Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 823

823. Ming and Japan – Internal Stability and Expansion (2)

The great purge, initiated by the Dongchang [Eastern Depot, a secret police agency] and the Jinyi Wei [Embroidered Uniform Guard, an imperial military guard that also served as a secret police], was the opportunity the Chenghua Emperor had been waiting for.

“I cannot succeed in reform with the current system and personnel.”

“That is correct.”

“A great purge is necessary, just as the Yuan Emperor purged the veteran ministers before beginning his reforms.”

The Chenghua Emperor’s words caused serious expressions on the faces of the Hidden Dragon Society members and Wang Chong.

“Much blood will be spilled.”

The great purges carried out in successive dynasties of China were different in scale from those in Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom].

Excluding the Giyu Rebellion [a political upheaval in Joseon], which attempted to revert everything, including the king, the great purges in Joseon rarely involved more than a hundred people being killed or exiled. However, in the case of Ming, the base unit was ten thousand.

This was why the members of the Hidden Dragon Society and Wang Chong had serious expressions.

However, the Chenghua Emperor did not seem to care.

“It is something I have prepared for. Reforms require bloodshed. We must not fear that blood. Remember that the wise Yuan Emperor also resolutely shed blood when necessary.”

Confirming that the Chenghua Emperor’s decision was firm, the members of the Hidden Dragon Society and Wang Chong bowed their heads and replied.

“We will make every preparation to meet Your Majesty’s expectations.”

Wang Chong, after finishing the meeting, let out a long sigh.

“Hoo~. This is why rumors circulate about a ‘Joseon Emperor’ or a ‘Goryeo Emperor’ [referring to the perception that the emperor is too influenced by Korean/Goryeo customs and advisors]… I wish he would emulate the Hongwu or Yongle Emperors instead…”

The Chenghua Emperor’s way of thinking and judgment were all imperial. In fact, everything from what he ate and drank, except for what he wore, was imperial.

Moreover, the monarch the Chenghua Emperor considered his role model was Sejong, the Yuan Emperor of the Empire. [Likely a fictional emperor within the context of the story, not the historical Sejong of Korea]

However, Wang Chong could understand the Chenghua Emperor’s actions.

“He lived in the Empire since he was a baby… And the Yuan Emperor of the Empire was indeed a wise ruler, and he rebuilt the Empire in a situation similar to the present.”

* * *

With the Chenghua Emperor’s decision made, Wang Chong and the Hidden Dragon Society secretly began preparations.

The Dongchang secretly investigated which ministers had committed corruption and what the political leanings of their close associates were.

It wasn’t just the ministers.

They monitored the every move of the imperial family residing in the provinces even more meticulously.

The Hidden Dragon Society was not idle either.

The members of the Hidden Dragon Society meticulously examined the administrative documents coming from all over Ming.

In the process, they focused most on the census registers and tax records.

It was an enormous task to check all the documents submitted by the hyeon [county], the smallest unit of the local administrative structure. The Hidden Dragon Society members carefully compared the population size with the records of revenue and expenditure of the district to determine whether there was any corruption.

If there was even a slight anomaly, they recorded the problematic local official separately and reported it to the Chenghua Emperor.

Conversely, if there were local officials who were honest and competent, they were also selected separately and reported to the Chenghua Emperor.

“You have worked hard. I am sorry, but please work a little harder. This list of the condemned must be properly made for the reform to succeed.”

“We will do our best.”

* * *

As these preparations were proceeding step by step, a major incident occurred that challenged the ‘qualifications of the Empress and the Crown Prince’.

Following the Chenghua Emperor’s great anger, those who made the remarks, as well as those even slightly related, were all arrested and imprisoned.

“Their words were a bit harsh, but isn’t Your Majesty being too excessive?”

Some ministers were concerned that the Chenghua Emperor was making too big of a deal out of it, but many other ministers shook their heads.

“They had to touch the dragon’s reverse scale…” [idiom for provoking the emperor’s wrath]

“The best thing to do at this time is to keep your mouth shut and watch carefully.”

As many ministers expected, mentioning the Empress and the Crown Prince was touching the Chenghua Emperor’s reverse scale.

He had already taken in concubines, and he would continue to do so in the future. With many beautiful women around, it was impossible to guarantee that the Chenghua Emperor would continue to favor only the current Empress.

“Why come forward when you could just wait for the right time like Jiang Taigong!” [a legendary strategist known for his patience]

They were blaming the ministers who caused this situation and were imprisoned.

Those with a little more foresight looked at the military with worried eyes.

“The military must remain still…”

However, the Ming’s Golden Army was not moving.

* * *

The Chenghua Emperor, who struggled every day to reform Ming’s internal affairs, paid the most attention to the military first and foremost.

“The defeat in the last war and the difficult situation we are still experiencing at the border mean there is a problem with the military!”

Following this conclusion, the Chenghua Emperor began a major overhaul of the military.

First, he thoroughly reorganized the military registers managed by the Ministry of War.

Then, he conducted on-site inspections of units scattered throughout the country to identify any irregularities.

Whenever corruption was discovered, such as falsifying registers to show more soldiers than there actually were and embezzling the budget, the commander in charge was severely punished, and his assets were confiscated.

It wasn’t just punishment. Opportunities also increased for those who entered the military with dreams of success.

Military officers who entered the military regularly gathered in Nanjing every year to compete in their martial arts and discuss military tactics.

Those who performed well in this event, which the Chenghua Emperor personally attended, could immediately rise on the path to success.

Not only that.

“We are safe because there are those who guard the Great Wall and the desert fortresses. I have not forgotten your hard work.”

With these words, the Chenghua Emperor personally took care of the situation of the military guarding the border areas.

As the Chenghua Emperor personally took care of it, the military strength of the border units became very substantial. And the Golden Army began to be absolutely loyal to the Chenghua Emperor.

Although the military was absolutely loyal to the Chenghua Emperor, there were also complaints.

“I wish they would increase the size a bit more…”

It was a complaint about the Chenghua Emperor reducing the size of the military.

The Chenghua Emperor reduced the size of the military for an unavoidable reason.

Ming’s economy was severely damaged due to the defeat in the Liaodong battle, followed by the Jiangnan Rebellion.

The previous emperor, Jingtai, tried to recover from this, but the defeat in the Yellow Sea naval battle once again caused great damage.

In response, the Chenghua Emperor reduced the size of the military.

“For the time being, focus only on defense! There is no need to increase the size more than necessary! However, ensure that the power to defend is properly secured!”

Following the Chenghua Emperor’s decision, the Golden Army reduced its size. However, it was not an unconditional reduction, but a reduction with selection and concentration based on reasonable judgment.

First, units organized for large-scale expeditions were disbanded.

Instead, as above, the power of the units defending the border was strengthened.

The navy was the same.

The number of large ships built for the war with the Empire was reduced, and instead, a large number of small and medium-sized warships with moderate firepower and excellent mobility were supplied.

Their mission was to patrol Ming’s major ports, coastal areas, and sea routes to prevent the activities of pirates.

“The top priority is to maintain the safety of the people and the stability of trade routes!”

Following the Chenghua Emperor’s orders, the Ming navy’s basic strategy itself was changed.

Although there were slight complaints about the reduced size of the military, loyalty to the Chenghua Emperor was unwavering.

There were more opportunities to advance, rewards and punishments were certain, and there were no problems with supplies.

* * *

Having secured the loyalty of the military, the Chenghua Emperor continued the bloody purge.

In the process of purging those who questioned the qualifications of the princes, he purged the literati who were dissatisfied with him all together.

It wasn’t just intellectuals.

Among the imperial family residing in the provinces, he found and purged those who had a high succession ranking or who were hostile to him.

It was an era of great purges called the ‘era of blood and fear’.

However, the reaction of the people was surprisingly calm.

This was because since Zhu Yuanzhang founded Ming, or even in the previous dynasties, it was not uncommon for a bloodbath to occur in order to strengthen the royal authority.

Even after the founding of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang carried out large-scale purges, and the Yongle Emperor carried out purges.

Even Emperor Xuanzong, who opened the era of peace called ‘Inseon’s Reign’, purged the literati and merchants who did not listen to him.

Therefore, these large-scale purges were not unfamiliar to the people of Ming. It was just that it didn’t matter as long as they weren’t harmed.

In addition, like the military, the people also supported the Chenghua Emperor.

It was different from calling him ‘Joseon Emperor’ or ‘Goryeo Emperor’.

The people of Ming supported the Chenghua Emperor because the Chenghua Emperor also paid attention to stabilizing people’s livelihood.

* * *

The Chenghua Emperor did his best to stabilize the lives of the people.

First, he re-examined the tax administration to prevent unfair taxation and block tax leakage.

In the process, the heads of corrupt officials were cut off, and their assets were confiscated and returned to the national treasury.

After confirming the amount of wealth confiscated into the national treasury, the Chenghua Emperor summoned the ministers and urged them.

“How on earth did you do your job! Look at the wealth of the corrupt officials that has been returned to the national treasury! It is equal to our Ming’s budget for two years! When those corrupt officials were eating away at the people and the country like that, what were you doing!”

“Please punish our incompetence!”

“Shut up with the flattery and do your job properly! Otherwise, I will give you the punishment you want!”

Whether the Chenghua Emperor’s threat worked, the ministers and officials began to properly manage the tax administration, and the burden on the people was greatly reduced.

This alone greatly increased the support of the people, but the Chenghua Emperor did not stop there.

“Create an ‘Intellectual Property Administration’!”

“Yes?”

Looking at the ministers with blank expressions, the Chenghua Emperor continued.

“Not all of our Ming’s people are farmers who only farm, are they? There are also fishermen, merchants, and artisans. Is that not so?”

“That is correct.”

“But look at the artisans and merchants. They put their heart and soul into creating new instruments and products, but they are suffering because others secretly copy them. How can we overlook this?”

At the Chenghua Emperor’s words, the ministers nodded.

The imitation and forgery of the Chinese had a deep and famous history.

Even in the old Song Dynasty, they were famous for forging and selling antiques from the Han and Tang dynasties, and even now, there are often problems with selling fake medicines or food.

However, the ministers nodded with troubled expressions.

“Your Majesty, your ministers are well aware of the problem… but it has been going on for so long…”

“Are you going to stand idly by?”

“But it is such a difficult task…”

“Are you saying we should just stand idly by!”

As the Chenghua Emperor’s voice rose again, the Chief Secretary of the Cabinet hurriedly replied.

“Ah, no! I will come up with an answer as soon as possible and report it!”

In this way, something that would trouble the Chenghua Emperor throughout his reign began.

The so-called ‘War with Counterfeit Goods’ had begun.

—

Hello?

This is Gukbbong, the author of ‘Black Company Joseon’.

After yesterday’s episode was uploaded, comments were posted that there was a problem with the point of view change.

Later, I found out that there was an error during the upload in another place, and the files were mixed up.

However, I took this opportunity to reflect on myself once again.

It is true that my skills are not yet good, and many parts are rough and immature.

I will further refine this part and upload better articles in the future.

Thank you.

Please continue to love me in the future.