Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 233

233. Waeguk (6)

Kim Jong-seo’s complaints didn’t stop on the way back to Hanseong [modern-day Seoul].

“Is this what being a government official is like, drifting like duckweed? Going north, then south…”

Kim Jong-seo grumbled the entire journey back to Hanseong.

Upon their return, Kim Jong-seo visited the Ministry of Rites as ordered.

“Huh? Is that Jibong [Hwangbo-in’s pen name]?”

“Oh? Jeoljae [Kim Jong-seo’s pen name]! Long time no see!”

Hwangbo-in and Kim Jong-seo, meeting by chance at the Ministry of Rites, greeted each other with obvious delight.

As the two chatted with smiles, an official from the Ministry of Rites emerged and led them to a large room.

Inside, those selected to participate in the delegation to Waeguk [historical term for Japan] were gathered.

After a short wait, the Minister of Rites entered the room and addressed the official who had escorted them in.

“Is everyone present?”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Good work.”

The Minister of Rites, after offering a brief commendation, turned his attention to those assembled.

“The reason I have summoned you all here today is that we must soon dispatch a delegation to Waeguk.”

At the Minister of Rites’ opening statement, one of those gathered posed a question.

“Are we traveling as a Tongsinsa [Korean embassies to Japan during the Joseon dynasty] ?”

“Similar.”

“Pardon?”

Most of those in the room looked puzzled, their gazes fixed on the Minister of Rites.

“This trip to Waeguk is…”

* * *

After the Minister of Rites’ explanation, the faces of those leaving the room were considerably more somber than before.

The mission they had just learned about was of paramount importance.

Among those departing with such grave expressions was Kim Jong-seo. His face a mask of displeasure, Kim Jong-seo stepped outside and muttered a curse.

“Damn it! I knew it! What good fortune could I possibly expect…”

* * *

When Kim Jong-seo received the unexpected order from Hwanghee to go to Kyushu [a Japanese island], he had initially been optimistic.

“Going to Kyushu isn’t easy, but it’s better than just tending to horses here.”

‘I certainly don’t have the qualifications to be the chief envoy, so at best, I’ll be the vice-envoy, right? No, considering my experience, I probably won’t even qualify for that. Then, I’ll be one of the officials belonging to the delegation, right? Then, I’ll have plenty of free time… Is the old man looking out for me, letting me take it easy?’

Kim Jong-seo, having rationalized the situation, felt a sense of relief.

“I’ll get to see what the gibang [traditional Korean houses of courtesans] in Waeguk are like? What souvenirs should I bring back for the old man?”

Kim Jong-seo was, in his own way, grateful to Hwanghee.

* * *

However, Kim Jong-seo’s optimistic hopes were brutally dashed.

‘Succeed in negotiating with the Ouchi clan, who have seized the northeastern region of Kyushu! The items to negotiate are…’

Kim Jong-seo’s task was to establish a trading post and a joint venture for a silver mine.

‘Damn it! Even one of those tasks could cost me my head if I screw it up!’

As Kim Jong-seo grumbled about the perilous assignment, Hwangbo-in approached him.

“How about a drink?”

At Hwangbo-in’s suggestion, Kim Jong-seo nodded.

“Sure! Let’s have a drink! We definitely need to drink on a day like today! Which giru [house of courtesans] is popular these days?”

To Kim Jong-seo’s question, Hwangbo-in pointed to an unexpected location.

“Let’s go to my house for a drink.”

“Your house? Why?”

“Isn’t it a safe place to talk, even if we get drunk and spill secrets?”

At Hwangbo-in’s words, Kim Jong-seo clicked his tongue.

“Tsk! This wretched fate of mine, not even able to go to a giru without worry! What sins did I commit in my past life!”

* * *

In any case, the two ended up drinking in the detached quarters of Hwangbo-in’s residence. As they became increasingly tipsy, Hwangbo-in asked Kim Jong-seo.

“What do you think is the reason why His Majesty and the court are doing things so complicatedly and secretly?”

“What do you think?”

“Me?”

Hwangbo-in, his face flushed with alcohol, paused to consider, then grinned and spoke.

“Shall we reenact an old tale?”

“An old tale?”

Hwangbo-in retrieved a piece of paper from the desk behind him, tore it in half, and handed one piece to Kim Jong-seo.

At the sight, Kim Jong-seo chuckled and accepted the paper.

“Shouldn’t it be a palm in the original story [referencing a historical oath or agreement]?”

“It’s hard to wash hands while drinking, isn’t it?”

“I guess so…”

Kim Jong-seo nodded at Hwangbo-in’s words and rummaged through his sleeve to produce a gold pen and inkstone.

After a moment, the two compared what they had written and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Haha!”

On both pieces of paper, the same word was written: ‘Subjugation (服屬)’.

After their laughter subsided, Hwangbo-in and Kim Jong-seo resumed their drinking, and before long, the daunting task they had been assigned seemed almost trivial.

“By the way, what do you think is the reason for using such unconventional tactics instead of a straightforward approach?”

To Hwangbo-in’s question, Kim Jong-seo replied succinctly.

“Because our Joseon [historical Korean kingdom] is weak.”

At Kim Jong-seo’s words, Hwangbo-in tilted his head.

“Our Joseon is weak? Right now, pirates at sea flee at the sight of our Joseon’s Panokseon [Korean warship], and to the north, the Jurchens [nomadic tribes north of Korea] continue to submit?”

“We can’t catch those who run away, so the number of pirates doesn’t decrease, and we’re struggling just to pacify the Jurchens who have submitted.”

Kim Jong-seo, emphasizing the reality, emptied his glass and continued.

“If we were a truly strong nation, pirates wouldn’t even consider appearing nearby, and we would have the capacity to pacify those who submitted and still have energy to spare.”

Pouring wine into his empty glass, Kim Jong-seo concluded.

“Our Joseon is still weak.”

Hwangbo-in’s face grew serious at Kim Jong-seo’s words.

“Is it that bad? I heard that the weapons His Royal Highness the Crown Prince made are the best performing, even with those weapons?”

“The performance of the weapons is good. The problem is that we still lack the ability to support them so that those weapons can be effectively utilized.”

Kim Jong-seo’s face was filled with regret as he emptied his glass again.

“To put it simply, with Joseon’s current capabilities, it’s easy to win battles, but it’s hard to win wars.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Think about it. The main weapons of our Joseon army are all gunpowder weapons. That means that if logistics don’t function properly, we can’t use them. Looking at the situation in the northeastern region right now, I’m worried sick. We’re worried about what’s happening in the east because we don’t know, and we’re scared of who’s holding out in the west because we know them too well.”

“Ah…. Ah!”

Hwangbo-in, who had been nodding at Kim Jong-seo’s words, suddenly exclaimed as if he had an epiphany.

“If gunpowder is the problem, can’t we just import it from Ming [historical Chinese dynasty]?”

“Do you think Ming will give it to us? That precious gunpowder? Those guys who wouldn’t even give us rhinoceros horns?”

“Ah….”

Hwangbo-in smacked his lips with a disappointed expression at Kim Jong-seo’s rebuttal. Seeing Hwangbo-in’s expression, Kim Jong-seo added.

“And Ming gunpowder is dirty.”

“Dirty?”

“Compared to the gunpowder that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has worked on, it’s so bad that it’s dirty, and after using it once, you have to disassemble and clean the cannons and artillery no matter what because there’s so much dirty residue left. In short, they’re so dirty that you can’t even use them effectively.”

“Ah ah….”

Hwangbo-in was nodding repeatedly at Kim Jong-seo’s harsh assessment.

* * *

The problem of gunpowder supply was a constant headache. And the main culprits causing the problem were saltpeter and sulfur.

Hyang used the ranch on Neobeol Island to create saltpeter fields and employed various methods to increase saltpeter production, but consumption continued to rise.

Fortunately, the inflow of sulfur increased as trade with Waeguk expanded, and the discovery of several sulfur mines eased the pressure.

However, the problem remained saltpeter. This was still a frustrating situation.

“How about reducing the training that uses gunpowder?”

Not only the Ministry of War but also Hyang strongly opposed Kim Jeom’s suggestion.

“Are you making any sense! All of the military’s main weapons use gunpowder, so are you saying we shouldn’t train at all! You’re a general yourself!”

Jo Malsaeng, who was heated up, forgot that he was in Geunjeongjeon (main hall of Gyeongbok Palace) and was practically jumping up and down, while Hyang calmly explained the rationale.

“Weapons that use gunpowder emit huge explosions and flames. You must get used to these things so that you can properly engage in real combat later.”

Hyang’s explanation was based on historical precedent. In the 17th and 18th centuries, gunpowder was an expensive commodity in European empires. Therefore, they often avoided using gunpowder in training, opting for blank shots. On the other hand, England, which was able to obtain saltpeter in large quantities at a low price, used significant amounts of gunpowder in the training of its army and navy.

And that difference contributed to the British army’s formidable success.

“This time, the Minister of War and the Crown Prince are correct.”

When Sejong [the King] even sided with Jo Malsaeng and Hyang, Kim Jeom had no choice but to concede.

However, Hyang had no intention of simply letting the matter drop.

“Once enough Challenger-class ships are built, we need to start building merchant ships right away. Once we have enough ocean-going merchant ships, we need to set our sights on India.”

Looking at India on the map, Hyang’s eyes gleamed.

Hyang knew very well where England had purchased saltpeter in large quantities. Until saltpeter was discovered in Chile, the largest producer of saltpeter was India.

The problem was that he didn’t know exactly where in India it was. To solve this problem, Hyang subtly probed Mansur.

“Do Huihui (Muslims) also use gunpowder?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Where do you get the materials for gunpowder?”

“We trade with various places to obtain it.”

“Then, where do you get saltpeter?”

“We get it from Delhi. Your Highness, would you like me to acquire some for you?”

Mansur, who now had a good understanding of Joseon’s situation, cautiously offered, but Hyang shook his head.

“No. It’s just personal curiosity.”

Hyang, who rejected Mansur’s offer with a single word, muttered inwardly.

‘We can do intermediary trade for other things, but not saltpeter! It’s a strategic resource! I can never put our lifeline in the hands of others!’

Having pinpointed the location in that manner, Hyang was now simply waiting for the opportune moment.

* * *

Even while education was being conducted on the Tongsinsa and envoys to be sent to Waeguk, the court continued to refine the plan.

“By the way, Your Highness. If all cotton is produced in Waeguk, won’t those who produce cotton in Joseon suffer significant losses?”

To Kim Jeom’s question, Hyang expressed doubt.

“I understand that there aren’t many people who have dedicated their entire livelihood to cotton, but…?”

At Hyang’s prompting, Kim Jeom elaborated.

“Of course, that’s true. But there are quite a few people who earn a decent income from cotton cultivation. Naturally, if we only consider cotton cloth, this plan is optimal, but there will be considerable discontent.”

“That’s probably true.”

Hyang nodded with a wry expression. It could be termed an ‘unavoidable sacrifice’ or ‘victims of progress,’ but it was certain that some would blame the country.

“So, I’ve devised a solution. I’m planning to order cotton seeds from Mansur’s merchant group that will be arriving soon.”

“Cotton seeds?”

“I’ve heard that the cotton from a country called Aegeup (埃及, Egypt) far away is of exceptional quality.”

“You mean….”

“The cotton cloth to be sold at low prices will be made from cotton imported from Waeguk, and the high-end products to be sold at high prices will use cotton grown from seeds imported from Aegeup. That way, those who grow cotton in our Joseon will also be somewhat satisfied.”

* * *

Hyang learned about Egyptian cotton through a connection he made during his university days.

Among the very few people Hyang became close to in college, there was one who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth [wealthy family].

Hyang nicknamed him ‘Stealth Silver Spoon’ because he was a senior in Hyang’s department and his appearance was so unassuming that you could hardly tell he came from a wealthy family.

However, that was the deceptive part. Those seemingly plain clothes were ultra-expensive luxury brands worn by famous celebrities overseas – most of which Hyang had never even heard of in Korea.

One day, just for fun, Hyang investigated the prices of the clothes that senior was wearing and was shocked. When he added up the prices of everything from head to toe, it equaled the price of a mid-range car from the German Big Three [BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi].

“When you enter the professional world, you need to have a few luxury items in preparation for when they are absolutely necessary. It sounds snobbish, but…”

While giving advice to Hyang, that senior explained various things. It was during that conversation that Hyang learned about Egyptian cotton.

* * *

Kim Jeom, who had been nodding at Hyang’s words, asked again.

“But the climate of that country, Aegeup, is different from that of our Joseon, will it grow well?”

“We’ll test it first, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll have to improve the breed.”

Hyang was casually saying things that would horrify the officials at the seed research center without batting an eye.