Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 439

439. Laying the Groundwork (1)

After reviewing the report, Jo Mal-saeng set it down and massaged his brow with his thumb and forefinger.

“How should I take this…”

The discovery of unclaimed territory, unknown to others, was excellent news indeed.

However, the timing of the discovery was the problem.

* * *

A few months prior, an urgent report from Aden had led to the decision to establish naval bases in Temasek [modern-day Singapore] and several other locations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was bustling to make it happen.

To ensure smooth progress, Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] had been liberally bribing influential figures in the respective countries and regions. Fortunately, these figures preferred Joseon’s artifacts, such as crystal lamps, over gold and silver, so the expenditure was less than anticipated.

Hwang Hee, upon hearing this, chuckled and muttered,

“That just means we were charging exorbitant prices.”

Thanks to winning over the local power brokers, the Joseon navy was able to easily establish naval bases in the area.

“The problem is the port facilities…”

As Jo Mal-saeng checked on the situation, the working-level staff responded readily.

“That doesn’t seem to be a major issue either.”

“Oh?”

Chittagong, a bustling trading port, as well as Temasek, Ryukyu [Okinawa], and even Luzon [largest island in the Philippines] already had decent port facilities, so the Joseon navy only needed to worry about preparing living spaces for the navy personnel and their families.

However, those in charge of the budget had a different concern.

It was the cost of building new warships and the expenses involved in recruiting personnel.

“We’ll start by relocating the existing Haeung-class warships, but in the long term, we’ll need to build a large number of new warships.”

Upon hearing the staff’s report, Kim Jeom offered his opinion to Jo Mal-saeng and Hwang Hee.

“The best approach is to draw from the military and the court’s reserve funds first, and then properly allocate the budget from next year onwards.”

Jo Mal-saeng and Hwang Hee nodded at Kim Jeom’s words. Hwang Hee, examining the budget allocation plan Kim Jeom had presented, looked at Jo Mal-saeng and said,

“The new production of warships seems manageable this way, but the problem is securing the personnel. What does the navy say?”

Jo Mal-saeng answered Hwang Hee’s question immediately.

“The navy says they can handle everything if we just give them the ships and the budget.”

“Hmm…”

Hwang Hee, unable to hide his unease despite Jo Mal-saeng’s reply, summoned the Naval Commander-in-Chief.

“You summoned me?”

The Naval Commander-in-Chief, who had entered the cabinet meeting room upon being summoned, took his seat, and Hwang Hee immediately got to the point.

“Are you truly confident in recruiting naval personnel?”

“If the budget is properly supported, it is entirely possible.”

“How?”

“Have you forgotten that the navy’s nickname is ‘Bibimbap’ [Korean mixed rice dish, implying a mix of people] ?”

“Ah…”

As Hwang Hee, Kim Jeom, and Jo Mal-saeng, who were already present, nodded at his answer, the Naval Commander-in-Chief continued.

“As long as we have Hunminjeongeum [Korean alphabet] and the Monopoly Bureau, the navy will have no major issues with personnel supply.”

* * *

As the social changes created by Gyeongjang [political reforms] took firm hold and Joseon’s territory gradually expanded, Joseon citizens of foreign origin were no longer unfamiliar faces.

Even within the court in Hanseong [old name for Seoul], students sent from Ouchi [Japanese clan] were being gathered after completing their basic courses, and labor exploitation disguised as practical training—except for the Ministry of National Defense—was taking place.

The military, which had accepted foreigners early on, already had some who had risen to the rank of middle-level officers.

A curious characteristic emerged here.

While the land-based defense forces, centered around cavalry and artillery, were mainly composed of Joseon and Jurchen [Manchu] people, the navy was filled with not only Joseon and Jurchen people but also natives from Daeseol Island, Jongjang Island, and other regions where naval bases were located.

This was due to the navy’s policy.

“Naval work isn’t something you get used to in a day or two, and getting used to the sea is no different.”

The sea that needed patrolling and exploring was constantly expanding, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled sailors. The naval commanders, troubled by this situation, noticed the natives of Daeseol Island and Jongjang Island sailing around in small boats.

The naval commanders, looking at these natives, simultaneously muttered without exception,

“The answer is right there?”

The natives, who roamed the rough northern seas in small rowboats or makeshift vessels made of leather and wood, were the best human resources for the navy.

“How do we reel them in…”

As the naval commanders pondered how to attract the natives to the navy, the best card was created.

It was Hunminjeongeum.

Just as the native Joseon people welcomed Hunminjeongeum, so did the foreign natives.

Most of the natives, except for the Jurchens, did not have a script to record their languages. Of course, some of the Ainu people of Daeseol Island had learned to use Hanja [Chinese characters] or Hiragana [Japanese syllabary] through contact with Waeguk [ancient name for Japan], but Hunminjeongeum could perfectly record even words that could not be recorded with Hanja or Hiragana.

It was only natural that the natives, who could now record their languages with Hunminjeongeum, would learn Joseon language.

Even if they didn’t know the meaning, reading it wasn’t difficult. And once they could read it, understanding the meaning was instantaneous.

The next thing that attracted the natives was, of course, the Monopoly Bureau.

The daily necessities in the Monopoly Bureau had become essential items for the natives.

In particular, fabrics like cotton cloth had become must-have items for their children’s wedding gifts.

As a result, the natives needed money.

“Hunting and fishing, which we’ve been doing so far, don’t provide a steady income…”

“This isn’t a good place for farming either…”

As they were all pondering, the navy posted a large paper on the bulletin board.

The paper had a phrase written in large Hunminjeongeum characters.

-Navy Recruitment.

-Those familiar with the sea and naval work.

-Preference given to those proficient in Joseon language.

-No discrimination.

-Joseon language education also provided. However, only 1/3 of the normal salary will be paid during the education period.

-Excellent employees guaranteed rapid promotion.

Not long after the notice was posted on the bulletin board, natives lined up at the entrance of the naval base.

“I want to join the navy!”

“I’m the right person!”

“I really want to do it!”

Thanks to this, the navy was able to easily recruit personnel. And the navy earned the nickname ‘Bibimbap.’

* * *

As an aside, historians studying this period discovered a peculiar fact.

Until then, when a country acquired new territory, it was common for the inhabitants of the acquired area to become slaves.

Of course, in the Islamic world, the enslavement of fellow Muslims was prohibited by law, but the subjugated people had to live almost like slaves. And the heathens had to become slaves.

In this way, the fate of the inhabitants of new territories generally plummeted, but Joseon was not like that.

Joseon accepted anyone who wanted to become a Joseon citizen without discrimination. And these incoming foreigners soon began to work in various parts of Joseon society.

The place where this phenomenon was most evident was the military. The military, generally considered the most conservative place, had as many foreigners as the old Roman Empire.

And the historians who were studying why this happened were tearing their hair out.

“Is it the Crown Prince again!”

* * *

Around the time it was breaking out of its stagnation, Joseon’s situation was similar to that of the navy. It was trying to solve the problem of insufficient population by actively recruiting from abroad.

Thanks to this, it was finally able to surpass 11 million in the year of Gimi.

“Of course, the problem is that most of the increased population is newborns.”

“We need to pay more attention to education and healthcare.”

“Anyway, it seems that the problems with the distant ocean naval bases have been roughly resolved, so can’t we take a breather?”

Just as the officials were feeling relieved, the navy dropped a super-sized bomb.

* * *

Jo Mal-saeng, pondering over the report, looked at the Naval Commander-in-Chief sitting in front of him.

“For something you pushed forward with the absurd idea of ‘harmony of yin and yang’ [balance of opposing forces in nature], the results are quite remarkable?”

The reason given when they first started exploring eastward was ‘harmony of yin and yang.’

-The world is a place where the harmony of yin and yang is achieved. In other words, it is impossible for all the lands in the world to be concentrated on one side like this!

It was plausible, but not at all plausible. The navy diligently sent ships eastward. Of course, Kim Jeom was furious, but the navy was able to stop Kim Jeom’s anger by continuing to discover islands.

The Naval Commander-in-Chief smiled slyly at Jo Mal-saeng’s words and replied,

“Of course, that was the reason on the surface, but there was another reason inside.”

“Another reason?”

“Confirming the shortest route to the Seoi’s country [Western countries]. That was the navy’s goal. There are too many pirates on the current route. Of course, it’s not that we’re afraid of the pirates, but they’re a bit of a nuisance, aren’t they?”

“Ah…”

Jo Mal-saeng, nodding at the Naval Commander-in-Chief’s words, asked again,

“Wouldn’t it have been better to use that as the reason from the beginning?”

“Wouldn’t that become a political issue?”

At the Naval Commander-in-Chief’s words, Jo Mal-saeng nodded and muttered,

“Myeong [Ming Dynasty China] is involved again.”

The Naval Commander-in-Chief quietly nodded at Jo Mal-saeng’s words.

Although it had become almost nominal, Myeong was Joseon’s suzerain state [dominant state]. The trades that Joseon was currently conducting were nominally trades with countries that paid tribute to Myeong, so there were no particular problems. However, Joseon directly contacting and communicating with the Seoi’s country without going through Myeong was ignoring Myeong, the suzerain state. This was because Joseon was still in a situation where it paid tribute to Myeong.

In other words, direct contact between Joseon and the Seoi was openly declaring that Joseon was an independent country equal to Myeong. In other words, it was expressing that Myeong was no longer Joseon’s suzerain state.

And this could be an act tantamount to a declaration of war to Myeong.

* * *

After a moment of silence, the Naval Commander-in-Chief continued.

“Perhaps His Majesty knew all of this.”

“His Majesty?”

Jo Mal-saeng, who had briefly expressed doubt, soon nodded.

“That’s right. How could His Majesty, who is who he is, have approved it with such a flimsy reason?”

“That’s right.”

Jo Mal-saeng, hearing the Naval Commander-in-Chief’s answer, fell silent again. After staring at the report for a long time, Jo Mal-saeng soon let out a long sigh.

“Hoo~.”

Jo Mal-saeng, letting out a long sigh that seemed to make the ground sink, glared at the Naval Commander-in-Chief.

“This time, the Commander-in-Chief will report directly at the royal court.”

“Hey, Minister!”

“Thanks to this report, my work has at least doubled. I can’t die alone, can I? And I certainly can’t die in your place.”

The Naval Commander-in-Chief’s face turned pale at Jo Mal-saeng’s words. He could already hear Kim Jeom’s roar in his ears.

No, Kim Jeom’s voice was already coming from afar.

“You damn navy bastards! Where’s the Naval Commander-in-Chief! Let’s die today!”