Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 242

The Joseon fleet, having encountered the Ōuchi family’s fleet, anchored at Shimonoseki.

“Welcome, Envoys!”

Ōuchi Morimi, the heir of the Ōuchi family, warmly welcomed Nam Giju and his party.

* * *

Ōuchi Morimi’s enthusiastic welcome of Nam Giju’s delegation stemmed from the fact that the Ōuchi family was among the greatest beneficiaries of King Sejong’s reforms.

Merchants sent by the Ōuchi family held a significant share among the Waegwan [Joseon-era trading post with Japan]-based Japanese merchants.

That wasn’t all. One of only ten existing printed copies of the Tripitaka Koreana [Korean Buddhist scriptures] in Japan was in Ōuchi’s possession. Rurikō-ji Temple in Yamaguchi, where it was enshrined, attracted numerous monks and Buddhist pilgrims. The wealth generated by these monks and pilgrims was also substantial.

* * *

During their four-day stay in Shimonoseki, Nam Giju and his party experienced a semblance of rest.

They had to attend every banquet hosted by Morimi and receive visits from scholars and local magnates.

“It is an honor to meet the learned envoys from Joseon.”

Engaging in discussions, writing calligraphy, and creating drawings for these intellectuals and magnates, Nam Giju’s party found little true rest.

While the envoys spent their time thus, the sailors of the Panokseon [Korean warship] were busy. They completed maintenance and resupplied water and food.

“Work is finished.”

“Good work. But…”

The captain, receiving the report, glanced at the soldiers moving below and turned to his deputy.

“No incidents caused by the soldiers, right?”

* * *

The captain’s concern was justified. Before departing from Dongnae, he knew that all sorts of rumors about Japanese women were circulating among the sailors.

-They say Japan is overflowing with women!

-They say that even women from ordinary households, not just courtesans, will sleep with you for a night if you ask! For free!

When the higher-ups learned about these rumors among the soldiers, they were troubled.

A ship was something that depended entirely on the heavens from the moment it set sail until it returned. If it encountered a storm, everyone could become water ghosts in an instant. Sailors, therefore, tended to live without thinking about tomorrow.

If such men went to a foreign land with only rumors in their heads, it could lead to a breakdown of military discipline and international incidents.

In the end, the commander had to warn the soldiers.

“Anyone who violates military discipline in Japan will be severely punished!”

* * *

Knowing the situation from Dongnae, the captain couldn’t hide his anxiety. If something untoward happened, it would affect his promotion.

The deputy smiled and replied to the captain’s question.

“The soldiers value their lives too much to cause any trouble.”

The captain sighed in relief at the deputy’s response.

“Hoo~. That’s a relief, but sometimes there are guys who can’t control their impulses.”

“That’s true, but… they’ve been refraining from going out since their first outing.”

“Huh? Why?”

“They say the women smell bad…”

“Huh?”

The captain doubted his ears at the unexpected answer.

* * *

Since Hyang began mass-producing soap and strengthening hygiene education, the people of Joseon had become much cleaner. As they paid attention to hygiene, the occurrence of skin diseases and other illnesses decreased, and the people, having seen the effects, became increasingly conscious of hygiene.

Before long, the people living in Joseon had become the cleanest among the three Northeast Asian countries.

* * *

The issue of Japan’s sexual culture was a matter of debate in the court.

“If we obtain a naval base in Tsushima, open trading posts in Japan, and mine minerals, it will surely cause problems. Even if we send only single men to the naval base, trading posts, and mines, they will be influenced by Japanese customs, and even if we send men with families, their entire families will be influenced. If these people return to Joseon, the morals of the people will surely collapse!”

Sejong nodded at the criticism from the Office of the Inspector General.

“This is indeed a matter to consider seriously. Therefore, you should gather people and devise countermeasures.”

“We obey!”

Because of Sejong’s order, the ministers gathered veteran and new officials and entered into a countermeasures meeting.

It was quite unusual to have young officials attend the meeting. However, the ministers had their reasons.

“My body is not what it used to be. I need to start preparing for the future.”

“You too, Excellency? Me too…”

Having been in official service since the late Goryeo period [918-1392], they were slowly preparing to step down. They intended to entrust their successors to those with long experience and allow the young people to see how things worked to gain experience.

The problem was that Sejong was not one to let them go easily.

Through this process, the ministers formed a kind of task force and entered into a meeting.

“It is easy to make a fatal mistake by deciding based on fragmentary rumors, so we must investigate in detail!”

“I think that’s a reasonable point.”

Based on this decision, they began investigating the customs and culture of Japan, targeting Japanese defectors and merchants at the Waegwan.

And the young officials who saw the Japanese customs gathered in this way were all shocked.

“Such a corrupt custom!”

“It’s barbaric! Barbaric!”

While the young officials were shocked and in an uproar, the reactions of the older officials were slightly different.

“The Japanese civil war lasted quite a long time, didn’t it?”

“I heard it was in the middle of a civil war when I took office, so it’s been a while.”

“According to the records, it lasted almost 60 years.”

The veteran officials, sharing their opinions on the Japanese Nanboku-chō period [1336 to 1392] civil war, nodded and came to a conclusion.

“With that level of civil war, such customs could be created.”

“Yes?”

The young officials expressed their doubts about the conclusions of the older officials.

At that sight, Chief State Councilor Yi Jik stepped forward to explain.

“You have never experienced war, have you?”

“We have experienced several invasions by Japanese pirates.”

The Chief State Councilor waved his hand at the young officials’ answer.

“Eh~. The invasions by Japanese pirates that you experienced at your age are nothing compared to the Japanese pirates at the end of the Goryeo period.”

That was the truth.

* * *

The invasions by Japanese pirates at the end of the Goryeo period devastated the southern regions of Goryeo. To prevent this, the Goryeo army moved desperately, and Yi Seong-gye, who rose to prominence in this process, founded Joseon.

The reason why the rampages of these extremely fierce Japanese pirates subsided was that the Goryeo army, which introduced gunpowder weapons at the end of the Goryeo period, suffered significant losses. Later, Joseon entered and bribed the Japanese lords, launched aggressive offensives including the conquest of Tsushima Island, and finally suffered a crushing defeat in the Ming Dynasty during the conquest of Tsushima Island.

Since then, Japanese pirates had tried to attack Joseon several times, but they were severely defeated by the Joseon navy, which began to be strengthened through reforms, and it became difficult to find Japanese pirates in the vicinity of Joseon.

Therefore, Yi Jik answered that way.

* * *

Yi Jik, taking a sip of black tea, continued.

“Do you know what dries up first when something like the rampages of Japanese pirates that occurred at the end of the Goryeo period lasts for a long time?”

“I don’t know.”

“Men. Especially the lowest-ranking soldiers who were dragged in while farming or fishing. Those who only knew how to punch were used as shields and arrow fodder, and they dried up first. Then the mid- and low-ranking military officers who commanded them dried up.”

Yi Jik’s words reminded Hyang of a line from a movie he had seen in the 21st century.

-Do you know how long the average survival time of a rookie lieutenant first deployed in combat in the Vietnam War is? 16 minutes! It was a shitty 16 minutes!

‘Then and now…’

While Hyang was lost in such thoughts, Yi Jik’s words continued.

“Then do you know what happens? You can hardly see men even if you go a little outside the city. Then do you know what happens next? Seeds [referring to offspring] become precious. In order to obtain those seeds to continue the family or to obtain children to farm and support them, the things you call corrupt happen.”

The Chief State Councilor’s words were filled with the pain of those who survived the chaotic period.

“So don’t just look at one piece and criticize it as corrupt. There’s no guarantee that similar things won’t happen to our Joseon.”

When Yi Jik’s words ended, Kim Jeom’s words followed.

“Those Japanese are not ignorant of morality either. If you have examined the records properly, you would have seen it, but look at the destruction of a small aristocratic family that occurred in a corner of Japan. The daughter of the lord could not overcome the humiliation of being raped and committed suicide, and that’s what happened. If it was just corrupt and barbaric, such a thing would not have happened. So, like the Chief State Councilor said, don’t judge rashly based on fragments, but look at it more broadly and deeply.”

“Yes.”

The young officials answered with sincerity to Kim Jeom’s advice. Those veteran ministers had left them with advice that would become their flesh and blood.

Hyang, who was watching the scene, was immediately puzzled.

‘Then what about the videos and internet stories in my computer’s Jikbakguri [slang for a hidden folder containing adult content] folder in the 21st century?’

Hyang, with questions, immediately asked the veteran ministers.

“Then, is there no possibility that these primitive and corrupt customs will continue?”

Yi Jik answered Hyang’s question.

“If the regime seized by the Ashikaga clan is maintained stably for a long time, the lives of the people are stabilized, and the edification [moral improvement] is done well, it is highly likely that it will disappear in a short period of time. However, if the Ashikaga clan’s regime has a short lifespan and a long period of civil war continues again, it will become a traditional custom.”

“I see.”

Hyang, who answered briefly, shouted inwardly.

‘The Warring States Period!’

However, the young officials’ criticism was not wrong.

“It is a pity that Japan has such customs. However, this is a big problem when we think of our Joseon people who will go to Japan and settle down.”

“Then what should we do?”

“We must build barriers in the residences of the naval base and trading post to block contact.”

“Is that possible? It wasn’t like that in the Waegwan area, was it?”

The veteran ministers showed a skeptical reaction to the young officials’ answer.

Despite the social atmosphere of strong animosity towards the Japanese due to the Japanese pirates and strict entry and exit controls, Japanese customs had entered considerably among the Joseon people around the Waegwan.

Therefore, the veteran ministers showed a skeptical reaction.

After that, several plans came out, but most of them were methods of blocking contact, so they did not receive a good response.

Hyang, who was watching the scene from one side, joined the meeting.

“How about not blocking contact, but enlightening them?”

“Enlightenment, you say? Shall we send scholars?”

“Anyway, many of the Joseon people who go to the trading post and mine will move as families. In that case, shouldn’t we also build Saminhakdang [local schools] to educate the children of those families?”

“Ah!”

The officials who exclaimed at Hyang’s words immediately proceeded with the meeting.

After that, the meeting proceeded smoothly.

The results of the meeting can be summarized as follows.

-Operate Saminhakdang for Joseon families who have settled in Japan.

-The Japanese envied our Joseon’s learning, so if they see this Saminhakdang, they will try to put their children in it.

-Using this situation, we enlighten the Japanese and at the same time make them admire Joseon. If this happens, some of the Japanese aristocratic families will send their children to Joseon to study.

-Ultimately, through this process, we create aristocratic families who are loyal to Joseon and secure political influence over Japan. We use this influence to maintain the safety of Joseon.

Hyang, who was watching the process of deriving this conclusion, had a bitter expression.

‘Is it Joseonization instead of making them subjects of the Emperor… There’s no double standard here…’

* * *

Note 1) https://www.huffingtonpost.kr/2016/12/26/story_n_13780142.html

Hello, Bomb