Even while grumbling like this, Hyang stopped there.
- Someone who had been none other than an ‘Emperor’ kept persistently pursuing the matter.
This single record alone would ensure continued interest from future generations.
“At least we’ll be able to avoid the pointless mistakes of the 7.62mm NATO round.”
This was Hyang’s true objective.
And things flowed exactly as Hyang had anticipated.
Because it was an issue the Emperor had taken interest in, the Imperial Army showed consistent attention to the improvement and enhancement of ammunition. Thanks to this, the Imperial Army was able to possess ammunition that was either highly suitable for changing battlefield environments or ahead of its time.
***
Meanwhile, in Seoul, Wan was sighing with his hand pressed to his forehead.
“Haah~. Since His Majesty has been quiet, is it your turn now?”
Standing confidently before Wan, who had his hand on his forehead, was Crown Prince Hyeon, presenting reports and blueprints.
“These are new warships for the Imperial Navy! If these vessels sail the seas, the Imperial Navy shall be invincible!”
“The Empire’s administration has something called procedures. Have you forgotten that military matters must go through the Imperial Army and Ministry of Defense before being submitted?”
“But that takes too much time! The belligerent nations of Europe are already on the move! We have no time to waste on procedures!”
“Haah~.”
Wan let out a long sigh and muttered to himself internally.
‘Now I understand why His Majesty would sigh whenever he saw Duke Jinpyeong…’
“Haah~. Let me see it.”
“Here it is! Your Majesty will surely be satisfied!”
Hyeon handed over the reports and blueprints to Wan with a confident expression.
Opening the report and examining its contents, Wan once again placed his hand on his forehead.
“The warship itself weighs one million gwan (approximately 3,750 tons)? And it’s entirely made of iron?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Everything from the keel onward would be made of iron!”
“Yes, yes… Given the precedent of the assault turtle ships, it’s not impossible…”
As Wan said, warships made entirely of iron from the keel up already existed in the form of assault turtle ships.
“The problem is the weight. Even the assault turtle ships aren’t this heavy. You must understand why assault turtle ships only operate in coastal waters despite this?”
Wan pointed out the problems with assault turtle ships with a cold expression.
***
Since their first combat deployment until now, assault turtle ships had maintained their position as invincible warships.
In reality, no warship had yet emerged that could surpass the assault turtle ship’s firepower, defensive capability, and mobility.
However, assault turtle ships were not deployed in large numbers.
The first reason was their expensive construction and maintenance costs.
Expensive steel was used in everything from the keel onward. Additionally, only carefully selected workers from among skilled laborers were mobilized for the construction process.
In other words, labor costs were considerably expensive as well.
Furthermore, the money required for maintaining these warships was no small amount.
If this had been the only problem, the Empire would have mass-produced assault turtle ships. The Empire already possessed that level of capability, after all.
However, a second reason made them abandon mass production of assault turtle ships.
That second reason was their short operational range.
Assault turtle ships were about 1.5 times larger than Challenger-class warships. However, their operational range was ridiculously short compared to their size.
This was because after accounting for the space occupied by the steam engines that powered the assault turtle ships, the space for cannons, shells, and explosives, the thick bulkheads and side armor installed for the ship’s safety, and space for the crew, there wasn’t enough room left to carry coal as fuel.
Of course, the Imperial Navy officers who were captivated by assault turtle ships brought their own solutions to the higher-ups, and these senior officers took them to Hyang.
“Your Majesty, the answer is to increase the size of the assault turtle ships.”
“To move that bulk quickly, you’d need to install even larger steam engines. You do understand the term ‘vicious cycle,’ don’t you?”
“…”
“Your Majesty, if we slightly reduce the space allocated to the crew…”
“Do you think soldiers who’ve lived in such cramped spaces could maintain proper combat effectiveness?”
“Well, through training we could build up their fortitude…”
“Do you want to be treated as ‘using good men for menial tasks’ again? You should fit weapons to people, not people to weapons! Are warships uniforms? And you call yourself an Imperial Navy commander!”
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty!”
“If you’re sorry, don’t create situations to be sorry about!”
“Your Majesty, couldn’t we reduce the armor on the assault turtle ships a bit and widen the spacing between compartments?”
“Impossible, as the artillery of neighboring countries is becoming increasingly powerful.”
Thus, mass production of assault turtle ships was thwarted.
And due to this short operational range and maintenance costs, the assault turtle ships deployed to the Southern Fleet rarely left the naval ports of the Southwest Islands.
As a result, there were hardly any Europeans who had actually seen assault turtle ships. And the Europeans from shipping who had seen assault turtle ships would return home and chatter about them.
“In the Empire’s naval ports, there are pitch-black ships with monster heads! They say they’re ships made entirely of iron!”
“Stop talking nonsense! How can a ship made of iron float on water? Even if it’s the Land of Flowers, that’s impossible!”
“But it’s true…”
“Hmph! At best, it’s probably just thin iron plates laid over wooden boards!”
While the witnesses felt wronged, most Europeans dismissed it as nonsense.
***
In response to Wan’s criticism, Hyeon answered confidently.
“Unlike back then, today’s steam engines have greatly improved. Even with the same size, they can generate much more power.”
“So that’s why you increased the size this much?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thanks to this, we were able to secure sufficient space.”
“Hmm…”
At Hyeon’s words, Wan examined the report with a serious expression.
“Just looking at the report, it seems acceptable…”
Showing a fairly positive reaction, Wan unfolded the blueprints.
“Hm? You’re making the main guns larger, placing them in turrets, and installing them in the center of the hull?”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Looking at Challenger-class warships and others, they carry dozens of cannons! However, in actual naval combat situations, even in optimal conditions, only about half can be used at best!”
“That’s true…”
Wan nodded at Hyeon’s words.
During this period, regardless of the country, the method of mounting cannons on warships was largely the same. Cannons were distributed and positioned on both sides of the warship.
When battle broke out, only the cannons installed on the side facing the enemy ship would engage in combat. Therefore, many countries, like the Empire, divided their decks into two levels to mount even more cannons.
As Wan nodded, Hyeon continued his explanation with an even more confident expression.
“Then we should create turrets along the centerline of the hull and mount cannons there! Rather than carrying dozens of small cannons, we place a few large and powerful cannons in turrets that can rotate left and right! This would make our firepower even stronger and increase usable space!”
At Hyeon’s words, Wan silently nodded while focusing on the blueprints. The ministers listening nearby nodded their heads, finding Hyeon’s explanation plausible. In particular, the Minister of Defense’s eyes sparkled as he concentrated on Hyeon’s explanation.
“But about this…”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“These turrets. To protect the cannons and soldiers from enemy attacks, the armor would need to be thick, right? And since you mentioned large and powerful cannons, they must be quite heavy? And they need to rotate left and right…”
“The mechanism for that is in the third blueprint!”
“Oh? Let me see…”
After carefully examining the blueprint in question, Wan looked at Hyeon.
“You’re installing separate steam engines to move the turrets?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At Hyeon’s answer, Wan immediately made his decision.
“Denied.”
“Why, Your Majesty?”
“The problem is installing steam engines below the shell and powder magazines beneath the turrets.”
“That issue can be resolved by installing sufficiently thick bulkheads.”
“Can it really? First, go understand why His Majesty abandoned mounting cannons on traction vehicles, then come back. I repeat: denied.”
“Yes…”
At Wan’s decision, Hyeon gathered his reports and blueprints with a dejected expression and withdrew.
Watching Hyeon retreat like this, Wan turned to look at Hwangbo In.
“Prime Minister, how many days do you think? I’m expecting a fortnight.”
At Wan’s words, Hwangbo In answered with a slight smile.
“Still, it’s not an easy problem, so wouldn’t it take at least a month?”
At Hwangbo In’s response, Wan chuckled and replied.
“With that boy’s personality?”
At Wan’s words, everyone in the great hall nodded and muttered to themselves.
‘Minister Hwangbo underestimated him.’
‘He’s a grandson who inherited His Majesty’s blood…’
The topic of the riddle Wan and Hwangbo In exchanged was this:
-When would Crown Prince Hyeon return with revised plans?
Hyeon came to see Wan with revised plans after ten days had passed.
“I have come with corrections to the areas Your Majesty pointed out! I am confident this time!”
After exchanging meaningful glances with Hwangbo In, Wan received the blueprints from Hyeon and examined them.
“Hmm… Huh… Hmm…”
After examining the blueprints while adding his own interjections, Wan reached his conclusion.
“Denied.”
“Why, Your Majesty?”
“Drawing power from the warship’s engine room is good, but the space consumed for this purpose is too great.”
“If we increase the size a bit more…”
“It would take more enemy fire. To withstand that, we’d need to thicken the armor, which would increase the weight again… The Crown Prince surely understands the term ‘vicious cycle’?”
“Ah…”
At Wan’s criticism, Hyeon wore a troubled expression. Looking at Hyeon, Wan continued.
“Well, making warships from iron isn’t a wrong approach. It’s just a method with a long road ahead. In other words, it will require much more deliberation going forward, meaning we need to take a long-term view.”
“I…”
“If you’re going to say we could reduce the time with more budget, just leave.”
At Wan’s firm words, Hyeon flinched, then soon let out a small sigh, paid his respects to Wan, and withdrew.
Watching this scene, the ministers including Hwangbo In all had similar thoughts.
‘This scene isn’t unfamiliar…’
It was a farce between emperor and crown prince that had been passed down through generations, starting from Sejong and Hyang.
As an aside, intellectuals from Europe who later witnessed this tradition firsthand evaluated it thus:
-A method by which the Empire’s emperors could greatly reduce mistakes.
It involved experiencing all sorts of trial and error during their time as crown prince, then developing the ability to make correct decisions based on this experience once they became emperor.
However, there were disadvantages as well.
They would suffer heartburn watching their crown prince do exactly the same things they had done in the past.
***
After the meeting ended and Wan sat alone in the great hall, he let out a slight sigh.
“How is it that Hyeon’s actions so perfectly resemble His Majesty’s… Should I just send him off to the New Frontier? No, no, it would be more comfortable if I went to the New Frontier myself… I should hurry to the New Frontier to research flying machines… How many years are left?”
Wan was unable to give up on ‘flying machine research’ to the very end.