Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 226
Episode 226: Ocean Fleet. (6)
When the development and mass production of a new ship different from the challenger class was decided, King Sejong brought up a different agenda.
“Earlier, in the military report, it was said that Kuju Island should be incorporated into Joseon’s sphere of influence. Is this a substantive merger or something else?”
In response to King Sejong’s question, Jo Mal-saeng stepped forward.
“I think a substantive merger is a handshake. Although the Daenae Ouchi clan, who controls the northern part of Kuju Island, and the Kuju Jeoldosa, who rule other parts of Kuju Island, have friendly relations with our Joseon Dynasty, they are also powerful Japanese. If we enter into a substantive annexation, we will have to engage in armed conflict with them or guarantee our interests to them. “Your belly button may be bigger than your stomach.”
Heo Jo asked a question in response to Jo Mal Saeng’s words.
“If you look at the character of the Japanese, they are a people who are weak to the strong and strong to the weak. “If Joseon uses military force to show off its power, won’t you surrender immediately?”
Jo Mal-saeng immediately shook his head at Heo Jo’s words.
“There is not enough power.”
“huh?”
“uh?”
King Sejong and the ministers all expressed doubts about Jo Mal-saeng’s answer.
Seeing that reaction, Hyang grumbled internally.
‘Are these gentlemen really… Did they sleep on crow meat and forget all about it, or have they fallen for the magic of numbers?’
Jo Mal-saeng, perhaps feeling the same way as Hyang, explained the reality in a slightly rough voice.
“How much trouble did you go through preparing for the conquest of Tsushima Island?”
“But hasn’t the military’s power been greatly strengthened since then?”
Jo Mal-saeng gave a simple answer to Heo Jo’s question.
“And the things that the military must adhere to on a daily basis have increased significantly, right?”
“Ah…”
At Jo Mal-saeng’s point, Heo Jo groaned softly and closed his mouth. ‘Although power has increased, the areas that must be protected have also increased.’ This was the ‘magic of numbers’ that Hyang spoke of. Seeing this, Jo Mal-saeng continued speaking to King Sejong.
“Real integration comes with a handshake. If His Highness Jo Mal-saeng orders, I will stand at the forefront and attack the Japanese enemies. But I earnestly request your Majesty. “It is still too early to deal with the Japanese by force.”
“It’s too early… why?”
“First, compared to Japan, Joseon has smaller land and fewer people. Small land means small produce. This means that it is difficult to raise funds for war. Fewer people means that it is difficult to recruit troops. No matter how new weapons you arm yourself with, it is inevitable that troops will suffer losses when war breaks out.
Second, the person in power in the Japanese country is strong. “Unlike the time when it was divided into two during the Hongwu period, the Japanese king’s power is strong now, so the Japanese will move as one body.”
“Byungpan’s words are correct! “The words of the merchants traveling between Waegwan and Kuju Island were similar.”
Yejo Panseo also gave strength to Jo Mal-saeng’s words. Jo Mal-saeng, energized by the help of Yejo Panseo, added even more strength to his voice.
“Finally, it is not easy to limit the battlefield to Kuju Island. Although the Daenae clan and the Guju Island master Won clan are powerful, they do not completely control Guju Island. There are more nobles opposing them.
Therefore, I earnestly ask you once again. “Forced and substantive mergers using force must never be carried out.”
“Hmm…”
At Jo Mal-saeng’s remark, King Sejong stroked his beard with a serious face.
‘The monarch’s greatest achievement is the expansion of the river area. Wouldn’t annexing Kuju Island be a good opportunity? But Byeongpan’s words are not wrong…’
Hyang, who was watching Sejong’s troubles, sensed a crisis.
‘Not yet! No military adventurism!’
Sensing danger, Hyang immediately joined in the conversation.
“Abama. “It may be presumptuous, but Soja thinks Byeongpan’s words are extremely reasonable.”
“Worthy? “Please explain.”
In response to King Sejong’s order, Hyang calmly explained the reason.
“For a country to wage war against another country, its rear must be safe. For example, why did Emperor Wu of Wei attack Goguryeo back in the day? This is to ensure the safety of the rear before conquering Shu and Wu. It’s the same thing. In order to fix Japan, we must first stabilize the aftershocks in the north, but the situation in Liaodong is still unstable. On the other hand, completely conquering Jurchen will cost both the good and the wrong. “Let alone the name, we definitely need to take care of the reason, but it is too much for Joseon’s capabilities.”
“It’s unreasonable…”
When Sejong made a shocked expression, Hyang responded firmly.
“It’s an unreasonable number. The naval forces’ strength is not yet complete. Both quantity and quality. And for the final end of the war, our Joseon military must enter the enemy country and occupy it, but the army’s forces are not sufficient. “If you do something wrong, you will have to remove the lower stone and put the upper stone back in.”
“That’s right.”
Sejong nodded at Hyang’s point and let out a long sigh.
“The crown prince and Byeongpan are right. “They only looked at the strength in front of them and failed to consider the dangers far away. This is the vice of a person with little virtue. This is a derogatory term for a king.”
The ministers responded to King Sejong’s self-reproach by bowing in unison.
“No! “This is the sin of the gods who failed to properly assist you, so please punish them!”
“Please punish me!”
King Sejong spoke calmly when he saw his subjects asking for forgiveness for their sins.
“Stand up.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Let’s take this as a lesson and work harder in the future.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
* * *
Once the situation was somewhat settled, Sejong asked Hyang.
“Once upon a time, the crown prince said that making the market of the Japanese country ours is subjugating the Japanese country. “They say that our Joseon goods cannot be sold because they are missing when they go to Japan. If that’s the case, isn’t the subjugation already complete?”
“Most of the goods being shipped to Japan now are luxury goods. We must make even ordinary people buy Joseon products. “We must make the ordinary people of the Japanese nation admire Joseon in order to subjugate it.”
The scent was explained in more detail.
-The items being sold now are expensive luxury items.
-Most of the people who purchase these luxury goods are the wealthy people of the Japanese country. And the source of income for those noble families is taxes collected from the people, especially farmers.
-In order to purchase luxury goods, the nobles are collecting harsh taxes, and the dissatisfaction of the farmers is gradually building up.
-And it is very likely that these complaints will be directed at Joseon, not the nobles who exploit them.
“Why? Didn’t our Joseon Dynasty only make things? “Aren’t the people who buy from Joseon also merchants from the Japanese country, and those who pay money to them to buy things from them are ultimately the nobles of the Japanese country?”
To Heojo’s point, Yejo Panseo responded on Hyang’s behalf.
“If Joseon didn’t make such items, didn’t they think there was no reason for them to suffer?”
“Ah…”
When Heo Jo was nodding, Hyang added.
“What Ye Fan said is correct. As these dissatisfaction accumulates, the Japanese people will become more and more hostile to Joseon. If the dominance of the Japanese barons is shaken even slightly, they will turn into Japanese pirates again. Look at the Japanese fishermen who were captured this time. “Even fishermen carry swords on their boats.”
King Sejong and the ministers nodded at those words.
“Then, Crown Prince. “How are you going to take over the Japanese market?”
Hyang immediately answered King Sejong’s question.
“All you have to do is ask the Japanese people to do the work.”
“huh?”
The scent was explained in more detail.
-The Japanese country produces essential products for Joseon, such as sulfur and copper.
– Negotiate with the Japanese nobles to open mines or acquire mining rights.
-Japanese people are employed in these mines and paid wages.
-Joseon products are sold to Japanese people who are paid wages in this way.
“It won’t be easy for them to buy expensive items since they are citizens. However, you can sell pottery instead of expensive ceramics and cotton instead of silk. If this happens…”
Sejong cut Hyang off.
“You want better and better stuff! “Because our Joseon Dynasty has also taken such steps!”
“That’s right. And we can eliminate the hostility that the Japanese people have towards Joseon. “For now, Joseon is the people who are grateful to the people who provide them with wages to live on.”
“Then the dissatisfaction of the Japanese people will be directed at the nobles who rule over them! “What a clever channel!”
“It would be better to quietly give advice in advance to the noble families that Joseon needs, such as the Daenae clan and the Gujujeoldo clan Won.”
“I see! “In particular, since Daenae openly talks about being a descendant of Baekje, it would be great to use her as our representative!”
King Sejong was impressed by Hyang’s explanation, hitting his knees.
The ministers grumbled inwardly as they watched King Sejong and Hyang rich people giving and receiving.
‘also! also! It has begun! ‘Keep it to yourself and move on!’
‘It’s not pre-made, so how can the porridge fit so well?’
‘This is it… Will a bad-headed person live a sad life?’
Although they grumbled like that, the ministers were not stupid people and so they understood right away.
With that understanding, the ministers looked at the incense with new eyes.
‘I feel it again, but the crown prince is more cunning than clever! ‘Is the Emperor Wu mentioned earlier a reincarnation?’
‘If the crown prince ascends to the throne, the people who will work there will be in dire straits!’
‘This is it…. Should I give some medicine to the Lord? May you live a long time…’
Anyway, King Sejong, who really liked the plan that Hyang came up with, looked back at the ministers.
“I want to proceed with the work based on the policy mentioned by the crown prince, but what do the officials think?”
The ministers scrambled to answer King Sejong’s question.
“It was truly a brilliant idea!”
“It is a plan to kill two birds with one stone, so it is appropriate to adopt it!”
Since all the ministers agreed, King Sejong made a decision.
“The officers agree, so let’s make a proper plan and execute it! “For the peace of our Joseon, we must reduce external worries as much as possible.”
“I follow your orders!”
The officer who recorded all of this wrote as follows:
-The officer discusses.
Why do the people of the country feel pitiful?
* * *
After finishing the meeting and leaving Geunjeongjeon, Hyang’s expression was gradually darkening.
“Did I do a good job?”
Hyang, who mumbled with a face full of worry, let out a long sigh.
“Whew~ It’s bittersweet to think that I am planning ‘the most sophisticated imperialism’ with my own hands.”
What Hyang suggested to King Sejong and the ministers was a slight tweak to the ‘global value chain’, which was born in the craze of ’21st century neoliberalism’, in line with the current times.
* * *
Imperialism came to an end with the end of World War II.
To be precise, classical imperialism came to an end and a new imperialism was born and began to evolve.
The system, which was called ‘colonial capitalism’ and ‘comprador capitalism’ during the Cold War, evolved once again with the end of the Cold War.
While classical imperialism physically colonized and exploited, new imperialism was invisible.
It evolved into a sophisticated system called the ‘international value chain’ in which parts are made based on the labor and resources of latecomer countries, assembled in the home country or other latent countries, and sold to all countries in the world.
Under this system, politicians and workers in developing countries did not oppose capitalists in developed countries, but rather welcomed them.
A situation different from classical imperialism had occurred.