There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 297

“What brings the Imperial Eunuch Hwang here?”

At King Je’s question, Hwang Eom bit his lip and prostrated himself.

‘Maeng Hyeon, that bastard…’

Securing recognition from Joseon, the foremost nation, would strengthen the Zhao King’s position and further solidify his legitimacy.

‘How could such a thing be possible!’

Even though Hwang Mae is married into the royal family, Joseon is not a country that would intervene in internal strife.

They will probably observe the situation in the Central Plains and bide their time.

Just like his father did.

Ignoring the situation until everything is over, then informing the new emperor’s ascension with a single imperial edict, expecting them to bow their heads accordingly. Why else would he send me here?

‘Using me as a scapegoat, damn it!’

Maeng Hyeon and Hwang Eom are both part of the Zhao King’s faction, but like all those called close aides, they are in a position where they must compete for the Zhao King’s favor.

It would be ideal if Joseon detained Hwang Eom, and even if Joseon chose to observe, Hwang Eom’s mission would be a failure, so the impact would be unavoidable, that’s the calculation.

However, the problem is that Hwang Eom had been flaunting his friendship with Joseon, causing the Zhao King to believe Maeng Hyeon’s sweet talk.

‘Damn it!’

In reality, Hwang Eom had to worry about his life being threatened, let alone the Zhao King’s favor.

When he came to Joseon as an envoy, wielding his power, he never imagined such a thing would happen.

Back then, he had the Ming Dynasty behind him, but now it’s the Zhao King’s rebel army.

Hwang Eom even missed the Yongle Emperor, who constantly imposed sanctions.

“Isn’t Your Majesty an elder of the imperial family? The Zhao King is following the imperial decree to suppress the rebel Ju Gaochi, so I have come personally to inform you of this situation.”

Hwang Eom prayed that the King of Joseon would be mindful of the Zhao King’s 500,000-strong army.

He didn’t realize how fortunate it was that he couldn’t wield as much power in Joseon after Hwang Mae’s marriage.

‘Still, the King of Joseon is on good terms with me, enough to provide benefits through my nephew Hwang Gwi.’

Even if it’s not Joseon’s support, as the Great King wishes, they will at least turn a blind eye and a deaf ear.’

Hwang Eom recalled the pleasant memories with King Je.

Considering his friendship with him, wouldn’t he at least say something like, ‘I will carefully consider the Emperor’s intentions’?

Above all, what would the King of Joseon gain by jumping into this mess?

Even though Hwang Mae is close to the Crown Prince.

However, his expectations were easily shattered.

“The Emperor has long passed away, and isn’t the Zhao King forging the late Emperor’s will!

I have received the Emperor’s great favor, and privately, I am the Crown Prince’s uncle. How can I stand idly by?”

“Your Majesty! You will regret this!”

But King Je shouted as if he had been waiting for this.

“It is very strange that you traitors not only raised an army but also sent an envoy to beg for support.

How did you cross Liaodong [present-day Liaoning]? Seeing that the Liaodong Commander allowed you to pass, isn’t he also a traitor?”

The Liaodong Commander knew what happened to the generals who supported Emperor Jianwen during the Jingnan campaign [a civil war from 1399-1402] and mobilized the Liaodong army.

Ogo was dismissed, Gyeonghwan was convicted and died, and Yangmun was captured and ended his life as a soldier.

‘Even the Yongle Emperor overturned that unfavorable situation and became the master of the world, so what about the Zhao King, who commands the elite of the entire country?’

It was Hwang Eom who shook him while lobbying in Liaodong on his way to Joseon.

‘Even if there is an order from the Crown Prince, if you claim that it is difficult to defend against the rampaging barbarians and request reconsideration, the situation in the world will be largely decided while the reply returns from Nanjing to Liaodong via Shandong.

Just wait, Great Person.’

In the end, he did not move the Liaodong army.

Furthermore, he turned a blind eye to Hwang Eom secretly passing through the territory to go to Joseon.

However, this attitude of the Liaodong Commander was very suitable for King Je to use as justification.

“How can I, in private, stand by and watch the difficulties of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who is my nephew-in-law! I will punish the Liaodong Commander who sided with the traitor Zhao King and strike Beijing!”

“M, mobilize the troops!”

The King of Joseon was expected to be hostile to the Zhao King at best, or remain neutral.

Suddenly, he announced that he would strike Liaodong and cross over to Beijing, causing Hwang Eom’s face to turn pale.

===

‘That’s it!’

I clenched my fist tightly.

In the end, what’s important to us in this campaign is Liaodong.

And these Liaodong bastards handed us the justification.

Perhaps it’s because they were quite conscious of the Yongle Emperor’s successful rebellion.

“What if the Zhao King succeeds in his uprising?”

“Then we must twist the Zhao King’s arm as much as possible.”

So that the Zhao King never succeeds.

Furthermore, so that the Nanjing court has no choice but to recognize Joseon’s achievements.

“I will march to strike the traitor Zhao King! Convey this intention to the Uriyangkhai Three Guards [Mongol tribes] as well!”

Then the Uriyangkhai bastards will have to step up.

After interrogating Hwang Eom, he said that the Zhao King offered a deal to hand over Danning.

‘Are they stupid, to be fooled again.’

I know how deep-rooted the Uriyangkhai’s distrust of Ming is through our past exchanges.

They would be suspicious that the Zhao King would stab them in the back again after succeeding.

‘It could be a real attempt to stab them in the back.’

In that case, it is better to obtain Danning on their own under the pretext of suppressing the traitor Zhao King.

It’s a simple problem when you run the numbers.

“Probe Ju Chi about advancing into Danning.”

A bizarre situation where we tried to strike Ming in alliance with the Uriyangkhai, but are instead becoming loyal subjects of Ming together with the Uriyangkhai.

But my heart was rather relieved.

“Who will you appoint as the commander of the expedition?”

“I will step forward myself.”

Yi Seong-gye was also a general, my father had experience with a personal expedition, and monsters like the Yongle Emperor even acted as the commander-in-chief every time they went on an expedition, striking Mongolia.

The king’s personal expedition is not seen as so strange.

Except that it’s dangerous.

I said it with a big heart, but the shouts of the officials erupted fiercely.

“Absolutely not!!”

“Please withdraw your order!”

It was like I threw a bomb into the already chaotic situation of the sudden Ming civil war and Joseon’s participation.

It wasn’t just the officials who were protesting.

“Absolutely not! Where are you trying to go!”

Yi Bang-won jumped up and down.

“Didn’t Father think it was a golden opportunity to gain the Mandate of Heaven?”

Currently, chaos is unfolding in the Central Plains, with hundreds of thousands of people clashing.

The Zhao King led the expeditionary force south, and the Han King additionally launched a rebellion.

In response, the Crown Prince is gathering troops from Jiangnan [a geographic area in China located south of the Yangtze River].

In the end, all we have to deal with is the Liaodong Commander and the Liaodong army, who have been branded as rebels.

‘Liaodong is in the palm of our hand.’

Since trade with Liaodong has been going on for a long time, the terrain there is as clear as the palm of our hand.

‘If we only assume Liaodong as the enemy, we can’t lose.’

Shouldn’t I show my face and build up some achievements at times like this?

“The fate of the country is at stake, and the army is marching, so I cannot safely receive reports from the rear.”

“You don’t have much experience handling troops!”

Yi Bang-won shouted, but I had something to say.

“Have you forgotten that I was able to capture the Grand King with my plan?

Didn’t Father also go on a personal expedition against Jo Sa-eui at that time?”

At my question, Yi Bang-won flared up.

“That was because Jo Sa-eui put the Grand King forward, so I stepped forward to tarnish the justification!”

“It’s no different now.”

Thanks to the Liaodong Commander testing the waters, we were able to seize the justification.

Taking advantage of the fact that the central government is far away, Liaodong was planning to say, ‘Ah, a dispatch order? The communication is suddenly strange. We can’t go because of the barbarians’ and bail.

The Crown Prince and the Nanjing court are too busy to investigate the truth one by one, and they will secretly follow after the emperor’s decision is roughly outlined.

How cunning.

‘They probably never imagined that we would call them out.’

But no matter how much we put forward the justification of Guminggao [an imperial edict], Liaodong is clearly Ming territory.

“I am the brother-in-law of the late Emperor and the uncle of the Crown Prince. If I don’t step forward myself, I can’t properly establish the justification.”

This is not Joseon striking Ming’s Liaodong, but the Crown Prince’s uncle going to strike the rebels for his nephew.

In order to maximize that justification, I have no choice but to personally lead the expedition.

“Amazing, that manly courage… that’s how it should be…”

See?

Yi Bang-gwa is also impressed.

“Old King, don’t encourage him, stop him!”

Queen Wongyeong glared and shouted.

Yi Bang-gwa flinched at his sister-in-law’s sharp reaction, but he carefully said.

“Shall I follow and help you…”

“It’s okay. Just protect Hanyang diligently.”

I smiled and said.

Yes, because I have such reliable people behind me, I can march with peace of mind.

Old King, Grand King, Queen Wongyeong.

They are the people who can support Dan-i without any problems even if something happens to me.

‘Rather, I should go on a personal expedition when these elders are here.’

When else would I do it?

‘I’m a little uneasy if I leave it to my wife alone.’

As a queen, she has gained quite a bit of experience, but she is a foreigner and young.

“Are you really going?”

Juso-hwa, who was always wearing Joseon clothes, is now dressed in Ming Dynasty attire, just like when she was a princess of Ming.

As if recalling the days when the Yongle Emperor doted on her.

I saw Juso-hwa’s eyes turn red with grief over losing her brother, who treated her like a father, and nodded.

“Because it’s for the family.”

For the deceased Yi Seong-gye.

For my future children.

And for the nation.

‘Actually, it’s also for my in-laws.’

It’s shameless to say this while attacking another country, but I’m marching under the pretext of helping the Crown Prince and his family.

Zhao King? That bastard would have disowned our brother-in-law if he were alive, so it doesn’t matter.

Tears streamed down Juso-hwa’s eyes as she listened to my words.

“Is that such an important issue?”

“Yes.”

“More than me or the children?”

It is the first step to prevent Joseon from remaining a country subordinate to someone.

Even if it is a formal relationship and we are benefiting from it, it will not be so forever.

I know.

The ending of a country where Confucian ethics are applied to real diplomacy and other countries are regarded as fathers and destiny communities.

Even if it is a reasonable way of thinking from the perspective of those who have received grace, I don’t want ‘my’ descendants to live with that mindset.

‘Did Yi Seong-gye think the same way?’

Even he, who lived in an era when kings were replaced and countries were overturned depending on the emperor of Yuan’s decision?

‘I’m sorry for cursing you for talking crazy, Grandpa.’

It seems that people want to get in when they see an opportunity.

“If anything happens to you after my brother… I!”

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

When I was in modern times, nothing happened when I helped the vigilante uncles who protected the village.

But how could anything happen to me, who is protected by so many soldiers?

Seeing my determination, Juso-hwa seemed to realize that it was useless to persuade me.

With her small hand holding a sparkling object, she placed it on my hand.

“Just in case, take it.”

“Thank you.”