Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 530

Episode 530 Rolling, rolling… (11)

Calculus Probability and Statistics where Incense ground its teeth.

These were the things that made me choose liberal arts over science because of the 21st century. Of course, I learned calculus and math in the liberal arts department, and there were questions on the college entrance exam. But it wasn’t at the level of science.

As a side note, when Hyang took the level 5 financial management exam, the subjects he had the most trouble with, which caused him to suffer the pain of failure, and which he narrowly passed on the verge of failing, were accounting and statistics.

* * *

The scent that briefly recalled old memories returned to reality.

“There are some risks, but if we do well, it will be our best opportunity to absorb talent from Europe and the Middle East. “If you think about the current situation.”

The situation in Europe and the Middle East secured through Mansour and Portuguese Alexandria was at its peak of chaos.

To what extent, the person who checked the report muttered something like this.

“Is this the era of Mad Max? Or should the King of Powers emerge from somewhere?”

* * *

The biggest cause of chaos in the Middle East and Europe was religious conflict.

It was not a conflict between Christianity and Islam, but a struggle within each religion.

First, in the case of Europe, ‘Council vs. Pope’ ‘Authority of the Bible and Gospel vs. ‘Authority of the Pope’ ‘For vs. against integration with the Orthodox Church’ ‘Problem of sale of clergy’ ‘Problem of marriage of clergy’ ‘Principalism vs. Fierce divisions and bloody struggles were taking place over issues such as ‘secularism’.

In particular, the kings of each country and the governors of city-states did not hesitate to use force to protect their power.

In addition to the conflicts caused by differences in religious viewpoints, there was constant fighting throughout Europe due to armed conflicts caused by conflicts of interest between countries struggling for power.

The case of Islam was equally complicated. The biggest factions, Sunni and Shiite, clashed. And just like in Europe, clashes occurred between sultans and religious figures who dreamed of monopolizing power, and small sects steeped in mysticism became common enemies of Sunni and Shia and were persecuted. The persecution of mystics was the same for Christianity.

Because it was a situation like this, the Hyang decided that it was an opportunity to recruit talent even if it meant taking risks.

Those who possessed or studied knowledge of classical chemistry, alchemy, science, or mathematics from the ancient Greek and Roman era were evaluated as mystics and were in a perfect situation to be accused of heresy and face threats to their lives.

Of course, there were those who had the foresight to support them, but such monarchs and nobles were extremely few.

Of course, there was also the possibility that some would come to realize the reality and support scholars through letters sent by monks or alchemists staying in Joseon – a risk that Hyang was concerned about.

However, despite such risks, what Hyang was confident about was the existence of the research institute he had established.

At this time, Joseon was the only country in both East and West that systematically provided large-scale budget support at the government level.

The only place where personal and economic safety was guaranteed and where researchers could focus solely on research was the Joseon Research Institute.

Another strength was the data accumulated in the research center over the years.

Books from the Greek and Roman era collected from around the time when Hyang was crowned crown prince, and the data obtained from the numerous experiments conducted in Area 51 were unrivaled in both quantity and quality.

* * *

There was an interesting fact related to Joseon during this period, to be precise, a sad truth.

That is, even though it was a time of chaos with endless armed conflicts and deaths everywhere, Joseon’s trade volume did not decrease at all and was steadily increasing.

People in Europe and the Middle East constantly coveted Joseon products.

The reason they squandered their family wealth and coveted Joseon goods was because the period in which they lived was a time of confusion and conflict.

People who were in a position where they could not think about tomorrow due to religious disputes and other political issues caused extreme greed for the pleasures of today.

The nobles constantly held banquets, and the lower class, symbolized by the peasants, flocked to all kinds of festivals established by the church and gorged on alcohol and food.

In particular, in order to soothe the growing dissatisfaction of the lower class with the harsh reality, the church gradually increased the number and period of festivals, making this trend more prevalent as ‘today a festival is held in this village and tomorrow in a neighboring village’.

And Joseon benefited from this trend.

Aristocrats sat around a table filled with crystal glasses, bottles, and precious ceramic plates in a banquet hall with ornate chandeliers, enjoyed drinks and food, and dreamed of one-night secret relationships. And the necessities of aristocratic men to have secret relationships like this were sunglasses, spices, hats, and fans made in Joseon.

In particular, pottery made in Joseon became a must-have item for households with money, even if they were not noble, due to its excellent luster.

It was the same at festivals. Merchants distributed large quantities of ‘ponsu (mulberry water)’ to the pockets of those who participated in the festival.

Joseon sold carbonated water with a higher concentration than that sold in Joseon to compensate for the amount of carbonation that decreased during long-distance travel.

Thanks to this, the Ponsu that arrived in Europe had a stronger and sweeter taste than the beer that Europeans drank.

And the people of Europe, who were addicted to this intensely tangy and sweet taste, gorged themselves fanatically on Ponsu.

Of course, there were some who expressed concern about this social trend. Philosophers and religious figures who advocated ‘Christian poverty’ or ‘the pursuit of sound wealth’ called for breaking this trend, but few people listened to them.

Those who criticized the current situation concluded as follows.

“The nation that first breaks out of this shell of corruption will soon become the ruler of Europe.”

In Europe and the Middle East, which can be called an era of conflict, there are some countries that are taking different actions from others.

These were the countries of the Iberian Peninsula, symbolized by Portugal and Spain, and the Ottoman and Byzantine Empire.

Spain and Portugal concentrated on trade with other countries, suppressing conflict as much as possible unless they met each other at sea. And the country’s power grew with the goods obtained through trade. This was the same for the Ottomans and Byzantines. Starting with the Byzantines, the Ottomans, who briefly halted their advance into the Balkan Peninsula, began to reorganize their national system by overhauling their military on a large scale. The Byzantines, who barely survived, also began to steadily build up their stamina again in a situation where they did not provoke the Ottomans.

And this situation became the spark that would lead to an even bigger conflict.

* * *

27th year of King Sejong’s reign (1445, Eulchuk year).

In October, the upper cargo sent from Portugal arrived.

“I guess this year will be the last time you spend in Portugal?”

To the question posed by the customs official who greeted Sang Sang, Sang Sang Ju nodded and answered in fluent Korean.

“That’s right. “I will come back next spring.”

“Right.”

After that brief conversation, quarantine officers boarded the ships of the fleet to check for the presence of patients.

While safety was confirmed and the crew disembarked, the merchant spoke cautiously to the customs official.

“I have a letter to send to the government. “This is a letter from the regent of Abang (my country).”

Hearing Sang-sang-ju’s words, the customs official also looked serious, looked around, and whispered softly.

“Follow me.”

* * *

The handwritten letter from Regent Pedro brought by the Sangsanju arrived at the court along with the Sangdangju.

“This is not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

After confirming the contents, Heo Hu went straight to the Prime Minister’s office with the original letter and translation.

“Have you finally made a decision?…”

Hwang Hee muttered softly after checking the contents of the translation that Heo Hu brought.

“Have you finally made a decision?”

“exactly.”

After briefly answering the question asked by Kim Jeom, who was sitting next to him, Hwang Hee handed the translated text to Kim Jeom.

Kim Jeom’s face became bright after reading the translated text.

“This is truly good news! 3000 bags! “One bag costs 50 nyang of silver, so the total amount is 150,000 nyang of silver!”

Heo Hu, who saw Kim Jeom looking pleased, fired back at him.

“Considering the current state of Joseon, isn’t 150,000 nyang of silver a lot? Still, don’t you like it a lot?”

Seeing Heo Hu subtly replying, ‘You’re narrow-minded,’ Kim Jeom responded by clicking his tongue lightly.

“Tsk tsk… How can you only look right in front of me? “Look at it like a big country. Look at it like a big country!”

“Daeguuk~? “This person is real!”

When Heo Hu stood up from his seat, Kim Jeom immediately stood up and glared at him.

“Both of you, please take a seat. What a disgrace! “It will be like this in front of the Crown Prince later too!”

At Hwang Hee’s yelling, the two sat down and glared at each other.

“Don’t just talk about the Left Deputy Prime Minister’s conclusions, but talk about it in more detail.”

Hearing Hwang Hee’s words, Kim Jeom immediately went into explanation.

“If you look at the world of Westerners in Europe today, it is a time of war, reminiscent of the Warring States Period. If you think about that, the 3,000 rifles ordered by Portugal right now can be seen as bait. After seeing its performance, other countries will also try to obtain this rifle. “If you have read the report prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs properly, it is natural that such a judgment should have been made quickly.”

‘Didn’t you read the report from your ministry properly?’

At the same time as the explanation, it was Kim Jeom who hit Heo-hu sharply. Heo Hu listened to Kim Jeom’s attack with a red face.

“Isn’t that just a possibility? In other words, isn’t it possible that they could look at the Seokseok-style rifle sold to Portugal and make it using a similar model? Why are you so confident that we will buy something from Joseon?”

Kim Jeom immediately responded to Heo Hu’s point.

“It’s been over a year since those Portuguese people bought these rifles. No matter how long the sea route took, don’t you think that’s enough time to look into it and think about it? And since there is no answer even if we do that, I guess they came here to buy something from Joseon!”

“….”

Heo Hu’s mouth closed tightly at Kim Jeom’s words. His face was still flushed, but that was because he was at a loss for words.

It was Hwang Hee who organized the situation.

“I will immediately forward this letter to His Majesty the Crown Prince. It is certain that the meeting will proceed immediately, so please prepare in advance.”

“yes.”

“I will do so.”

After answering Hwang Hee’s command, Kim Jeom and Heo Hu left Hwang Hee’s office.

Hwang Hee, looking at the two people’s facial expressions, clearly divided between the winner and the loser, let out a long sigh.

“Whoa~. “A very bad light has fallen on Captain Uichon.”

Kim Jeom was one of those who had been working in the government since the early days of Gyeongjang. Although Hwang Hee was able to escape for a period of time to pioneer the northeastern region, Kim Jeom continued to be harassed by King Sejong and Hyang at the same time.

In the process, Kim Jeom began to resemble King Sejong and his father.

In addition to the positive aspects of being equipped with quick analysis and judgment, he also resembled the negative aspects of Sejong’s father and son.

Among them, the most representative ones were the tongue-clicking sound that turned a person’s stomach inside out and the Zen-like manner of speaking, in which he spoke only to the conclusion without saying anything. It didn’t end with a Zen question, but it turned people inside out by clicking their tongues when they saw those who couldn’t understand it.