When the ‘Chicken Ribs Operation’ was first proposed and planned, everyone except Hyang thought the target of this operation was only the ‘unknown continent’ said to be in the south. This was because information about South America had not yet arrived.

This was due to Sejong and Hyang’s policy.

To protect the New Frontier from Europe, Sejong and Hyang focused on securing the eastern part of the New Frontier first.

For this purpose, most of the Imperial Navy’s forces growing in the New Frontier were concentrated in the east.

In the western region, their only concern was maintaining the northern route connecting the mainland and the New Frontier.

Of course, just in case, the Imperial Navy stationed at Great Snow Island was monitoring Japan’s movements.

It would be troublesome if Japan sent ships eastward too.

As a result, Hyang was the only person in the Empire who knew about the South American continent at this time.

However, Hyang, who had included the South American continent in the scope of ‘chicken ribs,’ was in continuous turmoil.

“Australia was actually easy to give up, but South America still bothers me.”

Hyang couldn’t hide his regret and smacked his lips.

“Tsk! It’s not anywhere else, but South America that’s the real chicken ribs. Tsk tsk…”

Continuing to smack his lips, Hyang cursed.

“Fucking rubber…”

It was rubber that prevented Hyang from abandoning his attachment to South America.

***

Hyang’s obsession with rubber wasn’t just about electricity.

Rubber was an important material that could provide momentum to the Empire’s economy, which was slowly entering a period of stagnation.

The first application would be as waterproof material.

When it rained in the Empire’s cities, people carried paper umbrellas treated with oil, while in the countryside, they wore conical hats with straw rain capes.

Soldiers and constables who needed their hands free wore long coats made of oiled leather.

As an aside, this look—especially the combination of the long coat Hyang had designed based on the trench coat and cavalry boots—was quite stylish, and before long, fashionable city dwellers were copying the style.

The difference between them and the soldiers and constables was the hat.

While soldiers and constables wearing felt hats just walked around, the fashionable ones wearing hats made of horsehair or silk covered them with rain covers.

The problem was that such oiled paper or leather couldn’t provide perfect waterproofing.

Waterproof materials weren’t needed only for clothing.

They could be usefully employed in the packing and gaskets of lever-action water pumps, which were becoming essential items in every household in the Empire.

Of course, copper packing and gaskets had to be used in places that needed to withstand high temperature and pressure like steam engines, but rubber could replace them in many other applications.

Considering the price of copper, this could bring enormous economic benefits.

Beyond that, rubber had countless uses, starting with the wheels of rickshaws and carts.

This was why Hyang had become obsessed with rubber.

However, the location of rubber trees was the problem.

They had previously found a type of rubber tree in India, but had to abandon it after evaluation showed it couldn’t achieve profitability.

“The rubber trees in the famous Southeast Asian rubber plantations of the 21st century almost all originated from South America… Sigh.”

At that point, Hyang could only sigh.

“The conclusion is that we need to search the Amazon, but this isn’t something that can be done with manpower…”

Thinking of the Amazon’s size, Hyang could only shake his head.

***

Eventually, Hyang almost gave up on South America.

“Searching through the Amazon would bring more loss than gain. The money-crazed Europeans are perfect for that job. It’s better to move when the Europeans find it, while they still don’t know its value.”

Choosing the next best option, Hyang decided to hand South America over to Europe as well.

Later, as time passed and the ‘Mexica Incident’ occurred, Hyang had the opportunity to meet with surrendered natives.

In conversations with them, after confirming that the natives knew about rubber’s existence, Hyang gave Lee Jing-ok special orders.

• After settling Mexica, confirm the existence of trees that produce chicle.

Since even the name ‘rubber’ didn’t exist at this time, Hyang used the word ‘chicle’ that the natives used.

And two months after settling Mexica, a report arrived saying they had found chicle trees.

After reviewing the report, Hyang’s expression became much more relaxed.

“Phew~. Now I can really throw South America as bait without worry. Of course, if possible, we should secure Chile’s nitrate mines.”

Looking at the map on the wall, Hyang continued:

“Right now we’re importing from India without worry, but England is concerning. No, all of Europe is concerning. For Europeans, India is still the golden land. That’s why I’ve been making moves…”

***

By obtaining large quantities of nitrate from the Bengal Sultanate in India, Joseon and later the Empire could escape the problem of gunpowder shortage.

Of course, they had to spend considerable funds importing large quantities of nitrate, but compared to the cost of producing it through traditional saltpeter production methods, it was overwhelmingly cheap.

Also, by selling the Empire’s goods in the market, they were ultimately running a surplus.

As time passed and Joseon defeated Ming to become an empire, the Sultan of Bengal became interested in the Empire’s weapons.

This was because of the Delhi Sultanate from which they had gained independence.

Though there had been no major wars after two conflicts, war could break out again at any time between the Bengal Sultanate and the Delhi Sultanate.

Particularly, rumors had spread widely that the Bengal Sultanate was becoming wealthy through trade with the Empire.

Therefore, the Sultan of Bengal requested that the Empire sell them weapons.

In response to the Bengal Sultanate’s request, the Empire readily sold them the Type A rifles left over from sales elsewhere.

Not just rifles, but even the hwacha rocket launchers that were now rotting in warehouses.

These were perfect weapons for the Bengal Sultanate, which mainly had to fight defensive battles.

Afterward, instructors were selected and dispatched to the Bengal Sultanate to ensure they could properly use the Empire’s weapons they had acquired.

***

The instructors who arrived in the Bengal Sultanate trained the sultanate’s soldiers and officers while building connections with the sultanate’s key leadership.

However, there were some amusing incidents in the process.

One of the most famous was the ‘ammunition packet incident.’

Type A rifles were muzzle-loading rifles using percussion caps. Therefore, to fire a bullet, one had to tear open the paper package containing gunpowder and bullet with their teeth, pour in the gunpowder, then push in the paper and bullet with a ramrod.

But this paper packaging the gunpowder and bullets became a problem.

“There’s a problem if the paper gets wet?”

“Yes. However, since the paper packaging the bullets and gunpowder is treated with oil, moderate moisture isn’t a concern.”

At the instructor’s answer, the sultanate army’s officers and soldiers’ expressions soured.

“Is there a problem?”

“The oil is the problem.”

At this time, oil was generally something used in cooking. And most of that oil was animal-based. Vegetable oils were mainly used for fragrance purposes.

“Some of our soldiers are Hindus, and the rest are Muslims. Hindus cannot eat beef, and Muslims cannot eat pork. The same goes for oil. But we heard that people of the Empire eat both beef and pork. Then isn’t the oil soaking that paper also beef or pork fat?”

At the sultanate officer’s point, the Empire instructors replied with dumbfounded expressions.

“It’s soybean oil and palm oil.”

“Oh?”

After that, the sultanate’s soldiers tore open the paper packages without any hesitation.

***

Armed with the Empire’s weapons, the Bengal Sultanate’s position solidified.

However, the Empire couldn’t be optimistic about the situation.

At this time, India wasn’t just the Delhi Sultanate and Bengal Sultanate but was filled with large and small states.

And those states were repeatedly forming and breaking alliances for their survival and growth.

To borrow Hyang’s expression, it was an ‘Indian version of the Spring and Autumn Warring States period.’

To survive in such chaotic times, India’s rulers were desperate to strengthen their defenses.

They too approached the Empire, but the Empire rejected their proposals.

This was because the inventory of old weapons had been exhausted.

If they resumed production of old weapons to sell to them, it would cause delays in producing weapons for the Imperial forces.

At this time, the Imperial forces were in the midst of being supplied with Type C rifles and hwachas, beyond Type B.

Type B rifles and hwachas replaced by Type C rifles were steadily accumulating in warehouses, but selling them was problematic.

Having sold Type A rifles to the Bengal Sultanate, selling Type B rifles to others would bring more loss than gain.

Additionally, major buyers had already reserved the Type B rifles and hwachas.

The allied nations fighting over Suez at the time were those major buyers.

The Indian rulers who were rejected by the Empire turned their eyes elsewhere.

Their gaze turned to Ming and Japan.

After examining the weapons of Ming and Japan, the Indian rulers made the following assessment:

• Japan’s guns are inferior to Ming’s, and Ming’s guns are inferior to the Empire’s.

However, given the situation, those Indian rulers with economic capability purchased firearms from Ming, while those lacking economic capability purchased firearms from Japan.

And their choice was the choice of Asian countries at the time.

Countries friendly with the Empire and in economic cooperation could purchase the Empire’s weapons. However, countries that couldn’t had to purchase weapons from Ming or Japan based on their economic capability.

The Empire was the highest grade, Ming was next, and Japan was last.

This perception was the same not only for weapons but in other fields as well.

People bought Empire goods if they had sufficient money, otherwise Ming goods, and lastly Japanese goods.

And this perception remained the same even after Japan changed from being called Wa.

Therefore, Japan had to make great efforts to escape this perception.

However, when Japan was actively attempting overseas expansion, powerful competitors appeared.

They were the European nations.

***

The main products that Europe focused on when advancing into Asia were slaves and weapons.

Europeans sold slaves obtained from African slave traders to the sultans of India and Southeast Asia.

Having opened trade channels with slaves, Europeans subsequently entered the weapons market.

Through religious conflicts in Europe and the subsequent Suez War, European weapons had advanced considerably, but were still insufficient to catch up with the Empire.

However, Europeans couldn’t give up the weapons market.

Those purchasing weapons were the leadership of those countries, and maintaining connections with them was necessary for future trade to continue smoothly.

This choice by Europeans was different from how they dealt with African leadership.

If it had been Africa, they would have intimidated with guns and cannons to open trade or made colonies.

However, in Asia after Hyang’s intervention, they couldn’t use such methods.

When Europeans brought out cannons, Asians also brought out cannons.