There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 9

My Joseon Has No Sejong – 9 (9/468)

Collecting Slaves

Explosion is art.

Military Supplies Officer Choi Hae-san believed so.

Saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal.

Things that seem to have nothing to do with fire gather to create a huge flame.

There are plenty of pretentious people who write poems in this Joseon land, but Choi Hae-san thought the flames created by gunpowder were a hundred times better than such poor poetry, calligraphy, and painting.

The heat and roar of the explosion made him tremble like a bachelor meeting a maiden from the neighborhood at a mill [a common meeting place for young, unmarried people].

Therefore, the Prince’s outrage was unacceptable.

‘It’s not an easy field that a young master who doesn’t know anything can handle.’

Choi Hae-san didn’t even bother to unfold the paper the Prince had given him.

When he was learning gunpowder under his father, Choi Mu-seon, there was such a person.

He pretended to design diligently, but in the end, he was just making toys for his own satisfaction.

What the Prince made would be nothing more than that.

However, he was actually a little interested in the concept of a hand cannon that the Prince had suggested, a size that an individual could carry around.

‘Well, shall I show off my skills for a while?’

After several nights of deliberation, he finally came up with a satisfactory item.

It was a gun barrel made of bronze alloy with a wooden handle, ignited with a fuse to fire.

‘It would be impossible for all soldiers to use it, as the Prince requested.’

Anyway, would the Prince be able to recognize that?

Choi Hae-san, after producing a suitable prototype, left for Hanyang [the capital of Joseon] at the behest of His Majesty.

When Choi Hae-san returned to the Military Supplies Office after seeing to his affairs in Hanyang,

Choi Hae-san was bound by the hands of his subordinate blacksmiths.

The blacksmiths’ strong hands firmly gripped Choi Hae-san’s body.

Choi Hae-san shouted in embarrassment.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Do you know how much we suffered because the Chief Officer disobeyed the Prince’s orders? How could you ruin what he told you to do?”

“The Prince is coming, so stay still, Chief Officer!”

‘D-Did these guys eat something wrong?’

There was a difference in status between officials and blacksmiths, but how could the guys who had been eating from the same pot betray him?

And look at those eyes.

Even when mentioning the nine-year-old Prince, doesn’t a feeling of reverence pass by?

“The gun I made is definitely something that didn’t exist before! It’s good enough to be used by the military! Handling firearms is dangerous, so how could I follow the Prince’s design exactly?”

“Make your excuses in front of the Prince!”

While Choi Hae-san was sweating and making excuses, a song could be heard from outside the Military Supplies Office.

“Having met this dusty world~ What is your hope~”

– Creak

A kid, preceded by a eunuch, comes in as the door of the Military Supplies Office opens.

“If you enjoy wealth and glory~ Will your heart be satisfied~”

It was a song he had never heard before, but the somehow mournful melody seemed to foreshadow his fate.

“Nice to meet you.”

The Prince opened his mouth.

“It’s the second time I’ve seen you.”

Choi Hae-san swallowed hard.

===

Clearly, until I arrived at the Military Supplies Office, I was seriously worried.

‘How do I mess with him so that the rumors spread that he’s been properly messed with?’

Should I follow the precedent of my grandfather returning the Goryeo Wang clan to the West Sea Dragon King, their ancestor [a euphemism for banishment or death]?

‘Concrete is a problem, but it can be replaced sufficiently.’

Roman cement, which was used in modern times, is not difficult to make.

Without complicated ingredients, just mix lime with clay and bake it at a high temperature, then mix it with water in a 5:2 ratio, and you’re done.

That’s why they used it for construction purposes in Africa.

So, it’s not that difficult for me to send this arrogant Chief Officer to the Dragon King via express delivery.

“What’s your name?”

“Choi, Hae-san, Your Highness.”

But the moment I heard his name, I felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer.

“Choi Hae-san?”

I wasn’t a hardcore history buff like Jinhyuk, but I knew this name.

That’s because he was the son of Choi Mu-seon─

‘He was also on ‘The Land of the Morning’ after all [likely a reference to a historical drama or documentary].’

He definitely showed his face as a role manufacturing gunpowder.

He was a great man in his own way.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Choi Hae-san shook off the blacksmiths who were holding his arms, then hurriedly prostrated himself in front of me.

“What I offered was definitely different from Your Highness’s design, but it was something that could be used sufficiently!”

‘Hmm.’

There was some truth in Choi Hae-san’s words.

I know that the Seungja Chongtong [a type of hand cannon], which he made instead of a matchlock gun – although it doesn’t have that name yet – only came out during the reign of King Seonjo.

Rather, the fact that he created the Seungja Chongtong, the final evolution of the hand cannon, just by hearing the concept of a personal firearm, is proof that he is no ordinary talent.

I said with feigned gravity.

“But that’s not what I wanted. Didn’t you see the design of the matchlock gun?”

“T-That is······.”

Choi Hae-san squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them wide.

Then he raised his head and shouted.

“To be honest, I didn’t trust it!”

Choi Hae-san said.

“I have been handling firearms under my father for over 10 years before reaching my current level. But Your Highness has never professionally learned about gunpowder, have you? Should I have risked the lives of these blacksmiths just by trusting Your Highness’s design?”

“······.”

So, it wasn’t something he did on purpose to screw me over.

Well, now the blacksmiths are following me strangely well, but before Choi Hae-san’s trolling, I don’t think they were like that from the beginning.

Because the Military Supplies Office is a place where it wouldn’t be strange to die if things went wrong.

But Choi Hae-san’s confident attitude was rather annoying.

“You think I know less about gunpowder or firearms than you?”

“I am sorry to say, but that is definitely the case.”

Choi Hae-san simply raised his head stiffly.

It was an attitude that reached the sky with pride as the successor of the famous Choi Mu-seon.

“Nobun.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Nobun skillfully loaded the matchlock gun and handed it to me.

I lit the flint on the match and pulled the trigger.

At the same time, the lit match touched the powder pan and caused an explosion.

– Bang!

The edge of the Military Supplies Office’s signboard was hit by a bullet and shattered.

‘······This wasn’t intentional.’

But it’s already done.

I nonchalantly handed the matchlock gun to Choi Hae-san.

“Isn’t this much better than the Seungja Chongtong, where you have to wait for the wick to burn out?”

“Seungja, Chongtong?”

“I’m talking about the gun you made.”

Choi Hae-san blinked, seeing that he had given it a name without even knowing it, but he seemed more surprised by the power of the matchlock gun.

“The projectile isn’t an arrow either.”

“It’s this lead bullet. It’s much easier to carry. Doesn’t it fit the ‘firearm that can be used by an individual’ much better?”

I said, raising the conical warhead.

“T-This can’t be happening.”

Choi Hae-san collapsed.

It was a natural reaction to see that the gun made by the young child he had been secretly belittling was superior to his own gun.

‘I’m your senior in this field.’

I crossed my legs.

“I have already shown a demonstration to the Grand Royal Father and His Majesty. Both of them acknowledged the power of this matchlock gun. You dared to interfere with the creation of such a precious item, so you wouldn’t have anything to say even if you were severely punished, would you?”

At this time, when he is receiving the full trust of Yi Bang-won [the Prince’s father, later King Taejong], it wouldn’t be impossible to put him in the Uigeumbu prison [a Joseon-era law enforcement agency] on the charge of ‘jealousy of the Prince and obstruction of the development of the matchlock gun’ with just a little bit of MSG [exaggeration or embellishment].

And the Uigeumbu is a place that can do everything except turn a man into a woman.

Choi Hae-san’s chin trembled as if he had noticed that.

Power is good.

I said leisurely, interlacing my fingers.

“But I am generous. I will give you a chance to repent.”

If I blow Choi Hae-san away, my heart will be refreshed, but there’s nothing to gain.

I’m not a psychopath, so why would I?

However, if I show mercy to Choi Hae-san, who is the real power in the Military Supplies Office, it will be of great help to me in the future.

‘The Military Supplies Office is essential for future research and development.’

“I will do anything Your Highness tells me to do.”

He was properly hooked.

No matter how proud Choi Hae-san is, he can’t help but react to this.

You are now Slave No. 2 after Nobun.

I looked at the newly acquired slave and thought.

‘Where should I use this?’

But before that, there was one thing I was curious about.

What brought Choi Hae-san, who is in the Gaeseong Military Supplies Office, to Hanyang on a business trip.

“What did you go to Hanyang for?”

Choi Hae-san answered my question.

“I went to Hanyang at the behest of His Majesty to examine the situation there. I went to report how much public works and resources would be needed when building palaces and buildings and laying roads in the future······.”

So that was the purpose of going to Hanyang.

I could guess why my father gave that order.

“Is it for the re-establishment of the capital in Hanyang?”

“How dare I fathom His Majesty’s intentions, but I think that’s probably the case.”

‘As expected, he’s slowly starting the groundwork from now on.’

Well, the return to Gaeseong was the will of King Jeongjong, the former king, not my father’s will.

He is working on returning to Hanyang as history will record in a few years.

‘Hmm, this.’

It seems like it will be quite interesting.

“But His Majesty told me to keep this a secret······.”

“Secret? Why?”

“That is, if it gets into the ears of the opposing officials before things progress, it will become noisy.”
Huh.

I’ve experienced it often when I was in modern times.

Moving the capital means that power is moving.

Naturally, there will be extreme opposition from the existing vested interests.

“The officials have been rooted in Gaeseong since the Jeonjo era and have been acting as local gentry, so who would want to return to Hanyang in the south?”

“That’s true.”

I said, stroking my chin.

My father’s intention is to re-establish the capital in Hanyang, but he has no choice but to be careful because of the opposition from these Gaegyeong faction officials.

“They make excuses that it will be difficult for the people and that a lot of finances will be consumed if the capital is moved, but in the end, they are saying it for their own benefit.”

‘The real estate crash is a serious problem.’

So the officials must defend the interests of Gaeseong to the death.

On the other hand, my situation was different.

‘My land is in Yeouido [an island in Seoul].’

It’s more beneficial for me to return to Hanyang as soon as possible.

That way, I can quickly develop Yeouido.

Opposition from Gaegyeong faction officials?

Tell them to suck it.

“These bad guys!”

I stood up, clenching my fists.

“Your Highness?”

Nobun and Choi Hae-san asked, widening their eyes.

“His Majesty is so deeply worried, but I didn’t notice at all! Although I am weak, I must help His Majesty with all my strength!”

“······.”

“Why, what.”

This is not for my personal gain.

It stems from burning filial piety.

Choi Hae-san’s eyes shone as if he had seen it differently, but Nobun looked at me with drowsy eyes.

But I lightly avoided that gaze.

“Nobun!”

“······Yes, Your Highness.”

“We need to start another job. Go and get paper and ink.”

This, if done well, could be a big hit.

Collecting Slaves End

ⓒ Pitkong