Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 368
Episode 368: Stagnation – Stillness (Still Movement) (2)
After making her decision, Hyang immediately wrote a plan and submitted it to King Sejong.
After reading the plan posted by Hyang, Sejong began asking Hyang questions.
“Sea salt? “If you look at the name and content, it says that salt is made with sunlight from the sky. Is this possible?”
“It is considered quite possible. “I also conducted an experiment, as written later.”
In order to persuade not only King Sejong but also the ministers, a record of the experiment process and its results was attached.
“‘When I dried the paper soaked in salt water in the sun, salt remained on the paper.’ How did you come up with this idea?”
“When I was cleaning up the lab and Area 51, I saw the water that was sprinkled on the ground drying and I thought about it.”
“Hmm…”
Sejong looked at the report carefully again and looked at the scent.
“It may be beneficial because it reduces the effort of creating a function in the tidal flat and reduces fuel costs, but the cost of constructing the facility and labor costs are significant. Considering the pros and cons, is sea salt really useful?”
“We need to verify it to find out, but I think it’s quite possible.”
In response to Hyang’s assertion, King Sejong posted this to the inquiry.
“Obviously, salting requires a lot of labor and fuel. Even if we prove it, it seems that there will be no loss.”
Sejong also strengthened his decision in response to Lee Jik’s remarks, which summarized the opinions of the ministers.
“I think so too, so let’s give it a try.”
* * *
In this way, an experimental sun-dried salt farm was created on Ganghwa Island.
About 15 days after the salt farm was built and seawater was drawn into the first reservoir, the first results arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace along with a report.
“Bring it because you will taste it.”
According to King Sejong’s order, a ceramic plate filled with white salt was brought into Geunjeongjeon.
Sejong slightly picked it up with his fingertips and tasted it, and his expression got worse.
“It’s salty, but the bitter taste is stronger. “Taste the sutras too.”
The ministers who tasted sea salt according to King Sejong’s order all had expressions similar to King Sejong’s.
“Hmm…”
Sejong was lost in thought after reading the report posted with Sun-il-yeom. No, not only King Sejong but all the ministers had similar faces.
Sea salt was not a good product for their tastes, which were accustomed to natural salt.
The report also pointed out this problem as the most serious problem. Of course, there was a continuous sentence that said, ‘It is said that the taste improves when the bittern is removed after it is aged for a few years,’ but for some reason, it did not make sense. It was because of the bitter taste that made a strong first impression.
However, sea salt had strong advantages that offset this disadvantage.
It was overwhelmingly cost-effective.
Skilled craftsmen had to be involved in the process of producing yarn from beginning to end. Due to the wages of artisans and the cost of fuel, yarn was a very expensive product.
However, sea salt did not need many such artisans. Sea salt was a product that had no problems in production even though it was made up of a small number of artisans and a large number of unskilled workers.
“Call the Crown Prince.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
In the end, King Sejong called Hyang.
Hyang, who entered Geunjeongjeon at King Sejong’s call, tasted sea salt and frowned slightly. Sejong, who saw that, opened his mouth.
“You will know when you taste it, but the taste is much lower than that of native salt. No, it doesn’t taste salty, but the bitter taste is too strong. Do you still insist that we should produce and sell this?”
“yes.”
Sejong could not hide his doubts at Hyang’s firm answer.
“why? “No matter how precious salt is, the people will complain.”
In response to Sejong’s point, Hyang explained the reason.
“Salt is precious, which is why we need to produce and sell sea salt. Doesn’t the name salt itself mean ‘white gold’? (Note 1) Although the people’s livelihoods are gradually improving through the sutras conducted by Abamama, there are still many people in poverty. In order for these people to taste salt, sea salt is absolutely necessary. And this sea salt will encourage the people’s spirit of improvement.”
“Encourages improvement?”
Hyang slightly smiled and answered Sejong’s question.
“yes. What is the main reason people accumulate wealth? Isn’t it to please others? “The people will work hard to eat something good, at least salt.”
King Sejong and the ministers nodded without even realizing what Hyang said.
‘Maybe so!’
Hyang continued to emphasize the necessity of sea salt.
“This sea salt is not only for the poor people who cannot even afford salt, but it should also be targeted at the Japanese people.”
“The Japanese…”
When Hyang mentioned the ‘Japanese’, Sejong, who thought about it for a while, nodded.
“Right. “Even Japanese people need to eat salt.”
“yes. Ming can’t compete because they already have all kinds of salt, including rock salt, but why can’t they? “There will be a sufficient market.”
“I see.”
Sejong, who nodded, asked Hyang again.
“Then I guess we should go with a dual system of sea salt and natural salt?”
“yes. I think it would be good to encourage those in poverty who can make a living with sea salt to consume natural salt.”
After hearing Hyang’s explanation, Sejong looked back at Kim Jeom.
“What do you think?”
Kim Jeom answered King Sejong’s question right away.
“I think this is a very good idea!”
In this way, it was concluded that both sea salt and native salt were produced.
* * *
Once one agenda was decided, Hyang presented another agenda as if he had been waiting.
“Speaking of Ja-yeom, I would like to ask for Abamama’s approval.”
“What was it?”
As soon as Hyang’s words came out, King Sejong and the ministers became very nervous and soon gave up.
As in the case of sea salt, none of the policies proposed by the local government were easy. Because of this, I wanted to reject it, but because its utility was clear, I had experienced that I had no choice but to accept it in the end.
“Anyway, salt can only be obtained through resellers. “Then, how about gathering saltmakers from all over Joseon in one area?”
“Let’s gather them in one area?”
“Yes, if salters are collected and produced in one area, production management, storage and transportation become easier. Also, we can create jobs for the people by creating a salt production complex in an area where the people are in poverty due to the harsh environment compared to other regions.”
“Hmm…”
Sejong, who was pondering Hyang’s words, asked Hyang.
“Do you think Gangwon-do would be good?”
“I recommend Gangwon-do and Hamgil-do. The environment in both regions is poor and the people’s livelihoods are difficult. In addition, it is close to coal mines, so fuel supply is easy.”
Hearing Hyang’s words, King Sejong began to make various calculations.
‘Not bad.’
In terms of barrenness, Gangwon-do was the second most disappointing region.
Even if there was a bad harvest, Gangwon-do was the first place to hear news of people dying from starvation.
Hamgil was also in a similar situation.
In the end, Sejong made a decision.
“The crown prince’s plan seems good, so consider a policy based on it.”
“I follow your orders!”
* * *
According to King Sejong’s decision, salt farmers from all over Joseon moved to Gangwon-do and Hamgil-do.
“There is no space to build a salt farm…”
Although the salt farmers were embarrassed by the environment of the East Sea, which was different from the West Sea and South Sea, which have wide mud flats, they soon adapted.
This was because the direct boiling method of making salt by directly boiling seawater was not unfamiliar.
In addition, a new tool for baking salt was created and distributed.
The new tools made by Hyang were a wide, flat pot made of steel and a shovel using axial force.
After pouring a large jar containing clear seawater from the East Sea into the pot, the craftsmen lit the furnace. The fuel used to boil the seawater in the pot was anthracite. Although difficult to ignite at first, anthracite provided great firepower once properly ignited. And, befitting the term smoke-free, there was little smoke.
When sea water begins to boil in a wide, flat pot with a diameter of almost 1 jang (approximately 3 m), craftsmen tie a cow, horse, or donkey to a large gear wheel located in the yard to move the gear wheel.
When the cogwheel rotated like that, the power transmitted to the connected shaft began to slowly turn the nozzle.
Salt crystals were collected along the slowly rotating shovel, and the craftsmen collected the salt and moved it to the drying room.
Through the tools made and distributed by Hyang, the productivity of Ja-yeom began to increase significantly.
* * *
By reselling salt through monopoly offices, King Sejong abolished the public salt system. Sales were made through a single outlet called the resale office, but the price-setting authority was held by the salt masters. In addition, trademark registration continued to prevent misunderstandings between the wholesaler and the salting company.
Salters, individually or in groups, registered trademarks, set prices, and supplied products to wholesalers.
Although there were various brands, the products were all the same celadon salt, so the quality was the same and the price was also the same.
Therefore, as time passed, salters began to appear who were concerned about making more profits.
“No matter how much I, an ignorant person, thought about it….”
The salt masters, who could not find an appropriate answer no matter how much they thought about it, blamed their own stubbornness and looked for managers with whom they had built a close relationship – relationships they had made during the delivery process.
“You want to make more money?”
“Yes, Nari.”
“Hmm….”
Most of the officials who received inquiries from salt leaders gave similar answers.
“Wouldn’t it be wise to make the salt kiln a little bigger?”
“Isn’t that guy called Salt Kiln a monster that eats money? And if this guy and that guy all grow bigger, the price of salt will get cheaper.”
“It’s not easy…”
The officials, who were worried with perplexed faces, soon found a way.
“I will ask the crown prince.”
The officials’ words made the salt masters think.
“yes! Do you mean to the Crown Prince? Aren’t these shabby little guys getting kicked out for being arrogant? No! “It’s okay!”
The officials smiled slightly at the salt masters’ reaction and comforted them.
“I’m sure you’ll think it’s more fun.”
“Are you sure?”
When the salt masters asked questions with suspicious looks on their faces, the officials blurted out their words.
“maybe?”
* * *
Hyang, who received the complaints of the salt masters through the officials, smiled in remorse.
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
Hyang immediately wrote down the answer and sent it to the officials.
After receiving the answer from Hyang, the officials called the craftsmen together.
“Your Majesty the Crown Prince gave you the answer. Let’s see…. His Majesty the Crown Prince wrote, ‘Give character to the purple hair.’ “You did it.”
“What’s special about it?”
“That’s right. He said it would be a good idea to mix salt with things that are good for people or things that add flavor. You also wrote an example. “Songhwayeom (松花鹽)?”
“aha!”
The artisans immediately understood what the official said.
When pine pollen was flying, if you grilled salt, the pollen mixed in. Then, salt with a sweet flavor was created, and this salt was more expensive than regular salt.
“There it was! Thank you, Nari!”
“Thank you, not me, but the Crown Prince.”
“yes. “Thank you, Crown Prince!”
* * *
So salters began making all kinds of attempts to increase added value.
Pine pollen collected when pine pollen was flying was sometimes added, and mugwort or minced garlic was added when boiling seawater.
The salt made in this way began to be sold more expensively due to its unique flavor.
In response to the encouraging results, the salt masters attempted something more daring: they roasted the salt with water mixed with a decoction of medicinal herbs prescribed for people suffering from common diseases such as colic and pain.
The dyes released on the market through this process became popular. No matter how poor a family was, having at least a little bit of this functional salt became part of everyday life.
As a result, by the end of the gyeongjang, there were more than 10 types of self-salt.
And these functional salts became a huge hit not only in Joseon but also in the Ming and Japanese countries.
“Jihwaja!”
It was such a hit that Kim Jeom, who received the report, called out Jihwaja without even realizing it.
* * *
Note 1) Etymology of ‘salt’. Central Daily Newspaper. 2003.12.01.
http://www.jbnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=95305