Black Corporation: Joseon

Hanseong.

As soon as news of Ouchi’s victory arrived, Hyang immediately summoned the ministers.

“Have you heard?”

“Yes.”

Hwang Hui answered as representative to Hyang’s question.

“Then shouldn’t we start dealing with Tsushima?”

At Hyang’s words, all the ministers looked at Jo Mal-saeng.

Receiving Hyang and the ministers’ gazes, Jo Mal-saeng bowed his head and answered.

“I think we should start immediately. The season of strong winds has passed, and the Lord of Tsushima and the Shoni clan must have received the news.”

“You mean we should move before the Lord of Tsushima and the Shoni clan come to their senses?”

Jo Mal-saeng bowed his head and answered Hyang’s question.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The ministers all nodded at Hyang and Jo Mal-saeng’s exchange.

They too understood the current situation in Tsushima and Japan well.

***

Even in the history before Hyang’s intervention, Joseon during this period didn’t neglect monitoring neighboring countries’ situations.

However, after Sejo seized power through a coup, such monitoring of external situations became almost entirely limited to the Jurchens.

But in the history changed by Hyang’s intervention, monitoring external situations became absolutely necessary.

Maritime trade routes extended to far-off Europe, and merchant ships from Dai Viet, Siam, and Ryukyu filled the trading ports. Additionally, they faced the situation of needing to succeed in the great enterprise of “preempting new territories” on which Joseon’s fate hung.

Even slightly neglecting to monitor foreign developments could lead to enormous losses and even endanger the country.

Consequently, even high officials not directly responsible for foreign affairs and defense had to understand neighboring countries’ situations.

Changes in these situations could affect the tasks they were carrying out.

***

Among the nodding ministers, Hwang Hui spoke as representative.

“The Lord of Tsushima and the Shoni clan aided the Shogunate due to their ill fate with Ouchi. If we extend our hand appropriately, they will accept.”

“If they refuse our hand, we’ll have to use force?”

Hwang Hui nodded at Hyang’s question.

“An ox that won’t listen must be beaten, and if it still won’t listen, it must be slaughtered.”

***

Ten days later, at the Lord of Tsushima’s residence.

“My lord, an envoy from Joseon has arrived.”

“Show them in.”

“Sir!”

So Sadamori, Lord of Tsushima, received the Joseon envoy with a face full of concern.

The Joseon naval officer tasked as envoy offered a precise military salute to the Lord of Tsushima.

“Welcome.”

The Lord of Tsushima returned the officer’s salute and offered him a seat.

Once the envoy was seated, the Lord of Tsushima went straight to the point.

“So, why has Joseon sent an envoy to me?”

At the Lord of Tsushima’s words full of displeasure and disrespect, the officer-envoy’s expression turned fierce for a moment. However, he quickly returned to his usual expression and reached into his breast.

“A personal letter from His Highness the Crown Prince to you, Lord.”

“A personal letter?”

The Lord of Tsushima straightened his posture and received Hyang’s letter through his retainer’s hands and opened it.

“Hmm!”

Having read the letter’s contents, the Lord of Tsushima let out a groan with a completely stiffened face. After confirming the letter’s contents again, he looked at the officer.

“Do you know this letter’s contents?”

“I do not have the authority to read that letter. However, I was ordered to request a response within five days.”

“Five days… five days…”

After chewing over the word ‘five days’ several times, the Lord of Tsushima heaved a long sigh.

“Very well. I will send a response by then. Return safely.”

At the Lord of Tsushima’s dismissal, the envoy rose, offered a military salute, and withdrew.

***

After the envoy left, the Lord of Tsushima informed his retainers of the letter’s contents.

“Joseon’s Crown Prince demands we hand over this island.”

“What?”

“My god!”

“Finally…”

At the Lord’s words, his retainers’ reactions split in two. One side was shocked, while the other wore expressions saying ‘the inevitable has come.’

“Read it in turn.”

“Ah…”

The Lord of Tsushima’s retainers took turns reading Hyang’s personal letter.

The letter’s contents summarized were:

-During the Eastern Expedition of 1419 (King Sejong’s 1st year), when it occurred, the Lord acknowledged Tsushima as Joseon’s vassal territory and promised to relocate its residents to our Joseon.

(Note 1)

-However, due to our Joseon’s circumstances at the time, we regrettably couldn’t accept this.

-Now that Joseon’s circumstances have improved, we will grant that request.

-The Lord of Tsushima is to immediately evacuate the island with its residents and come to Joseon.

-This will benefit both the Lord of Tsushima and the vassal territory’s residents. The Lord will receive a mansion in Hanseong and a pension in recognition of his past services, and the residents will continue their livelihoods in places without barren farmland or threats from pirates.

-Remember this is being carried out in recognition of the Lord’s accumulated service.

The retainers who read Hyang’s letter had divided opinions.

“What happens if we refuse this proposal? The letter doesn’t mention that?”

“Isn’t it obvious without adding it? The Joseon navy stationed in Tsushima will try to devour us.”

“War then…”

When one retainer mentioned ‘war,’ the already heavy atmosphere grew heavier and everyone fell silent.

The Lord of Tsushima broke the suffocating heavy silence.

“If we were to clash with the Joseon navy, how do you think the outcome would be?”

“…”

The retainers answered their lord’s question with silence. They had seen plenty of the Joseon navy’s might since their naval base was established in Tsushima.

Hearing their silent answer, the Lord of Tsushima heaved a long sigh.

“sigh That means defeat.”

“Due to our incompetence…”

“Our incompetence…”

“Enough.”

The Lord of Tsushima raised his hand to cut off his self-reproaching retainers.

“This is the result of ignoring how times have changed. Then the responsibility is mine. But we can’t keep being dragged along, so let’s think of solutions.”

“Sir!”

As the Lord of Tsushima and his retainers began contemplating countermeasures, a lower-ranking samurai rushed in from outside to report.

“Shoni Yoshiyori and Noriyori have arrived!”

“Show them in!”

“Sir!”

***

Shortly after, the Shoni brothers entered the conference room and got straight to the point without even greeting.

“Did you also receive a personal letter from Joseon’s Crown Prince?”

“Did your lord receive one too?”

The brothers nodded at the Lord of Tsushima’s question.

“It said to either submit to Joseon or leave Tsushima for our homeland within five days. It stated that if we remain after that, we’ll be considered pirates and force will be used.”

“My…”

The Lord of Tsushima sighed deeply at the brothers’ answer.

Is this how that temporary measure returns to us?

***

After Yi Jong-mu’s first suppression ended, when Taejong declared a second expedition and continued the naval blockade, the Lord of Tsushima proposed relocating himself and all Tsushima residents to Joseon.

When the Lord of Tsushima said they would become faithful Joseon subjects if provided an inhabitable island – for example, Jindo – Taejong concluded the matter by bestowing a seal certifying the Lord of Tsushima as a Joseon vassal and providing appropriate amounts of grain annually instead of relocation.

At the time, Taejong judged the Lord of Tsushima’s proposal as a declaration of surrender. And he considered relocation to Joseon would bring more losses than gains.

And this had been the Lord of Tsushima’s calculated move.

Joseon was a weak country then. The Lord of Tsushima had employed “cliff’s edge tactics,” judging it would be impossible to maintain public order after accepting Tsushima residents who could transform into an armed group at any time.

But now that tactic’s aftershocks were hitting Tsushima.

The acknowledgment that Tsushima was Joseon’s vassal territory and the voluntary offer to relocate to Joseon were all recorded, and these had now become swords striking at Tsushima.

***

“sigh”

After letting out a long sigh, the Lord of Tsushima reached his conclusion.

“The outcome is already decided. When everyone was changing, starting with Joseon, we failed to keep up. Isn’t extinction all that remains?”

“Lord! Are you saying we should submit to Joseon?”

“We have no other choice.”

At the Lord of Tsushima’s response suggesting he’d already made up his mind, the Shoni brothers’ expressions turned dismayed.

Though the Lord of Tsushima was Tsushima’s ruler, they were merely parasites attached to him.

Though they received the same proposal, while the Lord of Tsushima could be treated as Joseon’s vassal, they would certainly be treated as surrendered Japanese.

Of course, while they wouldn’t be treated exactly like common people, they certainly wouldn’t receive treatment like the Lord of Tsushima.

Yet returning to Kyushu was also a bad move. Kyushu was controlled by Ouchi who had driven them here. Facing Ouchi, who had grown strong enough to break the Shogunate, would certainly end in defeat.

Finally, remaining here and resisting the Joseon navy would certainly result in a miserable death.

The dismayed brothers finally rose from their seats.

“We need to think about this more.”

“Consider the situation coolly.”

After hearing the Lord of Tsushima’s advice that wasn’t quite advice, the brothers left with flustered expressions.

After sending off the Shoni brothers, the Lord of Tsushima turned to his retainers and spoke.

“The answer was already decided.”

“sob!”

“sniff My lord!”

At the Lord of Tsushima’s words, all the retainers burst into tears and grieved. The Lord comforted his retainers.

“Don’t grieve too much. Isn’t it the law of the world that those who can’t keep up with changing times become extinct?”

“sob!”

“sniff!”

“Enough now. From now on, our task is to gain maximum benefit even when moving. This is our final war. Prepare.”

“Sir!”

***

Around the same time, in the conference room of the Joseon naval fortress stationed in Satsuma, discussions about this matter were also taking place.

The high-ranking officers who already knew the details were sharing their predictions about the Lord of Tsushima’s response.

“Will the Lord of Tsushima accept His Highness’s proposal?”

“Anyone with a thinking head would have to accept, wouldn’t they?”

“But they’re the kind who let their swords move before their heads…”

“Then we just blast them with cannons and it’s over, right? That would be good too.”

Most of the high-ranking commanders gathered here had participated in the previous Tsushima expedition.

They had an earnest desire to avenge Park Sil’s defeat.

They also knew well they shouldn’t strike first.

However, they were forgetting something – that a hell of paperwork awaited them regardless of what choice the Lord of Tsushima made.

While many in Tsushima couldn’t sleep due to their concerns, there was also someone who couldn’t sleep in Hanseong.

The Crown Prince’s son.

***

Note 1) Military Strategy of the Joseon Period. Military History Research Institute, Ministry of National Defense.