Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 540

Episode 540 Conspiracy (6)

Late in the 28th year of King Sejong’s reign (1446, Byeongin year).

The proclamation issued by Pedro was also delivered to Joseon.

Mansour obtained the proclamation that was spread through merchants traveling between Portugal and Alexandria, Italy.

“They say this is the reason why the situation in the Mediterranean region is so turbulent these days.”

“Is that so?”

The customs officer who received the proclamation in question from Mansour immediately forwarded it to his superiors.

The proclamation, which was translated by translators, was immediately made into several copies and delivered to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Seunghwa Party.

Hyang and ministers gathered in the conference room at Seunghwadang talked about the proclamation in question.

“I think it would be more correct to call this a statement rather than a proclamation.”

The other ministers all nodded to Foreign Minister Heo Hu’s assessment.

In particular, the person with the most serious expression was Minister of Education Lee Sa-cheol.

“‘Cheonmyeong’ doesn’t mean this… It doesn’t mean this…”

Lee Sa-cheol, who kept muttering ‘This doesn’t mean…’, eventually asked the Minister of Finance.

“Is it possible that the officials who wrote that document have gone astray?”

“I saw a copy of the document they handed over and it was absolutely not like that. If you want, I can bring it and show you.”

The Minister of Finance and Economy growled in response to Lee Sa-cheol’s question.

“I guess so? As expected, problems like this arise because they are not properly taught. Hmm….”

Lee Sa-cheol, who was looking at the contents of the proclamation once again, continued.

“Should we print this in large quantities and distribute it to social democratic schools across the country…”

“Huh?”

“uh?”

When the heads of government and ministers all looked puzzled at the unexpected remark, Lee Sa-cheol smiled slightly, lifted the proclamation, and pointed here and there with his fingers.

“If you look at the way the content is expressed, the letters are truly the point and the phrases are the reference.”

In the process of grading test papers submitted by those who took the test in the past, putting a red dot on a place with good expression was a key point, and putting a red circle on an excellent sentence was a cross-reference point.

Lee Sa-cheol continued to nod his head and continued speaking.

“Hmm… indeed… this is a truly excellent sentence, perhaps because he has knowledge recognized in Europe. “It’s because the content is the problem.”

“Isn’t the biggest problem that the content is the problem?”

Lee Sa-cheol laughed at Hwang Hee’s point.

“That’s right. However, the excellence of sentences is worth learning. Therefore, a warning should be added below. ‘The mark is worth learning, but the ri is not. ‘A person with this kind of righteousness will become a treacherous traitor or traitor that will go down in history and destroy the family.’”

Hwang Hee drew a short and simple conclusion to Lee Sa-cheol’s words.

“If you really want to do that, submit your resignation first. Or maybe you drink poisonous medicine instead of tonic medicine.”

With that, the ministers stopped paying attention to the proclamation.

Anyway, it happened far away at the western station.

The reason the ministers showed interest in the proclamation was because Portugal, the country in question, was one of the countries that benefited greatly from trade with Joseon. I looked at the contents with a curious mind, but since there were no negative stories about trade, I stopped paying attention.

After the meeting, Hyang, who was left alone to organize the documents, looked again at the proclamation in question and muttered.

“I looked again, but… what is it? This terrible hybrid…. the ‘divine right of kings’ theory and the ‘monarchy theory’ that ‘the end justifies the means’… everything is mixed together very evenly.”

After examining the proclamation once again, Hyang came to a conclusion.

“Sorry about the popcorn. “Looking at the fact that they even purchased an additional rifle, I don’t think it will just end in chaos.”

Hyang muttered in a voice full of regret, looking at the map hanging on the wall.

“Anyway, Europe is more turbulent than expected, so we can buy some time. In that situation, it would be difficult to find a sponsor, so there is a high possibility that things like exploring the new continent would be postponed to a similar time frame or a little later than what I knew. Then we will be able to fully digest Shinji. Then, the ‘sea wall’ planned by Abama will be properly completed.”

Hyang, who was looking at the map and assessing the future, burst into laughter as he looked at the Mediterranean region.

“Heh! If the discovery of the New World is later than expected, only Italian merchants will be excited, right? “Don’t you think I should at least get a plaque of appreciation for this?”

* * *

Meanwhile, Pedro, who had seized all power in the country, moved quickly.

All the estates of the nobles who had been executed as traitors were returned to the government, and at the same time, the nobles’ private soldiers were incorporated into the army. Of course, in the process, quite a few people left to become mercenaries, but they recruited as many talented people as possible and made them stay in the army.

Afonso V, frightened by the tragedy that unfolded before his eyes, handed over a large portion of the confiscated territories to Pedro as a reward, but Pedro refused them all.

“You have made a great contribution in this matter, so why are you not receiving compensation?”

Pedro answered firmly to Afonso V’s question.

“My greatest reward is for Portugal to become a powerful nation and to be commanded by His Majesty over the monarchs of Europe. “I wish for nothing more than that.”

“Regent…”

Afonso V’s expression as he looked at Pedro was complex. On one hand, I was thrilled by Pedro’s loyalty, but on the other hand, I was scared of him.

However, Afonsu V was weak by nature. Now that the Duke of Braganza’s group had been purged, there was no other option.

It was best to simply leave everything to Regent Pedro.

* * *

When the proclamation arrived in Joseon, Pedro gathered nobles and ministers and issued new orders.

“Nobles, give up your private soldiers immediately! “We must prepare for war!”

“War?”

“War?”

At the word ‘war’, the nobles and subjects began to become very agitated.

“Are we finally facing Spain?”

In the midst of all this commotion, a nobleman asked a question. Pedro, who was asked a question, shook his head.

“No, Mamluk.”

“Mamluk?”

“Absolutely not!”

“you’re right! No Mamluks!”

As soon as Pedro’s words were spoken, opposing voices came out from all over.

Except for the Battle of Ceuta, Portugal had continued to lose its battles against Islam. The opponent was the Moroccan Sultanate, which was weaker than the just-mentioned Malacca Dynasty.

The opponents opposed the start of the war, citing detailed reasons.

-Mamluk soldiers, especially cavalry, are famous for their strength.

-The strength of the soldiers is a problem, but procurement of war funds is also a problem. Everyone knows the wealth of the Mamluks. If we recruit soldiers based on that wealth, we will not be able to compete.

-There is also a problem of supply. The Mamluks have the fertile Nile Delta, so supply is not a big problem, but we have to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Spain and Morocco cannot stand still.

Pedro nodded to the opponents’ remarks.

“That’s right. It would be impossible to deal with Melaka with Portugal’s strength alone. That is why we will form an alliance.”

“If it is a union, will you join forces with the Spaniards?”

When asked about Spain, Pedro shook his head again.

“no! Not in Spain! They are the ones who would send soldiers to Lisbon, not Cairo. “Our coalition partner is the Ottomans.”

“Ottoman? “It’s Ottoman!”

“It’s not possible! They are pagans!”

“you’re right! They are pagans! “It’s impossible!”

“Associating with pagans is a bit problematic.”

The opponents once again raised their voices. This time, those who supported Pedro also expressed their concerns.

When many people opposed it, Pedro raised his voice and raised the Bible he had left aside.

“What does it say in the Bible? It says, ‘The Lord works all things together for good’! Joining hands with pagans now is not just a love affair, it is to follow God’s will! “The reason I joined hands with the Ottomans is because it also has something to do with Jerusalem!”

When the word ‘Jerusalem’ came out, everyone fell silent.

“regent. What does joining hands with the Ottomans have to do with Jerusalem?”

In response to Afonso V’s question, Pedro talked about the agreement with the Ottomans.

“Ottoman confirmed in writing that he would allow free movement to Jerusalem and the stationing of the Knights Templar. Here is the document.”

Pedro took out a document from a box he had placed next to him and handed it to Afonso V.

King Afonso V nodded after checking the contents of the document written in Latin and Arabic.

“It certainly is.”

After Afonso V’s confirmation, the nobles and ministers approached the table and confirmed the contents of the agreement.

After confirming the contents of the agreement, the atmosphere of opposition subsided significantly. Pedro added more strength to his voice.

“You don’t know what the Mamluks did when they took control of Jerusalem! They said they allowed pilgrimage, but they blocked the pilgrims’ path, saying there was a bad harvest and a plague! Is the Nile Delta, the world’s breadbasket, experiencing a famine? We had to believe that lie knowingly! And meanwhile, what has become of Jerusalem!”

Even after the Mamluks drove out the Crusaders and destroyed the Kingdom of Jerusalem, many Christians and Jews lived in Jerusalem for a while. However, the Mamluks expelled or killed them for various reasons, and the Christians and Jews living in Jerusalem almost disappeared.

Pedro, who pointed out this situation, held the agreement high and spoke.

“because! Taking back Jerusalem from the hands of these wicked people is doing God’s will, and joining hands with the Ottomans is simply choosing the best tool to do God’s will! Think carefully about the Bible verse, ‘The Lord works all things together for good’! “What is the result?”

The nobles and ministers looked confused at Pedro’s words. Pedro’s statement was both plausible and implausible.

Looking at the reactions of the nobles and ministers, Pedro put the agreement down on the table and pointed with his finger.

“Look carefully at the contents of the agreement! There are also written rewards that God can give if you succeed according to God’s will.”

At Pedro’s words, the nobles and ministers looked at the agreement again. The nobles, who had only focused on the word ‘Jerusalem’, finally noticed other details and their eyes began to shine.

“Free import of grain from the Nile Delta and joint management of the shortest transportation route that does not pass through Alexandria from Suez?”

Meanwhile, goods coming from Joseon had to be unloaded at Suez and then go through Alexandria. In the process, the amount of money taken away by Alexandrian merchants and customs officials was considerable.

The Nile Delta has been a famous granary since ancient times. As long as there was a steady supply of grain, the kingdom’s development was steady.

Pedro focused on seeing the nobles and ministers with shining eyes.

“If we follow God’s will and join hands with the Ottomans to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem, we will receive heavenly blessings and also gain worldly benefits! “If we allow saints to freely make pilgrimages again, we will gain heavenly blessings, and if trade with Joseon becomes free, we will also be able to gain worldly wealth!”

In the end, Afonso V and Cortes (royal council) actively supported Pedro’s war effort.