Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 865

Episode 865 Imperial type (???), imperial style (2)

In response to Jang Hang-seon’s order, the military officer bowed lightly and began to open his mouth.

“First of all, what I am saying from now on is based on information obtained by our empire. And this information was obtained through imperial merchants who engaged in trade, Italians they met at trading points, and books purchased through various channels. So it’s not a perfect fit. “I assume that this is simply a study of the situation in Florence based on rumors I heard.”

“If I do it wrong, people might say, ‘What kind of bullshit is this?’”

“I am confident that it is not to that extent. “This is a cross-verification of what I heard from many sources.”

To Jang Hang-seon’s question, the military officer answered with a small, wry smile.

* * *

If tongue-clicking from King Sejong was the most avoided in the general bureaucracy of the empire, Jang Hang-seon’s swearing was the most avoided in the Ministry of Defense and the General Headquarters.

After being specially appointed by King Sejong, Jang Hang-seon became the best expert in the empire’s defense department.

Since it was such a long-haul ship, meticulous work was essential. If any loopholes or poor work were discovered, Jang Hang-seon immediately pointed them out and listened to them.

If the cause was someone superior to him, he went to the person in charge’s office to argue with him, and if it was a subordinate, he called him in right away and scolded him until he lost his senses.

It was the perfect behavior to look hateful, but surprisingly, it rarely caused problems.

The biggest reason was that it was a special offer made after meeting and talking with King Sejong in person. Being chosen by the highest authority was a fairly powerful shield.

Second, it was because, except for being picky about work, he rarely caused any problems.

In this way, Jang Hang-seon was the person who gradually rose to the position of Minister of National Defense. And the higher his position, the more famous Jang Hang-seon’s profanity became with various meanings.

‘What kind of bullshit is this?’ was a joke. The more inadequate the work was done, the more intense the swearing became.

“You damn bastard!”

The swear words mixed with the harsh northern dialect made the listeners feel sick.

In any case, perhaps because of this long-haul ship, the Ministry of National Defense and the Imperial Army handled their affairs neatly.

It was completely different from the public’s assessment that it was a ‘place of robbers who only know how to fight’, which has been around since ancient times.

* * *

Giovanni’s group’s eyes began to sparkle as they listened to the conversation between Jang Hang-seon and the military officer.

Through its relationship with the empire, Florence also received a lot of information about imperial officials, especially high-ranking officials.

In particular, information related to the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of National Defense, who were considered most closely related to them, was information that must be secured.

Of course, information related to the Janghang Ship had already been obtained.

‘If you can answer like that to the famously picky Minister of National Defense, it’s worth listening to!’

‘According to the personality of the Minister of National Defense, the position would have already been reviewed and created. But if they had a conversation like that, they tell us to listen carefully! Then you should listen properly!’

Giovanni’s men, who judged this, straightened their posture and listened.

In reality, the Janghang Line had already been reviewed and supplemented before it was built. And that was the norm.

Nevertheless, having a conversation like just now was a subtle emphasis.

-This is an important story, so listen carefully!

‘Looking at me, it seems like I figured it out right away. ‘It might be worth a bet.’

Jang Hang-seon, somewhat satisfied, leaned back on the back of his chair. The military officer, receiving the silent signal, calmed his voice again.

“greatness! Huh! “Then let’s begin.”

* * *

To summarize the military officer’s explanation, it was roughly as follows.

-Currently, Italy is home to dozens of city-states.

-But looking at the current situation, it is roughly divided into five forces.

-Milan, Venice, Florence, the Papal States, and the Kingdom of Naples.

-Although there is Genoa in addition to this, Genoa should be considered as belonging to the Kingdom of Spain and Naples.

-These five major powers achieved a balance of power through the Treaty of Lodi led by Cosimo de’ Medici in 1454.

-If we look at the contents of the Lodi Treaty, they are as follows.

-The countries participating in the treaty do not allow one country to dominate other countries.

-Countries participating in the treaty are prohibited from borrowing power from foreign powers.

-If a problem arises between the countries participating in the treaty, it is resolved through talks and ambassadors.

-The Italian Alliance, made up of treaty participating countries, joins forces to resist foreign powers.

-Despite this treaty, the ‘Italian unification movement’ surfaced and foreign powers began to take action.

-If this unification movement changes into a movement involving military force, problems will arise in the supply and demand of troops.

Most of the parties will mobilize mercenaries, which will interfere with smooth troop supply and operation.

In the worst case, mercenaries will defect to the opposing camp during the war.

-Therefore, the best way is to create a standing army.

-According to the obtained information, the population of Florence is estimated to be approximately 80,000, or approximately 250,000 to 300,000, including Pisa, Volterra, and other surrounding cities and villages.

However, it is assumed that this number does not include slaves.

-Based on this population, the number of standing troops that Florence can stably operate is up to 15,000.

After that, the military officer explained many items, starting with the operation of the reserve force system.

As the military officer’s explanation continued, Giovanni’s men became more sincere. Before they knew it, they had taken out paper and a stylus and frantically wrote down what the interpreter said.

“…Therefore, in order for Florence to increase its success rate, I think it must change not only its armament but also its entire organization and support system to the imperial style. That is all.”

“Good job.”

Under Jang Hang-seon’s reign, the military officers bowed and left the conference room. When the military official left, Jang Hang-seon looked at Giovanni.

“How do you feel?”

“I was truly impressed.”

“Your Majesty told me to be sincere, so I put in a lot of effort.”

“I can only thank you, Your Majesty.”

After thanking Wan, Giovanni looked back at his men. Giovanni looked at the faces of his subordinates, who wrote them down diligently but seemed to have missed a lot, and then looked back at Jang Hang-seon.

“Can I get a copy or translation?”

“I’ll give it to you within two days.”

“thank you!”

Giovanni was truly grateful, and his men looked like they had been beaten.

‘ah! That way!’

* * *

Five days later, Giovanni boarded a ship bound for Suez.

The ship Giovanni was on and the three ships following him were loaded with various equipment to produce Florentine long guns, 100 prototypes of Florentine long guns, and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.

“But that’s not the most important thing.”

Giovanni looked at the large wooden box on one side of his cabin.

It was an ordinary wooden box containing personal belongings, including the clothes he would wear, but inside was a translation provided by the Imperial Ministry of Defense.

“That document is worth a thousand pounds… That document… the problem is…”

Giovanni acknowledged the value of the translation, but he was also full of worries.

“If it goes according to that document, it won’t end with just replacing the military. Everything in Florence must be torn down. Is it really possible? Will the people of Florence follow suit? And what does it cost?”

Nothing was easy. However, it was also a price that must be paid for his proud family and Florence to play a leading role in the unification of Italy and rule over a unified Italy.

“Whoa~.”

Giovanni let out a long sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Giovanni, looking to distract himself, stopped at the map hanging on the cabin wall.

“Whoa~. Pisara….”

Giovanni, who had read the reports provided by the empire over and over again, was keenly aware that there were many difficult problems.

And the most representative of those difficult problems was Pisa.

* * *

The imperial report did not mention Pisa directly.

-The naval power must be strengthened in order to subdue the Kingdom of Naples and Venice and block the access of foreign powers more effectively.

Florence had already secured the optimal city to successfully carry out the words of the empire.

It was Pisa.

However, considering its past history, Pisa was not an easy city for Florence.

Pisa was one of the four major maritime powers of medieval Italy.

However, after being defeated by Genoa, it became Genoese territory and later declined into a small city-state.

Afterwards, Pisa surrendered to the military force mobilized by Florence and became a subsidiary city of Florence.

Naturally, the city that still showed a rebellious attitude towards Florence was Pisa. Of course, because they were pushed out by force, they did not show it openly, but the city that secretly rebelled was Pisa and the Pisa people.

However, the problem was that Pisa was the best place to foster naval power.

“It’s really embarrassing. “Is this called Gyereuk in the Empire?”

Giovanni, who was worried about a problem that could not be easily answered no matter how much he thought about it, waved the white flag.

“I don’t know. In this case, your father will give you the answer. “Just like it’s always been.”

* * *

After Giovanni left Seoul, Wan talked with the ministers.

The topic of conversation was a document given to Giovanni by the Ministry of Defense.

Wan, who was already familiar with the contents of the document, asked Hwang Bo-in.

“At first glance, it seems full of challenges. Will they really follow suit?”

Hwang Bo-in answered Wan’s question right away.

“If they are sincere, I think they will accept it as much as they can.”

Following Hwang Bo-in, Kim Jong-seo spoke.

“All decisions depend on Cosimo de’ Medici.”

Hearing Kim Jong-seo’s words, Wan stroked his chin.

“Cosimo de’ Medici… He is the one who truly showed what it means to be ‘old and cunning.’ But this won’t be easy for him either.”

Kim Jong-seo responded to Wan’s words.

“But now he is much older. And that’s the problem. His grandson, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and his second son, Giovanni de’ Medici, represent him, but important decisions must be made through him. However, if the old man falls, it will be very difficult for the two people who are still inexperienced, especially Lorenzo de Medici.”

Wan nodded his head in response to Kim Jong-seo’s words.

“I think our empire will step in as an advisor at that time. And it all started with what was given this time by the Ministry of National Defense.”

“That’s right.”

As soon as Kim Jong-seo’s short answer ended, Hwang Bo-in spoke about the true intentions of the empire.

“By making Florence an Italian empire, we can gain a lot with a little money. “Justice comes from getting what you deserve.”