Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 321

Five days later, Yi Sun-ji submitted a total of eight problems to Hwang, Jeong In-ji, and Jeong Cho.

“Please select five problems from these.”

Hwang, after receiving Yi Sun-ji’s report, turned to Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji.

“Summon all the researchers.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hwang gathered the researchers from the institute and even students learning Sanhak [mathematics]—including Princess Jeong-ui—and wrote the problems on the blackboard, then commanded:

“Let’s solve them. The time limit… Section Chief Yi?”

At Hwang’s call, Yi Sun-ji immediately responded.

“Considering their level, half a *shichen* [one *shichen* is approximately two hours, so half would be one hour] should be more than enough.”

Yi Sun-ji’s response caused everyone who had to solve the problems—even Princess Jeong-ui—to inwardly curse.

‘Ugh! That! That! Look at him setting the standard based on himself!’

‘Our level? More like his level!’

‘He’s definitely doing this on purpose! It’s definitely intentional!’

‘Ugh! If he weren’t the section chief!’

‘I’m going to tell! I’m going to tell Father!’

Sensing the atmosphere, Hwang immediately commanded:

“Then, one hour. Do your best to solve them. Begin.”

As Hwang’s command fell, people took out paper and began to solve the problems.

After two *shichen*, Hwang, Jeong Cho, Jeong In-ji, and Yi Sun-ji began grading the papers that had been submitted.

“The results are in.”

“Let’s see.”

After confirming the grading results submitted by Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji, Hwang was able to select five problems.

Hwang chose the two problems with the most correct answers, followed by the two problems with the next most correct answers, and finally, the problem with the fewest correct answers. Then, Hwang spoke to Jeong Cho about the tasks ahead.

“Let’s print these selected problems as posters and attach them to the walls of government offices nationwide.”

“When you say nationwide government offices, does that include the *Hyeon* [county] offices?”

“Yes. How much time should we allow?”

“Hmm…”

Jeong Cho stroked his beard and calculated for a moment before answering.

“Considering the time it takes to print, distribute nationwide, and for the answer sheets to return, a month should be sufficient.”

“A month… Then we should have a rough idea by the winter solstice?”

“That is likely.”

Hwang nodded at Jeong Cho’s words.

“Very well. Proceed immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Thus, the new researcher recruitment exam for the Research Institute—boasting history, tradition, and infamy (thanks to the extreme difficulty of the last problem)—was born.

* * *

As Hwang’s command was issued, the Research Institute and Area 51 moved busily.

The reason was the various mathematical symbols included in the problems.

“Good heavens! There are only five problems, but three pages of annotations to write next to them!”

“If we print it wrong, we’ll have to re-engrave the movable type! Why did they include this function!”

The artisans and officials of the Printing Office were perplexed, with their hands on their foreheads.

Mathematical symbols that were familiar to Hwang, who had experienced the 21st century, were unfamiliar symbols to the Joseon people of this time.

“Why on earth are these used?”

“It’s to make mathematical expressions and calculations easier.”

“Then, what is the principle behind creating these symbols?”

At Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji’s questions, Hwang started with the four arithmetic operation symbols and created a plausible background to recite.

Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji, examining the symbols while listening to Hwang’s explanation, showed a half-doubtful, half-believing reaction.

“We understand the meaning Your Highness speaks of to some extent, but frankly, we are not sure about the effectiveness.”

“You’ll know once you use them.”

“Is that so?”

Just as Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji were doubtful, the researchers at the Research Institute and the artisans at Area 51 were initially full of complaints.

“We could just write the characters for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division!”

“Calculating is already confusing enough!”

However, before long, the researchers and artisans completely reversed their initial evaluations.

“This is convenient!”

As the unfamiliar symbols became familiar, calculations began to speed up compared to before. It wasn’t just that time was saved by using simple symbols instead of characters, but the expressions themselves began to be seen at a glance.

Two years after Hwang introduced mathematical symbols, the researchers at the Research Institute and the artisans at Area 51 could not imagine writing formulas without mathematical symbols.

‘The madmen at the Research Institute and Area 51 are using strange symbols!’

The rumors about mathematical symbols soon spread to the court and the military.

Sejong, hearing the rumors, immediately asked his ministers.

“Is it the Crown Prince again?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Eunuch, summon the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And before long, the court and the military—supply and artillery—began to distribute and use mathematical symbols.

The military especially welcomed it, as many officers still did not know Chinese characters well.

Sejong, receiving a report related to this, muttered alone in the secret room he had created in Gangnyeong Hall.

“Indeed, the form of letters should be as simple and concise as possible. Only then can the people learn them easily. I need to refine it further.”

In any case, the four arithmetic operation symbols, which first appeared around 1300 and were not fully established until the 18th century (division symbol), began to take root completely in Joseon in the 1430s.

* * *

The examination papers and annotations thus created were sent by express mail to government offices nationwide.

The local officials who received the examination papers and annotations delivered by express mail frowned and muttered.

“Is it the Crown Prince again?”

“What bizarre thing is he trying to do this time…”

Through past experiences, the local officials sensed that this matter would be unusual, but the attached order from Sejong was the problem.

-Act according to the Crown Prince’s orders.

“Well, all we have to do is post it and collect the answer sheets…”

Showing the typical characteristics of a civil servant, the local official gave the order.

* * *

As news spread that a new poster had been put up on the bulletin board next to the main gate of the government office, curious residents of the town gathered in front of the office.

“Is that writing or a picture?”

“You ignorant person! That’s Indian numbers! Indian numbers!”

While the residents were arguing, looking at the poster full of numbers, a loud voice read the official document attached next to it.

“The Joseon Institute of Science and Technology Development is recruiting researchers to be in charge of research. Those who wish to become researchers must solve and submit the following problems. Those who pass the exam will be selected and appointed. There is no distinction between commoners and gender, but those who have committed serious crimes or are implicated and have become government slaves are excluded!”

As the examination paper was posted on the official bulletin board, those who were confident in their Sanhak skills began to stare intently at the examination paper.

Ambition was burning in the eyes of those who were staring at the examination paper as if they would devour it.

‘The Research Institute is an institution directly managed by the Crown Prince! This is another opportunity!’

* * *

Gyeongsangbuk-do, Yeongju.

A boy with his hair in a braid and wearing a *bokgeon* [a type of Korean hat] clenched his fist without realizing it as he looked at the examination paper.

“This is it!”

Searching through his sleeve, the boy took out paper, a gold pen, and an inkstone, and diligently began to copy the exam questions.

After finishing copying and checking several times to make sure he had copied it correctly, the boy muttered with a confident face.

“It’s manageable.”

“Young Master! Master says to come in!”

“I’m coming!”

The place the boy entered in response to the servant’s call was the official residence attached to the *Hyeon* office.

* * *

A few days later, the wife, who greeted the magistrate returning to his residence after seeing to his official duties, opened her mouth with a worried face.

“Magistrate, Dam has been confined to his room for days.”

“You mean the third one? I understand. I’ll take a look.”

The magistrate, replying to his wife’s words, changed his clothes and headed to his third son’s room.

The magistrate clicked his tongue softly at the brightly lit room and the untouched meal left in front of it.

“What’s wrong with this kid again…”

The magistrate, knowing his son’s habit of forgetting to eat and sleep when he was absorbed in something, stepped onto the stone steps and opened his son’s room.

“This is…”

The magistrate, seeing the room full of papers covered with all sorts of numbers, called out to his son in a loud voice.

“You rascal! It is said that those who learn should not lose their composure, but what is this mess!”

The boy, who was crouching on the floor and absorbed in calculations, was startled and stood up as soon as he heard the scolding.

“Ah, Father. Have you arrived?”

“What is all this!”

The boy hurriedly replied to his father’s question.

“It’s the solution to the exam questions that came down from Hanseong this time.”

“Exam questions… You mean the one recruiting researchers for the Research Institute?”

“That’s right. It’s just as well. It seems that the solution will be finished by tomorrow, so please send it to Hanseong when the arrangement is complete.”

“You want to become a researcher?”

“Don’t you know that I have a talent for Sanhak? I will surely be of great use to the country.”

The magistrate shook his head at the boy’s words.

“Nonsense! Even if you have a talent for Sanhak, you have not even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet. And Sanhak is only enough as a pastime for a gentleman. It is not fitting for a gentleman to make it his profession! Hold your coming-of-age ceremony next year and devote yourself to studying for the civil service examination!”

“Father!”

“Enough! Clean up these papers immediately and open the scriptures!”

The magistrate, firmly rejecting the boy’s wishes, closed the door and returned.

The boy, left alone in the room, gritted his teeth.

“Sanhak is also a great field of study! I will surely prove it! I, Kim Dam, although I have not held my coming-of-age ceremony, am a full-fledged man! Now that I have set my mind, I will surely do it!”

It was Kim Dam, a boy who vehemently opposed his father’s orders.

He calls himself a full-fledged man, but his actions now were a typical act of adolescent rebellion.

Three days later, the official residence was turned upside down.

“Master! Young Master! Young Master!”

“What about Dam?”

The servant, panting, answered the question thrown by Kim So-ryang, Kim Dam’s father.

“Young Master has run away from home!”

“What?”

Kim So-ryang, surprised by the news that his son had run away, jumped up from his seat. The desk fell far away in the commotion, but Kim So-ryang did not care.

“Dam ran away from home? Are you sure?”

“Yes. This letter was found in Young Master’s room…”

Kim So-ryang snatched the letter that the servant handed him and had a look of dismay on his face after seeing the word written on the envelope.

“A declaration of intent? This reckless fool!”

* * *

At that moment, Kim Dam, riding a donkey, was heading to Hanseong with a servant.

“Young Master, let’s just go back. If we get caught, Master will scold us severely.”

“Hush. It will be fine once I enter the Research Institute. So don’t be so afraid.”

“Young Master may be fine, but I will be severely punished.”

“Hush! Even if you are a slave, it is against the law to use violence arbitrarily. Moreover, Father is a government official, so how could he violate the law?”

The servant with his hair in a braid, feeling frustrated, beat his chest at Kim Dam’s relaxed answer.

“Oh, Mother!”

“You rascal! You should always think positively for everything to go well!”

* * *

After ten days, Kim Dam arrived in Hanseong. Thanks to Sejong’s strong policies, the bandits had been eradicated, and many parts of the road had been well paved, so he arrived faster than before.

The one who was most excited as soon as he arrived in Hanseong was the servant who came with him.

The servant, who had a face as if he was about to die until he passed through Sungnyemun Gate, was so distracted by all the strange scenery and objects of Hanseong that his head was turning in all directions.

“Wow! Young Master! Is that what they call a rickshaw?”

Squeak!

“Oh, Mother! That lump of metal is moving on its own!”

“You rascal! Stop acting like a country bumpkin and let’s go to Gyeongbokgung Palace!”

Kim Dam dragged the servant, who was distracted by sightseeing in Hanseong, and headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

When Kim Dam arrived at Gwanghwamun Gate, the gatekeeper guarding Gwanghwamun Gate opened his mouth.

“What brings you here, young master?”

“I have come to enter the Research Institute! Let me in!”