Chapter 55: New Weapons (3)
"Why!"
"How can this be!"
At Hyang's statement that 'mass production is impossible,' Sejong and the ministers shouted in outrage. In particular, Sejong, with a face full of anger, pressed Hyang for an explanation.
"Why do you say it is impossible?"
"Because it is impossible given Joseon's current situation."
"That is why I am asking why it is impossible! Is this not different from what you have been saying all along! Was it not your conviction that we should find ways to make it possible, not declare it impossible!"
"I am deeply sorry, but it is truly impossible given Joseon's current circumstances. The reason is...."
"You brat!"
Sejong shouted in anger. But Hyang only wore a bitter expression.
'One of the most infuriating things in the world is giving something and then taking it away. But what can I do when the situation is a complete mess?'
Watching Sejong unable to contain his anger from beside him, Hwang Hee interjected.
"Your Majesty, please calm your wrath. There must be circumstances behind this."
"Hoo~. Hoo~."
At Hwang Hee's words, Sejong took deep breaths. Having barely calmed his anger, Sejong glared at Hyang and spoke.
"Explain the reason."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will explain precisely. Production of Deok-gap style gunpowder is possible. However, mass production is impossible."
"Why?"
To Sejong's question, Hyang explained the reason.
-To make Deok-gap style gunpowder, high-purity nitric acid and sulfuric acid are needed. In Joseon's current situation, it is difficult to obtain large quantities of saltpeter and sulfur.
-There is also the cotton cloth problem. The cotton cloth, a main ingredient of Deok-gap style gunpowder, must be high-quality cloth without lint. However, looking at Joseon's current situation, the 5-seung cloth called Jeongpo is used only for tax payment, and the situation is so poor that 3-seung or 4-seung cloth is used as currency.
"As explained above, since high-purity acid solutions are used, skilled artisans are needed. Of course, as can be seen from the Sanguiwon or Gunigam, there are skilled artisans. However, there are too few of them for mass production.
"Regarding the explosive oil, another main ingredient of Deok-gap style gunpowder, there is an additional problem. It is Gam-yu, the main ingredient of explosive oil."
"Why? Is Gam-yu also something that must be imported?"
"No, Your Majesty. It is a product that comes from our Joseon."
"Then why is it a problem?"
"Because the main ingredients of Gam-yu are pig bile and cattle bile."
"Ah!"
At Hyang's answer, Sejong and the ministers had to let out sighs simultaneously.
* * *
To make nitroglycerin, large amounts of glycerin were needed. However, in the current situation without 21st century petrochemical industry, the method Hyang could choose was to extract glycerin during the soap-making process.
But the supply of raw materials was the problem. The easiest thing to think of was pig fat, and pigs had a body fat percentage of 15%.
Arithmetically speaking, if a pig weighed 100kg, fat would be 15kg. Even if one recovered as much lard and other fats as possible during the butchering process, 100% recovery was impossible, and the glycerin extracted through the saponification process was an even smaller amount.
"Simply put... even if everyone in Joseon ate pork for all three meals a day, it would be difficult to secure enough glycerin for military use."
Spinning his pen while examining the results, Hyang shook his head.
"Whether in the 21st century or now, eco-friendly natural products have terrible economics... Damn! Long live the petrochemical industry, the main culprit of environmental destruction! Long live the heavy chemical industry!"
* * *
"Truly regrettable. If only we hadn't known that such excellent performance gunpowder could be made. If only we hadn't known...."
At Sejong's lament, the ministers also nodded their heads.
"That must be abandoned. Your Majesty, giving up on national defense is the path to national ruin."
At Hyang's rebuttal, Sejong shouted.
"Who doesn't know that! But what am I supposed to do when Joseon's circumstances don't help!"
"What is the reason Your Majesty is conducting the military reform! Is it not to overcome Joseon's difficult circumstances!"
At Hyang's protest, Sejong froze on the spot.
Watching Sejong, Hyang spoke with veins bulging in his neck.
"Even at this very moment, starting with myself, General Choi Hae-san, General Lee Cheon, and other military officers, and artisans starting with Jang Byeol-jwa are repeatedly agonizing to find a solution! Your Majesty, I believe survival is a challenge! Survival is a challenge against death! Giving up is death! Crown Prince Lee Hyang! For me, the word 'give up' is a word I do not know!"
"Your words are correct!"
Sejong trembled with emotion.
"From the moment I ascended to the throne, I had determined to do everything for Joseon's rise! You have awakened what I had momentarily forgotten, so you are truly a loyal subject! Ministers, hear me! Gather your scattered hearts once more! Stake your lives to make the military reform succeed!"
The ministers, swept up in emotion just like Sejong, answered with one voice.
"We will stake our lives to follow the command!"
Later, the ministers, exhausted from overwork, all muttered.
"I shouldn't have done that Area 51 inspection back then. This fellow's mouth is my nemesis...."
* * *
As he had said before Sejong, Hyang never gave up on mass-producing glycerin.
One night, while searching for possible methods in his busy schedule, Hyang suddenly rose from his bed.
"Vegetable oil! Well done, my head! You earned your keep this time too!"
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Hyang ran to Area 51 and looked for Choi Hae-san. Meanwhile, Choi Hae-san, who had also been looking for Hyang, ran over with a bright face as soon as he saw him.
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince! I have been waiting!"
"General! I think I have found a method regarding Gam-yu."
"I too have thought of something!"
Knowing that both had come for the same topic, a moment of awkwardness passed between them. Having composed himself, Hyang spoke.
"General, please speak first."
"Your Highness first..."
"It is fine."
At Hyang's yielding, Choi Hae-san spoke first.
"My thought is, how about using beans?"
"I had the same thought!"
Hyang and Choi Hae-san immediately made soybean oil and began experiments. After checking the results, Hyang and Choi Hae-san put their heads together.
"It seems good, doesn't it?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Let us report to His Majesty!"
"Yes!"
Upon receiving the report, Sejong was greatly pleased and looked at the ministers.
"The Crown Prince has achieved another merit!"
"Indeed!"
"With this, we can further strengthen Joseon's national defense!"
"We offer our congratulations!"
"We offer our congratulations!"
In the process of procuring beans, the beans from the bean fields connected to the livestock ranch established on Nodeulseom were used first. This was because test results confirmed that the bean residue after extracting oil was acceptable as feed for cattle and pigs.
However, since the beans harvested from the ranch's bean fields alone could not meet all the demand, Joseon gained the title of 'the first country in world history to officially recycle resources.'
The Joseon court's efforts to obtain oil were a 'war against kitchens.' Pig fat and beef fat were widely used in cooking because they gave a savory taste when grilling or stir-frying food.
Because of this, the court purchased pig bile and cattle bile with money, and this became the occasion for the term 'Earth General' to be born following the term 'Winter General.'
The reason the court began the full-scale 'war against kitchens' was because of beans.
At that time, beans were one of the important food sources in Joseon. In addition, as much as it was called 'the land of fermented pastes,' beans were in enormous demand since the country made and consumed a lot of doenjang and ganjang (soybean paste and soy sauce).
To solve this situation, Sejong thought of the best solution.
"If farmers who volunteered to migrate to the northern reclamation areas create bean fields, the court will purchase the entire harvest! This way, we can solve both the migrants' livelihood problem and the raw material supply problem!"
"We accept the command!"
This method led to a different result from the original history: the number of farmers wanting to migrate to the north increased significantly.
Through these various attempts, Joseon secured a way to greatly increase the production volume of Deok-gap style gunpowder. However, Hyang's expression did not brighten much.
"Considering the amount currently being consumed, the increased amount doesn't add up. The amount used by the military has increased, but the amount used in the private sector is also not insignificant."
Looking at the reports from the Ministry of Industry piling up on one side of his desk, anxious about the gunpowder shortage, Hyang frowned and muttered while looking at the world map hanging on the wall.
"As expected, it's the South...."
* * *
"Is that everything?"
Sejong, who had an awakening after arguing over gunpowder, looked at Hyang with a somewhat regretful expression.
To Sejong's question, Hyang shook his head.
"No, Your Majesty. The most important things remain."
"The most important things?"
"First, I will show you the firearms. General."
"Yes, Your Highness. Someone! Call the musketeers!"
"Yes, General!"
After a while, a group of musketeers entered the demonstration ground.
"Hut, dul! Hut, dul! Stand in place! Left face!"
Clack!
At the commanding officer's order, the musketeers with long firearms resting on their right shoulders moved in perfect unison to face Sejong.
"Present arms!"
"Chung!"
At the commander's order, the musketeers simultaneously performed a military salute.
After returning the salute of the soldiers, Sejong did not spare praise for General Choi Hae-san and Hyang.
"Looking at the soldiers' perfect unity and discipline, they are no ordinary elite! The efforts of the Crown Prince and the General seem visible!"
"Truly elite soldiers!"
"Although it has been quite a long time since I entered the court, I have not easily seen such fine soldiers!"
At Sejong's praise, the ministers also did not hold back their compliments.
The faces of the musketeers who received praise from both Sejong and the ministers were full of pride. Watching them from the side, Hyang's face was also full of satisfaction.
'After all the rolling around I did making them do drill training!'
When a satisfactory number of muskets were produced to a satisfactory level, Hyang requested soldiers and officers from Sejong.
When the officers and soldiers he received arrived, Hyang couldn't hide his disappointment.
"They said they were from the Training Bureau, selected from the Siwi-sa... they seem to be elite, but..."
Compared to the military life he experienced in the 21st century and the armies of 19th century European powers and American forces during the Civil War that he saw through movies, the discipline and elite status of the soldiers before him were quite lacking.
Tilting his head and pondering, Hyang clicked his tongue.
"Tsk! Can't be helped. I have to train them."
Thus, the soldiers were first mobilized for the construction of their own quarters and a large-scale testing ground for testing various weapons.
"I thought we came for military matters..."
The soldiers were a bit bewildered to hold shovels instead of weapons upon arrival, but there wasn't much complaint. This was because Hyang was incredibly good about providing food. At the very least, pork and beef were served once every three days.
The soldiers happily feasted on meat. Meanwhile, a peculiar vessel caught the soldiers' eyes—a grill placed over a brazier.
The vessel, made of thick cast iron, had grooves on all four sides, and the oil that came out as the meat grilled flowed along these grooves to collect in a bowl.
And when the meal ended, those bowls headed straight to the artisans' workshops.
While the soldiers were mobilized for construction, Hyang put his heads together with Choi Hae-san, General Lee Cheon, and the officers from the Training Bureau. They created names for each part of the newly made firearms and devised commands for drill training.
"Your Highness named this drill training—are these movements and commands really necessary? We already conduct similar training."
The officers from the Training Bureau who first heard Hyang's words questioned its necessity.
The battles they experienced were clashes between groups. The tactic to win such battles was to maintain formation until the end. And Joseon's military also faithfully conducted related training.
"Is that why such disgrace occurred during the conquest of Tsushima?"
At Hyang's point, the officers fell silent.
During the conquest of Tsushima, Yi Jong-mu decided to attack the bases of the Japanese pirates who refused to surrender in order to annihilate them.
For this attack, Yi Jong-mu drew lots among the commanders of the left and right armies to decide who would go. As a result of the drawing, Park Sil's left army landed and began advancing, but the formation collapsed due to an enemy surprise attack, resulting in about 180 deaths.
It was only natural that Hyang, who obtained and read the report from that time, erupted in anger saying 'There was no strategy or tactics!' Leaving aside strategy, even tactically, it was an operation where they pushed forward with the left army alone without properly establishing additional plans for how to respond when the left army faced difficulties due to enemy surprise attacks or other problems.
In the end, since Hyang's point had merit, the officers conducted research on drill training and bayonet techniques together with Hyang.