Florence. The Medici family mansion.
“I have returned.”
“Well done.”
Cosimo’s brief response was followed by an immediate dive into the heart of the matter.
“So, what happened?”
At Cosimo’s question, Giovanni bowed his head.
“My apologies. I was unable to secure a favorable response.”
“Did the ruler of Joseon refuse?”
“The Emperor stated that I wasn’t even qualified to engage in dialogue.”
“What!”
Giovanni’s response twisted Cosimo’s expression into one of fury. Unable to contain his emotions, he continued in a harsh voice.
“How absurd! A mere sovereign from the East dares to question who is qualified to speak with him! Ha!”
Cosimo was utterly dumbfounded.
His family wasn’t merely the ruler of Florence. They had established a financial network across Europe and controlled vast capital. Even the King of France, a great power, couldn’t speak carelessly to him, and most nobles couldn’t even raise their heads in his presence.
And his representative wasn’t qualified to speak? Even for the ruler of Joseon, their largest trading partner, this was incredibly presumptuous.
“Tell me exactly what that arrogant Joseon ruler spouted!”
“Y-yes, yes!”
Startled by Cosimo’s thundering voice, Giovanni immediately reported what Hyang had said.
“Hmm…”
By the time Giovanni finished speaking, Cosimo’s expression had transformed. The anger that had filled his face moments before had vanished, replaced by a mixture of seriousness and admiration.
“He made such a decision after hearing only about the ‘5/100 share’ mentioned to the Foreign Minister?”
“Yes.”
“Ha!”
Cosimo let out a short exclamation that could have been either amazement or sarcasm in response to Giovanni’s answer.
Taking a sip of wine from his crystal glass, Cosimo continued.
“The young ruler of Joseon would excel even as a merchant. What a shame. Truly a shame.”
“It’s the Emperor of the Great Han Federal Empire, not Joseon.”
“That’s precisely why it’s a shame. Kitai, no, Ming is a nation equal to all of Europe combined. Just because they managed to win one war against such a country, they call themselves an empire. It won’t last long.”
“I don’t believe that’s the case.”
“Oh?”
“On my way to Hanseong, no, Seoul, I gathered information at every port we visited. As a result, I found that all Eastern nations now place the Empire above Ming. The dominant power in the East has definitively shifted.”
“Oh?”
Cosimo’s eyes sparkled as he straightened his posture.
“Tell me more in detail.”
“Yes.”
***
The war between Joseon and Ming wasn’t simply a conflict between two nations. From nearby states of Wa and Ryukyu to distant Malacca and India, every Asian nation carefully observed the war’s progression.
For India, it was a matter of trade, but for other nations, it was a crucial issue that might require completely restructuring their diplomatic relations. This was due to the tributary diplomacy system that formed the foundation of Northeast Asian foreign relations. It was a critical matter of whether Ming, the traditional superior state, would maintain its position or if Joseon, the rising power, would displace them.
***
While organizing this section in his memoirs after the war, Hyang muttered to himself:
“It’s always been about this ‘G1’ position. Looking back, from the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens to the US-China conflict in the 21st century… The terms ‘Thucydides’ War’ and ‘Destined War’ didn’t come about for nothing.”
In Hyang’s view, Emperor Xuande’s decision to plan war with Joseon wasn’t so much his personal choice as it was his inability to resist the pressures of the era.
When King Sejong first began his reforms, Emperor Xuande had been very favorable toward Joseon. This continued for so long that he earned the nicknames ‘Goryeo Emperor’ and ‘Joseon Emperor.’
However, as Joseon grew at an almost transformative rate, Xuande’s goodwill turned to wariness, and then to hostility.
This wasn’t just Xuande’s change alone. Even among Ming’s civilians, the sentiment of ‘self-production and self-consumption’ had surfaced.
Therefore, war between Ming and Joseon had been inevitable.
***
“So you’re saying that leadership in the East has shifted from Ming to Joseon, or rather, the Empire?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
Cosimo fell into deep thought at Giovanni’s words.
‘I’ve encountered a more challenging opponent than expected.’
Though his deliberation was deep, the conclusion came surprisingly quickly.
“The Empire’s Emperor wasn’t wrong, so we’ll have to adjust accordingly. It will increase our expenses, but if it works out as planned, it will bring perpetual benefits to our family.”
Having reached his conclusion, Cosimo turned to Giovanni.
“Well done. You’ve accomplished something significant for the family.”
At Cosimo’s praise, Giovanni’s expression relaxed as he bowed his head.
“You’re too kind.”
“You may return… No, wait. Before you go, there’s something else to tell you. Those people you took with you have stirred up quite a bit of activity.”
“Pardon?”
***
The artists and sculptors who accompanied Giovanni completed many works during their stay in Joseon and on the return voyage.
Their paintings, prints, and sculptures soon caused a sensation not just in Italy’s cultural circles, but throughout European culture as a whole.
Until then, people could only imagine Joseon’s landscapes through letters from monks, but now they could see them with their own eyes, albeit through paintings and prints.
As a result, the Medici mansion where these paintings were displayed received continuous visits from European dignitaries, and the print collections sold for high prices.
The sensation created by these artists wasn’t limited to culture alone.
The advanced state of Joseon depicted in these paintings and prints stimulated Europe’s political and religious leaders.
“How long will we continue fighting? That Eastern nation is advancing so far ahead, we cannot afford to fall behind!”
“Either settle things decisively or make peace!”
As these opinions gained dominance, Europe once again experienced great upheaval.
Charles VII of France, who had earned the title ‘Charles the Victorious (Charles le Victorieux),’ began reorganizing his nation in earnest after strengthening royal authority.
‘I will make France the Joseon of Europe!’
This was the slogan he proclaimed.
Interestingly, France and Charles VII weren’t the only ones to advocate becoming the ‘Joseon of Europe.’
Meanwhile, the religious sphere showed similar changes. Pope Nicholas V, who succeeded Eugene IV, began focusing on stabilizing and unifying the church.
The circumstances of the time favored him.
In 1448, he concluded the Vienna Concordat with Frederick III, saw the resignation of Antipope Felix V, and the Basel Council, which had been in opposition to the Vatican, recognized Nicholas V as the sole legitimate pope before dissolving.
Nicholas V actively utilized this favorable situation.
“The rulers of Joseon gather not only Eastern wisdom but also Roman wisdom in their search for truth! Reflect and repent! And study!”
Thus began what would later be called the ‘Age of Reflection and Repentance (Tempus reflexionis et poenitentiae).’
Under this slogan, Nicholas V patronized humanist scholars and modified the plans for the Vatican Library under construction to expand its scale even further.
***
Hearing Cosimo’s story, Giovanni stammered in surprise.
“S-surely… you don’t mean all of this happened because of me?”
Cosimo gently shook his head at Giovanni’s words.
“Not entirely. Both Charles and the Vatican had been showing such movements since receiving letters from Joseon. You were just one part of it. It’s just that now that people could see it with their own eyes, everyone started moving.”
“Ah…”
Giovanni nodded at Cosimo’s explanation. Watching him, Cosimo smiled slightly and continued.
“Thanks to this, I’ve gained many benefits. My network has grown stronger, and I’ve been able to establish several more branches.”
“That’s wonderful news!”
“Up to this point, yes. But it’s also created some problems.”
The smile had vanished from Cosimo’s face as he continued speaking.
“Tell me about the ‘Challenge Record.'”
***
Giovanni, Prince Henry, and Mehmet II weren’t the only ones who learned of the Challenge Record’s existence.
The artists Giovanni brought were immediately captivated upon seeing the Iron Horse and lived close to it to paint or memorize its form. During this process, they formed connections with the monks working in the research institute and learned about the Challenge Record through them.
The returned artists didn’t just complete artworks. In between creating their pieces, they compiled travelogues of what they had seen and heard in Seoul, either through writing or dictation.
Publishers who smelled profit potential swooped in, and the travelogues they printed immediately became bestsellers.
Through these travelogues, European scholars learned about the Challenge Record and began hastily packing their bags.
“We must go to Joseon, no, the Empire right now!”
Through letters from monks and artists, it had become widely known that Joseon had transformed into the Great Han Federal Empire. At some point, among European intellectuals, the term ‘Empire (Imperium)’ came to specifically refer to the Great Han Federal Empire.
- A nation where the monarch promotes scholarship and allows unrestricted research regardless of religion, as long as one doesn’t insist solely on proselytizing.
- A country that embodies scholars’ ideals through the Challenge Record and Response Record alone!
- Since the fall of the Roman Empire, the Great Han Federal Empire is the only nation worthy of being called a true empire!
This was the judgment of European intellectuals of the time.
***
While scholars who learned of the Challenge Record’s existence packed their bags to head to the Empire, politicians and merchants reacted differently.
- Just knowing the challenges recorded in the Challenge Record means never losing one’s way! No, we can get ahead!
- If I can just get my hands on the Challenge Record and Response Record and make them mine, world hegemony will be mine!
They believed the Challenge Record and Response Record were behind Joseon’s rapid development and its evolution into an empire.
Those who reached this conclusion all faced the same problem.
“But how do we obtain them?”
***
After hearing Giovanni’s explanation, Cosimo stroked his chin and continued questioning.
“So you’re saying both the Challenge Record and Response Record are kept under strict security even within the Empire?”
“Yes.”
“Should we hire skilled thieves?”
“It’s impossible from the start given their different appearance.”
“That’s certainly an issue. Then perhaps the monks… ah, that already failed… hmm… Should we ask the Pope?”
Giovanni kept shaking his head at Cosimo’s suggestions.
“They might completely abandon their faith.”
“Didn’t they reject Mehmet II’s offer to abandon their faith?”
“Isn’t this case different?”
Cosimo’s expression turned incredulous at Giovanni’s response.
“Is it that significant?”
“I’m not exaggerating. Judging by the monks’ reactions I witnessed, it wouldn’t be wrong to say they place God first, the Challenge Record second, and the Pope third.”
“This is…”