Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 312
Episode 312 Hanseong. (1)
While Oh Ha-seok was staying in Alexandria, the Invincible and Maengjin, loaded with saltpeter, were leaving Chittagong in the Sultanate of Bengal.
Just before departure, Jang Gwang-seok and Gang Nam-gil, captains of the Mujeok and Maeng Jin, were giving the crew a firm warning.
“You know what kind of guy Choseok is, right? “Be careful and don’t make today a memorial day next year.”
“ancient!”
The sailors responded with one voice to the captain’s warning.
* * *
When the Joseon military began using gunpowder in large quantities, the first problem that arose was safety accidents caused by carelessness.
Concerned about this, the township encouraged its commanders and conducted safety training on a regular basis.
“This damn gunpowder thing. I’m good at killing enemies, but I’m also good at killing you, right? “Don’t forget that if you lose your focus even just a little, you will die, I will die, and we will all die!”
In fact, Joseon soldiers exercised the utmost care when handling gunpowder through safety training that involved exploding gunpowder right in front of the soldiers’ noses.
* * *
As the two battleships were leaving Chittagong, the residents of Hanseong were moving noisily.
“The iron horse is finally running!”
“The iron horse runs today!”
“Let’s go see!”
It was the day when the East-West Circular Line, which runs east-west through downtown Hanseong, opened.
Today’s opening was only half of the opening.
The North-South Circular Line connecting a housing complex for homeless officials on the southern outskirts of Hanseong was still under construction. Many workers were sweating at the construction site where they were tearing down the wall next to Sungnyemun Gate, laying railroad tracks, and creating a housing complex.
A huge number of Hanseong residents have already gathered around Bosingak, where the opening ceremony was held.
“Do not cross the golden line!”
“hey! “Don’t cross the golden line!”
“Fuck you! “Fuck you!”
“Buy rice cake! rice cake!”
Amid the cries of police officers blocking people from entering the gold cord that blocked off the area around the venue, and the cries of all kinds of peddlers, well-dressed noblemen and gisaeng were sitting on the second and third floors of the nearby building, looking at the event venue. At the tea bar next to the main building, women from different families were flocking to see the event venue.
After a while. The door of Gwanghwamun opened and King Sejong came out with his ministers.
“Whew~. Back off! Your Majesty the Prime Minister, come! “Go away!”
The residents who had gathered at the event venue all retreated to the left and right and prostrated themselves on the floor.
King Sejong, who was looking at the residents of Hanseong from his horse, smiled slightly.
‘It looks like the people are doing well! It looks like all your efforts were not in vain!’
When he ascended to the throne, there was a famine every year. There were constant reports of people starving to death from all directions.
However, now that the campaign was almost at an end, there were no more reports of poor harvests or people starving to death.
Sejong’s eyes were full of pride as he glanced at the scent following him.
‘I came this far because of you! ‘Thank you so much!’
Normally, Sejong would have been furious at seeing Hyang making all kinds of excuses – very appropriate ones that are hard to put into words – and only looking for what he wanted to do, but today he was a proud child.
* * *
At the event venue, an iron horse connecting the carriages was already prepared. Finely crushed coal continued to burn blue in the iron horse’s furnace so that it could be started at any time.
Sejong, who was looking at the engine of the iron horse, looked back.
“I feel this every time I see that flame, it’s truly amazing.”
“It’s a spark that helps a lot.”
Hyang muttered to himself as he answered.
‘Thanks to you, there is a fuss every day…’
* * *
It was an inevitable choice for Hyang to choose coal as fuel.
“It’s definitely not because I liked steampunk!”
Just like the excuse he made to himself, coal was the best possible option given Joseon’s situation and level of technology.
In order to solve problems such as natural disasters caused by forest destruction caused by the use of wood as a fuel source for industrial facilities and ordinary households, and damage caused by wild animals that have nothing to eat as forests disappear, we must find other fuels instead of wood. did.
However, it was impossible to use oil with only the level of technology and knowledge of Joseon.
“I’m a nerd, not a chemical engineer!”
As Hyang claimed, he had no expertise in petrochemicals. nuclear power? That part was not an area of virtue.
And oil did not exist on the Korean Peninsula. Of course, according to the knowledge I learned in middle and high school, I knew that there were oil fields in Siberia and northern Manchuria, but I did not know the exact location.
In the end, all that was left was coal.
But the problem was that most of the coal produced in Joseon was anthracite.
Anthracite was surprisingly a good fuel.
Compared to lignite or bituminous coal, it had a higher calorific value and produced less ash and smoke. Additionally, since most of the coal mined on the Korean Peninsula was anthracite, supply and demand were easy.
However, apart from those advantages, anthracite coal had all its disadvantages.
Although it had a high calorific value, it was difficult to ignite it. And if the combustion conditions – mainly temperature – are not right, incomplete combustion occurs and a huge amount of ash is produced. It was said that supply was easy, but in order to mine, a tunnel had to be drilled deep into the coal mine.
Working with hard-to-ignite anthracite as fuel was a ‘war against temperature.’ In order to raise the temperature to an ignitionable temperature and maintain that temperature, the craftsmen of the area and Area 51 had to create and experiment with all kinds of materials and devices.
However, what was fortunate for Hyang was that Joseon’s field masters and potters were already familiar with the ‘war against temperature’.
Charcoal, especially white charcoal, used to make top-quality iron products, was as difficult to ignite as coal.
The same was true for pottery. To make high-quality porcelain, the temperature had to be raised to about 1500 degrees Celsius. In a situation where there were no precise temperature measuring instruments, Joseon potters showed wonders in adjusting the temperature solely through experience.
Thanks to these craftsmen, Hyang was able to create a large-scale steel mill using coal in such a short period of time.
Because of this, Hyang sometimes talked to herself.
“I’m glad I was born in Joseon and as a crown prince!”
This was possible because there were craftsmen with a considerable level of technology and they were in a position to immediately mobilize such craftsmen.
Of course, the researchers and craftsmen below were dying.
However, the scent was not the only thing that was desired. I had to go through a lot of trouble with the scent.
Hyang suffered a lot in the process of miniaturizing these devices and improving them into more high-performance products.
It was a time of fierce struggle, going through all kinds of trial and error while working with craftsmen to create compounds using all the available natural materials and verifying them.
Funnily enough, this process was the part that most satisfied Hyang’s virtue.
Instead of cutting-edge machines designed on computers and equipped with all kinds of electronic devices, Hyang’s specialty was classical and oldie work.
In other words, the excuse Hyang gave himself was unconvincing persuasion.
* * *
“I will reward the craftsmen who made these objects!”
Although he did not know about all the vicious struggles going on behind the scenes, King Sejong did not forget to praise the craftsmen who participated in the production.
When the iron horse was first seen in Area 51, the craftsmen had already received a reward. But now, receiving it in front of many people had a different meaning.
This was because the scent strongly insisted.
“Only by doing this publicly can we prevent the contempt of craftsmen and produce more and more outstanding craftsmen in the future!”
King Sejong and the ministers nodded at Hyang’s claim.
“I think what the Crown Prince said is right.”
“That’s right.”
Because they had seen with their own eyes the results brought about by the advancement of Joseon’s technological capabilities, King Sejong and the ministers easily accepted Hyang’s claims.
Thanks to this, King Sejong was able to publicly praise and reward the artisans and researchers who participated in the development in front of many Hanseong residents.
In addition to promotions, officials and artisans became the second beneficiaries of the newly created awards system.
Although the award had more symbolic aspects than material aspects, it was a tremendous honor for the king to personally award the medal in front of the public.
Hyang, seeing the eyes of many children shining, prayed inwardly.
‘Just grow as you are! ‘It’s still not enough!’
After the inauguration ceremony, the funeral ceremony was held under the supervision of King Sejong.
After the prayers and prayers for the safe operation of the iron horse were completed, King Sejong burned the congratulatory message.
The people cheered as the lit congratulatory paper rose into the sky through King Sejong’s gesture.
“It’s auspicious!”
“It’s auspicious!”
“Your Majesty the Lord, live forever!”
“A thousand years old!”
* * *
Once the examination was over, a trial run was prepared.
In the presence of King Sejong and the ministers, the invited people – people living in Hanseong and people living in nearby Gyeonggi-do, over 60 years old – boarded the carriage.
Originally, King Sejong would ride first, followed by ministers and the elderly, but King Sejong changed this.
“No matter how much I am the king, how can I treat the elderly poorly? “It’s absurd.”
According to King Sejong’s decision, the elderly began to board the carriage first, and King Sejong spoke to the elderly people riding the carriage.
“Long life is a blessing from heaven, so please live long and healthy.”
As the elderly began to board the carriage, King Sejong held their hands one by one and offered them well-wishing words.
The old people who heard King Sejong’s good words responded with a deep bow.
“I am devastated!”
“Oh my gosh! Seong-eun is devastated!”
The families of the elderly people who were watching the scene from one side looked proud.
‘I want to see the face of Jinsa Park in our neighborhood!’
‘Neighborhood people! Our tusker has come face to face with the king! Have you ever experienced something like that?’
It was a family of elderly people looking at the scene, suppressing their desire to immediately go back to the village and hold a party.
After picking up the old people, King Sejong headed to those who would drive the iron horse and manage the carriage.
“huh? Jinpyeong, why are you here?”
When King Sejong looked puzzled at the sight of Jinpyeong standing with the stokers who would control the iron horse, Jinpyeong responded with a grin.
“How can a child stay still while Abama is riding?”
“Is that so? “Then please take care of me.”
“yes!”
Hyang grumbled inwardly at the sight of Jinpyeong answering in a loud voice.
‘That damn bastard.’
* * *
Jinpyeong, who heard that Sejong rode the iron horse in Area 51, ran straight to Hyang and argued with him.
“Lowering! “Why did you leave me out of that position?”
“It was decided suddenly….”
“No matter what, that’s right! “This is where Abama saw the iron horse in person!”
Jinpyeong, who was arguing with Hyang, literally rolled over and expressed his dissatisfaction with his whole body.
Hyang, who was looking at this while putting his hand on his forehead, eventually screamed.
“Okay, okay! “I’ll let you drive when we hold the official opening ceremony in Hanseong!”
“Are you telling the truth?”
“It’s true!”
“Is this what you promised?”
“I promised!”
“In writing…”
“Get out, you bastard!”
Hyang, who chased Jinpyeong out, let out a long sigh.
“Whoa~. “I heard that Cheoldeok is very serious…”
It was Hyang who had no idea that he was very calm compared to his behavior.
* * *
Beep!
With the sound of a loud whistle, the iron horse began to move, recording an unprecedented event in which the ‘Grand Prince’ drove it himself.
It was the first steam locomotive in Joseon, and indeed the world, to begin official operation.