Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 415: Lord of War. Flower Merchant (6)

I thought things would end like that, but King Sejong suddenly called for Hyang.

“ah! I forgot. Sejaya Daenae has requested support for rifles to deal with Hwachang. “What should I do?”

Hyang immediately answered King Sejong’s question.

“No shit… wouldn’t it be okay to hand over a copper gun? “Please hand over the recipe, but we will provide the bullets and gunpowder.”

Sejong thought for a moment about Hyang’s answer and then nodded.

“Yes, that would be best. We must prevent gunpowder manufacturing technology from falling into their hands as much as possible. Good work.”

“yes. “Then, let’s go back and get to work right away.”

“Okay, good luck.”

Hyang calmly paid his respects to King Sejong and left Geunjeongjeon.

Sejong looked rather anxious as he looked at Hyang’s back.

“what? “Why is that kid so quiet?”

It was Sejong who had already figured out what kind of child Hyang was.

Sejong, who knew very well that Hyang’s favorite thing was developing weapons, could not understand Hyang’s calm reaction just now.

“I understand that there is such a reaction when the budget is mentioned, but the problem is that the previous reaction was unusual…”

Sejong looked at the ministers at the unusual reaction of Hyang.

“Do you understand why the Crown Prince is acting like that?”

“I’m not sure.”

“But this is definitely not an ordinary thing!”

Even the ministers could not hide their anxiety at the reaction after seeing the scent. In the end, the ministers looked at Kim Jeom.

“How about we free up some spare finances?”

“It’s not, ‘What do you think?’ “Relax!”

Under pressure from the ministers, Kim Jeom looked at Sejong. Kim Jeom, who saw Sejong’s face, eventually gave in.

“Once we receive your request, we will execute it immediately.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Hyang, who returned to his office in Area 51, was furious.

“What kind of rich bastard did something crazy? “If this happens, portion control is a failure!”

The reason why Hyang had such an expression was because the timetable he had planned was disrupted due to an unexpected variable.

* * *

From the time when Gapsikjangchongtong (Gapsikjangchong) was first made, Hyang had been making plans of his own.

-The rifle made now is a percussion cap type that uses a detonator.

-If you follow the manufacturing method of Noe Hong properly, you can use the percussion cap for as little as 10 years or as long as 30 years.

-By that time, a similar product will be released, either by someone stealing money or by accidental discovery by craftsmen in other countries, and at that time, they are one step ahead with a breech-loading gun.

-If you gradually develop it like this, you can leisurely work on it without worrying about running out of money.

-Jihwaja!

This was Hyang’s plan, but it went awry.

* * *

Just like that, Hyang, who had been swearing about ‘some crazy guy’, returned to reality.

“No matter how much I think about it, the military doesn’t seem to have any intention of giving up on conquering Tsushima Island… If that’s the case, I think we should go with an after-effects approach rather than a full-on approach.”

In Hyang’s opinion, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness with full-length rifles, group shooting by soldiers forming a line was the right answer.

But forming a battle line in the forest itself was difficult. In the end, the soldiers had to split into small groups and fight the enemy.

In order for such small-sized troops to maintain superiority in firepower, a fast-reloading breech-loading rifle was the optimal answer.

After coming to a conclusion, Hyang soon unfolded a blank piece of paper and began to think deeply.

“Which method would be best…”

And not long after, he was even humming a song and drawing a concept map.

* * *

While Hyang was having a ‘fun time’ to make a new rifle, an envoy led by Lee Maeng-gyun visited Beijing.

“Doesn’t the situation look more stable than when I last came? “Is there a secret to rejuvenation?”

Lee Maeng-gyun bowed his head and responded to Emperor Seondeok’s joke about the time he visited him in the past.

“My lord has provided me with good medicine.”

“The king of Joseon truly cares about his subjects.”

Lee Maeng-gyun muttered to himself at Emperor Seondeok’s words.

‘I guess you don’t know how scary the cost of that medicine is.’

In the atmosphere softened by such a light joke, Emperor Seondeok got to the point.

“So, why did you suddenly come when it wasn’t even the time for the Shinigami to come? “From what I hear, Joseon seems to be at peace?”

In response to Emperor Seondeok’s question, Lee Maeng-gyun strengthened his voice and brought up the matter.

“Actually, I have come here as an envoy because something serious has happened to the security of the Shang Dynasty and our Joseon Dynasty.”

Hearing Lee Maeng-gyun’s words, Emperor Seondeok straightened his posture and asked again.

“Is there a problem with my safety? What does that mean?”

In response to Emperor Seondeok’s question, Lee Maeng-gyun gestured to the governor. Lee Maeng-gyun, who received the box from the magistrate, politely went forward and handed the box to the eunuch.

“Open it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After seeing the contents of the box, Seondeokje turned to Lee Maenggyun.

“Isn’t this a stone fire? “Both Korea and Korea use fire spears that are better than this, so what’s the problem?”

“If you look closely, you will see that it is a stone fire spear used by the Shang Dynasty military. The problem is that these stone fire spears are circulating in large quantities among Japanese pirates.”

“what!”

Hearing Lee Maeng-gyun’s explanation, Emperor Seondeok jumped up from his seat.

Emperor Seondeok came down from the throne, took out the stone fire spear from the box, and examined it carefully.

While looking around, Emperor Seondeok checked the inscription on the body of the stone hwachang and sighed.

“Whoa~. Really. So, are you saying that these stone fire spears are circulating among the Japanese pirates?”

“That’s right. “A lord who communicates with our Joseon Dynasty sent me an urgent message, and it is said that hundreds of gates are already circulating and the number is increasing further.”

“Huh~.”

“The biggest worry now is that we may have exceeded the level of gunpowder.”

Emperor Seondeok exploded when he heard that it was not just a leak of stone fire, but a bigger problem could occur.

“I see! These traitors of mine!”

Seon Deok-je, who took this seriously, looked back at his cabinet secretary.

“Establish an inspection team immediately and find out the truth! Go to all armies throughout the empire, count the number of stone fire spears, and find any irregularities! If anyone is involved in this, everyone, regardless of rank, should be arrested! Capture not only the parties involved, but all 10 of them! No, investigate all artillery and gunpowder, not just stone fire spears! This is my edict, and those who neglect it will be held guilty of treason!”

“I obey your orders!”

The cabinet secretary, trembled with fear, stammered his voice and answered immediately.

A storm of blood began to blow across the empire once again.

* * *

In accordance with Emperor Seondeok’s strict orders, the largest investigation team in history was formed.

The investigation team, which was formed by mobilizing not only the provincial inspectors but also the Gold Council and alumni, thoroughly uncovered not only the imperial army but also the merchants connected to it.

The screams coming from the investigation team’s interrogation room overcame the wall, and dozens of people returned home as dead bodies every day.

The full picture of the incident revealed was as follows.

Some merchants who were struggling to maintain their ranks and earn more profits in an increasingly fierce competition caught the eye of Dolhwachang, which would force them to retire from the military.

According to the established law, these retired stone fire spears were to be transported back to workshops located in Beijing and other places for recycling.

However, because copper was an expensive mineral, many merchants bribed officials and stole the stone.

While the stolen stone spears were being melted down to make wares, some merchants who were in close contact with the pirates had other ideas.

“Do you think you can sell it to pirates for a high price?”

This was an opportunity that could not be missed by the merchants who had already stolen and sold the Ming army’s artillery.

The pirates who contacted the merchant and heard the business welcomed him with open arms. Soon, stone spears began to be handed over to the pirates.

The rumor that the pirates had obtained the stone hwachang was immediately spread to the pirates, and the pirates also secretly contacted them and requested the dolhwachang.

That was how Dolhwachang came into the Japanese kingdom.

However, gunpowder was needed to properly use stone fire spears, and merchants from Ming Dynasty even began supplying gunpowder.

Gunpowder was easily available as the Chinese people enjoyed lighting fireworks whenever there was something to celebrate, such as celebrating the New Year or getting married. However, merchants who did not want to spend money on manufacturing gunpowder contacted the military again.

Merchants contacted the military’s gunpowder manager and received gunpowder that had been disposed of at a low price.

This was because the gunpowder technicians working at the top could recycle it.

However, as the demand for gunpowder gradually increased, merchants began to steal even intact gunpowder from the military and sell it.

It was natural that a chain of bribes was created in this process. At first, there were simply field managers, but as the scale grew, the line reached even the provincial commanding officer, the commander in charge of the troops stationed in one province.

* * *

“This is ridiculous….”

After checking the investigation report, Emperor Seondeok suddenly looked like he had aged several years.

“Of the 30% of the total stone fire spears stolen in this way, at least 2/3 of them were melted and turned into vessels, but the remaining 10% is the problem. This alone is worth 10,000 units…”

Seondeokje, who was checking the contents of the report again, narrowed his eyes when he saw the gunpowder part.

“It’s to the point where I’m afraid to see it again. Why does Jim have to see this report! “Say it!”

Everyone, including the assistant cabinet secretary, bowed down to the floor as Emperor Seondeok shouted.

“Please have mercy!”

“Please forgive the gods for their negligence!”

“Whoa~.”

Emperor Seondeok, who was letting out his anger with a long sigh, looked at the list of stakeholders written in the report and began to tremble.

“There are only four provincial commanders involved? You mean Jim trusted them and slept comfortably? I will give you an order! The four provincial commanders should be boiled to death, and their relatives should find and destroy all 10 clans, including their father’s and wife’s families! And those who stole and enriched the weapons and gunpowder used for the defense of the empire, as well as everyone associated with them, will be beheaded and all their property confiscated! And make sure that their three clans are destroyed as well!”

Everyone in Daejeon trembled in fear and responded to Emperor Seondeok’s cruel command.

“I obey the Emperor’s command!”

In this way, the entire Ming territory was once again immersed in blood. Many people had their heads cut off and were lying on the ground. However, those who met the most tragic end were the four provincial commanders.

They were boiled alive in pots.

The tragedy that turned the entire empire upside down brought about great changes to the empire.

First of all, if we look at the commercial world, a huge number of companies, from large companies boasting history and tradition to up-and-coming companies, were wiped out, and fierce competition among those who survived to take the empty space began.

Next, the government and eunuch military departments were changed once again. Those who suffered the most from this change were the eunuchs and the military.

Among the eunuchs who were gradually gaining political power due to Emperor Seondeok’s policies, many of the high-ranking eunuchs were executed, and this was the same for the military.

The situation in the military was particularly serious. Almost all military units were involved in corruption, and a huge number of generals and officers were purged and lost their lives.

Officers were brought in through new military departments and existing executives were promoted to fill positions, but too many people with practical experience and leadership skills disappeared.

As for how much it was, the scent that heard the story was evaluated as follows.

“This is it… It’s similar in size to the Great Purge carried out by the Grand Marshal of Steel? “The future of the Ming Dynasty will be interesting to see.”

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