Hyang continued to explain to Jang Yeong-sil, who had buried his head in the blueprint.
"As you can see, I divided the twelve zodiac signs into halves, marking the initial point, and then divided it again. So, the smallest unit is two divisions."
"I understand."
"But there’s a problem. It’s quite difficult to connect this with the device that tells time through sound. I would like you to give it a try."
"However, His Majesty has given a decree..."
"Isn't it the same clock anyway? Think of it as a warm-up before making the big one. And I will speak well of it to Father, so don’t worry."
Upon hearing Hyang's words, Jang Yeong-sil began to ponder.
Seeing Jang Yeong-sil's serious expression, Hyang silently prayed.
'Please ask, ask!'
Whether he knew Hyang's anxious heart or not, Jang Yeong-sil opened his mouth.
"To be honest, I really want to make the clock for the Crown Prince. But, since there is a royal decree..."
"That issue! I will resolve it!" Hyang urgently interrupted Jang Yeong-sil.
"Yes? Yes?"
"I will handle the matter with Father! And you mentioned that the calculations were difficult, right? Do you know someone who is good at that?"
Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Jang Yeong-sil stammered in response.
"Well, there’s Jeongcho, and also Jeong In-ji. I’ve heard that Lee Cheon is good at arithmetic as well, and... oh, and..."
"That’s enough! Got it. Keep that blueprint safe!"
"Yes? Yes? Your Highness? Your Highness!"
Jang Yeong-sil, clutching the blueprint that Hyang had almost thrown at him, watched Hyang disappear into the distance, calling out anxiously.
However, Hyang did not hear him at all.
"If I can only do basic calculations and Jang Yeong-sil can only do basic calculations, then I need to find someone good at calculations!"
As he hurried toward Geunjeongjeon, a name flashed in Hyang's mind like a warning light.
"Wait? Jeong In-ji? That Jeong In-ji? The one who paired with Su-yang?"
Hyang paused for a moment, thinking about the name Jeong In-ji, and quickly reached a conclusion.
"Alright! Jeong In-ji, you are definitely working overtime!"
"The Crown Prince has arrived!"
"Let him in."
Sejong, who was discussing state affairs with the ministers, allowed Hyang to enter upon hearing that he had come uninvited.
"What brings you here?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang immediately answered.
"I have come to make a request to His Majesty."
"A request?"
At the mention of 'request,' all the ministers, starting with the Prime Minister, froze.
The beginning of the bloodstorm that stained the beginning of the Gapjin year was precisely that 'request.'
Sejong, with a tense expression, asked Hyang, "A request? What kind of request?"
"Please grant me some people!"
"People?"
"Yes! Jeongcho from the Ministry of Public Works, Lee Cheon from the Ministry of Military Affairs, and Jeong In-ji from the Hall of Worthies. Oh! Lastly, I also need Jang Yeong-sil, and I will need personnel from the Military Agency from time to time."
"Jeongcho, Lee Cheon, and Jeong In-ji..."
Sejong began to search his memory for information about those individuals.
As Sejong was recalling, the secretaries from the respective ministries turned pale.
"Your Majesty! They are..."
"What? Is there a problem with them?"
"That's not it..."
Seeing the ministers hesitating, the Minister of Personnel took the lead.
"The individuals you wish for, Crown Prince, are crucial talents in their respective ministries. If they leave, it will be very difficult for us to manage our affairs. Given your character, it seems you have something important in mind, but state affairs are also significant..."
In simple terms, it meant, 'How can we let go of those who do their jobs well? We can't give them to you!'
"Is that so? Why do you want them?"
"I have thought of several devices for the rise of Joseon. However, while the principles are established, precise calculations are needed to bring them to reality, and for that, I need those skilled in arithmetic."
"Hmm... devices..."
Seeing Sejong's interest, Hyang quickly added more.
"The first thing I want to make is a clock!"
"A clock?"
"Yes. The water clock that His Majesty has ordered is so large that it requires a separate building."
"That is true."
"However, the clock I want to make can be as small as the size of an adult man or large enough to be installed on a tower."
"About the size of an adult man?"
"Exactly! If completed properly, it can be installed not only in the palace but also in the offices of the Six Ministries and local government offices! If that happens, all the people of Joseon will be able to check the time comfortably, wouldn't that be great?"
"Hmm... placing them in the palace and government offices... across the nation..."
Sejong, intrigued by Hyang's words, reached a conclusion.
"Alright! I will assign the people you want to you! However, this is only temporary. Crown Prince, if you successfully create the clock, I will remove the 'temporary' label! This is because the people you want are also needed for state affairs!"
"Thank you very much!"
Hyang replied loudly and bowed deeply.
Thus, the 'dream team that would make Joseon soar' began to take shape.
Those selected by Sejong gathered in the East Palace.
"Oh! Jang Byeol-jwa! How have you been!"
"Sir! It's been a long time!"
Jeongcho and Jang Yeong-sil greeted each other warmly.
After being specially appointed by Sejong, the first person Jang Yeong-sil had connected with was Jeongcho.
After exchanging pleasantries, Jeongcho asked Jang Yeong-sil, "I heard that the Crown Prince is making a clock, is that true?"
"Yes."
"I heard you can freely adjust its size, is that true?"
"Yes."
As Jang Yeong-sil answered, others called to the East Palace gathered around.
As the crowd gathered, Jang Yeong-sil brought out a bundle of blueprints he had set aside and spread them out.
"This is the blueprint for the clock drawn by the Crown Prince. It uses the fall of this weight instead of water."
"Hmm..."
"Ah..."
As they listened to Jang Yeong-sil's explanation, the people examined the blueprints.
While tracing the movement paths with their fingers, Jeongcho spoke up.
"This... seems to be set for the day using the fixed time method?"
"That's correct."
At Jang Yeong-sil's answer, the people fell into thought.
In Joseon, the method of distinguishing time during the day used the fixed time method with twelve zodiac signs, while at night, the variable time method was used, which divided the night into five periods.
However, the variable time method had the problem of the length of time fluctuating with the seasons.
"The Crown Prince wishes for the common people to use it as well, but wouldn't that cause problems?"
As Jeong In-ji pointed out the issue, Hyang's voice came from behind.
"Since the length of time changes according to the night, wouldn't that also cause problems during the day? In that case, I think it would be better to familiarize ourselves with the fixed time method, for the future as well."
"I greet the Crown Prince!"
Upon seeing Hyang, everyone immediately bowed.
Hyang lightly returned the greeting and gestured.
"Please take your seats."
At Hyang's command, the people gathered around the conference table.
Hyang, seated at the head, placed the bundle of papers he had tucked under his arm on the table and continued speaking.
"Although His Majesty said 'temporary,' I believe I will easily remove that label. Have you seen the blueprints?"
"I have, Your Highness."
"What do you think?"
"There is the issue of only using the fixed time method, but I believe it can be operated reliably."
"I think the same."
In response to Hyang's question, everyone gathered expressed their confidence in success.
Hyang nodded lightly and spoke.
"I think the same. The problem is creating a device that connects this and tells time through sound. I would like you to handle the calculations and design for that part."
"Hmm..."
After a moment of contemplation, the people replied in unison.
"We will heed the Crown Prince's command!"
After a brief hesitation, they accepted immediately, as they were also intrigued.
Upon hearing their response, Hyang handed them the bundles of paper.
"First, I would like to see your arithmetic skills. Please solve these problems."
Hyang presented problems he had found in a mathematical book from the Eastern Roman Empire.
The people who received the test papers quickly took out their golden brushes and ink pots to begin calculating.
"Stop."
About half a shichen (one hour) later, Hyang declared the end.
Collecting the test papers, he checked the answers against the answer sheet he had prepared.
"Hmm..."
As he graded the answers, Hyang looked around at the people.
"First, let’s start with the clock's production. Since you have come under my command, there will be no side jobs. Therefore, focus all your efforts on completing the clock prototype."
"We will obey your command!"
"How long will it take?"
In response to Hyang's question, the people huddled together and whispered.
After a brief discussion, Jeongcho answered on behalf of the group.
"The design for the most crucial part, which measures time, is already complete, so we only need to design the sound notification part. Therefore, I believe we can create a prototype in about a month."
"Then, I will report to His Majesty that it will take a month. Not only my honor but also yours is at stake, so you must do your best."
"We will do our best!"
After assigning the workspace for his envisioned dream team, Hyang returned to his study and muttered.
"This is a bit precarious..."
What Hyang found precarious was the mathematical skills of the dream team members.
The problems he had prepared in advance were selected from the mathematical books of the Eastern Roman Empire.
The problems were at the middle and high school level—excluding calculus.
When Hyang solved them, they were about 80 points in difficulty, but among them, the highest score was 70, with an average around 50 to 60 points.
"I heard that the scholars of Joseon enjoyed solving math problems? What should I do?"
Hyang expressed his difficulty because he found it hard to teach math with his own skills.
After pondering for a while, Hyang soon found a solution.
"Oh! There are the Muslims!"
A month later, the dream team kept their promise.
Sejong, seeing the completed clock, was greatly satisfied.
"Make these in bulk and install them in the palace and the offices of the Six Ministries first!"
"We will obey!"
Thus, clocks were installed throughout the palace and in various places of the Six Ministries.
And these clocks became the nightmares of the officials.
As power shifted distinctly toward Sejong, the time for the royal lectures was drastically reduced to half a shichen from 9 to 11 and from 3 to 5. This was because there was no longer a need to suppress the ministers' pride through the lectures.
When it was time for the royal lectures, the prime ministers and ministers hurriedly moved to the lecture hall.
If they were even a little late, Sejong, who had arrived early, would silently glance at the tardy minister and then at the clock.
Without uttering a single word, each time, the late minister would break into a cold sweat.
If the ministers were sweating, for the officials of the Six Ministries, it was like opening the gates of hell.
"When will this report be ready?"
"It will be ready by the time of the Shin-si (16:00)."
"Really? Understood."
And when the promised time came, the superiors would urge their subordinates.
"Hey! It’s already Shin-si! Are you still far from finishing?"
"I’m sorry. Just a little more time..."
"Come on! Hurry up!"
As this became frequent, the subordinate officials began to make excuses, but that too became a target for scolding.
"When will this report be ready?"
"It will be ready by the time of the Yu-si (18:00)..."
"Only this? It’s currently Jin-si (07:00 to 09:00). Are you giving up on your career?"
"Oh, no!"
"Come on! A talent who has come out of Sungkyunkwan is this slow at work... tsk tsk."
"I’m sorry."
"Just get to work!"
Eventually, the stressed officials made it a daily routine to rush to the taverns or nearby inns to drink after work.
Sejong kept his promise.
"Yes. The people you wanted are now yours. What will you do now?"
"Please create an independent office."
"An independent office?"
Hyang explained in detail to Sejong.
After hearing the explanation, Sejong fell into deep thought.
After a long contemplation, Sejong spoke.
"It’s hard to decide right away. I will give you an answer in five days."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Five days later, Sejong made his decision.
"I grant permission."
"Thank you very much!"
Hyang could not hide his joy and bowed deeply.
Thus, the largest research institution in Joseon, the 'Joseon Science and Technology Development Research Institute,' was established.