Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 222

222. Distant Ocean Fleet (2)

Though they grumbled, “How long will this take?”, Hyang and the Joseon navy did their best to expedite the process.

As soon as they confirmed the potential of the new ships, the navy accelerated the construction of the shipyard in Wonsan. They didn’t just speed up construction; they also began making thorough preparations so that work could begin immediately upon the shipyard’s completion.

Hyang and the navy weren’t only focused on the construction of the shipyard. They also paid attention to training the sailors who would operate the new warships.

“We can’t simply train them with existing battleships or panokseons [traditional Korean warships].”

At Hyang’s words, the officials of the Ministry of War, starting with Jo Mal-saeng, and the naval commanders nodded.

“I agree. However, the problem is that we only have the Challenger at our disposal for training right now.”

“I have something in mind.”

Hyang placed a paper scroll he had brought on the table and unrolled it.

“What is this?”

“It’s a mock training ship. To put it simply, it’s like a ship cut in half and placed on land.”

“Hmm…”

At Hyang’s explanation, the officials of the Ministry of War and the naval commanders carefully examined the blueprint.

The naval commanders, who had been studying the blueprint for a while, voiced their opinions first.

“It seems good. Although we’re training on land, becoming familiar with the structure through this will allow us to adapt quickly when we board a real ship.”

“I agree with that as well.”

When all the naval commanders agreed, Jo Mal-saeng spoke.

“The problem is where to build it. If we think about the immediate future, it would be good to install it in Namyang, but if we think about the long term, wouldn’t Wonsan be better?”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s words, the Jeolla naval commander pointed out a problem.

“That’s right. However, the Wonsan shipyard faces delays in constructing not only the dry dock but also the auxiliary facilities.”

The Gyeongsang naval commander raised an objection to the Jeolla naval commander’s point.

“Wouldn’t there be a problem with the budget if we built training facilities in both places? The Ministry of Finance won’t allow it.”

At the Gyeongsang naval commander’s point, Hyang and everyone else, including Jo Mal-saeng, nodded.

“That’s the problem…”

All the ministries of the Joseon court—especially the Ministry of War, which only spent money and didn’t earn any—were wary of the Ministry of Finance.

So much so that the saying, ‘In Joseon, the one below the king and above all others is not the Chief State Councillor, but the Minister of Finance,’ was openly circulating in the bureaucracy.

Of course, Kim Jeom would burst out shouting whenever he heard these rumors.

“Which idiot is spreading such nonsense? Does someone want to be poisoned? No, honestly, have you ever seen someone above all others suffering from overtime every day? Have you?”

However, the authority of the Ministry of Finance, which controlled the purse strings, was immense. Even Hyang had to be mindful of the Minister of Finance at times.

“Father, the budget…”

Whenever these words came out, Sejong would immediately look at Kim Jeom. Depending on Kim Jeom’s expression, it would be decided whether to say, ‘Is that so? Let’s think about it,’ or ‘Get out, you rascal!’ So Hyang found himself watching Kim Jeom’s every move.

Therefore, Hyang could only shrug his shoulders when he heard rumors about the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Even in the 21st century, the most powerful central government officials work in finance.”

* * *

When Hyang was taking a major class at university, the professor said this.

“What’s the power of finance officials like? Let me give you an example. The Kwantung Army [Japanese army group], which even the Imperial General Headquarters looked down on, welcomed the budget manager of the Ministry of Finance with a parade. Do you understand what this means?”

The students in the class all burst out laughing at the professor’s words. The professor concluded with the following words.

“The saying that time and budget rule the world is not a joke.”

* * *

In the end, Hyang was given the choice of ‘where to build the training facility.’ After a moment of consideration, Hyang immediately came to a conclusion.

“Let’s build it in Wonsan. After all, the only place where the Challenger and other distant ocean ships can comfortably train properly is the East Sea [Sea of Japan].”

“Understood.”

There were no objections from the attendees to Hyang’s decision.

Confirming that no one objected, Hyang turned to Jo Mal-saeng.

“Then, let’s report this to His Majesty as it is.”

“Yes. I will organize it into a document soon.”

Hyang always showed a genius-like talent for passing on work.

* * *

Sejong, after confirming the contents that had come up through the Ministry of War, immediately approved it.

“Implement it immediately.”

“Thank you for your grace!”

As Jo Mal-saeng bowed and answered, Kim Jeom stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, the budget going into the Ministry of War is increasing more and more.”

At Kim Jeom’s words, which subtly opposed the plan, Sejong waved his hand.

“Of course, it costs a lot of money, but wouldn’t it be cheaper than losing a ship due to the mistakes of sailors who haven’t been properly trained?”

“Your words are wise!”

As Jo Mal-saeng answered in a loud voice, Kim Jeom had to shut his mouth.

* * *

With Sejong’s approval, facilities were quickly being built in Wonsan.

When the facilities were completed, Hyang and the officials headed to Wonsan to inspect the situation.

“They really cut a ship in half and put it up there.”

The naval officials who saw the completed facilities all said the same thing.

The facility built for the training of sailors was completed in the shape of a ship with the bottom of the hull and one side of the outer wall removed.

Hyang, who saw the completed facility, muttered with a satisfied expression.

“Watching making-of films of dramas and movies helps at times like this?”

As Hyang said, the training facility built in Wonsan was created by bringing in the concept of a set built to film the interior in movies or dramas.

In the training ground, which was made so that the inside could be seen clearly, a space for instructors was created to match the height of the deck. The purpose was for the instructors to observe the movements of the sailors and conduct training in that space.

After finishing the inspection of the facilities, Hyang turned to the officials.

“Then, let’s start.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s command, the instructors put the sailors who would receive training into the facility.

“Raise the anchor and hoist the sails!”

At the command of the instructor with a megaphone to his mouth, shouts echoed from all directions.

“Raise the anchor and hoist the sails!”

The sailors who received the order ran to the parts they were in charge of.

The sailors who headed to the bow grabbed the handles of the capstan, which looked like a large horizontal wheel.

“Turn it!”

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho!”

While the sailors holding the handles turned the capstan in unison, raising the anchor, other sailors began to diligently turn the pulleys connected to the masts.

Squeak! Squeak!

As the sailors turned the pulleys, the yards [spars on a mast from which sails are set] holding the sails began to rise along the masts one by one.

This was Hyang’s experimental challenge.

In a traditional galleon, the yards holding the sails would have been raised when the ship was first built and then remained fixed to the masts. And in order to unfurl or furl the sails, sailors would have to climb the masts and hang on the yards to unfurl or furl the sails.

However, Hyang thought this looked very dangerous.

“If the waves ripple even a little, it’s easy to become disabled or die, right?”

Therefore, Hyang applied the Eastern method to this sail part. It was to use pulleys to pull the yards holding the sails up to the masts.

Of course, the sail itself was a Western-style sail, but the driving method was a compromise between Eastern and Western styles.

After fixing the yards to the masts in this way, the direction of the sails was adjusted using pulleys and ropes. This was a common method in both the East and the West.

Watching the actual sails being raised, Hyang muttered to himself.

“Whether it’s better to hang the yards and unfurl the sails or to pull up the yards with the sails attached, I don’t know, but the next version will definitely be better. The problem is…”

Hyang’s face became even more serious.

“Sailing ships require too much manpower.”

Hyang desperately racked his brains to reduce the number of sailors needed for operation. The active use of pulleys was for that reason. However, in order to reduce the fatigue of the sailors, a somewhat generous number of crew members was necessary. And sailing ships required a considerable number of sailors.

As the anchor was raised and the sails were fully unfurled, the instructors checked the time. The instructors, who checked the time using hourglasses made as the supply of glass became more common, talked to each other.

“It took 3 gak (about 45 minutes).”

“It’s taking too long, isn’t it?”

The instructors were not happy that it took 3 gak to prepare for departure by unfurling 6 sails on 2 masts and raising a 20-guan (about 75kg) anchor chain.

“It’s reasonable to see it as being slow because they haven’t gotten used to it yet. Then let’s take a look at the bombardment battle.”

“Yes!”

The instructors bowed and answered at the command of the training commander.

Jingle~

After a while, a loud gong rang and shouts erupted.

“Enemy ship sighted! Prepare for battle!”

“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”

Once again, shouts popped out from here and there, and the sailors moved busily. The sailors who had been wrestling with pulleys and ropes on the first floor deck scattered in an instant and began preparing for battle.

The doors of the warehouse at the stern of the first floor deck opened, and small swivel guns and gun shields were carried out and placed on the fixed gun carriages made on the deck. At each gun carriage that had been properly assembled, the gunnery chief shouted.

“Ready! Bring the gunpowder and jolan bullets [cannonballs with added spikes]!”

While they were moving like that on the first floor, they were also moving busily on the second floor deck.

“Open the powder magazine!”

When the door of the powder magazine, which had been tightly closed for safety, was opened, the waiting sailors received bags containing propellant gunpowder and ran to their assigned cannons.

Meanwhile, sailors were also moving busily around the cannons separated by bulkheads. The lids of the boxes containing iron balls that had been taken out in advance for immediate use were opened, and the gunnery chiefs checked the condition of the cannon primers.

Other sailors waited for the gunpowder with loading rods in their hands to load gunpowder and iron balls into the cannons.

“Set the distance to maximum!”

At the command of the military officer commanding the cannons, the gunnery chief adjusted the angle of the barrel by turning the handle on the carriage.

“Gunpowder is here!”

When a soldier holding bags of gunpowder in both hands arrived, the gunnery chief grabbed one of the gunpowder bags, poked it with a skewer, and handed it to the soldier in charge of loading.

When the loading of gunpowder and the loading of iron balls were completed in that way, the sailors pulled the thick rope connecting the carriage and the ribs of the hull. As the rope was pulled, the carriage moved to the firing position and was fixed.

Finally, the gunnery chief, after inserting the primer into the firing device and pulling the hammer, grabbed the firing cord connected to the hammer and shouted loudly.

“Ready!”

“Fire!”

At the same time as the repetition, the gunnery chiefs pulled the firing cords.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, iron balls were fired from the cannons, and after a while, pillars of water rose in the distant East Sea.

The instructor, who counted the number of water pillars with a monocular telescope, reported to the training commander.

“All fired without any problems.”

“Really? What’s the time?”

“A little less than half a gak.”

The training commander sighed softly at the instructor’s report after checking the hourglass.

“Hoo~. At least the battle preparation was fast. We have a long way to go.”

The training commander, who had made an assessment, turned around. The high-ranking officials, including Hyang, would be making an assessment in the upper seats in the back.

“I hope they see it favorably…”

The commander was worried in advance about the fault that the high-ranking officials would find.