Chapter 202

Chapter 202

The most popular items sold at the royal store were undoubtedly candy and salt.

*

Candy was an item imported from Ming and sold by the royal store, with its import and distribution strictly managed by the court.

The demand is gradually increasing, but its a problem that we have to import all of it. We need to find a substitute

As Hyang pondered over this issue, he casually brought it up to Suksu, the head chef of the royal kitchen.

Hey, Suksu.

Yes, Your Highness.

What ingredients can we use to create a sweet taste?

Theres rice syrup, isnt there?

Doesnt rice syrup consume a lot of precious grains? Thats why we import candy in the first place.

Thats true

Suksu fell silent for a moment, trying to recall something from his memory.

After some time had passed, Suksus face lit up.

Ah!

Did you remember something?

We have radishes!

Radishes? Ah!

At Suksus answer, Hyang suddenly remembered something. It was an old TV program he had watched aimlessly on an internet video site back in the 21st century.

The program was about the origin of the phrase Eat yeot! (equivalent to Eat sh*t! in English), and one of the origins was related to radishes.

Radishes are also sweet

Although Hyang nodded in agreement, Suksus expression wasnt very pleased.

However, to obtain sweetness equivalent to candy using radishes, we would need an enormous quantity.

Thats true. Anyway, thank you.

After expressing his gratitude to Suksu, Hyang turned around and continued muttering to himself as he walked.

Radishes There was something Something

However, Hyang couldnt dwell on radishes any longer as he had a lot of pending work at the research institute and Area 51.

A few days later, while sleeping with the Crown Princess, Hyang suddenly woke up shouting.

Sugar beets! Thats what it was! I found it! Well done, my brain!

Your Highness! Your Highness! What happened all of a sudden?

The Crown Princess, who had also woken up startled by Hyangs sudden outburst, called out to him in a panic.

Your Highness! Whats the matter? Did you have a bad dream?

Ah, no. I just remembered the answer to a problem I had been pondering over.

Is that so?

Hyang reassured the Crown Princess, who was looking at him with a worried expression, and got up from his seat, heading towards the nearby writing desk. As he wrote sugar beet on the paper on the desk, Hyang suddenly panicked and frantically scratched the paper with the tip of his gold pen.

Argh Hey, you bastard!

Your Highness! Whats wrong?

Ah, its nothing.

Although Hyang repeatedly said it was fine, the Crown Princess didnt back down.

Ill call the royal physician.

I said Im fine

No! Hey, eunuch!

At the Crown Princesss call, the eunuch waiting outside promptly responded.

Yes, My Lady. Did you call for me?

Bring the royal physician right away. Right now!

Yes, My Lady!

*

In the end, this late-night commotion reached King Sejong and Queen Soheon the next day.

Take care of your health.

Yes, Father.

King Sejong brushed it off briefly, but Queen Soheon was different.

What did the royal physician say?

The Crown Princess immediately answered Queen Soheons question.

He said its because His Highness has been exerting a lot of mental energy lately. So he prepared a tonic to nourish his energy.

Well done. Listen, Crown Prince.

Yes, Mother.

I hope you will keep in mind that everything about the Crown Prince does not belong to the Crown Prince alone.

I will keep that in mind, Mother.

The conclusion is that I have to go through some physical hardship.

Looking at the vegetables that had been brought up, Hyang began to taste them one by one, dividing them by type.

Through this process, Hyang was able to find sugar beetsto be precise, primitive sugar beets before the development of improved varieties.

After tasting the result of boiling the juice extracted from the sugar beets he had found, Hyang shook his head.

Its bland. There was a reason why sugarcane beat it.

In fact, sugarcane showed an insurmountable difference in profitability compared to sugar beets, which is why it maintained its dominant position even in the 21st century.

After confirming the results, Hyang made a decision.

Its not profitable as it is. Ill have to breed improved varieties.

Hyang passed on the sugar beets to the department in charge of breeding various grains.

Oh my goodness

The researchers in the department that had been given a new assignment by Hyang became perplexed.

Just like the oriental melon last time, why is he always looking for sweet things?

Whether its oriental melons or this, its like trying to catch a cloud.

The officials who received the assignment from Hyang muttered in a perplexed tone.

*

Anyway, the main products of the royal store were undoubtedly salt and candy.

However, as the year of Giyu (1429) arrived, a powerful product emerged that threatened the status of these two items.

The name of that product was goyak (medicinal plasters)'[2].

The invention of goyak was also Hyangs work.

*

One hot summer day in the 10th year of King Sejongs reign (the year of Musin, 1429), Hyang, who had come out to take a short break, noticed a soldier of the Inner Palace Guard.

Hey, whats wrong with your walking?

The soldier answered Hyangs question, which was prompted by curiosity at the sight of him walking unsteadily, with an embarrassed face.

Some time ago, a boil appeared on my buttocks, and it got badly inflamed, so

Oh dear! Go see the royal physician right away.

At Hyangs words, the soldier replied with a troubled expression.

I already went to see him, but he said it needs to be lanced

Ah

At the soldiers answer, Hyang unknowingly nodded his head.

Ill write an order for you, so go home and recuperate for a while.

I am deeply grateful!

The soldier sincerely thanked Hyang and bowed deeply at his words. However, his posture was awkward due to the pain from the boil.

Hyang, who had returned to his room and written the order to give to the soldier, muttered with a serious expression.

I had forgotten about this

At that time, boils were a fatal disease in Joseon. The best treatment was to lance them, but considering the hygienic conditions in Joseon at the time, this was a dangerous gamble.

A little safer, a little cleaner!

Exclaiming this, Hyang spread the method of disinfection using alcohol (ethanol) and improved hygiene by supplying soap. However, surgical procedures were still the last resort.

This was not just a problem in Joseon.

In the West, the situation was similar until the introduction of modern disinfection methods in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Surgery or procedures were considered putting one foot in the grave.

Come to think of it Father also suffered from boils, right? And wasnt it said that the cause of death for King Jeongjo was a boil?

Hyang muttered with a serious expression.

Hyang didnt know, but in the history before his intervention, some scholars even mentioned abscesses as the biggest reason for King Munjongs short life.

How much did Munjong suffer at that time? King Sejong, who could no longer bear to see the Crown Prince writhing in pain, issued a royal order with a heart of praying to the heavens to unconditionally pardon criminals with sentences below hard labor among the criminals nationwide. (Note 1)

However, Munjongs boils recurred frequently, and he eventually died just two years after his enthronement. (Note 2)

I need to find a solution

As Hyang walked around trying to find a solution, he soon stopped and snapped his fingers.

Thats it! Medicinal plasters!

*

The place where Hyang had set up a blacksmith shop in the 21st century was a rural area on the outskirts of Yangsan.

It was a place where elderly people with an average age easily exceeding 70 gathered, so it was common to see people with various ailments.

If you went out a little, there was a hospital in Yangsan City, but the place most frequented by the residents was a nearby traditional Korean medicine clinic.

It was run by a traditional Korean medicine doctor who was as old as the residents, aging together with them, and the residents would visit this clinic whenever they felt even slightly ill.

The most famous thing at that clinic was medicinal plasters.

*

Note 1) The very thing that made the kings of Joseon tremble. The Hankyoreh. 2014.07.25

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/science/science_general/648527.html

Note 2) Joseon, fighting a battle against boils. Written by Bang Seong-hye. Window of the Era.

[]medicinal plasters[]