Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 785

Chapter 785: Inner sorrow (3)

In the final battle against the Muromachi shogunate, Kyoto suffered heavy losses from a large fire caused by arson during the battle.

Afterwards, the battle between Ouchi and the public family, which took place amidst difficult restoration, inflicted fatal damage on Kyoto.

Ouchi, who had completely subdued the Muromachi shogunate and the feudal lords of the old era, dragged the emperor to Yamaguchi.

-I will serve Your Majesty in a safer and more comfortable place!

With this justification, Ouchi dragged the Emperor to Yamaguchi. The emperor was held hostage within his sphere of influence.

Also, it wasn’t just a cause. In reality, the Imperial Palace built in Yamaguchi boasted a considerable size and the environment was also pleasant.

However, from the perspective of Kyoto residents, it was a huge wound to their pride that could not be washed away. Kyoto was the capital of Japan for nearly 700 years after Emperor Kanmu designated it as the capital during the Heian period.

-The bandits of Ouchi have kidnapped His Majesty the Emperor!

This was the common thought of most Kyoto residents.

Therefore, Kyoto was still a place where the ‘anti-Ouchi’ spirit was strong, and it was also a place where the results of various policies implemented by Ouchi were sluggish.

As the situation progressed, it became a vicious cycle.

Due to antipathy toward the Ouchi shogunate, the promotion of various policies implemented by the Ouchi shogunate became sluggish, and the Ouchi shogunate drastically reduced its support for Kyoto.

The most representative example was education. They sent their children to mandatory elementary schools, but did not send them to secondary schools, which were higher institutions.

* * *

As elementary schools became established, there was a demand for a higher level of education to achieve success and satisfy academic aspirations.

To meet this demand, many academies and boarding schools were built. However, because it was not accredited, the level varied and the tuition fees were considerable.

Accordingly, the Ouchi shogunate began building secondary schools throughout Japan sooner than expected. In addition, if existing academies and school accommodations passed the screening process, they were certified as educational institutions equivalent to secondary schools.

* * *

Most residents of Kyoto did not send their children who graduated from elementary school to secondary schools established by the shogunate. Instead, they sent their children to dormitories and academies established by influential figures in Kyoto.

In response to these movements of Kyoto residents, the Ouchi shogunate drastically cut the support needed for reconstruction.

“Those who only live with their pride!”

On the contrary, Kyoto residents became more united.

“On the topic of traitors!”

“Even if I starve to death, I won’t take your money because it’s dirty!”

As the situation progressed, Kyoto was still unable to regain its former glory.

It wasn’t just Kyoto.

Naniwa, the old name for Osaka, close to Kyoto, was also in a state of great decline.

During the Muromachi period, Naniwa was the central port for trade with China. Afterwards, with the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, merchants from all over Japan gathered in Naniwa.

-In Naniwa, beggars only accept money.

Naniwa was enjoying such a boom that people started saying things like this.

However, two civil wars caused Naniwa to decline.

During the civil war, Naniwa’s merchants remained strictly neutral and kept an eye on others.

Civil war especially. After the second civil war, the Ouchi shogunate moved its trading ports, especially its imperial offices, to Yamaguchi.

Due to Ouchi’s decision, many merchants left Naniwa and moved their headquarters to Yamaguchi.

From then on, Naniwa began to decline.

The most decisive cause was the railroad.

After seeing and hearing about the usefulness of railroads, Ouchi began laying railroads in Japan as well.

The first place where railroads began to be laid was Kyushu, the home of Ouchi. Honshu was everything Japan had to offer.

The Ouchi shogunate decided that the northern route of Honshu would be built along the northern coastline, and the southern route would be built along the existing land route.

This southern route dealt a fatal blow to Kyoto and Naniwa.

In order to kill Kyoto’s momentum, the Ouchi shogunate built a railway that passed through Naniwa to go straight to Nagoya via Omi (the old name of the Shijiang city) without passing through Kyoto. The reason for passing through Omi was to supply water from Lake Biwa to the locomotive.

As the railway went to the Kanto region without passing through Kyoto, Kyoto’s economy clearly collapsed. This was because there were limitations to the farming done by residents in Kyoto and nearby areas.

It was the same with Naniwa.

Merchants from other regions used iron horses to go straight to Yamaguchi to buy goods and then rode the iron horses back home.

The only time merchants stayed in Naniwa was when it was too late and they had to stay overnight.

As a result, the traditional lodging and warehouse storage businesses also suffered significant losses. In the past, cases of staying for as little as 2 to 3 days or as long as 10 days or more while bargaining with merchants have almost disappeared.

As a side note, Ouchi’s discriminatory and economic policies gave birth to deep-rooted regionalism in Japan.

‘Kyoto and Yamaguchi people do not marry each other.’

This was such a deep-rooted regional feeling that it became a proverb.

It was also the reason why Japan’s most famous private educational institutions flocked to Kyoto.

* * *

For this reason, the Newists shook their heads as soon as Kyoto was mentioned.

“Kyoto is good for gathering troops, but not for war. There is no place to get war funds.”

“It would be nice if you didn’t ask us for money.”

The radicals immediately refuted the words of the conservatives.

“Of course, the situation with Naniwa in Kyoto is not good. But there are still many rich people left.”

“There are a significant number of people who are willing to support not only deep-rooted noble families but also rich farmers.”

“Aren’t we planning a long-term war? All we have to do is engage the Ouchi in one joint war and win that battle.”

The conservatives still pointed out problems and did not easily agree with the words of the radicals.

“Would the Ouchi bastards try to unite each other in just one battle? Unless they were fools, wouldn’t they try to avoid such a thing?”

“Even if Ouchi loses a battle, he will choose a way to win the war. Let’s face the situation. Doesn’t Ouchi have the advantage in every way? Ouchi will never want a short war.”

The radicals immediately responded to the words of the conservatives.

“So, didn’t you say that we should bring in the Ouchi guys? We should make them think that if they drag on, they will lose out too!”

The conservatives began to show curiosity at the words of the radicals.

“How?”

“First, assassination.”

The conservatives shook their heads at the word ‘assassination’.

“It’s not easy because of the damn footpath. If you do it wrong, you’ll only lose the precious governors.”

“We have found quite skilled gunners. Although they have Minguk-made rifles that are inferior in performance to those made by Joseon, they are capable of hitting targets at least 200 paces away.”

“Are they trustworthy?”

“These are people who passed through the Muromachi shogunate and the feudal lords.”

“Then…”

The conservatives nodded in response to the radicals’ answer. Ouchi, who won the civil war, persistently persuaded the defeated soldiers to join their side. In the appeasement operation, many people joined the Ouchi, fought against the opponents, and achieved success through meritorious exploits.

The fact that such people stood on the other side of Ouchi until the end, even though they were popular, meant that they could be trusted.

While nodding their heads at the words of the radicals, the conservatives remained hesitant.

“No matter what, the war funds are still insufficient.”

In response to the words of the conservatives, the radicals presented their last card.

“Then let’s try to attract His Majesty the Emperor.”

“His Majesty the Emperor? Is that possible?”

“We have already recruited some of those who enter and leave Gyoko. And there is a governor who used them to gain an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Who is it!”

At the shouts of the conservatives, the person sitting at the back of the radicals came forward.

“It’s called the Konoe family’s Tarot.”

“Konoe Ramen!”

The eyes of the new believers lit up when they heard Tarot’s castle.

Among the tattoo families who assisted the Emperor in his inner circle, the highest-ranking family was the Konoe family.

The Konoe family was the family that had held the position of government official currently held by Ouchi for generations.

The Konoe family was the most important family in the last civil war between the Ouchi and Gong families, and it was a family that was rumored to have been exterminated as a result of the defeat.

When they heard that a man from such a family had even met the Emperor, the eyes of the conservatives changed.

“What did Your Majesty say about our resolve?”

Taro calmly answered the questions of the conservatives.

“His Majesty said, ‘I am grateful that the patriots still exist. I sincerely hope that your cause will succeed.’”

“Oh oh!”

After hearing the Emperor’s words of encouragement, the Chinese people trembled with emotion. Taro continued speaking as he looked at these conservatives.

“His Majesty also said this. ‘Due to the tyranny of the past shogunate, previous emperors lost their power and had no choice but to live in despair. I also cannot help but feel aggrieved by the current situation. I hope that the attempts of the patriotic governors succeed and this Japan He said, ‘I hope we can return to our proper country.’ With that wish…”

Taro took the envelope from his arms and unfolded the contents.

The letter Taro opened wide had four letters written in large letters.

-Daejeong Bong-hwan (大政奉還)

“It was written and given by His Majesty himself.”

“Oh! What an honor!”

“Daejeongbonghwan!”

The new believers were once again moved when they saw the phrase written by the Emperor himself.

After time passed and their excitement calmed down, the conservatives asked the radicals.

“Are you sure that if our governors ask for help, Your Majesty will respond?”

“The chances are high.”

“The possibility alone…..”

Let the prudentists show hesitation again. The radicals pointed out reality.

“We know and Your Majesty knows that if time goes on like this, Ouchi will have everything. Now, the Ouchi people respect Your Majesty, but if Masahiro takes over the shogunate, no one can guarantee it. Not just Masahiro, but everyone around him. “These are people who went to Joseon and learned. What kind of country is Joseon? Isn’t it a country where a general overthrew the king and became king? I’m sure they will say that they can do the same because they learned from that country.”

“That’s not true…”

The conservatives nodded at the extremists’ words.

Ouchi was the owner of present-day Japan.

The emperor’s shadow still remains, but as time passes, no one will remember him.

The radicals continued talking.

“If that happens, we will not be patriots but traitors. We must turn everything back before it is too late.”

At the words of the radicals, the conservatives nodded without realizing it. Looking at those cautious factions, the leader of the radical faction came to a conclusion.

“Your Majesty already knows that this is the end of the world if we fail, so he will accept our help.”