly import it!'
When the arguments from both sides were at an impasse, Hyang asked a question.
"Has anyone here tried sugar?"
At Hyang's question, the ministers' gazes scattered.
"Once in the past..."
"When I passed the civil service exam, once..."
"Regrettably, not even once..."
At the ministers' answers, Hyang's eyes widened in surprise.
'These nobles who act so high and mighty!'
Thinking this, Hyang looked back at Sejong and realized.
'Come to think of it, since entering the palace, I haven't eaten sugar either!'
Not only during the time when he was Grand Prince Chungnyeong, but even after entering the palace, Hyang had never tasted sugar's characteristic sweetness.
Realizing the truth, Hyang unconsciously muttered.
"Our Joseon is truly isolated and impoverished..."
"Ahem!"
"Hem!"
The ministers and Sejong, hearing Hyang's muttering, blushed and coughed repeatedly.
"Ahem! Crown Prince. Our Joseon is frugal, not impoverished."
Sejong stepped forward to speak, but Hyang's face was full of disbelief. At that sight, Sejong raised his voice.
"You rascal! Have some faith. Just a little!"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty the King's words are without error."
"That is correct, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
As soon as Sejong's words fell, the ministers supported him in unison, saying Sejong's words were correct. At that sight, Hyang answered in a disinterested voice.
"If you say so."
"You rascal!"
"Your son believes Your Majesty's words. That aside. Your son has a petition for Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
"Now that sugar has arrived, how about distributing it to the ministers and those working in the palace as a reward?"
"Distribute as reward?"
At Hyang's words, the ministers' eyes began to sparkle. Hyang, glancing at the ministers, historians, scribes, and court attendants whose eyes were bright like children looking at a father who brought chicken, explained the reason.
"They are those who devote themselves entirely to state affairs and labor to maintain the palace. It would be good to recognize their efforts and distribute even a little to them."
"Hmm..."
Sejong, pondering for a moment at Hyang's words, nodded.
"Those words are correct. Then how do you think it should be distributed?"
"How about distributing from 1 doe (1.8L) to 1 hop (0.18L) according to rank?"
At Hyang's words, Sejong, calculating for a moment, nodded.
"That is appropriate. Minister of Taxation, proceed accordingly."
"Your grace is boundless!"
As soon as the Minister of Taxation's lead ended, not only the ministers but even the court attendants all shouted in unison.
"Your grace is boundless!"
That day, as work ended, not only ministers but also court attendants, court ladies, and soldiers guarding the palace received sugar as reward.
"Your Majesty the King! Your grace is boundless!"
"Your grace is boundless!"
"Your Majesty the King, a thousand years!"
"A thousand years!"
Everyone who received sugar shouted words of thanks and a thousand years. The court attendants, court ladies, and soldiers of the Eastern Palace bowed their heads and expressed thanks whenever they saw Hyang.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, we are overwhelmed by the precious sugar you have given us!"
"We are overwhelmed!"
"Enough, enough. Make your families happy with that."
* * *
Just as Hyang said, the heads of households who received sugar returned home with their shoulders puffed up with pride.
"Take this."
"What is this?"
"Sugar."
"Oh my! How did you obtain such a precious thing?"
"His Majesty the King bestowed it for working well!"
"Oh my! Such an overwhelming thing exists! I knew I wanted to bathe today for some reason!"
"Well... um... today I'm a bit tired..."
While each household that received sugar was having their own enjoyable time, Hyang was conversing with Sejong. As an aside, this late-night discussion, which had become almost daily routine, had transformed into the final barrier that the historians had to overcome.
"Is it not a waste to distribute such precious sugar like that?"
"It is not a waste. It was necessary for the sugar monopoly."
"Necessary?"
Sejong, thinking deeply about Hyang's words, glared at Hyang.
"You frightening fellow! Was this bait?"
At Sejong's words, Hyang answered with a smile.
* * *
Whether the bait product was effective or not, not long after, the ministers approved the sugar monopoly.
"Then, as soon as the Joseon Hall being built in Shandong is completed, proceed with importing sugar. Do not forget to complete the establishment of the Monopoly Bureau before then."
"We receive your command!"
While attending to state affairs without rest, the vacant positions were filled. Yi Jik became Chief State Councilor, and the famous Meng Saseng and Hwang Hee rose to Right State Councilor and Left State Councilor respectively. Unlike the original history, these two had risen to State Councilor positions about 2 years earlier.
Upon hearing the news, Hyang muttered quietly.
"Finally, is Sejong's Avengers appearing?"
At the gathering where the newly appointed ministers offered their greetings, Sejong warned the ministers.
"You all know well why the previous holders of those positions had to step down. Please keep that in mind and engage in state affairs to make this Joseon prosper."
"We will engrave it in our bones and hearts!"
Meanwhile, Hyang fell into new concerns.
"I've been curious since before. Does our King Sejong have a small talent pool, or are talented people rare in this era?"
After thinking and thinking, Hyang reached a conclusion.
"No matter how I look at it, our King Sejong's talent pool is too narrow. You can tell just by looking at his concubines..."
Hyang's conclusion had grounds. And what became the basis was Sejong's concubines. Representatively:
- Royal Consort Sin (Sinbin Kim): Of servant origin from the Bureau of Internal Affairs, was Queen Soheon's court lady before receiving royal favor.
- Royal Consort Hye (Hyebin Yang): Former wet nurse for Hyang who was sickly in childhood. Received royal favor while caring for Hyang.
Other concubines also became royal consorts through similar paths. Seeing this path, Hyang tilted his head and muttered.
"This nobleman, is it that he sees them often and gets attracted, or did he pick them to suit his taste and then parachute them in?"
As a result of continued observation, Hyang reached a new conclusion.
"The concubines, and personnel appointments too... this nobleman was a laziness extremist!"
In Hyang's view, if King Sejong existed in the 21st century, he would have been perfect as a 'reclusive loner' or 'pro-laziness extremist.'
While his grandfather Taejo Yi Seong-gye, his father Yi Bang-won, and other brothers liked intense sports like polo or hunting, the sport Sejong liked was golf, or rather gyeokbang.
"Golf is decent exercise, but it can't compare to polo or hunting."
What Sejong liked most was reading and contemplation, especially policy research for Joseon's future.
Added to this, Joseon's personnel process was quite exhausting.
"You! Become my State Councilor!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"
The above situation absolutely never occurred.
When positions became vacant due to old age, illness, or various reasons like the recent purge, the King commanded the ministers as follows:
"Recommend suitable candidates for the position."
"We receive your command!"
When appropriate candidates were selected through this process, the censors attached themselves. The censors of the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Royal Decrees thoroughly dug through the candidates' service records and surrounding evaluations, and submitted the resulting product to the King.
"This person is unsuitable because of this, that person is unsuitable because of that..."
Such a process was exhausting not only for the candidates but also for the King.
"In the end, did our King Sejong work Hwang Hee to exhaustion because this was bothersome?"
Hyang tilted his head. In actual history, Hwang Hee was famous not only as a brilliant State Councilor but also as the subject of various scandals. Naturally, the censors' impeachments continued, but Sejong never let go of Hwang Hee until the end.
Ultimately, Hyang concluded as follows:
- Sejong's persistence with Hwang Hee was partly due to Hwang Hee's competence, but also because the personnel selection process he would have to go through after dismissing Hwang Hee was bothersome!
* * *
After Hyang imported sugar in large quantities, large-scale consumption of sugar continued in the palace. Starting with Sejong, the royal family began adding sugar to the tea they drank or served, and sugar began to be used as a sweetener in food.
Especially with sugar being added to foods that were only salty, becoming 'sweet-salty-sweet-salty,' it stimulated Sejong's appetite. Hyang, having predicted this, ordered that almost no sugar be added to Sejong's royal meals, but Sejong enjoyed sugar through various routes.
"Has this nobleman forgotten the word 'moderation'!"
Seeing Sejong's sugar preference, Hyang rolled up his sleeves again.
"Father. I heard you have been eating a lot of sugar lately."
"I don't think I've eaten that much? I just add a little to tea and drink it."
'What are those rice cakes and sugar dish next to the teacup then!'
"Haa~."
Taking a deep breath, Hyang began to press Sejong.
< Chapter 41: Laughing at Obsession, Crying at Obsession. (6) > End
ⓒ Gukppong