Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 919

Episode 919: The Imperial March 2 – Charge return, run on the ground. (7)

Even if it was a meeting with a clear outcome, I could not refuse to attend.

“Because there is even the slightest possibility…”

“If we want to have at least the slightest justification…”

While expecting catastrophe, the envoys headed to the imperial embassy in Florence.

The sight of gorgeous carriages escorted by knights in shining armor and helmets passing through the large main gate of the imperial embassy was spectacular.

Florence residents gathered around the embassy entrance and formed a long line to see something that is not commonly seen.

“wow! “It’s Medici!”

“It’s Gonfaloniere!”

The residents of Florence shouted when they saw the carriage with the Medici family emblem engraved on it.

When Lorenzo de’ Medici made a glimpse of the residents’ cheers, the residents cheered even more enthusiastically.

“Gonfaloniere! Gonfaloniere!”

“Long live Florence!”

“Glory to Florence!”

“Long live Italy!”

As the Medici family’s carriage entered, amid cheers from the Florentine residents, the embassy’s main gate was tightly closed.

* * *

The envoys who arrived at the embassy were ushered straight to the conference room. The aides who followed the envoys were stopped by the imperial army.

“What’s going on!”

“You need to undergo a light body search.”

“What rudeness!”

The aides protested fiercely, but the executives commanding the imperial army did not care.

“Please understand that this is to avoid any unpleasant incidents.”

“impolite!”

“If you refuse, I will ban you from entering the conference room!”

The aides had to be searched due to the resolute response of the imperial army officers.

The imperial army’s body search was thorough.

First, all the daggers that men of the time ceremonially wore around their waists were placed in separate boxes and sealed. Afterwards, they had them take off their coats with fancy gold and silver decorations, and then scattered their entire bodies with wooden sticks attached to large magnets.

Slam!

If there was metal in the clothes, a magnet would naturally stick to it, and these people would be taken to a separate room and subjected to more intensive investigation.

When more than three people were taken to a separate space, the aides, who were full of dissatisfaction, kept their mouths shut and calmly responded to the search.

‘It’s good if it’s an ornament, but if it’s a weapon…’

‘If you do it wrong, you could face all kinds of criticism!’

Meanwhile, inside the conference room, the envoys who entered first were complaining to the ambassadors with similar content.

“This is rude!”

“They are proud nobles from their home country!”

Shin Suk-ju responded to the envoys’ protests.

“And they are also people who dream of becoming heroes. Even if it’s a stigma, it’s okay. What would you do if someone did something unsavory with the thought of ‘I will leave my name in history!’?”

“That’s it…”

“No way…”

Shin Sook-ju’s point made the envoys run out of things to say. The thought of ‘I will leave my name in history even if it means stigmatization’ was a strong temptation. In addition, among the countries currently participating in the conference, there were almost no countries on good terms with each other.

“Keu….”

“I will definitely protest this issue later! “Don’t even think about just ignoring it!”

With the words ‘We’ll see!’, the envoys sat down. After a while, the aides who had passed the search entered the conference room. As the aides quickly approached and reported something in whispers, the envoys’ complexions suddenly changed.

“Is that so?”

“You idiot!”

The reactions of the envoys who received the aides’ reports were divided into two.

“You got a good hand before you even started.”

Looking at envoys from hostile countries with gleeful faces.

“You idiots!”

You might get upset by seeing the losses before you even start.

* * *

After a while, the inner door of the conference room opened and the official who came out raised his voice.

“His Majesty Tae Sang-hang is coming!”

At the official’s shout, everyone in the conference room stood up and greeted the scent.

Jump and jump.

Along with the heavy sound of the studs embedded in the soles of cavalry boots, a man wearing a distinctive black uniform and helmet entered the conference room.

“Thank you for your hard work coming. Welcome. “Let’s all sit down.”

The envoys and aides who sat down at Hyang’s words felt uncomfortable once again as they saw Hyang wearing a black uniform.

‘What on earth is this pressure?…’

‘My chest is tight…’

The envoys who were looking at the incense while desperately taking a deep breath saw the left arm of the black coat that the incense was wearing.

A small imperial flag with the Three Taegeuks and Bagua embroidered on a black background with golden thread was attached to the left arm shoulder.

‘The national flag on your clothes?’

‘Are you saying you are a nation?’

“Then let’s start the meeting.”

As the incense announced the start of the meeting, the envoys came out of their thoughts and began to concentrate.

* * *

As expected, the start of the meeting was with Hyang taking the lead.

“The reason Jim came all the way to Italy is because of the emergency faced by our ally Florence. “I heard that Florence, a good ally of our empire, is being unfairly threatened, and I want to resolve this in a good way.”

Louis, who came from France, immediately responded to Hyang’s words, which were translated into Latin through the imperial translator.

“We, France, are also good allies of the empire. “But it sounds as if we are putting undue pressure on Florence.”

“Isn’t that true?”

“That’s not true. “I only gave advice to prevent Florence from disturbing the peace of all of Italy.”

“Florence is disturbing the peace of Italy?”

“That’s right. Florence is making other Italian cities nervous by claiming ‘Italian unification’. Rather, it is Florence that has acted unjustly.”

As soon as Louis finished speaking, the Spanish and Habsburg envoys lined up and spoke.

“you’re right! That’s why those who were anxious asked us for help, and we just responded!”

“It is Florence that has acted unfairly. “Is it not unjust to break the peace that has existed in Italy until now?”

“Hmm…”

Hearing the envoys’ words, Hyang leaned back in his chair and smiled strangely.

The ambassadors who saw that scene simultaneously had goosebumps running down their spines.

‘OMG! That look! ‘That facial expression I don’t want to see even in my dreams!’

‘If you hear a clicking sound from over there…’

‘Ugh… I get chills just thinking about it…’

“Tsk!”

With a clicking sound that made the imperial officials shudder, they began to take incense one by one.

“Jim heard that Florence was not the only one who advocated ‘Italian unification’? I understand that Milan, Genoa, and Venice made the same claim? But why is only Florence unjust?”

“Eh… that’s…”

“I don’t see the difference between saying that if someone else has a child through an affair, it’s a ‘dirty illegitimate child’ and if I give birth to a child, it’s ‘the fruit of a beautiful love’?”

“It’s a bit of an analogy…”

At Hyang’s words, the envoys blushed and looked embarrassed. This was because I ran out of things to say about the parable that criticized the European aristocratic society, which was overflowing with all kinds of affairs and scandals.

The scent’s attacks continued.

“And those who have lived without being able to become one since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire set out to become one again. “I don’t think there’s any reason to stop this, Jim?”

“If that happens, the peace we have had so far will disappear!”

“Peace for whom?”

In response to the question, Maximilian I from Habsburg raised his voice.

“Peace for Italy, not for all of Europe!”

“Tsk!”

Once again the scent hit his tongue, and Maximilian I momentarily flinched and fell into confusion.

‘why? why! As soon as I heard that clicking sound, why? why!’

Regardless of whether Maximilian I did it or not, he accepted the scent right away.

“The people of Italy want unification, but this is detrimental to the peace of Europe, so please be patient? Isn’t this truly unfair? “Is this not the arrogance of the powerful?”

“Some sacrifices are necessary for peace!”

“What the Habsburg envoy wants now is peace or the defense of interests disguised as peace? “No matter how much you shout for peace, will the Italian people walking up and down the street believe you?”

“….”

When Maximilian I, at a loss for words, fell silent, this time the Spanish envoy stepped forward.

“Didn’t the Empire also send troops to Italy to gain profits?”

“Tsk tsk tsk… The Spanish envoy will answer. “What benefit will our empire gain from acquiring Italy?”

“….”

At Hyang’s retort, the Spanish envoy looked embarrassed and closed his mouth.

As Hyang pointed out, even if the empire gained Italy, there was little benefit to it.

It was an empire that was still reaping enormous profits through Suez. From the empire’s perspective, acquiring Italy was not particularly beneficial.

‘No, you might only end up losing money…’

Hyang continued, looking at the Spanish envoy who was furiously racking his brain to find an answer.

“Italians living in Italy establish one Italian nation. Because Florence’s intentions were beautiful, the empire decided to help Florence. I would like to ask the delegates gathered here. Shouldn’t Italians living in Italy live as citizens of a unified Italian nation? why? The French live as subjects of France, and the Spaniards live as subjects of a united kingdom. But why are Italians not possible?”

“….”

The ministers could not immediately respond to Hyang’s words.

‘It can’t go on like this!’

In the end, Louis of France came forward and spoke to Hyang.

“Today is the first day, so how about we stop here? “It seems that since it is the first day, some envoys have not prepared properly.”

“It could be because the first day is usually just a meeting. Well, I’ll leave it at that for today. “Then how about holding the meeting again the day after tomorrow?”

Louis stepped forward and responded to Hyang’s suggestion.

“It looks like a reasonable spacing indeed. “The other envoys will agree.”

The other envoys looked uncomfortable at Louis’ words.

‘The two of you sit down and do everything.’

But it was also difficult to refuse. Excluding the empire, the strongest country here was France. And it took time to come up with a logic to counter the logic of the scent.

In the end, the other envoys had no choice but to agree.

“Then let’s see the day after tomorrow.”

As they left the embassy in the carriage, the envoys let out a long sigh.

“Whoa~. “The opponent is too tough.”

* * *

Before the sun set that day, the envoys found themselves defeated once again.

“Something big has happened!”

The low-ranking officials and servants who had gone outside looked for the envoys with white faces.

“What big deal? “Did you say the emperor died suddenly?”

“no! A record of today’s meeting has been posted on the wall of the Imperial Embassy!”

“what!”

The envoys who received the report were frightened and ran outside.

At the same time, Hyang was receiving reports from the ambassadors.

“Florence residents came in large numbers to see the poster on the wall.”

“is it? “Have you prepared leaflets?”

“yes. As you ordered, I took 200 photos and put them outside. But isn’t 200 too few?”

Hyang slightly smiled and answered Seong Sam-moon’s question.

“No, it’s appropriate. “If it’s more than that, it’s definitely intentional, but if it’s that much, it can be dismissed as just an old man being crazy.”

“Yes…”

After sending out the ambassadors, Hyanghyang, who was left alone, looked out the window and muttered.

“It’s called propaganda….”