Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 784

784. Internal Troubles (2)

Two days later, Wan summoned Masahiro.

“From now on, I and the Empire will refer to Japan as Japan, not Wa. This will be enacted by law and promoted not only in official state documents but also in public documents used within the Empire, and in conversations and speeches in public places. Use ‘Japan’ instead of ‘Wa’.”

Overwhelmed by Wan’s announcement, Masahiro prostrated himself on the floor of the audience hall and raised his voice.

“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless! You have fulfilled our country’s long-cherished wish. How can we ever forget this grace? May you live ten thousand years! May you live ten thousand years!”

Having obtained what he wanted, Masahiro repeatedly bowed and left the audience hall. Watching him leave, Wan turned to Hwangbo-in, as if suddenly realizing something.

“Prime Minister, isn’t it amusing?”

“Pardon? I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I mean, both the Japanese and the Europeans… Can’t we communicate without interpreters now?”

Hwangbo-in bowed his head at Wan’s remark.

“Ah, that’s right!”

* * *

As the Empire established itself as the strongest nation in Northeast Asia, the Imperial language became the international common language not only in Northeast Asia but also throughout Asia.

Those who wanted to study or trade in the Empire were fluent in the Imperial language and even Jeongeum [the Korean alphabet]. At the very least, they could converse in the Imperial language.

It wasn’t just them. Tribes and weak nations with their own languages but no writing system used Jeongeum as their script.

This was the result of Hyang’s strategy from the early days of Jeongeum’s promulgation.

“In the 21st century, many Southeast Asian countries modified the alphabet to use it as their own script. Jeongeum will take that place! And we’ll record it. That way, no one will spout nonsense later!”

Hyang’s strategy worked perfectly. Thanks to the Empire’s strong national power and the convenience of Jeongeum, it became a common script among many Southeast Asian countries.

A similar situation was unfolding in Europe. Merchants who wanted to trade with the Empire diligently learned the Imperial language and Jeongeum.

It wasn’t just merchants.

Scholars also learned the Imperial language and Jeongeum in order to read academic books published in the Empire. This was a result of the fact that the Empire’s basic science level was higher than Europe’s, combined with the scholars’ intellectual vanity.

“Reading Latin translations because you don’t know the Imperial language and Jeongeum? Ha! And they call themselves professors?”

Reading and understanding original Imperial language texts became a subtle way of boasting about one’s deep knowledge.

As a result, it became fashionable for the upper class in Europe to have libraries full of original Imperial language books, or to carry around one or two original Imperial language books as a status symbol.

The place where this Imperial language craze was strongest was Wa, no, Japan.

Japan was the first country to send students abroad, and it was the country where those students quickly established themselves at the core of power.

The students who seized the core of power deliberately conversed in the Imperial language to ridicule the domestic faction.

As a result, the Imperial language was heard more often than Japanese in the castle of the Ouchi shogunate in Yamaguchi.

Hyang, who was the emperor at the time, heard the report and chuckled to himself.

‘Even in the 21st century, those who were doing well rolled their tongues and used English even when they didn’t need to. People are all the same.’

The only place that was exempt from this Imperial language and Jeongeum craze was Ming [a Chinese dynasty].

Because of their pride in ‘China’ and ‘Chunghwa’ [a concept of Chinese cultural supremacy], they adamantly rejected the Imperial language and Jeongeum.

The staunch nationalism of the Ming rulers and intellectuals became a headache for the newly crowned Emperor Jujianxin.

* * *

Because Wan made a decision, a new notice was posted in government offices throughout the Empire a few days later.

As always, a loud-voiced person came forward to read the notice, and people listened attentively.

“…Therefore, it is forbidden to use the terms ‘Wa’ or ‘Wain’ in all official documents, including state letters, and in places where many people gather. This is for the sake of good neighborly relations between our Empire and Japan, and we ask the people of the Empire to abide by this.”

After hearing the contents of the notice, the people gathered in groups of three or five to talk.

“So, from now on, instead of saying ‘Wa country’ or ‘Wa bastards,’ we have to say ‘Japan’ or ‘Japan bastards’?”

“It’ll be ‘Japanese bastards’.”

“Tsk, ‘Wa bastards’ rolls off the tongue better. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

In any case, it was a solemn imperial order, so the people began to use the word ‘Japan’ instead of ‘Wa’.

Of course, there were rebels and non-conformists among them.

“No matter how hard I try, it doesn’t stick. It doesn’t feel right!”

“A word has to roll off the tongue to be good!”

In the end, they created a new word, which spread among many people over time.

The new word that spread was ‘J 쪽바리okbari’ [J 쪽바리okbari is a derogatory term for Japanese people].

It was a nickname given because Japanese socks or shoes looked like pig’s trotters.

* * *

Having achieved results in the Empire, Masahiro headed straight to Ming.

Jujianxin, who heard Masahiro’s request, immediately mobilized the Hidden Dragon Society. Through the members of the Hidden Dragon Society who secretly met with Masahiro, Jujianxin heard the Empire’s decision and immediately summoned his ministers.

“Since we have already been using ‘Japan’ and ‘King of Japan’ in state letters, it would be good to grant their request. Instead, how about demanding the return of the artisans who were taken to Wa and the reopening of trade in return?”

Due to the aftermath of the last war, exchanges between Ming and Wa had almost stopped.

-Those who harmed Ming were traitors and criminals in our Japan as well. Our shogunate captured and punished them, and we told them that those captured in Ming could be punished according to Ming’s national law.

Therefore, please reopen the gates.

At the time, the shogun of the shogunate, Mochiyo, had repeatedly requested the opening of the gates and mutual exchange, but Emperor Jingtai had firmly rejected them each time.

Because of this past, the ministers who heard Jujianxin’s words showed negative reactions from the start.

“Since the time of the late emperor, exchanges with Wa have been prohibited. Reversing this would be going against the late emperor’s wishes…”

Jujianxin’s face turned fierce at the ministers’ negative reaction.

“This! Hooo~.”

Jujianxin, who was about to raise his voice, took a deep breath to calm himself and continued.

“The artisans who were forcibly taken away during the last war want to return, but the road is blocked. Can’t you see their plight? And, although exchanges are blocked, everyone knows that smuggling is rampant in Jiangnan [a region in China]. Wouldn’t it be better to officially open the gates, strictly crack down on smuggling, gain new tax revenue, and allow the poor artisans to return to their families?”

“However, going against the late emperor’s wishes is…”

When the ministers still showed a negative reaction, Jujianxin shouted.

“Who is the emperor you serve, the late emperor or me! Answer me now!”

At Jujianxin’s roar, the ministers all prostrated themselves on the floor.

“Please forgive us!”

“Answer me!”

“Please forgive us!”

“I said, answer me!”

They had no choice but to surrender to Jujianxin’s pressure.

“Your Majesty.”

“Then, I will decide this matter as I see fit. Anyone who opposes this, submit your resignation!”

In the end, the ministers had no choice but to follow Jujianxin’s wishes.

* * *

Masahiro, who had returned via the Empire and Ming, reported the results he had obtained to Yoshinori.

Yoshinori, who received the report, praised Masahiro with a bright face.

“Oh! This is a better result than expected! I can see how hard the heir has worked! What do you think!”

The vassals and officials who were present at Yoshinori’s question answered at the same time.

“That’s right!”

“Resuming exchanges with Ming is an unexpected achievement! This is entirely due to the heir’s merit!”

As the vassals and officials’ praise became more frequent, Yoshinori asked a question with a face that seemed worried.

“The problem is the demand to return the Ming artisans we brought with us during the last war. What should we do about this?”

Masahiro stepped forward to answer Yoshinori’s question.

“Ming is demanding the return of the artisans. However, most of them are old, sick, and dead. Their children have been registered, taught, and raised as Japanese, not Ming citizens. In other words, they are our Japanese people. Therefore, I think we should only select and send back those elderly artisans who wish to return home.”

At Masahiro’s suggestion, Yoshinori clapped his knees and was overjoyed.

“That’s a brilliant idea! What do you all think?”

At Yoshinori’s question, the vassals and officials answered in unison.

“That’s a brilliant idea!”

* * *

A few days later, a notice was posted in government offices throughout Japan.

“So, from now on, Joseon, no, the Empire and Ming will call us Japan instead of Wa?”

“That’s what it means.”

“The shogunate has done a great job.”

“That’s right.”

At the time, the Japanese people also knew that Ming and the Empire called them by the derogatory term ‘Wa’.

As a result, many intellectuals were openly complaining about this.

However, the shogunate had solved this problem.

Thanks to this, the pro-abdication faction gained momentum, and the pro-preservation faction lost momentum.

“The problem is that the heir has come to the fore in this process. With this, the shogunate’s succession structure will become even stronger.”

“I agree. Do you remember what the Emperor of the Empire did when the Empire was Joseon? He went to Beijing, successfully resolved the Jonggye Byeonmu [a border dispute], and solidified the succession structure? The shogunate is following suit.”

“It’s a headache. Things will be more difficult in the future.”

“The same goes for the merchants as well as the gentry. If exchanges with Ming are resumed, the merchants will have no choice but to support the shogunate.”

“Damn it!”

In the increasingly difficult situation, the pro-preservation faction began to think of more radical methods.

“Now that things have come to this, assassinations alone will not achieve great results. We need a bold move.”

“A bold move?”

“War.”

“War?”

The radicals belonging to the pro-preservation faction began to advocate for war.

-Many years have already passed since the Ouchi bastards of Yamaguchi seized power. Many people already recognize Ouchi as the ruler of this country.

-Among the lords who survived the last civil war, many have already died of old age.

-This means that there are not many people left who remember the Emperor and the country. As time passes, Japan will naturally become Ouchi’s.

-Therefore, we must fight a decisive battle before it is too late.”

To the radicals’ claims, the cautious faction pointed out the problems.

“The number of patriots is sufficient to fight a decisive battle, but the problem is the war expenses. The shogunate’s dogs are armed with the Empire’s new-style guns and cannons, but we mostly have spears and swords, and a small number of old-fashioned guns and cannons that we secretly hid during the last civil war in the nobility. With this, we will definitely lose. We need to bring in at least Ming-made guns and cannons, but that’s all money.”

To the cautious faction’s point, the radicals immediately replied.

“The people of Kyoto have decided to help with all their might.”

“Kyoto is already a ruined city. They alone are not enough.”

The cautious faction’s rebuttal was true.

As the shogunate smuggled the Emperor to Yamaguchi and moved the center of the economy to Yamaguchi, Kyoto was completely ruined.

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