Chapter 67: The Minister of Household's Depression
"Phew~"
Facing the piles of scrolls and books like mountains, Minister Kim Jeom sighed deeply.
The name of the Minister of Household, who sighed as if the ground were sinking, was Kim Jeom. In the original history, he would have served as the Minister of Household at the beginning of King Sejong's reign, then moved to the Ministry of Punishments, and subsequently taken on the role of Governor of Pyeongan Province.
However, in this history, his fate had changed. Despite several regular personnel changes in the courtāwhere it was customary for high-ranking officials to change positions once a yearāKim Jeom remained in his position as the Minister of Household.
"I can't tell if this is a blessing or a curse."
While Kim Jeom, the person involved, was pondering whether his continued reappointment as the Minister of Household was a good or bad thing, his wife was actually quite pleased.
"It's a good thing that you don't have to go far to the outer regions and stay in Hanyang, isn't it?"
However, there was a real reason why Kim Jeom's wife was happy. If Kim Jeom were to be transferred to the outer regions, the most likely destination would be the Governor of Pyeongan Province, and the place where the Governor of Pyeongan Province resided was Pyongyang, known as 'Seochang' (č²é), famous for its beauty.
Anyway, after being reappointed as the Minister of Household, Kim Jeom's daily routine of handling the Ministry's affairs was completely turned upside down when Heung was appointed as the Crown Prince.
The appointment of the Crown Prince was a significant event. It meant that even if he was young, the Crown Prince would have a certain degree of authority.
In this sense, Heung's appointment as the Crown Prince was the beginning of a nightmare for the high-ranking officials.
Kim Jeom muttered to himself, glaring at the gold brush in his hand.
"All this started because of this thing."
The amount and intensity of work the Ministry of Household had to handle increased sharply after the production of gold brushes was entrusted to the private sector.
"Phew~. At first, it was good."
When he heard that the production would be handed over to the private sector, Kim Jeom felt good. To him, the gold brush was a very useful item.
It was easier to manage than a hair brush, had an appropriate lifespan, and most importantly, even a second-grade silver brush was cheaper than most hair brushes. Because of this, he was certain that there would be fierce competition among companies to produce these gold brushes, and he would receive substantial gifts.
"I didn't know the Crown Prince was so damn smart."
The Crown Prince, who had petitioned the king to gain authority over the production of gold brushes, created a truly absurd system.
It was called 'public bidding.'
According to the Crown Prince's order, the specifications for the gold brushes were communicated to the merchant guilds that participated in the bidding.
Under this system, the merchant guilds had to write down the price at which they could produce the gold brushes, and the evaluation had to be conducted publicly under the supervision of the Crown Prince. This was the moment when the gifts Kim Jeom had expected to receive flew away.
The Crown Prince handed a piece of paper to the Minister of Household, the Deputy Minister, and the Councillor, who were responsible for the evaluation.
"Please disqualify any guilds that write a price lower than this."
"What is this price?"
"It is the production cost when the gold brushes are made by the craftsmen of the Military Supplies Bureau. This includes the cost of materials and the wages of the craftsmen, averaged out. Therefore, any guilds that write a price lower than this should be disqualified."
Heung's words raised Kim Jeom's doubts.
"Isn't a lower price better?"
The Crown Prince clicked his tongue at the Minister of Household's words.
"Since the materials for the gold brushes made by the Military Supplies Bureau are all public contributions, it is difficult to write a lower price just by considering the unit cost. If they can produce it at a lower price, do you think it's possible, Minister?"
"ā¦ It will certainly cause problems."
"Moreover, the gold brushes produced by the selected guilds will bear the 'Ihwa' (å£č±) pattern, indicating that the state has recognized their quality. If there are problems with the quality of such items, do you think the people will trust the state?"
"I am deeply ashamed."
Heung's sharp words made Kim Jeom bow his head. As he bowed, Heung's muttering reached Kim Jeom's ears.
"How can a Minister of Household of a country be so short-sightedā¦ Tsk!"
Thus, with the gold brush as the starting point, Kim Jeom's trials began. In a way, he was the first among the high-ranking officials to be targeted by Sejong and Heung.
* * *
Kim Jeom's trials intensified even more with the nationwide implementation of smallpox vaccination.
During the process of implementing smallpox vaccination, the household registers of the Eight Provinces of Joseon were reorganized. The first batch of the reorganized household registers was submitted to Sejong. Upon seeing the numbers, Sejong issued a stern warning to the high-ranking officials.
"Just two years ago, we reorganized the household registers, and now, in just two years, the population has increased so much? Can the high-ranking officials believe this?"
"I am deeply ashamed!"
"Do not create situations that make you ashamed!"
Despite Sejong's loud reprimand, the high-ranking officials had nothing to say.
Joseon reorganized the household registers every three years. The reorganized registers were made in three copies: one for the relevant county or prefecture, another for the Ministry of Household, and the last for the provincial government.
However, if you look at the household registers, the population of Joseon at the time of its founding (1392) was only about 300,000.
After continuously settling refugees and conducting rigorous household surveys, the population of Joseon began to grow rapidly. According to the household survey conducted two years ago, the population of Joseon was about 1.9 million.
However, the population of Joseon confirmed through the smallpox vaccination this time was about 4.3 million.
"Speak up! Speak up! Did the people of this Joseon do nothing but have children over the past two years? Is it possible for the population to increase by over 2 million in just two years?"
"I am deeply ashamed!"
"Do not create situations that make you ashamed!"
Sejong's roar left the high-ranking officials with no choice but to bow their heads.
However, both Sejong and the high-ranking officials knew the reason for this situation. It was because both the local administrative bodies and the people had a significant benefit in avoiding the burden of taxes, especially public contributions.
The people could reduce the burden of public contributions, and the local administrators could fill their pockets appropriately.
Sejong, unable to contain his anger, scolded the high-ranking officials with a red face.
"When our Joseon was founded, the population was small, and the people were exhausted by the exploitation of the nobles, so we reduced taxes! Since less came in, it was natural to spend less, which is why we significantly cut the salaries of the royal family and high-ranking officials!
But look! The actual population is so large, yet the population recorded in the household registers is less than half! The state is collecting less tax, yet the people are still unable to escape poverty. Where did all that wealth go?"
"ā¦"
"Why are you silent? Isn't it obvious? Who else but the scholars and officials! The very scholars and officials you defend so much!"
"I am deeply ashamed."
Sejong ground his teeth.
"How can the scholars and officials be innocent when the country is in such a mess? Damn these bastards!"
Sejong's anger was directed at the high-ranking officials who had been purged. The high-ranking officials, who were listening to Sejong's reprimand, clicked their tongues in their hearts.
'They won't be released from exile anytime soon.'
'Considering their age, they will likely die in exile, indeed they will.'
"Phew~"
Sejong, who had forced himself to calm down with a deep breath, issued an order to the high-ranking officials.
"Make accurate household and land registers immediately!"
"Your command is received!"
"Do you think it's appropriate to show such favor when you handle things this way?"
"I am deeply ashamed!"
"We will devote ourselves to the task!"
Sejong showed a cold reaction to the high-ranking officials' answers.
"Let's see how you handle it!"
* * *
With Sejong's order, the Ministry of Household became the most urgent. This was because both the household and land registers were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household. Kim Jeom gathered his subordinate officials and conveyed the imperial command.
"Therefore, we must revise and supplement both the household and land registers. Everyone must do their best."
"But, Sir, the workload is already excessive!"
When one of his subordinates objected, Kim Jeom roared.
"Then write a resignation letter! Do you think anyone enjoys doing this? Do you?"
Kim Jeom's roar made all the officials of the Ministry of Household look like they had their necks stretched, only watching his every move.
"If you have complaints, go after the local officials who mishandled the situation! First, find out which places have seen the largest population increase compared to two years ago and report it! ā¦"
Two weeks later, Kim Jeom submitted a scroll to Sejong.
"What is it?"
"It is a list of towns where the population has abnormally increased during the reorganization of the household registers."
"Are there only a few such towns?"
"While there are many, these are particularly severe."
Sejong, hearing Kim Jeom's answer, unfolded the scroll and read the contents carefully. Sejong frowned as he read.
"This is quite severeā¦."
The scroll listed 12 towns, with the population increasing by at least five times and up to eight times. Sejong, with a deeply furrowed brow, looked at the list and then at the chief censor.
"Summon the Chief Censor."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Sejong's order was received, and the censors from the Office of the Inspector General, including the chief and the inspector, were sent to the 12 towns. Upon arrival, the officials thoroughly investigated the local officials, clerks, and their superiors, resulting in the dismissal and exile of 26 former and current local officials and 40 clerks.
While Kim Jeom and the officials of the Ministry of Household felt a sense of relief, they soon received their due retribution.
"Here again!"
"Again?"
Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, Kim Jeom grabbed his aching neck.
"Where this time?"
"Jeonju in Jeolla Province."
"Damnā¦."
Kim Jeom cursed.
As the local officials were being punished for the irregularities in the household registers, other local officials desperately tried to avoid the same fate by formulating countermeasures. They meticulously reviewed the records left by their predecessors and the records of the past to write 'petitions.'
They verified the number of refugees who had successfully settled, their children, and the number of slaves who had been freed and became commoners, and created detailed records of the scale of newly cultivated land and its current owners. These documents flooded into the Ministry of Household every day.
From the Ministry of Household's perspective, after the initial relief, the workload multiplied several times.
"Heh heh hehā¦."
"Ha! Ha ha! Ha!"
Seeing the piles of documents growing, Kim Jeom and the officials of the Ministry of Household could only let out a bitter laugh with a look of madness.
* * *
Amidst the mounting workload, the Ministry of Household was given another task.
"Establish a nationwide organization to handle the monopoly on sugar and salt."
"I'll really have to resign!"
"We're all going to die!"
As Kim Jeom and the officials of the Ministry of Household were making a grim determination, Hwang Hee suggested to Sejong 'recruitment through the civil service examination' to address the issue.
In response to Hwang Hee's suggestion, Heung proposed hiring 'students from the Seonggyungwan' due to 'time and cost' issues, and Sejong accepted this.
Upon hearing that 'students from the Seonggyungwan would be added to the Ministry of Household,' all the officials of the Ministry of Household cheered.
"Long live His Majesty!"
"Long live!"
* * *
"Alright, then, let's endure a bit more."
"Yes, Sir."
After Kim Jeom's encouragement, the officials of the Ministry of Household once again put in their best effort. However, some officials were overly enthusiastic.
"What! The face-washing ceremony!"
While processing the mountain of reports, Kim Jeom was shocked. He jumped up from his seat and asked the Deputy Minister of Household.
"Who? Where? When?"
"Four days agoā¦."
"Bring those damn bastards here immediately!"
Shortly after, the officials who had performed the face-washing ceremony were brought before Kim Jeom in a line.
"How many are there?"
"23 people."
"That's a lotā¦."
Kim Jeom shouted at the officials standing before him.
"Do you have any sense at all? Why the face-washing ceremony of all things!"
"I am deeply ashamed. However, the face-washing ceremony is a traditionā¦."
"Damn bastards! Everyone has forbidden the face-washing ceremony! Especially, the current king punished it just a year ago! What, a tradition? Talking about tradition!"
"I am deeply ashamed!"
"How are you going to resolve this? The censors are already excited and will be writing petitions. How are you going to resolve this?"
"I am deeply ashamed!"
"If you are ashamed, you shouldn't have done such a thing! Go home and reflect!"
"Yesā¦."
With Kim Jeom's roar, the problematic officials began to leave his office, shuffling their feet.
Seeing this, Kim Jeom, whose clothes were about to burst, roared again.
"Do you have shackles on your feet? Get out of here immediately!"
"Yes, yes!"
As Kim Jeom had feared, Sejong, upon receiving the report, flew into a rage.
Sejong, who seemed ready to impose the death penalty, received a suggestion from Heung. Sejong immediately carried out the punishment based on Heung's suggestion.
It was the 'document organization punishment.'
The punishment was to complete the reorganization of the household and land registers, which would take five years even if half of the Ministry of Household's officials worked on it, within one year.
If they failed to complete it within one year, additional punishment of exile awaited them.
As a result, the problematic officials could not even go home and had to live and eat in a newly built archive next to the Ministry of Household.
Although the number of personnel was increased, the workload for the Ministry of Household multiplied several times, leaving Kim Jeom and even the lowest-ranking officials in a constant state of overwork.
In the end, unable to bear it, Sejong ordered the royal kitchen to provide food to the officials. To be precise, it was a feast disguised as a royal meal. Sejong, who provided a feast for the officials of the Ministry of Household, encouraged them.
"I know your work is difficult. However, for the proper management of this Joseon, the Ministry of Household must be in order, so I hope you will put in a bit more effort. When the management of this Joseon improves, I will increase the number of personnel, so I hope you will endure a bit more and work hard."
"Your grace is boundless!"
In response to Sejong's encouraging words, the officials all bowed and expressed their gratitude.
During this process, a new proverb was born.
'The day the Ministry of Household receives a royal meal.' It was a proverb that described the situation where one is treated well before being given a difficult task.
Meanwhile, Sejong handed a medicine packet to Kim Jeom through the chief censor.
"I ordered the royal physician to prepare a good tonic for your health. Take good care of it."
"Your grace is boundless!"
"I put in a lot of valuable herbs, so it will be of great help to you."
"Your grace is boundless!"
Although he repeatedly expressed his gratitude, Kim Jeom heard Sejong's words differently. 'I'll have to pay for the medicine, won't I?'