9. Sniper Elite (3)
Did Inspector Yi Ilje arrogantly enter the magistrate's office with his attendants and take his seat?No.
If it were that easy, life would be nice.
As I've said many times, an inspector is a high-ranking official among high-ranking officials.A few clerks coming along for supervision? That doesn't happen.
This bastard arrived with over a hundred horses in a full official inspection procession led by the inspector.Ah, that's why it took so long.
Now I understand why we were crushed so easily during the Japanese invasions and the Manchu invasion. With a single word from an inspector, such an excellent cavalry can be assembled instantly.
You might be slightly curious about why I dislike this so much.Modern municipalities are all eager for visitors and promotion.An elderly local official dancing and singing in a TV or YouTube ad? That's considered part of the job. Face? Temporary. Achievements? Eternal.
Then why don't Joseon people have the modern "Group Guests Welcome" sign in restaurants?Because they don't pay.
Right now, the county is in utter chaos.Soldiers are freely harvesting barley, beating people, plundering property, and even abducting women.
Is there a war?From the current state, it seems no one can stop the Joseon army. It's like watching a Mongol cavalry charge.
Should I "Salitai" this inspector bastard?I could pretend to go to the latrine, hide in the distance, and take a shot.Isn't a sniper the perfect cure for Mongol hereditary disease (prescribed by Kim Yunhu)?
But I decided to hold back.Even if it isn't discovered that I fired, the central army would come down and obliterate everything.Most importantly, failing to prevent a disaster unprecedented in the Joseon dynasty would put my own head on the line.
For the same reason, I had already sent Eoji on errands far away. Who knows what he would do otherwise.I really don't want to witness the inspector's head crushed by my servant's hand.Well, with that many soldiers, Eoji can't do much, and even if a soldier's head is smashed, the severity is slightly reduced.
Meanwhile, Eoji is probably eating a meal at Yeon's house on Chwiamsan.He was staring intently at the tavern back then—let him try his best.Some rumors about me might also settle down. Still, I need him, so I won't make him the pillar husband of the shrine.
But as magistrate, I still had to welcome the inspector here. Damn it.
I spoke as if the inspector's soldiers had entered in perfect order, disciplined and precise, as if they weren't Joseon soldiers at all.
"We have received your instructions and prepared carefully, but I fear this poor little county cannot accommodate the grandeur of the inspector. Please do not hold any great fault against us."
Yi Ilje smiled sharply under his white beard.He looked older than I expected.I heard he would soon turn seventy.Even a modern Korean wouldn't be active in office at that age, let alone in Joseon.
Considering the inspector's duties were physically exhausting, he was remarkably healthy.He must have been consuming a lot of healthful supplements over the years.
Instead of responding to me directly, Yi Ilje commanded his military officers to stop the few who were recklessly running amok.Those standing were whipped, and the atmosphere calmed.He understood my meaning. He was indeed someone who survived the "Game of Crab" in the late Gyeongjong–early Yeongjo era.
Yi Ilje had no grudge against the people of Mokcheon-hyeon.The current commotion was solely to suppress my authority.So I said, "Understood, enough," and Yi Ilje accepted it gracefully.
Then Yi Ilje finally spoke to me.
"Are you the Mokcheon magistrate, Kim Unhaeng, who is tyrannical toward the people, beats them without cause, and is immoral and decadent?"
I covered my face with my sleeve and bowed politely, worried my expression might resemble Kim Yunhu.
"I lack skill and virtue, and I apologize for causing concern to Your Excellency."
"You understand, then. What are you doing? How long will you allow an old governor (Inspector) to sit idly? Even if you are young and ignorant of etiquette, do you expect me to speak first to guide you inside? Truly foolish."
My experience working night shifts at a convenience store in college helped a lot. Really.The words may be polite, but it was exactly like talking to old men staggering in drunk, wearing stretched-out undershirts at 2 a.m.
So instead of throttling the man's neck, I apologized again for my shortcomings and respectfully guided Yi Ilje inside.
There was a positive point too.He did not ask about Shin Manheung, Shin Jiheung, or Yeon's matters at all.Even if he had, I was prepared.The Shin brothers were at Chwiamsan receiving a "spiritual healing prayer" from Yeon, suffering from seizures and depression.None of the three could come here.
Since they couldn't come until the prayer was finished, it simultaneously served the purposes of restraining Eoji's mischief and concealing the three men.Yet by not asking, it seemed that despite his high-handed attitude, Yi Ilje was fully caught in my plan.The mouth may resist, but the body is honest.
Facing the inspector, I politely presented the box.
Ah, just to clarify, it wasn't gold or jewels.I wanted to bribe and finish easily, but I had none. The funds Hong Daeyong gave? I spent them all on public works.
Besides, Yi Ilje had plenty of wealth too. He had disassembled half of the fortress at Cheolsan and swallowed it whole. What more could he want?
Giving him real gold or silver would only invoke his anger.
The key to bribery is in how it's presented.Those who take bribes do not want to become cheap vending machines, exchanging favors for money.Such low-level corruption is amateurish. Only at the clerk level.
A true briber values honor over money.A scholar simply shows proper etiquette to superiors. Even if petty officials misunderstand it as flattery, it is still proper.The superior should reward such subordinates generously.
Why did Xiang Yu fail? Because even when subordinates achieved merit, he hesitated to give rewards, leading to ultimate failure.
In the end, what passes between people is not money or favors—but how it's conveyed.This is the difference between aristocrats and commoners.Hence the clerks are beaten, while I remain unharmed.
From this perspective, my box could be considered a far superior bribe than gold or silver.The seasoned Yi Ilje could not fail to understand such a philosophy.
He raised his eyebrows at the contents of the box, which had no real monetary value.
"Indeed, this is correct."
"Yes. This is evidence that His Majesty's virtue and the inspector's valor shine in Chungcheong-do. It is undoubtedly barley harvested in the local fields just a few days ago."
What is "seomak"?Seomak (瑞麥) is "auspicious barley."Specifically, it refers to barley with multiple ears growing from a single stalk.During Emperor Zhenzong of Song, this was considered a good omen, and it still carries that belief.
I find it curious that giving money to the Khitan to avoid invasions was considered a "good omen," but one could interpret it as financial diplomacy.
The premodern belief that multiple barley ears are lucky may seem irrational.Yet modern belief in four-leaf clovers is the same: a rare, natural mutation considered auspicious.The advantage is that a tangible object exists.Ancient depictions of qilin or phoenix were probably exaggerated; even ancient people may not have fully believed them.
I added a little extra emphasis to the barley to raise its value. Yi Ilje would know, but you never know.
"This year, the Grand Sacrificial Altar (Daebo-dan) for Emperor Hongwu includes the late Emperor Taejo. Despite threats from the Qing Emperor, His Majesty's just and upright intent is evident."
Yi Ilje's expression of surprise returned, this time directed at me."How do you grasp such complex political nuance?" it seemed to ask.
Since Joseon became a Qing tributary, it continued offering sacrifices to the Ming.Even if Qing misbehaved or rituals were inconvenient, the scholars ignored them.Could the king's personal opinion prevent giving barley?No.
In the historical record, Kim Unhaeng's maneuvering wasn't written.On May 2, Yeongjo 25 (1749), Inspector Yi Ilje and Chungju Magistrate Kim Wontaek presented the auspicious barley, and King Yeongjo rejected it, exactly as recorded in the annals.
Even historically, Yi Ilje wasn't wrong.Anti-Qing loyalty was universally understood as legitimate. The king's personal opinion aside, the barley had to be accepted.
Originally, the following year, Yi Ilje's corruption should have been revealed, but in this story, it was already concrete, so the timing was slightly accelerated.Hong Gyehee, preparing in Seoul, received a letter from Kim Unhaeng around the same time as the barley, confirming Yi Ilje's cleverness.
Through careful planning, the conflict and potential removal of Yi Ilje were subtly fed to the Crown Prince.Yi Ilje was dismissed, but the county magistrate's report praising Kim Unhaeng's governance was received properly.
Through this, Sniper Kim Unhaeng's "bullet" struck two targets at once: prestige and political maneuver.
Historical Notes:
The barley incident, Yi Ilje's corruption, and his dismissal are historically accurate. Yeongjo and court officials were aware of Yi Ilje's intentions, so the annals note that the gift was to flatter. Timing differences exist, but the substance is accurate.
"Geumhan" is a term used historically for the Qing Emperor.
Isubong (李壽鳳) historically held a higher post, but here is portrayed as a junior officer (jipyeong).
Hong Gyehee did become Yi Ilje's successor as Chungcheong Inspector, though not through covert plotting.
The scale of inspections in late Joseon matches what is described. Historical diaries confirm the physical strain of such inspections.