There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 161

“This isn’t just Dancheon’s level.”

Lee Cheon and Jang Yeong-sil, who had returned, spoke excitedly.

After hearing what they had seen, my mouth dropped open as well.

“The silver buried in this mine is endless. We can dig it up for well over a hundred years.”

“Lord Byeoljang’s words are not an exaggeration at all. It felt like all the silver in the world was buried there.”

If we were to talk about silver mines near Hanyang [present-day Seoul], there were Bupyeong and Geumju.

However, these two places were just something to dig into out of desperation, and they weren’t exactly satisfactory.

Dancheon, as Korea’s largest silver mine, had a decent amount of reserves, but it wasn’t enough.

‘I hit the jackpot.’

My heart was pounding.

Now that I’ve struck such a bonanza, shouldn’t I extract as much as possible?

“It would be possible to ship silver ore from across the sea and refine it in Joseon, but that would result in enormous losses.”

“That’s right.”

The amount of silver that can be extracted from silver ore is less than one might think.

So, shipping the same amount of silver ore versus shipping refined silver is a world of difference.

Considering transportation costs, it was much more profitable to bring refined silver.

“Then we have no choice but to send our technicians to the site…”

However, security is an issue in this case.

The fact that Iwami [a silver mine in Japan] is the real deal will inevitably leak out someday.

The Ouchi [a powerful Japanese clan] think they’ve got us fooled, but they’ll realize that they’re the ones being fooled, in reverse.

And that too, in a fairly short period of time.

‘Since we’re dispatching mercenaries anyway, we should send some troops to protect Iwami.’

Under the pretext of sending troops to protect this place, I was planning to have our Joseon army stationed there as well.

Of course, the Ouchi would not allow more than a small number of troops.

So, if the Ouchi army were to attack with determination, it would be impossible to prevent the silver mine from being taken, but I intended to at least have them play the role of smuggling out the technicians and burning down the silver mine facilities.

As long as the Seongchung project is underway, it doesn’t seem like the Ouchi will betray us, but you never know.

If the Ouchi try to forcibly seize Iwami, all they will get is ashes.

‘Instead, they’ll only incur Joseon’s resentment and the shogunate’s [Japanese military government] wariness.’

We’ll stab them in the back to the shogunate.

“If they have any sense, they won’t be able to do that.”

“That’s a great relief, Your Highness.”

Lee Cheon let out a sigh of relief after hearing my explanation.

This guy hated going at first, but after seeing that enormous amount of silver, he was more excited than anyone else.

I really picked the right person.

I should send Lee Cheon when Iwami is fully developed later.

Since he’s from a military background, he’ll manage security well.

At that time, Jang Yeong-sil called me with a serious expression.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

Yeong-sil answered my question.

“Before we left, we looked into the matter that Your Highness entrusted to us.”

Ah, that.

I had the ships look for a way to pass through the West Sea [Yellow Sea].

‘The most important thing is the silver mine.’

It seemed they had been racking their brains to solve the problem I had ordered.

Still, it seemed that Lee Cheon had handled the silver mine issue well, so Jang Yeong-sil’s report was quite welcome.

He had directly examined the sea route in Chungcheong Province and tried to come up with countermeasures.

“After going there, I found that the only way to pass through the rough waters of the West Sea is to dig a canal.”

So the conclusion is that.

“I brought up the story to the Gi-in [local officials], but they only replied that it would be impossible.”

The underground bedrock is composed of granite, which is very hard, and mud is constantly flowing in, making construction difficult.

‘Granite can be dealt with using gunpowder, but…’

The problem was where to get that much gunpowder.

The supply rate of matchlock guns to the Central Army was rapidly increasing, and the amount of gunpowder used was skyrocketing, and we also had to export the promised amount to the Ouchi.

Thanks to the saltpeter fields, the production of saltpeter had increased, and the import of sulfur from Japan had also increased, but even if gunpowder production increased tenfold from now, it was questionable whether it would be able to handle the canal construction.

I clicked my tongue.

There was a reason why it had repeatedly failed since the Goryeo Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 918 to 1392].

However, what Jang Yeong-sil proposed was a different plan.

“Gulpocheok seemed difficult even to me. However, in my opinion, there is a better place.”

“A better place?”

I asked, tilting my head.

Build a canal in a different place than Gulpo?

===

Lee Bang-won was enthusiastic about the canal construction.

So much so that he even brought Park Ja-cheong, a specialist in civil engineering of this era, to accompany me.

However, Park Ja-cheong had a somewhat uneasy look on his face.

It was a project that had been constantly throwing rice cakes [promising something that is unlikely to happen] since the Goryeo Dynasty, so he didn’t seem confident.

“People like Left State Councilor actively advocate digging the Gulpo Canal, but it’s not an easy task.”

“I know that too.”

Ha Ryun was a great statesman, but I heard that he sometimes did things like this.

‘Just look at the way he suddenly pushed Muak last time.’

In fact, it was when they were arguing over whether to put the capital in Gaeseong or Hanyang.

He was quick-witted and smart, but once he was hooked on something, he would push it to the end.

It would be frustrating from an expert’s point of view.

“Hyah, since you’ve come all the way to Chungcheong Province, why don’t you go to Onyang and take a hot spring bath?”

“We didn’t come here to play, what nonsense are you talking about?”

I scolded Nohbu like that.

It’s best to finish work quickly and rest.

“How can Your Highness travel by boat?” someone asked.

“I don’t mind, but so many people dissuaded me, so I had no choice but to travel by land.”

“That place, that’s the place! The place I’ve been watching!” Jang Yeong-sil exclaimed, pointing.

“Anmyeon Cape, I see,” I said, recognizing the location immediately.

The canal plan, a long-standing proposal since the Goryeo Dynasty [918-1392], involved digging a canal north and south along the shortest distance of the Taean Peninsula, effectively turning the entire Taean County into an island.

However, due to challenging ground conditions and tidal differences, the construction was expected to be tremendously difficult.

Park Ja-cheong and other experts also asserted its impossibility.

‘But this place seems quite diggable?’ I mused.

Jang Yeong-sil’s proposal wasn’t to cut the entire Taean County, but to cut through the narrow part of Anmyeon Cape, the middle half of the Taean Peninsula, from east to west.

This location offered a much shorter construction section and lower difficulty compared to the existing plan.

From that perspective, Jang Yeong-sil’s plan pinpointed the ideal location.

“Indeed. Cutting through this place will significantly ease transport ship travel,” I acknowledged.

The transport ships from the three southern provinces face several major obstacles on their way to Hanyang [modern-day Seoul].

The three major hazards are Ssal Seeogeunyeo (Rice Sinking Shoal), Anheungnyang, and Gwanjangmok.

Ssal Seeogeunyeo, as the name suggests, earned its name from the numerous transport ships wrecked and the rice lost there.

Opening this Panmok Canal would bypass Ssal Seeogeunyeo, eliminating one of the widow-makers.

Park Ja-cheong nodded in agreement. “This place will definitely be easier to construct. You’ve found a good passage.”

“Hmm…” I still frowned.

I understood why Park Ja-cheong and Jang Yeong-sil favored opening the Panmok Canal.

Avoiding one dangerous gateway for transport ships was a significant advantage, but…

‘Because he’s a mechanical engineer, Yeong-sil missed a key point,’ I thought.

I raised my finger and traced the coastline. “If we dig a canal in Panmok, we can safely enter the inner sea of Taean, but won’t we still have to navigate the outer sea and pass through Anheungnyang?”

This construction would only avoid the least dangerous of the three major obstacles, Ssal Seeogeunyeo, while the most perilous areas, Anheungnyang and Gwanjangmok, would remain.

Park Ja-cheong conceded my point but offered an excuse. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. We can only be relieved to avoid at least one hazard.”

Perhaps this was why the Panmok Canal was eventually built in later generations.

In modern South Korea, Anmyeondo is an island divided by this canal.

‘But is it worth undertaking a major construction project just to avoid this one place?’ I wondered.

“It’s better than doing nothing. It’s much better than building a canal in Gulpo, which is all granite,” Park Ja-cheong said firmly.

“There’s strong public sentiment in the court that we must reduce damage to transport ships by any means. Digging the Panmok Canal would be better than following the Left State Councilor’s plan to dig a canal in Gulpo.”

Opposition without alternatives is useless.

So, Park Ja-cheong advocated pushing forward with this promising construction project.

Regardless of the reasons presented, if transport ships continued to sink, the court would have to find a solution.

Currently, they’ve issued directives to secure skilled sailors and avoid passing through dangerous areas immediately, advising them to rest and check for safety before setting sail again, but this isn’t a fundamental solution.

If they pursue this to the end, the likely conclusion will be the Gulpo Canal.

‘That’s a truly hopeless construction project,’ I thought.

I might have to invest all my earnings and the gunpowder I’ve scraped together using the Chwito troops [elite military unit].

‘If I put in that much effort and it’s used for hundreds of years, then maybe it’ll be worth it.’

That wasn’t part of my plan.

I was considering using the Panmok Canal as bait to divert the court’s attention when I asked, “Anheungnyang is definitely located west of Taean, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A place where ships sailing along the coast of Taean often sink due to strong currents and numerous reefs.

‘Sailing along the coast…’ I looked at Park Ja-cheong and asked, “Instead of launching ships along the Taean Peninsula, shouldn’t we just sail into the open sea?”

Park Ja-cheong was taken aback. “But Your Highness, the outer sea is more dangerous than Anheungnyang!”

Of course, it would sound absurd to him.

Joseon’s ships sail along the coast to easily determine their location by visually confirming the land.

In the open sea, landmarks disappear completely.

Moreover, docking on land is difficult, forcing them to endure the ever-changing waves and climate of the outer sea.

‘It’s impossible with Joseon’s baby-level navigation skills,’ I thought.

It probably sounded as crazy as Alexander suggesting crossing the Alps to attack Italy.

‘No, was that Napoleon?’ I wasn’t sure.

“That would be the case with the current transport ships,” I said.

But we don’t have to rely solely on homegrown navigation skills.

‘Why did I forget?’

We have our Joseon shipbuilders stuck in Zheng He’s fleet [a famed Chinese admiral and explorer].

‘Are those guys still working in the Ming Dynasty?’ I wondered.

According to the plan I received from Zheng He when I paid tribute to Ming, the boat squadron should have set sail a few months ago.

Even if the officials and sailors sent along went, the Joseon shipbuilders working at the shipyard wouldn’t have followed.

They must be in a state of suspended business right now.

‘But why aren’t they returning home?’

A sense of unease crept in.

Emperor Yongle [reigned 1402-1424], what are you up to, you psychopath?

< Canal > End

ⓒ Pitkong