Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1105

1105. Overture to Disaster (12)

Of course, Emmannuelle wasn’t invited to Charles VIII’s banquet without facing some hurdles. Before being presented to Charles VIII, the officials interrogated her, meticulously checking her story. They inquired about her family history before she became a slave, even asking for the name of a priest she was close to, all to verify the facts. Finally, the officials posed the crucial question.

“You stated you were sold as a slave to the Empire. Did you continue to live as a slave there?”

“No. There are no slaves in the Empire, except for those who have committed serious crimes such as treason.”

“So you were freed immediately?”

“Yes. Initially, I was to become a commoner and work as a maid, but thanks to my adoptive father’s generosity, I became his adopted daughter.”

“Then who are the servants who accompanied you?”

“Even as my adoptive father’s daughter, some discrimination persisted. Therefore, my adoptive father hired those who had arrived as slaves and were freed, like myself, to be my servants. They are the ones who came with me.”

After hearing this, the officials stepped back to confer.

“What do you think?”

“It seems consistent. Everything aligns.”

“There were a few instances where she couldn’t recall details or answered incorrectly, though.”

“Consider her age when she was enslaved. It would be more suspicious if everything matched perfectly.”

“That’s true.”

Having passed the interrogation, Emmannuelle was able to meet Charles VIII without further delay. After properly paying her respects according to French aristocratic etiquette, she introduced herself to Charles VIII.

“Emmannuelle de Poitiers greets His Majesty the King.”

“Welcome home. I hope you will find comfort in Paris.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah, but…”

Charles VIII, calling Emmannuelle back as she was about to withdraw, asked with a curious expression.

“How do the women of the Empire pay their respects to their elders? We have seen many examples of men doing so through envoys, but never a woman.”

Emmannuelle’s expression stiffened at Charles VIII’s words. Noticing this, Charles VIII quickly added.

“Ah! This is not to make a spectacle of you! I am merely curious! If you prefer, only I, the Queen, and the Duke and Duchess of Orléans will be present.”

Emmannuelle replied immediately to Charles VIII’s words.

“Please do so.”

Thus, the male and female nobles who had attended the banquet went outside, leaving only the King, the Duke and Duchess, and the guards in the banquet hall.

After a short while.

“You may come in.”

The nobles who re-entered through the reopened door immediately scrutinized the expressions of the King, Queen, Duke, and Duchess.

‘Their expressions aren’t bad? No, they look like they’re barely containing their excitement!’

‘What kind of greeting was it?’

The curious nobles subtly approached the guards and asked.

“How was it?”

The guards’ and knights’ answers to the nobles’ questions were uniform.

“It was truly beautiful.”

The grand bow, the Krushin-leh [a formal, elaborate bow], that Emmannuelle performed for Charles VIII was a display of graceful movements when executed correctly. Charles VIII, having received the bow full of foreign charm, looked at the nobles in the banquet hall with a satisfied air.

‘None of you have ever received such a greeting, have you?’

As an aside, the rumor of the grand bow that Emmannuelle performed spread and was incorporated into European etiquette.

* * *

Thanks to the event held in front of Charles VIII, Emmannuelle became known in Parisian society. Combined with Emmannuelle’s beauty, knowledge, and wealth, she quickly established herself as a prominent figure in French society.

Of course, there were those who envied her.

“That noble child from a distant colony!”

As they said, Emmannuelle was from a humble family, a noble in name only. Without her dramatic life journey, it would have been impossible for her to enter Parisian society. However, with her appearance, knowledge, wealth, and dramatic life journey combined, she suddenly became the center of Parisian society, and those who envied her could not tolerate it.

However, as she received great attention from Charles VIII and Louis XII, even those who had been envious began to try to befriend Emmannuelle. This reached its peak when Emmannuelle opened a salon [a gathering of intellectuals and artists]. The leading intellectuals and officials of France at the time began to frequent her salon.

This was due to the reputation of her salon. The study she used as a salon was filled with all sorts of books. Visitors who were curious about the books soon widened their eyes. Her study was filled with all sorts of rare books and imperial academic books that were not easily found even in France.

“How?”

“My adoptive father told me this: ‘One must never stop learning. Never let a book out of your hand.’ There are many books among them that I have not yet read or understood, but I brought them with me following my adoptive father’s teachings.”

“These and these, these are forbidden to be taken out of the Empire?”

“My adoptive father pleaded with the Emperor of the Empire, and the Emperor of the Empire bestowed his grace.”

With this small bait alone, the core intellectuals of France gathered in Emmannuelle’s study. Those who gathered there not only read books but also began to discuss the national administration of France, and the contents of these discussions were passed on to the ears of the Empire’s intelligence agents through cleverly installed eavesdropping devices.

It wasn’t just him.

The papers scribbled by intellectuals and officials while discussing and the contents written on the blackboard were also taken away by the Empire’s intelligence agents. Thanks to the espionage activities carried out in this way, the plans for the assault ship and the Suez investment were delivered to the Empire.

Almost at the same time as they were placed on Charles VIII’s desk.

* * *

After the ‘assault ship’ and countermeasures against it were identified, Woo and the ministers’ attention turned to the ‘Suez investment and Ottoman support policy’ that the French government was trying to promote.

“France is being quite aggressive, but other countries are also gathering funds from the people rather than the government and rushing in. I think we should also move more actively.”

“What does the Minister of Finance think?”

Woo immediately tossed the ball to the Minister of Finance in response to the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ proposal. The Minister of Finance, who received Woo’s toss, glared at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and replied immediately.

“That will not do! If we move more actively here, it will become speculation, not investment! If it becomes speculation, illegal activities will be rampant! And that’s not all! If those who speculate do not get the results they want, where will the blame go? Absolutely not!”

As the Minister of Finance strongly opposed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs began to rebut again.

“This is not the time to be afraid of speculation! It’s already too late! The Ming and Japan, as well as the European powers, are gathering money from the people and pouring it in! If we’re not careful, we’ll be dragged along instead of leading! Are we going to work our fingers to the bone for nothing!”

“The Ming may be an exception, but the rest are just flashy but useless! It would be better to invest more of the national budget! What are you trying to do by making the people only aim for unearned income! Are you even an official of this Empire!”

“What? You? National budget? Hey! Are you the one who cuts it whenever you see the budget proposal!”

“That’s that, and this is this!”

“Hey!”

The war of words between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance became increasingly intense, and Woo and the other ministers watched their argument with amusement.

‘His Majesty said it was the most fun in the world, and I understand why. I suddenly want some taffy?’

As the war of words between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance escalated from simple disagreements to personal insults, Woo intervened.

“Stop! Stop it!”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance, realizing their behavior at Woo’s intervention, hurriedly bowed their heads to Woo.

“Please forgive our disgraceful behavior!”

“Please forgive us!”

“I know that you two are sincere, so I will let it go this time. Be careful.”

“Your grace is boundless!”

Woo, having warned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance, assigned the ministers homework.

“I don’t think this is just a matter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. I hope the Prime Minister and other ministers will also think deeply about this and bring me an answer. Would about three days be enough?”

“…We obey your command.”

“We obey your command.”

“Then, let’s stop here for today.”

* * *

After finishing the meeting, Woo visited Sugang Palace. Hyang and Wan, who were discussing the blueprints for the new flying device, put down the blueprints and greeted Woo.

“Has His Majesty got another worry?”

“I am asking for your opinions.”

“What is it?”

Woo told Hyang and Wan about France’s movements related to Suez.

“…I am uneasy about France’s movements. Why did the sages emphasize moderation, saying that excess is as bad as deficiency? Especially, looking at the current state of the world, countries are intertwined with each other. If one country goes bankrupt, the aftermath will spread like ripples to other countries, and eventually, it will affect our Empire.”

At Woo’s words, Hyang nodded and muttered inwardly.

‘Well, it’s not as crazy as the 21st century, but it’s still messed up enough.’

While Hyang was muttering inwardly, Wan asked Woo first.

“So, what does Your Majesty want to do?”

“It is difficult to make a decision easily. If we actively expand investment, I am afraid it will turn into speculation, and if we move as we are now, I am afraid we will lose the initiative.”

At Woo’s answer, Wan nodded with an understanding expression.

“I understand Your Majesty’s feelings. I also had similar worries every day when I was on the throne. Hmm… What does Tae Tae Sang Hwang [a retired emperor] think?”

Hyang, who received Wan’s question, pondered for a while longer before answering.

“In my opinion, it is best to maintain the Suez equity investment issue only one step ahead of the Ming and prepare for war.”

When Hyang mentioned the war, Woo and Wan became serious at the same time.

“The report submitted by the Communications Management Bureau also mentioned it slightly, but do you think France sincerely wants war?”

“That’s right. There are two cases where a country spares no military support to another country. One is when the supporting country gets into trouble if the supported country is invaded, and the other is when the supporting country tries to expand its power by using the supported country as a stepping stone. France is the latter. So they will sincerely wage war. No, there will be no answer other than war.”

“Why is that?”

At Woo’s question, Hyang answered calmly.

“They are taking the people’s greed too lightly. Of course, the greed of the kings and nobles is also considerable.”