Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 233
Episode 233: Japanese Country (6)
Returning to Hanseong, Kim Jong-seo’s complaints continued.
“What kind of person’s managerial life is like Bupyeongcho? “I went to the north, then to the south…”
Kim Jong-seo returned to Hanseong, grumbling like this.
Kim Jong-seo, who returned to Hanseong, stopped by Yejo according to the orders he received.
“huh? “Isn’t it Jibong (芝峰)?”
“what? Absolutely! “It’s been a while!”
Hwang Bo-in and Kim Jong-seo, who met by chance at the ceremony, asked each other how they were doing with happy faces.
As the two people laughed and talked, an official of Yejo came out and guided them to a large room.
In the large room, people who would participate in the envoys to Japan were gathered.
After a while, Ye Fan, who entered the room, asked the official who entered first.
“Is everyone here?”
“yes.”
“Good job.”
After lightly congratulating Ye Fan, he looked at the people gathered in the room and opened his mouth.
“The reason we have gathered you all here today is because we have to send an envoy to the Japanese country.”
One of those gathered at Yepan’s comment (the first word or beginning of a sentence) asked a question.
“Are you going to the telecommunications company?”
“It’s similar.”
“yes?”
Most of those gathered in the room looked at Ye Fan’s face in doubt.
“This time, going to Wae…”
* * *
After Ye Fan’s explanation was over, the faces of those who left the room were more serious than ever.
This was because their mission, which they had heard about through the trial, was more important than ever before.
Among those who appeared with such a serious face was Kim Jong-seo. Kim Jong-seo came out with a wrinkled face and cursed.
“Damn it! Well then! “What about my fortune…”
* * *
Kim Jong-seo was optimistic when he received the unexpected order from Hwang Hee to go to Savior.
“It’s not easy to go to Guju, but it’s still better than just watching the horses here.”
‘Of course, a Jeongsa (head envoy) can’t be shy, so he should be a deputy envoy (second envoy), right? No, if you look at my career, even an adjutant will not be a fool. Then he must be one of the officials belonging to the Shinigami Order, right? Then I’ll have a lot of time… Did the old man tell me to get some rest?’
After sorting out the situation, Kim Jong-seo felt better.
“Can I see what Waeguk Gibang looks like? “What would be good for my old man?”
It was Kim Jong-seo who was grateful to Hwang Hee in his own way.
* * *
But Kim Jong-seo’s optimistic hopes were cruelly shattered.
‘Successful negotiations with the Daenai clan, who control the northeastern region of Nine Provinces! The agenda to be negotiated is….’
What Kim Jong-seo needed to succeed was the opening of a superior office and the collaboration with Eunkwang.
‘Shit! If you make a mistake with just one thing, you’ll have to hang yourself!’
While Kim Jong-seo was grumbling about being in charge of such a dangerous task, Hwang Bo-in walked next to Kim Jong-seo.
“How about a drink?”
Kim Jong-seo nodded at Hwang Bo-in’s words.
“okay! Let’s have a drink! On days like today, you should drink it! “Which groin is famous these days?”
In response to Kim Jong-seo’s question, Hwang Bo-in pointed to an unexpected place.
“Let’s go to my house and have a drink.”
“At your house? why?”
“Isn’t it a safe place to talk loudly when you’re drunk?”
Kim Jong-seo clicked his tongue at Hwang Bo-in’s words.
“Tsk! This guy is so lucky that even Giru can’t go without peace of mind! “What sin did I commit in my past life?”
* * *
Anyway, the two ended up drinking in the Sarangchae of Hwang Bo-in’s house. When Hwang Bo-in was feeling a bit drunk, he asked Kim Jong-seo.
“What do you think is the reason for His Majesty the Lord and the Imperial Court to do things in such a complicated and secret manner?”
“Then what do you think?”
“me?”
Hwang Bo-in, who was drunk and thought for a while with a dull expression on his face, smiled and opened his mouth.
“Shall we try imitating an old story?”
“An old story?”
Hwang Bo-in took out a piece of paper from the book that had been pushed to the back, tore it in half, and handed the half to Kim Jong-seo.
Seeing that, Kim Jong-seo smiled and took the paper.
“Isn’t it the same as the palm of your hand?”
“You should wash your hands before drinking, right?”
“Well…”
Kim Jong-seo shook his head at Hwang Bo-in’s words, searched his sleeves and took out a gold pen and ink pen.
After a while, the two people checked what the other had written and burst into laughter.
“ha ha ha!”
“haha!”
Both pieces of paper had the same words written on them: ‘Subordination.’
After laughing so hard, Hwang Bo-in and Kim Jong-seo continued drinking, but before they knew it, their task had turned into snacking.
“by the way. “What do you think is the reason for using this strange strategy instead of using the correct method?”
Kim Jong-seo gave a short answer to Hwang Bo-in’s question.
“Because our Joseon is weak.”
Hwang Bo-in tilted his head at Kim Jong-seo’s words.
“Our Joseon is weak? “Now in the sea, pirates are busy running away at the sight of our Joseon Panokseon, and the Jurchen tribe continues to subjugate us to the north?”
“Since we can’t catch them running away, it’s a daunting situation just to obey the Jurchen people who have been subjugating the pirates without decreasing.”
Kim Jong-seo, who pointed out the reality, emptied his glass and continued speaking.
“If it were a truly powerful country, pirates wouldn’t even think of appearing nearby, and it would have enough power to make those who subjugate it obedient.”
Kim Jong-seo came to a conclusion as he poured alcohol into an empty glass.
“Our Joseon is still weak.”
Hwang Bo-in’s face became serious at Kim Jong-seo’s words.
“Is it that much? “I heard that the weapons the crown prince made are the most powerful. Even with those weapons?”
“The weapons perform well. The problem is that we do not yet have the ability to make those weapons pay for themselves.”
Kim Jong-seo’s face was full of regret as he emptied his glass again.
“To put it simply, with Joseon’s current capabilities, it is easy to win the battle, but it is difficult to win the war.”
“Is it that much?”
“Think about it. The main weapons of our Joseon army are all gunpowder weapons. What this means is that if the logistics aren’t moving properly, they can’t be used. Looking at the current situation in the northeastern region, there is a lot of concern. “I’m worried because I don’t know what’s in the east, and I’m scared because I know very well what kind of people are holding out in the west.”
“iced coffee!”
Hwang Bo-in, who was nodding at Kim Jong-seo’s words, let out an exclamation as if he suddenly remembered something.
“If gunpowder is the problem, shouldn’t it be brought in from the Ming?”
“Do you think it will give you a name? That precious gunpowder? “The ones who didn’t even give me a rhino horn?”
“Ah…”
Hwang Bo-in ate his mouth with a disappointed expression at Kim Jong-seo’s point. Looking at Hwang Bo-in’s expression, Kim Jong-seo added.
“And gunpowder made in Ming Dynasty has poor performance.”
“dirty?”
“Compared to the gunpowder used by the crown prince, its performance is so bad that it is dirty, and once used, so much dirty residue remains that the barrel and artillery must be disassembled and cleaned. In short, they are dirty and unusable.”
“Ah…”
It was Hwang Bo-in who kept nodding his head at Kim Jong-seo’s evaluation of Park Han.
* * *
The supply and demand issue of gunpowder has always been a troublesome problem. And the main culprits causing the problem were Cho Seok and Hwang.
Hyang used the cattle ranch on Nebeol Island to make saltpeter and used various methods to increase the production of saltpeter, but the consumption continued to increase.
Fortunately, the inflow of sulfur increased as trade with Japan increased, and several sulfur mines were discovered, providing relief.
But the problem was the cornerstone. This was still an uncomfortable situation.
“Why not reduce training using gunpowder?”
Not only the Byeongjo but also the Hyang strongly opposed Kim Jeom’s proposal.
“Say something that makes sense! The military’s main weapons all use gunpowder, so you’re telling us not to train at all! “You’re a general too!”
Jo Mal-saeng, who was feverish, forgot that it was Geunjeongjeon and left the room, and Hyang explained the reason in a calm voice.
“Weapons that use gunpowder emit loud explosions and sparks. “You have to get used to these things so that you can handle them properly when actual battles occur in the future.”
The description of incense had precedent. Gunpowder was an expensive commodity even in European empires in the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, they trained without using gunpowder. In other words, it was a false shot. On the other hand, Britain, which was able to obtain saltpeter in large quantities at low prices, used large quantities of gunpowder in the training of its army and navy.
And that difference was revealed in the British army’s collapse.
“In this case, Byeongpan and the crown prince are right.”
When even Sejong raised Jo Mal-saeng and Hyang’s hand, Kim Jeom had to keep his mouth shut.
But Hyang had no intention of just skipping this part.
“Once enough challenger-class ships are selected, we must immediately begin manufacturing merchant ships. “As soon as there are sufficient numbers of ocean-going merchant ships, we should go to India.”
Hyang’s eyes lit up as he glared at the guidance of the map.
He knew very well where England purchased saltpeter in large quantities. Before saltpeter was discovered in Chile, the largest producer of saltpeter was India.
The problem was that I didn’t know exactly where in India it was. To resolve this issue, I took a peek at Mansour.
“Muslims also use gunpowder, right?”
“yes. “Of course.”
“Where do you get the ingredients for gunpowder?”
“We get it by trading here and there.”
“Then where do you get the saltpeter?”
“I’m looking for it in Delhi. “Would you like me to save you?”
Mansour, who now understood the situation in Joseon to some extent, secretly expressed his hope, but Hyang shook his head.
“No. “It’s just personal curiosity.”
Hyang, who had flatly rejected Mansour’s offer, muttered to himself.
‘Even if you do intermediate trade, you can’t just use the cornerstone! It’s a defense material! ‘You should never put my leash in someone else’s hands!’
The incense that was located in that way was just waiting for the right time to ripen.
* * *
Even while training was in progress for the carriers and envoys to be sent to Japan, the government continued to supplement the plan.
“But you. “If all cotton is produced in Wa, wouldn’t those producing cotton in Joseon suffer a big loss?”
Hyang expressed doubt in response to Kim Jeom’s question.
“I understand there are no people who bet everything on cotton, right?”
In response to Hyang’s point, Kim Jeom explained in more detail.
“Of course it is. There are quite a few people who make a lot of money by growing cotton. Of course, considering only Gwangmok, this plan is the best, but there will be a lot of resentment.”
“I guess so.”
Hyang nodded with a bitter face. It could be called an ‘inevitable sacrifice’ or a ‘victim of change’, but it was certain that there would be those who would blame the country.
“So, I have something to think about. “I’m thinking of ordering some cotton seeds for the top of Mansour, which will arrive soon.”
“You mean cotton seeds?”
“I heard that the cotton from a far away country called Egypt is of such good quality.”
“What you are saying is….”
“The cotton cloth sold by Bakridamaero is made from cotton imported from Japan, and the high-end items sold at high prices are made from cotton grown from seeds imported from Egypt. Then, those who grow cotton in Korea will also be satisfied to some extent.”
* * *
The reason I learned about Egyptian cotton was because of a relationship I had while I was in college.
Among the very few people Hyang became friends with while attending college, there was one person with a golden spoon.
Hyang, who was also Hyang’s senior in the department, nicknamed him ‘stealth gold spoon’. On the outside, it was because he was wearing a simple outfit that barely gave the impression that he was a man with a silver spoon.
But that was a trap. The simple-looking clothes were from ultra-expensive luxury brands worn only by famous overseas celebrities – most of whom were unheard of in Korea.
One day, to kill time, Hyang looked at the prices of the clothes the senior was wearing and almost fainted. This was because when the prices of everything from head to toe were added together, the prices of mid-range cars from the three German companies jumped out.
“When you go out into society. You should have some luxury items just in case you really need them. “He may seem like a snob, but he does.”
While giving advice to Hyang, the senior explained many things. In the process, I learned about Egyptian cotton.
* * *
Kim Jeom, who had been nodding at Hyang’s words, asked again.
“But the climate is different between the country of Egypt and Korea, so will it grow well?”
“We should try it first and if it doesn’t work, we should improve the breed.”
It was a scent that calmly made the officials of the Seed Research Institute say things that would have freaked them out.