Joseon Military Officer, Establishing Balhae - Chapter 355



Only Noblemtl
Read Novel Noblemtl

Episode 355

The Age of Electricity – Epilogue (3)

The National Museum of Korea, located in Hwapyeong-dong, Dong-gu, Seoul.

This museum is a large stone building in the form of a Korean traditional house, made of stone, and was designed with great care by Empress Hong-eun.

A simple plaque-laying ceremony and a memorial service were held in front of the museum entrance, attended by all the guests. The event did not take long, and the invited guests were soon able to enter the museum.

The director of the museum was Jeong On, a former professor at Balhae University. He was a famous Confucian scholar in Joseon, and after coming to Balhae early on and accepting Heo Gyu’s Silhak, he devoted himself to history and was evaluated as the best historian in Balhae. He was also absorbed in the study of relics and ruins, and had already reached a level where he could infer the production period of relics. This was possible because there were many records left to support this compared to future eras.

When the plan to establish a museum was established, he started to gather valuable relics. He concentrated on collecting relics from Gojoseon, Goguryeo, and Balhae in Manchuria, and also visited Pyongyang, Gaeseong, Hanyang, Buyeo, and Gyeongju. Thanks to this, he was able to collect various relics, books, and epigraphs from each era. Of course, to add to the prestige of the museum, he also collected and exhibited the best traditional crafts.

Taegeon was looking around the museum under Jeongon’s guidance, and stopped when he saw a bronze dagger relic from Gojoseon in the shape of a lute.

“How did you get this?”

“It was given to me by a family that has passed it down through generations.”

“Hmm, it wasn’t a grave item.”

“Yes.”

Taegeon had already issued a nationwide ban on grave robbery and declared that grave robbers would be sentenced to heavy punishment. Of course, this was a natural measure considering the way people lived in this era. There is no act more barbaric than digging up a grave.

“Shouldn’t we excavate the ancient tombs in the future? They are a treasure trove of relics. Moreover, many of them have already been robbed, so even if it’s late, we should look into them.”

“Ugh! That’s what it should be, but not only the students but also the workers find it uncomfortable.”

“This is something the country does for the country. So, wouldn’t it be okay if we hold a grand ceremony and restore it properly after the excavation is complete?”

“Yes, I understand. I must do it for the good of the country.”

“If you need more money, just let me know. If the Ministry of Finance doesn’t have enough money, I’ll give you some of my own money.”

“Oh! Thank you, Kiha.”

“From now on, not only in Seoul, but in every city that was the capital of the country, establish a museum. Then, store and exhibit all the artifacts excavated or found in that area.”

Jeong-on’s eyes widened at Tae-geon’s drastic action.

“Oh, then we’ll really need a lot of students.”

“Do not discriminate between men and women. Is there any distinction between men and women in the excavation and research of relics?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jeong On, despite being a Confucian scholar, responded positively to women’s advancement into academia. Balhae was always a country with a shortage of labor. Therefore, women’s advancement in society had been actively taking place for quite some time. As a result, universities also opened their doors to women. Since the awareness of gender discrimination still persisted, there was a trend toward establishing women’s universities. Women’s universities mainly opened departments related to humanities, medicine, nursing, textile engineering, and art, because these were fields in which women actively advanced.

When Tae-Geon looked back, the head of the external protocol department quickly ran over.

“Bring foreign guests.”

“Yes, geometry.”

The foreign guests who had been following Taegun at a distance smiled brightly and approached him as soon as they heard the director’s story.

“Geometric, the museum is really cool. The exhibits are also very beautiful.”

Henry Middleton spoke the truth.

“Did you listen to the explanation well?”

“Yes, the curator kindly explained it to me. Korea’s history is quite deep.”

Middleton had been using Balhae and Korea interchangeably, but decided that Korea would be an appropriate name for the museum.

Taegeon smiled at Middleton’s expression. As expected, Middleton was more interested in the new cultures spread out outside than in the historical relics of Balhae.

But the painters were not like that. They were sketching the relics with their eyes lit up. The mysterious feeling that came from the relics from thousands of years ago captivated their minds. This was especially true for traditional crafts such as porcelain, mother-of-pearl lacquerware, norigae, and jade that were considered masterpieces to the point of being exhibited at the National Museum of Korea.

* * *

An outdoor banquet hall set up in front of Taehwamun Gate.

Foreign delegations and court officials enjoyed a dinner here, with light musical accompaniment. The National Orchestra also played traditional Balhae music and Western music alternately to liven up the atmosphere.

Taegeon, Lee Ha-ryun, and Hong Eun had dinner separately from them at the palace, then went up to the Taehwamun gate tower and inspected the banquet hall.

“Wow! It’s really nice to see foreign delegations coming and holding an event.”

Lee Ha-ryun said with a big smile.

“Yeah. It’s a day like this. It’s pretty cool with the music added to it, isn’t it?”

Hong Eun answered in an excited voice.

On the other hand, Taegeon’s eyes were somewhat calm. Ha-ryun smiled faintly at Taegeon and then opened his mouth again.

“But, brother, will you accept their request to allow them to travel to and from Seoul on a regular basis?”

“Is it really necessary to do that? The port of Choryang should conduct a strict screening process and only allow important envoys to visit.”

“That would be good. That way, we can grow the Southern Sea and slow down the outflow of our industrial technology.”

“But where did you open the way to visit Seoul? Everyone should be grateful for that alone.”

Hong also viewed Seoul’s opening up somewhat negatively.

“The technology leak is intentional. It’s just that we need to take the initiative, so we can’t open up completely.”

“I understand. That’s a reasonable measure. Our strategy is to simultaneously increase the pace of civilization development in the world. The sooner we get through the age of fossil fuels like coal and oil, the less aftereffects there will be. I think that’s why we came here.”

Hong Eun, who had been looking around Bonghwang Square again after leaving the conversation, raised her head and looked at the sky, then took a deep breath.

“Whoa! Then Balhae will be on a roll now…. Brothers! How are you feeling? Do you think you’ve lived well so far?”

“What? Out of the blue. This is giving me goosebumps.”

Lee Ha-ryun grumbled with a humorous expression.

“I just feel a new sense of emotion today. I feel like I’ve finished all my homework. But why aren’t you answering me?”

Hong Eun urged Tae Geon to answer.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * Baca Novel Korean * *
* * * Noblemtl dot com * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Well, that’s true.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Hong Eun imitated Taegeon’s speech in a deep voice.

“Your Majesty, please behave properly as the Queen of the Nation.”

“Okay. We’re the only ones here, right? I want to have some fun after a long time. It reminds me of old times. Old times, actually.”

After Hong Eun’s words, everyone fell into silence. Everyone was thinking about the past.

Before we knew it, darkness had fallen on Phoenix Square. The dinner was almost over. However, none of the security guards or the guards stationed in Phoenix Square had turned on the lights. So all the guests found this strange and even asked for the lights to be turned on.

“Hoho! It’s finally here.”

Hong Eun raised her hand and pointed to the south of the square.

As the curfew for safety reasons was lifted, citizens who had been waiting around began to flock to the square. The foreign delegation, who noticed their presence, tilted their heads in confusion.

When the time came, Prince Gyeongchin Taewon and Namhaebu Governor Heo Gyun came out in front of Taehwamun. Heo Gyun shouted first.

“Distinguished guests! Now is the time. Today is a historic day. Balhae was the first country in the world to light a fire with electricity.”

After Heo Gyun finished speaking, he looked at Taewon who was next to him. Then Taewon continued speaking in a loud voice.

“The King, the Empress, the Minister of State, and the light presented by the many electricians! Now! Light it!”

As soon as his words left his mouth, Geonheung Palace, Taehwamun Gate, and Bonghwang Square suddenly lit up.

* * *

“Ohhh!”

“Huh! What is this?”

Everyone was astonished by the bright light show that instantly dispelled the darkness that had settled over Phoenix Square. The light from thousands of light bulbs was so bright and enchanting. For those who had been living off of lanterns and candles, the light from the electric lights was incomparably bright and splendid.

The crowd, who were shocked and groaning, soon discovered Taegeon, Hong-eun, and Lee Ha-ryun standing at the Taehwamun Gate. It was much brighter than other places, so it naturally caught people’s attention. The light from the numerous lights made the three people stand out even more.

“Wow! Long live King Giha!”

“Long live King Giha!”

“Long live Daebalhae!”

“Viva!”

The Balhae people began calling it ‘Great Balhae’ at some point. As their pride in their country grew, a movement to add the character ‘Great’ to it naturally emerged.

Taegeon, Hong-eun, and Lee Ha-ryun waved their hands and even bowed their heads slightly in return. Then the people’s cheers grew louder.

One after another, the sound of traditional Korean music began to resonate from one side of the square. Performers who were famous in Balhae society, like the Bukcheong Lion Dance, also appeared and livened up the atmosphere. Then, the citizens also began to dance to the rhythm. It was the start of a surprise night festival.

“Hahaha! It’s really spectacular.”

“Oh, this is creepy. I must be really lucky to have witnessed such an amazing scene.”

“It’s like a dream. The country of Balhae never ceases to amaze people.”

Governor Henry Middleton of Formosa, Governor Juan de Silva of the Philippines, and the Portuguese representative Domingos Montero were all excited by the scene before their eyes and each had a word to say.

When they came to their senses somewhat, Governor Middleton and Silva quickly approached Heo Gyun and asked him.

“What the heck is going on? Why is that light so bright? How does it come on by itself without anyone turning it on?”

Middleton fired off questions at a rapid-fire rate.

“I heard that’s electricity. The power plant is in Gukhwa-dong.”

“Electricity? What is that?”

“They said it was like lightning..”

“Lightning? How can a person use lightning?”

Governor Silva also joined the barrage of questions.

“I don’t know exactly. However, our Balhae has been making and using electricity for quite some time. It’s just that we couldn’t make lightbulbs, or electric lamps, so we couldn’t light up.”

“Huh? You already wrote it?”

“Some of the products you buy are powered by electricity.”

“Really? Then can you show me that power plant?”

“Well, that would require permission from Geoha…….”

Middleton asked again.

“Who developed this electricity?”

“Didn’t His Majesty the Prince mention those three earlier? They are the highest and most outstanding geniuses in Balhae. The people also praise them as being sent from heaven. Hehehe!”

Heo Gyun looked up at Taegeon and laughed heartily.

“I don’t understand. How could that be? Electricity…….”

Admiral Silva shook his head.

“We cannot deny the fact that Balhae will become the center of the world in the future. There is much for us to learn.”

Middleton muttered as if talking to himself.

“Namhae University is open to foreigners. So, send your students here.”

The two people nodded quickly at Heo Gyun’s words.

Western painters were still frozen like statues, their mouths wide open. As befitting their keen eyesight, they were more visually shocked than others.

Even during the day, Bongwhang Square was a place that would overwhelm the view. But now, it was even more splendid and beautiful. The streetlights shining brilliantly transformed the square into a mysterious space. But when the lively music and the people’s collective dancing were added to this, the shock was doubled. It was a huge feast of light and sound, and the painters were completely absorbed in this strange yet ecstatic feeling.

And so, the night deepened in Bonghwang Square, the heart of Balhae, with the first electric lighting ceremony in world history.

Read Novel Noblemtl
Read Novel Noblemtl