Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 321

Five days passed, and Lee Soonji submitted a total of eight problems to Hyang, Jeong Inji, and Jeong-cho.

“Please select five problems from among these.”

Upon receiving Lee Soonji’s report, Hyang turned to Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji.

“Gather all the researchers.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After assembling the researchers of the institute and even the student studying mathematics—Princess Jung-ui—Hyang wrote the problems on the chalkboard and ordered.

“Try to solve them. The time is… Manager Lee?”

At Hyang’s call, Lee Soonji immediately replied.

“Considering their level, even half a shijin (1 hour) would be more than enough.”

‘Ugh! Look at him! Setting the standard based on himself!’

‘Our level? More like his level!’

‘That’s definitely intentional! It’s clearly intentional!’

‘Ugh! Damn it! If it weren’t for the manager!’

‘I’m going to tell! I’m going to tell Abeomama!’

As if sensing that atmosphere, Hyang immediately ordered.

“Then, one shijin. Do your best to solve them. Begin.”

At Hyang’s command, people took out papers and began solving the problems.

After two shijins of problem-solving and submission, Hyang, Jeong-cho, Jeong Inji, and Lee Soonji began grading the papers.

“Here are the results.”

“Let’s see.”

Hyang reviewed the grading results submitted by Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji and was able to select five problems.

Hyang chose the two problems with the most correct answers, the two problems with the next highest number of correct answers, and the one problem with the least correct answers. He then discussed the next steps with Jeong-cho.

“Let’s print these selected problems on large posters and have them posted on the walls of government offices nationwide.”

“When you say nationwide government offices, does that include the regional offices?”

“Yes. How long should we set the deadline?”

“Hmm…”

Pondering for a moment while stroking his beard at Hyang’s question, Jeong-cho immediately answered.

“Considering the time required for printing, distribution nationwide, and the return of answer sheets, I believe one month would be more than sufficient.”

“One month… Then we should have an outline by the winter solstice?”

“That would be the case.”

Hyang nodded at Jeong-cho’s words.

“Very well. Then proceed with it immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Thus, the research institute’s new researcher recruitment exam, boasting a history, tradition, and notoriety—brought about by the last problem with the worst level of difficulty—was born.

***

As soon as Hyang’s order was given, the research institute and Area 51 moved busily.

The reason for this was the various mathematical symbols included in the problems.

“Good heavens! There are only five problems, but the annotations to be written beside them are three pages long!”

“If we make a mistake in printing, we’ll have to re-engrave the printing blocks from scratch! Why did they include this function?”

The craftsmen and managers of the printing office were perplexed, putting their hands on their foreheads.

The mathematical symbols were familiar to Hyang, who had experienced the 21st century, but they were unfamiliar symbols to the Joseon people of this period.

“Why are we using these in the first place?”

“It’s to make the expression of equations and calculations a bit more convenient.”

“Then, what is the principle behind the creation of these symbols?”

In response to Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji’s questions, Hyang recited a plausible background starting with the arithmetic operation symbols.

Examining the symbols while listening to Hyang’s explanation, Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji showed skeptical reactions.

“Your Highness’s explanation is somewhat understandable, but frankly, I don’t quite see the usefulness.”

“You’ll know once you use them.”

“Is that so?”

Just as Jeong-cho and Jeong Inji were skeptical, the researchers of the institute and the craftsmen of Area 51 were also full of complaints at first.

“Why not just write the characters for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?”

“Calculation is already confusing enough!”

However, before long, the researchers and craftsmen completely reversed their initial assessments.

“This is actually convenient.”

As the unfamiliar symbols became familiar, calculations started to become faster compared to before. It wasn’t simply that time was saved by writing simple symbols instead of characters, but the equations themselves began to be understood at a glance.

Two years after Hyang introduced mathematical symbols, the researchers of the institute and the craftsmen of Area 51 couldn’t even imagine writing equations without mathematical symbols.

‘The crazy bastards at the research institute and Area 51 are using strange symbols!’

Rumors about mathematical symbols soon spread to the court and the military.

Upon hearing the rumors, King Sejong immediately asked the ministers.

“Is it the Crown Prince again?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“Chief Eunuch, summon the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And before long, the court and the military—supply and artillery—began to distribute and use mathematical symbols.

The military, in particular, welcomed it enthusiastically because many officers still didn’t know Chinese characters well.

Receiving a report related to this, King Sejong muttered alone in the secret room he had created in Gangnyeongjeon.

“As expected, the form of characters should be as simple and concise as possible. Only then can the people learn them easily. I need to make some more adjustments.”

Anyway, the arithmetic operation symbols, which first appeared around 1300 AD—except for the addition symbol—and only fully established themselves in the 18th century—the division symbol—began to fully take root in Joseon in the 1430s.

***

The test papers and annotation books created in this way were loaded onto express messengers and headed to government offices nationwide.

Receiving the test papers and annotation books delivered by the express messengers, the local officials muttered with perplexed faces.

“Is it the Crown Prince again?”

“What bizarre thing is he trying to do this time…”

The local officials had intuitively sensed through their experiences so far that this matter would also be extraordinary, but the problem was the separately attached order from King Sejong.

-Act according to the Crown Prince’s orders.

“Well, since all we have to do is post them and collect the answer sheets…”

Displaying the typical characteristics of a government official, the local official issued the order.

***

When the news spread that a new poster had been posted on the bulletin board created next to the main gate of the government office, the curious residents of the county gathered in front of the office.

“Is that writing or a drawing?”

“You ignorant person! Those are Tianzhu numbers. Tianzhu numbers!”

As the residents were discussing the poster filled with numbers, someone with a good voice read aloud the official document posted next to it.

“The Joseon Institute for Science and Technology Development is recruiting researchers to conduct research. Those who wish to become researchers should solve and submit the following problems. Those who pass the test will be selected and appointed. There are no distinctions based on social status or gender, but those who have committed grave crimes or have become government slaves due to collective punishment are excluded!”

As the test papers were posted on the government gazette, those who were confident in their mathematical skills began to scrutinize the test papers intently.

The eyes of those staring at the test papers as if they were going to devour them were burning with ambition.

‘The research institute is an organization directly managed by the Crown Prince! This is another opportunity!’

***

Yeongju, Gyeongsang Province.

A boy with a topknot and a black hat, upon seeing the test paper, unconsciously clenched his fist.

“This is it!”

Rummaging through his sleeve, the boy took out a paper, a gold brush, and an ink container and diligently began to copy the test problems.

After finishing the transcription and checking several times to ensure he had copied it correctly, the boy muttered with a confident face.

“It’s doable.”

“Young Master! The master asks you to come in!”

“I’m coming!”

The place the boy entered after responding to the servant’s call was the official residence attached to the regional office.

***

A few days later, the regional magistrate’s wife, who greeted her husband returning from official duties, spoke with a face full of worry.

“My lord, our third son Damyi has been secluding himself in his room for several days.”

“Our third son, you say? I understand. I will check on him.”

The regional magistrate, who responded to his wife’s words, headed straight to his third son’s room as soon as he changed his clothes.

Seeing the brightly lit room and the meal tray left untouched in front of it, the regional magistrate clicked his tongue softly.

“This child, what is he obsessing over this time…”

Knowing his son’s habit of forgetting to eat and sleep when he became engrossed in something, the regional magistrate stepped on the stone step and opened his son’s room.

“This is…”

Seeing the papers filled with all sorts of numbers scattered throughout the room, the regional magistrate called out to his son in a loud voice.

“You rascal! It is said that a person of learning should not lose his composure, but what kind of behavior is this?”

The boy, who had been crouching on the floor and engrossed in calculations, was startled by the shout and immediately stood up.

“Fa-Father. You’re here?”

“What is all this?”

In response to his father’s question, the boy hastily replied.

“These are the solutions to the test problems that came down from Hanseong this time.”

“Test problems… Do you mean the one recruiting researchers for the research institute?”

“That’s right. It’s perfect timing. I think I will have finished solving them by tomorrow, so please send them to Hanseong once I’m done organizing them.”

“Do you wish to become a researcher?”

“Don’t you know that I have a talent for mathematics? I will surely be of great use to the country.”

At the boy’s words, the regional magistrate shook his head.

“Alas! Although you have a talent for mathematics, you haven’t even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet. Moreover, mathematics is merely a pastime for a gentleman. It is not befitting for a gentleman to make it his profession! Have your coming-of-age ceremony next year and focus on studying for the civil service examination!”

“Father!”

“Ahem! Clean up these papers at once and open up the classics!”

The regional magistrate, who had firmly crushed the boy’s intentions, closed the door and left.

Left alone in the room, the boy gritted his teeth.

“Mathematics is also a great field of study! I will prove it without fail! I, Kim Dam, although I haven’t had my coming-of-age ceremony, am a proper man! Having set my intention, I will surely carry it out!”

It was the boy Kim Dam, who was harshly rebelling against his father’s orders.

Although he claimed to be a proper man himself, his current behavior was a typical teenage rebellion.

Three days later, the official residence was in an uproar.

“My lord! Young Master! Young Master!”

“What about Damyi?”

The servant, panting, answered the question thrown by Kim Dam’s father, Kim So-ryang.

“The Young Master has left home!”

“What?”

Startled by the news that his son had run away from home, Kim So-ryang abruptly stood up. The desk was knocked over by the force, but Kim So-ryang paid no heed.

“Damyi ran away from home? Are you certain?”

“Yes. In the Young Master’s room, this letter…”

Kim So-ryang snatched the letter handed over by the servant and saw the words written on the envelope, his expression turning exasperated.

“Letter of Departure? That rascal!”

***

At that moment, Kim Dam, riding on a donkey, was heading towards Hanseong with a servant.

“Young Master, let’s just go back. If we get caught, you’ll be in big trouble with the master.”

“Hah. It will be fine once I enter the research institute. So don’t be so frightened.”

“You may say that, Young Master, but I will be punished.”

“Hah! Even if you’re a slave, it is prohibited by national law to arbitrarily use violence. Moreover, my father is a government official, so how could he violate the national law?”

At Kim Dam’s nonchalant answer, the dimwitted servant was frustrated, beating his chest.

“Oh, dear mother!”

“You rascal! You should always think positively for everything to go well!”

***

Ten days passed, and Kim Dam arrived in Hanseong. Thanks to King Sejong’s strong policies, the bandits had been eradicated, and many parts of the roads were well-paved, allowing him to arrive faster than before.

The one most excited upon arriving in Hanseong was the servant who had come with him.

The servant, who had a face like he was about to die until passing through Sungnyemun, was now distracted by all sorts of wondrous sights and objects in Hanseong, his head turning in all directions.

“Wow! Young Master! Is that a rickshaw?”

Screech!

“Oh, dear mother! The metal chunk is moving on its own!”

“You rascal! Stop acting like a country bumpkin and let’s go to Gyeongbokgung!”

Dragging the servant, who was lost in admiration of Hanseong’s sights, Kim Dam headed towards Gyeongbokgung.

As Kim Dam arrived at Gwanghwamun, the guard guarding the gate spoke.

“For what reason have you come, young master?”

“I have come to enter the research institute! Let me in!”