Hyang’s concern about a potential war in Europe was not solely due to alliance issues. A far greater worry was the Empire becoming a direct target.
While the European powers were engaged in a fierce arms race, the Empire was reaping what could be called a fisherman’s profit, benefiting from their conflict. The export of new model warships to Portugal and Italy, and the export of ‘iron horses’ to Italy and Switzerland, were symbolic examples of this.
***
Surveying the European landscape of this era, the West, comprising England, France, and the Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire, were the relatively advanced technological nations, with the North following behind them. The East, with the exception of Hungary, had yet to escape the status of agrarian states. In this context, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland each had their own inherent problems.
Switzerland, for one, was poor in resources, with its most significant exports being limestone and rock salt. The rugged natural environment made it nearly impossible to build factories, even if they had wanted to. Italy’s situation was similar. While it possessed formidable commercial and industrial cities like Florence and Venice, along with significant capital, the soil needed to cultivate this on a larger scale was only prepared after unification. Its one strength was the iron mines on the island of Elba, which boasted a long history stretching back to the Roman era.
Portugal’s weapons were the experience and colonies it had accumulated by being one of the first, along with Spain, to venture into maritime trade beyond the Mediterranean. In particular, it was reaping great profits from the sugar produced on the Madeira islands in Africa. However, its heavy industry, symbolized by the steam engine, was a field in which it was just beginning.
Although it had started research and investment in steam engines around the same time as the other great powers, its small territory and population held it back. The proximity of the much larger Spain and France was an especially pressing problem. In the end, Portugal chose to concentrate its capabilities not on fostering heavy industry, but on trade. However, as the leading group of powers, like England and France, aggressively pursued industrial structural reform, including steam engines, and engaged in the arms race, Portugal’s concerns deepened.
Ultimately, these three nations had no choice but to rely on the Empire once again.
***
The first country to lean on the Empire was Portugal. The large, proper ironworks that King João II and his ministers had built by emptying the national treasury had only just begun operations. The situation with their shipyards was the same. While there were many shipyards building merchant vessels to ply the routes to their colonies in Gloria and Africa, there were none capable of building a large ironclad warship. To be more precise, their construction schedules were already overbooked for years to come.
“We could simply wait, but we do not have the time.”
After much deliberation, the Portuguese government formally commissioned the construction of an ironclad from the Empire.
- It must be equipped with at least 40 of the Imperial-made naval guns currently in use by the Portuguese Navy.
- It must employ a steam engine.
- It must be capable of a one-way crossing from the Azores to the Southern New Frontier Archipelago without resupply.
The Imperial military command, upon receiving the commission request, immediately reported it to Hyeon.
“This is exactly to my liking.”
Hyeon’s eyes lit up as he read the request, and he opened a nearby drawer. Running a finger over the rolled-up blueprints that filled the drawer, he grinned.
“Which one would be best?”
However, Hyeon was not able to put forth his own designs.
“It cannot be done, Your Majesty!”
“Absolutely not!”
The ministers, upon hearing Hyeon’s plan, all rose up in protest. Han Myeong-hoe stepped forward to explain the reasons on their behalf.
- Your Majesty’s blueprints incorporate the Empire’s very latest technologies. There is a risk of technology leakage.
- The warships designed by Your Majesty are highly experimental. While their performance is excellent, they may also contain undiscovered flaws. If Portugal were to acquire and operate such a vessel and a fatal flaw were to be discovered, it would become a diplomatic incident.
‘Challenging’ is a nice way of putting it; they’re gambles! If something goes wrong, we’ll be the ones taking the fall! No, before that, we’ll be the ones worked to death trying to fix it! I hear some of the artisans are thinking of moving to private shipyards these days. Do you know how much time and money went into training them?! Things will really go wrong!’
Forcibly suppressing the words that were about to burst forth, Han Myeong-hoe rebutted as politely as he could.
“…Therefore, the best course of action is to deliver a ship built to the specifications they have requested!”
“That is correct!”
“We implore you to grant our request!”
“We beseech you to give it your royal consideration!”
At the appearance of the word ‘consideration,’ a term that had not been used in some time, Hyeon had no choice but to back down.
“…Very well. Then, order the shipyards in Wonsan and New Frontier to draw up blueprints that meet their requirements and submit them.”
“We accept your command!”
“Tsk…”
After concluding his duties for the day, Hyeon went to visit Hyang to vent his frustrations.
“It was a good opportunity. It’s such a shame.”
“The ministers’ words were reasonable. What else could be done?”
“It was a design I poured my heart into, created by carving out what little free time I have…”
“Such is the nature of the emperor’s position.”
After complaining to Hyang for a good while longer, Hyeon bid him farewell and left Sugang Palace. Gazing at the scenery outside the carriage window, he smacked his lips and muttered to himself.
“Tsk. I feel this every time, but this is why the Emperor Emeritus and the Royal Father were able to abdicate without any regrets. Let’s see, the First Prince of the Eastern Palace is currently…”
Hyeon suddenly began to count on his fingers, calculating when he might be able to abdicate.
***
Against this backdrop, four sets of blueprints were submitted from the shipyards in Wonsan and New Frontier. As this was his area of passion, Hyeon immediately had the blueprints brought to him and unrolled them. However, as he looked them over, his expression soured.
“This is a bit…”
Scowling, Hyeon looked up from the blueprints at the officials in charge, who were standing stiff with tension.
“Equipping it with both a steam engine and sails… isn’t this a bit too old-fashioned?”
At Hyeon’s criticism, Jang Hang-seon stepped forward to answer.
“It is exactly as Your Majesty commanded, tailored to what they requested.”
“Even so, isn’t it a bit much to have both a steam engine and sails?”
“They say that equipping ships with both steam engines and sails is the current trend in Europe.”
“Still…”
As Hyeon continued to grumble, Lim Sunwook stepped in.
“The competition in Europe is currently fierce, Your Majesty. If we were to sell them a warship that runs on a steam engine alone, it would be like pouring oil on a burning house. And besides, wouldn’t it be better to sell to them one more time down the line?”
“Sell to them one more time?”
“The Europeans must be well aware that the combined use of sails and steam is not the optimal solution. In that case, they will eventually remove the sails, and at that time, won’t we be able to sell to them again?”
“…Send the blueprints to Portugal and have them choose the one they like.”
“We accept your command.”
***
When the Empire’s blueprints arrived, the royal palace in Lisbon was thrown into an uproar. Experts from the Portuguese Navy, the high command, and the shipyards all gathered to examine the designs sent by the Empire.
“Of the four designs, which is the best?”
At King João II’s question, Admiral Ricardo, the commander-in-chief of the Portuguese Navy, who had been studying the blueprints, answered cautiously.
“If you wish for my honest opinion, I would like to adopt all of them.”
“Are they that good?”
“They are. If built according to these designs, they will be the most powerful warships in Europe.”
Hearing Admiral Ricardo’s answer, the chancellor, who was also present, asked a question.
“And what if they were to face the Empire?”
At the chancellor’s question, Admiral Ricardo looked at him with an expression of disbelief and retorted.
“Chancellor, if you were the Empire, would you sell the very teeth that could be used to bite you?”
“Still, is there not always a ‘what if’?”
“…If we were to face the Empire, the best we could hope for is a draw.”
“I see. Understood.”
Having heard Admiral Ricardo’s answer, the chancellor then turned to the shipbuilding experts.
“Can these warships be built in our own shipyards?”
The experts answered immediately.
“It is impossible.”
“What is the reason?”
“There isn’t just one.”
“…I see.”
The chancellor nodded with a troubled expression and stepped back. As if it had been arranged beforehand, as soon as the chancellor withdrew, King João II commanded Admiral Ricardo.
“It is not feasible to adopt all the designs. Therefore, choose the one you believe to be the very best and submit it.”
“I accept your command.”
After Admiral Ricardo and the experts had departed, King João II spoke with his chancellor.
“I gave you the chance, but I will ask you once more. We already have so many other enemies; must we really consider the Empire an enemy as well?”
At the king’s question, the chancellor replied with a look of resignation.
“We have no choice, Your Majesty. The Empire has too much, and we must have more. And it is not just Portugal. The other great powers, like France, Spain, and England, are all eyeing the Empire. If they find they cannot make a move on the Empire, those bastards will target us, Portugal. We must have a force capable of biting even the Empire to protect our motherland.”
“In that case, would it not be better to strengthen our alliance with the Empire?”
“Even in that case, we would still need to hold out and buy time until the Empire arrives. In the end, it is not enough to simply possess powerful warships; we must have the ability to build them ourselves.”
***
And so, the warships built according to the design Portugal had chosen began to be delivered. When these sail-assisted steamships, which were larger, faster, stronger, and more powerful than the ones the other great powers had begun to build and deploy, appeared flying the Portuguese flag, the navies of the great powers all cursed in unison.
“Those damned Imperial bastards!”
“Our new ships have become coffins the moment they were launched!”
And for the ship designers of the great powers, hell was unleashed.
“Design ships more powerful than the Portuguese bastards’ right now!”
“Your Excellency? Do you truly believe that is possible?”
“If I tell you to do it, you do it!”
“Yes, sir…”
The designers, saddled with this impossible task, all muttered the same words, regardless of their nationality.
“Should I just quit this job?”
***
While the navies of the European powers were in an uproar over the bombshell Portugal had dropped, Italy and Switzerland were also moving quickly. Italy, a nation with a strong contingent of merchants like the Medici family, quickly assessed its strengths and weaknesses and made its move.
What they chose was ‘economy of scale.’ As soon as they confirmed the outstanding performance of the warships Portugal had commissioned from the Empire, Italy sent envoys to both Portugal and the Empire.
“We will buy the same warships you are selling to Portugal! In return, please lower the price!”
“Eh?”
“Steel plates, other equipment, and parts—the more you make, the lower the unit production cost, is it not? If not just Portugal, but we, Italy, also buy them, the quantity will be substantial, so naturally, you can lower the price, can’t you?”
“…Tell Lord Lim Sunwook to come here!”
Lim Sunwook, along with the Minister of Finance and his working-level officials, rushed over, and a fierce negotiation ensued. However, Italy was a formidable opponent, and in the end, both sides were able to reach a compromise. The next area where Italy made a move was the railways.
First, Italy sent an envoy to Switzerland.
“You need railways too, right? Let’s move together! We can save money!”
“…Shall we?”
Having joined hands with Switzerland, Italy then turned to the Empire again.
“We will be jointly procuring the iron horses to operate in both Switzerland and Italy! So, give us a discount! Oh, and we also want to manufacture the rails needed for future maintenance ourselves, not just the ones being laid for the current construction!”
“If it’s only within Italy…”
“No, we’ll make the ones for Switzerland too! Think of the cost of shipping them from the Empire! Do you really think that poor country Switzerland will be able to manage them properly?”
“…Tell Lord Lim Sunwook to come here!”