Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 368

The Stagnation – Equilibrium (靜中動) (2)

Having made his decision, Hyang immediately drafted a proposal and presented it to Sejong.

Sejong, after reading Hyang’s proposal, began to question him further.

“Cheonil salt (天日鹽)? Judging by the name and content, it means making salt with sunlight. Is that possible?”

“I believe it is entirely possible. As detailed in the report, I have also conducted experiments.”

To persuade Sejong and the ministers, Hyang included a record of the experimental process and its results with the report.

“‘Paper soaked in saltwater was dried in the sun, leaving salt on the paper’… How did you come up with this idea?”

“I thought of it while observing the evaporation of water sprinkled on the ground during cleaning at the research institute and Area 51.”

“Hmm….”

Sejong carefully examined the report again and looked at Hyang.

“Although this method reduces the labor of creating brine in the tidal flats and saves fuel costs, the cost of constructing the facilities and the labor costs are considerable. Considering these pros and cons, will Cheonil salt really be useful?”

“It remains to be proven, but I believe it is entirely possible.”

At Hyang’s firm assertion, Sejong brought the matter to the council.

“Certainly, Jayeom [traditional boiled salt] requires a lot of labor and fuel. There seems to be no harm in trying this out.”

Based on Lee Jik’s statement, which summarized the ministers’ opinions, Sejong also solidified his decision.

“Since you all think so, let’s give it a try.”

* * *

And so, an experimental Cheonil salt field was created on Ganghwa Island.

About fifteen days after the salt field was created and seawater was drawn into the primary reservoir, the first results arrived at Gyeongbok Palace along with a report.

“I will taste it. Bring it here.”

Following Sejong’s command, a porcelain dish filled with white salt was brought into Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Sejong took a small pinch with his fingertip, tasted it, and frowned.

“It is salty, but the bitter taste is stronger. You all should taste it as well.”

Following Sejong’s command, the ministers who tasted the Cheonil salt all wore similar expressions to Sejong.

“Hmm….”

Sejong, having read the report that came with the Cheonil salt, was deep in thought. Indeed, not only Sejong but all the ministers had similar expressions.

Cheonil salt was not to their liking, as their palates were accustomed to Jayeom.

The report also pointed out this problem as the most serious issue. Of course, the sentence ‘It is said that the taste improves if aged for several years to remove the bittern’ followed, but it somehow did not resonate, overshadowed by the intense bitter taste that gave the first impression.

However, Cheonil salt had a powerful advantage that offset this disadvantage.

It was the overwhelming cost-effectiveness.

The production of Jayeom required skilled artisans to be involved from beginning to end. Due to the wages of such artisans and the cost of fuel, Jayeom was a considerably expensive product.

However, Cheonil salt did not require many such artisans. Cheonil salt was a product that could be produced without any disruption even with a small number of artisans and a large number of unskilled laborers.

“Summon the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Eventually, Sejong summoned Hyang.

Hyang, who entered Geunjeongjeon Hall at Sejong’s summons, frowned slightly after tasting the Cheonil salt. Seeing this, Sejong opened his mouth.

“As you can tell from tasting it, the taste is much inferior to Jayeom. No, the saltiness is not inferior, but the bitter taste is too strong. Do you still insist on producing and selling this?”

“Yes.”

Sejong could not hide his doubts at Hyang’s resolute answer.

“Why? Even though salt is a precious commodity, the people will complain.”

At Sejong’s remark, Hyang explained his reasoning.

“The very fact that salt is precious is the reason why Cheonil salt should be produced and sold. Isn’t salt itself called ‘white gold (素金)’? [Salt was historically valuable.] Although the lives of the people are gradually improving through Your Majesty’s reforms, there are still many impoverished people. Cheonil salt is essential to allow even these people to taste salt. And this Cheonil salt will encourage the people’s ambition.”

“Encourage ambition?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang smiled slightly and replied.

“Yes. What is the biggest reason why people accumulate wealth? Isn’t it to live luxuriously? Even to eat good salt, the people will work hard.”

At Hyang’s words, Sejong and the ministers nodded without realizing it.

‘That might be true!’

Hyang continued to emphasize the necessity of Cheonil salt.

“This Cheonil salt is not only for the poor people who cannot even afford to buy salt properly, but we must also target the Japanese.”

“The Japanese….”

When Hyang mentioned ‘Japanese,’ Sejong pondered for a moment and nodded.

“That’s right. The Japanese also need to eat salt.”

“Yes. The Ming [China] already has an abundance of all kinds of salt, including rock salt, so we cannot compete, but the Japanese are not like that, are they? It will be a sufficient market.”

“I see.”

Sejong, nodding, asked Hyang again.

“So, we should go with a dual system of Cheonil salt and Jayeom?”

“Yes. It would be good to encourage consumption with Cheonil salt for those who are impoverished and with Jayeom for those who are somewhat well-off.”

At Hyang’s explanation, Sejong turned to Kim Jeom.

“What do you think?”

At Sejong’s question, Kim Jeom immediately replied.

“I think it’s a very good idea!”

Thus, it was decided to produce both Cheonil salt and Jayeom.

* * *

As soon as one agenda was decided, Hyang presented another agenda as if he had been waiting for it.

“Since the story of Jayeom has come up, there is something I would like to ask for Your Majesty’s approval (裁可, *jaega* [formal approval]).”

“What is it?”

As soon as Hyang’s words came out, Sejong and the ministers tensed up, then soon resigned themselves.

As in the case of Cheonil salt, the policies that Hyang put forward were never easy. Therefore, they wanted to reject them, but because their effectiveness was certain, they had no choice but to accept them in the end, as they had experienced before.

“Since salt can only be obtained through the monopoly office anyway, how about gathering the salt makers (鹽匠, *yeomjang*) from all over Joseon in one area?”

“Gather them in one area?”

“Yes, if we gather the salt makers in one area and have them produce there, production management, storage, and transportation will be easier. And, we can create salt production complexes in areas where the environment is barren compared to other areas, creating jobs for the people.”

“Hmm….”

Sejong, pondering Hyang’s words, asked Hyang.

“Would Gangwon Province be good?”

“I recommend Gangwon Province and Hamgil Province. Both regions have harsh environments, and the people’s livelihoods are difficult. Furthermore, they are close to coal mines, making fuel supply easy.”

At Hyang’s words, Sejong began to make various calculations.

‘Not bad.’

When it came to barrenness, Gangwon Province was second to none.

If there was even one year of famine, the news of starvation deaths would be heard first from Gangwon Province.

Hamgil Province was in a similar situation.

Eventually, Sejong made a decision.

“The Crown Prince’s plan seems good, so try to devise a policy based on it.”

“I obey Your Majesty’s command!”

* * *

Following Sejong’s decision, salt makers from all over Joseon moved to Gangwon Province and Hamgil Province.

“There’s no space to make salt fields (鹽田, *yeomjeon*)….”

The salt makers, who were perplexed by the environment of the East Sea, which was different from the West Sea and South Sea with their wide tidal flats, soon adapted.

This was because the direct boiling method (直煮式, *jikjeusik*) of boiling seawater directly to make salt was not unfamiliar to them.

In addition, Hyang created and distributed new tools for baking salt.

The new tools created by Hyang were a wide and flat pot made of steel and a rake using animal power (畜力, *chukryeok*).

When large jars filled with clear seawater from the East Sea were poured into the pot, the artisans lit a fire in the furnace. The fuel for boiling the seawater in the pot was anthracite coal. Although it was difficult to light at first, once it was properly lit, anthracite coal provided strong firepower. And, true to the word ‘smokeless (無煙, *muyeon*),’ there was little smoke.

When the seawater began to boil in the wide and flat pot, which was almost 1 *jang* (approximately 3 meters) in diameter, the artisans tied cattle, horses, or donkeys to a large gear in the yard and moved the gear.

As the gear turned, the power transmitted to the connected shaft slowly began to rotate the rake.

Following the slowly rotating rake, salt crystals gathered, and the artisans collected the salt and moved it to the drying room.

In this way, the productivity of Jayeom also began to increase significantly through the tools created and distributed by Hyang.

* * *

While monopolizing salt through the monopoly office, Sejong abolished the public salt system (公鹽制, *gongyeomje*). Sales were through a single channel, the monopoly office, but the salt makers had the right to set prices. And, to prevent misunderstandings between the monopoly office and the salt makers, trademark registration also followed.

The salt makers registered trademarks individually or in groups of several people, then set prices and delivered them to the monopoly office.

There were various trademarks, but since the products were all the same Cheongjayeom (淸煮鹽) [clear boiled salt], the quality was about the same, and the prices were also about the same.

Therefore, after some time, salt makers began to appear who were worried about earning more profit.

“No matter how much I, an ignorant person, think about it….”

No matter how much they thought, the salt makers, who could not find a suitable answer, blamed their hard heads and sought out the officials they had befriended—relationships formed during the delivery process.

“You want to earn more money?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmm….”

The officials who received inquiries from the salt makers mostly gave similar answers.

“Wouldn’t it be orthodox to make the salt kiln bigger?”

“Isn’t a salt kiln a monster that eats money? And if everyone increases their size, the price of salt will drop.”

“It’s not easy….”

The officials, who were troubled, soon found a way.

“I will ask His Highness the Crown Prince.”

At the officials’ words, the salt makers turned pale.

“Yes! To His Highness the Crown Prince? Won’t we be beaten for being presumptuous? No! It’s okay!”

At the salt makers’ reaction, the officials smiled slightly and comforted the salt makers.

“His Highness would rather find it interesting and like it.”

“Really?”

When the salt makers asked with suspicious faces, the officials trailed off.

“Maybe…?”

* * *

Hyang, who received the salt makers’ grievances through the officials, smiled with satisfaction.

“I’ve been waiting for this!”

Hyang immediately wrote an answer and sent it back to the officials.

The officials who received the answer from Hyang gathered the artisans.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has given an answer. Let’s see…. His Highness wrote, ‘Give the Jayeom a unique characteristic.’”

“A unique characteristic?”

“That’s right. He said that you could mix things that are good for people or help with the flavor into the salt. He even wrote an example. Songhwayeom (松花鹽) [pine pollen salt]?”

“Ah!”

The artisans immediately understood the official’s words.

If you bake salt when pine pollen is flying, the pollen would mix in. Then, a salt with a sweet flavor would be made, and this salt could be sold more expensively than ordinary Jayeom.

“That’s right! Thank you, sir!”

“Thank His Highness the Crown Prince, not me.”

“Yes. Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

* * *

And so, the salt makers began to make all sorts of attempts to increase added value.

They added pine pollen collected when pine pollen was flying, and they also added mugwort or minced garlic when boiling seawater.

The salt made in this way began to be sold a little more expensively due to its unique flavor.

Encouraged by the results, the salt makers made even bolder attempts, adding decoctions of medicinal herbs prescribed to those suffering from common ailments such as stomachaches or colds and baking salt.

The Jayeom released into the market through this process gained popularity. It became commonplace for even the poorest families to have at least a little of these functional salts.

As a result, towards the end of the reforms, there were more than 10 types of Jayeom.

And these functional salts became a hit not only in Joseon but also in the Ming and Japan.

“Jihwaja [Bravo/Excellent]!”

It was such a big hit that Kim Jeom, who received the report, shouted Jihwaja without realizing it.

* * *

Note 1) The origin of the word ‘salt.’ Joongbu Maeil Newspaper. 2003.12.01.

http://www.jbnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=95305