Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1038

1038. That Thrilling Name… Electricity. (6)

While the Imperial Court was keenly aware of the sudden prominence of Jewish people in the Imperial capital’s market, they were also making their presence known in another area: academia.

As the Court had already discussed, acquiring specialized academic knowledge was an expensive endeavor. However, recognition of their achievements allowed even Jewish people to earn respect. Consequently, many Jewish scholars rose to prominence. These scholars, finding a relatively secure social standing, immigrated to the Empire, drawn by the various research institutes and the Challenge Records.

Each time several types of theses, textbooks, and illustrated books intentionally leaked by Hyang and Hyeon arrived in Europe, they stirred up a storm in the European academic world. Whenever theories overturning existing conventions or doctrines emerged from the Empire, attempts were invariably made to disprove them. However, most of these attempts ended in failure. The reactions of European scholars to this were divided.

Either they acknowledged the doctrines or theories coming from the Empire, or they ignored them.

-We haven’t found any disproof, but we still can’t accept it. The theory from the Empire is wrong.

-This is a theory that has been established as the orthodox view for hundreds of years. The Empire is wrong.

These were the reactions of the dismissal and denial factions. In response, the affirmation faction criticized them with examples like this:

“Then what about heliocentrism?”

“Heliocentrism is the very symbol of a wrong theory! Geocentrism is the correct theory!”

“……Let’s not even talk about it.”

In this situation, Jewish scholars began to carefully consider immigration to the Empire.

-Even if new doctrines or theories come out of the Empire, it’s too late considering the time it takes for them to reach Europe. And the Empire doesn’t disclose everything. In other words, their intention was to access groundbreaking theories immediately by coming to the Empire. Moreover, if they could get into a research institute, they would have the advantage of receiving budget support for their research.

However, despite these advantages, they continued to deliberate and couldn’t easily make a decision.

-What if I can’t get into a research institute once I actually go to the Empire?

-Is it okay to give up all the foundations I’ve built up until now and go?

While they were wandering around, repeatedly agonizing like this, the ‘Challenge Records’ proved to be the deciding factor.

* * *

European scholars, who had tasted the challenges presented by the tasks in the Challenge Records intentionally leaked by Hyang in the past, became addicted to them.

“I want to see and challenge higher-level problems.”

While they were struggling with this desire, the introductions to the theses recording new doctrines or theories flowing out of the Empire contained words like these:

-This is the answer to a task in the Challenge Records, and its registration in the Response Records has been confirmed….

“It’s the Challenge Records after all!”

“The Challenge Records are the Holy Grail of academia!”

In this fervor, when new knowledge and discoveries such as the existence of ‘oxygen,’ ‘cells,’ ‘capillaries,’ and ‘the theory of blood circulation’ emerged, many scholars rose from their seats.

“Let’s go!”

At the movement of fellow scholars, Jewish scholars packed their bags, abandoning their previous worries.

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s move even a little faster and secure a position!”

“What if I can’t get into a research institute! If you listen to the stories, there will be opportunities to see the Challenge Records once you become an Imperial citizen, so I’ll just do research on my own!”

To seize the opportunity even a little faster, many Jewish scholars boarded ships bound for the Empire.

* * *

The Imperial Court, seeing the Jewish scholars flocking to the Empire, to Seoul, hurriedly began the screening process.

“Language isn’t a big problem…”

Most of the scholars who applied for immigration were fluent in both Jeongeum [Korean alphabet] and Imperial language [likely referring to a standardized language used within the Empire]. The reason this was possible was because of the Challenge Records.

-You have to see the original to understand it!

Next was their field of expertise and their achievements.

This was the problem. Just as the English expression for being polymathic was ‘Renaissance Man,’ their main subjects were not just one. At least two or three multiple majors were basic, and religion or mysticism was always added. Or, it was a case of religious people or mystics taking an interest in academics.

“…So, what is your major?”

“Well…”

“Hoo…….”

Every time such conversations took place, the Imperial officials in charge of the screening put their hands on their foreheads.

“This is frustrating…”

To solve this difficult problem, the officials reported to Hyeon, and Hyeon sought out Hyang. As Hyeon was heading to Sugang Palace, he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! It’s no wonder it didn’t feel unfamiliar… His Majesty is like this. Except for religion and mysticism, he’s just like His Majesty.”

Everyone around Hyeon nodded at his words. Hyang, who heard about the problem from Hyeon who had come to Sugang Palace, muttered inwardly.

‘It’s no wonder it doesn’t feel unfamiliar. I felt this way when I met the same otaku [a Japanese term for someone with obsessive interests, often in anime, manga, or video games] in the 21st century? Well, looking at the behavior of scholars before the 19th century, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them otaku.’

Hyang, nodding in agreement as he felt a sense of kinship with them, soon came up with an answer.

“Why do we have to step in? What do they want to study? It’s enough to ask them. The next step is what we have to do. We need to check how deep their knowledge in that field is and give them a professorship or a researcher position. If they’re not good enough, we can make them learn again at a school or academy.”

“They are people who were quite famous as scholars, so there will be strong resistance if we tell them to learn again.”

“Then tell them to go back. Did we drag them here? Aren’t they the ones who wanted to come? It’s ridiculous that they resist when we say their learning is too shallow to give them the position they want.”

It was a cold remark, but it was the right thing to say. Hyeon nodded and accepted Hyang’s words.

“I think that’s the best way to do it.”

Through the revised screening process according to Hyang’s suggestion, the scholars’ positions were determined. Thanks to the fact that they were scholars with some reputation, most of them were assigned professorships or researcher positions. As a large number of people flowed in like this, the officials assigned to the research institute suffered from overwork.

Starting with the expansion of buildings, all sorts of things that cost money greatly increased, and the amount of correspondence sent to acquaintances or relatives in Europe increased, so the amount of censorship increased several times.

* * *

As the number of personnel increased in this way, the research institute moved more actively and began to produce more and more results. The most noticeable thing was that the number of cases in which several departments joined hands and conducted joint work increased. A prime example was the case where the department studying electricity, the chemistry department, and the mathematics department worked together.

New combinations of alloys became necessary in the process of creating, storing, and transmitting electricity. And for this, the cooperation of the chemistry department was essential. And in order to properly express the properties and capabilities of electricity, formulas were absolutely necessary.

As already mentioned, they were polymaths, so at first, only the scholars studying electricity were devoted to the work. However, the more they dug into it, the more difficult it became to do it alone, and cooperation with other departments became essential. And as time passed, more progressive results began to emerge.

When the pace of development of the Empire’s science and technology was gradually accelerating, unexpected, or rather, unavoidable victims began to appear. They were the students attending schools and the students attending various academies. Up to the Samin Academy, they learned only basic arithmetic as before. However, those who entered academies such as Gihak Academy [likely an academy focused on practical skills] or Junghak Academy [likely a general studies academy], or academies such as the Engineering Academy or the Medical Academy, had to learn increasingly complex and difficult formulas.

Those who suffered the most in this situation were those who were challenging to become officials. In the past, aspiring officials only had to study the classics, but after the Empire became an empire, it became mandatory to enter the Sanhak Academy [likely an academy focused on mathematics and science].

“No, it’s hard enough to study the classics properly, but mathematics! Mathematics!”

“Even in my grandfather’s time, mathematics was just a pastime, but it’s mandatory! Mandatory!”

“No, it’s enough to be good at adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing! Why do we need these complicated formulas! What’s a function? And why do we have to draw pictures!”

The teachers and senior officials who taught them could only smile bitterly at the screams of the aspiring officials.

“It’s necessary.”

“If you don’t do it well, you’ll always be working overtime, and promotion will be far away. Ah, were you always working overtime anyway?”

And at some point, it was no longer just aspiring officials who were saying these things.

“No! I’m just thinking of working at the Chamber of Commerce, so why do I have to learn this mathematics! Isn’t it enough to be good at calculating and write the ledger without mistakes! Why do I suddenly have to learn this strange thing called ‘statistics’!”

“What’s double-entry bookkeeping!”

As the Empire’s society changed like this, more and more people entered the Sanhak Academy. The problem was that the number of Sanhak Academies was limited. Therefore, the entrance competition to enter the Sanhak Academy became increasingly fierce. Sensing the problem with the overheated atmosphere, the Court announced countermeasures after discussion.

-Academies such as the Sanhak Academy are places to train professional scholars who will work in research institutes.

-Generally, a scholar is someone who devotes his life to the field of study he has chosen.

-Therefore, additional expansion of the Sanhak Academy is impossible.

-Therefore, we will train teachers to teach mathematics and place them in Junghak Academies throughout the Empire. In addition, we will also allow private schools.

-We will stipulate by law the minimum level of knowledge that those in charge of teaching must possess and the standards for the place where teaching will take place, and we will issue private school permits to those who meet these standards.

-After that, passing the national mathematics exam will give you the same qualifications as graduating from the Sanhak Academy.

Not long after the Empire’s public announcement was made, requests to apply for private schools flooded in from all over the Empire. In response, the Court sent out officials to carefully examine and then grant permission. In this process, a new profession was created.

It was a mathematics teacher.

At first, they were mainly retired researchers from the Sanhak Academy, but as time passed, retired scholars or scholars who could not enter the research institute became teachers. It was, in a way, a blessing that scholars became teachers. Because they were familiar with teaching students in Europe or the Middle East, they skillfully guided the students of the academy.

However, it was still a hardship for those who were learning. Because the level of those who learned mathematics at Junghak Academy and private schools while learning from teachers who were more advanced personnel than expected increased, and as a chain reaction, the level of classes at Sanhak Academy also increased. Hyang, who heard the related story, stroked his chest and sighed in relief.

“Hoo~. I never knew that it would be so good to be destined to have someone who has learned do it.”

In the early days, Hyang had to step in and do all sorts of calculations. However, as time passed, Hyang only came up with ideas and basic designs, and others took charge of precision designs based on accurate calculations. And after getting Da Vinci, Hyang only came up with ideas.

“What if you don’t like it? I’m the Supreme Emperor?”