Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 122

짱그라

헬로밤

122. To Arabia (1)

“You said they asked for cannons? And you, Crown Prince, are thinking about it positively?”

“Yes, Father.”

Sejong looked at Hyang with a worried expression in response to Hyang’s answer.

“You must know what cannons are, right?”

“Of course, I know.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s reply. The troublemaking son in front of him was the one most deeply involved in the new cannons that were about to be deployed, as well as the various types of cannons that were still being researched.

“Alright… then, which cannon do you want to give them?”

“The Ilchongtong.”

“The Ilchongtong, huh…”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong, as well as the ministers, looked relieved. However, the ministers, being responsible, continued to question Hyang.

“Why the Ilchongtong?”

“According to the reports, the ships these merchants came on are large, but they don’t seem very strong. In the case of the Janggunhwagong [a large cannon], even the transport ships cannot handle the recoil, so they can’t load many of them. So, even if we give them the Janggunhwagong, they won’t be able to use it.”

At Hyang’s words, the ministers who had experienced battles from the late Goryeo to early Joseon periods, including the conquest of Tsushima Island, all nodded. They had been receiving similar reports since then.

Seeing the ministers’ reactions, Hyang continued.

“Cannons below the Ichongtong are similar to or slightly better than bows and arrows in terms of range and killing power. Their rate of fire is even worse than bows and arrows. That’s why the military, including the Royal Guards, as well as the land garrison and mounted navy, unified with the Gapsik Jangchongtong [a type of long gun] and Gapsik Masangchongtong [a type of musket], and melted down the existing items below the Ichongtong, right?”

At Hyang’s pointing out, the ministers once again faced reality.

“That’s right. That’s what happened.”

“We can’t make new cannons for these merchants, so the Ichongtong seems the most appropriate.”

As the ministers’ reactions turned favorable, the Chief Censor voiced his concerns.

“I understand what the Crown Prince is saying, but what if… what if these Westerners copy the cannons? What if they mass-produce them and attack us?”

Hyang smiled and replied to the Chief Censor’s words.

“Your worries are excessive. Joseon is already armed with cannons that are superior in performance to the Ilchongtong.”

At Hyang’s pointing out, the ministers nodded and muttered.

“That’s true.”

Seeing the Chief Censor’s face redden at the ministers’ muttering, Hyang added an explanation.

“And copying also requires skill. Just looking at the shape of the cannon and copying it exactly? If they had that level of skill, they wouldn’t need to ask us for cannons. Cannons have already spread to various countries since the Yuan Dynasty.”

“Ah…”

At Hyang’s words, the Chief Censor closed his mouth.

With the Chief Censor’s statement, there were no ministers who opposed Hyang’s opinion. Confirming the reactions of those ministers, Sejong came to a conclusion.

“The ministers don’t have any particular objections, and I think the Ilchongtong is appropriate. Alright, Crown Prince, how many will you give them?”

“I think it’s right to judge after seeing the condition of the ships they came on first.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s answer.

“That would be right. Then, what about the payment?”

“I’m thinking of using the ‘cahwa’ they brought to pay for half of it.”

“Cahwa?”

Sejong examined the list of items.

“Cahwa… cahwa… there’s no such item here?”

“It’s written as ‘black bean tea’.”

At Hyang’s explanation, Sejong searched the list again.

“Black bean tea… it’s here. There’s also ‘green bean tea’?”

“Black bean is roasted coffee beans for drinking, and green bean is raw, unroasted beans.”

“Is that so? What are the effects of this tea?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang spoke about the effects of coffee.

“If you drink it when you’re tired, you can quickly regain energy, and those who have trouble urinating can urinate properly, and it has several other effects. But, most importantly, the flavor is unique.”

Sejong stroked his chin at Hyang’s fluent answer.

“How do you know so well?”

Hyang, who was excited to explain at the thought of being able to drink coffee, had a momentary embarrassed expression at Sejong’s question and made an excuse.

“I saw it in a book.”

Sejong’s eyes lit up at the word ‘book’.

“A book? Father would like to see it too.”

“That… it got mixed in with the books that were burned last time… Please forgive my carelessness!”

“Tsk! Value books a little more.”

Sejong lightly cautioned and moved on at Hyang’s answer. However, the ministers did not just move on.

“Your Highness, you burned books? Books are precious. They contain the knowledge of the sages.”

Hyang answered with an embarrassed face at the Chief Censor’s scolding, who was steeped in Confucianism to the bone.

“It was a frivolous book…”

“Huh~. You were the one who said that even frivolous books have something to learn from! Don’t you think that’s an excuse?”

At the Chief Censor’s pointing out, Hyang quickly racked his brain.

‘If I want to get through this difficulty… that’s it! If I say it’s a book that this man would hate, it’s over!’

Hyang, who found an escape route, answered with an embarrassed expression.

“It was a book about the relationship between men and women… I burned it immediately because it seemed harmful to public morals.”

“Oh my… you did well!”

As Hyang expected, the Chief Censor immediately switched his attitude and praised Hyang.

However, Sejong and the other ministers’ expressions turned sour.

This was because the book that was the background for Hyang’s notorious nightlife was the book that was burned – or rather, the books that Hyang said he burned.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

“Cough!”

However, because it was not a topic to be talked about, Sejong and the ministers coughed uncomfortably.

Seeing that, the Chief Censor muttered with an unknowing expression.

“No, why?”

As the Chief Censor panicked at seeing the unfavorable gazes towards him, Sejong hurriedly changed the subject.

“Then, what will you do with the remaining half?”

Hyang continued to explain in a soft voice at Sejong’s continued question. Then, the corners of Sejong and his ministers’ lips slowly rose.

“That’s enough! Crown Prince, listen! I have entrusted this transaction to you, so take charge of the cannon issue as well. Do your best for the sake of national interest!”

As Sejong made his decision, Hyang bowed his head and answered.

“I will keep it in mind and carry it out!”

* * *

Hyang, who came out of the throne room, slapped his mouth.

“You little mouth! Can’t you tell the time and place? Get a grip.”

Hyang, who warned himself, moved his steps to the East Palace and muttered.

“Come to think of it… why were the Islamic guys late in arming with cannons? The Islamic guys were the ones who brought gunpowder to the West, right? Why?”

As Hyang was pondering to solve the sudden question, the bell of the Jongnu [a bell tower] rang to announce the time.

De-e-eng~.

Hearing the distant ringing of the bell, Hyang remembered a passage from a book he had read before.

“Was it thanks to the bell after all?”

When cannons were first made in Western Europe, cannon makers welded iron plates together to make cannons. However, the cannons made in this way had a high risk of explosion, not to mention performance issues.

However, because cannons were useful weapons, each country in Europe conducted all sorts of research to make safe and easy-to-use cannons.

What was born in the process was the bronze cast cannon. And the bronze cast cannon quickly took its place.

The reason why bronze cast cannons were able to take their place quickly was because of the bells hanging in numerous churches in Europe. Bell makers, who were skilled in casting objects with bronze material and large sizes, easily made bronze cast cannons. (Note 1)

Bell makers were also involved in the casting of cannons in Goryeo. The reason why cannons at the level of use in battle could be made not long after gunpowder was introduced was because there were skilled bell makers.

After Buddhism was introduced to the Korean Peninsula, the casting technology of the Korean Peninsula developed rapidly. The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok was an object that proved the casting technology of the Unified Silla period.

This casting technology further developed in the Goryeo Dynasty.

This was because many temples were built as Buddhism flourished to its peak, and excellent casting technicians were produced in the process of supplying the bells needed for each temple.

Hyang, who came to this conclusion, smiled bitterly and muttered.

“The technology refined for a religion that preaches peace is used for slaughter… it’s just another common contradiction of history.”

* * *

Hyang, who was entrusted with all the processes by Sejong, diligently carried out his work.

“Contact the Ministry of War and tell them to check how many Ilchongtong without firing devices are available.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Not long after, Jo Mal-saeng, who heard the words conveyed by the eunuch, came to Hyang and asked.

“Did you say Ilchongtong without firing devices?”

“That’s right.”

“Wouldn’t the Ilchongtong with firing devices be more useful?”

Hyang pointed out one problem at Jo Mal-saeng’s question.

“It’s because of the gunpowder. It’s already hard enough to supply the amount we use, are you going to give it to them too?”

Jo Mal-saeng made an ‘Ah!’ expression at Hyang’s pointing out.

“Ah! That’s right! I made a mistake!”

“No. Thanks to you, we have an item to ask them to get.”

“What is it?”

Jo Mal-saeng showed interest as Hyang found a new item to add from his statement.

‘If it’s because of me, it must be related to the military!’

Hyang answered briefly at Jo Mal-saeng’s question.

“Mercury.”

“Ah! That’s right! If we get enough mercury, we can increase the production of gunpowder!”

Jo Mal-saeng’s face was full of joy at Hyang’s answer.

In order to obtain mercury in Joseon, they had to import cinnabar from Ming and process it.

However, there were quite a few people who harmed their bodies in this process, so mercury was an item that could not be easily mass-produced. So Joseon had to take the second best option of purchasing mercury from Japan.

“But, can they get a lot of mercury?”

Hyang leaned back in his chair and answered at Jo Mal-saeng’s question.

“I don’t know. But, I just think it will be easy to get because the Westerners used a lot of mercury to study alchemy.”

* * *

Thanks to Sejong’s permission, the contract proceeded quickly.

“Before completing the contract, I need to check the ships you came on.”

“Yes, why?”

Mansur and the captains’ faces became serious at Hyang’s words, ‘I will check the ships.’

A ship was the captain’s territory. The captains’ faces hardened because they could not let outsiders enter their territory carelessly.

Hyang explained to them why he had to look at the ships.

“The recoil of cannons is great, so if the ship is weak, it cannot be loaded.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Two days later, naval officers and artisans in charge of Joseon went down to Jemulpo [a port], checked the condition of the merchant ships that Mansur’s group came on, and submitted a report.

-Considering the size and strength of the hull, it is absolutely impossible to load the Janggunhwatong, and only up to 3 Ilchongtong are possible.

Hyang, who checked the report, negotiated with Mansur based on it.

“Alright. Then, I will buy a total of 9, with 3 per ship.”

“What will you pay for the purchase price of 9 cannons and the gunpowder, chadaejeon [arrow for cannons], and joranhwan [small iron balls used as ammunition] to use?”

Mansur answered with a troubled face at Hyang’s question.

“It’s already hard to buy Joseon’s goods, so can I get some credit…”

“I refuse full credit. Then, let’s do this. Pay half of the purchase price with cahwa, and the rest will be on credit, but I will send a few of our navy people with you.”

“Cahwa?”

Mansur shared his opinion with the elders, Rajab.

“Ah! I will calculate the cahwa at the price you bought it for without any profit.”

Mansur’s group’s expressions worsened at Hyang’s additional request. However, Hassan slyly gestured, and they accepted Hyang’s opinion.

“Alright. But why are you boarding the Joseon navy?”

“Do you think you can aim properly just by learning how to load and fire the cannons?”

“Ah…”

“It’s something that requires a lot of practice. Besides, even though we started as a transaction, shouldn’t we continue our relationship for a long time in the future?”

Hyang spoke softly with a kind expression.

Mansur answered with a dazed expression at Hyang’s drastically changed behavior, who had been acting like he was going to eat them alive until just before.

“Ah, that’s what you mean…”

“It will be enough training while going. Also, it would be better if there were people who could find out what is valuable when you bring things.”

Mansur’s group put their heads together again and shared their opinions at Hyang’s words.

“It’s a reasonable story.”

“Maybe they’re trying to find out the sea route?”

Mansur made an expression that it was nothing at Rajab’s words.

“Of course, that could be the case. But, what’s the problem when it’s already a sea route that even the Ming merchants know?”

After a long discussion, Mansur accepted Hyang’s proposal.

“I will follow the Prince’s proposal.”

“Alright. Then, I will take the cahwa right away today.”

* * *

That evening, Mansur had to regret it greatly.

“You said all of it, and you really swept it all away!”

Joseon officials swept away all the coffee that Mansur’s group had left to drink.

* * *

(Note 1) ‘Cannons, Sails, Empire’ by Carlo Cipolla, Miji Books