Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 023
Chapter Title: Hello, I'm Ginseng!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you asked for the most famous merchant in Joseon, a hundred out of a hundred Joseon people—from octogenarians to three-year-old children—would name one man.
Lim Sang-ok.
The legendary merchant who monopolized the ginseng trade, amassing a terrifying fortune, and even held a rank-three government post, something nearly impossible for merchants in those days.
His era of wealth and glory, once rivaling even the king's, was now drawing to a close.
From middle age onward, he had led efforts in charity. Now, approaching the end of his life, he gave away his fortune even more generously, trading riches for honor.
Even he, who had hoped to spend his final days tending a small vegetable patch, indulging in drink, music, and poetry...
"Sir, please help us just this once!"
"No... what could an old man like me possibly do?"
"We're begging you! Without you, we're out of options!"
"All those gentlemen who only opened their mouths to take my money have suddenly gone silent!"
"Heh heh... Do you think I helped them expecting repayment? If I harbored such impure motives, it wouldn't last long."
"If we weren't desperate, would we be here like this? Please, just help us out!"
With his old connections swarming and clamoring, he had no choice but to listen.
What was the fuss? That massive foreign ship had returned to Joseon loaded with everything from essentials like cloth, water buffalo horns, sugar, pepper, gunpowder, sulfur, coffee beans, and chocolate to all sorts of luxuries.
"All that on a single ship?"
"Yes."
"Heh... You think the foreigners are interested in rice or beans?"
"Of course not."
"So that's why you've all come crawling out of the woodwork."
What else from Joseon would even foreigners from across the sea covet besides ginseng?
But ginseng supply was limited. As always with the court, they'd just demand, "Hand it over."
Of course, the court wouldn't just take it without giving anything back, but merchants weren't the type to be satisfied with scraps from the highborn's table. Those who would be wouldn't even bother coming to Lim Sang-ok.
"What do you want?"
"If the country permits trade, shouldn't we Song merchants join in?"
"Ginseng matters naturally fall under the Man merchants' purview."
"If we're not careful, the Gyeonggang merchants might monopolize the foreigners' goods!"
Rights.
The scent of enormous profits hung in the air.
Just the bribes these merchants scattered to tag along on Qing tribute missions amounted to a fortune.
But those bribes could be recouped just by reaching Beijing, selling ginseng, and buying Qing goods with the proceeds—it was child's play.
Moreover, the current atmosphere wasn't exactly welcoming to these merchants.
Why was the court squeezing them for ginseng?
Why not just let that foreign boy trade his goods for red ginseng and call it a day?
Lim Sang-ok didn't voice it, but he caught the shared desires and frustrations echoing in their minds and nodded.
"I'll put out some feelers to the court officials... and if possible, arrange a meeting with that foreign boy."
"Thank you!"
"But don't get your hopes up. I'm just a powerless old man now."
If even Lim Sang-ok couldn't manage it, their own efforts would be futile.
The merchants bowed gratefully and rose one by one.
That was when it happened.
"By the way."
A young merchant slipped in the comment amid the rising commotion.
"I've heard that in the foreigners' country, even kings, nobles, and generals are merchants or factory workers."
"...Who told you that?"
"Just rumors I've picked up. But that foreign boy was said to be from a noble family, highly educated and talented. Yet here he is, playing merchant in Joseon."
"Don't go blabbing that around."
The gathered merchants were mostly Song or Man traders.
In other words, from Gaeseong or Uiju.
The northwest region, where resentment against the Joseon court had layered deep enough to spark the Hong Gyeong-nae Rebellion just a few decades ago.
They prefaced their words with "idle rumors" or "those uneducated foreigners," but...
The tales of a land where merchants were nobility wouldn't fade from their minds, no matter how they tried.
My grand plan to connect Joseon to the world market.
Other foreigners didn't even know Joseon's strengths and weaknesses, let alone what kind of country it was.
And the Joseon people living here had no idea their future ended in endless plundering, culminating in the Korean people becoming slaves to the Japanese for the first time in history—a mad, insane fate.
Only I knew.
Park In-ho's IQ of 150 plus Arthur Leigh's 200 made 350. With this intellect and future knowledge, I could grasp the world and claim the throne.
- You think you're Xun Yu?
Xun Yu was so dumb he died without noticing rice stuck to his lunchbox lid. Someone as smart as me licks the yogurt lid clean, so that won't happen.
That's why I wasn't too surprised when a famous figure came to see me.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Lim Sang-ok."
"Sir, why are you bowing to me? A man who held high office shouldn't do this."
Look at that. What part of this screams foreign barbarian etiquette? Pure Joseon Three Bonds and Five Ethics mastery.
Lim Sang-ok was once a drama protagonist. As a rare "merchant" character in Korean history, novels about him were practically required reading for guys like me back in the day.
Hmm. Mass media is truly amazing. When I was in school, during his peak, kids got caned for listing loan shark as their dream job, and when ratings hit 50%, every hanbang medical school in the country overflowed.
That's why the image of this Lim Sang-ok as the protagonist of that famous event, The Merchant Who Shook the King, was etched crystal clear in my mind.
"I've long heard of your great reputation, sir. To think there's a merchant in Joseon with such wealth, character, and honor— I was in awe."
"Heh heh. Gilding my old face like this. You must want something big."
As expected.
That's why dealing with fellow merchants is so efficient.
"What do you want?"
"You may not know, but ginseng is tricky—it spoils easily and loses potency. We know the advantages of sea trade but haven't dared try."
- Hey, big trouble? If ginseng turns to bellflower, we're done for!
Is that jar ghost really the Dragon King? You control the temperature and humidity then.
- No... if I could, I'd have my nose pierced next to you right now...?
His pathetic tone sapped my will to argue. Sigh. Dumb beast. Stuck to livestock year-round, his brain's regressed to animal level.
Anyway, words aside, Qing smugglers shipped Joseon ginseng just fine.
But no need to say, "Just play with the Qing boys; you're not needed."
I wanted to give Lim Sang-ok—and the Joseon merchants behind him—a far bigger role.
- What role?
The emerging bourgeoisie.
To boost Joseon's purchasing power, I needed to consult and guide it into a modern capitalist state.
Toppling the ancien régime and modernizing wouldn't let the entrenched yangban class sit idle. As a foreigner, I couldn't lead it directly, so I needed internal drivers.
Catholics brimming with grudges against the Joseon government.
Northwesterners with resentment to their bones.
Intellectuals questioning, "Is this a country?" and pioneers awakening to enlightenment.
Too big-picture for now. First, build solid ties with Joseon merchants. I didn't want a dumb Spanish-style colony of burning and looting!
- Ah, yes. I see...
"Your insight has opened my eyes, sir. Then, could we seek your advice on transporting ginseng?"
"I'd love to help the next generation, but the laws are strict. What can we do?"
"I hear that when Joseon merchants sell ginseng in Beijing, they get 25 nyang per geun at best, sometimes under 30, or even 10 nyang—a steal."
Curiosity, greed, and a touch of pity flickered in Lim Sang-ok's eyes. He'd assumed the guest was clueless, but catching someone who knew the market? Merchants get that look.
- What's the pity for?
Hard to fleece, obviously. Why else? That's why gentlemen always beat merchants first.
"But we Western merchants trading in southern China hear that deep inland, ginseng fetches 100 or 200 nyang per geun, countless times."
"How can we let Chinese merchants hog the fruits of Joseon sweat?"
"Heh heh. We're merchants too—what can we do? We can't haul it to distant Sichuan or Yunnan ourselves, so their profits are natural."
"If you route through us, it's no problem at all."
Lim Sang-ok dropped the law talk.
Why was ginseng pricey now?
Opium addicts loved it as a remedy.
And obviously, opium was peddled by wicked Americans and French posing as Brits, so more addicts near ports.
- They're your people. Why blame innocent Americans...?
Hush. The Great Britain's opium wars? All American historical distortion.
Demand drives price. I could sell for 50-100 nyang in new ports like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Fuzhou. Fail, and I'd bite my tongue.
I proposed: "Ditch the unprofitable tribute escorts and join the fun sea ginseng trade with the British Empire?"
Up to him now.
"Tempting for a merchant, but the kingdom's bans are strict."
- Damn.
No, it wouldn't end like this.
Lim Sang-ok droned on with small talk for a while.
Who taught him, what the West was like, impressions of Joseon, etc.
I lavished praise on Joseon's landscapes, hospitality, and handsome people, while subtly mentioning Western power, wealth, and alien politics.
After much chatter...
"Seeing your deep Confucian roots, I have a favor to ask. Would that be alright?"
"Of course. I'll help if I can."
"Wars and famines have left orphans everywhere. Thankfully, I have some wealth to feed and shelter them, even placing them as laborers when needed."
I nodded.
"Some long for the sea, so I'd like to teach them sailing. Could you teach Western ship-handling or seamanship?"
"Gladly. Send them over. With ship skills plus Western language and script, they'll be invaluable later."
Joseon scorns seafaring. Drown at sea, no proper grave.
And they distrust blue-eyed foreigners. My hat, Joseon speech, and looks helped.
But learning ships?
Bet they're from traitor families caught in Hong Gyeong-nae or Catholics.
And though unintentional, they'd know ginseng transport too.
All resupplies done, Joseon government's settlements complete.
"Could we do it on credit?"
At the very last moment, the court circled but brought it up. Ginseng payment was tight.
I deducted crew food/lodging and labor costs, agreed to future provisions, and cheerfully accepted credit. Joseon had essentially opened its doors to this Arthur Leigh only.
Departure prep finished.
Right before sailing.
A few rowboats—not from Lim Sang-ok—slipped up at midnight, loading red ginseng crates aboard.
And the laborers who ferried from rowboats to Henry didn't return but crammed into the hold.
"Next destination?"
"Hong Kong."
Macau's right next door.
And there, Joseon Catholic Kim Daegun and others.
My next recruitment targets.