Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 757

Episode 757: Encounter (2)

Hyang, who was grumbling while looking at the sky, took a deep breath.

“Huh! Ha~.”

After taking a deep breath to sort out her emotions, Hyang looked back at the report and continued.

“Should we say it is fortunate that we have at least prevented the spread of a disease that will go down in history?”

The identity of the ‘disease’ mentioned by Hyang was smallpox.

* * *

King Sejong learned how to prevent smallpox through Hyang’s cowpox vaccination, which was recorded in the Annals as ‘the crown prince’s self-harm incident’.

At that time, Sejong decided to first conduct test vaccinations on residents of Hanseong, the capital, and then implement nationwide vaccinations based on the results.

However, Ryu Su-young, the then Prime Minister, and conservative ministers desperately opposed this, leading to a confrontation with King Sejong.

On the surface, it was a conflict over the ‘dangers of the uncertain method of leading,’ but on the inside, it was a challenge by senior ministers of the theocracy to prevent King Sejong’s monopoly on power.

During this confrontation, Ryu Su-yeong and senior ministers who sympathized with him were purged on a large scale, and the government was greatly reorganized.

King Sejong, who completely seized power through purges, actively expanded cowpox vaccination.

As time passed, smallpox almost disappeared from Joseon or the Empire. Occasionally, there were rumors that the outbreak occurred somewhere, but most of them were in outlying areas such as Bukji or Jongjang Island.

However, even the outlying regions gradually escaped the nightmare of smallpox, starting with Daeseoldo, and the empire’s medical officials were doing their best with the goal of eradicating smallpox in the North.

Because of this past, the indigenous people of Shinji were largely free from the threat of smallpox.

That wasn’t all.

Every time the natives of Shinji came to visit, the imperialists inoculated them with cowpox.

The natives, who saw pus collected from an animal they had never seen before, a cow that resembled a hairless bison, and placed it on themselves, asked the reason through interpreters or by making gestures with their hands and feet.

Whenever such a question was asked, the imperialists explained it by pointing to those who had suffered from smallpox before being vaccinated and whose faces were scrunched up.

“If you don’t get this right, something like that will happen later.”

After hearing that answer, the natives held out their arms to the lawmakers without hesitation.

Of course, the people who were the samples became tearful and protested.

“Why is it falling? “It’s not like I made this face because I like someone!”

“I’m sorry. “But aren’t you the only one among us who has suffered from smallpox?”

“But…”

“Instead, I will give you a special reward and consolation money.”

“How much will you give me?”

And those who accepted the reward and confirmed the amount became more active.

“A body that has been thrown away! Please call me again next time!”

Through this process, indigenous people were also actively vaccinated against cowpox, and the risk of smallpox was greatly reduced.

* * *

Meanwhile, as imperial exchanges expanded, the existence and efficacy of cowpox began to become increasingly known.

Of course, the first to learn about the effects of cowpox were the Ming and Japanese countries.

There were cases of smallpox outbreaks in the vicinity of Joseon Shangguan, which was later renamed Imperial Choji (租借地), which was created during the Ming or Japanese dynasties.

Because the disease was so contagious, officials around Shangguan asked for help from lawmakers living in Shangguan.

Hyang, who predicted that the possibility of this happening would be very high, advised King Sejong, and King Sejong and the government, who accepted this, issued an order to their superiors.

-If your superiors ask for help due to illness or natural disaster, provide support.

-Even if the location is far from the superior, if it is not too far away, the person in charge and the lawmakers should discuss and decide whether or not to provide support.

Thanks to receiving orders in advance, the superior’s lawmakers rushed to the scene right away.

Because there was a shortage of workers to treat patients, lawmakers brought in people who worked at their superiors to help them.

Experiencing this, the locals began to have one question.

“Aren’t Koreans afraid of smallpox?”

This was because the Koreans were not afraid of coming into contact with patients whose entire bodies were covered in inflammation and pus.

“Members of the National Assembly say that’s possible. But the assistants over there used to work for their superiors, right?”

“yes. “Is there something strange?”

It was natural to have questions while looking at the Korean people caring for patients.

Both the Ming Dynasty and the Japanese knew that once you got smallpox, you would never get it again.

However, after suffering from smallpox, most people left traces on their bodies.

It could have turned into a scary, ugly pall, and there was a high possibility that it would suffer from serious aftereffects such as blindness and physical disabilities.

For the lucky ones, only a light trace was left behind, and there were those who passed over without a trace, to the extent that they were called lucky, but they were a very small minority.

However, the faces, hands and feet of Koreans moving around in a place where smallpox was prevalent were very clean.

People who had not suffered from smallpox would not have been able to move so actively.

However, it was strange that there were too many of them to say that they passed away without a trace due to natural misfortune.

“It doesn’t make sense that only Koreans are special and suffer from smallpox without a trace, right?”

“Right. “Among the Koreans I’ve seen in the past, there were more than a few morels.”

The Ming Dynasty and the Japanese, who were racking their brains to solve increasingly deep questions, soon came to similar conclusions.

-Korean people know a cure for smallpox or a way to prevent it!

This story immediately reached the ears of the leaders of the Ming and Japanese countries, and messengers from the Ming and Japanese countries immediately rushed to Hanseong.

-If there is a cure or way to prevent smallpox, please let me know!

At that time, King Sejong and the ministers of the government had a heated argument for and against the request of the Ming and Japanese countries.

– Although there is a benefactor from the past, these are countries that are currently in a relationship. Since it is a matter related to human life, it is right to inform them.

– Both countries are countries that may turn into enemies at any moment. Doing something helpful to those countries is an act of betrayal!

Because both sides had good reasons, the conclusion was not easy to come to.

In this situation, the person who stepped forward was Hyang.

“I think it’s a good idea to let them know.”

Hyang’s argument was exactly this.

– It is true that both countries are countries that can turn into enemies at any moment. However, many Ming and Japanese people already live in Joseon.

– And we vaccinate against cowpox every year. Accordingly, they will soon learn that cowpox inoculation is the way to prevent smallpox.

– Of course, you may not find out right away that the medicine used for inoculation is cowpox, but you will find out if you put in the effort. This is because there was a history of implementing the capitation law during the Yuan Dynasty, and there are also a small number of documents recording cases of cowpox.

-Lastly, if this is known and at the same time spread widely through the Joseon superiors, the people of the Ming and Japanese countries will deeply admire our Joseon.

King Sejong and the ministers accepted Hyang’s opinion and informed the Ming and Japanese countries of the method of inoculating cowpox.

Of course, it was also natural to spread the word through his superiors at the same time.

And it was natural that Joseon was talked about among the people of the Ming and Japanese countries.

“There was a method like this?”

“and! After all, Joseon is amazing!”

As Hyang expected, the people of Ming and Japanese countries became more favorable to Joseon. No, it has changed into something more than that.

“They say there is a stone in Joseon that can light up by just pouring water on it.”

“okay? I want to know what that stone is. “Wouldn’t you be able to make big rocks if you dig them up and sell them?”

“I heard it wasn’t a rock dug from the ground, but something made by a person?”

“Is that possible?”

“They said the Crown Prince of Joseon had artisans make it?”

“That’s amazing….”

“Why? “I heard that a cart made of iron carries people without oxen or horses?”

“Oh no way!”

The people of the Ming and Japanese kingdoms, who had been in doubt, let out exclamations of exclamation when the rumor was confirmed to be true.

“Joseon is truly amazing!”

“They say people in the western region call Joseon ‘the country of flowers.’”

“’Land of Flowers’….”

Those who were pondering the word ‘Land of Flowers’ muttered under their breath.

“Can’t I live in Joseon too?”

“I want to live in Joseon.”

* * *

This reaction was similar in the Middle East and Europe.

Even in the Middle East and Europe, smallpox was a frequent and fatal disease.

In particular, smallpox outbreaks occurred frequently in the Mediterranean region due to the importation of large quantities of slaves from Africa.

If something like this happened near Alexandria or Suez Aden, it was natural for the Koreans present to help.

And as Joseon transformed into an empire and international students and professors from Europe began to arrive in earnest, the number of people questioning it increased.

“Isn’t that strange? “Why isn’t smallpox prevalent in the Empire?”

“Isn’t that why a separate quarantine center was created at the port?”

“That’s the way it is on the sea road. But isn’t the only way to the empire by sea? How are we going to block the land route?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay to block important areas on land with fortresses and set up quarantine centers?”

“Have you forgotten the siege of Kapaa Port all those years ago? “What would you do if a body that died of smallpox was catapulted?”

“That’s true, but…”

It was only natural that the international students and professors who put their heads together to think about it came to the conclusion that “there exists a cure.”

And they appealed jointly to Xiang, who was the emperor at the time.

-I appeal to His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Korean Federal Empire.

When the small people came to the empire, they saw that the people of this great empire were living without worrying about smallpox.

This may be because of the blessings of Almighty God and the selection of His Majesty the Great Emperor, as well as because there is a way to cure smallpox.

I kneel down and cry and plead with you.

If there is a cure or way to prevent smallpox, please have mercy and share your knowledge.

If your Majesty, who rules this great empire, shows mercy, all of Europe will praise your name, and all the poets of Europe will write poems in your honor. Moreover, not only the people of Europe but also all the monarchs of Europe will adore your great majesty.

Hyang, who read the petition for life extension from international students and professors, muttered with a bitter smile.

“I wrote it at a very long time.”

After putting down the petition and thinking for a moment, Hyang soon came to a conclusion.

“It is already known to both the Ming and Japanese countries, and the Ming and Europe are also entering into trade in earnest. If you do it wrong, it can only be a good thing. “I should tell you.”

Hyang, who had decided to teach the Jongdu method, muttered with a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry Mr. Jenner, but what do you know? “Did I make one or two mistakes?”

It was a scent that had suddenly become a model of irresponsibility.