Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 495

495. Lord of War (1)

After Sejong departed for Shinji, the center of Joseon’s politics shifted to Sunghwadang.

Ministers frequented Sunghwadang whenever there was an important matter on the agenda or when Hyang summoned them.

And each time they visited Sunghwadang, the ministers invariably saw the quartet [Hyang’s close aides] busily working with documents.

Whenever they saw the quartet, their eyes dark with fatigue and their steps faltering with exhaustion, the ministers would wear a sympathetic expression and offer a word or two.

“Is it… manageable?”

“….”

“Seeing you reminds me of the old days. We were all like that back then. But there’s a saying, ‘No pain, no gain,’ right? If you work hard, good times will come.”

Upon hearing those words, the quartet would stare blankly at the ministers before retorting.

“Esteemed Minister, your complexion doesn’t look too good either.”

“….”

“Ahem! Cough!”

The ministers, upon hearing the quartet’s words, would clear their throats with awkward expressions and quickly move away. The quartet, staring at the backs of the ministers with expressionless faces, grumbled in unison.

“No pain, no gain, my foot….”

The quartet barely managed to suppress the tremendous curses that threatened to erupt, curses far too obscene to be written down.

“My lords! His Highness is looking for you!”

“Eek!”

The quartet, who were forcibly holding back their colorful language, snapped to attention at the eunuch’s announcement that Hyang was looking for them.

“Let’s go quickly!”

“Indeed!”

* * *

Meanwhile, Ming was also paying close attention to Hyang’s regency—or rather, Sejong’s whereabouts.

“Are the Joseon king’s whereabouts still unknown?”

At the Xuande Emperor’s question, the head of the Eastern Depot [Ming’s secret intelligence agency] bowed his head and replied.

“Yes, we have confirmed that he boarded a ship from Wonsan, but after that, his location is completely unknown.”

“Hmm….”

At the Dokju’s [Head of Eastern Depot] answer, the Xuande Emperor stroked his beard and pondered.

‘Where did he go? The most likely place is Daeseol Island, but Daeseol Island has been part of Joseon’s territory for a long time. There’s no need for the Joseon king to move personally. Then, is there a problem with his health? No, if that were the case, he would abdicate the throne. Then? The rumored Shinji?’

The Xuande Emperor, pondering the whereabouts of Sejong, who had disappeared, pressed his temples and groaned.

“Ugh…. Another headache is coming on.”

“I will summon the physician.”

“Before that…. What have you found out about this ‘Shinji’ that is circulating among the Joseon people?”

“The situation is still shrouded in rumors. I tried to dig deeper, but….”

“They disappeared again?”

At the Xuande Emperor’s question, Dokju only bowed his head.

The Xuande Emperor, hearing the silent answer, sighed deeply.

“I understand what you mean. Cease further inquiries. No matter how much we try, we will only lose those we have worked so hard to cultivate.”

“Please forgive our incompetence.”

“It is not easy to infiltrate the small land of Joseon and remain undetected. I do not consider the Eastern Depot to be incompetent.”

“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless! Long live, long live, long long live!”

“Bring the physician and have the Grand Secretary and ministers gather.”

“I obey Your Majesty’s command.”

The Xuande Emperor, after dismissing Dokju, pressed his temples and muttered.

“It is a bit of a pity to lose the spies I have worked so hard to cultivate, but I have learned how important Shinji is to Joseon. Then, is the King of Joseon now in Shinji? Is Shinji really a land worth such secrecy?”

* * *

As the exploration of Shinji lengthened, rumors related to it began to circulate within Joseon.

The military desperately tried to maintain security, but this was a futile effort.

This was because the number of people involved increased exponentially over time.

‘I heard a large island was discovered in the eastern sea.’

The beginning was such casual “hearsay,” and initially, people’s interest was low. However, as more and more people were mobilized for the exploration work, public curiosity began to grow.

“Preemptive measures are needed before things get out of control.”

At Hyang’s request, who sensed the potential danger, Sejong and the ministers agreed, and soon, alternative rumors began to circulate, carefully crafted to manage public perception.

‘If you go further east, there is an island larger than Daeseol Island.’

‘It’s at least three times the size of Daeseol Island.’

‘The court calls it Shinji.’

As these rumors spread, people’s interest waned considerably.

“It’s quite a big island.”

“The court will announce something soon. If it’s good land, maybe we should consider moving there?”

The thoughts of the people who heard the rumors generally ended there.

-Shinji is not just big, it’s as big as the Central Plains!

Occasionally, rumors closer to the truth circulated, but people dismissed them each time.

“Hey! If it was such a big land, the higher-ups would already know!”

“I’ve seen the world map made by the Westerners, and there’s no such land there? Where are you getting this nonsense?”

Most of the people who heard the story dismissed it as utter fabrication.

The biggest reason why the people dismissed it as nonsense was that their worldview remained limited.

-If you go west, there are people with pale faces, and further down, there are black-skinned Ogwija (烏鬼子) [people from Africa].

Everyone knew this much through trade and diplomatic missions, and they knew about Europe and Africa through maps obtained from Western merchants.

But that was the extent of their knowledge.

They had not yet grasped the true scale of the world.

* * *

It was inevitable that these rumors circulating in Joseon would also reach Ming.

“Find out more details.”

“I obey your command.”

Although the order was given, the Xuande Emperor did not pay it much attention.

-Since the days of the old Han Empire, we have been trading with the Westerners, and the Mongolian barbarians have ventured into the lands of the Westerners.

-Of course, this Central Plains possesses all the records of the world’s geography, but there is no mention of the land that Joseon claims to have discovered.

-The land that Joseon discovered will only be a fairly large island.

This was the conclusion reached by the Xuande Emperor.

What did pique the Xuande Emperor’s interest was the fact that the spies he had sent to Joseon disappeared without a trace due to secret orders.

“Could it be…?”

The Xuande Emperor, who received the report, briefly considered the possibility, but soon shook his head.

-Looking at the records left by those who met the Westerners, starting with the Da Qin (大秦國, ancient Roman Empire), the Westerners possess a tremendous desire for territory.

-There is no possibility that a continent unknown to the greedy Westerners exists.

-Therefore, the land discovered by Joseon will be, at best, a large island.

However, the Xuande Emperor did not arrive at this conclusion solely through logical reasoning. The primary basis for the Xuande Emperor’s conclusion was his own pride.

-The Central Plains is the center of the world and the largest land in the world! There is no land larger than the Central Plains!

* * *

Upon receiving the Xuande Emperor’s summons, the Grand Secretary, the Six Ministers, and other high-ranking officials gathered in the Munhwa Hall.

“The Emperor is here!”

At the cry of the eunuch announcing the Xuande Emperor’s entrance, those gathered prostrated themselves on the floor and paid their respects.

“Be seated.”

The Xuande Emperor, seated on the throne, soon presided over the meeting.

“The shogunate in Japan keeps sending requests?”

At the Xuande Emperor’s question, the Grand Secretary immediately answered.

“Yes. They are pleading for us to send more Dongchong [early matchlock rifles].”

“How many have we sent so far?”

“500 pieces.”

“Hmm….”

The Xuande Emperor, thinking for a moment at the Grand Secretary’s answer, soon made a decision.

“Send 500 more to make it 1,000 pieces.”

At the Xuande Emperor’s decision, the Grand Secretary cautiously raised an objection.

“Isn’t that too many?”

“Too many? Why?”

“It is true that the shogunate is currently favorable to us, but they are still Japanese. They may use the Dongchong that you have bestowed to harass our Ming coast.”

“Humph!”

The Xuande Emperor snorted lightly and questioned the Grand Secretary.

“Are our Ming soldiers so weak that they would be threatened by only 1,000 Dongchong?”

“Absolutely not!”

“The Dongchong that we are sending now are being phased out as improved Cheolchong [iron cannons] and Jangjukchong [long-barreled guns] are being supplied. Should we be afraid of such outdated weapons?”

“No! It’s just that the nature of the Japanese is so treacherous….”

“That’s precisely why we gave them outdated weapons, knowing their nature. And besides, the shogunate in Japan is in a precarious situation. Would such men have the leisure to plunder our Ming coast?”

The Grand Secretary bowed his head at the Xuande Emperor’s rebuke.

“Please forgive my short-sightedness.”

“If the situation in Japan were the same as usual, the Grand Secretary’s opinion would be reasonable, but the current situation is not. The Grand Secretary should keep this in mind and proceed with all matters.”

“I will engrave it in my heart.”

The Xuande Emperor, having given a warning to the Grand Secretary, continued the meeting.

“The shogunate also requested Bireopok (飛雷爆) [flying thunder crash bombs], I heard?”

“That is correct.”

“Hmm….”

Bireopok was a fragmentation bomb modeled after Joseon’s Bigyeokjincheonle [thunder-splitting sky-shaking bomb]. Of course, compared to the Bigyeokjincheonle, which had its killing power maximized by Hyang’s… dedication, it was a terribly primitive fragmentation bomb, but it was still better than nothing.

The Xuande Emperor, after pondering for a moment, gave an order.

“Hand it over. However, our soldiers will operate the Bireopok and the launching device.”

“Are you going to dispatch troops?”

At the Grand Secretary’s question, the Xuande Emperor shook his head.

“No, only for the Bireopok. Select and send soldiers to operate it and those who will properly observe its effectiveness in actual combat. It’s a weapon we’ve been anticipating, but we haven’t been able to properly verify it. Isn’t this a good opportunity?”

“Ah! That is indeed true! I can only admire Your Majesty’s wisdom! Long live, long live, long long live!”

“Long live, long live, long long live!”

As the Grand Secretary shouted “Long live” three times, all the officials gathered in the palace followed suit and shouted “Long live” three times.

As the sound of “Long live” subsided, the Xuande Emperor urged his subjects.

“Those who have rebelled against the shogunate in Japan are those who are friendly with Joseon. If, by any chance, they seize power in Japan and collude with Joseon to do something foolish, you must remain vigilant.”

“Joseon is a country faithful to serving the great power, so would they commit such immoral acts?”

At the question of the Minister of Rites, the Xuande Emperor’s expression turned fierce.

“What could be more foolish than trusting that they are faithful to serving the great power? Have you forgotten why the previous emperors were wary of Joseon?”

“Ah, no! I misspoke!”

“Hoo~. I feel like killing you right now, but I’m too lazy to see blood at the moment. Be more careful in the future.”

“Your Majesty’s mercy, your grace is boundless! Long live, long live, long long live!”

Following the Minister of Rites’ shout of “Long live” three times, another shout of “Long live” three times followed.

In an atmosphere filled with tension, the Xuande Emperor emphasized vigilance against Joseon.

“We are currently trading and maintaining peace with Joseon, but do not believe that this will last forever! Remember that the default state is to point swords at each other whenever our interests diverge!”

“We will engrave it in our hearts!”

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hanseong, Hyang also received a new report related to Japan.

“Your Highness, a messenger has arrived from the Ouchi clan.”

“Bring him in.”

Shortly after, the Ouchi’s messenger, who entered Hyang’s office, paid his respects politely.

After exchanging greetings according to custom, Hyang got straight to the point.

“So, what brings you to Joseon so suddenly?”

“Please give us Joseon’s guns! The shogunate bastards have guns!”

“Huh?”