Chapter 56
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Chapter 56
Sejong praised the elite nature of the General’s troops before getting to the main point.
“Are the cannons they carry on their shoulders the new ones?”
Upon Sejong’s inquiry, Hyang replied promptly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s named ‘Fortified-style Siege Cannons1.”
In response to Hyang’s reply, Sejong stroked his beard while expressing his appreciation. “‘Siege Cannons’... It’s a fitting name. However....,” his gaze was fixed on the shimmering barrel of the Siege Cannons. Sejong, who was looking at the silver glittering barrel of the said weapon, turned his head to Hyang.
“It’s not made of copper, is it?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. It’s made of iron.”
“Iron?”
Listening to the conversation between Sejong and Hyang, Hwang Hee cut in. “Your Majesty, while copper is expensive, iron is also costly....”
Sejong raised his hand to interrupt Hwang Hee’s words. “Enough,” he remarked and continued, “The Crown Prince must have had a reason to use iron. We can talk about that later.”
“I understand.”
Sejong, who stopped Hwang Hee’s words, issued an order to Choi Hae-san. “I want to see its power.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Upon receiving the order, Choi Hae-san gestured to the craftsmen standing nearby. As the craftsmen saw Choi Hae-san’s hand signal, they brought a board the size of a human body. The red cloth-covered board had armor plates lined up in a row.
Choi Hae-san pointed to the board with his baton and began explaining, “This is the armor plate that we’ll use as a target. Compared to the actual armor, the thickness of the iron plate is increased by 1 li (a traditional Chinese measurement unit, approx. 0.3 cm) to 4 li (approx. 1.3mm) for reinforcement.”
“Is that so?”
“Set up the target.”
“Yes, general.”
The craftsmen took the target to the opposite side of the demonstration area. Upon seeing the craftsmen installing the target far from where the cannon troops were located, Sejong called out to General Choi Hae-san.
“General, how far is that distance?”
“It’s about 250 bo (traditional Korean unit of length, approx. 300m), Your Majesty.”
“Ho!”
Sejong began to glow with admiration. Meanwhile, the craftsmen who finished installing the target signaled and ran to the ditch made under the earth wall.
Upon seeing the craftsman’s signal, the commander yelled at the cannon troops.
“Load the cannons!”
At the commander’s order, the cannon troops set up the Siege Cannons they were carrying on the ground.
“Clean the barrel!”
“Add gunpowder!”
“Add the cartridge paper2!”
“Load the lead ball!”
“Push in the lead ball!”
Following the commander’s order, all the cannon troops finished their process and returned to their loading stance, and the commander issued an order.
“Front cannon! Fire the cord!”
The cannon troops picked up the Siege Cannons, pulled the trigger halfway, and inserted the fire cord filled with gunpowder into the knob.
“Pull the trigger! Aim!”
The cannon troops pulled the trigger all the way back, stepped forward with their left foot, tilted their bodies slightly, placed the stock on their shoulders, and aimed at the distant target.
“Fire!”
Boom!
Smoke and sparks spewed out and disappeared into the air.
“Reload!”
The cannon troops who had finished shooting returned to their loading stance, and the craftsmen who had hidden in the ditch retrieved the target and returned.
“Amazing!”
“Such a powerful weapon!”
Sejong and the ministers couldn’t hide their surprise as they looked at the retrieved target plate.
There were 9 holes in the target plate.
Hyang and Choi Hae-san were full of pride as they watched Sejong and the ministers inspect the target plate with amazed faces.
“Truly amazing. I knew that cannons were powerful but their range was significantly shorter compared to arrows. However, this Siege Cannons has a range similar to arrows, and its power is incomparable. It is indeed the ultimate weapon.”
“The craftsmen have worked hard.”
“The residue from the gunpowder makes it strenuous to prepare for another shot.”
“I see.”
“So, we need to sieve after all...”
However, Hyang shook his head. “General, think about it. Do you think cavalrymen, who ride faster than humans, have the leisure to sieve while charging at full speed?”
“That’s true, but...”
Choi Hae-san, Lee Cheon, and the craftsmen began to search for a solution. However, it was not easy for people to come up with ideas about rifling.
‘Do I have to step in again?’
On a rainy day, when Hyang was considering his involvement, one of the artisans who had been staring blankly out of the window suddenly stood up.
“Ah!”
“What’s the matter!”
“How about drilling a groove?”
“Drilling a groove?”
Hyang pointed to the ground with his finger as he explained. “Do you see that ditch? The stagnant water flows down the ditch, doesn’t it? The flame of the gunpowder might flow in a similar way, right? If we drill a long groove inside the barrel, won’t the flame flow and the residue also escape through the groove?”
At the artisan’s words, Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun looked at Hyang. Hyang nodded.
“It seems worth a try.”
With Hyang’s decision, seven more barrels were manufactured.
“Let’s make two barrels each with 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 grooves, and compare them with barrels without grooves.”
“Yes.”
They accepted the order, but the artisans faced a new dilemma.
‘How do we even drill the grooves?’ After several sleepless nights of contemplation, they finally crafted a dedicated tool, and drilled grooves in the barrels, ranging from 3 to 15.
In the subsequent tests, Choi Hae-san, Lee Chun, and the artisans encountered a new problem. The power of the output seemed to diminish as the number of grooves increased.
“That’s expected. The more grooves there are, the more power will be lost through them,” Lee Chun pointed out the cause, and later Choi Hae-san murmured with a troubled expression, “Is a three-barrel gun[Triple Rifle all barrels can be fired independently, in any sequence and at any time, without them affecting each other.]][ the only answer after all?”
“What are the exact results?”
In response to Hyang’s question, Lee Chun flipped through the book with the results as he replied, “There is little loss of power up to 6 grooves, but there’s a lot of residue. From 9 grooves, the residue decreases but the power drops significantly.”
At Lee Chun’s response, everyone scratched their heads.
“Do we need to go with 9 grooves...”
“The problem is that the power visibly drops from there...”
“Is 6 grooves the only answer then? But that also has the residue problem...”
While they were agonizing over the problems that couldn’t be solved at the same time, Jang Yeong-sil, who had been unable to bear watching, opened his mouth. “How about twisting the grooves?”
“Twisting the grooves?”
At Jang Yoeng-sil’s words, everyone’s attention focused on him.
Watching from behind, Hyang clenched his fists under the desk. ‘Ahjussi (mister), nice!’
Hyang quickly composed himself and ordered Jang Yeong-sil. “Astronomer Jang, please explain in detail.”
“Yes, your Highness. So... um... wouldn’t the length increase if we twist the grooves like a screw? If that happens, even with 6 grooves, there will be enough length for the residue to escape. And because the grooves are twisted, the force from the gunpowder explosion won’t be able to escape straight away, right?”
The meeting room fell silent at Jang Yeong-sil’s explanation. As Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun pondered over what Jang Yeong-sil meant, they both exclaimed at the same time.
“That’s it!”
“That’s it! Crown Prince, twisting (it) may be the answer!”
At the words of Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun, Hyang made a decision. “Then let’s try it.”
That night in his room, Hyang grumbled with a tired expression as he got into bed.
“Ah... The path to the rifled musket is so long and difficult... Explaining the concept of surface area in terms of length... And the ability to understand it as if it’s obvious... Are all the people living in this era monsters?”
The decision to twist the grooves drilled into the inside of the barrel had been made, but a problem arose from that.
“How many rotations should we make?”
Facing this problem, people were again in a quandary. Hyang had to step in again.
“Make a prototype with half a rotation up to two rotations at half a rotation intervals!”
“Orders received!”
And so, the artisans had to spend another night to create a new barrel.
There’s no particular reference for the names, so I decided to translate it to names that kinda make the most sense.[↩]Before the formation of lead bullets, ammunitions are stuffed in a cartridge paper like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chassepot_paper_cartridge.jpg[↩]the arrangement of spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel.[↩]
Ngl, the technical terms in this chapter will be the death of me. Not me, literally researching about grooves, barrels, and cartridge paper at 2 a.m in the morning. Really makes me wonder, how on earth did the author manage to research all these things while writing this novel?
Here's an emoji to describe me, when tl'ing this chapter: ????????
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 56
Sejong praised the elite nature of the General’s troops before getting to the main point.
“Are the cannons they carry on their shoulders the new ones?”
Upon Sejong’s inquiry, Hyang replied promptly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s named ‘Fortified-style Siege Cannons1.”
In response to Hyang’s reply, Sejong stroked his beard while expressing his appreciation. “‘Siege Cannons’... It’s a fitting name. However....,” his gaze was fixed on the shimmering barrel of the Siege Cannons. Sejong, who was looking at the silver glittering barrel of the said weapon, turned his head to Hyang.
“It’s not made of copper, is it?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. It’s made of iron.”
“Iron?”
Listening to the conversation between Sejong and Hyang, Hwang Hee cut in. “Your Majesty, while copper is expensive, iron is also costly....”
Sejong raised his hand to interrupt Hwang Hee’s words. “Enough,” he remarked and continued, “The Crown Prince must have had a reason to use iron. We can talk about that later.”
“I understand.”
Sejong, who stopped Hwang Hee’s words, issued an order to Choi Hae-san. “I want to see its power.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Upon receiving the order, Choi Hae-san gestured to the craftsmen standing nearby. As the craftsmen saw Choi Hae-san’s hand signal, they brought a board the size of a human body. The red cloth-covered board had armor plates lined up in a row.
Choi Hae-san pointed to the board with his baton and began explaining, “This is the armor plate that we’ll use as a target. Compared to the actual armor, the thickness of the iron plate is increased by 1 li (a traditional Chinese measurement unit, approx. 0.3 cm) to 4 li (approx. 1.3mm) for reinforcement.”
“Is that so?”
“Set up the target.”
“Yes, general.”
The craftsmen took the target to the opposite side of the demonstration area. Upon seeing the craftsmen installing the target far from where the cannon troops were located, Sejong called out to General Choi Hae-san.
“General, how far is that distance?”
“It’s about 250 bo (traditional Korean unit of length, approx. 300m), Your Majesty.”
“Ho!”
Sejong began to glow with admiration. Meanwhile, the craftsmen who finished installing the target signaled and ran to the ditch made under the earth wall.
Upon seeing the craftsman’s signal, the commander yelled at the cannon troops.
“Load the cannons!”
At the commander’s order, the cannon troops set up the Siege Cannons they were carrying on the ground.
“Clean the barrel!”
“Add gunpowder!”
“Add the cartridge paper2!”
“Load the lead ball!”
“Push in the lead ball!”
Following the commander’s order, all the cannon troops finished their process and returned to their loading stance, and the commander issued an order.
“Front cannon! Fire the cord!”
The cannon troops picked up the Siege Cannons, pulled the trigger halfway, and inserted the fire cord filled with gunpowder into the knob.
“Pull the trigger! Aim!”
The cannon troops pulled the trigger all the way back, stepped forward with their left foot, tilted their bodies slightly, placed the stock on their shoulders, and aimed at the distant target.
“Fire!”
Boom!
Smoke and sparks spewed out and disappeared into the air.
“Reload!”
The cannon troops who had finished shooting returned to their loading stance, and the craftsmen who had hidden in the ditch retrieved the target and returned.
“Amazing!”
“Such a powerful weapon!”
Sejong and the ministers couldn’t hide their surprise as they looked at the retrieved target plate.
There were 9 holes in the target plate.
Hyang and Choi Hae-san were full of pride as they watched Sejong and the ministers inspect the target plate with amazed faces.
“Truly amazing. I knew that cannons were powerful but their range was significantly shorter compared to arrows. However, this Siege Cannons has a range similar to arrows, and its power is incomparable. It is indeed the ultimate weapon.”
“The craftsmen have worked hard.”
“The residue from the gunpowder makes it strenuous to prepare for another shot.”
“I see.”
“So, we need to sieve after all...”
However, Hyang shook his head. “General, think about it. Do you think cavalrymen, who ride faster than humans, have the leisure to sieve while charging at full speed?”
“That’s true, but...”
Choi Hae-san, Lee Cheon, and the craftsmen began to search for a solution. However, it was not easy for people to come up with ideas about rifling.
‘Do I have to step in again?’
On a rainy day, when Hyang was considering his involvement, one of the artisans who had been staring blankly out of the window suddenly stood up.
“Ah!”
“What’s the matter!”
“How about drilling a groove?”
“Drilling a groove?”
Hyang pointed to the ground with his finger as he explained. “Do you see that ditch? The stagnant water flows down the ditch, doesn’t it? The flame of the gunpowder might flow in a similar way, right? If we drill a long groove inside the barrel, won’t the flame flow and the residue also escape through the groove?”
At the artisan’s words, Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun looked at Hyang. Hyang nodded.
“It seems worth a try.”
With Hyang’s decision, seven more barrels were manufactured.
“Let’s make two barrels each with 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 grooves, and compare them with barrels without grooves.”
“Yes.”
They accepted the order, but the artisans faced a new dilemma.
‘How do we even drill the grooves?’ After several sleepless nights of contemplation, they finally crafted a dedicated tool, and drilled grooves in the barrels, ranging from 3 to 15.
In the subsequent tests, Choi Hae-san, Lee Chun, and the artisans encountered a new problem. The power of the output seemed to diminish as the number of grooves increased.
“That’s expected. The more grooves there are, the more power will be lost through them,” Lee Chun pointed out the cause, and later Choi Hae-san murmured with a troubled expression, “Is a three-barrel gun[Triple Rifle all barrels can be fired independently, in any sequence and at any time, without them affecting each other.]][ the only answer after all?”
“What are the exact results?”
In response to Hyang’s question, Lee Chun flipped through the book with the results as he replied, “There is little loss of power up to 6 grooves, but there’s a lot of residue. From 9 grooves, the residue decreases but the power drops significantly.”
At Lee Chun’s response, everyone scratched their heads.
“Do we need to go with 9 grooves...”
“The problem is that the power visibly drops from there...”
“Is 6 grooves the only answer then? But that also has the residue problem...”
While they were agonizing over the problems that couldn’t be solved at the same time, Jang Yeong-sil, who had been unable to bear watching, opened his mouth. “How about twisting the grooves?”
“Twisting the grooves?”
At Jang Yoeng-sil’s words, everyone’s attention focused on him.
Watching from behind, Hyang clenched his fists under the desk. ‘Ahjussi (mister), nice!’
Hyang quickly composed himself and ordered Jang Yeong-sil. “Astronomer Jang, please explain in detail.”
“Yes, your Highness. So... um... wouldn’t the length increase if we twist the grooves like a screw? If that happens, even with 6 grooves, there will be enough length for the residue to escape. And because the grooves are twisted, the force from the gunpowder explosion won’t be able to escape straight away, right?”
The meeting room fell silent at Jang Yeong-sil’s explanation. As Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun pondered over what Jang Yeong-sil meant, they both exclaimed at the same time.
“That’s it!”
“That’s it! Crown Prince, twisting (it) may be the answer!”
At the words of Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun, Hyang made a decision. “Then let’s try it.”
That night in his room, Hyang grumbled with a tired expression as he got into bed.
“Ah... The path to the rifled musket is so long and difficult... Explaining the concept of surface area in terms of length... And the ability to understand it as if it’s obvious... Are all the people living in this era monsters?”
The decision to twist the grooves drilled into the inside of the barrel had been made, but a problem arose from that.
“How many rotations should we make?”
Facing this problem, people were again in a quandary. Hyang had to step in again.
“Make a prototype with half a rotation up to two rotations at half a rotation intervals!”
“Orders received!”
And so, the artisans had to spend another night to create a new barrel.
There’s no particular reference for the names, so I decided to translate it to names that kinda make the most sense.[↩]Before the formation of lead bullets, ammunitions are stuffed in a cartridge paper like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chassepot_paper_cartridge.jpg[↩]the arrangement of spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel.[↩]
Ngl, the technical terms in this chapter will be the death of me. Not me, literally researching about grooves, barrels, and cartridge paper at 2 a.m in the morning. Really makes me wonder, how on earth did the author manage to research all these things while writing this novel?
Here's an emoji to describe me, when tl'ing this chapter: ????????
Chapter 56Sejong praised the elite nature of the General's troops before getting to the main point.Are the cannons they carry on their shoulders the new ones?Upon Sejong's inquiry, Hyang replied promptly.Yes, Your Majesty. It's named Fortified-style Siege Cannons1.In response to Hyang's reply, Sejong stroked his beard while expressing his appreciation. Siege Cannons'... It's a fitting name. However...., his gaze was fixed on the shimmering barrel of the Siege Cannons. Sejong, who was looking at the silver glittering barrel of the said weapon, turned his head to Hyang.It's not made of copper, is it?Indeed, Your Majesty. It's made of iron.Iron?Listening to the conversation between Sejong and Hyang, Hwang Hee cut in. Your Majesty, while copper is expensive, iron is also costly....Sejong raised his hand to interrupt Hwang Hee's words. Enough, he remarked and continued, The Crown Prince must have had a reason to use iron. We can talk about that later.I understand.Sejong, who stopped Hwang Hee's words, issued an order to Choi Hae-san. I want to see its power.Yes, Your Majesty.Upon receiving the order, Choi Hae-san gestured to the craftsmen standing nearby. As the craftsmen saw Choi Hae-san's hand signal, they brought a board the size of a human body. The red cloth-covered board had armor plates lined up in a row.Choi Hae-san pointed to the board with his baton and began explaining, This is the armor plate that we'll use as a target. Compared to the actual armor, the thickness of the iron plate is increased by 1 li a traditional Chinese measurement unit, approx. 0.3 cm to 4 li approx. 1.3mm for reinforcement.Is that so?Set up the target.Yes, general.The craftsmen took the target to the opposite side of the demonstration area. Upon seeing the craftsmen installing the target far from where the cannon troops were located, Sejong called out to General Choi Hae-san.General, how far is that distance?It's about 250 bo traditional Korean unit of length, approx. 300m, Your Majesty.Ho!Sejong began to glow with admiration. Meanwhile, the craftsmen who finished installing the target signaled and ran to the ditch made under the earth wall.Upon seeing the craftsman's signal, the commander yelled at the cannon troops.Load the cannons!At the commander's order, the cannon troops set up the Siege Cannons they were carrying on the ground.Clean the barrel!Add gunpowder!Add the cartridge paper2!Load the lead ball!Push in the lead ball!Following the commander's order, all the cannon troops finished their process and returned to their loading stance, and the commander issued an order.Front cannon! Fire the cord!The cannon troops picked up the Siege Cannons, pulled the trigger halfway, and inserted the fire cord filled with gunpowder into the knob.Pull the trigger! Aim!The cannon troops pulled the trigger all the way back, stepped forward with their left foot, tilted their bodies slightly, placed the stock on their shoulders, and aimed at the distant target.Fire!Boom!Smoke and sparks spewed out and disappeared into the air.Reload!The cannon troops who had finished shooting returned to their loading stance, and the craftsmen who had hidden in the ditch retrieved the target and returned.Amazing!Such a powerful weapon!Sejong and the ministers couldn't hide their surprise as they looked at the retrieved target plate.There were 9 holes in the target plate.Hyang and Choi Hae-san were full of pride as they watched Sejong and the ministers inspect the target plate with amazed faces.Truly amazing. I knew that cannons were powerful but their range was significantly shorter compared to arrows. However, this Siege Cannons has a range similar to arrows, and its power is incomparable. It is indeed the ultimate weapon.The craftsmen have worked hard.The residue from the gunpowder makes it strenuous to prepare for another shot.I see.So, we need to sieve after all... However, Hyang shook his head. General, think about it. Do you think cavalrymen, who ride faster than humans, have the leisure to sieve while charging at full speed?That's true, but...Choi Hae-san, Lee Cheon, and the craftsmen began to search for a solution. However, it was not easy for people to come up with ideas about rifling.Do I have to step in again?'On a rainy day, when Hyang was considering his involvement, one of the artisans who had been staring blankly out of the window suddenly stood up.Ah!What's the matter!How about drilling a groove?Drilling a groove?Hyang pointed to the ground with his finger as he explained. Do you see that ditch? The stagnant water flows down the ditch, doesn't it? The flame of the gunpowder might flow in a similar way, right? If we drill a long groove inside the barrel, won't the flame flow and the residue also escape through the groove?At the artisan's words, Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun looked at Hyang. Hyang nodded.It seems worth a try.With Hyang's decision, seven more barrels were manufactured.Let's make two barrels each with 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 grooves, and compare them with barrels without grooves.Yes.They accepted the order, but the artisans faced a new dilemma.How do we even drill the grooves?' After several sleepless nights of contemplation, they finally crafted a dedicated tool, and drilled grooves in the barrels, ranging from 3 to 15.In the subsequent tests, Choi Hae-san, Lee Chun, and the artisans encountered a new problem. The power of the output seemed to diminish as the number of grooves increased.That's expected. The more grooves there are, the more power will be lost through them, Lee Chun pointed out the cause, and later Choi Hae-san murmured with a troubled expression, Is a three-barrel gunTriple Rifle all barrels can be fired independently, in any sequence and at any time, without them affecting each other. the only answer after all?What are the exact results?In response to Hyang's question, Lee Chun flipped through the book with the results as he replied, There is little loss of power up to 6 grooves, but there's a lot of residue. From 9 grooves, the residue decreases but the power drops significantly.At Lee Chun's response, everyone scratched their heads.Do we need to go with 9 grooves...The problem is that the power visibly drops from there...Is 6 grooves the only answer then? But that also has the residue problem...While they were agonizing over the problems that couldn't be solved at the same time, Jang Yeong-sil, who had been unable to bear watching, opened his mouth. How about twisting the grooves?Twisting the grooves?At Jang Yoeng-sil's words, everyone's attention focused on him.Watching from behind, Hyang clenched his fists under the desk. Ahjussi mister, nice!'Hyang quickly composed himself and ordered Jang Yeong-sil. Astronomer Jang, please explain in detail.Yes, your Highness. So... um... wouldn't the length increase if we twist the grooves like a screw? If that happens, even with 6 grooves, there will be enough length for the residue to escape. And because the grooves are twisted, the force from the gunpowder explosion won't be able to escape straight away, right?The meeting room fell silent at Jang Yeong-sil's explanation. As Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun pondered over what Jang Yeong-sil meant, they both exclaimed at the same time.That's it!That's it! Crown Prince, twisting it may be the answer!At the words of Choi Hae-san and Lee Chun, Hyang made a decision. Then let's try it.That night in his room, Hyang grumbled with a tired expression as he got into bed.Ah... The path to the rifled musket is so long and difficult... Explaining the concept of surface area in terms of length... And the ability to understand it as if it's obvious... Are all the people living in this era monsters?The decision to twist the grooves drilled into the inside of the barrel had been made, but a problem arose from that.How many rotations should we make?Facing this problem, people were again in a quandary. Hyang had to step in again.Make a prototype with half a rotation up to two rotations at half a rotation intervals!Orders received!And so, the artisans had to spend another night to create a new barrel.There's no particular reference for the names, so I decided to translate it to names that kinda make the most sense.Before the formation of lead bullets, ammunitions are stuffed in a cartridge paper like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chassepot_paper_cartridge.jpgthe arrangement of spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel.Ngl, the technical terms in this chapter will be the death of me. Not me, literally researching about grooves, barrels, and cartridge paper at 2 a.m in the morning. Really makes me wonder, how on earth did the author manage to research all these things while writing this novel?Here's an emoji to describe me, when tl'ing this chapter: ????????
