Chapter 51: Laughing at Obsession, Crying at Obsession. (16)
"It floats?"
With just these words, the situation was concluded. Those who had insisted that making ships out of iron was impossible had no choice but to shut their mouths. Hyang looked at them and said one thing.
"I'll say it again - it's not that it's impossible, but rather that the method hasn't been found."
Hyang explained related tidbits of knowledge to those who had been silenced - concepts like volume, weight, and density. After listening to Hyang's explanation that continued for a while, Jeong Cho spoke up.
"So, if iron plates are spread as thinly as possible and joined together, a ship can be made... is that it?"
"Speaking in extremes, yes."
At Hyang's words, Jeong In-ji pointed out a problem.
"However, there is a problem. The method of joining those iron plates together. Is there a method that can connect the iron plates firmly to each other while preventing water from seeping in?"
"Researching that is your mission."
"That is why Myeon-gi is positioned here."
At Hyang's answer, Sejong and the ministers nodded. But Hwang Hui, representing the ministers, pointed out a problem.
"Making a ship out of iron... according to Your Highness's explanation, it would certainly be possible to build a large ship. But can we find that method?"
"If we research with our utmost effort, we can find it."
"Will it be possible?"
At Hwang Hui's negative response, Hyang's expression sharpened. Sejong's expression was the same.
"Do you think it's impossible?"
Seeing Hyang and Sejong's expressions, Hwang Hui answered evasively.
"It is possible, but I think the time and cost involved would be the problem."
"But we cannot give up in advance. Many of the Seo-i also share the same thought as me. If we make ships out of iron, which is much stronger than wood, we can build larger and sturdier ships, which means we can sail further. Your Excellency, while other nations are running about, do you wish for Joseon to just sit and watch?"
"That's not it, but..."
Seeing Hwang Hui wavering in his speech, Hyang spoke firmly.
"For our Joseon's name to resound across the four seas, the development of iron ships must be accomplished. Even if it takes time!"
At Hyang's firm answer, the ministers fell silent and looked at Sejong.
Sejong, who had been pondering with a serious face, opened his mouth.
"It will certainly take a lot of time and budget. You must think the same, Crown Prince?"
"That is so. However..."
"However, you are saying that this work is absolutely necessary. And you keep mentioning the Seo-i - is that related to this?"
"It is not unrelated. As Your Majesty knows, I have read many books by the Seo-i."
"I know."
"Among the Seo-i's books, there are those concerning history, and the history of the Seo-i is a history of struggle. And through that history, the Seo-i know the importance of wealth better than anyone else."
'Did they say that through the experience of the Thirty Years' War, they learned that "the outcome of war is determined by economics"?'
"And so?"
"For that reason, the Seo-i are pouring all their efforts into finding ways to make their nation prosperous. However, they came to realize that searching only within has limits. So, they are turning their eyes outward."
At Hyang's explanation, Sejong continued.
"Therefore, the Seo-i will eventually go out to sea, and they will come to this Joseon? To this distant country?"
"Already the Muslims have been coming and going to this land for hundreds of years - would the Seo-i not be able to come?"
"That is true."
When Sejong nodded, Hyang continued speaking.
"Looking at how the Seo-i acquire wealth, if the other party is stronger or equal, they conduct fair trade, and if weaker, they immediately suppress with force and take what they desire. Of course..."
Hyang paused to catch his breath, then continued.
"Of course, international relations are dominated by the law of the jungle where the strong devour the weak, so any nation moves in such ways. However, the Seo-i who know nothing of face move openly. Ah! To be precise, they do maintain face among themselves. Only among themselves."
At Hyang's words, Sejong muttered quietly.
"As if only the Seo-i do that..."
"That is so."
"Enough, I understand well what you are trying to say."
Sejong, who stopped Hyang's words, fell into thought.
Seeing Sejong's serious face, the ministers and Hyang quietly waited for Sejong to speak.
After some time passed, Sejong opened his mouth.
"Crown Prince, will iron ships be possible during this father's reign?"
"Your Majesty certainly, and even during my reign, the probability is higher that we will not see it."
"Do you think we should continue research even with such low probability? Accepting the consumption of time and wealth that we don't know how much will go in?"
"Yes. If we give up now because the probability is low, I believe our descendants will pay the price with several times more blood."
"Hmm..."
At Hyang's firm answer, Sejong fell into thought again. Sejong, who had been stroking his beard while looking at the ship models, reached a conclusion.
"Very well, let's do it."
"I thank you!"
"However, we cannot invest time and funds blindly. Create an accurate plan and submit it."
"I will obey the command!"
At Sejong's command, Hyang answered powerfully while performing a formal bow.
The debate about iron ships that started because of a naengmyeon bowl ended with Sejong making a decision. Having passed that hurdle, Sejong's eyes turned to a strange object placed below the display cabinet.
"What is that object used for?"
At Sejong's question, Hyang answered immediately.
"It is Heron's steam ball."
"Heron? Steam ball?"
"A famous scholar from the West in ancient times."
* * *
Though he had agreed to the possibility of iron ships that Hyang spoke of, Jeong Cho felt something was lacking.
'It feels like I'm missing something...'
While Jeong Cho was pondering what he had missed, Jang Yeong-sil pointed out that part.
"Even if we can make ships using iron as His Highness said, and make them larger than when made of wood, there is a problem. If the size of the ship increases, wouldn't there be a problem moving it with just sails and oars?"
"That's right!"
"That was it!"
At Jang Yeong-sil's point, Jeong Cho and Jeong In-ji shouted loudly. At their reaction, Hyang grumbled internally.
'I thought they were going to shout Eureka.'
While grumbling inside, Hyang answered immediately, as if he had already prepared.
"I had already anticipated the problem of propulsion power. So there is something I would like to research together with all of you. Attendant!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
At Hyang's call, an attendant who had been outside entered, and Hyang gave an order.
"Bring the object sent from the Gun-gi-gam a while ago."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After a while, two attendants brought in a large object made of bronze, grunting with effort.
"What is this? It is truly a strangely shaped object."
The first to show curiosity was Jang Yeong-sil. Others also gathered around the bronze object with twinkling eyes.
"Hmm?"
"My..."
The object the attendants brought was truly strangely shaped. Two bronze tubes extending from a cylinder supported by four legs were inserted into the sides of a bronze sphere. And from the bronze sphere, four tubes protruded outward, their shape resembling the character man (卍). The ends of the protruding tubes had small holes.
"Bring a brazier with fire and a kettle with water."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After a while, the attendants brought in a brazier with fire and a kettle.
Hyang put burning charcoal into the lower part of the cylinder below, turned the stopper on the upper part to open it, and poured water in. After closing the stopper again, Hyang looked around at the people.
"Have you ever seen rice being cooked in a kitchen?"
"Yes."
At Hyang's question, all those gathered nodded. Unlike the late Joseon period, at this time, it was not considered shameful for men to enter and leave kitchens.
"When cooking rice, have you seen the lid of the cauldron shaking? The power source I thought of uses water and fire. I have named it the steam engine."
"Steam engine? Using the energy created when water boils?"
"Yes."
"Will that become power?"
"It is a force that can move even that heavy cauldron lid. I think it is sufficiently possible."
Despite Hyang's answer full of certainty, people were still tilting their heads. Seeing such people, Hyang shouted inside.
'What an age of distrust! Don't they know the saying that blessed are those who believe!'
Anyway, as time passed, the water began to boil, and steam started to flow out little by little from the holes in the tubes extending from the bronze sphere.
"There is no particular movement?"
"Please wait a little longer. Just a little more."
And as time passed, the bronze sphere began to rotate slowly.
Beeee~
Along with the sharp metallic sound created by the steam spraying out through the small holes, the rotation of the bronze sphere gradually accelerated.
"How is it?"
At Hyang's words, people's faces became serious. The weight of that object was considerable enough that two attendants had to carry it.
Of course, only the bronze sphere at the very top was moving, but it was by no means a light object just by looking at it. But the steam created when water boiled was turning that bronze sphere.
Jeong Cho, who had been silently watching 'Heron's steam ball,' opened his mouth.
"I think it would be worth researching. If we can make proper results, it would be very good for use on ships. Not just iron ships. There would be no need to wait for favorable winds, and no need to load rowers."
"That is exactly my thought! And that engine is not used only for ships!"
"Not used only for ships?"
"If we make a cart that moves with that, what do you think would happen?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
At Hyang's words, people's eyes grew as large as they could.
* * *
"So, among the research currently being conducted, research related to steam engines is also included."
Sejong, who had been looking at Heron's steam ball while listening to Hyang's explanation, turned to look at Hyang.
"Make a cart that moves with a steam engine?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Would that be of use?"
"Yes? Why would it not be of use?"
At Hyang's question, Sejong pointed out a problem.
"A cart is an object that carries loads and moves. But for the steam engine I mentioned to move properly, water and fire must be constantly supplied. The problem is that to do so, that water and firewood must be loaded on the cart, so wouldn't there be no space to load the actual cargo?"
'This man is sharp! As expected, King Sejong!' While admiring inside, Hyang provided an answer.
"You could think that way. However, a steam engine produces very great power relative to its size. Rather than simply pulling one cart, it pulls multiple carts and moves, so this is sufficiently useful."
"Pulls multiple carts?"
Seeing Sejong and the ministers still unable to hide their doubts, Hyang raised his hand and pointed inside the research facility.
"Please come this way."
'I'll show you the result that was called the ultimate obsession!'
"It is here."
The place Hyang guided them to was a room where not only attendants but also soldiers carrying swords were standing guard. At the sight of Hyang and Sejong, the attendants and soldiers paid their respects together.
"You are working hard."
"We are overwhelmed by your grace!"
When the attendants who had paid their respects straightened up, Hyang gave an order.
"Open the door."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Oh!"
"Oh!"
Sejong and the ministers who entered through the door opened by the attendants exclaimed in admiration.
In the center of a large room, about 2 kan (approximately 4.8m) wide and 5 kan (approximately 14m) long, a huge table was placed. And on that table, there were mountains, plains, lakes, rivers, and seas. And in that small world thus created, iron rails were laid.
Looking at Sejong and the ministers who were watching with surprised eyes, Hyang smiled.
'It's a railway model that was called the ultimate obsession even in the 21st century!'
"I will show Your Majesty the sight of using a cart with a steam engine attached. Attendant! Prepare the locomotive!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
At Hyang's command, the attendants placed a model locomotive on the iron rails, along with passenger car and freight car models to be connected to it. After connecting the locomotive, passenger cars, and freight cars using rings, the attendants stepped back and performed a formal bow, and Sejong began to examine the model locomotive in detail.
"You connected the steam ball you mentioned earlier with wheels?"
"Yes."
The model locomotive Hyang made was primitive, with a small 'Heron's steam ball' model placed on a wooden cart, and the steam ball and wheels connected with leather straps.
"Since it is small in size, I first used alcohol as fuel."
With the explanation, Hyang pushed a lamp filled with ethanol under the steam ball and lit the wick.
Beeee!
As time passed, steam began to escape with a sharp sound from the tube protruding from the steam ball.
Using that sound as a signal, Hyang released the brake that had been holding the wheels. When the brake was released, the model locomotive began to move slowly, pulling the passenger cars and freight cars.