Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 87

87. Concrete of Tragedy (2)

The first phase of the paved road construction was a road that ran north-south through the heart of Hanseong [present-day Seoul], from Gwanghwamun [main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace] to Sungnyemun [Namdaemun, the Great South Gate].

Because it was the most important road in Hanseong, along with Unjongga [a major commercial street], which crossed the interior of Hanseong from east to west, Hyang mobilized all available labor.

While adjusting the schedule, Hyang discussed ways to mobilize manpower.

“If the manpower that can be mobilized in Hanseong isn’t enough, mobilize manpower from nearby ‘Bu’ [administrative division, larger than a county] and ‘Gun’ [county].”

“The farming season is just beginning.”

“Draft one person from every other house, but only mobilize them for ten days. After those ten days, mobilize one person from another house.”

A government official, who had been calculating for a moment at Hyang’s words, nodded.

“I think that will work.”

With the method of mobilizing manpower decided, Hyang, who had a moment of rest, complained.

“Hoo~, I guess it’s fortunate that we’re not bringing people from the Samnam region [the three southern provinces of Joseon] like in the days of Taejo [founder of Joseon Dynasty] or Taejong [third king of Joseon Dynasty].”

Hyang sighed deeply at the reality that it was fortunate to be mobilizing manpower from near Hanseong.

“Hoo~. If only I had a few excavators and bulldozers… and ready-mix concrete trucks…”

As construction began, Hyang especially missed the construction equipment of the 21st century.

In a reality where ordinary tasks were done by manpower and slightly difficult tasks involved mobilizing cows or donkeys, Hyang strengthened his resolve even more.

“No matter what, I’m going to make a steam engine first!”

“Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a chill…”

“You too?”

The officials and artisans who were researching steam engines and various instruments at the research institute and Area 51 suddenly felt chills all over their bodies.

“I think I should take some tonic medicine…”

“Do you know a good doctor?”

* * *

Even in the 21st century, a construction project of this scale would be divided into sections, so Hyang also had to divide the construction into sections.

However, the scale of those sections was tearfully small compared to the 21st century.

Still, Hyang tried his best to maximize efficiency.

He mobilized manpower from the Hanseong area, and he created equipment to increase efficiency.

Among them, the most frequently made items were concrete mixers and handcarts.

Hyang made everything from small, human-powered mixers to large ones that used cows or donkeys, and explained how to use them to the managers and supervisors.

“Use large mixers on the main road from Gwanghwamun to Sungnyemun, and use small mixers on the small roads around it.”

“That would be good. It is important to mix the sand, gravel, and slaked lime well, and this mixer seems very useful.”

The managers and supervisors liked the mixers very much. As they reported to Hyang, the most important thing when using ‘Hoejuk’ [a type of lime-based concrete] was that the main elements of ‘Hoejuk’—slaked lime, sand, and gravel—had to be well mixed.

In the case of traditional lime mortar, the mixture of water, sand, and lime was kneaded while being applied to the wall, but it was not easy to do with ‘Hoejuk’, which was thinner than lime mortar.

When slaked lime was first made in Area 51, this problem was the first to be pointed out.

In the end, Hyang came up with the idea of a mixer based on his memories of the 21st century, and the artisans were able to create a mixer after many trials and errors.

* * *

“Stop! Stop!”

The people who were pouring ‘Hoejuk’ over the gravel and rebar stopped what they were doing at the construction supervisor’s shout.

“This ‘Hoejuk’ here! Who mixed it!”

A cart was standing in the place pointed out by the construction supervisor, and the supervisor was raging as he looked at the ‘Hoejuk’ loaded in the cart’s cargo box.

“This ‘Hoejuk’! I’m asking who mixed it!”

“From the mixer over there…”

“Bring that damn thing and follow me!”

The worker who had been pulling the cart followed the supervisor with a tearful face.

“Is it here?”

“Yes.”

Having heard the worker’s answer, the supervisor picked up the writing tablet he had been carrying. The supervisor, who found the name of the person in charge from the list on the writing tablet, raised his voice.

“Team Leader Jang! Team Leader Jang Mangok! Team Leader, where are you!”

A hairy man rushed over at the supervisor’s shout.

“What’s going on?”

“How can you send ‘Hoejuk’ mixed like this! Huh? Is this ‘Hoejuk’? It’s rice porridge!”

“Yes?”

At the supervisor’s shout, Team Leader Jang looked at the ‘Hoejuk’ in the cart and looked embarrassed.

The ‘Hoejuk’ in the cart was very thin even to him.

“If you pour this, do you think it will harden properly! No, putting aside the hardening, do you think it will have the right strength!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Remix it and send it! Also, if something like this comes again, know that your head will be the first to fly!”

“I will do it properly and send it!”

“Ugh! Time is already tight! You can’t even make ‘Hoejuk’ properly!”

The supervisor, who had poured out his anger on Team Leader Jang, clicked his tongue and left.

Team Leader Jang, who had been scolded by the supervisor, glared at the workers in charge of mixing with an angry face.

“Which bastard made this?”

“…”

When no one raised their hand at Team Leader Jang’s question, Team Leader Jang shouted.

“Which son of a bitch made this ‘Hoejuk’! If you don’t come out in three seconds, I’ll make you all wave sticks under the scorching sun!”

At Team Leader Jang’s shout, all the workers’ eyes were focused on one person.

“Was it you?”

“I, I’m sorry!”

“You bastard! I told you to make ‘Hoejuk’, who told you to make porridge! I told you to match the ratio properly even if it’s hard, didn’t I!”

“I’m sorry!”

“That’s enough! Take this and make it properly! If you make it like that again, I’ll cut you off right away!”

“Yes, yes!”

The worker who received the warning pulled the cart to the mixer he was in charge of.

As this kind of thing happened several times at the site, a report was sent to Hyang.

“Can’t you even properly supervise the mixing of ‘Hoejuk’?”

“I’m sorry!”

At Hyang’s rebuke, the supervisors all had to bow their heads.

“It is certain that there is no room in the construction period. And I know very well that it is not an easy task, but what are we going to do if these shoddy works occur like this?”

“We will make sure this never happens again!”

“Do not forget that you are officials who have received ranks. And do not forget that this kind of civil engineering work will continue in the future.”

At Hyang’s warning, which was full of the meaning of ‘There will be no promotion if you mess up!’, the supervisors all answered in loud voices.

“We will do our best!”

After this road construction, a new proverb was born among the people.

‘I told you to make ‘Hoejuk’, but you made porridge.’

It was a proverb that ridiculed those who did not do their job properly even though they were entrusted with it.

* * *

Many instruments proposed by Hyang and made by artisans were used at the road construction site.

Among those instruments, there was one that everyone working at the site, as well as ordinary people, liked very much.

That was the handcart.

Carts were already common in Joseon.

However, the height of the cargo box of existing carts was very high.

However, Hyang created a new handcart based on the pushcarts that were commonly used in the 21st century.

The handcart, which used pig iron mass-produced at the first state-run ironworks built in Anju last year under the direction of Kim Deoksu, was sturdier than the carts up to that point.

“This, this is a magical thing!”

The workers who used the handcart for the first time all praised it without exception.

Seeing the workers’ reactions, the supervisors immediately reported to their superiors.

“Carts, carts, more carts!”

Of course, the fact that wheels had to be made of wood and iron plates due to the lack of rubber was the only regret Hyang had.

It was only a matter of time before ordinary people realized the value of handcarts used at construction sites.

“That looks really good?”

Merchants who saw the people’s reactions smelled money.

“I smell it! I smell money!”

Merchants who smelled money and searched for the source of the handcart lamented as soon as they found out the source.

“Is it Area 51 again!”

“Is it the Crown Prince again!”

However, the really quick merchants hurried to the government office.

“Excuse me, sir. Where do I have to go to get to the Intellectual Property Management Office?”

The official who received the merchant’s question looked up and down at the merchant’s appearance and opened his mouth.

“Are you trying to register, or are you trying to use it?”

“I’m trying to use it.”

At the merchant’s answer, the official raised his hand and pointed in a direction.

“Go into the Ministry of Taxation over there and turn left, then go to the right door of the building that comes out.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, make a lot of money and pay a lot of taxes. The Ministry of Taxation guys are dying. Those damn bastards… they only bicker about the budget…”

“Yes?”

“Okay, go and do your work.”

“Yes…”

Having finished the conversation, the official and the merchant headed their separate ways.

* * *

The ‘Intellectual Property Management Office’ was an institution that Hyang had requested Sejong [fourth king of Joseon Dynasty] to create as a formal central institution.

“Um… I understand the meaning of the words ‘guarantee the property rights of the first person to create a new instrument.’ However, since you say intellectual property, it seems that knowledge is also included, is that correct?”

Hyang nodded at Hwang Hee’s [a prominent Joseon Dynasty scholar and politician] question.

“That’s right. I mean to include technology and knowledge as well.”

“It is easy to prove tangible objects such as instruments, but knowledge is intangible. Wouldn’t it be difficult to recognize easily?”

“That’s right. So you have to write it down in visible sentences and get it reviewed.”

“But isn’t it beautiful to share knowledge with each other?”

When Hwang Hee and other officials made expressions that they did not understand well, Hyang gave an example.

“Sir, do you know why the word ‘revision’ came about?”

“Yes.”

“You have repeatedly revised for several years and created a very beautiful sentence. But what if someone else takes that sentence and uses it as they please and becomes famous? No, what if they use that sentence to pass the civil service examination with honors, and everyone thinks it’s theirs?”

In the end, everything that the Intellectual Property Management Office dealt with included intangible knowledge.

Many patents began to be registered in the Intellectual Property Management Office created in this way. Most of them came from Hyang’s research institute and Area 51, but there were also some that did not.

Interesting things began to happen as this Intellectual Property Management Office was operated. Among those who registered their unique technology or instruments just in case, there were those who suddenly made a fortune overnight.

In that appearance, artisans, merchants, or poor scholars who were devoted to invention or new technology development began to increase.

The spark of the industrial revolution was slowly beginning to ignite in Joseon.

* * *

As the handcart was establishing itself as a new hit product, there was someone who was carefully examining the handcart.

“Officer Jang, do you have any grudges against the handcart? Why are you glaring at it so fiercely?”

Jang Yeongsil [a famous Joseon Dynasty inventor and scientist] smiled awkwardly at the question of a passing colleague and got up.

“Ah… I just wanted to see the structure in more detail.”

“If it’s the structure, you can go to the Area 51 library or the research institute library… If Officer Jang and His Highness are close, you can take it out from the Crown Prince’s treasury and see it, right?”

“Drawings are important, but I can’t be satisfied unless I see it with my own eyes…”

“Hahaha! Officer Jang is a very strange person!”

The rumor that ‘Jang Yeongsil is showing interest in handcarts’ reached Hyang’s ears a beat late. This was because Hyang was incredibly busy with the restoration of the great fire and the road paving construction.

Having heard the rumor, Hyang immediately summoned Jang Yeongsil.

‘Surely it’s not that case?’

“Officer Jang. I heard you’ve been showing interest in handcarts lately.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Actually, this humble one, no, this subject wants to try to make a new palanquin [a covered litter carried on poles], and I thought the structure of the handcart would be helpful. This palanquin is of a type that moves on its own…”

“Never try to make it alone! That’s an order! Immediately create a development team and proceed! Also, everything must have my permission!”

Hyang was horrified and cut off Jang Yeongsil’s words. Jang Yeongsil was puzzled by Hyang’s completely different reaction than usual, but he bowed his head, suppressed by Hyang’s spirit.

“Yes, yes! I will do so!”

Although Jang Yeongsil said he would, Hyang was not relieved and called a eunuch.

“Bring Grand Scholar Jeong Cho and Grand Scholar Yi Cheon here immediately!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Hyang, who had given the order to the eunuch, glared at Jang Yeongsil.

‘You bastard! You’ll lose your head if you mess up! Why are you making such an unfair expression!’

Hyang, who received the summons, ordered Jeong Cho and Yi Cheon, who had rushed over, to organize a development team.

“Is it necessary to form a development team to make a palanquin?”

“Officer Jang. Explain.”

“Yes? Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s order, Jang Yeongsil explained about the palanquin he wanted to make.

Jeong Cho and Yi Cheon made slightly dumbfounded expressions after hearing Jang Yeongsil’s explanation.

“The palanquin moves on its own?”

“Is it possible for it to move on its own?”

Hyang intervened at Yi Cheon’s reaction.

“If you think about it that way, isn’t the locomotive the same?”

“Ah…”

Yi Cheon made an ‘Ah!’ expression at Hyang’s point, but Jeong Cho raised an objection.

“The locomotive is bulky and is a device that moves by laying a dedicated road. However, the palanquin moves on an already laid road, and its size is smaller than that of a locomotive.”

“That’s why I’m saying let’s form a development team. Wouldn’t it be useful in many ways if it succeeds? Not only in the livelihoods of the people, but also in military aspects.”

Jeong Cho and Yi Cheon were deep in thought at Hyang’s words.

After a long deliberation, Jeong Cho and Yi Cheon came up with an answer.

“It’s worth a try.”

“Even if we fail, there will be something to gain.”

“Good! Form a development team immediately!”

In this way, the ‘Anya’ [likely referring to an event or invention that led to Jang Yeongsil’s downfall] that had made Jang Yeongsil disappear from history bounced in an unexpected direction.