Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 641

Episode 641: Medici, Europe, Jeonjeonrok. (1)

Florence. Medici family mansion.

“I’m back.”

“Good work.”

Cosimo gave a short answer and got straight to the point.

“So what happened?”

Giovanni immediately lowered his head in response to Cosimo’s question.

“sorry. “I didn’t get a good answer.”

“Did the King of Joseon reject it?”

“The emperor said I had no right to talk to him at all.”

“what!”

Cosimo’s expression became fierce at Giovanni’s answer. Cosimo did not control his emotions and continued speaking in a harsh voice.

“It is truly ridiculous to discuss the right to have a conversation about a mere minor monarch from the East! under!”

Cosimo was shocked and did not know what to do.

His family was not simply the rulers of Florence. They were building a financial network across Europe and seizing capital. Even the king of France, a great nation, could not speak to him carelessly, and many nobles could not even raise their heads in front of him.

Is your representative not qualified to talk to you like that? It was an extremely arrogant behavior even for the monarch of Joseon, his largest trading partner.

“Tell me in detail what that arrogant Joseon monarch said!”

“Yes yes!”

Giovanni, stung by Cosimo’s scolding, immediately reported to Cosimo what the perfume had said.

“Hmm…”

When Giovanni finished speaking, Cosimo’s expression had changed. The anger that had filled me just before had suddenly disappeared, replaced by a mixture of seriousness and admiration.

“Are you saying you made that decision after only hearing the ‘5/100 share’ that was conveyed to the Foreign Minister?”

“That’s right.”

“under!”

In response to Giovanni’s answer, Cosimo let out a short exclamation that was unclear whether it was admiration or sarcasm.

After taking a sip of wine from a crystal glass, Cosimo continued.

“The young monarch of Joseon will prosper even if he does business. It’s a shame. “It’s truly a shame.”

“He is the emperor of the Korean Federal Empire, not Joseon.”

“That’s why I did it because it was unfortunate. Kitai, or Myung, is a country as large as all of Europe combined. “They call themselves an empire because they fought against such a country and only won once, so it won’t last long.”

“I don’t think so.”

“huh?”

“I continued to gather information from ports I stopped at on the way to Hanseong and Seoul. As a result, all countries in the East raised their empires above the Ming. “The ruling country in the East has clearly changed.”

“Hoo?”

Cosimo’s eyes lit up and he straightened his posture.

“Tell me in more detail.”

“yes.”

* * *

The war between Joseon and Ming was not simply a war between the two countries. All Asian countries, from Japan and Yugu as close as Malacca and Cheonchuk as far away, were carefully observing the course of the war.

Although the decline was due to trade issues, it was a serious matter for other countries that might require them to change their entire diplomatic relations. This was due to tribute diplomacy, the basic form of diplomatic relations in Northeast Asia. The critical issue was whether the existing Sanggu Ming would continue to maintain its position or whether the newly powerful Joseon would push out the Ming.

* * *

After the war, Hyang muttered this while organizing this part in his memorandum.

“It is said that the position of this ‘G1’ is the problem. If you look far away, you can see everything from the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens to the US-China conflict in the 21st century… There is no other way to say ‘Thucydides’ war’ or ‘planned war’.”

In Hyang’s opinion, Emperor Seondeok’s plan for war with Joseon was not a personal decision of Emperor Seondeok, but rather a failure to overcome the pressure of the times.

Emperor Seondeok was very friendly to Joseon at the time when King Sejong had just begun his reign. This remained the same over time, so much so that Emperor Seondeok was nicknamed ‘the Emperor of Goryeo’ and ‘the Emperor of Joseon.’

However, as Joseon grew to the point of almost complete transformation, Emperor Seondeok’s favor turned into wariness and then hostility.

This was not a change unique to Seondeokje. Even in the private sector, the trend of ‘self-generating assets’ was rising to the surface.

Therefore, the war between Ming and Joseon was predicted.

* * *

“So, in the East, leadership passed from the Ming to Joseon or the Empire?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing Giovanni’s words, Cosimo fell into deep sleep and thought.

‘I met a more difficult opponent than I thought.’

Although the concerns were deep, the conclusion came surprisingly quickly.

“The Emperor of the Empire did not say anything wrong, so I will have to take action accordingly. “There will be more expenses, but if done right, it will bring permanent benefits to our family.”

After coming to a conclusion, Cosimo looked back at Giovanni.

“Good work. “You did a great job for your family.”

In response to Cosimo’s praise, Giovanni lowered his head with a puzzled expression.

“That’s too much praise.”

“Then even if you go back… no. I have something to tell you before I go. “Thanks to the people you took with me, a lot of things happened.”

“yes?”

* * *

The painters and sculptors that Giovanni brought with him completed many works during their stay in Joseon and on the return ship.

Their paintings, prints, and sculptures soon created a sensation not only in the Italian cultural world but also in the entire European cultural world.

The scenery of Joseon, which until then had only been imagined through letters sent by monks, could now be seen with the eyes, albeit through paintings or prints.

Thanks to this, the Medici family’s mansion where the paintings were hung continued to be visited by high-ranking Europeans, and the print books were sold at high prices.

The sensation created by artists like this was not limited to culture.

The development of Joseon depicted in paintings and prints stimulated political and religious leaders in many European countries.

“How long will we keep fighting? “The countries in the East are so far ahead, we can’t be left behind!”

“Either make a clear decision or make up!”

As this opinion became mainstream, the whole of Europe was once again in great turmoil.

In the case of Charles VII of France, who received the title ‘Charles le Victorieux’, he began to reorganize the country in earnest after strengthening his royal authority.

‘I will make France the Joseon of Europe!’

This was his slogan.

What is interesting is that France and Charles VII were not the only countries and monarchs who advocated ‘European Joseon’.

Meanwhile, the religious world was also similar. Nicholas V, who succeeded his predecessor Eugenius IV as Pope, began to strive for stability and harmony in the church.

The situation at the time was also favorable to him.

In 1448, the Treaty of Vienna was signed with Frederick III, and the Council of Basel, which had been in conflict with the Vatican over the abdication of antipope Felix I, recognized Nicholas V as the only pope and was dissolved.

Nicholas V, who was faced with a favorable situation, actively took advantage of it.

“The monarchs of Joseon said that they were seeking the truth by gathering not only the wisdom of the East but also the wisdom of Rome! Reflect and repent! And study!”

It was the beginning of a reign that would later be called the ‘Age of Reflection and Repentance’ (Tempus reflexionis et poenitentiae).

Nicholas V, who raised the above slogan, changed the design to support humanities scholars and further expand the size of the Vatican library that was being built.

* * *

Giovanni stuttered in embarrassment after hearing Cosimo’s story.

“Can you tell me… that all of that happened because of me?”

Cosimo shook his head lightly at Giovanni’s words.

“Not everything. Both Charles and the Vatican have had such movements ever since the letters arrived from Joseon. You were one of them. “It’s just that this time we can see it with our eyes, so everyone can move.”

“Ah…”

Giovanni nodded at Cosimo’s words. Looking at Giovanni like that, Cosimo smiled brightly and continued speaking.

“Thanks to you, I was able to make a lot of profit. “My network became stronger and I was able to open a few more branches.”

“It’s a ramp!”

“It’s a slope up to here. But problems also arose.”

The smile on Cosimo’s face disappeared as he continued speaking.

“Tell me about ‘Challenge’.”

* * *

Giovanni and Henrik Mehmet II were not the only ones who learned of the existence of the ‘Dologak’.

The artists Giovanni brought with him fell in love with the iron horse as soon as they saw it, and lived to draw or remember the horse. During this process, he came into contact with the monks who worked at the research institute, and through them he learned of the existence of Jeon Do-rok.

The returning artists not only completed their works. In his spare time while completing his work, he collected what he saw and heard in Seoul through writing or oral communication and created a record of his observations.

And the publishers who smelled the money latched onto the books, and the stories they produced immediately became bestsellers.

And European scholars who learned of Jeonjeonrok through those experiences quickly began packing their bags.

“We have to go to Joseon or the Empire right now!”

Through letters sent by monks and artists, it was widely spread that Joseon had been transformed into the Korean Federal Empire. And at some point, among European intellectuals, Imperium became a term referring to the Korean Federal Empire.

– A country that allows study to one’s heart’s content regardless of religion, as long as the monarch encourages learning and does not insist on proselytizing.

-Only Dojeonrok and Eungjeonrok are the same country as the ideals of scholars!

– After the fall of the Roman Empire, the only country qualified to be called a true empire is the Korean Federal Empire!

This was the judgment among European intellectuals of the time.

* * *

Unlike scholars who learned of the existence of Daejeonrok and packed their bags and moved to the empire, politicians and merchants reacted differently.

– As long as you know the difficult problems written in the challenge log, you don’t have to worry about getting lost! No, you can go ahead!

– If I can get my hands on Jeonjeonrok and Eungjeonrok and make them mine, the hegemony of the world will be mine!

They believed that the rapid development of Joseon and its development into an empire based on that development were based on Jeon Jeon-rok and Eungjeon-rok.

Everyone who thought that far ran into the same problem.

“But how do I get it?”

* * *

After hearing Giovanni’s explanation, Cosimo stroked his chin and continued to ask questions.

“So, both the Jeonjeonrok and the Response Log are hidden under strict security in the Empire?”

“That’s right.”

“Shall we rescue some skilled thieves?”

“It’s impossible right now because they look different.”

“There is definitely a problem with that. Then, should we ask the monks… Oh, this has already failed… Hmm… Should we ask the Pope?”

Giovanni continued to shake his head at Cosimo’s words.

“I might break the law altogether.”

“I heard you rejected Mehmet II’s offer to abdicate?”

“Aren’t the cases different?”

Cosimo looked dumbfounded at Giovanni’s answer.

“Is it that much?”

“This is not an exaggeration. “If we look at the reactions of the monks we met at that time, it is safe to say that the Pope is beneath God and beneath him.”

“This is it…”