Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 856

856. Their Ambition (7)

Though the Medici family held sway in Florence, they were not without rivals.

Families involved in banking and the wool trade, much like the Medici themselves, constantly sought to surpass them, driven by the desire to seize their vast wealth and influence.

However, Cosimo’s audacious investments, initially dismissed as mere gambles, consistently yielded success, effectively thwarting any attempts to unseat the Medici through economic competition.

Realizing that outmaneuvering the Medici through legitimate means was impossible, these rival families turned to more… traditional methods.

These “traditional methods” included assassination, kidnapping, and outright coups.

The Medici’s adversaries plotted in secrecy, yet they suffered from a critical weakness.

They lacked sufficient funds and troops.

They were hampered by the same obstacles that plagued the Young Scholars.

As previously mentioned, most of these rival families operated within the same financial and wool industries as the Medici.

However, their repeated defeats in the marketplace had drained their coffers. Barely able to maintain their existing operations, they found it exceedingly difficult to finance skilled assassins or kidnappers.

The same held true for raising troops.

They simply didn’t have the capital to hire mercenary units. Even if they succeeded in assassinating or kidnapping a Medici, they lacked the military might to expel the family and seize control of Florence.

Ultimately, they were forced to seek support from the despots of other city-states.

They mirrored the Young Scholars’ strategy of appealing to the kings of France, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Spain.

And, like the Young Scholars, their efforts ended in failure.

The despots who initially considered providing assistance were quickly dissuaded by their counterparts in neighboring cities, who promptly informed Cosimo of the plot.

Their motives weren’t rooted in goodwill.

The fall of the Medici in Florence would inevitably lead to the city’s annexation by whichever despot supported their rivals.

Such an event would drastically alter the power balance in Italy, jeopardizing their own vested interests.

“I may not care for the Medici, but I certainly won’t stand by and lose what’s mine because of them!”

Driven by self-preservation, these despots alerted Cosimo to the impending threat.

Consequently, the conspirators were swiftly apprehended and disappeared without a trace.

These attempts became so frequent that Cosimo decided to withdraw from the public eye.

He cited “old age” as the reason, but in truth, it was to shield himself from the constant threat of assassination and kidnapping.

Lorenzo, young and brimming with energy, assumed the external responsibilities of Florence’s ruler, while Giovanni, at the height of his financial acumen, took charge of the family’s core business. Cosimo, from the safety of his self-imposed seclusion, coordinated the overall strategy, ensuring the family’s continued dominance.

It was during this period of carefully orchestrated transition that the Young Scholars of Florence approached Lorenzo.

“Lorenzo de Medici is young, and with youth comes ambition.”

“He’s precisely the kind of individual who would stop at nothing to surpass his grandfather’s achievements and reputation.”

“Giovanni de Medici is a cunning old fox who wouldn’t give us the time of day, but Lorenzo is a different story. He’s definitely worth pursuing.”

Based on this assessment, the Young Scholars contacted Lorenzo, enticing him with their vision.

They dangled the alluring prospect of becoming ‘the ruler of a unified Italy’ before him.

* * *

“Hmm… Considering the example of Japan, is it really so far-fetched?”

“Precisely!”

“Do you genuinely believe it’s possible?”

“Absolutely!”

“Hoo…”

Cosimo sighed at Lorenzo de Medici’s enthusiastic response, pressing a hand to his forehead.

‘Oh, Holy Mary! This man is supposed to lead our family into the future! Holy Mother, who nurtured the Lord! Grant me wisdom!’

Cosimo, offering a silent prayer, fixed Lorenzo with a stern gaze and began his interrogation.

“Do you know how many years the Ouchi clan of Japan spent striving to unify Japan?”

“I do.”

“And are you aware of the extensive preparations they undertook before 본격적으로 [in earnest] launching their campaign?”

“I am also aware of that.”

“Hmm… Then tell me, what was their initial focus during that preparatory period?”

“They dispatched talented individuals to the ‘Land of Flowers’ [a common term for China, referring to its rich culture and history] to study and acquire the knowledge they lacked.”

“Correct. The crucial point here is that they first identified their shortcomings. What deficiencies do you believe Italy, or rather, Florence, suffers from?”

“Education.”

“Education? Ho?”

Cosimo’s eyes widened at Lorenzo’s unexpected answer.

“That’s an intriguing response. Elaborate further.”

“Certainly.”

Sensing Cosimo’s somewhat favorable reaction, Lorenzo launched into his explanation with renewed enthusiasm.

Lorenzo’s argument can be summarized as follows:

-The overall level of education in Florence, and indeed throughout Italy, is woefully inadequate.

Both in absolute and relative terms.

-In other nations, children receive basic instruction in local churches or monasteries.

While not advanced, it’s sufficient to impart fundamental reading and arithmetic skills. We in Italy can’t even manage that consistently.

-While churches and monasteries in Italy do provide some education, far too many parents prioritize their children’s labor over their schooling.

-This lack of education has drastically narrowed the 視野 [perspective; outlook] of our citizens. The reason commoners identify more strongly with their hometowns than with the concept of being ‘Italian’ stems from this limited worldview.

-Therefore, we must make education compulsory for all commoners, even if it requires force. We must instill in them a sense of ‘Italian’ identity and the rationale for ‘unification.’

Only then can we hope to create a truly effective standing army.

-Education is also vital for training both the rank and file and the officer corps of a standing army. Relying on mercenaries is inherently dangerous.

“Hmm…”

Cosimo, nodding thoughtfully as he listened to Lorenzo’s explanation, posed another question.

“Is this standing army also modeled after the Japanese example?”

“No. It’s based on the Imperial Army [referring to the army of the Holy Roman Empire]. The Japanese army itself drew inspiration from the Imperial Army, so to do it properly, we should emulate the Imperial model directly.”

“The Imperial Army is a bottomless pit of money. Wouldn’t it be more prudent to hire a competent and reliable Condottiero [a mercenary leader]?”

Lorenzo shook his head firmly at Cosimo’s suggestion.

“The era of Condottieros and mercenary armies is drawing to a close. Or, at the very least, the era of Italian mercenaries is over.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of guns and cannons. And because they are afraid of war.”

“‘Afraid of war’… There’s some truth to that.”

Cosimo and Giovanni both nodded in agreement with Lorenzo’s assessment.

The reputation of the Italian mercenary army was rapidly deteriorating. In a ‘bad way.’

* * *

Since the 13th century, the Italian city-states, having amassed considerable wealth through trade, possessed military capabilities that were disproportionately weak compared to their financial resources.

As previously mentioned, this was largely due to the problem of fixed expenditures.

To compensate for their military weakness, the city-states contracted with mercenary armies to handle their defense.

Initially, these mercenary armies were composed of foreign soldiers and commanders.

However, over time, as the mercenary business grew in scale and profitability, the composition shifted to include more soldiers and commanders from Italy.

Aristocratic sons who stood to inherit nothing, and commoners who dreamed of striking it rich, flocked to these mercenary corps.

And thus, the notoriety of the Italian mercenaries began to spread.

Mercenaries, by their very nature, are motivated by money. This held true for both Italian and other European mercenaries.

However, the Italian mercenary armies were particularly averse to risk.

Battles involving Italian mercenary armies often appeared grand and fierce on the surface, but in reality, they frequently concluded with minimal casualties.

Furthermore, the commanders of these mercenary armies, the Condottieros, were notorious for their ‘fickleness.’ They would readily switch sides mid-war for a higher price.

Given this state of affairs, even Cosimo had opted to hire foreign mercenary armies, rather than Italian ones, for deployment in the recent Suez War.

* * *

“I reiterate, we are now entering the age of ‘guns and cannons.’ The time of the Italian mercenary army is coming to an end.”

Lorenzo emphatically declared the demise of the Italian mercenary army.

Cosimo and Giovanni offered no significant objections to Lorenzo’s pronouncement.

Giovanni, in particular, had witnessed the dawn of the ‘era of guns and cannons’ firsthand.

“Lorenzo is correct. Italian mercenaries are becoming an obsolete relic of the past.”

Cosimo also nodded in agreement with Giovanni’s assessment.

The primary strength of the Italian mercenary army lay in its cavalry, often comprised of heavily armored knights clad in full plate armor.

While visually impressive, and capable of creating the illusion of intense combat, the strong armor made it unlikely that the mercenaries would be killed or seriously injured unless they suffered an unfortunate accident, such as falling from their horse.

Meanwhile, mercenary armies from other countries were increasingly equipped with guns and cannons.

In particular, mercenary commanders with experience in international conflicts, such as the Suez War, leveraged their connections to acquire the Empire’s 을식 [Eulsa-era] rifles or similar European firearms to equip their units.

In contrast, the Italian mercenary armies remained stubbornly entrenched in medieval armaments and tactics.

They were a prime example of being a ‘frog in a well’ [idiom for someone with a limited perspective].

* * *

“That’s why I need my grandfather’s approval.”

“My approval? For what, specifically?”

“I want to select promising young individuals and send them to the Empire’s military academy to study.”

“The Empire’s military academy?”

“Yes, isn’t the Imperial Army renowned for possessing the best guns and cannons in both the East and West, and for employing them with unparalleled effectiveness?”

Giovanni interjected, supporting Lorenzo’s point.

“That’s certainly true. I can vouch for that.”

“Indeed. However, you see…”

Cosimo paused, taking a sip of wine to moisten his throat, and highlighted an aspect they had overlooked.

“It’s also the most expensive army in both the East and West. So much so that there’s a running joke that ‘when the Imperial Army even considers deploying, the Empire’s Ministry of Finance immediately raises a gun in protest. Because it would be cheaper to just shoot someone.’ Lorenzo, as you pointed out, the Imperial Army is the most formidable force in this ‘war of guns and cannons.’ Therefore, sending our young men to their military academy is not a bad idea. However, learning at the Empire’s military academy means that everything will be 맞춰진 [tailored; aligned] to the Imperial Army’s standards. Their weapons are the best, but they are also the most expensive to maintain. How do you propose we address that?”

At Cosimo’s question, Lorenzo immediately turned to Giovanni. Giovanni, meeting Lorenzo’s gaze, responded with a slightly troubled expression.

“We can manage it to some extent, but not on the same scale as the Empire. Otherwise, we’ll bankrupt ourselves.”

Lorenzo appeared relieved by Giovanni’s answer.

“It’s a relief to know that it’s possible to some extent. Even if we start small, a standing army armed with the Empire’s weapons and properly trained is 충분히 [sufficiently] achievable. As we 통합한 [integrate; unify] more territory, we can secure more funding, and we can expand our military capabilities based on those resources.”

It was an idea that Hyang would have scoffed at, saying, ‘Are you going to pay me back later?’ [referencing a common sentiment about ambitious but potentially unrealistic plans].