Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 610
Episode 610: Opening of Heaven – Enthronement, and Precedence (3)
The monks, who had made up their minds about Angelo’s warning, soon arrived at Giru, which Henry and his party used as a lodging.
“Welcome~.”
“Hum!”
“Kuhum!”
As the extravagantly dressed gisaeng welcomed them with excited voices, the monks blushed and cleared their throats.
“I have been invited by Duke Henry.”
At Angelo’s words, the gisaeng smiled seductively and raised her hand to point inside.
“Ho ho ho. “Please eat it this way.”
“Thank you.”
The gisaeng whispered softly as they watched the monks entering in a hesitant manner, guided by the royal gisaeng.
“They are Western monks who have been working at the research institute for several years, right?”
“that’s right.”
“But do you feel like a villager who just came from the countryside?”
“That’s right. Even though the envoys from the western region are like that, they’ve been living in Hanseong for a few years, but aren’t they so rude? Her behavior is sloppy…”
All the other gisaengs around nodded at one gisaeng’s review.
* * *
The sloppiness of Angelo and other monks was famous in the laboratory and Area 51.
Especially compared to Pietro, who caused all kinds of trouble before starting a family, their clumsiness shined even brighter.
This became a hot topic among officials, and so did the scent.
“Although it was a half-hearted knowledge, if you look at the religious people in the Vatican during this time, there were all kinds of scandals about extramarital affairs, so why?”
Hyang, who was watching the monks with curiosity, soon learned the reason.
“That’s it. “I thought it looked familiar somewhere, and it was that damn tech tree.”
They were people who took a path similar to the tech tree of ‘Nam Middle School – Boys High School – Engineering College’, which is a common characteristic among nerds who were familiar with 21st century fragrances. These were the people who entered the monastery at a young age and learned knowledge by living only within the monastery.
“I guess there is also the fact that it is far from power. No. Did you ride that tech tree because you were far away from power? Or did he fall away from power because he rode that tech tree?”
* * *
The gisaeng who were evaluating the monks muttered with expressions full of regret.
“If it weren’t for the guest of that West Station envoy, I would have been able to peel it off and eat it properly. “It’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
The gisaengs could not hide their disappointment until the end.
In the eyes of the gisaeng, the Westerners currently staying in Giru were the hillbillies of the hillbillies. He was wearing various gold and silver accessories, but compared to the aristocrats of Hanseong or the great men from Ming, he was overflowing with style. Among the foreign guests who visited Giru, the only people who were on par with them were those who had studied abroad in the Japanese country.
If it were any other time, it would have been a good opportunity to secure a share every time I received such guests, but this wasn’t the case this time.
This was because the Ministry of Finance and Economy were the ones who would pay for alcohol and lodging.
* * *
“… So foreign envoys came to stay in your kiru.”
In response to the official’s words, the gisaeng bowed her head and answered.
“yes.”
“I chose you because you are dealing with noble people from foreign countries, so please know that it is an honor for me to choose you.”
“Oh my, what a time to be thankful!”
These were not empty words. If word spread that the country had chosen this place to entertain foreign envoys, it was certain that the noblemen of Hanseong, known for their high standards, would not just pass by.
However, the Haengsu gisaeng’s face crumpled at the words that followed.
“However, the cost of serving them will be paid by our Ministry of Finance and Economy. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”
“….”
“Eat in moderation. Moderately.”
“…yes.”
“Then, good luck.”
“Please take a look.”
When the official who had finished his business disappeared, the gisaeng gathered up phlegm with all her might and spat it out.
“Kaaaak~. Tsk! “They said it was Hosadama!”
There was no difference in the polarity of the gisaeng when it came to collecting money for drinks. In fact, there was a rumor going around that the famous Pyongyang gisaeng would attack the other person even if he or she was a tiger if the price of alcohol was low. There were people who said that they made even such great Pyongyang gisaeng cry and leave, and they were officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
It wasn’t because they had to pay a debt, or because they delayed payment every day, or because they cut them off mercilessly. The price was paid immediately, but it was infamous because it was calculated by counting every copper coin to avoid being ripped off.
* * *
“I called you here because you are suffering in a distant, foreign country.”
Angelo, representing the monks, responded to Henry’s welcoming speech.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
Henry was followed by the reigns of Giovanni and Mehmut II. In particular, the reign of Mehmut II had special meaning.
“Even though our beliefs are different, our hearts toward the truth are the same. In that sense, I can’t help but admire your hard work.”
“Thank you very much.”
After a while, all kinds of delicacies and alcohol came in with the gisaeng.
“These people are practitioners, so tell them to ward off the gisaeng.”
As Henrik’s words were relayed through the interpreter present, the courtesans quietly left the room.
“Please leave for a moment, too.”
“yes? yes.”
After examining the atmosphere in the room, the interpreter quietly went out.
The international language at this time was Latin. Everyone in the room was conversing fluently in Latin. As the gisaengs who needed interpreters because they did not know Latin left, there was no need for them to be there.
The interpreter left the room and quietly looked for the gisaeng.
“Is there a room where I can hear what is being said in the banquet hall right now?”
At the interpreter’s question, Haengsu Gisaeng turned around.
“Please come this way.”
* * *
As time passed and the tension among the monks gradually eased, Giovanni stepped in to replace Henry.
“I saw an excavator in Hansu yesterday and it was amazing. It was truly a sight to see a piece of metal the size of a house moving around.”
Angelo responded to Giovanni’s words with a slight smile.
“You would be even more surprised to see the excavators used by the Joseon military. To exaggerate a bit, it looks like a castle is moving.”
“Really?”
“The excavator you saw at Hansoo is the A type. It is the first excavator made and is used at general construction sites. The ones used in the military are used by engineers on the battlefield, so they are larger, harder, and more powerful. Thanks to this, a military excavator requires about 20 people just to operate it.”
“Huh~.”
Giovanni shook his head with an expression of disbelief at Angelo’s answer.
Giovanni’s barrage of questions continued.
“Even though it is for military use, Type A is quite large. Is it possible to transport it on a ship?”
“It is possible to disassemble and transport it. Even in Joseon, when moving long distances, they were disassembled and transported on iron horses or ships.”
“It must be expensive, right?”
“expensive. Therefore, many merchants in Joseon borrow money from the government or purchase it by paying the price back in installments.”
“You’re buying it even though it’s expensive?”
“Once you buy it, its uses are endless and its lifespan is guaranteed by the government for at least 10 years, so you won’t run out of it, right?”
Giovanni nodded at those words and continued asking questions again.
“I am currently researching the steam engine you mentioned in the letter you sent me. “Once the steam engine is completed, we can make an excavator right away, right?”
In response to Giovanni’s question, Angelo shook his head firmly.
“No, it’s impossible.”
“why?”
“Steel is the problem.”
“Steel makes our Florence too.”
No sooner had Giovanni finished answering than Henry and Mehmet II nodded.
Although there were production problems, both Portugal and the Florentine Ottomans were producing steel. After seeing Joseon, all three people realized the need for mass production of steel.
‘Only steel can make a country rich and strong!’
It was a common decision among the three.
In response to Giovanni’s rebuttal, Angelo raised his hand and pointed to his close friend sitting next to him.
“Interestingly, this friend also has the same name as the nobleman, Giovanni.”
“is it? Nice to meet you. “But why?”
“One of the things this friend did was related to steel made in Joseon. Hey, Brother Giovanni. “How many types of steel are there in Joseon?”
“It’s been 8 days so far. However, research is not stopping even now, so it will increase further. And research into alloy steel continues.”
“for a moment! There are only 8 types of steel? “Isn’t all steel the same?”
Brother Giovanni answered Giovanni’s question, which he hastily interrupted.
“The properties vary depending on how many impurities are left behind during the process of making steel. Joseon is now not only dividing and classifying all of this, but is even conducting research to adjust its properties by intentionally adding impurities. “The reason why shipbuilding was able to use steam engines in various places was because there were various types of iron.”
“Huh~.”
The three people shook their heads in response to Brother Giovanni’s answer.
After a moment of silence, Giovanni asked Friar Giovanni.
“Then why don’t you come back and help?”
“It’s not possible.”
Henrik’s expression became fierce at Brother Giovanni’s firm answer.
“why?”
“It’s because of a matter of faith.”
“huh?”
The three people’s expressions turned strange at the word that came out of nowhere. With that expression on his face, Brother Giovanni explained the reason in more detail.
“Right now, missionary work is prohibited in Joseon. The first reason is that there has not yet been a response from the Vatican.”
The three people nodded at Brother Giovanni’s words.
Hyang’s question about ‘ancestral rites’ was famous. One of the reasons the Pope and the Council were fighting was how to come up with an answer to this problem.
Brother Giovanni continued his explanation.
“The crown prince of Joseon, that is, the first prince, added this. ‘If you want to spread the gospel of God, spread it through actions, not words.’ If I go back to Florence right away, I will abandon my faith and Christianity will become a faithless religion. So I can’t go.”
“So you’re saying you’ll stay here until you die?”
“I don’t mind dying here as long as I can spread the word.”
At Brother Giovanni’s firm answer, Henri kept his mouth shut.
“Perhaps there are others too?”
All the monks present nodded at Henry’s question.
Angelo spoke on behalf of the monks.
“Even if I go back, it won’t be of much help. Did you know that the Crown Prince of Joseon also collected alchemists? What the Crown Prince of Joseon asked them not to do was to make gold. The task was to classify minerals from Joseon and nearby areas and analyze their properties. “Because of that result, such diverse steels were created.”
“Then what if we take the alchemists with us?”
Angelo shook his head in response to the urgent question asked by Mehmet II.
“Don’t you know how they were treated in the Arab world and in Italy? To be honest, we who inherited Roger Bacon’s scholarship can also be accused of heresy if we do something wrong.”
The three people could not hide their sadness at Angelo’s answer.
As Angelo said, the studies they were currently studying were fields that could easily be accused of heresy even if they were slightly out of line.
Angelo, who emptied his glass, whether he knew what these three people were thinking or not, continued speaking.
“Besides these issues, the biggest reason why we can’t go back is because of the challenge record.”
“Dojeonrok?”
“yes. “The moment we solve the difficult problems on the challenge list, we will get closer to God’s truth.”
Angelo’s eyes were shining intensely as he spoke.