20
As ten days passed, Hyang had completely regained her health.
Sejong summoned the imprisoned Soedori.
"The Crown Prince has recovered. Are you truly confident that he will not contract smallpox?"
"I am confident. I have experienced it myself, and those living with me have also not contracted smallpox."
"I am still uneasy. Therefore, I will administer cowpox vaccinations to all those in Hanyang who have not suffered from smallpox. Can you prepare for everyone to receive it?"
Soedori paused for a moment to calculate in his mind before responding.
"To do so, we will need at least fifty cows that have contracted cowpox."
"Use the royal cows you raise to fulfill this. How long will it take?"
"It will be ready within fifteen days. However, even if the cows have contracted cowpox, they will recover in a week at the shortest, or ten days at the longest, so we need a specific date for implementation."
"Once I send word from the inner palace, be prepared to execute it immediately. And..."
Sejong paused for a moment, glancing sharply at Hyang before continuing, "I appoint you as the livestock supervisor at the royal ranch on Neobeol Island."
"I am deeply grateful!" Soedori exclaimed, bowing deeply at that moment.
Although he was a good man, he had been close to the status of a lowly herdsman, so receiving an official position was a significant honor.
"Then prepare at once."
"I will obey!" Soedori replied loudly, filled with excitement as he left the palace.
Meanwhile, Sejong returned to the council chamber and glared at Hyang.
"First, Crown Prince, congratulations on your recovery."
"I am deeply grateful, Father."
"However, I will not allow such an incident to happen again. You must report in advance and obtain my permission."
"I will remember, Father."
Sejong muttered to himself, "The child responds well..."
Suddenly realizing, he glanced at the historians present.
But seeing the historians eagerly writing, he licked his lips and continued, "You and that Soedori seem confident that cowpox vaccinations will prevent smallpox, but I remain uneasy. Therefore, I will conduct an experiment on the people of Hanyang. What do you think, Crown Prince?"
"It is a wise decision. However, I would like to add a few points."
"Add? Speak."
"First, the first to receive the cowpox vaccinations should be the doctors and nurses of the inner palace. If smallpox spreads during the vaccination process, we can then send out the vaccinated doctors and nurses. This way..."
"We will know for certain whether Soedori's words are true or false?"
"That is correct, Father."
"Hmm..."
Sejong pondered Hyang's suggestion for a moment before looking at the Minister of Interior, who oversaw the inner palace.
"Once Soedori's preparations are somewhat complete, let half of the doctors and nurses of the inner palace receive the cowpox vaccinations first."
"Not all, but half?"
"Seeing this child... no, the Crown Prince's case, it seems that at least for fifteen days, they will not be able to move properly. Therefore, dividing them in half seems appropriate."
"I will do so."
Hearing the Minister's response, Sejong turned to Hyang.
"Do you have anything else to add?"
"Yes. When administering the cowpox vaccinations, it would be better to visit each household directly rather than calling people in."
"Why is that?"
"Because cowpox is something unfamiliar. Smallpox is frightening, but if you ask someone to receive a vaccination for something they have never seen before, who would willingly come forward?"
"That is true. So we will go directly and vaccinate without missing anyone? That makes sense."
"Additionally, when visiting to administer the vaccinations, we should bring officials from the Ministry of Interior to conduct a household survey."
"Excellent! That is indeed a clever plan!" Sejong exclaimed, clapping his knees in admiration.
Conducting a household survey was indeed a challenging task.
Many commoners often fled whenever a survey was conducted to avoid taxes and labor, making it difficult to maintain accurate records even in the capital, Hanyang.
"This is a twofold benefit! What else would you suggest?"
Sejong, pleased with Hyang's proposal, smiled broadly as he asked.
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang quickly replied, "Although you may not be confident, I am certain that this cowpox vaccination will succeed. Therefore, it is only natural to implement this vaccination not only in Hanyang but throughout the entire country."
"That could be possible."
"Then, I suggest that you receive contributions from the local gentry and nobles."
Sejong's expression turned serious at Hyang's suggestion.
"Receive contributions from the gentry?"
"Yes. Just like smallpox, once a cow has contracted cowpox, it cannot contract it again. Therefore, we must continuously acquire new cows and have them infected with cowpox. This alone will incur significant costs. Additionally, sending out doctors, nurses, and officials for the household surveys will also require funds."
"That is true."
Sejong and the ministers nodded in agreement with Hyang's observation.
"However, it is difficult to ask the common people for money. Most of them are not even prepared to get through the lean season."
"Sadly, that is true. It is all due to my lack of virtue."
Sejong's self-reproach caused the ministers to bow their heads in unison.
"No! Your virtue is known to all the people! This is an unavoidable natural disaster, so do not worry!"
"Do not worry!" The ministers spoke in unison, and Hyang clicked her tongue inwardly. 'These nobles who always blame the king for his lack of virtue...
Is it the same for everyone?'
As the ministers' voices quieted down, Hyang continued, "In this situation, how can we ask the common people for money? However, the local gentry and nobles are in a different situation, aren't they? In my humble opinion, if we ask the landowners with a hundred stones to contribute the price of half a cow, those with a thousand stones to contribute the price of three cows, and those with ten thousand stones to contribute the price of twenty cows, we could easily cover the costs."
"Hmm..."
Sejong and the ministers began calculating the costs in their minds.
After a moment, the Chief Minister spoke up.
"The Crown Prince's plan is indeed a good one, but will they willingly contribute?"
"We must make them. If they voluntarily contribute, we can erect a stone tablet praising their virtue or grant them a plaque. If they do not contribute, we must collect it by force. If they refuse to pay until the end..."
Hyang paused, her eyes shining coldly.
"Then the village they belong to will not receive the vaccinations."
"That seems a bit harsh."
The Chief Minister pointed out, and the Minister of Interior raised his voice in opposition.
"It is not harsh! Even a landowner with a hundred stones is the most senior in that village! If a noble is a senior, it is only natural for them to step forward! But if they refuse? They are unworthy of being a noble! If they recite the classics but do not act, what kind of noble are they? Knowledge and action must be one!"
Following the Minister of Interior's rebuttal, the Left Minister joined the conversation.
"But the cost is an issue, isn't it?"
"No matter how expensive a cow is, can a landowner with a hundred stones not afford the price of half a cow? They simply choose not to pay!"
With the clash between the ministers starting, they began to divide into two sides, engaging in a heated debate.
"If they call themselves nobles, they should naturally pay!"
"But the state cannot force them to pay!"
As Sejong watched the ministers argue, he looked at Hyang with tired eyes.
"You have a remarkable talent for stirring up trouble."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Does that sound like a compliment to you?"
Hyang smiled mysteriously, and Sejong clicked his tongue softly.
"Tsk!"
Sejong clicked his tongue at Hyang's reaction and then looked at the arguing ministers, clicking his tongue loudly.
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
"Ahem! Ahem!"
As Sejong clicked his tongue, the ministers cleared their throats and straightened their postures.
"I have listened to your words. Regarding the cost issue, let us discuss it again after observing the results of the cowpox vaccinations in Hanyang. The Ministries of Interior and Finance should thoroughly confirm the household surveys and costs incurred during the vaccination process and report back. It would be better to discuss it again based on those results."
"I will obey."
As the issue of 'administering cowpox vaccinations to the residents of Hanyang' began to take shape, Hyang quickly spoke up.
"I have a petition to make to you, Father."
"A petition?"
As soon as Hyang mentioned the word 'petition,' Sejong and the ministers tensed up.
Every time Hyang made a petition, it had caused a whirlwind of chaos.
"... Is this petition absolutely necessary?"
"I believe it is essential."
With Hyang's answer, Sejong let out a long sigh.
"Hoo~. Speak."
"Yes. First, I would like to address the inner palace."
"The inner palace?"
"Yes. This has already been brought up by the Ministry of Interior a few years ago, but the doctors are only interested in passing exams to gain official positions. As a result, they focus solely on memorizing the texts of prescriptions and neglect treatment."
"I remember that."
Following Sejong's response, the Minister of Interior interjected.
"I also recall that we discussed this issue publicly. At that time, His Majesty ordered that promotions be based on treatment performance."
"Indeed. I remember."
Sejong nodded and looked at Hyang.
Hyang continued, "His Majesty made a wise decision at that time."
"But what is the problem?"
"It is the same issue as with the cowpox vaccinations. Although there are many doctors, there are still many diseases and treatments that they do not know."
"I see. Then we need to obtain more medical texts from Ming."
"While new medical texts from China may be helpful, they are not the answer. The mountains and rivers of China are not the same as those of Joseon, and the people are different as well. Therefore, during the reign of King Jeongjong, the 'Hyangyak Jeseungbang' was compiled. This needs to be supplemented."
"Supplemented... I see. That makes sense. Minister of Interior, what do you think?"
At Sejong's question, the Minister of Interior bowed his head.
"I believe the Crown Prince's words are indeed appropriate!"
"Are there any other opinions?"
No official raised any objections to Sejong's question.
"Very well. Minister of Interior, work with the Hall of Worthies to supplement the medical texts."
"I will obey."
After deciding to supplement the 'Hyangyak Jeseungbang,' Sejong turned to Hyang.
"Is there anything else?"
"Yes. I have observed the process of you and the ministers discussing state affairs, and there is a problem."
"A problem?"
"When issues arise in state governance, the ministers tend to recall similar past cases. Just like just now, right?"
"That is true."
"Especially the elder ministers here have experience from previous reigns."
"That is correct."
"Similar problems tend to repeat themselves. In ten years at the shortest, or thirty years at the longest, the current elder ministers, as well as the younger officials, will have retired. What will happen then when a generation without any memories or experiences governs the state?"
"That would be a problem..."
Sejong responded seriously to Hyang's observation.
As Sejong grew serious, the Left Minister interjected.
"As the Crown Prince said, in thirty years, I, as an old man, will have returned to the earth, and even the young men with rosy cheeks will have mostly retired. However, policies and systems are like flowing rivers, continuously passing on. Even then, there will be those with experience. If problems arise, they will be able to resolve them."
"Is today the same as yesterday, and will tomorrow be the same as today?"
Hyang was astonished by the Left Minister's words and immediately countered.