Chapter 42: Laughing and Crying in Devotion (7)

Chapter 42: Laughing and Crying in Devotion (7)

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...

“As I’ve mentioned before, sugar not only pleases the palate but also helps prevent food spoilage. Moreover, when you are exhausted, consuming a moderate amount can quickly restore your energy. However, eating too much can lead to significant side effects. First, it damages the teeth. It also leads to obesity.”

“Cough!”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong coughed awkwardly. He had been gaining some belly fat lately. Regardless, Hyang continued, “And, the most significant side effect is that it can cause diabetes. Didn’t the physician diagnose signs of diabetes in Your Majesty not long ago?”

“Cough! Okay. I’ll moderate my intake.”

Even though King Sejong waved a white flag, Hyang didn’t stop. “I couldn’t sleep after hearing about the signs of diabetes in Your Majesty. So, I went through the medical books. If diabetes worsens, it can cause eye diseases leading to blindness. Then, you wouldn’t be able to read, which you love...”

“I told you I’d moderate!”

King Sejong became irritated, but Hyang continued nevertheless, “An even bigger problem is impotence!”

“Impotence?”

At King Sejong’s question, Hyang silently glanced at his lower body. Following Hyang’s gaze, King Sejong quietly pushed a candy jar aside.

Seeing this, Hyang arrived at the conclusion. “It’s hard to quit due to the sweetness of sugar.”

“That’s true.”

“Medical books pointed out this too, but the best remedy for diabetes is to reduce the intake of candy as much as possible, and to exercise.”

“Exercise?”

“Yes. Besides skipping rope, you should take long walks, and increase your muscle strength.”

“Increase my muscle strength.”

“The medical books say ‘Bones are like the pillars of a house, and muscles are like its walls. Just as a house with strong pillars but thin walls can’t resist the heat and cold, if your muscle strength is weak, you can’t resist disease.'”

“Increase muscle strength. Got it. I will do so.”

“Your Majesty’s understanding is profound. Your muscles will know well about this issue.”

“I got it.”

So, Hyang’s ‘King Sejong’s Longevity Project’ was reinforced. Hyang’s final goal was simple.

‘If losing weight is difficult, let’s make you a healthy pig!’

◈◈◈

As the empty spots were filled, the court affairs began to speed up. Just as the nationwide smallpox vaccination was nearing its end, a new debate began in the court. The new issue was ‘cattle’.

The nationwide smallpox vaccination required large quantities of cattle infected with smallpox. This was solved by the national landowners voluntarily culling their cattle.

“As a result, we received 1153 cattle. We need to think about how to handle these cattle.”

“1153, that’s a lot. Hmm...”

After pondering for a while, King Sejong gave an order to Chief Eunuch.

“Call the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shortly after, Hyang, summoned, entered the hall.

“Father, did you call me?”

As Hyang who showed respect took his seat, King Sejong broached the main subject.

“...This is the situation. Crown Prince, what would you do with these cattle?”

Pondering King Sejong’s question for a moment, Hyang asked the Minister of Taxation, “What’s the gender ratio among these cattle?”

Nationwide smallpox vaccination has been carried out, but there are those who are too young or live in too remote areas to receive the vaccination. Cattle infected with smallpox should be prepared annually for these people. For this purpose, calves are born and raised in cattle farms.After raising cattle and pigs in large quantities in the cattle farms, meat is supplied to the people. Specifically, in the case of cattle, although slaughter was prohibited because they are essential animals for farming, it’s almost a situation in name only.

“Consider the Hui ethnics. Although they possess foreign religions and customs, aren’t they following our Joseon laws faithfully?”

After both Hyang and the Chief Secretary agreed, Sejong and the ministers fell deeper into thought. After repeated contemplation, Sejong made a decision. “Honestly, it was necessary to make a decision about the nomads. Let’s sort this out on this occasion.”

“We will obey your command!”

Thus, a hard-line policy against the nomads was decided.

◈◈

As the issue concerning the slaughterhouses was decided, Hyang started talking about the final reason why we need slaughterhouses.

“The last reason we need slaughterhouses is for national defense.”

“National defense?”

Upon the unexpected mention of ‘national defense’, King Sejong and the ministers pricked up their ears.

“Yes, for national defense. Firstly, we need it for the soldier’s provisions. Upon looking at the documents I’ve gathered, I found this passage. ‘While grains offer immediate energy, they also result in rapid hunger. It’s akin to kindling that ignites quickly, burns intensely, but soon diminishes. On the other hand, meat resembles a sturdy log, requiring time to ignite, yet once it does, it provides sustained energy.’”

Hyang proceeded after a brief pause, stating, “In comparing the Ming dynasty to our own Joseon, it becomes evident that our people consume a greater amount of food. When our army mobilizes, a significant portion of the space is occupied by provisions for the soldiers. This is primarily due to our grain-based diet. Thus, it is imperative for us to produce preserved foods such as beef or pork jerky and salted meat, which can be supplied to the military.”

The words of Hyang prompted thoughtful expressions and approving sounds from King Sejong and the ministers, who stroked their beards in agreement. Although they did not offer a verbal response, their countenances conveyed a message of concurrence, as if to say, “Hmm, that sounds reasonable.”

Hyang proceeded to present his final point, “Moreover, it is of utmost importance that we harness the potential of cattle and pig manure to create fertile fields. Presently, the collection of feces, urine, and soil from private hearths yields a meager amount in our Joseon. This scarcity arises from the fact that farmers utilize them as fertilizers in their fields, leading to perpetual conflicts between farmers and officials. However, by establishing slaughterhouses and collecting the manure of cattle and pigs, we can generate vast expanses of fertile land without imposing hardships on the populace.”

“I see!”

“What a brilliant plan!”

King Sejong and his ministers, particularly the Minister of Law Enforcement, expressed strong approval. However, the Minister of Taxation, who had been silently contemplating, raised a counter-argument.

“While the Crown Prince’s proposal is commendable, there is one issue regarding livestock feed. Cows pose no problem as they solely consume grass, but pigs are a different story. Pigs have voracious appetites yet yield less meat. Moreover, they spoil quickly in the summer. Setting aside taste considerations...”

Upon hearing the Minister of Taxation’s words, Hyang concurred, saying, “I agree. However, during your visit to the Ming Dynasty as an envoy, did you happen to see their pigs?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What were the pigs like in the Ming Dynasty? Did you observe them?”

“I caught sight of them a few times while procuring books for the Crown Prince. Well, to exaggerate a bit, they were as large as houses.”

“Then, couldn’t we simply import breeding pigs from the Ming Dynasty?”

“But wouldn’t their larger size result in increased food consumption?”

The discussion between Hyang and the Minister of Taxation grew more heated, capturing the keen interest of King Sejong and the other ministers.

“To address that concern, we can cultivate soybeans in the fields adjacent to the slaughterhouse. Soybeans thrive with ample water, and slaughterhouses require significant amounts of it.”

“However, that would necessitate additional land separate from the slaughterhouse site.”

Upon hearing this, Hyang promptly proposed an alternative. “In that case, we can negotiate with local landlords to rent their land.”

“Would the landlords readily agree? They are barely managing to grow rice and barley on their farmland.”

“We could lease exhausted land. I’ve heard that cultivating beans in a field restores its fertility.”

Upon hearing Hyang’s suggestion, the Minister of Personnel diligently conducted calculations. After completing the assessment, the Minister of Personnel nodded approvingly.

“It appears to be entirely feasible.”

????Footnote(s)Cow ban refers to a historical law implemented during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, which prohibited the slaughter of cows. The Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from 1392 to 1897, was characterized by a strict social hierarchy and Confucian ideology. This law was primarily driven by Confucian principles that emphasized the importance of agriculture and the value of oxen as essential animals for farming. In an agrarian society like Joseon, oxen were crucial for plowing fields and transporting goods. By prohibiting the slaughter of cows, the law aimed to ensure a stable agricultural base and prevent the depletion of valuable working animals.⤴It means foolish or ignorant. Other connotation would be humility or simplicity.⤴

“愚公移山” (yú gōng yí shān) is a well-known Chinese idiom that translates to “The Foolish Old Man Moves a Mountain” in English. It comes from a popular Chinese folktale that carries a moral lesson.

The story goes that there was an old man named Yu Gong who lived with his family at the foot of two massive mountains, named Taihang and Wangwu. The mountains obstructed their way and made their lives difficult. Yu Gong, despite being old and considered foolish by others, was determined to overcome this obstacle. He decided to move the mountains, believing that with persistence, they could be relocated. When Yu Gong’s determination and perseverance reached the ears of the gods, they were moved by his unwavering spirit. The gods decided to help him and sent two divine beings to move the mountains away.⤴



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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