Black Corporation: Joseon

With faces brightened by Kim Jongso’s words, the ministers actively exchanged opinions.

“Right! Considering the Jinpo that barely survived, it’s absolutely not an easy sea.”

“Ming’s great ships are literally ‘great ships.’ Which means they must carry more crew than our Challenger-class warships…”

“Food and water run out quickly.”

“Indeed! Indeed!”

Having reached consensus, the ministers nodded.

***

The ships that Zheng He’s fleet took out were so massive that “unprecedented” was an apt description.

In the early Reform period, when Joseon received Zheng He’s original navigation logs, they sent people to examine the ships that returned from his voyages.

Though they couldn’t go inside and only observed the exteriors, they could confirm approximate sizes and analyze rough capabilities through the navigation logs.

After analysis, Joseon reached these conclusions:

-Ship size and required crew numbers are beyond imagination.

-Must load enormous amounts of food and water for crews, but storage space is limited considering other cargo.

-Therefore, many ports of call needed for resupplying food and water during voyage.

-Frequent stops recorded in navigation logs served diplomatic purposes between Ming and various nations, but supply issues cannot be ignored.

-Conclusion: Long-distance voyages without ports of call beyond necessity impossible.

***

“Simply put, with Ming’s current capabilities, sailing east from Siam, Dai Viet, or Luzon would be difficult, correct?”

At Hwang Hui’s question, Jo Mal-saeng nodded.

“Indeed. Though Chinese merchants have advanced to Luzon and nearby sultanates, relying on them would be too much.”

“Are you certain?”

“According to our intelligence, not just Chinese merchants but even natives say the eastern sea is hell. Even natives won’t consider going east.”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s answer, Hwang Hui and the ministers examined the map of Joseon on the wall.

“Since immediate eastern expansion is impossible for both Ming and Japan, they must come up north, but we have that area firmly gripped.”

“Indeed.”

After analyzing the situation looking at the map, Hwang Hui reached a conclusion.

“I understand why His Majesty prioritized excluding New Territory’s western coast. Still beyond our Joseon’s capabilities.”

“Truly regrettable.”

The ministers all nodded at Gi Jongso’s assessment.

The discussion started by Kim Jeom’s point concluded with “actively support Sejong’s maritime barrier plan.”

“Then, let’s recommend to the Crown Prince that we proceed as just concluded, and move on to the next matter.”

Following Hwang Hui’s direction, the ministers moved to the next agenda.

Sejong’s second revision item was large-scale reinforcement of physicians, especially requesting many capable of making smallpox vaccine and skilled in vaccination.

***

Unlike previous reports, Sejong’s latest report contained considerably more information about natives living near Dahogun (Great Lakes Group).

-According to Shin Sukju’s report and my observations, the natives residing around these Great Lakes comprise five major tribes with tens of thousands of population.

-Though very primitive compared to our Joseon’s administrative structure, they have quite efficient political systems.

-Moreover, they maintain very stable lives primarily engaged in agriculture. However, they also hunt considerably for clothing and shelter materials.

-This shows considerable differences from natives we’ve encountered in Daseoldo, Jongjangdo, and nearby regions.

-Therefore, I anticipate considerable time and effort will be required to bring them under Joseon’s authority. Unlike Daseoldo and Jongjangdo where survival rather than living took priority except for very few, these people have their own established way of life.

Those with independent and stable lifestyles show considerable resistance to outside entities and strongly tend to insist on maintaining their ways.

-To bring such conservative people under Joseon’s authority requires time and demonstration that submitting to our Joseon won’t infringe on their interests but rather increase them.

-The best methods for conveying interest preservation are medical care, trade, and education.

Among these, trade has just begun, but I judge medical care to be more effective.

-This is based on reports from the bridgehead and information gathered at Dahogun. Most New Territory natives have no experience with diseases familiar to our Joseon people.

In my personal opinion, as contact with our Joseon people increases, they’re likely to suffer from diseases they’ve never experienced before.

In this case, our Joseon’s advance into New Territory will face both opportunity and crisis.

-The crisis is high likelihood they’ll become hostile to our Joseon due to experiencing unprecedented diseases. If this hostility leads to force, our Joseon will very likely have to abandon absorbing New Territory’s natives.

-Conversely, if our Joseon possesses means to treat these diseases and actively utilizes them, this could become a good opportunity.

They will maintain very friendly relations with us and think our Joseon’s way of life more convenient and useful.

-If we successfully build friendly relations through this opportunity, we use education.

And the most useful tool in this process will be Hunminjeongeum. This has already been proven through Daseoldo, Jongjangdo, and others.

-Once communication with natives becomes smooth through education, actively encourage submission.

However, we must avoid unconditionally ignoring or excluding natives’ political methods in this process. Though their systems and structures may be primitive compared to our Joseon, they were built over long periods. Ignoring this will immediately make them enemies.

Therefore, the best approach is achieving harmony between their ways and our Joseon’s.

For this, we must guarantee provision of equal opportunities with Joseon people, as we’ve done with many natives including the Jurchen.

If submission succeeds through all these processes, Joseon will secure a base equivalent to a province with tens of thousands of population in this New Territory.

And based on this population, we can more smoothly digest all of New Territory as Joseon’s territory.

***

Reading Sejong’s report, Hyang nodded and muttered.

“Indeed… Though we had to send Father because of potential rebellion concerns, this was truly the best move.”

From the moment they learned New Territory was large enough to establish several countries with room to spare, everyone concluded only Sejong could command its pioneering.

Of course, they could have sent the Crown Prince or princes. But the Crown Prince couldn’t leave Joseon because he was Crown Prince, and sending princes was problematic too.

Any slight misstep would draw suspicious glances of ‘perhaps?’, and the more ability they showed and results they achieved, the stronger suspicions would grow. Conversely, they might dream of independence and act up as soon as they established some foundation.

Therefore, Sejong was the only choice for top administrator of New Territory.

And this proved the best move.

Through the Reforms beginning with Ryu Jeonghyeon’s purge, Sejong gained stronger royal authority than anyone.

Because Sejong held such strong royal authority, he could paradoxically choose flexible methods in New Territory.

Anyone but Sejong would have to insist on extremely conservative methods, tangled in political responsibility issues.

***

“…Therefore, while Father is certainly the best and optimal choice, this part is problematic.”

What Hyang pointed out as problematic was the ‘guarantee of equal opportunities with Joseon people’ part.

“With the Jurchen it’s less worrying but… tsk!”

Hyang couldn’t hide his concern while clicking his tongue.

This was due to discrimination issues Hyang had learned about and experienced in the 21st century.

From the imperial era onward, the problem of discrimination symbolized by ‘second and third-class citizens’ and ‘upper and lower-class citizens’ remained a constant issue.

“The Jurchen could somehow work out since we’ve rubbed shoulders since the ancient Three Kingdoms period, and Daseoldo and other natives could work out since their numbers were so small and the military absorbed them. But that place is different…”

Hyang couldn’t make any optimistic predictions about this aspect.

***

While Hyang worried, the ministers had similar concerns.

“Guaranteeing equal opportunities… will it be easy?”

At Heo Hu’s question, Kim Jeom answered.

“Aren’t Jurchen and natives from Daseoldo and Jongjangdo already working here and there?”

“The Jurchen are familiar to us, and natives from Daseoldo and Jongjangdo could easily assimilate because their numbers were so small? But New Territory is quite different…”

Many ministers nodded at Heo Hu’s point. Seeing this, Hwang Hui spoke up.

“Didn’t he say not immediately providing opportunities but after submission? First submission, then proper education, then providing opportunities if they want them?”

“Just looking at the report, they live so primitively I’m not sure they can learn properly…”

Kim Jeom stepped forward to refute Heo Hu’s words!

“The natives of Daseoldo and Jongjangdo were the same but learned well! Especially regarding taxes, many are better than average treasury staff!”

“However…”

As Heo Hu still hesitated, Kim Jeom pressed again.

“So should we keep selecting people here in Hanseong to send? We must teach their people and employ them!”

“I’m worried whether they’ll do the work well if we select them!”

At Heo Hu’s words, Hwang Hui spoke.

“Once they learn how sweet power is, they’ll work hard.”

“What if they can’t?”

“Then eliminate them. Since ancient times, whether ox or cow, yellow or black, you feed and raise the ones that work well, and eat the ones that don’t, isn’t that natural?”

“Ah…”

The ministers all nodded at Hwang Hui’s words.

As the Reforms progressed, Joseon keenly felt labor shortages in all social sectors.

Especially with great expansion of administrative organs including the court, Joseon opened official service to women as well.

This happened to secure as many proven capable talents as possible.

And those selected, regardless of gender, were all worked mercilessly.

To survive in such harsh work environments, superiors conducted personnel evaluations of subordinates coldly.

‘Loyal subject if you work well, traitor if you work poorly’

This saying spread through Joseon’s officialdom.

Meanwhile, hearing Hwang Hui’s words through various channels, Hyang smirked and muttered.

“Has this fellow upgraded himself?”