Chapter 397
Park Sang-wook’s proposal was immediately brought to King Sejong. After hearing the story through Kim Jeom, Sejong first summarized the issue.
“Hmm… It’s true that a merchant ship, not a warship, can’t be arbitrarily armed. However, with pirates rampant on the seas now, we can’t let them move unarmed. So, this merchant Park Sang-wook said he would move along with our navy, correct?”
“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm…”
Stroking his beard and pondering Kim Jeom’s answer, Sejong turned to Jo Mal-saeng.
“Minister of Defense, what do you think of Park Sang-wook’s proposal?”
To Sejong’s question, Jo Mal-saeng immediately replied.
“It’s true that arbitrarily mounting cannons on a merchant ship is not appropriate. However, the trade that this Park Sang-wook wants to do requires going long distances, and in this case, the situation is different.”