novel-bin Chapter 214
Chapter 214
Chapter 214
The craftsmen tasked with investigating the ships structure spent seven days meticulously examining the extra-large dhow.
They measured not only the length and width but even the height by pulling the ship onto land. They thoroughly inspected everything from the top of the masts to the bilge, where water collected at the very bottom of the hull.
They didnt just conduct a single inspection either.
The head craftsman divided his subordinate craftsmen into three groups to carry out cross-validations.
For heavens sake, werent we supposed to inspect whether the ship can carry cannons or not?
When the captains voiced their complaints about the excessively thorough inspection, the head craftsman curtly replied.
Do you want the cannons you load to be mere decorations?
Upon hearing his words through the interpreter, the captains promptly fell silent.
Having silenced the captains, the head craftsman urged his subordinate craftsmen.
What are you doing? Hurry up and inspect! Are you going to let our own ship rot while gawking at someone elses?
Yes, sir!
At the head craftsmans shout, the craftsmen scurried into action.
***
After seven days had passed in this manner, a lengthy report made its way to the Ministry of Military Affairs. The report was immediately transcribed and delivered to Sejong, the ministers of the Six Ministries, and Hyang.
Having read the entire report, Sejong issued an order to Kim Jeom.
Based on this report, secure the best possible outcome.
I will devote my utmost efforts, Your Majesty!
Other ministers, provide full support if the Minister of Taxation requests it.
We shall obey your command!
After finishing his discussion with the ministers, Sejong turned to Hyang.
Did you read the report?
Yes, Your Majesty.
It states that the new warship we built this time is superior to the ships the Muslims recently constructed. Its not biased reporting from the craftsmen, is it?
That shouldnt be the case.
Hyang responded confidently to Sejongs question. Upon hearing Hyangs answer, Sejong didnt forget to remind him once more.
Dont forget that a considerable amount of resources went into building the new warship.
At Sejongs words, Hyang bowed his head and replied.
I always keep that in mind.
After all the hardships we went through to build it!
***
The ship Hyang was leading the construction of was a galleon, yet not a galleon.
To be precise, its prototype was the central pirate ship from a certain pirate movie.
To create the ship featured in the movie, enthusiasts had even produced blueprints.
To realize the movies ship, which was a fusion of Eastern and Western designs based on a galleon, the enthusiasts had mobilized all their knowledge and experience.
As a result, a ship that was only 1/4 in size but fully capable of actual sailing was born. Impressed by this, a wealthy Middle Eastern enthusiast commissioned a 1:1 scale version, leading to the construction of an actual-sized ship.
At the time, Hyang, whose enthusiasm ran deep in his bones, had taken a leave of absence from university and ran away to the United States to participate in the entire process.
Thanks to this, he returned home with a considerable amount of pocket money, knowledge related to his passion, and a copy of the ships blueprints, only to immediately enlist in the military.
Even without the final remark, through the ships construction process, Hyang had acquired theoretical knowledge and practical experience regarding galleons, as well as theoretical knowledge about the higher-tier ships of the line.
Despite this background, building the new warship was no easy task.
The main reason was that even if the blueprints were completed, the craftsmen who would actually build it couldnt understand them.
The craftsmens lack of understanding stemmed from the significant differences between the traditional shipbuilding process and the new one.
Therefore, Hyang had to go through countless trials and errors to find the appropriate integration points.
Innumerable blueprints were created and discarded, and various scaled models were built and discarded as well.
During this process, Hyang decided to take a bold leap.
If we start with a carrack, Ill die of frustration! Lets begin with a ship were familiar with! For the sake of my leadership without illness!
Through that decision, he skipped over the carracks and caravels displayed in the research institute and jumped straight to galleons.
And thus, a headache for future historians, especially those specializing in naval history, was born.
***
Meanwhile, Kim Jeom, the Minister of Taxation, entered into negotiations with Mansur.
It was those addicted to coffee who had flocked together.
***
Meanwhile, there was also an item Hyang had been eagerly awaiting.
Your Highness, it has arrived!
Whats the quantity?
Here is the report.
After verifying the items and quantities listed in the report, Hyang felt relieved and immediately issued an order.
Send it to the shipyard.
Yes, Your Highness!
As the ordered official hurried away, Hyang muttered with a look of relief.
With this, the waterproofing issue is one less concern.
The item Hyang had been waiting for was pitch.
***
Waterproofing was essential for a ships safety.
The traditional method involved filling the ship with hemp and applying a mixture of oil and lime on top, then drying it. Hyang, who found this method unreliable, had ordered pitch instead.
However, coating the entire ship with pitch from top to bottom would be too costly
Worried about the scolding he would receive from Sejong due to the budget, Hyang applied a hybrid method.
He coated the ship with pitch up to the odd-numbered decks, then applied lime on top and performed smoking.
This method proved to be surprisingly effective, leading Joseon to actively utilize it.
Hyang also made changes to the sails. Instead of using the typical yellow cloth or European-style white cloth, he had the sails dyed gray.
Why did the navies of the 21st century paint their ships gray as if their lives depended on it?
The gray hull, resulting from the smoked lime, and the gray sails made the ships less visible when sailing far out at sea.
Due to Hyangs clever tricks, Joseons warships earned the notorious nicknames Sea Ghost and Gray Devil.
It also led European warships to sacrifice their individuality and uniformly paint their ships gray.
As a result, European captains, enraged by this decision, began cursing Joseon whenever they drank.
***
Amidst the ongoing trade, there was a new product that caught the attention of Mansur and his group: Balgeungo, a medicine for boils.
The people of the Middle East also suffered from boils caused by hygiene issues.
After hearing about the medicinal effects, Mansur purchased Balgeungo in large quantities.
And please give us some ginseng as well.
Ginseng?
Yes.
At Mansurs request, Kim Jeom had a look of surprise.
Do Muslims also know about the efficacy of ginseng?
Korean ginseng has been famous since ancient times. Moreover
Pausing for a moment, Mansur added with a chuckle.
Those damned Europeans are dying to get their hands on it. They call it the Mandrake of the East and treat it as a miraculous panacea.
Well, well~ Good things are recognized by everyone.
While exclaiming in admiration at Mansurs answer, Kim Jeom suddenly became worried.
Oh no Does this mean we cant freely consume our own tonics anymore?
***
Ginseng, which had become possible to cultivate in large quantities a few years prior, was Joseons star product.
Merchants from Ming and Japan, who knew about the excellent efficacy of Korean ginseng, vied to purchase ginseng.
Although its medicinal effects were inferior to wild ginseng, the mass-cultivated ginseng had no quality issues, so the merchants from Ming and Japan welcomed its sale.
Of course, it was only natural for not only the government but also private merchant groups to take special care to prevent the secrets of ginseng cultivation from leaking.
The Europeans, who encountered ginseng for the first time through Mansurs merchant group, were enthused by its effects.
An old and frail person who was bedridden suddenly got up after consuming ginseng!
A 70-year-old man had a child after taking ginseng!
As testimonies from those who had experienced the effects of ginseng spread, European merchants flocked to Alexandria in search of ginseng.
Due to the human-like appearance of ginseng roots, European merchants began calling it the Mandrake of the East.