Chapter 94
Chapter 94
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Desires of Busanpo (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In this era, it's a tale only I know, but the deeds of Lin Zexu—the last conscience of the Qing Dynasty, who perished after standing alone against Britain's disgrace to humanity, championing justice—are renowned.
The position Lin Zexu held was that of Imperial Commissioner (欽差大臣), a role that exercised all authority on behalf of the sovereign (while bearing all the responsibility as well).
The Qing Dynasty had essentially copied the Ming system's structure for its bureaucracy, and the Ming had a similar institution called Imperial Envoy (欽差官)—the same thing.
Naturally, here in Joseon, the last bastion of华 (splendor) on this modern Earth, we have the same system.
However, out of the humility befitting a vassal state, which dared not use the same rites as the emperor, we call it Respectful Envoy (敬差官).
This Respectful Envoy is dispatched to handle any matter the king deems necessary to oversee personally, regardless of the field—be it military affairs, diplomacy, corvée labor, land administration, or criminal cases.
And the appointee is typically selected from among the junior officials of ranks Junior 3rd to Junior 6th: those who are incorruptible, upright, and quick-witted.
Thus, there was no alternative candidate besides me, Kim Unhaeng.
It was clear that some sort of 'action' was needed in connection with the recent incident in Hwanghae Province where Japanese smugglers attempted to bring in weapons, as well as the case on Ulleungdo involving the illegal trade of timber and fish.
And so, I was appointed by the Crown Prince as the Inspector Respectful Envoy for Japanese Affairs (察倭敬差官).
No matter what Kim Unhaeng might think, court appointments aren't so one-dimensional.
The Crown Prince, who bore the responsibility of state administration and sought to advance Joseon through the influx of foreign scholarship, had his own designs—as did King Yeongjo.
It might seem at first glance like he'd weakly approved the Crown Prince's request, but that was far from the case.
Even if the Crown Prince had seized the initiative once, it was less a meaningful blow and more a surprising jab that might make one pause.
Yeongjo's approval of the Respectful Envoy appointment was entirely his own arbitrary decision.
Through this incident, Yeongjo had also gauged Kim Unhaeng's position.
He was unaware of the shadowy dealings tied to the Mun clan.
Thus, in Yeongjo's mind, Kim Unhaeng's faction aligned with Noron Crown Prince supporters like Hong Bonghan.
However, judging from how he'd understood and followed the king's command when striking down Jo Jaeho, he didn't harbor outright hostility. Kim Unhaeng had fully grasped the king's intent in forgiving him leniently with just ten strokes of the rod.
Yeongjo's final impression was that he was a potential double agent, someone who could provide an edge when the time came to suppress the Crown Prince, depending on how he was utilized.
With that in mind, when the Crown Prince's impertinent proposal arrived, Yeongjo inwardly mocked his son's foolishness.
'Sending away a close aide? He's still far from possessing true royal talent.'
Even by Yeongjo's reckoning, the Crown Prince had weathered at least two crises thanks to Kim Unhaeng's counsel.
He was still young and low-ranking, hardly worthy of being called the Crown Prince's top retainer, but aides of his generation were precious. They shouldn't be carelessly separated.
Thus, Yeongjo approved it readily.
Moreover, as a king who always thought of the people and the state, there were policy reasons for dispatching this Inspector Respectful Envoy for Japanese Affairs.
It had nothing to do with the Japanese smugglers.
In this era, the state was the sovereign. Thus, policy priorities revolved around the monarch's prestige.
Currently, Yeongjo found himself in a troublesome bind because of the Japanese settlement.
The fame of Goryeo ginseng needed no repetition—it hurt just to mention it twice.
This renown extended to Japan, where it was recorded that '(the Japanese believe) if they procure Joseon ginseng when ill, they live; if not, they die.'
The profit margin on Joseon-Japan ginseng trade was at least fourfold. A geun fetched between 300 taels of silver at minimum and up to 1,000 at peak, leading Japan to mint high-purity silver coins [人參代往古銀] exclusively for ginseng transactions.
Tsushima Domain had monopolized this ginseng trade, reaping massive profits, with the Japanese settlement as the central hub.
The settlement was under Tsushima's jurisdiction rather than the shogunate's. It had been established at Tsushima's initiative, and its overseers were almost exclusively Tsushima men.
Tsushima took great care with the quality of ginseng arriving via the settlement, even rejecting and returning the ceremonial tribute ginseng (禮單蔘) if it was low-grade.
It was a show of force: demanding better goods since they'd paid for them.
Joseon had its reasons too. Superior ginseng was exceedingly rare even on the mainland, leaving none for domestic use, and above all, they needed to secure profits themselves.
This time, they'd slipped in some low-quality ginseng again, but the settlement seized the chance to return not just that batch but all previously stored ginseng in one go.
It wasn't that the Japanese had some divine palate for ginseng; the real issue was leaked internal information from Dongnae Prefecture.
The Joseon government, caught trying to fob off cheap ginseng on the Japanese and hit with a one-star review, was thrown into panic.
How much panic? Even Yeongjo in the original history remarked on it.
"Why was this not consulted with the Eastern Palace?"
The fact that Joseon's regency was a puppet show was probably known even to the Qing Emperor. It was almost admirable how they feigned surprise at the regency system.
Yet the ministers couldn't utter such words.
Their best retort was that it was too important a matter for the Crown Prince to decide.
Unable to pin it on the Crown Prince due to these 'clueless ministers,' Yeongjo sought another scapegoat.
In history, this ended with Jo Yeongguk—one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Equal Distribution Law, then serving as Second Minister of the Board of Taxation—taking responsibility and being dismissed.
(Claiming the ginseng wasn't inherently low-quality but spoiled in processing) they even tracked down and punished those who'd prepared the tribute ginseng. Quintessential Joseon thoroughness.
But now, Joseon had an internal card to play.
The Japanese had twice colluded with Joseon natives to breach the borders illegally, one instance even involving weapons.
The Crown Prince's request was an even better opportunity. If it failed, all blame could be shifted to him.
Thus, the appointed Respectful Envoy was none other than Kim Unhaeng.
Nominally, it was to investigate and prevent Japanese border violations; substantively, to seize initiative in trades like ginseng.
Yeongjo figured that Kim Unhaeng, the most cunning junior official in dealing with such matters, could straighten out the Japanese settlement's attitude peacefully.
Thanks to the Crown Prince's advance warning, I'd begun preparations even before Yeongjo's approval.
The distance was far, but compared to the covert inspection tour of Hamgyeong Province, the journey itself was an easy mission.
The southern provinces were warm with dense populations. Abundant farmlands meant fewer wild beasts. To compare, it was like the difference between filming a jungle survival reality show and vlogging food tours on YouTube.
Unlike Hamgyeong, where my past-life knowledge was utterly useless, I'd visited Busan a couple times even in the 21st century.
Of course, like Seoul, 21st-century Busan and 18th-century Busan might as well be different planets, so the knowledge wasn't directly applicable. I couldn't go hunting at Haeundae like back then.
Still, the mental ease helped considerably.
Se-hwa seemed to think similarly.
She wasn't as worried as when heading to the Six Garrisons.
Instead, she presented a wooden box.
Inside was something packed meticulously with moss and soil, wrapped in oiled paper.
And I knew exactly what it was.
"Isn't this from Hamgyeong Province?"
"Yes. I prepared it as travel provisions for the long journey."
I looked at Se-hwa without hiding my puzzled gaze.
This? As provisions? It wasn't impossible, but it felt off.
Hwang Jeong remained Governor of Hamgyeong Province.
Thanks to my thorough report during the covert inspection, he'd been retained for a second term instead of heading to Seoul last year as planned.
There were rumors he'd cursed Kim Unhaeng, but I doubted it.
For one, it had spared him the storm of the New Year's Eve abdication fiasco last year. Plus, a letter arrived saying he'd been on the brink of death in his post but recovered after consuming my ginseng.
After modestly taking credit, I'd exchanged numerous letters with Hwang Jeong since spring, under the pretext of paying respects to a senior statesman.
With Yeongjo obsessed over selling postage stamps and assigning couriers to letter delivery this year, I didn't need to grease palms as expensively as before.
Why bother with an old man nearing the grave? Like Yoon Pildeok, I figured buying ginseng cheap in Hamgyeong and selling it in Seoul could turn a profit.
Through Hwang Jeong's introduction, I connected several links away to a 'villa' in a state-managed ginseng field (similar to my brother's salt farm villa).
These were supposed to go entirely to the Board of Taxation or its contracted merchants, but with the Board lowballing prices, plenty leaked out this way.
But the fellow who delivered the ginseng I'd ordered was quite unexpected.
"Oh, you... uh, what was it."
The northerner in slightly unfamiliar garb for the capital bowed his head.
"For your young lordship the Inspector to forget this humble one's name already... I'm Gil-sang of Onseong. It was a great honor to assist in your lordship's covert inspection back then."
He was Gil-sang, the Chinese smuggling cartel boss I'd beaten soundly and made run errands for while catching rats in Hamgyeong.
Whoa, really. It wasn't that long ago, but I'd completely forgotten.
Apparently, he was one of the ginseng villa's underlings. Makes sense—they'd need a lackey in the smuggling trade to skim profits too.
Since I was in the smuggling business myself, Gil-sang was quite welcome.
I instructed Jangbok to prepare a lavish meal—overkill for a lowly fellow—then inspected the ginseng he'd brought.
And I nearly flipped his meal tray over.
As a scholar, that would be utterly undignified, so I held back and asked.
"Why is this ginseng so dark red and shriveled? Isn't this ginseng that's been boiled once and had all its juices extracted? Did you think a yangban like me wouldn't know herbs?"
I flaunted the pharmaceutical knowledge drilled into me from a scholarly household.
But Gil-sang stared blankly before clapping his hands.
"Aha. This is packaged red ginseng (包蔘). It's steamed and dried multiple times to prevent spoilage, so it can be eaten not just in ginseng season but year-round."
What? Steamed and dried?
So this was red ginseng?
As I paused, marveling at Joseon isekai tech, Gil-sang explained enthusiastically.
"Among them, this is top-grade, steamed nine times. It was originally a secret of the Kaesong merchants, but right after your lordship passed through, folks who knew the method arrived in Hamgyeong. For the long journey, we did it just in case of worms."
Oh man, the red ginseng I'd imagined when Park Mun-su visited our home already existed.
Should've checked sooner. I'd been too busy with the king's nagging to remember.
"I see. I wasn't scheming or anything—I've just read books my whole life, so I'm clueless about business. With all the fakes flooding the market lately."
"Perish the thought. City folk might get their noses cut off while blindfolded, but us country folk from afar are simple and honest—no such tricks."
So said the smuggling broker. Since I'd erred earlier, I didn't snort derisively.
Instead, I asked him to supply this red ginseng ongoing and, if possible, extract the steaming method.
"Who would defy your command? The Six Garrisons' folk still praise the Rat-Catching General (討鼠將軍) daily. If you ever have business in Hamgyeong again, seek out this Gil-sang."
I had no idea how my reputation had spread there—unsettling—but it was fortunate he accepted gladly. Gil-sang, pocketing his fee, left grinning.
What Se-hwa had brought out was that very red ginseng.
She said,
"Remarkably, it's still fine after a full month since then. You should take it on your long trip. They say ginseng fetches high prices down south, right?"
"...Surely you're not telling me to trade this for silver at the Japanese settlement?"
"No. It's provisions."
"Smuggling ginseng to foreigners privately is punishable by beheading..."
"No. It's provisions."
As I was lost for words, Se-hwa smiled faintly.
"Just say that if anyone asks. And this isn't ginseng anyway, is it? Come winter, our second child will arrive, so you'll need to earn even harder. If it's the daughter you wish for, we can't skimp on her dowry when sending her to a noble house later— it wouldn't do for our family's reputation."
My wife was growing bolder. Was this the strength of motherhood?
Overpowered by her momentum, I could only agree.
But on second thought, it wasn't a bad idea at all.
The erotic novel Hairpin and Cap (demo edition) I'd planned for the settlement paired perfectly with this red ginseng.
Oh, why give the erotic novel to the settlement before the Crown Prince?
Because officially, it had to come from the settlement. I couldn't lie to the Crown Prince. I'd already said it was a Japanese book, so it had to originate there.
Besides, it was essential for my Japanese settlement reform project.
I packed the red ginseng carefully, then summoned Eoji. I needed to collect the commissioned painting before departure.
Hwaje (和齋) Byeon Sang-byeok (卞相璧) was a renowned painter, famous for twice painting Yeongjo's official portrait.
Originally from a military family, it was common even for yangban descendants to switch to physician or painter trades if the exams eluded them. The contemporary Gyeomjae (謙齋) Jeong Seon (鄭歚) was another such case.
Unlike Jeong Seon, he lacked talent in landscape painting and focused elsewhere.
But he was no third-rate artist. His portraits reached the level of official portraits, and even his cat and rooster paintings earned high modern praise for their meticulous detail.
In short, his specialty was depicting living subjects like humans and animals.
For such a man, Kim Unhaeng's—no, Hong Inspector's—request to paint humans doing animalistic things was quite fitting.
Byeon Sang-byeok was an official court painter. But Joseon, which barely paid stipends to civil officials, had no chance of satisfying painters adequately.
Thus, he supplemented his living with side gigs.
Hong Inspector's generosity was a boon to his livelihood.
It was too much to accuse him of buying off a scholar's heir with money. After all, no man skimps on women and gambling.
So today, as Byeon Sang-byeok immersed in work, a visitor arrived.
At the servant's announcement, he grumbled unenthusiastically.
"I said I'm busy—don't let in riffraff."
"It's not some merchant; it's Master Gyeomjae... Shall I tell him to leave?"
"What? No, no. Can't be helped. I'll go out."
Jeong Seon was a senior in painting and from a fallen scholarly family; he'd held various offices. By age, he was practically Byeon Sang-byeok's grandfather. Not a guest he could refuse.
Gyeomjae Jeong Seon was a landscape master renowned even then as now, but at this point, he had no duties and lived leisurely. Bored, he'd visited a fellow painter.
Leaning against the gate, Jeong Seon raised a wine bottle upon seeing him and shouted,
"Hwaje, long time no see! Haven't heard from you lately, so I brought good booze."
"Ah, no. Lower your voice, sir. Don't you know how strict the capital's curfew is?"
"We're no officials to get dismissed over this. Haven't you heard? With Saheonbu's Liquor Ban Office approval, water turns to wine and wine to water these days."
"Sigh. Still, that's too reckless."
Normally, he'd invite him in by now.
But Byeon Sang-byeok couldn't.
The room was lined with drying paintings commissioned by Hong Inspector.
Not tidying up to avoid delaying Jeong Seon was his mistake.
If word spread, he'd go down in art history as the nation's most shameless pervert.
Forget posterity— he'd be dragged to the magistrate, beaten, and his works burned. Joseon's sexual mores were strict even by era standards.
No pleasure annex like Heollukcheong unless you were Kim Unhaeng with endless 'courtesies' to host.
Thinking at light speed, Byeon Sang-byeok scraped together an idea.
"Th-the room's a mess. Let's go to an inn—no, a eatery. Places under Saheonbu Liquor Ban Office influence are safe to drink at."
"If that were the plan, I'd have sent for you. Why trek here? And since when were you so pristine? A painter's studio clean? Nonsense—come in."
"Wait..."
Byeon Sang-byeok tried grabbing Jeong Seon's sleeve as he strode in unhindered, but the old man's pace was surprisingly swift.
"Look at you fidgeting. Got a concubine hidden? Even young, doing that in broad daylight! As an elder, I must admonish such impropriety..."
Jeong Seon's words held some sincerity.
An old man with few days left wouldn't chase skirts like youngsters.
The young concubine might grumble, but scold her out and drink as planned (upper-class folk this era, like Yeongjo with Kim Unhaeng, rarely dwelt on others' grudges).
But flinging open the door, Jeong Seon forgot everything.
The room brimmed with countless ethereal 'concubines (2D full-color)' seductively welcoming him.
Author's Note
1. The court's stance on trade with the Japanese settlement was largely 'we'd rather not.' Incidents like those in the story actually occurred in the 3rd month of Yeongjo 29, among various mishaps.
Records of receiving silk or silver from Japan reek of reluctance. Nothing's free, and Japan's demands were often burdensome for Joseon.
2. As mentioned during Park Mun-su's departure, red ginseng tech existed since Goryeo. But mass production was invented around then by Kaesong merchants—a key to their dominance in late Joseon ginseng trade. In the story, it spread a bit faster.
3. Gil-sang is the same from the 'Pied Piper' chapter. Feels long ago, but less than two years have passed.
4. Next chapter will cover this, but Gyeomjae Jeong Seon entered office on Kim Changjip's (Kim Unhaeng's clan uncle) recommendation, serving as clerk, county magistrate, etc., until 1745. From then to 1754's Sadosi Cheomjeong (managing palace grains, soy, etc.), his activities are murky. Our timeline (1753) fits. His friendship with Byeon Sang-byeok is fictional.