Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Beans Planted Where Beans Grow (4)

Wild land Joseon.

The only industry is agriculture, industry is practically destroyed, and commerce is also extremely pre-modern.

So opportunities are laid abundantly all around.

Lee & Gladstone Company employees who began entering Joseon one by one, and people of the newborn <​Far East Colonization Joint Stock Company> calculated what to do to gather money with a rake like skilled Anglo-Saxons.

“First let’s lay railways.”

“Already?”

“Railways unconditionally make money. Must lay railways first and see.”

The huge axis line connecting Uiju to Busan.

Just following this axis line Uiju, Pyongyang, Gaeseong, Hanyang, Daegu, Busan connect as one. The country called Joseon itself fundamentally changes.

Only lay railways on this axis line?

Then regrettable. Of course lay roads too, and must place telegraph cables next to the roads.

“Port construction is urgent.”

“This Joseon’s west sea is crazy. There is such a place in the world!”

“Joseon people’s houses are too terrible. Must solidify preparations to build houses Europeans can live in. First a brick factory is needed-”

In the growth period construction is always the best.

Build houses, raise warehouses, do port construction, lay roads, lay telegraphs, build legations, raise churches, soon if the era of electric civilization arrives power plants and telegraph poles must also increase steadily, things to do overflow.

This is only for Western investors.

If Joseon people also start construction in earnest there is no end.

Factories that must continue to be built from now on.

Water facilities like more efficient reservoirs or embankments using Western-style concrete or cement.

No, all unnecessary. Think of Joseon people quitting thatched houses and living building brick houses or cement houses in earnest. Can earn money enough to establish one chaebol group and spare. Construction, construction is the future!

- Calm a bit.

Huu... so in the 80s if chaebol groups all had one construction company attached. Money gets copied?

“I know there are quite a few limestone mines in Joseon. And coal will probably also mine quite decent things.”

“Will take measures.”

“How about gold mines or silver mines?”

“While exploring, at the same time just grafting more latest technology to existing mines seems can taste meaningful mining volume increase.”

In the early development stage just running mining well a beggar country like Joseon can newly erect one rafter properly and spare.

However if there is a slightly bad point in Joseon, the point that forestry is practically annihilated.

As everyone knows Joseon is already in the Malthus trap state.

Joseon’s cold far transcends British people’s common sense, whether yangban or lowly person doesn’t want to freeze to death in winter so puts firewood with all strength to heat the ondol warmly. Of course the forests of Joseon’s eight provinces can’t remain. Have to do afforestation business too.

Roughly the list of businesses worth doing in Joseon all came out.

Now the time to go meet the king.

***

The most intuitive method of displaying status and power in Joseon is riding a palanquin.

This palanquin also has all sorts of variety types according to status, aside from the exclusive palanquin only the king can ride there are palanquins junior 1st rank can ride, senior 2nd rank exclusive, junior 2nd rank and senior 3rd rank exclusive etc. all sorts of editions adding fun to official life.

But according to the 21st century mind that values practicality this palanquin has poor ride comfort and was not a thing worth riding at all.

Then ride a horse?

Horse is said to have no style again. If a scholar rides a horse unseemly or whatever. If a scholar must ride a donkey for swag to live so dizzy.

Around when I resolved to definitely sell cars in Joseon, Heungseon-gun who was going to the palace with me had his gaze stuck on one place.

The empty ruins in the middle of Hanyang.

The place where Gyeongbokgung once was.

“Aseul-ah.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Stop that sound a bit...”

“Yes!! Teacher!!”

“Bastard.”

Lee Ha-eung’s eyes staring at the Gyeongbokgung site are glistening. Don’t! Hey, in front of that is hell!

“Since His Majesty swept away all treacherous officials and rebellious sons with one broom sweep, now rebuilding Gyeongbokgung the dignity of the ancestral temples and altars-”

“No.”

“What do you regard the royal family’s authority as?!”

“Wasn’t this fuss saying will think of earning money because the country has no money now? But already thinking of spending money from now?”

“Tsk.”

“Rather how about raising a Western-style palace? Dignity will pierce the sky.”

“Enough. Eeeing. So growing black hair is useless work...”

Not knowing the beauty of Western-style palaces. Should order one painting collection in Hong Kong next time.

After blocking Joseon’s fate that was about to go straight to bad ending in an instant, we entered the palace and sat in one hall waiting for the king.

But the atmosphere was a bit strange.

When came before, not during the war but the palace when young something the feeling is a bit different.

“Teacher.”

“······.”

“Minister Heungseon-gun.”

“What is it?”

Stingy old man. Already doing grandfather things.

“Something the atmosphere seems to have changed.”

“Because all the eunuchs were driven out.”

“Ah.”

The identity of this sense of incongruity.

People became sparse.

The palace always had people swarming, working court ladies too and eunuchs too the overall number itself decreased quite a bit knowingly or unknowingly so some empty feeling came.

“Saying driven out...?”

“Isn’t it natural. Those who must devote their whole life to serve the supreme one were serving other powerful so even attaching the neck is something to be grateful for.”

The sword wind of the purge was not only for officials.

Well. Come to think of it Heonjong from young had a bit of a sign of disliking the eunuchs subtly attached beside. Perhaps thought every single trivial word and action of his was reported to unrelated guys.

“His Majesty the King has come!”

“Came. Get up.”

Quickly got up and paid respects to Heonjong.

Previously was a diplomat of the British Empire so did not bow, but the one in this place now is merchant Arthur Lee who received vast interests ‘delegated’ from the Joseon king. If told to bow do and if told to somersault must somersault.

“Everyone sit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Welcome back to Joseon. Is the travel fatigue relieved? How is the wife?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty caring both of us couple are very healthy. Thank you.”

Soon a refreshment table was set.

Bit into one sweet hangwa... the taste is a bit different. Became tasteless very slightly than before.

- Not because you got used to British food?

Then should feel more delicious, idiot.

“Roughly saw while coming, sent out quite many people. Even if not to taste hope you understand.”

“Truly a delicacy how can it not suit the mouth.”

“You can’t manage expression when eating delicious things. When really delicious things enter the mouth the liking to death shows very clearly.”

Ah shit. So too familiar relationships are difficult. I have to read the opponent but the opponent is reading me.

“Your Majesty sent out cherished cooks and eunuchs with the heart of beheading the horse to admonish the carriage, how can chatter this and that with the taste of this trivial snack?”

“The kid originally wasn’t like this but speaks exactly like officials. Hey, Heungseon-gun. Perhaps practiced the speaking method before coming?”

“A thousand times ten thousand times unjust words, Your Majesty.”

The two match perfectly and are teasing people.

“Don’t be too disheartened because we teased. I have very great expectations for you.”

Don’t worry. For my wealth and glory will work like a dog with all loyalty of dogs and horses-

“So when can see the son?”

“...Yes?”

Ah. Mistake.

What is this disgrace in front of the king.

But Lee Hwan instead of scolding this rudeness smiled brightly and threw stabs toward me more.

“Son I mean, son. If married and took a wife must produce a boy like a rice cake toad! Perhaps travel fatigue not yet relieved so that... doesn’t stand well?”

“Stands well! Very upright like the Mireuksa stone pagoda!”

“That collapsed long ago.”

“Isn’t it turning around saying doesn’t stand well?”

What? How many times tasting defeat today?

“Is there no one outside.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Will bestow red ginseng and medicinal herbs that nourish the body on Lee Aseul. Also inform the royal clinic to compound one packet of medicine.”

The mind becomes confused. Even British members did not play with me this much.

Anyway since bestowed a stamina medicine gratefully receive. Seems can emphasize how tremendous my Big Ben is only after the first child comes quickly.

“Perhaps.”

“Please ask.”

“If the problem is not with you how about taking a concubine?”

“Concubinage is a system that only harms the country so must abolish. If I take a concubine it will not look good to everyone.”

“Regrettable. Rather seeking a wife in Joseon would have been okay too.”

“Ha. Hahaha. Hahaha...”

After becoming a teasing target for a while, Heungseon-gun immediately began briefing hard pretending the things heard from me were his own ideas.

Of course did not even open the mouth for vicious things like introducing the parliamentary system, and the story about land reform was the core.

“The country will become greatly disorderly once more, but now is the right time to root out the evils of the powerful and liberate the people from hardship.”

“Buy land from them? Since all land of the country is the king’s isn’t it a thing to recover?”

No. If doing such a thing even the seeds of capitalism get hit by radiation and die!

“Even if not the property of traitors cannot seize the land of scholar-officials like that. Moreover the purpose itself is not confiscating their land, but making them jump into commerce and industry and making Joseon wealthy so must prepare capital for them.”

Huu. As expected the worth of doing express course education.

Heungseon-gun claimed that reform must be done because of the extremely Joseon-like idea ‘even if having a big farm and squeezing tenant farmers tightly there is not as much left as thought’ rather than the revival of commerce and industry itself, but anyway if commerce and industry are promoted this is clearly the right direction.

But I was looking down on the human called Lee Ha-eung a bit.

“Must not end with simply collecting the land of scholar-officials. Private academies everywhere in the country have already fallen to the speculation means of profiteers, so must also demolish all private academies except a few truly correct places.”

“If touching even private academies the Confucian scholars will not stay still?”

“Reform is accompanied by bone-cutting pain. If royal relatives also participate here they also will have no sharp means.”

“Include the land of royal relatives too?”

“...If there are exceptions in doing reform the meaning necessarily blurs. Must collect all.”

“All.”

Heonjong’s expression completely changed.

Lee Ha-eung did not flinch even one face color seeing the angry king.

“Is the meaning now to abolish the Royal Treasury correct?”

“Yes. The Royal Treasury and palace fields also must not avoid reform.”

Crazy guy.

Crazy guy! Didn’t even bring up this story to me!! Neighborhood people! Look here a bit! Heungseon-gun evolved into a red! Became a red who seizes private property!!

Heonjong slightly twitching his body, no matter how looking seems fighting the desire to throw a plate at Lee Ha-eung’s face or deliver a soccer kick. Fuck. What is this. I just came to greet. Never come to the palace with this crazy human again.

“Aseul-ah.”

“Yes? Yes, yes. Your Majesty. Please ask.”

“Buying land and raising commerce and industry with that wealth is the gist of this reform?”

“Yes.”

“Then in your view is there an industry worth newly raising?”

Now, uh. So.

The king also says he will establish a company in his own name?

- The Royal Treasury was originally that too.

Right. But Royal Treasury joint stock company is completely outside expectation.

Can’t make the king wait. If the king asked the answer must pop out immediately within 0.3 seconds.

“This subject quietly pondering, since all Westerners raise houses with bricks if building a brick factory can achieve a hundred-year prosperous business.”

“Certainly so. But a brick factory is a bit not for the Royal Treasury moving in the king’s name. Is there no other plan?”

Ah.

Feeling of talking with the department head.

The company’s most important thing is of course sales increase, but occasionally there are times when style, things that look presentable are needed more than sales.

What on earth to offer to have good color and make money. In one word must be a business worth doing with the <​royal> title attached, but such things are mostly monopolistic public enterprises-

Public enterprise.

Right.

“In Britain where this subject was there was an institution called the Royal Post Office.”

“Post office?”

Post makes money.

Unconditionally.

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