Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 300
Episode 300: Cheonchukguk (1)
The battle against the pirates ended with the complete victory of the Joseon navy.
After Maeng Jin tore through the attack, Challenger and Invincible took care of cleaning up after him.
The busiest people during this cleanup process were the sailors and riflemen in charge of the shotgun shells.
The Challenger and the Invincible, which dismantled Danjongjin and split into two, swept out the 11 pirate ships that still survived.
In this process, the shotguns showed their true value. Unlike naval guns, the shotguns were capable of quick reloading and cleaned the decks of pirate ships that came within range with the blood of the pirates.
The same was true for the musketeers. Looking down from the high part of the stern of the deck and the watchtower, the musketeers sniped at the resisting pirates one by one.
After the Challenger and the Invincible were swept away, all that remained were eight pirate ships drifting. There were no living people on the decks of the pirate ships that drifted like that.
And sharks that smelled blood were flocking to the sea around it.
Challenger and Invincible Maeng Jin, who cleared out the pirate ships, joined Mansur’s fleet. To be precise, they refolded some of the sails they had unfolded, slowed down, and waited for Mansour’s fleet.
Thanks to this, Mansour’s fleet had to pass through waters teeming with sharks.
Mansour and his crew trembled as they looked at the drifting pirate ships and the dorsal fins of sharks moving in all directions.
“It’s terrible….”
“I’m scared to see it again…”
While the sailors were stroking their goosebump-covered arms and muttering, Mansour muttered with a serious look on his face.
“Should I just shake off everything I have and make a living?”
Mansour, who was worried, spoke to the captain in a hint.
“Hey Captain. Joseon’s new ship is really nice, isn’t it?”
“It’s definitely good.”
“Shall I save it?”
“I’m ruined.”
“huh?”
The captain explained to Mansour in a calm voice.
“It’s definitely a good exhaust. Just like the exorbitant price. By the way. What do I do if I just buy a boat? I need to buy some artillery too. “The last time I looked around, I saw that compared to the size of the artillery on that ship, the artillery on our ship was like pieces of firewood.”
“If you buy less artillery…”
“What about gunpowder and bullets? What are you going to do with the crew there?”
“That’s…”
Mansour, who was at a loss for an answer, mumbled and hesitated, and the captain continued.
“Even if you leave everything else aside. The wood that makes up that ship is Joseon wood. This means that if there is a need to repair a ship, it must be brought to Joseon.”
“Wouldn’t it be okay to use trees from our hometown?”
“The problem is that not all trees are the same. Bottom line is, it’s definitely worth the price. But if you think about the maintenance part, it’s ruined. “In order to run it properly, it would either be run by the country like Joseon, or a top government that receives support from the country.”
“Okay. “I feel sick again.”
Mansour felt sick again.
* * *
The joint fleet of Joseon and Mansour continued to sail smoothly thereafter.
As they entered the Strait of Malacca, famous for pirates, the Joseon navy became nervous again, but there was no large-scale raid by pirates like the one near Taiwan.
This was because the pirates, seeing the size of the Challenger-class ships, took care of themselves.
Of course, there were pirates who attacked out of confidence or arrogance, but those who attacked immediately disappeared into the sea.
All the pirates hiding here and there in the Strait of Malacca could see the scene. The pirates, who saw their competitors and comrades disappear into the sea like that, never touched the mixed ship of Joseon and Mansur.
Thanks to this, the mixed team was able to arrive in Melaka safely.
* * *
As Malacca Harbor approached, the Challenger-class ships began to fold their sails all at once. At the same time, small boats were unloaded using potter’s wheels.
Once the small ships were safely unloaded, ropes were thrown from the mother ship. The small boats tied together with ropes began to pull the boat together.
In this way, the pier was connected to the Challenger-class ships docked at the pier and the ships on top of Mansour.
As huge ships that looked like things I had never seen in my life – their sails and hulls were all painted gray – docked, people in the harbor flocked to see them.
The captains of the Challenger Invincible Maengjin neatly dressed in battle attire and battle helmets and came down from the pier with swords at their sides. Following the captains, interpreters who could speak Chinese and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy came down to the pier.
After a while, when we came down to Mansour and joined the group, a group of soldiers emerged through the crowd. As the soldiers raised their voices, the people who had gathered at the dock cleared the way and well-dressed men appeared.
Oh Ha-seok, who saw this, winked at the translator. Oh Ha-seok, who had stopped here during his previous voyage with Mansour, discovered that there were Chinese among those managing this port. Therefore, an interpreter was brought on board in advance on this voyage.
King Sejong could not hide his bitterness as he ordered the preparation of an interpreter.
“After reading the report, it is said that the merchants and people of that famous country have gone all the way to Cheonchukguk. “So far, we, Joseon, have been living in a truly small world.”
The interpreter who stepped forward announced his identity in fluent Chinese.
“We are leaving from Joseon and heading to Cheonchukguk. “I would like to stay for a while, replenish food and water, and get some rest.”
The Chinese official was pleased with the interpreter’s words.
“oh! Shipbuilding! There is a lot of trouble on the road! “As long as you don’t disturb public order and do business properly, you can transit as many times as you want!”
“Thank you very much.”
When the permit was easily granted, Gangnam-gil looked surprised.
“I had no idea that permission would be obtained so easily. “Is it unexpected?”
Oh Ha-seok explained the reason in Gangnam-gil’s words.
“That’s because this port itself is a port for trade. “I heard that the Sultan, a Muslim monarch who rules this port and its surroundings, builds wealth through trade.”
“Hoo~.”
Gangnam-gil lightly nodded at Oh Ha-seok’s explanation.
“Anyway, the situation has been resolved easily, so let’s move quickly. “The supply will begin in earnest tomorrow, and in the meantime, let’s take turns landing our children and let them smell the land.”
“It’s probably not the smell of the land, it’s the smell of alcohol. By the way, I guess the interpreter made the right appointment with the officials earlier, right?”
“I ask you to follow the soldiers who will arrive in a little while.”
“Then I need to take some medicine.”
The captain of the Invincible gave orders to the commander in a low voice.
After a while, the crew of the Invincible came down carrying a small box.
Not long after, a group of soldiers reappeared. A new Chinese man who came with the soldiers spoke to the interpreter. The interpreter conveyed the Chinese’s words to the captains.
“Your seat is ready, so let’s go together.”
“Then I’ll ask you a favor.”
* * *
The medicine delivered at the banquet held on the evening of the first day of entering the port – it was really high-quality medicinal ingredients such as ginseng and deer antler – seemed to have had an effect, and the supply that started the next day went smoothly. In fact, Malacca City officials had no choice but to show favor. Captains of ships and officials from the Ministry of Finance said that there would be regular visits in the future, and when they heard that Malacca’s main export product was tin, they expressed deep interest. It was absolutely unacceptable to treat people poorly who might become big customers.
Rice and other vegetables were traded by Ming Dynasty merchants at the port.
“Ask if it’s okay if I pay with Joseon’s silver banknotes.”
The merchants of Ming Dynasty who heard Oh Ha-seok’s story through the interpreter responded with big smiles.
“They say it’s okay. “In fact, they say paper money is better.”
“Thank goodness. “Then ask for a discount on buying so much.”
* * *
The sailors who were busy with supply duties during the day waited for the sun to set. As the sun set, the sailors whose turn it was to go out were excited and prepared to get off the ship.
The captains appeared in front of the sailors who had completed the personnel check in front of the dock.
“It’s okay to go out and relax, but don’t go too far. As you all know, there are many people who are curious about this ship. “You know what I mean, right?”
“Yes Captain!”
After the captain’s instruction was over, the lawmakers on board came out.
“It’s okay to go out and drink, but keep your waist tight. “There is no medicine for spear disease.”
“Yes, Councilor Nari.”
After the lawmakers’ request, the sailors got off the ship and left the dock, but soon their expressions turned bewildered.
“Where should I go?”
“So…”
“Shall we ask the Hohoein sailors who came with us?”
“Do you know how to speak?”
The sailors, who were contemplating how to escape such an awkward situation, soon came to a conclusion.
“shit! Let’s trust our noses!”
“I guess it has to be that way…”
The sailors, who had not had access to alcohol for nearly a month, were that desperate.
* * *
The Joseon sailors who came out in a stampede were, as expected, moving through the alleys of Melaka Port in a swarm.
Seeing the Joseon sailors flocking out like that, the residents of Malacca City Port observed them as if they were seeing something fascinating, and the Joseon sailors also observed the residents of Melaka City with similar expressions.
“Someone’s clothes… they look like sheets of a blanket rolled up one by one?”
“Hmm, it’s so manly… Are all the lines of the body revealed?”
The Korean sailors experienced culture shock when they saw the sarong and kain, the costumes of the Malays living in Melaka. Clothes made of thin fabric for ventilation exposed the lines of the body.
“Is that important?”
“You don’t know what’s important, do you?”
But the Joseon sailors immediately looked away. I was used to the etiquette of not making eye contact with a woman who was not married to me, but the biggest reason was that I was extremely drunk.
* * *
“Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! “It smells like alcohol!”
The sailors who were wandering through the alleys soon smelled alcohol and began to follow the scent.
The Joseon sailors who found the bar in search of the smell looked helpless.
“It’s right in front of you, right?”
“That damn smell of salted fish….”
Joseon sailors, who blamed the terrible smell of fish sauce, a traditional seasoning in Southeast Asia, flocked to bars.
The Joseon sailors who flocked to the bar nodded when they saw the sign written in Chinese characters.
“I found the right one!”
I scribbled it here and there to make it look cool, but I clearly recognized the Chinese character for ‘ju (酒)’.
“The owner’s drink!”
“Give me a drink!”
The store owner, who had been standing there in a daze as he watched the Joseon sailors crowding in and filling the first and second floors, soon came to his senses and kicked the clerk’s butt.
“What are you doing! “Turn the car around right now!”
“Yes old!”
As the clerks turned the car around, the sailors also came to their senses to some extent and started talking.
“But what should I pay for it?”
“You got rust.”
“That’s Joseon money. “Is this Joseon?”
“Ah…”
When the money issue came up, the most senior soldiers stepped forward.
The senior soldiers who walked up to the store owner took out their wallets, took out silver bills, dipped their fingers in tea water, and wrote on the counter. The store owner, who saw the letters written by
the Ga and Bu
sailors and the silver banknotes, immediately understood the meaning, nodded loudly and wrote the letters with his fingers as well. After confirming
the
store owner’s answer, the senior soldiers’ faces brightened and they wrote again.
The store owner smiled brightly and nodded after checking the character for
alcohol (多) .
The senior sailors who returned to their posts informed the other sailors of the results.
“They accept silver bills.”
“Wow!”
After a while, alcohol and snacks began to arrive on the sailors’ tables, and the sailors began to enjoy the drinks with excitement.
While the drinking scene was going on, low-ranking officers and senior soldiers with the rank of Jinmu (鎭撫) were curious about things other than alcohol.
“I heard that our country’s silver banknotes are widely used, but I didn’t know you could accept them here too?”
“That’s right.”
Joseon sailors were both surprised and proud at the influence of Joseon banknotes, which spread wider than expected.