Chapter 32: Winds of Change (10)

Chapter 32: Winds of Change (10)

Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light...

When the high-ranking officials heard the news, they rushed to the Royal Secretary Office. The Chief State Councilor had just finished writing an appeal to the king.

“Your Excellency! A petition? What a rash act!”

“In a situation where it would be insufficient even to prostrate oneself before the king in remorse, you are submitting a petition? Are you out of your mind?”

Although the high-ranking officials gathered and criticized him in succession, the Chief State Councilor’s expression remained calm.

“It is a petition that must be submitted. If we consider not the present of Joseon but its future, we must inquire into this matter and defy the king’s will.”The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

“Your Excellency! Are you truly possessed by a reckless spirit?”

When the Minister of Taxation raised his voice, the Chief State Councilor also raised his voice in succession, “The king has forgotten how significant it is to rule the country! He has also forgotten why there are officials!”

“Your Excellency!”

Although the other high-ranking officials tried to stop him, the Chief State Councilor entered the Royal Secretary Office, holding the petition, and handed it over.

“Submit this petition to the king.”

“...Understood.”

Seeing the nervous expressions and voices of the officials, the Chief State Councilor added, “Don’t make such faces. This is all for the future of Joseon and the king.”

The official, whose face had hardened at the Chief State Councilor’s words, received the petition from the man’s hands. “...I will submit it to His Majesty.”

◈◈◈

“It’s the Chief State Councilor’s appeal.”

“Leave it and go.”

The Chief State Councilor’s petition was placed on King Sejong’s desk, passing through the official and the courier. Without a word, King Sejong stared at the rolled-up petition and began to read it as he unfurled it.

“I, Chief State Councilor Ryu Jeong-hyeon, prostrate myself and submit this petition to His Majesty. In brief, the matter of state administration...”

The contents of the petition written by Ryu Jeong-hyeon were as follows:

State administration is, as the name implies, the management of a nation. Therefore, making and implementing policies lightly is something that must never be done. What must be avoided when deciding and implementing policies is changing one’s mind frequently and capriciously, a fact known even to a child three feet tall. This is because the issue involves the trust of the people in the nation and its policies.

However, looking at the nationwide implementation of the cowpox vaccination, the king has abused his power through a unilateral decision. This is not right.

Initially, the plan was to vaccinate the residents of Hanyang and confirm its efficacy before implementing it nationwide, and this was something the king also agreed to. However, as a few people submitted an appeal to expand the vaccination nationwide quickly and made a breakthrough, reversing the initial plan is not a change but rather a capricious act.

The king criticized the majority of the scholar-officials based only on the fact that a few scholars and merchants made a breakthrough. This is not right. The efficacy of the cowpox vaccination has not yet been proven. Therefore, most scholar-officials are waiting for its efficacy to be confirmed. Of course, there may be some who refused to perform their duties as nobles due to their own greed, but they are an extreme minority. After all, these are the nobles who have mastered the classics, followed the teachings of the sages, and have known righteousness and principles.

State administration, that is, the creation and implementation of policies, should only be carried out through consultation between the king and his officials. What is the reason for needing officials in the management of a nation? It is because it is not an easy task for the king alone to see and judge wisely. The king and the officials must examine from various angles, gather their intentions, and make decisions in order for policies to move in the right direction. If all matters of state affairs were decided and implemented according to the king’s will, what need would there be for the royal court and officials? It would suffice to have eunuchs in charge of document management. This is not only a departure from the royal way but also from the hegemonic way and is simply a dictatorship.

Furthermore, it is not right for the king to habitually abuse power as a customary practice for the future of the nation. We have no doubt that His Majesty, the present king, possesses the qualities of a dragon among men and will not deviate from the righteous path. Also, the Crown Prince has outstanding qualities, so there is less worry. However, what about the future? If a tyrant likes Jie of Xia[1] or Zhou of Shang ascends the throne and abuses power because it is custom, what will become of the fate of Joseon? In order to prevent such a situation, the consultation between the king and his officials must be strictly observed, and policies determined through that consultation must be carefully prepared and implemented.

Our Joseon has barely passed 30 years since its founding. To compare it to a house, it is now just laying the foundation. Ensuring consistency in the relationships between the king, officials, and policy implementation is the only way to avoid political disasters and ensure the perpetual prosperity of Joseon. The reason Goryeo went down the path of destruction was that it neglected this.

In conclusion, the nationwide implementation of cowpox vaccination through the abuse of power should be stopped. As initially planned, its efficacy should be confirmed first, and then a decision on nationwide implementation should be made.

“...If it is indeed effective, I, Ryu Jeong-hyeon, will gladly offer all of my property.”

Upon reading the entirety of the Chief State Councilor’s petition, King Sejong clenched his fists in anger and put down the document.

“What a cunning man!” Holding onto the arms of his throne, King Sejong suppressed his boiling anger and issued an order to the court attendants. “What are those haughty ministers doing now?”

“They are currently performing the ritual of repentance in front of the Royal Council Hall.”

“Order them to enter the main hall immediately! Without missing a single person!”

“Your command shall be obeyed!”

“Please reconsider, Your Majesty! This is impossible!”

“Moving 100,000 people is an impossible task!”

All the ministers opposed King Sejong’s decision. However, King Sejong’s resolve was firm.

“Silence! If we follow your wishes, we will have to wait until smallpox spreads from somewhere other than Hanyang or until it breaks out in Hanyang! Who will bear the resentment of the people who have been sacrificed in the meantime! And is moving 100,000 people impossible? How do the military forces move then! This is nothing but an excuse!”

After a brief pause to catch his breath, King Sejong stared at Chief State Councilor and concluded, “I will not tolerate any objections to this, as it is for the sake of firmly establishing the laws that protect the people from the whims of the military! And, Chief State Councilor, listen! If the effectiveness is proven, you will be held responsible for this sin!”

With his final words, King Sejong stormed out of the room.

“I will not tolerate any opposition, as this is to firmly establish the rule of law to protect the orders of military officials! And, Chief State Councilor, listen! If the efficacy is proven, you will bear the guilt upon your neck!”

King Sejong finished speaking and stormed out of his seat.

The scribe recorded everything without omission:

The Chief State Councilor’s objection was like pouring oil on a fire, exacerbating the situation.

After finishing the record, the scribe immediately added a comment.

The implementation of royal governance requires harmony between the king and his ministers. However, harmony is merely a tool, not the ultimate goal. Today’s statements and remarks made by the Chief State Councilor can be considered an inversion of priorities. My heart aches seeing the fall of the esteemed old minister in the spring.

Upon hearing about the conflict between King Sejong and his ministers, Hyang bit his tongue. “It has completely turned into a chicken race. Politics is about legitimacy, but this is going too far, isn’t it?”

Hyang, who had been clicking his tongue at the dire situation of the court, suddenly became serious.

“Could this lead to a rebellion that has never happened in history?”

Hwang, with a serious face, crossed his arms and sank into thought. After a while of mental calculation, Hwang concluded, “I should start preparing just in case.”

That night, Sejong visited Hyang’s room.

“Crown Prince, I assume you’ve heard about today’s events?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think your father went too far?”

“The intransigence of the Chief State Councilor is indeed frustrating. Legitimacy is important, but so is practicality.”

King Sejong smiled at Hyang’s answer and patted his shoulder. “Crown Prince, I feel reassured with you here.”

“You flatter me too much.”

“Whew.” Sejong let out a long sigh and grumbled, “Now that things have come to this, I find myself hoping for an outbreak of disease nearby.”

“You will surely achieve a favorable outcome.”

◈◈◈

Five days later, urgent news reached the court.

“An outbreak has occurred!”

“Where?”

“In the Yeongdeungpo[2] area of Geumcheon County!”

Upon hearing the location of the outbreak, King Sejong and his ministers appeared relieved. They had all been exhausted from the stress brought on by the tense situation that felt like walking on thin ice.

“Perhaps this is for the best. It’s for the best.”

????Footnote(s)걸주 (桀紂) – refers to the tyrant kings Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, who were notorious for their brutal and oppressive rule.⤴Southwest area of current Seoul.⤴

Kirara

Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light novels is just as bright and shiny, and I have a passion for bringing these stories to life through translation. If my translations are your cup of tea, kindly consider fueling my passion by purchasing me a Ko-fi or subscribing for early access to advanced chapters of all my translated works.

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