Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 837

Episode 837: Pursuit in Europe (4)

It was three months after the Intelligence Bureau sent the information that the Imperial Army’s Intelligence Department reported information about Poe Eun.

The expressions on the faces of Wan and the ministers who received the report submitted by the Imperial Military Intelligence Department were serious.

However, the reason why the ministers and Wan had serious expressions was completely different.

“Oh… oh…”

“Oh no…”

“It’s coming…”

Unlike the ministers who were concentrating on the issue of ‘exploited development’, Wan was paying attention to other issues. was writing

‘It’s taking too long! There is a difference of three months! Have the guards already appeared again?’

* * *

When Wan was still learning about state administration and various other things as the crown prince, Hyang informed Wan of things he should pay special attention to as the emperor.

“Wan. Do you know what officials like best?”

Wan thought about Hyang’s question for a moment before answering.

“I think it’s a regular dismissal.”

“That is an answer, but it is not a completely correct answer. And finishing work and coming home on time is something everyone likes, not just management. What officials like is ‘Today is the same as yesterday, tomorrow is the same as today.’”

The scent was explained in more detail.

-Managers hate variables the most. Because when variables arise, work increases.

-What I hate as much as increasing work is responsibility. They try to take only as much responsibility as the authority given to them.

-That’s why I don’t rush in. If you step up and do something wrong, you will lose money in the performance review, get your fill of criticism, and your workload will only increase.

-This is why ‘today like yesterday, tomorrow like today’ is created.

-And to maintain this situation, officials become stricter than ever. In other words, ‘flexibility’ disappears.

-If a general report or document, not even a contract, violates the wording or format, it will be rejected immediately. Otherwise, it will be rejected on the grounds that there is no precedent.

-Of course, if it is related to the safety or life of the people, it is right to insist on the principles. However, as time goes by, even as better technologies and methods emerge, they are rejected without proper examination.

-If this happens, the empire will not move forward but will stand still or, at worst, fall behind.

“…What’s worse is that it leaks into a side street. That is why there is no decrease in the number of people at the records office. Tsk!”

Hyang clicked his tongue with an expression of disapproval and continued speaking.

“When Sang Sang first implemented the Kyeongjang, the most common comment and appeal was, ‘There is no precedent.’ If you think about the time it took to correct that behavior… That’s why not only I, but also the emperors who will succeed you when you become emperor. “It won’t work.”

Wan bowed his head and responded to Hyang’s teachings.

“I will keep in mind the teachings that are like gold and jade birds!”

* * *

Wan had a serious expression on his face because he remembered Hyang’s teachings.

‘The content is more detailed and includes trends not only in France but also in other European countries. But I’m not faithful enough to be three months late!’

“Hmm…”

When Wan, who had a serious expression on his face, muttered, the ministers quickly made positive remarks.

“your majesty! We have known for a long time that many European countries and people are researching silver! “We are already working hard at the lab and in Area 51, so please don’t worry too much!”

Following Hwang Bo-in’s words, Kim Jong-seo and other ministers also bowed their heads and continued speaking.

“That’s right! Looking at the report, it seems like they are just taking their baby steps. Of course, this is something that should not be ignored, but it is also something that should not be treated with contempt.”

“I’m getting it back! With their breadth alone, it’s a long way for them to surpass the empire’s weapons! “It is okay to keep an eye on it, but it is not something to be overly sensitive.”

The ministers, who had seemed serious just a moment ago, were trying to ease Wan’s worries by making positive remarks one after another as if they had never done so before.

Wan sighed and accepted the words of the ministers.

“Jim, I have also known for a long time that Europe is using all kinds of methods to make silver. No, is it just Europe? “I know that Ming and Japanese Ottomans are making every effort to make silver.”

As Wan said, among the countries that came into contact with the empire’s silver, all those with a certain level of technological power were struggling to make it.

Those who took the forefront of this challenge were Europe and the Ottomans.

* * *

It was thanks to alchemists that Europe and the Ottomans were able to take the lead.

The first thing alchemists paid attention to was the meaning of the word wide silver.

“What does width mean?”

The alchemists and their disciples headed to Alexandria to find out the meaning of fortune.

“The meaning of ‘exploding silver’ is ‘exploding silver (exploding argentum)’… That means silver…”

“Silver explodes?”

Alchemists who learned the meaning of silver soon began conducting various experiments with silver.

After investing a huge amount of time and budget and going through all kinds of trial and error, European and Ottoman alchemists raced to create a substance similar to silver.

They created brain silver (pulmin silver).

However, even though they literally created ‘exploding silver’, the alchemists’ expressions were not very good.

“It’s so unstable.”

“Too sensitive.”

“It explodes even in water? “It can never be used for military purposes!”

There were too many shortcomings in the material that was created at best. No, there were bigger drawbacks than those drawbacks.

“Silver is a material! “That precious silver!”

Alchemists tried once again to lower manufacturing costs and increase stability, but they continued to fail.

Rumors related to the alchemists’ challenge spread everywhere and even reached the ears of the empire.

Meanwhile, a few alchemists who were tired of continued failure had a different idea.

“Couldn’t the silver in Pok Eun not mean silver but something else?”

“Chinese characters don’t necessarily have only one meaning, right?”

Alchemists changed their thinking and began looking for minerals that had silver in their names in Chinese characters or had a luster similar to silver.

The most representative one was lead.

As time passed, the number of alchemists who changed their ideas in this way increased, and after fierce competition, a substance similar to the silver used by the empire was finally created.

* * *

Wan lightly cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“Captain Prime Minister. “Let me ask you something.”

“Please ask.”

“It’s something that shouldn’t be ignored, but you said you shouldn’t do Chimsobongdae either?”

“That’s right.”

“Is it really Chimsobongdae?”

“yes?”

Seeing Hwang Bo-in’s expression, which clearly showed that he did not understand properly, Wan held up the report in question and continued.

“When did this report arrive in Seoul? “No, when did you receive this intelligence from the front line, when did you decide to report it, and when did you arrive in Seoul?”

“I… that…”

“Tell me to check that right now and report it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

After a while, Ministry of National Defense officials who received orders from Hwang Bo-in ran towards the Ministry of Defense building.

* * *

Wan clicked his tongue after reading the report that recorded the route and time taken for the intelligence to arrive in Seoul.

“Tsk!”

When Wan clicked his tongue, the ministers became restless. Either way, Wan continued to click his tongue.

“Tsk tsk tsk… This is it… The intelligence I obtained was stranded in Suez for two months… Tsk!”

When Wan pointed out, the ministers became quiet and only looked at Wan’s thoughts.

This was definitely a problem.

* * *

At least two Challenger-class ships were always on standby at the Imperial Navy port located in Suez.

Their mission was to bring urgent information that could affect the safety of the empire to the empire as quickly as possible.

However, in this case, the person in charge did not mobilize these fronts and instead waited for transport ships that came and went regularly.

It was a fatal misjudgment by the person in charge.

On the other hand, in the case of Milwi, speed was the priority. Milwi’s agents, who had secret letters to send to Seoul, moved to Seoul in search of the fastest ship, regardless of nationality.

That is what created the three-month time gap this time.

* * *

Wan continued to point out the problem.

“To prevent intelligence related to the safety of the empire from being delayed, we placed a ship on standby at Suez and gave the person in charge the authority to move the ship. But why did it happen this time?”

“….”

At Wan’s point, the ministers kept their mouths shut and bowed their heads. Looking at the ministers like that, Wan clicked his tongue.

“Tsk! “Is it still a cost issue?”

Moving a single Challenger-class ship was quite expensive. Therefore, the person in charge of the Suez region waited for a regular flight.

Authority is one thing, but being criticized later is another thing.

Wan muttered to himself as he looked at the ministers who were still speechless.

‘Is this why you said you need a fast and accurate communication tool?’

There was a Jeonseo-gu for high-speed, long-distance communication, but using the Jeonseo-gu from Suez to Seoul was extremely inefficient.

Therefore, the empire had to bear the cost and keep ships waiting in Suez.

* * *

Wan continued to point out the problem.

“If you think about the time it took for intelligence about silver to reach Suez, or the time it took for it to travel from Suez to Seoul, it would have been long enough for a factory to make silver to have already been built in France. Not only that, if you look at the trends of other European countries mentioned in the report, it is rumored that they have also created similar things. But is it really Chimsobongdae?”

“….”

“If you look at the guns made by Europeans, don’t you know that they caught up with our empire in many areas except for width? But Chimsobongdae?”

Wan’s voice started to become more and more sharp.

The first weapon introduced to Europe by the Empire was the rifle-type rifle. Although it was a smoothbore gun without a rifling, it boasted superior performance to the matchlock guns used in Europe at the time.

From then on, European gunsmiths desperately imitated imperial firearms. The understanding of the principles came later, and we first began to faithfully catch up with the parts that could be imitated.

This was the same even after the Gap-style long rifle was introduced.

European craftsmen who studied long-arm rifles soon began rifling their own firearms.

Without knowing why rifling was needed, it was simply because the Empire had dug it…

The problem was that just by following it, the performance of the rifles made by European craftsmen improved even further.

Afterwards, a belief almost like a religion developed among European gunsmiths.

-When it comes to weapons, follow whatever the Empire does! Knowing the principles and reasons comes later!