< Chapter 8: Sprouting... Carcinogenesis? (1) >
Sejong Year 3 (1421), October 27th. Hyang was invested as Crown Prince. Finally, he was officially recognized as the next successor from being merely a prince.
Though no one else knew, on the night the investiture ceremony ended, Hyang clenched his fist and rejoiced alone.
"The time has finally come!"
* * *
"Let me see... the policies our King has implemented so far..."
With the scriptures spread on his writing desk set aside, Hyang sat with his arms crossed and reviewed in his mind the policies Sejong had executed during this time.
"In the first year of his reign, there was trouble with the Gang Sang-in incident, so apart from a partial cabinet reshuffle, there wasn't much..."
After that, Sejong steadily implemented his own policies.
He granted tax exemptions for farmers starving in Gangwon Province, personally met with local officials dispatched to the provinces, expanded the Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of Worthies), and made the Four Books (Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean) part of the military examination. Afterward, there was the conquest of Tsushima.
Among Sejong's policies, what caught Hyang's interest was something related to salt.
While rejecting the petition from salt artisans to lower the salt tax, he simultaneously implemented a policy to expand government salt (Gong-yeom).
"Salt monopoly... it does make money."
Sejong paid as much attention to enriching the state and strengthening the military (富國强兵) as he did to stabilizing the people's livelihood. The most important thing for enriching the state and strengthening the military was securing the budget. The salt monopoly was for securing this budget.
To solve the national budget problem, Sejong sent a diplomatic letter to Ming. The content was to exclude vessels made of gold and silver from the tribute list.
However, Hyang didn't evaluate this very highly.
"Excluding gold and silver products from the tribute list is fine, but the problem is that the envoys are taking that much away. How to handle this part..."
Besides this, there were many other things Hyang thought were problematic. But what concerned him most were the land problem and the smuggling problem.
"If the land ownership limit law faces opposition from large landowners and high ministers, the tax system must be changed. And smuggling... trade, and even commerce itself being looked down upon—this part needs to change first..."
Besides these, Hyang, who had been thinking about various small improvements and their solutions, let out a long sigh.
"There are several solutions, but the biggest constraint is one... the Joseon government has no money. No, it has no gold."
The final solution Hyang thought of was 'gold.'
-To most reliably improve the land system and tax system, currency circulation is essential. However, currency circulation has continuously failed. Sejong will try again soon, but if history is any guide, it will fail.
-But the reason currency circulation keeps failing is because the government couldn't guarantee the existence of currency as a new means of accumulating wealth.
-The means of accumulating wealth for the wealthy, such as local landlords and high-ranking officials, is mostly goods like grain and cotton cloth. But grain and cotton cloth have short lifespans. Therefore, the wealthy convert the goods they've acquired into things like gold and silver to preserve their wealth for a long time.
-To absorb the wealth accumulated by the wealthy in this way, tax policies and land policies intense enough to be called radical are necessary.
-But implementing such radical policies would invite opposition from the wealthy.
-To suppress such opposition, the central government, or precisely speaking, the King, must possess reliable military power.
-But possessing reliable military power means needing that much budget. To solve that part?
Hyang, who kept thinking and thinking, wore a hollow expression.
"No matter how many times I modify the plan, if I can't solve the very first problem of money, I'll just keep drawing circles. The only thing that can solve this damn cycle is the King's decision. Fortunately, if it's King Sejong the Great, it's possible. My role is... acting as seasoning for him?"
Hyang nodded at his own conclusion.
"I've become Crown Prince, but I'm only eight years old, so my power is still weak. The best thing is to toss out some bait while passing by. And the start of that is..."
Hyang looked at the brush contained in the brush holder placed at one corner of his writing desk.
"That is the beginning."
* * *
-Sejong Year 3, December 10th. The Crown Prince created a gold brush and presented it to the King. Upon trying it, the King praised it as convenient for quick writing. When the Crown Prince requested that historians and officials in need of quick writing be allowed to use it, the King granted permission.
Mid-November. Hyang visited the Gunbigam (Directorate of Weapons). Hearing that the Crown Prince had come, the Jeong (Director), who was among the highest-ranking officials responsible for practical affairs at the Gunbigam, hurried out.
"I greet the Crown Prince!"
"You've worked hard."
At Hyang's acknowledgment, the Director bowed his head even deeper.
"I would like to look around for a moment, would that be acceptable?"
"It would be an honor!"
As Hyang was about to walk with the guidance of Gunbigam Director Lee Chang-ho, the artisans belonging to the Gunbigam who heard the news of the Crown Prince's visit rushed out and paid their respects.
"We greet the Crown Prince!"
"You have truly worked hard. Thanks to people like you, Joseon's defense becomes stronger, and I am truly grateful."
At the Crown Prince's praise, the artisans who had been prostrated answered with emotion.
"Since the Crown Prince praises us so, we don't know what to do with ourselves!"
"It is truly an honor!"
The artisans, moved by the praise from someone as high as heaven, took the lead in guiding Hyang around various parts of the Gunbigam.
Hyang had visited the Gunbigam for several reasons, but the biggest reason was that weapons were made at the Gunbigam.
'Weapons, gunpowder... I'll need to come here often in the future, so I should lay the groundwork. Jang Yeong-sil is tempting, but he belongs to the Sanguiwon (Royal Wardrobe), and Jeong Cho and the Great King are his backers...'
Setting aside his regret about Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang, who had looked around various parts of the Gunbigam, got to the main point.
"Who here handles gold and iron the best?"
"Gold and iron, you say?"
"That's right. There's something I need to have made."
"Someone who handles iron and gold well..."
At the Crown Prince's question, the Gunbigam Director reviewed the list of artisans. After looking for a suitable person for a moment, the Gunbigam Director soon thought of one person.
"There is someone usable."
A while later, at the Gunbigam Director's summons, a middle-aged artisan entered the Director's room.
"Did you call for me?"
"Yes. Artisan Gong. I'm told His Highness the Crown Prince has a command for you."
Hearing that Hyang, the Crown Prince, had called for him, Artisan Gong politely paid his respects toward the Crown Prince.
"This humble one greets the Crown Prince."
"Don't say such things as being humble. How can an artisan of the Gunbigam, responsible for Joseon's national defense, be humble?"
"I, I am overwhelmed!"
At Hyang's praise, Artisan Gong was moved and immediately prostrated himself.
"Stand up. I have something urgent to ask of you."
"Just give the command! I will make it risking my life!"
'An artisan of the Gunbigam shouldn't have that low a status, so how much must he have suffered...'
At Artisan Gong's reaction, which was much more over the top than expected, Hyang gave a bitter smile while taking out paper from his sleeve and holding it out.
"Can you make it according to this?"
"This is..."
"An object to replace the brush."
What Hyang held out was a blueprint (?) of a pen nib.
With a serious face, Artisan Gong, who was examining the blueprint (?) Hyang held out, opened his mouth.
"Holding ink and then letting it flow as you write... the problem is that the ink shouldn't flow out all at once, but it also shouldn't not come out."
"On top of that, since it shouldn't tear the grain of the paper, the bead attached to the tip of this nib must be round. And one more thing. This gap where the ink flows. If it's too wide, it's useless, and if it's too narrow, it's also useless. How thin a gap can Artisan Gong make?"
At Hyang's question, Artisan Gong thought for a moment and then answered.
"If I do my best, up to five hairs is possible."
"Five hairs?"
When Hyang tilted his head, the Gunbigam Director next to him explained.
"It means five hairs in one sun (寸)."
At those words, Hyang calculated in his head.
'One sun is one chi, one chi is about 3cm, if five hairs... 1/10,000th? Is that possible? Anyway, roughly calculating, about 0.15mm? Is this possible by hand?'
Surprised by the unexpected result, Hyang soon composed his expression and asked a question.
"It's not just one I need to make, but dozens. And not spending months working on it, but making them as quickly as possible."
At Hyang's question, Artisan Gong calculated for a moment and then answered.
"Since water touches it, I'll use gold and silver instead of iron so it won't rust, and since I'll make it by hammering thin plates, if I make the mold properly, twenty pieces a day is possible. The problem is that gap."
At Artisan Gong's answer, Hyang immediately calculated.
'About 0.5mm pencil lead should be fine.'
"When writing, the stroke thickness should be slightly thicker than one li."
"Then I'll set the standard for the gap at one li and try."
"Then when can I see the result?"
"Give me two days..."
"I'll give you three days. Show me the best result."
"I will obey the Crown Prince's command."
"I trust you."
On the way back to the palace, receiving the send-off from Gunbigam officials, Hyang looked back at the attendant eunuch.
"Eunuch Jo."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Is there wealth I can use privately?"
"I will check with the Naesu department. Your Highness."
Three days later, Hyang visited the Gunbigam again.
Artisan Gong held out five pen nibs in a well-made wooden box to Hyang.
"I made them in five thicknesses. Please choose the thickness you like."
"I will."
Comparing by writing characters on waste paper nearby, Hyang chose the pen nib he liked.
"Please make 100 of these. However, 10 of them..."
Artisan Gong, who listened carefully to the option Hyang mentioned, immediately answered.
"It is possible. Your Highness."
"And can you engrave plum blossoms on the body of this gold brush?"
"It is possible. Your Highness."
"Then how many days will it take?"
"Ten days is sufficient. Your Highness."
After thinking for a moment at Artisan Gong's answer, Hyang reached a conclusion.
"I'll add two more days. Instead, there must not be a single defective product. Is that possible? I'm going to present it to His Majesty."
"I will make them without a single defective product."
"Then. I ask you. Ah, I hope you keep this matter secret until I present it to His Majesty."
"I will do so."
Having finished his business, Hyang left the Gunbigam with a pleased expression. Gunbigam Director Lee Chang-ho, who saw Hyang off, looked back at Artisan Gong.
"Truly not like his age."
"That's right. I heard he's eight years old this year, but looking at what he says and does, you could consider him a full-grown adult."
"That's true, but you've gained something enormous too."
Lee Chang-ho couldn't hide his envy as he looked at the paper in Artisan Gong's hand.
Just before leaving the Gunbigam, Hyang left a letter for Artisan Gong expressing his gratitude.
'Hoping for Joseon's First Artisan. Crown Prince Yi Hyang'
Artisan Gong, who received the paper with Hyang's name and a palm print next to it, trembled with emotion.
"I'll ask Wood Artisan So to make the finest framing. This is something to keep as a family treasure."
* * *
Fifteen days later, Hyang visited Sejong, who was in the middle of discussing with his subjects. Hyang presented the pen nib and pen holder to Sejong.
Listening to Hyang's explanation, Sejong inserted the pen nib into the holder and tried writing, and was very satisfied.
"This is truly a precious object! It's very convenient to use, and above all, my arm and wrist are comfortable! The Crown Prince has made a very good object! The Crown Prince has done a very good deed! Historian, record the Crown Prince's deed well today!"
"I don't know what to do with such excessive praise."
At Sejong's praise, Hyang maintained a humble attitude. Sejong, examining the lacquer-decorated fine pen holder and pen nib, saw the flower pattern engraved on the pen nib.
"Is this flower a plum blossom?"
"Yes. I thought it suitable as a symbol of the royal family, so I engraved it."
"Good!"
After trying the pen on paper once more, Sejong looked back at Hyang.
"I will use this usefully."
"I am overwhelmed. However, I have a request."
< Chapter 8: Sprouting... Carcinogenesis? (1) > End
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