touchnovel Chapter 374
Chapter 374
Chapter 374
While Sejong and his ministers were in the midst of a meeting in Geunjeongjeon, a group of eunuchs and officials entered.
“What is the matter?”
At Sejong’s question, the Chief Secretary approached a eunuch. After receiving a whispered report, he carefully relayed the situation to Sejong.
“Choi Man-ri is now outside Gwanghwamun, kneeling on straw mats and presenting a petition? For what reason?”
“It’s because of the Hunminjeongeum you’ve created, Your Majesty.”
Sejong’s face momentarily turned fierce upon hearing the Chief Secretary’s report. However, a sneer soon took its place.
“Hah! Choi Man-ri... His insight and integrity are indeed admirable. Yes, indeed they are.”
After uttering words that could be either praise or sarcasm, Sejong rose from his seat.
“I should go out to see. Let’s all go together. We should at least hear what he has to bark about, shouldn’t we?”
At Sejong’s use of “bark,” the ministers momentarily hesitated and looked at him.
“Why are you all acting like that?”
“Your Majesty, that expression doesn’t befit your status...”
As Lee Jik trailed off, Sejong instead looked back with an expression of incomprehension.
“I said ‘speak’ (曰) for someone with lofty insight. What’s the problem?”
“Ah... It’s nothing! It’s nothing!”
At Sejong’s words, the ministers hurriedly rose from their seats. Seeing this, Sejong clicked his tongue.
“I wonder what they were thinking... Tsk!”
The court historian who recorded all of this quickly added a note as he stood up:
-The historian says:
It doesn’t seem right...
***
“Your Majesty! Please reconsider! The promulgation of Hunminjeongeum must never happen!”
As they approached Gwanghwamun, Choi Man-ri’s shouts could be heard. Hearing these cries, Sejong chuckled and muttered.
“What a good set of lungs he has.”
“Loyalty!”
“Well done, all of you.”
Receiving the salutes of the soldiers guarding Gwanghwamun, Sejong crossed the threshold and surveyed the scene spread out before Gwanghwamun.
Choi Man-ri was prostrated on a straw mat, continuing to raise his voice, while the residents of Hanseong were gathered thickly around.
Although many had gathered during the previous petition incident, even more had gathered now.
The reason for this difference was Choi Man-ri’s reputation.
-Former Chief Scholar of Hall of Worthies and a renowned man of integrity.
People had gathered because someone of a completely different caliber from the previous rabble was presenting a petition.
“Your Majesty! I, Choi Man-ri, former Chief Scholar of Hall of Worthies, risk my life to inform you! The promulgation of Hunminjeongeum must never happen! Please reconsider!”
Seeing Sejong, Choi Man-ri raised his voice even more.
Observing this, Sejong glanced around subtly.
Not only were the ministers who had followed him out visible, but also Hyang, who had rushed over from working in Area 51.
Seeing Hyang’s slightly worried expression, Sejong muttered quietly.
“With my child watching, I can’t show an unseemly appearance as a father.”
After taking a small breath, Sejong ordered the Chief Secretary.
“Go and bring a desk and chair.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
-As you say, our Joseon’s culture and rituals are comparable to those of China. What is the meaning of ‘comparable’? It is to weigh the merits of two different things. In other words, isn’t it natural that Joseon’s writing system should be different since its culture and rituals are different from China’s? Isn’t that why Idu came about in the first place? Wasn’t Idu used because we had different language and culture but no proper writing system?
-Your statement that the fairness of criminal cases depends on prison officials is not wrong. However, if laws are written in simple text, and the people can easily read and understand them, wouldn’t it be easier to avoid injustices?
-You say there was no discussion with the ministers, but after its creation, all the ministers gave positive evaluations. It was also evaluated as convenient for writing official documents. Moreover, have you forgotten the existence of the remonstrators? Do you think they would have remained silent if I had done something wrong?
-You also mentioned the Crown Prince, but his participation is almost over. Even if you point out past events, can’t they be revisited? Isn’t this criticism for the sake of criticism? And you said the Crown Prince is only focusing on miscellaneous studies and neglecting his main studies, but the Crown Prince has already mastered them long ago. And many people are enjoying the results of the Crown Prince’s miscellaneous studies, so what is your arrogance in taking this lightly?
“...And you said that Chinese characters would be abandoned, neglecting the teachings of the sages, and that people would be deceived, causing harm. Let me ask you this.”
Choi Man-ri, thoroughly refuted by Sejong point by point, answered in a tired voice.
“Please ask, Your Majesty.”
“Are Chinese characters the only vessel that can contain the profound meanings of the sages? What do you value more: the meanings of the sages, or the Chinese characters that are merely the vessel containing those meanings?”
“That, that is...”
“What is the problem with changing the vessel so that more people can easily understand the meanings of the sages? And about deception? Looking back at history, there have always been those who cause trouble by deceiving people. Was that because people didn’t use Chinese characters then?”
“That’s not it...”
Sejong persistently tore into Choi Man-ri.
“Yes, it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other... The uneducated and those with shallow knowledge are equally susceptible to being deceived. But let me ask you this. Do you think those who have discovered the joy of learning through simple writing will be satisfied with shallow knowledge?”
“But the people are naturally reluctant to learn...”
At Choi Man-ri’s words, Sejong shouted angrily.
“Are your eyes blind? Can you say that even after seeing the children flocking to the Commoner’s School right now? Nine out of ten children discovering the joy of learning at the Commoner’s School are commoners!”
At Sejong’s rebuke, Choi Man-ri’s head dropped to the ground.
Sejong’s reprimand continued to fall on Choi Man-ri’s ears.
“Wasn’t the greatest duty of the scholar-officials to educate the people? If there were difficulties in educating the people due to the lack of a writing system, it was only natural to devise all sorts of methods to solve this! And now that a solution to this problem has emerged, what nonsense is it to block it!”
In the end, Choi Man-ri had to surrender.
“My thinking was short-sighted. Please forgive my sin.”
At Choi Man-ri’s response, the ministers breathed sighs of relief.
‘Choi Man-ri, that stubborn man has waved the white flag. What a relief.’
‘That was close. If he had gone a little further, His Majesty would have had his head.’
Whether aware of the ministers’ thoughts or not, Sejong glared at Choi Man-ri silently for a long time.
“What should I do with someone as obtuse as you?”
At the word ‘obtuse’, Choi Man-ri gritted his teeth. However, he was in no position to argue against such an assessment now.
After staring at Choi Man-ri for a long time, Sejong turned his head.
“Prime Minister”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I think I need to reverse one of my previous decisions. Would that be alright?”
“It depends on the matter, but Your Majesty’s will takes precedence.”
“Is that so? Hmm.... Choi Man-ri, listen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The Office of Correct Sounds will soon be established. You will take charge as its head and be responsible for transcribing this country’s law books into Hunminjeongeum. And not just simply transcribing, but rewriting them in a way that anyone can easily understand their meaning! You, who recognized the advantages of Hunminjeongeum in just a few days, should be capable of this, right?”
“My abilities are insufficient...”
Choi Man-ri, terrified, tried to back out, but Sejong didn’t let him.
“You have no right of refusal. And...”
Pausing briefly, Sejong approached Choi Man-ri and whispered so that only he could hear.
“Thank you. Thanks to your reputation, many people of Joseon will become even more interested in Hunminjeongeum.”