Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 822

822. Ming and Japan – Internal Stability and Expansion (1)

It wasn’t just the Empire that was changing busily.

The neighboring Ming and Japan were also moving busily.

However, the directions in which these two countries were moving were diametrically opposed.

* * *

The direction Ming chose was ‘internal stability.’

The Chenghua Emperor, who ascended the throne after the Jingtai Emperor, was nicknamed the ‘Goryeo Emperor’ [referring to Korea, as the Empire was often associated with Goryeo/Joseon].

There were several reasons why he was called the ‘Goryeo Emperor.’

First and foremost, he had grown up in the Empire.

The Chenghua Emperor grew up in the Empire after the defeat in the Liaodong War.

Thanks to this, the Chenghua Emperor’s Chinese was a bit problematic. There were no issues with conversation, but his intonation gave the feeling that it was heavily mixed with dialect.

Second, he had an Empress from the Empire. The bigger issue was that he did not have any other concubines besides the Empress.

According to traditional Chinese customs, the Emperor was supposed to have ‘3 palaces, 6 courts, and 72 concubines’ as a basic requirement.

“You must not disregard the customs according to tradition!”

“Having many descendants is also the duty that the Emperor must fulfill!”

The Ming officials pleaded with him to take in concubines, citing customs and reality. The Chenghua Emperor glared at the officials who were pleading for him to take in concubines.

“Do you think you are pleading only for that reason?”

“We are only advising with utmost loyalty!”

“It is absolutely necessary for the stability of the Empire!”

When the officials pressured him, even mentioning ‘the stability of the Empire,’ the Chenghua Emperor had no choice but to step back.

“Alright! I will follow your wishes!”

“Your Imperial Majesty is most gracious!”

According to unofficial history, on the day this decision was made, the Chenghua Emperor visited the Empress and begged with his hands and feet.

“Geum-sun~. I really didn’t want to do this! Really! Believe me! I only have you, Geum-sun! Uh-huh! Put down the wooden pillow! Put it down! If you’re going to throw something, throw something other than the wooden pillow!”

And the next day, the Ming imperial physician had to place many needles in the Chenghua Emperor’s waist and prescribe medicine to replenish his energy.

* * *

Once the Chenghua Emperor’s permission was granted, the Ming officials moved busily.

First, they sent people to various parts of the country to select 5,000 beautiful girls and send them to Nanjing.

Of the 5,000 beautiful girls who entered the palace in this way, 4,000 girls had to return home after failing the body shape examination. Then, after examining their ‘private parts (secret areas),’ 300 remained.

The remaining 300 were sent to the Chenghua Emperor to ‘practice,’ and after a month, only 50 remained to be appointed as concubines.

In some ways, it seemed like a thoroughly objective and fair procedure, but the problem was that about 100 of these 300 were daughters of major officials.

Their calculations were simple.

-If I can gain the Emperor’s favor and rise to the rank of concubine, pushing out the Empress from the Empire is a piece of cake!

-The current Emperor has a weak power base. If I can become the Emperor’s father-in-law, the power of the Empire will be mine!

-If my daughter only gives birth to a son, my family can enjoy power as the Emperor’s in-laws for generations!

The officials, harboring such greed, pushed their daughters in and spread a large amount of bribes.

However, the Chenghua Emperor deviated from their expectations.

“I listened to your words and took in concubines. However, what happens after that is up to me.”

The Chenghua Emperor did not continue to sleep with the 300 beautiful girls who had entered the palace in that way.

“Your Majesty! For the peace of the Empire, there must be many princes to carry on the lineage!”

“Ah? Don’t worry about that issue. The Empress and I are working hard.”

As the Chenghua Emperor said, he and the Empress already had 3 sons and 2 daughters.

In the end, some of the officials who could not stand it rose up.

“Your Majesty! This is a matter of legitimacy! It is absolutely unacceptable for a prince born to a woman from Joseon [another name for Korea] to inherit the throne! Joseon’s culture must not permeate the Imperial family!”

“So, you’re saying that the princes born to me and the Empress cannot inherit the throne?”

“That is correct! How can Joseon’s blood be mixed into the Imperial family?”

“Among the concubines that the Yongle Emperor had, there were also women from the Empire, no, Joseon. Joseon’s blood is already mixed in the Imperial family, so what is the problem?”

“They were far from the throne! The situation is different! Please, reconsider!”

“It is absolutely unacceptable for Joseon’s things to be mixed into the Imperial family’s purest blood! Please, reconsider!”

The Chenghua Emperor’s expression turned fierce at the sight of the officials vehemently opposing his and the Empress’s sons inheriting the throne.

“What? Joseon’s things cannot be mixed into the Imperial family’s purest blood? If you put it that way, even I wouldn’t be the Emperor to you, would I? Who in this Imperial family has grown up in Joseon, no, the Empire, and has been exposed to the Empire’s things the most? Guards! Arrest these people right now and throw them in jail for interrogation! They are guilty of insulting me! Thoroughly investigate them and find out who they are colluding with to insult me!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Following the Chenghua Emperor’s orders, the soldiers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard [a secret police organization] dragged the problematic officials away.

Even as they were being dragged away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s rough hands, the officials desperately shouted.

“Your Majesty! We are innocent! Please do not doubt our loyalty!”

“We are innocent! Please recognize our loyalty!”

However, what awaited the officials who were dragged away was the torture of the Eastern Depot [another secret police organization] and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

In particular, the Eastern Depot’s torture was vicious and relentless.

The head of the Eastern Depot was Wang Chung, who had returned from Seoul with the Chenghua Emperor.

* * *

Several days after entering Nanjing, the Chenghua Emperor, along with his close associates from the Hidden Dragon Society, called Wang Chung.

“Eunuch Wang, thank you for taking care of me in Seoul. I will not forget your service.”

“You flatter me. I was just doing what I had to do.”

“There is something I want to ask of you. No, only you can do it.”

“Please entrust it to me. I will complete it at the risk of my life.”

“I want you to take control of the Eastern Depot.”

“The Eastern Depot, you say?”

Seeing Wang Chung’s surprised expression, the Chenghua Emperor immediately got to the point.

“Although I became Emperor at the request of the officials here in Nanjing, you and I both know that we don’t know when we might die.”

At the Chenghua Emperor’s words, Wang Chung nodded without realizing it.

This was because Wang Chung had also realized the reality while coming from Seoul to this place, and during the few days he had been resting in the palace.

‘When I first left Seoul, I was full of confidence…’

Those who were already in Nanjing had built their own strongholds and were thoroughly isolating Wang Chung.

Seeing Wang Chung nodding, the Chenghua Emperor continued.

“In order for you and I to survive here and seize power, we must move together until the end. The moment one of us has a different thought, we will both perish. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In response to Wang Chung’s answer, the Chenghua Emperor continued.

“I will give you the power to decide the life and death of the eunuchs. Sort them out and take control of the eunuchs and the Eastern Depot. How long will it take?”

“I will complete it as soon as possible.”

“I want you to give me an exact deadline. Will one or two months be enough?”

“…Please give me 100 days.”

“I understand. I will give you 100 days.”

In this way, the Chenghua Emperor, the Hidden Dragon Society, and Wang Chung became united. They became united for survival and power, no, for survival.

The next day, Wang Chung received two edicts from the Chenghua Emperor.

One was to appoint Wang Chung as the Director of the Eastern Depot, and the other was an order to purge the eunuch organization over 100 days.

The problem was the content written in the second edict.

-If necessary, I permit you to execute first and report later.

-The target of the purge is all eunuchs, regardless of rank.

In simple terms, it meant to kill first if things went wrong, and the target could be anyone, even those of higher rank than Wang Chung.

The moment Wang Chung read the Chenghua Emperor’s edict, all the eunuchs present froze and began to sweat profusely.

After that, Wang Chung separately selected young and ambitious eunuchs from all the eunuch organizations, including the Eastern Depot, and made them his henchmen.

He didn’t only insist on young eunuchs. He gathered eunuchs who were capable but pushed out of factional struggles, and eunuchs who were close to him but pushed out of the mainstream, and made them his forces.

With the forces he created in that way, Wang Chung caused a bloodbath within the eunuch organization. Because the Emperor was his backing, even the Director of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, who was the head of the eunuchs, had to be mindful of Wang Chung, who was second-in-command.

At the end of this bloodbath, Wang Chung was able to completely take control of not only the eunuch organization but also the Eastern Depot in just 80 days.

Once Wang Chung took control of the eunuch organization and the Eastern Depot, the Chenghua Emperor revoked the authority of executing first and reporting later that he had granted him.

“Don’t be disappointed. This is for each other’s safety and trust.”

“I understand well.”

“You know that this is just the beginning, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After taking control of the Eastern Depot, Wang Chung secretly began surveillance of the remaining members of the Imperial family and officials.

* * *

Because the issue of survival was at stake, the bond between the Chenghua Emperor, the Empress, the Hidden Dragon Society, and Wang Chung was exceptionally strong.

To avoid the risk of poisoning, the food that the Chenghua Emperor ate was prepared directly by the Empress and the Imperial maids from the Empire who were attached to the Empress.

The ingredients also had to pass the inspection of the maids and doctors sent by the Empire, and the Imperial army.

Then, the Chenghua Emperor, the Empress, the Hidden Dragon Society members, Wang Chung, and the Chenghua Emperor’s mother, Zhu—who was ennobled as the Grand Empress Dowager—ate the food prepared with these ingredients together.

The atmosphere of those who gathered and ate together in this way was friendly.

Of course, there were more than a few officials who took issue with this and questioned it. And every time such words came out, the Chenghua Emperor smiled and replied.

“I’m sorry. Because I lived in the Empire for a long time, I’m still uncomfortable with Nanjing’s food. I’m continuing to try, so this will soon not happen.”

At the time, very few people understood the true hidden meaning of these words. However, those few people felt chills down their spines.

‘It’s dangerous! I can smell blood!’

‘You must never act rashly!’

* * *

To the Chenghua Emperor, who had been preparing step by step in this way, this ‘bloodline issue’ was a very good opportunity.

The Eastern Depot, led by Wang Chung, relentlessly tortured the problematic officials, making them confess why these words came out and who the implicated people were. No, rather than confessing, they created confessions that their political comrades were also involved.

And as a result of these confessions, even more people were caught by the Eastern Depot.

As the number of people caught by the Eastern Depot greatly increased, the Embroidered Uniform Guard stepped forward.

“The number of criminals is too great for the Eastern Depot to handle alone. Please give our Embroidered Uniform Guard a chance.”

“I will do so. I have high expectations.”

At the Chenghua Emperor’s words, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard prostrated himself on the floor and answered loudly.

“We will not disappoint Your Majesty’s expectations! Long live, long live, long long live!”

It was the beginning of the great purge that would later be called the ‘Chenghua Purge (獄) [a major political purge during the Chenghua Emperor’s reign].’