Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 972: A tree with many branches….. (1)

With the end-of-war agreement and the Basic Law of Unified Italy created, the people of the empire began to pack their bags.

“I think the three ambassadors will have to stay in Italy for the time being.”

At Hyang’s words, Shin Suk-ju and Seong Sam-mun’s wife nodded. Not everything ended with the unification of Italy. The most representative one was the relationship with the Habsburgs. Venice, an axis of unified Italy, considered the Habsburgs to be its enemies. Anyone could have predicted that once the newly unified Italy took a breather, a conflict with the Habsburgs would break out.

It wasn’t just Italy.

Spain and France also viewed the Habsburgs with unkind eyes. Therefore, the ambassadors staying in Italy had to have a considerable level of diplomatic, political, and military insight, and for this reason, the three remained in office.

“Sooner or later, someone suitable for that position will come, so I hope you will suffer a little more. The emperor will also remember you.”

The three people responded to Hyang’s words by bowing their heads.

“As a subject, I just do what I have to do. Nevertheless, I am devastated that you look at me like this.”

“Hwang Eun is devastated.”

“The loyalty of the gentlemen is truly admirable.”

While the three people praised the answer, Hyang muttered to himself.

‘Isn’t your facial expression young?’

* * *

While finalizing the personnel policy for the officials working at the embassy, Hyang inspected the luggage and people to be brought to the empire.

“Is it complete?”

“That’s right!”

“Look…”

Hyang began to examine the painting placed in an ornately gilded wooden frame. And next to them, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were waiting for the fragrance review with very nervous faces. Hyang, who was looking at the cooking picture, smiled and looked at the two people.

“You did it right this time, right? I’ll pay for it.”

“Whoa~.”

“Haa~.”

The two people, who had sighed unconsciously, were startled and bowed their heads to Hyang.

“thank you!”

“thank you!”

The reason these two people showed up like this was because they had already been severely scolded by Hyang several times. When two people who were already famous in history before the intervention came, Hyang hired them without a second thought.

“A portrait of me painted by masters whose names have left their mark on history? Of course I should paint it!”

However, when Hyang saw the sketch the two drew, he frowned.

“The old man in that picture is Jim?”

“Is that so?”

“Jim’s face doesn’t look like that in the mirror, does it? Where is he going and is there an old Italian sitting there?”

“Ah…”

“Why is he dressed like that? Is he a Roman general?”

“……..”

As the scent continued to point out, the two people’s heads gradually lowered. Both of them created a new painting style that represented the Renaissance. However, there were limitations to perception. Although I drew it while looking at the incense directly in front of me, it was a drawing of a European person who looked similar to incense, not incense, overlapping the skeleton that my eyes had become accustomed to over the past time.

This became a problem as it overlapped with the Roman style that was favored by the European nobility of the time.

“…Portraits are drawn in the Empire too. The artist who paints the portrait must depict everything about the other person without hiding anything. That is the same as what Jim asked of you. He does not want a portrait of Jim, but an imaginary painting. “It’s not what I wanted!”

“I’m going to draw it again right away!”

“I’ll draw it again!”

The two responded to Hyang’s reprimand in their poor imperial language and went back to work. Hyang muttered to herself as she took up her position again for the two of them.

‘This problem doesn’t discriminate between time and place. Is it also a matter of habit?’

21st century. A relative of Hyang’s who had traveled to Paris, France, had shown him a portrait painted there. Everyone who saw the portrait at the time said the same thing.

“Who is this?”

Likewise, da Vinci and Michelangelo made similar mistakes. No, it wasn’t just Michelangelo and da Vinci who made mistakes. Similar mistakes were commonly seen in the paintings of the imperial people by the painters who rushed to Florence to dream of windy weather. On the contrary, the opposite phenomenon was seen in the paintings painted by Dohwaseo painters from the empire.

“Is this what the Duke of Medici looks like? Why is an imperial man wearing Italian clothes here?”

“……”

“If you do it wrong, it could be a major diplomatic disgrace. Draw it again.”

“I follow your orders.”

In this way, a huge butterfly effect was created by the scent. ‘Hyperrealism’ was born, both in the East and the West.

‘Even the scenery reflected in the water droplets on the glass must be no different from the real thing.’

‘If the picture drawn after looking at the reality is different from the reality, how can it be called a telegraphic painting?’

The hyper-realistic painting style, which was born from the painters of da Vinci and Michelangelo who came to Italy, quickly took over the art world of Europe and the East. The problem was that the main customers, nobles and especially noble ladies, disliked it very much. However, since the trend was hyper-realism, the nobles had to follow the trend.

What was unfortunate for ladies who needed correction was that this trend continued for a very long time. This was thanks to the fact that the upper class of the empire, especially the townships, took hyper-realism for granted.

“Let’s avoid photoshopping even in this era…”

As an aside, the paintings and sculptures created in this way have become important data for historians. This was because, just by looking at the work, one could understand not only the social situation at the time but also the nutritional status of the people to some extent.

In addition, the posture taken by Hyang when drawing a portrait, sitting with legs crossed, placing clasped hands on knees and looking straight ahead with a confident expression, became the basic posture for portraits of emperors of all time. No, it became the basic posture for portraits of not only imperial emperors but also monarchs of both the East and the West.

* * *

When the incense-burning ship that finished its work in Italy arrived in Chemulpo, the empire was in an uproar. When the incense that had stayed in the quarantine facility on Yeongjong Island landed at the Jemulpo dock in accordance with the procedures established by law, the county that was waiting welcomed the incense.

“How hard have you been in the wilderness? I am truly grateful to see you so strong.”

Hyang responded to Hyeon’s words with a smile.

“Why suffer if it is for the well-being and prosperity of the empire? Isn’t that what an imperial citizen would naturally do?”

Hearing Hyang’s words, Hyeon gave orders to the officers and officers behind him.

“The magistrates and the magistrates must record what Tae Sang-tae said now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The two Joseon people talked a lot as they headed to the waiting carriage.

“What is the scenery like in Italy? How do the people of Italy live?”

“The scenery of Italy…”

* * *

The first thing Hyang did after returning to Seoul and recovering from his travels was to hold a ceremony for the imperial soldiers who died in the Italian War. The ceremony was held reverently with the attendance of not only the county and prefectures, but also civil and military officials and the bereaved families. When the ritual was over, Hyang and Hyeon visited the bereaved families and expressed condolences one by one. When Hyang personally visited and expressed condolences, the bereaved family members responded by bowing their heads.

“I will remember this honor for a long time, as His Majesty the Emperor and the Great Emperor remember me this way.”

“I will protect the empire for generations to come!”

And this matter was known throughout the empire through Jo Bao (朝報).

“They are indeed not ordinary people!”

The people who learned the story through Jo Bo shared the story with proud expressions.

* * *

With the ceremony over, the empire returned to its daily life.

“For the emperor, daily life is an endless stream of documents. Phew~.”

Hyun let out a long sigh and looked at the pile of appeals.

“Whoa~.”

Hyun sighed once again and unfolded the paper on one side. On the paper was a list of appeals organized by the Seungjeongwon. Hyun placed his hand on his forehead as he looked at the list of types and numbers of appeals, starting with how many appeals were not filed without even thinking about them.

“As expected, a lot came up today too. Huh~.”

Hyeon sighed again, looked in the direction of Sugang Palace, and his complexion brightened.

“At least now that Taesang has returned, we can resolve this.”

Hyun stood up and ordered the eunuch.

“I’m going to Sugang Palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

* * *

Hyang, who had been spending time looking at various drawings, opened his mouth when Hyeon came, offering him the head table.

“Why did the emperor, who is busy with construction work, come all the way here?”

“There is a question I want to ask Tae-sang-sang for an answer to. I couldn’t ask him that even if I wanted to because he was in Won-ji all this time, but now that he has returned, I have come to Su-gang Palace.”

“What’s going on?”

“It is a matter of the crown prince’s marriage.”

Hyang expressed doubts about Hyun’s answer.

“If it were a marriage issue… I guess we could have discussed the situation?”

Hyeon immediately responded to Hyang’s point.

“Isn’t he the person involved in the laws related to the crown prince’s marriage? And since he is the eldest member of the imperial family, of course I have to ask the Crown Prince.”

“I see. So what’s the problem?”

Even as I asked the question, I had some expectations about the scent.

‘It’s probably a complaint that it’s difficult to find a suitable marriage partner.’

* * *

King Sejong created the Chobeop, but of course the breath of incense was strongly permeated. The crown prince’s wedding was one of them.

-Those who are 4th cousins on the father’s side or 3rd cousins on the mother’s side of the family that married the crown prince are prohibited from submitting candidates for crown princess for the next 100 years.

The reason Hyang included this clause was to prevent one family from monopolizing the queen, but it also had the purpose of excluding incestuous marriages.

“Although it was not as severe as Goryeo, the Joseon royal family also secretly had a lot of incestuous marriage. There is also a theory that the accumulated influence of incestuous marriage was behind the fact that the kings of the late Joseon Dynasty were so short-lived and had no successors, so they were passed down through collateral lineages. There was a theory that the imperial family had the ‘Hapsburg chin’. “It wouldn’t be okay if this came out.”

It was a clause introduced by the government to prevent problems in the imperial family due to genetic diseases caused by incestuous marriages.

* * *

However, the problem Hyun mentioned was beyond Hyang’s expectations.

“It is no different. Appeals are pouring in from Bukji and Daeseol Island due to the issue of deciding the crown princess.”

“Beiji and Daxue Island?”

“Yes. They are filing an appeal claiming that they are fully qualified to nominate a candidate for empress.”

“Huh…”

At Hyun’s words, Hyang made a strange sound without realizing it.

According to Hyeon’s subsequent explanation, the common content of the complaints pouring in from Bukji and Daeseoldo Island was roughly as follows.

-Decades have already passed since Bukji and Daeseoldo became a stronghold of the empire. In particular, in the case of Daeseol Island, it became a stronghold of the empire long before Bukji.

-When they first became a part of the empire, they did not know the duties of man, but now they have become citizens of the empire who are well aware of the duties of people and the national policies of the empire.

-In addition, there are many people who work with heavy responsibility as imperial officials and soldiers.

-Given Tang Jin’s situation, why is the Crown Princess only appearing in this paper?

-Beukji and Daeseoldo are also rivers of the empire, and the people who live there are also citizens of the empire, so they are fully qualified to pay the crown price!

After listening to Hyeon’s explanation, Hyang made a strange sound once again.

“omg……”