Chapter 61


    The meal made of millet hade to an end at noon. King Sejong and his ministers formally began their audit.


    They meticulously went over the records they had kept to see if anything was missing or if there was any trace of corruption. The ministers pointed their inquiries toward General Choi Hae-san.


    “Why have you continued to purchasend? What is the reason for this? Didn’t you properly calcte the necessary area from the start?”


    The ministers were questioning General Choi Hae-san, but in reality, they were questioning the Crown Prince. They were indirectly attacking Choi Hae-san to avoid giving a foothold against King Sejong by questioning the Crown Prince directly.


    In response to the ministers’ question, Choi Hae-san calmly replied, “As you have seen, the main things researched in this Area 51 were weapons using gunpowder. Gunpowder creates loud explosions, and there were many people who couldn’t stand it, so we bought theirnd. The reasons for purchasing cattle and livestock are the same. There were continued instances of livestock dying from being startled by the explosion, and we bought these dead livestock.”


    Despite the ministers’ relentless questioning, Choi Hae-san confidently answered without hesitation. Since the establishment of the research center, especially Area 51, no funds had slipped through the cracks. All the budget received from the royal court was tightly held by the Crown Prince, and no one scrutinized the budget execution more rigorously than the Crown Prince himself.


    It was almost sunset when the audit finally ended. The ministers who hadpleted the audit reported the results to King Sejong.


    “There seems to be no problem with the records.”


    “Is that so? You all have worked hard.”


    After thanking his ministers for their efforts, King Sejong turned to the Crown Prince. “You’ve also worked hard, Crown Prince. And Generals Choi and Lee, you both did well. Seeing the weapons today, I can tell how much effort you and the Crown Prince have put in. You’ve really worked hard.”


    In response to King Sejong’s praise, the Crown Prince, Choi Hae-san, and Lee Chun bowed their heads.


    “Your high praise is too kind!”


    “Your efforts are making the defense of Joseon more robust, so please continue your hard work.”


    “We will devote ourselves wholeheartedly!”


    “Then, today is…” Just as King Sejong was about to rise from his seat to leave, he noticed the new armor worn by the soldiers standing guard and turned to his ministers. “Before we return to the pce, let’s visit the Armory.”


    “Your Majesty, it seems we may not have enough time to visit the Armory.”


    Minister Hwang Hee stepped forward to inform him that it waste, but King Sejong shook his head. “If we dy it again, state affairs will pile up. Since we’re here, let’s go and check.”


    “Yourmand is received.”


    Upon King Sejong’s decision, Hwang Hee bowed his head immediately. King Sejong’s tone was much softer than it was in the morning. If they maintained their grounds here, it was certain that King Sejong’s tone would change immediately, which was a sign of King Sejong’s anger.


    <i>‘Avoid the avoidable storm.’</i>


    So, King Sejong left Area 51 and headed for the Armory. As Area 51 expanded, it was built next door to the Armory, so King Sejong could get to the Armory right away.


    The armory’s managers and artisans all came out and paid their respects at the sudden news of the king’s arrival.


    “We greet Your Majesty!”


    Seeing the managers and artisans bowing deeply, King Sejong lightly raised his hand.


    “Rise.”


    At King Sejong’smand, the managers and artisans timidly stood up. Seeing them standing, King Sejong turned to the Secretary of Personnel Affairs.


    “Doesn’t it seem like there are fewer managers overseeing the Armory than I thought?”


    “That’s because many of them are holding multiple positions…”


    “If there are many tasks for the artisans, and there aren’t enough managers to supervise them, that’s a problem. Prohibit those in charge of the Armory from holding multiple positions.”


    “Yourmand is received.”


    The Secretary of Personnel Affairs who answered King Sejong’s order sighed softly, “Hoo….”


    <i>‘We’re already short on people （；′д｀）ゞ!’</i>


    “I’m well aware of the shortage of people in the court. The issue ofck of personnel will be solved as soon as possible while carrying out the reform. You will have to endure it for a while.”


    “Not at all! It’s not a hardship! It’s not justified!”


    The Secretary of Personnel Affairs, who felt that his inner thoughts had been exposed, hastily denied it.


    As he stepped into the Armory, King Sejong said to the Crown Prince, “It is clear that all the weapons you have made have considerable power. However, it is also a fact that they require a lot ofbor. Am I wrong?”


    “No, you’re not.”


    “So, I’ll examine the production process of these weapons. As you said, the number of artisans in Joseon is small, and it’s a problem to mobilize them carelessly since there are also needs of the people. Therefore, I will examine the production process, weigh the power I learned from the demonstration in the morning, and decide the priority. Any problem with that?”


    “None. It’s a reasonable decision.”


    The Crown Prince obediently agreed to King Sejong’s words.


    <i>‘Given the current situation in Joseon, it’s necessary to choose and concentrate. It’s a pity, but what can I do.’</i>


    “Then, let’s start by observing the production of the cannon.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty.”


    Under the guidance of the officials, Sejong watched the process of manufacturing a cannon.


    From the start, when the cannon barrel was being wound, to the stage when variousponents were attached, Sejong looked back at Hyang. “It seems quitebor-intensive.”


    “Yes. That’s why we have attempted to implement a lot of division ofbor.”


    “Division ofbor?”


    At Hyang’s response, Sejong calmly observed the production process again. Young-looking craftsmen were hammering iron tes on the anvil, shaping and assembling them. Then, an older craftsman meticulously checked the barrels made this way.


    The process of refining these finished barrels and carving the grooves was mostly carried out by young craftsmen as well. The more experienced craftsmen were in charge of inspecting the quality of the parts and finally assembling the whole thing.


    “I see.”


    Having seen the process of making a cannon, Sejong nodded as if he understood. Having had his curiosity satisfied, Sejong turned to Hyang and Choi Hae-san to resolve another curiosity. “The armor worn by the soldiers in Area 51 seemed unusual. Is it made here too?”


    “Yes, Your Majesty.”


    “I’d like to see that, too.”


    “Understood.”


    At Sejong’s order, Hyang gave instructions to the arsenal officials and craftsmen. At Hyang’smand, the cannon-making craftsmen stopped what they were doing and stood up.


    “Huh?”


    As Sejong tilted his head in confusion, Hyang exined the situation, “I’m sorry. We are short of craftsmen…”


    “Oh dear! <i>Tsk</i>!”


    At Hyang’s reply, Sejong seemed regretful and clicked his tongue. Seeing Sejong like this, the apanying ministers were uneasily muttering.


    “This… is getting more worrying?”


    “He’s definitely going to demand measures…”


    Leaving behind the uneasiness of such ministers, Sejong followed the craftsmen to the ce where armor was made.


    “Hehehe… Really now…”


    Upon arriving at the ce where the armor was made and seeing the craftsmen making armor, Sejong let out a chuckle.


    In response to Hwang Hee’s question, Hyang answered, ‘We mass produce them.’ And now, the craftsmen were literally ‘mass producing’ them.


    The first thing that caught Sejong’s eye was the part that covered the chest. A thin, heated iron te was ced on arge iron mold, and then another craftsman turned arge pulley, lowering another iron mold over it.


    “Heave ho!”


    As the two molds ovepped, a young craftsman exerted all his strength, pushing the handle attached to the upper mold down. The end of the handle was curved into a semi-circle, and as the handle was pushed, the most protruding part of the semi-circle pressed down on the mold.


    Thus, when the two molds werepletely attached and a little time had passed, the craftsmen pulled the handle up, turned the pulley, and separated the two molds. When the molds were separated, a craftsman standing nearby used tongs to remove the iron te. The te from the mold was perfectly shaped like a breastte.


    “Hehehe….”


    Having seen the peculiar way the armor was made, Sejong kept on watching,ughing. Helmets to be used with the armor, even ones with a nge, were being made from a single iron te.


    Unable to help butugh at thepletely unexpected and innovative method, Sejong asked the craftsmen a question, “This is indeed a novel method! Whose idea was it?”


    At Sejong’s question, all the craftsmen and officials focused their eyes on Hyang. Sejong looked at Hyang with a disappointed face.


    “You again?”


    “Hahaha!”


    Sejong, having seen the process of making armor, wanted to see the ce where gunpowder was made, but Hyang stepped forward to stop him. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but you cannot see the ce where gunpowder is made right now.”


    “Why not?”


    “Because very dangerous substances like mercury and sulfuric acid are used, the designated personnel are equipped with specific gear and work for only a set amount of time.”


    “I see… <i>Sigh</i>.”


    Disappointed, Sejong looked around. He toured ces where traditional weapons like bows and arrows were made, and praised the craftsmen, but Sejong’s expression had significantly faded.


    “Your Majesty, it’s getting quitete. It’s time for your return to the pce…”


    At the words of the apanying eunuch, Sejong looked at the clock on the arsenal wall and nodded. “Indeed. Let’s prepare to return to the pce.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty.”


    As Sejong and the ministers were mounting their horses to return to the pce, a soldier carrying arge bag approached Hyang. As Hyang checked the contents of the bag and nodded, the soldier handed the bag to Choi Hae-san.


    “Good work.”


    As Choi Hae-san received the bag, another soldier presented wooden tags to Hyang and Choi Hae-san.


    “These are the new identification tags for you to use tomorrow.”


    “Thank you.”


    As Hyang took the tags and mounted his horse, King Sejong, who had been observing the scene, asked a question, “I understand about the tags, but what is in the bag?”


    “It contains blueprints for the armor and cannons. I take them to the military base every morning, and retrieve them every evening.”


    “Then where do you keep these blueprints?”


    “I store them in a safe built in the deepest part of the Eastern Pce.”


    “You seem to take security seriously. Let’s return to the pce then.”


    As they hurried back, Hwang Hee summoned the chief of the Ministry of personnel.


    “Chief Officer, contact the Ministry and have them prepare a report on the supply of iron. Make it avable as soon as we return to the pce.”


    “Pardon?”


    “When we return to the pce, His Majesty will undoubtedly want to discuss the mass production of new weapons, including cannons. So, we should prepare in advance.”


    “Ah, of course!”


    The Chief Officer issued an order to the apanying officials. The officials from the Ministry quickly broke from the procession and galloped towards the crossroads.


    As Hwang Hee had predicted, King Sejong brought up the matter as soon as they returned to the pce.


    “Seeing the demonstration today, the weapons made in the Area 51 are indeed powerful. What do you think, ministers?”


    “They indeed are, Your Majesty. Particrly, the power of the sneak bombs can certainly be considered unrivaled.”


    “The power of the cannons, too, is remarkable and iparable to the famous cannons.”


    Upon hearing King Sejong’s evaluation, all the ministers agreed. As they concurred, King Sejong went straight to the point.


    “Thus, I would like to mass produce these. What do you think?”


    “Well…”


    At King Sejong’s words, the ministers started to dodge the question, calcting this and that. Amidst this, Hwang Hee nced at the chief of the Ministry of Personnel. The Chief Officer then whispered something to the internal officer. Shortly after, a book was handed over to the internal officer. The Chief Officer then reported to King Sejong after receiving the book.


    “Here is the amount of iron received by the courtst year. To look at the immediately noticeable numbers…


    Gyeongju contributed 6533 <i>geun </i>(an old Korean measurement, approx. 1.8 kg) of cast iron, Ulsan provided 12500 <i>geun </i>of raw iron… In total, the military base and construction department use or hold about 130,000 <i>geun </i>(approx. 78 tons) annually, and the stock held by each province is about 600,000 <i>geun </i>(approx. 385 tons).”¹


    “Does this include both cast iron and raw iron?”


    “Yes, Your Majesty.”


    “Hmm…” As King Sejong stroked his beard in thought, he turned to Hyang. “Given this quantity, isn’t it possible to mass-produce them even if it is a bit of a strain?”


    Hyang answered King Sejong’s question directly, “We may have enough material, but mass production will be difficult. This is because there are too few craftsmen.”


    “Can’t we recruit more craftsmen from the private sector?”


    Hyang then exined why it was impossible in response to King Sejong’s question.


    “We have conducted experiments with the sneak bombs.”


    The experiment Hyang mentioned was about subcontracting the projectile part of the sneak bombs. They gave the foundry prototype to the cksmiths in and around Hanyang and received the finished products. The assessment was carried out in two stages.


    The first stage checked if products produced in the same foundry could be assembled together. The second stage tested if they could be assembled with products from different foundries. If the original prototype was copied correctly, it should pass not only the first stage but also the second stage.


    “Fourteen foundries were involved in the experiment, among them eight passed the first stage and only three passed the second stage. Moreover, the majority of the finished products used in the test were produced in these three foundries. Considering this example, we can estimate that only about 20% of the cksmiths are skilled enough.”


    “That’s fewer than expected…”


    “The most basic type of sneak bombs took 20% effort. The more advanced types, that needed to be crafted more skillfully, wouldn’t even ount for 10%. If we must mobilize the cksmiths from the civilian sector, it would only be possible to produce non-sneak bombs and armors.”


    Hyang’s response cast a gloomy look on Sejong’s face. Having faced a more negative situation than expected, a tired Sejong waved his hand towards his ministers.


    “Think about a solution to this situation. That will be all for today.”


    That night, Sejong didn’t seek out Hyang’s room. Hyang, who had been waiting just in case, settled into his spot with a bitter face.


    “He must have been shocked. The reality is a cesspit, you see. But is he going to throw everything away and give up altogether?”


    There was a reason why Hyang said this. Sejong was 27 years old. It was a time when his experience and wisdom were still shallow.


    The next morning, Sejong gathered his ministers and Hyang. As Hyang and the ministers all gathered, Sejong opened his mouth, “I have thought carefully, and I believe that we cannot dy the production of the long guns and cavalry guns. However, if we leave it all to the military factories, I don’t think it’s a good solution either. Therefore, I have thought of a way to solve this.”


    When Sejong announced that he hade up with a n, Hyang and the ministers focused their attention on him.


    “My idea is to receive the barrel parts of the armor-piercing gun from cksmiths all over Joseon, the neck partsfrom the carpenters, and the brass parts from the metalworkers.


    For the cavalry gun, only the important mechanical parts are made in the military factory, and the barrel, blood trough, and wooden parts are supplied in the same way. Let the prince write precise specifications for these parts, print them, and distribute them to the craftsmen, making it a standard for review.”


    “However, that might increase the possibility of ssified information leaking.”


    Against Hyang’s objection, Sejong promptly gave his answer, “What we receive from the cksmiths is parts just before processing. The steel part of the gun is limited to receiving it just before the groove is drilled, that is, it includes only the process of making the inside straight and smooth and the part of cutting the screw. Drilling the groove and assembling the parts for the final assembly are done in the Armory.”


    Upon hearing Sejong’s words, Hyang and the ministers began a cost-benefit analysis. During the calction, moving back and forth, Hwang Hee pointed out the problem: “If we receive it as a tribute from the cksmiths, there may be quality issues. The weapon is the most important part of national defense, so we must solve the quality issue.”


    At Hwang Hee’s words, Sejong immediately responded, “We will not receive it as a tribute. Currently, direct sales offices under the Ministry of Taxation are being established nationwide. We will purchase the necessary things through these direct sales offices. This not only makes wealth circte, enriching people’s lives but also prevents the public from viewing their jobs as inferior. In other words, it aims to make more and more people be merchants and public figures.”


    The proposal from Sejong sparked a heated debate between Hyang and the ministers. Although there were ministers who opposed it, Hyang was the first to express his consent, and after the civil servants also expressed their support, it was ultimately decided to follow Sejong’s will.<ol><li>Let’s just say I’m currently dying converting the units to today’s measurements.[?]</li></ol>