Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Secret Royal Inspector Kim Dae-bung (12)
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I don't hate promotions.
Public servant—no, among everyone working a job in this world, who on earth would hate getting promoted?
No. In modern society, there are people who turn down promotions because they prioritize work-life balance or dread the extra duties and responsibilities.
But there's one thing I can say for sure.
Among those who passed the civil service exams in Joseon, almost none saw worldly success as anything less than their life's goal. The intensity might vary from person to person, sure.
In my case, I'm not the type to stake my neck on climbing the ranks, but the thought of refusing a promotion if offered? Not even a flicker of that crosses my mind.
"Are you saying you have no desire for advancement? If you wish it, I will promote you specially—even if it means defying court procedures and precedents, or weathering a storm of opposing memorials from the ministers."
King Taejong Yi Bang-won, the Iron Fist King himself, would bulldoze right through any opposition.
Even King Sejong, that guy, right before the Imjin War, appointed Admiral Yi Sun-sin—who'd been fired multiple times for "poor social skills" because he never took or gave bribes by Joseon standards—as Left Naval Commander of Jeolla Province.
When the ministers said promoting him that fast all at once was impossible, he pulled the absurd move of bumping him up once every seven days.
How could Yi Bang-won not manage it?
"This humble servant has merely done his utmost to repay Your Highness's grace. In truth, the Fangwon Law could benefit the impoverished people only because Former King Your Highness trusted this servant completely. All I did was lend a small hand to Your Highness's great cause. How could I possibly petition Former King Your Highness for a promotion?"
For a typical Grade 6 official, reaching the top of Grade 6 takes about six years. But I'd climbed this far in just three.
That's already a massive favor—three years ahead of the pack.
But if I pushed for another special promotion out of personal ambition, what then?
No issues while Yi Bang-won and Sejong were alive...
But precedents like this were bound to be abused by later generations.
"This servant certainly doesn't dislike advancement. However, if Former King Your Highness promotes me out of affection this time too, might this fine precedent be twisted for ill use in the future?"
Yi Bang-won tilted his head for a moment.
Then, as if suddenly understanding, he broke into a warm smile.
"I'm not testing you. Your loyalty was plain for all to see at Gwanghwamun when you submitted that public appeal—me, His Majesty, and all the people of Joseon witnessed it. Moreover, you've committed not a single error or scandal thus far. I trust you more deeply than even Lord Jinsanbuwongun Ha Ryun."
Lord Jinsanbuwongun Ha Ryun, Taejong's right-hand man and most trusted advisor.
The others—claiming merits as founding contributors or royal in-laws—strutted around until their heads were bashed in or they rotted away in exile. But Ha Ryun? Taejong trusted him to the end.
"So speak plainly what you desire."
"Please widely appoint talented merchants so they may take on duties for the state."
"Hahaha. So you are human after all. Looking out for your father-in-law like that."
Yi Bang-won said it, but he didn't seem annoyed at all.
For a split second, it felt like the smile a professor makes when "kidnapping" a promising student...
Well, depending on how you interpret it, my request could sound like lobbying for my father-in-law's post.
I need to clear up the misunderstanding quick.
Otherwise, King Sejong might go, "Our Dae-bung has a weakness now! Ho there—make Kim Dae-bung Chief State Councillor for life at once!"
What I'm proposing is strictly for the good of the nation, not personnel favoritism. I can't end up in "lifetime service" like Hwang Hui, blinded by greed and gorging on bribes.
"The core of the Fangwon Law is agriculture and commerce. Nearly every yangban official owns land, varying only in size—they're all landlords. So even if they've never tilled a field themselves, they know exactly how to manage those who do."
It might sound odd to say yangban know farming well...
But shift your perspective a bit, and it clicks right away.
Just like a landlord couldn't possibly be clueless about building maintenance or tax laws...
Joseon's yangban, no different from landlords with their vast holdings, couldn't not know farming.
Books like Straight Talk on Farming, compiled in Sejong's era, blend yangban knowledge with the wisdom of aged farmers, after all.
"Yet among the officials serving in court, is there even one—including this servant—who truly understands how commerce operates or what it entails?"
If court officials knew commerce inside out, the corrupt monks wouldn't have dreamed of price-gouging officials dispatched as magistrates.
Get caught fleecing the market rates, and depending on the offense, you'd take dozens of cane strokes—or worst case, end up a headless ghost dragged to a Buddhist hell for sucking the lifeblood from the faithful.
"You're right."
"Even sending officials to monitor markets in every village has its limits. And as commerce grows in scale, merchant abuses will only worsen. How could we handle it?"
Anything scales up, it gets messier.
Of course, Joseon's bookworm officials would eventually figure out commerce management.
But until then, merchants would hide taxes and pull all sorts of illegal stunts.
We can't let merchants dodge taxes or scheme through loopholes unchecked.
"The previous dynasty, Goryeo, judged men solely by pedigree. No matter how capable, if not from a noble house, they never rose to minister. That stagnation rotted them from within until they lost Heaven's mandate. But Joseon selects talent broadly—like lowly-born Jang Yeong-sil the Star Keeper or Minister of the Capital Park Ja-cheong—and achieves this prosperity."
Local clerks aside, Seoul clerks could study alongside work and snag posts later.
Or become formal yangban via the right exams, no big hurdle.
And for standouts like Park Ja-cheong or Jang Yeong-sil, even commoner blood posed no barrier to office.
"Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants—all are Joseon's people. Why leave unused those with skills the nation needs?"
"So you're not saying this out of private sentiment."
"Precisely, Your Highness."
Right after I got involved, Joseon's grasp of economics improved leaps and bounds.
No more crowning Ryu Jeong-hyeon—who spouted nonsense like "tax cuts always good for the people"—as top economist, with everyone blindly worshipping his philosophy.
Still, plenty of officials don't even grasp comparative advantage in trade.
Like growing premium rice in Icheon, tangerines in rice-poor Jeju, and trading them for profit? No clue.
How could such officials spot or stop merchants scheming to evade taxes, build power, and sway the nation?
Give it 150 years, and we might end up like the Edo Bakufu—shoguns, daimyo, hatamoto, samurai all in debt, merchants lording over the realm.
"Very well, I accept. Anything else you wish to add?"
"Forgive my impertinence, but what is His Majesty doing now?"
"His Majesty ponders the ills and benefits of markets, and how to manage them."
Per the Annals, King Sejong worked near 17 hours a day, 120 a week—barring unavoidable holidays.
Joseon hails it as ideal...
'Ridiculous.'
After I posted for the exam, work piled up insanely once—I clocked 110 hours a week for a month, and a 20-something colleague collapsed from overwork, hospitalized.
"Zhuge Liang ate little and worked excessively, exhausting his body until he failed his great cause at the Five Zhang Plains. His Majesty eats plenty, but too much meat and rice bloats the body."
Yi Bang-won's brow furrowed.
Telling the king he might die? I deserve an iron mace to the skull right here.
But better I risk it than let Sejong burn out early—for the people's sake.
I'm a public servant; serving the people is our duty.
Straight talk to the heavens, no shame.
"Bloating leads to xiao ke (diabetes) easily, weakening heart and organs for dire illness."
"......"
Joseon folk know obesity's bad. They just lack modern insight on how lethal.
"Rest when resting, work when working—that's peak efficiency. Even Your Highness is human; overworking for the people risks health."
Sejong died from overeating and overwork, plain and simple.
Eight years prior, diabetic complications blinded him nearly.
Blamed on personally overseeing book annotations, leading to exhaustion.
Yi Bang-won scowled, ground his teeth, then sighed.
"......You have a point. What to do?"
"Hunt with His Majesty often, leave court on time unless urgent, exercise diligently to toughen the royal body."
At "hunt," Yi Bang-won smiled.
"I trust your sincerity. I'll sternly ask the royal physicians about His Majesty's condition. If you're right, we'll get him moving more. You've toiled as inspector—take a special month's leave. Rest well and return."