Chapter 24 · 12 min

Chapter 24

Joseon Supplementation Plan

No matter how much people who follow God’s words there is no way there is no conflict even if one doesn’t want it.

The Holy See entrusted the proselytizing to Joseon to the Paris Foreign Missions Society, and this from the beginning was the start of conflict.

“Holy Father! The missionary protection rights for China and Asia were with Portugal from long ago!”

“So are you proselytizing in Joseon?”

“If one recklessly proselytizes in Joseon even the necks of our missionaries in Beijing might fly! Joseon is a crazy country that cuts the necks of all missionaries!”

Hundreds of years ago, the Holy See outsourced some rights regarding missionary work to Portugal and Spain.

But the first law of the human world.

The fist is closer than the law.

Spain and Portugal used missionaries like their own subjects or officials, and treated missionaries or clergy who did not listen to their words mercilessly.

The situation of the clergy belonging to the Paris Foreign Missions Society was also similar.

“Get lost!”

“I will never forgive those who give even a sip of water to those bastards!!”

“That is a fake Christian! Drive him out!!”

The fact that France is one of the world’s strongest powers does not mean the Paris Foreign Missions Society is an evil imperialist vanguard training center receiving state support.

The Foreign Missions Society had few personnel, not much money, and was not particularly close to the government. Even French missionaries were mostly from rural areas rather than Paris origins.

Clergy on the China side touched by Portugal’s influence earnestly requested their believers ‘absolutely do not cooperate with the Paris Foreign Missions Society’, and they were driven into a very poor situation. Joseon people including Kim Daegun also felt threat to their safety and could not stay in Macau and fled to the Philippines and returned to that extent.

And 21st century salesman Arthur Lee is the owner of an excellent character who knows how to fill the opponent’s lacking points.

“I heard that the Portuguese in Macau persecute the clergy belonging to the Foreign Missions Society. How about moving to Hong Kong since I will help?”

Arthur did not meet Joseon people including Kim Daegun. Because the risk is unnecessarily large.

The Catholic Church where upper following lower is stricter than anywhere.

To deal with such a place one must hit the top, building from the bottom won’t work. Doing so would rather have a high possibility of only arousing their displeasure.

“The proposal is truly thankful but... you are not a Catholic from the beginning? Why on earth are you making such a proposal to us?”

“Is that important?”

Arthur blinked his eyes as if he couldn’t understand.

However the clergy.

Those who voluntarily came to a place where everything is different from their hometown with the mission to spread the gospel were stubborn.

“It is important.”

“If you tell the reason I will listen attentively.”

“Because if you are trying to use us to gain commercial profits, the path we go wanting to convey God’s words to Joseon people will ultimately become different.”

A roundabout expulsion order.

However Arthur was too familiar with being rejected.

“The future of Joseon is hanging on the Joseon seminarians you are educating right now.”

“...Thank you for seeing it so largely.”

“It’s not a joke. They are the only Joseon people in this world who can communicate with Westerners and understand Westerners’ Christian spirit.

Because of that, I Arthur Lee who is the only one in this world who can freely communicate with Easterners and understand Easterners’ Confucian spirit can absolutely, absolutely not watch the sight of those young friends having their necks cut by the Joseon government’s hands.”

“Those words are insulting them who are willingly prepared to martyr to spread God’s words.”

“If one dies when one doesn’t have to die isn’t it an enormous loss.”

Just as the clergy were about to raise counterarguments.

Arthur asserted.

“I pierced trade with Joseon. And in the near future, limited but freedom of missionary work and faith will also arise.”

“!”

“Is that true?!”

“I can say it staking the name of my deceased father. They won’t be able to enjoy perfect freedom, but future Joseon will no longer cut necks just for the reason of believing in God. Even so will you push them into a dead end?”

Arthur glanced at the world map hanging in one corner of the room, among them the small drawn Joseon.

“What I am concerned about is simple. You unnecessarily stirring the beehive and the gradual opening of Joseon that I am leading going down the drain.”

“Beehive-”

“The Joseon government already recognizes you as invaders, the vanguard of conquerors. No matter how holy your intentions are, no matter how much the martyred ones did for the Joseon people the fact that France plotted invasion under the pretext of their deaths does not change.”

“We with the French Republic government-”

“Not particularly related. I know. But that government plotted invasion under the pretext of you, right.”

Arthur took out one document from his bosom.

“If you postpone sending missionaries to Joseon for just 5 years, I will open Joseon and use hands so missionaries are not executed.”

“What on earth is a single individual-”

“I am not an individual. I am an unofficial plenipotentiary envoy who received Joseon’s delegation.”

“Is there evidence?”

“Are you saying to present evidence greater than me returning to China filling the hold full of red ginseng?”

A conditional contract.

The Paris Foreign Missions Society does not send missionaries to Joseon for 5 years.

From 5 years later Joseon no longer executes missionaries. If Joseon regards proselytizing as a crime and executes, according to this contract Arthur Lee ‘donates’ all his property to the Paris Foreign Missions Society.

Arthur was certain.

This is a contract written advantageously to the other side.

Either the path of Joseon missionary work opens as they want, or if it doesn’t open one Joseon-fluent merchant named Arthur Lee falls to the level of a lifelong contract slave laborer of the Foreign Missions Society, a freeload contract.

Unless an idiot there is no way to kick such a contract.

“Ah. The donation for moving to Hong Kong is separate from this. How is it. I am certain I am making a proposal where you all and Joseon, and myself can all grow together. If you need time to review-”

“No more time is needed.”

That moment.

The contract Arthur had put down moved its place toward the candlelight, and soon burned and turned to ash.

“We shepherds of God do not deal with merchants.”

“This crazy-”

“And I pondered, there are still too many lacking points for us to convey the gospel to Joseon people. Since I intend to supplement the insufficient points for 5 years, it would be good if you Lee provide us more information about Joseon.”

“Without a contract just, just saying you’ll believe?”

“Has Jesus stamped saying he will forgive our sins and save us?”

Arthur opened his mouth but couldn’t take out words.

“You continuously shouted profits with your mouth, but it was easy to know that the inner meaning is to make sure innocent lives don’t die. Seeing that Bishop Imbert’s teaching is firmly standing in your heart what meaning does that scrap of paper have? Just do as now.”

Arthur got up from the seat.

Quietly bent his waist 90 degrees and offered a greeting.

The sunlight that only passed through the stained glass window looked truly holy.

***

Now I understand.

I have bad compatibility with the category called clergy.

- What are you complaining about after freeloading.

The reason humans conclude contracts is because each other’s hearts become comfortable. Mouths can be swapped as much as one wants but stamped paper is eternal.

But clergy always act in the style of God’s will or whatever, yes if you want to do it then commit fraud. If so even if I want to commit fraud it becomes very uncomfortable.

It feels like becoming Jean Valjean who stole silverware.

Precisely it feels like becoming Jean Valjean who heard the sound ‘you should take the silver candlestick too’.

Even the vicious criminal Jean Valjean who trained in prison for 19 years couldn’t overcome the prick of conscience after hearing that sound in front of his face, so how would Park In-ho the most conscientious in this 19th century absurd world be. Isn’t it truly vicious in the point that for a fair transaction here I also have no choice but to sincerely engage.

But I am not Jean Valjean. Because I never went to bread and never stole silverware.

- You went to bread?

That was a detention center not a prison, you chicken head.

Above all.

Isn’t it precisely this 19th century heartless imperialist country that uses even those holy missionaries as sacrifices for national interest.

How many can I save even if I personally repent and do charity.

But if I can just change the guns and swords of that crazy imperialism a bit softer I can save hundreds, tens of millions.

When I returned from Macau to Hong Kong, literally a commotion had broken out.

“Money cushion! It’s a money cushion!”

“My goodness! Ignorant chinks are crazily buying that Joseon mandrake at an impossible price!”

“What did I say. I said it would work, right?”

A terrifying rate of return enough to give goosebumps.

Among the things we fully loaded on the ship when we first departed London excluding ‘gifts’ most are low unit price things themselves. Cotton textiles or sugar or gunpowder etc.

But we sold that to Joseon at an enormous price by European standards, bought red ginseng with the sales price from Joseon, and again sold that red ginseng to China at a price over 10 times.

Money was copied!

Investors who invested in this Arthur Lee! Please rejoice! Money is increasing wildly like weeds!!

No. No. I didn’t come all the way here to eat just this one jackpot.

I must pursue a greater good.

After scattering bonus allowances to everyone who accompanied this Far East trip, I immediately ran to the Hong Kong Governor who sent an invitation.

“Nice to meet you. I also read <Arthur’s Drift Record> several times.”

“It is an indescribable honor that the Governor invited me.”

“Call me comfortably. I am also from an East India Company employee. Since there is a slight private connection with your deceased father just calling uncle would be fine.”

“Haha. When meeting not on state affairs but in private I will definitely call like that.”

George Bonham (Samuel George Bonham) Governor of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong Governor and Plenipotentiary to China and Trade Superintendent.

According to quickly inquiring, he is hearing both praise of ‘capable, receiving much support, excellent governor in administration and wartime supply’ and curses of ‘does nothing and incompetent and full of self-display and arrogant rice worm’ at the same time.

- That coexists at the same time?

That’s why using people is the hardest. Unless there is a status window showing ability values one doesn’t know whose words are correct. So hurry and give a status window.

I submitted the report to the Governor in advance before I came. Other copies are diligently crossing the sea toward our investors in London.

Sure enough.

The Governor showed very great interest in this trade profit.

“To think the trade profit in Joseon came out this much. Unbelievable.”

“Truly sorry words, but with one or two single merchant ships one must see the trade profit that can be earned in Joseon as already the maximum. And Joseon currently only trusts me the individual and is not yet open to us enough to open the doors.”

“Still... if this much it is a very encouraging result. Impressive. Very impressive.”

We shared businesslike but optimistic stories about Far East trade.

“This ginseng is also being produced on a large scale in Canada and America, perhaps can’t one sell this ginseng as Joseon ginseng?”

“They say skilled ginseng merchants can distinguish even with a glance so it’s difficult.”

“Damn.”

What.

British people’s thoughts were the same there.

“Joseon currently has an extremely conservative and reactionary noble group seizing politics, and the young king is dreaming of reform so as not to fall to their puppet.”

“I wonder how it would be if our British Empire helps with the reform.”

“It’s difficult. Since France already threatened with force once, they absolutely won’t want foreign intervention. By normal methods.”

“Hmm...”

A round of information sharing went back and forth.

I decided to immediately present my ultimate master plan, <Joseon Supplementation Plan> so as not to miss this rare opportunity of directly meeting the Governor.

“Joseon has no proper army. One must invade Joseon now.”

“...What?”

“If one invades Joseon and captures the king as a prisoner and forces a trade treaty one can most perfectly promote the British Empire’s national interest.”

“To do war one needs justification. Don’t you know even this much without saying?”

“The justification is sufficient.”

Why wouldn’t there be justification.

“Joseon is a vassal of Qing.”

“I know it is so.”

“Therefore when the second war with Qing happens, if one ‘recommends’ Joseon which is Qing’s rear area and might block our supply lines to attach to our side that becomes the justification. If Joseon obediently responds there will be no war, and if Joseon refuses one immediately charges into Hanyang.”

The Governor who heard the sound of doing war out of nowhere looked full of flustered signs.

“And if one does war with Qing, one can also open Japan.”

“Explain a bit more.”

“Both Joseon and Japan must rely on water transport to feed the hundreds of thousands of population in the capital. Without even needing to shoot guns and cannons, just tightly grabbing the lifeline with our fleet they have no choice but to surrender.”

Do war with Qing.

Start inclusion diplomacy toward both Joseon and Japan countries with the justification of ‘whose side are you on’.

It is unconditionally a profitable business.

“Only now is the golden opportunity. To preempt that huge market before France or America moves only now.”

“Qing is only justification, open Joseon and Japan without shooting a cannon once?”

“If one opens them the tiresome trade deficit is now over.”

There is no material that excites Europeans more than the words <a war of pure gain without spending a single penny>.

“Let’s discuss in detail. Will you have dinner?”

The time has come.

(Reference)

The digest for those who don’t remember the early part of Jean Valjean in <Les Misérables> is as follows.

Jean Valjean who stole bread and came out after 19 years in bread with his insides blackened happens to receive one night meal and a place to sleep from Bishop Myriel.

Jean Valjean thinks ‘stealing and selling this house’s silverware will make more money than the money earned from 19 years of prison labor’ and steals the silverware and runs away but gets caught and is dragged back in front of the bishop, but the bishop sees him and says ‘what I gave is correct. The silver candlestick is the most expensive so why didn’t you take this?’ and hands him the silver candlestick and blesses him.

Author's note

I sincerely thank all who submitted to the title contest.

Since there were many worries for a long time I received much help from those who joined. Both the 1st prize and the almost prize will be paid normally and I will announce through a separate notice soon!

Thank you to Green Raccoon, Time Flight, aberatec for your sponsorships!!