While the commotion over finding a groom for the princess was taking place, the court was also in an uproar. The cause of the disturbance was the "candy monopoly."
"The decision to monopolize candy has been made, but what is the best way to implement this monopoly?"
In response to Sejong's question, the ministers immediately provided answers.
"I believe the best course of action is to transfer the retail rights to suitable merchants."
Following this, the ministers began to debate, arguing for Song merchants and Gyeonggang merchants. To Sejong, it sounded like, "I received gifts from Song merchants, I received gifts from Gyeonggang merchants."
Sejong's face grew increasingly stern as he watched the ministers argue. Finally, he slammed his fist on the desk and shouted.
"Silence (ĺ–ť)!"
The ministers, who had been arguing, immediately shut their mouths and bowed their heads.
"Your Majesty, we are ashamed!"
"Please put us to death!"
The ministers, who had been shouting for death, began to break out in cold sweat as Sejong continued.
"Shall I grant your wish for death? Let's see how you handle this policy and decide based on the results whether to grant your wishes or not."
"Ah!"
Sejong's warning made the ministers raise their voices in unison.
"We will do our best!"
"We will dedicate our lives!"
Sejong, who had been watching the trembling ministers, glared at the prime ministers prostrated at the front.
"Prime ministers, I will say this. I placed you in these positions because I trusted your abilities. However, I am quite disappointed lately."
"Your Majesty, we are ashamed!"
"Please put us to death!"
The prime ministers bowed their heads so low it seemed they were sticking to the ground. Sejong's eyes were cold as he looked at them.
"I hope you won't disappoint me further. I warn you, if your performance falls short of the rumors I've heard, I have no reason to keep you in your positions. Do you understand? Left Prime Minister and Right Prime Minister."
"We will take this to heart!"
"We will never disappoint you!"
---
As the variables multiplied with Hyeong's reincarnation and active interference, some were as Hyeong had anticipated, but many were not.
One of the unexpected variables was that Sejong's standards for evaluating the ministers had become extremely high.
'Why can't a ten-year-old think of this?'
'Why can't they think ahead? If I have to tell them everything, there's no point in having them as prime ministers or secretaries, is there?'
Compared to Hyeong, who could think ahead and provide solutions, Sejong's standards had become Hyeong's. And the victims of these heightened standards were Hwang Hee and Maeng Sa-seong.
"I heard from His Majesty that they were highly capable. The evaluations from surrounding officials were the same. But why?"
They were men whose abilities had been recognized by Sejong's father, Taejong.
However, Sejong, who had been observing their performance after placing them in the prime minister positions, could not hide his disappointment.
"Am I too demanding? Or were the evaluations of these two men too generous? There are many who say the same thing, and yet their abilities fall short…."
Seeing Hwang Hee and Maeng Sa-seong's performance fall below his expectations, Sejong had to deeply ponder.
"Can I really entrust them with important tasks? For the success of the monopoly, I need someone more capable than anyone else."
---
The more Sejong was disappointed, the more Hwang Hee and Maeng Sa-seong felt like they were living on borrowed time. They had to do their best to survive and maintain their power, especially since they had taken the seats vacated by the purged senior ministers. However, the moment they took their positions, they faced the massive wall of the "monopoly."
"Damn it… are all the people in this family monsters?"
After reading the 20-odd volumes of policies related to the monopoly, Hwang Hee sighed and drank with Maeng Sa-seong.
While Taejong, the former king, had maintained his rule through terror and oppressed his officials, the current king, Sejong, was doing so through work. He didn't just throw tasks at them; he meticulously planned everything to a level that was hard to tamper with and evaluated the ministers on how they handled it.
If the ministers just followed orders, they would become mere budget eaters. They had to find and improve the shortcomings in the policies to prove their worth.
In the case of prime ministers, they had to come up with improvements that went beyond mere corrections.
Of course, this was not a standard Sejong had officially announced, but it was something the ministers could clearly feel with each evaluation. Rumors about this had already spread throughout the capital.
After finishing their daily work, the men in the tavern emptied their cups, using the capital's hot topics as conversation starters.
"The most common phrase you hear these days in the Six Ministries is, 'Is this the best we can do?'"
"Is this the best?"
"Exactly!"
"Then, it's my turn. What's the next most common phrase?"
"Compared to what we've heard…."
"Ha ha ha! That's it! And finally…"
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The men, who were sharing stories, burst into laughter, emptying their cups. It was because the pretentious yangban's pride was being shattered.
However, the expressions of the yangban who accidentally heard these rumors were not good. After all, it was the most common phrase they heard from their superiors. And it all started with Sejong.
"Is this the best?"
Every time Sejong asked this, the ministers broke out in cold sweat. And for Hwang Hee and Maeng Sa-seong, there was an additional sentence.
"Compared to what we've heard, it's quite…."
Finally, Sejong, who had been nervously reading the reports, clicked his tongue.
In the end, the two men, who had only been in their positions for a few months, were filled with the desire to resign.
"I want to quit!"
---
Ultimately, the ministers, who had been reprimanded by Sejong, had to rack their brains to find new solutions.
"Perhaps… the Ministry of Revenue should directly dispatch officials?"
"From the Ministry of Revenue? To all eight provinces? How far?"
"For the monopoly to work properly, at least to the provincial level…"
"If we do that, the Ministry of Revenue will be empty!"
"Then what do you suggest? If we leave it to the merchants, we'll all be dismissed from our posts."
All the ministers knew that Sejong wanted the Ministry of Revenue to directly oversee the monopoly. However, the number of officials was insufficient, so they couldn't come up with a clear answer and were just going in circles.
Finally, to break this deadlock, Hwang Hee stepped forward.
"Let's hold the civil service examination."
---
"Hold the civil service examination? Hmm…."
As Sejong stroked his beard, Hwang Hee explained in more detail.
"Indeed. For the financial expansion through the monopoly to be effective, the Ministry of Revenue must directly oversee it. However, the number of officials in the Ministry of Revenue is insufficient. Therefore, we should supplement the number through the civil service examination."
Sejong's expression didn't improve much as Hwang Hee continued his explanation. After a moment of thought, Sejong tossed the question to Hyeong.
"It's a bit lacking… Crown Prince, what do you think?"
Hyeong, who received the toss from Sejong, immediately responded.
"Holding the civil service examination is a good idea, but the time is tight and it will be costly."
"That's true."
"Thus, in my opinion, we should immediately deploy the students from the National University."
"The students from the National University?"
"Yes, Father. Think about the events of the previous year."
"Last year? Last year… Ah!"
In the fourth year of Sejong's reign, the governor of Jeolla Province submitted a petition.
- The students of the National University who were appointed to local schools to care for their elderly and sick parents were not attending classes enough to take the civil service examination. They requested a solution.
Upon receiving the petition, Sejong, through the Ministry of Rites, allowed these students to take the examination regardless of their attendance.
Sejong nodded, acknowledging the memory, and Hyeong continued.
"The primary goal of the National University students is to pass the civil service examination and become officials. If we deploy them to practical work a few years early, what's the problem?"
Hyeong's words prompted Hwang Hee to interject.
"Crown Prince's words seem reasonable, but what is the purpose of the civil service examination? It is to select the most capable individuals. If we appoint National University students without proper evaluation, we might end up giving hats to incompetent people."
Hwang Hee's criticism made Hyeong raise an eyebrow.
"What are the monthly exams that National University students take? We can select the top performers. Moreover, this can also be seen as a type of exam. The more practical knowledge they have, the better they can create effective policies, not just theoretical ones."
Some ministers sighed and nodded at the mention of practical work. The heads of the Ministry of Revenue, in particular, nodded vigorously.
Meanwhile, Hyeong continued.
"Especially, the students need to handle budget-related tasks. The more they understand the importance of the budget, the better they can create practical policies. This could be the most important exam of all."
"…Your Highness's words are correct."
Hwang Hee, who had been forced to concede, bowed his head. Sejong, who had been watching, made a decision.
"Order the National University to supplement the Ministry of Revenue's officials. And set up the monopoly bureau under the direct control of the Ministry of Revenue at least to the county level."
"Understood."
The ministers bowed their heads in response to Sejong's decision. The voice of the Minister of Revenue, whose manpower issue was resolved, was the loudest.
However, Hwang Hee's face was crumpled. Sejong's gaze, which was not particularly friendly, was directed at him.
In the end, Hwang Hee, who had left the court that day, had to drink heavily to vent his frustration.
"Damn rich people!"
---
While the national monopoly bureau under the Ministry of Revenue was being established, an urgent report came from Ming.
"Ming Emperor has died!
It was the death of Emperor Yingzong. Sejong, upon receiving the report, discussed the countermeasures with the ministers.
"Form a condolence mission as quickly as possible."
"Understood."
"Do you know anything about the new emperor?"
The ministers were silent in response to Sejong's question. Sejong clicked his tongue.
"Tsk!"
As soon as Sejong clicked his tongue, the ministers reflexively shouted.
"Your Majesty, we are ashamed!"
"Enough! Find a competent physiognomist to include in the condolence mission immediately! And select a doctor skilled in visual diagnosis to join the mission as well!"
"Understood!"
---
While the condolence mission was being hastily formed, Sejong sought out Hyeong.
"Will you also try to obtain books during this mission?"
"It's not a pleasant task, but we can't miss the opportunity, can we? Once the commercial office in Shandong is completed, it won't be as chaotic."
"Understood."
Sejong, who nodded at Hyeong's response, searched his sleeve and handed him a note.
"Then, try to obtain books related to this as well."
"Excuse me? Yes."
Hyeong, who received the note and read its contents, looked at Sejong with wide eyes.
"Father, is it phonetics (éźłéź»ĺ¸)?"
"Yes."
'No way! Already?'
Hyeong, who was barely suppressing his trembling heart, asked Sejong for the reason.
"Father, may I ask the reason?"
"It's frustrating. Frustrating. The ministers in the hall are just ministers in name. They are budget eaters. If they only do what they are told, what's the point of having them? I need new people. But, given the situation in Joseon, it's not easy."
Sejong, shaking his head and sighing, continued.
"There are too few people. Or rather, there are many intelligent people, but they are buried because they don't know Hanja. If we create and spread a script that they can easily learn, they will have a chance, and I can find capable people. It's a win-win, isn't it?"
Hyeong, who had been listening to Sejong's explanation, nodded involuntarily. However, he wanted to know more.
"But why phonetics?"
"The characters in the books you obtained all express sounds. I thought expressing sounds would be easier to read and understand than expressing meanings."