Chapter 50
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 050
Chapter Title: You Reap What You Sow (5)
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If someone said the post office makes money, feeble 21st-century folks might think, "Huh? How does that make money? Aren't they always deep in the red?"
But this is the romantic 19th century.
There are no home phones, pagers, cell phones, Cyworld, NateOn, smartphones, or Cyonic Cards to compete with the post office.
- Those examples feel a bit off...
In other words, the post office in this era is an institution that combines all of those things. To compare it properly, think of a massive public monopoly handling internet and communications.
"What's the difference from the old courier system?"
"The key is that anyone can freely send letters and parcels by paying a fee."
"And that generates that much profit?"
"Yes. Right now, people rely on servants or passing travelers because Joseon folks have no other way, but how much would they want to send letters if they could?"
"Hmm..."
"Your Highness, this postal service is truly a royal undertaking."
Heonjong, raised solely in the deep palace, looked somewhat skeptical, but Yi Ha-eung, who had lived as a wild Joseon man hearing such tales, had eyes sparkling brightly. Was he a convenience store owner in a past life or something?
"Is it really that big a deal?"
"Indeed it is, Your Highness. For starters, decree that all petitions be received only via post. Any scholar with a mouth will wear out the postal service using it."
Let me correct myself.
Joseon people just love control too much.
They leap far beyond the concept of "free exchange of letters between individuals" straight to "Petitions are just letters between scholars and the king anyway. Let's hand them all to the post office."
"Wouldn't that provoke a huge backlash from the literati? If even submitting a petition to the king requires spending money, which scholar would welcome that?"
"There's a solution for that."
"Does England have something similar?"
"Yes. It's called stamp duty."
What kind of country is the British Empire? One obsessed with collecting taxes.
In pre-modern times, what could extract taxes more easily and simply than stamp duty?
"If you're submitting a document to the king on some shabby scrap of paper, how could that not be an outrage? It must be written on paper produced through proper, refined processes to be fitting for a scholar. And stamping it proves it meets the court's regulations."
"In other words, stamp it to certify it's gone through legal procedures."
"And since the state expends effort in this process, a modest fee is paid."
Joseon people might think it seems too stingy or petty.
But any 21st-century Korean knows: every time you get a deed copy or certificate of seal impression, those few hundred or thousand won add up to a fortune.
Above all, stamp duty is a tax paid only by those using the service. Farmers digging dirt in the countryside almost never pay it; only the guys scratching their butts in their rooms, muttering Confucius this and Mencius that, thinking "Hmm, bored—maybe I should submit a petition ranting about the state of affairs," end up paying.
Once you establish the post office, the revenue streams are endless.
Just letters? You can do parcels too.
If stamps succeed, postal orders naturally follow. 21st-century folks who just open a banking app for transfers won't get it, but for 19th-century people, if not handing over cash in person, postal money orders are the safest and most convenient option.
"Once postal service spreads widely, sending servants will feel awkward, and exchanging letters via post office will become the norm."
Probably so.
"Thus, it will make surveillance by offices like the Royal Guard incredibly convenient for cracking down on and arresting couriers."
...Fine. I surrender. The moment I mention the post office system, Joseon folks start plotting letter censorship—I lose!!
"Hmm. Then let's give it a try. We'll discuss it soon."
"Understood."
How to utilize the post office?
How to spread awareness of the system so people easily accept it?
A 21st-century person has the answer ready, of course.
- What are you planning?
First, once Joseon's first post office opens, send demonstration letters everywhere.
- Greeting cards? Makes sense. You do have connections around Joseon...
The letter I'm sending is this one.
- Seriously, your brain only turns that sharp for stuff like this, huh?
What are you talking about?
This is just sharing a bit of know-how to quickly familiarize them with this new invention. The fact that stamp revenue alone could build a few buildings is just a nice bonus.
And honestly, honestly... compared to people scheming censorship or hunting couriers, I'm the mild flavor, right?
Joseon was changing day by day.
I love Hanyang's Sungnyemun Gate.
The sun rises over Sungnyemun.
Great King Yi Hwan leads us forward—who in Joseon dynasty history has ruled as wisely as His Majesty?
- Stop! How dare you sing that terrifying song! Shut your mouth right now!
Come to think of it, the jar ghost seems a bit weak against "that person."
- The Dragon King is a king, after all.
Yeah. So?
- But "that person" was the Son of Heaven of China. Kings and emperors—so our power was in a superior-subordinate relationship.
Is that... right? So?
- Well, originally, when felling a great tree in the village, they tell the mountain spirit "By imperial decree, obey," and when exorcising ghosts, they shout "Immediate execution order." It's all wisdom from bureaucratic life. So the followers of that person don't match well with me...
Hmm. I see.
In short, like the Eastern Depot or Brocade Guard under the emperor, Mao's Red Guards had enough power to reduce even a Dragon King to a mere jar ghost. The ghost world is brutally tough too.
- Definitely! Get rid of that bastard no matter what! Please, Arthur! He's the enemy who sealed me in this jar! Wake up already, Arthur!
Let's set aside the jar ghost burning with resentment toward Mao for now. The sparrow slayer might have just been born.
Joseon was truly undergoing dynamic upheaval.
Westerners were starting to appear one by one on Joseon soil, each bringing tools and technologies Joseon people had never dreamed of.
Honestly, some things baffled me as to why Joseon folks were so excited, while others I, as a future person, insisted must be adopted—but they weren't thrilled at all.
For example, this.
"Building a clock tower in the middle of Hanyang's marketplace would undoubtedly elevate the dignity of the ancestral shrines and the royal house."
Yi Ha-eung, the Heungseon Prince, pushing for a giant clock tower instead of the ambitious dream of rebuilding Gyeongbok Palace.
"With Westerners soon frequenting Joseon lands, it would be right to build new lodgings to host and house them. How about erecting a new building for Westerners, modeled on Dongpyeonggwan?"
...Looking now, he just seems itching to build something. Is construction truly the instinct of Joseon men?
Meanwhile, Heonjong actually drew his sword.
He was beginning preparations for land reform.
"We shall conduct a land survey."
Land survey—modern terms: measuring land and registering deeds.
Just like 21st-century folks wriggle to pay less tax, every yangban's trick is hiding as much land as possible from the state.
The king stands for "Let's collect taxes fairly and squarely," but landowners think, "I've lived tax-free all this time—now I have to pay?" So they won't stay quiet.
"......"
"......"
But right now, it was quiet.
After the special screening of "Traitor on the Jujube Tree," who would dare complain? Tax collection is done with fists, not words.
Besides, there was another reason the court officials were silent.
"Hear ye, ministers. I've heard the British army has advanced to the gates of Beijing—is this true?"
"Yes, Your Highness. The Qing forces collapsed without proper resistance, allowing the British to reach Tianjin. The Jin Khan has fled to Rehe."
You can tell how much Joseon people despise the Qing just from their word choice.
Whether in private or official settings, they avoid "Qing Dynasty" or "China."
What do they call it then?
"That country."
Lord Voldemort, whose name must not be spoken, has existed on Joseon soil for centuries. Joseon people never obediently called it Qing.
The Qing emperor is similar.
Unlike fallen Ming emperors, whom they painstakingly call by full titles like Shinjong or Wanli, Qing rulers are dodged with pronouns or bluntly called "Qing Lord."
Now even "Qing Lord" is gone—they're calling him "Jin Khan," a further demotion to Jurchen Khan.
"From the moment I heard the Jin Khan rules without virtue, rebellions boiling across the Central Plains, I knew this would happen. How could such a vast land crumble so easily? Without losing the Mandate of Heaven, how could an emperor abandon his capital and flee?"
"Truly wise words, Your Highness."
The ministers and Heonjong had remarkably thick faces.
"Rules without virtue? Didn't Your Highness say that?"
"We had a rebellion not long ago too."
"Your Highness wanted to flee but got held back by Kim Ja-geun and couldn't escape."
But having the wisdom not to voice inner grumbles is why they're officials in court. Friends who spoke freely got express-delivered to Kim Ja-geun's side.
"Ah! How tragic! This foolish king of mine, aided by fine ministers, has dealt faithfully with Western nations and swiftly righted the state, saving the suffering people. How blind and vile must the Jin Khan be to neglect even this simple task, letting the people endure such misery?"
Heonjong now gleefully dissing the Qing like they were shit.
But the ministers were no slouches at bootlicking the king and shitting on the Qing.
"This humble servant observed the heavens, and never has the northeast been so filled with auspicious energy—the blue glow alone could blind one's eyes!"
"A farmer in Asan found a copper sparrow while plowing!"
"Hunters in Hamgyong saw a giraffe and phoenix in the mountains—the traces left were so extraordinary, surely from divine beasts!"
"If the Central Plains had a king worthy of the throne, how could such omens flock to vassal Joseon?"
After leisurely enjoying the praise medley for a while, Heonjong spoke again.
"But the Jurchens are inherently savage, lacking all virtue. Once the Westerners sign a treaty and withdraw, they'll surely bully our civilized Eastern Kingdom to vent their rage."
"Indeed."
"Your Highness, military affairs are more crucial now than ever. Graciously command the training of a strong army."
"You speak truly! The Jin Khan will reveal his savage heart just like in Bingja Year, so to avoid that humiliation, the military must lead all matters!"
A mad declaration to go all-in on the military.
Yet upon hearing Tianjin burning and Beijing next, Joseon folks skipped clichéd "accumulate virtue" lines and cheered wildly instead.
Yes.
Manchuria... we've gotta take it, right?