Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1004

Distributed by Ajit Novel (formerly Ajitun Novel).

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Meanwhile, both Ming China and Japan were making similar decisions.

However, their reasons differed significantly from those of the European powers.

“Sugar wine? That cheap liquor that’s just harsh without any flavor? Is there really a need to buy those distilleries?”

Both Ming and Japan had their own long-standing brewing traditions, so they showed little interest in sugar wine.

However, the reactions of some major merchants and finance officials were different.

“Really? This is an opportunity!”

The merchants, smelling profit, contacted the officials energetically.

“If His Majesty won’t do it, if the court won’t do it, then we will buy the distilleries!”

Here, too, there was a difference between Ming and Japan.

In Ming, there were a few merchants with enough capital to participate in the bidding war for the sugar wine distilleries on their own. However, Japan was not so fortunate.

“But we can’t give up the gold right in front of us!”

Japanese merchants gathered capital in groups—from as few as two or three to as many as ten or so—and then approached the Japanese court.

As the situation unfolded, both Emperor Chenghua of Ming and Yoshitane of Japan began to take an interest again.

“Merchants who would come back from the dead for money are clinging to this so desperately? Is sugar wine really that profitable?”

At the monarchs’ questions, the finance officials who had been waiting spoke in unison.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Oh? Really?”

As Emperor Chenghua and Yoshitane showed interest, other officials stepped forward to object.

“If you are considering acquiring the sugar wine distilleries directly, that is absolutely unacceptable!”

“Why is that?”

“It is beneath the dignity of the monarch to be involved in making and selling alcohol!”

“That’s not all! There will be accusations that the monarch is making the people drunk and disrupting public morals!”

“There are already many places that make alcohol. For the monarch to step in and make alcohol as well is absolutely unacceptable! We must prevent even the merchants from getting involved!”

As these objections arose, the proponents raised counterarguments.

“Haven’t you heard the rumors that sugar wine is making huge profits in Europe? Think about the country’s finances! This is a way to create financial leeway without harming the people!”

“Our people don’t even buy it because it doesn’t taste good!”

“If it seems like it will be a problem, we just won’t sell it within the country!”

As this fierce debate continued, the opposition presented a very strong argument.

“Why do you think Seoul [referring to the Empire] is offering to sell the sugar wine distilleries? Bad rumors must be circulating even in Europe, so they must have decided that it doesn’t help the monarch’s image!”

“…”

* * *

During this period, the word ‘Seoul’ was used in Ming and Japan to refer to the ‘Empire’ [referring to the dominant power in the region].

Even with the ‘pro-Empire’ emperor and the Imperial-born guard forces entrenched, it was a matter of pride to call a country other than Ming the ‘Empire’.

However, calling it ‘Joseon’ as before was also problematic.

Japan was similar. Although they maintained friendly relations with the Empire and treated it almost as their ‘superior country,’ pride was still pride.

Therefore, politicians in Ming and Japan began to use the term ‘Seoul’ instead of the title ‘Empire’.

* * *

While the pro and con sides were fiercely opposed, the centrists offered a compromise.

“Both sides have valid points. So, how about we do this?”

“How?”

“There are several options.”

The compromise offered by the centrists was as follows:

-The easiest way.

Let the merchants who want the sugar wine distilleries deal directly with Seoul.

And the court collects taxes according to the law.

This way, the court doesn’t have to get its hands dirty, but the profits are reduced.

-Another way is to pick one of the merchants who come forward and put them forward.

Not just using them as a front, but the court unofficially participates through joint investment.

You can earn a little more profit compared to the first method.

On the other hand, you have to accept that some rumors related to the court will circulate.

However, the intensity and scope of the rumors will be less than if the court directly took over and operated it.

The monarchs who heard the centrists’ opinions pondered.

“Is it a question of being satisfied with just taxes, or taking direct action while accepting rumors?”

“That is correct.”

“Hmm…”

The monarchs, after much deliberation, called their confidants separately.

The opinions of the confidants were similar in both countries.

“It is best to just pass it on to the merchants and be satisfied with the taxes.”

“Just give up more profits? Why?”

“Because of the relationship with Seoul.”

“Ah…”

Emperor Chenghua was already being called ‘Joseon Emperor’ or ‘Goryeo Emperor’ [referring to historical Korean kingdoms, implying subservience]. And in the case of Japan, it was even worse. Most of the core power elite were graduates of the Imperial school.

In addition, if they followed the Empire’s actions of ‘the country does all the big money-making businesses,’ the people’s antipathy would be obvious.

“Even now, there are rumors that we are following Seoul, and that if Seoul coughs, we get sick… It’s a shame.”

In the end, what the monarchs of Ming and Japan chose was not for the country to step in, but to leave it to the merchants.

* * *

In this way, the three distilleries created in the Southwest and the seven distilleries created in Shinji were sold.

Of the three in the Southwest, two were acquired by Ming merchants, and one was acquired by a Japanese merchant association.

Of the seven in Shinji, one was acquired by Italy, two by Portugal, two by France, one by England, and finally one by the Ottoman Empire.

Hyeon, as well as Hyang, who received the report, all expressed doubts.

“The Ottomans? Isn’t that a country that can’t drink alcohol?”

“They say they sell it to non-Muslims and foreigners visiting the port.”

“I see…”

Hyeon nodded, but Hyang wore a cynical expression and muttered softly.

“Could it be…”

Even in the Middle Eastern Islamic countries, which were obsessed with fundamentalism and lived and died by the law even in his previous life, alcohol circulated.

-The best gift Allah gave to Arab drinkers: the desert and cars.

This was a saying that came about by comparing the case of loading a lot of alcohol into a powerful, large SUV and going into the desert to drink and have fun.

* * *

The European powers that acquired the sugar wine distilleries began to utilize them properly.

Of course, they did not forget to actively control the social problems that occurred after the first sugar wine was released on the market.

Nevertheless, sales were enormous, and the financial managers of the countries that acquired the sugar wine distilleries rejoiced.

The problem was the export of this sugar wine.

Within their own countries, they actively controlled production and distribution to minimize problems. But to other countries?

There was no such thing.

In the end, the Habsburgs, who lost the sugar wine distillery acquisition war, and Spain, who tried to ignore it out of pride, had to suffer from the negative consequences of sugar wine again.

Of course, there were schnapps and other brandies in Northern Europe, such as the Black Forest, and sherry-like fortified wines in Spain. However, they were pushed back by the overwhelmingly low-price of sugar wine.

In the end, European distilled liquor producers adopted a premium strategy.

They chose the highest grade wines and fruit wines as raw materials, and sold expensive products that were carefully managed and aged by skilled craftsmen.

Over time, these highly aged brandies became popular among the Eastern upper class.

Meanwhile, Spain and the Habsburgs took a different approach.

After banning the import of sugar wine produced by other European powers, they imported and sold sugar wine produced in the Southwest.

“I admit that I failed to block sugar wine! But I won’t consume yours!”

Through these import ban and monopoly import policies, Spain and the Habsburgs were able to reduce the outflow of national wealth to some extent.

However, these policies caused diplomatic friction with other powers.

“Lift the import ban!”

England was the first to raise its voice. However, Spain and the Habsburgs scoffed.

“Huh? What? Have you forgotten the wool import ban?”

They scoffed at the claim of England, which can be seen as the first country to implement protectionist trade policies in Europe.

This was not the end.

The Habsburgs began to use even more reckless tactics.

They began to release sugar wine from the Southwest distillery acquired by the Ottomans into Eastern Europe.

Due to the Ottoman’s expansionist policies and religious conflicts, there was almost no exchange between Eastern Europe and the Ottomans.

The Habsburgs were aiming for this gap.

Before long, Hungary also jumped into this blue ocean that the Habsburgs had discovered.

They began to import and sell sugar wine using the connections with the Ottomans created during the last Habsburg-Hungarian War.

And as a byproduct of this competition, a huge amount of wealth began to flow into Ming and Japan.

* * *

As the sugar wine distillery in Shinji was handed over to Europe, another major change occurred in world history.

It was the birth of the so-called ‘Great Circulation Route’.

The beginning was the map that the Empire handed over to Portugal and Italy.

Thanks to the map that revealed that there was a vast undeveloped area in southern Shinji, large-scale exploration teams were organized in Portugal and Italy and crossed the Atlantic.

As long-distance voyages succeeded, more and more exploration teams headed south of Shinji.

After several challenges, an exploration team that rounded the southernmost tip of South America entered the Pacific Ocean.

However, the northward advance was not easy.

This was because the Imperial Navy was present.

“Isn’t there another way?”

“Wait? Since the Earth is round…”

As they were looking for a detour, they suddenly found another possibility.

“Terra!”

It was the route to the southern new continent, Terra—called Australia in the history before Hyang intervened—which they learned about through information leaked by the Empire.

Those who came up with the possibility immediately invited geographers and mathematicians.

“If we calculate using the known diameter of the Earth…”

With the help of mathematicians, the exploration teams calculated the expected distance from the southern tip of South America to Terra, prepared, and then embarked on the voyage.

After a series of challenges based on many sacrifices, the southern route to Terra was discovered.

It was the birth of the ‘Great Circulation Route’.

* * *

The discovery of the Great Circulation Route was a groundbreaking discovery for logistics transportation.

In order to bring the gold and silver mined from the gold and silver mines in Terra back to their home countries, the most economical route was to go to Suez and then use the iron horse [referring to trains] to go to the Mediterranean and then to their home countries.

There was also a route to Africa, but it was not economical because it had to go around a lot.

However, if the newly discovered Great Circulation Route was used well, it would be possible to lower the excessive dependence on Suez.

And in this process, the value of the islands with the sugar wine distilleries that the Empire had transferred began to increase.

The ships of Portugal, Italy, France, and England, which acquired the distilleries on the islands, began to frequently visit the Imperial ports built on the islands.