Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1077

1077. Kill the Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs (7)

After a short while, the palace gate opened.

“The Shah has permitted your entry.”

At the gatekeeper’s words, the envoys from the Three Eastern Nations and their escorting troops moved forward.

“Hold on! No troops are allowed inside!”

“This is the minimum number of troops for escort!”

“They could harm the Shah!”

“It’s the same number of troops that usually accompany us when entering the palace!”

“But the situation is different now!”

“Did we create this situation? We are the victims!”

The gatekeeper was at a loss for words at the Imperial Envoy’s statement, who had stepped forward as the representative of the envoys. As the Imperial Envoy said, the number of troops escorting the envoys was the same as before. The only difference was that, unlike before when they were armed with longswords and short guns, they were now heavily armed with long guns and firearms they had never seen before, wearing grim expressions.

Moreover, as the envoy said, the incident had started when those damned Kizilbash [Turkic militant group] warriors attacked them first. In the end, the gatekeeper resorted to the best method he could think of.

“Please wait a moment! I will report to my superiors and get an answer!”

After a short time, the gatekeeper reappeared.

“The Shah has permitted the escorting troops to enter. However, the number of troops must be the same as before!”

“Understood!”

* * *

While the troops escorting the envoys and Ismail’s soldiers guarding the audience hall glared at each other, the envoys who entered the hall paid their respects to Ismail.

“We greet the Shah.”

“I heard you suffered a great misfortune.”

“Yes. Many soldiers were killed or injured.”

“Oh dear, I express my deepest condolences.”

“Is this something the Shah ordered?”

At the Imperial Envoy’s stern question, the Vizier [high-ranking political advisor] stepped forward in place of Ismail.

“I can assure you that this was not the Shah’s intention.”

“Our Three Eastern Nations cannot overlook this. We demand severe punishment for the armed group that caused this misfortune.”

The Vizier’s eyes twinkled at the Imperial Envoy’s strong statement.

‘Listening to the envoy’s words now, they sound very firm. But, an armed group?’

In that short time, the Vizier’s mind raced.

-The envoys from the East also know the relationship between the Shah and the Kizilbash well.

-If they try to pressure us and interfere in our internal affairs, they would have used it.

-But now, they used the term ‘armed group.’

-This is an implication that they are distinguishing between the Shah and the Kizilbash.

‘If so……’

The Vizier, pondering the hidden meaning in the Imperial Envoy’s words, soon came to a conclusion.

‘They don’t want to be enemies with the Shah! Instead, they are demanding the purge of the Kizilbash! And the East is saying they will actively support it! Then!’

The Vizier replied with a bright face.

“The Shah is taking this matter very seriously! We will never let it pass!”

At the Vizier’s reply, the Imperial Envoy looked back at the other envoys. When the envoys from Ming [Chinese Dynasty] and Japan nodded slightly, the Imperial Envoy continued.

“If the Shah does so, Persia and our Three Eastern Nations will be good friends. We will return today. We need to comfort our soldiers.”

Hearing this, Ismail immediately gave an order.

“So be it. Once again, I offer my deepest condolences to those who died or were injured in this unfortunate incident.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

As the envoys retreated, the Vizier looked at Ismail with an even brighter face.

“Finally, the opportunity has come! Now we can purge the Kizilbash!”

The Vizier then explained why he thought so.

“…In other words, their defining the Kizilbash as an ‘armed group’ and mentioning ‘good friends’ means this: ‘If the Shah purges the Kizilbash, we will consider the Shah and the Kizilbash separately. And the East will actively support the purge of the Kizilbash.'”

Ismail’s face brightened at the Vizier’s explanation.

“Did they create this to bind me, only to have it tighten their own necks?”

“That is correct.”

“Then we cannot miss this opportunity!”

Ismail was also a survivor who had lived through turbulent times, and he could never miss the opportunity that had come to him.

“Bring the Imam [Islamic leadership position]!”

“Yes!”

* * *

Ismail moved quickly. First, he defined the Kizilbash as a rebellious group for attacking the Three Eastern Nations’ envoys’ lodging. That was not the end of it.

He gathered Imams from the Jafari school of law within the Shia sect, who preferred a moderate and stable direction. With antipathy towards the Kizilbash, who had added mysticism to extreme fundamentalism, the Jafari school of law Imams, realizing the hidden meaning of Ismail and the Vizier, defined the Kizilbash as heretics and declared a jihad [holy war] against the Kizilbash.

“A heretic is more evil than an infidel. They defile the will of Allah with cunning words and drive Muslims to hell! Eliminating such heretics is a holy war!”

The Jafari Imams’ declaration soon spread throughout Persia. As the declaration spread, many Persian men flocked to Ismail’s army.

“I will participate in the holy war!”

What they shouted was ‘holy war,’ but their inner thoughts were revenge and ambition. Revenge for the Kizilbash’s massacres that had taken place throughout Persia, and ambition to rise in status by accumulating military achievements. The Kizilbash did not just stand by and take it.

As soon as they heard about the incident in Tabriz, the Kizilbash groups scattered in all directions immediately began to gather their forces. However, the problem was what came next. A dispute arose over who would be the successor to the leader who died in Tabriz.

This was because the leaders and senior officials of the Kizilbash, who had been staying in Tabriz to keep Ismail in check, had all died in this incident, leaving only a few behind. As the leader died without naming a successor, confusion arose over the next leader.

“The problem now is not who the leader is! We have been defined as heretics! Escaping this crisis comes first!”

There were those who shouted this, but they were silenced first. In the end, factions split within, and the Kizilbash warriors were divided into several groups. Although the Kizilbash had been torn into several pieces like this, they were by no means easy opponents.

They had the military power to make Ismail the ruler in the turbulent times, so their strength was not to be underestimated. If they rushed in without proper preparation, Ismail’s army was often defeated even in situations where they had numerical superiority. In the end, Ismail called the envoys of the Three Eastern Nations back to the palace. The Vizier, standing before the envoys in place of Ismail, asked for their help.

“We need the help of the East.”

“What can we do to help?”

“Everything possible.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

“………”

Not long after, a detachment of troops left Tabriz and rushed to the port where the Three Eastern Nations’ transport fleet was docked. At the same time, the remaining cavalry left Tabriz and began to move towards the Caspian Sea.

Their mission was to defeat the most powerful of the remaining Kizilbash groups. The Japanese envoy, watching the cavalry disappear into the distance, leaving behind a cloud of dust, turned to the Imperial official.

“Will it be alright? The results they bring must be good for future endeavors to go smoothly.”

The Imperial Envoy smiled slightly at the Japanese envoy’s words and asked.

“Have you never seen the full strength of the Imperial cavalry properly formed?”

“I am ashamed to say, but that is so. This is the first time I have seen it.”

The Imperial official smiled and replied to the Japanese envoy.

“The Imperial cavalry did not exert their full strength in the battle in front of the palace. But those who are now departing are properly formed with full strength. They will never bring bad results.”

The Japanese envoy’s expression was full of questions at the Imperial Envoy’s confident appearance. Then, the Ming envoy next to him added.

“There is a saying among the Mongol tribes. ‘If they shoot cannons like arrows from a distance, it is the Imperial cavalry; if they shoot guns like arrows from a distance, it is the Ming cavalry.'”

“Ah, now that you mention it…….”

The Japanese envoy recalled the appearance of the Imperial cavalry that had just departed and greatly agreed. The Imperial cavalry’s procession included a large number of carts. Only about 1/3 of them seemed to be carrying the necessary supplies. The rest were carts carrying cannons, mortars, and gunpowder.

* * *

Several days after the Imperial cavalry departed to suppress the remaining Kizilbash, the cavalry that had headed to the port where the transport fleet was staying returned to Tabriz, leading the rearguard. After confirming the arrival of the rearguard, the envoys from the Three Nations sought out Ismail.

“We have something to give to the Shah.”

“What is it?”

At Ismail’s question, the Imperial Envoy gestured to the commander who followed. At the envoy’s gesture, the commander briefly left the audience hall and returned with soldiers carrying boxes. The soldiers placed the boxes in front of Ismail, removed the lids of the wooden boxes with hammers, and stepped back.

“This is!”

Ismail jumped up from his seat when he saw the contents of the boxes. Inside the opened boxes were long guns made in the Empire, Ming, and Japan, and Imperial Hwachas [rocket propelled arrow]. Drawn to the boxes as if possessed, Ismail picked up the long guns inside and examined them.

Watching Ismail, the Imperial Envoy opened his mouth.

“The remaining boxes are in front of the palace gate.”

“Let’s go!”

At the Imperial Envoy’s words, Ismail immediately left the audience hall, and the Vizier and other officials followed him. In front of the palace gate, dozens of boxes were piled up, and soldiers from the guard unit surrounded these boxes, standing guard.

“There are 1,000 long guns and 100 Hwachas. The ammunition is initially one million rounds.”

The Imperial Envoy, who had explained the contents, smiled and continued.

“This is a small gift from the East to the Shah and his army.”

“Thank you!”

Ismail expressed his sincere gratitude.

* * *

Ismail and the Vizier could not hide their joy and examined the contents of the boxes one by one. As Ismail looked around, he soon turned to the envoys with a curious expression.

“By the way. The shapes of these long guns and Hwachas here seem similar, but they are slightly different. Is there a reason for this?”

The Imperial Envoy stepped forward to answer Ismail’s question.

“That is because they are mixed with those made by the three countries of the East.”

“Huh?”

“Ah. The bullets used are all the same. There will be no problem with supply.”

The envoy who was answering Ismail muttered inwardly.

‘Rather than a coincidence, is it a kind of trick?’

The long guns in the boxes were all based on the Florentine long guns provided by the Empire from Florence. The Hwachas were also made based on the blueprints provided by the Empire after receiving royalties from Ming and Japan. As a result, the specifications of the ammunition used were the same for all three countries.

Of course, the power was all different.