Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 511

Episode 511: Far and near. (4)

“Come on! Now that the busy work far away has been sorted out, let’s talk about the worries nearby.”

The ministers, who had finished a meeting and were taking a break while drinking a cup of tea, immediately straightened up after hearing Hyang’s words.

While the eunuchs came in and refilled the teapots, the local government officials shuffled through documents.

“Should we start from the east? Or should we start from the south?”

Jo Mal-saeng was the first to open his mouth in response to Hyang’s question while shuffling through the documents in front of him.

“I think we should start from the north.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s words, the eyes of Hyang and other ministers all focused on Jo Mal-saeng.

“You mean north? Did the Jurchen people cause some kind of trouble again?”

“It comes further north than the aftershock. A messenger has arrived from Oirat. “They say they are bringing him to Hanseong now.”

“Oirat?”

The appearance of an unexpected being made Hyang and the ministers’ faces turn serious.

* * *

For Joseon during this period, Oirat and Bukwon were farther away than Seoyi.

They were entities that disappeared outside the realm of knowledge of the Joseon people due to the fall of the Yuan Empire and the founding of the Ming Dynasty and the replacement of Goryeo and Joseon.

In addition, there were aftershocks between Oirat and Joseon.

Due to these restrictions, there was no direct exchange between the Oirat and Joseon.

But then a messenger came from Oirat.

* * *

“Hmm… Why did they send a messenger?”

Kim Jeom answered Hyang’s question.

“Isn’t it for the purpose of communicating with Joseon? “The excellence of our Joseon vessels must have been well known even in the Mongolian region.”

Heo Hu immediately refuted Kim Jeom’s words.

“Do you think those Mongolians have finally heard the rumors about our Joseon? It has already been more than 10 years since the Mongolians began trading with merchants in Masi. “If it was a rumor about our Joseon Dynasty, you would have heard it a long time ago.”

Hyang and Hwang Hee nodded to Heo Hu’s point.

* * *

Joseon was well aware that Ming and Oirat conducted commerce in Masi. And as time passed, we also heard that the transaction size was growing significantly.

After hearing the information, some Joseon merchants tried to advance into Masi, but they were blocked every time by the territorial power of the merchants.

In the end, Joseon merchants had to be satisfied with selling goods to merchants who traded in Masi, and the merchants steadily and handsomely made profits from relaying.

* * *

“Then Captain Heo, why do you think they are looking for us?”

Heo Hu answered Kim Jeom’s question in a slightly unconfident tone.

“Well, let’s come… I wonder if you are requesting military exchange.”

“That’s interesting. “What made you think that?”

Hyang asked a question with an expression full of curiosity. In response to Hyang’s response being more positive than expected, Heo Hu spoke in a more confident voice about the reason for his thoughts.

“It’s because of Marcy’s problem. According to the stories I heard from our merchants who advanced to Masi, it is not only our Joseon merchants who are being attacked by merchants. “In fact, they say they are hitting the Mongolians even harder.”

“If they are merchants, they probably don’t know that they will end up as rulers, right?”

‘I remember hearing that there was an uproar over this issue?’

Recalling memories of the 21st century, Hyang asked a question.

But this was something the scent knew backwards.

The cause of the ‘civil disaster’ that the village knows was that Oirat was being ripped off and at the same time, smuggling was rampant around Masi.

Heohu responded again to Hyang’s point.

“Of course they know. However, I believe that the Oirats and Mongolians are equally prone to rip-offs, and there are many who still cannot forget the grudges from the old Yuan Dynasty.”

“So you’re saying they’re hitting on each other?”

“That’s right.”

Hwang Hee, who was sitting next to Heo Hu’s explanation, joined the conversation.

“So, the relationship has deteriorated while they are hitting each other like that, so they are trying to have military exchanges with Joseon?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm…”

Hwang Hee, who was stroking his beard and organizing his thoughts in response to Heo Hu’s response, looked back at Jo Mal-saeng.

“Captain Cho. “What do you think?”

Jo Mal-saeng answered Hwang Hee’s question with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Well, let’s come. I don’t think it’s an entirely unlikely story. But for now, wouldn’t it be unreasonable to accept what Oirat says?”

Everyone gathered in Seunghwadang, starting with the scent, nodded at Jo Mal-saeng’s answer.

* * *

Starting with King Sejong, the Joseon Dynasty’s powerful people saw the possibility of a catastrophe with the Ming Dynasty as very high.

Therefore, military expansion was steadily underway. But the navy was infuriated.

“The more we can pull out even one more challenger-level battleship, the better, but those Chinese guys are holding us back!”

The volume of trade between China and Europe continued to increase. The number of private merchant merchant ships was gradually increasing, but the center of this long-distance trade was the navy.

In such a situation, the development of new territories was gradually accelerating, and the naval forces were in a situation where they could not work because they had no ships.

To the point that jokes like this were going around among the navy, regardless of whether they were high or low.

“What are you talking about? The tenets of the religion they believe in is that they walk on water. If we believe that too, but if we cultivate the Tao, can we walk on water? Then, the problem of insufficient wires will be solved once and for all, right?”

“Do you want to walk carrying that canvas?”

“….”

In order to solve this frustrating situation, the budget had to be increased by even a penny, but due to problems with the land and naval forces defending the northern border area, bloody fights had to be fought repeatedly.

“We can just put it on a boat and take it to Beijing!”

“How many boogers can you put on one boat? And are you going to stop the Chinese from crossing the Great Wall of China? Or, as the saying goes, if there are many boatmen, the boat will go to the mountains, so are you going to drag the boat and cross the Great Wall of China?”

“Shit!”

* * *

Although Joseon’s powers were making military preparations, they viewed military exchanges with the Oirat negatively.

“That’s right. “It is something we should not give justification for even when a catastrophe is decided.”

Hwang Hee and the ministers all nodded at Hyang’s words.

“That’s right. “Undoubtedly, cause is the most important thing between countries.”

Hyang also nodded at Hwang Hee’s words.

At that time, the Minister of Finance and Economy, who had been hidden in Kim Jeom’s shadow, spoke for the first time in a long time.

“Is it possible that they are coming because of the horses we sell for sale?”

“huh?”

“uh?”

Hyang and Hwang Hee’s heads turned at the words of the Minister of Finance and Economy.

“Why are you talking?”

The Minister of Finance and Economy immediately responded to Hwang Hee’s words.

“They say the horses we sell are popular among people.”

* * *

From the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty had demanded a considerable amount of horses as tribute from Joseon.

This had two purposes: one was to prevent the strengthening of cavalry, the core force of the Joseon army, and the other was because Joseon was surprisingly good at raising horses.

To solve this problem, as soon as King Sejong started Gyeongjang, he selected suitable islands, starting with Jeju Island and Jindo, and operated horse markets. After absorbing the Jurchen tribes in the northeastern region, additional horse camps were established in the Gaema Plateau and the wide open fields nearby.

Of course, all of this was done in secret. And seemingly every time an envoy from Ming came, King Sejong and his subjects complained.

“Ah! “We have nothing to say either!”

The tug-of-war that continued using all kinds of tricks ended with the export of the iron horse to the Ming Dynasty.

“I’ll make the prices of essential parts cheaper! Instead, I will not offer horses as tribute from now on!”

The Ming envoys expressed their disapproval at Joseon’s demands. However, after hearing the story, Emperor Seondeok made a bold decision.

“Instead, discount the price of iron horse parts supplied by Joseon by 10% and supply them in the quantity we want. “Then I won’t listen to you.”

“Aren’t you being too gracious?”

The Ming cabinet ministers and ministers expressed concern about Emperor Seondeok’s decision, but Emperor Seondeok shook his head.

“No, what is needed now is to accelerate the completion of the railway network by making more iron horses. In that case, the words brought in from that city will be enough. “Do as I command.”

“I follow the Emperor’s command.”

And Emperor Seondeok, who made this decision, looked at the map alone and muttered.

“In order to win the decisive battle with Joseon, we must concentrate as many troops as possible in Liaodong. Words cannot handle this task. Only an iron horse can do this. You have to give something small and take something big. Cough! Cough!”

Emperor Seondeok coughed violently and managed to catch his breath and mumble.

“It’s really hard and lonely. I never thought there would be so many people who would understand what I meant… If I tell you now, there are only idiots who will say let’s attack Joseon right now…”

In that way, the verbal tribute disappeared into history.

* * *

“How many horses will our Joseon Dynasty sell to the Ming, and will a messenger come?”

Hyang asked the Minister of Finance and Economy with an expression that he did not understand.

In modern Joseon, horses were as useful livestock as cows. If cattle were the core of farming, horses were the core of commerce and transportation.

In small cities where it was difficult to build a circular railway, horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws transported people.

In addition, stagecoaches traveled where the metropolitan railway that connected the entire Joseon Dynasty passed, between nearby villages, and on roads connecting local areas.

Vendors traveling through the marketplaces of Joseon also rode on carts pulled by donkeys or ponies.

And each pretending family had several horses and one or two luxurious carriages.

As a result, demand for horses always outstripped supply in Joseon.

The Minister of Finance and Economy answered the question.

“There are several breeds raised at privately run horse farms, and although they are small in size, they are strong and many merchants like them.”

“Even so, there are only a few of them, so I don’t understand why they would send a lion for that.”

Although it seemed like he still didn’t understand, the Minister of Finance and Economy continued talking.

“Please consider the situation in Oirat. “The only thing they sell is horses and sheep. Don’t you think it’s a problem if Joseon sells horses?”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm…”

At the Minister of Finance and Economy’s answer, the ministers and ministers seemed to think it was plausible and were lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, Hwang Hee opened her mouth.

“The Minister of Finance and Economy has a point, but I don’t think it is reasonable. Considering the number of horses sold by Oirat in Masi and the number of horses needed throughout the Ming Dynasty, the horses sold by our Joseon Dynasty cannot be a problem. Dan…”

“Dan?”

When Hwang Hee paused for a moment, the Hyang and the ministers all waited for his next words. Hwang Hee took a moment to catch her breath and continued speaking.

“However, it would be a good excuse for Oirat to send an envoy to Joseon.”

“So, on the outside, they are coming to criticize Joseon for selling horses, but on the inside, they have another plan? Is that correct?”

Hwang Hee nodded in response to Hyang’s question.

“That’s right. And the intention is probably related to the military.”