Black Corporation: Joseon

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Having finished matters with Jeong-cho, Hyang looked back at Lee Cheon and Choi Hae-san.

“General Choi Hae-san. General Lee Cheon.”

“Yes.”

“I have an important matter to discuss with you, along with the other military engineers.”

“An important matter?”

“It’s the improvement of the guns.” Hyang unfolded the blueprint as he spoke. “If made properly, it can change the course of future battlefields.”

“Did you say, change the course of the battlefield?”

“Yes.”

Hyang spread out the unfolded blueprints in the middle of the table for everyone to see.

“This is the gun as I’ve envisioned it.”

“Hmm…”

“Huh…”

As soon as the blueprints were spread out, everyone in the meeting room began to scrutinize them, their eyes gleaming.

While they were examining the blueprint, Jang Yeongsil was the first to speak up. “Your Highness, looking at the blueprint, it appears that if one pulls on the ring-like component attached beneath the handle, this bent component moves. But how do you use the fuse then?”

“How would you do it, Astronomer Jang?”

In response to Hyang’s question, Jang Yeong-sil pointed at the c_ck (계두, 鷄頭) and the nipple of the gun drawn in the blueprint and answered, “If it were me, I would attach the fuse here, and either drill a hole here or place a plate to hold the gunpowder that connects to the part where the gunpowder of the gun goes in. Then, if this lower part…,” pointing to the trigger with his finger, Jang Yeong-sil continued to explain, “If you pull this crescent-shaped part, the portion holding the fuse above it would move and ignite the gunpowder on the plate, and the fire qi created would enter the barrel and cause an explosion.”

“Hmm…”

“I see…”

Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon nodded at Jang Yeong-sil’s explanation. It was then that Choi Hae-san opened his mouth.

“After hearing Astronomer Jang’s explanation and looking at Your Highness’s blueprint, I see it is indeed an ingenious mechanism. With this, we won’t need a separate soldier to attach the fuse, and the time from igniting the fuse to firing will definitely be reduced. That was the problem.”

At Choi Hae-san’s insight, it was Hyang’s turn to be surprised.

‘He knew about the concept of ‘lock time’1?’

Although Choi Hae-san showed a positive evaluation, Jang Yeong-sil shook his head. “But, looking at Your Highness’s blueprint, there’s an unfamiliar protrusion instead of the hole or tray for the gunpowder that I mentioned.”

“I see.”

At Jang Yeong-sil’s comment, everyone’s eyes turned towards Hyang. Particularly, the eyes of Lee Cheon and Choi Hae-san, who were most directly involved, could be said to ‘shoot lasers,’ if we were to use a 21st-century expression.

Under everyone’s gaze, Hyang began his explanation, “I have thought about that part separately. You all haven’t looked closely.”

Hyang shuffled through the blueprints on the table, found the one on the very bottom and brought it up. The blueprint Hyang found contained the design and specifications of the nipple2 and the percussion cap to be used there.

Pointing at the parts drawn on the blueprint, Hyang continued, “This cap is used by covering it over this nipple part. Gunpowder will go into this cap. Astronomer Jang, what do you think will happen then?”

In response to Hyang’s question, Jang Yeong-sil looked at the blueprint and immediately replied, “Then, this elongated component above…”

“Call it the c_ck.”

“Yes. The c_ck moves and hits the cap attached to the nipple?”

“That’s correct.”

At Hyang’s answer, Jang Yeong-sil nodded his head then immediately threw out a question, “But what do nipple and cap mean? I immediately understood the part you called the c_ck because it resembles a chicken’s head, but?”

At Jang Yeong-sil’s question, others also nodded. Hyang immediately responded to Jang Yeong-sil’s question. “Ah! They are names given by the Westerners who developed a similar form of gun. Since they’re foreign words, it’s natural that you hear them for the first time.To explain the meaning, the Westerners called it the ‘C_ck’, but ‘계두(gye-du)’ seemed to fit better so I changed it. I couldn’t think of suitable words for the others so I just used them as is, but why don’t you all give it a shot?”

“Then we need to know the meaning of the words given by the Westerners.”

At Choi Hae-san’s words, Hyang immediately explained the meanings of nipple, cap, and trigger. There was a brief moment of embarrassment while explaining the meaning of nipple.

“Well, the meaning is… quite…”

“Do Westerners lack dignity…”

Looking at the records of the Westerners, it seems that there was originally a different term, but the nickname attached by the soldiers has been used so widely that it has become the official term. In order to train soldiers, it has to be easily understood by them.

“It seems that soldiers in the East or West are all alike.”

“That’s correct.”

At Hyang’s response, Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon nodded their heads, indicating their understanding.

This was because it was commonplace for the soldiers of the Joseon Army to give all sorts of vulgar nicknames to the weapons they used.

“Shall we think about this?”

When Jeong-cho and Jeong In-ji showed enthusiasm in naming, Choi Hae-san put a stop to it.

“Before that, the main issue is the gunpowder to be put into this cap. There’s a problem with the gunpowder that our Joseon Army uses.”

“I see.”

At General Choi Hae-san’s critique on the matter of gunpowder, Lee Cheon immediately nodded, but the others tilted their heads.

At Choi Hae-san’s critique, Hyang rose from his seat. “Please wait a moment.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Hyang left for the annex, Jeong-cho asked Choi Hae-san a question, “General, what do you mean by there being a problem with the gunpowder?”

“Well… the gunpowder (焰焇, yeum-cho) is really quite a troublesome thing to handle. It’s so troublesome that it’s even called “laxative, (Mang-cho)” among the soldiers.”

According to Choi Hae-san’s explanation, black gunpowder was a series of dangerous processes from the moment of its production.

-The act of mixing each ingredient was dangerous. If the finely ground materials are shaken excessively during the process of transferring them after mixing, they can rub against each other and explode. The container for the gunpowder has to be specific, so it must be made of wood, or brass.

-Storing it was also tricky and risky. As mentioned above, if you do not manage it properly after storing it in a specific container, the mixed ingredients would separate into their original form. To prevent this, they would dampen the mix to make it sticky, then form lumps. Once these lumps were appropriately dried, they had to be ground and filtered for use.

-The real problem came after. Even after making it like this, saltpeter, the main component of gunpowder, absorbed moisture very well, and if this absorption and drying cycle repeated, it would clump together and harden like a rock. This is where it gets genuinely dangerous. If you try to use the hardened gunpowder again by hitting it with a hammer, it explodes. It also explodes if thrown into a fire.

“…So, the military mixes soil into gunpowder. It’s not just because they want to increase the quantity due to the high price. It’s because the soil absorbs the moisture instead. If you’re going to use this ‘cap’ that the Crown Prince mentioned, you could put in completely dried gunpowder, but it’s not easy to store it since it absorbs moisture so well. Phew…“

At the end of his sighing explanation, Jeong In-ji opened his mouth, “So General, are you saying that His Highness’s design is useless?”

At Jeong In-ji’s question, Choi Hae-san answered cautiously. It was because this could become a political issue if mishandled. “I can’t confirm it since we haven’t experimented with the actual object. But one thing for certain is that it would be impossible with the gunpowder we use.”

“General Choi’s statement is correct.”

“Ah, geez!”

“Huh!”

People were taken aback by Hyang’s sudden interjection.

“I apologize if I startled you. Inner servant! In a little while, there will be a loud noise, so do not be surprised!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Having warned the inner servant in advance, Hyang placed a spacious copper plate on the table and opened the lid of the wooden barrel he brought.

“What is that?”

“Should I call it my own version of gunpowder? I named it ‘Silver Powder’”

“Silver Powder, you say? You surely didn’t use actual silver, did you?” Choi Hae-san questioned with a face full of worry at Hyang’s statement. As a gunpowder expert, he knew all too well that gunpowder was a monster that consumed an enormous amount of wealth. ‘Silver, of all things?’

In response to Choi Hae-san’s question, Hyang answered with a smile, “I didn’t use silver. I made it with nitric acid, mercury, and ethanol. I named it ‘silver’ because the ingredient contains mercury.”

“Is that so?”

Upon hearing Hyang’s answer, Choi Hae-san let out a sigh of relief. While mercury was mostly imported as it was scarce in Joseon, it was easier to obtain compared to sulfur or copper.

Seeing Choi Hae-san’s expression, Hyang placed a flat copper plate on the table and scooped a small amount of Explosive Silver powder into the center with a spoon.

“Now… Master Jung.”

“Yes?”

Calling out to Jung Inji, Hyang passed him a hammer.

“Seeing your face, Master Jung, it seems you’re curious. Give it a try.”

“Yes? Yes? Okay!”

“Hurry.”

Receiving the hammer from Hyang, Jung Inji alternated his gaze between the hammer and the Explosive Silver powder, then clenched his teeth and swung the hammer down.

Bang!

“Ah!”

The loud explosion caused the table to shake. Startled, Jung Inji dropped the hammer, letting out an involuntary scream.

Watching this, Hyang chuckled inwardly.

‘I’ll give you a hard time from now on!’

“Let’s see.”

With an unperturbed expression, Hyang cleared away the hammer and examined the plate. Not just Hyang, but everyone else, except Jung Inji who had retreated, huddled around to look at the plate.

“Wow!”

“Hooo!”

Seeing the dark scorch marks that radiate outwards from the plate, everyone gasped in awe.

“General Choi, General Lee. What do you think?”

Upon Hyang’s inquiry, Choi Hae-san responded immediately, “It’s certainly useful!”

Once Choi Hae-san made a positive conclusion, Hyang picked up a long bundle of wood that he had brought earlier. “This is roughly made by modeling after the blueprint. If used on the battlefield, it will be utilized like this.”

Hyang then placed the butt of the rifle on his shoulder and assumed a shooting stance.

Choi Hae-san, who was watching, extended his hand. “May I inspect the firearm for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Receiving the rifle, Choi Hae-san pressed the butt to his shoulder as Hyang had done, aiming the weapon.

“Hmm… This is interesting.”

“General, let me give it a try.”

“Go ahead.”

Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon took turns aiming the rifle. After examining the rifle back and forth several times, Choi Hae-san looked at Hyang.

“If used this way, a multi-round system wouldn’t be suitable.”

“I agree. Perhaps a single round would be most fitting.”

At the words of Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon, Hyang nodded vigorously. “That’s correct!”

Jeong-cho, who had heard Hyang’s words, interjected, “I don’t know much about military strategy or weapons, but wouldn’t it be difficult to hit a target properly with just one round?”

In response to Jeong-cho’s question, Choi Hae-san pointed to the front and rear sights attached to the rifle. “It seems the role of this front metal piece and rear piece is to help with aiming.”

“I see.”

As Jeong-cho was nodding, Lee Cheon added, “And the elongated barrel of this gun will also help make it easier to hit the target.”

“How so?”

“Think of it as a ‘sighting device’ and a ‘barrel’.”

“Ah!”

At Lee Cheon’s explanation, Jeong-cho exclaimed in understanding, nodding his head. He too was familiar with using a bow and knew well how to use a sighting device.

“Your Highness, I have a question.”

“Astronomer Jang, go ahead.”

With Hyang’s permission, Jang Yeong-sil opened his mouth. “I’ve been looking at the blueprints, and I’m curious. This gun’s barrel, it doesn’t seem like it’s made by casting.”

At Jang Yeong-sil’s question, Hyang nodded. “You’ve observed correctly.”

With Hyang’s affirmation, everyone’s eyes turned to him. Hyang pointed to the rifle barrel drawn on the blueprint and explained, “This gun barrel will be made by forging.”

At those words, Jang Yeong-sil’s eyes widened. “If it’s forging… are you thinking of making it with iron?”

“That’s correct.”

“Now! Let’s wrap up this roundtable discussion… we’ll continue our talk while inspecting the troops.”

At Hyang’s words, people slowly stood up from their seats.

“Please make sure to take the blueprints.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

As Hyang and his group exited, the chambermaids and palace women entered and began tidying up. One of the chambermaids, who had been sweeping and cleaning the floor, grimaced.

“Here, what’s this liquid… sniff sniff! Ew! Urine! These old gentlemen… who on earth…”

The chambermaid began to chatter away about someone who had peed on the floor.

“Huh? Scholar Jeong, why are you walking like that?”

At Jeong-cho’s question, seeing Jeong In-ji hobbling along, Jeong In-ji waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s nothing. My leg’s just a bit numb for a moment…”

“Maintaining physical strength is as important as studying.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. my lord.”

Footnotes

Lock time or action time refers to the time interval (often measured in milliseconds) from when the trigger of a firearm is activated until the firing pin strikes the primer, and depends on the design of the firing mechanism – Wikipedia[↩]The nipple contains a hollow conduit which goes into the rearmost part of the gun barrel, and the percussion cap is placed over the nipple hole.[↩]

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