Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Modernity Is Cold (4)

Truly surprisingly.

The introduction of the metric system did not encounter that big backlash in the Joseon court.

“Speaking of this metric system measurement it was made by investigating the principles of the universe and Western powers use it thoroughly.”

“Principles of the universe?”

“Yes. The unit measuring time based on the earth turning one round, the unit measuring length based on the earth’s meridian-”

In Joseon’s bureaucratic class technocrats, those who rose based on science or technology can be seen as practically none. Might have been in the old days but now after eating the spicy taste of powerful politics for 60 years can be seen as none.

So... from the king starting the court people are all liberal arts.

Not just liberal arts but those who polished Neo-Confucianism for a lifetime. In 21st century terms theology or philosophy majors.

- Not even undergraduates.

Right. Only those with the title <​Master of Philosophy> or <​Doctor of Philosophy> join the court!

Ah, too scary!

Let’s exclude exceptions like Kim Jwageun. Because Kim Jwageun was a vibranium spoon transcending the gold spoon.

Anyway no matter how much chattering the amazement of the metric system and its scientific principles, usefulness to them for a hundred days just say I see and end.

“Your Majesty. Introducing this metric system will become a truly important matter symbolizing Joseon’s reform.”

Not Lee Ha-eung.

Not Bak Gyusu either.

Surprisingly the one who led the front most saying introduce the metric system... was precisely Joseon’s great Confucian, Hwaseo Lee Hangro who was appointed Minister of Agriculture.

“Originally the emperor has the duty to sacrifice to heaven, organize the calendar and measurements and pacify the world. Your Majesty decisively punished the rebellious sons who presumptuously dreamed of opposing heaven and ruled the world, and implemented an unprecedented great reform and rescued all the people from misery.

On the other hand how is Qing? The whole territory is being trampled by the hands of angry people and Beijing burned and the Jin Khan was driven out. Your Majesty must organize the measurements and prepare to rule the world in the future!”

Yes.

To them things like the usefulness of the metric system were extremely trivial problems.

To Joseon Confucian scholars just the great king among great kings who completely overturned Joseon changing <​measurements> itself was ecstasy.

Pile a circular altar and perform the cool sacrifice only the Son of Heaven can do once.

The honorific ‘Your Majesty’ seems too light for a virtuous person like the king. Let’s make it ‘Your Imperial Majesty’.

Don’t want to see Qing era names and the mood is fucked so just throw them away.

The metric system became an accessory of this huge proclaiming emperor and establishing era name plan.

Heonjong was quite satisfied.

***

The appearance of French people instantly falling into dopamine addiction and floundering. Very impressive.

And in the eyes of a person drunk on dopamine the world of course looks beautiful.

“The appearance of the street trying to change is very impressive!”

“From the construction sites full everywhere the enthusiasm of how much these people want to learn our Europe is truly felt.”

“As expected all because there is an excellent tutor! Arthur Lee! You are precisely the one who truly spreads civilization!”

They seemed to instantly upgrade me from ‘British’ to ‘honorary human’.

- British are not even people?

Those guys are not people but French.

Can know how good their mood is in the point of recognizing me as a person even without showing a frog mukbang show.

And when full-scale backchannel discussions began, I decided to slightly upward adjust the value evaluation of this small country in the Far East.

“His Majesty is keeping friendship with Britain in mind more than anyone.”

“Is that so? In the newspaper I read-”

“That yellow press is truly extremely vicious. Vicious enough that His Majesty personally expressed concern in private. Our France dreaming of war with Britain! How presumptuous a slander!”

The nephew of ‘that’ Napoleon.

Of course opinions of ‘if Napoleon’s nephew of course would want to tear and kill Britain?’ were prevalent from all sides, and the press crazy for money enthusiastically wrote articles saying France’s invasion of Britain is imminent.

But as far as I know-

“Indeed. His Majesty the Emperor truly has excellent eyes looking ahead. I think the friendly relations between the British Empire and the French Second Empire are an essential condition for the world’s peace and prosperity.”

“Hahaha! Just hearing is truly enjoyable! Perhaps can hear your views a bit more?”

They said praise makes even French people dance.

- Are those guys whales?

Have the brain volume of whales. Not using language and instead shooting ultrasound also resembles. Spouting water from the blowhole also seems the same.

Anyway French people addicted to dopamine seemed hoping I praise them more more more, and this best salesman does not refuse even if a mat is spread.

“Right now we are fighting together against that barbaric Qing to protect the Christian civilization world. If relations between Britain and France deteriorate, instantly all trade routes across Asia will be paralyzed and taking that gap the evil Tatar Khan will try to exterminate all Westerners in China.”

“Indeed!”

“Truly right words!”

“I know well how sincere France is in spreading civilization and enlightening the world. The one who informed me of the mission and devotion as a Christian was precisely a French priest. Ah, come to think of it now Catholicism also recognized the Eastern ‘ancestral rite’ custom?”

The resolution of the ancestral rite problem was done through a somewhat absurd process.

In 1848, revolution broke out across Europe. At this time the French kingdom collapsed and the Second Republic was established and Louis Napoleon was elected president.

Amid all of Europe except Britain burning with the heat of revolution of course the Italian peninsula that was split into pieces also violently broke out anti-foreign, and unification movements and the so-called <​First Italian War of Independence> occurred. Their main attack target was Austria that exercised dominant influence in Italy.

Since the story of primitive continent guys shooting each other is boring will summarize as simply as possible.

Napoleon III at first took the diplomatic strategy of <​supporting Italian unification and fucking Austria>.

After the military god Napoleon Bonaparte was ganged up on and perished France was always diplomatically isolated, giving a blow to Austria’s leadership and obtaining the support of liberal-friendly Britain to escape diplomatic isolation was Mr. Na3’s grand plan.

But this plan was suddenly stopped in the middle.

Precisely because the Pope opposed Italian unification.

- Why does the Pope suddenly come out?

At this time the Papal States were very wide. A considerable part of central Italy was all Papal States. Roughly about 10,000 square kilometers, since 21st century South Korea is about 100,000 square kilometers roughly the size estimate comes out?

Not only all the Papal States land being taken, the Pope who could not watch with hands behind back the Italian revolutionary army fighting Austria who are the same Catholics ultimately expressed opposition to the unification war, and not long after revolution broke out even in the Papal States and the absurd situation of the Pope escaping occurred.

And Napoleon III got hit by this stray bullet.

‘His Holiness the Pope is being threatened by rioters will stay still?’

The emperor whose core support base is devout Catholic conservatives was cornered, and ultimately completely turned to the opposite side in the unification war and attacked Rome and defeated the revolutionary army. Originally French people catching the Pope and decorating at home is a kind of traditional play.

France that bestowed <​grace> on the Pope threw various proposals, and one of them was precisely allowing ancestral rites. The ancestral rite problem always catching the ankle in Eastern policy was not a particularly pleasant feeling.

Anyway setting aside.

As soon as the story of allowing ancestral rites came out French people praised the Pope who made a ‘wise judgment’ and the emperor who ‘supported’ this judgment. As expected praising the king with every inhale and exhale in a monarchy is default everywhere.

“Now that ancestral rites are allowed, how is it? Do Joseon people seem able to accept Catholicism too?”

“Difficult... wouldn’t it be.”

“Why again! Why!”

“Well Catholics, traitors right. Extremely vicious traitors who tried to sell the country so won’t give freedom of faith that easily.”

Bluff.

Already from a few years ago because I chattered that <​France will definitely use invasion or equivalent force if not allowing Catholicism>, the Joseon court is prepared that someday the day to accept Catholicism will come.

But French people don’t know.

Then of course must squeeze to the bone marrow as much as possible!

- Will believe. You are British.

Will take it as praise.

***

Joseon priests including Kim Daegeon.

They who endured the time of hardship for a long time finally boarded the French warship and advanced to Joseon.

Even while French diplomats disembarked and went to Hanyang they could not get off. Because Joseon’s local officials threatened that they absolutely cannot tolerate that much.

‘If you abandon being Joseon people and claim to be French will let you step on Joseon land.’

Could not do so.

They had to return as Joseon people.

They did not abandon faith but also did not abandon the identity of Joseon people.

If living a life of proselytizing in China or Japan would have stretched the neck long in front of those terrifying executioners’ swords and left on the path of martyrdom.

Must spread the gospel.

This is the path for Joseon and Joseon people.

Therefore they did not get off the ship.

How long would they have been waiting.

“There traitors!”

“We are not traitors.”

“Ah, right. Guys who are not traitors!”

Kim Daegeon and Choe Yangeop looked at each other. Why are those guys calling them ‘guys who are not traitors’?

“Be glad. His Majesty calls you.”

“That, His Majesty?”

“Yes. Since His Majesty’s mercy is like the sea, seems saying will bestow a last opportunity even on you extremely vicious guys. Must take you to Hanyang so quickly follow.”

His Majesty seeks them!

They resolved to necessarily prove loyalty to Joseon, and further prove that Catholics are never parentless bastards without king or father.

Only then there is a future for Joseon’s Catholics.

Those who ran to Hanyang in one breath were immediately guided to a new lodging.

That place was precisely the mansion of Joseon’s best hobbyist, Heungseon-gun Lee Ha-eung.

A place swarming with peddlers, thugs, clowns, monks, shamans, singers, sadangpae or whatever as guests.

From the perception of Joseon that treats Catholic priests roughly as a subtype of monks it was just the right place.

Of course there is one more reason.

Among those all sorts of miscellaneous guests Ikmunsa agents are also mixed here and there.

Kim Daegeon and Choe Yangeop did not know even in dreams, but they were in a situation no different from lodging in a hotel operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.

“Hmm. Are you guys those Western learning sinners who have no king or father?”

“Although we believe in Catholicism, we are never without king or father!”

“Please listen to our plea, Minister. We never forgot the propriety of loyalty and filial piety!”

“Right. Let’s hear you chatter once.”

Because Lee Ha-eung was a very busy body he did not spare that long time, but he had long discussions and debates and arguments with these Catholics over as many as ten days.

“Burning the ancestral tablet because that guy called the Pope ordered is truly a vicious act no doubt.”

“Already explained that point, Minister. The deceased who believed in Catholicism earnestly requested to burn the ancestral tablet while alive-”

“Even if the person himself said burn the ancestral tablet the same. Then do you think if parents ask to discard their corpses like garbage following that is filial piety? How know if words said because senile?”

From the story about the ancestral tablet burning and Hwang Sayeong’s white paper incident that were the biggest problems, to stories about the West and how they lived until now, stories about faith and proselytizing from now on.

The most venomous viper in Joseon over ten days slowly, very slowly pretended to be persuaded by their passionate speech and carefully pondered not only these missionaries’ plans but also character and utilization value.

And.

“Fine. Although you guys are in the wrong direction you seem not yet to have abandoned loyalty to the ancestral temples and altars and filial heart.”

“Thank you!”

“Will report to His Majesty and advise to treat you similarly to monks. However, unlike monks you seem like will willingly raise a disturbance in the country as soon as that Pope guy gives a secret order.”

“His Holiness would not do so.”

“So, what will you do if the Pope orders to assassinate the king?”

Lee Ha-eung who blocked their mouths drew a conclusion.

“While working as interpreters teach the Western civilization you learned to others. If your merits become big enough to cover the sins already committed will gradually widen the range of movement. Also those who believe in Catholicism pay a separate tax, and if the country orders must prove that loyalty has not rusted.”

What they so desired.

Freedom of faith and proselytizing was right in front.

While Lee Ha-eung was coaxing them like that, Arthur Lee received a promise of vast loans from French people as the price of recognizing freedom of religion and allowing the building of a cathedral in Hanyang.

Truly like teacher like disciple.

© 명원 #1jwz2

Author's note

Thank you to Time Flight for your sponsorships!!