The time when smallpox caused the greatest harm was during the spring famine.
The main way smallpox spread was through breathing and skin contact among people.
Because of this, the period when smallpox mainly broke out was from autumn to the spring famine.
As the weather grew colder, families tended to gather in one room.
However, in the dead of winter, the spread of smallpox was not very fast.
This was due to the cold wave, which kept people from engaging in outdoor activities.
Additionally, autumn was a time of plenty after the harvest, so even if one contracted smallpox, the chances of survival were high, despite the possibility of becoming pockmarked or suffering from various aftereffects.
However, the spring famine was deadly.
As people roamed the mountains and fields in search of food, smallpox spread rapidly over a wide area.
With malnutrition setting in, the body's resistance weakened, leading to a sharp rise in the mortality rate.
For this reason, the court aimed to complete the inoculation of variolation before the arrival of the spring famine.
While preparations for variolation among the people of Hanyang were underway, the envoys who had gone to Ming returned.
The envoys reported the results of their mission.
“... Therefore, Ming will send all future envoys to Joseon as civil officials. Here is the document issued by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The Prime Minister, Ryu Jeong-hyeon, unfolded the scroll and, after confirming its contents, looked at King Sejong.
“It would be wise to display this in the banquet hall of Mohwaru.”
“That is a wise decision.”
The ministers all expressed their agreement with Sejong's words.
No matter how arrogant the envoys might be, they could not act disrespectfully in front of the Emperor's personal document.
If they did act arrogantly, it would be akin to putting a knife to their own necks.
“We have passed a major hurdle, but what about the issue of the trading post?”
“It was indeed difficult to reach an agreement on that matter. To get to the conclusion, we decided to establish a trading post in Shandong Province.”
“Is that so?”
According to the Prime Minister's explanation, Joseon wanted the trading post to be near Shanhaiguan, while Ming preferred it near the Yalu River.
The problem lay in the security of the Liaodong region.
Although Ming claimed to maintain defense and security based on the Wei Su system, the area was rife with not only the Jurchens but also bandits.
Therefore, a certain number of troops always accompanied the envoys for protection.
If a permanent trading post were established and many merchants gathered, it was certain that a considerable number of troops would be stationed there to protect the post and escort the merchants.
This created a problem.
Joseon did not want Ming troops to be stationed near the Yalu River, and Ming did not want Joseon troops to be stationed in large numbers right in front of Shanhaiguan.
Thus, the officials of Ming and the envoys of Joseon had to engage in fierce debates.
While reporting to Sejong, the Prime Minister recounted a comical incident that occurred during the debates.
“While the situation was stagnant, one of the Ming officials proposed something new.”
“A new proposal?”
“They suggested creating a market exactly in the middle between Ming and our Joseon.”
“Oh, and what happened?”
“The next day, they stopped showing up.”
“Haha!”
With this brief comedic interlude, Ming and Joseon found themselves stuck in a repetitive situation.
When both sides grew weary of the debates, the Prime Minister put forth a new suggestion.
“Then, how about opening a port?”
“A port?”
“Yes.”
The Ming officials fell into thought at the Prime Minister's suggestion.
After some time, they nodded in agreement.
“That is a reasonable suggestion.”
“It is worth considering.”
After reaching a consensus among themselves, the Ming officials asked the Joseon envoys, “Do you have a suitable candidate location in mind? We will present it to His Majesty the Emperor.”
With the Ming officials' favorable response, the Prime Minister proposed a suitable candidate location.
“How about Shandong?”
“Shandong?”
“Shandong, huh...”
As the Prime Minister mentioned Shandong, the Ming officials stepped back and began whispering among themselves.
After a long discussion, the Ming officials took a step back.
“We will present it to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I hope for a good response.”
Three days later, the officials of Ming and Joseon gathered once more.
“His Majesty has made a decision. He permits the establishment of a Joseon trading post in Shandong.”
At the words of the Ming official, the Joseon envoys, including the Prime Minister, bowed respectfully in response.
“We are deeply grateful for His Majesty's grace.”
With Emperor Yongle's decision made, the matter proceeded swiftly.
“Let us name the trading post Joseon-gwan, and how about we set its location at the site of the old Silla-bang?”
“The site of Silla-bang, you say...”
The Ming official pointed to the location of Silla-bang on the map.
After confirming the location on the map, the Prime Minister nodded.
“That seems good.”
After determining the location, the next agenda item was how to maintain it.
To be precise, it was about the construction and maintenance costs of the trading post.
“How about imposing a docking fee?”
“We must cross the sea by ship. You must also consider the risks involved.”
Ming continued to push for more, while Joseon sought to give less, leading to a tug-of-war.
Eventually, after a tedious back-and-forth, Ming and Joseon agreed to collect one penny as customs duty from the merchants trading at the Joseon-gwan.
In return, Ming agreed to construct all the buildings that would be part of the trading post.
“That sounds acceptable...”
As Sejong listened to the Prime Minister's report and calculated the profits, he nodded.
When Sejong showed a positive reaction, the Prime Minister, along with the envoys who had gone to Ming, all sighed in relief.
“Then, when can the Joseon-gwan open?”
“We expect it to open next summer.”
“Is that so? Hmm...”
After a moment of organizing his thoughts, Sejong spoke.
“Let’s set that aside for now... How did the merchants who accompanied us fare?”
At Sejong's question, the Prime Minister looked back at the Minister of Finance.
The Minister of Finance, receiving the Prime Minister's glare, quickly replied.
“Everyone made a significant profit. Even those who made the least earned three times their investment, while those who did very well made twenty times their investment.”
“Twenty times? What did they sell?”
At the mention of “twenty times,” Sejong and the other ministers' eyes widened in unison.
In response to Sejong's curious question, the Minister of Finance quickly answered.
“It was a hundred-year-old ginseng.”
“Oh...”
“Considering it was ginseng, that makes sense.”
Sejong and the ministers nodded at the Minister of Finance's response.
Ginseng was a renowned medicinal herb.
It was hard to come by even in Joseon, and it commanded a high price.
“So, how much did the Ministry of Finance collect?”
In response to Sejong's question, the Minister of Finance answered immediately.
“Four thousand nyang.”
“Four thousand nyang!”
“Indeed!”
At the Minister of Finance's answer, Sejong and the ministers were taken aback.
One nyang of silver could buy a hundred kilograms of rice even during a famine.
And a hundred kilograms of rice could feed an average peasant family for at least a month.
What surprised Sejong and the ministers was that four thousand nyang represented only ten percent of the total profit.
“Does that mean the total profit was forty thousand nyang?”
“Indeed. From just one trading venture, four wealthy merchants emerged.”
“Four wealthy merchants...”
The influence of a wealthy merchant was immense.
A wealthy merchant could sway not only the town they resided in but also half the province.
It was said that “when a wealthy merchant moves, the governor rushes to greet them.”
Of course, the number of merchants participating in the trade was in the dozens, and comparing them to wealthy merchants who had accumulated wealth over decades was an exaggeration.
However, it was undeniable that a significant number of wealthy individuals had emerged, all from just one trading venture.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
At Sejong's call, Hyang entered the hall and bowed to Sejong.
“Did you call for me, Father?”
“Yes. I thought you should know that the amount collected from the merchants who accompanied this envoy was four thousand nyang.”
“Four thousand nyang is quite a sum.”
“You don’t seem very surprised?”
Sejong was taken aback by Hyang's calm demeanor and asked.
Not only Sejong but all the ministers were unable to hide their surprise at Hyang's composed expression.
“Are you being bold? Or do you not fully understand yet?”
“Well...”
As the ministers whispered among themselves, Hyang continued to maintain a calm expression as he replied.
“It’s not something to be overly surprised about, is it? The merchants calculated that they could make a significant profit, and they participated with confidence. Since those merchants did their part, what is there to be surprised about?”
In the 21st century, despite the continuous precarious economic situation, Hyang had lived in Korea, which consistently maintained its position as a top-class economic power.
Although he had quit in the middle, he had worked as a public servant, specifically in the economic sector.
For Hyang, who was accustomed to dealing with amounts in the trillions, four thousand nyang—when converted to 21st-century economic units—was not particularly impressive.
“I see. Merchants who are quick with their calculations would not have acted without confidence in making a large profit.”
Sejong nodded in understanding at Hyang's response.
The ministers also nodded as if they understood, and Hyang continued.
“It is time to study how we can consistently achieve such profits.”
“Is that not the purpose of establishing a trading post?”
“It is not the existence of the trading post that is important, but the goods sold at the trading post that matter. Minister Ho, what goods did the Ming merchants most desire?”
“Overall, there was a shortage of goods, but the most sought-after item was indeed gold thread, followed by medicine and medicinal herbs.”
Sejong showed interest at the mention of an unexpected item selling well.
“Medicinal herbs?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Ming is a vast country. They should not be lacking in Tang materials.”
“However, there are too many counterfeit goods circulating.”
“Ah... It is a matter of life and death, yet there are counterfeit goods.”
Sejong sighed at the Minister of Finance's response, and the ministers shook their heads.
Hyang, who had been listening to the conversation, also shook his head in agreement.
“Even if the medicinal herbs are like that, what kind of medicine were they looking for?”
“It was the Niu Huang Qing Xin Wan. There were indeed many counterfeit versions...”
“I see. The Crown Prince...”
Sejong was about to ask for Hyang's opinion when he stopped.
The Crown Prince's eyes were shining with intensity.
“Do you have a good idea?”
“Please gather herbalists and ginseng diggers! I believe we can greatly enhance the health of the people while significantly increasing the country's financial revenue!”
“Herbalists and ginseng diggers?”
At Hyang's response, Sejong thought for a moment before grasping the idea.
“Wait... Are you suggesting to cultivate herbs?”
“Yes!”
“Indeed, King Sejong! You understand immediately!”
With a beaming face, Hyang bowed his head.
Unlike the delighted Crown Prince, the ministers all wore puzzled expressions.
The only one who seemed to understand was the Minister of Finance.
“Crown Prince, please explain in more detail.”
“Yes, Father.”
As soon as Sejong's order was given, Hyang began to explain.
- Herbs and ginseng are primarily supplied by herbalists and ginseng diggers.
The problem that arises in this process is that the supply is not consistent.
There is even a saying that unless the mountain spirit blesses it, one cannot dig more than one root of ginseng that has grown for over fifty years in a lifetime.
- However, upon closer investigation, there are certain soils and climates where herbs grow well, and experienced herbalists would know this well.
- Therefore, if we can identify those characteristics and artificially create such an environment to cultivate them, we can ensure a stable supply.
This would also lower the prices of medicinal herbs, making it much easier for the people to obtain them.
“... Furthermore, we will secure products that can be consistently sold to Ming.”
As soon as Hyang finished explaining, the ministers all nodded in agreement.
“I believe the Crown Prince's idea is truly excellent.”
Starting with the Prime Minister, the ministers expressed their support.
Having witnessed the immense wealth flowing into the country, they had no reason to oppose it.
So far, everything was going well.
However, the Minister of Finance then dropped a bombshell.
He had not intended to do so at all.
< Chapter 23: The Changing of the Year (1) > End