Chapter 41
**CHAPTER 41: Germination and Growth (7)**
By now, Lee Yi, who no longer feared the Jurchens, opened his mouth again with a cautious expression.
"Your Majesty, there are two things that concern me."
Yi Yeon could guess what he was worried about.
'Production capacity and supply, I suppose.'
But he did not say it.
Just in case he had overlooked something.
"What are they?"
"The first is production capacity."
Lee Yi held up the bullet he had been holding high and explained.
"This bullet is extremely efficient and powerful, but I wonder if our Joseon can bear the cost of material procurement and production."
Yi Yeon nodded, having anticipated the words, and asked again.
"Then, what is the second?"
"Supply is a concern."
"Why do you think that?"
"This bullet cannot be hastily made like arrows, nor can it be reused."
Arrows needed only a tip, and wood could be carved for them.
Used arrows could be repaired and used again.
But bullets could not.
At the moment of firing, everything disappeared except the casing.
"Therefore, I must supply as many as are used, but the problem is that this bullet is heavier than I thought."
"Hmm..."
Even one bullet must weigh at least 37.5 grams.
If one hundred were supplied per soldier, that would exceed 600 grams per person, and for a thousand soldiers, it would be over 600 kilograms.
Such bullets had to be resupplied every time battle ended.
But the problem did not end there.
"Your Majesty once mentioned raising the Hwaryeokgun into 'heroes of a thousand men.'"
"Yes."
"To do that, we must supply at least one hundred bullets per soldier, is that possible?"
The minimum quantity Lee Yi mentioned was 'one-shot one-kill.'
That was nearly impossible even for a skilled sniper.
Therefore, the real minimum was not twenty but one hundred, and sometimes one thousand might not be enough.
'Good thing I brought him along.'
The task Lee Yi had given him was to build a steam engine.
'That's essential for explosive production and trouble-free supply.'
Yet he had become lost in ballistics.
If he could, Yi Yeon would have told him to stop and research the steam engine.
But he could not.
Free thinking and exploration were the core of creativity, and he could not block it; he believed that what mattered most for quick results was passion.
'Doing it willingly is several thousand times more efficient.'
That was why he had brought him here.
After seeing the severity of the problem, he wanted to change his thinking.
Instead of answering, Yi Yeon nodded and said, "I brought the scholar here to discuss that work."
"Eh?!"
"Why are you surprised?"
"What should I do...?"
"Is there anyone else besides you who can do that work?"
"..."
Lee Yi's eyes blinked like a cursor on a crashed computer.
Production aside, expanding the number of horses needed for transport was urgent.
Carrying heavy bullets on the backs of people could cause another problem—food supply.
So he had been pondering it when the king spoke as if he knew.
"Using horses for supply would be best, but it is not realizable right now."
"I also thought that way."
"However, there are two main methods for transport: one by land and the other by sea."
"You mean using the sea?"
"Precisely. That is why I asked for your help."
"I will listen attentively, Your Majesty."
Yi Yeon turned his head to watch the setting sun and rose from his seat.
"We shall eat. Eating and living is the work."
"""Yes, Your Majesty!"""
The attendants and artisans of the Yeokgye workshop, who had been watching the king and Lee Yi converse, shouted in unison.
It was not yet the era of three meals a day, so their stomachs were unbearably empty.
Yi Yeon sat on the spread mat beside the real Geumcheon River.
It looked like a place where the Yeokgye artisans ate together.
But neither the ministers nor the artisans sat; they stood in place.
No one dared to sit before the king and the scholar.
'How inconvenient.'
He had faced this before.
The moment they realized it was a huge request, everyone felt uneasy.
So he had no choice but to associate with people of similar rank.
But the conversation was entirely about business.
If it was about money, there was no more to earn, yet most of what was said was to invest in their own ventures, which irritated him.
Of course, he could not use anywhere else.
The bodyguards hired for safety were following him.
So he bought an island in the Mediterranean and built his own kingdom.
No one could enter without permission, so he could wander safely and invite friends without looking over his shoulder.
But as king of Joseon, he could not do such things.
Everywhere except the Gyeongneungjeon was like a CCTV-monitored place, and the frustration was unbearable.
That was why.
It was to fulfill Stephen's dream.
'Otherwise, there would be nothing to do.'
Having enjoyed it to the fullest without resentment, he had no lingering attachment.
Yi Yeon stood up and said, "This place is less auspicious and looks better over there."
A large, flat rock appeared on the other side of the real Geumcheon River.
Since it was separate, it looked perfect.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will prepare the seat immediately."
The quick-witted Kim Yang-bo ordered the Yeokgye artisans to move one mat there and cover it with white silk.
Yi Yeon looked at the still-standing Lee Yi and said, "Come with me."
"Eh?"
"There is also private talk, so let's go there."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The scholar who had been following the king glanced back.
The ministers and artisans relaxed their stiff faces and began to tidy the area.
It was envy-inducing.
The sight of them freely liberated.
* * *
In the border village of Uiju on the Yalu River, the town was in chaos.
Upon receiving the report, the magistrate of Uiju hurriedly led soldiers to the riverbank.
'I could make a great contribution.'
His dream was to be transferred from the frontier village of Uiju to the power center of Hanyang.
But he was startled and stopped his horse.
Thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep were flooding across the Yalu River.
"What... what is that?"
"How would this official know?"
"Then, who is in charge?"
"Could it be that the Jurchen barbarians have raided?"
"How could the barbarians bring so many cattle and horses in madness?"
"That may be so, but the only ones coming from that direction are the barbarians."
The magistrate pulled out his bow and was about to nock an arrow when he stopped.
"Oh no! The clothing is clearly different!"
"Eh? Now that you mention it."
"Ah! Think before you act. Think!"
"Yes, sir."
The magistrate clicked his tongue and examined the situation again.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, no hostility appeared.
The people driving the cattle, horses, and sheep had different clothing from the Jurchens.
They looked somewhat like Mongols, but closer inspection showed they were not.
"Ah!"
He rubbed his eyes, then looked again with wide eyes.
Familiar figures came into view.
"What are you doing? Open the road immediately!"
"Eh?"
"The great army is approaching."
"Ah...!"
"Do not move. What are you doing?"
"Ah, yes..."
The soldiers, who had only been making foolish noises, were pushed to one side.
"Ahh..."
The magistrate sighed and remembered Kim Ji, who had left with a letter from Hawonggun.
It was envy-inducing.
He had heard that the king had recognized his merit and transferred him to a distant post.
"That time, I should have gone myself..."
It was regretful.
But since it was unavoidable, he had accepted his bad luck.
This time, he did not want to miss that luck.
"Hiyaa!"
He struck the horse's flank.
He wanted to reach the great army as soon as possible.
But the horse ran wild.
The best military horse in Uiju, it was fearless.
Thinking it was to attack, it galloped madly.
This caused the horses and sheep ahead to scatter in panic.
"Woah! Woah! Woah! Woah!"
He tried to control the horse quickly, but he had already caused an accident.
"Cursed!"
Nothing was working.
* * *
Thanks to the king vacating the seat, the Yeokgye artisans could enjoy dinner comfortably.
They drank the 'Aromu Wine' bestowed by the king and released the tension of the long day.
Even a hundred officials would cause chaos.
But they heard that the august chief minister himself was coming.
Their hands and feet trembled from the shock.
The supervisor ordered them to stop work.
If even one finger trembled, they would die.
They could rest because of it, but they could not speak even a word, so it was still difficult.
They had been warned not to wander carelessly, so they could not drink water easily.
Therefore, it was harder and their stomachs emptier than when working.
Yet the king had sat down on the very spot where they were eating.
They did not know what to do, and no one told them.
"Your Majesty is truly a sage king."
"Indeed. How did you know our hearts so well to vacate your seat?"
"As for me, I thought the shaking of my legs meant you were about to attack."
"How fortunate. I had already peed myself."
The Yeokgye artisans exchanged winks and chuckled softly.
"This wine cup—look! It's wonderful!"
"Is this the legendary 'Seoljagi' I heard about?"
"Of course! It's made by the Yeokgye artisans. These days, young gentlemen are going crazy trying to get it."
"Really?"
"Really and truly. When have I ever lied about such a thing?"
"That can't be. It's hard to believe."
"Indeed. I never thought I'd experience such a high-class treat in my life."
"It must be wonderful."
"Of course it is."
"If that's the case, can we take some home?"
"Yes, plenty available. Take what you need."
"Thank you."
"Here! Hey!"
When a young artisan grabbed a Seoljagi cup and tucked it into his robe, an older-looking artisan clicked his tongue.
"Why are you doing that, sir?"
"Isn't it improper to take a single drop without thanking the king who bestowed it?"
"Oh my! I forgot proper etiquette. I apologize!"
Although an artisan, he did not starve.
But he had used the same black wooden bowls for his entire life.
It seemed those days were over.
Thanks to the king coming to inspect and bringing aromatic wine along with the Seoljagi that young gentlemen could not obtain, he had been able to share.
'The king is the kind of person who surely takes care of us for how hard we work,' the supervisor Kim Ji had said, and it was true.
The Yeokgye artisans bowed deeply toward the place where Yi Yeon was.
*
As the sky darkened, the Inner Guard Captain led the guards down to the village and surrounded the king in escort.
Lee Yi would have to become the royal guard this time as well.
There was no one here to poison the food and wine the king would eat, yet they kept asking him to taste first.
He understood what it meant, but it was awkward because he had to eat food he did not like.
Lee Yi drank the clear Aromu Wine brewed from glutinous and non-glutinous rice and asked.
"Your Majesty, when liquid water becomes vapor, it expands 1,700 times in volume. How did you know that?"
"I saw it in a book that someone asked me to borrow."
"Ah, yes..."
He had asked tentatively, but he received the same answer.
Still, it was fascinating.
So he asked again.
"Does the gun fire by the same principle?"
"Yes. When solid gunpowder turns into gas, the volume increases and pushes the bullet."
"What about cannons?"
"Of course."
"Then, if the barrel of the gun or cannon is lengthened, it can shoot farther."
"That is true, but there is something to keep in mind."
"You mean it might explode from internal pressure?"
"That is one thing, but friction could make it worse."
Yi Yeon downed his wine cup and waited for Lee Yi to speak.
It was more important to imagine and understand the principle, then find the flaw, than to be told directly.
"Hmm... If the barrel is lengthened, the density of the expanding gas inside will decrease, so the force pushing the bullet will decrease too... Is that correct?"
"You missed the friction."
"Ah...! Heat will be generated! Is that right?"
"Yes. Heat is the biggest problem."
"So after firing the gun, it becomes hot?"
"Yes."
"I thought it was only because the gunpowder burned."
Yi Yeon chuckled.
'Even a genius like this wouldn't think of the principle, I suppose.'
Most people think car engines get hot because fuel explodes inside.
But the effect is minor.
The hot gas from the explosion is immediately expelled.
'The real reason heat is generated in engines is friction.'
Even the Joseon genius Lee Yi had only just realized the principle.
"In the future, when making moving objects, not just guns or cannons, we must also consider efficient ways to release the heat generated by friction."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Yi Yeon looked at the still-clinking kettle and said, "Speaking of which, if we prevent the steam from escaping from that kettle, what will happen?"
"It will explode."
"Then, if we lengthen the kettle like a gun barrel and cover the lid with a bullet-like plug?"
"The lid will fly off."
"If we drill a hole in the barrel before the lid reaches the end to let the steam out?"
"Eh?"
"If we boil water on both sides of the lid with the lid in the middle and alternately introduce steam?"
"Eh?!"
Lee Yi sat with his mouth open, motionless.
* * *