Chapter 9

< Chapter 9: Germination... or Cancer? (2) >

Chapter 9: Germination... or Cancer? (2)

"Cheng? Speak up."

As Sejong's permission was given, Hyang turned to look at the eunuch. Another eunuch who had accompanied Hyang respectfully presented a slightly larger box to Sejong.

"Hmm?"

Sejong, who had just received the new wooden box, showed curiosity as he opened it. The newly received wooden box was filled with pen nibs and pen holders. However, the nibs he had received were inlaid with silver threads, and the pen holders were elaborately decorated. In contrast, the current ones were simply made of gold with only apricot blossoms engraved, and the pen holders were merely well-polished wood.

"Please bestow these golden pens to the historians and officials."

"These?"

"Yes. The historians tirelessly record the affairs of Your Majesty and the ministers without a moment's rest. This is a task that requires a great deal of effort, so I believe they should have tools that can help them even a little."

Sejong, who had been thinking about Hyang's request for a moment, consulted with his ministers.

"I think the Crown Prince's suggestion is very good. What do you think, my lords?"

The ministers who had tried the new pen nibs and holders presented by Hyang all agreed with Sejong's decision.

"Your Majesty's intention is correct!"

"How can this not be a beautiful scene, considering how young the Crown Prince is and how much he thinks of his ministers?"

Following the ministers' approval, the historians, who would be the actual users, also tried them and expressed their satisfaction.

Thus, the pen nibs and holders were decided to be the official stationery for the court and the palace.

Hyang, who had returned to his room, smiled and muttered to himself.

"Well, what kind of butterfly effect will this bring?"

The officials' favor towards Hyang began to rise as he presented the pen nibs and holders, which were named "golden pens." In particular, the young officials, including the historians, began to show exceptional goodwill towards Hyang.

"Have you tried the golden pens made by the Crown Prince?"

"I have. They are very good!"

The historians, who liked them the most, found that even though they used fine brushes, writing with traditional calligraphy techniques, which required holding the brush straight and raising the arm, was a considerable hardship. However, with the golden pens, their arms naturally lowered, reducing the pressure on their wrists and arms.

Hyang also presented a writing board.

"When a commander issues urgent orders, this can be very helpful. I think it would be good to use it with the golden pens."

"Excellent!"

Sejong, delighted, ordered that a large number of these be made and distributed to the military along with the golden pens.

The reaction of the military commanders to the distribution of the golden pens and writing boards was mixed. Young commanders and those with literary backgrounds showed very positive reactions, but illiterate commanders had no choice but to look awkward.

However, Hyang understood Sejong's decision.

As soon as Sejong ascended the throne, he included the Four Books in the military examination subjects. Hyang nodded upon hearing this.

"Of course. The era where personal bravery and martial prowess determine the outcome of war is over. It will be even more so in the future."

Hyang, who was predicting the changes that the "writing board and golden pens" would bring to the military, tilted his head.

"Is Sejong also thinking about a shake-up in the military?"

While the writing board received mixed reactions in the military, there were those who enthusiastically welcomed it. These were the junior officials in various departments of the government, along with the historians. When they had to record things while holding a book of bound paper and chasing after the king, or during inventory checks and other on-site inspections, writing on a book in the air was not easy. However, the writing board effectively solved this problem.

As a result, the demand for golden pens and writing boards skyrocketed, and the Military Equipment Bureau became busy.

As the golden pens and writing boards were distributed in the court and the military, more and more people began to use them outside of official settings. They were not only convenient to use, but the apricot blossom pattern engraved on the nibs gave the owners a sense of pride.

In a fish market, a young scholar picked out some fish and asked the vendor for the price.

"How much?"

"Well, it's two measures of rice. But since you're a regular, I'll make it one and a half measures."

"That's quite expensive."

"Oh, sir. It's winter, you know? The waves are so strong that the boats can't go out."

"In summer, the fish go bad in the heat and become expensive, and in winter, the strong waves prevent fishing, making them expensive... When are fish ever cheap?"

"Hehehe."

The scholar, who had glared at the vendor's evasive smile, extended his hand.

"Give me the ledger. And the inkstone."

"Here it is."

The scholar wrote in the ledger the vendor had provided.

"Today's purchase... two measures of rice."

"Sir!"

"Let's make it one and a half. It's a clean cut, isn't it?"

"Haah~."

The vendor, who had been sighing, saw the golden pen in the scholar's hand and his eyes lit up.

"Is that the famous golden pen?"

"Have you heard of it?"

"Yes, I've heard that everyone who works in the government these days has one."

The vendor, who was looking at the golden pen with curiosity, licked his lips.

"It looks very easy to write with."

"It's very convenient to carry around and use for quick writing. I have to go see to some urgent business, so could you deliver it to my house?"

"Please take care, sir!"

After seeing the scholar off, the vendor spat out a loud phlegm.

"Phew, phew! Urgent business, my foot! He's probably going to a brothel. He'll spend a lot there after cutting the price here!"

The vendor, who had cursed the scholar for cutting the price, licked his lips.

"That golden pen looks very convenient... It must be worth a lot of money, right?"

* * *

It wasn't surprising that many people had similar thoughts, and imitations of the golden pens began to appear one by one. News of these imitations quickly reached the palace and became a topic of discussion during the morning assembly.

"Your Majesty, there is an impertinent act happening in the market these days."

"An impertinent act? Tell me about it."

"Counterfeit golden pens, which were presented by the Crown Prince, are being circulated."

One minister reported this, and another quickly added:

"This is the utmost impertinence! How dare they counterfeit a precious item with the royal emblem! They should be severely punished!"

"Severely punish them!"

As the ministers' chorus continued, Sejong, who had been thinking for a moment, spoke.

"This is something I can decide, but I also think it's important to hear the opinion of the Crown Prince, who is the party involved. I will hear the Crown Prince's opinion and make a judgment. Sangsun, bring the Crown Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A short while later, Hyang, who had been summoned by Sejong, entered the main hall.

"Did you call for me, Father?"

Hyang, who had bowed respectfully, opened his mouth, and Sejong smiled and replied.

"Yes, I called you to ask for your judgment."

"What judgment can I, a young and inexperienced child, make?"

"I know you are wise, so don't be burdened and answer."

"I understand, Father."

Sejong explained the situation regarding the golden pens to Hyang.

"...So, the ministers are arguing that the merchants who privately copied the golden pens should be severely punished. What do you think, Crown Prince?"

Hyang, who had been asked by Sejong, closed his mouth and fell into thought.

The sight of an eight-year-old child frowning in deep thought was unexpectedly cute. Sejong and the ministers smiled and focused their attention on him.

After much deliberation, Hyang finally spoke.

"In my opinion, the Military Equipment Bureau's main responsibility is to produce weapons for the country's defense. Therefore..."

* * *

One month later, at the Ministry of Household Affairs.

In one of the many rooms of the Ministry of Household Affairs, people gathered.

"Is everyone here?"

The young official's question was met with nods from the attendees.

"Yes, sir."

"Please wait a moment."

The official went outside, and Hyang entered the room, guided by the Minister of Household Affairs.

The people sitting around the table in the room immediately stood up and bowed to the floor as soon as Hyang entered.

"Humble merchants greet the Crown Prince!"

"Please rise and take your seats."

"How can we sit while the Crown Prince is here?"

"As long as you do not commit a crime, you may sit. Please take your seats."

Hyang's firm response made the attendees sit down. With the help of a Ministry of Household Affairs official, Hyang took his seat and took out the counterfeit pen nibs and holders from his sleeve, placing them on the table.

"I've heard that these items are circulating in the market."

The merchants, upon seeing the pen nibs and holders that Hyang had placed on the table, immediately bowed to the floor and responded.

"Our guild has never engaged in such impertinent acts!"

"Our guild is the same!"

"I did not call you here to accuse you of a crime. Please take your seats."

Despite Hyang's words, the merchants found it difficult to stand up. Hyang, seeing this, clicked his tongue and spoke again.

"I will not say this a second time."

"Please stand up and take your seats quickly!"

At Hyang's warning, the Minister of Household Affairs hurriedly urged the merchants. Once they were seated, Hyang got to the point.

"His Majesty has issued an edict."

The edict from Sejong, as explained by Hyang, was as follows:

- The production of golden pens and pen holders will be transferred from the Military Equipment Bureau to the guilds.

- The guilds that will produce them will be selected based on the lowest bid among those that meet the quality standards.

- The selected guilds will stamp the royal emblem, the apricot blossom, on the golden pens to indicate that they are official products.

- The selected guilds will have the right to sell the golden pens in the market. If any golden pens without the apricot blossom stamp or counterfeit ones are found, both the producers and sellers will be subject to the death penalty.

- The guilds producing the golden pens will pay 20% of their sales revenue to the state.

- It is prohibited to sell the golden pens in the market at a price more than 60% higher than the price at which they are sold to the government.

- Four times a year, the Ministry of Household Affairs will inspect the quality of the golden pens. The inspections will be irregular, and officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs will randomly purchase golden pens to inspect their quality. If a product fails the inspection, the apricot blossom stamp will be revoked, and the contract will be terminated.

- If a contract is terminated due to the above issues, a new guild will be selected. The guild that had its contract terminated will not be eligible to bid for one year.

The merchants, who had heard the conditions laid out by Hyang, fell silent and began to think. One of the merchants, after some deliberation, spoke up.

"Crown Prince, I apologize, but..."

"What is the problem?"

"What is the standard for the market price?"

"The final selling price. Why is there a problem?"

"I apologize, but if the profit margin is 60%, it seems generous, but considering the wages for the workers and the profit for the middlemen, only 30% of the 60% will be ours. If the state takes 20% from that, what will be left for us..."

"Silence!"

Hyang interrupted the merchant with a harsh voice.

"Are you lying in front of whom? Yes, if 30% is what you get, as you say. But I said 20% of the profit. 20% of 30% is only 6 coins. Do you know what kind of position this is and still lie? Minister of Household Affairs! Immediately expel this impertinent person from the palace and revoke the bidding rights of his guild!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

As soon as Hyang's order was given, the Minister of Household Affairs issued the command. The Inner Guards, upon hearing the order, entered and dragged the problematic merchant out.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

After the commotion subsided, Hyang glared at the merchants.

"His Majesty and I believe that merchants are important members of society. It is natural that intermediaries are needed because it is impossible for a person to produce everything they need alone. However! As long as there are people like him who use despicable means, you merchants will never be treated with respect! Remember this!"

"We will remember it deeply, Crown Prince!"

< Chapter 9: Germination... or Cancer? (2) > End

ⓒ National Pride

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