Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 685

Episode 685 Suez (5)

“Hmm…. Although Daenae is still on good terms with us, I think there is room for consideration regarding the request sent this time. “What do you think, Prime Minister?”

Kim Jeom gave an answer to Hyang’s question as if he had been waiting.

“First of all, I will examine what Ms. Daenae of the Japanese Empire requested, item by item. First of all, the number of international students who will learn Confucianism and practical skills can be increased by up to 20% compared to now.”

“Is it only 20%? “If you pass the Gyeonghak course and are judged to be capable of practical work, rumors are reaching my ears that they will be busy recruiting you from all directions?”

When Hyang pointed out, Kim Jeom readily admitted the truth.

“Of course, it is true that there is still a shortage of workers to run the empire. “This is because the ideal government that Sambong Jeong Do-jeon and other predecessors pursued in the past was very small.”

* * *

With the founding of Joseon, there was no need for a large government for those who pursued a Neo-Confucian ideal state.

-If everyone becomes virtuous by educating the people, there is no need for a big government. Rather, as the size of the government grows, the burden on the people only increases!

According to this decision, it was standard for government officials at the time to hold at least two or three official positions. In a situation where concurrent employment was essential, the salary was actually reduced.

Thanks to this, until King Sejong proceeded with the restoration, the Joseon Dynasty’s government not only had a serious personnel backlog, but also gave and received bribes.

And the aftermath has now affected an entire generation.

Or, to be more precise, the problem of lack of talent was being resolved to some extent as the Gyeongjang process began and women were allowed to enter the civil service.

However, the problem was that the speed at which the empire’s territory expanded easily outpaced the speed at which it could supply and demand human resources.

As a result, the supply and demand of lower-level officials was resolved to some extent, but the poor quality of the waist area was still a problem.

* * *

Hyang’s eyes lit up at Kim Jeom’s answer.

‘You mentioned Sambong Jeong Do-jeon openly? ‘Have you finally been released from your captivity?’

The existence of Jeong Do-jeon, who was purged by Taejong in the ‘First Prince’s Rebellion’, was a kind of taboo.

It was mentioned occasionally while King Sejong was in the process of preparing the palace. However, this was something that only King Sejong would occasionally say, and ministers had to be as observant as possible and mention it in circles.

This was because they did not know what harm they would face if they made a mistake and were subject to appeals from officials.

However, now that Joseon was transformed into an empire, ministers naturally began to mention Jeong Do-jeon.

The private army pursued by Jeong Do-jeon was abolished, and military power was taken over by the emperor. In addition, the conquest of Liaodong promoted by Jeong Do-jeon went beyond Liaodong and became a stronghold of the empire right up to Jangseong.

And the harmony between royal power and divine power that Jeong Do-jeon dreamed of was also becoming established as a legal system through the ‘Choibeop’.

Therefore, it became natural for those who currently held the position of minister or new officials to mention Jeong Do-jeon’s name when necessary.

As a side note, as the trend changed, there was talk of amnesty for Ryu Jeong-hyeon and his comrades who were purged by King Sejong, but Hyang resolutely rejected them.

“They did not understand the true nature of the situation and were caught up in their own stubbornness and tried to ruin the Great Precepts! “Even if they are already dead, pardon and lottery can never be allowed!”

The theory of amnesty immediately sank into the deep sea due to Hyang’s so resolute rejection.

Afterwards, when Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s name came up among the officials gathered at the base, they all shook their heads.

“Why are you so pretentious to dig your own grave in the first place? “It’s a blessing to be self-employed!”

Meanwhile, Hyang strengthened her decision, remembering the conversation she had with Sejong before.

“The empire is not yet stable. “Whether it is the descendants of the Giyu Rebellion or the descendants of Ryu Jeong-hyeon and his comrades, we must make sure that they cannot come near power, at least while I am alive.”

* * *

Kim continued to explain why it had to be 20%.

“It is true, as your Majesty said, that we are short on manpower. As the saying goes, “the more the better,” the more Japanese people there are to work, the better. However, if that happens, the secrets that our empire, including Shinji, are hiding could leak out. Therefore, in order to use it comfortably and in an appropriate place, 20% is the best.”

In response to Kim Jeom’s answer, Hyang muttered to herself.

‘That’s it. ‘Non-regular workers or dispatched employees who frequently appeared in Japanese dramas.’

Hyang quickly organized the thoughts that were about to go sideways and pointed out Shinji.

“Don’t many of the people of the empire already know about Shinji?”

“As your Majesty knows, what the people know is at the level of rumors. “The only people who really know are the officials, soldiers, and artisans in Area 51 who are directly involved in the work.”

The expression on Kim Jeom’s face as he answered and looked at the incense seemed to have a lot to say.

‘Why are you asking me when you are the one who managed confidentiality so strictly in the first place? ‘Who are you trying to feed?’

* * *

The township’s confidentiality policy regarding Shinji was almost paranoid.

The crew of transport ships traveling to and from Shinji, regardless of their rank, had to sign an oath of confidentiality.

And, due to the civil society policy, people immigrating to the new area could only be permitted to immigrate if they agreed to the censorship of their letters.

“What kind of land is this?”

“I applied because they said they would give me a lot of land compared to Daeseoldo or Bukji, but why is it so difficult?”

“Ah shit! I can’t eat it because it’s dirty! Should I just go to Bukji?”

Many applicants who were upset by the screening process, which was more difficult than expected, turned to the northern region, which was at least familiar to them. However, those who passed this process and moved to Shinji and settled near Daehogun soon sent letters to their relatives in their hometown.

The content of the letters was simple.

-Stop talking nonsense and come to Shinji right away!

And the relatives back home who received this letter looked skeptical.

“Come to Shinji? Have you forgotten the infamous screening process? Are you trying to feed me this? Or is there really something?”

Appeals continued to arise regarding such a rigorous review process, but there was no intention of softening the scent.

“We must hide it until the natives of Shinji are properly assimilated into the empire and Shinji’s own defenses are established. “As far as I know, the year Columbus set foot on the New World was 1492, so preparations should be completed within at least 20 to 30 years.”

After hearing the detailed plan from King Sejong, who returned briefly to declare the empire, Hyang drew up a long-term plan to further strengthen it.

The goal of the plan was simple.

-At least North America and, if possible, Mexico are blocked on the Atlantic line!

* * *

“great. So let’s do it like this. In the case of international students who come simply to learn academics such as economics, industry, law, and medicine, the increase is increased by about 10% every year, but for those who will learn administrative work, it is limited to those with excellent grades, up to a maximum of 20%. However, this 20% is not guaranteed, so let’s limit it to those who passed the screening due to excellent grades. It is a warning that if you do not pass the screening, the number of people may be reduced. How is it?”

Kim Jeom bowed his head at the summary suggested by Hyang.

“This is truly a fitting sentence. In particular, I think that the warning that the number of people can be reduced rather than increased unconditionally is the optimal alternative. Then, international students will study harder and the empire will be colored.”

Hyang nodded lightly at Kim Jeom’s words and looked back at the other ministers.

“What do other people think?”

The ministers responded to Hyang’s question by simultaneously bowing their heads.

“This is truly a fitting punishment!”

* * *

“The problem with international students is that we can do it this way, and then the next problem is. “The issue of accepting international students into military academies.”

Kim Jeom immediately stepped forward and responded to Hyang’s words.

“My knowledge of Shin-i is limited, but I believe this request should not be accepted. Although the Daenae clan is making peace with our empire and is accommodating itself, a Japanese is a Japanese. This is because Japanese people are fierce in nature and obedient to others.”

The ministers all nodded at Kim Jeom’s words. After seeing the faces of the ministers, Hyang turned to Min Shin, the Minister of National Defense.

“What does the Minister of Defense think?”

After gathering his thoughts for a moment in response to Hyang’s question, Minshin immediately expressed his opinion.

“I also agree with the opinion of the Prime Minister. Looking at the current situation in the Japanese country, it is clear that the Daenae clan has taken control of the Japanese country. I also acknowledge that Daenaejise (???? Ouchi Mochiyo), who currently leads the Daenae Clan, is a cooperative figure with our empire. But the problem is that the domestic market is very old. Of course, it is said that his successor, Norihiro Ouchi, also wants to make peace with our empire and to do so quickly, but it is not certain. In this situation, training the person who will lead the Japanese army may do more harm than good.”

After hearing Minshin’s words, Hyang immediately asked a question.

“What are the pros and cons?”

“The benefit is that we can show the majesty of our imperial army to those leading the Japanese army and discourage them from provoking them in advance. In addition, you can use techniques that will make you admire the empire. “If you use this well, you can create a case where the Japanese army steps forward and refuses even if the new ruler of the Daenae clan has an uneasy mind.”

“Wouldn’t that be very unlikely? “No matter how much we admire our empire, isn’t it natural for the military to follow orders from a group of superiors and subordinates?”

Minshin nodded at Hyang’s point.

“I guess so. “If something like that happens, the Daenae clan of the Japanese nation will have to be seen as ruined.”

Hyang nodded at Minshin’s words and continued speaking.

“I understand the benefits. Everyone will know the relevant parts even if you don’t listen to the explanation. “Then would it be appropriate to refuse this part?”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Heo Hu came forward and expressed his opposition to Hyang’s words.

“Rejection is best, but there is a high possibility that it will cause diplomatic problems. Although Japan is now in control of the domestic situation, there are still those who oppose it. If we reject the request of the domestic government, it will cause great damage to the prestige of the domestic government, which advocates ‘exclusion from Japan’ and is friendly to the empire. If you do something wrong, your domestic power may be greatly shaken. Furthermore, if domestic relations become hostile, another conflict may break out. Of course, if it is the power of the empire, it can be suppressed right away, but I think it is better to avoid unnecessary bleeding.”

After Heo Hu finished speaking, Kim Jeom spoke.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs’ remarks also make sense.”

At Kim Jeom’s words, Hyang revealed her true feelings without realizing it.

“How can these so-called neighbors be so full of problems…”

The ministers nodded with expressions of extreme sympathy at Hyang’s words.

After that, the ministers continued their war of words, offering and refuting various opinions.

Hyang, who had been organizing things in his own way while listening to the opinions of the ministers, finally shared his thoughts.

“How about doing it this way?”

After gathering the attention of the ministers, Hyang shared his thoughts.

“First of all, the Navy is excluded.”

The ministers all nodded at Hyang’s words. As Japanese pirates have been famous since ancient times, it was natural to exclude the navy.

“And…”

Hyang paused for a moment, quenched her throat, and continued speaking.

“In the case of the army, we send instructors rather than bringing them in. All the instructor has to do is teach you how to fight. “It doesn’t teach you how to win.”