Chapter 163
Weapons are objects used to kill people.
However, as the saying goes, the purpose of any object depends on how it is used, and powerful weapons can serve many purposes besides killing people.
Nuclear weapons are a prime example.
A nuclear weapon is an extraordinarily destructive weapon capable of killing hundreds of thousands of people at once with a single launch, so merely possessing one guarantees a certain degree of influence on the diplomatic stage.
If a nuclear power took offense at something and fired one straight at an enemy nation, a catastrophe in which hundreds of thousands of people died would occur immediately.
In that sense, I showed the lord of Tsushima a fireworks display using hwacha.
The message was that if he did not obediently follow Joseon's wishes, we would bring dozens of the hwacha we had just shown him and unleash a barrage of arrows.
“Lord of Tsushima, I have come to propose a transaction that will benefit Tsushima. So please do not be overly wary.”
The lord of Tsushima still wore an uneasy expression.
Well, I had only said that for appearances' sake, and I certainly did not expect him to let down his guard completely just because I said it.
In this era, using a large amount of gunpowder to put on a fireworks display was itself a military performance akin to a parade.
So I did not think the lord of Tsushima was foolish enough to watch it and sincerely thank us for showing him something so splendid.
“Bring it here.”
When I told them to bring the item, a heavily armed military official appeared carrying a weighty lump of steel about the size of a man's forearm in both hands.
The lord of Tsushima immediately asked upon seeing the lump of steel.
“What in the world is this?”
“It is steel made in Joseon.”
“Why are you showing this to us? Are you trying to threaten us, just as you did with the fireworks...”
Showing fireworks and bringing out such a well-refined lump of steel were, in truth, also part of a threat—or rather, part of the process of persuasion required for proper dialogue.
However, since this sort of persuasion in diplomacy leaves room for criticism...
Even if the lord of Tsushima was right, I had to insist that it was all a misunderstanding.
No.
It would be better to strongly insist that Joseon had no such intention whatsoever and present this as a scene of peaceful dialogue.
"A threat? His Majesty wished to show the lord of Tsushima a splendid fireworks display, so we went to the trouble of bringing a hwacha here to show it to you. He merely hopes that Tsushima and Joseon will both benefit by trading steel with each other in the future."
Unlike Ming, Joseon does not humiliate powers that obey us and forcibly impose undesirable things upon them.
In fact, if you examine this proposal carefully, it benefits Tsushima, so it is hardly a losing proposition.
It was a plan I had calculated from every angle and even received His Majesty King Sejong's approval for.
No, actually, Yi Bang-won even went so far as to say that this might be too generous an offer to Tsushima and suggest that I reconsider it.
This is an incredibly generous offer to you, you know?
Once the lord of Tsushima heard everything I had to say, he would probably clear up his misunderstanding and be deeply moved by the grace of the king of Joseon.
'Tsushima is Joseon's all-purpose laundering outlet, for better or worse.'
As long as these people cooperated with us, we had to guarantee their profits as well if we wanted them to continue laundering things properly.
"This should be even better quality than tamahagane (the finest steel used in Japan to make katana)."
"It would make very sturdy armor."
"It would also be excellent for forging weapons."
I had never seen the iron used in Japan, so I could not say for certain...
According to historical records, during Japan's Sengoku period, nanban iron imported from Westerners was considered the finest steel.
That was because Japan had plenty of gold, silver, copper, and lead mines, but no iron mines, leaving it able to obtain only sand iron.
Sand iron itself was rather poor in quality, so Western nanban iron made from ore mined from iron deposits was regarded as the finest steel.
It must have been incredibly precious, since samurai would put only a tiny amount of nanban iron into katana and boast that their swords were rare treasures made with it.
If we handed steel refined in Joseon over to those Japanese bastards, they would go absolutely wild for it.
"We will sell Tsushima twenty thousand geun of steel every year. And we can gradually increase that amount over time."
"Our Tsushima is such a remote place that we cannot possibly consume twenty thousand geun of such precious steel. I am no blacksmith, but this looks far better than even the finest iron produced in Wa. So steel of this quality must be exceedingly precious in Joseon as well."
Before the steel mill was built, this sort of steel had indeed been extremely scarce in Joseon as well.
The amount of iron ore we could mine was small to begin with, and producing steel required melting iron in a bloomery furnace, then removing every impurity solely through a blacksmith's hammering.
Because the refining process was so difficult, only small quantities could be produced.
However, in Joseon today, steel production has increased dramatically thanks to the regenerative furnace method and the crucible-steel method I proposed introducing as well.
Current production is about 300 tons a year, but once the coke steelmaking method is introduced and we accumulate more ironworking expertise, we should be able to increase it to 1,000 tons a year or even more.
"Steel is certainly scarce in Joseon as well. However, Joseon must also be mindful of Ming's sea ban, and unlike the pirate fleet under the lord of Tsushima, we lack the navigational skills to sail past Lusong (the Philippines) all the way to Cheonchuk (India). Thus, even if we wanted to dispose of this steel, we have no way to do so."
"Ah, so you are saying that you wish to sell this steel to other places, including Wa, through us and profit thereby?"
"It is not a bad proposal, is it?"
"Hmm. Indeed. If we sell this steel, buy rice, and strengthen our military..."
Historians call Japan at this time the period of the Muromachi shogunate and classify it as a different era from the Sengoku period.
Thus, those who know little about history might think Japan was peaceful during this period...
That is absolutely not the case.
These bastards are still fighting among themselves, and battles in which daimyo kill one another break out frequently as well.
The difference from the Sengoku period is that even while they fought among themselves, they did not touch the shogun's position, and wars did not break out every single day.
Thus, it seemed that once the lord of Tsushima received a supply of steel, he intended to expand his own power in one direction or another...
'Do as you please.'
"Sell twenty thousand geun of steel to Wa, and if possible, sell it to other Japanese pirates as well. Would it not be acceptable to have them plunder hostile powers rather than Joseon?"
"That is a very desirable proposal. Then what does Joseon want?"
"I would like you to give Joseon Tsushima's silver mines."
"What? Do you think that makes any sense?"
Naturally, that would never work through ordinary means.
That was why I was offering them the right to broker the trade of twenty thousand geun of steel.
If I did not give them something equivalent to the profits they currently earned from the silver mined in their mines before the silver-lead separation method was introduced, they would resist.
"His Majesty wishes it, so it shall be done. Have you forgotten? Joseon can conquer Tsushima at any time."
During the third Tsushima expedition in the first year of Sejong's reign, Joseon's army had been very powerful, but the Joseon army of today was on an entirely different level.
Last time, it had been difficult even to bring an expeditionary force of ten thousand men, but now, if we were determined, we could somehow bring as many as fifty thousand.
That meant we could turn the land of Tsushima into a wasteland in the literal sense.
"In fact, the amount of silver mined from Tsushima's silver mines has declined considerably compared to the past, so it is becoming increasingly difficult for you to make a profit, is it not?"
Once the silver-lead separation method was introduced, Tsushima's silver mines would be transformed into quite profitable mines.
That was why they had continued operating until just before the Meiji Restoration.
However, at this point in time, their productivity was so poor that they were beginning to wonder whether they should close the mines.
"In exchange for handing over a silver mine that yields little money, you will receive the right to broker trade involving twenty thousand geun of steel."
"Hah, even so, a silver mine is a bit much..."
At first, he had said it was completely impossible, but now he had already moved on to the stage of seriously considering it...
He must have been wondering how to drive up the price.
"Even if you sell only two thousand geun of the twenty thousand geun of steel to the Japanese pirates at the proper price, you will obtain more silver than you would from Tsushima's silver mines. This is a transaction meant to benefit us both, but if you continue acting like this, I will abandon the entire deal and return home."
There is an effective method I use whenever I hold overwhelming leverage in a negotiation.
That is to threaten to overturn the deal.
The lord of Tsushima desperately wanted to secure the right to broker trade involving twenty thousand geun of steel, but Joseon had been the one to step forward and casually offer it to him.
He was putting on a bold front because he thought we might give him something more if he held out.
“No, wait a moment...”
“And I will make the same proposal to another Japanese trader in Hirado.”
The lord of Tsushima's eyes shot open at the word Hirado.
He then seized my arm tightly and pleaded with me.
“Hirado—Hirado is out of the question. They are a faction hostile to us...”
“No, I have come to do business. Joseon has nothing to lose by trading with Hirado, so I am simply saying that I will do so.”
“I understand, I understand. We will hand over our silver mines to Joseon. But you must entrust the twenty thousand geun of steel to us.”
“You may pay next year, so accept the steel first and begin trading.”
Afterward, the lord of Tsushima and I discussed the transactions to come from various angles while smiling at each other.
A deal that satisfied everyone was concluded.