Upon understanding the Empire’s intentions, Giovanni approached negotiations with a rather unburdened expression.
The Empire already recognizes that war is inevitable! If our Florence falls, the Empire will suffer losses in Suez’s operations and dividends!
Having shed his psychological burden, Giovanni engaged in negotiations even more actively.
As Giovanni pressed forward aggressively, Shin Sukju found himself being pushed back instead.
“I cannot decide this part on my own, so I’ll report to His Majesty.”
Whenever cornered by Giovanni’s counterattacks, Shin Sukju would halt the meeting with these words.
“Then let’s do that.”
Each time, Giovanni would nod with a leisurely smile.
“I’ll await a favorable response then. Please be sure to consider the mutual interests of Florence and the Empire.”
“Understood.”
Giovanni glanced briefly at Shin Sukju leaving with a defeated expression before rising from his seat and exiting the negotiation room.
Judging that he had gained the upper hand, Giovanni turned to his aide with a joke that was half sincere.
“This Foreign Minister is truly an excellent negotiation partner. Don’t you think? If we had dealt with the previous Foreign Minister or the past and current Finance Ministers… Phew! It’s the grace of the Virgin Mary. Indeed it is!”
As Giovanni even made the sign of the cross while speaking lightly, his aide nodded.
He had been with Giovanni since the Medici family first made contact with the Empire and had experienced the Empire’s people.
-Even Jews and Arabs renowned for commerce and scheming, no, negotiation, would cry and leave when dealing with these Empire bastards.
This was the conclusion he had reached after dealing with the Empire and its people.
“Where on earth did such people come from? No, how do they think like this?”
However, after making contact with Ming people, he understood to some degree.
“The people of Cathay, no, Ming, were as tough as Jews and Arabs. The Japanese aren’t easy either.”
His judgment was only half correct.
From the ancient Three Kingdoms period through the Goryeo era, the Empire had been famous for international trade. The Empire’s people had become even tougher dealing with Chinese merchants renowned for their ruthless business practices.
However, the biggest cause was, as always, Hyang.
Trained by Hyang who possessed the sharp and ruthless 21st-century rhetoric and negotiation skills honed over centuries, and dealing with tough Empire merchants, the Empire’s officials had reached nearly final boss level.
This was true for Shin Sukju as well.
As soon as he left negotiations with a defeated expression, Shin Sukju fixed his face. Returning to his usual expression as if nothing had happened, Shin Sukju looked around at his subordinate officials and sighed.
“Phew. It’s not easy to force a crying expression. I should thank Minister Im.”
Just as Florence had prepared various anticipated scenarios and conducted rehearsals, the Empire had also gone through practice sessions.
They had anticipated Florence’s demands in advance and held heated discussions about how the Empire should secure its interests.
When they had nearly completed all anticipated answers about what to give Florence and what the Empire must secure, Lim Sun-wook looked at Shin Sukju and spoke.
“Now the biggest hurdle remains.”
“What’s that?”
“Your face, Minister.”
“My face?”
“Your emotions show right through. Your mouth makes suffering sounds but your eyes are laughing. Someone like Giovanni would notice immediately. To use marketplace language, you have ‘the face that should never even go near a gambling den.'”
“Ah…”
“Let’s start practicing expressions from now.”
“We have to practice that too?”
“Finance Ministry officials always practice.”
Especially when next year’s budget planning period approaches, we practice thoroughly.
***
Every year during budget planning, all departments of the Empire would pressure Finance Ministry officials shouting “Just one more penny!”
Whenever receiving such pressure, Finance Ministry officials would make crying faces and give excuses.
“What power do we have to do that?”
Especially when female clerks said this with tears welling in their eyes, officials from other departments who had been acting ready to devour them had no choice but to back down.
Of course, as time passed, other departments developed countermeasures.
The most representative example was the Ministry of Defense appointing imperial family members as representatives to pressure the Finance Ministry, and when the Finance Ministry put forward female clerks as shields, they would similarly deploy female clerks.
***
Thus, Shin Sukju, who received special training from Lim Sun-wook and Finance Ministry officials, secured the Empire’s interests bit by bit while acting out being dragged along with a defeated expression.
On the surface it appeared Florence was gaining advantages, but in reality the Empire was benefiting.
The most representative example was the “Florentine rifle parts supply matter.”
- -Purchase and assemble parts produced in the Empire.
This was the Empire’s initial proposal. Naturally, Florence strongly objected.
“We’ll make the parts in Florence too! Hand over the parts production facilities! Florence’s steel facilities can sufficiently make these!”
“That’s a bit…”
“Florence agreed to adopt Florentine rifles, not the Imperial Army’s Type C rifles! The Empire should compromise too!”
Under Giovanni’s pressure, Shin Sukju retreated with a defeated expression.
“I’ll report to His Majesty. Let’s rest briefly until then.”
And the next day, Shin Sukju conveyed Wan’s answer in a deflated voice.
“His Majesty has accepted Florence’s request.”
“Truly grateful!”
Giovanni was overjoyed while Shin Sukju looked gloomy.
War was already foreseen anyway. This meant there wasn’t sufficient time.
They had greedily claimed they would make Florentine rifles with steel they produced themselves, but the outcome was crystal clear.
As written above, in a situation without sufficient time, creating proper steel or changing the rifle parts’ specifications was impossible.
Eventually, Florence would have no choice but to import parts made in the Empire or import the Empire’s steel materials even knowing it was a loss.
In this way, most cases were “pretending to be fooled while knowing.” However, occasionally Giovanni would strike at blind spots.
Each time, Shin Sukju retreated with a genuinely defeated expression and had to endure Wan’s tongue-clicking.
***
After fierce pushing and pulling between Florence and the Empire, the agreement was completed.
After the agreement signing ceremony between Shin Sukju and Giovanni ended, Giovanni visited Wan.
After respectfully paying his respects, Giovanni expressed his gratitude to Wan sitting in the elevated seat.
“Your Majesty’s bold decision fills us with infinite imperial grace. The Empire’s support will be of great help to Florence.”
“It is to protect the mutual interests of our Empire and Florence. I hope we can help Florence achieve its grand dream.”
At Wan’s words, Giovanni answered even more respectfully.
“It will be the greatest help. Florence will never forget the Empire’s support.”
“Then we would be grateful too. However…”
“Yes?”
When Wan suddenly trailed off, Giovanni tensed and raised his head. Looking at Giovanni, Wan got to the main point.
“Our Empire also has eyes and ears, so we know Italy’s situation. Thus, we’ve come to know Florence’s dream. So I’m curious about something. May I ask?”
“If it’s something I can answer, I’ll answer truthfully.”
At Giovanni’s response, Wan asked directly.
“How will Florence move to achieve Florence’s dream?”
“Pardon?”
“Surely you don’t think simply building up the military will solve everything?”
“Well… I am rather ignorant about military matters…”
“You’ve seen and experienced more than a few wars and battles traveling between Italy and the Empire all this time, haven’t you?”
“Well…”
“Hah! Tsk!”
When Giovanni trailed off, Wan exhaled as if genuinely frustrated and clicked his tongue.
The moment Wan clicked his tongue, Giovanni flinched and shrank like a turtle. He too knew all too well what it meant when the Empire’s emperors clicked their tongues.
“I’ve heard your family, the Medici family, is a renowned merchant family. Renowned merchants never move haphazardly. Those who made their names as merchants carefully examine the current situation, predict future events, then prepare and move step by step accordingly. But what is your answer now? Is it over with just armies, guns, and cannons?”
“…”
At Wan’s rebuke, Giovanni’s head gradually dropped toward the floor.
This is scarier than being scolded by Father. But this scene feels familiar somehow. Ah! That time when Lorenzo was scolded by Father!
Recalling Lorenzo who got thoroughly beaten by Cosimo after talking about “getting even,” Giovanni inwardly marveled.
So this is what people who can see and draw the big picture from the peak of power are like!
“…So what answer do you have exactly? Speak!”
Snapping to attention at Wan’s urging, Giovanni bowed his head and answered.
“There are still many rough edges.”
“That means you haven’t even properly established a framework. Cosimo de’ Medici, the head of your family, must have many worries. Tsk!”
“…”
Though Wan clicked his tongue again, Giovanni couldn’t find words to say and just bowed his head with his mouth shut.
Looking at Giovanni, Wan continued.
“Postpone your return for a few days and visit the Ministry of Defense.”
“…The Ministry of Defense? Though it may be presumptuous, I would be truly grateful if you could tell me the reason.”
“The Empire has conducted its own research. It will help Florence.”
At Wan’s words, Giovanni repeatedly bowed with a brightened face, expressing gratitude.
“To give such great help to Florence, truly the imperial grace is infinite! The imperial grace is infinite!”
“As I said again, it’s for the mutual interests of the Empire and Florence. I hope it will be helpful.”
“It will be of great help! The imperial grace is infinite!”
Giovanni was so moved because of the Empire’s history.
Though it had been a small country that only watched Cathay’s mood, the Empire had defeated Cathay and become the strongest.
Advice from the Empire with such experience would certainly be worth more than all the family’s wealth.
“The imperial grace is infinite!”
As Giovanni left while continuously expressing gratitude, Wan smiled slightly and looked around at Hwangbo In and the ministers.
“When everyone at the gambling table is planning to cheat, we can’t just sit still, can we? That would make us suckers.”
At Wan’s words, all the ministers nodded.
- -Florence’s power alone cannot succeed in this matter.
- -Then the Empire’s military, political, and economic power must be projected.
- -Then we must arrange the board in the Empire’s favor in advance.
Therefore, they had sent Giovanni to the Ministry of Defense.
Operation “Patchwork Quilt” had been initiated.
***
The next morning, Giovanni rose from bed and hurriedly finished preparations before visiting the Ministry of Defense.
“This way.”
Following the Imperial Army guide, Giovanni’s party arrived at a large conference room.
In the conference room, Defense Minister Jang Hang-seon and various high-ranking commanders were already waiting.
After exchanging light greetings with Giovanni, Jang Hang-seon ordered the military officer standing at the board.
“Begin.”