Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 945
Episode 945: Battle of Corsica. (1)
Rumors of the crushing defeat of Spain and France in Milan and Genoa spread throughout Italy as if they had wings.
After hearing the rumor, the leaders and residents of the Kingdom of Naples in the Papal Kingdom of Venice became confused and began to worry about their future.
And it was the posters that delivered the fatal blow.
The posters plastered on the walls of Florence, Milan, and Genoa did not only shake up the young people in those regions.
Soon, dozens of posters flowed through various channels to Venice and the Papal Kingdom of Naples.
“These are the posters hanging in Genoa, Milan, and Florence these days.”
“How did you get this?”
“According to the merchant who handed it to me, he secretly removed the items from the wall and brought them back.”
“Isn’t it too clean for something like that? “There are no rips or tears anywhere.”
“Well….”
“Is it okay if I just shrug my shoulders and say, ‘I don’t know.’”
“That’s not important right now.”
“…That’s right.”
The expressions on the faces of all the intelligence officers of the Kingdom of Naples, the Papal Kingdom of Venice, who were looking at the posters while muttering like that, became serious.
“First of all, you say out loud that it is Venice.”
“You’re saying we’ll eat the north first and then the south is next, right? “You hungry pigs!”
Most of the leaders of the Vatican and the Kingdom of Naples were outraged when they saw the poster.
“Let’s conscript us too!”
“That’s right!”
“Let us ask His Holiness to excommunicate them!”
“That’s right!”
In this way, large-scale conscription began in the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples.
Soon after, the excommunication of Lorenzo de’ Medici and other leaders was officially declared in the name of Pope Alexander VI.
-The crime of destroying the peace of Italy by colluding with heretics.
“‘Heresy’? ‘Hap’? under!”
Hyang, who read the proclamation, sneered briefly with an expression of bewilderment and threw the proclamation aside.
“It’s not worth the effort. “Just use it as firewood.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Anyway, we didn’t block the passage of priests, so we only hear nonsense like this. Ivosio Gonfaloniere. “If they were excommunicated anyway, why not just block the passage of priests?”
Lorenzo looked embarrassed at Hyang’s words. Blocking the passage here would have cut off the connection with Cardinal Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici in Rome, who would later become Pope Leo
-No matter how much you are enemies, you must leave at least one line of credit.
Even if it were not for the above instructions left by Cosimo de’ Medici, it was not an easy decision to cut off all ties with the Holy See.
Hyang, seeing Lorenzo’s expression, nodded.
“Of course it’s too much. This was Jim’s short-sighted opinion, so don’t worry about it. However, I think it is essential to strengthen the checks on clergy entering and leaving Florence to maintain confidentiality and prevent internal unrest. Therefore, I propose this to Gonfaloniere.”
Even though Florence’s ally was the Empire and the city was the previous emperor, Lorenzo was the owner of this place. Therefore, the scent took the form of a suggestion rather than a command.
After hearing Hyang’s suggestion, Lorenzo immediately nodded.
“I think it’s a good idea to do that.”
The fragrance added its words to Lorenzo’s decision.
“This proclamation was not directed at Gonfaloniere and the members of the National Assembly. This is a mean-spirited plan to divide Gonfaloniere and its residents. “Let us also use Savonarola.”
“That’s a good idea. “I will call someone soon and tell them the story.”
Interestingly enough, before Lorenzo could call for help, Savonarola was moving.
* * *
“Brothers! Brothers of Florence, brothers of Milan, brothers of Genoa! Listen to me! The Pope of Rome has excommunicated our leaders! “This is something we cannot help but deplore!”
Savonarola traveled to Milan and Genoa and spoke passionately.
“They said we destroyed the peace! What is the peace they speak of? Protecting one’s interests is peace! It is not a peace that contains the interests of our Italians and our future! Brothers and sisters! Open your eyes! We must stop those from Spain and France from reigning over us!”
“Oooooh!”
Savonarola’s impassioned speech was responded to with enthusiastic cheers.
Of course, there were those who refuted this.
“If you think about it that way, aren’t the ‘Land of Flowers’ also foreigners? “They also instigated war for their own interests!”
“gibberish!”
The energetic Savonarola shouted as if he was vomiting blood with his face turning red.
“They are bleeding with us! We’re not the only ones bleeding! And the wise man who leads them gave an honest answer!”
* * *
Savonarola visited the embassy where all the envoys had left just before the war broke out.
It was because he received an invitation from Savonarola, who had previously wanted to meet him, and accepted his request.
“Welcome. “Nice to meet you.”
“It is a pleasure to meet the wise man of the East.”
The governor responded to Savonarola’s words with a light wave of his hand.
“Sage is an excessive title. “I am just a child who is happy to be given shellfish on the beach in front of the vast ocean of truth.”
“Oh oh!”
Savonarola became even more enthusiastic about the incense answer, which he borrowed from Newton.
“What your Majesty said is the truth! “I will try harder too!”
“He who explores and preaches the truth must always work hard.”
After that, Hyang and Savonarola continued their conversation for quite a long time. As the story went on, Savonarola went beyond adoring the scent and began to worship it.
The climax of the incident occurred while having dinner together.
Savonarola kept his mouth shut when he saw the neat white dishes made of white porcelain and organic materials, silver cutlery with plain patterns, and food that was neat but far from flashy.
“Ah… the tableware used by people of our empire must be unfamiliar. “I will order you to bring some utensils that you can use.”
“Oh no! “I have tried a lot of food from the ‘Land of Flowers.’”
Thanks to the butterfly effect created by the scent, the food of the empire spread considerably. In particular, as Florence and the Empire joined hands, restaurants selling imperial food were established in major cities and major streets of Florence, including Livorno. Thanks to that, the imperial spoon was not an unfamiliar dishware.
“What I’m curious about is that the food and dishes your Majesty eats are very simple. “Your Majesty, can’t you always eat good food?”
In response to Savonarola’s question, Hyang smiled and answered.
“Among the proverbs of the East, there is a saying called ‘Sangjeo Jade Bae (象箸玉杯).’ To put it simply, it means ‘tableware made of ivory and vessels made of jewels’, and one of the things a monarch must be most wary of is luxury. Let’s explain it further…”
When Hyang explained the meaning of Sangjeo Jade Bae further by giving an example, Savonarola immediately shouted with a face full of joy.
“This is the truth! The truth that teaches the attitude a monarch should have! your majesty! Thank you so much!”
In this way, Savonarola came to worship incense.
* * *
This is why Savonarola became enraged as soon as words criticizing the city and the empire were uttered.
“When I met you, your majesty, you said this to me! ‘As an empire is also a country, it is natural to prioritize interests. However, the benefit must satisfy both parties, not just one party. ‘Satisfying only one party is extortion!’ Look at what France and the Spanish Habsburgs are doing now! “If that’s not extortion, what is!”
Most of those who objected to Savonarola’s point remained silent.
“But…”
“Woooo!”
“go away!”
Of course, there were those who steadfastly tried to argue against it. However, due to the boos and insults coming from all directions, they kept their mouths shut or quickly disappeared.
Thanks to Savonarola’s passionate and even fanatical campaign, the ‘excommunication’ issued by the Pope did not have much effect.
Rather, it was used as a material to call for unity among Italians by questioning the origins of the Pope and the King of Naples, who originated in Spain.
-Italians’ Italy!
Hyang, who was looking at the reports coming from all over, became serious and sighed.
“Whoa~. Nationalism… it’s a double-edged sword. “It’s starting to smell like fascism… wow.”
Hyang sighed again and looked out the window.
“From what I understand, Savonarola’s end didn’t turn out so well, but it won’t end well either. Tosagupin….”
Savonarola’s influence among Italians in the Florence, Milan, and Genoa regions was becoming stronger.
Right now, we are making good use of that influence, but it was certain that it would become a problem if it grew any further.
Savonarola’s political style was too heterogeneous to share a stake in the politics of unified Italy.
“It should be seen as similar to Khomeini or IS. If you do something wrong, a situation may arise where the tail wags the body. “They must be expelled at an appropriate time.”
The face of Hyang mentioning ‘expulsion’ was not very good. This was because ‘physical expulsion’ rather than simply ‘political expulsion’ was the most likely.
* * *
Even in a situation where someone’s tragic end was decided, Florence, Milan, and Genoa were steadily training their troops.
And information about this continued to flow into Venice.
The situation in Venice, the ‘last piece of Northern Italy’, was not very good.
Venice was divided into two groups, from the leadership to the poorest, resulting in extreme conflict.
-The trend is integration! Rather, we should actively cooperate in integration!
-no! Our Venetian sovereignty and independence are more precious than anything else! We must cooperate with the Habsburgs and endure!
The ‘unification faction’ and the ‘independence faction’ were in conflict without giving an inch.
“It’s the Italy of the Italians!”
“We are Venetians!”
“We must take the lead in unifying Italy! “Only then will we have a future!”
“Do you think unification will be easy? We have lived separately until now! “We cannot give up our sovereignty!”
“Look at the power they have!”
“You just have to ask for cooperation from the Habsburgs!”
“Are those who shout for independence open their hands to foreign powers? “It’s language nonsense!”
“Even if we open our hands to foreign powers, we can’t bend down to them! Especially for Genoa! “It’s a matter of pride!”
When ‘Genoa’ was mentioned, the integration faction also hesitated. This was because they also had no idea about Genoa.
“okay! Looking at the power they have, it’s clear that they won’t be able to withstand it! But that doesn’t mean you can curl your tail and crawl in! It is intolerable for our Venice to fall under Genoa! “Even if we lose, we can solidify our position only if we take a good hit!”