1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 338



Only Krnovel

1592 The Empire Everyone Dreamed of (338)

Alien Village

Han Chang-geun, who had completed the selection of 17 people excluding Yoon Geun-soo, finished with a much more relaxed expression.

“You have no choice. If you faithfully carry out your assigned duties, your sins will be forgiven and your dignity will be preserved.”

“How can a subject of Joseon take charge of the affairs of another country?”

“It doesn’t matter whether Goryeo or Joseon are vassal states of the Great Ming.”

“That’s sophistry.”

There is no one who does not know that Goryeo subjugated Beijing and took the emperor as hostage.

Han Chang-geun looked at former Yejo Jorang Im Won-yeong with deep eyes.

“Do you deny the grace of His Majesty the Emperor?”

“How can we deny that the relief rice given by the Emperor saved the people of Joseon?”

“Any scholar should never forget a favor.”

Han Chang-geun nodded with a satisfied face.

“Last month, Goryeo donated 600,000 seok of white rice to Joseon.”

“I know.”

“We are currently sending an additional 1,200,000 seats there for the past ten days. Is this a blessing?”

“That, that.”

Han Chang-geun shook his head.

“That’s fraternal love.”

“Love for one’s own kind?”

“What did you hear and see at the port?”

Only then did people start muttering as if they had realized something.

“Now that I think about it, it was all in Korean.”

“Even those who look like savages speak Korean.”

“Yes. Here in Solbin, more than 60% of the people are of Joseon origin, and 90% of the people speak Joseon.”

“surely…….”

Some people nodded.

“What about Gando? Fifty percent of Koreans, four percent of indigenous people, and one percent of Japanese are developing it. In the middle of it, 150,000 Ming prisoners of war are building a capital city. Tell me. Is Gando a foreign country?”

“Gando cooperates based on mutual benefit, that is.”

“It is desirable to think about what is beneficial to Joseon in that way.”

“Are you trying to deceive us with mere gain and loss?”

“Are you saying that it is a blessing that you clung to Emperor Wanli and obtained 1,000,000 seok, but that it is a blow to your pride that Goryeo is supporting you with 1,800,000 seok out of kinship?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“It’s no different. Is it an honor to receive an official position from Ming, but is it a disgrace to hold an official position in Goryeo, where half of the people are Joseon?

“Hmm.”

There was silence for a moment.

“It’s refreshing. But that’s all.”

Yoon Geun-soo shook his head.

“No matter how much explanation you add, in the end, sophistry is just sophistry.”

Han Chang-geun was smiling with his eyes.

He made a subtle suggestion to the old man, Yoon Geun-soo.

“Isn’t that so? Isn’t it the job of you scholars to turn this sophistry into correct theory?”

“I… … have to do this?”

That Yoon Geun-soo looked like he had been hit.

* * *

As I stepped on the pedal, the latch moved back and forth, turning the wheel.

At the end of the wheel’s axle, a mass of copper wire spun around inside a magnetic rim, from which a rubber-wrapped wire emerged and connected to a tank.

“Gasp gasp gasp.”

“A little slower, okay. Keep that pace.”

“Professor, gasp, gasp, I’m having a hard time.”

It was not easy for manpower to step on the stepping stone at a constant speed for a constant period of time.

“Philip, this is a study that will astonish the world. Cheer up.”

“Huk, huk, it’s already been a year since we started talking about that. And my name is not Philip, it’s Pil-gyo. Im Pil-gyo.”

“Oh, sorry. You sometimes call me a ‘fucking hooligan’ too, so let’s call it a draw.”

“Ugh.”

Even as he joked, Benjamin Hoddle’s eyes were fixed on the glass tank.

It was a transparent container that was a bit small to be called a fish tank, about 1 foot (30 cm) wide, half a foot long, and half a foot high.

“Okay. It looks much more stable.”

A ripple like a squid rose from the water that touched the wire. He rubbed his palms together to confirm that the other side was the same.

“Hehehe. Shall we begin now?”

Benjamin Hoddle took a ring out of his pocket. It looked like it was roughly made from bent scrap metal.

First, I hung the ring on the – wire. Then I sprinkled gold dust on the + side.

“Let’s see. Stick to me, stick to me. Please.”

And as time passed, I held both hands tightly as if praying and looked into the tank.

His bloodshot eyes looked like those of a gambler.

“Please, please, Jebaal, why!”

“Gasp, gasp, gasp. I can’t do this anymore.”

Benjamin Hoddle shook his head.

“Oh, Philip. It’s done, but if only we had done a little more, we could have seen the results.”

“Whew, whoosh. Just a little more of that damn thing. This is not something a human being should do. You should just make me a steam engine, whoosh, whoosh.”

“Philip, you’re fired, Fire.”

“Don’t do it, fucking shit.”

Benjamin Hoddle’s assistant, Pil-gyo Lim, staggered back and stopped when he saw an unexpected face before his eyes.

“Huh? Your Majesty! Oh, no, Your Highness.”

“I got involved unintentionally, but I managed to stop the fight.”

“I greet you, Your Majesty.”

“My Lord.”

Jiwoo personally helped the two people who had fallen to their knees up.

“You must be working hard in this harsh environment.”

“I am so grateful.”

“After becoming king, everyone starts to cry out in front of me. You guys, don’t do that. Speak freely.”

Benjamin Hoddle looked at her for a moment and scratched his head.

“I was so focused on seeing the results that I stopped. Please forgive me.”

“Hehehe, it seems like the target of the apology has changed?”

Jiwoo, who was looking behind him, sat down on the table.

“Philip, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for being rude and impolite.”

“I was rude. And my name is Pil-gyo.”

While the two were reconciling, Jiwoo checked the experiment log one by one.

“You’ve got a lot of data. It’s worth getting greedy for the results.”

“Oh, my lord. As expected, your majesty is aware of it. Although I cannot make gold, I can plate it at minimal cost.”

“It’s like a pension in that you can make a lot of money.”

“Yes. If we commercialize this, we can produce accessories in bulk at a low price… … .”

Jiwoo approached Im Pil-gyo, who was standing there awkwardly.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

He bent down and massaged Im Pil-gyo’s ankle.

“It’s a little swollen. I wasn’t kidding.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It might be a stress fracture, so I think it would be best to rest for a few days.”

Benjamin Hodgson added, his voice crawling deeper.

“Philip, I’m sorry. As a gesture of apology, I’ll give you ten days off.”

“Really? You’re not going to cut it when you get back, are you?”

Benjamin Hoddle waved his hand.

“Where else can I find someone who is so sincere and accepts my personality? Without you, I can neither conduct research nor lecture.”

“Hehehe.”

“It’s time. Let’s finish tidying up and go.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Behind the laboratory, a village had already been formed.

Nestled between a seaside laboratory and a military base, this village was the residential area for alchemists.

The church, brick houses, and stone-paved streets created an exotic atmosphere, and it was also called the Professors’ Village or the Foreigners’ Village.

A party was held here to celebrate the completion of the village.

“Hahaha. Your Majesty, thank you for giving us the mansion.”

“Thank you for giving me a beautiful wife.”

Jiwoo had previously instructed Yan to bring him white female slaves. Some of them married them, and some of them married Jurchen women.

“I’m good at grilling meat. Come try it.”

Oliver Ramsay, wearing an apron, puts down the meat he has cooked himself.

“Oliver, your lectures have a very good reputation.”

“Hahaha, that’s because the students are full of curiosity about the world beyond the sea.”

Oliver Ramsay taught cartography and geography at the school.

“You’re at that age, aren’t you?”

The daytime party was simple but exciting.

When William played the violin, people paired off and danced. When Jiwoo said, “I should have brought my wife too,” Louis handed over his wife’s wrist. Jiwoo smiled and declined.

As the excitement died down, the alchemists gathered in front of Jiwoo.

“I’ve seen the results of your research so far. The colors of the fireworks have become more colorful.”

“We will definitely make it into gold.”

“Is a pension a big deal? If you earn a lot of money, then it’s a pension.”

Benjamin Hoddle nodded vigorously as their eyes met.

“I would like to commend your dedication so far and give you a research assignment.”

Jiwoo raised his index finger and gathered everyone’s attention.

“I will call this nitrogen. It is a substance that, under certain conditions and with certain substances, undergoes a chemical reaction and can become both a fertilizer and a powerful explosive.”

The alchemists were concentrating on Jiwoo’s lecture. Some of the assistants were diligently taking notes.

“The material itself is another subject of study.”

“That’s right. It’s a new substance that could either feed future generations of humanity or, conversely, destroy humanity.”

He was an employer who had never made any empty promises. His goal statement ignited the chemists’ motivation.

Thomas Shilton raised his hand and asked a question.

“Do you have any tips?”

“of course.”

“Oh.”

“Heated scrap metal and an unknown gas, should I say gas? Here is the pressure.”

Louis Taylor summed it up succinctly:

“Various catalysts and pressures on hot scrap iron.”

“There is a risk of explosion.”

“Yes. Pressure and heat can cause dust to burst, so safety comes first.”

“We will hold an information session for high schools to recruit personnel.”

“I will give you whatever you want, and raise your salary.”

“thank you.”

“Here are some tips for ensuring a stable power supply.”

At Jiwoo’s gesture, a writing instrument was placed on the table.

“As you know, small steam engines take time. Furthermore, since it is still in the research stage, a delicate and stable power supply is more efficient than a strong power supply.”

Jiwoo drew a bicycle chain and pedal structure on paper.

“It’s a principle that when you roll your feet, the chain engages and turns the gears. This way, you can generate electricity more stably.”

“It’s a structure made up of numerous rivets.”

It was a euphemism for ‘I wonder if that will work well.’

“If it’s whale oil, it’ll turn smoothly.”

“Master, no, Your Highness, what is the limit of your knowledge?”

Jiwoo shook his head.

“My knowledge is shallow and vast, and as it has been so far, it must be deepened through your research.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

At that time, Kim Myeong-seop came and gave a warning.

“They say prisoners have arrived from Joseon.”

“however?”

“The Prime Minister said there was someone who could be a good professor at the law school.”

“let’s go.”

Knock knock, knock knock.

The official residence, which I arrived at like the wind on horseback, was quiet and peaceful.

In the yard, an old man was holding a cup of tea. It was so natural to see him leisurely admiring the scenery outside the fence as if it were his own home.

“The sinner is an example… … .”

Jiwoo stopped Kim Myeongseop, who was about to open his mouth to say something, and approached him.

“It must have been a long journey, but you look healthy.”

The old man, Yun Geun-su, put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed deeply. For a moment, Kim Myeong-seop’s eyebrows stood up, but soon returned to normal.

“I come to pay my respects to His Majesty the King of Goryeo.”

“What is this?”

Jiwoo accepted the letter the old man handed him.

“The Minister of War wrote it.”

“If you’re the Minister of War, then General Jeong?”

Jiwoo shrugged his shoulders after reading the letter.

“I know this may be presumptuous of you to ask, but why are you laughing?”

“You wrote down your entire career. I thought you were considered the greatest intellectual since Yulgok?”

Even that shameless Yoon Geun-soo shook his head.

“He was just a greedy official, and he cannot be compared to Gudojangwon-gong.”

“The funny thing is the phrase at the end. It says, ‘The greatest old fart in Joseon.’”

“I won’t deny that.”

“Hmm, good. Very good.”

Jiwoo sat at the outdoor table.

“Sit down.”

Yoon Geun-soo bowed again and sat down.

Except for not prostrating himself at first, his manners and dignity were appropriate. However, something happened that embarrassed Yun Geun-su.

From the inner room, Harbur poked his head out.

“Honey, are you here?”

“Uh. I’ll go talk to the guest for a moment and then go in.”

“yes.”

Harbur glanced at the table.

“I’ll take my time preparing the meal. Oh, and is the tea okay? I’ll make another cup while I’m at it.”

“I have not seen your Majesty the Queen. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Yoon Geun-soo bowed and apologized.

“Hohoho.”

Harbur covered his mouth and laughed.

“You can’t know because I didn’t tell you. Don’t worry about it, guests.”

“I am so grateful.”

Jiwoo gestured again and made Yoon Geunsu sit down.

“What do you think? Her character and appearance are worthy of a queen of the nation, aren’t they?”

“I am extremely sorry. How can a greedy sinner criticize the queen of a country?”

Jiwoo took a deep breath and turned his gaze. He could see the harbor beyond the low wall.

“Don’t be anxious. Your convictions will be respected as long as you don’t criticize others.”

“… … .”

“If a world is one in which a scholar cannot even express his convictions, then there is no point in risking one’s life to found a new country.”

Yoon Geun-soo opened his mouth several times and then stopped. Then he met Ji-woo’s eyes and realized that Ji-woo was waiting with his ears open.

“That conviction has caused chaos in the court and brought about a disaster that has clouded the monarch’s attention.”

“It’s a matter of conscience. You have to distinguish between conviction and greed.”

Jiwoo’s words resonated deeply.

“If we keep our mouths shut for fear of confusion, aren’t we ultimately encouraging self-righteousness?”

Perhaps, these words were like a pardon to Yoon Geun-soo.

He closed his eyes and became lost in thought.