Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Stele of Merit (4)
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Word soon spread through the yangban of the county that Kim Dae-bung would be transferring out before long.
Whenever they heard that another magistrate was leaving, they would accept it easily with a simple, "Ah, has your time come at last?"
If the man had been somewhat corrupt, they might have clicked their tongues, thinking, "We wished you'd get out sooner, and now you finally are." If he had been capable, they would have regretted it a little, wishing he could stay just a bit longer...
But Kim Dae-bung was far too capable.
A mad magistrate who satisfied the yangban, the clerks, the merchants, and even the common folk.
In the grips of a crisis that such a magistrate would never come again, the county's foremost scholar, Kim Nam-jo, called all the townsfolk to his home.
Normally, involving the commoners in discussions of county affairs was utterly absurd. But at a time like this, their support was desperately needed, so he had summoned them.
"Ahem, ahem... Enough preamble. The reason I've gathered you all here today is because a most regrettable event has befallen our county."
One of the commoners objected to his words.
"What on earth do you mean, sir? Thanks to the magistrate, even poor widows now have ways to feed themselves and no longer starve their children—and I'm grateful too, as I can finally feed mine three meals a day. Good fortune has filled our county, so what ill could there possibly be?"
Kim Nam-jo himself agreed with the man. Ever since the new magistrate arrived, the county had changed.
The people's faces brimmed with vitality, and with no famine striking, even the poor no longer went hungry.
Thanks to the new dam, water for farming was supplied reliably, leading to a bumper crop this year. As a result, even his own granary was filled to the brim with rice. Only good things kept coming.
'If only we could live like this forever.'
"The magistrate is to be promoted."
A promotion meant advancing to a better position. It was certainly cause for celebration and joy, but...
Neither the common folk nor the clerks and yangban could rejoice at the news.
Among the more emotional commoners, some even broke down sobbing.
"...Thanks to the magistrate, we live like human beings now, happy every day. How can you leave us so soon?"
"Oh dear, Magistrate. You've only been in our county a mere year and a half."
"Not forever, but shouldn't you stay at least ten years?"
Kim Nam-jo himself wished the magistrate would stay in the county longer. Better yet, if during that extended time he "happened" to meet his daughter, fell passionately in love in the springtime of youth, set aside his duties, and they even held a wedding...?
What glory that would bring to the family.
Even if that failed, the longer this magistrate stayed—even a single day—the richer he himself could become. That much he'd seen firsthand. The richer one grew, the more one could bestow, raising the family name higher and earning even greater respect from the county folk.
To grow richer the more you gave—such fortune was like some divine miracle defying all reason.
He had no intention of letting it slip away.
"If His Highness has made up his mind, there's nothing to be done. But it's not as if there's no way at all."
Everyone perked up their ears at his words.
"Is there truly a way?"
"By Joseon's laws, a local official's term is five years. Yet our magistrate has only been here a year and a half. In other words, if the scholars of our county unite to submit a petition and it is accepted, our magistrate can stay in Jinhae County for another three and a half years."
Everyone cheered at the news. Ideally, the magistrate would stay ten years, but three and a half more was far better than him leaving right away.
Look at how much he'd developed the county in just a year and a half. What wonders might another three and a half years bring?
"But what can ignorant folk like us do?"
Kim Nam-jo chuckled and unfurled a sheet of white paper.
Already listed there in neat rows were the names of the county's yangban and clerks, including his own.
"I'll call your names one by one. When I do, I'll write yours on this paper. Then press your ink-dipped palm below it."
"What meaning does this hold, sir?"
"This petition will show His Highness that not only yangban like me, but clerks and even commoners like you all wish for our magistrate to remain in this county long-term. His Highness, who loves his people, won't he read it carefully? That raises the odds our magistrate stays."
Everyone nodded in understanding. Neither the commoners nor the yangban here had ever met the king.
Yet the king had sent them a fine magistrate like Kim Dae-bung and swiftly beheaded a villain like Jeong Hak-so who overstepped.
Would a king who cherished his people ignore their voices?
If they raised those voices, surely the king would consider their plea.
"What are you waiting for? Line up and speak your names!"
At Kim Nam-jo's command, all the commoners who had come lined up and stepped forward one by one.
"My name is Kim Gap-dol."
"Good, Kim Gap-dol... Written. Now press your palm here below."
"Yes, sir."
"Next!"
Once Kim Nam-jo had collected names and handprints from all one hundred commoners present, he spoke.
"The other villages are doing much the same. But won't there be some who haven't joined yet?"
"Yes, sir."
"If we want to keep our magistrate longer, go urge them right now to come and add their prints. Get every adult male to join!"
Forcing this would risk treason charges, enough to lose one's head.
It could be seen as inciting public opinion to defy the court's orders. But if the people truly wished it, and a yangban merely gathered and conveyed that sentiment to the king...?
Then it became a noble example of a virtuous scholar heeding the people's will and delivering it to the throne. Naturally, this was the latter.
"Yes, sir!"
The commoners roared their reply and dashed off to find those who hadn't yet heard.
They felt compelled to tell their neighbors who hadn't printed their hands to join the petition begging the magistrate to stay longer.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Three days later, the "Petition to Extend Magistrate Kim Dae-bung's Term," bearing 1,578 names from across the county, was complete.
The petition reached King Sejong before a replacement magistrate could be appointed.
"The humble rural scholar Kim Nam-jo of Jinhae bows low and humbly reports. [Omitted] The new County Magistrate of Jinhae has provided livelihoods even for wandering vagrants. As a result, we now have abundant food and clothing, awakening us to the duties we owe as human beings. Thus, we have taken root in Jinhae County to become Your Highness's subjects." It was the highest praise a yangban could give a magistrate.
Providing livelihoods so the people could grasp their human duties.
It was the essential task all scholars must pursue and achieve—and he had accomplished it personally. It was praise beyond compare, like in a game where five miscreants team up against you, yet you ask after their parents' health while cursing them out.
King Sejong knew there were exactly two cases where a county's yangban would praise a magistrate so effusively.
The vast majority fell into the first: when yangban and magistrate got along splendidly, squeezing the commoners to their limits without a whisper reaching the king's ears.
The other rare case was when the appointed magistrate performed so outstandingly that the yangban begged not to let him go. In such instances, Sejong immediately marked the man as a candidate for Chief State Councillor (no retirement).
Such talents needed to be cherished and kept close for years.
Kim Dae-bung naturally belonged to this elite latter category.
"Your Highness conveys his care for the people through the County Magistrate, and we county folk feel Your gracious virtue as warm as the morning sun. Yet upon hearing Your Highness suddenly intends to replace him, the entire county is thrown into dismay." Sejong read this far, then glanced at the thick stack of papers piled beside the petition.
Those were sheets bearing the names handwritten by Jinhae's yangban, clerks, merchants, and commoners.
The utter lack of any sign of coercion made him wonder just how exemplary the magistrate's rule must have been.
"We beseech Your Highness to graciously allow the County Magistrate to fulfill the full term permitted by national law, for the sake of Jinhae's people." Sejong finished the petition and burst into hearty laughter.
"Plenty boast empty words in this world, but few fulfill them all. I've found such a rare talent!"
Yet Sejong had no intention of accepting the petition from Jinhae.
Their words rang true, but a man named Dae-bung—true to his name, destined to soar to the heavens and benefit all Joseon—could not be confined too long to narrow Jinhae County.
His talents belonged to the entire kingdom.
In gratitude for the people's sincerity, Sejong personally took up his brush to pen a reply.
And as time passed, a new County Magistrate to replace Kim Dae-bung set out. No—given Jinhae's growth, the county's status had risen...
Not a County Magistrate (junior 6th rank), but a District Magistrate (junior 5th rank) moved to take over from Kim Dae-bung.