[Character Research] Anecdote of Heejeong-Seung Hwang, Baek-Ri Cheong
[Character Research] Anecdote of Heejeong-Seung Hwang, Baek-Ri Cheong
Hwang Heejeong-seung (1363, Goryeo King Gongmin 12-1452, Joseon 2nd year of King Munjong)
Hwang-hui, famous as a tattooist and famous scholar in the late Goryeo and early Joseon Dynasty, was born in Kaesong. After the fall of Goryeo in 1392, Hwang-hui threw down his official post and hid in Dumun-dong with various officers, but returned to the court again at the request of the Joseon court and at the recommendation of his colleagues who were hiding in Dumun-dong. Hwang-hui became Seung-ji at the recommendation of Do Seung-ji and Park Seok-myung, and was favored by Taejong. However, he was exiled for opposing the dethronment of Yangnyeong from the Crown Prince.
He was re-appointed in the reign of King Sejong, passed through the government offices of the six dynasties, and ascended to Yeonguijeong after passing through the Samjeongseung. Sejong trusted him and won him for nearly 20 years, preventing him from retiring until he was 87 years old. Hwang Hee ended his life in 1452 at the age of 90.
At the request of Lee Seong-gye, he returned to the post and served as Yeongui-jeong for 18 years. His gentle personality and integrity earned him respect from all the people.
Hwang Hee's ability, coordination
As Yeonguijeong, Hwanghui is outstanding in terms of coordination ability. Here, 'adjustment' has two meanings.
First of all, it is a 'coordination' that makes Sejong's ideal idea a reality. In many cases, Sejong tried to enact new systems and pursue innovative projects that were different from the existing ones. If this is feasible on its own, there will be no problem, but if it is attempted unreasonably without properly reflecting the reality of the members and without considering the organization's ability to promote it, it can cause even greater damage. A representative example is the low-hwa (paper currency), which failed because King Sejong insisted that it was just a good system without understanding the situation of the people. According to <Hwang Hee Jolgi>, “Sejong wanted to create a lot of new systems, so Hwang Hee raised a discussion to refute it alone. Although Sejong did not follow them all, there were many things that prevented them by stopping them.” Here, Hwang Hee's rebuttal was not as opposed to Sejong's like Heo Jo. Looking at <Annals>, Hwang Hee said, “It’s a good plan, but there is a problem in the point of ~. It would be better to supplement ～～.” “It is a good intention, but if it is, we cannot bear the harm. Maintain the current system.” Based on his many years of administrative experience and the experience of being in charge of all six groups, he focused on the feasibility of policy implementation and made efforts to ensure that national projects could be carried out in a stable and smooth manner. Through checks and supplements against Sejong's ideals, he did his best so that those ideals could be realized by gaining strength in reality. So Sejong always listens to Hwanghee's words. The representative phrase that appears a lot in <Sejong Annals> is “I followed Hwang Hee’s opinion”.
Next is 'adjustment' in the sense of reconciling the different opinions of the ministers. As can be seen in Hwang-hee's famous anecdote, "Yes, you are right, yes you are right," Hwang-hee was excellent at respecting each other's opinions, bridging differences, and reaching consensus. One day, Sejong asked, "Why is there no discussion about coming up from the 6th group while arguing with each other about what I have ordered and saying what they want to say?" Then, Hwang Hee said, “If there is something we cannot agree on (between the ministers) about sending a complaint to the Supreme Court, we will adjust it again and post it only after the opinions of the gods and others are all in agreement. That is why there is no other discussion.”16 As Yeonguijeong, he led the official, reconciling various opinions and conflicts harmoniously.
Anecdote of Hwanghee and Jeongseung
1) Hwanghee Jeongseung and two cows
It happened when Hwanghee and Jeongseung were young. He became a great leader during the Hwanghui Jeongseung, but when he was young, he believed only in his own talents and often acted arbitrarily. And there were many times when he said it without thinking deeply and regretted it. It happened when Hwang-hee took a break because she was hated by her high-ranking officials. Hwanghui decided to take this opportunity to expand her knowledge by excursions around the country and left her way.
It was when I reached some province in the south. It was the time of rice planting, so many people were scattered in the fields and they were working diligently. Hwang-hee went into the shade of a tree to cool off and sat down. But on the other side of the paddy field, an old farmer was plowing the paddy field with a yellow oxen and a black oxen. Hwang-hui looked around for a while and asked when the farmer came near.
“Which cow does the job better, a yellow cow or a black cow?” Then the old farmer let go of his hands and came up to the shade where Hwang-hui was on purpose, and spoke in a low voice into Hwang-hui's ear. “Yellow cows do better.” Hwang-hee was not surprised by the attitude of the farmer. “Come out of the paddy field on purpose. You don't even need to whisper in your ear, do you?" The old peasant answered this with a blush in his face.
“Both cows are working hard, but if one of them is doing better, the cow who says it can’t do it doesn’t feel bad. Even if you are a beast, you don't mean to be rude, right?" Hwang-hee heard the farmer's words and realized her shame.
"thank you. He taught me a lot.” Hwang Hee bowed to the farmer and sincerely thanked him. After this, until his death, Hwang-hee did not speak of his weaknesses. Thus, to this day, it has left its name as a great supreme victory.
2) Hwang Hee Jeong Seung and Han Myung Hoe
Two slaves from the house of Hwang-hee and Jeong-seung were arguing with each other and came to him and told him about the other's fault. First, after hearing all the words of one servant, he said, "You are right." That's right." He returned. There is a well-known anecdote that his wife, who watched this, said, "Your words are correct," when he criticized him for his ignorance. In this way, Hwang-hee and Jeong-seung were talked about as the protagonist of the humble and generous anecdote.
On the other hand, the Han Myunghoe was the exact opposite. A person is always praised as a model of a virtuous and wise master, but the other person is mistakenly referred to as a representative servant who is good at scheming. Both Han Myung-hoe and Hwang-hee have reached the top of the world championships, but their life journeys are in stark contrast like this. Hwang-hui was the prime minister of the cultural rulers, who were peaceful and prosperous, and Han Myung-hoe was the prime minister under the powerful monarchy system that broke the consensus system centered on Uijeongbu and was dominated by coup d'états and reforms.
Hwang-hee and Jeong-seung always looked after him inconspicuously, but Han Myung-hoe is known as a prime minister who actively went out to the talented and outpaced him and dealt with them. Therefore, behind the splendid achievements of King Sejong in the era of stability, there was always Hwang Hee Jeong-seung, and in the era of change and reform, there was always the role of Han Han-hoe.
3) Hwanghee Jeongseung and Maengsaseong
Meng Sa-seong, who was in a high office, was walking down the street in mourning clothes, and met a young scholar named Hwang Ui-heon at a village in Yongin. Hwang Eui-heon was reciting the poem written on her signboard with her back on her back. He glanced at the shabby figure of Meng Saseong and acted arrogantly.
“How can inspiration know this flavor?”
However, Meng Saseong asked him with a humble gesture and tone of voice.
“How would an old countryman know? But what does that text mean?”
“This is a writing written by the seonhyeons out of excitement when they saw the outstanding scenery of Mt. When you enter the Cheonligangsan Mountain with a bamboo stick, sandals and gourds, the mountain is high and the valleys are deep, but only the two dogs are crying profusely. Clouds fall down on the top of the mountain peak, and stand on a large pine tree with drooping branches. The scenery is so good there, it's a different world, but it's not a place where humans live, so I'm going to play... … . What does this mean!”
When Hwang Eui-heon pretended to be handsome, Maeng Sa-seong said with a smile.
“Heh heh, that’s great. If I hadn't met the teacher here, how could I have heard such good words?"
While the two were talking, the governor and the officials below, who received the news that Meng Sa-seong had climbed to the pavilion to escape the rain, rushed out and lined up in front of the pavilion. When he treated the insignificant old man with sincerity, Hwang Eui-heon noticed a strange feeling and asked the person next to him. Then he said that the old man he met was Jeongseung, who was famous for his time.
Hwang Eui-heon was frightened and knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Then he said with a smile.
“The will of a person is of utmost importance, regardless of where he or she is. Seonbi had a heart to treat people arrogantly. So I thought for sure that the scholar was not an ordinary person, but a person who was so arrogant just a while ago is now being subservient to even Lee Ida.”
Rather, Maeng Sa-seong sent Hwang Ui-heon to comfort him.
In addition to this, the story of Hwang-hee, who was the pronoun of Cheongbaek-ri, who was a single leader, cannot be left out.
Yeonguijeong Hwanghee's clothes were always simple. One winter day, she returned from the palace and asked her wife to rip off her wet pants and dry them.
“If you dry it all night and sew it up at dawn, you will be able to wear it when you enter the palace tomorrow morning.”
As soon as the wife ripped off one side of her clothes, a word came from the palace telling her to enter the palace quickly. Hwang-hui hurriedly headed to the palace, covering her ripped pants with an official uniform.
King Sejong summoned the dignitaries and discussed measures to defeat the Japanese invading Gyeongsang Province. While we were talking for a while, King Sejong saw a white thing protruding from under Hwanghee's robe. King Sejong knew it was her wool, and he thought it was strange that Hwang-hee, who was known for her integrity, wore her wool clothes. After the meeting, King Sejong called Hwanghui.
“Gwain heard that Hwang Jeong-seung’s integrity and innocence became a model for others and was passed down to heaven. How did you wear wool clothes today?”
“My majesty, I beg your pardon, but this is not wool, it is cotton.”
"cotton? Why are you wearing cotton?”
“I wore only one pair of winter clothes, but my pants were wet and I was rushing to get an order while I was cleaning… … .”
King Sejong was so surprised that he immediately gave Hwanghui ten silks. But Hwanghee said with a straight face.
“Sir, please take the command. Because of the continued famine, there are now too many naked and hungry people. How is it possible to wear silk with the body of the image at a time like this? One piece of cotton is enough.”
King Sejong was ashamed of himself wearing a robe and took his orders. The story of Meng Sa-seong and Hwang-hui has always been a model for Mokmin-gwan.
Wasn't Hwang Hee-Jeong-Seung 'Cheongbaekri'?
Hwang-hui was a great leader of the Joseon Dynasty who supported King Sejong the Great. He helped King Sejong the Great and led the period of prosperity, so it is possible to guess what the people's praise and respect must have been. In addition to historical facts, many anecdotes have been handed down to Hwang Hee-jeong-seung, the representative of which is the story of asking the farmer which of the two cows does the job better, the story that the servants' children were rude, and King Sejong the Great It must be a story about having stopped at home and lying on a bed.
Referring to the KBS History Special's King Sejong the Great (there may be other differences), it is said that the real Hwang Hee was wealthy enough to say that the land in the present Paju area almost belonged to Hwang Hee Jeong-seung. In other words, they did not live in poverty as the story has been told.
According to 'Hwanghui's Jolgi (卒記)' of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, he said, "He had a weakness in his family because he was too generous, and he was criticized for lack of integrity and integrity." He was mainly accused of soliciting and solicitation, but he was also criticized for “not being fair in greetings, such as recommending close friends” and “taking a bribe by selling a bribe.” In the 7th year of King Sejong, who was also serving as Daesaheon, he surrendered after receiving an anrong made of oil from Namwon Bussa, and in the 9th year of King Sejong’s tenure as Jwauijeong, he was involved in the so-called 'Seodal Incident'. deeply intervened. When his son-in-law and son of Seo-seon Seo-seon, his son-in-law, struck and killed Shin Chang-hyeon's village, he begged the head of the village through Wooui-jeong Mengsaseong to cover up the incident, and was ordered by Sejong to re-investigate the truth. was discovered and imprisoned. In the 12th year of King Sejong, he asked Hyeongjo privately to alleviate the sins of Gammokgwan (監牧官, head of the ranch) Tae Seok-gyun, who caused the death of 1,000 horses due to negligence in management. He publicly solicits a favor.” Not only that. In April of the 13th year of King Sejong, a few months before he was appointed as Yeonguijeong, it was revealed that he had requested and obtained Dunjeon, which belonged to the governor of Gyoha, and he is greatly embarrassed.
Hwang-hee's sons also caused problems. The eldest son, Hwang Joong-saeng, was caught stealing property from the Crown Prince, and in the process of investigating this fact, Hwang Bo-sin, who was a deficit, was also found to have stolen property and was punished. Next, Hwang Bo-sin's older brother, Hwang Chi-shin, is caught and fired while exchanging his brother's oily gwajeon, which is confiscated for a crime. His youngest son, Hwang Su-sin, was no exception to being noisy over property issues. He even went to Yeonguijeong during the reign of King Sejo, but it is recorded in the Annals that “there was a lot of bribery, and he was greedy for and quarreled with even one farmer’s field or one’s robes, and he was impeached several times.”
However, the reason why Hwanghui is called the symbol of Cheongbaek-ri is that he did not buy for his own wealth and prosperity, as the later Kwon Mun-se did, but for King Sejong the Great and many great servants of the time, as well as for the people, not himself. It is thought that it is because of the thought and effort that he received such praise from future generations that even exaggerated Yasa was created.