Flintlock Development
Returning to Yoyang in the Yodong Commandery, I heard that the Mongols had finally decided on their direction. They were continuing their assault on the Jin while launching an advance to the west as well. Having suffered two major defeats at our hands, the Mongols needed to absorb the Jin from their perspective. And as a bonus, they could plunder the vast western lands and numerous countries.
"Things are moving pretty fast. But this creates a problem."
"What do you mean?"
Hmm, it was about time Kim Jun saw a broader world.
"The Abbasid Caliphate boasts tremendous national power at this time. It's no exaggeration to call it the center of the world culturally."
If it weren't for the Mongols, the Middle East—not Europe—might have led for a while. With the Islamic Golden Age sustained, extreme doctrines wouldn't have emerged. The center of science would have been the Middle East, advancing tech by centuries.
"More than the Song?"
The Song had weak military, but it was a peak in Chinese history.
"The Song? Just a scholarly nation relying on vast territory and population. That Abbasid Caliphate has the House of Wisdom, a repository of knowledge, according to merchants. Even these numbers come from there. I introduced them through Abbasid merchants."
Our trade partners were more the Abbasids than China. Using the Silk Road, Korea would be better known in Arabia. We needed to dispatch scholars there eagerly and learn their language. Exchanging with thriving nations of this era was only natural. The Song was just a good market, after all.
"I see."
"I'm worried those ignorant bastards will ransack the Abbasids."
Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphate, the world's greatest city by any measure. It once housed over a million people, with institutions like the House of Wisdom fostering global scholarship, science, and philosophy. No wonder it was called the intellectual capital of the planet.
Just a hypothesis, but if the Islamic Golden Age had endured, would the extremist Islamists we see in 21st-century Korea have arisen? We had to stop the Mongols from taking Baghdad. Anthropologically, the sack of Baghdad and the burning of the House of Wisdom must be prevented.
But part of me wanted it. How great would it be to relocate the House of Wisdom peacefully? If we could save it in exchange for survival? Not a bad deal. Transporting the vast books would be a chore, though.
For now, we needed to boost our tech. Copying from neighboring China might happen quickly, but we had the Mongols to contend with. There's even talk that the Song could have sparked an Industrial Revolution if not destroyed by the Mongols. Sure, that's an exaggeration. They had the foundations, but their huge population meant no need for machines—no drive for industrialization.
Anyway, the point is, a nation at that level could copy everything I make. But with the Mongols sabotaging, Goryeo could maintain tech monopoly for a while. Even if not, we needed to advance faster than others to build national power.
Ultimately, my tech development was a double-edged sword. We'd made Goryeo strong and secured Yodong, but if these weapons spread, we'd face even mightier foes. So, what was the answer? The Mongols needed to keep messing around in the Central Plains.
Ideally, they'd exhaust themselves plundering Jin and Song in a war of attrition. For that, we had to dope up on tech now. And to defend Yodong, we needed at least 200,000 standing troops.
Especially with slave emancipation bringing many into professional soldiery. We'd secured Yodong, so land distribution was underway too. But to hold it, we had to utilize the able-bodied men from the secured military lands. Increase the ratio of musketeers and artillerymen.
"Inspector, what is this?"
Kim Jun eyed the blueprint on my desk. Well, if he asked, I'd answer.
It was a gun. Not an ordinary matchlock, but one using flint.
"You could call it a flintlock musket. This flint strikes steel to spark and ignite."
Yes. Much faster than matchlocks. With trained soldiers, matchlocks couldn't compare.
The blueprint detailed the firing mechanism, powder pan, and used numbers and decimals—skills only I wielded here—for precise lengths, thicknesses, and angles without error. Of course, I'd have to instruct the artisans myself.
They were from the Cannon Directorate anyway—what was hard about it?
"Ho, fascinating."
"Remember the Greater Khingan Battle? The volley fire while advancing."
Our matchlock units had advanced, crushing the Mongols. That glory lingered in my mind. But misfires were common. The matchlock's limits showed.
"I do."
"We can make that tactic even more effective. Perfect timing with Yodong secured, and flint available on the peninsula too."
We'd already built Iron Cannon production in Yodong: the Yodong branch of the Liaodong Iron Cannon Manufacturing Office. I assigned artisans from the Gaegyeong line here. Hired Manchu laborers for high-quality flint too.
The Yodong office would oversee flint and sulfur entirely. I planned one in Gaegyeong, but bordering Mongols made Yodong ideal.
Securing Yodong eased gun production and development. Smelt high-quality iron from Yodong into barrel steel. I precisely noted barrel calibers, part gaps, etc., with numbers and decimals—like encryption.
The production facilities were within the commandery grounds. Selected volunteers smelted quality iron into barrel steel. Key was alloy ratios and heat treatment.
"This concerns the qualitative leap of our Goryeo army! Everyone, put your backs into it!"
"Yes, Inspector!"
I split teams for barrels, stocks, firing mechanisms. And I was indispensable. Uniform precision machining was impossible in Goryeo—relied solely on my knowledge.
This was all possible thanks to Yodong. Surprisingly, the capital's production limits existed even in Huangdi Manchu lands, which Japan imported from. Yodong's iron, flint, sulfur—all essential for flintlocks.
Joseon lacked them despite brains. I imported sulfur massively via soap. This world's Goryeo was far better off than Joseon.
In short, peninsula dynasties needed at least Manchuria to build power.
"Isn't production too rushed?"
Kim Jun didn't get it. I smirked at his furrowed brow, unable to grasp my urgency.
"Know this? Jin population was nearly twenty times Goryeo's before we took Yodong."
Goryeo had just over 3 million, Jin around 56 million—not quite twentyfold, but close enough.
Even with Yodong, our 5.6 million couldn't match North China's masses. Mongol homeland was sparse, but they conscripted from conquered millions.
"Mongols secured huge populations taking North China. Jin still outnumbers us. To defend Yodong and the peninsula from them, we need tech superiority. Yodong gives us the production base."
Securing Yodong was vital for Korean survival. Look at future South Korea—scrambling on half the peninsula, ever eyeing neighbors. Even then, US security guarantee drew investment. Without it, wartime status would bleed us dry.
"All good, but..."
"What?"
"How do you know all this?"
Huh, unexpected—Kim Jun curious about my secrets. But mountain spirit talk? Nah, brush it off. Instill confidence: I'd make it, so it would be made.
"Guess I have a knack. But this flintlock is theoretical. We'll know once we build it."
Not "perfect with blueprint!" but "blueprint done—produce it."
Artisans took ages crafting barrels, powder pans per my drawings. Many failures. Especially springs—despite my precise thicknesses, lengths, holes.
Once done, they adapted. Many were Jin artisans from Gaegyeong, plus Dongjin absorptions. Gaegyeong trained more Koreans; these built flintlocks with me.
Doubted at first, but they'd made matchlocks. Jin had absorbed Song tech and innovated—skilled industrial nation then. Absorbing their artisans was huge.
Without me, springs would've been impossible. Locking them in workshops with threats? Would've taken forever, and Goryeo artisans couldn't anyway.
Even these struggled with springs initially. Tension and steel hardness issues—too brittle, snapping during quenching.
Finally, a prototype.
"No way this works."
Snap! The spring lost elasticity, bending like taffy.
Words and making differ. Overestimated—thought good smelting meant easy springs.
Shapes were fine, but springs kept breaking.
"Forgive us, Inspector."
Impurities? Then barrels too? Barrels didn't need elasticity, so endured. No rifling or bursts so far meant tolerable.
"This raises one suspicion."
Impurities, obviously.
"What?"
"Impurities. In this spring. Like stones in rice. The body is thick, doesn't need tension, so it holds. But this is delicate."
Artisans weren't fools—they'd guess. My guidance helped.
Select low-impurity ore first. To truly remove, use limestone. Best ores plus lime make slag—impurities float and skimmed off.
Of course, knew ratios. They knew impurity removal imperfectly then. Thus, purity secured.