The number of ambassadors stationed at the Imperial Embassy established in Florence totaled three.

The ambassadors, designated as the First, Second, and Third Ambassadors, held equal rank.

“If we station only one ambassador, they might wield arbitrary power and cause serious losses to the Empire’s interests.”

“If there are two ambassadors and their opinions diverge, the confrontation could continue indefinitely, leading to missed opportunities.”

“Therefore, we shall set the number of ambassadors at three and have them decide by majority vote. This way, we can minimize the risk of missed opportunities or arbitrary power.”

“Of course, I say ‘minimize,’ but…”

Thus, the number of ambassadors stationed in Florence was decided to be three.

Wan continued calling out the names of the ambassadors to Florence.

“Therefore, I shall appoint Shin Sukju as First Ambassador, First Vice Minister of Education Seong Sam-mun as Second Ambassador, and finally Yu Eungbu as Third Ambassador. If anyone believes others would be more suitable than these individuals, please recommend them here.”

At Wan’s words, the ministers remained silent.

The power of appointment was one of the most formidable authorities held by the emperor. If there were no major issues with those chosen by the emperor, accepting them was the standard practice.

Moreover, those whom Wan had just named were individuals perfectly suited to the phrase “the right person in the right place.”

Shin Sukju:

A universally acknowledged linguistic genius. Starting with the Ming language, he possessed genius-level talent in languages, being fluent in Japanese, Latin, Tuscan dialect, and several native dialects of the New Frontier.

Additionally, having directed all manner of administrative work during the New Frontier development process, he possessed a high understanding of administration as a whole.

His weakness was his considerable appetite for power. This time too, in trying to achieve even better results than expected through excessive ambition, he had instead invited trouble.

Seong Sam-mun:

Currently First Vice Minister of Education, but expected to become Minister of Education soon.

One of the “Gang of Four under Hyang,” he was among those who had suffered the most alongside Han Myeong-hoe.

To put it conversely, he was one of the most exceptionally capable alongside Han Myeong-hoe.

Thanks to enduring all manner of hardships under Hyang, Seong Sam-mun’s administrative abilities were also outstanding. Moreover, his learning was so profound that when he first entered government service, the then-Minister of Education Jo Gyesaeng had immediately recruited him.

Finally, while Seong Sam-mun was a principled person who insisted on fundamental principles, he was someone who showed unexpected flexibility when necessary.

The most representative example was Seong Sam-mun putting reins on Duke Jinpyeong, who tried to run wild at every opportunity during the railway construction in the northern territories.

Yu Eungbu:

A natural-born soldier who had steadily built his career and achievements in the military.

He was the one who could most reliably command the Imperial Army instructor group to be dispatched to Florence and grasp the military movements in the surrounding area.

If the Imperial Army were deployed in earnest, he had the highest possibility of becoming the commander receiving the battle-axe[1] on site.

The ministers, retracing the careers of the three people Wan had mentioned, nodded their heads.

‘Even if Shin Sukju becomes stubborn or causes trouble in Florence, Seong Sam-mun should be able to handle it well.’

‘Truly befitting His Majesty. These are the people most suited to the phrase “the right person in the right place.”‘

Representing the ministers who judged it appropriate personnel selection, Hwangbo In stepped forward and bowed his head.

“They are truly suited to the phrase ‘the right person in the right place.'”

“Then may I confirm these appointments?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then let it be so.”

At Wan’s decision, the ministers bowed their heads in unison.

Shin Sukju gritted his teeth as he bowed his head.

‘This is clearly a demotion!’

According to Wan’s plan, the ambassadors stationed in Florence held the same rank as ministers. This was because they would exercise full authority on behalf of Emperor Wan.

However, what Shin Sukju considered a demotion was because of Seong Sam-mun and Yu Eungbu.

Though they were evaluated as the “next Minister of Education” and “next Chief of General Staff,” in terms of rank alone, they were below him.

This meant promotion for them.

‘If they don’t make any major mistakes in Florence, they’ll receive ministerial positions and the Chief of General Staff position immediately upon return. But I…’

Shin Sukju, like Han Myeong-hoe and others, was also aiming for the position of Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

“Shouldn’t Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers come from ministries other than General Affairs and Finance by now?”

Shin Sukju had openly voiced such opinions in private.

***

As Shin Sukju said, successive Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers had come from the General Affairs and Finance ministries.

This was due to the decisions of emperors who valued administrative efficiency and the Empire’s governance.

The only exception was the current Prime Minister Hwangbo In. Though Hwangbo In came from the Ministry of Justice, he was skilled at coordinating conflicts of interest between ministries. His personality was also faithful to principles yet without sharp edges, leading the ministers well.

However, the leading candidates for the next Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were again from the Finance and General Affairs ministries.

***

Shin Sukju was confident that with his career and abilities, he could sufficiently rise to Deputy Prime Minister.

However, whether his confidence was excessive or his desire to make himself stand out was too strong, he made mistakes repeatedly and ultimately became marked by the emperor.

‘Considering the ages of the current Prime Minister and left and right Deputy Prime Ministers, the probability of changes while I’m in Florence is very high! Then when I return, being Foreign Minister again will be the best I can hope for!’

Shin Sukju glanced sideways at Han Myeong-hoe and Seong Sam-mun.

‘If only they weren’t here…’

Most of those expected to be the next ministers and Prime Minister, including Seong Sam-mun and Han Myeong-hoe, were those who had shared joys and sorrows together in the former night duty office.

Those who had called each other brothers back then were now blocking his path forward.

“Phew…”

Letting out a small sigh, Shin Sukju steeled himself inwardly.

‘Now there’s only one path! Turn misfortune into fortune! I’ll stake everything on Florence! I can’t help it with Han Myeong-hoe, but I’ll definitely surpass Seong Sam-mun!’

Han Myeong-hoe, counted first among the “Gang of Four,” had been receiving attention from many even before the Gang of Four era. Therefore, for Shin Sukju, Han Myeong-hoe was an object of envy, not someone to surpass.

But Seong Sam-mun was different.

‘Someone like Seong Sam-mun!’

Meanwhile, from atop the canopy, Wan was quietly observing this situation.

‘The canopy is useful at times like this.’

Sitting on the throne placed on the platform called the canopy or closed pavilion, he could look down on the ministers.

In contrast, the ministers could only see the emperor by raising their heads.

Thanks to this difference, while the ministers couldn’t properly observe the emperor’s expression, the emperor could directly observe the ministers’ expressions.

Therefore, Wan, seated on the throne, could read Shin Sukju’s expression.

‘According to the secret reports, he’s said to be highly ambitious. Indeed…’

After hearing the command to “go as ambassador to Florence,” Shin Sukju’s expression changed in various ways.

Observing these changing expressions, Wan could somewhat grasp Shin Sukju’s inner thoughts.

‘As ambitious as he is, he won’t give up easily. I’ll need to meet separately with Seong Sam-mun and Yu Eungbu later.’

Shin Sukju continued to create discord with ministers of other departments while remaining as Foreign Minister. The problem was that this wasn’t for the Empire or due to personal character.

It was to show off his abilities and receive recognition from him, the emperor.

“I understand having great ambition to match outstanding ability. However, those who unnecessarily show off or run wild are highly problematic.”

According to Hyang’s teachings, Shin Sukju was a problematic figure. Just looking at this negotiation alone, in trying to show off his abilities by pressuring the other party, he had almost ruined things.

‘Previous evaluations said he was broad-minded and suitable for important tasks, so why?’

In fact, looking at positive evaluations of Shin Sukju in history before Hyang’s intervention:

• A versatile and brilliant minister.
• A master of diplomacy, including the Gyehae Treaty.
• A pioneer who supported the promotion of private commerce.

Even after Hyang’s intervention, Shin Sukju’s evaluation had been decent. Especially during the New Frontier development process, he received very good scores.

If he just didn’t cause accidents like this negotiation, he really could have aimed for the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister position.

What changed Shin Sukju’s evaluation was because of Hyang.

More specifically, it was because of the “Gang of Four under Hyang” and Shin Sukju’s language abilities.

When the New Frontier were discovered and being developed, smooth communication was a problem that absolutely had to be resolved.

Therefore, Shin Sukju, who possessed not only language abilities but also outstanding administrative skills, had no choice but to stay in the New Frontier for a long time.

This career working in the New Frontier became a double-edged sword.

The outstanding achievements shown in the New Frontier made him stand out, but the long time spent in the New Frontier made him think he had been pushed out of the mainstream.

The “mainstream” Shin Sukju thought of was the “Gang of Four under Hyang.” Those who had shared joys and sorrows and called each other brothers during their prime had somehow occupied high positions in major ministries.

His original ambition mixed with the urgency to make up for being pushed out as quickly as possible, leading to major and minor mistakes like this one.

And Wan decided on Shin Sukju’s early removal.

***

Once the selection of ambassadors was decided according to Wan’s wishes, the rest proceeded smoothly.

“Well, most of the remaining work is about selecting people…”

As Hwangbo In said with a bitter smile, most of this work was “starting with people and ending with people.”

The ministers and vice ministers of each department forgot sleep, poring over performance evaluations to find suitable talents.

• The highest rank is department director level.
• Exclude those too old or too young.
• Those without sharp personality edges.

“Really now… with such vague criteria…”

“Work processing ability is basic, so there’s no need to mention it.”

The ministers and vice ministers who selected suitable candidates by going through evaluations called in the candidates for interviews.

“…Given this situation, we need people who will stay in Florence and carry out His Majesty’s will in his stead.”

The candidates who heard the ministers’ and vice ministers’ words glanced sideways at those sitting beside them while busily calculating gains and losses.

‘No matter how I calculate, the losses seem greater than the gains…’

“Is there no one who will volunteer?”

“…”

When almost no one stepped forward despite urging, the ministers and vice ministers exercised their authority.

“You’ll have to go. His Majesty has high expectations for this work. You’ll take it on, won’t you?”

Those who heard “You go to Florence” answered with complicated faces.

“…Yes. I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you. Then start work from now.”

“When you say work…”

“You need to select people to work under you.”

“…”

Thus began the “passing the buck.”

After such buck-passing, those who would work at the Florence Embassy were selected.

Meanwhile, the opposite situation occurred in the military.

“I volunteer to go!”

“No, I volunteer to go!”

Volunteers flooded in for instructor positions to train the Florentine army and military attaché positions at the embassy.

The volunteers’ intentions were simple:

• Looking at the Empire’s current surrounding environment, major wars are unlikely to occur.
• However, war will certainly break out in Florence and Italy. Major wars at that.
• The Empire will intervene when the time comes.
• Then those who know the situation in Florence and Italy well will be given important duties.
• It’s the best opportunity to accumulate military achievements and get promoted!