Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 855

Episode 855: Their Ambition (6)

In the process of Ouchi taking control of Japan, the existence of the empire, Sejong, and Hyang were not revealed to the surface.

However, the young ‘unificationists’ in Florence were able to find the presence of the Empire and Sejong’s hometown in the records they found.

“If you look at each one separately, you will never be able to find it.”

“But if you look at it all together, it changes. “This could never have succeeded without the intervention of the ‘Land of Flowers’ and its monarchs.”

The first reaction of the ‘unificationists’ who found traces of the empire and Sejong’s scent during Ouchi’s rise to power was frustration.

“Are you saying that unification is impossible without a strong backing?”

“Is it impossible for us in Florence alone?”

Although they were so frustrated, the unificationists regained their strength and looked into Japan’s unification process.

In the process, what caught the eyes of the unificationists again was the slogan shouted by Ouchi Morimi of the Ouchi family at the time when everything first started.

“Escape from Japan?”

“’Let’s throw away all the old habits of Japan and learn the good things of Joseon to become stronger.’…”

After Morimi shouted, the ‘unificationists’ who had been pondering the central ideas of the Japanese leaders changed their minds.

“I think we should look again at the unification process of Japan….”

Here, a divergence arose between the unificationists in Florence and the unificationists in other city-states.

During this period, those calling for the ‘unification of Italy’ were not limited to Florence.

They were radical unificationists whom historians later named the ‘Scuola Giovani’.

* * *

As Eastern countries, including the empire symbolized as the ‘land of flowers’, Ming and Japan, actively entered into trade, Europe also received a lot of stimulation.

This was the same for Italy, which was divided into many city-states at the time.

Young intellectuals living in powerful city-states such as Genoa, Venice, and Florence began dreaming of ‘Revolution’, stimulated by Eastern culture and systems.

The first to publicly call for ‘reform’ and ‘unification’ were young Venetian intellectuals.

At this time, Venice was on the downhill path of decline.

The famous Venetian glass industry was gradually losing ground to the empire and other countries, and it lost its hegemony in the Eastern Mediterranean to the Ottomans.

But it was Suez that dealt the most fatal blow.

Spices and goods from the East came in large quantities through Suez and were distributed to the Eastern Mediterranean region by the Ottomans, leading to the fall of Venice.

As their country was declining day by day, young Venetian intellectuals desperately tried to find a way out.

The path they desperately sought was ‘Italian unification.’

-Unified country, unified system This is the path to salvation that will lead everyone in Italy to happiness!

The ‘unification of Italy’ advocated by young Venetian intellectuals spread over time among intellectuals in other influential city-states.

Or, to be more precise, it rose to the surface and became mainstream thought.

* * *

Even when Cosimo decided to invite Florentine scholars to study in the empire, talk about ‘unification’ was circulating among university professors.

However, most politicians with vested interests, like Cosimo, who heard the story at the time, reacted negatively.

This was partly to protect their vested rights, but also because, as Cosimo pointed out at the time, there were strong obstacles preventing unification.

-How do we make ordinary people, who only know where they were born, not Italy, realize that they are ‘Italians’?

-Who will be the monarch?

It is a situation where everyone except the ruling city that controls the city and village where they were born are considered enemies. Is there a monarch who can convince them all?

Every time the word ‘unification’ came up among university scholars, the city’s ruling class asked the above question, and each time the scholars had to keep quiet.

And the same question was asked to young intellectuals.

To find answers, young intellectuals turned to the East and learned about Japan.

“Japan is the answer!”

* * *

Before unification, Japan was divided into large and small domains. Although there was a government and monarch symbolized by the shogunate and the emperor, the actual people who ruled various parts of Japan were the daimy?.

This was the same in Italy.

No, the situation was worse than in Japan. Italy had no monarch.

There was a Pope, but the Pope was just a Pope.

Those who ruled Italy were powerful city-states such as Florence, Genoa, and Venice. The rest were subsidiary cities and villages under their control.

Thanks to these similarities, young intellectuals persistently delved into Japan’s unification process and discovered traces of the empire and King Sejong’s scent there.

And when they discovered the traces, they became frustrated.

“As expected, was there a need for a back boat?”

Here a divergence was born between the ‘Young Schools’ of Florence and other city-states.

Youth schools in other cities began to pay attention to the existence of ‘back boats’.

“We must succeed in unification and revive Italy, even with the help of powerful countries!”

“There will be interference at first! But it is insignificant compared to the ‘great cause’ of ‘unification’!”

“If Italy’s own power becomes stronger, it can escape interference! “Unification comes first!”

They chanted ‘unification first, then self-reliance’ and set out to find monarchs of powerful countries who would become their sponsors.

Young people from Genoa headed to Spain, which was already on the path to becoming a powerful nation, young people from Venice went to the Holy Roman Empire, and young people from Milan went to France.

Due to the actions of these young people, their hometowns called them ‘traitors’ or ‘traitors.’

Meanwhile, the reactions of most kings of countries that received their requests were similar.

“I will seriously consider your suggestions.”

“For the sake of our country and Italy, we absolutely need the support of Your Majesty and the Kingdom.”

The kings responded with the utmost seriousness to the earnest requests of young intellectuals belonging to the Youth School.

“I’ll try to think as positively as possible. But it’s not something we can decide right away, so let’s go back first.”

The kings who sent the young people away immediately snorted and looked at the ministers around them.

“joy! What should I call them? Stupid idiot? Or naive people who don’t know anything about the world?”

“They are pigs who stick out their necks for the cook.”

“That’s correct. It’s Italy… Let’s make a plan. “You can’t miss out on such a great opportunity, right?”

The kings of Spain and France, the Holy Roman Empire, began to plot with their ministers.

To seize the coveted prey called Italy.

* * *

Meanwhile, the youth schools in Florence paid attention to ‘de-Japanese immigration’.

“The most important thing is that you break old habits with your own strength. “No matter how much the monarchs of the ‘Land of Flowers’ provided weapons, it would not have been possible without Ouchi’s own capabilities.”

“But no matter how much it is, it would not have been possible without the support of ‘The Land of Flowers.’ I think the biggest support isn’t something tangible like a weapon. “They are international students.”

“foreign student?”

“Did you forget? “Ouchi was the first place to send international students to the empire.”

“And what the international students in Ouchi learned, unlike the international students in Europe, were in the areas of administration and politics. And based on what we learned, we reformed the administration and military.”

Young people in Florence focused on Japan’s administrative and military reform.

The young people of Florence nodded their heads as they investigated the administrative reform symbolized by the ‘abolished feudal lord’ and the military system reform symbolized by the ‘Japanese army’.

“In order to make it one Italy, control of the city must be returned to the state.”

“I agree. Look at France. The nobles’ fiefdoms are continuously being reduced. “As long as territory is recognized, the control of the state and central government is bound to be weak.”

“An even better example than France is the ‘Land of Flowers.’ There is no such thing as territory in the ‘Land of Flowers.’ “The officials who rule local areas are always dispatched from the central government.”

“I heard that there was a noble rebellion in the ‘Land of Flowers,’ right? “If we think about unification and centralization, we need to purge the nobles.”

“It’s a purge… Then, of course, strong military force is needed and the military system needs to be reformed.”

“It’s the military system…”

The conversation, which continued smoothly, ended at the point about ‘military system reform.’ As can be seen from Ouchi’s case and the Empire’s case, even if not in those cases, the answer was already known.

The correct answer was a standing army. And that’s not mercenaries, but the Florentine army.

Here the young people of Florence were blocked.

* * *

The main players in the war during this period were mercenaries.

Of course, when war broke out, the nobles summoned the citizens of their territories to participate in the war. But the most important force was the mercenaries. Because those most familiar with war and combat were mercenaries.

But mercenaries were dangerous beings. There were cases where they switched sides during battle at the prospect of being paid a little more, and there were cases where they attacked their employees if they did not receive compensation.

There were even cases where a mercenary leader became the ruler of a city, like Francesco Sforza, the ruler of Milan. Of course, he gained justification by marrying the daughter of Filippo, Duke of Milan.

Even though there were so many dangers, many nobles and kings preferred mercenaries.

This was because operating a standing army required enormous amounts of finances.

Clothing, feeding, and training soldiers all involved money. The common thinking at this time was that it was wiser to hire mercenaries when necessary rather than spending this amount on a fixed basis in preparation for a war that could occur at any time.

However, the young people of Florence were keenly aware that they had to break this common sense.

This was because the beings who broke that common sense were right next to me.

They were Charles VII of France and his successor, Louis XI.

-France The Royal Army is an army that receives orders only from the King, the monarch of France.

-The imperial army assembled under the king’s edict is the true French army.

As the perception of the French people changed, the position of the French nobility decreased.

“Surely a standing army is the answer….”

“The problem is finances….”

“In the end, is it Medici?”

“Should we collude with the dictator’s family?”

At the time, Florence was ruled by the Medici family, but there were many families that opposed the Medici family. In order to withstand this competition, the Medici family had no choice but to implement a dictatorship, and there were many intellectuals who opposed this.

However, the young people of Florence had no choice but to form a relationship with Lorenzo de’ Medici.

It was about joining hands with a dictator for the cause of unification.

Lorenzo de’ Medici, in his 20s, full of vitality and ambition, immediately accepted their offer.

“‘Ruler of unified Italy’… how beautiful a title is this?”