Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 485

Episode 485: Ouchi, Giant Soldier (3)

“Then do you think it is necessary to prevent conflict from breaking out in the country?”

Hyang immediately denied King Sejong’s question.

“It is natural for conflict to break out in the Japanese country. “It is reckless for North Korea to step forward to prevent this.”

“Are you saying that it is heaven’s will for conflict to break out in the country?”

“That’s right. This is because the Japanese king died before the oligarchy, which started with the pretext of appointing a child as the king of Japan and regent, could lay its foundation. “I tell you again, the shackles have been lifted.”

King Sejong and the ministers all nodded at Hyang’s answer.

* * *

The Japanese shogunate was very similar in nature to its predecessor, the military regime of Goryeo.

Japan was ruled by the generals of the shogunate, with a monarch whose only name was the Emperor. In order for this political system to work properly, the general, the head of the shogunate, had to be able to properly control his subordinates.

This was properly observed until the previous general, Ashikaga Yoshinori.

Therefore, the Ming and Joseon Dynasties were in a situation where they recognized and treated the generals of the shogunate as leaders of Japan, using the title ‘King of Japan’.

However, if the head of the regime was a child rather than an adult who had properly studied kingship and had proven abilities, the regime would be shaken from its very foundation. Of course, regents existed in both the East and the West to maintain the system in such situations.

The problem was that the regent, who acted on behalf of power, turned the monarch into a scarecrow, or if the nobles or subjects under him were strong, problems arose. An armed struggle was taking place to seize the supreme power that had disappeared.

The most stark example was the period of chaos in Goryeo that occurred after the Musin Rebellion. Looking further back, there was a power struggle between noble families that took place in the late Han Dynasty.

Because of this historical fact, King Sejong and the ministers agreed with Hyang’s words, ‘It cannot be stopped.’

* * *

“’It is inevitable that the lords of the Japanese kingdom will rise up against the shogunate. The problem is that the resulting conflict will lead to a long-term war.’ Is this what worries you?”

Hyang bowed her head in response to Sejong’s question.

“Yes that’s right.”

In response to Hyang’s short but firm reply, King Sejong stroked his beard and was lost in thought.

“Hmm…”

Sejong, who had been quietly thinking for a while with his mouth shut, asked Hyang how much he had finished organizing his thoughts.

“I will ask the crown prince.”

“Please ask.”

“If we were to synthesize the situation according to your opinion and think of a plan accordingly. ‘It is inevitable that a conflict will break out, so the best policy is to keep this conflict as short as possible.’ Is that correct?”

“If it’s too short, it’s a problem. “If a dispute is resolved in too short a time, the winner may overestimate his or her capabilities and do something reckless.”

“Something reckless? Invading our Joseon?”

“yes. Anyone can see that the Ming Dynasty is a great country and cannot be attacked carelessly, but that is not the case with our Joseon Dynasty.”

“He is like that too.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s answer. At that time, Hwang Hee joined the conversation.

“Given Daenae’s capabilities, I think the short-term settlement that the crown prince was worried about is unreasonable.”

After Hwang Hee finished speaking, Hyang pointed out what Hwang Hee had missed.

“I guess so. Although the Daenae clan controls almost 1/3 of Kyushu and 1/4 of the main island, they do not have a good relationship with most of the Japanese lords except the Emperor of Kuju. What I am worried about is the long gun unit and artillery unit operated by Mr. Daenae. “Compared to our Joseon Dynasty, it is nothing more than a bloodshed, but considering the situation in Japan, it is a power that can bring unexpected results.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Heo Hu opened his mouth in response to Hyang’s point.

“Then how about supporting the shogunate with Iijei’s plan?”

Hyang shook his head at Heo Hu’s suggestion.

“Not good. If that happens, your relationship with Daenae will become strained. Then, we will lose the bridgehead we worked so hard to build in the Japanese country. Of course, you will apply in secret, but you must expect that you will be found out. And if you make even the slightest mistake, the plan will end up in a long game. And in the case of the shogunate, even if we do not provide support, support will come from other sources.”

Sejong intervened in Hyang’s words.

“Are you talking about names?”

Hyang gave a short answer to Sejong’s question.

“yes.”

Sejong, who took a moment to summarize the situation in response to Hyang, nodded.

“I guess so. The current shogunate is close to the Ming, but the Daenae clan is closer to our Joseon Dynasty. It would be natural for an emperor to support the shogunate. “It would be helpful for the Ming Dynasty to keep Joseon in check.”

“That’s right.”

* * *

Looking at the current situation between Japan and Ming Joseon, there was fierce competition between Ming and Joseon for the Japanese market. And the shogunate was more inclined towards Ming. Of course, the Japanese who actually consumed the products preferred Joseon-made products, but as the Daenae clan and Joseon maintained a close relationship, the shogunate became closer to the Ming.

“Ever since our country was founded, the Ming Dynasty has kept our country in check. We, Joseon, have avoided conflict by following the example of the four major powers, so things have been okay so far, but I am not sure that will be the case in the future. That is why it is not easy for Joseon to let go of the Daenae clan. This is because our country does not have the capacity to deploy two fronts simultaneously. Of course, qualitatively our Joseon soldiers are the strongest, but they are inferior in numbers.”

When Hyang pointed out the reality, the expressions of King Sejong and the ministers became complicated.

As Hyang said, the military power of Tanggeum Joseon was the strongest since the founding of the country. The Joseon Navy controlled the sea between the Ming Dynasty and the Japanese Joseon Dynasty, and the Land Navy was a force that instilled fear in the Jurchen tribe.

However, if we look at quantity rather than quality, the strongest among the three kingdoms of Ming and Joseon was Ming.

‘The only country that could fight on two fronts and win in a regular war, not at the level of a border dispute, was the United States during World War II? Even if there was a time difference.’

Hyang continued to grumble internally.

‘It’s not like that country was called Cheatki!’

* * *

“Isn’t it okay if our Joseon Dynasty continues to follow the example of the four great powers?”

Hwang Hee refuted Heo Hu’s words.

“If there comes a time when the four major powers become unnecessary for our Joseon Dynasty, what will we do then?”

Heo Hu kept his mouth shut at Hwang Hee’s point.

Heo Hu also knew the situation well to some extent.

Now Joseon was continuing to develop. Commerce and industry were developing in proportion to the expansion of the river area, and the number of people from the Yi tribe returning to Joseon continued to increase.

If the current situation continued, it was considered impossible to liquidate the Ming Dynasty’s four generations, but it would soon be possible to establish an external king.

* * *

‘When the four worlds become unnecessary.’

When Hwang Hee’s remark came out, the atmosphere in Daejeon stirred for a moment and then calmed down. Everyone was making similar judgments as Heo Hu, and the important thing now was not that issue, but the country of Japan.

In the end, King Sejong came forward again and settled the situation.

“Hmm…. To sum it up, Daenae may produce unexpected results. If that happens, Daenae may become overconfident and make the wrong decision. We will support the Ming shogunate to prevent the three Daenae clans from taking over the Japanese government. Is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

In response to Hyang’s answer, Sejong asked again.

“If the situation in Japan is going that way, then Joseon should also support the Daenae clan, right?”

“That’s right. However….”

“But I can’t provide support openly. At best, it’ll be gunpowder and medicine, right?”

Hyang nodded because what Sejong said after interrupting her was the correct answer.

“That’s right. And if you think about the emperor’s temperament, Ming would be similar.”

King Sejong and the ministers all nodded at Hyang’s words. It was Emperor Seondeok who went through all kinds of hardships to restore the finances that had been damaged by the frequent conquests of Emperor Yeongnak. Therefore, Emperor Seondeok would never provide direct military support.

Hyang continued speaking.

“The only time our country takes direct action is when it seeks Tsushima Island. Of course, if harm were to come to our Korean people in Japan, things would be different.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s words.

“That’s right. But that’s it. “If various conditions, including Ming support, overlap, the power of the Daenae clan and the shogunate become equal, and it becomes clear that we will end up in a long-term war that should be most avoided, what will you do?”

“When that time comes, we need to provide more active support.”

“Actively? “Are you suggesting that we deploy Joseon’s military as well?”

“no. “We need to bring in mercenaries.”

When the word ‘mercenary’ came out, Daejeon was once again in a state of commotion.

“A mercenary? “You want to buy soldiers and provide them with money?”

“That’s right. Of course, it is not Joseon that supplies the goods externally, but rather the merchants of Joseon fulfill Daenae’s demands.”

“It seems like a good idea, but… the problem is where are you going to get those mercenaries?”

“There are aftershocks nearby, and there are west coasts in the distance.”

“West Station?”

When an unexpected being appeared, the eyes of King Sejong and his ministers opened wide.

Hyang smiled slightly at the reaction of King Sejong and the ministers and added.

“Yes, looking at the current situation in Europe, it seems quite possible.”

* * *

As medieval feudalism collapsed, the scale of war gradually expanded. It was a natural result that as the scale of the war grew, more manpower was needed.

The problem was that the soldiers who were forcibly conscripted were of very poor quality.

Another problem was that the population had decreased significantly due to the Black Death.

There was a shortage of manpower to maintain one’s own manor, so conscripting men for war was a problem that would cause more harm than good.

In this situation, those who gradually began to stand out were mercenaries. The children of nobility and the unemployed in the city, who did not have the same inheritance rights as the second and third sons, became mercenaries and entered the battlefield. In addition, people in areas where it was difficult to make a living due to the harsh nature, like the famous Swiss mercenaries, also chose mercenaries as a career.

And these mercenaries were making money here and there in Europe, including Italy.

The scent was focused on this aspect.

* * *

“He’s a mercenary… It’s okay.”

After hearing the explanation of the scent, King Sejong soon made a decision.

“Let the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defense, and the Minister of Finance and Economy prepare for this.”

“I follow your orders.”

After sorting out the measures to be taken in case Daenae clan needs support, King Sejong asked Hyang again.

“I will ask the crown prince again.”

“Yes Abama.”

“If Mr. Daenae takes power in the Japanese government as we expect, what will happen after that? Or, to be precise, what effect will it have on our Joseon?”

“There may be several cases. However, if we think about it in relation to our Joseon Dynasty, the best thing is for the Daenae clan, who came to power, to act in the same way as the shogunate that has been in power until now. “Then, except that the owner of the shogunate has changed, almost nothing has changed, and Daenae is close to our Joseon Dynasty.”

Sejong, who was nodding at Hyang’s words, asked again.

“Then what is the next best option?”

“There is no second best, they are all the worst. “It’s hard to compete with severity.”

“huh?”