Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 308

308. The Road to the Land of Flowers (5)

The auction atmosphere was fierce.

After the first chandelier sold for 82,000 ducats and the second for 97,000 ducats, the male auctioneer addressed the merchants about the last one.

“Now! This is the last one remaining. If you don’t get it this time, you’ll have to wait until next year. A year… Some of you might wait, but please consider this: it comes from the distant sea.”

The auctioneer’s words were simple.

-If there’s an accident at sea, you won’t even see it for at least two years!

The participants, understanding the auctioneer’s words, became even more enthusiastic.

“Now! To proceed quickly, let’s start at 80,000 ducats!”

“90,000!”

“92,000!”

The auction house was ablaze with excitement.

Watching the scene from the back, Oh Ha-seok turned to Mansur.

“I must apologize, esteemed merchant. I didn’t truly believe the saying, ‘The competition among merchants is as fierce as war,’ but it’s as intense as a real battle.”

Mansur smiled and replied to Oh Ha-seok’s words.

“It is fierce. And, in reality, they sometimes *do* wage wars.”

As Mansur said, many of the wars and battles in the Mediterranean region, while ostensibly under the banner of nations, were actually conflicts between rival merchant factions.

* * *

After fierce competition, the last chandelier went to a merchant from Florence.

The amount the merchant bid was a whopping 124,000 gold ducats.

“Let’s see… The total amount sold at auction is 303,000 ducats. After deducting the commission, that leaves us with 270,000 ducats coming in, right?”

“That’s correct.”

In response to Mansur’s answer, Oh Ha-seok muttered inwardly.

‘His Majesty keeps emphasizing trade to the point where he seems to disregard his dignity, which I thought was excessive, but now I see why. Just one auction brings in enough money to build two Challenger-class battleships and equip them with cannons…’ [Challenger-class battleships were a type of warship in the Joseon navy.]

Oh Ha-seok was pleased but making a critical mistake. The value difference between ducats and *nyang* [Joseon Dynasty currency] was 10:1. Simply put, 10 ducats equaled 1 *nyang*.

Although Oh Ha-seok had overestimated, the amount secured through the auction was still enormous. Seeing the huge sum coming in, Oh Ha-seok, realizing the necessity of trade, turned to Mansur.

“By the way, we’re going to have a lot of unwanted guests from now on.”

“That’s right.”

“We need to be well-prepared.”

* * *

Meanwhile, those gathered at the auction house were muttering as they watched the Florentine merchant who had won the last chandelier.

“To take two out of three, he must be incredibly wealthy.”

“With that much money, you could buy several decent castles or large manors with good yields…”

Those watching from the back and the second floor simply thought of him as a ‘rich Italian merchant,’ but those who had competed fiercely at the front were looking at the merchant in question with eyes full of surprise.

‘It’s him! It’s definitely him!’

‘Cosimo de’ Medici! Why is the ruler of Florence here!’

‘The man who should be counting gold coins in Florence, why is he here!’

The owner of a bank with branches in 16 European countries, and a behind-the-scenes power broker who uses vast capital to build political influence.

Cosimo de’ Medici, one of Europe’s most powerful figures, couldn’t hide his disappointment as he watched the chandeliers being re-packaged.

“I should have gotten all three…”

Cosimo clicked his tongue, regretting that he had been outbid by a merchant from the Ottoman Empire for the last chandelier.

The merchant from the Ottoman Empire and Cosimo had engaged in fierce competition.

Through that process, two chandeliers had come into Cosimo’s possession, but he had no choice but to hand over the last one to the Ottoman merchant due to insufficient funds.

“Well, I could have gotten it by writing a bill of exchange, but…”

Cosimo didn’t dwell on it any further.

Watching the packaged chandeliers being transported under heavy guard, Cosimo turned his body.

“One should be sent to the Vatican, and the other to Habsburg [a major European royal house]. France will have to wait until next year. They’re probably too preoccupied right now. The expenditure was quite large, but I can extract more than that by using those, so it’s not a losing business.”

The Vatican had the Pope, and Habsburg had Albrecht V, who would inherit the throne of the Holy Roman Emperor.

France was still at war with England. However, Cosimo already knew that the war was over.

The current war was a war to gain an advantage in negotiations.

“So, there’s still time.”

Cosimo turned his back on France, making such calculations.

It was a war that had lasted for nearly 100 years.

Even if they stopped the war right now, it would take a considerable amount of time to regain their strength.

Cosimo did not underestimate France. It was one of the largest countries in Europe.

If they ended the war and started to build their strength again, it was certain that they would grow into a nation that would dominate the European political landscape.

“It might be good to pursue a marriage alliance later…”

The Habsburg family had also been steadily building power in Central Europe, and Archduke Albrecht V of Austria was currently the son-in-law of the Holy Roman Emperor. Considering Italy’s location, it was essential to make a good impression.

The Vatican? There was nothing to be gained from ignoring the Pope.

“That’s beside the point, Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom], huh…”

Surrounded by guards and returning to his lodgings, Cosimo’s interest was focused on ‘Joseon.’

* * *

Initially, Cosimo had no plans to come to Alexandria.

As before, he would send merchants belonging to his family and only check the incoming news.

When the report came that no merchants had arrived from Aden [a port city in Yemen] for over a month, Cosimo immediately sent a reply.

-Wait 10 days, and if they don’t come, withdraw.

However, a few days later, those in charge of carrier pigeons rushed to Cosimo.

“Urgent news from Alexandria! The Joseon people are coming with the merchants from Aden!”

Upon receiving the urgent news, Cosimo felt a strong sensation.

‘This is an opportunity!’

Trusting his intuition, Cosimo came to Alexandria across the Mediterranean with a large amount of capital.

And, he happened to find the chandeliers at the auction house. Although he paid a large sum, they were items that would be worth their value if given to the powerful figures of Europe.

* * *

Now, Cosimo’s interest was shifting to Joseon.

“The glass products sent from Joseon flattened the noses of those Venetian bastards.”

At this time, the highest quality glass products circulating in Europe all came from the island of Murano in Venice. However, as glass products made in Joseon were distributed, the Venetian glass industry suffered a serious blow.

Mid- to low-priced products had to compete with products from other European countries, and high-priced products used by nobles were gradually being encroached upon by those from Joseon.

Of course, Venetian artisans also demonstrated their skills and manufactured and distributed goods comparable to those from Joseon, but the allure of the golden flowers that made Joseon known as the ‘Land of Flowers’ was immense.

The European nobles and their servants were willing to pay a little more to obtain Joseon goods with golden flowers engraved on them, rather than Venetian ones.

The reason for this was simple.

The golden flower was a symbol of trust.

In addition, the ‘glass mirror’ made in Joseon, a fantastic product, was a must-have for noble women.

There were glass mirrors in Europe and the Middle East as well, but the quality of Joseon’s mirrors was unmatched.

The goods from Joseon were not just glass products.

Dishes made of porcelain and gilded with gold leaf stimulated the vanity of the nobles.

In short, to be a noble and strut around in Europe, you had to have one or two Joseon items.

Cosimo muttered as he looked at the wooden boxes.

“If Joseon has the ability to distribute things of the same quality as those in large quantities…”

Cosimo paused for a moment and imagined what would happen next.

Stopping and imagining what would happen next, Cosimo sighed.

“Hoo~. Whoever has a connection with Joseon will dominate the European market.”

Concluding, Cosimo beckoned to the merchant following behind him.

“Did you call?”

“You said there are more goods from Joseon, right? Where can I see those goods?”

“I heard you can see them at Mansur’s shop starting tomorrow.”

“Mansur?”

“He’s the merchant who first started trading with Joseon.”

“Is that so? Tomorrow, huh… Then, you…”

Cosimo stopped speaking for a moment, about to give an order to the merchant. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Cosimo continued.

“I think it’s better to see it myself. You should find a way to contact the Joseon people.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Cosimo wasn’t the only one who came to that conclusion.

Among those who had seen the goods sent from Joseon and the chandeliers at the auction, anyone with a discerning eye came to a similar conclusion.

“Whoever can establish a connection with Joseon is the winner!”

Those who came to that conclusion were eagerly searching for an opportunity to contact the Joseon people, especially Oh Ha-seok.

Among those seeking such opportunities was Prince Henry.

* * *

“Ugh!”

Seeing Cosimo win the chandelier at the auction and take it away, Henry writhed in frustration.

As soon as he saw the chandelier, Henry thought of his father’s palace in Lisbon.

“If only I could hang that in His Majesty’s palace!”

However, Henry could not participate in the auction.

Because he had no money.

Although he had support from his father, building ships and hiring experienced captains and sailors was expensive.

Therefore, although he had manipulated the books and concealed it, Henry was suffering from considerable debt.

If it hadn’t been for the transactions made through the slave traders he had contacted while exploring the West African coast, he would have been bankrupt long ago.

Therefore, Henry had to writhe in frustration as he watched the fierce auction.

“I can’t just stay like this!”

Quickly regaining his composure, Henry assessed the situation.

-The goods made in Joseon are not just high-priced items. There are several grades of goods, but they all boast the highest quality in their respective grades.

-That means they can be sold to everyone from nobles to commoners.

-If a sea route is connected to Joseon and a trade route can be established, enormous profits can be made.

-There is India, the land of spices, in the East, but the competition is fierce. Joseon can be a sufficient alternative.

After assessing the situation, Henry tapped the table with his finger and muttered.

“The first thing to solve is the problem of 26 degrees north latitude. Breaking through Cape Bojador [a headland on the north coast of Western Sahara].”

Cape Bojador, which Prince Henry was talking about, was a forbidden area among European sailors.

There was a widespread belief that if you went beyond that point, the sea would boil and everyone would die.

Although they had advanced to the vicinity through previous explorations, no one had yet emerged to challenge the cape.

“I’ll have to offer a reward.”

Henry planned for the future. If it is proven that Cape Bojador can be safely passed, he will continue south and bypass Africa.

If he succeeds in that process, he will then go up the east coast of Africa and secure Suez [a city in Egypt, located on the Red Sea coast].

Thinking that far, Henry clenched his fist.

“If I secure Suez, the Arabs won’t be able to move!”

After that, all that was left was to secure the sea route to India and Joseon.

That part seemed to be surprisingly easy to solve.

Because there were many Copts [Egyptian Christians] who knew the route well, and there were quite a few Italian sailors as well.

“Jose!”

Having sorted out the situation, Henry called his subordinate.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Find a way to contact the Joseon people.”

“I understand.”

* * *

Author’s words.

The amount from the auction and Cosimo de’ Medici’s wealth are based on the following.

The source is the ‘Life History of the Human World – Renaissance’ published by Korea Time-Life in 1978.

According to a letter Lorenzo de’ Medici sent to his son, from 1434 to 1471, after deducting other expenses, he spent 663,755 florins on architecture, charity, and taxes alone.

And most of this amount was used during the Cosimo era.

Based on the exchange rate between florins and ducats, which was 2:1 according to Wikipedia, it can be estimated at about 332,000 ducats.

In other words, public expenditure including taxes alone was over 330,000 ducats.

There is also a story that the Medici family’s wealth, when converted to modern standards, is about 144 trillion won, so I described it with some exaggeration.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the reader who pointed out this part and explain it for the understanding of other readers, and I ask for a lot of advice in the future.