Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 975

975. A Tree with Too Many Branches… (4)

Almost everyone in Bonji knew about Duke Jinpyeong’s fraught relationship with tigers.

-For Duke Jinpyeong, operating the Iron Horse [railroad maintenance vehicle] was a life-or-death endeavor, and hunting tigers was a hobby he pursued with equal risk.

-As long as the Iron Horse and the railroad existed, tigers were Duke Jinpyeong’s mortal enemies.

This saying encapsulated the relationship between Duke Jinpyeong and tigers. When the railroad was first laid throughout Bonji, many workers were lost in the mountainous regions. Although they bypassed the most rugged terrain of the Baekdu-daegan [major mountain range in Korea] and chose relatively flat detours, they still suffered considerable casualties.

It wasn’t just the terrain. Attacks by wild animals like tigers and bears also caused significant losses. Usually, a large gathering of people would deter even the most ferocious beasts, causing them to retreat deep into the wilderness. However, older animals, struggling to hunt or having developed a taste for human flesh, cleverly exploited opportunities to prey on people.

-For half the year, people hunt tigers, and for the other half, tigers hunt people.

The people of Bonji were so accustomed to the danger posed by tigers that such sayings circulated freely, but the severity of the situation became a serious problem. Sejong [the Emperor] dispatched additional Chakhogun (tiger hunters) to address this, but casualties continued.

“Have I ever seen such detestable bastards!”

“Your Highness, your language is a bit strong.”

“What’s wrong with calling detestable things detestable! Bring me my bow!”

Jinpyeong, then a Grand Prince, received a report that construction was delayed due to tiger attacks. He immediately seized his bow and arrows and ventured into the Baekdu-daegan. Perhaps due to Jinpyeong’s proactive response, sightings of wild animals vanished from the railroad construction site.

-It is said that even the mountain gods trembled before Duke Jinpyeong.

Rumors like this spread.

Afterward, Jinpyeong’s intense relationship with tigers continued in the forest regions of the Northeast and Bukji. With permission to use long guns, Jinpyeong became even more active. Whenever he saw a tiger or heard a rumor of one, he would immediately grab his gun and rush out. Eventually, Hyang [the Crown Prince] sent Jinpyeong a letter with a subtle warning.

-It’s good to catch them, but catch them in moderation. The farmers are suffering.

This wasn’t just a friendly suggestion. As the tigers disappeared, the populations of wild boars, deer, and roe deer exploded, and they began raiding nearby farmlands, turning them into ruins.

* * *

Hyang was the first to recognize this problem. Reports of wild boars, deer, and roe deer damaging farms were increasing, but Sejong and most officials didn’t consider it a major issue.

“Is this really happening?”

After confirming the reports, Hyang immediately ordered the Ministry of Finance to investigate. The investigation revealed a direct correlation between Jinpyeong’s tiger hunting and the damage to farms, which Hyang then reported to Sejong and the officials.

“…It is natural to eliminate tigers that harm the people. However, excessive hunting is problematic. Maintaining the cycle and harmony of yin and yang [complementary opposites] and the five elements [fundamental elements in traditional Chinese philosophy], as well as moderation, is crucial not only for people, but for all things. I’ve tentatively named it the ‘food chain,’ and as you can see, disrupting this chain is causing suffering to the people.”

“Indeed.”

“Truly amazing! The cycle of yin and yang, the five elements, and moderation are so important to all things in the world!”

“Food chain… a very catchy name!”

Sejong nodded seriously after receiving Hyang’s report, and the officials couldn’t help but admire him.

“As expected of the Crown Prince!”

“Indeed!”

“You flatter me.”

While humbly accepting the praise from Sejong and the officials, Hyang muttered to himself.

‘Explaining it with yin, yang, the five elements, and moderation makes them understand immediately, rather than using a complicated explanation.’

Thus, Jinpyeong’s indiscriminate tiger hunting was curtailed. Furthermore, the empire became the first to limit reckless farmland development and establish natural protection zones.

* * *

After that, Duke Jinpyeong rarely hunted wild animals, especially tigers. However, after Yi Yoong’s scandal [likely a historical event involving corruption or abuse of power], Hyang shook his head and clicked his tongue at the news that a large number of tiger skins were being presented to the imperial family and that tiger skins had become commonplace in the markets of Seoul.

“Tsk! That guy, again!”

Hyang shook his head and began to write a letter.

“It’s better for me to intervene than for Hyeon [the current Emperor] to do so.”

Even as the emperor, Hyeon might find it awkward to deal with elders like Jinpyeong and Anpyeong. It wasn’t just about lineage and kinship; they were veterans who had been active with Sejong and Hyang in the early days of the empire and continued to play significant roles. Therefore, Hyang was the best person to handle it.

“Well, Jinpyeong is old enough that he won’t, no, can’t cause something like the ‘Gyeyu Iron Rebellion’ [reference to a historical coup]…”

Hyang still couldn’t shake off the memory of a disturbing dream he had long ago. Fifteen days after Hyang sent the letter, a huge tiger skin was presented to Sugang Palace. Enclosed was a handwritten letter from Jinpyeong:

-I suppose I’m getting old too. From now on, I’ll just quietly lay railroads.

“Quietly? Yeah, right!”

* * *

Just as the commotion surrounding Jinpyeong was subsiding, Hyang found himself grappling with another problem.

“I’ve raised tiger cubs. A whole bunch of them…”

What caused Hyang to rub his forehead and grumble were the blueprints sent by the artisans in Areas 51 and 52 [research and development facilities, possibly a humorous reference to the real Area 51] and the shipyards in Wonsan and Shinji. They were already familiar with steam engines and iron ships through the Assault Turtle Ships and Black Mirror-class transport ships. Moreover, the multi-wing propeller—turbine engine—that Jang Yeong-sil [famous Korean inventor] had designed and that had horrified Hyang was nearing the final stages of testing for demonstration.

“Hyeon’s role is significant in this.”

This multi-wing propeller was something Hyeon had been obsessed with during his time as Crown Prince. Thanks to his full support, it had progressed rapidly. And all of these elements combined to create blueprints that even Hyang found alarming.

“High-speed battleships with rotating turrets, aircraft carrier ships equipped with self-propelled flying ships… That’s okay. High-speed flying ships using multi-wing propellers?”

Hyang’s expression shifted as he examined the blueprints with a dumbfounded look.

“This is going to be fun.”

Hyang wore an expression that would have horrified Sejong and Kim Jeom, both now deceased.

* * *

The first thing Hyang reviewed was the ‘high-speed battleship with rotating turrets.’ When Hyeon first submitted this proposal, Hyang had rejected it.

-Rotating the turret requires a lot of power. It’s impossible with manpower or animal power; a steam engine is necessary.

-Connecting shafts or belts to the steam engine that moves the ship is structurally unsound.

-Therefore, a dedicated steam engine must be installed to move the turret, which creates a space problem.

-Even if the space problem is solved, there’s a safety issue. Installing a steam engine near the turret, already filled with dangerous gunpowder and shells, is too risky.

This last point was the primary reason for Hyang’s rejection. However, Hyang was unaware that during the American Civil War, the Union’s ironclad ship, the Monitor, used a shaft connected to the propulsion steam engine to rotate the turret.

‘The Monitor isn’t my style.’

Hyang’s extreme geeky preferences caused him to miss this detail, despite being a steampunk enthusiast. Regardless, the artisans’ solution to Hyang’s concerns was both orthodox and daring.

-Maintain a safe distance between the steam engine driving the turret and the turret itself.

-Surround the turret with a water tank.

“Water tank? Hmm…”

Hyang nodded as he studied the blueprint. The design featured a donut-shaped water tank surrounding the turret when viewed from above. This tank would be filled with clean water for the steam engine and the soldiers to use. Contemplating the blueprint, Hyang immediately summoned the design’s lead engineer.

“It’s a good idea, but creating a water tank like this won’t be easy. What’s the solution?”

The engineer answered Hyang’s question without hesitation.

“It’s entirely feasible with the skills and tools of the empire’s artisans. Of course, creating that shape in one piece is impossible. It must be made in sections and then assembled.”

“How will you address the waterproofing issue during assembly?”

“We have Chicle [natural rubber], don’t we?”

“That’s right.”

Hyang nodded at the engineer’s response. Encouraged by Hyang’s positive reaction, the engineer elaborated.

“Naturally, rubber can’t be used in hot, high-pressure areas like the steam engine’s hot water tank. Brass components will still be necessary there. However, applying Chicle is fine in cooler areas, such as around the turret.”

“That’s right. Hmm… I see. I’ll report to the Emperor and seek approval.”

At Hyang’s words, the engineer immediately prostrated himself and exclaimed,

“I will do my utmost to deliver the best results!”

“I expect nothing less.”

Having resolved the matter of the high-speed battleship, Hyang moved on to the next item.

“Bring in the proposer of the aircraft carrier ship.”

“It’s well-established that self-propelled flying ships are more effective than simple flying ships. However, their range is limited. Therefore, it’s best to carry them on warships for deployment. Ideally, we should create a dedicated ship for flying ships, capable of providing supplies and maintenance, rather than simply loading them onto existing warships.”

“I understand that much, and I agree with the reasoning. The problem is what comes next. Attaching fire bombs to self-propelled flying ships and dropping them on enemy ships? If we want to use fire bombs with sufficient power, we’ll need to modify the self-propelled flying ships, correct?”

“That can be achieved by using self-propelled flying ships with multi-wing propellers.”

“…Bring in the person in charge of the high-speed self-propelled flying ship.”

In this manner, Hyang selected the designs he deemed promising and submitted them to Hyeon.

“I hope you’ll approve the budget. These look good.”

“Are you certain?”

“We’ve received intelligence that European countries are experimenting with ironclad ships, haven’t we? We need to stay at least half a step ahead, and I believe this is a worthwhile investment.”

“I understand. Minister Im will be quite displeased.”

“Isn’t that the Emperor’s responsibility?”

“…I should abdicate as soon as possible.”

Thus, steampunk innovations that directly appealed to Hyang’s tastes began to be pursued. However, there was one proposal that even the great Hyang rejected immediately.

It was the ‘land battleship’ submitted by Leonardo da Vinci.

-The entire vehicle is covered in iron armor and features rotating and fixed turrets.

-The rotating turret is equipped with two main guns from the Assault Turtle Ship, while the fixed turrets on the vehicle’s left and right sides are equipped with smaller cannons.

Hyang immediately envisioned something when he saw Leonardo da Vinci’s proposal.

‘This is Ratte [massive German tank design from WWII]! Why is something that even Hitler abandoned appearing now!’