Black Corporation: Joseon

“Hmm… Somewhat disappointing. Failed to add the final touch. However, their determination to pursue and annihilate the tribe even at the risk of border crossing is praiseworthy. Soldiers should possess such tenacity.”

After giving this evaluation, Emperor Xuande ordered the Cabinet Secretary.

“Command the Five Military Commands to reward the commanders and soldiers who led these units. Also, compensate the families of those who died in battle and those who became disabled, in my name.”

“We receive the command!”

“All will be moved by Your Majesty’s boundless grace like the great sea. Your Imperial Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”

As soon as Xuande finished speaking, the ministers all knelt and gave three cheers. While they were truly impressed by the emperor’s evaluation, they were even more moved that he hadn’t become angry and had passed over the matter safely.

“By the way…”

As the ministers were still feeling grateful for Xuande’s magnanimity, they tensed up again when he spoke.

Seeing the ministers’ expressions, Xuande continued.

“According to this report, the guns used by Joseon forces shoot twice as far as those used by our Ming forces. This point concerns me first.”

“I shall explain.”

At Xuande’s observation, the head of the Imperial Stables, the Chief Minister of the Imperial Stables, spoke up. Though initially a department managing horses for military use during the dynasty’s founding, during Xuande’s reign it had come to oversee military weapons as well.

“Your Majesty. From ancient times, the range of guns used by common soldiers was shorter than bows. Therefore, we used various methods to compensate for this weakness and strengthen their power. Notably, Joseon took the approach of multiple arrows per shot, while we Ming took the approach of multiple bullets per shot…”

“I know that well. I pointed out the range issue, so why speak of other matters?”

“My deepest apologies! To explain in more detail…”

“Skip the extras and speak only of what’s necessary.”

“Yes. We have been making great efforts to improve upon the bronze guns imported from Joseon. We have achieved many results, and with just a little more work, we can create guns that shoot farther and have greater power than those used by Joseon forces.”

“Sigh…”

Letting out a sigh at the Chief Minister’s answer, Xuande pointed out issues one by one.

“It took three years to develop aiming devices to improve the bronze gun’s accuracy, and that only after secretly learning such devices were attached to Joseon guns. It took another four years to change the material from bronze to iron. So how much longer must we wait for guns that shoot farther?”

“We-we are deeply sorry!”

“Please forgive our inadequacy!”

At Xuande’s criticism, all the ministers including the Chief Minister prostrated themselves again seeking forgiveness. Seeing the ministers thus, Xuande waved his hand.

“Enough! I am not trying to blame or punish you! I am merely frustrated that it’s taking longer than expected! It was I who ordered you to develop independently without borrowing Joseon’s power. There’s no need for self-reproach! Rise!”

“Your mercy is truly boundless!”

“Your Imperial Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”

The hall was once again filled with cheers.

After the cheers subsided, Xuande analyzed the situation again.

“So, how soon can we expect results?”

“Currently, the range has increased about 50% compared to the initial bronze guns. With a bit more research we will catch up to Joseon forces, and with more time we will achieve superior performance.”

The Chief Minister’s answer brightened Xuande’s expression.

“Is that so? Can I see the current prototype?”

“Yes, possible!”

“Bring it immediately!”

“Yes!”

As soon as Xuande’s order fell, the Chief Minister commanded a subordinate official. While the official ran out hurriedly, Xuande continued speaking while looking at the report.

“The flying thunder bomb weapon appears without fail this time too. Chief Minister, you said this flying thunder bomb seemed to be launching thunder bombs with gunpowder power? Well? Have there been results?”

“Yes. We have achieved some intended results.”

The Chief Minister reported on the performance of Ming’s developed flying thunder bombs. Hearing the report, Xuande slightly furrowed his brow.

“Hmm… The performance doesn’t seem bad, but appears inferior compared to Joseon’s flying thunder bombs that we’ve heard about.”

The Chief Minister immediately answered Xuande’s observation.

“We believe the Jurchen who experienced the power of the flying thunder bombs exaggerated.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

The Chief Minister answered firmly.

During the suppression of Yi Manchu and Mengtemu’s rebellion, a small number of Jurchen had escaped the battlefield. Ming captured these escaped Jurchen and interrogated them about the battles.

Through this process, Ming learned about the flying thunder bombs and collected information about them through Ming forces stationed at the border and Jurchen who had submitted to Ming.

Hearing this collected information, all Ming craftsmen thought of one weapon.

“No matter how you look at it, it seems like they’re launching thunder bombs using gunpowder power?”

“They say Joseon forces are using something called the Chiller Cannon?”

***

Interestingly, Hyang and the Area 51 craftsmen had identified the flying thunder bomb as ‘the weapon most likely to be replicated first.’

After gunpowder was used in battle, people researched ways to make this substance more useful—or rather, better at killing people.

“Therefore, the idea of putting gunpowder, caltrops, and glass shards into hollow containers and then detonating them would have come up immediately,” Hyang had evaluated while working on the flying thunder bombs.

Even the Chiller Cannon itself, which could be considered a primitive flying thunder bomb, was born shortly after gunpowder arrived in Goryeo.

Thus, when Hyang was improving the flying thunder bomb, his main focus was increasing range and lethality.

“The ultimate goal would be making proper impact fuses and combining them with delay fuses, but…”

Hyang didn’t expect a long lifespan for the flying thunder bombs. Once proper shell fuses were developed, traditional cannons could fire shells that produced massive fragments. This would make flying thunder bombs, which required specialized cannons, obsolete, with the goal being to reduce the variety of cannons.

“…and close infantry support cannons will transition to mortars.”

That was how Hyang had laid out the tech tree.

Of course, though expecting such a short life, Hyang had modified the flying thunder bombs to achieve absolutely devastating lethality.

***

“One could think that way. However, try harder.”

“We receive your command, Your Majesty.”

Having settled the matter of flying thunder bombs, Xuande immediately pointed out the next item.

“‘A gun that fires massive numbers of bullets at once’—what do you think?”

To Xuande’s question, the Chief Minister immediately responded.

“After asking our craftsmen, they say it seems to be Joseon’s previously developed divine fire arrows and war carts modified to match bronze guns.”

“Divine fire arrows and war carts… I’ve heard of them. Heard they were quite fierce weapons. These Joseon fellows are truly good at making outrageous weapons.”

At Xuande’s words, the Chief Minister once again answered firmly.

“They merely imitated our Ming’s multiple-firing arrows.”

***

If Hyang and Choe Hae-san had heard this, they would certainly have burst out:

“Hey, you bastard! Want to die? How dare you compare things with completely different operating principles!”

After gunpowder’s invention, the first method thought of for its effective use was combining it with arrows.

They would attach pouches or tubes containing gunpowder to arrows, light the fuse, and shoot them at enemy camps or villages.

The launched arrows would fall on camp tents or building roofs, then the gunpowder would explode and start fires.

Next came using gunpowder’s explosive force as propulsion to shoot arrows farther or launch bigger and heavier arrows.

Ming had stopped there, while Joseon had gone further.

In history before Hyang’s intervention, the Small Divine Fire Arrow focused on range extension similar to Ming, while the Medium, Large, and Mountain Divine Fire Arrows considered not just range but also explosive killing power.

And the war cart enabled area suppression by firing massive numbers of Small Divine Fire Arrows simultaneously while increasing mobility by mounting them on carts.

***

Completely ignoring all this, the Chief Minister confidently explained to Xuande.

“Our Ming has long produced and used various types of multiple-firing arrows. Most notably, we have the One-Nest-of-Wasps Arrow that fires 32 shots at once, and the Hundred-Tigers-Charge-Together Arrow that can fire 100 shots at once. If we improve these by using explosive shells instead of fire arrows, we can make something similar to, no, superior to Joseon’s.”

“Your words are truly reassuring. I sincerely look forward to that day.”

At Xuande’s commendation, the Chief Minister bowed his head.

“I will devote my life to it!”

“Yes, yes. What do you need for better results?”

“Budget and talent.”

At the Chief Minister’s answer, Xuande turned his head.

“I’ll approve the budget soon. The issue is talent… Minister of Rites.”

At Xuande’s call, the Minister of Rites bowed his head and answered.

“Yes, the training institute Your Majesty ordered created will soon produce craftsmen.”

“Is that so? What will be the level of these craftsmen to be produced?”

“They say they can be deployed immediately to practical work.”

***

‘We lack talent!’

Ming immediately felt the shortage of talent after receiving only a few prototypes and blueprints from Hyang’s trickery.

The iron horses assembled by Joseon craftsmen with parts sent from Joseon moved without issue on the rails sent by Joseon.

But problems erupted when Ming craftsmen took over.

Though using the same rails, when iron horses mounted rails made by Ming, they couldn’t bear the weight and collapsed.

The same was true for the iron horses themselves.

Just in case, they had observed Joseon craftsmen’s assembly process and confirmed the parts’ sizes matched the blueprints before assembly.

Based on this, Ming craftsmen manufactured and assembled parts according to the blueprints.

However, not a single iron horse worked properly.

“What is the reason! If you cannot properly explain, I’ll have you killed!”

At Xuande’s angry outburst, the craftsmen hurried to identify the cause.

“The problem lies in the materials composing the parts. The quality is far inferior compared to Joseon-made parts.”

Accordingly, envoys were sent to Joseon, but Joseon’s answer was simple.

“That is the craftsmen’s secret art. We cannot reveal it either.”

Hearing Joseon’s response, Xuande contemplated briefly before reaching a conclusion.

“We too shall create an institution to research and teach technology.”