Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 390

Episode 390: Small changes. (2)

As July came, a big change occurred in Hanseong.

A housing complex for officials who had been homeless had finally been completed.

A housing complex for officials who did not own a home was built between Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) and Donuimun (Seodaemun) outside the walls of Hanseong.

Building this housing complex took a considerable amount of time.

One of the reasons it took up so much time was the installation of a railroad for the officials living in this housing complex.

* * *

Because passing through the existing Sungnyemun Gate would impede existing traffic, the government had to remodel the southern wall of Hanseong.

Two lines of railroad tracks were laid through an arch-shaped hole drilled in the castle wall.

Of course, since a large hole was drilled in an intact castle wall, measures were taken to reinforce the damaged defenses.

First, sliding iron doors were installed on both sides of the hole. If the external enemy reached Hanseong, this iron gate would be closed and a thick, heavy steel bar would be installed.

In addition, measures were added to place the iron horse from which the carriage had been removed close to the iron gate of the inner castle wall.

* * *

With the laying of railroad tracks, it became easier for officials living in housing complexes to move in and out.

The second reason why the construction of the housing complex was delayed was because it took time to build a proper water supply and sewage network throughout the complex.

To be precise, it was a fairly consuming task in both time and money.

“Is this work absolutely necessary?”

When Kim Jeom, the Minister of Finance and Economy, asked with eyes full of doubt, Hyang immediately nodded.

“I really need it.”

“Ha~. “The cost…”

“Think about it. Would it cost more if all the officials became sick after drinking contaminated water? Or would it cost more now?”

In response to Hyang’s question, Kim Jeom put his stamp on the payment field without a second thought.

In this way, a proper water and sewage network was established in this housing complex.

In order to properly use the water and sewage network created in this way, the houses built in the complex were equipped with standing kitchens for the first time in the Joseon Dynasty. Next to the embroidery water tank (open water container), there was a small small-head water pump.

Now, the women who work in the kitchen in this house can comfortably use water regardless of the weather or season.

As soon as the infrastructure was expanded, housing construction began.

In newly constructed houses, ondol (ondol), a type of ondol that was just beginning to become common, was installed.

* * *

“Ondol is good, but…”

Hyang was lost in thought about the heating method to be applied to the housing complex.

Whether in the 15th century or the 21st century, winters on the Korean Peninsula were cold. Unlike the 21st century, which is overflowing with all kinds of insulation and insulation materials, winters in Joseon in the 15th century, when cotton was the only insulating material, were even colder. No, it wasn’t just the presence of insulation, but the air in Joseon, which was much cleaner than in the 21st century, made the winter even colder.

“Because there is no insulating material called damn fine dust….”

Having experienced the harsh cold of midwinter, the Hyang tried to argue for the spread of Ondol, but could not make that argument for a while.

It was because of a fuel problem.

Until coal was properly distributed, wood was the only fuel for heating and cooking for the palace and the people.

Because the Joseon Dynasty government strictly enforced laws to prevent excessive harvesting of wood for use as fuel, even the palace had to rely on furnaces for most of its heating.

Of course, there were places where phrases were used. It was the place where the royal palace and concubines of Naemyeongbu lived and where the court ladies lived. Of course, the structures installed in the places where court ladies lived were installed unofficially.

The fuel problem of Hanseong and Joseon was solved when coal was mined in earnest.

Although the fuel problem was solved in this way, the local government hesitated to distribute ondol.

“Ongu are better than jjokgu, but it is not easy to solve the biggest obstacle of these ongu.”

The problem with ondol that hindered the fragrance was carbon monoxide poisoning, also known as ‘coal gas poisoning.’

“A boiler is the best way to block gas…”

However, with the current technology of Joseon, the hot water pipe passing through Gudeuljang was the biggest problem. Because there was no synthetic resin, hot water pipes had to be made from iron or copper, as these materials had problems with corrosion.

“It’s a reverse use of the CPU cooler method, but…”

In the end, Hyang put his mind to it and created an iron heat conduction network similar to a very large grill.

This net was laid on the floor, and the thick iron rods connected to the wire net were wrapped around a large barrel placed in the furnace.

Then, if you filled this barrel with water and lit a fire underneath, the heat was transferred to the floor through the iron barrel.

This prevented the wire mesh from overheating more than necessary, causing burns or fires, and allowed for ample use of hot water even in the middle of winter. Also, even when the fire was turned off, the hot boiled water supplied heat for a considerable amount of time.

After remodeling the rooms in the East Palace where the Crown Princess and Emperor Yangwon lived in this way, the Hyang reported to King Sejong.

Sejong looked at the warm room and the furnace and looked embarrassed.

“It looks really useful. Cost is the problem. “Isn’t iron a commodity that the people can buy at a low price?”

“I guess so.”

“Let’s think about it a little more.”

“Yes Abama.”

After being rejected like that, Hyang gritted his teeth and muttered.

“Ah-oh! “Plastic is painful!”

* * *

However, the distribution of ondol was essential to prevent excessive forest destruction and maintain health during the winter.

The Hyang brought together craftsmen who could polish Ondol from all over the country and studied ways to install Ondol economically.

It wasn’t just the study of ondol.

Based on the coal available in Joseon – all types of coal from Gangwon-do, Hamgyeong-do, Daeseol-do, etc. – they also devoted themselves to developing fuel that the people could use cheaply.

“Of course, the answer to this part has already been decided…”

The answer Hyang thought of was briquette.

As the development of briquettes progressed smoothly, Hyang began developing a combustion vessel that would maximize the performance of briquettes.

In order to develop a combustion chamber that allows for smooth inflow of outside air and reflects the heat generated during combustion onto the briquettes to induce complete combustion, not only the village chief but also potters worked hard to develop the combustion chamber.

And the results were applied to the housing complex being built this time.

* * *

Once the housing complex was completed, houses were allocated to officials who had decided to move in.

The smallest house size was 3 rooms, and the average was 5 rooms.

“One is the master bedroom and the two rooms are the rooms of Noh (male servant) and Bi (female servant). The last one is a child’s room or a senior’s room…”

Hyang, who had been pointing his finger while calling out the name of the room, shook his head slightly.

“Compared to the 21st century, now there are only high-end houses. “The standard is five rooms… and there’s even a maid’s room…”

It was a short skit created by differences in lifestyle and social culture.

* * *

The standards for allocating houses in the housing complex created in this way were not simply determined based on grade.

The number of family members living together – excluding slaves – was also one of the criteria. Officials who had many children or lived with their parents and grandparents were assigned large houses regardless of rank.

Because of this, there were many cases in which houses were assigned to houses of the same grade or to larger houses even though the grades were different.

Another criterion was to ensure that people working in the same department never became neighbors. This was to prevent superiors from exploiting subordinates for personal gain.

* * *

On the day they were allocated housing, the officials who had escaped from rented houses shouted to Geunjeongjeon for a lifetime.

“Your Majesty the Lord, live forever! “A thousand years!”

“A thousand years old!”

And the officials worked like crazy.

“No matter what anyone says, I will definitely rest on this holiday!”

“cancer! “I have to go see the house!”

“It’s my house. It’s my house. “It’s my house…”

Even madness was visible in the eyes of the officials working like crazy.

Kim Jeom, who saw the remarkable increase in work efficiency, stroked his beard and pondered.

“Do you think this housing complex needs to be expanded?”

* * *

While a housing complex for homeless officials was being built in Hanseong, similar complexes were being built in every large city in the province.

As a result, at a similar time in Hanseong, local government officials who did not own a home were able to bring their families into the official residence.

This had several positive effects, one of which was a reduction in misconduct by officials.

This was because officials lived together in one area, making inspection easier, and the officials’ families themselves began to watch the attention of those around them and refrain from taking actions.

* * *

As fall began, the Social Democratic Institute opened the semester again.

In particular, King Sejong and the government were showing extraordinary interest because Hunminjeongeum, which had been prepared for so long, became an official curriculum starting this semester.

The Hunminjeongeum education that started that way began to show effects right away.

“Children learn Hunminjeongeum very quickly!”

“People are responding well to our special lecture on Hunminjeongeum for adults!”

Sejong, who was satisfied with the positive reports coming from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of General Affairs, asked Choi Man-ri, who came running after receiving the call.

“To what extent has the interpretation of the law progressed?”

“The unraveling of the law ended some time ago, and now we have entered into the unraveling of precedents.”

“Good. Minister of General Affairs and Minister of Justice, please listen.”

“Please give your name, Your Majesty.”

Sejong nodded slightly and gave orders to the Minister of General Affairs and the Minister of Justice.

“Immediately order the Jujaso to print the translated law books in large quantities. And immediately send the printed copies to courts across the country and have them inspected by judges.”

“What if you say inspection?”

“The people working at Jeongeumcheong are highly knowledgeable, but they do not really know the law, so there may be mistakes in their language. So, please compare the existing Chinese characters and find any errors.”

The two ministers bowed their heads at King Sejong’s command.

“I follow your orders!”

“And Director Jeongeum listen.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“There are many things to explain in addition to the explanation of the case law, so we should not show the slightest laziness. “Keep this in mind.”

“I will keep this in mind.”

“The name of the person in charge of the interpretation and the person who reviewed it will remain forever, so keep this in mind and pass it on.”

“I follow your orders, Your Majesty.”

After sorting out the affairs related to Hunminjeongeum, King Sejong moved on to the next agenda.

“The civil service exam will be implemented soon, but are your preparations going well?”

“Yes, things are going smoothly.”

“Again, there must be absolutely no cheating. “Make sure to make this known to supervisors dispatched to departments across the country.”

“I follow your orders!”

King Sejong, who ordered everyone to do their best to prevent misconduct in the past, did not forget his request.

“Nowadays, Joseon has finally entered a period of stagnation. But please keep in mind that this is the time for proper maintenance. Please keep in mind. “The next few years can determine the next hundreds of years.”

The ministers responded with one voice to King Sejong’s request.

“I will keep this in mind!”