Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 1071: Tosagu Feng (1)

It was a very familiar word to officials of the Ming and Japanese Empires. To a monarch, especially a monarch who had succeeded in starting a new business, the founding public figures were both comrades and enemies. Those who knew the monarch’s heart best because they shared difficult times together were the people who contributed to the founding of the country. On the other hand, those who proudly demanded their share or looked down on the monarch were also contributors to the founding of the country.

This was because we had seen many of the monarch’s shortcomings while going through hardships and hardships together. Therefore, the founding monarch had no choice but to carry out purges as time passed. It was a ‘necessary evil’ that must be endured not only for one’s own power, but also for the successors who would inherit one’s position. This was the reason why the famous ‘Tosagu Paeng’ came out.

This is why the Qizilbashi of the Persian Safavid Empire and the Janissaries of the Ottomans had no choice but to become targets of purges. Kizilbashi is the most powerful force of Shahansa Ismail of the Safavid Empire, but its extreme religious ideology has worsened relations with its people.

The Janissaries were created to improve the abnormal power structure that was focused only on the guards and at the same time strengthen the power of the sultan, but at some point they became the core of power. Both the Shahansa and the Sultan were in a situation where they were being swayed by their most powerful hand. And this is where other countries found a gap.

Officials of the Empire and Ming Japan, who completed the kill book for the takeover of the Safavid Empire, submitted a document outlining the plan and the kill book to their respective monarchs. And the orders sent by the monarchs of the three kingdoms were simple.

-Do it.

Accordingly, new units began to be organized in Ming and Japan, and the Imperial Navy transport fleet to transport them entered final maintenance.

* * *

While Imperial Japan was preparing for its final approach to conquer Persia, the European powers were also making their final preparations.

-Ottoman Sultan Bayezid is visibly weakening.

As these rumors spread not only to the Ottoman Empire but also to the European countryside, the politicians and strategists of European powers accelerated their pace even further. As the speed increased, the first two countries to surface were the two countries. One was France and the other was Italy.

France was a powerhouse of European tradition and a country that caused many incidents and accidents to protect its political position and interests. Of course, France suffered severely from England during the Hundred Years’ War, but overcame this and returned to its position as a powerhouse. Therefore, very few people were surprised that France had moved.

But Italy was something unexpected. The main assessment was that it was a new country that had just emerged from the aftereffects of the Unification War and that its capabilities were not great. However, Italy’s capabilities and motivation that rose to the surface were quite powerful. Italy was the country with more commanders and soldiers who had sufficient practical combat experience and were accustomed to a new type of war through the last unification war. And as a new nation, it was highly motivated and had a cause.

-Ottoman stability is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of the Suez region.

With this justification, Italy began to move openly. As France and Italy began to move openly, their allies and enemies also began to speed up their movements. As a result, conflict between European powers began to arise once again.

The first to become closer were France, Italy and Portugal. France became distant from Italy and Portugal during the War of Italian Unification. However, with Suez at stake, France had to join hands with Italy and Portugal once again.

No, it wasn’t just Suez. The country that knew best about the situation in the Mediterranean region, including the Ottoman Empire, was Italy. And the country with the most interests in the Atlantic Ocean, which was also the coast of France, and the New World Gloria beyond that was Portugal, followed by Italy.

In the end, the leaders of the three countries gathered in Paris and reached a historic normalization agreement. When France, Italy and Portugal joined hands, it was a natural reaction for Spain and Habsburg to join hands. This was because the Habsburgs had to deal with enemies like France and Spain with Portugal.

Eventually, Spain and Habsburg concluded a marriage alliance. And here England was caught in a dilemma.

– Considering not only military power but also all the capabilities they have, the French-Italian-Portuguese alliance is the strongest.

– In that case, it is safest to join forces with them. Of course, it will be difficult to ask for a lot of shares, but there is little chance of losing money.

-The problem is that there is France.

-But being on the side where Spain and Habsburg are, there are a lot of problems there too.

-Spain, who starts a war and draws his sword at the sight of Islam, and Habsburg, whose pride is sky-high while making a fuss about a topic that is difficult for him to handle. If you make a mistake, you will end up messing around and ruining yourself.

-Moves independently? I like the idea that ‘it’s all mine’ regardless of success or failure.

-The problem is that there is no connecting line inside the Ottomans.

-France, Italy and Portugal built long and solid connections with the Ottomans, starting with Suez.

-The Habsburgs also had connections with the Ottomans through the war they fought against Hungary.

-In particular, with the merger of Hungary and Habsburg, the Ottoman connections that Hungary had built were added.

In this situation, England was caught in ‘choice paralysis’. In the end, in London, Henry VII and his subjects agonized over a solution to this problem.

“Ha~. “It’s definitely not an easy task.”

All the subjects and nobles nodded to Henry VII’s complaints. Following Henry VII’s complaints, a nobleman complained.

“The world is changing so quickly. In the past, I was bored and thought, ‘Today will be the same as yesterday, tomorrow will be the same as today,’ but these days, I am praying, ‘Please just be the same as yesterday.’”

Everyone nodded at the nobleman’s complaint. Just like those complaints, the world was changing faster and faster. With each passing day, a new merchant hangs up his deck or goes bankrupt and takes down his sign. In the past, distances that would have taken several days to travel by horseback, carriage, or on foot could now be covered in one night by iron horse.

The same was true for trade. In the past, the only distance between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea was the Caspian Sea, but now ships travel across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. As the world changed, international relations also changed more rapidly. As a day, a month, and a year passed, allies and enemies often changed.

Of course, there were unchanging hostile countries like France.

“But you can’t just complain forever. Considering the value of the Ottomans, the moment they fall behind here, England will never be able to move forward again.”

Hearing Henry VII’s words, the subjects and nobles sighed and turned their attention to the report and world map again.

“I can’t do this, I can’t do that…”

“No matter which one you choose, the benefit will be small and the loss will be great…”

“I feel sick…”

“Are you just feeling upset? “My hair loss has gotten worse.”

When everyone, starting with Henry VII, was in trouble, the door opened and a young official came in and bowed.

“What’s going on?”

“We found out who the Ottoman successor was with the Habsburgs.”

At the young official’s answer, Henry VII jumped up from his seat.

“okay! “Who is it!”

“This is Korkud, Anatolia!”

The subjects and nobles present at the young official’s report quickly flipped through the reports.

“Korkud of Anatolia…”

“Here it is!”

After examining the relevant reports submitted by his subjects, Henry VII looked at the subjects and nobles around him.

“First of all, it seems like the Habsburgs acted as we expected.”

“That’s right.”

The Anatolian region was a region connected to the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe. For the Habsburgs, this region was something they knew well. Because the starting point of Islamic forces trying to advance into Europe, especially Hungary, was Anatolia.

For that reason, it was the Habsburgs that knew well the tendencies of the Anatolian region’s powers and leaders. Therefore, choosing Korkud was a reasonable move. Because I knew him well, it would be easy to deal with him in the future.

“The problem is Korkud’s current situation…”

“If Korkud was in its current situation, it would have made many concessions to the Habsburgs.”

Henry VII nodded to his subject’s answer. The situation in Korkud during this time was very bad. This was because they suffered enormous losses as they failed to suppress the rebellion of Shia mystics.

Thanks to this, it was Korkud who suddenly went from being the most powerful candidate for the presidency to the candidate who would be the first to have his head cut off. In order to turn a crisis into an opportunity, it was necessary to capture the spirit of the Habsburgs.

After reviewing the situation, Henry VII looked back at his nobles and subjects.

“Now we will have to choose a card depending on who France chooses. Who were we expecting?”

In response to Henry VII’s question, one of his subjects looked through the report and answered.

“It’s not France, it’s Italy, but Italy is maintaining contact with Selim.”

“I understand there is a problem there?”

The subject responded immediately to Henry VII’s point.

“Yes, according to what we found out, there is a difference of opinion over the Janissary issue.”

“Hmm….Is there anything known about what the Habsburgs will do with the Janissaries?”

The young official who first brought the report answered Henry VII’s question.

“We don’t have it yet, but we’ll find out as soon as possible.”

“If necessary, send more spies.”

“yes.”

Henry VII, who gave orders to the young official, looked back at his subjects and nobles.

“I think it would be best for us to decide our choice depending on who chooses the Janissaries or who the Janissaries choose. Of course, contrary to the Janissaries’ choice.”

“That’s right.”

* * *

While London was watching the situation closely, Italy was persuading Selim, who had made his home in Trabzon.

“I know very well what the Governor-General wants to do with the Crimean Khanate. But the governor is well aware that the sun is now setting on the Crimean Khanate. “You don’t know how helpless the cavalry is in front of freight cars and artillery, don’t you?”

“I know very well.”

At the Italian messenger’s point, Selim nodded with difficulty.

“Anatolia has joined hands with the Habsburgs, and Ahmad of Asaah has ample artillery and musketry. “The Crimean Khanate is not enough.”

“I know that to some extent. But your demands regarding the Janissaries are the problem.”

The reason Selim could not respond to Italian and French proposals was because of the Janissaries.