Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 279

279. How a Crow-Tit Can Catch Up to a Stork. (5)

The Ming Dynasty envoys, having arrived at Jemulpo [present-day Incheon, South Korea], were greeted by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Welcome, you must be tired from your long journey.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

After a brief exchange of greetings, the Ming envoys boarded the carriages prepared by Joseon [historical Korean kingdom].

With extortion prohibited, the Ming envoys, finding little to gain from a prolonged stay, chose to conclude their business and return as quickly as possible. Consequently, they preferred sea routes over land routes and favored carriages over palanquins.

Traveling by carriage from Jemulpo to Hanseong [old name for Seoul] took only half a day.

“To cover a distance of over 100 li (approximately 40 km or 25 miles) in just half a day…”

The chief envoy of Ming, riding in the carriage, repeatedly expressed his admiration.

As the nationwide road construction project progressed in earnest, one of the first routes to be developed was the road connecting Hanseong and Jemulpo.

After crossing the Han River by boat near Seonyudo [an island in the Han River], the Ming envoys boarded carriages again and headed towards Donuimun (敦義門, Seodaemun) [the West Great Gate of Seoul’s Fortress Wall].

At the entrance of Yeongeunmun (迎恩門) [Gate to Welcome Grace], the gateway to Mohwaru (慕華樓) [Pavilion of Adoration for China] built outside Donuimun, Crown Prince Hyang and officials were waiting for the Ming envoys, as per custom.

“Your Highness, the envoys are arriving.”

At the attendant’s words, Hyang straightened his attire and stepped forward.

Shortly after, the envoys descended from the carriages in front of Yeongeunmun.

Following established protocol, Hyang performed the jaebae (再拜, double bow), and the Ming envoys reciprocated with respectful bows.

“Thank you for your hard work on the long journey.”

“We appreciate your warm welcome.”

“Please, come inside.”

“Yes.”

Upon the arrival of the Ming envoys, a grand banquet was held at Mohwaru to welcome them.

While the gisaengs [female entertainers] entertained with music and dance, the Crown Prince and the chief envoy engaged in conversation.

“I had the honor of meeting the Crown Prince once when you visited Beijing in the past. I was impressed then, but I am even more impressed by your distinguished appearance now.”

“Hahaha! I am grateful for your kind words.”

“Not at all. At that time, rumors about you were widespread among the talented women of Beijing, not to mention within the Forbidden City.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed.”

The chief envoy’s firm response was sincere.

Moreover, the others who came from Ming shared almost the same reaction as the chief envoy.

* * *

When Hyang visited Beijing, his beauty captivated the Forbidden City.

‘If he were to walk the streets of Beijing right now, he would recreate the tale of throwing fruits to fill the carriage (擲果盈車) [an idiom referring to someone so popular that people shower them with gifts].’

Hyang possessed a beauty that even Emperor Xuanzong and his ministers, upon hearing the rumors, all agreed with.

Eventually, the palace maids of the Forbidden City gathered to see Hyang’s face, causing a commotion. And these rumors of Hyang spread outside the Forbidden City, and on the day Hyang left the Forbidden City to return to Joseon, many women flocked to the streets to see him.

* * *

Afterward, the Ming chief envoy seemed unable to escape from Hyang’s charm. In particular, when Hyang, upon request during the banquet, composed and wrote a poem, the chief envoy was moved to tears.

“It is truly an honor!”

“Hahaha! Thank you for your kind appreciation!”

Hyang was becoming increasingly embarrassed by the excessive praise.

* * *

After the banquet, Hyang’s face hardened as he left Mohwaru.

“Too much is as bad as too little, isn’t it?”

Hyang grew more suspicious of the Ming envoy’s excessive favor.

Meanwhile, the Ming chief envoy gathered his entourage in his room and spoke in a serious tone.

“It won’t be easy.”

The deputy envoy immediately responded to the chief envoy’s words.

“It seems so. I have also spoken with the Joseon ministers, and they are not easy to deal with.”

“The Crown Prince is the same. He is grateful for the goodwill but cautious, pleased by the praise but wary. If the Crown Prince steps forward as the negotiator…”

Feeling suffocated, the chief envoy picked up a teacup to soothe himself before continuing.

“If the Crown Prince steps forward as the negotiator, it will be very difficult.”

Concluding, the chief envoy lamented.

“I truly wonder how the King of Joseon educates his children. Such talent…”

“Indeed.”

* * *

Two days later, the Ming envoys, having recovered from their journey, entered Gyeongbokgung Palace [main royal palace of Joseon dynasty].

Sejong [King of Joseon], greeting the envoys who had passed through Geunjeongmun Gate [main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace], exchanged greetings with them according to protocol.

Shortly after, Sejong, Hyang, and the ministers knelt in the courtyard of Geunjeongjeon Hall [throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace], and the chief envoy ascended the steps of Geunjeongjeon Hall to break the seal on the imperial edict.

“The King of Joseon shall listen…”

The imperial edict of Emperor Xuanzong, read aloud by the envoy, was simple.

-It has been heard that the small firearms used by individual soldiers of Joseon are very excellent. If they are so excellent, offer an appropriate amount as tribute.

After the reading, the chief envoy respectfully handed the scroll containing the imperial edict to Sejong.

Sejong, receiving the scroll, immediately got to the point.

“You say an appropriate amount, but how much exactly do you want?”

“Just an appropriate amount.”

“So, you want to negotiate.”

“I will not deny it.”

Eventually, a negotiation site was set up in the Uijeongbu building [State Council of Joseon], and people from both sides gathered to begin negotiations.

“Oh dear…”

The Ming envoys, taking their seats at the negotiation table, cursed quietly as Hyang stepped forward as the representative of Joseon.

He was the one they wanted to avoid the most.

“You said an appropriate amount, how much do you want?”

As Hyang immediately got to the point, the Ming chief envoy responded.

“First, we would like to see the performance of the small firearms used by Joseon.”

“Didn’t you say you came after hearing rumors?”

“Rumors and reality are different. Isn’t that so?”

At the chief envoy’s words, Hyang turned his head and ordered the eunuch.

“Tell the Naegeumwi [royal guards] to prepare.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Shortly after, the negotiating teams of both countries moved to the shooting range prepared inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.

At the shooting range, scarecrows wearing sujeonggaps (cotton armor) were set up at regular intervals. And at the very back, a target board made of wood was erected.

And in front of them, a small table was placed, and on it were muskets and accessories.

“Those are the small firearms that the envoy spoke of in the rumors. We call them jangchong (long guns).”

“Is that so?”

The Ming envoys went down to the shooting range to look at the muskets. After listening to the explanation of the military officer who came forward and observing the muskets, a shooting demonstration was conducted.

With three Naegeumwi soldiers holding muskets and waiting, Hyang explained to the envoys.

“A well-trained soldier can hit a target 10 jang (approximately 30m or 98 feet) away.”

At Hyang’s gesture, the military officer ordered the soldiers.

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

With a loud gunshot and thick smoke rising, the scarecrow 10 jang away swayed.

“May we examine the scarecrow?”

“Do as you wish.”

At Hyang’s permission, the Ming envoys immediately went down to the shooting range and examined the scarecrow.

“Amazing. Amazing.”

The chief envoy, examining the scarecrow, repeatedly exclaimed in admiration. The sujeonggap worn by the scarecrow, located 10 jang away from the firing range, had clean holes through the front and back.

The Ming general accompanying the envoy examined the sujeonggap and opened his mouth.

“It is a properly made sujeonggap. With this level of power, even the cavalry of the Northern Yuan [Mongol dynasty] will be like falling leaves.”

“Is that so?”

After watching the demonstrations that continued afterward, the Ming envoys returned to the negotiation site and spoke quietly.

“Certainly, there are limitations.”

“Still, it is far superior to the hwachang (fire lance) used by our army. And…”

Calming his urgent heart, the Ming general continued.

“If it is used on a large scale, rather than by one or two people, its power will be enormous.”

“That’s right…”

The chief envoy nodded at the general’s words.

* * *

Returning to the negotiation site and sitting down again, Hyang asked the Ming chief envoy.

“Have you confirmed the performance?”

“Yes, we have confirmed it properly.”

“Yes? So, what do you think?”

“It is as rumored.”

“Is that so? Then, how much would be an appropriate amount?”

“1,000 units. We would like to receive them within a month.”

Thump!

As soon as the chief envoy’s words fell, Hyang slammed the table with his fist and shouted.

“Ridiculous! The total number of soldiers in Joseon is only 5,000! And those are the soldiers who have been trained for nearly 10 years! But you want 1,000 units? Is that the will of His Majesty the Emperor! His Majesty the Emperor clearly spoke of and promised me the friendship between the two countries! Envoy, answer me truthfully! Is 1,000 units the Emperor’s will!”

“No, that’s not…”

At Hyang’s unexpected and fierce reaction, the chief envoy began to sweat. Ming, no, the Ming Emperor and the Joseon royal family were in a relationship of shared interests. If things went wrong and the relationship soured, the blame would surely fall on him.

‘I was too greedy.’

The Ming chief envoy was filled with regret.

* * *

Before coming to Joseon, the order given by Emperor Xuanzong was as follows.

-If the small firearms used by Joseon are as rumored, acquire an appropriate amount and bring them to Ming.

-However, this appropriate amount should be a sufficient quantity for Ming artisans to study. Instead, time is of the essence, and it would be sufficient to have an amount that can be brought back to Ming as soon as possible.

-Time is more important than quantity. If too much time is given, there is a high possibility that Joseon will tamper with the firearms.

After hearing Emperor Xuanzong’s orders, the chief envoy and the deputy envoy gathered the head artisans before departing and asked.

“How many units should we bring back?”

The head artisans who received the question put their heads together and exchanged opinions. After whispering and talking for a while, the artisans spoke of an appropriate number.

“About 70 units would be appropriate. 20 units each for research, and the remaining 10 units can be used for performance comparison.”

“70 units? I understand.”

* * *

Although he had heard the story from the artisans of Ming, the chief envoy could not overcome his greed when he saw the actual performance.

‘Let’s take as much as possible! Our Ming is the suzerain state, so Joseon will give us whatever we ask for! That’s how it has been until now! If Joseon pleads that it is impossible, we can pretend to be lenient and give them as little time as possible! It’s a win-win strategy!’

However, Hyang showed a reaction that deviated from the chief envoy’s expectations.

Instead of pleading, he directly involved the Emperor.

“Tell me clearly! Is that number of 1,000 units definitely the will of His Majesty the Emperor! Can the envoy guarantee it with his life! Even the Ming did not offer that much tribute! If this is truly the order of His Majesty the Emperor, I will go to Beijing myself to discuss it!”

At Hyang’s harsh voice, the deputy envoy sitting next to the chief envoy became anxious. If the quantity that the chief envoy was asking for was given, it was a foregone conclusion that Joseon’s national defense would be greatly weakened. 500 units per year if 5,000 units in 10 years. It was only natural to get angry if they demanded two years’ worth of production.

Eventually, the deputy envoy intervened on behalf of the chief envoy, who was half out of his mind.

“Your Highness, please calm down for a moment. His Majesty only ordered an appropriate amount.”

“Then why did the number of 1,000 units come out!”

“We simply did not know that Joseon only had 5,000 small firearms. We thought there would be at least 20,000 to 30,000 units.”

“Is our Joseon as big as Ming? How much copper goes into one of those long guns! Ming also knows that copper is precious in our Joseon!”

“We apologize for that part.”

While the deputy envoy was calming the situation, the chief envoy, who had regained his senses, bowed his head to Hyang.

“I am truly sorry. I misspoke. 1,000 units are not necessary.”

“Then how much do you want?”

“How much can you give?”

“50 units.”

“That’s too little. Please give us 200 units.”

“Is this a negotiation when the defense of our Joseon is at stake! Even the soldiers guarding this palace where my father resides have only been assigned 100 units!”

The back-and-forth argument continued.

However, Hyang held the reins of the conversation.

‘Sometimes, in diplomacy, the loudest one wins.’

As a result of the continued argument, the Ming envoys decided to take the 100 units deployed in the palace.

“You can give them to us right away, right?”

“Since His Majesty the Emperor wants them, shouldn’t we endure this much?”

As Hyang replied in a voice full of dissatisfaction, the Ming envoys immediately lowered their heads.

“Thank you very much!”

‘Alright! With this, we have taken away the time for Joseon to tamper with them! It’s a pity, but let’s be satisfied with this!’

“It is all for the friendship between our Joseon and the suzerain state.”

‘I caught them! Just in case, I was able to end it with the 100 units that I had made in advance!’

The negotiations ended with each side congratulating themselves on their gains.

Two days later, the muskets were collected from the soldiers of the Naegeumwi in front of the Ming envoys.

The Ming envoys, having moved the wooden boxes containing the muskets and accessories to Jemulpo, immediately departed for Shandong [a province in China].