Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 867

Having gathered as much information as possible beforehand, the Empire was able to make its own preparations behind the scenes.

So, when Giovanni arrived to discuss Florence’s business, they feigned confusion while secretly smiling with satisfaction.

Consequently, when Giovanni boarded the ship back home, gleefully thinking he had secured a favorable deal with the Empire, the working-level staff gathered at a Seoul *gisaeng* house [a type of Korean female entertainer, similar to a geisha] to celebrate.

“We’ve caught a big fish, let’s have a drink!”

“Hahaha! Let’s do it!”

“The liquor is especially sweet today!”

“Bring out the multi-colored wine! Multi-colored wine! Even if the pillars fall, we must drink today!” [This is an exaggerated expression meaning they should drink to the fullest, no matter what happens.]

“Of course! We must drink today! If those bastards hadn’t accepted, I would have died of frustration!”

This was why the working-level staff shouted ‘Jihwaja!’ [a Korean expression of excitement and celebration] and threw a party.

None of the tasks undertaken by the Empire’s officials were easy, but this one was particularly difficult because Emperor Wan had directly expressed his will and issued the order.

Of course, existing tasks also followed a top-down command structure. However, most of the time, they involved gradually climbing the steps from the bottom, receiving the Emperor’s approval, and then descending again.

Therefore, this task was twice as difficult as other tasks. If even the slightest flaw was detected, immediate disapproval would follow, making it a very bad day.

That was indeed the case.

Moreover, because time was short, the officials in charge of the work literally poured their souls into it.

Therefore, if the results of such hard work were to become useless, many would be unable to overcome their frustration and might cause a scene.

* * *

Meanwhile, Giovanni, having arrived in Suez, was diligently moving towards Florence with the cargo.

“This is precious cargo! The seals must never be broken or damaged! Check it thoroughly!”

Whenever they stopped at stations along the railway, Giovanni’s men meticulously checked the condition of the cargo loaded on the freight cars.

-These are essential for Florence to succeed in its great undertaking! They must never be noticed or damaged by others!

That was Giovanni’s order, but the subordinates, interpreting the situation in their own way, examined the condition of the cargo with great enthusiasm.

Giovanni, watching the scene from the platform, frowned and muttered.

“It’s much faster than loading and transporting on camels, but it’s still inconvenient… Perhaps it would have been better to dig a canal as the Empire suggested back then?”

* * *

When the topic of transportation routes connecting Suez and the north came up, the Empire’s initial proposal was a canal.

However, the construction period, the manpower to be mobilized, the necessary materials, and, of course, the cost of all of that, were astronomical. Therefore, the allies, unable to afford it, rejected the Empire’s proposal.

And their choice was the iron horse—the railway. This also consumed a considerable amount of money, but it was much less than a canal.

And through this iron horse, the allies were able to see enormous profits.

However, it was quite inconvenient when transporting large quantities of cargo that required confidentiality, as it was now, and they were reminded of the canal again.

* * *

At some point, Giovanni, who had been calculating the feasibility of the canal, chuckled and summarized the situation.

“There’s an Imperial proverb that says ‘a pie in the sky,’ right? That’s exactly my situation now. With Florence’s current situation, only the same situation as the iron horse will be repeated. We must completely seize Italy and be recognized as a proper country before we can confidently make demands. To do that, we must first unite Florence.”

Beeeek!

Just as he was once again realizing the need for Italian unification, the iron horse, having finished watering, announced its departure with a whistle.

Getting back on the train, Giovanni reaffirmed his determination.

“By all means….”

It was a determination filled with various meanings.

* * *

Arriving at ‘Prince Henrique’s Port,’ Giovanni and his party began loading the cargo onto the waiting ships.

The Medici family’s official stationed at the port reported to Giovanni with a troubled expression.

“We don’t have enough ships. It seems we’ll have to send it in two batches.”

Giovanni replied firmly to the official’s report.

“Send word to Livorno! Use my name and gather as many usable ships as possible and send them here!”

“Then there’s the time… Wouldn’t it be better to borrow ships from other countries?”

“Do you know what kind of cargo we’re loading and still say such things! Send word immediately!”

“Yes, yes!”

“And stop the loading operation immediately and store it in the warehouse! Double the security!”

“Yes!”

Alarmed by Giovanni’s harsh orders, the official hurriedly began to carry out the orders.

The loading, which had been in full swing, was stopped, and all the cargo was unloaded again and stored in the Medici family’s warehouse at the port.

As all the cargo was piled back into the warehouse, Giovanni’s men locked the warehouse doors and attached seals to the main entrances.

“Double the number of guards!”

“Yes!”

These movements attracted the attention of other merchants and foreign officials in the vicinity.

“What’s with the fuss?”

“Suspicious….”

“What did they bring from the ‘Land of Flowers’ [a common nickname for Florence, referring to its artistic and cultural achievements]?”

Merchants and foreign officials with curiosity stealthily approached the warehouse. However, they had no choice but to back down, licking their lips at the sight of the guards surrounding the warehouse and the fierce looks of Giovanni’s men.

“Geez! What a fuss….”

“Italian guys are so full of hot air….”

“You’re Italian too.”

“Shut up!”

Meanwhile, some, with their eyes shining at Giovanni’s fuss, sent carrier pigeons.

About ten days later, ships arrived from Livorno. Giovanni, having finished loading all the newly arrived ships, immediately set sail for Livorno.

* * *

“Livorno!”

“You’ve finally arrived.”

At the captain’s report, Giovanni finally let out a sigh of relief and stepped onto the deck.

Looking at the scenery of Livorno beyond the deck railing, Giovanni muttered softly.

“Was it important to raise a navy? Hmm….”

Giovanni, muttering to himself as he looked at Livorno getting closer and closer, turned around.

“It’ll cost some money, but it’ll be better than Porto Pisano.”

The beginning of Livorno was a coastal fortress to defend Pisa. At that time, the naval port of the Pisan navy was Porto Pisano.

After Pisa was defeated in the Battle of Meloria between Genoa and Pisa in 1284, Porto Pisano was destroyed, and Livorno was abandoned.

Since Florence purchased it from Genoa in 1421, Livorno had been gradually growing in size.

Giovanni, having heard the advice of the Imperial army, was thinking of making this Livorno a base for the Florentine navy.

-It is a military stronghold to the extent that the old Pisan guys built a defensive fortress.

-When the first census was taken, it was a small village with just over 400 people. The population has increased now, but it’s all foreigners. In other words, there is no sense of belonging to Pisa at all.

-This is why Livorno is more advantageous than Porto Pisano. Porto Pisano is deeply related to Pisa, as its name suggests. Pisa is now subordinate to Florence, but it cannot be completely trusted.

After such analysis, Giovanni made up his mind to make Livorno a base for the Florentine navy.

“I should report it as soon as I return to Florence….”

* * *

“You’ve worked hard.”

Cosimo, who received the report from Giovanni who had returned to Florence, nodded lightly and praised Giovanni.

“Thank you. But you don’t look well. Are you alright?”

Giovanni looked at Cosimo with a worried face and asked. Cosimo had become even weaker while Giovanni was staying in Seoul. If Cosimo had been lying down to show others before Giovanni left, now Cosimo was lying down exhausted.

“Don’t worry. My mind is clear.”

As he said, Cosimo’s eyes still contained energy.

“That’s a relief. And the Emperor of the Empire has sent us advice.”

“Advice?”

“Yes.”

Giovanni handed Cosimo the document prepared and handed over by the Imperial Ministry of National Defense.

“Hmm… These guys have a problem with writing too small….”

Cosimo, grumbling as he looked at the document filled with small letters, picked up the magnifying glass he had placed next to him and began to read the document.

“Hmm… Hmm… Hmm? Hmm!”

The more the pages of the document turned, the more serious Cosimo’s face became.

“Hoo~.”

Cosimo, who had read the last page carefully, let out a long sigh and turned to Lorenzo.

“You should read it too.”

“Yes.”

At Cosimo’s command, Lorenzo took the document in his hand and quickly became engrossed in the document.

“Hoo~.”

Lorenzo, who had been immersed in the document without even making a sound, let out a long sigh and looked up at Cosimo.

“What do you think?”

At Cosimo’s question, Lorenzo replied with a bright face.

“It’s truly excellent advice. There are already systems in place that follow the Empire’s, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were insufficient. But after reading this advice, I could see why! Of course, we need to look into it more carefully, but if we accept this advice, Florence can definitely succeed in the great undertaking!”

At Lorenzo’s answer, Cosimo turned to Giovanni.

“What do you think?”

“I have the same thought. If we apply the Empire’s advice well, we can achieve the great undertaking.”

“I see… I see….”

Cosimo, repeating the words ‘I see’ several times, took back the document and waved his hand.

“Go out and do your work. I want to read this again.”

“Yes.”

At Cosimo’s command, Lorenzo and Giovanni bowed and quietly left the room.

Cosimo, left alone in the room, looked at the report in his hand and licked his lips.

“Tch! The Empire has noticed our weakness. The ‘absence of philosophy’….”

Cosimo’s mouth tasted bitter.

Lorenzo was young and full of energy. He was also talented in diplomacy and administration. He lacked experience, but that would be filled over time. He also had ambition.

Giovanni was the same. He had gained enough experience dealing with merchants from the Empire and Europe. His talent was versatile, but he had the ability to maintain and grow the family.

And he had the ambition to work with Lorenzo.

However, while those two had ambition, they lacked philosophy.

-They had the ambition to unify Italy, but they had no philosophy on how to run that unified Italy.

“No, the lack of that philosophy is the weakness of the entire Europe.”

Cosimo muttered with a bitter smile.

“The Empire has properly noticed our, no, Europe’s weakness. They noticed. Hoo~,”

Cosimo, letting out a long sigh, looked at the Empire on the map hanging on the wall.

“Following the Huns and the Mongols, is it another invasion from the East….”

Cosimo realized that he had met a truly formidable opponent.