“That matter is not for one who is not a monk to decide…”

Juan stammered, sweat beading on his brow as he tried to evade the question, but Han Myeong-hoe pressed him even harder.

“Not a monk, you say? Well, I suppose that’s possible. But is this not Rome? The Holy City¹ of your religion! What’s the problem when the streets are so full of your priests you can’t walk without tripping over them?”

“However, it is a matter that requires a great deal of time to decide upon…”

“Decades have passed since His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus first inquired, and you still need more time? Hah!”

Han Myeong-hoe scoffed and delivered his ultimatum.

“I will give you two days! If you refuse, then not only your European priests, but all Europeans will be barred from setting foot within the Empire’s domain!”

“Two days is…”

“I’ll say it again. The streets are overflowing with priests, and the Pope’s residence is just a stone’s throw away, is it not? That I am giving you two days is a mercy from His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus himself!”

“…I understand.”

And with that, the day’s negotiations came to an end.

***

That night, in the Imperial quarters set up in a detached villa of Cardinal Giovanni’s residence, Han Myeong-hoe, Seong Sam-mun, and Shin Suk-ju were discussing the day’s events.

“By the way, is it truly necessary to have the confirmation of this man they call the Pope?”

It was Seong Sam-mun who raised the question, continuing his thought.

“There are already a considerable number of people in the Empire who follow the religion of Islam, which we call Huihui-gyo. Is Islam not a religion as large and as zealous in its proselytizing as the Catholicism that these Europeans believe in? Yet there has been little trouble from it. The Empire’s Foundational Law already has provisions regarding this matter.”

The Empire’s Foundational Law clearly stipulated its stance on religion.

• As long as they are loyal to the Empire and the Emperor, obey the laws of the Empire, and do no harm to others, the people of the Empire may believe in any god they wish.

Furthermore, a significant number of Muslims had been living in their lands since the late Goryeo period. As they had caused no particular problems, Seong Sam-mun was pointing out that Han Myeong-hoe’s actions might be excessive. Han Myeong-hoe gently shook his head and responded.

“Their influence may be similar, but there is a great difference between Islam and Catholicism. Islam has no Pope, but Catholicism does, does it not? There will surely be those who venerate the Pope above the Empire and the Emperor, willing to follow him to their deaths.”

Raising a cup of black bean tea and lightly wetting his throat, Han Myeong-hoe continued.

“Even now, the number of Imperial citizens who secretly believe in Catholicism is slowly growing. The issue of ancestral rites is not merely about the rites themselves. We must use this to force the Pope’s submission. We must clearly establish that the Emperor and the laws of the Empire are above the Pope to prevent future troubles. We must not forget what the Buddhist monks of the previous dynasty² did to the state of our nation.”

“I see…”

Seong Sam-mun and Shin Suk-ju nodded at Han Myeong-hoe’s explanation. Several generations had passed since the founding of Joseon, but its ruling class harbored an almost paranoid aversion to organized religion. And there was another reason.

“…And there is another reason. Increasing the number of our people.”

“Ah…”

“So, it is finally beginning…”

At Han Myeong-hoe’s words, the faces of Seong Sam-mun and Shin Suk-ju grew even more serious.

***

The most urgent problem the Empire had to solve was its ‘population.’ For years, the Empire had promoted pro-natalist policies with rewards so generous they could only be described as ‘drastic,’ and had actively absorbed the indigenous peoples of the New Land, New Frontier. Thanks to these efforts, the Empire’s population had recently surpassed thirty million. Yet, the officials were not overjoyed.

“It has grown significantly, but considering the sheer size of the Empire’s total territory…”

“You don’t even have to consider the whole territory. If they were to live as densely as they do on the mainland, we’d be lucky to fill even a fifth of the New Land.”

Hyang felt the same way.

To use a 21st-century analogy, it’s like having just over 100 million people. There’s a saying that a population over 100 million can sustain an economy on domestic demand alone, but it’s still not enough.

In the end, after successive emperors and officials had put their heads together, the conclusion they reached was to ‘bring them in from the outside.’

The question is… from where?

The first places that came to mind were Ming China and Japan. But they were also the first to be dismissed.

• The people of Ming, no, the Chinese, are ‘Zhonghua-ren’³ whether they live in Ming or elsewhere. They will never assimilate. The Japanese, while less intense, show similar tendencies. Therefore, Ming and Japan were the first to be excluded. They gradually widened their scope, but the results were not promising.
• Nations like Dai Viet or Siam also pose a problem. Buddhism. Considering the influence Buddhism holds over their people, it is absolutely out of the question.
• The Muslims of Arabia are also problematic, because of Islamic law. The Muslims currently residing in the Empire do not cause major issues, but if their numbers grow, conflicts over their religious laws are certain to arise. Plus, they have too many dietary restrictions! They will inevitably clash with the people of the Empire, especially those from the mainland, who are very serious about their food!
• The Black Devil of Africa are also rife with problems. The time, manpower, and budget required to educate them to a level of basic communication, etiquette, and numeracy is far too great. We are already stretched thin just ‘Imperializing’ the natives of the New Land; taking on the Black Devil of Africa is beyond our capacity. Furthermore, the perception of the Black Devil among Imperial citizens is an issue. It was only through travel to Alexandria that our people came to know of them, and most of the Black Devil they encountered there were slaves. It has been less than a decade since private serfdom was completely abolished, and those who have committed grave crimes equivalent to treason still labor as government serfs. In such an empire, the treatment that the Black Devil, with whom even basic communication is difficult, would receive is as clear as day.⁵ Of course, there were Black Devil who had achieved considerable success as free people in Italy and other places. But it was unthinkable that they would abandon the wealth and status they had painstakingly built to come to the Empire. In the end, after sifting through all the options, the only ones left were the Europeans.
• Most Europeans encountered by Imperial citizens have been wealthy merchants, scholars, brilliant artisans, or competent sailors. Thanks to this, they have left a good impression.
• They are accustomed to obeying laws and following the orders of officials.
• Many of their common folk are suffering under the exploitation of their nobles. If they could achieve wealth by paying reasonable taxes, they would immigrate voluntarily.
• They have a large number of skilled craftsmen.
• As seen in the example of the Swiss, they understand the importance of trust. If the Empire treats them properly, they will be absolutely loyal.
• Furthermore, Europeans have many rivalries among themselves. If we use the strategy of ‘using barbarians to control barbarians’⁶ when relocating them, the Europeans will watch over each other and compete to be loyal to the Empire.

“This is all well and good, but the problem is the religion they believe in.”

Most Europeans were Catholic, and the influence that priests and the Pope held over them was absolute. This was why Han Myeong-hoe had pressured Juan to an extent that seemed excessive. He had to break the authority of the Pope and the Church now to ensure a peaceful future. As an aside, this was not a strategy Han Myeong-hoe had devised alone. As usual, Hyang was behind it.

After concluding his plot with Hyang, Han Myeong-hoe had looked back at the closed door and muttered to himself.

“This is why the rumor that ‘His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus is behind every conspiracy’ makes the rounds…”

Meanwhile, after sending Han Myeong-hoe off, Hyang reviewed the plan and mused.

If this plan fails, I suppose I’ll have to hand out ginseng and eel to every newlywed couple in the Empire… Or maybe I should give them all a 100-day vacation…

Two days later, Juan brought Han Myeong-hoe the answer from Alexander VI.

“His Holiness the Pope and the College of Cardinals have reached a conclusion. They have judged that ‘if the members of a family gather to honor their ancestors, it does not go against the law of the Church.’”

Han Myeong-hoe, who had already heard of the decision through Cardinal Giovanni, gave a slight nod.

“I am overcome with emotion that an answer has finally been found for this long-standing issue. On behalf of His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus, I express my gratitude. However, if possible, I would like to receive an official document.”

At Han Myeong-hoe’s words, Juan gestured to a priest standing behind him. On the silver platter the priest brought forward lay a document inscribed with the words Juan had just spoken. Dangling from it were ribbons held in place by the wax seals of Alexander VI and the cardinals.

As he handed the platter containing the historic document to Han Myeong-hoe, Juan’s face was harder than ever before. This document was nothing less than an official letter of surrender, a testament to the Pope’s defeat at the hands of a secular power.

With Han Myeong-hoe’s acceptance of the papal document, the matter concerning the Pope and the Papal States was settled for the time being. However, the participants of the summit remained in the conference hall of the Apostolic Palace and continued their meeting. They had begun to divide the shares of the Italy of tomorrow. The real negotiation had begun.

“The Empire has neither reason nor intention to interfere in the internal affairs of Italy, but I believe we can offer some advice. I would like to offer some, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course! Of course, we don’t mind!”

Lorenzo replied to Han Myeong-hoe’s question with a radiant expression. The other leaders of the alliance, however, answered with lukewarm faces.

“That’s fine.”

“Advice, you say? We will listen attentively.”

Damn it! If I had my way, I’d tell him to get lost now that his business is done!

But if the Empire leaves, the Kingdom of Naples will surely start throwing its weight around…

Having the Empire and those Florentine bastards in charge is probably better than letting those Neapolitan country bumpkins run wild.

This was why, despite their reluctance, they had no choice but to accept Han Myeong-hoe’s proposal. In this room, the one who possessed the most powerful military force was the Empire. And it wasn’t just powerful; it was overwhelmingly so. The next most powerful, surprisingly, was the Kingdom of Naples.

Florence, having received direct support from the Empire, was also strong. But if the Imperial Army were to withdraw, the Swiss forces would leave as well, and Florence would be pushed behind Naples. For this reason, Lorenzo actively fell in step with Han Myeong-hoe, while the leaders of Milan, Genoa, and Venice had no choice but to be dragged along, grim-faced.

“I am truly grateful that you all say so. While observing the unfortunate state of Italy, our Empire could not help but feel great sorrow. Now, with the unification of Italy before us, our Empire sincerely wishes for the development of our good neighbor, Italy.”

After a long-winded preamble filled with all manner of flowery rhetoric, Han Myeong-hoe cleared his throat and continued.

“The people gathered here today are the leaders of the cities and kingdoms who have stepped forward for the unification of Italy. For Italy and all of your cities to develop together…”

Thus began the conference that would later be assessed as the one where ‘everyone was a sucker except the Empire.’