Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: 11. Gold Rush (2)
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Of course, I know nothing about gold or anything like that. A scholar doesn't talk about vulgar things like money.
The people from our village went to help with the flood control project in Jiksan County, nothing more.
We messed it up, didn't we? That's the humane thing to do. We even prepared the reports—those notices from lower to higher offices—and sent them to the Provincial Governor.
Why? Because it earns high praise.
Waterway issues are like the ultimate moral duty. Even the most rotten magistrates who treat commoners like punching bags for beatings bow their heads to the people on this matter.
Once farming fails and people are starving to death, who cares about consequences? At that point, even the Joseon army—if it even exists—can't serve as an effective deterrent.
So when these problems erupt, magistrates suddenly become incarnations of great justice and democracy, clashing fiercely with their neighbors.
And who suffers the most?
The Provincial Governor.
They issue orders to gather and discuss (that's what I did), or the governor racks their brains for a fair mediation plan, but the magistrates rarely yield.
They make excuses like "I'm too sick to go" or "I didn't receive the official pass," doing anything to ignore it.
The magistrates have their justifications too. Under the first of the Seven Duties of Magistrates—prosperity in agriculture and sericulture—how can they tolerate such outrageous encroachment on waterways?
Thus, Provincial Governors end up with stress-induced gastritis.
So I submitted a report emphasizing that I'd cleanly wrapped things up before the governor could even properly inspect.
Governor Hong Gyehui will add a few words and send it to the court. The court will give high marks to the governor for excellently mediating the magistrates' conflict and to Mokcheon's magistrate (me) for dutifully following orders and devising a rational solution.
Get it? It's not about the gold.
Though we will mine it.
I clearly ordered them to diligently restore the waterways we'd messed up.
But the Youth Assault Squad's waterway restoration dragged on endlessly.
There were various reasons, but materially speaking, we lacked tools.
I didn't expect forklifts or trucks.
Hell, I'd be thrilled with sturdy polypropylene.
What's polypropylene? Sacks.
But Joseon was a country where iron tools themselves were precious.
Some modern person might say I'm exaggerating, as if it's not the 18th century BCE.
Probably someone who never secretly offered "iron tools" to the taffy seller snipping scissors in the neighborhood as a kid and got beaten in true early Iron Age style by their dad.
Not that it happened to me. I'm from the perceptive MZ generation.
Anyway, metal was always expensive, even after the modernization of the steel industry.
How much more in premodern times, where steel production was negligible compared to today?
Sword faction guys say "sold an ox for a sword"—it's a metaphor for abandoning honest work for violence, but also shows how pricey swords were.
So with few tools to begin with, and them constantly getting stolen, work couldn't progress.
The weird part? It was internal theft among ourselves, so numbers should match up, but they kept dwindling.
Where did they go? These lifelong villagers digging dirt have no connections to smuggle them out.
Hard to do. Actually, it wasn't the Youth Assault Squad stealing them.
Me.
Taking advantage of the waterway restoration "unavoidably" dragging on, operations at that site accelerated.
At another "site" a bit away from the waterway restoration, Kim Unhaeng's scheme provided ample shovels, hoes, and iron rakes.
So unlike the Youth Assault Squad barely working to survive, these folks brimmed with enthusiasm.
Locals panning for gold (secretly) or doing other business in Jiksan County's streams eyed them suspiciously and asked,
"Hey, buddy. New faces. Where you from?"
"Haven't heard? Our Mokcheon magistrate sent folks, sorry for digging the waterway, restore the neighborhood paths to original."
"Then why loiter here?"
"You never farmed? Where else to dig new waterways but streams? We were told upper fields too, following orders."
"What's with the wooden pans and sieves? Needed for digging paths?"
"Why you yapping like this? Implementing strict official orders, don't butt in like a December locust! Even the tiger of our virtuous magistrate can't stand those arrows—I'll string your ears on them till your impudent mouth shuts!"
The "laborers from Mokcheon" slammed his iron rake on a rock and bellowed. The Jiksan scouts flinched and backed off.
The Jiksan locals knew roughly and just asked to confirm. They were secretly panning too, after all.
Everyone knows about gold in Jiksan; not the first such crew. Normally, chat them up, pick a fight, surround, scare off.
But these bore "official orders." And not lone wanderers—groups.
Most suspiciously, their vibe screamed bandits fleeing justice. Beating them off impossible.
Report to the yamen and boot the insolent outsiders?
Then "Jiksan locals" must explain what they were doing.
Not every Joseon magistrate does proactive, customized, close-contact embezzlement like Kim Unhaeng.
Song Jinhum probably clueless; clerks will exploit. Clerks will fabricate "reports to superiors" and pull everyone out.
No more income. Worse, as "price for avoiding punishment," clerks take far more than mined.
So Jiksan panners swallowed tears, watching others dip spoons in their rice bowl.
Just as Kim Unhaeng planned.
Reductionist view: like punishing Mokcheon clerks initially.
Illicit profiteers have no recourse when victimized themselves—their biggest weakness.
Then it's brute force.
And since getting Eoji early, Kim Unhaeng never neglected violence prep.
Dismissing the army isn't neglect. Joseon troops symbolize peace, not violence.
If all armies were like Joseon's, humanity spared war's tragedy? Unless the king was Sejong, who terrified northern barbarians and southern Japanese.
Same here. Kim Unhaeng targeted more than gold or merits.
Through Yi Jaeun, he secured outsourced private soldiers cum mercenaries.
Settled traders are merchants (高); wanderers, traders (商).
Originated from Shang remnants, exiled by Zhou Wu's shameless usurpation, surviving by "transport not making."
This legend reveals merchants' essence.
Merchants have no hometown. Pre-modern identity lacked this core. Always suspicious outsiders, shady travelers.
Not just Joseon. Bible's "stranger" nuance shows. Unknown evokes hostility, distrust. Christ's "Good Samaritan" shocked for that reason.
Outsiders did cause trouble.
Joseon's security relied on village networks, clan orders—no cops. Outsiders outside that.
Fight goes south, stab and flee—how catch?
Wanderers as plague carriers known experientially.
From Rome to Joseon, premodern states distrusted, despised non-farmers.
They repaid in kind. Vicious cycle.
Yi Jaeun, however poor as scholar, starting trade despite riches' contempt—unimaginable resolve for moderns.
But people aren't that steely.
Yi Jaeun often regretted his path, felt ancestral guilt in dreams.
Used scholar lineage for noble trades, but they pitied his "fallen" state, not valuing his talent.
But Mokcheon magistrate Kim Unhaeng differed.
Not because modern. Kim Unhaeng wouldn't be suspected modern in Joseon. Various reasons.
What moved Yi Jaeun wasn't "modern non-discrimination of merchants."
He welcomed, but upheld status; arrogant charity Yi Jaeun knew plenty—easy to spot.
It was Kim Unhaeng having "no right to discriminate."
Wearing scholar cap, uniform, holding baton—looks magistrate, but no scholar.
"More like me."
Yi Jaeun thought.
Kim Unhaeng wielded scholar refinement, high-official power as merchant-like tricks without scruple.
Greedy officials abound in Joseon.
But he wielded from junzi realm.
Not "good man," but one perfected in Way, unquestioning self.
No lingering on Yi Jaeun's daughter not moral; future ties with Yi and Namyang Hong clan clearly profitable.
To Yi Jaeun, Kim Unhaeng tolerated no desire impurity in his path. Choosing reason easy in words, impossible for most.
So Kim Unhaeng's secret prospects felt clean despite dirtiness—thoroughly shameless.
Not like kindly nobles granting "equality I permit" arrogantly.
Same level, couldn't.
Crude analogy: delinquent prefers thug buddy over smiling "I understand you" counselor. Water and body as one.
Yi Jaeun confirmed dealing with Kim Unhaeng.
Soon dipped deeper. Handled county supplies, joined risky gold panning.
Kim Unhaeng aims central court long-term; nationwide merchant needs nationwide backer.
As long as Yi Jaeun shows ability via "trade" not "lineage," Kim Unhaeng stays. Minds mirror, low betrayal odds.
Zhu Xi annotated Analects: "Friends are same class."
Kim Unhaeng's jolly friends list gained another standout.
Yi Jaeun helped immensely.
Man, should've found him instead of agonizing over exam prep books in Seoul.
Of course, swayed by my promising future, unlike generic nobles' dignity/virtue (acting gentlemanly around his daughter helped), but aligned interests—who cares why?
Yi Jaeun's men for gold panning as capable as boss.
Amid conflicts with locals, caught clerks tolerating panning, skimming profits—some to Magistrate Song Jinhum.
Song'll deny. Took money offered, unaware of panning.
Yeah, I get it. But will our king?
As scholar peer, exchanged letters with Song Jinhum, hinting clearly. Jiksan's gold fields now jointly ours.
Me vulnerable too?
I never mentioned sharing gold. Vulgar deal? Scholar? Panning? That's corrupt magistrates like Jiksan.
My hint, even unpacked or via disguised inspector: "Shut up about my gold, end our project quick, no more waterway fights. Stressful."
Dasan Jeong Yakyong—here my senior—said: "Even if enemy opens my letter, caution in minutiae lest harm."
Spot on. Exiled hotly by foes, different perspective.
No weakness in my threat. Only Song's.
Song, getting letter, surely ordered hands off Mokcheon folk. Their retreat shows. Enough.
By late fall, minor panned gold plus construction profits swapped to rice filled relief granary top-tier.
And I bought surplus rice. Fall taxes due.
Honestly, after fox pelt feast, shouldn't exempt our county? Animal kingdom proxy, I collected/distributed, recipient same king.
Yeah, won't fly with Yeongjo relatively.
So bought plenty rice.
Daedongbeop advanced here; land tax often cash.
Converted to cash at Board of Taxation's fixed rate—success hinges on selling rice above that.
Yi Jaeun shone. Grain-short Chungcheong magistrates (my stock) bought expensive from him.
Didn't hoard blindly. Instant resentment.
Told close construction partners Left Supervisor, Separate Supervisor: invite rich locals, feast; opened relief kitchen for fall-poor commoners.
County funds, of course. National business.
Half current county funds my earnings?
Not dumping personal wealth into treasury. Prior clerk assets minus my bonus went to treasury.
Free kitchens utilitarianism-best in spring famine.
But I favor filling personal (mine) interests first for societal good; relative deprivation hurts more.
All hungry? Normal world. But recent harvest.
Others feast, you don't? More miserable. I care for commoners' feelings.
Do this, no stele thoughts? Smash that head for碑. Mencius said.
But seems my head cracks.
Deep fall, calendar winter 10th month, overlooked duty arrived.
Official notice from Chungcheong Military Commander Won Pilgyu.
"Routine training?"
I blurted incredulously; Kim Hyeongju—Workshop Unit 2 from tiger incident, ex-clerk?—glanced nervously.
"By law, mandatory spring/fall. Each commander/magistrate leads troops to designated site for formation/combat drills."
"Skipped spring?"
"Previous Commander Won elderly, weak; fell ill, postponed."
Man, don't make such guys command.
North Korea? Half-corpses with medal-weight necks as brass?
Suspected Commander heard my earnings, shaking for bribe—checked urgently.
Regrettably, training real.
Turned clerks to day labor, no early prep—unforeseen. Clerks mum fearing beatings.
Sigh.
Not no troops to take.
Strictly, I "dismissed" professional officers; local reserves (save cash) never mustered/roll-called, used as old guarantors for taxes/labor.
No standing units to disband. Would've if existed.
Now muster those locals.
Hate it.
Many on rolls in Youth Assault Squad.
What of local economy boost?
Why? Locals mostly poor.
Any money? Dodge. Poor can't repay relief grain → Assault Squad volunteers.
But Assault Squad far more valuable? No them, Yi Jaeun's crew no gold.
Why chase war's horror wasting fortunes?
When all open hearts, join hands, sing peace?
I racked brains to defend love/peace Mokcheon.
Something wrong. Never heard Joseon army trains FM-style.
Paper? Packed schedules, Mokcheon perfect on paper.
Actually do?
Yi Sunsin skill only? Who else pinned Joseon army real?
Never heard proper training beyond him. Gwon Yul?
"Wait, Yi Sunsin?"
Head snapped up. That name sparked.
Yi Sunsin's arch-nemesis, one of two stressing Chungmu with fastest fleet lord.
"Won Gyun!"