50
Five days passed as promised, and the ministers gathered at the East Palace to assess the status of the research institute.
It was not just the ministers who had come; Sejong was also present with them.
"I will go as well," he declared.
"There is no need for Your Majesty to go..."
Hwang Hee tried to dissuade him, but Sejong interrupted.
"I am curious to see what the Crown Prince and those he leads have created."
"Ah, yes..."
"Now, let us move!" As Sejong led the way, the ministers followed him with expressions that showed they had no choice but to comply.
When Sejong and the ministers arrived at the annex of the East Palace, the Crown Prince and the officials of the research institute, who had been waiting, greeted them respectfully.
"We greet Your Majesty."
"You have worked hard. Now..."
Sejong carefully examined those standing in front of the research institute.
When he first visited, there were only Jeong Cho, Jeong In-ji, and Lee Cheon, but now there were quite a few more people standing behind them.
"The number has increased significantly?"
"There are still not enough."
"Still?" At Hyang's response, Sejong shook his head.
The number of people standing before him seemed to exceed twenty at the very least.
Yet, his son claimed it was insufficient.
"Let us discuss the issues of personnel and budget after we see the results."
"Yes, Father."
Hyang guided Sejong to the door of the research institute.
"Hoh?" Upon entering the institute, Sejong let out an exclamation filled with curiosity.
Along the corridor of the institute, various tools were displayed on a bookshelf instead of books.
"Let me see... the large and small measuring instruments..."
As Sejong examined the tools in front of the nameplates, he turned to Hyang.
"Is this all? Considering the budget spent..."
"Everything displayed there is merely for exhibition purposes."
With that, Hyang opened the sliding door to a nearby room labeled 'Equipment Rental Room.' Inside, there were rows of cabinets, all of which had thick locks on their drawers.
Hyang continued to explain.
"The equipment actually in use is stored inside those cabinets."
"And the management?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang pointed to the attendants standing at the entrance.
"They are assigned in pairs to handle the entry and exit."
"Thorough."
Seeing the ledger on the desk, Sejong nodded.
The ledger meticulously recorded the date, the names of visitors, the equipment taken out, and the return dates.
"I have also been told I am thorough..."
Sejong, nodding repeatedly, shifted his gaze from the ledger to the attendants standing upright.
"You have truly worked hard. Your efforts are for the benefit of this country, so continue to strive."
"We are deeply grateful!"
After leaving the equipment rental room, Sejong looked again at the tools displayed on the bookshelf.
"Hmm... wait. A level and a plumb bob?"
"They are tools for measuring horizontal and vertical lines."
"Hmm?" Sejong, intrigued, picked up the level.
It had a metal component embedded in a long wooden board.
Inside the long hollow metal plate was a cylindrical piece also made of metal.
As Sejong moved the wooden board back and forth, the cylinder inside made a sound and swayed from side to side.
"When that cylinder stops in the center, it indicates that it is level and vertical."
"I see!" Understanding how to use the level and plumb bob sparked even more curiosity in Sejong.
"So where is this used?"
"It is used in construction."
"In construction?"
"Yes. When setting up equipment to measure the heavens, the most important thing is that the foundation must be perfectly level and vertical. By using the level and plumb bob, this can be done easily and accurately."
"Ah!" Sejong nodded vigorously at Hyang's explanation, and the ministers behind him did the same.
Especially the Minister of Construction, who was burning with greed, immediately advised Sejong.
"Your Majesty! The most important thing in constructing walls and government buildings or in building beams and reservoirs is to ensure that the horizontal and vertical lines are accurate! If we use such tools, the task will become easier, so we must immediately produce them in large quantities and distribute them!"
"I think so too. Crown Prince."
When Sejong called, Hyang shook his head.
"I am sorry, but what has been made so far is not yet a finished product."
"Not a finished product?"
"Yes, Father. What you see now is made of iron and copper. Iron and copper rust easily. To prevent this, we need to oil them whenever there is a gap and manage them carefully to avoid rusting, which is a cumbersome task. We are currently working on a solution for this, and improved products will be available soon."
"Your Highness! When will that improved product be available?"
"I am curious as well."
The Minister of Construction, who was eager, leaned forward.
Seeing the similar expression on Sejong's face, Hyang answered briefly.
"Do you remember the business trip report I submitted earlier?"
"Business trip report? Wait... is that about sending the Hoi Hoi people to Shandong? The purpose was to recruit talents, right?"
"Yes. It depends on how quickly they can complete their tasks."
"What kind of talents are they?" At Sejong's question, Hyang answered immediately.
"They are glass artisans."
"Glass?"
"Yes. With glass, management becomes easier."
At Hyang's response, Sejong turned to the Minister of Construction.
"It seems we should wait, even if it is regrettable."
"No! Even what has been made so far is sufficiently useful on-site!" The expression and words of the Minister of Construction were simple. 'Shut up! No more talk, just give it to me now!'
"What should we do..."
Sejong fell into deep thought.
Both Hyang's words and the Minister of Construction's words had merit.
During the last spring construction season, when nationwide projects were underway, Sejong had left the palace under the pretext of comforting the people and inspected the construction sites near Hanyang.
"We greet Your Majesty!" The officials supervising the construction bowed, and the laborers paused their work, prostrating themselves on the ground or bending at a 90-degree angle to pay their respects.
"You have worked hard. It may be tough now, but once this construction is finished, it will greatly help agriculture, so the people should strive a little more."
"We will obey your command!"
"Your Majesty, long live! Long live! Long live!" The people shouted long live under Sejong's reign.
While comforting the people and inspecting the site, Sejong asked the supervising official a question.
"What is the most difficult part of the construction?"
The official answered immediately.
"Aligning the horizontal and vertical lines."
"Why?"
"To put it simply, it is a straightforward task to build a reservoir that holds water or to dig a deep hole. However, the connected sluice gates and waterways are not so simple. If the sluice gate is not properly aligned vertically, it becomes difficult to open and close the gate and to stop the water. If the horizontal and slope lines are not aligned correctly, the water does not flow well."
"I see."
Sejong nodded at the official's response.
Later, when the construction of the annex of the East Palace was underway, he had observed that the masons focused their utmost attention on aligning the horizontal and vertical lines of the pillars and rafters.
Having heard and seen such information, Sejong understood why the Minister of Construction was so agitated.
"What should we do..."
After much contemplation, Sejong reached a conclusion.
"Crown Prince, although you say it is not yet complete, I believe it is already sufficient to serve its purpose. Provide the relevant technology to the Ministry of Construction."
"... Understood. I will follow your command, Father. If so, would you like to see a few more tools related to this?"
"Yes, let us see."
Hyang presented several tools to Sejong and the ministers.
The tools included a compass, a triangle ruler, and a circular protractor that could measure a full 360 degrees, as well as an angle ruler that could adjust angles up to 180 degrees.
Notably, the angle ruler had a locking mechanism using screws, allowing it to be securely fixed at the desired angle.
"The masons and various artisans have been using similar tools for generations. These are tools made to use them more accurately. They are the result of the hard work of those at the research institute."
"Truly impressive!" Sejong sincerely admired the value of the tools presented by Hyang.
Although Hyang spoke so, it was clear where that thought originated. 'It certainly did not come from the rigid minds of the bureaucrats!' Sejong looked at the Minister of Construction, who could not hide his desire to acquire those tools immediately.
With a proud expression, Sejong joked with the ministers following him.
"Do you know how I feel right now?"
"We do not know."
"Since the Crown Prince is so outstanding, I feel like issuing a general amnesty to celebrate this."
"Your Majesty!"
"It is a joke, a joke."
Although he said it was a joke, Sejong's expression was serious. 'Look! My child is this smart! Do you have such a clever child?' Having made a decision regarding the tools related to construction and civil engineering, Sejong began to examine the tools displayed in the next section.
"Is this a ship?"
"Yes. What you are looking at is the largest ship currently used by our Joseon navy, the Byeongjo ship. Next are the newly researched vessels."
"Hmm? They vary in size?"
"They are all models made to the same scale."
"Uh? Then..."
As Sejong examined the models again, his gaze stopped at the model of a sailing ship at the very end.
"Quite large, isn't it?"
"It is a model of the sailing ship that they are researching."
The model of the sailing ship that caught Sejong's attention was a battleship.
"A battleship? I do not see any oars?"
"It moves purely by wind power."
"What about the armament?"
"The main armament is cannons. According to calculations, it can carry at least 80 cannons."
"80 cannons!" Hyang explained about the battleship.
"Thus, these sailing ships will form a line to maximize their firepower and fire their cannons. That is why it is called a battleship."
"Truly a fitting name. So, Crown Prince, what you and the researchers at the institute have studied means that we should use the panokseon for coastal navigation and these battleships for ocean voyages, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Hmm."
At Hyang's answer, Sejong stroked his beard.
"Speaking of which," Sejong recalled a report that had come up through the Minister of Military Affairs not long ago.
It was a report jointly submitted by the newly established General Staff Headquarters of the Joseon army and the training center due to changes in international circumstances.
The report contained a request for the need for naval reform and the necessity to create plans for it.
Upon reading the report at that time, Sejong had immediately approved it.
"While land defense is important, sea defense is equally important, so I permit it."
Of course, at that time, the ministers, excluding the Minister of Military Affairs, opposed it citing budget issues.
However, Sejong did not waver in his decision.
"If we do not even create a plan because of a lack of budget, that is something only a fool would do! The budget will gradually increase, so that is not a problem!" As Sejong pushed strongly, the ministers became silent.
They did not want to follow the path of Ryu Jeong-hyeon.
While listening to Hyang's explanation and examining the models, Sejong expressed his curiosity.
At the very end of the ship models was a bowl for cold noodles.
"Why is this noodle bowl here?"
"It symbolizes a ship made of iron, not wood."
"A ship made of iron?" Everyone, from Jeong Cho to Jang Yeong-sil, looked at Hyang with surprised expressions.
"You said you would make a ship out of iron?"
"That is correct."
At Hyang's answer, everyone shook their heads.
"That is impossible."
"Even a child knows that iron sinks in water."
"Indeed. Making a ship out of iron is impossible."
As everyone gave negative responses, Hyang retorted.
"You are all mistaken. It is not impossible. It is simply that we have not found a method."
"You have not found a method?"
"That is correct."
Hyang answered briefly and called an attendant to give an order.
"Go to the kitchen and bring a cold noodle bowl made of brass and a basin filled with water."
"Yes, Your Highness."
A moment later, the attendants returned with a basin filled with water and the cold noodle bowl.
"Place the basin on that table."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As the attendants placed the basin on the table, Hyang floated the cold noodle bowl on top of it.
As the cold noodle bowl floated on the water, Hyang looked at the people.
"It floats, doesn't it?"