Thanks to the officials who poured out of the government complex as soon as they received the order, the Street of Six Ministries was overflowing with them. The sight of officials flocking in groups of threes and fives soon caught the attention of people sitting in the taverns located in Pimagil—what is now Pimatgol.
“Huh? Is it already snack time?”
Customers expressed doubt at the sight of the flocking officials. Among them, some took pocket watches out of their bosoms to check the time, not missing the opportunity. In this era, watches evaluated as practical, especially pocket watches, were only made by the Empire and Switzerland, and naturally, they were expensive goods.
So, the current situation was the best moment to naturally take out a pocket watch and show it off. While customers were curious, the owners of taverns and restaurants had sparkling eyes, and senior clerks sighed softly.
“Looks like late-night snack deliveries will increase starting today.”
“Sleeping early starting today is out of the question, absolutely out.”
“Huh? Weren’t there many late-night snack orders every day?”
At the intervention of a newly hired junior clerk, the senior clerk next to him explained the situation in more detail.
“As you say, there were late-night snack orders every day. But you see… Hmm… Let’s say there are ten officials working on the Street of Six Ministries. Until now, only about four out of ten worked overtime. But when officials move like that, you can consider that all ten will be working overtime from then on.”
“Good heavens… Is that certain?”
“Do you know what lies in the direction those officials are going?”
“Let’s see… It’s the Office of Records.”
“If they flock to the Archives in a herd like that, then overtime for everyone is guaranteed unconditionally.”
“Wait, the number of government offices and officials on the Street of Six Ministries is…”
Counting on his fingers, the rookie clerk spat out a curse without realizing it.
“Good heavens, damn it…”
Seeing his junior spitting out a curse unconsciously, the senior clerk tapped the rookie’s shoulder lightly.
“Still, the pay will be hefty, so endure with that.”
“…Having a drink and sleeping soundly is my only joy…”
Looking at the officials with a suddenly gloomy face, the rookie asked the senior again.
“But you know. When I go out for delivery, I hear grumbling from all sides saying ‘We are slaves and whatnot,’ and seeing them walk around with faces like they’re dying, I don’t know why they stay in government service.”
“Even so, when they go out to the market, they can walk with their heads held high while being called ‘Sir.’ Is that all? The salary comes out regularly.”
“We get paid too, don’t we?”
“If we make a slight mistake, we have to go look for a job as soon as the sun rises the next day, but officials don’t have that worry. Is that all? If they set up a household, the country gives them a house too. And it’s a house meticulously managed by the country and newly built every 20 years. Women get a year of maternity leave when they give birth. If they come to work with a child, there’s a ‘nursery’ where skilled nannies take care of the child if they leave them there. Is that all? The husband can also get paternity leave if needed. More important than that is when they give birth like that, they receive a congratulatory message handwritten by the Emperor himself, stamped with the Imperial Seal, along with congratulatory money. Just that document alone would be a family heirloom for generations, wouldn’t it? If they retire after working safely without causing trouble, the country gives them living expenses until they die. Finally, when they die of old age, they are given a grave site in the National Cemetery, rumored to be an auspicious site. Would you quit if it were you?”
“I’d endure even if I had to nail the official cap to my forehead.”
***
When the officials who flocked in a herd opened the door of the Archives, the official in charge of reception at the Office of Records blocked their way.
“Stop for a moment.”
“Why are you blocking us?”
When an official belonging to the Ministry of General Affairs stepped forward representing the flocking officials and asked a question, the person in charge at the Office of Records held out a form he had put aside and answered.
“Find the corresponding list from the items written there, write the necessary number of copies on the application form, and submit it.”
“How do you know what we are looking for and do this?”
“‘Policies and tasks worked on jointly by two or more ministries,’ isn’t it?”
“H-How did you know that?”
The person in charge at the Office of Records answered by pointing to the back with his chin.
“People have already come from Gyeongbokgung Palace.”
At the answer of the person in charge, all the officials stretched their necks to check the back. There, many eunuchs were searching the indices and checking if the requested records were correct. Seeing that, the officials wore somewhat relieved expressions.
“At least we can catch a breath.”
***
Since the birth of the Office of Records, it became frequent for Emperors to look up records. As Hyang first said, relying on the memories of elder ministers had limitations. Yet, looking at the Sacho (draft history) was prohibited by law, and the Diary of the Royal Secretariat was too voluminous to find what was needed, and it was not organized.
In such a situation, the records organized in the Office of Records were very useful. However, as there is shadow where there is light, eunuchs had to suffer on behalf of the Emperor.
“It’s not just eunuchs suffering, officials suffer a lot too.”
Grasping the problem, Hyang immediately created and applied an index system. Thanks to the index system, it became a little more comfortable, but searching was still not an easy task. Thanks to this, the eunuchs in charge became ‘masters of search.’ As long as the search keywords were clear, the eunuchs quickly found and submitted the records the Emperors wanted. Seeing the eunuchs in charge skillfully finding and bringing the results, Hyang had muttered softly without realizing it.
“Are you human Googles…”
***
Seeing the relieved officials, the person in charge continued the explanation.
“In about one and a half sijin (approx. 3 hours), the list will be updated once more. First, check the list that came out now and fill out the application form. Then we will print and prepare it as soon as the typesetting work is finished in the printing room.”
“How long will it take?”
At the question of the Ministry of General Affairs official, the person in charge calculated inwardly for a moment and answered.
“Three days at the earliest? It will not exceed five days at the latest.”
“That’s a bit tight… Can’t you mobilize those serving sentences?”
“If they type, it will easily exceed ten days. If you want to receive it faster, put more people into the Office of Records. We are short of hands because there are too few people coming in these days anyway.”
“…”
At the words of the person in charge, the Ministry of General Affairs official shut his mouth. Those serving sentences in the Archives were officials who were found guilty of various corruptions.
In other words, the words of the person in charge meant this:
- If you have complaints, find bastards committing corruption and hand them over. You aren’t letting them off, are you?
Eventually, the Ministry of General Affairs official had no choice but to wave the white flag.
“We must receive it within five days.”
“We are typesetting diligently in the printing room right now.”
No matter if it was the Emperor, the original or completed copy of the records in the Archives could not be taken out. It was the established law to receive and check a copy of the completed version whenever needed.
The problem was this copy.
If the number of copies to be produced at the request of the Emperor or administrative ministries was one or two, prisoners typed and made copies. However, if the number exceeded five, printing with movable type made through typesetting work was faster and more accurate than typing to make copies.
Especially, occasionally, no, frequently, when the Emperor clicked his tongue, a situation occurred where more than 20 copies were made at once, and at this time, printing was the only answer. Interestingly, the reason the printing room was created in the Office of Records was because of Hyang’s impatience.
“I’ll die before my time waiting for copies coming out of typewriters!”
So a printing room was set up in the Office of Records.
And as time passed, the printers belonging to the record printing room became the Empire’s best typesetting experts and printing experts.
***
It was exactly the fifth day when the copies made in the Office of Records were delivered to the Street of Six Ministries.
“When did it go into Gyeongbokgung?”
“It went in two days ago.”
“You should have given it to us a bit faster too.”
“The craftsmen worked all night to meet the three-day deadline. Shouldn’t we give them time to rest?”
“Still…”
“Are you saying we should deliver it to Gyeongbokgung on the fourth day?”
“Ah, that is a bit…”
It was best to avoid submitting to the Emperor matching the ominous number ‘4’. Thanks to that, the officials of the Six Ministries shut their mouths and took the copies. The officials who came in holding the copies laid them out in the conference room and sighed.
“The real start is from now on.”
- Find and submit the records.
This order did not end literally with finding and submitting. The work ended only after thoroughly analyzing according to the 5W1H principle and then recording even the faults and submitting it.
Especially, as seen this time too, the copies coming out of the Office of Records went into Gyeongbokgung simultaneously, no, a bit faster. The Emperor, receiving the copy, thoroughly analyzed it and then held a discussion against the ministers.
This was not an easy task even for the Emperor. However, the Emperor had supporting actors who were very capable and sometimes boasted authority more powerful than the Emperor.
“How many copies went into Gyeongbokgung?”
“Three copies.”
“Oh no…”
Hearing the answer of the Office of Records official, the officials turned pale and groaned. Beside the newly crowned Emperor Woo, there were not one but two of those supporting actors. And very fierce ones at that.
Woo, having received the copies, went straight to Sugang Palace with them. Seeing Hyang and Wan waiting having already heard the news, Woo bowed politely and went straight to the main point.
“I ask for help from the Grand Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor Emeritus. I couldn’t hold back my anger and caused an incident this time.”
At Woo’s words, Hyang stepped forward and answered, ”We have already heard the story and know. It is not something for the Emperor to blame himself for. It was something to be sufficiently angry about. Those who took on a pillar of imperial management forgot the weight of their responsibility, so this was not something to just pass over. Naturally, it was something the Emperor had to reprimand.”
At Hyang’s words, Woo’s face brightened considerably.
“Since the Grand Emperor Emeritus says so, I feel much relieved.”
“The Emperor should continue to attend to state affairs without forgetting the current mindset.”
“I will do my best.”
“Then we will do our best with this matter, so the Emperor should pay attention to pending issues first. Isn’t the Suez problem waiting right now?”
“Thank you. I will do my best on the Suez problem to the point where both of you will be satisfied.”
“I will look forward to it. However, do not forget to pay attention to preserving your royal body as well.”
“Since the New Frontier are waiting, I will engrave it in my bones and heart.”
As Woo mentioned ‘New Frontier,’ both Hyang and Wan smiled small bitter smiles.
- My sins are great…
Seeing the copies Woo left behind, Hyang wore a slightly perplexed expression and looked at Wan.
“It’s a bit much.”
“It is.”
“While granting the grandson’s wish, a burst of work exploded.”
“Since it is for the grandson, please make an effort.”
At Wan’s appearance of subtly passing the work, Hyang narrowed his eyes and looked at Wan.
“Since the Grand Emperor Emeritus’s grandson is asking for help now, shouldn’t the Emperor Emeritus also make a lot of effort? And aren’t there one or two stories of filial sons saying ‘Father was having a hard time so I carried him on my back’?”
“…I will do my best.”
Settling in the conference room where copies were piled up, Hyang and Wan opened the copies.
“There is work piled up in Area 51 too, so let’s work hard.”
“Yes. Come to think of it… there is a rumor that there is some talk among the craftsmen because of the request handed to the craftsmen of Area 51.”
“Is that so? I should examine Area 51 once soon too.”