Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 647

647. The Country Bumpkins Come to Seoul (3)

Despite the commotion, the professors were able to leave the waiting station on schedule without any major issues, as no actual patients required attention.

The professors strode out of the waiting station with vigor.

“There are so many things to examine and discuss!”

“Indeed!”

Regardless of their specialties, all the professors were filled with enthusiasm.

Most amusingly, the medical professors were the most enthusiastic.

After the commotion on the first night at the waiting station, the medical professors had the opportunity to speak with the imperial physicians who had gathered. They were deeply impressed by the imperial physicians’ profound medical knowledge and public health policies.

-We don’t know when the Black Death might return, and there could be epidemics just as dangerous! To prepare for this, we must observe and learn from what the Empire is doing!

-We must learn the Empire’s surgical medicine!

The field of surgery was an area where European medical professors keenly felt their weaknesses.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, many intellectual legacies were lost, and one of the most severely affected areas was surgical medicine.

European medical professors even lamented:

-Butchers who have worked for ten years in slaughterhouses are more competent than surgeons who have worked for thirty!

-No, do surgeons even exist?

And the painful truth was that this lament was reality.

However, upon seeing the skills of the ship doctors aboard the ships heading to the Empire and the physicians in charge of the waiting station, the medical professors were enlightened.

“All of this is the result of policies that the current Emperor has advocated and implemented since before he ascended the throne.”

Upon hearing the physicians’ explanation, the medical professors steeled their resolve.

-We must meet the Emperor and receive his teachings!

* * *

The group of professors, having passed through customs at the Mokpo Trade Port, entered Mokpo Station.

The professors, lined up on the platform to board the iron horse [a train], steadied their pounding hearts and looked around.

“Are we finally riding the iron horse we’ve only heard about!”

“We were treated like country bumpkins by those ignorant sailors, but now we finally get to ride it!”

This, too, was true.

Foreign sailors arriving at the trade port could not leave Mokpo, but they were free to roam within the city. Therefore, they could observe the iron horse coming and going from Mokpo Station as much as they pleased. Moreover, they were the biggest customers of the circular iron horse [a trolley or streetcar] that operated within Mokpo.

Having seen and ridden the iron horse, the sailors were eager to boast about their experiences back home.

They received plenty of free drinks whenever they told their tales, which were a mix of 30% truth and 70% exaggeration.

* * *

Beeeeeep!

As a loud whistle sounded, the station attendant responsible for platform safety put a whistle in his mouth and began waving a flag.

Beeeep! Beeep!

“Step back! Step back!”

Seeing the professors getting closer and closer to the tracks, the station attendants waved their flags, blew their whistles, and shouted at the top of their lungs. The accompanying interpreters then shouted the same words in Latin. However, the professors, who were engrossed in the iron horse, did not hear the whistles or shouts.

“These, damn it! Are you crazy and want to see someone lose their job!”

In the end, the station attendants cursed and kicked the professors, hitting them with their flags.

“Step back! I said step back!”

“Ugh! Ouch!”

The professors were forced to step back due to the station attendants’ violence, and some of them protested to Giovanni.

“To use violence against guests from foreign lands! What a discourtesy!”

Giovanni retorted even more fiercely.

“If you had stepped back when you were told to, you wouldn’t have been treated like that!”

“How can we understand when they’re shouting in their own language!”

“That’s why the interpreter was shouting! And even if there wasn’t an interpreter, you should have been able to tell! What if there was an accident? Who would take responsibility for what happened afterward! Surely, you wouldn’t blame the Gonfaloniere [a historical Florentine official]!”

The professors fell silent at Giovanni’s harsh words. Cosimo de’ Medici was one of the biggest supporters of the university where they worked.

Just as the small commotion subsided, a specially arranged train arrived at the platform to take the professors.

“Ooh~.”

As the iron horse came to a stop, the professors exclaimed in admiration and clung to the iron horse and carriages.

The professors were amazed by everything.

The mechanism that transferred power from the steam engine to the wheels was fundamental, and even the wheels supporting the carriages were extraordinary.

“To move such a massive thing with just water and fire!”

“Look at the wheels of the carriage! It’s not just wheels attached to an axle!”

Giovanni, watching the professors noisily examining, discussing, and even sketching the carriages and iron horse with paper and charcoal, looked disgusted. The interpreter standing next to him wore a similar expression and spoke to Giovanni.

“I don’t remember the painters you brought last time being this bad?”

Giovanni put his hand on his forehead at the interpreter’s blunt remark. As if knowing Giovanni’s feelings, the interpreter, having received a message from a station attendant, informed Giovanni.

“They say we need to depart quickly. Otherwise, there will be problems with the regular train schedule.”

“Ah, I understand.”

In the end, Giovanni had to urge the professors to board the carriages.

Later, upon hearing about this, Hyang chuckled and muttered.

“Hmph! There’s a reason why they say, ‘The taste you know is scarier.’ If you don’t know anything, you can just pass it off as ‘amazing,’ but if you know even a little, you can’t just ignore it; that’s human nature.”

* * *

Thus, the iron horse carrying the group of professors moved towards Seoul.

At first, the professors couldn’t contain their excitement and looked around in all directions, but after a while, they sat down and admired the scenery outside the window or talked with other professors.

It was a special train that went directly to Seoul, except for two stops for simple meals and rest, but it was still a long journey of eight hours. Moreover, access to the iron horse, which they wanted to see the most, was blocked. As a result, the professors could only sit quietly, look out the window, or talk to other professors.

In addition, the regular vibrations and noise coming from the tracks had a strange way of relaxing people, and eventually, they fell asleep one by one.

The professors, who had fallen asleep, began to wake up one by one as they approached Seoul.

“I heard we’re almost to Seoul?”

“That’s right.”

“But I heard that the iron bridge over the river south of Seoul is enormous.”

“I’ve heard the stories too. They say the river is almost 4,000 feet (about 1.2 km) wide.”

“To build a bridge over such a wide river. Hmm….”

“If the river is that wide, there must be a huge number of piers [bridge supports]. I wonder how they handled the sediment.”

The professors, who had woken up, began to talk about the Han River and the bridge over it.

Meanwhile, some of the more proactive professors spoke with the interpreter and then shared the information with their fellow professors.

“They say we’ll be crossing the bridge in about an hour.”

“Oh, is that so? Then we shouldn’t be like this.”

Worried about missing a potentially important moment, some of the professors got up and headed to the restroom.

“By the way, using paper to clean up… isn’t that a luxury?”

* * *

Hyang had created a relatively pleasant toilet experience by making a flush toilet, but he still had some complaints.

It was about the cleanup.

When Sejong or Hyang finished their business, the waiting maids would bring cotton cloths to wipe them, which was a bit of an ordeal for Hyang.

“I’ve gotten used to it to some extent, but it’s still an ordeal.”

Eventually, as mass production of paper using pulp became possible in Area 51, Hyang began to consider the production of toilet paper.

-Paper that is cheap enough for ordinary people to afford, and soft enough not to harm delicate skin. Or something similar.

With this goal in mind, Hyang urged the artisans. However, creating something that met Hyang’s goals was quite challenging, no, almost impossible.

In the end, this task became a headache for Wan, who took over the research institute and Area 51 after Hyang.

However, Wan also felt the need.

“We’ve gone to the trouble of making good toilets, but we can’t just hang ropes or bring pumpkin leaves in, can we?”

Finally, after desperate challenges from artisans and researchers, ‘wiping paper (滌紙) [toilet paper]’ began to be sold several years ago.

Interestingly, this wiping paper was hardly sold anywhere except in the Empire.

It didn’t sell in Islamic or Hindu regions because they used water, and the Ming [Chinese dynasty] and Wa [derogatory term for Japanese] expressed reluctance to buy paper to wipe their bottoms. They said it was possible to use waste paper or replace it with soft leaves.

In Europe, there was a strong perception that paper was expensive, and they were used to using cotton cloths, so there were almost no sales. Even the upper class, who were addicted to flush toilets, did not prefer wiping paper.

The Empire was similar in the early days. However, the trend of using wiping paper, starting with the palace, became popular and widespread.

-All the important people are using it, and it’s cheap enough for me to buy? Then I have to buy it!

-Let’s at least let our butts enjoy luxury!

Based on this psychology, wiping paper sold like hotcakes and became a daily necessity.

* * *

The professors, having finished their preparations in advance, waited for the iron horse to arrive at the Han River and the iron bridge over it.

Beeeeeep~

With a loud whistle, the iron horse finally crossed the iron bridge, and the professors’ eyes widened as much as possible.

“It really is a bridge made of iron!”

“We called it an iron bridge because it’s a bridge that the iron horse travels on, but it’s actually called an iron bridge because it’s made of iron!”

They had heard stories about the iron bridge from Enric and others, but the professors were skeptical.

-Iron is not a material that is easy to produce in such large quantities.

-It is even more difficult to produce iron of such high quality that it can withstand the weight of the iron horse.

Because of this perception, the professors had doubted the existence of the iron bridge. Some professors even scoffed, saying:

“Why? Are you going to tell me there are ships made of iron floating on the sea?”

The professors, who had such a skeptical view, actually saw a bridge made of iron right before their eyes.

The professors, who were frantically looking at the iron structures of the iron bridge passing before their eyes, turned to their colleagues and uttered similar words.

“What kind of person is the Emperor who led all of this? Is Aristotle reborn?”

The professors, who had developed admiration and even awe for the existence of Hyang, became even more determined.

-We must have a discussion with the Emperor. We must gain knowledge through discussion!

* * *

Having arrived in Seoul, the professors unpacked their luggage at the accommodation prepared by the Empire.

“We wish to see His Majesty the Emperor and pay our respects.”

“Please rest from your journey first….”

“Oh! That is not proper! We will pay our respects first and then rest!”

Hyang, having heard the professors’ strong request, granted it.

Hyang, having received the professors’ greetings in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon [main hall of Gyeongbok Palace], opened his mouth in a soft voice.

“You have worked hard to come from afar. I am the Emperor of this Empire. I hope you have a good time during your stay in the Empire.”

As Hyang finished speaking, the oldest of the professors stepped forward and said to Hyang.

“We humbly beg your Majesty, but we request to have a discussion with you before we return.”

“With me? Why?”

“Before coming here, we heard many stories about your Majesty’s knowledge. Therefore, we hope to share our knowledge with each other through discussion with your Majesty.”

“Share our knowledge….”

Hyang trailed off, thought for a moment, and then continued.

“I heard that you examined the toilets at the quarantine station so closely that you filled the large tank three times in one night.”

“Yes. We could not overcome our curiosity and did something excessive. Please forgive us.”

“I didn’t bring it up to punish you. So, do you know the principle by which water is supplied from the large tank to the toilet tank?”

“Yes? Of course, water flows from top to bottom….”

Hyang interrupted the professor with a cold expression.

“The toilet tank is not attached to the floor, but above the floor. On the other hand, the water supply pipe goes up from the floor along the wall and is connected to the toilet tank. If it naturally flows from top to bottom as you say, isn’t this a contradiction? Therefore, answer the principle by which I solved this problem.”

“That’s… that is….”

“Those who cannot even properly answer my questions want to share knowledge and have a discussion? Why would I?”

“….”

The professors could only close their mouths and bow their heads at Hyang’s criticism. Hyang’s voice flowed over the heads of such professors.

“Your inspection will proceed as planned. But a discussion… Let’s talk after you come up with an answer to the question I asked.”

Author’s words

Hello?

I’m Gukbbong, writing ‘Black Company Joseon.’

I’m sorry to inform you that I will be taking a break during this Lunar New Year holiday.

I apologize.

I kept preparing for the Lunar New Year holiday, but it wasn’t easy.

I guess I was a bit tired.

Even though I was sitting in front of the monitor all night, I couldn’t think straight, and even when I slept, I couldn’t sleep for more than 2 hours and kept waking up, and my head was getting more and more dazed.

I’ll recharge during this holiday and come back to fill it up diligently.

I hope for the generosity of all the readers.

Happy New Year.

Gukbbong.