After finishing the matter with Jeongcho, Hyang looked back at Lee Cheon and Choi Hae-san.
"General Choi Hae-san. General Lee Cheon."
"Yes."
"There is an important matter to discuss with the artisans of the military equipment office."
"If it is an important matter, what is it?"
"It is the improvement of the cannon."
Hyang unfolded the blueprints and continued speaking.
"If made properly, it can change the course of the battlefield."
"You said it can change the course of the battlefield?"
"That is correct."
Hyang laid the blueprints in the center of the table for everyone to see.
"This is the cannon I envisioned."
"Hmm..."
"Ah..."
As the blueprints were spread out, everyone gathered in the meeting room began to examine them with shining eyes.
After a while of studying the blueprints, Jang Young-sil was the first to speak.
"Your Highness, looking at the blueprints, it seems that if you pull the ring-shaped part attached to the bottom of the handle, that bent part moves. But how do we use the fuse?"
"What would you do, General Jang?" In response to Hyang's question, Jang Young-sil pointed to the cock and nipple drawn on the blueprint and answered.
"I would attach the fuse to this part, and here I would either drill a hole connected to where the cannon's gunpowder goes or place a dish to hold the gunpowder. Then this lower part..."
Jang Young-sil continued explaining while pointing to the trigger part with his finger.
"If you pull this crescent-shaped part, the part with the fuse will move and ignite the gunpowder in the dish, creating fire that will enter the cannon and cause an explosion."
"Hmm..."
"I see..."
Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon nodded at Jang Young-sil's explanation.
As Choi Hae-san nodded, he spoke up.
"After hearing General Jang's explanation and looking at Your Highness's blueprints, it truly is a clever device. This way, we won't need separate soldiers to light the fuse, and the time taken to ignite the fuse and fire will definitely be reduced. That was the problem."
Choi Hae-san's insight surprised Hyang this time. 'Did he even understand the concept of lock time?' While Choi Hae-san showed a positive evaluation, Jang Young-sil shook his head.
"However, looking at Your Highness's blueprints, instead of the hole or the dish for the gunpowder, there are unknown protrusions."
"I see."
With Jang Young-sil's remark, everyone's gaze turned to Hyang.
Especially the eyes of Lee Cheon and Choi Hae-san were as sharp as lasers, showing their direct interest.
Receiving their attention, Hyang began to explain.
"That part is something I have thought of separately. You all seem to have overlooked it."
Hyang rummaged through the blueprints laid out on the table and found the one at the very bottom.
The blueprint he found contained the design and specifications for the nipple and the percussion cap to be used.
Pointing to the parts drawn on the blueprint, Hyang continued, "We will use this cap on the nipple part. This cap will contain gunpowder. General Jang, what do you think will happen?"
Upon being pointed out by Hyang, Jang Young-sil examined the blueprints and immediately answered.
"If that is the case, then this elongated part above..."
"Call it the cock."
"Yes. Will the cock move and strike the cap placed on the nipple?"
"That is correct."
At Hyang's answer, Jang Young-sil tilted his head and immediately asked a question.
"But what do you mean by nipple and cap? The part you called the cock looks similar to a chicken's head, so I understood that right away."
At Jang Young-sil's question, others nodded in agreement.
Hyang promptly answered his question.
"Oh! This is a name given by the Westerners who developed a similar type of cannon. It is natural to hear it for the first time since it is a foreign term. To explain, the Westerners called it the cock, but I thought the term 'cock' was more fitting, so I changed it. The rest, I couldn't think of suitable words, so I just used them. You can come up with names yourselves."
"Then we need to understand the meaning of the terms given by the Westerners."
At Choi Hae-san's words, Hyang explained the meanings of nipple, cap, and trigger.
During this process, there was a brief comedic moment while explaining the meaning of nipple.
"Goodness... the meaning is... quite..."
"Are the Westerners lacking in dignity...?"
"According to the records of the Westerners, there was originally another term, but the nickname given by the soldiers became so widely used that it became the official name. When training, soldiers need to understand easily."
"It seems soldiers are similar whether in the East or the West."
"That is correct."
At Hyang's response, Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon nodded, showing understanding.
It was common for soldiers in the Joseon army to attach all sorts of vulgar nicknames to the weapons they used.
"Then shall we ponder over the names?" As Jeongcho and Jeong In-ji showed enthusiasm for naming, Choi Hae-san intervened.
"Before that, the gunpowder that will go into this cap is a problem. The gunpowder used by our Joseon army has issues."
"I see."
Regarding the matter of gunpowder, which was the expertise of General Choi Hae-san, Lee Cheon nodded immediately, but others tilted their heads in confusion.
At Choi Hae-san's remark, Hyang stood up.
"Please wait a moment."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As Hyang swiftly headed to the annex, Jeongcho asked Choi Hae-san a question.
"General, what do you mean by there being a problem with the gunpowder?"
"Well... the gunpowder known as 'yeomcho' is indeed a troublesome substance. Among the soldiers, it is referred to as 'mangcho.'"
According to Choi Hae-san's explanation, black powder was a series of dangerous tasks from the moment it was manufactured.
- Mixing the various materials was dangerous.
If the well-ground materials were shaken too much during the transfer process, they could explode from friction.
The container for holding the gunpowder also had to be made of wood, fireproof materials, or brass due to its properties.
- Storage was also tricky and dangerous.
As mentioned earlier, if not properly managed after being placed in a specific container, the mixed materials would separate back into their original components.
To prevent this, after mixing, water is sprinkled to make it sticky, forming clumps.
When these clumps are adequately dried, they must be crushed and sifted for use.
- The problem came next.
Even if prepared this way, the main component of the gunpowder, saltpeter, absorbs moisture very well, and if this absorption and drying are repeated, it hardens into a stone-like mass.
This makes it genuinely dangerous.
If you try to use hardened gunpowder by striking it with a hammer, it will explode, and throwing it into fire will also cause an explosion.
"... Thus, we mix dirt with the gunpowder in the military. It is not merely to increase the quantity because it is expensive. The dirt absorbs moisture instead. When you mentioned using the cap, if we put in thoroughly dried gunpowder, it would be possible, but since it absorbs moisture so well, storage is not easy. Hoo~."
With a sigh, Choi Hae-san concluded his explanation, and Jeong In-ji spoke up.
"Then does that mean, General, that Your Highness's design is useless?"
In response to Jeong In-ji's question, Choi Hae-san carefully replied, as it could lead to political issues if misinterpreted.
"I cannot give a definite answer since we have not tested it in practice. However, one thing is certain: the gunpowder we use is problematic."
"General Choi's words are correct."
"Oh dear!"
"Ah!" Everyone was startled by Hyang's sudden remark.
"I apologize if I startled you. Inner court officials! In a moment, there will be a loud noise, so do not panic!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
After warning the inner court officials in advance, Hyang placed a large copper dish on the table and opened the lid of the wooden barrel he brought.
"What is that?"
"I would say it is gunpowder I made myself. I named it 'Bok-eun.'"
"You named it Bok-eun? You didn't really use silver, did you?" Choi Hae-san asked with a worried expression, knowing how much wealth gunpowder could consume.
"But silver?" At Choi Hae-san's question, Hyang smiled and replied.
"I do not use silver. I make it with acetic acid, mercury, and ethanol. The presence of mercury in the materials is why I named it silver."
"I see."
At Hyang's answer, Choi Hae-san looked relieved.
Although the amount of mercury produced in Joseon was small and most was imported, it was still easier to obtain than sulfur or copper.
Seeing Choi Hae-san's expression, Hyang placed a flat copper dish on the table and scooped a tiny amount of Bok-eun powder with a small spoon.
"Now... Jeong Hak-sa."
"Yes?" Calling Jeong In-ji, Hyang handed him the hammer.
"Seeing your face, it seems you are curious, so why not give it a try?"
"Uh? Uh? Uh!"
"Hurry up."
After receiving the hammer from Hyang, Jeong In-ji looked back and forth between the hammer and the Bok-eun powder, gritted his teeth, and struck down with the hammer.
Bang!
"Oh no!" With a loud explosion, the table shook, and Jeong In-ji screamed in surprise, dropping the hammer without realizing it.
Watching this, Hyang chuckled to himself. 'I will make you suffer for a long time to come!'
"Let's see."
With an indifferent expression, Hyang moved the hammer aside and examined the dish.
It wasn't just Hyang.
Everyone except for the retreating Jeong In-ji leaned in to look at the dish.
"Oh!"
"Ah!"
Seeing the black soot radiating from the dish, everyone gasped in awe.
"General Choi, General. What do you think?" At Hyang's question, Choi Hae-san immediately replied.
"It is definitely usable!"
With Choi Hae-san's positive conclusion, Hyang first picked up the elongated wooden piece he had brought.
"This is a rough model based on the shape of the blueprint. If used on the battlefield, it would be used like this."
Hyang placed the shoulder stock of the musket against his shoulder and took a shooting stance.
Seeing this, Choi Hae-san extended his hand.
"May I take a look for a moment?"
"Go ahead."
After receiving the musket from Hyang, Choi Hae-san aimed it at his shoulder just like Hyang had done.
"Hmm... this is interesting."
"General, let me try as well."
"Please do."
Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon took turns aiming the musket.
After examining it several times, Choi Hae-san looked at Hyang.
"If used this way, the one-shot multiple request method would not be suitable."
"I agree. Perhaps a single round of Joran-hwan would be appropriate."
At the words of Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon, Hyang nodded vigorously.
"That is correct!"
Hearing Hyang's words, Jeongcho interjected.
"I may not know much about military tactics or weapons, but wouldn't it be difficult to hit the target with just one round of Joran-hwan?"
At Jeongcho's remark, Choi Hae-san pointed to the front and rear sights on the musket.
"It seems that the metal at the front and the metal at the back serve as aiming devices."
"I see."
As Jeongcho nodded, Lee Cheon added.
"And the elongated shape of this cannon seems to make it easier to hit the target."
"How so?"
"Think of it in terms of the flat shot and the tube."
"Oh!"
At Lee Cheon's explanation, Jeongcho exclaimed in understanding, nodding his head.
He was also familiar with using a bow and understood how to use a flat shot.
"Your Highness, I have a question."
"Speak, General Jang."
After receiving Hyang's permission, Jang Young-sil opened his mouth.
"While looking at the blueprints, I became curious. It seems this cannon is not made by casting."
Upon Jang Young-sil's question, Hyang nodded.
"You are correct."
With Hyang's affirmation, everyone's gaze turned to him.
Hyang pointed to the drawing of the cannon and explained.
"This cannon will be made by forging."
At those words, Jang Young-sil's eyes widened in surprise.
"Forging? Are you perhaps thinking of making it out of iron?"
"That is correct."
"Now! Let us end the theoretical discussions here... and we will continue our conversation while heading to the military equipment office."
At Hyang's words, everyone began to rise from their seats.
"Please take care of the blueprints."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
As Hyang and his party exited, the inner court officials and court ladies entered to tidy up the room.
One of the inner court officials, who had just finished sweeping and mopping the floor, tilted his head.
"Here, what is this water... sniff sniff! Oh no! It's urine! How could such old gentlemen... who on earth...?"
The inner court official began to scold someone who had urinated on the floor.
"Huh? Jeong Hak-sa, why are you walking like that?"
Upon seeing Jeong In-ji walking awkwardly, Jeongcho asked.
"Oh, it's nothing. My leg just fell asleep for a moment..."
"Reading books is important, but building physical strength is also essential."
"I will keep that in mind, my lord."