Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 280

280. Choo-Choo! (1)

With the new rifle incident behind them, a month passed.

Area 51, Workshop 3.

In front of the workshop, where large machinery was primarily built, Hyang, along with researchers and key figures from Area 51, had gathered.

It was the scorching heat of midday in midsummer, but the fervor of the people gathered was even hotter.

“It’s coming out!”

As the workshop door opened and the master craftsman shouted, everyone’s eyes focused on the open door.

Chik! Chiiik! Choo-choo!

With the loud sound of steam escaping, a cart with a steam engine began to emerge from the workshop.

“Oh! It’s moving! It’s moving!”

“Waaaah!”

The researchers and craftsmen cheered as they watched the cart move.

Even the soldiers guarding the perimeter, seeing such a novel piece of machinery for the first time, stared wide-eyed at the cart’s movement.

“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! It’s finally moving!”

Everyone gathered there was happy, but the happiest of all was Grand Prince Jinpyeong.

Overjoyed, Jinpyeong forgot all decorum, grabbed Hyang’s arm, and jumped up and down.

“This is just the beginning! We just need to lay railroads across all of Joseon and run that self-propelled cart!”

“Not yet.”

“Yes?”

Hyang pointed to the cart and continued,

“We’ve only confirmed that it moves; we haven’t even checked if it performs as expected.”

“Ah….”

At Hyang’s words, Jinpyeong nodded with a disappointed expression. However, Jinpyeong quickly regained his energy and shouted with a confident face,

“The performance will be perfect! I’m sure of it!”

“Really? Doesn’t seem like it, considering what happened recently?”

Hyang, narrowing his eyes, asked with a dubious voice, and Jinpyeong’s face turned red as he shouted,

“Ah, Hyung-nim! That was a mistake!”

* * *

A few days before the prototype of the steam locomotive was completed, Hyang and Jinpyeong were talking in Donggung Palace [the Crown Prince’s residence].

The topic of their conversation was, of course, the steam locomotive.

“The self-propelled cart with a steam engine will be completed soon. We must prepare and execute the railroad construction in advance.”

“The actual thing hasn’t even come out yet, and its performance hasn’t been confirmed either. It’s not too late to think about the railroad construction issue after that.”

“Your Highness!”

“Are you going to persuade Father and Minister Kim of the Ministry of Finance?”

At Hyang’s question, Jinpyeong’s mouth clamped shut like a clam.

“By the way, it’s very hot today. Eunuch, can you bring some iced water?”

“I’ll bring it!”

As soon as Hyang finished speaking, Jinpyeong went outside. Seeing this, Hyang burst into a smile.

“I guess he was scared to face Father.”

Jinpyeong was no match for Sejong and Minister Kim of the Ministry of Finance. Jinpyeong knew this well and was trying to get Hyang on his side.

After a while, Jinpyeong returned to Hyang with a glass of iced water.

“Your Highness! The water is very cool! Please drink it quickly! It might overflow if the ice melts!”

“Thank….”

Hyang, about to say thank you as he received the glass from Jinpyeong, suddenly stopped all actions and looked at Jinpyeong.

“What’s wrong?”

“Go to the research institute right now and study physics again.”

“Yes?”

“Figure out what was wrong with what you just said and report back. Get out!”

“Yes? Yes?”

“Tsk!”

As Hyang’s expression turned fierce, Jinpyeong quickly ran out of Hyang’s room.

Hyang, placing the glass with condensation on the desk, put his hand on his forehead and muttered.

“Even though he’s supposed to be an engineering student… he doesn’t even know what I, a liberal arts student, knows…. I’m worried about whether the locomotive will come out properly. No, that’s secondary. Is that how Joseon became like that because a guy like that staged a coup? Well, that won’t happen this time, right? Should I start worrying too?”

Hyang suddenly began to worry about many things because of Jinpyeong, who had forgotten the most basic knowledge about volume.

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, Jinpyeong—later renamed Grand Prince Suyang—was evaluated as lacking literary talent but excelling in martial arts.

However, Teacher Samcheonpo evaluated him differently.

-Would a person lacking literary talent participate in creating Seokbo Sangjeol [a biography of Buddha compiled by Sejong’s son]? That evaluation comes out because it’s based on his father and brother!

Whether Teacher Samcheonpo’s evaluation was correct, Jinpyeong submitted a letter of apology to Hyang that evening.

* * *

While Hyang was teasing Jinpyeong about what had happened, the steam locomotive that had come out of the workshop slowly moved forward and backward along the pre-installed tracks. It was checking the condition before going up to the test tracks installed along the border of Area 51.

“How is it?”

At Hyang’s question, the craftsman who was controlling the locomotive immediately answered,

“There are no problems!”

“Really? Then let’s start the full-scale test.”

As Hyang’s permission was given, the steam locomotive went up to the test tracks.

The full-scale test had begun.

* * *

As the results of the continued tests came out positively, Hyang formally reported to Sejong.

“A self-propelled cart using a steam engine has been completed?”

“Yes, Father.”

At Hyang’s report, Sejong immediately came down from the study.

“Then I must go and see it.”

“Your Majesty! The official duties….”

The ministers, surprised, stood up and tried to stop Sejong, but Sejong simply replied,

“Can’t I do them after going? It’s not like coming home late is a new thing, is it?”

“That’s true….”

The ministers, answering with watery voices, reluctantly got up from their seats and followed Sejong.

* * *

As they approached ‘Area 51,’ Sejong looked back at Hyang.

“It seems to be getting wider and wider.”

At Sejong’s remark, Hyang looked embarrassed.

As the reforms progressed, and the types, quantities, and sizes of the items being produced and tested in Area 51 increased, Area 51 was steadily growing in size.

Initially, it started by occupying about half of the southern area of ​​Hanseong [old name for Seoul], but now its area had expanded beyond the fortress walls to about half of Yongsan Field.

If viewed from the sky, Area 51 surrounded everything except the eastern slope of Mount Mokmyeok (Namsan) [a mountain in Seoul].

“The size of the machinery being made and tested is getting bigger and bigger, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“Are you not thinking of making additional facilities in other places?”

“Communication and maintaining secrecy are difficult.”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong clicked his tongue.

“Truly, nothing is easy.”

* * *

Sejong and the ministers who arrived at Area 51 admired the iron horse.

“Seeing it covered in iron armor, it looks very sturdy!”

“The sound of that steam escaping is like a ferocious beast breathing!”

As Sejong observed the steam locomotive against the backdrop of the ministers’ exclamations, he asked Hyang.

“How much does it weigh?”

“900 kwan (approximately 3.4 tons) [kwan is an old Korean unit of weight].”

“It’s heavier than it looks!”

Sejong was surprised at the weight, which was much heavier than its size, so Hyang explained the reason.

“That’s because everything is made of iron.”

“Is that so? Then how much can it carry?”

“Including the weight of the carts that can be connected, it’s 2,500 kwan (approximately 9.4 tons).”

“It’s strong too! So how fast can it run?”

“It can travel 90 li (approximately 36 km) [li is an old Korean unit of distance] in half an hour with 2,500 kwan attached.”

“The speed is good too!”

Sejong exclaimed as he listened to Hyang’s explanation. Meanwhile, Kim Jeom, who was listening to Hyang’s explanation from behind, began to shine his eyes menacingly.

‘Huh? If I do this right, I can make money?’

Sejong, carefully examining the freight cars and passenger cars connected to the steam locomotive, looked back at Hyang.

“Can it move now?”

“Yes. Would you like to take a ride?”

“Good!”

Sejong answered as if he had been waiting for it, and Hyang guided Sejong and the ministers to the passenger car.

“The inside is simple.”

Sejong calmly commented after seeing the interior of the passenger car, where wooden bench chairs were arranged in two rows.

“I plan to divide the passenger car section into classes later.”

“Divide into classes? Like thatched-roof houses and tiled-roof houses? Then you’ll charge different fares too?”

“Yes.”

Sejong, nodding at Hyang’s answer, looked back at Kim Jeom.

“Minister of Finance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Later, when this machinery travels around the country, do some research on what to do.”

“I obey your command.”

Kim Jeom answered excitedly. Even from the moment Hyang said, ‘Divide into classes,’ his head was spinning furiously.

‘I can hear the sound of money coming in!’

* * *

The train carrying Sejong, Hyang, and the ministers circled the test track in Area 51 twice.

“Uweeck!”

Many of the ministers who got off the train after finishing the test run began to vomit as soon as they set foot on the ground.

And the scribes recorded all of this.

It was ‘officially recorded motion sickness.’

Sejong, getting out of the passenger car with a slightly pale face, looked back at Hyang.

“I feel a little dizzy. This part needs to be improved.”

“We are currently researching it.”

“Be sure to improve it.”

“Yes, Father.”

Sejong, repeatedly urging Hyang, moved on to the next topic.

“By the way, has the official name for this self-propelled cart been decided?”

“Not yet. Please decide it, Father.”

Sejong, pondering for a moment at Hyang’s request, soon found a suitable name.

“It carries many people and cargo and moves quickly, so ‘Iron Horse (鐵馬)’ would be fitting.”

“That’s a very good name.”

“That’s right!”

When Sejong named it ‘Iron Horse,’ Hyang and the ministers all bowed their heads and responded that it was a good name.

‘People’s thoughts are all the same….’

Hyang, who responded first, muttered inwardly.

* * *

After the test ride of the Iron Horse and returning to the palace, Sejong and the ministers soon shared their opinions on how to use the Iron Horse.

“I certainly think it’s a useful piece of machinery, but what do you think?”

“The Crown Prince said that it needs to be improved a little more, but I believe it will be useful enough in its current state.”

“That’s right. 90 li in half an hour means it goes 180 li (approximately 72 km) in one hour. Considering the amount of cargo that Iron Horse can transport at once, it can bring tremendous benefits!”

While all the ministers were giving positive answers, the most active one was Jo Mal-saeng.

“We must introduce it as soon as possible! Think about transporting troops using that Iron Horse. Soldiers can move long distances without getting tired!”

As most of the ministers gave favorable responses, Sejong looked back at Hyang.

“How long would it take to run the Iron Horse throughout Joseon?”

“It’s impossible in a short time. We should expect at least 10 years.”

“Why?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang explained the reason.

“First, it is impossible to supply the necessary iron materials with only the Anju Ironworks. The amount of iron needed to make the Iron Horse is considerable, but the amount of iron needed to lay the tracks for the Iron Horse to run on is also considerable.”

“Hmm…. That’s true.”

As Sejong nodded, Hyang explained the next reason.

“The second reason is more of a problem. It’s the rivers located in this territory of Joseon. For the simplest example, even the Han River, which flows around the south of Hanseong, must be crossed by boat.”

“That’s true.”

The air inside the main hall became heavy.

‘These people! What’s with the mood swings, like they’re going through puberty!’

Hyang, grumbling inwardly, immediately suggested an alternative.

“The bridge problem will be solved immediately once experience is gained through the road construction currently underway.

By building bridges one by one over the large and small rivers throughout Joseon and gaining experience, we will be able to build bridges over large rivers such as the Han River and the Daedong River.”

The atmosphere of Sejong and the ministers brightened a little at Hyang’s explanation. Hyang continued to explain.

“The most important thing is to train those who will operate the Iron Horse. Therefore, I suggest replacing the express carriages moving inside this Hanseong with Iron Horses.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”