Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 912
Episode 912 Alliance (6)
Hyang’s words were quite plausible. Neither Hyun nor Han Myeong-hoe could accept it as ‘yes.’
No matter what anyone said, the scent was as it should be. It was he who created this glorious empire. He was a being who received absolute loyalty not only from the situation and the emperor, but also from the ministers and the people.
Someone like that is on the front line?
As a hostage, he was of the highest value. No, if Hyang died or was injured on the front line, the morale of the imperial army and people would plummet to the bottom right away.
And it was certain that the people of the empire would hold the emperor and ministers accountable.
Of course, the country that did the wrong thing will have to pay the exact price to the empire that was engulfed in anger.
“As the emperor of the empire and as his grandson, I cannot accept the request of the Great Emperor.”
“I must go. Otherwise, the empire and its people will suffer greatly in Italy.”
“Have faith in the Imperial Army and its people.”
“I am going because I believe. “We can’t afford to lose such loyal imperial troops and people in vain, can we?”
Han Myeong-hoe intervened in the conversation between Hyang and Hyeon, who were drawing parallel lines.
“The meaning of Tae Sanghang is truly beautiful. But please consider Your Majesty the Emperor. If you go to Italy, what will the people think of you? I will immediately denounce this as unfilial piety. And what do you think of the commanders who will lead the troops at the front? “They say that if you are so incapable, the high-ranking Emperor Taesang must go to Italy.”
“Why does my age appear here?…”
Hyang smiled bitterly at Han Myeong-hoe’s words and muttered softly. But he soon straightened his expression and refuted.
“What does age matter? Look at Bangchon-厖村 Hwang Hee’s pen name-Do Uichon-Ui-chon Kim Jeom’s pen name-Do Jeoljae-節齋 Kim Jong-seo’s pen name- and Jibong-芝峯 Hwang Bo-in’s pen name-. All of them have been carrying out important duties for over 90 years. But I can’t do that because I’m old? “That doesn’t make sense.”
At Hyang’s words, both Hyeon and Han Myeong-hoe swore in the same way.
‘Damn it! ‘I can’t even curse at people who have already passed away, it’s driving me crazy!’
The people Hyang mentioned were those who served as prime minister and deputy prime minister around the founding period of the empire.
They were such outstanding subjects that it is said that it was because of them that King Sejong and Hyang kept the empire on a stable track. And they were all famous for their long lives.
“And now that I’m older, do you think I have a problem to the point where I can’t even move?”
Hyeon and Han Myeong-hoe answered Hyang’s question by shaking their heads at the same time.
“Oh no!”
“No!”
This was true.
* * *
Looking at Hyang’s appearance now, it was hard to believe that he would turn eighty the day after tomorrow. His back and waist were straight and his gait was powerful. He was also physically fit enough to enjoy horseback riding and shooting in his free time.
Even before the intervention of Hyang, records about King Munjong show that he had a good appearance and was beautiful.
In other words, the hardware itself was quite good.
However, it was impossible to maintain this level with only the innate hardware. It was King Sejong and Deokjil who made this possible.
The scent is for King Sejong’s health, ‘making healthy pigs.’ I designed and operated the project.
“No matter how much you threaten to blow it, it has an expiration date. It clearly says, ‘If you tell me that and tell me to do it, why don’t you do it?’”
In order to give King Sejong a clear motivation, Hyang exercised regularly and made and used exercise equipment – commonly seen in mineral springs and other places in the 21st century.
The reason Hyang paid such attention to exercise was not just because of King Sejong.
“What you need to become a member of this branch is money and health!”
Another big reason was to enjoy my favorite hobby for a long time.
The scent was still vibrant through regular exercise and a diet that included both vegetables and meat.
Thanks to this, not only among the people of the empire but also in neighboring Ming and Japan, a similar lifestyle under the name of ‘Emperor’s Health Law’ became popular among intellectuals – to be precise, the leisure class.
* * *
In the end, because Hyang was stubborn, other ministers had to step in as well.
Words similar to what Hyeon and Han Myeong-hoe kept saying, and Hyang responded without hesitation.
“…Finally, the reason I have to go to Italy is for the morale of the Imperial Army.”
“What do you mean by that?”
In response to Han Myeong-hoe’s question, Hyang lightly moistened his throat and continued speaking.
“This is because the outcome of the war that will break out this time is very different from the wars our empire has fought so far. To put it more simply, the justification is weak.”
“Justice… do you understand?”
When Hyang brought up the ‘justice’, Hyeon and Han Myeong-hoe looked like they knew something.
Hyang nodded lightly at the expressions on the two’s faces and explained in more detail.
-Most of the major wars fought by the empire so far have been defensive wars. In other words, it was a war fought to protect the safety of the empire.
-But participating in the war that will take place in Italy has different consequences. To put it bluntly, the empire is interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.
-Of course, you can ask what the battle to subdue Messika was that took place in Shinji. However, the war to subdue Messika has a clear justification. There was a justification for saving the indigenous people who were being persecuted by cruel people who abandoned human nature and practiced cannibalism.
-From this perspective, the justification for Italy’s participation in the war is too weak. This is because the empire’s territory was not being invaded, nor were Europeans abandoning their human duties.
-Therefore, there is a very high possibility that the morale of the imperial soldiers stationed in Italy will be greatly reduced.
-Therefore, I have to go and continue to promote legitimacy in order to raise the morale of the soldiers.
“It’s a cause…”
“But the fact that the soldiers’ morale is low is a bit…”
The ministers looked skeptical, but Hyang’s expression became full of confidence.
“It will definitely come down. Right now, the empire has so much money that it doesn’t need to worry about the outside world…”
“Yes? What do you mean by that?…” “
If you look at the current situation of our empire, it has an extremely wide river area, including the main territory, the northern region, and the outer northern new territories. And the people are very few. In other words, all the people can make enough to eat and live just by developing the river area of the empire. But why go all the way to Italy and get involved in the war? Are you sure that there are no people who would say that it would be better to isolate the country?”
‘I heard that one of the reasons why the US military was such a mess during the Vietnam War was for a similar reason, right?’
“….”
The ministers fell silent in response to Hyang’s retort. Looking at the ministers like that, Hyang continued speaking.
“Do you know why there is a saying, ‘The thorns under my fingernails hurt more?’”
“….”
At Hyang’s words, the ministers were still silent with expressions of doubt. However, the ministers could not back down.
“However, a command system is already in place in Italy. “If you do it wrong, there will be a lot of confusion.”
“Do you think there will be more confusion if I don’t go? Isn’t the Army also a thief and the Navy a thief? “They’re both of the same rank?”
‘The battle between the army and navy boasts history and tradition.’
The ministers responded immediately to Hyang’s point.
“Ambassador Yu Eung-bu was dispatched because of that problem. “If war breaks out, Ambassador Yu Eung-bu will become provincial marshal and command the imperial army.”
“Of course, I think that part is reasonable. But the problem is Florence. To be exact, Lorenzo de’ Medici, the tyrant of Florence. Is it possible to control Lorenzo with only the response unit? “It’s possible because the war hasn’t started yet, but will Lorenzo stay still even when the war breaks out and our side wins?”
“….”
At Hyang’s point, the ministers fell silent again. According to the information received so far, Lorenzo de’ Medici was a fairly capable monarch, but he also had many incompetences.
-As his ability is proven, his ambition is also great. However, he failed to prove his military talent.
Because it was this kind of assessment, the ministers remained silent in response to Hyang’s criticism. Looking at the ministers like that, Hyang muttered to himself.
‘I heard that Mussolini was the idiot that even Hitler was ashamed of?’
Looking at the ministers who were speechless due to lack of answers, Hyang drove in the final wedge.
“Even if it is a small country, it is not good for a minister to persecute the monarch of a country, and the people of Florence may have animosity towards the empire. So shouldn’t someone worthy go?”
“That’s a reasonable thing to say, but the spring and autumn season is too high… It would be better if the situation were to go away…”
“Tsk!”
“Hiccup!”
The minister, who was about to say that he should send Wan instead of Hyang, froze as soon as Hyang clicked his tongue. It was imprinted on my body as I suffered from Hyang and Wan for a long time.
“Have you thought about the time it takes to send someone from here to Shinji and travel from Shinji to Italy? Have you forgotten that even if you move tomorrow, you could be late?”
The ministers fell silent once again at the words that clearly revealed Hyang’s true intentions: ‘Even if I die, my rice bowl cannot be taken away from me!’
In the end, Hyun had no choice but to admit that the conclusion had already been decided.
“Whoa~.”
Hyun let out a long sigh and looked at the scent.
“Please promise me just one thing. “You will never go to the front lines.”
Hyang responded to Hyeon’s words with a smile.
“I promise.”
In the end, it was decided that the scent would head to Italy.
As an aside, Hyeon, who made this decision, immediately sent a long letter to Wan in Shinji. It was a letter full of excuses and complaints. As time passed, Wan’s reply, which arrived in Seoul, was short and concise.
-I tried hard.
It was a reply with a lot of meaning.
* * *
-Tae Sang-tae is going to Italy!
-To comfort the imperial troops stationed in Italy and hold talks with the allied monarchs!
This proclamation was posted on the bulletin boards of all government offices in the empire. However, there were few people who believed this statement literally.
This was because quite a few people were aware that something was happening in Europe that interfered with the empire’s interests and that the imperial army had been dispatched.
Nevertheless, the news that the scent was going to Italy shook the world.
“Why does someone who is so old go to the battlefield?”
“Is Italy such a serious place? To the point where Taehyang himself went there?”
Many people were wondering, ‘Why?’, but some were shaking their heads and muttering.
“There must be a place where the sound of crying is coming from now…”
Just as they said, there was a place where the sound of crying was coming out.
It was the Imperial Army Logistics Command.
“why! why! “Why!”
“Holy shit!”
Imperial soldiers working at the Logistics Command, regardless of rank, screamed and cursed. But reality was reality. Those who recognized that the situation was unavoidable made desperate moves.
“Recheck the supply plan from the beginning!”
“Look closely! “If the situation in Italy goes even a little bit wrong, I’m still a record holder!”