It was unclear whether Sejong had entrusted her with an important task or if she had been tricked, but Hyang did her best.
The first thing Hyang did was to set up an institution with the long name "Temporary Headquarters for the Reconstruction of Hanyang Fire Victims" in District 51.
In District 51, there were a few master craftsmen who had expertise in architecture, mainly because various facilities related to research had been continuously built.
In the large conference hall of District 51, where Hyang, Jeong Choe, Jeong Inji, and other senior officials sat in the front row and middle-level officials in the back, Hyang conducted a meeting.
"First, let's confirm the exact extent of the damage."
"Yes, Your Highness."
At Hyang's command, Lee Cheon, who held the title of "Deputy Director," stepped forward.
At Lee Cheon's gesture, soldiers hung a large map of Hanyang on the wall, and Lee Cheon explained the situation with a long pointer.
"First, let's confirm the damage to buildings. 106 rooms of the annex in the northern part of Insoonbu were completely destroyed, 1,630 households of civilian residences in the central part, 150 households in the eastern part, 90 households in the southern part, 8 rooms of the annex at Jeonokseo, and 200 households of nearby civilian residences around the bell tower. In total, 2,070 households of civilian residences were completely destroyed. This number excludes the buildings of the palace and the government that were destroyed."
"What about the casualties?"
"Nine men and 23 women were rescued but died. After comparing with the household registers, the casualties include 23 elderly, 15 children, 46 men, and 89 women."
"The damage is significant."
Jeong Choe shook his head at Lee Cheon's report.
* * *
However, in actual history, the damage was even greater.
Over 2,400 households of civilian residences were destroyed, and the casualties were recorded as follows:
- Excluding the elderly and children, 9 men and 23 women died. The number of people who died from the fire in their homes could not be determined.
However, the efforts to vaccinate and organize the household registers, as well as the land registry, allowed for a more accurate estimation of the number of casualties.
The existence of District 51 also contributed to reducing the fire damage.
One reason was that most of the southern part of Hanyang, which in the 21st century is the central area of Seoul, was occupied by District 51, reducing the number of civilian residences in the southern part. The other reason was the nature of District 51, which dealt with various explosives and dangerous materials.
"One mistake can lead to a major accident!"
Hyang almost neurotically conducted rigorous emergency response and disaster prevention training.
It wasn't just for the internal areas of District 51.
She also meticulously trained for scenarios where accidents inside spread outside, or where unusual situations outside spread inside.
Thanks to this, the southern part of Hanyang suffered less damage than expected in this fire.
As soon as the fire began to spread, the people in District 51 immediately responded.
"Extinguish any unnecessary flames immediately! The disaster response team, move to your positions! Soldiers on rest, return to your positions! Watchtowers, monitor the situation!"
"Yes!"
Under Lee Cheon's command, who was in charge of District 51, everyone moved in unison.
Thanks to the quick response, the internal areas of District 51 were not in great danger.
"The fire is spreading!"
"Follow Plan 2!"
"Yes!"
The gates of District 51 opened, and water barrels and horse-drawn pumps rushed out.
To prevent the fire from spreading to the south, the people from District 51 did their best.
The houses they were protecting were where their families lived.
Thanks to their desperate efforts, the number of houses destroyed by the fire in the southern part of Hanyang was reduced to 90, instead of the 350 or more in the original history.
* * *
During the process of reporting the damage, Jeong Choe and others deliberately did not mention a certain place.
However, Hyang pointed it out.
"Even if we consider the west, why is there almost no damage in Bukchon?"
"That is…."
As Lee Cheon hesitated, Hyang added,
"You know it too. I just wanted to say it."
"I apologize."
The place Hyang pointed out was the wealthy area of Bukchon.
Bukchon, a high-end residential area where the high-ranking officials of the government and influential scholars lived, suffered almost no damage in this fire.
Most of the roofs were tiled, not thatched, and each house had high walls and large courtyards, making it less likely for the fire to spread.
Additionally, each house had many servants who could quickly extinguish any flames.
During the process of preventing the fire, the homeowners in Bukchon made excuses and were reluctant to release their servants.
"We must prevent the fire from spreading!"
Sejong clenched his teeth in frustration.
"Wait and see!"
* * *
After confirming the damage, Hyang stood up and moved forward.
Hyang, who ascended the podium, looked at the gathered people and began to speak.
"As you can see from the sign, we have been entrusted with the task of rebuilding the areas affected by this fire."
"Do you mean to rebuild all the houses that were burned down?"
Hyang shook her head in response to Jeong Inji's question.
"We don't have enough resources for that. Our goal is to change the structure of Hanyang to prevent such fires from happening again. We will start with the areas destroyed by this fire, and eventually expand to the entire city of Hanyang. The estimated duration is five years."
At Hyang's words, the eyes of the gathered people sparkled.
Almost a generation had passed since King Taejo moved the capital to Hanyang. Although social changes in Joseon were slow, this was the point where various inconveniences began to appear.
"Move the map to the table."
"Yes, Your Highness."
At Hyang's command, soldiers took down the large map hanging on the wall and spread it on a large table in the center of the conference room.
Hyang pointed at the map with a pointer and began to speak.
"First, the starting point of all the work will be the renovation of Cheonggyecheon…."
* * *
"…and we will connect Cheonggyecheon and other major streams within Hanyang to a waterway to collect sewage and discharge it into the Han River. This will make sewage treatment in Hanyang easier, clearly demarcate the boundaries between neighborhoods, and allow for quicker response to fires and floods."
In the Jeongjeongjeon hall.
Hyang explained the "Hanyang Reconstruction Plan" to Sejong and the high-ranking officials.
Sejong stroked his beard after listening to Hyang's explanation.
"The scale is larger than expected."
"We estimate a five-year deadline. The priority will be the reconstruction of the areas destroyed by this fire, and we will gradually expand to other areas."
"Hmm, I see… But what is a paved road?"
"It means to pave the roads. Currently, the roads in Hanyang turn into mud when it rains, making it difficult for both horses and people to travel. By paving the roads, we can ensure that people and horses can travel without inconvenience even when it rains."
"Good…."
While Sejong was nodding, Hwang Hee asked a question.
"Does paving the roads mean laying stones? Wouldn't that require a huge budget?"
Hwang Hee's point was acknowledged by the other officials.
The officials of the Ministry of Household were already struggling to secure the budget for those who lost their homes and property in this fire.
Sejong had even issued food rations twice to help the overworked officials of the Ministry of Household.
In response to Hwang Hee's point, Hyang nodded.
"You're right. Laying stones requires a lot of resources. Therefore, we will not use stones. Instead, we will make a new type of paving."
"Make a new type of paving?"
At Hyang's answer, Sejong and the officials' eyes began to sparkle with interest.
"We will use slaked lime."
"Slaked lime?"
In Joseon, lime was not an unfamiliar material.
It was commonly used in construction, and the Sejong Sillok Jiriji (Sejong's Annals of Geography) recorded the following:
- Among the local products of Ganghwa Island are blue jade (a type of turquoise) and rocks. Blue jade is carved into stone steles, and rocks are cut and processed for use.
Here, "processed" means that the rocks were burned in a lime kiln and then used. (Note 1)
"Is it possible to make roads with lime?"
"It is possible!"
Hyang answered confidently.
Hyang's confident answer made Sejong firm in his decision.
"Good! Crown Prince, I trust you! Give it a try!"
"I am deeply grateful!"
While the grand plan of the Crown Prince pleased Sejong and the officials, Sejong did not forget the reality.
"Roads are important, but the most urgent task is to provide shelter for those who lost their homes in this fire. How do you plan to do that?"
"That is a wise question. As I mentioned, while roads are important, the most urgent task is to rebuild the areas destroyed by the fire. Therefore…."
At Hyang's gesture, an attendant turned the page of the map.
The next page showed a plan for the reconstruction of the areas destroyed by the fire.
"This is the plan for the reconstruction of the areas destroyed by the fire. As you can see, we have set a rule to dig one well for every five households to ensure a supply of water for daily use and fire prevention."
"Can so many wells be secured?"
At Hwang Hee's question, the Minister of the Ministry of Works answered.
"It is possible. Surprisingly, Hanyang is not a place lacking in water."
Seoul, especially the Hanyang area during the Joseon period, was rich in groundwater.
Among the stories told by Hyang's father, uncle, and younger uncle in the 21st century, there was one about water flowing next to the Jongno subway station tracks, which they initially thought was a sewage leak but turned out to be groundwater.
In reality, groundwater management is one of the biggest issues in the management of high-rise buildings in the Jongno area of Seoul. (Note 2)
"Then, why are there water carriers?"
At Hwang Hee's question, the Minister of the Ministry of Works gave a simple answer.
"There is the issue of digging deeper wells."
"Ah…"
Hwang Hee, who was about to click his tongue, stopped abruptly. In this hall, only two people could click their tongues without repercussions.
One was Sejong, who had popularized the habit of clicking his tongue when frustrated, and the other was his son, Hyang.
With the support of the Minister of the Ministry of Works, Hyang continued her explanation.
"Digging wells serves a dual purpose. It provides jobs for the displaced people who lost their homes in the fire and gives them an opportunity to gather resources to rebuild their homes. The other purpose is to secure water for daily use and fire prevention, as I mentioned."
"Good… But why do we need to widen the roads and clearly demarcate the boundaries?"
"Currently, the alleys in Hanyang are like a tangled maze. As you can see from this fire, the closely packed thatched-roof houses caught fire quickly, and the people trapped in the maze-like alleys were burned and injured. Therefore, we need to widen the roads and clearly demarcate the boundaries so that people can easily escape in case of an emergency."
Hyang's words made Sejong and the officials nod.
"Additionally, this will improve law and order. In the current maze-like alleys of Hanyang, even if the patrol officers and special patrol officers of the Podocheong chase criminals, they can easily hide in the alleys. To solve this, we need to invest a lot of manpower, which creates gaps in other areas. However, by clearly demarcating the boundaries, efficiency will improve."
"Good."
While Sejong was nodding, Hwang Hee, who was examining the map, pointed out a place.
"According to Your Highness's map, there are public baths marked at various points. Are they really public baths?"
"Yes."
At Hyang's answer, Hwang Hee pointed out a problem.
"Public baths can store a lot of water, which is good for fire prevention. However, as seen in the customs of the previous dynasty, when men and women gather to bathe, it can become a breeding ground for immorality."
"I am well aware of that. Therefore, the new public baths will have separate entrances for men and women, and the buildings will be completely separated with walls between them."
"Is it necessary to build public baths to such an extent?"
At Hwang Hee's question, Hyang nodded vigorously.
"Of course! Regular bathing can prevent epidemics!"
"Huh?"
* * *
Seeing the interest of Sejong and the officials, Hyang instructed an attendant to submit a report.
"This is a mandatory record of the people working in District 51 and their families."
"Mandatory record?"
"Due to the handling of many dangerous materials, many people get injured. As you can see from the skin diseases and other illnesses section, the number of skin disease cases significantly decreased after regular bathing was implemented. According to the opinions of the doctors who treated them at the time, not only did skin diseases decrease, but minor illnesses also decreased as the body remained clean."
"Hmm…."
Hyang's words made Sejong and the officials ponder between practical benefits and Confucian principles. Seeing this, Hyang added a bit of MSG.
"Furthermore, if these public baths are well utilized, they can help with currency circulation."
"How so?"
Sejong showed great interest in Hyang's words.
"Isn't it difficult for people to carry cloth and rice every time they want to take a bath?"
"Ah!"
Ironically, it was this issue that led Sejong and the officials to support Hyang's public baths.
-----
Note 1: Song Jong-taek, Professor of New Materials Engineering at Dankook University. Ceramist, February 2009.