Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 782

Distributed by Ajit Novel (formerly Ajitun Novel).

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782. A Disaster Invited by Oneself… (17)

The next day, Wan summoned the monks and international students who had applied.

“I have read your petitions carefully. It is commendable that you are offering to uphold the doctrines.”

The faces of the monks and international students brightened at Wan’s words.

“So, you will allow our support?”

“Before that, I have a question. According to your doctrines, there is a passage that says, ‘Spread the truth to the ends of the earth.’ If so, you will go to Shinji to proselytize, correct?”

“That is…”

“Answer in the name of the god you believe in.”

“We will not deny it.”

“Hmm…”

Upon hearing the answer, Wan made a peculiar expression, humming thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, Wan pointed out the problem.

“The problem is that the Pope, who is the head of your religion, has changed several times, yet there has been no response to the questions our empire sent.”

* * *

When the monks first entered the empire—then Joseon—Crown Prince Hyang at the time asked two questions again.

One was about ancestral rites [ceremonies honoring deceased ancestors], and the other was about the infallibility of the scriptures [the belief that the scriptures are without error].

“If there is no answer to these questions, you cannot proselytize!”

At that time, the religious circles of Europe—specifically Western Europe—were in a rather turbulent state.

-Which has more authority, the Pope’s or the secular monarch’s?

-Will the Pope follow the Ecumenical Council [a gathering of church leaders to discuss doctrine], or will the Ecumenical Council follow the Pope?

-Will the unification of Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy be allowed, or denied?

With pros and cons divided on each of these issues, the religious circles of Western Europe were in an uproar.

In simple terms, Hyang had thrown a lit bomb into a warehouse full of gunpowder.

Religious leaders, sharply divided over contentious issues that were difficult to reconcile, began to argue over the answers to these questions, and soon, force was mobilized.

* * *

Wan continued to speak.

“How much time has passed since His Majesty demanded an answer, and how many Popes have changed? Yet, your Pope has not sent an answer.”

Wan’s point was not wrong.

Starting with Pope Eugene IV, who was the Pope when Hyang asked the questions, up to the current Pope Paul II, five Popes had appeared, but the Vatican had still not sent an answer.

The monks and international students bowed their heads at Wan’s criticism.

“We, we are sorry.”

“We will ask them to send an answer as soon as possible.”

Wan continued to press the monks and international students.

“Is your Pope ignoring me, His Majesty, and our empire?”

“N, no!”

“Absolutely not!”

The monks and international students hurriedly denied Wan’s rebuke.

“To be honest, the situation in the Vatican is not good…”

“The situation has not been good all this time.”

* * *

As the monks and international students said, the situation in the Vatican had been a mess all along, and still was.

The religious conflict, in which even force had been mobilized, was barely contained, but it was not completely resolved.

Religious leaders from various European countries and the Vatican were still engaging in verbal battles whenever they had the chance.

In addition, problems began to arise as they squeezed the people under various pretexts to replenish the enormous funds consumed by military expenses.

“Who are you! Shepherds searching for lost sheep, or merchants selling sacrifices in the temple!”

Those who criticized the church’s extortion and called for reform reappeared, causing another uproar.

As this vicious cycle continued, ‘Hyang’s question’ had long since disappeared into the distance.

* * *

“Hmm… I have already heard rumors similar to what you just said. How can those who are supposed to lead ‘lost sheep’ to the truth, as written in your scriptures, show such a disgraceful appearance? Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

As Wan clicked his tongue and shook his head, the monks and international students could not overcome their shame and bowed their heads deeply.

Wan, looking at them with a look of disdain, came to a conclusion.

“Shinji is clearly within the empire’s territory. Therefore, it follows the empire’s laws and policies. Unless your Pope sends an answer, and until that answer concludes that it does not disrupt our empire’s traditions, you will not be allowed to propagate your religion, nor will you be supported. Leave.”

At Wan’s decision, the monks and international students bowed with gloomy faces and left Geunjeongjeon Hall [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace].

Wan, having sent out the international students and monks, clicked his tongue once more.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! What divine will and doctrines are those who cause disturbances in Seoul’s *gibangs* [traditional Korean houses of entertainment] discussing? What is the difference between them and the Buddhists of Jeonjo and the false gentlemen of the Gihae year [referring to a political purge in 1519]…? Ugh! Tsk!”

Wan mentioned the monks who were notorious for extorting the people during the Goryeo Dynasty and the *Sadaebu* [Confucian scholars and officials] who caused the Gihae Rebellion, not hiding his displeasure. All the officials inside the Daejeon Hall [another main hall in a palace] closed their mouths and watched Wan’s every move.

‘If I say something wrong here, I’m in big trouble!’

‘It’s best not to say anything here!’

‘I don’t know anything!’

“Prime Minister, what do you think?”

As Wan pointedly asked the question, Hwangbo-in hurriedly replied.

“That is correct! Your words are truly right.”

“That is so!”

No sooner had Hwangbo-in finished speaking than the other ministers chimed in.

“Hmm…”

After a moment of resting his chin and thinking, Wan soon ordered Hwangbo-in.

“Convey my orders to the Crown Prince and Jeong In-ji, who manage the research institute. Tell them to examine the achievements, studies, attitude, and mindset of these international students and divide them into grades. And, send those with low grades back to their hometowns immediately. Those who came to seek the truth are only causing trouble in *gibangs*…. Tsk!”

At Wan’s command, Hwangbo-in and the ministers immediately bowed their heads and replied.

“We shall obey your command!”

* * *

After the morning assembly, Hwangbo-in, Kim Jong-seo, and Lee Gyeon-gi had a separate meeting.

“It seems that His Majesty’s order to sort out the Europeans is not just about the *gibang* issue. What do you think?”

At Kim Jong-seo’s question, Lee Gyeon-gi took the words.

“As one is influenced by one’s surroundings, I think he thought it would be good to sort them out at this time, don’t you think?”

Hwangbo-in shook his head at Lee Gyeon-gi’s words.

“I think the *gibang* issue is just an excuse. There are rumors circulating these days that some of these international students and professors are trying to do other things besides their main jobs.”

“Other things?”

As Lee Gyeon-gi expressed his doubts, Hwangbo-in continued.

“It would be more accurate to say they are doing other deeds. They are trying to act as spies…”

“Spies!”

Lee Gyeon-gi’s face hardened seriously as Hwangbo-in mentioned ‘spies.’

* * *

The number of international students staying in the empire was gradually increasing.

In the past, Japanese were the most numerous, but now international students and professors from Europe boasted the largest number.

Most of the international students sent from Japan were learning Confucianism and administration. Of course, they tried to learn the empire’s technology, symbolized by ‘Area 51,’ but the empire did not leak advanced knowledge and technology beyond the Gihakdang [a high-level educational institution].

Therefore, Japan established a technology research institute. In this research institute, artisans who had been brought from Ming in the past and those who had learned from Gihakdang and returned gathered to conduct research to catch up with the empire’s technology.

International students and professors from Europe were mostly active in fields such as mathematics, physics, and mechanics.

This was because Hyang had only accepted those involved in these fields from the beginning.

Among those who learned or participated in research at the Sanhakwon [a mathematics and astronomy institute] and research institutes, those with excellent grades were actively recruited to settle in the empire, and the empire’s basic science sector was gradually improving.

Of course, there were also those who did not succumb to this recruitment and returned home, or those who could not keep up with the progress and returned home every year.

However, even these people were treated as valuable talents when they returned home. They were at a higher level compared to those who stayed in Europe.

It was only natural that those who saw this would embark on the path of studying in the empire.

As the ‘Empire Study Abroad Fever’ blew, a new high-income job was born.

It was a ‘Study Abroad Specialist Tutor.’

In order to study abroad in the empire, one had to pass the exam conducted by the empire.

The number of people who hired those who had studied abroad in the empire and returned as their children’s tutors increased in order to pass this exam. And, those who gave up studying abroad and returned worked as tutors.

Although they returned home because they could not keep up with the progress, the fact that they had studied abroad was proof that they had the skills to pass the exam.

As the number of people who came to study abroad in the empire and returned after finishing their studies increased through this process, those with other purposes began to mix in slyly.

Some began to mix in, trying to recruit the empire’s artisans or acquire the empire’s technology while working as international students for two to three years.

Knowing well that it was impossible to recruit the artisans of Area 51, they were moving to acquire the technology of artisans rumored in the private sector, or those artisans themselves.

Their movements were immediately caught by Milwi [secret intelligence agency], and over time, they became known to the managers through the Pocheong [police bureau] and the *gisaengs* [female entertainers] of regular *giru* [entertainment establishments].

“Hmm… What should we do about this?”

Wan, who received the report from Milwi, pondered to find an answer.

The most important and lucrative technologies were in Area 51.

If those Europeans had touched the artisans of Area 51, he would have immediately mobilized Milwi to deal with them, but that was not the case.

“But we can’t just leave them alone…”

Whether it was divine help or not, no artisans had been recruited so far. The leaked technology was also at least two or three generations behind.

This was when this happened while he was worrying about an answer.

“Did His Majesty say ‘Ji Hwaja!’ [a Korean expression of inspiration or realization] at times like this?”

* * *

“Think about it. Not all the Confucian scholars of Sungkyunkwan [the highest educational institution in Joseon] in the past only studied to death, right? Were there not one or two who went out to *gibangs* whenever they had the chance?”

Kim Jong-seo and Lee Gyeon-gi nodded at Hwangbo-in’s words. Watching the two’s reactions, Hwangbo-in continued to speak.

“There were more than one or two of those people, and there were more than one or two of those incidents, but were there any who were expelled?”

“Almost none.”

“His Majesty is trying to weed out those who came for other purposes under the pretext of this incident. Of course, we can openly expose and punish them. But, there is no definite evidence, and if we make a mistake, we may miss the talents we want.”

“Are you saying they will be frightened and all go back?”

Hwangbo-in nodded at Kim Jong-seo’s point.

“That’s right. But, if we act according to His Majesty’s orders, we can avoid such a thing. In addition, what’s even better is that they will work even harder on their studies and research to avoid being expelled.”

Hwangbo-in sighed after saying this much.

“Hoo~. I realize every time like this whose blood His Majesty inherited.”

Kim Jong-seo and Lee Gyeon-gi also sighed at the same time at Hwangbo-in’s words.

“Hoo~.”

Sejong and Hyang never did anything that would result in a loss, and ‘killing two birds with one stone’ was basic. And, it was Wan who clearly proved that he had inherited that blood.