Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 963: Choice, defection, negotiation (3)

Cesare Borgia’s choice was a forced choice, as Lorenzo de’ Medici explained. The only way for him to survive while maintaining a minimum of his power was to join the ‘Italian Unification Movement’.

“Whew. If only France and Spain had done the right thing…”

Cesare Borgia sighed and cursed France and Spain.

* * *

If France and Spain had subdued the Empire and Florence, he would not have defected. No, even if it had only been a long-term game, there was nothing bad about it. Because you can charge a high price for yourself. However, France and Spain, who had attacked with great vigor but were cruelly defeated, were hiding in their burrows and just watching.

In the Battle of Corsica, they defeated the Imperial Navy, but that was the end of it. This was because the enraged imperial navy searched for ports where French and Spanish warships had taken refuge, such as Corsica and Naples, and destroyed them. In the end, only a few warships managed to find a gap in the imperial navy’s surveillance network and escape to the Duchy of Savoy and Sicily, and that was the end of it. Battleships stuck in port like that never came out to sea again.

Regarding this Battle of Corsica, the author’s ordinary people said the following:

“The neighborhood mutt bit the tiger’s tail without realizing it.”

Even more famous were the sarcastic comments made by a cynical cardinal in the Vatican – most likely Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici.

“If a prisoner punches a guard in the nose, isn’t he just a prisoner locked in a cell? On the contrary, his situation will only get worse. Did you ever think that the guard who got hit would say, ‘You’re the first person to hit me, so I’ll let you go.’ Even a cheap playwright “I wouldn’t write a script like that.”

As the cardinal said, the situation in the Mediterranean has worsened for France and Spain. This was because the Imperial Navy fleet was moving around the entire Mediterranean Sea with its eyes lit up. Ships flying the French and Spanish flags must be destroyed or captured.

Ships that did not have a flag were unconditionally inspected, and if goods not authorized by the empire – mainly drugs – were discovered, they were unconditionally seized. If they escape or resist, they are considered pirates and are immediately sunk. The actions of the imperial navy were such that even the Ottoman Empire had to take notice. The Ottoman Empire’s ships did not even set anchor in the North African region west of the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to this, there was even a conspiracy theory going around among merchants in the Mediterranean region.

“Could it be that the Imperial Navy deliberately showed weakness in Corsica?”

* * *

Because of this situation, Cesare Borgia decided to defect, but he was still preparing to pay a high price. The problem was that it was almost exactly what Venice had thought.

-Raise the ransom by showing off the strength of the military I command!

“It can be formidable.”

Cesare responded confidently to the point made by a close associate who had heard of Cesare’s inner thoughts.

“It’s not for the faint of heart.”

* * *

There were people everywhere who sold goods, even to their own enemies, for their own benefit. The same was true in Florence. As the war unfolded, enormous amounts of military supplies were produced. With the application of mass production and all-out war system, production increased significantly, but the problem was that management was still stubborn.

The empire took issue with this and changed its management system to an imperial style, but in that short period of time, a considerable amount of weapons and military supplies flowed south through smugglers. This was because, unlike the north, where imperial management was tight, the south was lax.

* * *

And through this black market, Cesare was able to form an additional 2,000 musketeers armed with Florentine rifles. Adding together the existing rifle corps and artillery corps, a total of approximately 10,000 rifle corps and an artillery corps with 50 cannons was created.

“This is not easy!”

Cesare, confident in his power, drew up a long list of demands. Cesare looked pleased as he looked at the list of dozens of requirements.

“It’s simple enough.”

“I think it’s too much for the size of the principality. How about reducing it a bit?”

Cesare shook his head in response to his concerned aide’s suggestion.

“I heard it’s simple enough. It’s enough as long as the imperial army doesn’t come! And negotiation is a bargain! You have to ask for a high price at first!”

But the news that followed made Cesare despair.

-The main force of the troops heading to the principality is the imperial army. No, most of the forces are imperial troops.

-At least 30,000 troops.

“Holy shit!”

Cesare swore and tore up the list he had.

-The Empire does not bargain.

-You want to bargain? Don’t you know what happened to Milan?

The case of Milan, where the city wall itself disappeared after rejecting the empire’s proposal, was very famous. In the end, it was Cesare who set only the minimum requirements.

* * *

When the news of Cesare’s defection spread, Rome was turned upside down.

“So, didn’t I say you shouldn’t trust that bastard?”

Duke Juan Borgia de Gandia, the illegitimate son of Alexander VI and the older brother of Cesare Borgia, was furious, with veins forming on his neck.

“How many times have I told you that he is a great man who would go to Mecca and praise Allah if he could get enough of his stomach?”

“Whoa~.”

Juan’s criticism continued, and Pope Alexander VI just sighed, putting his hand on his forehead with a sorrowful expression.

“So that damn bastard!”

“Whoa~.”

Seeing Juan walking around the room, swearing and cursing Cesare, Alexander VI sighed and muttered to himself.

‘How can brothers born in the same boat…’

* * *

Juan and Cesare, the sons of Alexander VI and Bannocha Catanei, were famous for their enmity. To be more precise, it was not an enemy, but an enemy of Bulbuldaecheon. The reason their relationship became like that was because of power.

When Alexander VI became Pope, Juan was given the following positions: the Pope’s standard-bearer, Commander-in-Chief of the Church Army, Administrator of St. Peter’s Basilica, Duke of Gandia, Duke of Cesa, and Archbishop of the Diocese of Naples. However, Cesare only went from being bishop of Pamplona to becoming a cardinal.

To ensure the prosperity of his family, Alexander VI entrusted military power to Juan and appointed Cesare as a cardinal. Cesare was dissatisfied with this and came to regard Juan as a thorn in his eyes. Juan also did not know this and could not take his eyes off Cesare.

Eventually, when the rupture between the two became too loud, Alexander VI summoned Cesare and had a private talk. Afterwards, Cesare resigned as cardinal and established the Duchy of Romagna with the support of Alexander VI. It would have been best if it ended there, but the situation got even worse. An incident occurred in which Juan was attacked just before the start of the war.

As Juan was walking down the streets of Rome at night with only two guards and a retinue, assassins disguised as thieves attacked him. In the process of preventing the attack, it was a major incident in which one guard and servant were killed and Juan was slightly injured.

“Without these, I would be dead.”

What saved Juan’s life were two Imperial six-barreled cavalry rifles. Juan, who purchased it through the black market, always hid it in his arms, and this time, he was saved. Juan, who survived the attack, tried to identify the dead attackers at the scene and find the culprits, but the case ended up being unsolved.

However, rumors filled Rome that Cesare was the one who instigated the attack. When Juan disappeared, Cesare was almost the only one who could fill the vacant position – the position of commander-in-chief of the church army and several ducal titles. However, because Cesare was staying in the Principality of Romagna, the situation was ‘only suspicion and no physical evidence’, and the case had no choice but to end as unresolved.

The case was left unsolved, but Juan gritted his teeth whenever he heard the name Cesare. And now Gilgil became angry and cursed Cesare in front of Alexander VI.

* * *

“Phew~. So…”

After sighing for a long time, Alexander VI asked Juan.

“So is there a way to escape the current crisis?”

“……”

Juan’s mouth remained closed in response to Alexander VI’s question. The state of the church forces now gathered in Rome was desperate. Compared to the army coming from the north, its size was heartbreakingly small and its morale was at its lowest. At least it was a good thing that I had brought the right weapons. There was hope in the Kingdom of Naples army coming from the south, but this too soon turned into despair.

It was because of the motto raised by the Kingdom of Naples army.

-Italy’s unification and internal affairs must be decided by Italians!

-The Kingdom of Naples rejects intervention by foreign powers!

-The troops were dispatched to prevent intervention by foreign powers!

Among the causes put forward by the Kingdom of Naples, there was nothing like ‘protection of the Papal States’ or ‘protection of the Pope’. The Pope and the Papal States were completely excluded from this war.

“Is there a way?”

“….There is no military method.”

“What about France and Spain?”

“I’m just hiding in the cave and rolling my eyes.”

In response to Juan’s reply, Alexander VI placed his hand on his forehead again. After thinking for a while, Alexander VI raised his head and looked at Juan.

“There is no military method, right?”

“That’s right. .”

“Then you are saying that we have to negotiate… What can we gain through negotiation?”

“It would be the safety of the church and His Holiness. If you try hard enough, can the Papal States outside of Italy be recognized?”

In response to Juan’s answer, Alexander VI looked despondent.

“Outside of Italy? “The moment you lose the inside of Italy, you will lose all the papal territories outside of it.”

Aside from Italy, there were still a significant number of papal states in various parts of Europe. And these papal states were granted as fiefs to cardinals and bishops. The papal states were coveted prey for secular monarchs. If the papal states inside Italy disappeared, the very moment the papal states outside Italy would disappear by being eaten up here and there.

“…Still, it would be best to do your best to negotiate. ”

“That’s right. That, too, must be ended before the church army collapses.”

With France and Spain unable to help, the only solution was negotiation. And the church army currently staying in Rome was also in trouble. Morale was at its lowest and salaries continued to be delayed. We were losing. If we made a mistake, it would not be the church’s army, but a band of thieves plundering the church.

“Send a messenger. Let’s negotiate. The Vatican is fully willing to negotiate for Italian unification.”

* * *

Hyang, who heard the story through the Vatican’s messenger, immediately called Han Myeong-hoe.

“Will the Prime Minister step forward?”

“Leave it to Sosin! Originally, the start of a war is politics, and the end of a war is also politics. So Shin, I am confident in politics!”

“Then I will leave it to the Prime Minister.”

“I will do my best!”

Hyang, who handed over the task to Han Myeong-hoe, looked at Gibraltar on the map and muttered,

“I will return what I received and take care of what I need to take care of. ”