Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 433

433. Night of Betrayal – The Beginning of Chaos (1)

Despite the occurrence of various events, both large and small, Joseon (Korea) and Ming (China) continued to progress steadily along their respective paths.

The population was growing, and merchant ships filled the seas, facilitating trade.

Overall, Joseon was the most active in trade, followed by Ming, and then by countries such as Đại Việt (Vietnam), Ryukyu (Okinawa), and Siam (Thailand), which engaged in commerce between Joseon, Ming, and Tianzhu (India).

However, Joseon was the nation that conducted the most trade and reaped the greatest rewards.

Countries like Vietnam and Siam primarily traded their natural resources, which did not generate substantial profits.

In contrast, Joseon, and Ming to a lesser extent, were able to secure significant profits through the sale of goods produced using advanced technology.

In the international trade market, which stretched from nearby Japan to distant Tianzhu and Alexandria, Joseon was solidifying its position with high-quality goods, while Ming was known for its cost-effective products.

* * *

As Joseon, Ming, and the surrounding countries were actively moving forward, one country was increasingly lagging behind in this competition.

That country was Japan.

Unlike Joseon and Ming, which maintained relatively stable conditions, Japan was spiraling toward a critical juncture.

The primary driver of Japan’s internal crisis was none other than the shogun [military dictator] of the shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshinori.

Born as the third son of the third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Yoshinori had entered the priesthood and served as the head priest of the Tendai sect [a major Buddhist school in Japan].

After the sudden death of his full-blooded brother, Ashikaga Yoshimochi’s son and the fifth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshikazu, and the subsequent passing of Yoshimochi himself, Yoshinori became the shogun.

The most notable characteristic of the sixth shogun was his unwavering belief that his ascension to the position was divinely ordained.

This conviction stemmed from the circumstances surrounding his appointment.

When his son died unexpectedly and he himself became critically ill, Yoshimochi refused to name a successor. Consequently, the shogunate’s ministers agreed to select the new shogun through a lottery.

The individual chosen as shogun in the lottery held at Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine was Yoshinori. (Note 1)

Having become shogun in this manner, Yoshinori developed a firm conviction that he had received a mandate from Heaven [divine approval to rule].

“Anything that displeases me, who has received the mandate of Heaven, or opposes my will, is defying Heaven. Therefore, punishing such individuals is a natural course of action.”

This belief, coupled with the revival of the shogunate’s authority and the political objective of restoring the shogun’s direct rule, led to the emergence of a reign of terror.

Beginning with the political retaliation demonstrated in the conflict with Enryaku-ji Temple [a powerful Buddhist monastery], the history of the shogunate began to be written in blood.

In addition to these significant events, Yoshinori imposed harsh punishments for even minor offenses, leading to the saying ‘Terror to All.’

* * *

The situation in Japan deteriorated further following Hyang’s intervention.

The Joseon navy’s reliance on gunpowder and Hyang’s obsession combined to decimate the Japanese pirates, significantly weakening the shogunate’s maritime control.

The route to Joseon’s East Sea (Sea of Japan), which had been a major fishing ground, was effectively blocked.

The subsequent blow to this setback was Joseon’s economic influence.

While the Kamakura shogunate, the preceding shogunate before Muromachi, relied on traditional agricultural products as its primary source of revenue, the Muromachi shogunate’s main source of income was trade with Ming through the Kangō trade (tally trade) [a system of regulated trade between Japan and China].

The intermediary profits generated through the trade with Ming, which the shogunate monopolized, strengthened the Muromachi shogunate’s power.

In this context, Joseon’s request to establish trading posts appeared to be another opportunity.

Therefore, Yoshinori permitted Joseon to open trading posts.

However, as time passed, Yoshinori came to realize that this decision was a grave mistake.

The Joseon trading post established in Naniwa (the old name for Osaka), which was within the shogunate’s sphere of influence, benefited the shogunate as Yoshinori had anticipated. Lords from nearby regions flocked to purchase Joseon goods, generating substantial wealth.

However, the second Joseon trading post established in Nagato proved to be a trap.

Ordering the creation of a trading post in Nagato instead of Shimonoseki, a traditional trading port that the Ōuchi clan had long cultivated, was aimed at weakening the Ōuchi clan. It was intended to bleed the Ōuchi clan dry through the expenses incurred in preparing the area for the trading post, deploying defensive facilities and troops to guard the area, and the additional military expenditures.

“Of course, the Joseon trading post in Nagato will generate profits. But if I subtly hint to the lords around Ōuchi, they will know how to act. Then Ōuchi will struggle with Nagato. At that time, I can step in and take it.”

This was Yoshinori’s calculation. And it was a misjudgment.

The Ōuchi clan endured the expenses. And once they endured the expenses, the profits coming through Nagato enriched the Ōuchi clan.

“Did Ōuchi have wealth that I didn’t know about?”

Sensing something was amiss, Yoshinori secretly sent spies, but none of them returned.

Examining these circumstances, Yoshinori reached one conclusion.

“They’ve definitely joined hands with Joseon!”

Although he was convinced of this, Yoshinori couldn’t easily confront the Ōuchi clan.

The Ōuchi clan, which had grown remarkably after allying with Joseon, was too powerful for even Yoshinori to handle carelessly.

Knowing the ambitions of the past Ōuchi lords well, Yoshinori kept a close watch on the Ōuchi clan.

What made Yoshinori uneasy was that some lords were subtly aligning themselves with Joseon or the Ōuchi clan while observing his every move.

A prime example of this was the Shibukawa family, who held the position of Kyushu Tandai [a military governor of Kyushu].

The Shibukawa family, known as the Genji (Minamoto) clan in Joseon, had inherited the position of Kyushu Tandai from the shogunate.

However, since around the time Sejong [a Joseon king] ascended the throne, they had been relying on the Ōuchi clan due to conflicts with the So clan.

In this situation, the offer extended by Joseon was irresistible. The Shibukawa family, having accepted Joseon’s offer, joined forces with the Ōuchi clan to reclaim the land they had lost, creating a situation where the So clan fled to Tsushima Island.

Having recovered their base in this way, the Shibukawa family began large-scale cotton cultivation for Joseon. And this contract farming became a major source of income for the Shibukawa family.

And seeing the growth of the Ōuchi and Shibukawa clans, the surrounding lords began to subtly approach the Ōuchi and Joseon.

“These damn bastards!”

Yoshinori cursed after receiving the report on the situation.

It was a situation he deeply regretted, but confronting Joseon or the Ōuchi clan was out of the question.

The Ōuchi clan was a formidable opponent, but Joseon was even more so. The Joseon of the past, for example, when they sent troops to Tsushima, could have been harassed to some extent, but the current Joseon was an opponent that would turn Kyoto into a sea of fire as soon as such a thing happened.

Also, from a political standpoint, confronting Joseon or the Ōuchi clan was something that should never be done.

-Everything I do is in accordance with the mandate of Heaven, so there is not a single mistake!

This was Yoshinori’s political philosophy.

Therefore, reversing what he had done according to the mandate of Heaven was an act of Yoshinori himself undermining his own authority.

If that happened, it would not only damage the authority of the shogunate, which he had worked so hard to revive, but also certainly destroy his direct rule system.

“Damn Joseon! Damn Ōuchi!”

Yoshinori constantly cursed Joseon and the Ōuchi clan, but this was also a limitation of the Muromachi shogunate.

* * *

Regardless of the country, the greatest source of power for maintaining the state system was finance.

The problem with the shogunate was that it would collapse as soon as there was a problem with this financial management.

This was because the legitimacy, another axis that maintained the regime, was held by the Emperor.

Therefore, the shogunate had to control the purse strings to survive.

The solution to this financial problem that the Muromachi shogunate chose was the aforementioned monopoly trade.

However, the Muromachi shogunate’s policy of relying solely on trade for securing finances was bound to have limitations.

Even within Japan, as the population increased, commerce and industry gradually began to develop, and with the introduction of advanced agricultural technology, the surplus production of rural areas also began to increase.

Even as these changes were taking place, the Muromachi shogunate only emphasized trade, and in the end, all of this internally grown economic power was absorbed by the local lords, becoming the spark that ignited the great fire of the Sengoku period (Warring States period) [a period of intense internal conflict in Japan] in the future. (Note 2)

* * *

In the end, even in a situation where he could do neither, Yoshinori kept a close watch on the Ōuchi clan.

And on the other hand, the intensity of the reign of terror increased. Even if they were close aides, if they deviated from his sight even a little, they would immediately receive a great punishment or have their heads cut off.

Or, one day, they would suddenly be attacked and killed by assassins.

Eventually, Ōuchi Morimi fortified the interior of his residence in Kyoto.

But even so, feeling threatened for his safety, Morimi left Kyoto under the pretext of illness and holed up in his territory.

“It’s better to wage a war! I refuse to be assassinated!”

As Yoshinori was losing the hearts of the people, the seeds of rebellion began to sprout.

And the center of that rebellion was Ashikaga Mochiuji.

* * *

Ashikaga Mochiuji of the Kamakura-gosho (Kamakura Palace) [the administrative center of the Kanto region] had quite a few grievances.

The brothers of the third shogun, Yoshimochi, had all entered the priesthood, but he had not.

Therefore, if properly considered, he should have become the shogun.

“But to return a monk to secular life and make him shogun? This is clearly a conspiracy!”

However, Mochiuji could not publicly express his dissatisfaction due to Yoshinori’s reign of terror and watchful eyes.

In this situation of secret maneuvering, Mochiuji smiled as he saw Yoshinori increasingly losing the support of the people. In particular, Mochiuji clenched his fist tightly when he heard about the curse incident on Mount Hiei that occurred during the aftermath of the Enryaku-ji conflict.

“Is an opportunity finally coming to me?”

Mochiuji quietly began to reorganize his troops.

And there was someone watching Mochiuji’s movements.

It was Uesugi Sadazane, who was in charge of the duties of Kanto Kanrei (関東管領) [the shogunate’s representative in the Kanto region], the assistant to Mochiuji.

As he was an assistant, Sadazane, who knew Mochiuji’s movements well, muttered with a worried face.

“It’s dangerous….”

The increasingly full-scale reorganization of troops was a worrying situation. He wanted to give a warning about this, but Mochiuji was increasingly distancing himself from him, and from some point on, he was even showing hostility.

“How long has it been since the end of the war….”

Thump!

As Sadazane was muttering with a worried face, a subordinate rushed in with a loud noise.

“Lord! Please evacuate!”

“What’s going on?”

“The movements of the Kamakura-dono (鎌倉殿) [Lord of Kamakura, referring to Mochiuji] are unusual! It’s dangerous!”

At the subordinate’s words, Sadazane gritted his teeth.

“It’s burst!”

* * *

Note 1) https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/아시카가_요시노리

Note 2) https://빅데이터협회.com/2359