Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1020

1020. The Name of Firewood is Arms Race (13)

Hyang, recalling memories from his past life, chuckled and muttered,

“Come to think of it, the reason I still remember this is quite a masterpiece…”

Back then, as soon as the professor finished speaking in class, a student raised his hand and asked,

“Aren’t there cases where you only make friends? I think our country should be like that.”

The professor, with a slight smile, responded to the student’s rather provocative question and assertion.

“People have decided to call that being a pushover. And… it’s ‘our’ country, not ‘your’ country. Lowering yourself is humility, but lowering your country is servility.”

The professor even gestured with his fingers as he continued his answer, causing the student in question to shut his mouth, face flushed. Hyang, reflecting on his past life’s memories, came to a conclusion.

“Even if I don’t take advantage of others, I shouldn’t be taken advantage of.”

Having grasped the situation, Hyang began to write a report to be delivered to Hyun. Meanwhile, among the officials, another murmur continued.

“The Supreme Emperor said that the state of the country is a mess. Something doesn’t quite fit. Why did he use ‘mess’ there?”

“A mess? Hmm…”

The official who heard the story thought for a moment and nodded.

“Indeed, it feels like wearing clothes that don’t quite fit.”

In *ssireum* [Korean wrestling] matches, if both wrestlers fall to the ground simultaneously, disputes often arise over who fell first. At this time, the tacit rule was to redo the match, and this was called ‘Gae(改)pan’ [meaning ‘redo the board’]. This spread widely, and the act of starting over from the beginning because the situation was too bad was called ‘Gae Panhada’ [to redo the board].

However, if that meaning was inserted into the ‘mess’ used in Hyang’s words, it didn’t quite fit. In the end, the officials, pondering over Hyang’s words, looked around and spoke quietly.

“No matter how I look at it, that ‘Gae’ doesn’t seem to be that ‘Gae’ [the character meaning ‘redo’].”

“That’s right. But the Supreme Emperor would never say such frivolous things…”

“Wouldn’t he?”

The officials were mumbling like that, as if afraid that someone else might hear, but inside, they were muttering something else.

‘If it’s the Supreme Emperor, he’s definitely the type to use it like that!’

And as time passed, the ‘Gae’ in ‘Gae Pan’ came to mean ‘犬’ [dog] instead of ‘改’ [redo], and it was gradually used with a different meaning. It was another butterfly effect created by Hyang.

* * *

Thanks to the imperial officials, who regained their senses after a round of bickering, foreign envoys, including Louis, had to break a sweat once again.

“It seems the audience with the Emperor was the problem.”

“It seems so.”

Louis had to nod with a bitter smile at the report from his aides. Louis was also keenly aware of this. Shin Suk-ju’s attitude in continuing the talks with him had changed dramatically compared to before the talks. After the talks, Shin Suk-ju was smiling, but what he was saying was sharper than when he was in Italy. If he showed even the slightest weakness, Shin Suk-ju was ready to cut Louis to pieces.

Thanks to this, Louis and Shin Suk-ju continued talks that were fitting for the saying ‘a knife hidden in a smile’.

Thanks to this, Louis had no choice but to secure slightly less than the results he had expected immediately after the meeting with Hyun.

“Or is it? Still, I was able to get ‘non-interference in Gloria’. And I was able to get quite a few Haeung-class battleships.”

It wasn’t ‘non-interference in Portugal and Italy’, but ‘non-interference in the competition in Gloria’, but Louis was content that even that was a considerable achievement.

* * *

The negotiations between Louis and the Empire sparked competition from other countries. The number of countries wanting to purchase Haeung-class battleships increased even more, and the number of ships also increased significantly.

-The Empire has plans to build ships to replace the Haeung-class. If the budget and preparations are ready, we will start immediately.

-There are no plans to build additional Haeung-class battleships.

This was the biggest reason Shin Suk-ju publicly stated at the meeting with Louis. Countries that learned this information at the Yeongbin Hall [a state guest house] or through other channels once again began to calculate fiercely.

-It will take time for the new ship to completely replace the Haeung-class.

-In other words, the Empire also needs the Haeung-class for the time being.

-Considering that the Haeung-class is not being newly built and the age of the Haeung-class ships, the number of usable Haeung-class ships that can be purchased is limited.

-Conclusion, if you hesitate, it’s sold out!

Countries that came to this conclusion competitively sent envoys to the Empire. And this time, England and the Ottoman Empire also jumped into the competition. In the meantime, there were those who had different ideas.

“Aren’t they wooden ships anyway? As long as you replace the wood, the age of the ship doesn’t matter, does it?”

Naval officials who heard this suggestion, especially naval officers who had experience being defeated by the Empire’s Haeung-class and Challenger-class battleships, all shook their heads.

“The problem is that damn wood.”

“Huh?”

* * *

Unlike the early Haeung-class, the later Haeung-class was built with Shinji oak – the famous Virginia oak in the history before Hyang’s intervention – from Shinji. It was all of the later Haeung-class of the Imperial Navy, not just the Imperial Navy stationed in Shinji.

To this end, large-scale shipyards were built in the northwestern coastal area of Shinji, and timber felled in eastern Shinji was transported to the shipyards in the west via railroads. A huge integrated production system was created. This was a project that required a huge amount of money. And the money that was released accelerated the process of imperializing more natives.

The person who actively pushed for all of this was Hyang. At the time, Hyang sent a short letter to Wan and the ministers who were worried about financial problems.

-Money goes around and around and is called money!

* * *

Thanks to being made of Shinji oak, which even had the nickname ‘ironwood’, the Imperial Navy’s battleships boasted even better defensive power, and the working-level staff and naval officers raised the issue because they had memories of being properly defeated by them.

“I don’t know where those damn Empire guys got that damn wood, but it’s damn hard wood. I can’t guarantee that it will have such defensive power even if we replace it with wood from our country. But you’re saying we can just replace the wood? That’s nonsense. Ah, the wood from Luzon is also said to be hard, but that’s not our kingdom’s territory.”

“Then…”

“The answer is simple. We have to move as quickly as possible and pick the freshest ones and drag them away. That’s the cheapest way to do it.”

“Damn it…”

Once again, the financial officers of each country were faced with a situation where they had to groan.

* * *

While ‘Haeung-class fever’ was spreading, starting with the great powers of Europe, the reactions of Ming and Japan were slightly different. First of all, Ming had no intention of purchasing Haeung-class ships at all. No, Emperor Chenghua had enough intention, but the opposition from the ministers was enormous. Even Emperor Chenghua’s bodyguards opposed this matter.

“Why?”

“One of the battleships that crushed the Ming Navy in the last war, especially the Battle of the Yellow Sea, was the Haeung-class. If we bring in the ships, the people will immediately rise up.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, if it’s a ramming turtle ship [a type of Korean warship], it’s a different story.”

“Would they sell that?”

“……..”

“The conclusion is that we have to make it ourselves.”

“That’s right.”

If Ming’s reaction was like this, Japan’s was different. As soon as they obtained the information that ‘Haeung-class ships were handed over to Portugal and Italy’, Japan was the first to rush over.

“Why should the Empire hand over Haeung-class battleships to Japan? Have you forgotten what kind of mischief you caused in Honji at the end of the Jeonjo Dynasty?”

Faced with the Empire’s negative reaction, Japan persistently negotiated, even sending the Crown Prince.

“The events that happened in the past are tragedies that should not be forgotten between the two countries. But we must also think about the future. Our Japan will continue to be a faithful partner to the Empire. We earnestly ask you to think about the future.”

Since even the Crown Prince of Japan came forward and earnestly asked, Hyun finally made a decision.

“The justification is good, and the Haeung-class is enough for us to suppress now and in the future. So let’s make a show of it.”

“I will follow your orders!”

In this way, the Empire sold 20 Haeung-class battleships to Japan, and eventually 40.

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”

The Crown Prince of Japan, who was notified of the decision, bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude to Hyun. The ships made in Japan were still several steps behind the Empire, regardless of warships or merchant ships. In this situation, 40 Haeung-class battleships were a great force, and the Crown Prince’s gratitude was natural.

With this matter settled, Japan once again pleaded with the Empire.

“You want Challenger-class ships? Three of them, newly built? Why?”

“One will be used by the King of Japan when he goes on a tour, and the other two will be used as command ships.”

Hyun smiled at Shin Suk-ju’s answer and turned to the Minister of National Defense.

“What do you think?”

“Three Challenger-class ships are not a big problem.”

“What if they suddenly attack with three Challenger-class ships and 40 Haeung-class ships at once?”

“They won’t even be able to cross Tsushima Island, and on the contrary, their capital, Yamaguchi, will be reduced to ashes.”

“I see.”

“If possible, it would be even better if it was outwardly luxurious and inwardly poor.”

“Good!”

In this way, Japan’s request was accepted. However, the hull of the newly built Challenger-class battleship was made of oak from Honji, not Shinji oak. Instead, the captain’s cabin and officers’ cabins at the rear of the hull were decorated more luxuriously than ever before.

* * *

The Wonsan shipyard was busy as countries from all over were requesting the sale of Haeung-class battleships. This was because they were inspecting the ships that had been decided to be sold among the Haeung-class battleships deployed in Honji and the southwestern region. That wasn’t all. The Wonsan shipyard was working day and night to build Black Mirror-class transport ships and test ships for a new type of ship called ‘destroyer’.

Thanks to this, the Imperial Army guarding the shipyard was also having busy days without even having time to blink. Those who were to receive the Haeung-class battleships were waiting in Yangyang or Mokpo, and the Imperial Navy was supposed to bring the ships there. However, there were those who came to Wonsan with various excuses, so they had to be stopped.

One day, when things were so busy, Hyang and Hyun visited the Wonsan shipyard. This was because a report had been received that the test ship for the destroyer had finished construction and was preparing to be launched. The two grandsons, who entered the shipyard under strict security, arrived at the slipway where the test ship was located.

“Hmm…”

The two grandsons, looking at the test ship that was preparing to be launched, continued their conversation.

“It’s smaller than the Haeung-class, but it looks more agile.”

“That’s right.”

“But the firepower seems a bit lacking. No, it’s lacking. All it has is five twin-barreled rapid-fire cannons…”

At Hyun’s words full of regret, all the naval officials who followed nodded. At the sight, Hyang smiled bitterly and muttered inwardly.

‘As if they’re not all cannon enthusiasts… Ah, I’m one of them too.’