Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 60

Episode 60: New Weapons (8)

At King Sejong’s order, Hyang and Choi Haesan guided King Sejong and the ministers to a building on one side.

Chairs were prepared in the largest room in the building, and King Sejong and his ministers could sit comfortably.

When all preparations were completed, a scent appeared and the new armor was explained in earnest.

“If you look at the armor used by our Joseon military, they generally wear chain armor or padded armor. However, this armor takes a lot of work to make and maintain. Not only the soldiers who perform military service, but also the soldiers who perform military service, all have to prepare their own armor, so the quality is also world-class.”

King Sejong and the ministers all nodded at Hyang’s explanation. This was because appeals reporting the suffering of the people related to this and requesting a solution were frequently posted.

“Some soldiers wear purses and cotton armor due to financial issues, but it is also true that their defensive power is lower than that of iron armor.”

“That’s right.”

Sejong nodded at the explanation of the scent. Hyang pointed at Dujeong-gap with his baton and continued speaking.

“This is a double armor that was newly started to be used at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. It is made of cotton cloth and pine and has an iron plate sewn into the back to strengthen its defense power. In terms of defense power alone, it is enough to block an arrow fired at a distance of 50 paces. It is the strongest armor in terms of defense power. .”

King Sejong and the ministers nodded at Hyang’s words. In the last conquest of Tsushima Island, Dujeong-gap boasted its strongest defense. Hyang continued speaking.

“But this two-headed thing has several problems.”

Hyang pointed out the problem with Dujeong-gap.

-First of all, production requires a lot of time and labor. For steel plates that are fixed with two pieces, each piece must be forged (forged) and then individually hammered with two pieces.

-Cost is also an issue. Even with iron and cotton cloth, the price of the silk used as lining and the fur that surrounds the lining (cuffs), side collar, and front collar is very expensive. Of course, it is often wrapped with cotton cloth or silk, but to make it properly, you need to use rabbit fur or roe deer fur.

– Although it has the strongest defense, it also has many weaknesses. First of all, not only the back but also the front and sides are open. If you are attacked by an arrow from a distance, the probability is not a problem unless you are extremely unlucky, but in close combat, this becomes a problem. To prevent this, you must additionally wear a ho-aek (armpit cover) or an eomsim (groin cover). But even in this case, the problem still remains.

-Difficult to wear for a long time. This is because the shape of the armor takes the form of a robe. Because the entire weight of the armor is supported by the shoulders, it becomes easily fatigued.

“In order to solve the above problems, the new armor changed its form as follows.“

-The iron plate inside the face armor was replaced with a single iron plate. The upper body’s protection was secured with two iron plates on the front and back. -Front

and rear armor . The problem of the side defense was solved. Since it was a single sheet of steel, the problem of the front was solved. The problem of the sides was solved by overlapping the front and back plates by about half an inch. The armpit problem was solved by attaching a circular iron piece to the defense that covers the shoulders and arms. –

The armor was divided into two parts named upper armor and upper armor. By doing this, all the weight of the armor was distributed throughout the body rather than being held by the shoulders, making it less tiring even if worn for a long time.

– Newly shaped armor was added to the shins and elbow joints to enhance protection.

“The armor made that way is this armor,”

Hyang finished, pointing to the armor worn in the last round.

“Hoo~.”

“Hmm…”

After Hyang’s explanation, King Sejong and the ministers carefully examined the armor in question. Sejong, who was examining the armor, asked Hyang a question.

“How much has the weight increased compared to the existing dujeongap?”

“8 pounds (approximately 4.8 kg) have increased. The weight has increased due to the addition of the elbow area and soft shin guard.”

“That’s the only thing that has increased?”

When Sejong looked suspicious, Hyang immediately explained.

“First of all, the number of crowns was significantly reduced, and instead of cotton armor covering the iron plate, it was replaced with cotton cloth.”

Sejong stroked his beard and did the calculation after hearing Hyang’s report.

“The total weight gained by adding and subtracting like that is 10 pounds.

“Who wears these armors? ”

“Those who wear full armor will be cavalrymen and swordsmen, and the modified upper armor will be used by fuhrers and artillerymen. The helmet will be commonly used by all classes.”

“What do those who have tried it say? ”

“The weight has increased slightly, but it is said to be surprisingly bearable as the weight is distributed throughout the entire body. In addition, he said that as the number of areas covered by the iron armor increases, his mind becomes more stable and a lot of his fears disappear.”

In response to Hyang’s response, King Sejong stroked his beard.

“I guess that’s something you have to experience in combat to know. I’d like to see the structure of this armor in more detail.”

“I’ve already prepared it.”

At the hand signal of the head, soldiers came in carrying a large table. On top of the table, iron armor with the cloths covering the outside had been removed.

“Hmm… The shape of the iron armor is truly unique.”

Sejong’s eyes sparkled when he saw the shape of the breastplate, belly armor, and other iron plates. Hyang smiled inwardly at Sejong’s reaction. ‘I made it myself, but I was

a little surprised!’

When checking the prototype of the new armor, Hyang slightly shook his head.

‘What? This terrible hybrid?’

The armor Hyang designed was a combination of Western full plate mail and two-plate armor.

While researching the problem of armor, Hyang was I was at a crossroads of choice. Full plate mail was slightly superior in defense, and head armor was slightly superior in activity.

“Hmm. What should I do with this? Should I just skip the armor part? ”

However, Hyang couldn’t just skip over the armor part. This was because there was the problem of swordsmen who had to handle close combat.

“This is so….”

Hyang, who was worried about the armor, was the one who ultimately decided to improve the armor. This was due to the maintenance problems of Gap and Slam Gap and the production cost of Dujeong Gap. The cost to properly make a dujeongap was 16 stone and 10 head for the armor and 4 stone and 5 head for the helmet.

“Why is this so expensive?”

The price was higher than expected, so Hyang-hyang questioned the reason. After digging into it, he found out that not only did the material cost a lot, but the labor cost was also high

. In the end, Hyang-hyang came to a conclusion.

“Let’s just change it! Let’s reduce material costs wherever possible and also reduce labor costs as much as possible! ”

For that purpose, Hyang borrowed the design of full plate mail.

While King Sejong was talking about his impressions of the new armor, Hwang Hee, who was closely observing the armor, asked Hyang a question.

“Your Majesty the Crown Prince.

” “Yes.”

“From what I have seen, everything from the helmet to the iron plates of the armor appears to be made of a single iron plate. Is that correct? ”

“That’s right.”

“Then the craftsmen hammered and processed those plates one by one. Isn’t that too much work? There may be cost issues.”

Hyang nodded at Hwang Hee’s point.

“You are correct. I had the same problem, so…”

Hyang, who had paused for a moment, smiled at Hwang Hee and continued.

“I made it by stamping it.”

‘The beginning of mass production is press!’

This was the reason why Hyang had to borrow the design of full plate mail.

* * *

Sejong asked Hyang a question with a stern expression.

“It was said that the types of soldiers wearing the newly made armor were cavalry and sword soldiers. However, as far as I know, there is no class called swordsman. A newly created class? ”

“That’s right. We integrated the existing Pangbaesu, Changsu, and Janggeomsu.”

“Why? ”

“Looking at the performance of the newly created guns and artillery cavalry, our Joseon army will be operated centered around the guns and artillery cavalry in the future. In that case, training Pengbaesu, Changsu, and Janggeomsu in detail would place a burden on the budget. So…”

“Those classes were integrated into one? ”

“That’s right.”

In response to Hyang’s reply, Sejong immediately pointed out the problem.

“At first glance, what you say is correct. However, since the battlefield situation changes in an instant, it can be a difficult situation for swordsmen alone. What would you do if the firepower of the rifle and artillery were not enough to suppress the enemy and the enemy broke through the swordsman’s defense line? ”

Hyang nodded at Sejong’s point.

“Soja knows that too. So I prepared the number for President Jang. The long barrel can also be used as a short spear. In addition, we are teaching the Chung Tong soldiers a spear technique using a long spear.”

“A long spear with a single spear? Hmm….”

After listening to Hyang’s explanation, King Sejong traced his memories and assessed the possibilities. The length of the Gap Sikjang Chongtong that he saw at the demonstration site was considerable.

‘Put a spear blade there? Hmm… Maybe. …’

Sejong, who was weighing various possibilities, nodded.

“It seems possible. However, I will postpone adjusting the organization of all Joseon forces according to your opinion. I think it is not too late to check the results of the actual battle and make a decision.”

Hyang bowed his head and accepted King Sejong’s decision.

‘I follow Abama’s decision.”

* * *

Hyang, Choi Haesan, Icheon, and the officials of the research institute After the demonstration of the new weapons created by the artisans together, King Sejong and the ministers prepared for a full-scale audit of the ledgers.

“But I am a bit hungry.”

King Sejong, who was exhausted from watching the demonstration that started early in the morning, felt hungry and looked at the ministers

. How about going back to the palace for a while and doing some work? ”

Hyang intervened in Sejong’s words.

“Would you like to try some dry food for Abamama soldiers? ”

“Dry quantity? Is it delicious? ”

King Sejong the Great showed curiosity at Hyang’s suggestion. However, when King Sejong asked about the taste, Hyang slightly shook his head.

“The food that soldiers eat on the battlefield when they cannot cook rice is dry. “I can’t boast about the taste.”

‘It’s not the famous French military combat ration!’

” “Hmm… what should I do…”

King Sejong, who stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, soon made a decision.

“Okay, let’s try it. Don’t you have to eat dry food to understand the hardships of the soldiers? Let’s eat it together, too.”

“I will honor your command.”

The ministers answered in trembling voices. This was because they had to eat food that the crown prince had openly said he was not sure about the taste of

. After a while, soldiers came in with a steaming pot. They followed them. Other soldiers came in with bowls of white kimchi and empty bowls. The soldiers placed pots and kimchi on empty tables that had been cleared of armor parts and took their seats behind them.

“Abama.” Please try it.”

“Huh? Yes. Then.” As

King Sejong stood in front of the table, the soldier who bowed politely scooped up thick porridge from the pot with a ladle and put it in a bowl, then held out the bowl with both hands.

King Sejong seemed to like it and emptied the bowl of porridge cleanly. After handing it over to the merchant ship, King Sejong continued to ask Hyang,

“Do soldiers even eat that much for one meal? ”

“That’s right.”

“How long can you last if you kill it, not eat it? ”

“At least I have enough to last until the next meal. This is because it contains not only barley and rice, but also a lot of meat.”

While nodding to Hyang’s words, Sejong continued to ask questions to confirm the problem.

“A lot of water is used to make a food called porridge. However, the biggest difficulty during war is obtaining drinking water. What is the solution to this? ”

“We have created a mold to be used in cases where it is difficult to obtain clean drinking water.”

“We have created a mold for purifying water? Let’s see.”

“I’ll guide you.”

Hyang led King Sejong to a place outside the building. There, square rice cake molds were stacked in layers on a wooden stand that was about the length of an adult man’s calf, making it about 1 stone tall (about 90 cm). There was a wooden frame visible.

“This is the water purification frame.”

“What principle does it work on? ”

“From the bottom to the top, charcoal or wood ash sand is piled on top of each other to a thickness of 3 inches (approximately 10 cm), and gravel is placed on top to a thickness of 2 inches (approximately 7 cm).” After

explaining, Hyang gestured to the soldiers next to him. After seeing the hand signal of incense, the soldiers filled a large bucket with water and soil to make muddy water and poured it into a gravelly area.

After a while, clear water trickled out through the iron pipe embedded in the bottom sump. Water was collected through a bowl. Hyang offered the bowl to King Sejong.

“It’s clear water.”

“I filtered out any turbidity that can be seen, but there may be turbidity that cannot be seen, so you can boil it once and then eat it.” “

Hmm… If you have this mold, the enemies will be able to eat it .” Even if you deploy tactics, it will be a good solution to some extent.”

The most common tactic encountered when subjugating the Jurchen tribes across the border was the clear field tactic. When the Jurchen tribes saw the Joseon army invading, they threw dead animals into wells or blocked them with stones, destroying drinking water sources. For this reason, it was not easy to spend a long time subjugating the Jurchen tribe.

Among the military officers at the Joseon Army Chief of Staff or training center, most of the military officers with experience fighting against the Jurchen tribe pointed out this problem. As a countermeasure, Hyang created a simple water purifier.

“Hmm…”

Sejong, who had been examining the water purifier while listening to Hyang’s explanation, turned his head and looked at the ministers.

“When there is a drought or a flood, the biggest problem people face is finding drinking water… Don’t you think that problem will be solved by using this? It’s easy to make, doesn’t require a lot of money, and has excellent performance. “This.”

The ministers who thought about King Sejong’s words for a moment lowered their heads in unison.

“This is truly a wise decision!”

“It is not uncommon to experience drinking water shortages due to droughts or floods, so this will be the best solution!”

None of the ministers opposed it.

When there was a drought, people dug wells to find drinking water. Even if water came up from the well dug in that way, it was not possible to drink it right away because the first water that came up was muddy water. The people had to endure their thirst until the mud in the well subsided.

It was the same even when there was a flood. Because streams, rivers, and even wells were all turned into mud, the people had to suffer from thirst even when they were overflowing with water. It was common for people who could not overcome their thirst to drink such muddy water and immediately get sick, which became the root of the problem and led to epidemics.

When even the ministers agreed, King Sejong gave an order to Hyang.

“Please prepare documents related to creating this framework and distribute them to all government offices across the country.”

“I honor your command!”

“And since the dry quantity seems to be good as a relief food, once it is confirmed that it can be preserved for a long time, find a way to produce it in large quantities and do it.”

“I follow your orders.”

“That dry food tasted better than I expected. It would be good as a snack when I’m hungry at the palace.”

“Thank you!”

‘The salty dry food is delicious? Abama! ‘Are you of military stature?’