“So… for these monks who believe in God, He comes first, and then this Challenge Record?”
“That’s correct.”
At Giovanni’s response, Cosimo shook his head in disbelief.
“Monks who pore over classics in monasteries are usually single-minded, but to this extent…”
“These are the same men who immediately refused when Mehmet II offered them women and wealth as they desired.”
Giovanni explained in detail his meeting with the monks.
As Giovanni’s explanation continued, Cosimo kept shaking his head.
“I can understand the elderly ones in the front rows being that way since they’re already spent, but even the young ones in the back were the same… Did they only send those worthy of being canonized as saints?”
***
Similar assessments were made within the Empire.
“Food, clothing, and shelter need only be sufficient to maintain human dignity. However! The Challenge Record and Response Record are non-negotiable!”
Speaking thus, the monks used only the minimum of their stipends from the research institute, using the rest for poor relief.
“That’s quite a substantial amount of wealth. Are you sure about this?”
“What we have now is sufficient for food and clothing. Isn’t it the greatest blessing to pursue truth while alive and praise God before Him after death?”
The monks would say this with smiles on their faces.
Watching these monks who were content with the research dormitories that others couldn’t wait to leave, dedicating themselves to research and charity, both court officials and common people said the same thing:
“Great monks have come from the West!”
“Those temple rats walking around in silk robes should learn from them!”
“Those temple rats aren’t real monks at all! This is what true monks should be like!”
Meanwhile, among the eunuchs serving the then-Crown Prince Hyang, such rumors circulated:
“They say all the Western monks are wizards? But what’s a wizard?”
This was a distortion of Hyang’s muttered words upon seeing the monks who rarely drank and showed no interest in women.
“We might see a great wizard soon… No wonder they couldn’t advance in their careers.”
And Cosimo made a similar assessment to Hyang’s.
“That’s why it’s so hard for bishops and cardinals to emerge from monasteries!”
***
However, Cosimo didn’t give up.
“Still, try to recruit them somehow! Whether it’s wealth or women, or even men if that’s what they want!”
Giovanni responded with a bitter smile to Cosimo’s words.
“I’ll try my best. But it might be faster to suggest bringing the Challenge Record to Florence.”
“That’s it!”
Giovanni’s thoughtless remark lit up Cosimo’s face.
“Tell them this: ‘Knowledge cannot be monopolized! Why not return to Florence and create your own Challenge Record?'”
“That doesn’t seem much different from what Mehmet II said. Will they really agree?”
“It’s vastly different! Mehmet II offered worldly wealth and women, but I’m offering them a chance to leave their names in history!”
“Hmm…”
After briefly considering the possibility at Cosimo’s words, Giovanni nodded.
“I’ll sound them out next time I go. But going there is the issue. We need an answer for the Emperor.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not saying to go right away.”
“Yes.”
***
As more and more monks stayed in Joseon and became involved in research, those concerned about this raised the issue with Hyang through King Sejong.
“It’s true that their qualities are excellent and they help with research. But wouldn’t it be problematic if they become too deeply involved?”
At Sejong’s point, Hyang immediately asked in return.
“Are you worried about them leaking secrets or returning to their own countries?”
“Yes. The desire to return home[1] doesn’t only arise at death, does it?”
At Sejong’s observation, Hyang responded with a slight smile.
“As time passes, leaks will certainly occur, and they will return to their countries. And it’s true that preventing this would be difficult. There are issues with justification and the subsequent difficulty in securing new minds.”
“So it’s difficult to restrict their movement. Hmm…”
After thinking briefly, Sejong nodded.
“Indeed… Unless they’re criminals or slaves, we have no justification to restrict them. And if we forcibly restrict movement, talented individuals won’t consider coming to us. Of course, while we don’t lack talent in our Joseon-” it was Joseon at the time- “still water stagnates, so the influx of new talent from outside is absolutely necessary.”
“That’s correct.”
“However, the countries trading with us are making desperate efforts to catch up. For them, these Western monks are very attractive. We need preventive measures.”
“Due to two conditions, they won’t be able to catch up easily even though they know.”
“Two conditions?”
“One is time, and one is Area 51.”
“I somewhat understand Area 51, but time isn’t clear to me.”
Hyang explained in more detail to Sejong.
“The time condition means they must catch up to the time our Joseon’s research institute has already spent.”
“Catch up to time?”
“While research results are important, the experience gained during research is also crucial.”
“I see. Experience is certainly important. Hmm… Area 51 is because of the craftsmen?”
“Yes. Without craftsmen and facilities capable of actually creating and proving what the institute’s researchers only imagine, their efforts will end in failure.”
Having explained this far, Hyang continued with a cunning smile.
“However… if necessary, we should consider deliberately leaking information within reasonable limits.”
“Deliberately leak?”
Mulling over Hyang’s words, Sejong glared at him.
“When you leak information, just a slight twist will throw off those following us. And you’ll use their pursuit as an excuse to spur a running horse? You cunning fellow!”
“Isn’t what’s good, good?”
The court historian recording this conversation between father and son added:
-They say the historian’s job is tiring with no rest, but it’s still better than being a researcher at the institute. I should remain faithful to my duties.
***
Having roughly finished discussing the Challenge Record, Cosimo moved on to the next topic.
“From what you said earlier, the Eastern countries were deeply interested in the conflict between Ming and Joseon. Now that Ming has withdrawn and Joseon has established itself as an empire, how are the neighboring countries reacting?”
“They appear favorable for now. The Empire’s Emperor has officially declared ‘non-interference in internal affairs’ following the principle of ‘not too close, not too distant’. Moreover, he declared they won’t accept tributary offerings.”
“Oh? The smaller nations must be pleased?”
“Yes.”
“But this non-interference policy… Why make such a disadvantageous move?”
Cosimo frowned, unable to understand Hyang’s choice.
“I thought him capable, but perhaps he’s not?”
***
However, Hyang’s choice was a rational one based on the Empire’s situation.
“Considering our tributary diplomacy with Ming, I believe we have no need to receive tributes.”
The elder ministers all nodded at Hyang’s decision.
“It is the most wise decision.”
“We must not take losses for the sake of pride.”
When Joseon offered tribute to Ming, Ming would bestow several times the value in return. Joseon had profited quite well from this custom, and the elder ministers had been the ones to implement it.
However, tribute wasn’t always beneficial for Joseon. Many women were sent to Ming as tribute maidens, and many people suffered to procure tribute items.
As a result, the resentment of common people toward both Ming and the Joseon court didn’t easily subside.
Well aware of this, Hyang and the ministers abandoned tributary diplomacy.
– Avoid unnecessary expenditure and avoid being cursed by those who would buy our goods!
– When the Empire needs something from other countries, resolve it through trade, not tribute!
Similarly, the declaration of non-interference in internal affairs was for the same reasons.
– To interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, the Empire needs to be able to project military power to those countries. But currently, the Empire neither has the capacity nor the intention to do so.
– Recklessly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs earns the resentment of their people. This harms the Empire’s trade. Therefore, we won’t meddle unless they harm the Empire.
Thus, when Hyang, as Emperor of the Empire, officially declared ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs,’ neighboring countries both cheered this decision while also mocking it.
“Abandoning tributary diplomacy is one thing, but non-interference? They’re giving up the Empire’s greatest potential benefit? Are the Empire’s Emperor and ministers all fools?”
The reason Hyang and his ministers could boldly declare ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs’ was because of the territory they had already secured and were continuing to secure.
“The saying ‘generosity comes from a full granary’ didn’t come from nothing. Why unnecessarily invite curses?”
Hyang’s words weren’t wrong. And Kim Jeom and other ministers felt the same way. When first hearing about the existence of the New Frontier, Kim Jeom had advocated for active development with similar words.
Just properly managing the resource-rich Liaohe region symbolized by Mukden, the northeastern forest region and its buried resources, and the resources buried in Daesuldo would be enough for the Empire’s needs.
But the New Frontier played the biggest role. The mines discovered in the Great Tiger Army region and the underground resources like iron and copper coming from them held tremendous value.
Simply put, the Empire could continue growing even if it completely cut off relations with other countries.
“Why do you think isolationists still held sway in America even in the 21st century? There would be market problems, but that part can be solved by promoting population growth in the Empire.”
After organizing the situation, Hyang muttered to himself with a confident smile.
***
After finishing his conversation with Giovanni, Cosimo remained alone in his room, muttering while holding his wine glass.
“Setting aside temporary plans… should I rethink everything from the beginning?”
Cosimo had begun taking interest in the Far East from the moment he recognized the market potential of Joseon’s products.
Until then, for Cosimo and other Europeans, the East meant the Middle East with the Ottomans and as far as India.
Of course, thanks to records of the ancient Roman Empire’s ‘Silk Road’ and the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Europe, they knew of the existence of ‘China’ or ‘Kitai’ further east. However, it remained largely in the realm of ‘legend’ with little real understanding.
This judgment was based on Marco Polo’s ‘Travels.’ The accounts in the Travels seemed very fantastical to Europeans. The splendor of the East described in the Travels, along with unimagined artifacts and the technologies to create them, were beyond European comprehension.
However, when Joseon’s products began entering Europe through Alexandria, people like Cosimo realized these might not be fiction and immediately began investigating.
After that investigation, Cosimo gave up on Ming.
“Too big for me to digest.”
Instead, he targeted Joseon.
“They’re a small country paying tribute to Ming. Wealthy, yes, but small compared to Ming. Perfectly digestible.”
However, as time passed, these beliefs began to crack.
-Military power far beyond expectations.
-Despite having such military power, focusing on eastward rather than westward expansion.
At this point, Cosimo, who had noticed the existence of the New World, arranged the alliance between Portugal and the Ottoman Empire to avoid losing economic rights.
At this point, deep in his heart, the judgment that Joseon was too much to handle was growing stronger, but Cosimo deliberately ignored it. It was a matter of pride.
“How could I, Cosimo de’ Medici, be wrong in my judgment!”
However, now that Joseon had pushed aside Ming and become the ruler of the Far East, he had to acknowledge this and rethink everything from the beginning.
And what confirmed this was Hyang’s declaration of ‘abolition of tribute’ and ‘non-interference in internal affairs.’
-The Empire must have already secured revenue sources large enough to abandon the massive benefits they could gain through these policies!