"Wow! It's moving!" Sejong clapped his hands in delight at the sight of the train in motion.
With a proud expression, Hyang opened his mouth to speak.
"This is the land transportation using the steam engine that I envisioned. If the research is successful, we can travel from Hanyang to Busan in just one day. No, we could move from the southernmost tip of Joseon to the northernmost tip in a single day. If that happens..."
As Hyang paused, the gazes of Sejong and the ministers focused intently on him.
Receiving their attention, Hyang concluded, "If that happens, the heartbeat of Joseon, which has been stagnant, will start to pulse again."
"The heartbeat of Joseon will start to pulse again?"
"Yes, indeed. Looking at the current situation, the heartbeat of Joseon has stopped. The movement of goods is nearly non-existent, and the people live and die without ever leaving the land they were born in. Because of this, unless a significant event occurs, they remain unaware of what happens outside and live a life devoid of change. So, who benefits the most from this? Only the landowners who dominate the villages. Isn't that the case even now? Why did Your Majesty prohibit the common people's petitions? Because there are as many disadvantages as there are advantages."
When Hyang mentioned the 'Prohibition of Common People's Petitions,' the faces of Sejong and the ministers stiffened.
Since the founding of the nation, Joseon had strengthened its centralization.
It was inevitable that conflicts would arise between local native powers and the officials sent from the central government.
When such conflicts occurred, it was natural for petitions to flood in.
There were many instances when the local gentry from the troubled districts filled Sejong's desk with their petitions.
Ultimately, Sejong made a decision.
"As the sages say, the military and civil affairs are one! Local officials are those who go out to carry out my will on my behalf! Just as it is wrong for a child to blame their parents, it is also wrong to blame them!"
Citing the scriptures, Sejong established the law prohibiting common people's petitions, which was also agreed upon by the former king, Taejong.
However, the Crown Prince's statement about 'advantages and disadvantages' implied that there was a problem with the 'Prohibition of Common People's Petitions.'
"Are you saying that it is wrong to prohibit common people's petitions?"
"In a situation like this, it was an unavoidable choice to block the common people's petitions. However, as time passes, those who use this to satisfy their greed will emerge. Isn't that why Your Majesty is pushing for reforms?"
"That is true."
"I believe that everything in this world has a beginning and an end. Humans have a lifespan; how can laws not have one?"
"That is indeed true."
Sejong nodded at Hyang's words.
Hyang continued, looking at Heo Jo, the Minister of Personnel, who stood behind Sejong.
"The importance of a law lies not in its content but in the principles it expresses. Your Majesty's prohibition of common people's petitions was to ensure that your will is properly conveyed even to the most remote areas. Once the reforms are complete, won't it become unnecessary?"
"That is true."
Sejong nodded repeatedly, and even Heo Jo, known for his strict adherence to principles, nodded in agreement.
The first time Hyang met Heo Jo was when he switched from the Prime Minister's faction to Sejong's faction.
Hyang had wondered about Heo Jo's change of course, thinking he would be swept away in a purge alongside the Prime Minister.
"Aren't you a principled man? Why are you wavering like this?" Over time, after gathering various rumors, Hyang revised his evaluation of Heo Jo.
"This man is a loyalist, a true royalist Confucian Taliban. Quite precarious..."
As Hyang adjusted his evaluation of Heo Jo, he thought, 'If any issues arise later, he could be a useful card to play.'
Having passed one hurdle regarding the 'Prohibition of Common People's Petitions,' Hyang continued his explanation.
"The current state of Joseon's roads is so blocked that even if there is a famous place for apples and pears, it becomes difficult to see them just over one mountain, and if you cross two mountains, it becomes a situation where people say, 'I've heard there is such a thing.'"
"Ah! I want to eat the dried mackerel from Andong... Ugh! I digressed again!" Quickly organizing his thoughts, Hyang continued, "However, if we lay down tracks for trains, we can transport many people and goods at once, allowing Joseon, which has been stagnant like a pond, to flow like a river."
"Hmm..."
After Hyang finished his explanation, Sejong stroked his beard, deep in thought.
"Excuse me, Minister Jeong."
While Sejong was lost in thought, Hwang Hee called out to Jeong Cho in a small voice.
"What is it, Minister Hwang?" Jeong Cho asked, curious about the reason.
Hwang Hee pointed at the model train and the trains with the tip of his finger and asked, "Do you think those toy-like things would actually be useful?"
At Hwang Hee's words, Jeong Cho chuckled and replied, "Do you see that as just a pastime for Your Majesty?"
"That's not it; I'm just curious if it would truly be useful."
"Do you see the metal pieces on the cart being pulled behind?"
"I see."
"If you combine them, they weigh about 10 geun (6 kg). The toy you mentioned, combined with the weight of the cart, would be moving 15 geun. Do you get it?"
At Jeong Cho's words, Hwang Hee fell silent.
The other ministers around them did the same.
Meanwhile, Sejong, who was deep in thought, posed a question to Hyang.
"It is a well-known fact that our Joseon's roads are a mess. Thus, both the previous dynasty and our Joseon primarily use ships to transport goods. Can those tracks replace that capability?"
"It will require a lot of resources during the construction process, but as time passes, not only will those resources be recovered, but even more will be gained. And speaking of water transport, when transporting the tributes from the southern provinces (Jeongcheongdo, Jeollado, Gyeongsangdo) by ship, a significant amount is lost every year. Due to storms, ships sink, or they run aground on reefs, and the amount of tributes lost each year is typically about 10% of what comes in. No, even achieving just 10% loss would be considered successful, wouldn't it?"
"That's true."
"Is that really the case?"
"Huh?" At Hyang's question, Sejong and the ministers perked up their ears.
Hyang continued, looking at Sejong and the ministers.
"The captains of the tribute transport ships are experienced individuals. Do you think they wouldn't know the signs of a storm? Or that they wouldn't know the locations of the reefs on a route they travel frequently? They simply don't have concrete evidence, so they let it pass, right?"
"That's true..."
Sejong and the ministers nodded at Hyang's insight.
As Hyang pointed out, most of the tributes collected from the southern provinces were transported to Hanyang via tribute ships.
In that process, a considerable amount of tributes disappeared due to various accidents.
The court had devised several measures to prevent those losses, but no optimal solution had emerged.
Once a ship set sail, communication was impossible until it arrived.
"No! There was a time when Cheonan and Wonju were considered part of the capital region! How can it be that crossing the Han River makes communication impossible? In a country with such a small land area!" Hyang persistently laid out the advantages of the railway.
"It's not just useful for the movement of people and goods. It is also very advantageous for communication."
At Hyang's words, Sejong stroked his beard and nodded.
"It is indeed advantageous for communication. If, as you say, we can reach Hanyang from the southern or northern ends in a day, we could receive urgent news much faster. Then we could respond more quickly and accurately."
"Indeed! Of course!" As Hwang Hee and other ministers who wanted to speak appeared, Hyang raised his voice.
As his voice grew louder, the ministers who were about to speak fell silent.
With the ministers silenced, Hyang continued, "Of course, we still have signal towers that send urgent news via smoke signals, but those can only inform us about national defense matters. They can only tell us that something has happened in a certain direction, and to get detailed information, we must wait for a formal report. If we're not careful, we might miss a crucial moment while waiting for the report."
"... That is true."
The ministers nodded at Hyang's point.
Hyang continued, "Urgent news is not limited to war. There are also matters like epidemics, floods, and droughts. If we could receive news quickly when such disasters occur, wouldn't we be able to respond with a bit more leeway?"
"That is indeed the case."
The ministers began to lean more towards the idea that the railway was indeed useful.
Hyang called out to Jeong Cho.
"Minister Jeong, please submit the proposal to His Majesty."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As Hyang's command was given, Jeong Cho, along with Jeong In-ji, pulled out a thick stack of documents and placed them on the table with the railway model.
"What is this? Hmm... 'National Comprehensive Development Plan?'"
"This is a plan to strengthen Joseon's capabilities based on the geography and economic situation of Joseon, the distribution of the population, and the distribution of underground resources reported by the Resource Bureau, which was investigated while traveling across the country to observe the heavens. I wrote it hoping it might help Your Majesty's reforms, even a little."
Sejong counted the number of books that Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji had placed.
"One, two, three... forty-two. That doesn't quite fit the word 'a little,' does it?"
"It is a little."
"Hmm..."
At Hyang's answer, Sejong sighed as he held up a book.
"Hoo~."
Inside the book, sentences were densely written in small characters.
As he read the tightly packed sentences, Sejong muttered, "I start to dislike the gold brush every time this happens."
Officials preferred the gold brush over the writing brush because it allowed them to write smaller.
While a writing brush could also be used to write small characters, the gold brush could write even smaller.
This reduced paper consumption compared to the past, but it was a torment for the ministers, whose eyesight was gradually declining.
Therefore, Sejong had to specify the minimum size of the characters to be written in official documents.
Sejong, who had briefly examined the contents of the book on top, handed it to Hwang Hee.
"I believe it is worth reviewing. Please examine it with the ministers."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After passing the documents to Hwang Hee and the ministers, Sejong surveyed the interior of the room with the railway model.
As soon as he entered through the door, his gaze was drawn to the railway model, leaving him no time to look around.
"There are many maps?"
"Yes. This is a map of the world derived from Jeong Hwa's navigation records and a map of Joseon created based on the research conducted by astronomers who went out to measure the heavens for calendar revisions."
"Hmm..."
As Sejong examined the map of Joseon hanging on the wall, he turned to Hyang.
"It is much more precise than the old maps."
"Thanks to the efforts of the researchers."
"The hard work is evident. Everyone, come and take a look."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As Sejong's command was given, the ministers approached and began to examine the maps.
The one showing the most interest was Jo Mal-saeng.
After looking at the maps, he requested, "Your Majesty, the most precise maps are needed for the military. The military has gathered talented individuals for reform, but they lack many resources to carry out their intentions, and maps are one of those resources. Please give these maps to the military."
"Minister Byeong Jo is indeed correct. Crown Prince, make sure these maps are also handed over to the military."
"I will follow your command. However, is it alright since they are not yet the finalized versions?"
"Not finalized?"
"The research institute has only been established for seven months. With a lack of personnel, it is impossible to produce proper results."
"A lack of personnel?" As Sejong pondered, Jeong Cho spoke earnestly.
"The shortage of talented individuals is indeed a serious problem. Even now, the officials in the research institute, including myself, can hardly return home."
"Is it that severe?" At Sejong's words, Jeong Cho nodded with a face that looked as if he might cry.
"As you can see, there are many tasks at hand. With so much work and so few people, how can it be comfortable?"
"Can't we just gather a few more people?"
At Sejong's question, Jeong Cho replied, almost in tears, "Word has spread that the work is arduous, so people are reluctant to come. Initially, we brought them in with promises of promotions, but as the number of people increased, Your Highness also increased the workload... As Your Majesty can see, the research institute has only been established for a little over half a year, yet we have already produced so many tools and carried out tasks. And none of those tasks are easy."
Recalling the hardships they had faced, Jeong Cho's eyes welled with tears, making it hard for him to continue speaking.
Seeing Jeong Cho's pitiful state, Sejong shot a sharp glance at Hyang.
Under Sejong's piercing gaze, Hyang lightly bit his tongue and acted cute.
"Oops!"
"You rascal! How dare you!"