Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 190

Episode 190: Teacher (2) As

I said before, the paper consumption of Area 51 and the research institute was enormous. The amount of money it takes to write various reports, planning documents, and research records was no joke, as was the cost of purchasing the necessary paper.

“shit! “I’m going to spend all my budget buying paper!”

Sensing a crisis, Hyang mobilized craftsmen to create a paper machine that made pulp using ground wood.

Paper made from pulp made from trees cut down from the mountains surrounding Hanseong, rather than traditional Korean paper made from mulberry trees in limited quantities, was cheap.

“Well… the quality isn’t the best, but…”

Hyang, holding the paper in his hand, muttered in a voice full of regret.

There was no problem writing documents with a brush or gold pen, but the yellow yellow paper had a very cheap feel.

“If you want to bleach it, you can do it, but what about environmental pollution? “I don’t know about that either…”

However, since the cost-effectiveness of yellow paper was nothing compared to traditional Korean paper, government offices began to use yellow paper except for important documents.

Thanks to this, as I mentioned before, yellow paper began to be called ‘Akji (厄紙)’ among the common people.

* * *

Hyang, who was ordered to produce textbooks for use in the ‘Social Democratic School’, was equally in trouble.

“Paper can be made somehow… but the problem is printing…”

The problem of printing hundreds of thousands of textbooks was quite a difficult problem for Hyang as well.

“I don’t like the idea of investing manpower ignorantly, but is there a smarter way to do it?”

Hyang wrapped his head for a few days and pondered over and over again. Of course, orders were also given to the artisans in the laboratory and Area 51.

“Research ways to print textbooks in as little time as possible!”

Researchers and craftsmen also had to suffer according to the crown prince’s orders.

While many people were struggling with their worries, it was Jang Yeong-sil who found the answer.

“Lowering! “There’s no need to replace each type in a textbook, right?”

“Is that so?”

In response to Hyang’s response, Jang Yeong-sil spread the drawings she had brought on the table.

“You carve pictures and letters into a large cylinder and then roll it onto paper!”

After seeing the drawing drawn by Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang and Jeong In-ji shouted at the same time.

“This is it!”

Although primitive, it was a printing press and printing method suitable for mass printing.

It was created by Jang Yeong-sil.

* * *

Based on Jang Yeong-sil’s drawings, researchers and craftsmen at the institute began producing a prototype.

– For convenience of production, the production method uses casting.

– For convenience of transportation and management, the column with the letters engraved on it is cut vertically, cast, and then assembled.

According to this plan, researchers at the institute adjusted the size of type and books. The most enthusiastic person in this process was Jeong Cho.

“You know what you need to pay most attention to, right?”

“yes! Letters must not cross the border where two parts come together!”

Jeong Cho nodded with satisfaction at the researchers’ answer, but did not forget to ask again.

“Listen carefully! It is a textbook that teaches the same people who will lead our Joseon in the future! “You have to make it with all your heart!”

“yes!”

After hearing the researchers’ answer, Jeong Cho left with a satisfied face to attend to other tasks.

After politely seeing off the New Year, the researchers returned to their seats and whispered.

“Why does that guy care so much?”

“What did you do when you were learning Mencius? Don’t you know what is written in ‘Mencius’ Real Heart?’”

The person who first asked a question after being scolded by a colleague looked embarrassed.

In ‘Mencius’s sincerity’, the famous ‘Three Enlightens of a Gentleman’ was recorded.

-My first joy is that both my parents are alive and my siblings are innocent.

-The second joy is to look up and not be ashamed of heaven and to look down and not be ashamed of people.

-The third joy is acquiring and teaching the world’s gifted students.

Connected to the Social Democratic Institute, the story of ‘Genja Samnak’ circulated everywhere. After hearing this story, Hyang muttered to himself.

“Now that I think about it, I remember my Korean teacher when I was in high school.”

* * *

In the 21st century, when Hyang was a high school student, the school he attended usually arranged national training in the morning.

The reason was that core subjects had to be taught when the mind was clear.

However, when assigning a timetable, there were cases where classes were scheduled after lunch time.

When afternoon classes began, it was common for many students to doze off due to fatigue.

The Korean language teacher in charge of Hyang’s second-grade Korean language clicked his tongue every time he saw that.

“There is an old saying that there are ‘the three sorrows of a noble man’ and one of them is ‘obtaining and teaching the world’s greatest masters’…. You bastards! weather!”

It was not until Hyang was a senior in high school that he learned that ‘the three noble men’ were a metaphor for ‘the three noble men.’

“I thought it was real!”

* * *

As prototypes and printing tests were repeated, the optimal form was gradually created.

Of course, because working with steel was difficult, most experiments had to be done with cylinders made by connecting wooden boards.

“It’s a success!”

“Then let’s do it with steel!”

“yes!”

On the day when the first prototype made by casting steel was tested, I even observed the test.

Chi-ik!

As the steam engine connected to the type engraved roller moved with a loud sound, the large cylinder engraved with type slowly rotated and began to suck up the paper.

As the cylinder continued to rotate, papers with letters and pictures began to come out one after another.

“stop!”

“stop!”

Chi-ik!

As the steam engine came to a halt, the printing press stopped, and researchers and craftsmen from the New Year’s Office examined the printed paper.

“I think I got it right.”

“That’s right! “It was captured correctly!”

When the incense and foundation were judged as passing, the researchers and craftsmen cheered and clapped their hands.

“Wow!”

“It’s a success!”

Clap clap clap!

As the shouts and applause of the researchers and craftsmen died down, Hyang opened his mouth.

“Then, let’s make it typeset properly. Remember to print both sides of the paper and not out of order.”

“Yes, Crown Prince!”

The craftsmen and researchers, whose morale was high, responded loudly.

After achieving such a successful result, Hyang asked Jeong Chu.

“This is a new object and printing method. What should we call it?”

“Hmm…”

Jeong Cho, who was stroking his beard and thinking about it, answered with a bright face as if he had thought of an appropriate name.

“A large wheel rotates to print out letters, so what about rotary printing? “They call it a printing press or a rotary press.”

“That’s okay.”

‘Wait a minute… Is this how the actual rotary press works? Oh, I don’t know!’

It was the scent of thinking for a moment and then making an irresponsible decision.

* * *

“The textbook went well, but…”

After solving the problem in the textbook, Hyang was obsessed with the next problem.

“If you have a textbook, you also need a notebook… especially since you have to solve equations to study industry and academia… but…” Hyang

paused for a moment and sighed with an embarrassed look on his face.

“Whoa~. Paper is the problem. If you make a notebook out of paper, most of the mountains in Joseon will become bare mountains. The guy who insisted on doing an afforestation project creates a bald mountain? “I have nothing to say even if I get criticized too much.”

Although the local government’s claims were strong, Joseon had traditionally focused its efforts on forest management. The problem was that this was limited to pine trees.

Therefore, he emphasized the need for systematic management of not only pine trees but also fruit trees.

King Sejong and his ministers, who thought that Hyang’s claim was reasonable, established a ‘reforestation center’ in the Gongjo and began to actively manage it.

While I was thinking about the tree, the scent took me by the side again.

“The damage from drought can only be reduced if the forest is dense… Wait? “Now that I think about it, Joseon’s current response rate is surprisingly low, isn’t it?”

Before I knew it, Hyang’s consciousness was moving towards the question of answering questions from heaven.

As Hyang said, Joseon during this period had surprisingly few natural resources. No, the proportion of shallow water paddocks was quite high, but as waterways were expanded due to continuous flood control construction under King Sejong’s command, the cases of shallow water paddocks on flat land almost disappeared.

Therefore, the shallow water paddies that Hyang pointed out were paddies created by reclaiming mountain slopes, which were often seen on the Korean Peninsula in the 21st century. Even in the 21st century, these were fields where proper farming would not be possible without a powerful water pump.

However, during this period, there were not many such natural answers.

Hyang, thinking about the reason, burst into laughter.

“Tigers are helpful in times like this.”

During this period, wild animals such as tigers, bears, leopards, and wolves were common in the mountains of Joseon. Thanks to this, unless it was a situation of being eaten by wild beasts or simply starving to death, clearing such terrain rarely occurred.

“In order for food to be needed to the point where land reclamation is necessary, the population of this land must at least exceed 30 million. We’ve only just surpassed 5 million, so it’s still a long way off, and we’re still improving the breed and are diligently exploring the north, so there’s no need to worry… If that doesn’t work, we’ll explore the North American continent… and to do that, we’ll have to build a steamship… . As for the improvement of the steam engine…. The form of the propeller will first be in the form of a paddle steamer?”

The scent that had been wandering aimlessly through the stream of consciousness suddenly hit his forehead.

“this! “It went too far!”

Hyang realized that he had strayed to the side and quickly returned to his original position.

“So, it’s not possible to use a notebook right now… If that’s the case…”

After thinking for a while, Hyang came to a conclusion.

“The blackboard is the answer. “Teachers also needed large blackboards for industrial-academic classes anyway, so it would be a good idea to make a small personal blackboard instead of taking notes.”

Hyang, who concluded that the blackboard was the only answer, burst into laughter.

“Foot! So, has homework testing gone away for the time being?”

* * *

Manufacturing the blackboard itself was simple, so the prototype could be completed quickly. In addition, chalk was made using limestone that was mined in large quantities for the production of cement.

“This looks really useful!”

Sejong was greatly impressed when he saw the prototype of the blackboard and chalk. The reaction of the ministers was also the same.

“I think it will be useful not only when teaching children, but also when conducting meetings!”

“It’s not just meetings. I think it would be good for work as well!”

With overwhelming support from ministers, it was decided to mass-produce blackboards and chalk.

Once again, the world’s first objects that broke away from existing history were created.

* * *

As the ministers said, once blackboards became widespread, the work of the government became a little easier. Large and small blackboards were hung at the entrance to the Sixth Dynasty’s government building, in conference rooms, and in rooms where officials at all levels worked.

At the entrance to the building, the names and reasons for those taking leave today were written down, and in the conference room, officials wrote on the blackboard and argued. And the blackboard in the office had written on who was doing what, making management easier.

This type of blackboard was also used by merchants in the city, and they wrote down the products and prices they sold on the blackboard hung at the entrance of the store so that customers could easily check them.

As blackboards spread, the public offices and palaces of the Six Dynasties also began using blackboards. The daily menu was written down and hung in front of the restaurant.

Thanks to this, various comedies occurred.

One day, in an air conditioning office.

“Hey Song Chambong.”

“yes. Oh, boss.”

“Did you see what was in the communal cafeteria today?”

“It’s rice, seasoned five-colored vegetables, and tofu soybean paste soup.”

Mr. Oh was frowned upon by Song Chambong’s answer.

“Holy shit! I guess I’ll have to go out and eat lunch today too! No, did Su Su get hit on by his wife? “Why are all the side dishes made with starch?”

Workplace Oh, who was next to him, made fun of his complaints.

“Then how about we go to the restaurant at Gyeongbokgung Palace?”

Workplace Oh shouted at Workplace Go’s joke.

“This person now! “But I want to see someone catch a sudden illness while eating and die!”

The communal restaurant at Gyeongbokgung Palace was a place where King Sejong and his subjects above the royal level ate.

Thanks to King Sejong’s appetite, it was a restaurant where meat was always served, and in principle, any official could go there and eat there. However, among the officials below the rank of party superior, no one went there to eat there.