The Bleakest Era (8)

Yi Yeon slipped out of Gyeongbokgung Palace at the head of just eighty-eight Royal Guards from the Inner Guard Corps.

This accounted for only twenty percent of the total personnel assigned: one hundred and ninety real escorts, two hundred temporary escorts, and one hundred false temporary escorts.

Yet no one worried about the king's safety.

After all, among the one hundred and ninety real escorts from the Inner Guard Corps were rare talents who possessed both literary and martial skills.

For this outing, only the most formidable among them had been selected ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to serve as the king's personal escort.

Since the journey was not long, the guards were those proven brave enough to protect the king until reinforcements could arrive.

Yi Yeon, who had taken charge of the horses among the guards, glanced at them with a distant look in his eyes.

'What if I gave each of them a pair of revolvers?'

If there were enough bullets, they could even defeat an entire army.

The slamfire shotguns were still too rudimentary to produce.

Even if the casings were manageable, obtaining the magnesium required for ductile iron demanded chemical processing equipment first.

'If the plan proceeds as scheduled, magnesium can be produced in the near future.'

With magnesium in hand, producing ductile iron would be a simple matter.

Yi Yeon had tried it himself with Stephen while filming YouTube videos; there would be no difficulty.

'Revolvers could be manufactured endlessly, then.'

Yi Yeon believed that even without steel, revolvers made of ductile iron using casings would not crack or explode.

Brass would first mitigate the explosive force, while the ductile iron's superior malleability would provide secondary resilience.

'No. For confronting large numbers, shotguns would be far more effective than pistols.'

Firing pistols from a swaying mount was little better than wasting ammunition.

In contrast, shotguns with high accuracy even when fired roughly could easily dispatch multiple times as many enemies.

However, the slamfire shotguns were difficult to use while mounted on horseback.

'If I were to make them, I would need repeating shotguns...'

That required steel.

The barrels could be made of ductile iron, but the internal mechanisms demanded exceptionally elastic steel.

'Damn it! This is something I can't tackle immediately.'

Mass-producing steel began with the blast furnace.

Yi Yeon was currently designing a blast furnace.

Even with the furnace completed, the only iron obtained would be pig iron laden with impurities.

Ductile iron was produced by adding magnesium and lime to this pig iron, followed by re-heating.

The melting point was only slightly higher than that of copper, posing no great challenge.

However, steel production required intense heat.

Thus, pig iron, lime, and charcoal or coke were added to a separate furnace, and hot air was blown in.

The lime transformed impurities into slag, while the hot air from the charcoal or coke provided the necessary temperature.

At that moment, oxygen in the hot air combined with carbon in the pig iron to form carbon dioxide, which was expelled, resulting in tough, strong steel.

'This is the famous Bessemer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠process of blowing hot, strong winds from below the furnace.'

Yi Yeon knew every step of the Bessemer process, one of the greatest technologies that had transformed the world, yet a sigh escaped him because it was still beyond reach.

'Your Majesty, do you feel uncomfortable?'

From Yi Yeon's left side, Shin Rip's escort positioned himself, and Commander of the Royal Guard Namgung Chim approached from the opposite side and asked.

'The road is a mess; my heart is uneasy.'

'What?'

Yi Yeon turned his head and carefully examined Namgung Chim.

'Even as a civil official, he rides better than me.'

The three commanders of the Inner Guard Corps, who had been assigned the heavy responsibility of protecting the king, also handled administrative duties, making them all civil officials.

Yet all three possessed exquisite archery skills.

'What exactly can't they do?'

The thought that had always seemed ironclad was now shaking.

The ministers of today were more loyal and upright than corrupt officials, and they worked tirelessly for the people.

'If we had suppressed such people and appointed only those pleasing to us, the dynasty would have fallen long ago.'

Only now could Yi Yeon precisely understand why the entire nation had been plundered helplessly by the Japanese the moment the Imjin War erupted.

'It wasn't just Won Gyun who was the problem.'

The inferiority complex rooted in his lineage had caused the old king to fan the flames of factional strife, elevating corrupt officials over loyal ones, and in turn causing the entire Joseon to decline.

'With me here, such a thing will never happen.'

Yi Yeon resolved once more and spoke to Namgung Chim.

'This road to the Han River is a major thoroughfare, yet it is filled with many potholes.'

'I am deeply ashamed, Your Majesty. I will immediately report this to the Ministry of Works and have it corrected.'

'Do not press them too harshly. They must have their own circumstances.'

'I shall remember it, Your Majesty.'

Yi Yeon worried that Namgung Chim, being so strict, might start a fight.

A single clash would surely occur, and the outcome might lead to another factional dispute.

'The more upright, the more enemies they seem to have.'

Namgung Chim had once been dismissed and impeached for seeking private gain and clinging to power.

Yi Yeon could not trust his conduct because it was so correct.

Thus, he had reviewed the records of his time as local official and royal investigator.

'It was undoubtedly slander.'

His rigid personality had been the problem, and that was why he had so many enemies.

'Such things must never happen again!'

The court today resembled a failing company or organization.

The ministers were all on edge, and they were submitting impeachment memorials at the slightest provocation.

For that reason, Yi Yeon had still not dismissed Sim Tong-won.

He might become a spark of trouble.

Instead, he had summoned him separately and strictly warned him to never cross the three lines.

'If one crosses them, I do not know what will happen.'

In short, it meant "I will finish you."

After that warning, impeachment memorials ceased.

Finally, the party reached Mapo Naru and boarded the ships prepared in advance to cross to Inghwado.

Unlike modern times, the Han River in the sixteenth century was not particularly wide.

Except during the rainy season floods, it flowed quietly with shallow water between wide white sandbanks.

'This should allow a bridge to be built easily?'

Yi Yeon had planned to construct bridges across the Han River only after producing cement and steel.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed unnecessary.

'Hmmm... If I build a weir downstream and dig a canal right beside it, it could serve as agricultural water and provide direct access to Ganghwado.'

Yi Yeon recalled the Han River map from his previous life and devised a convenient utilization plan.

It might disrupt the ecosystem, but it was not the time to consider such matters.

'It might even be better.'

During the full moon high tide, seawater would rush into Mapo Naru, causing frequent damage.

Once all the party had crossed the Han River, they mounted their horses again and headed toward the location of the previous life's National Assembly building.

The highest area of Inghwado, it was safe even during the rainy season floods.

Thus, residences, incubators, and poultry farms had been built there.

'Hii... Retreat! The king's procession has arrived!'

A loud-voiced 'mule driver' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called out the 'horse urging call,' and everyone working on the site stopped their tasks and prostrated themselves in haste.

'So that's where the term "strutting" comes from.'

Yi Yeon watched the mule driver shouting enthusiastically and chuckled.

Kim Yang-bo, acting in place of his elder brother, approached and bowed.

'This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠subject, King, greets you.'

The elder brother had voluntarily taken on another task upon learning that the poultry business had been leaked because of him.

'Yes, how has it gone?'

Yi Yeon asked directly, skipping preliminaries, as he was far too curious.

'It has succeeded, Your Majesty. May this subject show it to you directly?'

'Yes. Where is it?'

'This subject will guide you.'

Yi Yeon was able to see the incubator he and Stephen had built in his previous life once again.

It was much larger and cleaner, yet the appearance and structure were not significantly different.

Yi Yeon addressed the palace attendants responsible for building and managing the incubators.

'You are truly skilled with your hands.'

'''We are deeply ashamed, Your Majesty.'''

Opening the double doors and entering the incubator, the chirping sound of baby chicks changing to yellow feathers filled the air.

'Wonderful!'

Yi Yeon, without realizing it, clenched his fist and shouted.

He had been so happy.

'Are you feeding them properly?'

'Yes, Your Majesty. And as Your Majesty commanded, we have been raising frog meal, or buoy grass, on the western side of Inghwado.'

'Well done. Have you conducted experiments?'

'Yes, Your Majesty. Fortunately, the chickens have been eating well.'

'Any deaths?'

'None, Your Majesty.'

'Truly fortunate. Thank you for your hard work.'

'We are deeply ashamed, Your Majesty.'

Yi Yeon had decided to utilize buoy grass, which was everywhere in standing water and effective for water purification, containing as much as forty percent protein, to process chicken waste and replace insufficient feed.

In this environment of shortages, buoy grass was the best choice for chicken feed.

However, buoy grass had its own problems.

'It's fodder that pigs won't even eat.'

Due to its lack of flavor, no animals other than ducks had been observed consuming it.

Yi Yeon had therefore instructed them to mix in rice straw and rice bran with the buoy grass, along with powdered cloudstone rich in calcium and magnesium, and a little salt to create poultry feed.

'Nutritionally, this should pose no issues.'

Believing the composition was perfect, it would surely work.

Of course, he had not relaxed his vigilance.

Mixing various ingredients might cause deaths.

Yet it had succeeded spectacularly.

Leaving the chirping behind, Yi Yeon stepped outside the incubator and took a long breath, gazing at the clear autumn sky.

'From now on is the real beginning!'

Success in artificial incubation had been achieved, yet it would not immediately solve hunger.

However, with chickens multiplying exponentially, waiting would resolve everything.

Yi Yeon felt the autumn sunlight today unusually warm.

***

Unlike the artificial incubation celebration on Inghwado, other locations that had entered the poultry business were hearing the sounds of lamentation.

'What exactly is the problem?'

'I am sorry, my lord.'

'Did you perhaps make a mistake?'

'No mistake, my lord. As you can see, the flowers are blooming beautifully.'

'What!'

Lim Haeng-su picked up a rotten egg and hurled it.

'What am I supposed to do...'

Lim Haeng-su felt as if his eyes were spinning.

He had hired a skilled artisan who had previously built a greenhouse in the palace upon the orders of Daebang, a major trading company based in Gyeongseong, to operate an incubator in the Incheon region.

However, no chicks emerged.

As time passed, only the stench of rotten eggs filled the air.

Similar incidents occurred in other places.

***

At Sim Tong-won's residence, investors in the poultry business had gathered.

'Lord Minister, do you have any idea what is going on?'

'How would I know? Why are you asking me?'

'I apologize, Lord Minister. Then what of our money?'

'Consider it lost.'

'That cannot be, Lord Minister. The money was invested secretly.'

'So what?'

'Lord Minister!'

'Hah! Look at this man. How dare he shout where?'

'I apologize, Lord Minister.'

Sim Ui-gyeom, who had been watching the exchange, shook his head and interjected.

'Instead, what if we have the artisan from Inghwado brought over? Since it succeeded there, we should succeed as well.'

'You idiot, if you want to die, die by yourself.'

'What?!'

'Hah! Why are you getting stupider by the day? You were smart when you were young.'

'Your words are too harsh.'

'What is too harsh, you fool? Did you not hear the king's words to never cross the three lines?'

Yi Yeon viewed the previous factional strife as resulting from slander.

For that reason, he had officially declared in the council meeting that 'he would not punish anyone who followed the three lines.'

'What does that have to do with this? It is only about bringing over one artisan.'

'You fool, do you not understand that is crossing the line?'

'Why would bringing over an artisan cross the line? The king granted us the poultry business and paid us proper compensation.'

'Hah!'

Sim Tong-won, frustrated, struck his chest.

'Why did I let such a fool join...'

However, he could not dismiss him.

Interestingly, many followed Sim Ui-gyeom.

'What about the porcelain artisan?'

'A big fight will ensue.'

'But the king will take away his artisan?'

'Ah...'

Sim Ui-gyeom quickly lowered his head, displeased with Sim Tong-won.

'I apologize, Lord Minister. I was too hasty in my thinking.'

'Tsk...'

Sim Tong-won clicked his tongue and turned, but Sim Ui-gyeom, who seemed to have a new idea, urgently called him.

'Lord Minister?'

'What is it?'

'I just thought of a good method.'

'What is it?'

'What we want is chickens that produce eggs, not chicks that hatch.'

'So?'

'Instead of buying hatching chicks, why not buy baby chicks?'

'Huh?'

'Since the chicken coops are already built, we can buy baby chicks and raise them.'

'Oh ho... That's right. That method exists.'

'Do you agree?'

'Of course. Do it.'

'Yes, Lord Minister.'

A drinking party erupted at Sim Tong-won's residence after Sim Ui-gyeom left.

***

Yi Yeon, upon receiving Kim Yang-bo's report, smiled broadly.

'Do that.'

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

In the Gangnyeongjeon, where Kim Yang-bo had departed, a triumphant shout rang out as if someone had been caught.

'I've got him!'