Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 657

Episode 657: This time we also brought firewood, and a lot of it. (3)

Similar stories soon began to circulate among the professors on their way home.

“Now that you think about it, isn’t it a bit strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“This is an empire that uses steam engines to make iron horses and even excavators, but I have never seen a ship equipped with a steam engine.”

“huh? Right!”

“What is the reason?”

After pondering for a while, many of the professors came up with the following reasoning.

-Steam engines are large and heavy. The material and structure of a wooden ship would be difficult to withstand a steam engine.

-It would not have been possible to use it on a wooden boat due to the risk of fire as fire was continuously used there.

Based on this reasoning, the professors reached different conclusions.

-If you can build a ship equipped with a steam engine, you can catch up with the empire!

It was the professors who properly met the scented bait.

Of course, there were quite a few professors who thought differently.

-The emperor is someone who is as deep as he is wise. There must be some trick. This is clear if you think of Area 51.

The township accepted the professors’ earnest request and allowed them to observe Area 51.

However, what the professors were able to see was mostly the process of making objects using steam engines as a power source.

The manufacturing process of the iron horse, which received the most attention, only showed the final assembly process and did not show the assembly process of the core power unit.

The same was true for the production of smokeless gunpowder and the production of silver.

Of course, it was possible to earn a considerable amount of income just by showing the parts, but the disappointment of not being able to see the core was significant.

Because of these examples, they did not agree with the conclusion that ‘the Empire had not yet built a steamship.’

“Steamships must exist in the empire. Even if it is not at the level of commercial or military use, there will definitely be steamships for demonstration purposes.”

They reasoned this way, but the conclusion was similar.

-You must be able to build a steamship! Otherwise, even if you get the challenge record, it is of no use!

Although the professors were divided like this, they all reached the same conclusion regarding education and language.

-More people than now should benefit from education, and communication channels should also be greatly opened!

* * *

The educational environment in Europe during this period was surprisingly good.

Grammar schools were established in almost every city in Western Europe, providing basic Latin education as well as learning to read and write in the native language.

Church-managed schools also operated in smaller cities and villages. Such schools taught basic reading and writing and singing.

Above these primary educational institutions, secondary educational institutions also began to emerge, and various types of secondary educational institutions were created.

And temples and universities were established as the highest educational institutions.

* * *

The ‘expansion of education’ advocated by professors was to raise the level of elementary and secondary education institutions.

-The empire established social democratic schools throughout the empire. Through this social democratic school, the average intellectual level of the people of the empire greatly increased.

If we look at the current situation in Europe, the standards of grammar schools in big cities and schools established in smaller areas are worlds apart. This must be corrected!

-The same goes for secondary education. Rather than being an integrated system, most of them are established by various interest groups such as guilds. In this part, we must also look at the imperial system!

* * *

Looking at the Joseon Dynasty’s education system, which went through the period of the Empire or the Gyeongjang period, children who graduated from Social Ministries could choose to advance to one of two types of secondary education institutions. One was a middle school where education in the field of liberal arts was conducted, and the other was a technical school that focused on technology.

Gihakdang was an institution created to train technical personnel who were the core of industry. After learning intermediate industrial and academic skills, which can be considered the basic course, at this institute, students moved on to advanced courses where they could learn the skills they wanted according to their qualifications and preferences.

And at these institutes, those who recorded excellent grades in industry, academia, or major subjects, or those who had recognized work experience, were able to apply to the engineering academy.

At the liberal arts middle school, students took a more diverse range of subjects, such as language studies as well as industry and academia. And those whose academic background was recognized through the certification exam were able to apply to higher-level educational institutions such as military academies, medical academies, language academies, industrial academies, science academies, and engineering academies.

Elementary and middle school educational institutions established throughout the empire, starting with the Social Ministries School, middle school schools, and elementary school schools, were subject to strict management by the empire.

What the empire cared most about was the welfare and education level of students, symbolized by school meals.

– At the very least, you should not go hungry when you come to school.

-No matter where you study in the empire, you must be able to achieve at least an average level of academic achievement.

This was the standard set by the Empire’s Ministry of Education. And to protect this, the empire strictly managed educational institutions.

Of course, there was a provision that ‘average academic achievement must be possible anywhere in the empire’, but there were educational institutions that showed academic achievement that was quite a bit higher than ‘average’. And there were quite a few parents who moved to areas with such educational institutions in order for their children to succeed in the world.

And upon hearing this, Sejong was pleased and Hyang shook his head.

“They say it’s Maengmo Samcheonjigyo…. There are so many parents who put so much effort into their children’s studies. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Even at this time, it’s a breeze….”

* * *

Professors who returned to Europe after enduring a long voyage and crossing the path of martyrs, either alone or in groups, wrote ‘Imperial Travels’ and published it.

The records that were released like this soon sold out like crazy.

Among the educated people with curiosity about the ‘Eastern countries with outstanding civilization’, as well as adventurers looking to make a quick fortune, those who were somewhat enlightened in Europe had to read and possess at least one of these travel records to participate in the conversation.

And many of those who wrote these books met rich people around them.

“I want to develop a steam engine, so I need some money…”

Many people who received requests for support from scholars did careful calculations.

“It’s close to the number of gambles…”

Those who were pondering this soon came to a positive conclusion.

“But if the steam engine is built properly, you can recoup several times your investment!”

What is interesting is that the biggest factor in their positive conclusion was the records written by the professors.

* * *

Although many professors focused on the development of steam engines and research on new mathematical theories, many others argued for institutional reform.

When they heard demands such as ‘reform of the education system’ and ‘equal level of basic education’, those in power evaluated them positively.

“It’s okay. “If we think about the future, we need a lot of people with a certain level of intelligence.”

“You can’t be dependent on the church forever. “The best way to completely break away from the shadow of the church would be to reform education.”

Through various religious disputes, especially those ignited by embers thrown by incense, the shadow of the Vatican has lightened considerably, but the hearts of those in power have not.

In order to erase the Vatican’s shadow over the people as much as possible, those in power accepted reform of the education system.

However, another demand for reform raised by professors caused headaches for those in power.

“Expand the language route!”

“The emperor of the empire was not afraid to ask his people! “The king should listen to the people!”

Professors’ calls for ‘expanding language channels’ gained full support from the urban middle class and grew louder.

Due to the Black Death, the traditional rural society centered on manors collapsed, and urban merchants began to emerge as new economic centers.

Although treatment was said to be better than before the Black Death, the lives of the serfs were still difficult. Because of this, many people ran away from the manor and hid in the city.

According to the customary law at the time, those who escaped and hid in the city were recognized as city residents if they lived for ‘one year and one day’.

For the merchants and merchants who were the main axis of the city, these new residents who joined the city were very useful people. This was because they provided labor as wage workers and were also important as a market for consuming their products.

For these city residents, the expansion of language channels was a good opportunity to expand their influence.

“Let’s push out the country nobles who don’t know what’s going on in the countryside and increase our influence!”

“We must make the king listen to us!”

City residents who shared this awareness began to strongly support the professors’ demands for reform.

This political move caused headaches for those in power.

“Vulgar people who don’t even know what politics is…”

The traditional nobles turned a deaf ear to the city residents, calling them vulgar things. Not only was it not enough to close his ears, but he also requested the king to silence the city residents.

The kings were also in an awkward position. From the perspective of reducing the power of the nobles and strengthening their own position, the demands of the city people were very useful. The financial power of the city’s merchants and merchants was soon surpassing that of the nobility.

If the demands of the city residents were accepted and their financial power secured, the royal authority could be strengthened by using this as political funds.

The problem was that the city’s merchants, who had taken the positions of the nobles, became a new checking force.

“This is also a pain in the ass…”

But the kings’ hearts were slowly turning towards the city residents.

This was because the traditional nobles had so many things.

And as a result, the perception of university and college professors changed.

They had changed from ‘unlucky people who only recite Latin and pretend to be proud’ to ‘dreamers who call what they see as reform.’

In this way, European society began to become noisy once again.

If the previous turmoil was due to religious disputes, the current turmoil was a dispute over political leadership between existing and emerging powers on one axis, and the ‘race to develop steam engines’ on the other axis.

In the French Estates General and other parliaments, established and emerging powers were fighting over leadership, and in the cities, there was a commotion as posters with different claims were put up and taken down. On the other hand, there was a lot of noise, ‘Who will build a usable steam engine first?’ A fierce battle for talent was taking place.

And at the center of it all, strangely enough, Florence, Paris and Lisbon were competing fiercely.

* * *

“It’s hard right now, but it can be done.”

Cosimo, who heard the answer through Giovanni, immediately ordered the professors at the University of Florence.

“We will provide sufficient support, so please develop a steam engine as quickly as possible.”

And this was the same not only in Paris, Lisbon, but also in Genoa, Venice, London, and Vienna.

Not only those in power but also merchants with financial power came forward to support professors.

This competition was truly fierce. Not only large merchants like Cosimo, but also small and medium-sized merchants with limited financial resources joined hands and even jointly invested money.

But they all had to solve one problem.

-There are not enough craftsmen to turn the drawings into reality!

There was a competition for talent to acquire these artisans.