Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 940

940. The Imperial March (2) – Armored Assault Ships Run on Land. (28)

Hyang’s focus on creating and protecting ‘intellectual property rights’ wasn’t just about personal ambition.

“When people realize they can monetize their ideas and technologies and have them securely recognized, they’ll start racking their brains, even if they aren’t naturally inclined to. I can’t know or do everything myself. Something I haven’t thought of could emerge from somewhere I don’t even know about.”

For this reason, Hyang paid close attention to the registration and management of ‘intellectual property rights.’

“And, incidentally….”

She also registered her own ideas, designs, and creations as intellectual property.

Starting with ‘Golden Brush,’ Hyang registered everything she touched, no matter how trivial. This caused the Intellectual Property Rights Administration, the Police Bureau, and the Tribunal to work overtime in a state of high alert.

There were already those who secretly copied and sold the Golden Brush from the time it was created.

However, after Hyang’s large-scale registration, even a light, small-scale investigation revealed a significant number of violations.

This was because many people were secretly copying and using items with officially registered intellectual property rights, especially those of Hyang, who had successfully ascended from ‘Crown Prince > Heir Apparent > Emperor.’

“How dare they steal from His Imperial Majesty to profit? How is that different from treason!”

According to the Intellectual Property Rights Administration, the Police Bureau, and the Tribunal, those caught were treated as having committed a serious crime equivalent to treason.

As the situation unfolded, critical remarks began to surface.

‘Is His Imperial Majesty’s intellectual property rights the only ones that matter?’

“It is only natural to question this. The intellectual property of the people is equally valuable!”

Following Sejong and Hyang’s decision, the management of intellectual property rights became even more meticulous.

Thanks to these policies of Sejong and Hyang, some of the empire’s people began to amass wealth through their own ingenious ideas.

And, as time passed, not only individual ‘intellectual property’ but also collective ‘intellectual property’ began to be registered.

And this, too, was started by Hyang.

From the time she created the Golden Brush through the Military Supplies Agency, Hyang distributed a certain share to the artisans.

Thereafter, whenever Hyang registered her new intellectual property with the Intellectual Property Rights Administration, she registered the artisans who participated in the design and prototype production as partners.

In this way, a considerable amount of the revenue generated from intellectual property rights went to the artisans.

Thanks to this taste of money, the artisans became even more loyal to Hyang.

This trend spread outwards. Those with innovative ideas but lacking the craftsmanship soon sought out renowned artisans, made contracts, and materialized their ideas.

Then, they registered it as intellectual property and shared the profits with the artisans.

The problem was that large and small lawsuits arose over the distribution of profits in this process. Eventually, a law was enacted specifying the appropriate profit distribution.

As related systems and laws were created, and commerce and industry firmly established themselves in society, Hyang secured another source of income.

Thanks to Hyang, who had lived in the extreme capitalism and consumer-centric world of the 21st century, she could clearly see what could be monetized.

She invested through the Royal Merchant Guild in items that looked promising even to the people living in this era. On the other hand, she used her own assets to invest in items that were sure things based on the knowledge she had gained in the 21st century through learning or searching, but seemed very unfamiliar or reckless based on the knowledge or concepts of this era.

It was a near-gambling investment, but it was an investment that would bring enormous profits if it succeeded properly.

As Hyang’s adventurous investments succeeded one after another with a considerable probability over time, a trend began to emerge in the empire’s investment market.

-If someone invests, invest even if it looks like poop. It’s not a pile of poop, it’s a pile of gold. It’s just that your eyes are messed up.

When Hyang heard this rumor, she chuckled and muttered.

“How many times have I failed… They’ll only come to their senses after getting burned badly. Why else would there be the saying, ‘Investment decisions are your own responsibility’? I can’t be responsible for them.”

As an aside, Jang Yeong-sil was among those who became wealthy through this accumulation of wealth through intellectual property.

Jang Yeong-sil was the one who transformed Hyang’s ideas or basic designs into proper blueprints and oversaw the production of prototypes.

Thanks to this, Jang Yeong-sil was the second-largest shareholder after Hyang, and he accumulated enormous wealth through this. And, based on this enormous wealth, he created prototypes and blueprints of things that transcended time and space, which even shocked Hyang.

* * *

In any case, Hyang, one of the wealthiest people in the empire, and the imperial family’s private property were used to create a ‘hospital for the Swiss army’ [a neutral, well-equipped medical facility].

“I’ve been outmaneuvered. As expected….”

Han Myeong-hoe, who heard the story through Hyeon as soon as the war broke out, shook his head with a bitter smile.

Im Sun-wook, who was next to him, also received the words with a similar expression.

“There is nothing to say since the Supreme Emperor and His Majesty are using their private property, and they are already spending enormous wealth for the people of the empire, so even those who like to talk have no choice but to shut their mouths….”

As Im Sun-wook said, Hyang and the imperial family were also spending a lot for the welfare of the empire’s people.

Creating childcare facilities for orphans and supporting education expenses was basic. A considerable amount was also supported for education for the disabled and technical education projects for a stable life.

-It is true that even the country cannot eradicate poverty. But at least we must create a means to make a living. This is benevolence, righteousness, and the royal way.

Sejong’s slogan became more firmly established over the generations.

To this end, the Ministry of Finance also allocated a considerable budget to the welfare sector, but it was not enough.

In response, a dedicated institution was created in the name of the Emperor and the Imperial Family to supplement the lacking parts.

“Certainly, this part was better than in the 21st century….”

As Hyang evaluated, the perspective of Joseon, and the subsequent empire, towards the disabled was ‘extraordinary’ compared to the 21st century.

In this era, disability was only ‘a little inconvenient’ for the people of the empire. If they had the ability, they could ‘well’ make a living.

“No, is ‘now’ ‘ordinary’ and the 21st century was ‘extraordinary’?”

* * *

Hyang and Hyeon said they would build a hospital using imperial and personal property, but the most important thing was the people to fill the hospital.

Accordingly, the court posted a proclamation throughout the empire.

-Doctors urgently needed!

“Doctors?”

“Are they looking for doctors to work far away in the West?”

“Are they giving preference to doctors who are good at treating external injuries?”

The expressions of the empire’s people who were reading the proclamation all turned bad.

“We don’t have enough doctors who are good at treating external injuries….”

Since it was not an era where detailed specialties had been developed, medicine was largely divided into internal medicine and surgery.

Surgery was responsible for a wide range of fields, from simple abrasions and sprains to life-and-death major surgeries, and there was still a shortage of specialized surgeons.

However, through the military hospitals created since the mid-Gyeongjang period, specialized surgeons began to be produced, and this was being resolved to some extent thanks to the imperial army emergency trauma treatment centers located throughout the empire.

However, it was not completely resolved, and that is why the people were expressing their regret.

In the end, the court posted proclamations to military hospitals and emergency trauma treatment centers located throughout the empire.

“Hmm… ‘Responsible for treatment and education.’… Should I go?”

“If the imperial family supports it, I don’t have to worry about salary issues.”

“It’s all about hierarchy here, but I don’t think that will happen there? I think I’ll be treated better.”

As time passed, those with their own dreams and ambitions began to volunteer one by one.

* * *

While these movements were taking place in the empire’s mainland and other regions, gunfire still filled the sky in Italy.

In the battle for Pavia, the French army suffered serious damage and had to retreat.

The French army desperately resisted to protect the retreating main force across the Ticino River and to secure the bridges and ferries they had to cross themselves.

The imperial assault troops had to pay a considerable price for the French army’s resistance, which disregarded the safety of the citizens of Pavia.

This resistance of the French army collapsed as the bypassing imperial army launched a pincer attack.

The imperial army’s bypassing force entered the city of Pavia as the fortress battery targeting the bypassing imperial army collapsed.

The French defense force caught in the imperial army’s pincer attack began to collapse like a sandcastle and began a disorderly rout towards the bridges and ferries.

The assault troops, full of anger, tenaciously clung to the fleeing French army.

In the end, the French army that crossed the Ticino River was reduced to 60% of what it was when it first entered the city of Pavia.

The French army, which had suffered serious losses in troops and equipment, made every effort to recover its troops and prepare for the imperial army’s reverse crossing.

However, the imperial army did not cross the river immediately. No, they couldn’t.

This was because the imperial army’s equipment, including the assault vehicles, was too heavy. The flimsy bridges across the Ticino River could not withstand them.

“We should have hurried a little more… Tsk.”

Lee Si-ae, who was licking his lips with a face full of regret, soon composed himself.

“Even though it’s a shame, the French army has been hit hard, so we’ve achieved our set goal. But, we don’t know yet….”

After pondering something for a while, Lee Si-ae called his staff.

“Call the engineering corps and tell them to prepare for the river crossing.”

“Yes? The soldiers need to be reorganized.”

“I know. Just tell them to prepare. We can’t give those French bastards a chance to rest.”

At Lee Si-ae’s words, the staff’s face brightened and he replied.

“I understand! Should we have the artillery corps prepare together if possible?”

“That would be the icing on the cake.”

As the imperial army’s engineering and artillery corps began to move according to Lee Si-ae’s orders, the French army on the other side began to tense up.

“It seems the imperial bastards are trying to cross the river.”

“Can we stop them?”

“It’s impossible. The loss of troops was great, but the problem is that we lost most of our cannons. We don’t have enough firepower to stop the imperial army from crossing the river.”

“Damn it….”

“It’s not that we underestimated them….”

“Those bastards were too strong.”

Amidst the lamentations, reflections, and excuses, the generals’ opinions were gathered.

“Let’s retreat to Turin.”

“That seems like a good idea. We don’t have enough firepower right now. All we’ll be doing is wasting troops if we try to stop them.”

“That’s right. The imperial army is heavy and slow, so it’s best to retreat to Turin as quickly as possible to rest and reorganize.”

The French generals, who had reached an agreement, immediately began to move their troops.

The French army, which was preparing for defense as noisily as the busy imperial army, escaped to Turin under the cover of night.

The generals, sitting on their horses with complicated expressions, looked at the faces of the soldiers, which were brightened by the joy of being alive, and muttered as they looked towards Genoa.

“The Spanish bastards better do their job properly….”

However, when they returned to Turin, the news they heard was devastating.

-Spanish army annihilated.