Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 255

255. The Expedition Team (3)

This was what Sejong wanted.

Having thoroughly managed the scribes, Sejong let out a sigh of relief.

“Hoo~. Now I can finally relax a bit. Now I can focus on my research without worry.”

The biggest reason Sejong had become so sensitive about the presence of the scribes was because of his research into the script [Hangul, the Korean alphabet]. Only Sejong’s closest inner circle of eunuchs knew that he was researching a unique script for Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom].

Sejong wasn’t particularly worried about these eunuchs. Knowing that they would hardly be treated as people once they left the palace, the eunuchs showed absolute loyalty to Sejong. Even if a eunuch did have other intentions, Sejong wasn’t too concerned. From what Sejong had heard, any eunuch discovered with ulterior motives would be dealt with silently within their own ranks.

In the end, he had done all this to manage the scribes, who were the most troublesome figures concerning Sejong’s research.

Having succeeded in managing the scribes, Sejong offered them appropriate rewards.

He promoted the Office of the Spring and Autumn Annals, which oversaw the scribes, to the National History Office, and increased the number of scribes from 8 to 32. With the promotion to an office, opportunities for advancement increased, and with the increase in personnel, the workload was reduced.

In return, the scribes made a kind of gentleman’s agreement to vacate their seats whenever Sejong wished.

However, it seemed that some of the newly arrived scribes were breaking this agreement.

* * *

As the scribes settled back into their places, Sejong subtly warned them.

“It seems the new ones haven’t quite grasped the work yet, so make sure to teach them well.”

“We will engrave it in our hearts!”

The scribes, responding with loud voices, busily moved their golden pens.

-The scribe records.

Which bastard is it?

-The scribe records.

It seems we need to have a very deep conversation with the new recruits.

* * *

After the storm created by Sejong’s scolding of the scribes had passed, Sejong resumed his conversation with Hwang Hee and Kim Jong-seo.

“So, we can trust the Jurchens who have submitted?”

Hwang Hee answered Sejong’s question immediately.

“If we continue to guarantee the safety and livelihood of the Jurchens who have submitted, as we do now, they will continue to be loyal.”

“A conditional loyalty, is it?”

“…”

Hwang Hee and Kim Jong-seo responded to Sejong’s words with silence.

Seeing their reaction, Sejong nodded and opened his mouth.

“Well, it hasn’t been many years since they submitted…. Even I don’t fully trust them, so how could they unconditionally trust me? But you said conditional loyalty?”

“Yes. The Jurchens who have submitted can be trusted as long as their safety and livelihood are guaranteed.”

Following Hwang Hee’s words, Kim Jong-seo continued.

“They are tribes that have had deep ties with Taejo Daewang [King Taejo] since before the founding of Joseon. I believe it was our mistake that these ties grew distant.”

“Our mistake? Why?”

To Sejong’s question, Kim Jong-seo answered based on his own experiences.

“According to what I saw and heard while visiting the submitted tribes, the elders of these tribes still held feelings of admiration for Taejo Daewang. However, our relationship with them became strained because we focused on internal affairs after the founding of the kingdom.”

Sejong nodded at Kim Jong-seo’s words.

As Yi Seong-gye founded the kingdom and completely established himself in the Korean Peninsula, the relationship with the Jurchens gradually grew distant. However, the person who provided the biggest cause for the estrangement with the Jurchens was Taejong [King Taejong].

There were a considerable number of Jurchens in Taejo Daewang’s private army. However, it was disbanded during Taejong’s reform of private soldiers, and in the process, anti-Joseon sentiments began to circulate among the Jurchens who returned to their homelands.

Recalling the memories he had seen and heard when he was young, Sejong nodded.

“Hmm…. That could be true.”

Seeing Sejong’s acceptance, Kim Jong-seo put more strength into his voice and continued speaking.

“It takes a lot of effort to bring a distant relationship back to closeness. The behavior of the Jurchens who have submitted now may seem like conditional loyalty, but if we treat them as our own people and treat them with sincerity, they will also become loyal subjects of our Joseon.”

“The assistant’s words are correct.”

Sejong nodded at Kim Jong-seo’s explanation. The ministers who were listening to the conversation also nodded, muttering inwardly.

‘As expected, Hwang Daegam [Lord Hwang] chose a talented person!’

While everyone was admiring Kim Jong-seo’s insight, Hwang Hee was thinking something else.

‘This guy…. I heard he emptied his pockets trying to win back the heart of his estranged *aegi* (愛妓, beloved courtesan) while staying in the north…. Surely, he’s not using that as a metaphor, is he?’

“Alright, I’ve heard your explanation well. Our Joseon will not mistreat the Jurchens who have submitted, so would it be alright to entrust them with important duties?”

Hwang Hee, pondering the meaning behind Sejong’s question for a moment, asked Sejong in return.

“When you say important duties, do you mean you are planning to start the eastward advance (東進)?”

To Hwang Hee’s question, Sejong nodded.

“That is so.”

* * *

Shortly after, military officers and Hyang from the General Staff Office entered Geunjeongjeon Hall [main hall of Gyeongbok Palace].

Once preparations were complete, a military officer set up a large map and began to explain.

“Last fall, Challenger ships number 2 and 3 were newly launched. Before the official commissioning of ships 2 and 3, training was conducted in the East Sea to increase the proficiency of the sailors in charge of operations.”

Starting with an explanation of the Challenger-class ships, the military officer began the report. Sejong and the ministers had already heard the content, but no one seemed bored.

“The General Staff Office, judging that the sailors’ proficiency had reached a certain level, ordered three Challenger-class battleships to survey the East Sea. And the result is this map.”

The military officer used a pointer to flip the cover of the map.

“Hoh!”

Hwang Hee, seeing the newly revealed map, let out a small exclamation.

The map that was revealed had a more detailed depiction of the terrain than before.

The military officer continued with a more detailed explanation.

“Challenger ship number 1 departed from Wonsan and headed north along the northeastern coastline of our Joseon. Through this voyage, ship number 1 confirmed the approximate shape of the coastline east of the Tumen River. And after about fifteen days of sailing, they were able to discover a large peninsula, which the General Staff Office has named ‘Landing Point 1′.”

The military officer pointed to Vladivostok.

Pointing directly at Vladivostok with the pointer, the military officer explained in more detail.

“As you can see on the map, this peninsula is the optimal terrain for building a large port and shipyard.”

“Indeed.”

Hwang Hee nodded at the military officer’s explanation. In his view, the peninsula was indeed a very good terrain for avoiding bad weather.

“But, building a shipyard?”

Hwang Hee, tilting his head, immediately asked Sejong.

“Your Majesty, do you intend to build a shipyard there?”

“That is so. According to the report from Challenger ship number 1, which landed and surveyed the nearby geography, there is a vast forest area nearby. I think it would be better to build a shipyard there than to haul the lumber harvested from there all the way to Wonsan.”

“That is true….”

Hwang Hee, nodding in response to Sejong’s words, inwardly guessed the next part.

‘Your Majesty is thinking of advancing all the way there! And you’re planning to put the Jurchens at the forefront of that, which is why you asked about the Jurchens’ loyalty!’

Sejong, watching Hwang Hee’s expression, ordered the military officer.

“Continue the explanation. It seems that Governor Hwang has not fully understood yet.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The military officer answered immediately at Sejong’s command. At that sight, Hwang Hee’s face was filled with questions.

‘I don’t fully understand?’

Leaving Hwang Hee like that, the military officer’s explanation continued.

“If ship number 1 moved along the coastline, ships number 2 and 3 took a route further out. As a result….”

The military officer flipped the map with the pointer.

Hwang Hee, seeing the map drawn on the next page, involuntarily let out a loud exclamation.

“Heo!”

* * *

The second map had a small peninsula named ‘Landing Point 1’, and to its northeast, the coastline continued endlessly. And to the east of that coastline, another terrain was drawn. And to the south of that, a large island was drawn, and to the northeast of that island, small islands were drawn in a row.

The military officer continued to explain, pointing to the terrains.

“According to the survey by ship number 2, this coastline continues endlessly to the north. While heading up that coastline, they discovered a new coastline to the east of it. However, as the weather worsened, they had no choice but to turn back, so they were unable to obtain any further information. Therefore, it is not known whether the location of this new coastline is an island or a peninsula like ‘Landing Point 1′.”

The unidentified coastline that the military officer explained was the coastline of Sakhalin Island.

“Heo….”

Hwang Hee was about half out of his mind at the military officer’s explanation. This was because information far exceeding the capacity of the geographical information he had known so far had been inputted.

Sejong smiled slightly at Hwang Hee’s dazed appearance.

‘Hwang Daegam is the same.’

* * *

The moment they saw the reports submitted by the Challenger-class battleships that had returned from the voyage, Sejong and the ministers had a calm conversation.

“It seems there is quite a large land to the northeast.”

“That seems to be the case.”

Sejong and the ministers, who had thought it was ‘quite a large unexplored territory,’ had to be shocked when the reports and maps that compiled and organized the information brought by the battleships came up.

The information contained in that report and map far exceeded the concept of geographical information and units they had known until then.

“Is this really true?”

So much so that Sejong, after receiving and reading the report, called the executives of the General Staff Office to ask about the truth.

To Sejong’s question, the executives of the General Staff Office answered in unison.

“According to the information brought by the ships, that is the case.”

“Heo….”

“We also couldn’t believe it at first. However, not only the soldiers but also the military officers all gave the same answer. No traces of manipulation could be found in the navigation logs either.”

“Then is it true?”

Sejong, looking around with an incredulous expression, flinched at Hyang’s expression.

Everyone else was unable to hide their surprise, just like Sejong, but Hyang had a calm expression.

‘What is this guy?’

Sejong, looking at Hyang’s calm face, fell into suspicion.

‘Is he just bold, or did he already know?’

In the end, Sejong threw a direct ball at Hyang.

“The Crown Prince is not surprised?”

To Sejong’s question, Hyang answered in a calm voice.

“I had expected it to some extent.”

“Expected it?”

“Yes.”

Hyang explained the reason to Sejong.

* * *

‘This world is round!’

Through the debates and research that had taken place so far, those who were conducting research in the research institute and Area 51 knew that the Earth was round. Next, what stimulated the researchers’ curiosity was the size of the Earth.

“Then how big is this world?”

“How do we measure it? We can’t carry measuring tapes around and measure everything, can we?”

While researching methods to measure the size of the Earth, the researchers used Zheng He’s navigation logs as well as geographical information obtained through Mansur as reference materials.

As a result, the researchers came to the following conclusion.

“I don’t know exactly yet…. But I think it will go up to at least 100,000 units?”

* * *

“…So, I expected that there would be a large land to the northeast as well.”

Sejong and the ministers could not hide their admiration at Hyang’s answer.

“Heo~. They say he can see 1000 *ri* [Korean unit of distance, approximately 393 km] while sitting down….”

“I thought the researchers were just beings who wasted the budget….”

Thanks to impressing Sejong and the ministers like this, the research institute and Area 51 gained unexpected income.

The nagging that Sejong and the ministers used to do in the process of obtaining and executing the budget decreased.