There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 50

It was me who had worried about creating a sewing machine that could operate without electricity, even in Africa.

Thanks to that, I was very familiar with mechanical sewing machines.

‘There will be differences in parts and materials, so I probably won’t be able to make it as sophisticated as the ones I made back then, but…’

I muttered.

Still, I thought I could make a sewing machine that could thread the upper and lower threads through the needle hole and do a double stitch. [A stitch where two threads interlock, creating a stronger seam.]

Even this much would dramatically increase efficiency compared to manual work.

However, when I visited the Military Supplies Supervision [The department responsible for managing and producing military equipment], Choi Hae-san had already left work long ago.

The artisans who were left late, hammering away at the metal, saw me and said,

“Assistant Manager left as soon as His Highness the Crown Prince left.”

“He said he had an ominous feeling that His Highness would assign him work today no matter what…”

“What?”

I clicked my tongue.

Choi Hae-san was much lazier than I thought, except when it came to gunpowder-related work.

Recently, I had been putting him in the Hanyang Construction Office [The office responsible for construction projects in the capital] and assigning him other tasks, and his work attitude had been poor. Now he had even taken early leave.

‘That guy ran away fast.’

It was almost time to leave work, but Choi Hae-san had left even before that. The fact that he packed his bags and ran home as soon as I left was infuriating.

He had been saying that he had no energy these days, so I fried him a chicken, and he ate it well, even though he was subtly afraid of getting a stomachache.

I had been so considerate of him, but he ran away without even using his strength.

“How can you be so lazy?”

I work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Friday, Friday, and he’s already slacking off.

“It can’t be helped.”

I can’t call back someone who’s already left, and I’ve been making him work a lot lately.

“Don’t go home yet, you guys.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll draw up the blueprints, so when the Assistant Manager comes to work tomorrow, give them to him right away.”

I’ll let him off the hook today, but I’ll have to get a real sample within a few days.

“Someone bring me a brush and paper.”

My subordinates quickly brought me writing tools at my command.

As I received them, the face of the person who brought them came into view.

I thought it was an old servant, but it was Lee Cheon, who was standing guard.

“You haven’t left work yet?”

“Yes? Yes… That’s right.”

At Lee Cheon’s words, I nodded.

As expected, he’s from a military background, so he has good stamina.

Choi Hae-san is a grizzled old man, so he makes groaning sounds even after eating nutritious chicken.

‘Should I make the people in our office do some physical training?’

I thought so and began to draw a blueprint on the paper with a brush.

I was racking my brains, trying to revive my memories and modify it so that it could be mass-produced even in Joseon, when Lee Cheon opened his mouth.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“In my opinion, the direction in which the thread passes through seems to be wrong.”

I looked and saw that the direction in which the thread passed through the needle hole I had drawn was in the front.

Usually, it passes through the back, so this was a structure for double stitching.

“The new sewing machine will use this structure to achieve better efficiency.”

“I see. Then, is this foot pedal for adjusting the speed of the sewing machine?”

“That’s right. But…”

The structure itself is relatively simple, but how could Lee Cheon, who doesn’t seem to have much to do with sewing, know it at a glance?

‘And he’s a military officer.’

I know exactly two people from military backgrounds: Lee Seong-gye and Lee Bang-gwa.

If I showed them a similar blueprint…

– What is this? A sewing device? It’s useless even if I know it.

– Only women should be engrossed in sewing… Ugh!

‘That’s how it would have gone.’

Neither of them is interested in invention or science.

But Lee Cheon understood the structure after seeing it only once.

‘Could it be?’

The thought I had before came to mind.

I was amazed that he had the same name as Lee Cheon, who made the Angbuilgu [A sundial invented during the Joseon Dynasty].

‘I passed it off because he was a military officer, but…’

But seeing him show such a sense, I couldn’t help but wonder.

“You definitely have a knack for this. It’s so extraordinary that I can’t believe you’re a military officer.”

When I praised his engineering aptitude, which I hadn’t known about, Lee Cheon waved his hands in embarrassment.

“No, no. Your Highness, I am just a mere military officer, how could I…”

He’s humble, that’s for sure.

That’s something I can find out.

===

Since Lee Cheon was attached to me as my guard, he seemed to have quite a bit of interaction with the people at the Hanyang Construction Office.

So it was good for asking around.

“Constable Lee? He’s a good fellow.”

Meng Sa-seong praised Lee Cheon.

“When my cart broke down, he immediately fixed it. Haha, he’s a very smart friend. It’s just a pity about our Nooreongi [Likely a pet or animal companion]. And last time…”

Meng Sa-seong repeatedly praised Lee Cheon’s skills.
Hwang Hee, who was watching the scene anxiously, poked Meng Sa-seong in the side, but Meng Sa-seong continued to praise Lee Cheon until his tongue was dry.

“Hoh, is that so.”

Combining the various stories, it seemed that he had good manual skills and was knowledgeable about mechanical principles, unlike a typical military officer.

‘Is he really the Lee Cheon I know, not just someone with the same name?’

The thought that I should prove it became even more firm.

Meng Sa-seong said with a bright expression.

“But why are you asking about him?”

“No, I thought he was smart, so I was thinking of giving him a job.”

“Ah…”

Meng Sa-seong then covered his mouth with his hand, and Hwang Hee shook his head.

“You’re hopeless because you have no tact.”

“Oh dear. I shouldn’t have brought it up… Constable Lee will have a lot of work to do now.”

Meng Sa-seong said with a troubled expression, and Hwang Hee and Heo Jo, who were next to him, nodded.

‘How much hard work have I given them that they’re reacting like that?’

I’ve been assigning them a lot of overtime as part of the great Hanyang construction project, but wasn’t it all for the sake of the country?

I wanted to stay by their side and manage them when they worked overtime, but I couldn’t help it.

‘I’m still growing.’

Sleep and height have a significant correlation.

It’s against labor laws for children like me to work late into the night.

“Oh dear, I feel so sorry for Constable Lee…”

Leaving Meng Sa-seong, who was muttering in dismay, I smiled and moved my feet.

If Lee Cheon is really that Lee Cheon, then it was dark under the lamp [A Korean idiom meaning the answer is right in front of you].

“We’re short-handed anyway, so he should join the development.”

He’s already a historically proven talent.

There’s no reason not to use him just because he’s my guard.

After all, he’s one of the three great scientists of King Sejong’s era, according to professors.

Surprisingly, Jang Yeong-sil wasn’t included in that lineup.

‘Come to think of it, what is Jang Yeong-sil doing now?’

Judging from the way he was portrayed in ‘The Land of the Morning Calm,’ he’s still young and hasn’t shown his talent yet?

I’ll have to kidnap him when he gets older, and I called Lee Cheon.

“Work with me.”

“Yes?”

Ignoring Lee Cheon’s question, I spread out the blueprints.

“How can we sew properly here?”

Lee Cheon was momentarily flustered, but he calmly replied.

“Isn’t there an upper thread threaded through the needle? It goes down through the fabric and intersects with the lower thread at the bottom…”

Lee Cheon is explaining the principle of the sewing machine properly just by looking at the blueprint.

It’s so convenient that I don’t have to explain it to him.

“Even at a glance, it seems easier and faster than hand sewing if you learn how to use it. How did you make such a thing?”

“Haha, I invented it after working hard on my own.”

I answered shamelessly.

But as Lee Cheon said, if this sewing machine is invented, the efficiency of clothing production will increase tremendously.

If we have a few of these and have people sew, the problem will be the lack of fabric, and making clothes will be a piece of cake.

That’s why when sewing machines first came out in the West, tailors stormed into factories, set them on fire, and smashed everything.

‘This is Joseon, so no one would dare to do that to something invented by the Crown Prince.’

That’s why power is good.

I grabbed Lee Cheon’s shoulder and said,

“I want you to take the artisans from the Military Supplies Supervision and make a real thing.”

Choi Hae-san is the ace of the Military Supplies Supervision, so he’s been doing a good job so far, but his major is gunpowder, so he’s weak in inventions.

Lee Cheon can perfectly compensate for this.

As expected, Lee Cheon frowned when he received my order.

“My mission is to guard Your Highness…”

I know. But do as I say.

I’ve already talked to Lee Bang-won about it.

I said that there’s a smart guy among the guards, so I’m going to give him other tasks.

“I believe in you. Your genius can be a great help to this country.”

“Your Highness…”

When I took Lee Cheon’s hand and spoke warmly, he bowed his head as if he was moved.

“I will do my best.”

Lee Cheon immediately picked up the blueprints and headed to the Military Supplies Supervision.

I, who had passed the buck to him, rubbed my palms and smiled.

“As expected, a word can repay a debt of a thousand nyang [A unit of currency in Joseon].”

To the people of Joseon, the Crown Prince is the next highest person after the King.

If the Crown Prince, who is like the sky, encourages them directly, they’ll be completely smitten.

Isn’t this what they call positive organizational management in modern times?

“Your Highness is using people with words again.”

“Poor Constable Lee. He doesn’t know where he’s stepped into.”

I heard the Hanyang Construction Office officials whispering behind my back, but I glared at them to be quiet, and they stopped.

I’ve found a useful talent and prevented backlash, so now I need to think about business.

‘Even if the sewing machine is completed, there won’t be enough fabric, so I can’t sell the machine itself yet.’

Mass production of cloth and thread is a problem that will be solved when the spinning jenny and spinning machine come out.

So it would be impossible to have each house have a sewing machine and use it.

Besides, the structure is simple, so it doesn’t break down easily, so it’s difficult to make money by selling sewing machines.

Once you buy one, you can use it for generations.

‘Since it’s made for the women of the gulag [A type of penal colony or forced labor camp] to use anyway, it would be more efficient to put it in a factory and have them use it there.’

That was the conclusion I came to after tapping on the abacus.

I also need to secure space to put in the equipment, and I need to teach the women of the gulag how to use it…

“There’s too much work, there’s too much work.”

Who can I blame?

Could it be that I’m in the gulag?

“The other officials have been thinking that way for a long time.”

The old servant muttered next to me, but I lightly ignored him.

===

The prototype is finally out.

Even faster than expected.

“Haha, you’ve worked hard.”

“How could I not devote myself to the work that Your Highness personally ordered?”

Lee Cheon proudly presented the sewing machine.

As I slowly stepped on the foot pedal and sewed, it turned without any problems.

And at a much faster speed than manual work.

‘Good.’

Lee Cheon’s face looked tired, probably because there were many trials and errors.

Did he voluntarily stay up all night?

That’s a very desirable attitude for a subordinate.

“I will give generous rewards to you and the artisans.”

“T, thank you.”

Lee Cheon’s salary is probably obvious.

Lee Cheon’s face lit up when I promised him a generous bonus.

‘I thought he was just an upright military officer, but he had this side of him too.’

Well, there’s no one who doesn’t like money.

I smiled warmly and said,

“Now we need to mass-produce sewing machines, and I want you to supervise the production.”

“Yes?”

Lee Cheon blinked.

“Wasn’t this the end of it?”

“No, of course not. Would I only entrust a mere guard to a talent like you?”

Lee Cheon’s affiliation had long been changed from my guard to the office.

Didn’t he know?

Well, he knows now.

I left the office, leaving Lee Cheon, who was frozen in a daze.

Ah, it’s always fun to discover talent.

End

ⓒ Pitkong