Despite the commotion, the professors were able to leave the quarantine station on schedule without any significant issues. This was because no actual patients emerged.
The professors’ steps were full of energy as they left the quarantine station.
“There’s so much to observe and discuss!”
“Indeed!”
Regardless of their specialties, all professors were enthusiastic.
Most interestingly, the medical professors showed the most enthusiasm.
Due to the first night’s commotion, the medical professors had conversations with the Empire’s physicians and were deeply impressed by their profound medical knowledge and public health policies.
-The Black Death could resurge at any time, and equally dangerous epidemics could break out! We must observe and learn what the Empire is doing to establish countermeasures!
-We must learn the Empire’s surgical medicine!
Surgery was an area where European medical professors acutely felt their weakness.
When the Roman Empire fell, many intellectual legacies were lost, but surgical medicine was among the most severely impacted fields.
European medical professors would lament to this extent:
-A butcher with 10 years’ experience in a slaughterhouse would be more capable than a surgeon with 30 years’ experience!
-No, are there even any surgeons?
And the painful truth was that this lamentation was accurate.
However, seeing the skills of the ship’s doctors during their voyage to the Empire and the physicians at the quarantine station, the medical professors were enlightened.
“All of this is the result of policies that His Majesty the Emperor advocated and implemented even before ascending to the throne.”
Hearing the physicians’ response, the medical professors made a firm resolution.
-We must have an audience with the Emperor and receive his teachings!
***
After passing through Mokpo trading port’s customs, the professors’ group entered Mokpo Station.
The professors, lined up on the platform to board the iron horse, tried to calm their pounding hearts while observing their surroundings.
“Finally, we’ll ride the iron horse we’ve only heard about!”
“Those uncouth sailors treated us like bumpkins, but now we’ll finally ride it!”
This too was true.
While foreign sailors arriving at the trading port couldn’t leave Mokpo, they could freely roam the city. Therefore, they could watch the iron horses entering and leaving Mokpo Station to their heart’s content. Moreover, these sailors were the primary customers of the circular iron horses operating within Mokpo city.
Having seen and ridden the iron horses, these sailors were eager to boast about their experiences upon returning home.
They received plenty of free drinks whenever they told their stories, which mixed 30% truth with 70% exaggeration.
***
Wheeee!
As the loud whistle sounded, station workers responsible for platform safety began waving flags with whistles in their mouths.
Tweet! Tweet!
“Step back! Step back!”
As professors kept approaching the tracks, station workers blew their whistles and shouted at the top of their lungs while waving flags. Then the accompanying interpreters shouted the same words in Latin. However, the professors, distracted by the iron horse, couldn’t hear the whistles and shouts.
“Dammit! Are they desperate to see someone lose their job!”
Finally, the station workers cursed while kicking the professors and striking them with flagpoles.
“Step back! I said step back!”
“Ouch! Ow!”
Forced back by the workers’ violence, some professors complained to Giovanni.
“To use violence against guests from foreign countries! What discourtesy is this!”
At these words, Giovanni instead burst out angrily.
“If you had stepped back when first told to, you wouldn’t have suffered such treatment!”
“How could we understand when they were shouting in their language!”
“That’s why the interpreter shouted too! And even without an interpreter, come on! You should have read the situation! If an accident happened, who would take responsibility? Surely you wouldn’t hold the Gonfaloniere responsible!”
At Giovanni’s harsh words, all the professors fell silent. Cosimo de’ Medici was one of the biggest supporters of their universities.
As the small disturbance settled, the special service arranged to carry the professors entered the platform.
“Ohhh~.”
When the iron horse stopped, the professors exclaimed in admiration and crowded around the locomotive and carriages.
Everything fascinated the professors who had gathered around.
The power transmission from the steam engine to the wheels was basic, and even the wheel assembly supporting the carriages was extraordinary.
“To move such a massive body with just water and fire!”
“Look at the carriage wheels! They’re not simply wheels fitted to an axle!”
While the professors were noisily examining and discussing the locomotive and carriages, and even taking out paper and charcoal to sketch, Giovanni wore an exasperated expression. The interpreter standing beside him wore a similar expression as he spoke to Giovanni.
“I recall the artists you brought last time weren’t quite this extreme?”
At the interpreter’s heavy blow, Giovanni put his hand to his forehead. Whether aware of Giovanni’s feelings or not, the interpreter, having heard from a station worker, informed Giovanni.
“They say we need to depart soon. Otherwise, it could cause problems with the regular service schedule.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Eventually, Giovanni had to hurry the professors onto the carriages.
Later, hearing about this, Hyang smirked and muttered:
“Heh! The saying ‘knowing the taste makes it more fearsome’ didn’t come from nothing. If you know nothing, you can just say ‘how interesting’ and move on, but if you know even a little, it’s human nature not to let it go so easily.”
***
Thus, the iron horse carrying the professors’ group began moving toward Seoul.
At first, the professors couldn’t contain their excitement and looked around everywhere, but at some point they settled into their seats to either admire the scenery through the windows or chat with other professors.
Though it was a special service heading directly to Seoul with only two stops for brief meals and rest, it was still a long eight-hour journey. Moreover, access to their most desired sight, the locomotive area, was blocked. Consequently, the professors could only sit quietly watching out the windows or conversing with others.
Additionally, the regular vibration and noise from the tracks strangely made people relax, and eventually, one by one they fell asleep.
The sleeping professors began waking up one by one as they approached Seoul.
“We’re almost at Seoul?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard rumors that the iron bridge over the river south of Seoul is incredible.”
“I’ve heard about it too. They say the river is almost 4,000 feet wide (about 1.2km).”
“To build a bridge over such a wide river. Hmm…”
“With a river that wide, there must be numerous piers, I wonder how they handled sediment management.”
The awakened professors discussed the Han River and its bridge.
Meanwhile, some more proactive professors spoke with the interpreter and shared information with their colleagues.
“We’ll cross that bridge in about an hour.”
“Oh, really? Well then…”
Worried about missing any crucial moments, several professors got up and headed to the restroom.
“By the way, using paper for cleaning up… isn’t that extravagant?”
***
After creating flush toilets and achieving relatively comfortable relief, Hyang still had one remaining complaint.
It was about cleaning up afterward.
When Sejong or Hyang finished their business, waiting court ladies would bring cloth to wipe them, which was somewhat of an ordeal for Hyang.
“I’ve gotten somewhat used to it, but it’s still an ordeal.”
Finally, when mass production of pulp paper began in Area 51, Hyang began considering the production of toilet paper.
-Paper cheap enough for ordinary people to buy without burden, and soft enough not to harm tender skin. Or something similar.
With this goal, Hyang pushed the craftsmen. However, creating something that met Hyang’s set goals seemed extremely difficult, almost impossible.
Eventually, this task became a headache for Wan, who took over the research institute and Area 51 after Hyang.
But Wan also keenly felt the necessity.
“We’ve made such nice toilets, we can’t have people bringing in straw ropes or pumpkin leaves, can we?”
Finally, after craftsmen and researchers’ desperate efforts, “cleansing paper”[1] began selling a few years ago.
Interestingly, this cleansing paper barely sold anywhere except the Empire.
It didn’t sell in Islamic or Hindu regions because they used water, and Ming and Japan expressed aversion to paying money for paper to wipe themselves. They said waste paper or soft leaves could suffice.
Europe had a strong perception of paper as expensive and was accustomed to using cloth, so there were almost no sales. Even the upper class, addicted to flush toilets, didn’t prefer cleansing paper.
The Empire initially faced similar issues. However, it became popularized when the trend of using cleansing paper spread, starting from the palace.
-If all the distinguished people use it, and it’s cheap enough for me to buy? Then I should buy it!
-Let’s enjoy some luxury, even if just for our behinds!
Based on this psychology, cleansing paper began selling like hot cakes and became an everyday item.
***
The professors who had made their preparations waited for the iron bridge over the Han River.
Wheeee~
As the iron horse passed over the bridge with a loud whistle, the professors’ eyes grew wide.
“It really is a bridge made of iron!”
“So it’s called an iron bridge not because iron horses cross it, but because it’s actually made of iron!”
Though they had heard about the iron bridge through Prince Henry and others, the professors had been skeptical.
-Iron isn’t a material that can be produced easily enough for such massive use.
-Iron of sufficient quality to support an iron horse’s weight is even harder to produce.
Because of these perceptions, the professors had doubted the bridge’s existence. Some professors even sneered, saying things like:
“What next? Iron ships floating on the sea?”
Now before these skeptical professors’ eyes appeared an actual bridge made of iron.
As they frantically observed the iron structure of the bridge passing before their eyes, the professors turned to their colleagues and uttered similar words.
“What kind of person is this Emperor who directed all this? Has Aristotle been reborn?”
Thus developing not just admiration but reverence for Hyang’s existence, the professors became even more determined.
-We must have a discussion with the Emperor. We must gain his teachings through discussion!
***
Upon arriving in Seoul, the professors settled into accommodations prepared by the Empire.
“We wish to pay our respects to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“First, you should rest from your journey…”
“No! That wouldn’t be proper! We must pay our respects before resting!”
Hearing the professors’ strong request, Hyang granted permission.
Receiving the professors’ respects in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, Hyang spoke in a gentle voice.
“You must be tired from your long journey. I am the Emperor of this Empire. I hope you have a good time during your stay in the Empire.”
When Hyang finished speaking, those who appeared to be the most senior among the professors stepped forward and addressed him.
“Though we are presumptuous to ask, we request the opportunity to discuss with Your Majesty before returning.”
“With me? Why?”
“Even before coming here, we heard much about Your Majesty’s learning. Therefore, we wish to share knowledge through discussion with Your Majesty.”
“Share knowledge…”
Letting his words trail off, Hyang thought briefly before continuing.
“I heard you examined the toilets so thoroughly that the large tank had to be filled three times overnight at the quarantine station.”
“Yes. Unable to contain our curiosity, we committed an excessive act. Please forgive us.”
“I didn’t bring it up to punish you. So, did you figure out by what principle water is supplied from the large tank to the toilet tanks?”
“Well? Naturally, since water flows from high to low…”
Hyang cut off the professor’s words with a cold expression.
“The toilet tank isn’t attached to the floor but is above it. Meanwhile, the supply pipe runs up the wall from the floor to connect to the toilet tank. According to your logic that water naturally flows from high to low, isn’t this contradictory? So, answer me the principle by which I solved this issue.”
“That… well…”
“You want to share knowledge and discuss when you can’t even properly answer my question? Why should I?”
“…”
At Hyang’s point, the professors could only close their mouths and bow their heads. Hyang’s voice flowed over their bowed heads.
“Your inspection will proceed as planned. But discussion… first provide an answer to the question I posed, then we’ll talk.”