Chapter 339: I’ll be a mess (8)
Establishing absolute monarchy requires the most important support: the people's approval.
You might think that in an autocracy, the concept of approval ratings doesn’t apply, but if you shift your perspective slightly...
If a king does whatever he wants without regard for the nobles, they’ll protest, saying, “Aren’t we supposed to share in this? This is immoral.”
Most rulers, upon hearing such complaints, would compromise and say, “Let’s make an agreement and end it here,” and negotiate.
However, a ruler who enjoys absolute support from the people can reject such proposals immediately, saying, “Screw you. Do you think I care? If you don’t like it, the people will smash your heads in.”
‘This is why our Emperor can do whatever he wants.’
“Isn’t this inciting a rebellion? Isn’t that too extreme?”
“The words may be extreme, but they’re not wrong, are they? And, Your Majesty, the labor laws you set don’t just favor the weak. They are not unreasonable or biased toward the common people, as the nobles or merchants may think.”
In a medieval fantasy world, it’s hard to gauge the value of money.
But, practically speaking, the wages paid to workers are barely equivalent to 2,000 or 2,300 won.
In terms of 1980s pricing, 2,300 won per hour would be extremely high, but for the 2020s, that barely amounts to a monthly salary of 500,000 won.
Making someone work more than 240 hours a month without even paying that is crossing the line.