Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 966

966. Everyone’s a Sucker But Me… (3)

“That part is beyond my expertise as I am not a monk…”

Hu’an sweated profusely, trying to evade the question, but Han Myeong-hoe pressed him further.

“Not a monk? Well, I suppose that could be. But isn’t this Rome? The holy city of your religion! You can’t walk a block without tripping over your religious brethren. What’s the problem?”

“But, making such a decision requires considerable time…”

“Decades have passed since the Supreme Emperor first inquired, and you still need more time? Hmph!”

Han Myeong-hoe scoffed and delivered his ultimatum.

“I’ll give you two days! If you refuse, no European monks, nor any Europeans for that matter, will set foot in the Empire’s territory!”

“Two days is…”

“Let me remind you, monks overflow the streets just outside, and the Pope’s residence is just around the corner! Giving you two days is already a display of the Supreme Emperor’s mercy!”

“…Understood.”

Thus, the negotiation concluded for the day.

* * *

That night, in the imperial residence set up in a detached building of Cardinal Giovanni’s mansion, Han Myeong-hoe, Seong Sam-mun, and Shin Suk-ju were discussing the day’s events.

“By the way, is it absolutely necessary to get confirmation from this Pope fellow?”

Seong Sam-mun, raising a question, continued.

“There are already quite a few who believe in Islam, called the Huihui religion [a historical Chinese term for Islam], within the Empire. Isn’t Islam a religion as prominent and zealous in its propagation as Catholicism, which Europeans believe in? Yet, there’s been little discord because of it, and the Empire’s codified laws already have provisions for it.”

The Empire’s codified laws clearly stated the provisions regarding religion.

-Imperial citizens may believe in any god they wish, provided they are loyal to the Empire and the Emperor, abide by the laws of the Empire, and do not harm others.

And, since the late Goryeo period [Korean kingdom from 918 to 1392], a considerable number of Muslims had come to live within the Empire. However, as they had not caused any significant problems, Seong Sam-mun deemed it excessive and pointed it out. Han Myeong-hoe lightly shook his head at Seong Sam-mun’s remark and responded.

“While their influence may be similar, there’s a significant difference between Islam and Catholicism. Islam does not have a Pope, but Catholicism does. There will certainly be those who revere the Pope more than the Empire and the Emperor, and follow him with their lives on the line.”

Han Myeong-hoe, lifting a cup filled with black tea, took a light sip and continued.

“Even now, the number of imperial citizens who secretly believe in Catholicism is gradually increasing. The ancestral rites issue is not simply limited to rituals. We must subjugate the Pope through this. We must clearly state that the Emperor and the laws of the Empire are above the Pope to prevent future problems. We must not forget how the monks who believed in Buddha ruined the country in the previous dynasty.”

“I see…”

Seong Sam-mun and Shin Suk-ju nodded at Han Myeong-hoe’s explanation. Although several generations had passed since the founding of Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897], the ruling class of Joseon showed an almost obsessive aversion to religion. And there was another reason.

“…And there’s another reason. Increasing the population.”

“Ah…”

“Is it finally starting…”

At Han Myeong-hoe’s words, Seong Sam-mun and Shin Suk-ju’s faces became even more serious.

* * *

The most urgent problem the Empire had to solve was ‘population.’ The Empire had been pushing for pro-natal policies with rewards so ‘unprecedented’ that they were almost unbelievable, and had actively absorbed the natives of the new territories. Thanks to this, the Empire’s population had recently surpassed 30 million. However, the Empire’s officials were not particularly pleased.

“It has increased significantly, but considering the vastness of the Empire’s entire territory…”

“You don’t even have to go that far. If we live as densely as we do in the mainland, we’d be lucky to fill even 1/5 of the new territories.”

The same was true for Xiang.

“To put it in 21st-century terms, it’s like having over 100 million people. There’s a saying that ‘if the population exceeds 100 million, the economy can run on domestic demand alone,’ but it’s still not enough.”

In the end, the conclusion reached by successive emperors and officials after much deliberation was ‘accept from the outside.’

“The problem is… ‘from where?'”

The first places that came to mind were Ming [Chinese dynasty, 1368-1644] and Wa (Japan). However, as quickly as they came to mind, they were excluded.

-Ming citizens, or rather, Chinese people, are ‘Chinese’ whether they live in Ming or elsewhere. They will never assimilate. The Japanese, too, exhibit similar tendencies, albeit to a lesser degree. Therefore, Ming and Wa were excluded first. Then, gradually widening the scope, they assessed the possibilities, but the results were not very good.

-Dai Viet [historical name for Vietnam] and Siam [historical name for Thailand] also have problems. Namely, Buddhism. Considering the influence Buddhism has on the people of those countries, it’s absolutely impossible.

-The Muslims of Arabia also pose a problem. It’s because of Islamic law. The Muslims currently residing in the Empire do not cause major problems, but if their numbers increase, they will inevitably cause trouble due to legal issues.

Moreover, they are too picky about what they eat! The imperial citizens, especially those from the mainland, who are serious about food, will inevitably clash!

-The Africans (烏鬼子, black devils) also have many problems. It takes too much time, manpower, and budget to educate them to the point where they can maintain minimal communication and etiquette, and perform basic arithmetic. We are already struggling to ‘imperialize’ the natives of the new territories, and doing so with the Africans is beyond our capabilities. In addition, there is the issue of the imperial citizens’ perception of the Africans. The imperial citizens came to know about the Africans properly while traveling to and from Alexandria.

The problem was that most of the Africans they encountered there were slaves. It had not even been 10 years since the complete abolition of private slaves, and the Empire still had those who committed serious crimes akin to treason working as government slaves. It was obvious how the Africans, with whom even proper communication was difficult, would be treated by such imperial citizens.

Of course, there were also Africans who had achieved considerable success as free citizens in Italy and other places. However, it was unlikely that they would give up the wealth and status they had painstakingly built and come to the Empire. In the end, after much filtering, the remaining candidates were the Europeans.

-Most of the Europeans encountered by the imperial citizens are wealthy merchants, scholars, skilled artisans, or capable sailors. Thanks to this, they have left a good impression on the imperial citizens.

-They are accustomed to obeying the law and following the orders of officials.

-Many of their people are struggling under the exploitation of the nobles. If they can pay reasonable taxes and accumulate wealth, they will voluntarily immigrate.

-There are many artisans with good manual skills.

-As the example of the Swiss shows, they understand the importance of trust. If the Empire treats them properly, they will be absolutely loyal.

-In addition, Europeans have many adversarial relationships with each other. If we use the strategy of ‘using barbarians to control barbarians’ to resettle them, the Europeans will monitor each other and compete to be loyal to the Empire.

“This is all well and good, but the problem is their religion.”

Most Europeans were Catholics, and the influence of priests and the Pope on them was absolute. Therefore, Han Myeong-hoe had pressured Hu’an to an almost excessive degree. It was because only by breaking the authority of the Pope and the Church here would the future be easier. As a side note, this was not a scheme that Han Myeong-hoe had come up with alone. Xiang was behind it as well.

At the time, Han Myeong-hoe, having finished consulting with Xiang, turned back to the closed door and muttered to himself.

“This is why the rumor that ‘the Supreme Emperor is behind every conspiracy’ is circulating…”

Meanwhile, Xiang, having sent Han Myeong-hoe out, reviewed the plan and muttered.

“If this scheme fails, we’ll have to give ginseng and eel to all the newly married couples in the Empire… Or maybe we should give them a hundred days of vacation…”

* * *

Two days later, Hu’an conveyed Alexander VI’s answer to Han Myeong-hoe.

“His Holiness the Pope and the College of Cardinals have reached a conclusion. ‘If the members of a family gather to honor their ancestors, it is not considered to be against the law.'”

Han Myeong-hoe, who had already heard about it through Cardinal Giovanni, nodded lightly and replied.

“I am deeply moved that the answer to a long-standing problem has been decided. I express my gratitude on behalf of the Supreme Emperor. But if possible, I would also like to receive an official document.”

At Han Myeong-hoe’s words, Hu’an gestured to the priest behind him. On the silver tray the priest was holding was the document containing the content Hu’an had mentioned. The document had ribbons dangling from it, sealed with wax bearing the seals of Alexander VI and the Cardinals.

Hu’an’s face, as he handed Han Myeong-hoe the tray containing the document that would go down in history, was stiffer than ever before. This document was the official surrender document, signifying the Pope’s defeat to secular power.

* * *

With Han Myeong-hoe receiving the Pope’s document, the issue regarding the Pope and the Papal States was temporarily settled. However, the participants of the meeting continued to stay in the meeting room of the Apostolic Palace and continued the meeting. They had entered into dividing the spoils of Italy after today. It was the beginning of a true negotiation.

“This Empire has no reason or intention to interfere in the internal affairs of Italy, but I believe advice is possible. So, I would like to offer some advice. Would that be alright?”

“Of course! That would be perfectly fine!”

Lorenzo answered Han Myeong-hoe’s question with a bright expression. However, the other leaders of the alliance answered with reluctant expressions.

“It’s alright.”

“We will listen to your advice.”

‘Damn it! I’d like to tell them to leave since they’ve seen everything they needed to see!’

‘If the Empire leaves, the Kingdom of Naples will surely act up…’

‘It would be better for the Empire and the Florentine bastards to act up than for the Neapolitan bumpkins to do so.’

The reason they accepted Han Myeong-hoe’s proposal, even with reluctant expressions, was because of this. The one with the most powerful military force in this place right now was the Empire. And it wasn’t just powerful, it was overwhelmingly powerful. The next most powerful was, surprisingly, the Kingdom of Naples.

Florence, which received direct support from the Empire, was also powerful. However, if the imperial army left, the Swiss army would also leave, and Florence would be pushed behind the Kingdom of Naples. Therefore, Lorenzo actively matched Han Myeong-hoe’s rhythm, and the tyrants of Milan, Genoa, and Venice had no choice but to be dragged along, even with reluctant expressions.

“I am truly grateful that you all have said so. While observing the unfortunate situation in Italy, this Empire could not help but feel sorry. Now that we are on the verge of unifying Italy, this Empire sincerely wishes for the development of Italy, our docile neighbor.”

Han Myeong-hoe, having drawn out the introduction filled with all sorts of flowery rhetoric, paused for a moment to clear his throat and continued.

“The people gathered here are the leaders of the cities and kingdoms that have come forward for the unification of Italy. In order for Italy and your cities to develop together…”

The meeting that would later be evaluated as ‘Everyone was a sucker except for the Empire’ had begun.