Black Corporation: Joseon
Chapter 231

Hyang’s proposal to mine silver in Ouchi’s territory received a favorable response.

However, they never forgot to point out anticipated problems, rather than unconditionally agreeing.

Heo Jo began first.

“Will Ōuchi really agree to this?”

In response to this point, Hyang answered immediately.

“Since starting regular trade, the Ōuchi clan has reaped great benefits. They will not refuse.”

“What if the Ashikaga clan blocks it?”

Minister of Rites answered on Hyang’s behalf regarding Heo Jo’s question.

“Although the Ōuchi clan has the shogun’s trust, they are not completely loyal to the bakufu.”

“Is there a reason?”

“As trade with the Ōuchi clan increased, we received a lot of news. While organizing this information, we uncovered the reason… It’s due to how the previous lord of the Ōuchi clan died.”

“Was he poisoned?”

Minister of Rites explained the reason in response to Heo Jo’s query.

“When the previous lord was alive, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who led the bakufu at the time, provoked a rebellion and the lord died.”

***

Ōuchi Yoshihiro, the 25th lord, was expanding his power, succeeding the previous generation. However, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the 3rd shogun, began to keep Ōuchi’s growth in check.

To thwart Ōuchi’s rise, Yoshimitsu schemed using a new villa he built in Kyoto.

“Send landscaping trees to the villa I recently constructed!”

At Yoshimitsu’s command, the other lords all sent gifts, but Yoshihiro refused.

Using this as a pretext, Yoshimitsu and Yoshihiro clashed. Yoshihiro, allied with lords resentful of Yoshimitsu’s tyranny, engaged Yoshimitsu’s forces in battle at Osaka Sakai.

In this battle, Yoshihiro was hit by an arrow and died, resulting in defeat. Ōuchi’s ambitions for hegemony were frustrated.

***

“So they don’t like the bakufu?”

“There’s more to the story. Yoshimitsu seized most of their territory, granting Nagato and Suō Provinces to the deceased lord’s brother. However, the current lord, another brother, objected to this decision and had to wage an internecine conflict. Now, the present lord strives to regain their former glory.”

Heo Jo continued to press for details after the Minister of Rites’s explanation.

“Are you certain of this?”

“Their advance into northern Kyūshū is proof. The Ministry of Rites judges that his loyalty to the bakufu was to obtain the position of tandai^[1] in the northern Kyūshū region. As tandai, he would hold military and taxation authority.”

After hearing the Minister of Rites’s explanation, Heo Jo stroked his beard.

“Someone who feigns obedience while plotting betrayal… This is a bit…”

Having heard about Ōuchi Masahiro, the current head of the Ōuchi clan, Heo Jo showed a negative reaction. Heo Jo stepped forward and spoke to Sejong.

“Your Majesty, I believe we must reconsider partnering with the Ōuchi clan. Based on the Ministry of Rites’ explanation, he seems to be a duplicitous figure.”

“Hmm…”

At Heo Jo’s words, Sejong sank into thought, stroking his beard. Seeing this, Hyang interjected.

“What if we look at it from a different perspective?”

“A different perspective?”

Hyang’s remark drew the attention of Sejong and the ministers.

“While he could be seen as two-faced, couldn’t he also be considered as someone biding his time for vengeance?”

“Hmm… Perhaps…”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s words. Noting Sejong’s reaction, Hyang continued his explanation.

“His ambition, with military and taxation authority over Kyūshū, could benefit us. To attempt something grand, the first thing one must secure is funding. The Iwami silver mines will become his most crucial financial resource, so he will ensure that Kyoto’s eyes remain blind to it.”

“I see.”

“Such a scheme…”

Sejong and the ministers nodded at Hyang’s words.

It was no ordinary mine, but a silver mine. If the bakufu discovered this, they would not remain idle. To prevent such an occurrence, Ōuchi would do his utmost, which was not a bad thing for Joseon.

“To elaborate further, there is a saying in the art of war: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Also, Kyoto is too far. They know little of Joseon, and we, too, know little of them.”

Sejong and the ministers nodded again at Hyang’s point.

After briefly wetting his throat, Hyang continued.

“Even in terms of national defense, the Ōuchi clan is a good match for us. I reiterate, Kyoto is distant. But Kyūshū is close at hand. We can quickly learn of and prepare for any developments in Kyūshū.”

“Isn’t that the same for the Ōuchi clan?”

Hyang nodded at Heo Jo’s point.

“Correct. That’s why it’s even better. As our Joseon navy’s ships come and go, the Ōuchi clan will witness the might of Joseon with their own eyes. As you said, whether he is a man who ‘feigns obedience while plotting betrayal’ or one ‘biding his time for vengeance,’ such a person will coldly assess the situation. If being on good terms with Joseon benefits him and he cannot surpass our military strength, he will maintain friendly relations with us and handle matters in Wa on our behalf.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Heo Jo nodded at Hyang’s explanation.

Hyang’s words were undoubtedly correct. The most significant characteristic of duplicitous individuals was ‘swallowing the sweet and spitting out the bitter.’ As long as allying with Joseon proved advantageous, the Ōuchi clan would become their greatest collaborator.

‘If Joseon continues to grow as it is now, the Ōuchi clan will have no choice but to rely on us.’

Having made his judgment, Heo Jo reported to Sejong.

“I believe the Crown Prince’s words are correct. An old saying goes, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ Though the Ōuchi clan may be two-faced, having them in plain sight will make them a good match for Joseon.”

“Your words are wise.”

With Sejong’s reply, the Ōuchi clan was chosen as their partner.

***

Having overcome one hurdle, another obstacle emerged.

Kim Jeom asked about the aspect he was most interested in.

“Then, what would be an appropriate distribution ratio?”

“8 to 2. With Joseon taking 8.”

At Hyang’s answer, everyone from Sejong to the ministers squinted at Hyang.

Sejong and the ministers were already well-accustomed to Hyang.

“Speak of the real distribution ratio we must secure, not the bait. Time is precious.”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang slightly pouted his lips.

‘8 to 2 is the best!’

However, Hyang knew very well.

‘The problem is that ratio is just asking to be called a bandit…’

“The optimum is 65% to 35%. The line we must defend at all costs is 6 to 4. Since we are providing all the prospecting and mining technicians, as well as the tools, we must uphold this ratio.”

“Sounds reasonable…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to transport refined silver ingots rather than ore?”

Kim Jeom fiercely retorted to the Minister of Public and Works’ suggestion.

“Are you saying we should hand over silver refining techniques to them?”

“Ah… That was a slip of the tongue.”

“No wonder you passed the civil service exam with a eulgwa^[2]…”

When Kim Jeom started attacking using past exam results, the Minister of Public Works burst out angrily.

“Lord Kim!”

“Did I say anything wrong?”

“Grrr…”

The Minister of Public Works ground his teeth at Kim Jeom’s innocent response.

After Sejong’s royal command prohibiting mentioning parents during arguments, the ministers began using civil service exam results as a source for personal attacks.

The fatal effect of this attack was the difficulty in responding. It was not as unethical as inquiring about one’s parents’ well-being and merely dug at facts.

‘Defamation by stating facts doesn’t exist in this era!’

As Hyang was muttering while observing the Minister of Public Works’ reddening face, Sejong intervened.

“Lord Kim, your words were a bit harsh.”

“I am deeply humbled.”

“And Minister, I ask that you think a bit more carefully.”

“I am deeply humbled!”

‘Lord Kim wins!’

As Sejong stepped in to handle the situation, Hyang continued.

“Of course, transporting refined silver ingots instead of ore could improve efficiency. However, as Lord Kim said, there is a high risk of refining techniques being leaked. Moreover, there is another reason why we must bring in ore. Silver ore often has lead and tin mixed in. For Joseon, lead and tin are essential minerals.”

Lead was widely used as a material for bullets and soldering. Tin was an indispensable ingredient in making copper alloys.

In the end, it was decided that Hyang’s opinions would be heavily reflected in formulating plans regarding the silver mines.

***

With the silver matter settled, Sejong asked Hyang.

“Do you happen to have any other proposals? I’m asking just in case.”

At Sejong’s question, the ministers turned to Hyang.

‘If he comes up with something else here, the Crown Prince is not human!’

‘Please, don’t make us feel inadequate!’

However, Hyang’s answer betrayed the ministers’ hopes.

“I have one more.”

“Oh! Is that so? Quickly, tell me!”

Sejong was delighted, while the ministers inwardly sighed.

‘His Majesty will scold us for not keeping up with our age again!’

‘They say the heavens are fair!’

‘Ugh! What a filthy world!’

The ministers were making complaints that the commoners outside Gyeongbok Palace would curse at for 3 or 4 days if they heard.

Anyway, at Sejong’s command, Hyang promptly replied.

“Cotton.”

“Cotton?”

“Yes. The low sales of the wide cloth produced by the merchant groups this time were because the people were unsatisfied with the prices.”

“I received a report.”

“The issue with the price was not due to merchants adding high margins. It was because the price of raw cotton was expensive. And the reason cotton is expensive is that few cultivate it.”

After Mun Ik-jeom introduced cotton in the late Goryeo period, the cultivation area for cotton had been gradually increasing. However, hemp cloth was still the norm for the people of Joseon.

Because cotton was so precious, cotton cloth was used in place of currency.

This was precisely the point Hyang was making.

“To endure the cold Joseon winters, cotton padding is essential. However, because cotton is scarce, the padding is also scarce. And in order to stay warm during winter, people burn a lot of fires, making wood precious. To break this vicious cycle, we need cotton in large quantities.”

Kim Jeom interjected at Hyang’s words.

“In that case, shouldn’t we mass-produce it in Joseon instead of Wa? Then we wouldn’t needlessly give wealth to Wa.”

“Then where will we grow grain?”

“Ah…”

Kim Jeom closed his mouth with an awkward expression at Hyang’s retort. Seeing this, the Minister of Public Works showed a gratified expression.

“Won’t Wa face the same food problem?”

Hyang immediately answered Sejong’s question with a grin.

“Can’t they just sell it for money? They can buy it cheaply from the Jiangnan region of Ming and sell it.”

“It’s a good answer, but… The people of Japan will dislike it.”

The ministers nodded at Sejong’s point. If they were told to grow cotton instead of the crops they had been farming and to buy the grain they needed to eat immediately with money, there would not be a single farmer who would be happy.

In response to Sejong’s words, Hyang presented an alternative.

“Do we have to be the ones selling it? Can’t the lords of Wa sell it? Joseon can simply purchase and deliver it. For the lords, it’s an easy way to make money sitting down, so they will be thrilled.”

At Hyang’s answer, Sejong and the ministers had the same thought.

‘How devious!’

1. is a Kamakura and Muromachi period colloquialism for any very important governmental, judiciary or military post in a determinate area.[↩]
2. The second-tier group in the Joseon civil service examination results, below *gapkwa* (甲科), the top-tier group.[↩]