Episode 6 – First Day of the Election Campaign
From the very start, things were offbeat.
I exhaled deeply and looked at Haryun.
"Do you intend to submit a memorial to the court?"
"Indeed, sir. The Office of the Censors (Nangsa) is already reviewing the slave issue. By submitting a memorial first, we can seize the initiative, can we not?"
"······"
"If we carefully prepare it and explain the purpose of the Slave Upper Limit System, the court will be compelled to discuss it. Then, Your Majesty will be unable to delay the appointment of the Crown Prince any longer."
Haryun spoke as if thrilled.
The more I listened, the less it resembled anything resembling a practical Joseon-era strategy.
It was so tedious and frustrating that I absentmindedly poked my ear.
"Sir, have I made a mistake?"
"Ho-jeong, do you truly think a memorial alone will suffice?"
"If not a memorial, how else can the issue be brought into the public discourse?"
Honestly, he understood nothing.
He did not understand even the most basic principles of campaigning.
I wanted to scold him outright, but in times like this, one must remain calm and patient.
"Let me ask plainly. Suppose a memorial is submitted. The mood is favorable. But if His Majesty does not approve it, what then?"
"It is, after all, a means to attract the King's attention. If the heartfelt concerns of Your Excellency, Lord Jeongan-gun, for the people are well expressed, His Majesty will surely nod appreciatively."
"Then why not propose abolishing the slave system entirely, rather than just limiting it?"
"······"
"Ho-jeong, do you still not understand? We are not merely pretending. We intend to accomplish this. Are we to win the crowd's favor with a memorial alone?"
"······"
"And if His Majesty approves it, and a discussion begins in court, what could possibly come from a court where ministers go mad over slaves?"
Haryun's face flushed bright red.
"Do you think my reasoning is that shallow? We prepared the memorial because it is the only way to bring the Slave Upper Limit System into public discourse. Yet why do you merely criticize me, sir?"
Before the campaign even began, conflict among the staff would be disastrous.
In any campaign, the most dangerous threat is infighting and internal sabotage.
Therefore, roles must be clearly defined.
Currently, Haryun and I had no clear division of roles.
"Ho-jeong, once His Excellency becomes Crown Prince, I will retire from office. I speak now so that you may heed my words. Can you do so until then?"
"······"
"Trust me. I truly will retire. If you doubt, I can even prepare a written pledge for you to seal."
"······Very well. I am already aware that you speak sincerely, sir. I was merely finding my role as Lord Jeongan-gun's chief strategist."
"Indeed. That is correct. Therefore, until the Crown Prince is appointed, I shall occupy this position. Is that acceptable?"
History attests: Haryun was a master of political survival.
He knew precisely that the person Lord Jeongan-gun trusted most was not himself but me. He preferred to survive to the end by aligning with the tide rather than clumsily removing rivals with intrigue.
Moreover, his master was none other than Yi Bang-won.
Haryun surely understood that quarreling over positions with me would only make him the dog chasing the chickens.
"Of course."
Indeed, Haryun was a master of political survival.
"Then, what do you intend to do?"
"Follow me."
I stood in the center of Gaegyeong at the crossroads with Yi Bang-won.
Ignoring his displeased gaze, I surveyed the surroundings for a long time. Eventually, unable to restrain himself, Yi Bang-won spoke first.
"Your Excellency, do you have leisure time?"
"The rich have so much land that their furrows are contiguous, while the poor cannot even find soil to stick a stake and must rent the rich man's land. Yet, even if the people work all year, food is insufficient, while the rich sit comfortably and reap all the profit."
"I understand. That is why the Jeon-gyeon Law was enacted."
"Yes. Therefore, the pockets of those who contributed to the founding of the new nation are full."
"······"
Yi Bang-won frowned deeply.
Clearly, he was irritated by my constant criticism.
I might have held back, but I could not. There was still much to say.
"Your Excellency, even now, people are fleeing."
"They must be controlled. If we uphold the law and punish rigorously, this can be corrected."
"Those with little land suffer because the court cannot maintain irrigation or flood control, so disasters destroy crops. Tyranny and exploitation drive them further into flight, and they become slaves. Do you not understand? The people attempt flight despite being beaten, starving, or begging. They do only what they can. How can you stop them?"
"······"
"What say you?"
"Your Excellency's intention escapes me. I heard that Ho-jeong intended to block the memorial. I assumed you had some cunning plan, but instead you brought me here merely to observe the people's lives? Do I not already know this? Who does not know that the people are hungry and suffering?"
In this era, politicians claim the "people's will is the will of Heaven."
Yet, the public's voice does not exist in politics until it erupts in revolt. Politics cannot account for it.
If one seeks to abolish the slave system, the motive is merely to convert slaves to free people to collect more taxes and mobilize more troops.
If one seeks to preserve the system, logic is devised to ensure personal and family security.
The people exist nowhere as themselves; public sentiment is only words.
Even if people starve before your eyes, you may only invoke the phrase "for the people."
Yi Bang-won was no different.
I spoke calmly.
"When we returned to Gaegyeong during the retreat from Wihwado, many soldiers and civilians died. The founding of this nation began with the blood of Gaegyeong's people."
"Today, you speak excessively. I thought we were to trust the name Jeong Do-jeon?"
I sensed his irritation at last approaching a critical point.
I deliberately ignored it and turned my gaze.
Many people walked along the crossroads. As the capital of the nation, it was bustling.
Yet, upon careful observation, some moved little while others moved much.
"Do you see the person sitting behind that passerby? He has no right arm."
"······Was he injured during the Gaegyeong siege?"
"He is not the only one. All nearby people are similar. They gather like this, muttering complaints."
"Pitiful. Even missing an arm, they could work if they had a place to go."
"Where, though?"
"······"
"There is nowhere to go. The surplus of slaves leaves no one to care for them."
"······"
"One more thing. The new nation severed their arms but did not treat them. Even the citizens of Gaegyeong could not be properly healed. If their arms are cut, they must endure the pain until it ceases. No matter how long it takes. Do you know who caused this? This nation."
At this point, Yi Bang-won appeared deep in thought.
Precisely, he seemed curious about my intent.
It was time to reveal it.
"I brought you here so that you could feel how the people view Your Excellency."
"What?"
"How does it appear? Favorably?"
"······"
"His Majesty killed Choi Young, and Your Excellency killed Jeong Mong-ju."
"······"
"To them, this nation is worthy of hatred. That is why I brought you here."
"So what is to be done? That I should act merely over this?"
"No. The moment the people's gaze falls upon Your Excellency, this matter will reach its conclusion."
People in this era are ignorant, but not devoid of wisdom.
They do not know Confucius or Mencius, but they understand how to live.
They receive rice from rulers with gratitude but are not moved.
They may be impressed by self-sacrifice but do not easily shed tears.
They can be deceived by the ruler's words but will not easily open their hearts.
The people are not senseless; they discern the truth behind a ruler's tears.
That is why I brought the frowning Yi Bang-won here to demonstrate.
It was then.
"Are you Lord Jeongan-gun?"
A wretched-looking man trembled as he approached. A terrible stench emanated from him, as though some part of his body was decaying. He seemed less human than a talking zombie.
Yi Bang-won frowned instinctively, yet recalling my words earlier, he looked at the man gravely.
"Who are you, to recognize me?"
"I-I am Sun-deuk, a slave, sir."
"What is a slave doing here?"
"I-I have been gravely wronged. Please, Your Excellency, hear my plea and relieve this grievance."
In campaigning, the candidate must display emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—before the people.
Sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, sometimes express anger. Genuine emotion is the most powerful.
Yi Bang-won's most genuine emotion was anger.
"What? You wake up and your whole family has become slaves?"
"Yes, sir. I do not know where to relieve this injustice."
Meanwhile, the campaign manager must handle behind-the-scenes negotiations cleanly and efficiently.
This ensures the candidate appears competent in public.
Before arriving, I recalled the details:
Sun-deuk?
Yes, sir.
A slave?
Yes.
There is a story?
Yes… in fact…
His story was sufficiently compelling.
Ideally, one would find a tale fit for a human drama, but there is no time. Slight adjustments suffice; some artistic license is acceptable.
If you perform well, your family will be saved.
Truly?
You, and your entire family, will have enough to live on.
Thank you, sir.
Now, listen carefully to my words.
Amid these thoughts, events accelerated.
"Lead immediately! I will not forgive!"
Indeed, Yi Bang-won was an exceptional politician.
He did not restrain his overflowing anger, shouting with every ounce of strength.
In an instant, all eyes at the Gaegyeong crossroads turned toward him.
I do not know who he was.
Not even Jeong Do-jeon remembered him.
Yet he had accumulated considerable wealth.
A whale-back-style tiled house, with many slaves standing in the yard when the gate opened.
The gate opened?
The prince arrives, and a mad noble waits outside the gate to receive him?
Of course not. This demonstrates Yi Bang-won's brilliance as a politician and mass mobilizer.
Without rashly entering a noble's residence, he shouted loudly outside the gate.
Why? From the crossroads, a massive crowd followed as if bewitched.
Even if they seemed to ignore my words before, they now acted immediately. A remarkable ability to learn.
"Are you not afraid of heaven? How can you act so audaciously at a noble's house?"
Meanwhile, Haryun was performing his role.
A chief aide must handle behind-the-scenes negotiations.
"No, Ho-jeong, sir. How did Lord Jeongan-gun come here?"
"Just a moment. Let us speak privately first."
"Ho-jeong, what do you mean?"
"Allow me to inspect the slave documents."
"That… is difficult."
"If you are confident, you should be able to show them."
"Ho, Ho-jeong. Sun-deuk's family were originally this person's slaves."
"Does that make sense? How could someone who was once a slave live as a free person?"
"There were many disturbances. They had their reasons."
"Then show the slave documents."
"They are private matters. How can you compel this?"
Haryun maintained distance while negotiating for the documents.
Success here means Yi Bang-won can be informed swiftly.
The people would perceive him as decisively handling the matter with just a few shouts.
Indeed, a perfectly suitable sequence of events.
"If confident, can you not show it?"
"Good heavens! How audacious!"
Yet it was not easy. The struggle intensified.
As the nobles said, one cannot inspect at will.
Some matters remain private.
Intervention requires political authority.
The only person capable here was me. Though a high official, none under Joseon's sky could ignore the name Jeong Do-jeon.
Yet the unfolding events relied on political engineering.
Even if I inspected the documents with force, it would become a matter for the court.
If that were the case, why not simply submit a memorial instead of this chaos?
Thus, I observed from afar, choosing not to intervene actively.
At this moment, the person who must act emerges.
One who cuts decisively rather than untangling knots.
Who resolved the challenge posed by Jeong Mong-ju by eliminating him, removing the final obstacle to Joseon's founding.
One who could disregard all normal laws.
That person was the candidate I directed in this campaign.
Yi Bang-won.
"Cannot you see?"
"······Yes, sir. This contravenes proper protocol."
"Contravenes protocol?"
"Yes."
"I understand."
Yi Bang-won nodded profoundly.
"I was mistaken."
"Pardon?"
"Merely a prince, daring to offend a noble's sensibilities. I was mistaken."
"Sir…"
"I was wrong. I was wrong. That slaves could become free and then slaves again is naturally due to unavoidable circumstances. And yet, a mere prince wielded words carelessly. I was mistaken. I was wrong."
"That… was not my intention."
"I should perform a public apology in front of your residence, since I was wrong. That is appropriate."
"!!!"
Surveying the area, he shouted as if to command all attention.
"Prepare immediately! A mere prince has erred and must beg forgiveness! I shall perform a public apology here!"
"Lord Jeongan-gun, this is unnecessary."
"Nonsense. I was wrong. I was wrong, was I not? I was wrong."
"Prepare the slave documents at once."
Indeed, this was Yi Bang-won.
Normal, conventional political maneuvering was utterly irrelevant to him.