Black Corporation: Joseon

As promised, five days later, the ministers swarmed into the Eastern Palace under the pretext of understanding the state of the research institute. They weren’t the only ones who came. King Sejong was with them.

“I will accompany you as well.”

“There’s no need for Your Majesty to….”

Hwang Hui tried to dissuade him, but Sejong cut him off, “I’m curious about what the crown prince and his team have been developing. That’s why I’m going.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Let’s get moving!” As Sejong took the lead, the ministers followed him reluctantly.

When Sejong and the ministers arrived at the pavilion of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince and the officials of the research center who were waiting in advance bowed deeply.

“We greet Your Majesty.”

“You’ve been working hard. Now…” Sejong thoroughly scrutinized those standing in front of the research center. Initially, when he had sought out Sejong, it had started with Jeong-cho, Jeong In-ji, and Lee Cheon, but now there were quite a number of people standing behind them.

“Has the number of people increased?”

“It’s still not enough.”

“Still not?” At the Crown Prince’s reply, Sejong shook his head in disbelief. At least twenty people were standing in front of him. Yet, his son was saying it was still not enough. “Let’s discuss issues regarding personnel and budget after seeing the results.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This way.” The Crown Prince guided Sejong towards the door of the research institute.

“Hmm?”

Entering the interior of the research institute, Sejong let out an expression of curiosity. Following the hallway of the research institute, there were various devices displayed on the shelves that lined one wall, instead of books.

“Let’s see… Daejangui and Sojangui.…” Sejong, who was examining the displayed devices, looked back at the Crown Prince while reading the plaques in front of them. “Is this all there is? Compared to the budget invested….”

“What is displayed there are all specimens for display purposes.”

Creak!

In response to Sejong’s question, the Crown Prince opened the sliding door of a nearby room – a room labeled ‘Equipment Rental Room’.

Inside the sliding door, rows of cabinets stood in five rows and ten columns. All the drawers of each cabinet were locked with a thick padlock. The Crown Prince continued his explanation, “The actual devices in use are inside those cabinets.”

“How is the management?”

In response to Sejong’s question, the Crown Prince pointed at the internal officials standing at the door.

“Two people are assigned as a team to handle the incoming and outgoing devices.”

“You are thorough.” Sejong nodded as he looked at the ledger on the desk. The ledger meticulously recorded the date, the name of the visitor, the equipment taken out, and the return date.

“I’ve heard that I’m thorough….”

Sejong, who had been nodding his head and taking his eyes off the ledger, praised the standing internal officials. “You guys have worked hard. Your hard work is for this country, so work even harder.”

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”

Exiting the equipment rental room, Sejong examined the devices displayed on the shelf again. “Hmm…, let’s see. The level, the plumb line?”

“Those are devices for measuring horizontal and vertical levels.”

“Hmm?”

Curious, Sejong picked up the level. A metal part was inside the long wooden plate. Inside the long hole in the metal plate was a cylindrical piece made of the same metal.

‘Swish, swish.’

Whenever Sejong moved the wooden plate back and forth, the cylinder inside made a sound and moved left and right.

“When the cylinder stops at the exact center, it’s level and plumb.”

“I see!”

King Sejong, who had just learned how to use the level and plumb line, was even more curious.

“So, where are these used?”

“They are used in construction.”

“In construction?”

“Yes. The most important thing when installing devices for astronomical measurements is to ensure the base is perfectly level and plumb. With the level and plumb line, this can be achieved easily and accurately.”

“Ah-ha!”

At the Crown Prince’s answer, Sejong nodded his head greatly and burst out in admiration. The ministers standing behind him did the same.

Especially the Minister of Public Works, filled with ambition, immediately made a proposal to Sejong.

“Your Majesty! When constructing walls, government offices, dams, and reservoirs, the most important thing is to align the levels properly! If we use this device, the task becomes easier. We should mass-produce and distribute them immediately!”

“Do you also think so, Crown Prince?”

At Sejong’s call, the Crown Prince bowed his head. “I’m sorry, but what we have made so far is not a finished product.”

“Not a finished product?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The ones you see now are made with iron and copper. Iron and copper rust easily. To prevent this, oiling must be done as soon as a gap appears, and careful maintenance must be done to prevent rusting, which is a cumbersome process. We have come up with a solution for this and the improved version will be out soon.”

“Your Highness! When will the improved version be available?”

“I’m curious too.”

The Minister of Public Works was aglow as if it would consume the body in heat. Hyang, noting that Sejong was wearing a similar expression, briefly responded, “Do you remember the business trip report I submitted a while ago?”

“Business trip report? Let me think… Are you referring to the one where we dispatched the Hui followers to Shandong? The objective was talent acquisition, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. The speed at which they complete their work was crucial.”

“And what kind of talents would those be?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang answered immediately, “They are glass artisans.”

“Glass?”

“Yes. If we have glass, management becomes more efficient.”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong looked back at the office for royal secretarial duties.

“It’s a pity, but it seems better to wait.”

“That’s not true! Even in its current state, it’s quite useful in the field!”

The expression and remarks of the Minister of Public Works were simple.

‘So noisy! Enough with the chatter, hand it over right now!’

“What to do about this…”

Sejong was immersed in contemplation. There was reason in both Hyang’s words and those of the Minister of Public Works.

During the last spring palace rotation, when construction was undertaken nationwide, Sejong had ventured out of the palace under the pretense of comforting the people and had inspected construction sites around Hanyang.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

As the supervisors overseeing the construction site paid their respects, the common people at work stopped what they were doing to kneel or bow deeply.

“You’re working hard. It may be difficult now, but once this construction is finished, it will greatly aid in farming, so I encourage everyone to exert a bit more effort.”

“We obey your command!”

“Long live the King! Long live! Long live forever!”

At Sejong’s exhortation, the common people shouted in unison. As he comforted the people and examined the site, Sejong posed a question to the supervisor in charge: “What’s the most difficult part about the construction process?”

At Sejong’s question, the supervisor answered right away.

“Aligning the horizontal and vertical lines, Your Majesty.”

“Why?”

“Simply put, constructing reservoirs to contain water or digging wells is relatively straightforward. However, connected floodgates and canals are not so simple. If the vertical alignment of the floodgate isn’t correct, opening and closing it and blocking the water becomes difficult, and canals without proper horizontal alignment and gradient don’t allow water to flow efficiently.”

“I see.”

At the supervisor’s response, Sejong nodded in understanding.

Later, when he briefly observed the construction of a separate building in the Eastern Palace, he noted that the main focus was on aligning the vertical and horizontal lines of the pillars and crossbeams. Given the information he had heard and seen, Sejong could understand why the Ministry of Public Works was making such a fuss.

“What should we do about this?” Sejong, who had been contemplating and reconsidering, finally reached a conclusion, “Crown Prince, some might say that you’re not yet fully matured, but from my perspective, you’re more than capable of fulfilling your duties. Please provide the related technology to the Ministry of Public Works.”

“…Understood. I accept your command, Father. In relation to this, I have a few more devices to show you. Would you like to see them?”

“Yes, let’s take a look.”

Hyang presented several devices to Sejong and the ministers. The devices Hyang introduced included a compass, a set square, a 360-degree circular protractor, and an adjustable protractor that could measure up to 180 degrees. The adjustable protractor, in particular, had a screw-based locking device, allowing it to firmly fix at a desired angle.

“Artisans and many other professionals have already been using similar devices for generations. This is an enhanced version of those devices for more precise use. They are the product of the hard work of our researchers.”

“Truly amazing!”

Sejong sincerely admired the value of the devices that Hyang had presented. Despite Hyang’s humble words, it was clear who came up with these innovative ideas.

‘It certainly couldn’t have come from the rigid minds of bureaucrats!’

Sejong looked at the Minister of Public Works, who couldn’t hide his eagerness to possess those devices right away. With a proud expression, Sejong teased the following ministers.

“Do you know what the Minister of Public Works is feeling right now?”

“We are not sure.”

“The Crown Prince is so remarkable to the point I’m tempted to issue an amnesty decree in celebration.”

“Your Majesty!”

“It’s a joke, just a joke.”

Although he said it was a joke, Sejong’s expression indicated otherwise. ‘Look! My son is this smart! Do any of you have such an intelligent child?’

Having made a decision about the devices related to architecture and civil engineering, Sejong began examining the next set of items.

“Is this a ship?”

“Yes. What you’re looking at now is the largest warship, the Military Supply Ship, currently used by our Joseon navy. Next are the vessels that are being researched.”

“Hmm? The sizes are all different?”

“They are all scale models.”

“Eh? Then…” Sejong’s gaze, which was once again surveying the models, stopped at the model of the largest ship. “It’s quite large, isn’t it?”

“That is a model of the warship that our researchers are studying.”

The battleship model that caught Sejong’s eye was a warship.

“A warship? I don’t see any oars?”

“It moves purely by wind power.”

“And the armament?”

“The primary armament is a cannon. If calculated correctly, it can carry at least 80 cannons.”

“80 cannons!”

Hyang explained about the warship.

“… So, these warships are designed to form a line to maximize firepower, hence the name ship-of-the-line.”

Ship of the line, also known as a line-of-battle ship, was a powerful and heavily armed warship that played a significant role in naval warfare from the 17th to the 19th centuries. These large sailing vessels formed a line formation during battles and engaged in broadside cannon fire. They were known for their size, stability, and firepower, with multiple decks of cannons firing from both sides. 

“That’s an impressive name. So, Crown Prince, are you saying that based on the research results of you and the researchers, we should use these flat-bottomed ships in our nearshore waters of Joseon, and these ship-of-the-line for our open ocean voyages?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hmm.” At Hyang’s response, Sejong stroked his chin beard. “Now that I think about it.”

Sejong remembered a report that came up through the Minister of Law Enforcement not too long ago. It was a report brought up by the newly established Joint Chiefs of Staff and the training academy due to changes in international affairs. The report outlined the necessity for naval reform and the need to create plans for it. Upon reading the report, Sejong had immediately given his approval.

“The defense of the land is important, but it’s a fact that the defense of the sea nevertheless holds the same importance. I grant permission.”

Of course, except for the Ministry of Law Enforcement, the ministers opposed, citing budgetary issues. However, Sejong did not waver in his decision.

“If we do not even make plans because we lack budget, it’s an act fit for a fool! Our budget is gradually increasing, so it’s not an issue at the moment!”

As Sejong strongly pushed forward, the ministers cowered. They did not want to tread on the old path of Ryu Jeong-hyeon.

While listening to the explanations and examining the models, Sejong expressed doubt. At the end of the ship model, there was a cold noodle bowl.

“Why is this lacquer noodle bowl (Mukgi) here?”

“It symbolizes a ship made of iron, not wood.”

“A ship made of iron?”

Sejong and the ministers all looked at Hyang with surprised eyes.

“A ship made of iron, you say?”

“That’s correct.”

At Hyang’s answer, everyone present, from Jeong-cho to Jang Yeong-sil, shook their heads.

“That’s impossible.”

“Even a child knows that iron sinks in water.”

“Correct. Making a ship out of iron is impossible.”

As everyone gave a negative response, Hyang countered, “You are all mistaken. It’s not impossible. We just haven’t found the way yet.”

“We haven’t found the way, you say?”

“Yes.”

With a brief answer, Hyang called the attendants and gave an order, “Go to the kitchen and bring a bronze noodle bowl and a large tub filled with water.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Shortly after, the attendants came back with a large tub filled with water and the bronze noodle bowl.

“Put the tub on that table.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the attendants placed the tub on the table, Hyang floated the noodle bowl on it.

As the bronze noodle bowl bobbed on the water, Hyang looked at the people.

“It floats, see?”