Chapter 443

Episode 443: Pavement Stone (5)

Following King Sejong’s order, the ministers began work on adding or subtracting weight based on Hyang’s plan.

“They told me to supplement it, so I guess I have to supplement it...”

However, the practitioners in charge of the actual work looked embarrassed and muttered.

“What do I need to know to improve?”

‘Federal system’ was an unfamiliar concept to them.

“This is it....”

The working-level staff, who had been pondering over and over again, eventually asked Hyang for help.

“Please give me instructions!”

Hyang responded with a small sigh to the requests from working-level staff seeking help.

“Ha~. “Neither you nor I have time, so let’s stay up all night.”

After receiving an all-night special lecture, the working-level staff gained an understanding of the concept of federalism.

“...Do you have any questions?”

“I don’t have any.”

At the question asked by Hyang on the last day of the special lecture, all working-level staff shook their heads.

“Then thank you for your hard work. “I look forward to good results.”

“I will do my best.”

After politely bowing and returning to their assigned offices, the working team sat around the conference desk and talked.

“I didn’t mention it earlier, but if the federal system is to survive for a long time, monopoly of power is impossible.”

“Didn’t the crown prince already say that? “Except for diplomacy and national defense, the rest will be distributed to the people of the newly acquired strongholds, regardless of whether they are provinces or provinces.”

“That’s where the problem arises. Power is distributed like that to newly acquired landless areas, but not to the mainland? “As time passes, there will definitely be people who are dissatisfied.”

The officials turned serious when they heard their colleague’s story.

They are just overlooking it because they are used to it, but Joseon was a despotic monarchy system.

“If you look at that part, doesn’t His Majesty the Lord share power with his subjects to some extent? “Wouldn’t it be okay for provinces and provinces to do the same?”

“It’s not sharing, it’s distribution. “Have you forgotten Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s imprisonment that occurred when the civil war broke out?”

“Ah...”

“Look!”

When one official mentioned ‘Ryu Jeong-hyeon’, other officials quickly silenced themselves and other officials urgently cautioned the person who made the problematic statement.

* * *

Although it was not said openly, the reason why Ryu Jeong-hyeon and the senior ministers who shared his views were purged was because they attempted to share power with King Sejong.

The reason why Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s group attempted such a thing was because they thought King Sejong’s power was unstable at the time. They thought they would compromise with themselves in order to stabilize their unstable power, but King Sejong responded with a strong attack.

As a result, Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s group was purged. And Sejong acquired absolute power, even stronger than Taejong.

Afterwards, as he entered the latter half of his reign, he transferred considerable authority to ministers. However, this was distribution, not sharing.

* * *

Despite receiving a warning, the person who made the statement in question continued to talk about it.

“Think about it! There is no need to worry about His Majesty the Lord and the Crown Prince of Danggeum, as they are incredibly talented people. We can just follow along. But... What do you think will happen to this country if a king or a tyrant ascends to the throne in the next generation, or three generations later? If you have already established a country and expect it to grow into an empire, shouldn’t you establish an empire that will last a thousand years? Just like Silla!”

“Shh! “A cancer or a tyrant!”

“Shh! “An empire!”

Fellow officials looked around and cautioned against the dangerous remark. However, some officials reflected on the remarks with bright eyes.

“It’s an empire...”

“It’s a thousand-year empire...”

“Hey guys! What are you doing! “I can’t stop you!”

While the other officials were raising their voices, the door to the conference room burst open and Kim Jong-seo and Hwang Bo-in entered.

“what! “What’s so loud!”

“Is the work finished? When you’re done, give it to me. “I should review it before posting it above.”

Kim Jong-seo shook his head at the sight of the officials who still had puzzled expressions even though they said that.

“I trust these guys...”

“I’m sorry.”

“Okay, it’s just my personal opinion, but considering the number of bowls of rice I’ve eaten in the communal cafeteria, it’s probably close. His Majesty the Lord and the Crown Prince will share power. However, he will divide it, but he will divide it very large and very finely.”

“Do you mean big or small?”

“okay. “He probably shares power with the people.”

“With the people?”

One of the subordinate officials who was pondering Kim Jong-seo’s words suddenly let out an exclamation.

“ah! Are you talking about the entire people, not just the nobles?”

“okay.”

“Is that possible?”

“I think it’s difficult.”

The subordinate officials reacted negatively to Kim Jong-seo’s answer. Kim Jong-seo snorted at that reaction.

“joy! These guys only know one thing and don’t know the other! Get rid of the idea that power can only be held by monarchs or noblemen! “Have you forgotten what His Majesty the Lord has been crying out for since the beginning of the sutra?”

“Equality between citizens....”

“Yes! Also, think about why you nurture merchants and craftsmen with all kinds of benefits, and why you run the Social Democratic Institute with government funds even though the Ministry of Finance and Economy officials are having a hard time with nosebleeds every time they prepare the budget! Do you think this is just to increase revenue and increase the number of people to be used as officials?”

“Ah...”

At Kim Jong-seo’s words, the subordinate officials looked like they had been hit. Looking at the expressions of his subordinates, Kim Jong-seo put a period to his words.

“I know for a fact that the more ink gets into people’s minds and the darker it becomes, the more greedy they become. The desire for power cannot be included in that greed. So, sharing power with the people makes the monarch more comfortable. Because they will bite and fight among themselves. When you have authority, responsibility also comes with it. That means that ‘I can’t die alone’ does not only apply to officials.”

“Ah...”

Only then did the officials nod loudly as if they understood.

Kim Jong-seo screamed after seeing the officials.

“So stop worrying about unnecessary things and write the report quickly!”

Fifteen days later, King Sejong accepted the supplementary plan.

“Hmm... I think most of the items conclude with ‘It is best to quickly adjust to the local situation.’”

“I’m sorry. The powers of the gods are so low...”

When Hwang Hee bowed her head and apologized, King Sejong shook his head.

“There is no need to apologize. Since we know so little about Mujuji, it is inevitable that we will come to this conclusion. But there is one thing I like. ‘In order to quickly stabilize the local area and create a strong sense of belonging, someone in a very high position must go and command the scene.’ Hmm... As expected... this is a good statement. The best form of an empire is like ‘Yeonliji(連理枝)’. Yeonjira... Yeonjira....”

King Sejong, who really liked the word ‘Yeonjira’, which refers to two trees touching and becoming one, pondered the words and looked back at Jo Mal-saeng.

“How much time is needed to establish an agency to direct colonial policy?”

“It takes five to 10 years. The reason is....”

Jo Mal-saeng gave a similar explanation to the one he had given to the ministers before. After hearing Jo Mal-saeng’s explanation, King Sejong thought for a moment and gave an order to Jo Mal-saeng.

“Finish preparations within 5 years.”

“I follow your orders.”

After giving orders to Jo Mal-saeng, King Sejong looked outside Geunjeongjeon and muttered.

“The good times have all gone. “I have to work now, right?”

At the same time, while working in Area 51, the scent hit my ears fiercely.

“Aww~. “Who is going to curse at me?”

In this way, the germ of the ‘Korean Federal Empire’ was planted.

It was the beginning of an empire that would later be heard from all kinds of stories, starting with the ‘black screen of a global conspiracy’.

Other countries who looked at the Korean Empire’s actions always shook their heads with an expression of incomprehension.

“no way! Those crazy bastards!”

-Crazy people who fight among themselves whenever they get the chance, but when another country intervenes, they band together and shout ‘Do you want to go back?’ as if they had never done that before.

-Crazy guys who know very well that they are great.

-Crazy people who fought for 30 years over the foreign language spelling of the country’s name and then fixed the international language as Korean.