Chapter 86: Concrete of Tragedy (1)
While the Joseon army was announcing victory near the Yalu River, Hyang was still busy at work.
"Is the stream connection now complete to some extent?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Looking at the map spread out on a large table, Hyang and the officials were exchanging opinions.
'Connect all streams throughout Hanseong centered on Cheonggyecheon and major waterways to solve the sewage problem.'
If this was the final goal of Hyang's plan, what had been accomplished so far was the first phase: prioritizing the maintenance of small streams in areas where houses had been completely destroyed by fire.
According to Hyang's plan, the exposed streams were densely connected using sewage channels.
Most of the sewage channels were exposed waterways on the surface, but those crossing main roads were dug underground and buried.
Naturally, sewage pipes mass-produced in District 51 using slaked lime and rebar were supplied for this work.
* * *
"Make sewage pipes from slaked lime and rebar? How strange."
"It is called reinforced concrete, Your Majesty."
"Reinforced concrete? This is the first I have heard of such a term."
Sejong, who was receiving the report, and the ministers all tilted their heads at words they were hearing for the first time in their lives.
"It is a combination of Hanja and Western characters. Westerners call the mixture of slaked lime, sand, and gravel 'concrete.' I could not think of a suitable name to replace it, so I used it as is. This happened due to my son's lack of ability, so I am ashamed before Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful."
"No. Anyone knows that the Crown Prince has many things to do and time is limited, so this is an unavoidable situation. Let us think about how to change that unfamiliar name later. What do you ministers think?"
At Sejong's question, all the ministers bowed their heads and answered in unison.
"Your decision is appropriate!"
However, there were those thrown into chaos by Sejong's decision.
They were the historians writing the royal chronicles and the scribes of the Royal Secretariat taking shorthand records.
'How am I supposed to write concrete!'
The historians and scribes instantly fell into a panic and froze in place.
"But what utility does combining rebar and concrete have?"
At Sejong's question about its utility, the historians and scribes came to their senses and began moving their brushes diligently.
The place where the problematic word 'concrete' would go was left blank using the parentheses () that had begun to be widely used centered on Jiphyeonjeon and the research institute.
In response to Sejong's question, Hyang explained its utility.
"Yes, mixing slaked lime, sand, and gravel is like creating stone artificially. This stone endures compressive force well but is weak against tensile force."
"Is that so?"
At Sejong's question, the Minister of Public Works answered immediately.
"It is so. That is why at quarries, they insert wedges to create gaps, loop ropes through them, and pull to separate the stones."
"I see. And so?"
"Iron, conversely, endures tensile force well but is weak against compressive force. Thus, I combined the two to compensate for each other's weaknesses while strengthening their advantages."
"Oh my~"
"Huh! Such a method..."
Exclamations of admiration burst from here and there in the Pyunjeon at Hyang's explanation.
"My goodness, this is truly a symbol of harmony utilizing the mutual generation and mutual overcoming of the Five Elements! Truly an exquisite method!"
Sejong and the ministers alike appeared genuinely impressed.
* * *
"You have heard well. You must be busy with disaster recovery, so you may take your leave."
"Your grace is boundless."
Having finished the report that started with sewage pipes and ended with reinforced concrete, Hyang paid his respects to Sejong.
After Hyang left, Sejong turned to look at the ministers.
"Let us also take a short rest."
"Your grace is boundless!"
As soon as Sejong declared a recess, the historians and scribes kicked off from their seats and dashed out.
"Hm?"
Expressing doubt at the behavior of the historians and scribes, Sejong quietly followed behind them.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Hyang, who had been moving with those waiting and discussing the progress of construction, stopped at the sound of someone calling him.
"What is the matter?"
"Hah, hah~, heok. Y-Your Highness... that is..."
"Catch your breath first and then speak."
"I am deeply grateful, Your Highness."
"And please exercise more. It's not that far from Pyunjeon to here... tsk!"
While the historians blushed at Hyang's scolding and caught their breath, Hyang continued exchanging opinions with the officials.
"It is not that... but how should we write the word concrete?"
Hyang, who had been talking with the officials, extended his hand without even looking back.
"Brush and ink."
"Here it is, Your Highness."
When a historian hastily held out the writing board and brush, Hyang moved the brush without a second thought.
"Concr... Argh!"
"Your Highness!"
Everyone nearby was startled when Hyang suddenly screamed.
"It's nothing, nothing at all."
Hyang urgently waved his hands to calm everyone down, then loaded the brush with ink and heavily inked over the characters he had been writing. After making certain the characters were erased, Hyang wrote new characters.
'Concrete'
"In Western characters, it is written like this. If you cannot think of an appropriate Idu notation, just use these characters as they are."
"Yes, Your Highness. We are deeply grateful."
"Then, as I am busy with work..."
Hyang, having confirmed once more that it was properly erased, walked away with quick strides.
'Whew! That was close!'
Though maintaining a calm expression on the outside, Hyang crossed the threshold of Gwanghwamun while forcibly calming his wildly beating heart.
'Pull yourself together! Lee Hyang! You almost committed a huge disaster, a meteor-level catastrophe!'
He had been so absorbed in discussing the restoration work that he had almost unconsciously written 'concrete' in Hangul.
Fortunately, he realized it halfway through writing and erased it, but even now, Hyang's back was soaking wet with cold sweat.
'If anything goes wrong, I'm finished! I welcome hobbies I do by choice, but forced hobbies are absolutely refused!'
"How do we transcribe this..."
The historian who learned the word from Hyang worried as he returned to the Pyunjeon.
The colleague historians and scribes walking beside him were likewise struggling to find appropriate words.
"Using reverse cutting after all?"
"That seems best... but the problem is 'k' and 't'. For 'Con', we combine 'Kwae' and 'On'..."
While they were discussing appropriate methods to transcribe the word 'concrete,' Sejong called out to them.
"You historians and scribes there. Come here for a moment."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Good. What did you ask the Crown Prince?"
"Ah... we asked how to write 'concrete.'"
"May I see it?"
At Sejong's question, the historians conferred briefly, then respectfully held out the writing board to Sejong.
"Since it is not the royal chronicle... it is possible."
Receiving the writing board, Sejong read the word written on it.
"Con...crete..."
As Sejong read the word, the eyes of the historians and scribes grew round.
"Is Your Majesty able to read it?"
"I came to know it while reading the Western books the Crown Prince obtained. But... what is this ink blotch?"
"He suddenly inked over it."
"Suddenly? What were the characters?"
At Sejong's question, a quick-eyed historian among them answered.
"It was writing I had never seen before in my life."
"Never seen before? You mean it wasn't the Western characters written here?"
"It was a completely different shape."
"Is that so?"
Answering briefly, Sejong thought for a moment, then returned the writing board to the historians.
"I have seen it well."
"We are deeply grateful."
"Oh! If you remember what shape it was, write it down before you go."
"I only glimpsed it so I don't remember... ah!"
The historian who let out an exclamation wrote characters on the writing board.
"You wrote two characters, and both began with the same shape."
Sejong received what the historian had written on the writing board.
'ㅋㅋ'
"..."
Sejong frowned at the characters written on the writing board, tilting his head in puzzlement, then returned the writing board to the historian.
The historian who received the writing board back paid his respects politely and returned to the Pyunjeon.
After sending away the historians and scribes, Sejong stood like a village guardian post with his hands behind his back, lost in thought.
'Looking at the characters the historian wrote, no, the pattern, it is indeed writing I've never seen before. Is it the script of Tianzhu or the Muslims? No, there are no similar characters that I know of. And why would he need to use Tianzhu or Muslim script when there are Western words and Western characters? The same goes for Jurchen or Mongol script... Then did he simplify Hanja himself? The possibility isn't low, but there would be no need to ink it over like that...'
What started as simple curiosity was growing larger in Sejong's mind.
Sejong recalled the gathering he had at Jeong Cho's house a while back.
'Everyone knows the Crown Prince is excellent. But few know just how excellent. Because that fellow is the Crown Prince who tries not to reveal himself more than necessary. Why is that?'
Deep in thought, Sejong unconsciously muttered to himself.
"He used tricks just to do only what he wants to do. That cunning fellow."
"Your Majesty?"
"Just talking to myself."
Answering the head eunuch's question briefly, Sejong continued to organize the situation.
'That guy has been subtly mentioning our own Korean script since shortly after being invested as Crown Prince. And most importantly, the phonology books... that brat had already read them all as soon as they came in.'
The phonology books that came in through the purchasing agent Sejong requested did not go directly to Sejong.
They had to be kept for a considerable time to avoid the eyes of the inquisitive ministers.
But when he went to check them out, he had to hear this answer quite often.
"We are deeply sorry, but it is already checked out..."
"Who checked it out?"
"The Crown Prince."
"I see."
Searching his memory, Sejong realized he had forgotten one fact.
'Listening to the Crown Prince's answers to the questions I or the ministers subtly throw... that fellow has read them all! And not just read them!'
"Hmm..."
Sejong, who had been organizing various thoughts, reached a conclusion.
'That brat has already produced some results! This sly fellow!'
It was the moment suspicion transformed into conviction.
Having solidified his conviction, Sejong smiled brightly and murmured.
"I was stuck lately anyway, so this works out well. I need to make time sometime to raid his place."
"Your Majesty?"
"Just talking to myself. Just talking to myself. Now! Let us slowly return!"
Stretching lightly once, Sejong headed toward Geunjeongjeon.
"Head eunuch."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Sejong, who was walking at a leisurely pace, spoke to the head eunuch following behind.
"Doesn't it seem like having a talented child is a blessing?"
At Sejong's words, the head eunuch following behind searched his memory for a moment.
As the head eunuch who was with Sejong almost 24 hours a day, he knew well what Sejong had been doing whenever he had a spare moment lately.
After organizing his thoughts briefly, the head eunuch responded.
"That is true... but it is said that too much is as bad as too little. He is still young."
At the head eunuch's pointed answer, Sejong answered with a slight smile.
"With people... is someone going to eat him or something?"
At Sejong's words, the head eunuch looked at Geunjeongjeon without a word.
The faces of the high and low officials walking toward Geunjeongjeon were laden with fatigue.
"They may not eat him, but they push him just enough so he doesn't die..."
"Hm?"
"Ah, nothing."
* * *
"Heup!"
Hyang, who was diligently directing the construction site, suddenly felt a chill throughout his body and shivered.
"What is the matter, Your Highness?"
"Suddenly a chill..."
At Hyang's suddenly pale face, an official urgently signaled a eunuch.
"Call the royal physician!"
The royal physician who had been waiting in case of safety accidents rushed to Hyang upon receiving the eunuch's message.
"Your Highness, let me check your pulse for a moment."
"Please do."
The royal physician, holding Hyang's wrist and checking his pulse, examined Hyang's temperature and complexion, then gave his diagnosis.
"You have accumulated much fatigue. You must rest."
"There is no time to rest for the time being."
"Even so..."
"I am sleeping 4 hours a day, so wouldn't that be all right?"
At Hyang's firm answer, the royal physician sighed softly and answered.
"I will send you some medicinal decoction."
"Please do."
After the royal physician left, Hyang turned to the official.
"Now let us begin construction of Hanseong Boulevard."
"Yes, Your Highness. All preparations are now complete."
"Then. Let us start with the road connecting Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun as planned."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After the official who received the order went out of the tent, Hyang stroked his body that was still trembling slightly.
"What on earth is this? Suddenly this ominous feeling..."
* * *
"We must finish the construction before the rainy season begins!"
To finish the road construction before the rainy season, Hyang mobilized not only laborers but also soldiers on a large scale to proceed with the construction.
After digging about 1 jang deep into the ground, they scooped up gravel collected from dredging the Han River and filled the dug holes layer by layer.
After filling the holes to some extent, the laborers began compacting the gravel using tools that looked like large pestles.
After compacting the gravel firmly, rebar produced in District 51 was brought in layer by layer. After installing the intricately woven rebar over the gravel, the supervisor shouted to the workers and soldiers.
"Pour the mortar!"
By now, the word 'mortar' had taken the place of 'concrete' at the site.
At the supervisor's command, wheelbarrows filled with well-mixed mortar ran in lines and poured the mortar over the rebar.
When the mortar was poured, workers standing nearby poked at it wildly with long wooden poles to make it seep well between the rebar.
"Hey! I told you not to put your feet in the rebar mortar! Do you want to get cement poisoning!"
"I'm sorry, sir!"
One worker who had unconsciously stepped on the concrete quickly stepped back at the supervisor's scolding.
Without protective gear like rubber boots or waterproof safety shoes, the situation was that Hyang had no choice but to proceed with the concrete pouring using long poles as much as possible.
"Going to South America is something I can't even dream of at this point... reality is always a sewer."
Whenever he saw such scenes, Hyang grumbled. But knowing that if he didn't take advantage of the opportunity created by the great fire, he would have to spend several times the cost later, Hyang proceeded with the construction whether he liked it or not.