Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 642

642. Medici, Europe, and the Challenge Records (2)

“So… for a monk who believes in God, God is the highest, and then comes this Challenge Record?”

“That is correct.”

At Giovanni’s answer, Cosimo shook his head in disbelief.

“Monks holed up in monasteries, poring over classics, are usually stubborn, but this is…”

“These are the ones who refused Mehmet II’s offer of women and wealth outright.”

Giovanni explained in detail the situation when he met the monks.

The more Giovanni explained, the more Cosimo shook his head.

“The ones sitting in the front row are old men who have already run out of energy, but even the young ones sitting in the back were all like that… Did only those worthy of being called saints go there?”

* * *

Cosimo’s assessment held true even within the Empire [referring to Joseon].

-Food, clothing, and shelter are enough to live like a human. But! We cannot compromise on the Challenge Records and Response Records!

Saying this, the monks used only the minimum stipend provided by the research institute and used the rest for poverty relief.

“That’s quite a lot of wealth. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“What we eat and wear is enough for now. Isn’t pursuing the truth while alive and praising God before God after death the greatest blessing?”

The monks said this with a smile.

Seeing the monks, who were content with the researcher’s dormitory that others would want to escape from as soon as possible, and devoted themselves to research and relief, the officials of the court and the people all said the same thing.

“High monks have come from the West!”

“Those lazy monks wandering around wearing silk robes should learn from them!”

“What kind of monks are those lazy monks? A monk should be like that!”

Meanwhile, rumors were circulating among the eunuchs serving Hyang, who was then the Crown Prince.

“They say all the Western monks are wizards? But what is magic?”

This was a distorted version of what Hyang had muttered after seeing the monks who didn’t drink alcohol and had no interest in women.

“A great wizard might appear soon… That’s why they couldn’t get ahead.”

And Cosimo made a similar assessment to Hyang.

“That’s why it’s hard for bishops and cardinals to emerge from the monastery!”

* * *

However, Cosimo still did not give up.

“Still, try to win them over somehow! Wealth is good, women are good, and if they want men, that’s no problem either!”

At Cosimo’s words, Giovanni answered with a bitter smile.

“I will try. But it would be faster to suggest that we bring the Challenge Records to Florence.”

“That’s it!”

Cosimo’s face brightened at Giovanni’s offhand remark.

“Tell them this: ‘There can be no monopoly of knowledge! So, how about returning to Florence and creating their own Challenge Records here?'”

“It doesn’t seem much different from what Mehmet II said. Will they really respond?”

“It’s very different! Mehmet II said he would give worldly wealth and women, but I’m saying I’ll leave their names in history!”

“Hmm….”

Giovanni, who had been considering the possibility for a moment at Cosimo’s words, nodded.

“I will sound them out next time I go. But the problem is getting there. I need an answer to give to the Emperor.”

“I’m not saying go right away, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

* * *

As more and more monks stayed in Joseon and began to participate in more and more research, those who were concerned about this raised the issue with Hyang through Sejong.

“Their qualifications are very excellent, and it is true that they are helpful in research. But wouldn’t it be a problem if they were too deeply involved?”

At Sejong’s point, Hyang immediately asked back.

“Are you worried that they will leak secrets or return to their country?”

“That’s right. The *Su Gu Cho Sim* [首丘初心, a fox dying on a hill remembers its old home, meaning longing for one’s homeland] doesn’t only happen when someone dies, does it?”

At Sejong’s point, Hyang smiled slightly and answered.

“It is certain that they will leak information or return to their country as time passes. And it is also true that it is difficult to prevent this. There is the issue of justification and the problem that it will be difficult to supply new talent afterward.”

“It’s hard to restrain people. Hmm….”

After thinking for a moment, Hyang soon nodded.

“Certainly… there is no justification for stopping them unless they are criminals or slaves. But if we forcibly restrain people, excellent people will not think of coming to us. Of course, it is not that our Joseon—then Joseon—has no talent, but stagnant water is bound to rot, so the inflow of new talent from outside is essential.”

“That is correct.”

“However, the countries that are trading with us are making desperate efforts to catch up with us. Aren’t the monks of the West very coveted beings for them? We need a countermeasure.”

“They will not be able to catch up easily, even if they know, due to two conditions.”

“Two conditions?”

“One is time, and the other is Area 51.”

“I understand Area 51 roughly, but I don’t understand time very well.”

Hyang explained to Sejong in more detail.

“The condition of time is that they have to catch up with the time that our Joseon Research Institute has already spent.”

“Catch up with time?”

“The results obtained from research are important, but the experience gained during research is also important.”

“That’s right. Experience is important. Hmm… Area 51 is because of the artisans?”

“That is correct. If there are no artisans and facilities with the ability to actually create and prove what the researchers at the research institute only imagine, their efforts will end in failure.”

Having explained that far, Hyang continued with a sly smile.

“But… if necessary, we must also keep in mind to leak information slightly within an appropriate range.”

“Leak it slightly?”

Sejong, pondering Hyang’s words, glared at Hyang.

“If you twist it slightly when you leak it, those who follow will fall into confusion. And you will use their pursuit as an excuse to spur the horse (*走馬加鞭, zou ma jia bian*, spurring a running horse, meaning to add effort to something already in progress)? You sly fellow!”

“Isn’t it better to have good things?”

The historian who recorded this conversation between the father and son added the following.

-The historian’s work is hard because there is no rest, but it is still better than the researchers at the research institute. I must be faithful to my duty.

* * *

After roughly finishing the story related to the Challenge Records, Cosimo moved on to the next topic.

“I heard you say earlier that the countries of the East are deeply interested in the conflict between Ming and Joseon. Now that Ming has retreated and Joseon has established itself as an empire, what is the reaction of the surrounding countries?”

“They still seem to be favorable. This is because the Emperor of the Empire has officially declared ‘non-interference in internal affairs’ according to the principle of ‘neither close nor distant (*不可近不可遠, bu ke jin bu ke yuan*)’. In addition, he said he would not receive tribute.”

“Oh? The weak countries must like it?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, non-interference in internal affairs… Why did he do something that would lose him money?”

Cosimo frowned, not understanding Hyang’s choice.

“I thought he was a talented person, but is he not?”

* * *

However, Hyang’s choice was a rational one based on the situation of the Empire.

“If we think about the tribute diplomacy with Ming, I don’t think we need to receive tribute.”

The veteran ministers all nodded at Hyang’s decision.

“That is a wise decision.”

“We must not lose money because of pride.”

When Joseon paid tribute to Ming, Ming bestowed several times that amount of goods to Joseon in return. And Joseon had a good time using this practice, and it was the veteran ministers who carried it out.

However, tribute was not always beneficial to Joseon. Many women were offered to Ming as *Gongnyeo* [貢女, tribute women], and many people suffered hardships to obtain tribute goods.

Therefore, the resentment of the general public towards Ming and the Joseon court did not subside easily.

Knowing this well, Hyang and the ministers gave up tribute diplomacy.

– Avoid unnecessary expenses and avoid being cursed by those who will buy our goods!

– If the Empire needs something from other countries, it will solve it through trade, not tribute!

Similarly, the declaration of non-interference in internal affairs was also for this reason.

– In order to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, the Empire must be able to project its military power into the country. However, the Empire does not have the capacity or the will to do so now.

– If we recklessly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, we will incur the resentment of the people of that country. This harms the Empire’s trade. Therefore, we do not interfere recklessly unless it harms the Empire.

In this way, when Hyang, the Emperor of the Empire, officially declared the ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs’, the surrounding countries all cheered at this decision, but on the other hand, they ridiculed the decision.

“Tribute diplomacy is one thing, but non-interference in internal affairs? Is the Empire giving up the biggest benefit it can get? Are the Emperor and his ministers all fools?”

The reason why Hyang and his ministers were able to boldly declare the ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs’ was because of the territory of the Empire that had already been secured and was gradually being secured.

“It’s not for nothing that they say, ‘Generosity comes from the barn.’ Why do something that will get you cursed for no reason?”

Hyang’s words were not wrong. And this was the same for Kim Jeom and the other ministers. When Kim Jeom first heard about the existence of Shinji, he made similar remarks and insisted on active development.

Even if only the resources of the Yoha resource zone symbolized by Musun, the Northeast forest zone and the resources buried there, and the resources buried in Daeseol Island were properly managed, the Empire would have no worries.

However, the biggest role was played by Shinji. The mines discovered in the Daehogun area and the underground resources such as iron and copper from there alone had enormous value.

In short, the Empire had no problem growing even if it cut off relations with other countries altogether.

“Why did the isolationists in the United States still dominate even in the 21st century? There will be problems in the market, but that part can be solved by promoting the Empire’s population growth.”

Hyang, who had organized the situation, smiled confidently and muttered to himself.

* * *

After finishing the conversation with Giovanni, Cosimo, who was left alone in the room, muttered while holding a glass of wine.

“Even if the makeshift plan is okay… Should I start thinking from the beginning again?”

From the time when Joseon first saw the products and realized their marketability, Cosimo began to take an interest in the Far East.

Until then, the East for Europeans, including Cosimo, was the Middle East and India where the Ottomans were located.

Of course, thanks to the records of the ‘Silk Road’ in the old Roman Empire and the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Europe, they knew of the existence of ‘China’ or ‘Kitai’ further east than that. But in reality, it was an area of ​​’legend’ that they hardly knew about.

What formed the basis for this judgment was Marco Polo’s ‘Travels of Marco Polo’. The records written in the Travels of Marco Polo were very absurd in the eyes of Europeans. This was because the splendor of the East, the unexpected objects, and the technologies that made them, written in the Travels of Marco Polo, were beyond the cognitive realm of Europeans.

However, as Joseon’s products entered Europe through Alexandria, people like Cosimo realized that it might not be a fiction and immediately began investigating.

At the end of that investigation, Cosimo gave up on Ming.

“It’s too big for me to digest.”

Instead, the target was Joseon.

“It is a weak country that pays tribute to Ming. Of course, it is a wealthy country, but it is small compared to Ming. I can digest it enough.”

However, over time, this belief was gradually cracking.

-Military power that is much stronger than expected.

-Despite having such military power, it is focusing on the Eastward Advance (東進) rather than the Westward Advance (西進).

Cosimo, who noticed the existence of the New World in that part, succeeded in forming an alliance between Portugal and the Ottoman Empire in order not to miss out on economic interests.

At this point, the judgment that Joseon was a difficult opponent was already strengthening deep in his heart, but Cosimo was trying to ignore it. It was a matter of pride.

“There is no way that the judgment made by me, Cosimo de Medici, is wrong!”

However, now that Joseon had pushed out Ming and become the ruler of the Far East, he had to admit this and start thinking from the beginning.

And what convinced him of this was Hyang’s declaration of ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs’.

-The Empire has already secured a large source of income that is large enough to give up the enormous benefits that can be obtained through this!