Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 867

Episode 867: Imperial type, imperial style (4)

The empire did its best to obtain information in advance and was able to make its own preparations behind the curtain.

Thanks to this, when Giovanni arrived and relayed Florence’s business, he was able to pretend to be in a hurry, but then smile with regret.

Thanks to this, when Giovanni boarded the return ship, gleeful that he had made a good profit in the negotiations with the empire, working-level officials gathered at the girdle in Seoul and held a feast.

“We caught a big fish, so let’s have a drink!”

“ha ha ha! That’s right!”

“The alcohol is really sweet today!”

“Bring me multi-colored liquor! Multi-colored liquor! “Even if the roots of the pillar are pulled out, I will have to drink today!”

“cancer! You should drink it today! “If they hadn’t accepted it, they would have died of injustice!”

This was why the working-level staff held a party, shouting ‘Let’s do it!’

There was no easy task for imperial officials, but this one was especially serious. This was because the emperor, Wan, had personally expressed his intention and issued the order.

Of course, the existing work was also done from top to bottom. However, most of the work involved going up step by step from the bottom, receiving permission from the emperor, and then coming back down.

Therefore, this situation was twice as difficult as other tasks. If there was even the slightest gap, the sound of clicking tongue would immediately come out, and that day would be the day of crying.

In reality, it was like that.

Because time was running out, the officials in charge of the work literally put their souls into the work.

Therefore, if the result of such hard work turned out to be useless, there were many people who would not be able to overcome their sense of injustice and would make an uproar.

* * *

Meanwhile, Giovanni, who had arrived in Suez, was moving diligently toward Florence with his cargo.

“This is precious cargo! The seal must never be broken or damaged! “Take a good look!”

Whenever Giovanni’s men stopped at stations along the railway, they carefully inspected the condition of the cargo loaded on the freight cars.

-These are essential things for Florence to succeed in her great cause! It must never be noticed or damaged!

Giovanni’s orders were there, but his subordinates, who had read the situation in their own way, looked at the condition of the cargo with all their might.

Giovanni, who was observing the scene from the platform, frowned and muttered.

“Compared to transporting it on a camel, it is much faster, but still inconvenient… Would it have been better to dig a canal like the empire suggested at the time?”

* * *

When talk arose about a transportation route linking Suez with the North, the first thing the Empire proposed was a canal.

However, the cost of everything, including the construction period, manpower, and necessary materials, was astronomical. Because of this, the allies refused the empire’s proposal.

And their choice was iron horses and railroads. This also consumed a considerable amount of money, but much less than the canal.

And through this iron horse, the allies were able to benefit enormously.

However, when transporting cargo on a large scale that requires confidentiality, as it is now, it was quite inconvenient, and the canal came to mind again.

* * *

At one point, Giovanni, who had been thinking about the profitability of the canal, smiled and summed up the situation.

“Isn’t there a saying among the imperial sayings, ‘the rice cake of a painting’? That’s exactly what I am now. The current situation in Florence is just like the iron horse. Only when we completely take control of Italy and are recognized as a proper country can we confidently make our demands. To do that, we have to make Florence one.”

Wow!

Just when the need for Italian unification was being realized again, the iron horse that had finished its supply sounded a whistle to announce its departure.

As he got back into the carriage, Giovanni pledged once again.

“I must…”

It was a promise full of many meanings.

* * *

Giovanni and his party arrived at ‘Prince Henry Port’ and began loading cargo onto waiting ships.

The Medici family official residing at the port reported to Giovanni with a troubled expression.

“I don’t have enough stomachs. “I think I’ll have to send it in two installments.”

Giovanni responded firmly to the official’s report.

“Send news to Livorno! “In my name, tell them to gather all the ships that can be used and send them to you!”

“Then, if you have time… why don’t you borrow ships from other countries?”

“Are you saying that because you know what kind of cargo you are currently loading? “Send the news right away!”

“Yes yep!”

“And stop shipping right now and put it in storage! Double your expenses!”

“yes!”

The official, frightened by Giovanni’s harsh orders, began to carry out the orders in a hurry.

The shipment, which was in full swing, was stopped and all cargo was unloaded and stored in the Medici family’s warehouse at the port.

Once all the cargo was back in the warehouse, Giovanni’s men put locks on the warehouse doors and placed seals on the main entrance.

“Double the guards!”

“yes!”

This movement attracted the attention of other merchants and foreign officials nearby.

“Why is this so unfortunate?”

“It’s suspicious…”

“What did you bring from the ‘Land of Flowers’?”

Curious merchants and foreign officials secretly approached the warehouse. However, due to the guards surrounding the warehouse and Giovanni’s men, they had no choice but to quench their appetite and retreat.

“Wow! “It’s so embarrassing…”

“The bluff of Italians…”

“You’re an Italian too.”

“Green one!”

Meanwhile, at Giovanni’s misadventures, some people’s eyes lit up and they threw a tantrum.

About ten days later, ships arrived from Livorno. After mobilizing all of the newly arrived ships and completing the loading, Giovanni immediately raised anchor toward Livorno.

* * *

“It’s Livorno!”

“We’ve finally arrived.”

After hearing the captain’s report, Giovanni appeared on the deck with a sigh of relief.

Giovanni muttered softly as he looked at the scenery of Livorno beyond the deck railing.

“Did you say it was important to grow the navy? Hmm….”

Giovanni, who was muttering to himself as he watched Livorno getting closer and closer, turned around.

“It might cost a bit more, but it’s better than Portopisano.”

Livorno began as a coastal fortress to defend Pisa. At the time, the naval port of Pisa’s navy was Portopisano.

Following Pisa’s defeat in the Battle of Meloria between Genoa and Pisa in 1284, Portopisano was destroyed and Livorno was abandoned.

Since Florence purchased it from Genoa in 1421, Livorno has been gradually growing in size.

After listening to the advice of the imperial army, Giovanni saw Livorno and came up with the idea of making it a base for the Florentine navy.

-It is a strategic military point so that the old Pisa people built a defensive fortress.

-It is a small village with just over 400 people when the first census was conducted. Now the population has increased, but it is all foreigners. In other words, there is no sense of belonging to Pisa.

-This is why Livorno has an advantage over Portopisano. Portopisano, as its name suggests, is closely related to Pisa. Although Pisa is now subordinate to Florence, it cannot be completely trusted.

After this analysis, Giovanni decided to make Livorno the base of the Florentine navy.

“I’ll have to report it as soon as I get back to Florence…”

* * *

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After receiving the report from Giovanni, who returned to Florence, Cosimo nodded lightly and praised Giovanni.

“thank you. However, your complexion is not good. “Are you okay?”

Giovanni asked, looking at Cosimo with a face full of worry. While Giovanni stayed in Seoul, Cosimo grew weaker. Before Giovanni left, he was lying down to be seen by others, but now Cosimo was lying down exhausted.

“Don’t worry. “My mind is fine.”

As he said, Cosimo’s eyes still contained vitality.

“Fortunately, the. And the Emperor of the Empire has sent us advice.”

“advice?”

“yes.”

Giovanni handed Cosimo a document prepared by the Imperial Ministry of Defense.

“Hmm… The problem with these writers is that their handwriting is too small…”

Cosimo, who was grumbling as he looked at the document filled with small letters, picked up the magnifying glass he had left next to him and began to read the document.

“Hmm… Hmm… Hmm? hmm!”

As each page of the document passed, Cosimo’s face became more serious.

“Whoa~.”

After reading through to the last page, Cosimo let out a long sigh and looked back at Lorenzo.

“You should read it too.”

“yes.”

Lorenzo, who took the document in his hand at Cosimo’s order, was instantly immersed in it.

“Whoa~.”

Lorenzo, who had been immersed in the document without even being able to breathe properly, let out a long sigh and raised his head to look at Cosimo.

“What do you think?”

Lorenzo answered Cosimo’s question with a bright face.

“This is truly excellent advice. Even now, there are systems that follow those of the empire, but I cannot shake the feeling that they are insufficient. But after reading this advice, I can see why! Of course, we need to look at it more carefully and consider it, but if we take this advice, Florence can definitely succeed in its great cause!”

In response to Lorenzo’s response, Cosimo turned to Giovanni.

“What do you think?”

“I also think the same way. If you apply the empire’s advice well, you can achieve great things.”

“I see… I see…”

Cosimo, who had been repeating the word ‘I see’ several times, took the document back and waved his hand.

“Go out and do some work. “I want to read this again.”

“yes.”

Lorenzo and Giovanni bowed to Cosimo’s command and quietly left the room.

Cosimo, left alone in the room, looked at the report in his hand and quenched his appetite.

“Tsk! The Empire has discovered our weakness. The ‘absence of philosophy’….”

Cosimo’s appetite was bitter.

Lorenzo was young and full of energy. He was also talented in diplomacy and administration. What he lacked in experience was something he would make up for with time. He also had ambition.

Giovanni was the same. In the meantime, I gained ample experience dealing with merchants from the empire and Europe. Although his talents were general, he had the ability to maintain the family and make it bigger.

And he was ambitious enough to agree with Lorenzo.

But although those two men had ambition, they had no philosophy.

-There was an ambition to unify Italy, but there was no philosophy on how to run that unified Italy.

“No, the lack of that philosophy is the weakness of all of Europe.”

Cosimo muttered with a bitter smile.

“The Empire has clearly recognized our, and indeed Europe’s, weaknesses. I noticed. “Whew~”

Cosimo let out a long sigh and looked at the empire on the map hanging on the wall.

“Is this another invasion from the East, following the Huns and Mongols?…”

Cosimo was keenly aware that he had met a truly powerful enemy.