Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 333

333. Fashion Revolution (1)

As the spring of Imja-nyeon arrived and the weather warmed, the clothing of those working in the palace became lighter and more colorful.

Indeed, it wasn’t just those working in the palace. Outside, those with some means began to wear brightly colored clothes as they strolled through the streets.

At this time, Hyang in the East Palace was burning with a renewed sense of purpose.

“Finally, the time has come!”

* * *

When Hyang began his full-fledged *deokjil* [a Korean term for obsessive enthusiasm or stanning], he decided on one thing first.

“No matter what, I will create a flush toilet and reform the clothing system!”

For Hyang, these two things were problems that desperately needed solving.

In the 21st century, except for his time in the military, flush toilets were as essential as air. He couldn’t imagine life without them.

The clothing reform issue arose in connection with this. The long, cumbersome dragon robe worn on the outside was always a hindrance.

Of the two, the flush toilet was the priority, so Hyang used all sorts of ingenuity to create one.

The flush toilet thus created quickly took hold not only in the palace but also in the mansions of the nobility and the homes of the somewhat wealthy commoners.

There was the slight inconvenience of having to manually fill the water tank before and after each use, but it was definitely more convenient than the outhouses of the past.

The generalized flush toilet was upgraded to a ceramic toilet when a pottery kiln was built in Area 51, replacing the iron toilets that had been made until then.

In the process of making ceramic toilets, something happened that made Hyang feel a mixture of amusement and frustration.

“Why were these toilets broken?”

“Even though it is something that goes in the outhouse, it is something that His Majesty will use. How can I present an inferior product that doesn’t even meet my exacting standards?”

At the head craftsman’s answer, Hyang examined the broken toilets.

“There’s nothing particularly wrong with them…. Is this just a matter of personal taste?”

Tilting his head, Hyang asked the head craftsman again.

“Do you break not only toilets but also other ceramics like this if you don’t like them?”

“No, I don’t. Even if it is an inferior product that came out of the kiln without bursting, it can still serve its purpose. Therefore, we use them for our families or give them as gifts to neighbors.”

“I see….”

Muttering quietly, Hyang ordered the head craftsman.

“Even if it doesn’t meet your personal aesthetic standards, if it comes out of the kiln without bursting and performs its function, just present it.”

“That won’t do! How can I do such a rude thing when the King uses it!”

“The royal posterior doesn’t have eyes. Send it to the palace unless it’s structurally unsound.”

“But….”

“That’s an order.”

At Hyang’s firm command, the head craftsman had to step back.

“I understand.”

As ceramic toilets were placed in all the palaces in Hanseong [old name for Seoul] and the detached palaces in the provinces, starting with Gyeongbok Palace, ceramic toilets slowly began to be released outside the palace.

And, before long, rumors spread to Ming [Chinese dynasty] and Japan, and merchants began to place orders.

It was only natural that the royal workshop immediately engraved plum blossoms on the toilets as soon as the merchants placed their orders, marking them with a touch of royal elegance.

* * *

Unlike the rapid development and distribution of toilets, the clothing reform was almost untouched.

There were several reasons why the clothing reform was not carried out, but the biggest reasons were two.

One was that he had become accustomed to the current system. The dragon robe was cumbersome, but he solved the problem by taking it off completely when he needed to use the toilet. When he wasn’t wearing the dragon robe, the pants and jacket were surprisingly wearable.

Whenever he thought about clothing, Hyang muttered like a habit.

“It’s wearable, but it’s not comfortable…. That’s the problem….”

The other was the problem with Ming. Ming had designated the clothing for the dragon robe worn by the king and the *danryeong* [a type of round-collared robe] worn by the officials.

Because of this historical precedent, Hyang did not speed up the clothing reform and waited for the right time.

However, Hyang continued to grumble whenever he saw officials coming in and out of Gyeongbok Palace.

“What are you, the Teletubbies or something…? Green, pink, blue, orange…. You’re all overflowing with individuality.”

Because they followed Ming’s example and wore *japsaek danryeong* [multicolored danryeong], the colors of the officials’ uniforms were all different. The only colors missing were yellow, which was the emperor’s color, and red, which was the color of the dragon robe worn by the king and crown prince.

In this situation, the only way to check the officials’ ranks was the belt around their waists.

The officials’ ranks were distinguished by wearing belts made of different materials depending on their rank, but it was not easy to discern at a glance.

Therefore, there was a growing discussion about finding other methods.

It was because these discussions began to surface that Hyang began to burn with a renewed sense of purpose.

* * *

Although he was determined, there were many obstacles to putting it into practice.

“Every time I see it, I feel like there are too many kinds of clothes to take care of properly….”

Hyang smacked his lips as he listed the types of clothes that he, as well as Sejong, had to change into at certain times.

First, there was the *geumgwan jobok* [gold crown ceremonial robe] worn on celebratory days or at large events.

There was the *jebok* [sacrificial robe] worn by the priests and Hyang officials when performing ancestral rites at the Jongmyo Shrine and Sajik Altar.

Starting with this, there were the *gwanbok* [official uniform] worn for general work, the *gwanbok* worn when attending events that were not important enough to wear the *geumgwan jobok* but still required attendance, and the clothes worn when officially escorting the king out of the palace, etc.

If he were to dress properly, he would have to prepare at least 4 to 5 types of *gwanbok*.

“Is this why the kings wore their clothes until they wore out?”