After grumbling while staring at the sky, Hyang took a deep breath.

“Huuuh! Haaa.”

Having composed himself through deep breathing, Hyang resumed examining the report and continued speaking.

“I suppose we should be thankful that we’ve at least prevented the historical outbreak of disease that would have been recorded in history.”

The “disease” Hyang mentioned was smallpox.

***

Through Hyang’s smallpox vaccination, recorded in the Annals as “the Crown Prince’s self-harm incident,” Sejong learned how to prevent smallpox.

At that time, Sejong had decided to first conduct trial vaccinations on the residents of Hanseong, the capital, and then implement nationwide vaccinations based on the results.

However, this led to a confrontation when State Councilor Ryu Jeong-hyeon and conservative ministers strongly opposed the plan.

On the surface, the conflict centered around “the dangers of the uncertain method called vaccination,” but beneath that, it was a challenge from elder conservative ministers trying to prevent Sejong from monopolizing power.

During this conflict, Ryu Jeong-hyeon and his sympathetic elder ministers were purged on a large scale, resulting in a significant reshuffling of the court.

Having completely secured his power through the purge, Sejong actively expanded smallpox vaccination.

As time passed, smallpox almost disappeared from Joseon, or rather, the Empire. Occasionally, rumors of outbreaks would be heard, but these were mostly from peripheral regions like the Northern Territory or Jongjiang Island.

Even these peripheral regions gradually escaped the nightmare of smallpox, starting with the Large Snow Island, and the Empire’s medical personnel were doing their best to eradicate smallpox in the Northern Territory.

Because of this history, the natives of the New Frontier were largely free from the threat of smallpox.

That wasn’t all.

Whenever natives of the New Frontier submitted to the Empire, imperial citizens unfailingly administered smallpox vaccinations.

Observing pus being collected from unfamiliar beasts that resembled hairless bison and then injected into people, the natives asked for the reason through interpreters or through gestures.

Whenever they received such questions, imperial citizens would point to people whose faces were pockmarked from previous smallpox infections and explain.

“If you don’t get this, you’ll end up looking like that later.”

After hearing such answers, the natives would silently extend their arms to the physicians.

Of course, the people who served as examples protested with sad faces.

“Why me? It’s not like I wanted to have a face like this!”

“I’m sorry. But among us, you’re the only one who has suffered from smallpox, aren’t you?”

“Even so…”

“I’ll give you a special reward and compensation instead.”

“How much will you give?”

After receiving and checking the amount of the reward, these people became enthusiastic.

“Since I’ve already been marked! Make sure to call me next time too!”

Through this process, the natives also actively received smallpox vaccinations, and the risk of smallpox was greatly reduced.

***

Meanwhile, as the Empire’s exchanges broadened, the existence and effectiveness of smallpox vaccination began to become known.

Naturally, the first to learn about the effectiveness of vaccination were Ming and Japan.

There were instances of smallpox outbreaks near Joseon trading posts—later renamed as Imperial Concessions—in Ming and Japan.

Since it was such a highly contagious disease, administrators around the trading posts requested help from physicians residing in the concessions.

Anticipating a high likelihood of such occurrences, Hyang advised Sejong, and Sejong and the court, accepting this advice, issued orders to the trading posts:

• If there is a request for physicians due to disease or natural disaster around the trading post, provide support.
• Even if the location is distant from the trading post, as long as it is not too far, the person in charge and the physicians should discuss and decide whether to provide support or not.

Thanks to these prior orders, the physicians at the trading posts immediately jumped into action.

Since there weren’t enough hands to treat patients, the physicians brought people working at the trading posts to help them.

Through these experiences, the locals began to have a question.

“Aren’t Joseon people afraid of smallpox?”

This was because Joseon people didn’t seem to fear contact with patients whose bodies were covered with inflammation and pus.

“I can understand the physicians being like that. But look at those assistants—they’re just workers from the trading post, aren’t they?”

“That’s right. Something seems strange.”

It was natural to question the sight of Joseon people nursing smallpox patients.

Both Ming citizens and Japanese people knew that once you had smallpox, you wouldn’t get it again.

However, after suffering from smallpox, most people were left with marks on their bodies.

Some could become terribly disfigured with pockmarks, and there was a high possibility of serious sequelae such as blindness or physical disabilities.

Lucky people were left with only lightly pockmarked traces, and there were some who, by heaven’s grace, recovered without any traces, but they were an extremely small minority.

Yet, the faces and limbs of the Joseon people moving around in the smallpox-ridden area were remarkably clean.

Those who had never had smallpox wouldn’t move around so actively.

However, it seemed strange that there were too many people to be those who had recovered without traces by heaven’s grace.

“It doesn’t make sense that only Joseon people are special and recover from smallpox without traces, does it?”

“That’s right. Even among the Joseon people I’ve seen before, there were quite a few with pockmarks.”

Racking their brains to solve this deepening mystery, Ming citizens and Japanese people soon reached similar conclusions.

• Joseon people know a treatment for smallpox, or a method to prevent it!

Such talk quickly reached the ears of the leaders of Ming and Japan, and envoys from Ming and Japan immediately rushed to Hanseong.

• If there is a treatment for smallpox or a way to prevent it, please tell us!

Regarding the requests from Ming and Japan at that time, Sejong and the ministers of the court engaged in a fierce debate.

• “Although there is a history of grudges, they are currently neighboring countries with diplomatic relations. Moreover, since it concerns human lives, it is right to tell them.”
• “Both countries could become enemies at any time. Proposing to do something beneficial for such countries is an act of treason!”

Since both sides had valid reasons, a conclusion was not easily reached.

In this situation, it was Hyang who stepped forward.

“I think we should tell them.”

Hyang’s argument was as follows:

• It is true that both countries could become enemies at any time. However, many Ming and Japanese people already reside in Joseon.
• And we administer smallpox vaccinations every year. Therefore, they will soon discover that vaccination is a method to prevent smallpox.
• Of course, they may not immediately discover that the material used for vaccination is cowpox, but with effort, they will find out. This is because there is a history of human pox inoculation during the Yuan Dynasty, and there are also a small number of documents recording cases of cowpox.
• Finally, if we tell them this while spreading the news widely through Joseon trading posts, the people of Ming and Japan will deeply admire our Joseon.

Sejong and the ministers accepted Hyang’s opinion and informed Ming and Japan about the smallpox vaccination method.

Of course, it was natural that they also spread rumors through the trading posts at the same time.

And it was inevitable that Joseon became a topic of conversation among the people of Ming and Japan.

“There was such a method?”

“Wow! Joseon is amazing indeed!”

As Hyang had predicted, the people of Ming and Japan became favorably disposed toward Joseon. No, they changed even more than that.

“I heard that in Joseon, there are stones that can light up when you pour water on them.”

“Really? I’d like to know what those stones are. Couldn’t we make a fortune if we mined and sold them?”

“Well, I heard they’re not stones dug from the ground, but something made by people?”

“Is that possible?”

“I heard that the Crown Prince of Joseon had craftsmen make them?”

“That’s amazing…”

“Why? I heard that iron carriages carry people without oxen or horses in Joseon!”

“No way!”

When the skeptical people of Ming and Japan confirmed that the rumors were true, they exclaimed in admiration.

“Joseon truly is remarkable!”

“Hey, I heard that Westerners call Joseon ‘the Land of Flowers.'”

“‘The Land of Flowers’…”

As they savored the phrase “the Land of Flowers,” they murmured softly.

“I wonder if I could live in Joseon too?”

“I want to live in Joseon.”

***

Similar reactions occurred in the Middle East and Europe.

In the Middle East and Europe, smallpox was also a frequent and deadly disease.

Particularly, the Mediterranean region experienced frequent smallpox outbreaks as large numbers of slaves were imported from Africa.

When such incidents occurred near Alexandria, Suez, or Aden, it was natural for Joseon people who were present to step in and help.

And as Joseon transformed into an Empire and students and professors began to enter Europe in earnest, the number of people harboring questions increased.

“Strange… Why doesn’t smallpox spread in the Empire?”

“Could it be because they’ve built separate quarantine facilities at the ports?”

“Let’s say that takes care of the sea routes. But the paths to the Empire aren’t just sea routes, are they? How would they block land routes?”

“On land, couldn’t they just block important areas with fortresses and establish quarantine stations?”

“Have you forgotten the siege of Port Caffa in the old days? What would they do if someone catapulted corpses of those who died from smallpox?”

“That’s true, but…”

It was a natural progression for the students and professors who were putting their heads together to conclude that ‘a treatment must exist.’

And so, these individuals jointly petitioned the Emperor, who at that time was Hyang.

• • We humbly petition Your Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Federal Empire of Korea.

• When we humble ones came to the Empire, we noticed that the people of this great Empire live without fear of smallpox.

• This must be due to the grace of Almighty God, the benevolent rule of Your Imperial Majesty, and surely because there is a method to treat smallpox.

• Therefore, prostrating ourselves and weeping, we implore You.

• If there is a treatment for smallpox or a method to prevent it, please bestow Your mercy and share this knowledge with us.

• If Your Imperial Majesty, who rules this great Empire, shows mercy, all the people of Europe will praise Your name, and all the poets of Europe will write poems in Your honor. Furthermore, not only the people of Europe but also all the monarchs of Europe will admire Your great Imperial Majesty.

Reading the joint petition from the students and professors, Hyang smiled bitterly and muttered.

“They certainly wrote at length.”

After setting down the petition and thinking for a moment, Hyang soon reached a conclusion.

“The situation is already known to Ming and Japan, and Ming and Europe are beginning to engage in full-scale trade. If we’re not careful, only Ming and Japan will benefit. We should tell them.”

Having decided to pass on the vaccination method, Hyang smiled bitterly and muttered.

“I feel sorry for Dr. Jenner, but what does it matter? It’s not like this is the only mess I’ve made, is it?”

Hyang had somehow become the epitome of irresponsibility.