There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 155

“Ya-eun has decided to stay in Yeouido and take over the academy for the time being. It might be like putting a pearl necklace on a pig…”

He was too great a man to be teaching Jurchen and Japanese friends who were barely grasping the Thousand Character Classic [a foundational text used in East Asia to teach Chinese characters].

However, it was also true that appealing to emotions by showcasing these children had worked quite well.

‘They admire and seek to learn the scholarship of the East, yet no one steps forward to teach them. Shouldn’t someone like Ya-eun step up?’

Giljae seemed quite moved when I said this.

It was perhaps natural, considering that such an upright scholar had seen those who were unable to gain knowledge due to their background.

Giljae pondered for a moment, then spoke as if he had made a great decision.

‘Very well. I shall stay here for the time being.’

Lee Bang-won, upon hearing my words, clapped his knee and said,

“Ya-eun is such a valuable person. It’s fortunate that we can make use of him in this way.”

“Did you perhaps have a personal connection with him?”

Lee Bang-won nodded.

“When I lived in Gaegyeong [the capital of Goryeo], he was a senior colleague who studied in the same neighborhood. I tried my best to get him to serve in the new nation because of that connection, but I ultimately failed.”

It seems that all the people who left their mark on this era are connected by academic ties or relatives.

I asked Lee Bang-won, who was wearing a bitter expression,

“So, is that why you spared Giljae, even though he was a loyalist of Goryeo?”

“No, I wouldn’t decide someone’s life or death based on such personal connections.”

Lee Bang-won looked at me, seemingly puzzled, and asked,

“Huh? Then why?”

“What threat could someone like Giljae pose to me? Killing him would only earn me a dirty reputation.”

Ah, I forgot.

My father was the one who eliminated Jeong Mong-ju and Jeong Do-jeon, who had connections no less significant than Giljae’s, in one fell swoop.

I nodded and said,

“However, there are conditions.”

Giljae did not accept my request simply because of emotion or curiosity as a scholar.

The first condition he set forth was this:

‘Firstly, I am not serving Joseon, but serving our people.’

‘Does he think he’s Guan Yu [a famous general from the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, known for his loyalty] or something?’

I tilted my head.

He probably meant not to interpret his acceptance of my request as a sign of allegiance to Joseon.

What he was doing was merely playing the role of a teacher, not taking a government post.

“What’s the second condition?”

Lee Bang-won, who had been listening to my story quietly, asked.

“That is…”

I hesitated for a moment before saying,

‘Among the emperors of the past, only the emperors of the Five Barbarians and the Five Dynasties overthrew the previous dynasty and exterminated their descendants.

Now that the lineage of the Wang family has been cut off, this is not a righteous act. Please restore it.’

“Hmm.”

Lee Bang-won nodded and said,

“He is indeed a loyalist of Goryeo. It seems the extinction of the Wang family line weighs heavily on his mind.”

The extinction of the Wang family line did not mean that all the Wangs had been captured and killed.

It meant that the direct descendants who would preside over the ancestral rites of the Goryeo royal family had disappeared.

“Don’t they usually have a descendant of the previous dynasty continue the ancestral rites?”

That’s what I had heard from the lecturers of the Crown Prince’s Education Institute.

“Yes, during the reign of the Supreme King, we had Wang-woo, the younger brother of King Gongyang, preside over the ancestral rites of the Goryeo royal family instead.”

However, he died during Taejo’s reign, and his sons, Wang-jo and Wang-gwan, succeeded him.

‘Then isn’t it settled?’

If there are still descendants alive, there’s no particular problem.

Lee Bang-won pondered for a moment, then said,

“But I killed them both when I raised my army in the year of Muin, so there would have been no one to take charge of the rites after that.”

…And you still wanted Giljae to serve.

Lee Bang-won said shamelessly,

“Hearing Ya-eun’s words, I truly feel sorry for not having taken care of this matter. We must hasten to revive the ancestral rites of the Goryeo royal family.

I shall issue a royal decree to find suitable descendants of the Wang family.”

If shamelessness is a virtue of politicians, then our father is truly a born politician.

As I stared at him with a look of disgust, Lee Bang-won winked at me.

“Anyway, you did a good job this time. Our son is indeed very helpful.”

Lee Bang-won said that.

“And yet you kicked me out of Hanseong [present-day Seoul] without even consulting me?”

I said with my lips sticking out.

I heard that Hwang-hee, who is the Mayor of Hanseong, is doing a good job, but that’s beside the point.

Lee Bang-won glanced away and said,

“The reorganization of Hanseong is almost complete, so shouldn’t you take on more important tasks?”

It sounds like a skilled slave should be used everywhere.

Lee Bang-won then set the mood and said,

“A report from Dongnae says that the Daenei clan has sent us envoys again.”

Hearing that, I roughly guessed the reason.

“It must be about Tsushima [an island located between Korea and Japan].”

Joseon is not a vassal state of the Ouchi clan, so naturally, they didn’t report every detail.

However, by now, news that the Shoni clan had been crushed and Tsushima had been taken away must have reached them.

So, they must have come to discuss the aftermath with us.

“I wonder what tricks these guys are going to pull.”

Lee Bang-won was worried about that.

He must be worried that they would suddenly pop up and say, ‘Joseon, brother, isn’t Tsushima originally our Japanese land? Don’t eat it all alone, share it with us!’

“Would they really do that?”

“The Japanese are cunning and cannot be easily trusted. Find out what tricks they are trying to pull.”

===

The Ouchi clan’s lord’s nephew, Ouchi Mitsuyo (大内満世), whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked quite seasoned.

It seemed his position within the Ouchi clan had also risen.

I thought it was largely thanks to the fact that I had given him the Baekje royal family’s genealogy, which was virtually the Ouchi clan’s greatest diplomatic achievement with Joseon.

Ouchi Mitsuyo prostrated himself and greeted me.

“I congratulate you on greatly defeating the Shoni clan this time.”

“Don’t mention it. It was a natural result.”

Ouchi Mitsuyo’s tone was filled with undisguised joy.

The Ouchi and Shoni clans are also in a competitive relationship, vying for hegemony in Kyushu [a Japanese island].

They must be gloating that they got their noses broken after suddenly provoking Joseon.

“I heard they couldn’t even gain a foothold in Tsushima, which was originally under their influence, and were driven out.”

“Our army established the descendant of the Toju [local ruler of Tsushima] and entered, so they were defeated without any proper resistance.”

“This is also something to congratulate you on.”

Ouchi Mitsuyo hesitated for a moment after hearing my words, then subtly pressured us.

“However, there are those in our shogunate who take issue with this.”

Ouchi Mitsuyo continued.

“There is a growing voice saying that Joseon should not occupy Tsushima altogether, no matter what. There was even an opinion that the Shogun should protest directly.”

I thought they wouldn’t care about a small island like Tsushima given the current situation in Japan, but was I mistaken?

No, it could be a bluff.

I looked at Ouchi Mitsuyo and said,

“We have only restored the lineage of the Jongssi [the So clan], which was severed by usurpation and foreign invasion. What kind of occupation is this?”

In terms of justification, we only established So Yori-tsuna, the bloodline of the previous Toju.

“The shogunate in distant Kyoto may believe these words, but we, who are actually nearby, are a little suspicious…

The Kyushu Tandai [military governor of Kyushu], who is representing the shogunate in Kyushu, is also suspicious of Joseon’s intentions.”

Well, they’re not fools either.

However, there’s no need to bow down and act like ‘what should we do?’

I asked coldly.

“So?”

“Yes?”

“If you truly think so, the Waeguk [Japanese] court and you can send troops across the sea. Do we have to explain ourselves to every suspicion raised by a mere governor of Kyushu?”

If they’re going to bluff, we have to bluff too.

Ouchi Mitsuyo’s face showed a hint of embarrassment as I took a strong stance.

It was a natural reaction.

‘They wouldn’t want to fight us unnecessarily when they have a major enemy like the Shoni clan right in front of them.’

From their perspective, we cleared Tsushima, which was in the hands of the Shoni clan, and even wiped out their forces, so they should be grateful, not thinking about starting a war.

“…How could that be? We are descendants of Baekje [an ancient Korean kingdom], so we are no different from one family with the Sang-guk [lit. ‘Superior Country,’ referring to Joseon]. I was simply conveying the concerns that the Kyushu Tandai had.”

I wanted to scoff, but I held back.

If you’re going to say such things, don’t try to put on a clumsy act of pressure.

Ouchi Mitsuyo then hurriedly offered us a carrot.

“Our lord has also recommended to the Kyushu Tandai to recognize So Yori-tsuna’s succession to the family headship.”

The Kyushu Tandai and the Ouchi clan are in an alliance.

So, their words have some influence in the shogunate.

It was a matter that had already been decided, but they must have been trying to get a big concession from us using this issue.

However, I didn’t bother to point that out.

“Oh, is that so? We are indeed one family.”

I said, grabbing Ouchi Mitsuyo’s hand.

With this, the Tsushima issue is settled for now.

Japan will not raise diplomatic issues regarding Tsushima.

It was fortunate for Joseon, which had been prepared for some diplomatic friction, even if not armed conflict.

But this wouldn’t be achieved without a price.

I looked at him and asked,

“So, tell me the main point. You didn’t come across the rough sea just to tell me that, did you?”

Ouchi Mitsuyo looked at me and said,

“We would like to start the trade that we promised with the Sang-guk before.”

What we promised.

Ah, could it be that?

I gave an evil smile.

“Are you talking about gunpowder?”

“Yes. Although those rebels were greatly defeated by the Sang-guk, their castles and armies on the mainland are still strong, so we need the help of gunpowder.”

These guys, are they planning to push the Shoni clan completely, taking advantage of the damage they suffered?

“Hmm, but our gunpowder consumption has been severe recently. It might cost a bit more, is that okay?”

Ouchi Mitsuyo’s expression twisted.

For them, who lack high-quality gunpowder, Joseon was nothing short of an absolute power.

So, they must have tried to get a fair deal by bringing up Tsushima first, but no way.

I’ll fleece them mercilessly.

However, if we only take unilaterally, emotions will inevitably be hurt.

I decided to offer another option.

“Ah, do you perhaps need horses? We are planning to raise horses in Tsushima.”

In Tsushima, we were planning to graze not only cattle but also horses brought from the northeast.

The distance is also close to the Ouchi clan, so we could sell them as much as we wanted.

‘I heard that there aren’t many good horses in Japan to create a cavalry.’

Ouchi Mitsuyo seemed tempted by my offer.

However, he soon lowered his head as if he was in trouble.

“There are few cavalry in Japan, so I don’t know if we can operate them well even if we buy horses.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. We’ll send suitable people here to teach you.”

It’s not a difficult task.

We could send the Jurchen people who frequently come and go to Japan – or rather, carry out looting – as mercenaries and training instructors.

‘It’s a kind of Ouchi army power-up project.’

If the Ouchi operated gunpowder and even a cavalry, they would have an enormous advantage compared to the surrounding forces.

Perhaps even compared to the shogunate.

‘So, this deal is a double-edged sword.’

I thought, looking at Ouchi Mitsuyo’s eyes, which were filled with ambition.

The moment they accept this offer, the Ouchi can never cut ties with Joseon.

Because we would immediately expose the suspicious deal that the Ouchi made with us to the shogunate.

These guys must have been somewhat prepared for it, but we need to put a leash on them for sure.

So that they can’t escape.

‘The name of the Korean army’s power-up plan in modern times was probably the Yulgok Project, right?’

It must have been named after Yulgok Yi I’s theory of raising 100,000 soldiers.

I think I vaguely heard that the theory of raising 100,000 soldiers was a fiction, but well, that’s not important.

“Baekje had a wise minister named Seong Chung, who made his name known for ten thousand miles. If King Uija had listened to his words and prepared for war, he would have been able to preserve the Jongsa [the royal ancestral shrine, symbolizing the state].”

I said, looking at Ouchi Mitsuyo.

“Why don’t you try to continue Seong Chung’s great work?”

It’ll cost you some money, though.

End

ⓒ Pitkong