He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Transportation Reform (4)

 

Among Joseon’s government offices, the place leading the way in multiculturalism is none other than Jeonhamsa.

 

This is because it’s a place where people from the Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Joseon all work together harmoniously.

 

Just looking at it, it’s truly a heartwarming multicultural government office.

 

At the shipbuilding site, you could see a craftsman from the Ming Dynasty teaching Joseon craftsmen who had come to learn how to build Chinese Treasure Ships.

 

“Wood Nails, you can’t use those! Wood Nails won’t work!”

 

The Joseon craftsman who heard this burst into anger.

 

“When building ships, of course you should use Wood Nails. What’s this nonsense about using Iron Nails without any foundation?”

 

“Ming Bokson are made using Iron Nails. If you insist on using Wood Nails, I’ll call the Local Clerks!”

 

“Geez, fine. Calm down.”

 

“Speak respectfully.”

 

“Ah, yes sir.”

 

“I’m the boss here. Know your place and do well.”

 

As far as I know, for a foreigner to speak Korean to that extent, they’d need to live in Korea for at least a year.

 

However, with Sayeokwon’s advanced foreign language education system (a method that would work well even in the 21st century) combined with Guerrilla Calisthenics, the flower of 21st-century military training…

 

In just 2 months, he became that familiar with Korean.

 

The interpreters who witnessed this effect directly reported to their superiors, so from now on, at Sayeokwon too, if anyone speaks Joseon language during education, they’ll impose collective responsibility through Guerrilla Calisthenics…

 

Thinking about those who will suffer in the future, I feel somewhat sorry.

 

But since I introduced Guerrilla Calisthenics for the comfortable lives of the Joseon Common People.

 

Everything that happens from now on is an unavoidable sacrifice for everyone’s sake.

 

“Then boss, you should buy us a drink of makgeolli today. Originally in Joseon, the boss gives his struggling disciples and subordinates a cup of Takbaegi after work.”

 

At his words, the Ming craftsman made an expression like Sima Yi falling into Gongming’s trap.

 

However, whether in Joseon or the Ming Dynasty, those who do physical labor are always obsessed with saving face.

 

The Ming craftsman let out a deep sigh and said.

 

“Today I’m buying the Takbaegi!”

 

“Our captain is truly generous as expected.”

 

“No takbaegi if you don’t work hard!”

 

This is exactly the scene of cultural integration.

 

The Joseon shipbuilding craftsmen accept the Ming Dynasty craftsman acting as their captain, and they’re conversing in Korean.

 

The sight of Joseon craftsmen urging the Ming Dynasty craftsman who acts as captain to buy them a cup of makgeolli, and the Ming Dynasty craftsman readily accepting – it’s all so heartwarming and wonderful.

 

“It’s truly nice to see.”

 

Seeing how well they harmonize like that, in about 10 years those guys will become completely Joseon people.

 

At most, the only difference from people born and raised in Joseon would be occasionally making Chinese food to eat and introducing it to neighbors as hometown cuisine.

 

“Inspector My Lord, we’ve decided the entire structure of how to build the shipyard. Please take a look.”

 

“Let me take a look.”

 

I examined the blueprint I received from Jeong Bun.

 

The structure is extremely efficient.

 

The dry dock, heavy equipment including pulley cranes to help carry heavy wooden planks and such from left and right, and the arrangement of spaces for passages where goods and people will pass – all well considered and placed. That’s Jeong Bun for you.

 

However, there was one fatal flaw.

 

“As expected of Judge Jeong, who has a high reputation among Joseon’s famous master carpenters for understanding civil engineering better than anyone. There’s not a single flaw to find.”

 

“I’m sorry, My Lord.”

 

“However, there’s one thing you’ve overlooked.”

 

The eyes of Jeong Bun, who suffers from civil engineering obsession, changed.

 

If I had been the same 5th rank as this man, he would have charged at me immediately.

 

If I don’t give him a convincing answer, he would have protested even if I were the king, not just a 4th rank official.

 

He looks ready to submit a written memorial.

 

“What doesn’t please you?”

 

“Joseon will need at least thousands of ships in the future.”

 

Jeong Bun’s face hardened upon hearing the words “thousands of ships.”

 

Well, maintaining even 10,000 soldiers is no ordinary task…

 

He probably can’t imagine thousands of ships that consume far more money than soldiers.

 

Jeong Bun’s current state is probably similar to a CPU being overloaded while running an ultra-high-spec game.

 

“Even if we combine all the ships that Joseon’s navy currently has, it wouldn’t reach 200 vessels.”

 

“That’s true. However, to successfully implement the Bangwon Method, we need that many ships. And 90% of those ships should be for use by Common People, not warships.”

 

“Are you saying we need to build thousands of merchant ships?”

 

“That’s right. So while Jeonhamsa’s shipyard is currently only in Incheon… in the future, similar shipyards will be built at each Naval Base nationwide.”

 

“… Since it’s none other than My Lord the Inspector General saying this, I will believe it.”

 

Humans jump into work even when they clearly know they could die doing it, if it’s to make money.

 

During the Age of Exploration, sailors engaged in spice trade including Black Pepper could receive enormous money just by going to India and returning.

 

It was said to be enough to roughly buy fields and a house in their hometown, employ tenant farmers, and live as upper-middle class in their region.

 

Well, most sailors still spent all that big money on entertainment after bringing it back though.

 

So would Joseon’s Merchants be any different from them?

 

The fact that navigation technicians from Tsushima Island (Japanese Pirates before going through naturalization procedures) know the route beyond Taiwan to Southeast Asia is information that everyone who knows in Joseon knows.

 

Those captivated by greed for money will risk their own lives to become rich.

 

‘Then going to India and beyond would be no problem.’

 

“Our Joseon people will go to Tianzhu before long.”

 

Jeong Bun heard my words and laughed heartily.

 

“My Lord the Inspector General is good at jokes too. Tianzhu, you say? Tianzhu is 90,000 li away from Joseon. How exactly would we go to such a place?”

 

“Because human greed has no end.”

 

I estimate about 20 years.

 

I think if we continue at the current pace, in about 20 years they’ll really go to India…

 

“Anyway, the scale of this current blueprint is too small. It takes at least three months, at most six months to build one Chinese Treasure Ship. With this scale, we can only make about 10 ships in six months.”

 

“Isn’t that more than sufficient?”

 

“Please design an expanded scale so we can make at least 20 ships in six months, no, up to 30 ships in emergencies. As they say, Liu Bei. If you prepare, you’ll have no worries.”

 

Although this is a government facility, there’s no need to only build ‘ships for government use.’

 

Joseon trains soldiers belonging to the navy while also handling the transportation of goods for civilian merchants.

 

Even if we don’t know about warships like panokseon, there’s no problem with making Chinese treasure ships for civilian use.

 

No, rather, waiting for civilians to build their own shipyards with massive capital investment is inefficient.

 

It’s a hundred times more efficient for the country to build shipyards, hire personnel to operate them, and then take money from merchants to build ‘merchant ships’ for them.

 

“No, expand it so we can build up to 40 ships.”

 

“Inspector My Lord, if we do that, our finances will hit rock bottom. The Ministry of Taxation officials are already complaining about Jeonhamsa spending too much money…”

 

“Why must the Jeonhamsa shipyard only build transport ships and warships? Couldn’t we take money from merchants who need ships and build Chinese treasure ships for them?”

 

“…Certainly, since they’re not military vessels used by the army and don’t carry weapons like cannons, making such ships shouldn’t be a big problem.”

 

“If building one Chinese treasure ship costs a total of 350 seom of white rice, we could charge merchants 550 seom of white rice to build and sell it to them. That would leave a profit of 200 seom per ship, which could partially cover the money needed for Jeonhamsa and the Royal Court.”

 

We gain a profit of 200 seom of white rice, and the merchants don’t have to bear the burden of building and maintaining shipyards permanently.

 

In other words, it becomes a deal where everyone benefits.

 

This is exactly what you call a win-win deal.

 

“I’ll personally submit a petition to His Majesty. I’ll ask for permission for Jeonhamsa to take money from merchants and build ships for them, since Joseon needs many ships.”

 

“…As expected of Inspector My Lord.”

 

Of course permission will be granted, so once it’s approved, I’ll immediately use all the money my father-in-law and I can mobilize to place construction orders.

 

The demand and value of ships will obviously keep skyrocketing… not doing this would be foolish.

 

“Prepare to build 50 ships simultaneously. And make sure my newly devised division of labor process is thoroughly implemented.”

 

To trigger an industrial revolution, you need to establish ‘factory-style handicraft industry’ before steam engines.

 

Only then can you replace people with machines in factories to achieve industrial revolution.

 

“Then I’ll go to where Jang Byeoljang is.”

 

I moved my steps toward where Jang Yeong-sil was.

 

Jang Yeong-sil was having an in-depth discussion with the Ming Dynasty craftsmen.

 

“From what I’ve observed, you first assemble the wooden planks and then insert the framework including the keel. Joseon does it the same way, but this is actually inefficient. From now on, build the keel and framework first, then insert the wooden planks and such.”

 

“That’s different from the method we’ve been using…”

 

“Even when building a house, you raise the pillars and main beams first before you can fill the walls with earth and put up the roof. Just think of it as being tricked and try my method for just one ship.”

 

As expected of Jang Yeong-sil, when thrown into the shipyard, he devises on his own the highly efficient techniques that were used at the Venetian Arsenal.

 

Now I just need to write a petition.

 

And a few days later, I was summoned to Pyeonjeon Hall.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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