Black Corporation: Joseon

The birth of the electric fan, or rather the wind machine, came about through Hyang’s direct intervention.

As early summer grew increasingly hot, Hyang loosened the collar of his official robes and burst out in frustration.

“For heaven’s sake! If you’ve managed to make a screw, it should be obvious to think about making a fan! Do we really have to endure this heat with our bodies again?”

BANG!

“I can’t take this anymore!”

Jumping up from his seat, Hyang adjusted his loosened collar and stormed out of the office. As he walked toward the workshop responsible for screw research and development, he continued grumbling.

“I’ll let the centrifugal blower slide! The shape was completely different! But we have screws now! I’ve laid out the entire feast! Do I need to spoon-feed them too?”

Hyang’s complaints weren’t without merit. Quite some time had passed since the concept of the screw propeller—recorded in the Challenge Records as a windmill-type propeller—had emerged.

“It’s been years, not months, since it was recorded in the Challenge Records! If they haven’t thought of this variation by now, there’s a serious problem!”

When Hyang stormed into the workshop, the researchers and craftsmen immediately rushed out to pay their respects.

“Your Highness!”

“Keep up the good work.”

“Do you have any commands…”

Seeing Hyang’s distinctly unhappy expression, the Development Manager got straight to the point.

“Notice how it’s getting hotter by the day? I came to suggest applying the propeller we’re currently researching.”

At Hyang’s words, the Development Manager’s expression turned peculiar.

“Hmm? Why that expression?”

“Actually, we’ve done some research on that, but there are still issues to resolve, so we haven’t reported it yet.”

“If you have a prototype, bring it out,” Hyang immediately ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Moments later, the development team’s researchers and craftsmen brought out two metal contraptions with large windmills attached.

As two burly craftsmen struggled to unload the machines from the cart, Hyang asked the Development Manager, “Does it use a steam engine?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I can see three obvious problems,” Hyang continued without pause. “First, the weight. Second, the fan’s safety. Third, heat management.”

“Indeed, Your Highness. The first prototype weighs 120 geun (about 72kg), and the improved second version weighs 110 geun (about 66kg).”

“It doesn’t look that heavy?”

“That’s the weight when loaded with coal and water.”

“I see. Let’s see it in action.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s command, the Development Manager and his subordinates began preparing the demonstration. They brought boiling water to fill the reservoir and transferred burning coal from the furnace to the firebox.

Soon enough, the steam engine built up proper pressure, and the Development Manager moved the lever attached to the machine.

RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE!

With a loud mechanical noise, the attached windmill began spinning, generating wind.

After feeling the wind for a while, Hyang turned to the Development Manager.

“The Office of Investigation would love this. Perfect for interrogating criminals.”

The heat from the steam engine powering the device was carried by the wind, creating a blast hot enough to turn even a healthy person into jerky.

“What about safety?”

In response to Hyang’s question, the Development Manager held up a long pole with a radish tied to the end and brought it near the blades.

WHACK!

The radish instantly shattered into pieces upon contact with the blades. Lowering the pole, the Development Manager explained, “Due to this danger, we installed a safety guard on the second prototype. We also reduced the weight. However, we still haven’t found a solution for the heat issue.”

“Keep working on it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After encouraging the Development Manager and his team, Hyang muttered quietly as soon as he stepped outside.

“A spring mechanism should work…”

Having found a potential solution, Hyang changed direction and headed toward Jang Yeong-sil’s office.

***

“…so, I want to make a wind machine powered by springs.”

After hearing Hyang’s explanation, Jang Yeong-sil silently rose from his seat.

“I actually made something as a hobby…” he trailed off as he placed a wind machine with a fan blade about the size of his head on the desk.

Behind the fan blade was a copper box the size of a pot, with a crank attached to its back.

Click-clack, click-clack.

As Jang Yeong-sil turned the crank, the spring wound up with a rhythmic sound. After about forty turns, he pushed the lever attached to the machine’s base.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

As the spring unwound, a pleasant breeze began to blow, and Hyang glared at Jang Yeong-sil.

Seeing Hyang’s ominous expression, Jang Yeong-sil hastily began to explain.

“As I mentioned, it started merely as a hobby! Besides, I’m getting old and nearing retirement. I can’t teach everything, can I? I thought they should figure out some things on their own!”

“So you kept it hidden?”

“Yes.”

At Jang Yeong-sil’s response, Hyang exploded.

“Director Jang! What did I tell you before? I said there should be no secrets from me! Are you making light of my words by hiding this?”

At Hyang’s shouting, Jang Yeong-sil immediately prostrated himself.

“How could I dare harbor such disrespectful intentions! It’s just that compared to other grand and sophisticated devices, this seemed too trivial and simple…”

“An item’s value lies in its utility, not its size! That’s just an excuse!”

“Please forgive me!”

Glaring at Jang Yeong-sil who was pressing himself against the floor begging for forgiveness, Hyang turned away.

“Eunuch! Summon the Development Manager from the Propulsion Research Department immediately!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

After ordering the eunuch, Hyang commanded Jang Yeong-sil, “Stand up.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Jang Yeong-sil hesitantly rose, Hyang sternly warned him.

“This is the second time. I’ll let it slide this once, but if I discover something like this again, you’ll face immediate punishment.”

“I’m deeply grateful! I will never make such a mistake again!”

Hearing Jang Yeong-sil’s response, Hyang genuinely grumbled.

“Really, there should be some professional courtesy… Always keeping the fun to yourself…”

***

“Ah! Such an elegant solution!”

Summoned to the office, the Development Manager repeatedly exclaimed in admiration upon seeing Jang Yeong-sil’s wind machine. After examining it from various angles, he looked at Jang Yeong-sil with eyes full of admiration.

“As expected of Director Jang! Such an extraordinary idea! I’m in awe!”

At the Development Manager’s praise, Jang Yeong-sil waved his hands with an embarrassed expression.

“Extraordinary? We still have far to go. There are still many issues to resolve.”

Hyang interjected at Jang Yeong-sil’s response.

“What issues need resolving with this wind machine?”

“First is safety. Those fan blades are as sharp as knives – even a small mistake could cause a serious accident.”

The Development Manager tilted his head at Jang Yeong-sil’s point.

“But it appears to be made of wood?”

In response, Jang Yeong-sil took a nearby piece of paper, rolled it up, and held it near the rotating blades.

SNAP!

Seeing the paper instantly shred with a sharp sound, the Development Manager’s expression turned serious.

“I thought wood would be fine…”

“Even wood is quite dangerous.”

Jang Yeong-sil’s expression was equally concerned.

Seeing both men’s troubled expressions, Hyang joined the conversation.

“Couldn’t we make the frame from bamboo and cover the blades with paper?”

“High-quality Hanji is tough, but wouldn’t it tear at such high speeds?”

“It probably would at current speeds. But isn’t our goal to create a pleasant breeze rather than a gale-force wind? Do we need it to spin so fast?”

“Ah!”

“What a solution!”

Both Jang Yeong-sil and the Development Manager exclaimed at Hyang’s suggestion.

Jang Yeong-sil’s face lit up with excitement as he spoke.

“Then most problems are solved! The second issue was that one winding should last at least half a sigan (about 1 hour), but we have plenty of solutions for that! As expected of Your Highness!”

“You flatter me.”

Hyang waved off the praise with an embarrassed expression.

After considering various aspects of Jang Yeong-sil’s spring-powered wind machine and Hyang’s solution, the Development Manager let out a small sigh.

“Huh… They say ‘a frog in a well’… All our worrying seems so pointless now. I’ll have all our current wind machines scrapped.”

Hyang shook his head at the Development Manager’s words.

“Why scrap them when they still have their uses?”

“Pardon?”

The Development Manager tilted his head in confusion while Jang Yeong-sil’s eyes lit up.

Seeing Jang Yeong-sil’s expression, Hyang smiled slightly and asked him.

“Director Jang, do you understand what I mean?”

“You’re thinking of winter use, aren’t you?”

“Correct.”

The Development Manager expressed doubt at their exchange.

“But with ondol floors and braziers in winter, would it be useful?”

Jang Yeong-sil answered on Hyang’s behalf.

“Ondol takes time to heat up, and braziers only warm their immediate surroundings, correct? But if we could distribute warm air further, the space would heat up quickly. Of course, ondol is more than sufficient for ordinary homes and bedrooms, but what about government offices?”

“Ah!”

The Development Manager exclaimed in understanding.

***

Thus began the full-scale development of wind machines for both summer and winter use.

“This is wonderful!”

King Sejong genuinely delighted in the cool breeze as he handled the summer prototype.

Though Sejong had become quite healthy thanks to Hyang’s “Healthy Pig Making” training regimen, he was still quite corpulent.

As a result, he sweated profusely in summer and suffered from skin conditions due to the multiple layers of clothing he had to wear.

In this situation, the wind machine prototype from Area 51 became like “rain in a drought.”

“What do you all think?”

The ministers, enjoying the breeze from the wind machines installed around Geunjeongjon Hall, immediately responded.

“It’s truly wonderful, Your Majesty!”

Before the words had barely left their mouths, Kim Jeom and the Minister of Finance made their proposals to Sejong.

“Many people suffer from the heat in summer, so this would be incredibly useful! We should begin mass production immediately!”

“We will analyze whether to produce them in the royal workshop or delegate to private merchants!”

Sejong smiled at their proposals.

“The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister seem to want to feel the wind of money rather than just air? But I agree it’s a good idea, so please consider it and report back.”

“We receive your command!”

***

After the matter of the wind machine was decided, Sejong commended Hyang.

“In summer, the people suffer greatly from the heat. Although this device cannot eliminate all that heat, it helps restore vitality. You’ve created a truly remarkable device. Well done.”

“You praise me too highly.”

Though Hyang responded humbly to Sejong’s praise, internally he was steeling his resolve.

‘The fan is just a stopgap measure! The biggest problem still remains!’

Fingering the sleeve of his dragon robe, Hyang strengthened his determination.

‘I must do it! Clothing reform!’