As the officials and Sejong filled their stomachs with porridge made from the grain they had harvested, they began the official inspection.
They spread out the records they had kept and meticulously examined them for any omissions or signs of corruption.
The officials pressed General Choi Hae-san, "You have continued to purchase land; what is the reason for this? Did you not calculate the necessary land properly from the beginning?"
While the officials were questioning General Choi Hae-san, they were actually directing their inquiries towards the Crown Prince.
If they directly confronted the Crown Prince, it could lead to trouble with Sejong, so they chose to attack indirectly through Choi Hae-san.
In response to the officials' questions, Choi Hae-san answered calmly.
"As you have seen, the main focus of our research in this Area 51 has been on weapons that use gunpowder. Gunpowder creates a loud explosion, which has frightened many of the people, leading to the purchase of their land. The same reason applies to the purchase of cattle and livestock. There have been continuous incidents of livestock dying from the shock of the explosions, and we have bought those animals as well."
Despite the officials' persistent questioning, Choi Hae-san answered confidently.
Since the establishment of the research institute, especially after the creation of Area 51, there had been no wealth that had slipped away through the back door.
All the budget received from the court was tightly held by Hyang, who was more meticulous than anyone else regarding budget execution.
As the sun began to set, the inspection finally came to an end.
The officials reported the results to Sejong.
"There are no discrepancies in the records."
"Is that so? You have all worked hard."
After thanking the officials, Sejong turned to Hyang.
"The Crown Prince has also worked hard. And General Choi and General Lee have worked hard as well. Seeing the weapons today, it seems the efforts of the Crown Prince and you all are evident. Truly, you have suffered greatly."
In response to Sejong's praise, Hyang, Choi Hae-san, and Lee Cheon bowed their heads.
"Your grace is overwhelming!"
"Your efforts are making the defense of our Joseon even stronger, so I hope you will continue to work hard."
"I will devote myself to it!"
"Then, today..."
As Sejong was about to rise and prepare to leave, he noticed the new armor worn by the soldiers on guard and looked back at the officials.
"Before returning to the palace, let us stop by the Military Equipment Office."
"Your Majesty, it may be too late to visit the Military Equipment Office."
Hwang Hee stepped forward to inform him of the late hour, but Sejong shook his head.
"If we waste more time, the state affairs will pile up. Since we are out, let us go and report."
"Your command is received."
At Sejong's decision, Hwang Hee immediately bowed his head.
Sejong's tone had softened considerably since the morning.
If they held out here, it was certain that Sejong's tone would change immediately, signaling that he was angry.
'It is only natural to avoid a storm if one can.'
Thus, Sejong left Area 51 and headed towards the Military Equipment Office.
As Area 51 had expanded, it was right next to the Military Equipment Office, allowing Sejong to arrive there quickly.
Upon receiving the urgent news that "the King has arrived at the Military Equipment Office," the officials managing the office, as well as the artisans, all rushed out to pay their respects.
"We greet Your Majesty!"
Seeing the officials and artisans bowing deeply on the ground, Sejong lightly raised his hand.
"Rise."
At Sejong's command, the officials and artisans stood up awkwardly.
Observing them, Sejong immediately turned to the Minister of Military Affairs.
"Do the officials managing the Military Equipment Office seem to be fewer than I know?"
"That is because many are holding concurrent positions..."
"There are many tasks for the artisans, and if there are not enough officials to supervise them, it will become a problem. Prohibit concurrent positions for those managing the Military Equipment Office."
"Your command is received."
The Minister of Military Affairs sighed softly at Sejong's order.
"Hoo..."
'Even with so many people, there is still a shortage!'
"I am well aware of the shortage of personnel in the court. I will resolve the issue of talented individuals as quickly as possible while proceeding with the reforms, so please endure for a while longer."
"That is not the case! Enduring is out of the question!"
The Minister of Military Affairs, caught off guard, denied it with a pale face.
As Sejong entered the Military Equipment Office, he spoke to Hyang.
"The weapons you have created all possess formidable power. However, it is also a fact that they require a lot of labor. Am I wrong?"
"No, you are not."
"Therefore, I will examine the production process of these weapons. As you said, the artisans in Joseon are few, and there is a need for the people, so it is problematic to mobilize them recklessly. Thus, I will inspect the production process and determine the priorities based on the power I learned from today's demonstration. Is there a problem?"
"There is none. That is a natural decision."
Hyang readily accepted Sejong's words. 'The current situation in Joseon indeed requires selection and concentration.
It is regrettable, but...'
"Then, let us first look at the production of the cannon."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Guided by the officials, Sejong observed the process of making the cannon.
From the process of rolling the barrel to attaching various parts to complete it, Sejong turned to Hyang.
"It requires a lot of labor."
"Yes. Therefore, we have attempted to divide the labor."
"Divide the labor?"
At Hyang's answer, Sejong calmly examined the process again.
Young artisans were hammering iron plates on the anvil to shape them and then joining them together.
An older artisan was carefully inspecting the barrels that had been made.
The process of refining the barrels and cutting the rifling was mostly handled by the younger artisans.
The experienced artisans were responsible for inspecting the quality of the parts and finally assembling them.
"I see."
After observing the process of making the cannon, Sejong nodded as if he understood.
With his curiosity satisfied, he turned to Hyang and Choi Hae-san again. 'The armor the soldiers in Area 51 were wearing was unique.
Is that also made here?'
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I would like to see that as well."
"Understood."
At Sejong's command, Hyang ordered the officials and artisans of the Military Equipment Office.
Upon Hyang's order, the artisans who were making the cannon stopped their work and stood up in a hurry.
"Huh?"
As Sejong tilted his head in confusion, Hyang explained the situation.
"I apologize. There are not enough artisans..."
"Oh dear! Tsk!"
Sejong clicked his tongue in disappointment at Hyang's response.
Seeing Sejong's expression, the accompanying officials became restless and murmured.
"This... is becoming increasingly worrisome?"
"Surely, he will demand countermeasures..."
Ignoring the officials' anxiety, Sejong followed the artisans to the place where the armor was being made.
"Haha..."
Upon arriving at the armor-making site and seeing the artisans at work, Sejong burst into laughter.
When Hwang Hee had asked, Hyang had replied that they were 'stamping' the armor.
And indeed, the artisans were literally 'stamping' it.
The first thing that caught Sejong's eye was the part covering the chest.
A large iron mold was placed over a thin iron plate that had been heated red, and another artisan turned a large pulley to press another iron mold over it.
"Hey!"
As the two molds overlapped, a young artisan shouted and pressed down on the handle attached to the upper mold with all his strength.
The end of the handle was curved, and as he pressed it down, the most protruding part of the curve pressed down on the mold.
After the two molds completely adhered together and a little time passed, the artisans pulled the handle up and turned the pulley to separate the two molds.
When the molds were separated, an artisan standing nearby used tongs to pull out the iron plate.
The plate that came out of the mold was in the perfect shape of a breastplate.
"Haha..."
Seeing the ingenious method of making armor, Sejong continued to watch with amusement.
The helmet to be used with the armor, complete with a visor, was also being made from a single iron plate.
Sejong could only smile at the unexpected and clever method, and he posed a question to the artisans.
"What a truly marvelous method! Whose idea is this?"
At Sejong's question, all the artisans and officials turned their gaze to Hyang.
Sejong looked at Hyang with a resigned expression.
"Is it you again?"
"Indeed!"
After watching the process of making the armor, Sejong wanted to see where the explosives were being made, but Hyang intervened.
"I regret to inform you, but you cannot see where the explosives are being made right now."
"Why not?"
"Because very dangerous materials such as mercury and sulfuric acid are used, the personnel in charge must carry specific equipment and work only during designated times."
"I see... Tsk."
Sejong clicked his tongue in disappointment and looked around.
He toured the places where traditional weapons like bows and arrows were made and praised the artisans, but his expression had grown quite dim.
"Your Majesty, it is getting very late. It is time to return to the palace..."
As the accompanying officials spoke, Sejong nodded after glancing at the clock hanging on the wall of the Military Equipment Office.
"Indeed. We should start preparing to return."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As Sejong and the officials mounted their horses to return, a soldier carrying a large bag approached Hyang.
After confirming the contents of the bag, Hyang nodded, and the soldier handed the bag to Choi Hae-san.
"Thank you for your hard work."
As Choi Hae-san received the bag, another soldier presented wooden tokens to Hyang and Choi Hae-san.
"These are the tokens for tomorrow's use."
"Thank you."
As Hyang tucked the tokens into his robe and mounted his horse, Sejong, who was watching the scene, asked, "I understand the tokens, but what is in that bag?"
"It contains the blueprints for the armor and cannon. Every morning, I go to the Military Equipment Office and retrieve them every evening."
"Then where do you keep those blueprints?"
"They are stored in a safe made in the deepest part of the East Palace."
"You are paying a lot of attention to security. Then let us return to the palace."
While hurrying back, Hwang Hee called out to the Minister of Finance.
"Minister Ho, contact the Ministry of Finance and prepare a report on the iron tax. Make sure it is ready for His Majesty to see as soon as we enter the palace."
"Yes?"
"When we return, His Majesty will surely discuss the mass production of new weapons, including the cannon. So we must prepare in advance."
"Ah! That makes sense!"
The Minister of Finance issued orders to the officials accompanying him.
The official, upon receiving the command, broke away from the procession and rode towards the Ministry of Finance.
Upon returning to the palace, Sejong acted as Hwang Hee had predicted.
"After seeing today's demonstration, the weapons made in Area 51 are truly powerful. What do you all think?"
"Indeed, that is true. Especially the power of the bomb is truly unparalleled."
"The cannon's power is also unmatched, even compared to the famed cannons."
All the officials agreed with Sejong's assessment.
Once the officials agreed, Sejong immediately got to the point.
"Therefore, I would like to mass-produce these weapons. What do you all think?"
"Well..."
At Sejong's words, the officials hesitated to respond and began calculating.
Amidst this, Hwang Hee looked back at the Minister of Finance.
Receiving Hwang Hee's gaze, the Minister of Finance spoke to a court attendant.
A moment later, the attendant appeared holding a book.
After receiving the book, the Minister of Finance reported to Sejong.
"This is the quantity of iron that the court received as tax last year. First, looking at the notable amounts, Gyeongju received 6,533 geun of cast iron, and Ulsan received 12,500 geun of raw iron... In total, the Military Equipment Office and the Office of Construction and Engineering hold or use about 130,000 geun (approximately 780 tons) annually, and the inventory held by each province is about 600,000 geun (approximately 3,850 tons)."
"Is that the total of both cast iron and raw iron?"
"Yes, it is."
"Hmm..."
As Sejong stroked his beard in contemplation, he turned to Hyang.
"With this amount, wouldn't it be possible to push for mass production?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang immediately replied, "The quantity may be possible, but mass production will be difficult. The reason is that there are too few artisans."
"Could we not recruit more artisans from the common folk?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang explained the reasons why it was not feasible.
"We conducted experiments with the bomb."
The experiment Hyang mentioned involved outsourcing the production of the bomb's body.
They provided a mold to the foundries within and around Hanyang and received the products.
The evaluation was conducted in two phases.
The first criterion was that products produced in the same foundry should be compatible for assembly.
The second criterion was that products from different foundries should also be compatible for assembly.
If the given mold was copied correctly, it would pass both the first and second criteria.
A total of 14 foundries were involved in the experiment, of which 8 passed the first criterion, and only 3 passed the second criterion.
Most of the bombs used for testing were produced by those 3 foundries.
Considering this example, it could be said that only about 20% of the blacksmiths had sufficient skills.
"That is quite low..."
"Even the simplest bomb had only 20%. The more complex cannons would likely have less than 10%. If we were to mobilize the common blacksmiths indiscriminately, we would only be able to produce bombs and armor."
At Hyang's response, Sejong's expression fell.
Faced with a more negative situation than he had anticipated, Sejong gestured to the officials with a weary face.
"I hope you will come up with a way to resolve this situation. That will be all for today."
That night, Sejong did not visit Hyang's room.
Hyang, who had been waiting just in case, went to bed with a bitter expression.
"It seems you are shocked. The reality is indeed harsh. By the way, are you not thinking of completely abandoning everything?"
Hyang said this for a reason.
Sejong was only 27 years old.
He was still at a stage where his experience and knowledge were shallow.
The next morning, Sejong called Hyang and the officials together.
Once everyone had gathered, Sejong opened his mouth.
"I have been thinking carefully, and I believe that the production of the cannon and the mounted cannon should not be delayed. However, if we leave everything to the Military Equipment Office, that would not be a good plan either. Therefore, I have thought of a way to resolve this."
As Sejong announced that he had devised a plan, Hyang and the officials focused their attention on him.
"My idea is to have blacksmiths across Joseon produce the barrel parts of the cannon, the wooden parts from the carpenters, and the brass components from the metalworkers. For the mounted cannon, only the critical components will be made at the Military Equipment Office, while the barrel, gunpowder, and wooden parts will be supplied in the same manner. The Crown Prince should prepare accurate specifications for these parts and report them. We will print them and distribute them to the artisans, using them as evaluation criteria."
"Your Majesty, doing so increases the risk of leaking confidential information."
In response to the objection, Sejong immediately provided an answer.
"What we receive from the blacksmiths will be limited to parts just before processing. The iron barrel will be limited to the stage before the grooves are cut, meaning the process of making the interior smooth and cutting the screws. The final assembly will be conducted at the Military Equipment Office."
Upon hearing Sejong's words, Hyang and the officials began to calculate the pros and cons.
As they weighed their options, Hwang Hee raised a concern.
"If we receive the parts from the blacksmiths as tax, there may be issues with quality. Weapons are the most critical part of national defense, so we must resolve any quality issues."
Sejong immediately replied to Hwang Hee's statement.
"We will not receive them as tax. Right now, exclusive sales offices under the Ministry of Finance are being established nationwide. We will purchase what we need through these offices. This will circulate wealth and improve the lives of the people while preventing officials from viewing their work as a mere job. In other words, we aim to enable more and more people to become merchants and officials."
A debate broke out among Hyang and the officials regarding Sejong's plan.
While some officials opposed it, Hyang was the first to express his support, and as the ministers followed suit, it was decided to follow Sejong's intentions.