There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 189

< The Senior Association (2) >

Division of labor and large-scale supply of materials.

With this much organization, even the elderly could efficiently participate in handicrafts.

Lee Seong-gye, who was watching the scene, asked me slyly.

“Come to think of it, I heard your mother runs something called a women’s association?”

“Yes, something like that.”

It feels like a network for upper-class mothers created for the aristocratic women with my advice.

‘Come to think of it, you seemed to be quite involved with women’s education last time.’

As I was thinking that, Lee Seong-gye said.

“I’m old too, so I know their discomforts. There must be many people who are subtly ignored by their families because of their lack of economic contribution.”

“Really?”

Even in this Confucian country?

“Why do you think that doesn’t happen here? Even I am being nagged by my grandson.”

“Come on, when did I ever do that?”

However, Lee Seong-gye squinted his eyes.

“The one who hits may not remember, but the one who gets hit always remembers.”

Well, I was the one who got hit.

You used to hit me on the head whenever you didn’t like something.

“I might as well create something like a senior association to represent these marginalized old people.”

Lee Seong-gye suddenly opened his mouth.

“But is it enough to just provide straw and have them do handicrafts like this?”

Since everyone is already doing this much, he meant, would it be possible to achieve meaningful job creation and production increase?

“So, I prioritized selecting people who don’t have jobs, and I’m planning to support them so that they can make money-making Hwamunseok [Wanggol mats] once we get on track…”

Hwamunseok is a mat made of Wanggol [a type of sedge], and it was considered a luxury item, valuable enough to be included in the tribute items.

The material wasn’t expensive, and it was a good item to try because it could be made with just labor, but Lee Seong-gye shook his head.

“Isn’t that something that people who already know how to do it usually do?”

“Well, wouldn’t everyone be able to do it if they learn?”

I had a mindset that anything could be done if I ordered it, but Lee Seong-gye’s thoughts seemed different.

After thinking for a while, I came up with a new plan.

“Then, how about doing it this way?”

===

Ven. Muhak’s disciples’ Buddhist purification movement was somewhat effective.

Monks who were keen on collecting land and servants were largely dealt with through the policy of suppressing Buddhism and the Buddhist purification movement.

Of course, monks who openly resisted were not left alone.

They were dragged to the mines or exiled to the north to diligently preach the Buddha’s words to the Jurchen people.

‘They will be reborn in paradise later.’

However, clever temples sought to transform themselves in a more sensible way.

“We are gathering Yoo-saeng [Confucian students] who are poor and do not have money to study and having them study at temples.”

Their intention is to improve their image and support talents who will become officials in the future to avoid the court’s blade, but from my point of view, I would rather encourage this.

“Studying at a temple is a bit of a mark against you, but since you can study without worrying about money in a poor family, the competition rate for entering the temple is quite high.”

As I intended, it seemed to have become more of a study hall than a monastery where academic research was conducted.

Anyway, thanks to Buddhism, which flourished during the Goryeo Dynasty, there was no place without temples all over the country, so it was a positive thing that opportunities to study increased in this way.

Except for one problem.

“But all the temples around are complaining that they don’t have enough paper to make books. Our printing house is the same.”

Ven. Muhak’s disciples complained to me.

As part of the Buddhist purification movement, a large-scale publication of Buddhist scriptures is being carried out to expel unqualified monks and renew the Buddhist culture itself.

I developed the printing press at a good time, but unlike Europe, where Gutenberg was, a large-scale printing revolution did not occur.

First of all, even if there were books, Chinese characters themselves were quite difficult to learn, and above all, there was a great shortage of paper.

Hanji [traditional Korean paper] is made from paper mulberry.

However, the amount of paper mulberry itself was very rare, and it was natural that it could not be made carelessly because it required a dozen steps of papermaking process.

Temples have been in charge of their own papermaking since the Goryeo Dynasty, when the printing culture flourished, but they have been so active in the book supply movement that they have reached a point where they do not have enough paper to use themselves.

‘Eventually, this day has come.’

Now that the demand for paper has greatly exceeded the supply, I had to get up.

“You’re telling me to develop a way to make paper by mixing miscellaneous trees instead of paper mulberry?”

Jang Yeong-sil’s mouth dropped open.

“H-How did you know that?”

You have to figure that out from now on.

…If I had said that, even Jang Yeong-sil, who is passionate, would have been shocked, but I wasn’t such an unscrupulous boss.

“Even if it’s miscellaneous trees, you can’t use just any tree. You have to use coniferous trees such as pine or fir.”

About half of coniferous trees are cellulose.

If you finely crush the cut coniferous trees and boil them thoroughly, pulp is made, so if you can complete this, it is virtually the same as creating a new papermaking technology.

The problem is that it’s not as easy as it sounds.

“The power source is still the problem.”

I clicked my tongue.

The biggest problem was crushing the trees.

Coniferous trees are weaker than broad-leaved trees, but I didn’t know how many people would have to stick together to break the trees whole.

‘It would be easy if there was a waterwheel, but the places where you can use a waterwheel are limited.’

In the end, I had no choice but to go in the direction of using both waterwheels and animal power, just like when I made the bellows for the steel mill.

‘If I treat this completed pulp with sulfuric acid.’

“I’ve never seen such pure white paper, Your Highness.”

Jang Yeong-sil admired.

The paper bleached with sulfuric acid boasted a far whiter appearance compared to the existing Hanji.

“It’s so good that it’s almost too good to use.”

I agreed too.

When you think about it, it’s not even as good as A4 paper made in modern times, but there’s no purer white paper than this in this era.

In short, it is high-quality paper that even the emperor cannot use.

“We can sell this to the Ming Dynasty.”

Sulfuric acid is being produced little by little, but mass production is still impossible, so it is literally paper that only the upper class can use.

Unless we increase sulfur imports and mass-produce sulfuric acid generators a little more.

“On the other hand, this is…”

Jang Yeong-sil looked at the papers next to him with a sullen face.

Unlike the pure white paper I had just seen, the yellow color of the coniferous trees was still visible on the paper.

It was groundwood pulp that had not undergone any chemical treatment.

It was what is called newsprint in modern times.

The problem was not only the color.

‘I can’t use this for writing with a brush.’

I clicked my tongue.

I didn’t want to use it after touching it and writing with a brush.

The surface of the paper was all exposed, so it smeared on the brush, and the part with ink was weakened, so it tore even if I wrote a little deeply.

But I looked at Jang Yeong-sil and said definitively.

“I like this one better.”

“Yes? Are you talking about this cheap paper?”

‘His guts have grown a lot too.’

To call this paper cheap without hesitation.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you can write with a brush or a pencil.

Paper is just a container for writing anyway, isn’t it? Good paper is paper that is much cheaper and can be used by many people, whether it is high-quality or not.”

Although I invented the printing press in its early stages, no significant changes were taking place due to the paper shortage.

However, now that I have developed paper that can be mass-produced even if it is newsprint, anyone can easily buy books.

No, let me correct that.

There is still one big hurdle left.

‘The problem is…’

It must be Chinese characters, damn it.

===

“So, you’re going to entrust the papermaking work to the Senior Association?”

Lee Seong-gye asked, lifting the paper.

“The work that requires a lot of strength can be fully covered by animal power and water power. The necessary work is boiling the crushed wood and floating the paper [forming the sheets], which is enough for the Senior Association to do.”

I said so.

I never intended to have the country take charge of the papermaking work anyway.

To ensure a smooth supply of paper, we should rather actively encourage private papermaking.

The outsourcing to the Senior Association was part of that.

‘I can’t believe you’re actually creating a Senior Association and taking office.’

The official name is Joseon Senior Association.

There was also an office called Giroso [a government office to care for retired high-ranking officials], but this was an organization for retired officials.

However, Lee Seong-gye established a Senior Association that anyone over the age of 60 could join, regardless of their status.

“Why do we need to distinguish between superiors and inferiors when we are all old?”

Usually, it is Joseon’s etiquette to respect the elderly regardless of their status, but in a way, it could be seen as Lee Seong-gye’s unconventional behavior.

However, Lee Seong-gye, who wore a hat for the first time in a while, looked full of enthusiasm.

“There are rumors circulating at home and abroad that I’m senile, aren’t there?”

Lee Seong-gye asked with a sulky face.

“There are many opinions that don’t understand.”

I know it’s because of the shock I received from the participant in the Hwangsan Battle, but it was natural for other people to recognize that the Supreme King was doing something strange.

“Hmph, they’re the ones who said that even when holding a banquet for the elderly, the lowly should be excluded. At the same time, they recite the old etiquette.”

I don’t like that either.

To make these guys’ noses flat…

“Now that you have established the Senior Association, how about publishing a book that describes the etiquette of treating adults?”

Now that you have created the Senior Association, you must clearly show the purpose of the group.

In particular, reforming the people and correcting customs is no different from the purpose of Confucianism.

Even those who consider the Supreme King’s actions to be bizarre will stop saying that if he produces results.

Then Lee Seong-gye tilted his head for a moment and asked.

“It’s tempting, but… how many people in this country can read?”

“Not many.”

This was the weakness.

Chinese characters, these damn Chinese characters!

There is a reason why King Sejong is the top 1 figure in Korean history.

I thought about it when I first fell into Joseon, but the utility of Chinese characters in spreading letters was too low.

“You need to memorize at least thousands of Chinese characters to be able to read fluently.”

Even if you don’t go to that level, you have to learn at least the Thousand Character Classic [a classic Chinese primer], and even then, if there are Chinese characters you don’t know, you will have difficulty interpreting them.

‘I miss Hangeul [the Korean alphabet].’

I thought while looking at the Crown Prince.

However, I had a plan in mind when there was such a problem.

“There is no need to convey it in writing. You can spread etiquette and customs widely by drawing pictures.”

Samganghaengsildo [Illustrated Guide to the Three Bonds], a frequently asked question in the Korean History Proficiency Test.

During King Sejong’s reign, instead of writing, he drew pictures and recorded episodes of Samgangoryun [the three fundamental relationships and the five moral disciplines of Confucianism].

The wise King Sejong was also aware of the benefits of learning comics.

===

When the idea of publishing Samganghaengsildo in the Senior Association came out, the reactions of the officials were very subtle.

“Isn’t it a wonderful thing that our Crown Prince actively suggested this?”

However, Lee Bang-won boasted regardless of the ambiguous atmosphere.

“I am truly moved that His Highness has not forgotten the principles of Confucianism.”

Half of them were looking at him as if to say, ‘You are a Confucian scholar after all.’

And the other half,

“But who will be in charge of the compilation?”

“A member of the royal family has decided to participate in order to set an example in the royal family.”

Then the faces of the officials turned blue.

“S-Surely, Your Highness is not in charge of it…”

I felt a tingling in the back of my head as I received the officials’ gazes, as if I was trying to teach something strange using the Supreme King as a shield.

I’ve had several battles with Confucian boys, but I don’t think I’ve ever acted recklessly.

I said to dispel the misunderstanding.

“My grown-up relatives and my younger siblings will participate, not me.”

“Sigh.”

Only then did the officials let out a sigh of relief.

These humans, really.

< The Senior Association (2) > End

ⓒ Pitkong