Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Stele of Merit (1)
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The moment I laid eyes on Kim Gyeol, my breath caught in my throat.
Me, Kim Dae-bung, a yangban of Joseon who's lived for over eighteen—no, nineteen years now. Even though I've long since mastered the art of keeping my emotions off my face as naturally as breathing...
The appearance of this lovely young girl before me drew out a most un-scholarly reaction.
To stand there dumbfounded, offering no reply while the precious daughter of the house greeted me—what a disgrace.
It took a good long while of spacing out before I finally pulled myself together and asked,
"...Man-deok, is this young lady your daughter?"
Kim Man-deok smiled as he replied,
"She is the daughter I treasure most."
"I see."
I have one embarrassing secret. It's that I've hardly ever had a conversation with a girl my age, not in modern Korea nor here in Joseon.
The longest record I have is maybe ten minutes or so. And even that was just teaching a female part-timer how to work the convenience store register.
So, with zero immunity to girls my age, my judgment just freezes when a beauty like this shows up.
Right now, I'm barely holding it together with my nineteen years of scholar's discipline. If I let my guard down even a little, I'd turn into some weirdo with a face red as a beet and limbs flailing all over the place.
Kim Man-deok chuckled as if he could read my mind perfectly and said to his daughter,
"The Magistrate is a noble soul who values even a mere merchant like me if he has a loyal heart for king and country. What's more, he cherishes the common folk like his own children and is so incorruptible that he won't even accept gifts."
"I've heard as much from those around me."
"He opened the market to relieve the poor and provided us merchants a proper place to do honest business, so to me, he is a special benefactor. Thus, as your father's benefactor, pour the Magistrate a cup of wine."
Following her father's command, Kim Gyeol poured me a cup.
Eyes black and deep like the starless night sky, lustrous black hair neatly combed back, and behind it, a glimpse of dazzlingly white nape.
But above all, those breasts—F-cup, no, at least G-cup. For a guy like me with no romantic ties in either my past or present life, it was utterly overwhelming.
After pouring the wine, she looked at me with a radiant smile.
"Having met the Magistrate in person, renowned far and wide for his benevolence and virtue, I can see the rumors are spot on."
"I'm not a man of such great virtue."
Kim Gyeol tilted her head at my words.
Such humility suits only King Sejong the Great, who loves all meats from pork to beef to chicken. I'm just a petty magistrate trying to wrap up my duties decently before resigning on my own terms.
"It's true our county's poor no longer starve, but is that enough? Plenty of folks here still live in mud huts. That's another problem needing urgent attention. And while I can't feed them rice every day to their fill, at least barley rice ought to be on the table...
I've barely managed to shove a single spoonful into their mouths so far."
If Joseon's scholars heard this, they'd probably react like,
'Why does that guy set his sights so high?'
That's right. Without thinking, I tend to view the world through 21st-century modern common sense rather than Joseon's.
But just because reality is harsh doesn't mean I can sit on my hands.
Just reaching out brings hope and joy to hundreds, even thousands in the county right away. Seeing that makes me work harder whether I like it or not.
"Is that how you see it, Magistrate?"
"I merely did my utmost in what I could. How can giving your all to your duties be called great virtue? How can it be deemed benevolence?"
Kim Gyeol smiled at me, bowed, and withdrew.
Kim Man-deok gauged my mood and bowed his head.
"If my daughter offended you in any way, please forgive her."
"She meant to praise me—how could I take it ill? Quite the opposite; I'm pleased. That my work is seen not just by the county's poor but by you as good and worthwhile proves I'm on the right path, doesn't it?"
There's a saying: live by your own values, not by others' glances. I agree a hundred times over.
That's why I didn't half-ass lawsuits like other magistrates, take bribes for siding with the yangban, chase skirts with gisaeng while mumbling about heroic pleasures and bedroom frolics, or slack off on duties.
For those hungry for promotion, working hard like me is par for the course, but I have no such ambitions, so it's odd even to me.
I simply acted according to the values I hold dear. And I take pride in doing a decent job as magistrate. For others to acknowledge it? That's the best.
"Night's grown late; let's end the chatter here."
"Yes, Magistrate."
"The county's scholars are pooling funds voluntarily to build a dam—a reservoir—for irrigation."
"Is that true?"
"I persuaded them earnestly, and they stepped up willingly to spare no expense for the common folk."
Of course, that persuasion included a bit of arm-twisting by threatening to send their fudged tax ledgers straight to King Taejong...
Still, I never outright said, 'Send up those books and you're all dead.' They just convinced themselves they'd face Jeong Hak-so punishment. So it's heartfelt persuasion, not blackmail.
If someone cries, 'That's blackmail!' then... well, I'd have no choice but to wield my magistrate's authority (promotion be damned).
"We'll build dams starting at Dongcheon and Saseo streams. For laborers, I'll offset wages by reducing their Emergency Grain Loan debts per day worked. Using county warehouse funds would burn through taxes fast, but the yangban will cover it. They'll even provide meals for the workers."
I think it's beautiful. Instead of gutting the bellies of these tax-dodgers—who evade legally and illegally alike just because they're the elite...
Recovering what they nearly cheated and putting it to public works? How perfect.
The yangban might gripe at first about the money squeeze, but once irrigation boosts crop yields, they'll strut with pride.
"With them showing such generosity, shouldn't the folk express proper gratitude? Say, by erecting a Stele of Merit."
A Stele of Merit is basically posting the deeds of ju-dak, pa-ddak, and go-nik types for all to see.
Updating the rankings weekly, biweekly, monthly so folks keep seeing it.
Not even active gallery go-niks and floaters read every post, and most commoners couldn't read the hanja anyway...
But having my achievements pinned? Feels great.
Especially for scholars who live and die by honor—they couldn't bear it.
"You're telling me to rouse the people to erect a Stele of Merit themselves?"
"Why not? The folk struggle under the grain loans; the yangban stepping up to lighten that load... If they can't feel grateful for that, are they even human?"
The rich often "donate" to cut taxes. To children's foundations, disabled centers, elder care facilities.
It's less about helping the weak and more about slashing tax bills.
Donate a million won, save one-point-one or one-point-two in taxes—who wouldn't?
That million feeds the poor a meal, warms them through winter. Good intentions or bad, it saves lives.
Recipients should be grateful regardless of the donor's motives.
Without it, they might've died for real.
"Failing to thank for what you've received isn't proper human conduct."
"Exactly. And to motivate them to keep doing 'good deeds,' the folk showing gratitude to the yangban would help."
The way to get more donations is to express thanks well. I knew a rich donor to an orphanage; when the kids remembered his birthday, wrote thank-you letters by hand, and sent them...
He'd want to donate there over elsewhere, even without tax breaks. Tax or no, he'd feel compelled.
Humans are wired to open their wallets wider the more thanks they get.
"Shall I spread this word across the whole county?"
"Do that. And since I trust your diligence, one more favor."
"Anything you say."
"Help Jinhae County's merchants declare their assets properly, like you did."
"'Help' how, sir?"
"Tell them if they omit anything, I'll come calling myself."
I can't tolerate illegal tax evasion by the wealthy.
And... with Kim Man-deok cooperating this much, I ought to give him fair compensation.
"I'll take my leave now."
With Kim Man-deok seeing me off, I left his house.
Once the Magistrate was gone, Kim Man-deok began pondering the best way to spread the word.