Read Black Corporation: Joseon Chapter 697

Chapter 697

Episode 697: 60th Birthday (4)

The Empire’s assault and return ship, called the ‘Black Flame Dragon’, was an object of fear for the Ming Dynasty’s navy. When the Ming Dynasty navy’s defensive power was impossible to destroy with the artillery, and the firepower that could destroy most battle lines with one shot, the assault ships came out to patrol, all the nearby Ming nation battle lines had to flee to the military port.

Gyeongtaeje, who was gritting his teeth and swallowing his anger, asked the ministers again.

“How is the development of the two-headed dragon going?”

To Emperor Gyeongtae’s question, the Cabinet Secretary bowed his head and answered.

“There are still many hurdles to overcome, but we are making progress little by little.”

Emperor Gyeongtae’s face brightened at the assistant cabinet secretary’s answer.

“What good news! “Once the Two-Headed Flame Dragon is completed, it will be a day of revenge!”

Emperor Gyeong-tae was very happy, even clenching his fists, and seeing this, the ministers bowed in unison and responded.

“It is so!”

“Instead of doing this, let’s go to the shipyard! Right Now!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gyeongtaeje got up from his seat and walked away. As Emperor Gyeongtae took a step forward, the ministers and eunuchs quickly followed behind him.

* * *

Although Emperor Jingtai moved immediately, the shipyard was located in Nantong (now Nantong City), 500 li (about 200 km) away from Nanjing.

As the distance was so long, Emperor Jing had to travel to Nantong on the emperor’s own iron horse.

However, the face of Emperor Gyeongtae, who was sitting in the luxuriously decorated private compartment, was full of dissatisfaction, and the ministers and eunuchs who rode with him were anxious.

“Is it broken again? How much longer will we have to wait for this examination?”

“They say the repairs will be completed in half an hour (about an hour).”

bang!

In response to the assistant cabinet secretary’s answer, Emperor Gyeongtae slammed the table and burst out in anger.

“What the hell! “Even the iron horse ridden by the emperor of Great Ming breaks down so often!”

This was the reason why Emperor Gyeongtae was so angry.

Emperor Gyeongtae, who moved the capital to Nanjing, hastened the expansion of the railway network along with the restoration of the Grand Canal.

Although there was a lot of talk about this and that, the iron horse was useful.

Although there were a lot of horses, it was definitely faster than walking and there was a lot of material that could be transported at once. And it was the railroad that created jobs for people devastated by war and civil strife and made rapid economic recovery possible.

However, the iron horses of the Ming Dynasty were still notorious for their poor durability and frequent breakdowns.

Even the iron horse carrying the emperor broke down three times during the 500-ri journey.

“Whoa~. Phew~.”

Gyeong Tae-je, who calmed his mind by taking several deep breaths, glared at the assistant cabinet secretary and provincial governors.

“The steam engine that will power the Two-Headed Flame Dragon won’t be like this, will it?”

In response to Emperor Gyeongtae’s question, the cabinet secretary and provincial governors quickly shook their heads.

“No!”

“The craftsmen have done their best to improve it, resulting in an institution that is much better than this iron horse!”

“We are developing a new iron horse based on the steam engine used in the Two-Headed Flame Dragon! Please be gentle!”

In response to the answers from the Cabinet Secretary and provincial governors, Emperor Gyeongtae leaned forward in his chair and gave a warning.

“I will believe what you say.”

It was after the sun had set that Emperor Gyeongtae, suffering from a breakdown, arrived at Namtong.

Emperor Gyeongtae, who spent a day in the temporary palace built in Namtong, visited the shipyard early the next morning.

“Oh oh! “Is this the keel of a two-headed dragon?”

“That’s right.”

Gyeong Tae-je gave a series of exclamations in response to the response of the supervisor in charge of the shipyard.

“Oh oh! What a huge battle line! “If it is completed, it will not be enough to be called a giant castle floating on the sea!”

In response to Emperor Gyeongtae’s admiration, the cabinet secretaries and provincial governors next to him bowed their heads and added their words.

“That’s right!”

“If the Two-Headed Flame Dragon goes to war, Joseon’s naval forces will also come to an end!”

“That’s how it should be!” “Don’t do that!”

Gyeong Tae-je, who once again strengthened his resolve, looked around and asked.

“Is there anything that has been prepared in advance to see what it will look like when completed? “I’ve seen the blueprint, but I need something more tangible!”

The shipyard supervisor bowed his head and responded to Gyeongtaeje’s request.

“I have a model made in advance. “But it’s so big that it’s hard to move around.”

“Guide!”

“Here it comes!”

The supervisor guided Gyeong Tae-je and his group to a building that was a converted warehouse.

“Oh oh!”

Entering the warehouse, Gyeongtaeje looked at the model in front of him and let out an exclamation. In front of Emperor Gyeongtae, a model of a ship almost the size of a cart was showing off.

The model of the two-headed dragon boasted an imposing appearance.

The two-headed flame dragon was shaped like two huge ships tied together.

There were large dragon heads on the two bows, and like the charging return ship, the muzzles of huge artillery guns were exposed outside the muzzles.

There were numerous holes along the left and right hull of the catamaran, and in the center connecting the two wires, there were four large water wheels arranged in two rows.

This catamaran structure and wheel arrangement were created after careful consideration by Ming Dynasty shipbuilding engineers.

-A larger, stronger, and more solid front line than the Joseon assault line.

– Equipped with a steam engine, it must have a speed similar to or superior to that of the Joseon Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty shipbuilding engineers who accepted what Emperor Gyeongtae and the Ming naval forces wanted went through great deliberation.

“The size can be increased, but the problem is a ‘stronger front’. “For this to be possible, it must be armored with iron armor like that of Joseon.”

“With our current technology, it is impossible to build something similar in size to the Joseon Dynasty while wearing iron armor. “We have to find another way.”

The solution that Ming Dynasty shipbuilding engineers found after struggling so hard was the catamaran.

“It is not easy to connect two large power lines, but it is possible because the Yellow Sea is relatively calm.”

The problem encountered after finalizing the hull structure was the problem of the propulsion engine.

Shipbuilding engineers who were unaware of the existence of pinwheel-type propulsion engines chose wheels as the propulsion engine. This was because there was already a record of wheeled ships operating since the Song Dynasty, so quick application was possible.

The next thing I thought about was how to arrange these wheels. The first plan to mount it at the rear, like the wheeled ships of the Song Dynasty that has been recorded, was proposed first, but it was rejected as soon as it was proposed.

“Considering the size of the two-headed dragon, its mobility is bound to be poor. “If the Joseon Navy turns back and destroys the wheels, it will be a problem.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if we attached an escort ship?”

“If it were the Joseon navy, it would break through even if there were escort ships. “Let’s admit what we must admit.”

Thus, the proposal to install it at the aft end ended in failure, and the next proposal was to install it on the left and right sides of the catamaran.

However, this proposal was rejected by the Ming Su army generals.

“It is unacceptable that the number of blood clots is decreasing due to wheels!”

“If the wheels are destroyed by the Joseon Navy’s artillery fire, wouldn’t being crippled be the same as being stuck in the rear!”

Due to strong opposition from the commanders of the Ming naval forces, this plan was rejected, and the final solution was to install it in the central part where the left and right hulls are connected.

Only then did the Ming naval commanders who accepted this last offer look satisfied.

“This is a really good suggestion because it allows us to increase the number of blood samples!”

“Both hulls protect the wheels, so even if it’s the last situation, we can move!”

In this way, the ‘double-headed flame dragon’ that would defeat the black flame dragon was born.

The Ming Dynasty shipbuilding engineers and artillery engineers who designed it smiled in remorse.

“The Koreans’ heavy guns only have one gate, but ours has two gates!”

The heavy artillery, which was produced by examining the records of the Hwangryong gun used by the Liaodong army in the last war, had a shorter range than the Hwangryong gun, but its power was formidable. Because of this, Ming Dynasty shipbuilding engineers and artillery engineers smiled with confidence on their faces.

But there was something they didn’t know. The assault gun for the return ship was a breech-loading gun. On the other hand, the dragon gun of the Ming Dynasty was of battlefield style. Therefore, for smooth loading, the gun barrel of the Ming Dynasty’s Yonggu gun was much shorter than that of the Joseon Dynasty. This naturally resulted in inferiority in range.

In addition, the iron armor used for defense was even weaker due to problems with iron-making technology. In addition, due to the lower output of the steam engine than that of the Empire, the thickness of the iron armor surrounding the hull was also thin.

* * *

Emperor Gyeongtae, satisfied with his inspection of Namtong’s shipyard, returned to Nanjing with a brighter face.

Even on the train returning to Nanjing, Emperor Gyeongtae was busy checking the current situation of Ming.

“Has King Wenhoe arrived safely at the royal palace?”

The Cabinet Secretary bowed his head in response to Emperor Gyeongtae’s question.

“That’s right. “As soon as I arrived at the royal palace, I was deeply moved by Your Majesty’s grace and offered my thanks.”

In response to the assistant cabinet secretary’s answer, Emperor Gyeongtae lightly nodded and muttered.

“okay? “I hope you will remain calm from now on.”

“I won’t be able to go much longer because my strength has already been greatly weakened.”

Emperor Gyeongtae smiled wryly at the words of the assistant cabinet secretary.

“I guess that would be good for him too.”

…

Emperor Gyeongtae, who realized that the time he had been waiting for had come, moved the capital to Nanjing and began to subdue them.

The rebels, whose power had already been weakened through the Jajungji Rebellion, were helplessly swept away by the punitive forces.

Emperor Gyeongtae, who cleaned out the rebels, soon issued a proclamation throughout the central plains.

-All those who have been calling themselves Joo Yun-moon and Joo Joon-gyu are fakes who have caused the country to fall into ruin due to their insensitivity!

-That’s why I raised the Golden Army to subdue them, so the people should not be fooled by false words and focus on their livelihood!

-And we will give royal tribute to Jumun-gyu (???), the survivor of the unfortunate incident that caused this incident, honor him as King Wenhoe, and bestow royal wealth!

According to this decision of Gyeongtaeje, Joon-gyu Ju, who had been in captivity for a while, escaped from captivity and became a free man.

But this was another confinement.

According to the law changed after the reign of Emperor Yeongnak, royal family members who received royal titles were not allowed to leave the royal palace and were prohibited from contacting officials or local officials around the royal palace.

In addition, the condition of Ju Joon-gyu, the person involved, was also not good.

This was because both his mind and body had been devastated by over 50 years of captivity.

In any case, the economic system had a lot to gain politically through this decision.

On a large scale, he organized the situation in Gangnam, which was in chaos, and on a small scale, he crowned Ju Mun-gyu as king, earning him the reputation of the people as an ’emperor who knew duty and mercy.’

* * *

After sorting out the issues related to King Yuanhui, Emperor Gyeong looked at the cabinet secretary with a much more relaxed expression.

“From now on, we can implement the policy of national prosperity and military strength in earnest.”

“That’s right.”

“Please comfort the merchants and tell them to work hard on trade with the western region.”