Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 340

Episode 340: A land of fantasy, a land of illusion. (2)

August 1432.

A small Franciscan monastery located on the outskirts of Florence.

“Friar Giovanni. “There is a letter from Brother Angelo.”

After receiving a letter from a close friend who had inherited and studied the knowledge of Roger Bacon, who was considered a heretic, and was at risk of being excommunicated, Giovanni returned to his room and looked at the letter.

“Brother… I hope you arrived safely. Thank you, Lord.”

Giovanni was thanking God as he looked at the letter in his hand.

* * *

During the expansion of Ottoman power, an increasing number of scholars and alchemists moved from the Eastern Roman Empire to Italy to avoid threats to their lives.

As the economic power of the city-states in northern Italy increased significantly, wealthy people who acquired great wealth began to support scholars and alchemists who fled to Italy.

The foundation for the great revolution that would later be known as the ‘Renaissance’ was slowly being laid.

Taking advantage of that atmosphere, Angelo actively engaged in academic activities. Whenever he had time, he visited people from Eastern Rome and had discussions with them, and he also selected disciples from new monks who had just been ordained priests.

But it was still too early.

It all started when the bishop, who noticed Angelo’s activities, gave him the first warning.

‘Be careful.’

However, Angelo’s activities continued and eventually a warning letter came from the Vatican.

It was at that time that a life-saving rope was sent down to Angelo and his disciples, who stood at the crossroads between excommunication and being burned at the stake.

“We are looking for mathematicians and alchemists in a country called Joseon in the far East. “How about we go there?”

Angelo and his disciples had no choice but to accept the invitation sent by Cosimo de’ Medici.

The bishop, who received a letter from Angelo and the prioress requesting permission to leave for the purpose of ‘spreading the gospel to distant Eastern countries,’ immediately gave permission.

It was a letter from a close friend who had set out on a life-threatening journey along an uncertain path and an unknown one.

* * *

After saying a prayer of thanks, Giovanni calmed down and examined the envelope of the letter.

A flower pattern was stamped on the wax that sealed the envelope to prevent it from being opened.

“Is it the ‘Land of Flowers’ after all?”

Giovanni, looking at the unfamiliar flower shape, read the Latin sentence written next to it.

“Censorship was conducted in preparation for leaks of confidential information. “Is this a legal measure based on North Korean law?”

After reading the sentence, Giovanni broke the seal and opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were several sheets of paper filled with letters.

Giovanni began to read the letter quietly.

* * *

‘To Giovanni, my dear friend and soul brother.

Thanks to your prayers and the Lord’s protection, my disciples and I arrived in Joseon safely.

Of course, on the way back to Joseon, pirates flocked to us. However, when the cannons on Joseon’s ships opened fire, they collapsed like the walls of Jericho collapsing at the sound of trumpets.

After a comfortable voyage, I and my students were able to arrive in Joseon along with the others.

When I arrived, my first impression of Joseon

was that it was a very cautious country. We arrived, but instead of entering the port right away, we had to spend five days in a quarantine area created on a nearby island.

There were several inspections and quarantines after that, but no life-threatening behavior was observed.

So we set foot in Joseon and went north using a smaller boat.

After arriving at the trade port located west of the capital called ‘Jemulpo’, we changed boats again and were able to arrive at the capital of Joseon by crossing the large river called Hansu.

After passing through the large and beautiful gate that protects Hanseong, the capital of Joseon (also called Hanyang or Gyeongseong), my disciples and I were finally able to enter Hanseong.

Brother, don’t be alarmed. Many roads in Joseon were paved with cementum. And, incredibly, there was no human or animal feces to be seen along the way.

The oxen and horses pulling the wagons carrying people and luggage all had large baskets attached to their hips to prevent cow dung and horse dung from falling on the road.

But what surprised me the most were the Ferrum Equus and the Railroad.

Oh my brother. Have you ever seen a cart pulled by an animal made of iron rather than a live horse or ox? Joseon is carrying people around with such things.

The iron horse that runs on water and fire….’

“Oh….”

After that, the sentences that described the basic operating principles and the parts that appeared to depict the appearance were inked black, and Giovanni could not hide his disappointment. He couldn’t help but lose his appetite.

After savoring his appetite several times, Giovanni read the letter.

‘That’s how we were able to have an audience with the king of Joseon. He had a beard, but he was a young king who looked like he was in his 20s. But later I heard that he was 33 years old.

Let me add for a moment that it is difficult to guess the age of people in Joseon just by looking at their faces. They all have young faces for their age.

Anyway, the king of Joseon whom I met like that seemed to be very respected by his subjects and people. To me, his eyes were clear and had wisdom.

But his son and successor to the throne was a shock. Although he was a bit clumsy, he could speak Latin. I found out later that he learned it on his own using books he obtained through Kitai and a Kitai dictionary.

And this crown prince was the one who called people like me to Joseon.

The first impression I felt when I first saw this young, almost young, prince who had recently turned 16 was Plato’s ‘Philosophus regem’.

Although the way to spread the gospel of the Lord was blocked by the prince’s crafty tricks – which I will write about separately – the other aspects were truly admirable.

Most of the objects that surprised us were created through the prince’s teachings and orders.

The prince who called us like that told us what to do. Fortunately, the goal was not to create gold through alchemy, but to research and create various necessary technologies and mathematical knowledge.

Typically…’

After that, a huge amount of writing was completely erased.

“Holy shit!”

Giovanni, who had cursed without realizing it, was startled and made the sign of the cross.

“Lord…”

Giovanni reflected on himself for not being able to overcome the momentary emotional turmoil and swearing, and focused on the letter again.

The letter Angelo sent had already reached its second half.

‘While carrying out these tasks, my students and I are having many discussions with alchemists and mathematicians from Greece and scholars from Joseon.

I still can’t communicate well, so I have to write and write using formulas and numbers, but compared to the frustration I experienced in Italy, it’s heaven.

The mathematical knowledge and abilities of these Joseon intellectuals are so excellent that every day is like heaven.

Every day I am thankful to the Lord for leading me and my disciples to Joseon.

I pray that you will always enjoy peaceful days under Your protection.

Angelo, my soul brother.’

“Hmm…”

Giovanni read the letter Angelo sent to the end and fell into deep thought.

Although quite a bit of it was erased, the letter Angelo sent was full of hope. It was a completely different atmosphere from before leaving for Joseon, when it was filled with only gloom.

Giovanni, who had been looking at the letter for a while, muttered without realizing it.

“Shall I go to Joseon too?”

He was also someone who, knowingly or unknowingly, had considerable expertise in mathematics and alchemy.

A few days later, the bishop, who heard a rumor that a letter had arrived from Angelo, called Giovanni.

“I heard that Brother Angelo, who left for Joseon, sent a letter. Did you arrive safely?”

“yes. It is said that thanks to the Lord’s protection, he and his disciples arrived safely in Joseon.”

“okay? “Is there anything else to talk about?”

“I wrote about the Joseon customs I saw when I arrived.”

The bishop’s face brightened at Giovanni’s answer.

The bishop’s face brightened and he quickly got to the point.

“Actually, interest in Joseon has been increasing day by day since Cosimo de’ Medici gifted Candelabrum to the Pope. Although he did not go to Korea for a good reason, Brother Angelo went to Korea and his letter arrived. Of course, many people, including the Pope, are curious about Joseon.”

“Is that so? “Then should I send you a letter?”

In response to Giovanni’s question, the bishop shook his head.

“That can’t be possible. Because it came to you. Instead, I will have to read it in front of His Holiness.”

Giovanni thought for a moment and nodded.

“I will.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

* * *

Ten days later, in the large reception room of the Vatican.

Sitting in the audience room were the Pope, cardinals, archbishops, their sponsors, the wealthy, and finally nobles from all over Europe.

Aside from the Pope and Catholic figures, the reason why the wealthy and nobles gathered together was simple.

This was due to interest in the ‘Land of Flowers’, which was emerging as an increasingly important trading partner.

The chandelier gifted by Cosimo de’ Medici caused excitement throughout Europe.

To them, the East was a place of mystery and fear. If the various stories passed down through the Silk Road from the ancient Roman Empire were mysteries, the Mongols who turned the eastern part of Europe into a complete wasteland were a horror.

In the process, Joseon culture and culture that came through Alexandria and Italy greatly increased economic interest in the East.

Meanwhile, the crystal chandeliers hanging in the Vatican and the Habsburgs blinded Europeans.

Venetian merchants who saw chandeliers in the Vatican encouraged glass craftsmen, but the products they produced were far short of those of Joseon.

“When it comes to glass, it was Venice, but even that Venice failed?”

“How on earth did you make it?”

“What kind of country is Joseon?”

From merchants to nobles and kings, everyone’s interest in Joseon began to boil.

* * *

In this situation, Angelo’s letter, read in the reception room of the Vatican, was a spark.

It was also an ember thrown into oil that had heated up to just before the ignition point.

“…That is all.”

When Giovanni’s reading ended, the reception room was filled with murmurs.

“A road paved with cementum? “It must be difficult to manage, right?”

“Let alone management, is it possible to peel cementum in such large quantities?”

“A cart that moves without horses or oxen?”

“How can you move with water and fire?”

The attention of those in the reception room was immediately focused on the ‘Iron Horse’. When opinions were divided about the saying, ‘It moves with water and fire,’ one cardinal spoke up.

“There is a record of a man named Heron in ancient Greece who boiled water and turned an iron ball. Wouldn’t it be similar?”

“By boiling water? Barely steam? If you were going to pull a cart with steam, wouldn’t the furnace be as big as a house?”

“Well…”

While all sorts of stories were being exchanged like this, those in power and the merchants all came to the same conclusion.

‘We must open a road to Joseon!’

The ‘Race to Joseon’ slowly began to rise to the surface.

Unlike noble merchants, scholars dreamed of going to Joseon for different reasons.

“The King of Philosophers…”

“A research lab where you can study mathematics…”

“It’s a fantasy land.”

Hanseong at that time.

Angelo was grumbling without realizing it.

“I’m going to be amazed….”