Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Friend or Foe Identification (4)

Thinking well, I have not yet raised industry.

- Your company grew how much in a few years what sound?

Not company but industry.

The 1850s are still a bit... ambiguous.

Although <​modern>, the secret recipes of the cheeseburger that brought <​contemporary> have not yet appeared or just sprout stage.

Let’s list once the miracle-like items that brought 21st century modern civilization.

Electricity? Michael Faraday did legendary experiments but still far for Edison to appear.

Biology? Pasteur’s that famous ‘bent neck flask’ experiment has not yet occurred. Still the world is the era of spontaneous generation theory. Penicillin freeze to death. Still fortunate that the cowpox method appeared.

No cars, no refrigerators, no concept of chemical engineering in this era, how can I with no knowledge of such specialized fields suck honey with future knowledge?

After long pondering the conclusion I drew was simple.

Must raise manufacturing.

Not just manufacturing, must secure mass production technology through conveyor belt - that is assembly line that can be called the core of cores of modern industry.

- Wasn’t already there? Division of labor that story from Adam Smith’s time.

Still long for Henry Ford to appear.

There is division of labor and factory machines, but to reach that ‘factory system machine industry’ 21st century people know this century’s primitive factories are clumsy even quite clumsy.

To achieve the final goal of changing history political power is also essential, but along with this innovation in industrial capability must also follow. Because only I know how total war testing the limits of national power <​world war> is not miscellaneous wars like Opium War or Crimean War.

In that sense, buying cheap goods in large quantities here and moving there and selling expensive is something to call ‘trade’ or ‘commerce’ still a bit not to call ‘industry’... is my opinion.

Building huge industrial complexes, tying countless workers to conveyor belts, endlessly drawing out products with terrifying productivity, endlessly selling the large quantities of products produced like this this beautiful wave of industrialization!

Ideals are hung at the top of that sky but reality is a gutter, second what item I choose how to graft this modern mass production onto 19th century reality could not even lift the first shovel.

Because I was in Joseon not Britain in the middle of the Industrial Revolution.

So forgot about evolution into such an industrial capitalist for a while. Diligently intervening in diplomacy and picking up a few words of advice, only heated up securing new development or interests.

However the autumn and winter crossing from 1854 to 55.

I who should be busy preparing to return to London suddenly established a factory near Hanyang.

“Ooooo!!”

“My goodness, this much in one day...!!”

“Lee Aseul, is he a genius? Is he Zhuge Liang?”

Joseon’s first modern mass production.

It was not bricks, not wood, not cotton cloth.

Started with kimchi.

***

If doing division of labor productivity greatly improves. This is the national rule written even in the Wealth of Nations and even in Goguryeo Subakdo.

However to mass produce with division of labor conditions are needed.

Fine can make in large quantities but are materials prepared that can digest that productivity? And is there a market to sell the products made like that?

In pre-modern society both none. So even if doing division of labor not much meaning.

But 1854 Hanyang was a bit different.

“Aigo, seeing the weather getting cold must do kimjang!”

“If not wanting to suck only fingers in winter must do kimjang...”

“Look at salt prices becoming cheap a bit. Living became much better.”

The great innovator Arthur Lee completely reformed the conventional water transport and wholesalers and completely normalized Joseon’s water transport and distribution.

As latest Western ships were largely input instead of all rotting Joseon ships the logistics transport of the eight provinces of Joseon became much smoother, and even the Gyeongin Line railway was pierced between Incheon and Hanyang. Needless to say import of various products.

And one more.

“Auntie, what is this side dish!”

“If don’t want to eat go!”

“Ah, really still can a person only scoop rice soup. At least must put up even one pickled radish.”

Enormously people flocked to huge cities like Hanyang, Incheon, Pyongyang, Busan.

Naturally the food service industry targeting them prospered, and this means people who must buy side dishes with money increased.

It was then that President Kim Seokcheol who was receiving handover one by one from me and Lizzy raised a suggestion.

“Master. May this humble one say one word?”

“There master sound please remove a bit. What.”

“As know these days all sorts of restaurants prospering in Hanyang as much as now is the first since Dangun.”

“Right.”

“Now if winter kimjang season, kimchi to make and eat at home everyone wives and daughters-in-law will diligently make-”

“Restaurants have no such capacity so if can buy with money will buy?”

“Yes. How about building a factory very big and making kimchi.”

“Let’s do immediately.”

Lee & Gladstone Company has everything.

Combat power not to be torn by corrupt officials or gangsters.

Transport ability to bring materials from various places.

And even brand in the market.

“The topic of the capital Geumseong brand kimchi! Come, selling too fast soon all gone none! Geumseong brand- buy Geumseong brand kimchi!!”

“Auntie there! Taste one bite and go!”

“Said making and selling kimchi? Not mixing strange things and selling?”

“Saying sounds that will cause big trouble! That excellent Lee Aseul public this time in the war took in widows who lost husbands saying pitiful and made them do kimjang? First taste one bite then say yes or no!”

[Bought one jar of Geumseong brand kimchi so don’t have to do kimjang this year!]

[What? Doing kimjang? Does your house still have slaves?! Gal!!!]

[Until when will treat the daughter-in-law this harshly? Now Geumseong brand kimchi ends mother-in-law daughter-in-law conflict!]

[Patriotic spirits who sacrificed lives to protect us! Buy and eat Geumseong brand kimchi and help their bereaved families!]

[Characteristic of old era frog in the well: making kimchi at home

Characteristic of progressive new era civilization enlightenment urbanite: buying and eating kimchi]

A lion does its best even when catching a rabbit.

Although I am an outsider in production management have some knowledge in marketing.

Joseon people got hit by the 21st century advertisement phrases I presented and fell helplessly, and the kimchi originally only thought for supplying to restaurants unexpectedly began to be bought enormously even in private houses.

The Joseon’s first kimchi factory that started by employing a modest 80 widows and old women hit the jackpot literally, and the factory system kimchi (handmade) that appeared 100 years early slaughtered everyone in price competitiveness.

“What? Kimchi makes money?”

“Doing doing now an era came where even with kimchi earn a fortune.”

“Then let’s also build a kimchi factory a bit!”

Joseon Industrial Revolution starting with kimchi not textile nor mine.

Yangban who were only looking for investment places began printing all sorts of food in factories saying kimchi factory water kimchi factory salted seafood factory, and many went bankrupt completely but the few that survived succeeded in transforming into modern capitalists like that.

And I could practice the basics of mass production and factory management. Fine if only the result is good.

Cabbage seed improvement was less so mostly radish kimchi, but at least great significance in blocking the invasion of heretical curry kimchi and protecting the lifeline of chili powder kimchi.

By the way this Geumseong brand factory system kimchi was very tasty.

Joseon people’s personality if kimchi was not tasty would have set fire to the factory.

***

That Britain’s influence is very deep in the Joseon Kingdom no one can deny.

No.

In this 19th century where the law of the jungle is rampant, already Joseon only looked like a appearance right before falling into Britain’s mouth.

Right in front of the capital Hanyang although only hundreds British regular army is stationed, and in Incheon and Busan part of that famous Royal Navy is anchored.

Not only that? The East India Company the alpha and omega of British colonial invasion is newly recruiting over 1,000 company army on Joseon land, and the Joseon Kingdom regular army also all officers are receiving British style training.

Britain’s influence is not simply concentrated only in the military field.

<​Far East Company> established by British person Arthur Lee, and the joint venture <​Far East Colonization Joint Stock Company> established together with this Far East Company by the Joseon king and Joseon government tightly held Joseon’s railway construction rights, telegraph construction rights, major water transport rights, ginseng monopoly rights etc. and began seizing Joseon’s economy, and the large-scale infrastructure creation and reform work the Joseon government is currently doing also the loans received from Britain played a big role.

Of course Britain making Joseon a colony is another problem. Even now in the parliament grumbling that guys who went out cause matters to build their merits and honor.

However rational Europeans all think the same.

‘If just set the mind fine to cook to the degree can make a colony?’

If merger is the problem roughly making up to protectorate status fine.

Truly a European-like idea, but anyway people are all the same. If I don’t apply saliva in advance when a bad guy coveting my rice bowl might pounce what to do.

1855.

Arthur Lee the foreigner with the strongest influence in Joseon boarded the ship returning to Britain leaving Joseon.

The great scholar and the last lamp of the barbaric era, living morality and walking ethics, the only great merchant who knows the virtue of coexistence, Joseon people’s table guardian Arthur Lee disappearing is a matter even feeling pleasure like a aching tooth falling out to Consul General Alcock. To British diplomats who love chaos and destruction, oblivion a guardian of order like Arthur Lee is hardship just by existence itself.

Alcock carefully took action.

Encouraging missionaries who crossed to Joseon, looking whether something to catch faults on Joseon authorities among their complaints, diligently managing and supervising whether British merchants’ legitimate rights are not infringed.

Fortunately, or unfortunately Joseon authorities and public sentiment were very friendly to British people, and Alcock who confirmed there is no bait except about opium trade that was earnestly requested not to do moved looking for new bait.

“Have you been well in the meantime, Prince Heungseon?”

“Since the superior country’s grace is like heaven and earth how would there be any matter?”

Foreign Minister Heungseon-gun belonged to a human truly troublesome to deal with. How is this country made that the foreign minister commands the secret police.

And he was also a human very intimate with Arthur Lee.

“However, looking recently Britain seems to care much more about Qing than our Joseon.”

“Hehe. Well Qing is a much bigger country, and also wartime so. The home country’s will to avoid unnecessary collisions.”

“Saying so truly the heart is relieved. That Prince Gong that traitor is plotting to invade Joseon is a fact all heaven and earth know, if Britain not only not protecting us but bought by Prince Gong how sad a thing this.”

“How about increasing sepoys a bit more for everyone’s national defense? Or seems can export a bit more high-quality British weapons.”

“Hehe... if Qing invades how can this country survive just because there are a few more weapons or soldiers. Only correct learning and self-cultivation can establish the country.”

Strange.

He of course thought Joseon people would foam at the mouth and make a fuss saying words are not different, how can try to abandon us. Then at that time thought of injecting a bit more sense of reality into Joseon people’s heads.

However Joseon people really had no reaction at all.

Perhaps almost never experienced war so the sense of fearing war completely disappeared, these?

While he was guessing the Joseon government’s ulterior motives.

Before knowing winter ended and spring came.

“Today to our cathedral, Your, Your, Your, Your Majesty graced.”

One day of Lent week.

Heonjong visited the Catholic church for the first time in Joseon dynasty history and comforted the people.

Even if a rebellion occurred Alcock would not have been more astonished than this.

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