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Under the leadership of Hyang, the road construction proceeded smoothly.
Sejong, who had ascended the gate tower of Gwanghwamun with Hyang, marveled at the road stretching out before him.
"Oh~, reinforced concrete... Ah, did you say it was called 'Hwaijuk'?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Hyang replied, and Sejong nodded.
Before his eyes lay a bright gray road that extended from Gwanghwamun to Namdaemun.
To prevent the fiery breath of Gwanaksan from directly reaching it, the road was slightly curved, boasting a width of 50 kan (about 100m) and stretching north and south.
"How refreshing!" Sejong exclaimed as he admired the road stretching southward.
He turned his gaze toward Unjongga, where a main road intersected with the one leading to Namdaemun, also stretching out with a width of 30 kan (about 50m).
"Is it all finished now?" Sejong asked, to which Hyang shook his head.
"About 60% is complete."
"Is this really only 60%?"
"There are finishing touches to the paving, and we still need to complete the drainage and sidewalks on both sides of the road."
"I see."
Listening to Hyang's explanation, Sejong descended from the gate tower and exited Gwanghwamun.
"Step aside! His Majesty is passing through!" The workers, who were engaged in the construction, bowed down to the ground as they were ordered.
"Continue with your work."
At Sejong's command, the workers rose and resumed their tasks.
"Uh, Your Highness..."
"Yes?"
Hyang, who approached hesitantly, turned to Sejong.
"Your Majesty, I have something to confirm, may I step aside for a moment?"
"Go ahead."
"Thank you for your grace."
Hyang bowed to Sejong and followed the official to a side.
Sejong watched with satisfaction as Hyang, along with the officials and supervisors, studied the map and directed the situation.
He turned to the ministers who had come out with him.
"Doesn't he seem much more mature now?"
At Sejong's question, the Prime Minister replied immediately.
"He has always been composed, but now he can truly be called a man."
"Do you think so too?" Sejong's face was filled with delight as he looked at Hyang.
Perhaps due to his family's background, Hyang had grown rapidly.
Now nearing twelve years old, he was taller than his peers.
It wasn't just his height; he had also become accustomed to using formal speech when interacting with officials and craftsmen.
However, Hyang had his own grievances.
"I sleep at least eight hours and eat well! Why can't I grow faster?" He felt anxious seeing his younger siblings grow taller day by day.
Before the rainy season began, the road construction that crossed the capital from east to west and north to south was completed.
The road, coated with a mixture of graphite and oil, had turned a deep gray, and the edges, filled with lime, shone white even at night.
As the sturdy road stretched out, the common people couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Isn't it amazing?"
"Right? Right?"
"Is this all thanks to the Crown Prince?"
"That's what they say!"
"Wow! The Crown Prince is just a young noble, yet he knows so much about these wonders!"
"Indeed, he must be of a different breed..."
The residents of the capital marveled at the newly paved road.
As they admired the new road, the people's praises for Sejong and the Crown Prince grew as the rainy season began.
No matter how much it rained, the newly paved road never turned into a muddy mess.
Although water pooled in some places, most of it drained away through the ditches created on both sides of the road.
The sidewalks, laid with sand and concrete blocks, also remained firm and did not turn muddy in the rain.
Thanks to this, the people of Hanyang no longer had to struggle through mud as they had in the past, no matter how heavy the rain was.
"Come see the new road of Hanyang!"
"Let's go!"
Rumors spread through merchants and peddlers that the newly paved road in Hanyang was something extraordinary, drawing many from provincial towns and villages to come and see it.
Of course, these were not the ordinary farmers tied to their fields, but those who considered themselves well-off.
As people flocked to see the new road, a new industry was born in Hanyang: inns that combined dining and lodging.
While there had been guesthouses and taverns before, more affordable lodging options began to emerge.
Hyang, who was listening to the reports brought to Sejong, had to suppress a smile. 'Did people flock to see the 63 Building during my father's childhood in the 21st century too?' Sejong also smiled at the report.
"It is indeed remarkable. I did the same when I first saw it... However, when many people gather, there are always those with ill intentions lurking. We must be thorough in our precautions."
"Understood!"
The 'Hanyang New Road Tour' reached its peak after the autumn harvest.
With the harvest completed, the farmers, now with some leisure time, joined the tourist procession.
Those who returned from the tour began to pressure the local magistrates and nobles in their own towns.
"We want a road like that too!"
"Ah, it was truly wonderful!"
The strongest petitions came from the provinces of Jeonju, Gyeongju, Yeongheung, and Pyongyang.
"What’s wrong with our province? Is it lacking in history? In people?" The local dignitaries began to jointly petition Sejong.
Due to the flood of petitions from across the country, Sejong summoned Hyang and the ministers.
"What should we do about this?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hwang Hee stepped forward on behalf of the ministers.
"The intention is good, but the method is lacking. Even in the construction of the Hanyang New Road, a third of the time was spent waiting for iron from Anju. If we grant these petitions now, it will create problems with the supply of materials."
"That is true..."
Sejong nodded at Hwang Hee's observation and looked at Hyang.
At the unspoken question, Hyang immediately responded.
"In the current situation, the Vice Prime Minister's observation is accurate. Anju is currently researching ways to increase production. However, if we divert the iron needed for road construction, the common people will suffer. The same goes for lime. The current production from District 51 is insufficient. It is more important to build a factory dedicated to production first."
"Then the budget will be an issue... At least the silver and gold mines have been developed, so that is fortunate?" Sejong muttered with a frustrated expression.
In the progress of the construction, securing finances was the most important aspect.
Under Sejong's orders, prospectors dispatched across the nation began to bring back information about mines.
Based on this information, Sejong and the ministers selected the mines to be mined first.
The most important criterion for selection was 'places hard for Ming to notice.'
For this reason, although large amounts of gold and silver were confirmed to be buried in places like the Unsan Gold Mine, areas overlapping with the routes of Ming envoys were excluded for now.
"We will mine this place when we are stronger."
"Understood!"
Although the order was given, neither Sejong nor the ministers looked particularly pleased.
"The nation is weak, so even easy tasks must be done with difficulty."
At Sejong's lament, the ministers all bowed in agreement.
"Forgive us for our incompetence!"
"Please grant us death!"
In this way, the mines in the Gangwon Province began to be mined first.
An exception was the Gahaksan Gold Mine located in Geongmaegol (present-day Gwangmyeong City) in Siheung County.
"There must be at least one mine nearby that can be used in case funds are urgently needed."
This was Sejong's decision to prepare for emergencies.
As they secretly mined and stored gold and silver, Sejong also expanded trade with Japan.
"Find out what the Japanese like besides Buddhist scriptures!" Following Sejong's orders, officials and merchants in Dongnae moved, discovering that after Buddhist scriptures, ceramics were the next most sought-after item.
Sejong then transformed the ceramic workshop in Gwangju into a state-owned enterprise called 'Joseon Ceramics Corporation.'
Afterward, the Ministry of Finance, under Sejong's orders, negotiated with the merchants of Dongnae. 'We will grant you priority, but not exclusive rights.' Although the merchants of Dongnae desired exclusivity, they had to accept Sejong's firm intention.
Subsequently, the trading posts established at Sampo—Busanpo, Naeipo, and Yeompo—were consolidated into a single trading post at Busanpo.
This was to prevent too many Japanese from entering Joseon and the rampant smuggling that followed.
Sejong wielded the whip but also offered a carrot.
He significantly increased the quantity and variety of goods that Japanese merchants could trade upon arriving at Busanpo.
The biggest beneficiaries in this situation were the Ouchi and Guju governors.
Joseon prioritized granting trade permits to these two regions, which had always maintained a strong friendship with Joseon.
Furthermore, they were allowed to build large structures in Busanpo, strengthening the positions of Ouchi and Guju.
As a result, it was Daema Island that became anxious.
The lord of Daema Island, Todo Ungwa, had to rush to Hanyang and bow down before Sejong.
"Since your last expedition, you promised loyalty, yet there is no evidence that you have kept it! How long must I watch your people?"
"Please forgive our disloyalty!" After Todo Ungwa's earnest plea, Daema Island barely managed to maintain its trading volume.
Thus, the trading complex established at Busanpo thrived through trade with Japan.
Although there was a trading port established by the Ming in Shandong, Japanese merchants preferred Busan.
Although the Ming navy was stationed in large numbers in Shandong, their main duty was to protect maritime routes between Ming and Joseon and defend the southeastern coast of Ming.
Therefore, Japanese merchants preferred Busan, which was far more dangerous than Shandong.
In Busan, Japanese merchants primarily imported Joseon's Buddhist scriptures and tea sets, paying with silver.
The silver that came in as tax was steadily piled up in the royal treasury.
Through these processes, Sejong was pushing forward with his reform plans based on the steadily accumulated finances.
Although there were unexpected large expenditures to recover from the great fire in Hanyang, there were no issues in implementing the reforms.
Although the officials of the Ministry of Finance had to give up a decent life.
Sejong warned the ministers.
"If we cannot respond to the people's earnest wishes, it means that both I and you lack the capability. I hope you will keep this in mind and strive harder."
"We will remember this!" They answered vigorously, but the ministers looked like they were facing death.
"Better to kill us! Just kill us!"
"How much longer must we strive?"
After saying a word to the ministers, Sejong turned to Hyang.
"Crown Prince, why has the Anju steel mill's performance been sluggish?"
"It is because new facilities have been introduced during the process of expanding the scale again. It will be operating normally before the year ends."
"That would be truly wonderful. Lately, I have been reminded of the value of iron."
"I am honored."
Anju's national steel mill was receiving Sejong's full expectations.
Kim Deok-su, along with his colleagues and nearby residents, had created a steel mill that, after various trials and errors, soon began to produce wrought iron and steel in large quantities.
The Ministry of Finance calculated the production capacity of the Anju steel mill and reported to Sejong immediately.
"With just the national steel mill, we can meet the annual demand for wrought iron and steel for our court."
"Is that so? However, starting with the military, the demand for iron is continuously increasing, so issue an order to the steel mill to find ways to increase production."
"Understood!"
Upon receiving the order, Deok-su rushed to Hanyang and pleaded with Hyang.
"To increase production, we need to expand the furnace or build new ones, but the issue is manpower!"
"Manpower?"
To simplify Deok-su's explanation, to double the production, at least four times the workforce would be needed.
"The most manpower-intensive part is the furnace workers. They must continuously operate the bellows, which is no easy task!"
Hyang responded immediately to Deok-su's lament.
"I see. I will find a solution as quickly as possible."
Taking on the problem, Hyang discovered a large centrifugal blower that could be installed in the water-powered mill.
"It's not manpower but power; if used well, it will be a great help."
The centrifugal pumps created by Hyang were hurriedly transported to Anju's steel mill.
Together with the officials who arrived with the blowers, Deok-su newly constructed large furnaces and began trial production.
Amidst these trials and errors, the substandard iron produced was all transported to District 51.
"Isn't it a waste? Let's find a use for it."
While searching for ways to recycle the defective iron, a fire broke out in Hanyang, and all that iron was turned into rebar for road construction.