Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1173

1173. Aftermath (1)

The punitive fleet’s arrival in London was met with a fervent welcome.

-I wish to have an audience with the King of England.

Upon receiving the request from Marquis Yi Gong, Henry VIII not only granted it but also personally led his retainers down to the Thames.

“Magnificent!”

Unlike Henry VIII, who repeatedly expressed his admiration for the punitive fleet’s warships anchored at the mouth of the Thames, especially the immense *Salsu*, Queen Catherine of Aragon’s expression was notably sour.

She had just received news that her homeland, Spain, had been devastated by the Empire.

As Henry VIII ascended the stairs lowered from *Salsu* and stepped onto the deck, Marquis Yi Gong and his staff were there to greet him.

The Empire’s interpreter introduced Marquis Yi Gong.

“This is Admiral Yi Gong, commander of the punitive fleet and Marquis of the Empire.”

After the introduction of Marquis Yi Gong, the interpreter next to Henry VIII introduced him.

“He is the Duke of Wales, the Duke of Cornwall, the Duke of York, the Lord of Ireland, the Earl Marshal of England, the Governor-General of the Cinque Ports [historical group of port towns in southeastern England] Confederation, and finally, Henry Tudor, the King of England.”

After exchanging self-introductions through the interpreters, Yi Gong and Henry VIII exchanged greetings with smiles.

With the introductions and greetings completed, Henry VIII revealed his purpose to Marquis Yi Gong.

“That is truly a magnificent warship. I wish to return to London aboard this ship with you, Marquis. Would you grant me this request?”

It was a very polite request, uncharacteristic of the rumored Henry VIII.

However, Henry VIII had no other choice.

According to the rumors about the punitive fleet that had reached Henry VIII’s ears, he absolutely could not afford to act arrogantly.

Even Thomas Wolsey, the Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor, who had been Henry VIII’s personal tutor and was a trusted advisor, as well as Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor’s deputy in London, had gone to great lengths to warn him.

“Don’t worry! I know what is appropriate!”

“You must be especially careful! If you make a mistake, London could be engulfed in flames!”

He had been nagged incessantly, but the biggest reason was, of course, the punitive fleet anchored at the mouth of the Thames.

Starting with *Salsu*, the fleet, consisting of assault turtle ships, Challenger-class and Haeung-class battleships, airship carriers and fire support ships, destroyers, and transport ships, was so enormous that it completely blocked the mouth of the Thames.

And no Englishmen protested this situation.

Not even Henry VIII.

After listening to Henry VIII’s request, Marquis Yi Gong seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.

“It would be my honor to accept Your Majesty’s request, but we are not familiar with the waterways of this river. If you could provide someone who knows the river well, I would be delighted to escort Your Majesty.”

“Do not worry!”

Henry VIII replied in a hearty voice and ordered his retainers.

The retainers, upon receiving the order, immediately dispatched someone to the Port of London to find and bring the most skilled pilot.

Guided by the pilot, *Salsu* and two destroyers escorting it sailed up the Thames. Despite being guided by the most capable pilot on the Thames, *Salsu*’s speed as it moved upstream was very slow.

This was because *Salsu* had a draft [the depth of a ship’s keel below the waterline] much deeper than other ships of that time, and the deckhands continuously used measuring instruments to check the depth of the water.

However, even moving so slowly, *Salsu* exuded an even more powerful sense of intimidation. The Englishmen gathered along the banks of the Thames repeatedly marveled at *Salsu*’s immense size, while the soldiers were gripped by fear.

Thomas More, who had boarded *Salsu* with Henry VIII, unconsciously muttered at the sight of *Salsu*’s immense power.

“Leviathan….”

Thomas More was murmuring the name of the giant sea dragon that appears in the Old Testament and Canaanite mythology.

* * *

The subsequent meeting and banquet, after *Salsu* and the destroyers safely entered the Port of London, proceeded smoothly.

Amidst the consistently amicable atmosphere, Henry VIII revealed his true intentions.

“The Empire’s warships appear truly magnificent. They seem to symbolize the Empire’s strength itself.”

“Thank you for your kind words. They are the result of our best efforts to protect the Empire’s land and sea.”

Henry VIII nodded at Marquis Yi Gong’s reply.

“I am well aware that the Empire does not use force indiscriminately. In that respect, this war is truly regrettable. How could they have made such a foolish, ah, excuse me! Such a grave misjudgment. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Marquis Yi Gong smiled and replied to Henry VIII’s words, which subtly criticized France and Spain under the guise of a mistake.

“Indeed.”

“Therefore, I have a request for the Empire. I wish to purchase that warship of the Empire.”

“A warship, you say? Does England need a warship?”

“We, too, wish to live in peace. But there is a country that provokes us at every turn. I believe that if we possess a warship, that country will not dare to provoke us.”

“I believe that country has suffered greatly this time and will not dare to provoke you for a while?”

“They may not provoke us openly, but they are the kind of people who will do anything behind our backs, so it is necessary.”

“Behind our backs, you say?”

“Isn’t it well known that most of the pirates rampaging in the Atlantic are from that country?”

At Henry VIII’s words, Marquis Yi Gong forcibly suppressed the words that were about to burst out.

‘Isn’t it also well known that the other half are Englishmen?’

Having barely managed to hold back his words, Marquis Yi Gong replied with a serious expression.

“If it is about the Atlantic sea routes, may I offer some advice?”

“Oh! I would be grateful! I will listen attentively!”

“If it is about the Atlantic sea routes, warships are not suitable. The cost is too high each time they move. No, the problem starts with the construction cost. They are not cheap. Even our Empire considered giving up on construction. It was only thanks to His Majesty the Emperor persuading the Ministry of Finance officials that we were able to build them.”

Henry VIII frowned slightly at Marquis Yi Gong’s explanation.

“Hmph~ Is that so? Haa~. What should I do?”

Henry VIII lamented in a voice full of embarrassment, subtly observing Marquis Yi Gong’s expression.

‘That expression is genuine!’

Henry VIII’s senses, honed in the political arena, recognized that Marquis Yi Gong’s reply was sincere.

Realizing that Marquis Yi Gong was sincere, Henry VIII began to seriously consider the matter.

‘If even the Empire cannot easily build them, that means they are that expensive. And the operating costs are a problem… If I make a mistake, the parliament might try to devour me.’

The English Parliament was just as chaotic as the Empire’s Ministry of Finance when it came to budget issues.

As Henry VIII pondered, Marquis Yi Gong muttered inwardly.

‘The teachings of Tae Tae Sang Hwang [Great Great King, a posthumous title] are working here too.’

* * *

-Speak only the truth. But do not speak the whole truth.

This was the teaching that had been passed down from Yi Hyang to the Imperial Family.

In reality, there had been a conflict between the Emperor and the Ministry of Finance over the construction of *Salsu*-class battleships.

However, the cause of the conflict was slightly different.

-The effectiveness of the battleships is good, so I want to build ‘large quantities’ of them additionally.

-What nonsense! The budget is insufficient! We should only build the originally planned number!

In other words, what the Ministry of Finance was blocking was ‘additional construction.’

In the end, after a fierce debate between the Emperor and the Ministry of Finance, a compromise was reached.

-First, proceed as originally planned. Afterward, we will examine the nation’s finances and the global situation and decide how many more to build.

* * *

Seeing Henry VIII’s expression as he repeatedly agonized over whether to ‘spend and regret it or not spend and regret it,’ Marquis Yi Gong cautiously opened his mouth.

“Seeing Your Majesty’s concern for the country, I feel truly sorry. Therefore, I have something to say.”

“What is it? I am willing to listen!”

As Henry VIII’s face lit up, Marquis Yi Gong began his sales pitch.

“The Empire is currently planning to build a new type of warship. It is a warship called a ‘cruiser.'”

“A cruiser?”

At Henry VIII’s question, Marquis Yi Gong dredged up his memories and replied.

“It is a warship conceived by Tae Tae Sang Hwang and Tae Sang Hwang [Great Great King and Great King, posthumous titles]. In English, it would probably be appropriate to call it a ‘Cruiser.'”

“If it is Tae Tae Sang Hwang, are you referring to that, no, no! The one called the ‘Iron-Blooded Monarch’ [a common epithet for powerful rulers]?”

Hurriedly stopping himself from blurting out the words ‘Demon King,’ Henry VIII asked, and Marquis Yi Gong frowned slightly before relaxing his expression and replying.

“That is correct.”

“If it is something that he conceived, it will surely, no, be of great help! What kind of warship is it?”

Henry VIII’s eyes sparkled as he urged for an explanation.

No, it wasn’t just Henry VIII.

All the nobles, politicians, and officials in that place began to shine their eyes.

It was because of the weight that the name ‘Yi Hyang’ carried. Of course, most of the powerful figures in Europe were more familiar with the nickname ‘Demon King.’ With all the Englishmen in that place shining their eyes, Marquis Yi Gong explained the general concept of a ‘cruiser.’

“….This is the concept of a warship called a cruiser.”

“Hmm…. A warship with moderately strong firepower and moderately strong defense but with very excellent cruising range and speed. If you take away the cruising range and speed, it’s a bit….”

As Henry VIII expressed slight dissatisfaction, Marquis Yi Gong added.

“The standard for firepower is based on our Empire’s firepower.”

“Ah! Then that changes things!”

Henry VIII immediately changed his expression at Marquis Yi Gong’s addition.

Everyone acknowledged the Empire’s emphasis on firepower and cannons. The Empire’s ‘moderate firepower’ was equivalent to ‘powerful firepower’ in other countries.

“Then, what is the construction cost of that new warship called a cruiser?”

“That part is still under consideration and experimentation, so I don’t know for sure. However, it is certain that the cost will be much less than a battleship.”

“Is that so?”

After the banquet ended and Marquis Yi Gong and the Empire’s people left the banquet hall, Henry VIII and the English politicians moved to a conference room.

“What do you all think about the proposal we heard earlier?”

The English politicians’ answers to Henry VIII’s question were largely the same.

-If even the Empire’s Marquis says it is expensive, then we should give up on battleships for the time being.

-However, cruisers seem surprisingly 괜찮다 [Korean for “okay” or “good”].

-With France’s naval power almost gone, the best course of action is to introduce or build cruisers as quickly as possible.

“I also think so. Then, as soon as the Empire’s fleet departs, let’s send an envoy to the Empire’s capital. What do you think?”

“I agree.”

The Englishmen were moving quickly to not miss an unexpected opportunity.

However, not long after, a major political scandal broke out in England.

A large-scale scandal involving Henry VIII’s wife, Catherine of Aragon.

As the title suggests, Catherine was a princess of Spain.

Therefore, she was not pleased with the punitive fleet’s visit and Henry VIII’s welcoming of it.

Moreover, the relationship between the couple was not good.

This was because they had no son.

In this situation, when information about cruisers came in, Catherine informed Spain through her aides. However, this action was discovered, and a massive political scandal erupted.

Henry VIII, whose relationship with Catherine was already not good, did not miss this opportunity.

“Even though she is a princess of Spain, she is now the Queen of England! This is a clear act of treason!”

Henry VIII used treason as a pretext to push for a divorce from Catherine and simultaneously imprisoned her in the Tower of London. Because the justification was clear, the church did not object, and the English High Court found Catherine guilty of treason and sentenced her to death.