Chapter 165


    Everyone gather!


    At Jeong-chos order, officials of the research facility promptly gathered in the front courtyard.


    Everyone has gathered.


    Good work.


    Hearing Jeong-chos report, Hyang standing on the pavilion tform got straight to the main point.


    Work at the research facility will be suspended for a while.


    Exchanging nces with each other at Hyangs statement, the research facility officials made amotion.


    When the bustling died down a bit, Hyang exined his reason.


    A lot of manpower is needed for the selection process regarding those involved in the revolt. So cooperation requests havee in from the Office of Taxation and the Office of Law and Punishment.


    But doesnt the Ministry of Taxation already have enough personnel?


    At Hyangs exnation, Jinpyeong raised objections. To Jinpyeongs objections, Hyang replied.


    The Ministry of Taxation needs to collect taxes and circte currency in time for the autumn harvest this year. The harvest this year stopped all across Joseon because of this rebellion. If the timing is missed, all farming for this year could turn to naught.


    At those words, Jinpyeong and other officials who wereining fell quiet.


    But the railroad research.


    <i>Ahem</i>!


    As Jinpyeong started to say something about lingering attachment to lotives, Hyangs re turned fierce so he immediately shut his mouth.


    After suppressing the pce invasionst time, Jinpyeong simultaneously feared yet respected Hyang. So when Hyangs expression turned severe, he quickly closed his mouth.


    With Jinpyeong ceasing to speak, the bustlingpletely disappeared.


    Then bring in the carts!


    At Hyangs order, the magistrates and gold troops brought in about 20 carts filled to the brim with books. In front of the carts, Hyang continued speaking.


    The lists of rebels surrendered by the ministries of Taxation and Law and Punishments, registry records of the regions involved, and confiscated genealogies of the rebels ns. Checking these will determine who is included in collective punishment.


    Yes.


    ***


    With the investigation into the rebels and their ns proceeding ording to Hyangs order, the research facility officials heaved sighs.


    The noblemen of Hasamdo will have their family lines cut off for sure.


    Though people often say when one is caught nning revolt his three ns will be exterminated, his nine ns will be exterminated, genuinely exterminating three and nine ns have been rare in the past.


    To give the most recent example, even those implicated in Gang Sang-ins Conspiracy just had Gang Sang-in and his brother Shim On executed while their families were reduced to government ves. Most others came out unscathed.


    But this time, those who fall under exceptions were very few. Because the rebels gathered under the pretext of ancestral rites for their ns before rising up, almost all members of the ns were involved.


    It was the same for the wives of the instigators. While normally even the wives would be reduced tomoners and the wifes ns left alone, ns whose wives also joined the rebellion were not small in number.


    What the heck!


    While organizing the register of names, Yi Soonji threw down his writing brush and shouted in frustration.


    No matter how disconnected from the world they lived, are they idiots! How can anyone be so stupid!


    The order Sejong passed down through Hyang was simple.


    <i>Though applying the Great Ming Code may be customary, we have our ownws in Joseon. Follow thosews to handle matters fairly and urately.</i>


    While issuing this order, Sejong added the following.


    I feel like following the Ming Emperors example and exterminating beyond nine ns to ten ns. However, asws exist, we ought to follow them.


    However, the scope of collective punishment for rebels ording to Joseonws or the Ming Code were mostly identical.


    Additionally, most of these revolt cases consisted of members of a n gathering together on the pretext of ancestral memorial rites before taking up arms. So those who could be excluded by applying collective punishment were extremely few.


    This was exactly why Yi Soonji was so angry.


    Would you look at this! For crying out loud!


    Calm down! Stay calm!


    The colleagues around hik tried to restrain Yi Soonji, but he could not hold down his anger.


    Look at this! This!!


    At Yi Soonjis words, his colleagues nced over the report he had been examining and unconsciously let out sighs as well.


    <i>Sigh</i>


    At his colleagues reactions, Yi Soonji raised his voice.


    Even frogs stuck at the bottom of a well are smarter than this! Since when did 11 year olds participating in revolt make sense!


    <i>Sigh</i> There were that many idiots.


    Concur.


    Hearing Yi Soonjis words, even the colleagues who were restraining him had to heave sighs.


    ording to the overall trend that one is treated as an adult once married even if they have yet to formallye of age at 15 years old, ns with boys still in early teens participating in the revolt were not rare.


    In the end, there were many ns where all males of the n joined the revolt and as a result, the whole n was obliterated.


    ***


    Having produced the results after a whole month of overtime, Hyang looked at the thick scrolls and sighed.


    <i>Phew</i> Dammit! Why is the summary report so freaking thick.


    Seeing the scrolls and thick books situated in front of him, Hyang stood up with a helpless expression.


    Still need to report though. Magistrate! Load all of these into carts!


    Yes, Your Highness.


    ***


    Your Majesty, Crown Prince Hyang requests an audience.


    Let him in.


    Entering the closed quarters, Hyang offered respectful greetings to Sejong before looking around at the ministers. Seeing the previously glowing ministersplexions now rough and coarse, Hyang had a sorrowful expression.


    Their skin were shining just a few days ago The elders must have suffered.


    Is the organizing done?


    Tearing his sorrowful gaze from the ministers at Sejongs question, Hyang promptly replied.


    Yes, Father. Magistrate.


    Yes, Your Highness.


    The magistrate following behind Hyang handed three thick scrolls to the high official.


    Receiving the scrolls from the high official, Sejong undid the knots and examined the contents.


    Sigh.


    Seeing what the scrolls Hyang submitted contained, Sejong let out a sigh before he knew it.


    To think so manymitted such foolish acts.


    At Sejongs sigh, Hyang immediately responded.


    It means there were that many who werepletely ignorant of worldly matters among those who held the highest positions in those regions.


    It must be so.


    Answering in a bitter tone at Hyangs words, Sejong looked over the numbers written at the very front of each scroll.


    The three scrolls respectively summarized the situations in Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, and Jeo where rebellions urred this time.


    As you can see from the scrolls.


    Hyang gave a verbal exnation summarizing the contents.


    The scale of involvement in each region was as follows:


    <b><i>*Chungcheong</i></b>


    23 ns  1218 people


    Private forces  654


    ves  7,855


    <b><i>*Gyeongsang</i></b>


    32 ns  2,198 people


    Private forces  3,421


    ves  24,328


    <b><i>*Jeo</i></b>


    26 ns  1,887 people


    Private forces  10,578


    ves  21,894


    A great many. Especially in Yeongnam and Honam.


    Listening to Hyangs exnation, Sejong looked around at the ministers.


    Hold on. As I recall, we prohibited possessing and cultivating private armies long ago.


    At Sejongs words, Jo Mal-saeng stepped forward to answer.


    That is correct. However, it seems powerful ns in the three southern provinces just changed the names and raised them. Passing them off as personal guards and merchants and so on.


    Sejong quietly nodded at Jo Mal-saengs answer. After all, even his own older brother, Grand Prince Yangnyeong, called up private forces on the pretext of merchants skilled at hunting.


    We will have to strictly crack down so that no more private armies can be cultivated because of this incident.


    While nning a policy to newly implement and examining the report, Sejong questioned the ministers again.


    What is the reason there are so many private forces and ves in Yeongnam and Honam?


    At Sejongs question, Kim Jeom immediately answered.


    Yeongnam and Honam have been famous granaries since long ago so there were frequent raids by Japanese pirates. So most ns raised private forces. The reason for therge ve numbers is because sharecropping ismon, but there is also a lot ofnd directly farmed using vebor.


    And all those vastnds were tax-exempt?


    At Sejongs question, Kim Jeom promptly answered.


    That is correct.


    Hmm.


    Hearing Kim Jeoms answer, Sejong looked over the scrolls again, brooding in thought. After a long period thinking alone, Sejong turned to the ministers.


    Thoughter generations may see this as cruel measures, I will have to make a resolute decision. Let us purge them.


    At Sejongs decision, the ministers shut their eyes tight. Purge meant merciless mass cleansing.


    But we have no grounds to stop this!


    They dared armed rebellion. There are no grounds!


    And so in the end, the ministers could only bow their heads and give the same answer.


    We shall heed your orders!


    The scribe who recorded all these events appended the following at the end:


    <b><i>Thus, when the King decided to purge those who instigated revolt, not a single minister opposed his will.</i></b>


    The scribements.


    <b><i>When the choice of a moment caused ones own n to perish, whom can they me?</i></b>


    ***


    Though the decision was made to inflict extreme penalties on all officials rted to the revolt, that did not end matters.


    What is this book?


    From among the books that came with the scrolls, Sejong picked up the thickest tome and looked at the title.


    Record of a Loyalty-Oriented Individual with Contrary Views.?


    Seeing Sejong expressing puzzlement at the title, Hyang immediately answered.


    It is the list of those, though from rebel ns, who did not participate in treason and kept their loyalty until the end.


    Is that so?


    Eyes shining, Sejong looked over the names of those recorded in the list. However, in not long, he was full of regret.


    There are quite a lot of dead.


    Many were killed for refusing to join the revolt.


    At Hyangs reply, Sejongs voice turned severe.


    By this, the rebels guilt grows heavier. No matter how you disagree, harming your own kin! Can such people still call themselves officials! Minister of Law and Punishments, listen!


    Yes, Your Majesty!


    Those from ns who killed their own kinsmen will all be executed through dismemberment! They should not die easily!


    Yes, Your Majesty.


    Discussion regarding how to handle those involved with the rebellion continued after that. As the punishments for the rebels had already been decided, the discussion was mainly centered around meritorious subjects.


    After quite a lengthy debate, the reward criteria for those who achieved merit in suppressing this uprising was formted.


    <b><i>1st ss meritorious subject</i></b>


    Commanders who suppressed the pce invasion. Commanders who suppressed the uprising. Variousmanders who died suppressing the pce invasion.


    <b><i>2nd ss meritorious subject.</i></b>


    Intermediate and low rankmanders who suppressed the pce invasion. Intermediate and low rankmanders who suppressed the uprising. Soldiers killed suppressing the pce invasion. The heads of ns who opposed those who started the uprising.


    <b><i>3rd ss meritorious subject</i></b>


    Variousmanders killed suppressing the uprising. The heads of families who opposed those who started the uprising.


    <b><i>4th ss meritorious subject</i></b>


    Those killed or injured in suppressing the uprising.


    Through these determined standards, rewards were conferred on rted parties.


    Through the newly implemented honors system devised at Hyangs suggestion, many received military orders and rewards.


    However, in the process of giving rewards, Sejong gave them a choice.


    I will either givend or an annuity  choose.


    At Sejongs proposal, those received rewards fell into thought.


    If they chose the annuity, in addition to payments at set rates over a designated period, their children gained the benefit of admittance to military academy or exemption from corveebor.


    For country noblemen, Sejong additionally granted ques personally inscribed with n of Loyalty and Righteousness.


    In contrast, if they chosend, all the additional benefits like mentioned above werepletely gone. Moreover, the rewardednds were given a 5 yearplete tax exemption, with taxes halved for the next 5 years  that was it.


    Most meritorious subjects had no choice but to pick annuities.


    It was Hyang who formted this policy. While firsting up with the idea, Hyang muttered,


    I didnt know you could apply policies like this


    ***


    While rewards for the meritorious subjects ended like so, the suffering of rebel participants families had only just begun.


    With the youngest rebel participant only 11 years old, male descendants had withered away from the ns involved with the rebellion.


    Additionally, with vews changing and the tax system transforming, there were no meritorious subjects who wanted to take on ves.


    Should we send them north?


    If it was just a few, sending them north wouldnt be an issue, but the numbers are too great. We cant make the entire northern region into rebel sympathizers, right?


    After all kinds of discussions, the settled punishment was sentenced tobor in mines.


    All family members of rebel participants were dragged off to work 30 years of forcedbor in iron and coal mines.