Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 486

486. Ouchi, Raising an Army (4)

“Crown Prince, what you’ve said is too ambiguous. Are you speaking only about a scenario where the Ouchi clan seizes power, or are you taking a broader view?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang immediately bowed his head.

“I apologize. I had too many thoughts in my head and couldn’t organize them properly before speaking.”

“There’s a reason they say ‘too much is as bad as too little.’ Let me ask you one by one. Is it your firm belief that the current shogunate cannot continue to hold power?”

“It’s certain to collapse; the only difference is whether it collapses immediately or after a bit more time.”

“That’s too vague. ‘A bit’ could mean 100 years, or even 1,000 years.”

“At the shortest, 10 years; at the longest, 30 years.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“When the young child who has been newly enthroned as the Japanese emperor comes of age, he will try to reclaim his power. That power to be reclaimed includes the issue of succession. Therefore, it cannot last longer than 30 years.”

Hyang predicted even the timeframe with a resolute voice.

* * *

Interestingly, Hyang knew almost nothing about Japanese history. The Japanese history he knew was limited to what was related to Korean history—specifically, what was relevant to the university entrance exam.

In short, it was an analysis conducted with almost a blank slate regarding Japan, but Hyang’s analysis was accurate.

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, one of the causes of the Onin War, which is said to be the beginning of the Warring States period, was the question of who would be the successor to Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

* * *

‘At the shortest, 10 years; at the longest, 30 years.’

Sejong, who had been pondering Hyang’s firm answer, soon nodded.

“That’s a reasonable answer. And the most likely starting point of the conflict will be the Ouchi clan, and that struggle is highly likely to become a proxy war between our Joseon and Ming. I understand up to this point.”

Sejong, confirming the reactions of his ministers, asked Hyang again.

“So, does your statement just now mean this? ‘If the Ouchi clan becomes the new Japanese king but shows other movements, it would be the worst-case scenario.’ Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Why?”

When Sejong asked for the reason, all the ministers perked up their ears. The historians and scribes also focused on Hyang’s words with expressions of great interest.

At Sejong’s question, Hyang immediately began to answer.

“In my humble opinion, I was able to consider several possible scenarios. And all of them had a common cause, and the results were all the worst.”

As Hyang’s explanation seemed to be getting lengthy, Sejong stepped in to chide him.

“You’re getting long-winded again. But a common cause…”

Sejong paused for a moment, deep in thought, and then asked Hyang,

“Are you talking about the Emperor?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang immediately nodded.

“Yes, I am.”

Hwang Hee interjected at Hyang’s answer.

“The Emperor… The name is grand, but hasn’t he been a mere figurehead since before the last civil war?”

The ministers nodded at Hwang Hee’s point. At that moment, Kim Jong-seo joined the conversation.

“Although he is a symbol, I don’t think we can ignore his existence. The Crown Prince said that the current situation in Japan is similar to the Spring and Autumn period [a period in Chinese history marked by warfare and political fragmentation], and based on that, it could certainly become a problem.”

“Why?”

Kim Jong-seo answered Hwang Hee’s question.

“What did the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period aim for? It was the position of leading the alliance. Literally, the position of ‘one man above all others.'”

“Can’t that position be equated to the Shogun of the shogunate?”

Hwang Hee sharply targeted Kim Jong-seo’s weakness. Because of this, Kim Jong-seo cursed inwardly.

‘That damn old geezer! Why are you so eager to tear me apart!’

However, Hwang Hee had his own intentions.

‘When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, that fellow will take one of the rooms in the Prime Minister’s office! I need to train him properly so that he can run the country correctly with the Crown Prince!’

“Minister of General Affairs, explain it properly! Now!”

Kim Jong-seo, desperately racking his brains at Hwang Hee’s urging, suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Hyang.

“Could you possibly be considering Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians (尊王攘夷) [Sonno joi, a Japanese political philosophy during the late Edo period]?”

At Kim Jong-seo’s question, Hyang nodded.

“Yes, I am.”

* * *

Hyang’s answer was given, but the hall was surprisingly quiet. Sejong and the ministers all kept their mouths shut and furiously racked their brains.

‘Why Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians?’

‘Why is Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians, which was shouted thousands of years ago, a problem?’

‘Revere the Emperor, Revere the Emperor…’

While they were considering the connection between the Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians mentioned by Hyang and Kim Jong-seo and the political situation in Japan, Hyang asked Kim Jong-seo a question.

“Why does the Minister of General Affairs think that Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians is a problem?”

“The problem is one of the titles held by the Shogun of the shogunate, ‘Seii Taishogun (征夷大將軍, Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians)'”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Heo Hu interjected at Kim Jong-seo’s answer.

“Why is the Seii Taishogun a problem? Wasn’t that title created to suppress the indigenous forces who rebelled against the Emperor in the northern part of the Japanese mainland?”

Kim Jong-seo answered Heo Hu’s question.

“Of course, that’s how it started. The problem is that the place where those rebellious indigenous forces were pushed back to is Daeseol Island. Ah! To be precise, it’s not that they were pushed back and settled there, but that they originally had the same roots.”

Kim Jong-seo paused for a moment to catch his breath and then reported to Sejong.

“My opinion is as follows.”

Kim Jong-seo’s opinion was as follows:

-When examining the history of the past and present, those who have risen to power by force feel the need to reorganize the military power that has become so bloated that it threatens their power. In other words, the hare needs to be slaughtered after the hunt [a Chinese idiom meaning to get rid of someone once they are no longer useful].

-To this end, they attempt active foreign expeditions, and in the case of Japan, the existence of Daeseol Island can be the best answer.

“…Therefore, if the Ouchi clan is thinking of slaughtering the hare after the hunt, they will try to take Daeseol Island using the title of ‘Seii Taishogun.'”

Hwang Hee shook his head with a dumbfounded expression at Kim Jong-seo’s answer.

“The Ouchi clan should know our Joseon’s power well; would they commit such a foolish act?”

Just as Kim Jong-seo was about to answer Hwang Hee’s point, Kim Jeom interjected.

“I think it’s possible.”

“Why?”

“As long as our Joseon doesn’t strike the mainland, the Ouchi clan has nothing to lose. If it goes well, they will have the opportunity to increase their power away from Joseon’s eyes, and even if it goes wrong, they can erode the power of the lords who are like thorns in their side.”

This time, Jo Mal-saeng challenged Kim Jeom’s words.

“If such a thing happens, our Joseon army will immediately strike the mainland. That’s the textbook strategy. If the Ouchi clan thinks that our Joseon will only look at Daeseol Island and not strike the mainland, then the Ouchi clan is foolish.”

“It would be easy to strike the mainland and punish Japan. But after stirring up the mainland like that, do we have the power to suppress all the lords who rise up and continue to control them? And what about the finances?”

Jo Mal-saeng immediately answered Kim Jeom’s question.

“Well, we can just pick a suitable person and make them a puppet, can’t we?”

“The puppet you choose needs to provide support to develop the power to properly govern Japan, but have you considered the finances that will be consumed in the process? And in another case, what if that puppet you raised rebels against our Joseon? What if they attack our Joseon with the guns and cannons that our Joseon gave them?”

“…”

Jo Mal-saeng closed his mouth at Kim Jeom’s point.

Meanwhile, Hyang, who was listening to Kim Jeom and Jo Mal-saeng’s conversation, was moving his lips.

‘Huh? I didn’t even think of that?’

Hyang, who had only been moving his lips because the story was about a part he hadn’t even thought of, soon nodded.

‘Well, there have been more than a few cases where they set up a puppet government and got their noses bloodied. There’s England, France, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China… Wait? Is there any country with the title of a great power that hasn’t suffered such a thing?’

While Hyang was thinking that, Kim Jeom reported his thoughts to Sejong.

“Considering the cunning nature of the Japanese, the Ouchi clan will actually carry out the act and at the same time engage in political maneuvering. They will make excuses such as, ‘This was done by those who have hostility towards the shogunate. Our shogunate has nothing to do with this.’ If they make such excuses, our Joseon will have no justification to strike the mainland. If we ignore this and strike the mainland, it will rather give justification to the shogunate.”

“I see. In short, if things turn out that way, it will become a matter of politics rather than a matter of military affairs?”

“That’s right. If that happens, there will be no good for our Joseon, starting with the war expenses that will be used by the troops to be deployed to Daeseol Island.”

At Kim Jeom’s words, Sejong looked at Hyang.

“It’s not good for our Joseon. But isn’t it lacking to see it as the worst?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang explained the reason.

“Expelling the Barbarians is also a small problem, but Revering the Emperor is a bigger problem.”

“Revering the Emperor?”

“Please consider the Japanese who have come to our Joseon and learned proper academics and even administrative practices.”

At Hyang’s additional explanation, Sejong and the ministers closed their mouths and fell into thought.

And soon, Sejong and all the ministers cursed.

“Damn it!”

“What a damn thing to happen!”

* * *

After a storm of curses had passed, Sejong opened his mouth.

“Let me say what I think.”

Sejong began to talk about what he had been thinking.

-The Japanese who came to Joseon learned the concept of benevolent rule and even learned practical skills.

-In the process, those who have experienced the benefits of centralization will try to reform the decentralized politics of Japan.

-The justification for the reform is ‘Revering the Emperor.’

-The problem in this process is ‘Who is the Emperor?’

-Looking closely, it is the Ouchi clan who is the king, and looking far away, it is the Emperor.

-Following the example of the dynastic revolution from Goryeo to Joseon, there is a high possibility that an attempt will be made to abolish the Emperor and make the Ouchi clan the true king of Japan.

-If such a thing actually happens, Japan will once again enter a long civil war.

-Conversely, if they think of the Emperor as the king, there can be two cases.

One is to think of the Ouchi clan as the position of the hegemon of the Spring and Autumn period. The other is to demand that the Ouchi clan return power to the Emperor.

-The former is the best case Hyang mentioned.

“…If it’s the latter, they won’t move right now. But if they move under the surface in the long term, it will become a big problem later.”

“That’s right.”

The ministers all nodded at Sejong’s judgment.

Although they are now much tainted, the ministers gathered in the hall were all well-versed in Neo-Confucianism. In addition, they were the ones who were in charge of the practical work in the process of completing the central government system.

Thanks to this, the ministers understood the meaning and danger of ‘Revering the Emperor’ that Hyang had spoken of and cursed.

Hyang, who was answering Sejong’s explanation and examining the reactions of the ministers, muttered inwardly.

‘The slogan they put up when they started the Meiji Restoration was Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians, right? The beginning is Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians, the middle is Revere the Emperor, and the end is self-interest.’

Sejong, nodding at Hyang’s affirmation, continued to speak.

“If our descendants cannot make proper judgments when their movements come to the surface, a great crisis will come.”