Chapter 59
The atmosphere in Geunjeongjeon, where the court assembly was being held, was warm and cheerful.
It was because there were clear signs that the chronic tax shortfall that had long plagued Joseon would finally be solved.
In that warm atmosphere, Sejong spoke up.
"His Majesty the Retired King has widely implemented the Bangwon Law, so the people are rejoicing and living in comfort, and the state's finances have also grown strong."
Strictly speaking, the Bangwon Law, which Kim Daebung had proposed and Yi Bang-won had approved, was still in the process of being rolled out nationwide.
The grain taxes and tribute collected under the Bangwon Law had not yet even reached Gyeongchang, the court treasury, let alone begun transportation...
None of the ministers here were so oblivious to the mood as Yu Jeonghyeon, who had opposed the Bangwon Law's implementation and even dragged things out because he thought it would interfere with moneylending.
"By surveying land under the Bangjeon Law in eight counties, including Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, the amount of farmland in those counties increased greatly. In the places where it increased the most, it was more than two and a half times as much, and even in the smallest increases, it was still about double. That means tax revenue will more than double."
At Sejong's words, the eyes of the ministers, including Hwang Hui, changed.
A tax increase of more than double meant a larger budget would be allotted to their own departments...
It also meant the allowances—the budgets—they could personally control at their discretion would increase...
And by producing a major achievement while in office, they would complete the 'reputation-building' quest, the endgame content of a nobleman's stagnant life, and even gain a feat their families could boast of for generations.
"In addition, the Bangjeon Law does not require much labor to survey land. And yet the people are not reluctant to undergo land surveys; rather, they are volunteering to help. It seems the re-surveying work will be roughly finished by this summer. What does the Minister of Taxation think?"
"Kim Daebung, who went out as a secret royal inspector, surveyed all the land in Anseong County in just one month. Of course, Kim Daebung is more skilled than ordinary officials, so the magistrates of every county will not be able to survey land under the Bangjeon Law as quickly as he did. Even so, if Your Majesty sends edicts to the provincial governors and urges them, I believe it can all be finished before this year's sowing season ends."
In an agrarian country, most labor was finished before the busy farming season arrived.
If labor duties left too few hands during the busy season, that year's farming would be ruined or the harvest would fall sharply.
Even in Japan's Warring States period, where blood washed blood in endless wars and rape, murder, plunder, and losing family members were close to "everyday life," most wars, as far as possible, began after sowing was finished and ended before harvest so that all the soldiers could return home.
Thus, Hwang Hui's words sounded extremely good to Sejong.
As much as he wanted to make all officials work like Kim Daebung or himself, the officials simply didn't have the ability for that.
Sejong knew very well that they had to wring as much out of them as realistically possible.
Hwang Hui's benchmark was a level most county magistrates could manage if they gave their utmost...
'Then I suppose, as Father said, I should promote Hwang Hui to Chief State Councillor.'
Once Hwang Hui became Chief State Councillor, he would, like Yu Jeonghyeon wringing the treasury dry to save the budget, wring the officials' capabilities dry and make them devote themselves.
"Very well. Then what should we do about establishing markets in every county across the nation?"
"Have the magistrates designate certain districts within their counties and let goods be bought and sold there. Appoint officials to oversee the markets, but their number should be adjusted according to the size of each county and the degree to which commerce flourishes."
"Wouldn't one person be enough unless it's a place like Gaeseong or Pyeongyang?"
"...... The associate minister of taxation studied under the same teacher as the Jinhae county magistrate, and the two are fairly close. Combining the memorial submitted by the Jinhae county magistrate with what he had confided to the associate minister of taxation, it seems that a county magistrate who has to handle county affairs and the market at the same time cannot finish his work even if he treats night as day. If that is true of Jinhae, what about Dongnae, where smuggling with the Japanese is practically out in the open, or the transportation hubs across the country?"
Once a market opens, tax revenue will jump significantly. Even if you assign one official there, the salary paid out is only about fifty seoms of white rice...
There is no reason not to assign officials just to save a little money, unless he has been possessed by Yu Jeonghyeon's ghost.
"Have the Ministry of Taxation review how many officials should be assigned to each county market and report back. Until the necessary personnel are filled, I will increase the annual quota of appointments for people like clerks and scribes from 100 to 200."
The officials listening to this once again let their eyes sparkle.
Even a mere lowly jungin nobody, once appointed to office, became an undeniable member of the yangban gentry. Of course, for scribes, even after entering office, the highest rank they could rise to was only the junior 7th rank.
But even if one held a 9th-rank post, if his birth had been humble, he would become a yangban. Just like Jang Yeongsil.
If you opened the door wide to this kind of status mobility, naturally the yangban would also get something out of it.
"Your humble servant, Maeng Saseong, Minister of Personnel, respectfully reports. At present, because the Bangwon Law has been implemented, the court's budget is very abundant, but the amount of work to be done has also increased greatly. Therefore, with only the current number of officials, we cannot properly handle the excessive workload."
"So I said I'd increase the number of officials, didn't I?"
"Increasing it by only 100 is nowhere near enough. According to the memorial submitted by the Minister of Taxation, even if you assign just one official to each market in every county nationwide, you would need well over 360 officials. However, since nothing in the world always goes exactly as expected, you must recruit a generous number of officials in preparation for the unexpected."
Sejong was a workaholic. No exaggeration—he voluntarily worked 17 hours a day.
Since even the king was grinding himself down so willingly, his subjects couldn't help but work overtime to deal with the backlog, and had no choice but to follow him down the road of being ground down by overtime.
Serving a sage king was good, but overtime beyond the occasional unavoidable kind was hated as much as the ghost of the fallen Goryeo dynasty.
Therefore, with the many experiences he'd gained serving kings Taejo, Jeongjong, Taejong, and Sejong, Maeng Saseong could clearly see what catastrophe would happen if things went on as they were.
'Kim Daebung is only a Grade 6 official, and it's only been a little over three years since he entered office. Yet he has managed to accomplish so much.'
'The Minister of Personnel has been in office longer than Kim Daebung and is indeed more seasoned, so he may not be able to produce innovative reforms, but he will do the work better.'
"The yangban are likely to be thrown into disarray by how much tax they now have to pay under the Bangwon Law, so please open the civil service examinations on a grand scale to soothe public sentiment."
"...... Open the examinations on a grand scale. Specifically, how many should we select?"
"I will discuss that with the Minister of Taxation and then submit a memorial."
Maeng Saseong signaled Hwang Hui with his eyes. It meant that if we didn't keep the number of officials as low as the budget allowed, we'd all be buried alive under overtime.
Hwang Hui nodded vigorously in agreement.
Jo Mal-saeng, the Minister of War, who liked cannons that packed a big punch and also liked bribes, spoke up.
"Your humble servant, Jo Mal-saeng, Minister of War, respectfully reports. Since the death of Great King Taejo, and after even Prince Cheonghae (Yi Jiran) passed away, the Jurchens in the north have been threatening Joseon's borders. In addition, in the south, the wicked Japanese are constantly plundering Joseon's people."
Sejong gritted his teeth.
Just thinking about those brutal bastards who tormented the weak common people made his blood boil.
No matter how much good governance he performed, if those evil bastards appeared and stripped the people bare, the lives of the local commoners would ultimately sink into misery.
"Until now, we haven't had enough budget to cast many cannons, and we haven't been able to conscript enough soldiers either. But circumstances are different now, so please devote your efforts to cannon casting and strengthening the army."
"That is also true. Minister of War, come up with measures to stop the Japanese raiders and the Jurchens, and also think of ways to expand the army, then report back."
Sejong grinned as he thought about how to use the increased tax revenue.
It was true that there was so much work it was exhausting, but Joseon was developing brilliantly day by day, and that made him genuinely happy.
Thinking that it was all thanks to the official Kim Daebung, he found him truly admirable.
As much as he wanted to seat him in the Chief State Councillor's chair right away... every matter has its proper procedure.
As discussed yesterday with Taejong Yi Bang-won, Sejong decided to announce the next Chief State Councillor.
"The rebel Yu Jeonghyeon died, and because the seat of Chief State Councillor remained vacant for several months, the order of the court has been disrupted. After carefully considering a suitable man, I have found that Minister of Taxation Hwang Hui is always fair in handling affairs and has made great contributions by coordinating numerous opinions thus far. Therefore, I shall specially appoint Hwang Hui as Chief State Councillor, so that he may serve the ancestral temple and the state."
It was a remarkably bold appointment.
However, there were no ministers who voiced opposition.
After all, the one who devised the Bangwon Law was Kim Daebung, but the one who actually made the system work was Hwang Hui.
Thus, Hwang Hui became Chief State Councillor a full three years earlier than in actual history.
"After this, you gentlemen are to discuss Kim Daebung's promotion after serving as secret royal inspector, his next post, and his rewards, and then report back."