Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 453

453. Prophecy (4)

Giovanni’s request was immediately sent to Sejong via incense.

“‘I will learn and master it.’… What do you think?”

“He must have made that decision after seeing and feeling things while coming to Hanseong [present-day Seoul].”

“Will he be useful?”

“Since he isn’t completely ignorant, it will reduce the effort of teaching from scratch. He also has a strong desire to learn, so I think he will be quite useful. We have many tasks, but we are short on people.”

“Hmm….”

While Sejong stroked his beard, considering the incense’s words, Hwang Hee asked Hyang a question.

“Isn’t there a possibility that he is a spy targeting the secrets in the research institute and Area 51? Those who came in the past may have been driven by mere academic enthusiasm, but we must consider that those coming now may have different motives.”

The ministers all nodded at Hwang Hee’s point.

This was because there had been an attempt to recruit a craftsman from Area 51 in the past.

* * *

That incident remained a mystery. All the Joseon merchants involved were arrested, but all the Ming Chinese disappeared. All nearby ports were blocked and searched, but the Ming suspects were never found.

In the end, the incident became a cold case, but the ministers looked at Sejong and Hyang with suspicious eyes.

‘It’s suspicious no matter how you look at it. They are too quiet, even though things have come to this point.’

‘Even if the Ming Dynasty is involved, they are too quiet, making it even more suspicious.’

The ministers, pondering how to solve the mystery, finally reached a conclusion.

-His Majesty has another hidden card that we don’t know about!

“What should we do?”

When the ministers asked, Hwang Hee replied nonchalantly.

“What is there to do? His Majesty is reluctant to reveal it, so we have to pretend we know, even if we don’t.”

“Still, we need to confirm the facts….”

“Do you have multiple lives? And has His Majesty oppressed us with that hidden hand?”

“….”

In the end, the ministers had to pretend they didn’t know, as Hwang Hee suggested.

And Sejong was roughly aware of this situation.

In the end, the king and the ministers all pretended not to know each other’s secrets.

After that, there were several similar incidents. However, unlike the unsolved Area 51 incident, these targeted private merchant groups, and the Ming Chinese arrested were immediately sent to the Ming Dynasty.

However, not by ‘sea route’ but by ‘land route’.

And most of the Ming Chinese deported in that way disappeared in the Liaodong area [a region in modern-day Liaoning Province, China].

In this regard, the Ming Dynasty government inquired, but Joseon’s answer was always the same.

“As you can see in the records, they were fine until they left our Joseon border, right? Why are you suspecting innocent people?”

In the end, the Ming Dynasty, frustrated by the ‘situation where there was plenty of suspicion but no evidence’, had no choice but to formally request the Joseon government.

“We strongly request that they be sent back by sea.”

“Since the suzerain state [a state that controls another state in international affairs] wants it, we will do so, but you will pay for the transportation, right?”

“Damn it! I’ll pay!”

“Prepaid? Collect?”

“Gritting!”

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty was a suzerain state, so it ended there. But in the case of Japan, it ended with immediate execution without notifying the shogunate [the military government of Japan].

* * *

Because of these things, Hwang Hee made his point.

Hyang immediately replied to Hwang Hee’s point.

“First of all, we will deal with the monks who came with Giovanni as a group.”

“Did you say deal with them as a group?”

“Yes, if even one of the group says they want to return, we will send them all back home. Of course, we will have to search them thoroughly before they leave the country.”

“Ah….”

The ministers all nodded at Hyang’s answer.

They all knew that the Western monk Giovanni had talked with the monks who were already there. Even if secrets were leaked during that conversation, if Giovanni’s group was all tied to Joseon, it would be possible to prevent them from escaping completely.

Hyang’s explanation continued.

“Also, even if we entrust them with work, we will only entrust them with theoretical research as much as possible. In fact, that area is the most lacking in manpower. We will minimize their participation in actual field work, like now. Looking at the current situation in Area 51 and the research institute, there are only two *Seoi* [a class of people in Joseon society] who are involved in everything from original technology to applied technology: the glass craftsmen, Raphael and Pietro.”

Hwang Hee, who had been pondering Hyang’s answer, which cited the example of the two people who had completely taken root in Joseon and even started families, reported to Sejong.

“If it is according to the measures that the Crown Prince has said, it seems sufficient for now. Of course, persuasion must continue.”

Hyang immediately replied to Hwang Hee’s words.

“If we use the issue of ‘proselytization’ [converting or attempting to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another], persuasion will be easier.”

‘Because the state is still losing to God.’

Sejong and the ministers all looked at Hyang with surprised eyes. They all felt the same way.

‘Such a vicious guy! He’s thinking of grilling him, boiling him, and using the remaining bones to make porcelain!’

* * *

Three days later, Giovanni, summoned by Hyang, visited Hyang’s office with a very nervous face.

“Did you call me?”

“His Majesty has made a decision.”

Giovanni’s face became even more nervous at Hyang’s answer.

“Then….”

“He has issued a conditional permit.”

“If you mean a conditional permit….”

“Prohibition of proselytization, acceptance of letter censorship, and unification of the group’s whereabouts.”

“If you mean unify the whereabouts?”

“Either all stay or all leave.”

Giovanni fell into deep silence at Hyang’s firm answer.

Giovanni had obtained a lot of information while coming from Mokpo to Hanseong, and while meeting Angelo in Hanseong. He had to send this to the Vatican, but if he sent it by letter, he didn’t know which parts would be cut off, so the best alternative was to send one of his disciples back.

However, the conditions set by Hyang made both of these impossible.

No, it would be fine if Giovanni all went back, but if that happened, he would only be able to access new knowledge with letters that were constantly censored in the future. He came all the way to Joseon, suffering from intellectual thirst, but he couldn’t give up and go back.

In the end, Giovanni made up his mind.

“We will all stay.”

“Is that so? Then today, people will go to the inn and take out all the luggage. Follow them.”

“Thank you.”

Giovanni bowed politely to express his gratitude.

* * *

While Hyang was dealing with Giovanni’s group, Prince Henrique’s aides and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s staff were diligently consulting on trade.

“What kind of goods do you want?”

“Well….”

“For your information, please keep in mind that the goods that the Mansour Merchant Group and our ships have brought are not all of the goods that our Joseon sells.”

Pedro’s hand, who was about to take out the list from his pocket at the words of the Joseon official, stopped. After pondering for a while, Pedro requested the Joseon official.

“Can I see the samples of those items?”

“Of course.”

‘I can see the goods of Joseon properly.’

Henrique heard these words and immediately got up. Curiosity came before face.

* * *

The Joseon official guided Henrique’s group to the sample exhibition hall.

“Oh oh~.”

Henrique’s group exclaimed as they looked at all kinds of goods filling the exhibition hall. There were many things that they had seen before in Alexandria, but there were also things that they were seeing for the first time.

Henrique’s group, especially Henrique, pointed out unfamiliar products and asked for explanations, and the Joseon officials explained them with sincerity.

“Ah! That porcelain is quite a good thing, but the Mansour Merchant Group doesn’t handle it. Well, they say it’s against the law because it’s idol worship or something?”

“Ah! It’s too bulky, so they gave up because there wasn’t enough space.”

“Ah, that! It’s a new product that just came out this time! It’s probably something that will be released in Alexandria next year.”

The eyes of Henrique’s group, who were examining the goods while listening to the officials’ explanations, were half-turned.

‘Rarity as well as usefulness! It’s definitely something that makes money!’

‘I have to buy that no matter what!’

‘It’s a new product, a new product! I have to buy it no matter what!’

He wanted to release the money he had brought and sweep it all away right now, but Henrique showed superhuman patience.

“Are these all the things here?”

“The things that the royal workshop and the merchant group handle are all here, and the things that the general merchant group handles must be sold in the market.”

“Can I see those things now?”

The official nodded readily at Pedro’s question.

“What’s so difficult about that? You can go to the market right now.”

“Woah~.”

Henrique’s group, who went to the market created in Hanseong’s Jongno Street [a major street in Seoul], exclaimed. All kinds of goods were hanging in each store. If the goods in the sample exhibition hall were high-end goods that showed off their elegance, most of the goods in the stores in the market looked a little cheaper, but they looked more diverse and useful.

Henrique’s eyes caught sight of the Joseon *gat* [a traditional Korean hat] while he was looking at and touching various products to understand their marketability.

“Is that the hat of Joseon?”

The official nodded at Henrique’s question and answered.

“It’s a horsehair *gat* that has started to become popular recently.”

“Is that so….”

Henrique nodded as he listened to the official’s explanation and looked around. Among those who came and went in the market street, those who looked a little wealthy were all wearing hats similar to what he had seen. But there was something a little different.

“There are hardly any people with the same decorations or straps?”

The official immediately added an explanation as he watched Henrique alternately look at the *gat* with all kinds of accessories attached or decorated with colorful straps and the *gat* hanging in the store.

“*Gat* is an item that cannot be stylish with just one *gat*.”

“Is that so?”

As he watched Henrique nodding, the official muttered inwardly.

‘How much more should His Majesty worry about making related laws?’

* * *

Starting with the jade dew and pavilion on the top of the *gat*, the *gat* decoration straps decorated with all kinds of jewels and gold and silver were like the pride of wealthy *Sadaebu* [scholar-officials] men. Thanks to this, the jade dew and pavilion began to boast more and more delicate shapes, and the decoration straps became more and more colorful.

In the end, Sejong began to consider sanctions on this when he received a report that it cost as much money to buy a decent tiled house for just one *gat*.

“If we just leave it alone, not only will luxury spread, but heinous crimes targeting this *gat* will increase. But if we unconditionally block it, consumption will decrease and merchants will have problems, so I’m worried.”

Hyang muttered inwardly as he watched Sejong worrying.

‘Men are willing to risk their lives for tuning, whether in the future or now…. Is this instinct?’

Hyang was worried, thinking of the 21st-century computer water cooling system, as well as car tuning, and audio tuning, which is called the final boss.

* * *

“Can I try it on?”

“Yes.”

Henrique, who took off the hat he was wearing and put on the *gat*, whistled lightly.

“Whew~. It’s so light!”

‘It’s light! And it’s well ventilated, but it also blocks the sun well!’

Henrique, who took off the *gat* again and held it in his hand, looked at the decorations around him and turned to Pedro.

“If we do well, we can shake up European high society.”