King Sejong's Trap (3)

Sejong, who wanted to work Kim Daebung to death, summoned the ministers and held a court audience.

The ministers had only heard that a court audience had been called and not what it was about, so everyone was extremely curious.

In the midst of everyone's curiosity, Chief State Councillor Hwang Hui spoke up.

"Minister of War, do you know why His Majesty suddenly gathered us ministers and held court today?"

"I came here without knowing the reason, but do Your Excellency the Chief State Councillor know why?"

"I don't know the exact reason either. But in my view, the rehabilitation of the Japanese pirates at Gyeonggi Naval Command is nearly complete, so perhaps he suddenly called this audience in order to spread among the navy the methods of open-ocean navigation based on their seafaring skills."

"Indeed, the seafaring skills of the Japanese pirates from Tsushima were uncanny. They knew the sea routes so well that they showed no fear at all of heading out into the open ocean."

The commander of Gyeonggi Naval Command had recently taken those former pirates on a voyage from Incheon to Chungcheong Province to gauge how skilled they were at sailing.

They guided the ship smoothly by leading it out into fairly open waters rather than keeping it on the coast, and thanks to that the Joseon navy came to understand concretely just how inefficient its coastal navigation had been until now.

"If they have a talent too good to waste even if they're Japanese pirates, why not at least marry them off so they can form families and live as Joseon people, even if you don't grant them office?"...