Her Majesty’s Secret Service

070. Touhou Trade feat. Young Bulls

January 1557, Port of London.

“wow! Is that ‘Catherine’? “It’s as big as they say!”

“They say that ship can deflect shells. “A relative of someone I know is a sailor on that ship, and he personally saw a shell fired by a Spanish warship bounce off.”

“okay? Well, I think it could be possible if it’s that big. scent… How was a ship like that made? .”

Citizens who flocked to the port to see the huge ship ‘Catherine’ docked at the Port of London burst out in admiration at the majestic appearance of the royal flagship.

There were an unusually large number of citizens gathered at the Port of London today, as there was scheduled to be a small welcoming event in which Queen Mary of England and her husband, Archduke Eric, would come out and welcome the crew of ‘Catherine’.

Of course, there were people who gathered to see the rumored ‘Catherine’ in person.

“Your Majesty the Queen, is that ship ‘Catherine’? Indeed, as you said, it is a ship of enormous majesty.”

Then, a person who was quietly sitting behind the queen spoke to her. It was French Ambassador Antoine who attended the event to see ‘Catherine’ in person.

“Do you believe me now? In addition, the captain of that ship, Logan, is from a noble family in the East. If England and France join forces, wouldn’t we be able to gain sufficient profits in the East?”

“indeed… . I’m not sure how great the value of the place called ‘Joseon’ you mentioned is… Even if you only go to India, you can still benefit. If it is possible to build a warship of that size, it is surely possible to build a merchant ship of similar size, right?”

“Cancer, no problem. The shipbuilding technology of Deptford Royal Shipyard has long surpassed the best in Europe. “Can’t you tell by looking at ‘Catherine’?”

Ambassador Antoine, who saw Mary showing off her shipbuilding skills with a slightly flushed face, agreed with her words with a kind smile.

“Her Majesty the Queen deserves to be so proud. Ah, Your Majesty the Archduke. “Is Sweden’s Vasa royal family also planning to contribute funds to this ‘Eastern Trade’?”

“Of course. Our Persian royal family cannot be left out of this, can we? Regardless of the royal family, I personally plan to invest some funds in this project.”

“Oh, that much… “Do you trust Her Majesty the Queen?”

“trust… Yes, that’s right. I trust my wife. Ah, the queen.”

Since it was an official event, Archduke Eric was scratching the back of his head as he changed the word ‘wife’ to ‘queen’.

So the three began discussing ‘Eastern Trade’ until the crew disembarked from ‘Catherine’.

After a while, after all the sailors had disembarked from Catherine, they stopped talking and approached Logan, who was standing at the front of the crew. The first to speak was Mary, who took the lead.

* * *

The reason Antoine and Eric spoke about ‘Eastern Trade’ was because Mary had brought in Sweden and France as partners in ‘Eastern Trade’.

Sweden may not know, but the reason France was brought in was to secure anchorage rights at ports of call.

Mary was well aware that the French ambassador’s words, ‘we will actively reflect’, did not directly lead to positive results.

Mary talked about ‘Eastern trade’ to Ambassador Antoine, who came to visit her, and requested that she secure the right to dock at ‘Eastern ports of call’. And in return, he offered to give up France’s place in ‘Eastern trade’.

‘There is a person from an Eastern noble family in my court. This means that he has a thorough knowledge of products that are likely to be sold in the East. Tell King Henry. Are you interested in investing?’

Hearing Mary’s confident voice, Ambassador Antoine immediately reported to Henry II, and a few days later, upon hearing the report from Ambassador Antoine, Henry II accepted the proposal with a very satisfied smile.

‘Fortunately, Queen Mary is different from my father. She is much better as the current queen than the shady King Henry. Yes, if what she said is true, doesn’t that mean that Shincheonji, which even those Habsburgs don’t know about, is in the faraway East? Antoine! Tell her her. I would very gladly accept that offer.’

Mary’s offer was quite attractive to Henry II, who needed a way to replenish the finances he had spent on this war.

If you know what products are likely to be sold in an unknown land, wouldn’t trade be no different from swimming on land? Moreover, even if the land called ‘Joseon’ was an unexpected place, according to Mary’s words, it would be a journey through India.

First of all, visiting India itself will be a great help to France’s finances. Henry II thought so and accepted Mary’s proposal.

England and France had been enemies for generations, but they decided to put aside their feelings for a while over the money issue.

Accordingly, France included a clause in the agreement sent to Spain: ‘England and France will be provided with anchorage rights at eastern ports of call.’

As soon as England and France gained berthing rights, one-third of the cargo capacity of the newly built English ships would go to France.

The remaining cargo volume was scheduled to be taken up by England and Sweden, and it was decided that the products to be loaded would be decided after seeking advice from Logan, a nobleman from the East, on what products would sell well.

* * *

It was good that the Queen and the Grand Duke came out in person and held a welcoming ceremony, but the problem was after the welcoming ceremony.

Sailors with families rushed to give the money they had earned to their families, while sailors without families dispersed to spend their time in their own ways.

I went back to the palace with Jane and tried to sleep in the luxurious and cozy bed for the first time in a while, but instead of going to bed, I found myself sitting in the queen’s office, sweating under the burdensome gaze of three people.

“Logan, the reason I called you was because I wanted help from you.”

Of the three people, the queen, the archduke, and the French ambassador, it was the queen who spoke first.

“Please speak, Her Majesty. “How can I help you?”

For what reason are these three people looking for me at the same time? With that question in her mind, she answered the Queen with her usual courtesy.

“Ah, I wish you could tell me a little about your hometown. Is it possible?”

“You mean the story of my hometown…? ?”

Suddenly you’re talking about your hometown. What on earth are you telling me to say? I’m sure the ‘hometown’ they’re talking about is Joseon.

“If you are referring to ‘Joseon’… .”

“Yes. There are so many things I want to ask about Joseon and Joseon. In addition, about ‘China’ and ‘Japan’ next to it.”

It always seems like an ominous feeling. Damn it, what kind of wind blows makes you ask such a question? I thought I needed to know exactly what was going on, so I cautiously called the queen.

“Your Majesty the Queen, may I ask why you ask such a question?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Hmm, obviously, in Jane’s letter… Ah, I was mistaken. It hasn’t been long since this plan was finalized… “Okay, we need to tell you what’s going on so you can give us the answer we want.”

In response to the Queen’s words, the ambassador and the Grand Duke sitting next to her nodded, muttering, “He is like that too.”

“I guess I should start by saying that this war is actually over. “It hasn’t been announced yet.”

“War… Are you saying it’s over?”

“Okay, what is the situation now… .”

The queen explained to me step by step what situation Spain was in. Roughly speaking, in a situation where France and Spain were tired of each other, the Ottomans came out and were targeting Spain, so it was possible for Spain to sign a peace agreement.

“So, has Her Majesty called Catherine?”

“That’s true, but I had to show ‘Catherine’ to Ambassador Antoine in person.”

“‘Catherine’ to Ambassador Antoine?”

“Didn’t you tell me? They joined hands with France. King Henri will be relieved to have shown ‘Catherine’ in person. Antoine, tell King Henry exactly what you saw and felt.”

“Is it possible?”

Ambassador Antoine turned his head towards the Queen, bowed, and then looked at me again. The Queen also responded to Ambassador Antoine and began the conversation again.

“Anyway, going back to the main topic, since we are planning to obtain the right to dock at a port of call heading to the East, we also plan to enter the East trade. And we have you there. You are from an unknown land further east past India.

Since you have lived there, wouldn’t you know what European products will sell for a high price there? Things that are common there and here.”

Eastern trade? The words that came out of the Queen’s mouth make me believe my ears. No, England at this time joined hands with France to engage in eastern trade?

“Your Majesty the Queen, the reason you asked me to write a ‘letter of recommendation’… ?”

At my words, the queen glanced at Ambassador Antoine and continued speaking.

“Oh, you mean that? Originally, I was planning to hire the sailors on the list you sent to an exploration team that would pioneer a ‘new sea route’, but now… Why, as I said before, as a result of cooperation with France, wasn’t the road to the East opened with ease? “We are still contemplating whether to transfer them all to the Navy or to join them in this procession of ‘Eastern Trade.’”

Apparently, they had already made careful preparations for sending expeditions, trade, and people.

“Why is this the second ‘Catherine’ you mentioned in your letter the other day? “It looks like the second ‘Catherine’ will need to have a slightly larger payload, but how is that possible?”

It seemed like he was now determined to inquire about the design of the ship. This is the reason why the second ‘Catherine’, which was always written in the letter, was built… .

“Your Majesty, I think it would be quicker to ask Peter of Deptford about that matter than to me.”

“Hmm, is that so? Well, let’s ask him about that… .”

It’s ominous. It was very ominous. I just desperately hoped that the next words that would come out of the queen’s mouth would be different from what I thought.

“It’s been quite a while since you settled here, right? already… “Is it the third year?”

“Yes, that would have been it.”

“Okay, three years. “I guess you said that was about the time it took him to leave his hometown and come to England?”

My memory is vague, but it seemed like he roughly said that.

“that… I said so. Yes, I did.”

“So it’s been almost six years since I haven’t been to my hometown. “Don’t you miss your hometown?”

“Hometown? Ah, I don’t know. “I don’t think I miss it that much.”

“Oh, is that so?”

The queen seemed taken aback when I reacted differently than she expected. For some reason, she seemed to be smiling without realizing it.

“It’s a little surprising that I don’t miss my hometown even though I’ve been away for so long… Well, that could be possible. “But you probably haven’t forgotten the words of your hometown.”

To be honest, I’m more familiar with English than Korean these days. That doesn’t mean I’ve completely forgotten Korean, though.

Anyway, I felt like I would be dragged along the eastern trade route if I answered that question straight away, so I thought I should answer appropriately.

“I’m sorry, Her Majesty. These days, I can only remember the greeting.”

If I answered that I didn’t know at all, the queen would be suspicious of me, and if I said that I knew, I would naturally be taken away, so I made a compromise and made the excuse that ‘I barely remembered the greeting and forgot everything else.’

“okay? You remember the greeting, right? Well, that was enough. “If you go and speak the words of your hometown that you have forgotten, won’t you remember them again?”

The queen’s voice was filled with ominousness. The two people sitting next to me, Archduke Eric and Ambassador Antoine, also nodded as if the Queen’s words were right, and I noticed them arguing with each other that what she said was quite plausible. It was ominous, but it was too ominous.

“Why are you making such an expression? I know very well that you have been on board the ship for the past year. But do I look like the kind of person who will put you on board right away?”

The queen opened her mouth with a slight smile, as if trying to reassure me.

“Oh, it was never like that… .”

As I was about to speak cautiously, wondering if I had misunderstood the queen, the queen’s voice continued. It was a soft yet firm voice that seemed to awaken my anxiety.

“Don’t worry. There is still a year left until the new ship is completed anyway. The groundwork hasn’t even begun yet. That’s good. Rest well for the next year and try to remember the words of your hometown. “You will have to do a great job in the trade with the East.”

The sinister nature was revealed. Damn it, are you telling me to take a year off and then get back on board?

“Oh, and you don’t have to go through the trouble of going to the council. The special tax bill for building ships was passed dramatically. “When I informed him that King Henry of France was interested in this ‘Eastern trade,’ he passed the budget bill without a word.”

What’s the good news? Incompetent nobles, if they say the country is short on budget, shouldn’t they have passed it until the end?

Above all, in Joseon… There is nothing in Joseon.

Joseon is a country that is severely lacking in goods to buy and gold and silver to purchase goods, but England, France, and Sweden are investing in trade with Joseon?

Moreover, if trade fleets flow to Joseon, I will be in trouble.

This is because there will be no person called ‘Lee Yu’ in the ‘Deoksu Lee family’ of this era. Perhaps missionaries and merchants will learn the Korean language after some time, and won’t my lies naturally be revealed over time?

‘If I do something wrong, my head will fly off. The royal families of the three kingdoms invested directly and went all the way to Joseon. If it turns out that I didn’t make as much profit as expected and that I didn’t even exist in Joseon, my head will be blown off, no matter what. shit… how… how should… .’

1 year. I had to find a way to sustain myself within the next year.

A way to somehow make a profit from the Joseon trade and prevent my identity from being revealed.