Chapter 628

Episode 628: Their Choice (8)

The 31st year of King Sejong’s reign and the first year of Hyang’s reign.

Just as autumn was approaching, envoys from the Kingdom of Yugu arrived in Seoul again.

After unpacking their bags at the guesthouse, they smelled incense and continued their meeting with Heo Hu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.

“okay. “What decision did your King make?”

“The King of our country said this. ‘The joint farm plan proposed by the Empire is very welcome as it suits the interests of both countries. We also welcome the Empire’s offer to provide weapons to our country. However, since our country is a small country, the large quantity that the empire offers to provide at a low price is too much or too little too little.’”

Heo Hu asked again with an expression of surprise at the envoy’s answer.

“Then what quantity is enough?”

In response to Heo Hu’s question, the envoy swallowed his saliva for a moment and asked cautiously.

“If a joint-stock farm is built, will the imperial army be stationed in your country?”

“Perhaps not so? Of course, the scale will have to be agreed upon with your country.”

“But wouldn’t there be a minimum size?”

“I think it’s about one candle.”

“Isn’t one second too little?”

Heo Hu responded to the envoy’s concerns with a smile.

“One imperial army has 625 men, not 100.”

* * *

During this period, the number of troops in Northeast Asia was usually around 100.

However, in the case of Joseon, as lightening progressed, properly filled units were always composed of five times the number of personnel.

If the smallest organization, 伍, started with 5 people, the higher organization was to be expanded while always following the rule of multiples of 5.

Of course, the second-class units in the rear were usually organized in double or triple units. If a war broke out and supplementary soldiers came in and new units were formed, existing soldiers would become senior and lead the supplementary soldiers.

And this operating system paid dividends in the last war with the Ming Dynasty.

* * *

The envoy from Yu Guguk responded to Heo Hu’s answer with a bright face.

“ah! So how about three seconds?”

Heohu responded to the envoy’s suggestion by stroking his beard.

“It would be a good idea to discuss that with our country’s Ministry of National Defense. “Then why did you ask that?”

“Isn’t it true that military expenses require a lot of money? “Our country is a small country, so excessive military spending causes difficulties for the country.”

The envoy stopped talking there, but Heo Hu could tell what the envoy was thinking.

‘So you’re saying you’re going to lean on our shadows.’

“Hmm...”

Heohu, who realized the reaper’s intentions, snorted and did the math in his mind.

‘The situation is not urgent enough to force us to sell weapons to Yugu, and the Japanese government is also keeping an eye on us, so it will be okay.’

After coming to a conclusion, Heohu nodded.

“I know what you mean. So, how much quantity do you want for your country?”

“The first thing I requested was 1,000 Japanese rifles and 10 Japanese boxcars.”

“huh?”

In response to the envoy’s answer, Heo Hu briefly made a question. The quantity requested by the envoy now was reduced by almost 1/4 from the quantity requested during the second visit.

Heo Hu wanted to ask the reason, but changed his mind when he saw the grim reaper’s face with an expression that said, ‘Please don’t ask me the reason.’

“I understand. “Then let’s talk about cooperative farming next.”

“yes.”

Regarding the joint farm that followed, Yu Gu-guk’s proposal was significantly beyond Heo Hu’s expectations.

Hyang, who was about to go down a side road, held back and made a decision.

“If they plan to use us as door-to-door escorts, we can use them too. When a joint venture is dispatched, farmers and artisans are sent to study efficient sugarcane cultivation methods and candy making methods. And if we get good results, let’s proceed with the project in earnest in the southwestern province.”

* * *

Southwest Province was the imperial name of Eastern Province (present-day Taiwan) obtained after winning the war with the Ming.

As the Southwestern Province and the neighboring Pyeongho Islands came into the territory of the empire, the empire gained the best transit point.

This was the tragedy of Yugu.

Before the Civil War, Yugu had solidified its position as a stopover on the route to and from Joseon.

This was because the construction of a port in Dongbeon was blocked by Emperor Seondeok.

Yugu was also having fun with the taxes coming from trade ports and the profits earned through intermediate trade between the Ming and Japanese countries.

However, with the Empire taking control of Dongbeon, there was no need to transit through Yugu except in unavoidable cases such as encountering a typhoon.

Of course, right now, the process was to build a port and appease the nearby indigenous people. However, it was clear that the moment the process ended, the value of the relics would drop significantly.

* * *

The process of imperializing the southwestern provinces was also quite unique.

Rather than using force or neglecting it altogether like the Ming or European countries, they used both sticks and carrots at the same time.

First, a monopoly was set up to conduct trade and to familiarize people with the imperial goods and imperial currency. Afterwards, the plan was to attract indigenous people into the empire by providing jobs and improving living facilities.

“In some ways, it is similar to what the Japanese imperialists implemented.”

The Japanese imperialists who obtained Taiwan from the Qing cleverly implemented a Japaneseization policy. It implemented policies such as building modern social infrastructure and reorganizing the education system.

“Thanks to this, we have become a representative pro-Japanese country.”

But the scent added a little spice.

-If you receive the proper education provided by the empire and your abilities and qualifications are recognized, you will be appointed as an official! And we will treat you equally with the people of our empire!

There were no ministers who opposed the announcement. No, on the contrary, it was a situation of active support.

This was thanks to the experience gained while incorporating indigenous people in the Jurjin region and Daeseoldo Island.

“Local people know the local situation best! So, you should use it properly!”

“The truth is that you shouldn’t work overtime if you don’t have to!”

* * *

Hyang continued speaking.

“The Southwestern Province is not merely useful as a transit point. Looking at the climate of the southwestern province, the winter is short and not cold, so it is said that it is easy to grow two or three crops. We must take advantage of this to maintain a stable food situation in the empire.”

Thanks to the flood control project that has been carried out since the early days of Gyeongjang, the number of poor harvests has decreased significantly, unlike in the history before the intervention of the local government. In addition, the food situation was quite stable until just before the proclamation of the empire, as a large amount of rice was imported from the Gangnam area of the Ming Dynasty to prepare for food shortages.

However, as the northern region was incorporated into the empire’s territory, a warning light came on. This was because the climate in the north was not suitable for agriculture.

In order to properly digest the northern regions of the empire, the first thing that had to be done was to resolve the food situation in the northern regions.

To this end, the empire actively imported food from Daewol and Seomla as well as the Gangnam region of Ming.

However, the governor and ministers all knew very well that this was a stopgap measure.

It was a problem right from the Gangnam area. If the distribution of grains had not been blocked due to the disruption of the Grand Canal leading to the north, the empire would not have been able to obtain grains from Gangnam of the Ming Dynasty.

“I’d rather feed it to pigs than sell it to the Koreans!”

While saying this, there were quite a few merchants who actually used it as fodder or distributed it to beggars for free.

There was the problem of distance between Daewol and Seom.

King Sejong was well aware of this problem, so he brought Shinji’s grain seeds and farming methods with him on his way back.

“It has flowers that look like sorghum, and the seeds of the ears are large and good.”

What King Sejong brought was corn.

‘huh? Is it very different from the corn I used to know? It tastes a bit...’

Hyang, who only remembered the taste of corn that had gone through countless seed improvements, sent the seeds that Sejong had brought to a seed research institute.

“Since the climate of the new land and the main land are different, let’s improve the seeds to be suitable for the main land and the northern area!”