Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 684
Episode 684 Suez (4)
“What do you mean, Sosin shouldn’t go because of Sosin’s dream?”
Jinpyeong looked at Hyang with an expression of complete incomprehension. Hyang, who was looking at Jinpyeong blankly, actually asked Jinpyeong back.
“Are you sure you don’t know this?”
“I really don’t know what you believe.”
“Hello?”
“I really don’t know.”
Seeing Jinpyeong’s expression that he really didn’t know, Hyang sighed softly and explained the reason.
“Whoa~. your dream The dream of laying railroad tracks and running iron horses all over the world. The dream isn’t a bad thing. But your temper is the problem.”
“Do you mean the nature of your convictions?”
“Because in order to achieve that great cause, you are the kind of person who can ignore even a small loss or even a bigger loss. The railroad being built in the Suez region is something that will bring tremendous national interest to the empire. However, if you were you, you would focus only on the construction of the railroad and ignore the national interests of the empire. That’s why I can’t send you away.”
Jinpyeong raised his voice at Hyang’s words.
“Soshin also knows how important the national interest of the empire is! And…”
The moment Jinpyeong was about to continue, Hyang raised her hand to stop Jinpyeong.
“The moment you used the word ‘and,’ you showed yourself to be unqualified for this job.”
“Ah…”
Jinpyeong lowered his head at Hyang’s words. Hyang, seeing Jinpyeong like that, continued speaking.
“This negotiation is a dog fight in a mud field. In the worst case, you can only protect the minimum national interest by entering into negotiations with the readiness to completely turn the tables. You are soft in this area. “No, the bowl is too big.”
Jinpyeong raised his head at Hyang’s words.
“Is God’s vessel too big?”
In response to Jinpyeong’s question, Hyang nodded with a small smile.
“Yes. Dreaming of ‘laying railroads all over the world’ is something that is impossible for an ordinary person. I know very well how difficult and dangerous it is to build a railroad, so I can only trust you to push forward with the task. “It’s just that negotiation doesn’t suit your nature.”
Jinpyeong responded to Hyang’s words by bowing his head.
“I, the Duke of Jinpyeong, will devote my entire life to railway construction and live up to your Majesty’s expectations!”
“Then I am grateful. ah! And the Japanese government also requested that they want to build a railroad. “Please also select personnel to go to the Japanese country and investigate possibilities.”
“I follow your orders!”
When Jinpyeong left Geunjeongjeon after all the ups and downs, Hyang smiled bitterly and placed her hand on his forehead.
“Heh! It’s hard to console and comfort him. Even though he is old enough, he still seems like a child…”
Kim Jeom and the other ministers who were watching this scene smiled similarly at Hyang’s complaint.
Hyang, who put his hand on his forehead for a moment to cool off, muttered to himself.
‘This time, I received help from Teacher Samcheonpo.’
-Why do you say things like that? It is said that after King Sejo ascended to the throne, he was infinitely merciful as he cared about the opinions of his public servants. Was it really because he was pressured by the public servants and was trying to keep an eye on them? Would such an observant person step forward and break the earthenware pot of Kim Jong-seo and Prince Anpyeong, Hwang Bo-in? This is my personal opinion, but King Sejo’s mind at the time must have been like that of a ‘well-fed lion.’ You got the Bowie you wanted, and all of Joseon became yours, right? So, the tyranny of public servants was also tolerated. And it’s not like those public servants will live for 1,000,000 years, right? If you think it’s too much, you can purge it at an appropriate time. It doesn’t necessarily have to be during his reign. The same goes for people. If you can take control of Joseon while protecting the throne, the rest becomes ‘I don’t care.’
* * *
Hyang recalled the memory of Teacher Samcheonpo for a moment, but soon cleared her expression and moved on.
“Then who do you think is the right person to go to Suez and negotiate?”
In response to Hyang’s question, Kim Jeom bowed his head and asked back.
“Is there someone you have in mind?”
Hyang responded to Kim Jeom’s question with a mischievous expression.
“I think the best choice is to be the Prime Minister?”
At Hyang’s words, Kim Jeom turned white for a moment and stuttered to answer.
“Your Majesty holds your beliefs in such high regard that I truly do not know what to do with myself. Haha, Sosin is too old now….”
“That’s why we excluded the Prime Minister.”
“Whoa~. “Huh!”
As soon as Hyang finished speaking, Kim Jeom, who had let out a long sigh of relief, realized his mistake and immediately looked around.
Hyang, who was looking at Kim Jeom’s expression, mentioned the person she had chosen.
“In Jim’s opinion, I think Captain Jeoljae, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, is the right candidate.”
“Huh!”
Kim Jong-seo was startled by Hyang’s nomination and urgently asked Hyang.
“Are you talking about your small convictions?”
“Is there another Chief Jeoljae here other than the Chief?”
“So Sosin is also old and decrepit, and I am not confident that I can properly carry out the duties entrusted to me by Your Majesty.”
“With the Captain’s ability, it would be possible.”
“There are many young and talented people like Do Seung-ji. What do you think of them?”
Looking at Kim Jong-seo who didn’t want to go to the end, Hyang slightly wrinkled her expression and clicked her tongue.
“Tsk!”
As soon as the scent hit my tongue, the inside of Geunjeongjeon became completely frozen.
‘Wow! ‘The sound of that guy clicking his tongue!’
‘Even in my dreams, when I hear that sound, I’m immediately pressed by the scissors!’
‘How can rich people be so different!’
The ministers tensed up at the sound of incense tickling their tongues and glared at Kim Jong-seo with all their might.
‘Ah-oh! If I had to go, I would just go!’
‘I think I’ll send you a lot of medicine!’
Hyang clicked his tongue and continued speaking, as if he knew what the ministers were thinking.
“Tsk tsk tsk! Do you not know the importance of this matter? It takes over half a year just to travel from Suez to here! Don’t you know what that means? Those who participate in the negotiations must perform the important task of representing my will and deciding everything! But send someone with little experience? “Do you think that makes sense?”
Kim Jong-seo bowed his head in response to Hyang’s reprimand.
“Please forgive my foolishness! “God’s thoughts were too short.”
“Then we should go, right?”
“I will do my best! “I will begin preparations immediately!”
When Kim Jong-seo waved the white flag, the scent secretly soothed him.
“Well, I’m not going right away, so there’s no need to rush. It would take at least a year for a survey team to go and investigate, starting with the soil quality. “There is no need to rush like that.”
“yes.”
Only then, seeing Kim Jong-seo with a relieved expression, Hyang grumbled inwardly.
‘I bet they did something like that just because of Giru! Ah-oh! That stoma addict!’
Even while grumbling like that, Hyang worked hard to praise Kim Jong-seo.
“I have high hopes for Captain Jeoljae. He was braver than the military officers when he pioneered Dongbuk-myeon in the past, and I believe that the boldness and bravery with which he cracked the heads of the Jurchen tribesmen with the handle of a horseback gun will bring about the best results.”
Kim Jong-seo bowed his head and responded loudly to Hyang’s words.
“Conviction Kim Jong-seo! “I will do my best with the determination to never quit!”
* * *
Once the problem of selecting a representative of the negotiators to be sent to Suez was resolved, the fragrance moved on.
Hyang, who quenched her thirst with the black bean tea served by the naekwan, continued speaking.
“I told Duke Jinpyeong earlier, but the Japanese government has made another troubling request, right?”
Kim Jeom answered Hyang’s question right away.
“That’s right. “In addition to the construction of the railroad, there is a request to train military officers who will command the newly created ‘Japanese Army.’”
In response to Kim Jeom’s answer, Hyang patted her chin and accepted the words.
“Hmm… Has the head of the Daenae clan already taken control of the country to the point where he is confident enough to make such a request?”
Heohu responded to Hyang’s question.
“It was a great help to me to subdue the noble families and take control of all their territories during the last civil war.”
* * *
Until this time, the size of the territory controlled by the feudal lords was enormous, almost half of that of Japan. The Ouchi family, who acquired these fiefdoms by subjugating all the feudal lords in the last civil war, immediately acquired the largest fiefdom in Japan. To put it another way, it means that they became a family with the greatest economic power in the Japanese country.
By taking control not only of the military power of the shogunate but also of the Japanese government and economic power, which had been dominated by the official family, the Ouchi family became the most powerful person in the Japanese country, both in name and reality.
Mochiyo Ouchi, who took control of everything in the Japanese country, began in earnest to carry out his family’s long-cherished wish of ‘freeing Japan from Japan’.
The first thing that started was ‘Pyeongbunchihyeon (廃藩置県)’.
-Abolish the feudal state (country of feudal lords) that has continued for so long!
-Instead of abolishing feudal states, they are divided into provinces and prefectures according to size, and are ruled by officials dispatched from the government!
Since it was an unconventional declaration, it was natural that the remaining daimyos and lords large and small protested in unison.
In response, Mochiyo held out a carrot.
-The lords are given central government positions according to their rank. And this office is hereditary unless one commits a major sin.
-In addition to the bonuses according to their official positions, lords are paid an additional 10% to 20% of the taxes collected from their previous feudal lords.
-All the soldiers raised by the lords belonged to the national army. The samurai who commanded them were given military officer ranks according to their rank.
Of course, they didn’t just give carrots.
-Those who hold central government positions must unconditionally reside in Yamaguchi.
-Soldiers and samurai whose affiliations were transferred from each clan to the national army must leave the clan where they had been living until then and be stationed at a place designated by the government.
In this way, the ties between the lords, samurai, and the territory were severed.
In addition, Ouchi used another method that could be called a separation tactic.
-All official ranks and military ranks other than those given to lords are based on ability!
-Further promotions will also be based on ability and performance.
Ouchi’s policy began to discolor the traditional ‘loyalty between monarch and vassal’. In particular, young writers and samurai, collectively known as the feudal dynasty faction, accelerated the rate of discoloration.
Although the feudal lords each took a seat in the court, the influential people were still the Confucianists.
The Confucianists who returned from studying abroad in the empire sat in the core working-level staff of the central government and local administrative organizations, strengthened their solidarity, and began to form factions.
The feudal faction, strongly stimulated by this, soon began to petition Mochiyo.
-We also want to learn the advanced studies of the empire! Give me a chance to study abroad!
Mochiyo, who was struggling to receive the petition from the feudal faction, summoned Norihiro, a member of the German Empire, and asked for his opinion.
Norihiro, who had been thinking for a few days, shared his thoughts with Mochiyo.
“Wouldn’t it be okay? Since ancient times, a well-fed hunting dog tends to become lazy. No, if you do it wrong, it can bite its owner. But if you bring in another dog and make it slightly starve, those two dogs will be loyal and risk their lives.”
In response to Norihiro’s answer, Mochiyo patted her knee and smiled.
“Gadok’s opinion is right!”
In this way, Mochiyo added Qing to the empire.
-I want to send more international students to the empire! In addition, I want to send military officers to receive training!