Cancer? (1)
In the third year of King Sejong's reign (1421), on October 27th, Hyang was officially recognized as the Crown Prince.
At last, he was acknowledged as the next heir apparent.
While no one else seemed to know, that night after the ceremony, Hyang clenched his fists in joy, alone in his room.
"Finally, the time has come!"
"Let’s see... up until now, the policies our King has implemented..."
With the scriptures spread out on the desk behind him, Hyang sat with his arms crossed, mentally reviewing the policies that Sejong had carried out so far.
"In the first year of his reign, there was chaos due to the corruption of the officials, and aside from a partial cabinet reshuffle, not much else happened..."
After that, Sejong steadily pushed forward with his policies.
He exempted farmers in Gangwon Province from taxes, personally met with local officials dispatched to the provinces, expanded the Hall of Worthies, and instituted examinations for the military service using the Four Books (the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects, and the Mencius).
Following that, there was the campaign against Tsushima Island.
Among Sejong's policies, the one that caught Hyang's interest was related to salt.
The salt merchants' petition to lower the salt tax was rejected, and instead, a policy to expand public salt was implemented.
"The monopoly on salt... it does bring in money."
Sejong was as concerned with stabilizing the people's livelihoods as he was with strengthening the nation.
The most important aspect of strengthening the nation was securing a budget.
The salt monopoly was a means to achieve this budget.
To resolve the national budget issue, Sejong sent a letter to the Ming Dynasty.
The content of the letter was to exclude gold and silver vessels from the tribute items.
However, Hyang did not view this very positively.
"Excluding gold and silver products from the tribute items is fine, but the problem is that we are losing that much to the envoys. How should we address this..."
There were many other issues that Hyang thought needed addressing.
But above all, he was concerned about land ownership and smuggling issues.
"If the land ownership restriction law is a problem due to the opposition from large landowners and ministers, then we need to change the tax system. And smuggling... we need to change the perception that trade and commerce are looked down upon..."
As he thought of various minor improvements and their solutions, Hyang let out a long sigh.
"I can come up with several solutions, but the biggest constraint is one... the Joseon government has no money. No, there is no gold."
The final solution Hyang thought of was 'gold.'
- To improve the land system and tax system most effectively, the circulation of currency is essential.
However, currency circulation has continuously failed.
Sejong will soon try again, but historically, it has failed. - The reason currency circulation keeps failing is that the government has not guaranteed the existence of currency as a new means of wealth. - The wealthy class, such as local landowners and high-ranking officials, mostly use physical goods like grains and cloth as their means of wealth.
However, grains and cloth have a short lifespan.
Therefore, the wealthy convert their acquired wealth into gold and silver to preserve it for the long term. - To absorb the wealth accumulated by the wealthy, a taxation and land policy that could be considered radical is necessary. - However, implementing such radical policies would provoke backlash from the wealthy. - To suppress this backlash, the central government, specifically the king, must possess a solid military force. - But having a solid military force means needing a corresponding budget.
How can we resolve that?
As Hyang continued to ponder, a look of despair crossed his face.
"No matter how many times I revise the plan, if I can't solve the fundamental issue of money, I will just keep going in circles. The only way to break this damn cycle is through the king's decision. Fortunately, if it is King Sejong, it is possible. My role is... to be the seasoning for him?" Hyang nodded at his conclusion.
"Though I have become the Crown Prince, I am still only eight years old, so I am still weak. The best I can do is throw some bait as I pass by. And that beginning is..."
Hyang looked at the brush contained in the pencil case on one side of his desk.
"That is the start."
- On December 10th, in the third year of King Sejong's reign, the Crown Prince presented a golden brush.
The king tried it and praised it for being convenient for quick writing.
When the Crown Prince suggested that it be given to the historians and officials who needed quick writing, the king granted permission.
In mid-November, Hyang visited the Military Supplies Office.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived, Jeong, the highest-ranking official responsible for the Military Supplies Office, hurriedly came out.
"I greet Your Highness!" "Thank you for your hard work."
Under Hyang's praise, Jeong bowed even lower.
"I would like to take a look around for a moment, is that alright?" "It would be an honor!" As Hyang was about to move with the guidance of the Military Supplies Office's chief, craftsmen from the office, having heard of the Crown Prince's visit, rushed out to pay their respects.
"I greet Your Highness!" "You truly work hard. I am very grateful that people like you are here to strengthen our Joseon's defenses."
The craftsmen, overwhelmed with emotion at the Crown Prince's praise, responded, "Your Highness's words are too much for us!" "It is truly an honor!" Overjoyed by the praise from someone so high above, the craftsmen eagerly led Hyang around the Military Supplies Office.
Hyang had many reasons for visiting the Military Supplies Office, but the biggest reason was that weapons were made there. 'Weapons, gunpowder...
I need to come here often, so I should lay the groundwork in advance.
I am envious of Jang Yeong-sil, but he is affiliated with the Office of Royal Clothing, and Jeong Cho and the Great King are backing him...' Putting aside his disappointment about Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang looked around the Military Supplies Office and got to the main point.
"Who is the best at handling gold and iron here?" "Gold and iron, you say?" "Yes. I need something made."
"Someone who is skilled with gold and iron..."
The chief of the Military Supplies Office recalled the names of the craftsmen.
After a moment of searching for a suitable person, he soon thought of one.
"There is someone useful."
A short while later, at the chief's call, a middle-aged craftsman entered the room.
"Did you call for me?" "Yes. Craftsman Gong, the Crown Prince has a command for you."
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had summoned him, Craftsman Gong respectfully bowed to Hyang.
"This humble one greets Your Highness."
"Do not say such things. How can the craftsman responsible for our Joseon's defense be humble?" "I am deeply honored!" Overwhelmed with emotion at Hyang's praise, Craftsman Gong bowed deeply.
"Stand up. I have an urgent request for you."
"Just give the command! I will risk my life to make it for you!" 'How could a craftsman in the Military Supplies Office be of low status? How much must he have suffered...' Hyang smiled wryly at Craftsman Gong's exaggerated reaction and took out a piece of paper from his sleeve.
"Can you make this as it is?" "This is..."
"It is a substitute for a brush."
What Hyang presented was a design for a pen tip.
As Craftsman Gong examined the design with a serious expression, he spoke.
"It holds ink and lets it flow as you write... The problem is that the ink cannot flow out all at once, nor can it not flow out at all."
"Additionally, the texture of the paper must not tear, so the tip must have a rounded bead attached to it. And one more thing, this ink flow gap. If it is too wide, it is useless, and if it is too narrow, it is also useless. How narrow can you make the gap, Craftsman Gong?" After a moment of thought, Craftsman Gong replied, "If I do my best, I can make it as fine as a dot."
"A dot?" Hyang tilted his head, and the chief of the Military Supplies Office explained, "It is a dot of one inch."
At those words, Hyang calculated in his mind. 'One inch is about 3 cm, so a dot would be one ten-thousandth? Is that possible? Anyway, roughly calculated, that’s about 0.15 mm? Is this feasible by hand?' Surprised by the unexpected result, Hyang quickly composed himself and asked, "Not just one, but I need to make dozens of them. And they must be made as quickly as possible, not over several months."
After a moment of calculation, Craftsman Gong replied, "Since it will be exposed to water, it should be made of gold or silver to prevent rust, and since it will be made by hammering thin plates, if the mold is made properly, twenty can be made in a day. The problem lies with that gap."
Upon hearing Craftsman Gong's answer, Hyang immediately calculated. '0.5 mm pencil lead should be fine.' "When writing, the thickness of the stroke should be slightly thicker than one ri."
"Then I will set the gap at one ri and try it."
"When can I see the results?" "If you give me two days..."
"Make it three days. Show me the best results."
"I will obey Your Highness's command."
"I trust you."
On his way back to the palace, accompanied by the attendants, Hyang turned to one of them.
"Jo, the attendant."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Do I have any personal wealth I can use?" "I will check with the Internal Affairs Office, Your Highness."
Three days later, Hyang returned to the Military Supplies Office.
Craftsman Gong presented him with a well-made wooden box containing five pen tips.
"I made them in five different thicknesses. Please choose the one you like."
"Alright."
Comparing the tips by writing on some nearby scrap paper, Hyang selected the one he liked.
"Make a hundred of these. However, ten of them..."
Listening carefully to the options Hyang mentioned, Craftsman Gong immediately replied, "That is possible, Your Highness."
"And can you engrave a plum blossom on the body of this golden brush?" "That is possible, Your Highness."
"Then how many days will it take?" "Ten days will be sufficient, Your Highness."
After a moment of thought, Hyang concluded, "Add two more days to that. However, there must not be a single defective product. Is that possible? I will present it to the king."
"I will ensure that there is not a single defective product."
"Then, I ask this of you. Ah, I would like this matter to remain a secret until I present it to the king."
"I will do as you wish."
Having completed his business, Hyang left the Military Supplies Office with a pleasant expression.
The chief of the Military Supplies Office, Lee Chang-ho, looked back at Craftsman Gong.
"He truly does not seem his age."
"Indeed. I heard he is only eight years old this year, but judging by his words and actions, he could be considered a mature adult."
"That may be true, but you have gained something remarkable."
Lee Chang-ho could not hide his envy as he looked at the paper in Craftsman Gong's hand.
Just before leaving the Military Supplies Office, Hyang left a note of gratitude for Craftsman Gong. 'Wishing for the best craftsman in Joseon.
Crown Prince Lee Hyang.' Receiving the paper with his palm print next to his name, Craftsman Gong trembled with emotion.
"I will tell the woodworker to make the most splendid frame. This is something worthy of being a family treasure."
Fifteen days later, Hyang sought out Sejong, who was in the midst of a discussion with his ministers.
Upon finding Sejong, Hyang presented the pen tip and pen holder.
After hearing Hyang's explanation, Sejong tried inserting the pen tip into the holder and writing with it, and he was very pleased.
"This is truly a precious item! It is very comfortable to use, and above all, my arm and wrist feel at ease! The Crown Prince has made a wonderful item! The Crown Prince has done a great deed! The historians should record the Crown Prince's achievements today!" "I am overwhelmed by your praise."
Maintaining a humble demeanor in response to Sejong's compliments, Hyang observed as Sejong admired the beautifully decorated pen holder and pen tip.
Sejong noticed the flower pattern engraved on the pen tip.
"Is this flower a plum blossom?" "Yes, I thought it suitable as a symbol of the royal family, so I engraved it."
"Excellent!" After trying the pen on paper once more, Sejong turned to Hyang.
"I will make good use of this."
"I am deeply honored. And I have a request."