Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 743

743. Generational Shift (1)

Imperial Calendar Year 14 (1462)

The French regime changed.

Charles VII, the Victorious, passed away, and Louis XI, the Prudent, ascended to the throne.

Compared to the history before Hyang’s intervention, the change of power was a few months late.

The relationship between Charles VII and Louis XI was more that of rivals than father and son.

It hadn’t always been that way.

During the latter part of the Hundred Years’ War, as Charles VII recaptured Paris and France gained an advantage, Louis XI, at the age of 16, entered the war and began to steadily build his reputation through military achievements.

The father-son relationship began to visibly fracture with the “Praguerie Revolt” in 1440.

The revolt began with the announcement of the “Ordinance of Orléans” [a decree establishing a standing army].

The nobles strongly opposed the ordinance, which created a standing army, imposed taxes to support it, and prohibited nobles from maintaining private soldiers.

In this rebellion, Louis XI sided with the noble faction, rebelling against his own father.

However, the rebellion was suppressed, and Louis XI was ordered to focus solely on governing his territory, the Dauphiné. It was, in effect, a form of exile.

Moreover, to keep England in check, Charles VII ordered him to marry Margaret, the daughter of King James I of Scotland. However, the couple’s relationship was terrible, and to make matters worse, Margaret died in 1445, further souring the father-son relationship.

Afterward, the relationship continued to deteriorate.

In 1448, Louis XI attempted to impeach Pierre de Brézé, Charles VII’s closest advisor, but failed and had to return to the Dauphiné.

Even in that situation, Louis XI constantly resisted Charles VII and charted his own course, eventually leading to a critical breach.

In 1451, he made a secret agreement regarding the division of the Duchy of Milan and promoted a marriage with Carlotta, the daughter of Duke Louis I of Savoy.

The problem was that Louis XI was 28 years old at the time, while Carlotta was only six years old, and he had not received permission from his father, Charles VII.

Unable to contain his anger, Charles VII sent troops in 1456 to arrest Louis XI, who then fled to Burgundy.

Under the protection of Philip III, the Good, Duke of Burgundy, Louis XI waited for an opportunity.

Later, he received news that Charles VII was seriously ill, but Louis XI, suspecting a trap, did not move immediately.

Only when Charles VII’s death was confirmed did he return to Paris, officially hold a coronation in Reims, and become king.

* * *

After the coronation, Louis XI stayed at the Château d’Amboise in the Loire Valley.

Although it had been recaptured from the English army, Paris was an unwelcome place for the French kings for various reasons.

Louis XI, who had spent almost his entire life outside of Paris, felt this aversion especially strongly, and ultimately chose to reside at the Château d’Amboise.

“Hmm… what should I do now?”

Louis XI muttered to himself, looking out the window.

Upon ascending to the throne, Louis XI immediately began to examine the legacy left by his predecessor, Charles VII.

“How ironic….”

Louis XI wore a troubled expression as he examined the documents.

The most useful legacy left by Charles VII was the standing army, the Ordinance Army.

The irony was that Louis XI had also been involved in the rebellion against this very army.

As a result, as soon as he ascended to the throne, nobles were pressuring him, demanding the abolition and restoration of the old system.

“Restoration is out of the question….”

Louis XI had no intention of accepting the nobles’ demands.

Although he had made a truce with England, war could break out at any time. In that case, those nobles could easily defect to England based on their own interests.

And, there was still a powerful potential enemy remaining within France.

It was the Duchy of Burgundy, where he had sought refuge.

After the Treaty of Arras [a treaty in 1435 that provisionally reconciled the Duke of Burgundy and King of France, but ultimately led to Burgundy acting as an independent state], the Duchy of Burgundy, freed from its feudal obligations to the French king, was virtually an independent state.

Since then, the policy of the Duchy of Burgundy was to actively check France in order to maintain its independence and expand its power.

Louis XI had personally witnessed Charles, who would succeed Philip III, the Good, as Duke of Burgundy, openly express such intentions.

“To stabilize the kingdom, I, as the king, need an army and officials that I can firmly control and direct. And a tax system to support them. In other words, the Ordinance of Orléans cannot be abolished.”

Louis XI clenched his fist as he analyzed his situation and the kingdom’s.

“The conclusion is ‘Imperialization’ only.”

* * *

During this period, the concept of an “empire” was an “ideal” for European intellectuals and monarchs.

-Diligent people who are loyal to the country.

-Honest officials who work day and night for the country’s well-being.

-Scholars who constantly study and a society and system that supports them.

-A society where those who work hard regardless of their occupation are respected.

-A channel (言路) [a direct line of communication] where even the poor and lowly can appeal to the emperor if they have a grievance.

-An emperor who wields strong power but does not abuse it and receives absolute loyalty from the people.

To Europeans accustomed to feudalism, it was an ideal, and letters from professors and international students residing in Seoul proved that this was not just a fantasy.

And, the monarchs and intellectuals of Europe who received this information dreamed of reforming their countries.

It was a reform movement that would be called “Imperialization.”

However, although they dreamed of an “empire” and called for “imperialization,” their visions were not the same.

-An existence that monopolizes all power and leads the country with the help of specialized officials.

This was the “imperialization” that the kings dreamed of, but the meaning of “imperialization” that others envisioned was different.

-A society where knowledge can be freely explored, free from religious restrictions.

-A society without taxes that are determined indiscriminately without reasonable standards.

The image of the empire dreamed of by those who called for “imperialization” in this way varied.

However, even while dreaming such different dreams, they had one thing in common.

-Exclusion of the aristocratic class.

The kings wanted to monopolize power, while people from other classes wanted to secure their rights and opportunities for social advancement.

“In order for the construction of a great French Empire to succeed, the aristocracy must first be eliminated. But what is needed to eliminate these aristocrats is imperialization. And what is needed to succeed in imperialization is money.”

Louis XI, having said that, put his hand on his forehead.

“Money is the problem. Is that why the empire is so enthusiastic about trade?”

* * *

While in hiding in Dauphiné and Burgundy, Louis XI obtained and read many documents related to Joseon, and later the Empire. Whenever he had the opportunity, he invited those who had been to the Empire to hear stories about it.

At first, it was mainly about interesting things such as the Empire’s amazing objects and scenery. But soon, Louis XI had other questions.

“How did Joseon become an empire?”

Louis XI asked a scholar about the question he had. The scholar nodded and replied to Louis XI’s question.

“I am also curious about that. So, I want to do research, but….”

The scholar trailed off, but Louis XI immediately understood.

“If you need funds, tell me. I will support you.”

“Thank you.”

The scholar, with the support of Louis XI, began to travel to and from the Empire to gather information.

He analyzed the data he had gathered, not only from the Empire but also from Ming and Japan if necessary, and what emerged was “Gyeongjang” [a series of reforms implemented in Joseon Dynasty Korea].

Louis XI, who saw the contents of the abolition of the caste system, tax reform, compulsory education, etc., asked the scholar.

“Did the king take the lead in implementing this?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Were there no nobles in the Empire?”

“There are people called Yangban [the aristocratic ruling class in Joseon Korea].”

“And yet it succeeded?”

“Of course, there was a rebellion.”

The scholar explained the “Giyu Rebellion” [a rebellion against the reforms] to Louis XI. Louis XI nodded as he listened to the explanation and muttered inwardly.

‘As expected, military force is the key.’

* * *

Recalling his past memories, Louis XI thought about the situations he would face and the things he had to do in the future.

“The late king tried hard, but the power of the nobles is still strong. It is impossible for me alone to break the power of the nobles. No, I don’t know when I’ll die. To avoid this, I have to raise a force to check the nobles. The best thing is the Estates-General [a representative assembly of the three estates: the clergy, nobility, and commoners]. But the clergy should be seen as being in cahoots with the nobles. Then, like the king of the Empire, I have to get the commoners, especially the merchants, on my side. And, to get the merchants on my side, I have to be like the Empire….”

Louis XI wrote down policies on a blank sheet of paper to win over the commoner forces of the Estates-General.

-Tax reform

-Compulsory education

“This is the most certain thing, but what is needed is money… Haa~.”

Louis XI sighed and smacked his lips.

“To reform the system, money is needed, and to get money, the system must be reformed, it goes around and around… Haa~.”

Louis XI sighed as he looked at the problems that were chasing each other’s tails and spinning around and around, and then he rummaged through the ledgers on one side.

“Is that why you were so obsessed with Suez?”

Louis XI understood why Charles VII had shown such deep interest in Suez [the Isthmus of Suez, a strategic location for trade].

“Even now, the profits from exclusively selling goods coming from Suez are considerable. The king of the Empire, who first started Gyeongjang, also secured funds by using the monopoly system. Then, I have to use it well too.”

Louis XI was getting a sense of direction as he thought of Suez.

“It’s not just Suez. Looking at Portugal, the profits they make from Africa are enormous. Then… not only Suez but also we have to advance to the sea. Wait, should I use the nobles for this part?”

Louis XI, who was nicknamed “Spider” for his good use of schemes and machinations, was plotting a scheme to exploit the nobles.

As he planned for the future and put his heart and soul into it, Louis XI pressed his throbbing temples and sighed.

“Haa~. My head hurts. I need a strategist…”

Louis XI, feeling the need for a strategist, looked at the golden pen in his hand and muttered.

“The strategist of the king who first implemented Gyeongjang was the king’s Dauphin (Dauphin de Viennois, Crown Prince) [the heir apparent to the French throne]? But at that time, he was around 10 years old… Is that true?”

Louis XI shook his head, recalling the rumors related to Hyang.

“If that’s true, he’s not even human.”

At the same time, in Shinji Haenggung [Hyang’s palace], Hyang was muttering while picking his ear.

“Is someone talking about me again? Seriously… there are too many suspects….”

Hyang knew very well that there were at least several hundred people who would be badmouthing him, not only in Shinji Haenggung and Area 52, but also in Seoul far away.