There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 152

Lee Seong-gye’s closing declaration marked the end of the Nadam festival, which had lasted for over half a month.

The amount of money spent on food and drinks during that time was enormous, but what we gained from this Nadam was even greater.

We confirmed Joseon’s influence in this northern region, strengthened our bond with the Jurchen people, and created opportunities to connect with the Taining and Fuyu Guards.

Of course, there were also unexpected gifts.

“How can Your Highness be so outstanding?”

“Haha, sometimes I’m afraid of being born too perfect.”

“Please accept my daughter!”

‘Why is it turning out like this?’

The tribal chiefs were eager to establish kinship with me, now that I had come all the way here, and they presented their daughters one after another.

“Oh, this is troubling.”

“My daughter has been longing for Your Highness for a long time. Please, take her as a concubine!”

‘When did she ever see me to long for me?’

You should at least wet your lips before lying.

I politely refused the girl who looked extremely healthy despite supposedly suffering from lovesickness.

“I am still young and have not yet taken a principal wife, so how can I have a concubine already? I will only accept your hearts.”

To be honest, since they had grown up in the northern winds without proper care, they were not very appealing to modern aesthetic senses.

If I were only considering looks, that guy would be······.

“As expected, Your Highness does not lose his gentlemanly demeanor even when he is far away.”

“Even if you made excuses and indulged in women and pleasure, no one would blame you······.”

“You really behave differently from some people.”

Our officials in Guju Castle suddenly shed tears and made such noises.

I wonder how old they think I am.

“Geez,,, a man,,, needs to be open-minded,,,! In my day, if there was an opportunity,,,,”

Lee Bang-gwa, who had fathered more illegitimate children than anyone else, said that.

The Guju officials subtly avoided eye contact, so it seemed Lee Bang-gwa had been diligently enjoying women while I was running around.

‘Ugh, I might end up with a Jurchen stepmother if I’m not careful.’

I was dazed.

‘Maybe then the royal family would be turned upside down?’

I am not a racist, so I can accept a Jurchen concubine without discrimination, but the problem is other people.

In fact, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty also took Ahachu’s daughter as a concubine, so what would be so bad about it? But the Joseon officials are so strict.

‘But do I have to hear that I came all the way here to get a woman?’

No matter how I think about it, I can only imagine getting a backhand smash from Lee Bang-won and Queen Wongyeong.

Unless I am the original Prince Yangnyeong.

I said to the disappointed Jurchens.

“Instead, those who achieve excellent results in Nadam will be generously rewarded and appointed to the Royal Guards.”

Those who won in the three Nadam events—wrestling, archery, and horse riding—would be appointed as military officers of the 6th rank, and those with lower rankings could also serve in the Royal Guards if they wished.

“Thank you, thank you!”

It was like those who had been living modestly in small tribes, eating rough food, had grabbed a lifeline to success, so they were deeply moved.

‘This isn’t exactly a special favor.’

I don’t know about other armies, but the Royal Guards only focus on escort abilities.

The people specially recruited from Nadam all have great martial skills, so there is no reason not to bring them in and use them.

The Nadam was used as a kind of Jurchen military examination.

I then threw another carrot.

“Even if your children do not stand out in Nadam, it does not matter. If you wish, I will give you the opportunity to go to Hanyang [modern-day Seoul] with me to study and take the civil service examination.”

When I said that, the Jurchen tribal chiefs’ eyes widened.

“I, is that really true?”

“Yes. Your children can also succeed in Joseon and become high-ranking officials.”

However, they remained silent and could not answer easily.

I also knew the reason.

‘They say they’re taking them to give them a chance to be properly educated, but in reality, they’re just hostages.’

It was the same as the hostage system operated in the Goryeo Dynasty.

‘No, the hostages still exist.’

Now they are all like public service workers.

Nevertheless, I was confident that they would accept my offer.

“Ah, it’s entirely voluntary. You don’t have to send them if you don’t want to. It’s just to give you the opportunity for education.”

I opened the escape route, but no one chose to give up.

Then someone opened their mouth.

“How can we refuse when you are bestowing such great grace? I will send my children to Hanyang, Your Highness.”

It was Lee Ribuka of Samsan Chiliarch, who was the second son of Lee Ji-ran, a meritorious subject of the founding of the country, and had also served as the Director of the Board of Rites in Joseon, so he had no hesitation.

As Lee Ribuka stepped forward, the Jurchen chiefs, who had only been watching, hurriedly followed suit.

“I, I will send them too!”

“Me too!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

As long as Joseon plays the role of a strong mediator in the north, the fate of individual tribes is virtually dependent on Joseon.

If the children of other tribes study and hold office in Joseon, while these tribes are just twiddling their thumbs, they don’t know what disaster might strike.

“I will send my eldest son.”

“Me too.”

Primogeniture may not have much meaning to the Jurchens, who are not Confucian boys, but it probably means that they will send the heir they have marked.

If they send another son, he may use Joseon as a shield to replace the heir.

As a result, I had easily obtained the heirs of these Jurchen tribes.

But how did this fact leak out?

When we were seeing off the envoys from Taining Guard, an unexpected proposal came in.

“Your Highness, can’t we also send students to study in our Taining Guard?”

It was Zhu Chi, who had suffered a bitter defeat to me, who brought it up.

Having swallowed his tears after being hit by the Stunner, he had shown a fairly polite attitude since the middle of Nadam, perhaps accepting the result.

‘But was this the driving force behind it?’

At Zhu Chi’s words, I shook my head.

“Aren’t you clearly a garrison of the Ming Dynasty? Our country does not have a civil service examination for foreigners, so even if you send them, they will not be able to pass the exam.”

Then Zhu Chi said.

“Our Mongolians are not familiar with academics, so we have no intention of making them take the exam. It is only for the sake of friendship with Joseon.”

Lee Seong-gye clicked his tongue at those words.

Isn’t that practically saying they’re sending hostages?

But Zhu Chi was determined.

“If you wish, I can go myself.”

Although young, Zhu Chi is a prominent figure in Taining Guard.

“What do you want?”

When I asked quietly, Zhu Chi said.

“I heard rumors that when the Joseon gun fired once, all the beasts in the forest fell. The Emperor was also impressed and ordered the tribute of the Joseon gun.”

It’s true, but there’s a lot of nonsense mixed in.

Then Zhu Chi whispered in a barely audible voice.

“Could you sell us the Joseon gun?”

“That’s a dangerous statement.”

Lee Seong-gye snorted.

Zhu Chi didn’t understand because it was in Joseon language.

“So, do you like it?”

“Yes?”

Lee Seong-gye looked at me and asked.

“Can’t we do something about it?”

Of course, my expression was just drooping.

“Well······ General Jo Young-mo says it would be difficult for cavalry to use the matchlock gun.”

I receive a matchlock gun loaded by No-bun and shoot it on horseback, but that’s only one shot.

It’s not really a worthwhile item for cavalry to handle yet.

Considering the leakage problem, we can’t sell the real matchlock gun, so we’ll have to give them the Seungja Chongtong [small cannon] that we give to the Ming Dynasty. What great benefit would there be if the cavalry equipped hand cannons?

Also, if we sell Seungja Chongtong to Taining Guard, it will soon be exposed to the Ming Dynasty.

We couldn’t unnecessarily provoke the Ming Dynasty when the psychopath conquering king Yongle was stabbing everywhere.

“Gunpowder might be different.”

Gunpowder is only slightly better in performance than ours, so it’s hard to tell where it came from.

Lee Seong-gye said.

“I’ve learned one thing for sure.”

“I agree.”

Those Taining Guard guys are planning to stab the Ming Dynasty in the back at any time.

===

“So what did you do?”

Lee Bang-won asked as I told him in detail what had happened at Nadam.

“I rejected it for now. I told them to discuss the study abroad issue after they get a little older.”

It was too risky to have the younger brother of the heir of Taining Guard in Hanyang.

It’s several times more dangerous than bringing the children of the Jurchen leaders who have now become our people.

Lee Bang-won, who had come out to greet me ten miles outside the capital—nominally to greet Lee Seong-gye—sighed in relief.

“There is no need to unnecessarily provoke the Ming Dynasty further. You acted wisely.”

I nodded.

“Even with the guys I brought, I have a headache. It seems like it will be difficult to teach them.”

The heirs I brought were mostly still young children.

Since they are children, they must have a lot of energy.

The goal was to brainwash these guys with Confucianism and make them loyal subjects of ours.

“Pyeongdojeon [official from Tsushima Island] thought the same thing as you.”

Lee Bang-won said with a smile.

“Pyeongdojeon?”

Then Ha Ryun, who was next to him, quickly said to me.

“Pyeongdojeon of Tsushima Island sent his family to Hanyang. He said that he is a Joseon official, so he wants his children to live in Hanyang.”

This guy has good sense.

Tsushima Island followed Joseon’s rule very obediently.

Lee Bang-won’s various delicate measures played a major role in this.

First, So Yori-tsuna nominally took the position of Shugo-dai [military governor] of Tsushima, and because he was still young, Pyeongdojeon, a senior vassal, decided to serve as the regent of Tsushima······.

That’s what we told Japan.

Lee Bang-won incorporated Tsushima Island into Gyeongsang-do Tsushima County and appointed Pyeongdojeon as its Jigunsa [county magistrate], that is, County Magistrate.

The rank of County Magistrate was Senior 4th rank, which was lower than the Senior 3rd rank Daehogun that Pyeongdojeon had previously received, but in terms of being the head of Tsushima, this was much more lucrative.

The clans of Tsushima also received head positions such as Magistrate or Hyangjik [local official positions] such as Jwasu [assistant official], but So Yori-tsuna, the lord of the island, did not receive any Joseon official position.

The child was virtually treated as a non-person in the Joseon system of governance.

Since the lord of Tsushima was completely excluded, Pyeongdojeon’s power increased even more, but there was no need to worry about his betrayal.

He was not a great clan of Tsushima, but merely a vassal of Tsushima, a County Magistrate backed by Joseon.

So he sent this letter with his clan to show his loyalty to Joseon.

– I have already returned to Joseon and will live as a Joseon official. The mainland is truly a country of civilization, so I want to send my children to receive teachings.

Pyeongdojeon accurately grasped his position.

“So, are only Pyeongdojeon’s children here?”

“No, I wouldn’t have bothered to tell you if that were the case.”

Pyeongdojeon sent all the children of the Tsushima clans.

“How did you persuade them······.”

“What has Tsushima desperately wanted from our Joseon?”

“That’s trade······ Ah!”

Now that Tsushima has come under Joseon’s rule, it will not be able to plunder as before.

So they have no choice but to cling to the trade they have always wanted.

Pyeongdojeon’s proposal would have seemed like an opportunity to create that connection.

Just then, Pyeongdojeon’s children and the children sent by the Tsushima clans were standing there.

They looked subtly nervous when they saw the Jurchens we had brought.