There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 118

“This is a trap.”

Lee Bang-won stated firmly, and I nodded in agreement.

“I think so too.”

Right now, what Emperor Yongle [the third emperor of the Ming dynasty] desires most from Joseon, his most loyal vassal state, is for the Crown Prince to enter the court.

Even though I promised to go someday, his intention to achieve this with just a few words is quite audacious.

‘Does he really see us as pushovers?’

I pouted, feeling disgruntled.

Lee Bang-won said coldly.

“Killing two birds with one stone, he intends to draw in the Jurchens [a Tungistic people who lived in Manchuria] and expedite your visit to the court with a single imperial edict.

Indeed, they are not to be associated with.”

“I agree. This shows how important one’s origins are.”

The Song Dynasty, founded by descendants of a distinguished scholarly family, was a generous benefactor to its neighboring countries, but the Ming Dynasty, founded by a thieving monk, engages in such unscrupulous behavior.

My father and I shared a deep sense of agreement on this matter for a moment in silence.

In any case, the Ming Dynasty is not simply bestowing official positions upon Ahachu and Mentemu and having them come to the court; they are pressuring our Joseon.

They are telling us to come to the court quickly without making excuses.

It was a bait thrown by Emperor Yongle, who was eager to save face, to try and reel me in.

‘Still······.’

“If this resolves the Jurchen issue, wouldn’t that be fortunate?”

I raised my head and said.

Since the decision to visit the court was already made.

It seemed not bad to move according to Emperor Yongle’s intentions on this occasion.

“That is true, but.”

Lee Bang-won shook his head and said.

“Can we trust the Ming Dynasty?”

“······No.”

I would rather trust Roh Boon.

Again, if Emperor Yongle had been a person of better character, it would have been good.

“Then we should refuse without further ado.”

I said that.

However, Lee Bang-won shook his head again this time.

“I am not pleased with sending you far away, but refusing the visit to the court unconditionally is not a good idea either.”

Lee Bang-won explained.

The visit to the court is not unconditionally good only for Emperor Yongle.

“This father also went to the Ming Dynasty as a mere prince, and I gained quite a bit of political advantage thanks to that.”

If I, as the Crown Prince, go to Ming, I can obtain the title of ‘Successor Recognized by the Emperor.’

The original Grand Prince Yangnyeong ruined himself even after obtaining that.

‘What a real idiot.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

In conclusion, it doesn’t mean it’s a loss for me either.

I was thinking that it would be better to continue delaying the visit to the court and extract concessions from Ming.

“And the card of visiting the court is only valid for a few years anyway.”

“Yes?”

I asked, puzzled.

However, Lee Bang-won’s thoughts were different.

“The time to gain benefits by holding the visit to the court hostage… The emperor is the one who is desperate for prestige right now, but even that may not be so urgent after a few years.”

That’s probably true.

No matter how he ousted his nephew and took the throne, it is obvious that things will stabilize over time.

“Besides, the emperor is not such an easy person to deal with.”

If so, right at this moment.

Is this the timing to make a move?

“Hmm······.”

I crossed my arms and pondered.

‘But being dragged around like this doesn’t look good either.’

Submitting to the Ming Dynasty’s pressure and visiting the court also leaves a bitter taste.

“Father.”

“What is it?”

“The problem is that we have to visit the court, but we cannot trust the Ming Dynasty as it is.”

There is no guarantee that they will let the Jurchens go willingly.

“Then what do you intend to do?”

Lee Bang-won asked.

Then I replied calmly.

“Just as they have pressured us, we must also pressure them.”

Then Lee Bang-won’s eyes flashed.

“Right!”

Lee Bang-won grabbed my hand tightly and said.

“No matter who the opponent is, even if it is the emperor of a great power, you must always have the mind to take the lead in the situation.

You must not be dragged around with the excuse that it is unavoidable!”

‘Sigh.’

It seemed that Lee Bang-won was very pleased with my attitude of igniting fighting spirit in the face of difficult situations.

‘He really likes it.’

“So, do you have any good ideas?”

“It’s not exactly pressure, but there is at least something we can do to make things difficult for the Ming Dynasty, isn’t there?”

I explained to Lee Bang-won.

After listening to my story, Lee Bang-won smiled and said.

“Indeed, you are my son. You are the son of this Lee Bang-won.”

I rubbed my palms together with a wicked smile.

Now, Eunuch Hwang.

Let’s see how you come out.

===

When I cut off the conversation once, saying that I looked like a pushover, and stood up, it seemed that Eunuch Hwang was also very anxious.

When I visited the Taepyeonggwan [a lodging for envoys] again, he almost ran out barefoot.

However, he was greatly astonished by the words that followed.

“You are going to cut off trade with Liaodong?”

“It’s not that we are cutting it off, but that we are postponing it for a while.”

Joseon had started small-scale trade with Liaodong a few months ago by Emperor Yongle’s decree.

Liaodong had suffered great damage due to population outflow and abandonment of farming due to the Revolt of Jeongnan that had continued until a few years ago.

‘Oxen are essential for farming. But Liaodong has few oxen.’

Emperor Yongle ordered Joseon to trade oxen for 1 bolt of silk and 4 bolts of cloth per head to restore Liaodong, and planned to set up a market in the Jinliao Thousand Households.

It was the ox trade that I had tackled.

“······How can you overturn a decision that has already been made like this?”

Hwang Eom said with his mouth wide open.

The trade volume alone was about 10,000 oxen, so the restoration of Liaodong was entirely in Joseon’s hands.

“Our situation is not so good either. It is very difficult to supply the 10,000 head of cattle that His Majesty requested.”

“But the imperial decree has already been issued!”

Hwang Eom shouted, invoking the emperor’s order.

“It’s not that we don’t want to follow the imperial order. However, there is no way to do it even if we want to······.

Where can we get oxen that we don’t have?”

I said leisurely.

“Even now, the situation in Liaodong is so chaotic that thousands of Mansan soldiers are deserting. Without Joseon’s cooperation, how many years will it take to recover?”

They say that the Ming mainland should step in, but Emperor Yongle is planning to quell the civil war, relocate the capital, and even carry out several foreign expeditions.

He would not want to put extra effort into restoring Liaodong.

However, if Liaodong does not stabilize properly, it is almost impossible to pacify the Jurchens.

In other words, if Joseon refuses to cooperate, the Ming Dynasty will be in great trouble.

I looked at Hwang Eom, who was making a tearful face, and asked.

“So what?”

“······.”

Since when has the Ming Dynasty considered Joseon’s circumstances so much?

They are trying to take away the barbarians under our command, but they want us to consider their circumstances. They are truly shameless.

‘It’s a multiple choice question.’

Either stop trying to subjugate the Jurchens, or give up stabilizing Liaodong with our cooperation.

Both were options that made it impossible to obtain the Jurchens in a short period of time.

Hwang Eom knew that, so he was very troubled.

I quietly watched the agony.

‘Of course, we can’t actually cut off the ox trade.’

Emperor Yongle would be furious if Joseon ruined the trade after setting up the whole board.

It would be very troublesome if a human who turned his own nephew into smoked duck in the burning Nanjing Imperial Palace harbored serious animosity towards Joseon.

However, just as Emperor Yongle pressured us with Ahachu and Mentemu as hostages, we are pressuring Emperor Yongle with Liaodong as a hostage.

‘One side has to back down first. In this case, wouldn’t you want a compromise even more?’

Because it was a matter of my visit to the court and even the emperor’s prestige.

I subtly gave Hwang Eom a way out.

“Isn’t the Great Power great because it considers the circumstances of the Small Country? If the Great Power shows a little generosity, our Joseon will be willing to cooperate with the ox trade as much as possible.”

I said that.

Of course, this was not about the terms of the ox trade.

What I put on the scales was clearly the Jurchens.

“It’s a complete defeat.”

Hwang Eom said with a sigh.

“As expected, His Highness the Crown Prince is a divine man. Our Emperor is a person who cherishes the talents of the world, so he will be very pleased to see His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Okay, I confirmed the will that I cannot concede the visit to the court.

Then you have to give something else.

“The Emperor will surely not take it lightly as the one who will be in charge of governing Dongguk [a historical name for Korea] is so wise.”

Hwang Eom revealed that he was willing to concede other matters.

I know it’s flattery, but it makes me feel good.

To completely defeat Hwang Eom, who has experienced all kinds of hardships in the Ming Dynasty’s imperial palace.

“Our Joseon has not hidden new weapons such as muskets and has immediately abolished the Geonmun era name, and has devoted ourselves to the Great Power and His Majesty the Emperor. I am confident that we have sufficiently demonstrated our loyalty to the Great Ming.”

When I asked that, Hwang Eom nodded.

“There is nothing to worry about as Joseon is so obedient. I will advise His Majesty to temporarily withdraw the plan to pacify the Jurchens.”

He said he would try to persuade him himself.

It was a great development from the level of ‘Wouldn’t our Emperor be pleased and let it go if you go to the Ming Dynasty?’, but it is still not enough.

I shook my finger.

‘Isn’t this not much different from the previous condition?’

In that they can suck all the sweet stuff and overturn the words as much as they want.

Emperor Yongle would not do that because of his imperial face, but as I said, his father was a thieving monk and a robber, so he is not a reliable opponent.

Then we need to nail it down with a clearer matter.

As a codified treaty that even the emperor cannot easily overturn.

“Let’s redefine the national border between the two sides on this occasion.”

I looked straight at Hwang Eom and said.

“Please recognize the area south of Gongheomjin as belonging to our Joseon.”

My hand trembled slightly as I said this.

===

Gongheomjin is the northernmost of the Nine Fortresses in the Northeast built by Yun Gwan during the Goryeo Dynasty [a Korean kingdom founded in 918].

I saw a map drawn in Korean history textbooks estimating the location of the Nine Fortresses in the Northeast, but it didn’t seem to be outside the Korean Peninsula.

However, in this era, it was believed that Gongheomjin was located 700 li [approximately 350 kilometers] north of the Tumen River, along with Seonchullyeong.

I don’t know where Seonchullyeong is, but I could tell that 700 li is very far.

I once asked Lee Seong-gye.

‘Why are you claiming that?’

‘When I was in the Northeast, my influence extended to that extent, so wouldn’t Goryeo have ruled up to there as well?’

I think Lee Seong-gye is just great.

Anyway, in this era, it is the accepted theory that Gongheomjin is 700 li north of the Tumen River, and I heard that even Zhu Yuanzhang recognized it.

My father, Lee Bang-won, also constantly requested Yongle, presenting that point, saying, ‘It was originally our land, so please allow Joseon to manage it as before.’

Kim Cheom, who was sent as a Gye Poomsa [a diplomatic mission] this year, took the Jubon [a formal document] and map with him for that purpose.

“This is not a problem that I can dare to solve.”

“No, I’m not asking you to solve it. I’m just saying that we should send people from both sides to clearly define the border.”

I explained diligently.

At the same time, I did not forget to subtly provoke Hwang Eom’s nerves.

“You are a eunuch, but can’t you even make that request to the Emperor?”

A person with a strong desire for power cannot tolerate their influence being underestimated.

And in my estimation, eunuchs have a strong desire for power instead of sexual desire.

‘Poor humans.’

As expected, Hwang Eom was furious.

“How could that be? All right. I will report His Highness’s proposal to His Majesty.”

‘I got him.’