Black Corporation: Joseon

While Ming was suffering from this turmoil, Hyang was busy moving.

Hyang was busy because of the order he received from King Sejong.

-Create a musket with better performance than the one currently in use.

-But with minimal budget.

“There are various answers to the budget problem. There were quite a few countries that struggled with similar issues.”

Despite the constraints set by King Sejong, Hyang didn’t worry much. As Hyang said, no country was free from budget constraints, and thanks to that, there were various alternatives.

As a result, Hyang could proceed with his plan smoothly while satisfying his enthusiasm.

However, before long, officials from the Ministry of National Defense began to frequent Area 51 so often that the threshold was wearing out.

What made the Ministry of National Defense officials come and go as if Area 51 was their own office building was a certain ‘support artillery’ being developed along with the musket.

“Your Highness. Minister Jo Mal-saeng has arrived.”

“Show him in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A moment later, Jo Mal-saeng entered, guided by a eunuch.

“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Haha! We’ve been meeting often these days. Please, have a seat.”

After offering Jo Mal-saeng a seat, Hyang sat opposite him and opened his mouth.

“Well, what brings you here at this hour? You haven’t forgotten that Father is waiting in Geunjeongjeon Hall, have you?”

“Ah, I already reported to His Majesty yesterday and received approval.”

How many years had it been since the ministers were divided between King Sejong and Hyang? The ministers were no longer pushovers.

“Tsk!”

Hyang clicked his tongue softly while turning his head, then straightened his expression and looked at Jo Mal-saeng.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“It’s about the support weapon Your Highness has developed.”

“There are quite a few support weapons currently under development, though?”

“To be precise, I’m talking about the support machine gun.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s words, Hyang nodded.

“Ah! That one? Well, it’s still under development for now.”

“I’ve heard its power is unparalleled.”

“It’s quite excellent in its own way, but it’s not unparalleled. Objectively speaking, aren’t cannons more powerful?”

“Isn’t their use different? That’s what Your Highness always used to say.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s point, Hyang’s expression hardened.

“Do you really not understand why I’m saying this?”

It wasn’t just a dry question, but one mixed with considerable anger. Jo Mal-saeng hastily waved his hands.

“Ah, no! It’s just that, while the military certainly sees it as a good weapon, there’s pressure from the Ministry of Finance and Economy…”

“If it’s truly a good weapon and necessary, then persuade the Ministry of Finance and Economy! Do you think finding this kind of bypass will set a good precedent?”

At Hyang’s rebuke, Jo Mal-saeng immediately bowed his head.

“Ah, no! It’s just that it’s such a good weapon…”

“I’ll say it again! If it’s such a good weapon and necessary, then persuade Minister Kim Jeom of the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the head of the Budget Review Department! That’s the right way, and I have no intention of tolerating any deviation!”

At Hyang’s rebuke, Jo Mal-saeng’s head bowed lower and lower.

“My thoughts were short-sighted!”

***

After giving such a harsh rebuke and sending Jo Mal-saeng away, Hyang continued to grumble.

“Where do they think they’re trying to find a shortcut?”

Hyang was grinding his teeth, remembering how he had struggled with external pressures from various places when he worked as a civil servant in the 21st century.

There was another reason why Hyang was angry.

“That’s one thing, but why do I have to deal with the Ministry of Finance and Economy!”

Dealing with the Ministry of Finance and Economy, which was in some ways an even more awkward opponent than King Sejong, was not an easy task for Hyang either.

“How, in just those few years, have the noblemen become even worse monsters of capitalism than me.”

It had become Hyang’s daily routine to be exhausted after wrestling with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy. In the end, Hyang was lamenting to the sky.

“I’ve raised monsters!”

The stubborn noblemen had undergone a new evolution as they realized the terror and power of budgets.

That’s why Hyang was trying to avoid conflicts with the Ministry of Finance and Economy as much as possible, except for the budget needed for the research institute and Area 51.

***

Three months after receiving orders from King Sejong, Hyang held an event introducing newly developed firearms at the shooting range set up in Gyeongbok Palace.

“To produce results in just three months, that’s impressive.”

At King Sejong’s words, Hyang bowed his head slightly and answered.

“I had some ideas prepared in advance.”

“Is that so? Being prepared… You’re always reliable.”

King Sejong patted Hyang’s shoulder with a pleased face and looked at the guns placed on a platform covered with a white cloth.

“They look quite familiar?”

There was a hint of disappointment mixed in King Sejong’s impression. It was due to the experience that Hyang’s results were always new things.

At King Sejong’s reaction, Hyang answered with a slightly sulky face.

“I tried to produce the best possible results with minimal budget as per Father’s orders.”

“Is that so? Well then, explain it to me.”

“Yes.”

Moving to the front of the platform, Hyang began explaining while pointing at the muskets with a pointer.

“From the leftmost, these are Prototype Guns A, B, C, and D.”

The models A, B, C, and D that Hyang introduced had shapes similar to the early and late models of the Sharps Rifle, the Springfield M1865 Trapdoor Rifle, and the Remington Rolling Block Rifle, respectively.

“Hmm… A and B look the same, what’s the difference?”

At King Sejong’s question, Hyang pulled out a bullet from his sleeve.

“The difference is in the bullets. A uses the same bullets and percussion caps that our Joseon army has been using, while B through D use newly made bullets. This is the new bullet.”

“Let me see…”

King Sejong’s eyes lit up as he received the new bullet from Hyang and examined it from various angles.

“Have you combined the percussion cap and the bullet into one?”

“That’s correct.”

What Hyang had made was similar to the integrated bullet created by Jean Samuel Pauly of Switzerland and François Prélat of France in 1808.

It was a method where a primer was embedded in a copper base plate, and gunpowder and a bullet were contained in a paper cartridge attached to the base plate.

“I tried to think of the best way to maximize firing performance while reducing copper consumption.”

***

As he listened to explanations about the operation of the prototype guns including the bullets, King Sejong asked Hyang.

“You’ve prepared a demonstration, I assume?”

“Of course, Father. Prepare for the demonstration!”

“Yes! Prepare for the demonstration!”

At the military officer’s shout, a group of soldiers rushed out to the shooting range.

After paying their respects to King Sejong, the soldiers soon divided into five groups of five (the minimum unit in the Joseon army) and stood at the firing positions.

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

The soldiers who pulled their triggers simultaneously at the officer’s command soon began reloading.

And at that moment, the strengths of the new muskets began to shine.

During the time it took for the Gapsik Jangchong, which the Joseon army had been using until now, to reload and fire the next shot, the prototype guns fired at least 4 shots, up to 6 shots at the fastest.

“Cease fire! Cease fire!”

As the officer shouted and a red flag waved, the soldiers stopped firing. With the echoes of the loud firing sounds still lingering, King Sejong turned to Hyang.

“Indeed, the firing speed is truly fast. However…”

King Sejong paused for a moment, picked up one of the muskets on the platform, aimed it, and asked Hyang.

“That’s not all, is it?”

“That’s right!”

Grinning as he answered, Hyang gestured to the officer commanding the soldiers.

Seeing Hyang’s gesture, the officer instructed the soldiers to fire from kneeling and prone positions. And in this process, the true strengths of the prototype guns were revealed. Unlike existing muskets that required standing up to reload after firing, the prototype guns could be reloaded in place without standing up.

As the demonstration ended, King Sejong turned to the ministers who had accompanied him.

“What do you think?”

To King Sejong’s question, Hwang Hui stepped forward to answer.

“If anyone underestimates us and attacks because our army is small in number, they will surely regret it deeply.”

At Hwang Hui’s words, all the ministers nodded. King Sejong also nodded at the ministers’ evaluation.

“I think so too. And…”

King Sejong paused for a moment, examining the integrated ammunition again, and said to Hyang.

“Crown Prince, I see why you made the new bullet. Although it’s faster than the existing Gapsik musket, type A is slightly inferior compared to the others.”

As King Sejong said, type A, which used existing powder packets and percussion caps, was a bit more complicated.

“That’s correct.”

At King Sejong’s point, Hyang nodded and muttered inwardly.

‘As expected of someone outside the norm…’

“Hmm…”

King Sejong, who had been nodding continuously while examining the muskets, asked Hyang again.

“You told me you used minimal budget. That means you made slight modifications to the existing musket, right? And from what I see, type C is the closest to that. Am I correct?”

Hyang immediately nodded at King Sejong’s question.

“That’s right.”

As King Sejong pointed out, types A, B, and D required cutting off a significant portion of the gun body and installing a new action. However, the type C trapdoor-style rifle concentrated modifications on the barrel part.

“Hmm…”

King Sejong, who had been examining the muskets from various angles, asked Hyang.

“Crown Prince, I think the development of firearms will continue. Do you think so too?”

“I think so too. But I’m confident that our Joseon’s firearms are currently the most advanced.”

“Your contribution to that is significant. Hmm… However, as the budget is limited…”

King Sejong paused and examined the prototype guns once more meticulously.

After picking up and putting down the muskets several times to examine them, King Sejong reached a conclusion.

“Given the budget issues, I’ll select prototype gun C as the next musket. However, Crown Prince, continue to research even better muskets.”

“Yes, Father.”

At King Sejong’s decision, Hyang bowed his head with a calm face.

‘In a way, this is probably the best answer. The others would require a major overhaul of the production line.’

However, seeing Kim Jeom nodding with a bright face, Hyang felt a bit mischievous.

“Father. Besides these muskets, there’s a newly researched support weapon, I’d like you to see this as well.”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong’s face noticeably brightened.

“Really? Then we must see it! Prepare it quickly!”

King Sejong was delighted at the expectation of seeing the support weapon he had heard rumors about through various channels.

A moment later, two new support weapons mounted on gun carriages entered the shooting range.

King Sejong, after examining the appearance of the new weapon, asked Hyang.

“Is it six muskets bundled into one?”

“That’s right. I’ve named it the Eulsik Hwacha.”

“Eulsik Hwacha…”

At Hyang’s words, King Sejong briefly searched his memory and turned to Hyang.

“The Hwacha I know is a weapon that fires 100 arrows at once. Does this mean this is similar?”

“That’s correct.”

“Let’s see its performance then.”

“Yes!”

As King Sejong’s order fell, Hyang and the soldiers moved excitedly.

Ta-ta-tang~.

As the sound of the last fired bullets faded away and the demonstration of the Hwachas ended, King Sejong and the ministers couldn’t close their gaping mouths.

The scarecrows and targets set up at the opposite end of the shooting range were riddled with holes. This was the devastation created by just two Eulsik Hwachas.

With the Hwacha behind him, Hyang explained to King Sejong and the ministers.

“If installed at key defensive positions and on ships sailing the seas, it will demonstrate its full power.”

At Hyang’s explanation, King Sejong and the ministers imagined the scene. As they imagined the approaching Jurchens and Japanese pirates being swept away, King Sejong and the ministers shuddered.

“I don’t even want to think about it. However…”

King Sejong turned to Kim Jeom.

“Minister of Finance. No matter how much you object, I need this!”

***