Black Corporation: Joseon-Chapter 191

Meanwhile, the Samin School was continuously embroiled in controversy.

After the dispute over the eligibility criteria for children enrolling in the academy was resolved by King Sejong, another debate arose, this time over the term Teacher.

-The use of the term Teacher, especially the word Sa (, master/teacher), should not be taken lightly. Why does the phrase The king, teacher, and father are one exist? It signifies the great grace of a teacher and their esteemed presence! Why is their presence esteemed? It is because their scholarship is exceptional, and they teach precious children! How then can we attach such a noble word as Sa to those who teach, including teaching girls, whose origins we can hardly ascertain!

As petitions with such content were submitted, the ministers were outraged and appealed to King Sejong.

Please punish those who dare to submit such insolent writings at once!

The reason the ministers were incensed was that their grandchildren or great-grandchildren were enrolling in the newly established Samin School.

With the purging of extreme conservatives like Ryu Jeong-hyeon and the progress of reforms, the ministers perspectives had significantly evolved as they faced the realities of Joseon and its future challenges. Thats why they did not oppose when King Sejong mentioned the establishment of the Samin School. Moreover, they had actively advocated for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to enroll, fitting the term Samin (four classes of people).

Even so, they could not tolerate being included among those whose origins they did not know.

At the ministers opposition, King Sejong sighed.

Sigh. How soon after seeing blood do you wish to see it again? Am I a demon starved for blood?

At King Sejongs words, the ministers immediately bowed their heads.

Please forgive your subjects disloyalty!

Our thoughts were indeed short-sighted!

Its alright. Its understandable why you would say such things.

Your grace is immeasurable!

Having dismissed the ministers mistakes, King Sejong looked at the petitions with a look of disdain and continued.

These people are not malicious but foolish. They cram all standards of life into a small frame and pity those who cannot escape it. Hmm

King Sejong paused, pondering for a moment, then resumed.

Such people dislike even the smallest loss to themselves. Listen well. Establish by law that the eligibility for entering the Intermediate Academy and Military Academy that will follow the Samin School is limited to those who have completed the Samin School, and make sure this is documented.

We shall obey your command!

Additionally, legislate that the royal familys children also start their education at the Samin School.

Your Majesty That is

As the ministers looked troubled, King Sejong spoke firmly.

The royal family and the people are like fish and water. Without water, fish cannot live; without the people, the royal family cannot exist! Only by understanding the lives and hardships of the people from a young age can one be respected as a member of the royal family!

Though King Sejongs words were radical, they were justified, so the ministers had no choice but to accept them.

We shall obey your command!

Thus, what had been merely talk became established by law and documented.

King Sejongs response did not end there. Not long after the petitions were submitted, King Sejongs reply was posted on bulletin boards in government offices across the country.

-Many oppose the idea of calling those who discipline children at the Samin School teachers. However, such opposition is merely short-sighted, akin to the perspective of a frog in a well.

They question how the noble word Sa can be attached to those who only teach basic academics to children. Yet, it is precisely these individuals who are fitting to be called Sa.

As stated numerous times before, the Samin School is not merely a place for teaching academics. It is where children are taught proper conduct and mindset, and how to live uprightly, and those who undertake this task are indeed worthy of the title Sa.

King Sejongs reply was a direct criticism of the nobles who were nitpicking over the term teacher.

Faced with such criticism, the nobles had no choice but to remain silent.

Following the suppression of the Giyu Rebellion, King Sejongs royal authority had reached its peak.

Of course, as the sayings go, Even the full moon wanes or Power does not last ten years, and No flower stays in bloom for ten days, there would come a time when his power would diminish, but it was impossible to predict when that would be under the current circumstances.

This was because, aside from a very conservative minority of nobles, the vast majority of the people supported King Sejong at almost a religious level.

As a result, the conservative nobles were reduced to venting their frustrations only in their private gatherings.

In this land of Joseon nowadays, its impossible to find the teachings of the sages!

Indeed!

Speak up! Its the end of times!

Seeing the reaction of these conservative nobles, other nobles and the common people scoffed.

Hmph! And what will you do about it? Start another rebellion?

If you were so dissatisfied, you should have joined in last year when everything blew up! Whether it led to success or failure! But instead, you all just watched quietly like mice Tsk! Dont go around calling yourselves nobles! Youre just bringing shame to the title!

The conservative nobles faced criticism for a simple reason: their opposition was not genuinely based on Confucian principles.

They were criticized because they merely wanted to revert to the state before King Sejongs reforms, not out of any principled stance.

Not long after King Sejongs reply, an official proclamation from the court was posted on the bulletin boards.

-In line with the newly reformed court, the method of appointing officials will also change. This will be further announced in due course.

-Only those who have completed the Samin School course and subsequent courses will be eligible to take the upcoming civil service examinations.

In essence, this meant that those who had not attended the Samin School would be barred from entering officialdom. This effectively blocked the conservative nobles from entering politics.

How is this any different from the tyranny of a dictator!

The conservative nobles vented their frustration again, but that was the end of it.

Meanwhile, Hyang, who had observed the court meetings or heard about the publics reaction through the eunuchs, shook his head disapprovingly.

Conservatism is as necessary as progress. But these people are not conservatives; they are reactionaries.

Thus, King Sejong resolved the issues surrounding the Samin School and the teachers.

Some may criticize this as radical or dictatorial, but I hope they understand that this had to be done. I especially implore the Chief State Councillor and the Chief Scholar to understand.

At King Sejongs words, the ministers unanimously responded.

Not at all. It was a justified decision!

The specifically mentioned Chief State Councillor and Chief Scholar made it clear that they supported King Sejong.

Enlightening the people is our duty. This is something even the ancient sages would have dreamed of. Opposing this goes against the sages wishes.

Their arguments cling to the trivial and fail to grasp the essence, so theres no need for worry.

Thank you.

King Sejong was genuinely grateful for the responses from the Chief State Councillor and the Chief Scholar. Their support meant that the supervisory officials were on his side, indicating that even the most troublesome figures were backing him.

* * *

While these events unfolded at the court, debates were also taking place in Changdeok Palace.

Those who had passed the first written exam and the second interview were residing in Changdeok Palace, undergoing their educational courses.

However, since the curriculum of the Samin School was unprecedented, the officials from the Ministry of Rites were also navigating this new territory for the first time.

As a result, most of the curriculum was being established through discussions between the Ministry of Rites, the officials, and the candidates.

During this process, the teaching materials created by Hyang received high praise from the candidates.

Seeing the Thousand Character Classic word cards made by Hyang for the education of Jinpyeong and Anpyeong[1] who had received the title of Bonggun in the Gyeongsul year the candidates were unanimous in their acclaim.

These teaching materials are truly useful! If utilized well, they could make it much easier for children to learn the Thousand Character Classic.

Indeed. But who created these materials?

At the candidates inquiry, an official from the Ministry of Rites answered with a proud expression.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. And he made them at the age of eight, no less, to teach his younger brothers, the princes.

Good heavens!

The candidates were astonished by the officials reply. Seeing their faces filled with disbelief, the official continued solemnly.

Do not doubt it. Many have seen these materials. The rumors of His Royal Highnesss wisdom being not of this world are not just rumors, but reality.

Incredible

Most of the candidates were left speechless with their mouths agape. However, a few candidates with relatives working as bureaucrats in the court nodded in understanding.

They had seen and heard about their relatives, burdened with work due to the genius of King Sejong and his projects based on that genius.

Seeing such relatives, not a few had chosen the path of teaching rather than becoming officials, aiming to avoid such overwork.

Yet, even those who had chosen the path of teaching felt a foreboding sense upon seeing the teaching materials created by Hyang.

Surely, teachers wont be overworked as well, right?

* * *

Through these discussions, the method of educating children became more systematic.

It was natural for heated debates to arise as men and women of various ages from across the nation gathered to discuss their opinions.

Most debates found a consensus quickly, but some required significant time and energy to reach an agreement.

One of the fiercely debated topics was corporal punishment.

It has been said since ancient times that the more precious the child, the less one should spare the rod. Since teachers are not merely imparting knowledge but also disciplining children in place of their parents, we should not spare the rod!

Thats correct!

Its not correct! Im not saying we should never use corporal punishment, but indiscriminate physical discipline is worse than not using it at all!

Exactly! As children grow, they become stronger and bigger, but parents grow weaker with time. What happens then? The children no longer fear the rod! This leads to the worst outcomes!

I agree! The more one is beaten, the more accustomed one becomes to it! Once accustomed, one no longer fears the rod! If one doesnt fear the rod, one wont fear doing wrong. And if that happens, one wont fear breaking the law! The rod should not be wielded too frequently!

The candidates, drawing from their own life experiences and backgrounds, divided into two camps and engaged in intense debates.

Ultimately, it was Madam Cho, one of the eldest participants, who resolved the situation. Having come from Jeolla Province, Madam Cho spoke in a calm voice, sharing her thoughts.

I have lived a bit longer than many of you here, so Id like to offer some words based on my experiences. Would you listen?

We will listen attentively.

As Madam Cho, who was honored with titles such as Filial Wife and Virtuous Woman, began to speak, not only the candidates but also the officials from the Ministry of Rites fell silent and listened.

Having lived for some time, Ive had the chance to see children from my village grow up into adults. Ive seen children from households that did not spare the rod, as some of you have mentioned. These children tended to grow up into two types. Some became the troublemakers of the village, causing disturbances because they no longer feared punishment, while others became subdued, like cattle, doing only as they were told without any thought of their own. Do you think such individuals would be beneficial to our country?

Madam Chos words were gentle, yet they carried a profound weight.

FootnotesHyang younger brothers. These are their birth names[]

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m