Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Gunpowder and Hygiene (5)
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One of the most essential skills for any civil servant is the ability to collaborate on tasks.
In fact, inter-departmental cooperation matters in any organization, but for civil servants who must adhere to strict rules and procedures, it's demanded to an even greater degree.
As a Joseon civil servant, I'd come to the Hanseongbu office today to request assistance with a new policy called "Creating Saltpeter Fields," aimed at dramatically ramping up gunpowder production.
"Left Supervisor, sir. I am Kim Dae-bung, Junior Official of the Ministry of Defense. I apologize for the impropriety of asking to see you so abruptly today. Please show me your leniency and forgive me."
"What is there to forgive? I know full well it's because of urgent official duties. Hanseongbu is an office in Hanyang too—do you think we'd be ignorant of that? Pay it no mind."
The Hanseongbu office and the Gyeonggi Governor's compound were both located in Hanyang.
That meant their officials were seen as somewhere between Seoul city hall bureaucrats and central government workers—not quite local provincial staff, yet not fully central appointees either.
The Left Supervisor was equivalent to a vice mayor in Seoul terms, and by rank, a senior 2nd junior-grade official. A man like that couldn't possibly be unaware of the recent upheavals rocking the court.
"Thank you for your understanding. Allow me to get straight to the point, as my business is both pressing and important. To produce saltpeter, we need manure. To that end, I'd like support from Hanseongbu in manpower and budget to collect it. Could you lend us a hand?"
No matter how much of a rising star I was among 5th junior-grade officials, showing up unannounced without an appointment to meet the Hanseong Left Supervisor was a breach of etiquette.
In Joseon, there was an unspoken agreement that you could crack the skull of anyone who ignored propriety, and on the village level, it wasn't uncommon to beat the manners back into some insolent fool until he was half-dead.
So, I couldn't claim there was nothing wrong with barging in on the Left Supervisor and demanding help out of the blue... but right now, I had the backing of the Minister of Defense.
Not just any Minister of Defense at senior 2nd rank, but a senior 1st rank one—the vice-premier-level head of the military.
The Hanseong Left Supervisor surely knew that already.
Besides, what I was requesting directly tied into Joseon's core defense strength: boosting gunpowder output.
'Refuse to help, and you're a traitor.'
"If it's for increasing gunpowder production, of course I'd offer whatever aid I can. So, what exactly do you need?"
"Dung collectors, carts, and wooden barrels to gather manure, urine, forest and mountain soil, straw, and ash."
"How much exactly?"
To regularly collect all the human waste from Hanyang's population of over 100,000 would require hundreds of carts, each manned by as many workers.
And while straw could be gathered roughly, forest humus wasn't easy to collect...
To cover all of Hanyang would take at least 300 men, conservatively speaking.
Of course, since some were already working as dung collectors, the actual new recruits would be fewer than 300...
Even mobilizing every slave, soldier, and errand runner in Hanseongbu wouldn't make filling those spots easy.
"His Highness has decreed that we first establish a system to collect all of Hanyang's manure, then roll it out sequentially to every major county seat and beyond. My initial calculations show that gathering manure and such in Hanyang alone will require at least 500 men."
500 was a blatant exaggeration.
But that's how these things worked—you started high.
Your superior would call it ridiculous, slash the number, and you'd negotiate down from there until you reached agreement.
"I could give you 100 carts, but even combining every errand runner, soldier, and public slave, the max manpower I can spare is 40."
"Couldn't you lend us a few more carts and men?"
"...No more carts... but if I squeeze hard, maybe I can scrape together 45."
I let out a sigh laden with disappointment.
Then bowed my head to the Left Supervisor.
"Left Supervisor, sir, gunpowder production is a matter of national importance."
"The Ministry's gunpowder works... No, the Ministry itself must be short on manpower too."
"The Minister has already mobilized every available man from the Ministry for gunpowder production. I beg you, sir—just a little more help."
"I'm a Joseon official too; I'd roll up my sleeves gladly for gunpowder production. But even wringing Hanseongbu dry only yields this many. What can I do? Try asking other offices."
"......I've already been to every other office on my way here. Things have come to this pass; I have no choice but to request aid from the surrounding counties."
At the mention of "other counties," the Left Supervisor's eyes flashed with fury.
His glare could kill a man on the spot.
Of course, if someone said that to me, I'd be pissed too.
No matter the era, civil servants shove off any responsibility they deem outside their turf to another department.
While fiercely defending their own domain from encroachment.
The reason was simple.
Get tangled in one ambiguously assigned task, and suddenly your department inherits not just the cleanup but all future similar cases.
"......What did you just say?"
"Producing saltpeter for gunpowder is a great national affair, isn't it? So we must get it done, even if it means borrowing men from other counties. I'll pass that message to the Hanseong Governor through the Ministry and seek his cooperation."
That was exactly why I'd come to the Hanseong Left Supervisor—the number two—rather than the Governor himself.
The Hanseong Governor was senior 2nd rank, same as the Six Ministries' ministers, a position like a colonel who'd passed up generalship or a minister who'd stalled at the top civilian rank.
He could ignore even the Minister of Defense if he felt like it.
But the Left Supervisor was 2nd junior rank, with potential to rise to any key post, even bypassing ministers.
In other words, he couldn't ignore the Ministry of Defense—or his direct superior, the Governor.
'Easier to maneuver him into doing what I want.'
"But on second thought, it's not like there are no other options."
"What option do you mean?"
"Hanyang is full of good-for-nothings, isn't it? Gamblers, thugs, louts who do nothing but drink and cause trouble."
Thanks to blanket CCTV coverage bordering on obsession, you could leave a laptop at a Korean café and return from the bathroom unscathed.
In European countries like France, it'd be gone in five minutes flat.
But the common thread in contrasting nations? Gangs carving up turf with knives and every other crime under the sun whenever they got the chance.
Let alone in CCTV-less Joseon, where half of public safety was handled by autonomous commoner self-policing.
Hanyang's roughnecks kept things mostly low-key out of deference to the Royal Guard's ten divisions, but they still sparked serious incidents now and then—and always loomed as potential criminals.
Conscript those types for dung-hauling duty, and who'd complain besides themselves?
"You're saying to deploy the Chungmu Guards to round up the thugs? Herd them into gunpowder production and shit-shoveling?"
"Yes, exactly."
The Hanseong Left Supervisor pondered deeply.
But not for long.
"It's for the nation; no helping it. Especially for gunpowder production? If manpower's short, we should've borrowed soldiers and slaves from neighboring counties anyway."
"My deepest apologies, sir."
"While we're at it, use the Chungmu Guards protecting Hanseongbu. This is a golden chance to sweep up every Hanyang thug. Let those scoundrels who lived by villainy serve the nation for once. Yes—I'll personally draft a memorial to His Highness endorsing your proposal."
And the next day, King Sejong the Great—who took a special interest in gunpowder—immediately approved my suggestion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I personally joined the Chungmu Guards soldiers in raiding Hanyang's back alleys—or more precisely, the slums.
Poverty isn't a crime, but guzzling booze while disrupting social order? That's criminal.
And Joseon loved reforming such folk.
"Hmph... What exactly are you lot doing gathered here at this hour?"
Gambling was strictly illegal in Korea too, and in Joseon as well.
Of course, you couldn't catch every game, and no one seriously policed casual play like a quick 10,000-won Go-Stop match for fun.
But the types who gathered to booze and gamble while everyone else worked, rotting their families and society? Round them all up for voluntary enlistment.
In Joseon times, anyone slacking at this hour was either a wannabe gangster or the real deal.
The busted ones, sensing imminent doom, ignored my words and bolted.
"Shit, run! We're dead if they catch us!"
They seemed to know exactly what fate awaited capture, fleeing for dear life.
As if you lot could do anything about it.
Daylight gamblers versus the Royal Guard? Fleas before a tiger.
"One mal of rice per catch! Round them all up and give them a chance to serve His Majesty!"
With a mal of rice as bounty, officers and soldiers alike sprang into action.
Chasing the thugs desperately.
Captured ones got a sound thrashing first.
"Agh, mercy! I only gambled... just gambling..."
"Forgive me! I'll live right from now on. Become an upstanding commoner!"
Yeah, I'll believe you before I believe King Sejong's sworn off meat.
People don't change easily—fat chance you'd reform voluntarily.
"We welcome you as volunteers who've received His Majesty's grace and joined the dung collectors of your own accord!"
Of course, not one here actually wanted to shovel shit willingly.
But they'd soon "volunteer" for enlistment.
Because to encourage their "voluntary" service, His Majesty had...
...permitted the Chungmu Guards a bit of "physical education" to correct their rotten mindsets.
"You will now live as proud heads of household, earning your keep through honest toil under His Highness's grace."