There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 136

‘Are you saying you’ll call our troops to suppress the rebellion in Annam [historical name for a region of Vietnam]?’

In terms of justification, it wasn’t incomprehensible.

Just as the United States pulled in allies under the guise of fighting for the freedom of Vietnam, the Ming Dynasty, advocating the restoration of legitimate royal authority in Annam, might have similar thoughts.

Though the effectiveness would be much lower.

“But haven’t you already decided to send 100,000 troops?”

I asked.

Then, the Yongle Emperor said.

“What dynasty do you think this Ming Dynasty succeeded?”

Many admired the Tang and Song dynasties, but strictly speaking, I heard that the Ming Dynasty seized its mandate from a different country.

“Wouldn’t it be the Yuan Dynasty?”

“That’s right, the Great Yuan!”

The Yongle Emperor exclaimed with a glint in his eyes.

The Great Yuan.

I heard that the Han people generally disliked the Yuan Dynasty’s rule, considering it a period of occupation.

However, the man before me clearly sparkled when mentioning the Yuan Dynasty.

About that country, once the largest empire in the world.

“The world is like one family under the Great Ming, so you also have a duty to send troops to restore order. During the Yuan Dynasty, your generals Choi Young, Yu Tak, and Yeom Je-shin were dispatched to suppress the bandit Jang Sa-seong, weren’t they?”

That’s because Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty] was practically a vassal state of the Yuan Dynasty.

‘Did this guy eat something wrong?’

Having studied since coming to this era, I knew that tributary relations were merely a formality.

Especially now, when we didn’t particularly owe anything to the Ming Dynasty.

But the Yongle Emperor was thinking of the world as one country, just like the old Yuan Dynasty did.

Or perhaps he wanted to make it so in the future.

‘But he probably failed, right?’

That’s why we’re living in the Republic of Korea, not Joseon Province [referring to a hypothetical scenario where Korea was fully integrated into China].

Could it be that my saying I would ‘take the lead in spreading the Ming Dynasty’s Wanghwa [benevolent influence]’ to participate in the Boseondan [ceremony to honor meritorious subjects] has caused this butterfly effect?

‘How do I escape this crisis?’

After a moment of contemplation, I suddenly slammed the floor.

“Aigo! [an expression of frustration or pain]”

“?”

In times like these, preemptive tears are the best strategy.

I tried to squeeze out tears, but none came.

Reluctantly, I closed my eyes tightly and bit the inside of my cheek.

‘Ouch, that hurts like hell. How does Yi Seong-gye [King Taejo, founder of Joseon Dynasty] shed tears every time?’

Is it because he’s a great actor, or is it because he’s going through a turbulent menopause and has become more sensitive?

“Sob, sob!”

I burst into tears towards the Yongle Emperor.

“I want to follow the imperial decree, but Joseon’s situation is dire.”

“······.”

“Families are collapsing… society is collapsing… the people are barely surviving on tree bark, so it would be too cruel to ask us to send troops, and tears blind my eyes!”

If we send troops, are you going to pay for everything?

No, right?

“Hmm… then there’s no helping it.”

The Yongle Emperor nodded.

‘Did my tearful acting work right away?’

Was the Yongle Emperor such an emotional person?

‘Thank you, Grandpa!’

Just as I was about to give a thumbs-up towards Joseon.

“Then how about a royal marriage?”

I didn’t grasp the situation for a moment at the sudden remark.

“Sniffle, pardon?”

I coughed.

A royal marriage?

Suddenly drifting from the Annam dispatch to this issue?

“I understand your circumstances, but I can foresee foolish officials doubting your loyalty and finding fault. I think it would be good to strengthen the friendship between the two countries by arranging a marriage on this occasion.”

“Thank you, but marriage is a major event in human relations, so it’s an issue I cannot decide on my own…”

“Yes, I suppose so. So, tell your father, the King of Joseon.”

The Yongle Emperor said, looking down at me.

“So don’t refuse so decisively. Otherwise, people might misunderstand that you’re only talking about Ming being the emperor’s country and one family.”

In his eyes, something dark was wriggling.

It was as if a conspiracy was swirling.

===

Unlike the Ming Dynasty’s previous or later emperors, who had little interest in the outer regions, the Yongle Emperor had a deep interest in the world expanded by the Yuan Dynasty.

The idea that Joseon’s participation in the conquest of Annam would provide justification was genuine.

‘If Joseon is truly my subject, shouldn’t they send troops as a matter of course?’

Of course, the Yongle Emperor also acknowledged that the reality was not so simple.

The relationship between Yuan and Goryeo was not the same as that between Ming and Joseon.

It was realistically impossible to project such strong influence.

So he used the Annam dispatch as bait and proposed a royal marriage.

“Bringing Joseon into this is an unreasonable idea.”

Said Yao Guangxiao [advisor to the Yongle Emperor].

However, even the Yongle Emperor, who usually heeded Yao Guangxiao’s words, was still frowning.

“Wouldn’t Joseon’s participation in the conquest of Annam clearly establish the justification for serving the great?”

“However, we might miss the opportunity to deploy troops while trying to 맞춰느라 [match] Joseon’s pace.”

“Master, don’t you know my intentions? That’s why I suggested a royal marriage.”

The Yongle Emperor had grand ambitions to continue the Yuan Dynasty’s great enterprise.

It was truly ironic considering that his father, the Hongwu Emperor, rose up as a Red Turban rebel who overthrew the Yuan Dynasty.

“That is a good idea. If they accept it, we can project influence on Joseon without much effort.”

The Ming Dynasty had bestowed many favors on Joseon, albeit for the sake of the Yongle Emperor’s prestige.

A prime example was postponing the tribute of human beings and giving away the land south of Gongheomjin, wasn’t it?

If Yi Je heard this, he would have said, ‘They’re just delaying extorting people and 생색낸다 [showing off] by giving away land that isn’t even theirs.’

“Even after bestowing such favors, they refused to dispatch troops to Annam. If they reject the royal marriage as well, they will also be in trouble. So they will have no choice but to accept it.”

“That is correct.”

Wouldn’t it be 좋지 [good] to follow the example of the Yuan Dynasty and make Joseon a 부마국 [son-in-law state]?

However, the Yongle Emperor did not intend to absorb Joseon.

In his mind, Joseon was part of the world, but also a 번국 [tributary state] that was allowed autonomy.

However, the criteria for that autonomy would be very different from what the people of Joseon thought.

To avoid this, they would have to accept the Annam dispatch, but even if that happened, it would not be bad for the Yongle Emperor.

Because it would mean that Joseon would even send troops to guarantee the legitimacy of the Annam conquest.

“Select the daughters of 번왕 [tributary princes] who are obedient to the imperial decree and not likely to be a threat.”

“How about the eldest daughter of Prince Yeong? I heard she is three or four years younger than the Joseon Crown Prince. We can raise her well for a few years and then send her.”

“Prince Yeong’s daughter.”

Zhu Di [the Yongle Emperor’s personal name] shook his head.

“If she is Prince Yeong’s daughter, it is dangerous. She might listen to her father more.”

Prince Yeong, Zhu Quan, was Zhu Di’s younger brother who had been enfeoffed in Inner Mongolia.

He had been forcibly involved in Zhu Di’s rebellion, and thanks to that, he survived, but later lost power and had to move his fief to Nanchang.

This younger brother, who was no less ambitious than himself, was 실의 [despondent] and spending his days brewing tea, but he could not let his guard down.

“Then how about the ninth daughter of Prince Cho?”

Prince Cho was the Yongle Emperor’s younger brother, but he had not distinguished himself so much.

Zhu Di turned to the Crown Prince, who was sitting next to him, and asked.

“What do you think?”

Then, the Crown Prince cautiously 살펴면서 [gauging] his father’s mood and opened his mouth.

“When sending a princess, must you 꼭 책봉 반드시 [certainly appoint] and send the daughter of a 번왕 [tributary prince]?”

“Of course. Isn’t that what 화번공주 [a princess given in marriage to a foreign ruler] is all about?”

“However, if Joseon finds out that she is not a real princess and 반발 [rebels]…”

In fact, the reason why the marriage talks between Joseon and Ming broke down in the original history was for the same reason.

Yi Bang-won feared that the abuses of the Goryeo era would be repeated, and furthermore, there was no guarantee that the princess was a real daughter of the emperor.

The Crown Prince had pointed out a fairly accurate point, but Zhu Di did not take his son’s words to heart.

“What can those 제깟놈들 [bastards] do if they find out? It’s not like adopting a 양녀 [foster daughter] is unheard of.”

When Zhu Di asked, the Crown Prince bowed his head and said.

“I, I don’t know. Rather, my youngest aunt is the same age as the Crown Prince…”

“No way!”

Zhu Di exclaimed firmly.

‘Give my youngest to them? No way!’

She was his younger sister, whom he cherished more than his own daughters.

How pitifully she had grown up as an orphan, how could he give her to barbarians?

‘If she goes to Joseon, I won’t be able to see her for the rest of my life.’

However, the words that came out of the Yongle Emperor’s mouth were completely different.

“…Wouldn’t that make the Joseon Crown Prince your uncle-in-law! Would that still be 좋겠느냐 [good]?”

“I don’t mind, but…”

“You pathetic thing! Instead of thinking of planting a 화번공주 [princess] to control the King of Joseon according to 네 뜻 [your will] in the future, you’re saying you’ll make him a family elder?”

At the Yongle Emperor’s exclamation, Yao Guangxiao and the Crown Prince widened their eyes.

It wasn’t because of the story about the 화번공주 [princess].

He had clearly said ‘네 뜻 [your will]’.

It was as good as revealing his intention to make the Crown Prince his successor.

‘The Joseon Crown Prince presented his grandson, and it worked?’

Yao Guangxiao thought, looking at the Yongle Emperor.

He showed contempt for his eldest son without reservation, but he decided on his successor after seeing his grandson.

‘In this case, didn’t the Emperor move according to the Crown Prince’s intentions?’

However, Yao Guangxiao could not bring himself to say those words.

Because it was the utmost disrespect to his lord.

===

‘Dispatching troops.’

I bit my lip.

I couldn’t send the Training Corps or the Jurchens.

The Training Corps was the central army, and if I dispatched them, the real matchlocks would be revealed to the Ming Dynasty.

Then, of course, there would be an investigation into deceiving them with 승자총통 [Seungja Chongtong, a type of cannon] and the Ming Dynasty would get their hands on real matchlocks, not just 핸드캐논 [hand cannons].

The Jurchens under our command were the same.

The moment they entered Ming territory, they would be won over by the Yongle Emperor and would have no choice but to turn to the Ming side.

To think that the country next to us has this kind of 양아치 [bully] mentality.

Would Joseon’s diplomatic relations be okay?

‘Even if they 인정해줬다 [recognized] the area south of the Mudan River as our territory, people are an exception. They’ll 무조건 뺏긴다 [be taken away no matter what].’

I shook my head.

“Either dispatch troops or accept the royal marriage.”

In the end, it meant choosing one of the two.

‘Would Yi Bang-won 찬성 [approve] of this?’

I sighed.

‘Damn it, I should have left the Ming Dynasty sooner.’

“Hyung-nim [older brother], why do you look so gloomy?”

Whether my head was complicated or not, the faces of the envoys were bright.

The red ginseng sales were successful, and because they were envoys of the Crown Prince’s 입조 [visit to the imperial court] visit, they were treated with great hospitality.

In particular, Do, who was leaving after receiving the best treatment, had a very round face.

He had eaten a lot of delicious food, met a like-minded Crown Prince, and 교류 [interacted] with the high-level scholars of the Ming Dynasty.

“Ah, are you worried about leaving Hwangmae behind?”

“What?”

When I asked back in 황당하게 [bewilderment], Do 충고 [advised] bluntly.

“I don’t like that person very much. Hyung-nim, don’t bother 신경 쓰지 [worrying] about her.”

I understand that he feels bad because he, who has more pride in his studies than anyone else, was called a barbarian for being a Joseon person, but…

I think he’s misunderstanding something.

“Inma, it’s not because of her that I’m…”

“Your Highness!”

Someone interrupted me.

But there was no time to blame the 무례 [rudeness].

Because my mouth dropped open when I looked at the side he was pointing to.

===

“I don’t know, I don’t know…”

Joo So-hwa, who had been burying her head in the pillow, 빼꼼이 [slightly] poked her head up and said.

Why didn’t I know?

That guy is a person who came as an envoy, so he has to go back someday.

If he were an ordinary person, he would have 떼를 썼 [begged] his brother to let him stay in Ming – surprisingly, the Yongle Emperor was 물렀다 [lenient] with his younger sister – but that guy is the Crown Prince of Joseon, who will succeed to the next throne.

Even the young Joo So-hwa knew that much.

‘He won’t come again, will he?’

The Crown Prince’s 입조 [visit to the imperial court] visit was 이루어진 것 [made up of] various political compromises.

The probability of Yi Je coming to Ming twice was low.

The princes in the fairy tales he gave always came to rescue the princess, but she didn’t have the confidence to call the Crown Prince.

She quietly looked into the hand mirror.

It was the only 유품 [memento] that her mother, Concubine Jang, had left her.

She had heard that she was a 미인 [beauty] because she resembled her mother, but the 심미안 [aesthetic sense] of those Joseon people was not much different, judging from 전족 [foot binding] alone.

Would he really come back to see such a 귀찮은 [bothersome] woman again?

‘I don’t think I would either.’

The first meeting should have been a little messed up.

But I couldn’t stay like this.

Joo So-hwa 움켜쥐었다 [clutched] the hand mirror.