Black Corporation: Joseon Chapter 276

Episode 276: How the bobcat catches up with the stork. (2)

“What did you mean by that all of a sudden?”

Not only the ministers but also King Sejong did not immediately understand Hyang’s unexpected words and asked back.

In response to Sebong’s question, Hyang spoke again.

“One of the sayings that goes around the author is, ‘A bird gets its crotch ripped while following a stork.’ There is a saying: “Have you heard of it too?”

“I heard it. ‘Know your means and do not act beyond your means.’ “Isn’t that what you mean?”

The ministers also nodded in response to King Sejong’s answer. Looking at their reactions, Hyang asked again.

“But what if we must catch up?”

“A lot of effort…”

Sejong, who had answered unconsciously, continued with a secret smile.

“Seja. I see what you’re trying to say. “But it doesn’t fit the situation that Joseon is facing right now.”

“yes?”

“In the situation you described, you need outside help to implement the plan you are thinking of. “Is there a trustworthy helper in the current situation?”

Hyang, who was reflecting on Sejong’s words, immediately bowed her head.

“I apologize. “I acted proudly because of my shallow learning.”

“Be careful from now on. okay. “What do you think is the solution?”

“yes. “That is…”

Just as Hyang was about to explain, Maeng Sa-seong interrupted.

“I am asking you, Your Majesty. “The gods are unintelligent and cannot understand your conversation.”

At Maeng Sa-seong’s words, not only the ministers but also the officers nodded.

‘Stop answering Zen questions that only the two of you can understand!’

‘Where would a bad-headed person live?’

‘Should I take Chongmyeongtang instead of tonic medicine?’

Sejong, perhaps aware of the mood of the ministers, opened his mouth.

“If the Deputy Prime Minister is a stork, a stork is following him from behind, aiming for the food that the stork has caught. “What can I do to avoid being overtaken by this stork?”

“Ah…”

In response to King Sejong’s question, Maeng Sa-seong only then understood the Zen question and answer of the two father and son.

The fragrance compared Joseon to a stork and Ming to a stork. The problem was that if we did as the author said, Joseon would end up chasing after the Ming Dynasty. Sejong pointed out to Hyang that the analogy was wrong.

“Now I finally understand the conviction of Maeng Sa-seong.”

‘Wow! What a damn Zen question!’

“okay. “What should a Left Deputy Prime Minister do?”

“Shouldn’t we run for our lives?”

“But won’t it catch up to you eventually?”

“That’s…”

“What do you think the other captains should do?”

The ministers were lost in thought at King Sejong’s question. As the silence continued, Kim Jeom answered.

“The difference in power between Joseon and Ming is clear, so there are limits to the standard. “Now it seems that a clever plan is needed, not a rule.”

In response to Kim Jeom’s words, Jo Gye-saeng, a minister in the newly established Ministry of Education, immediately opposed it.

“No matter how critical the current situation is, this is not a strategy! A clever strategy cannot defeat the rule! “We must keep in mind why the ancient sages placed great importance on morality!”

Cho Mal-saeng, the Minister of National Defense, immediately refuted Jo Gye-saeng’s words.

“Is there anyone who does not know the importance of righteousness? But consider the gravity of the matter now. As Captain Kim said, the difference in capabilities between Joseon and the Ming Dynasty is clear, so is this a situation where we have to question the standard?”

“The more we do that, the more we must value the importance of the standard!”

Jo Gye-saeng and Jo Mal-saeng engaged in a war of words, raising blood vessels to their necks. Seeing that scene, King Sejong and the local ministers all thought the same thing.

‘Brothers fight really well.’

* * *

The ensuing war of words spread to King Sejong.

“majesty! When it comes to using a strategy, even if you think a hundred times and hesitate a thousand times, it is not enough! Stratagems may provide temporary sweetness, but they provide no lasting benefit!”

As soon as Jo Gye-saeng finished speaking, Jo Mal-saeng immediately refuted.

“majesty! Among the ministers gathered here, there is not one who does not know the importance of righteousness! But there comes a time when the situation demands a plan! “A trick is like gambling, but it must be used when necessary!”

“majesty! The actions of the ministers serve as an example for the people! What do you think would happen if the people followed suit by preferring remorse over honesty? “If only the result justifies everything, will there be any morals left among the people of this Joseon Dynasty?”

“Isn’t that overthinking it?”

When King Sejong thought that Jo Gye-saeng’s words were excessive, Jo Gye-saeng firmly denied them.

“It’s not excessive at all! “If you think lightly and look down on it like that, at some point you will find yourself in an immeasurable swamp!”

In response to Jo Gye-saeng’s words, Jo Mal-saeng raised his voice again.

“then! Minister of Education, please answer! A man several times larger and more powerful than our Joseon Dynasty is following closely behind us! “What is the norm in this situation?”

“The goal is to develop technology that is ahead of the Ming Dynasty, trade with more countries, make the country richer, and make the people comfortable!”

“Right now, Myungguk is telling us to give up what we have, but that’s not the answer! “It’s a standard answer, but it’s the wrong answer!”

“How can we be sure that the purpose of the messenger from the famous kingdom coming now is a long gun? “Is there any confirmation?”

“huh?”

For a moment, the inside of Geunjeongjeon stopped. Jo Gye-saeng had just made a dangerous statement.

Jo Gye-saeng bowed his head again to King Sejong and begged him.

“majesty! What we know now is that ‘the messenger comes from Ming.’ This is it! This comes from not knowing anything! But ‘it will be like this!’ “You are trying to predict this and talk about a strategy to deal with it. This is something that must be prohibited!”

Jo Mal-saeng crawled back to Jo Gye-saeng’s words.

“If not, what do you mean!”

“Shouldn’t we discuss that now? “Why are the ministers gathered in this main hall?”

“stop.”

As the war of words was about to intensify again, King Sejong stopped the conversation.

When the brothers Jo Gye-saeng and Jo Mal-saeng fell silent and took a step back, King Sejong continued speaking.

“There is no mistake in what the Minister of Education said. However, the Minister of Education wanted to listen to what the crown prince said was the most influential thing in the current situation, so he wanted to hear about measures to address it. “Doesn’t the Minister of Education know whether the measures the Crown Prince is talking about are a ploy or a solution?”

Jo Gye-saeng, who pondered his words for a moment at King Sejong’s point, bowed his head.

“God forgive me my sins.”

“I will move on with the thought that I am thinking about the kingdom of God.”

“I am devastated!”

“The atmosphere seems overheated, so let’s cool down for a moment. “Let’s meet again in half an hour (about an hour).”

“I follow your orders.”

When King Sejong declared the suspension of the meeting, the ministers got up from their seats and left Geunjeongjeon.

“Crown, would you like to have a cup of tea with me?”

Hyang, who was about to go out after the ministers, turned back when he heard Sejong’s words.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside Geunjeongjeon, a second battle was about to take place between the brothers.

“ah! older brother! “Do you have any thoughts or not?”

“what?”

At Jo Gye-saeng’s carefree answer, veins rose on Jo Mal-saeng’s forehead.

“What reason could there be for an envoy from the Ming to come to this situation? “Isn’t it because of our Joseon weapons?”

“How can you be sure of that? “The so-called minister can’t think seriously!”

“I’m not saying that because what the Crown Prince said is right!”

“Even if what the Crown Prince said is right, it is our ministers’ job to think about it again and report it to His Majesty! “If you live your life just looking at what’s in front of you, that’s what it looks like!”

Jo Mal-saeng’s voice grew louder at Jo Gye-saeng’s scolding.

“What’s wrong with me!”

“What’s so good about this guy who ended up being a loser in Geunjeongjeon because he just watched what was right in front of him!”

“older brother!”

“What? If I do well, I will hit it? Hit it! Hit it!”

“Ugh!”

When Jo Mal-saeng, who could not bear his anger, rushed at Jo Gye-saeng, the ministers nearby blocked the two.

“Look! Be patient! “Hold on!”

A huge commotion broke out, and the ministers had to leave Geunjeong Gate, blocking the space between the Cho brothers.

The ministers had to let out a long sigh when they saw the Cho brothers going to their respective offices.

“Whoa~. “How can brothers be so different?”

“That’s right.”

* * *

The brothers of the Yangju Jo family were all government officials working in the government. All five brothers worked in high-ranking government positions, but the eldest son, Jo Gye-saeng, and the fourth son, Jo Mal-saeng, received polar opposite evaluations.

In the case of Jo Gye-saeng, it was well known that he was a scholar who was serious in his actions, clean with integrity, and never let go of a book in his hands. Thanks to this, he was appointed as Minister of Education through the newly created Ministry of Education. It was an appointment that was evaluated as the best choice by both King Sejong and the ministers.

In the case of his younger brother, Jo Mal-saeng, he was outstandingly talented, but he was a soft-spoken person and liked bribes. Thanks to this, he was caught in a bribery case in the past and was imprisoned in the Record Office and then pegged to the military service.

* * *

Meanwhile, King Sejong was sharing incense and refreshments.

“Please leave the officer for a moment.”

At King Sejong’s order, the officers and officers quickly got up from their seats and went outside.

Sejong and Hyang, who had put their listening ears away, talked while drinking tea with the inner coffin in it.

“One of the sayings in the author is, ‘Old ginger is spicy.’ “Isn’t there a saying?”

“yes.”

“Isn’t that wrong?”

Hyang immediately understood the meaning of Sejong’s question.

‘It’s about that guy.’

“That’s right.”

In response to Hyang’s response, Sejong continued speaking while drinking tea.

“The value of the existence of ministers lies there. Pointing out things I didn’t think about or overlooked. The Crown Prince should also keep this in mind. “When you ascend to the throne, the ministers who will deal with you will be those raised by them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“But there is a degree. “Remember that if they try to overstep the royal authority, they must be sternly purged.”

“I will keep this in mind.”

Bowing her head at Sejong’s warning, Hyang muttered to herself.

‘Captain Ryu Jeong-hyeon left a big scar on everyone.’

The ‘purge of Ryu Jeong-hyeon and senior ministers’ left a huge wound that could not be hidden for both King Sejong and the ministers.

* * *

After half a visitation, King Sejong and the local ministers gathered again in Geunjeongjeon.

“Crown, make sure you explain your thoughts concisely and clearly.”

“Yes Abama.”

‘Don’t talk unnecessarily.’ At Sejong’s warning, Hyang inwardly licked his lips and stood up.

In front of the ministers, the scent began to be explained.

“First of all, this measure was established based on the assumption that an envoy from the Ming Dynasty who is coming now will ask for the President of our Joseon Dynasty.”

Hyang, who slightly avoided the problem pointed out by Jo Gye-saeng from the beginning, continued talking.

“It is true that our Joseon Dynasty was behind in most fields compared to the Ming Dynasty. However, there are several areas that are significantly ahead of the Ming, and one of them is the artillery section.”

The ministers nodded at Hyang’s words.

“But we can’t just hand over this piece of artillery just because the government demands it. As you can see from the example of Gakgung, didn’t Myeongdo act harshly in this area?”

“Of course.”

“If Ming demands long guns from Joseon, the basic plan is to hand over long guns with reduced performance.”

Maeng Sa-seong immediately questioned Hyang’s words.

“What will you do if they ask for a craftsman instead of a long gun?”

“Do you think the craftsmen we sent will do their best?”

“Ah…”

The ministers nodded at Hyang’s point. Even though they expressed their willingness to speed things up, the Ming had many things to hide from Joseon regarding national defense and constantly monitored Joseon.

“If you degrade performance, won’t people notice right away? “You must have already seen it in Liaodong?”

When Maeng Sa-seong pointed out again, Hyang nodded and answered.

“That’s right. So the performance of the long gun handed to the Ming was mediocre. It is definitely superior to the guns we have now, but its performance will be lower than the long guns we have. And it will cause people to go down the wrong path.”

“You mean the wrong road?”

“Yes, there are two ways for a stork to keep ahead of the stork that is following it. One is to tie the stork’s feet, or the other is to make the stork go down the wrong path.”