There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 229

< Rain and You (3) >

The shogunate clearly considers the Shoni clan the primary enemy in managing Kyushu.

However, the Ouchi clan isn’t entirely trusted by the shogunate either.

After all, they had once been at odds with each other.

Ouchi Mitsuyo, understanding my meaning, was sweating profusely.

‘This guy didn’t know?’

No, that couldn’t be.

With both the Ouchi and the shogunate only thinking of backstabbing each other, it wouldn’t make sense if they hadn’t anticipated this much.

However, they probably didn’t expect us to know the situation across the sea so thoroughly.

‘Why did I think they wouldn’t know?’

I’m not sure how much interest Joseon originally had in external affairs, but at least I, and the current Joseon, are very interested in intelligence gathering.

Wang Ho, from the best intelligence agency of this era, has also joined us.

So, there was no way we, who receive regular information through Iwami [a silver mine and port in Japan controlled by Joseon], wouldn’t be able to make that kind of deduction.

‘Of course, the guys in Buyeo are probably doing something similar.’

It’s not a neighborhood close to Hanyang [the capital of Joseon], and Joseon isn’t engaged in intense wars, so it’s not very useful, though.

‘If so.’

I continued my thoughts.

No matter how much the Ouchi have expanded their military power through trade relations with us over the past few years, they can’t possibly win against the shogunate head-on, so they will try to avoid direct conflict somehow.

If the hunting dog doesn’t want to be boiled [a metaphor for being disposed of after serving its purpose], there’s only one way.

“I heard that even after winning a significant victory against the Soi clan, you are still experiencing back-and-forth battles. What is the reason for not finishing them off?”

“······.”

That’s right.

These bastards are stalling.

I would leave the Shoni clan’s lineage intact if I were them.

That way, the shogunate wouldn’t make the mistake of boiling the hunting dog, leaving the prey they had almost caught.

In any case, the previous battles have proven that the Ouchi have a solid advantage over the Shoni.

The severely weakened Shoni clan would no longer have the strength to provoke, and they would use the given time to recover their strength, so the war would probably enter a lull.

It would be perfect if the Ouchi used the excuse that ‘the enemy Shoni clan is gaining strength’ as a shield to avoid military tension.

I revealed to Ouchi Mitsuyo in simple terms that I knew their intentions.

“If you leave the Soi clan intact, they will bide their time until they regain their strength, and until then, the Ouchi clan will be able to avoid conflict with the shogunate.”

There’s no way they wouldn’t know this logic.

So, they must have just retreated after besieging the base.

In other words, the imminent destruction of the Shoni clan is a bluff. There’s no way they can re-establish relations with Joseon after that.

When all his inner thoughts were revealed, Ouchi Mitsuyo laughed heartily, feigning composure.

“Hahaha! As expected, I cannot keep up with the insight of the Crown Prince.”

I can see the sweat dripping, but he’s trying to act calm.

Is it because he’s still young? He’s not good at hiding his embarrassment.

“However, it is true that there are many opinions within the family that consider the relationship with Joseon unreasonable. There are talks of immediately attacking and taking Iwami, as only about a hundred Joseon soldiers are guarding it.”

“The Ouchi lord wouldn’t be unaware of the foolishness of that suggestion, would he?”

“The lord has, of course, rejected it. However, please keep in mind that an unfortunate event may occur between the two countries if things go wrong.”

“Hmm.”

Ouchi Mitsuyo’s tone had been consistently polite, but now he was honestly pleading.

His own head would be on the line if that happened.

That’s not what I want either.

‘I expected this day to come anyway.’

I said to Ouchi Mitsuyo.

“If you show sincerity, we may be able to give you some of the silver we mined.”

Instead, as much as we concede some silver, we must increase the opponent’s order volume.

In the end, we can recoup all of Ouchi’s share again through the Seongchung project [a hypothetical economic plan].

In the end, Ouchi Mitsuyo saved face in his own way and achieved his goal.

Ouchi Morimi also gained a negotiation achievement that he could show to those within his clan who demanded the recapture of Iwami.

Okay, I’ve shut their mouths.

I said, looking out at the drizzling rain.

“It’s been raining frequently lately, so there will be a good harvest. You will be able to save face with your family this year.”

Shipping some of the grain harvested in Buyeo was supposed to be Ouchi Mitsuyo’s job, but I heard he had been constantly appealing to his family because he had ruined the farming.

“I feel relieved to hear Your Highness say so.”

Ouchi Mitsuyo expressed his deep gratitude after hearing my assurance.

So, you should have installed the rain gauge when I told you to, you damn bastards.

===

Even though it might be welcome rain for the farmers, Yi Seong-gye didn’t seem too pleased.

Yi Seong-gye cursed and spat as he returned to Buyeo, where I was staying.

“Ugh, I can’t even take a hot spring bath because of the rain.”

“That’s the price you pay for abandoning your grandson and going to play.”

My tears have scattered as rain from the sky.

“So, how did it go?”

“It was resolved smoothly. Actually, that wasn’t even the main point. These bastards were purely trying to fleece us.”

“But you brazenly went out and messed it up, right?”

“They shut up as soon as I gave them some money.”

Indeed, more money solves problems.

Practically speaking, it was something that could be resolved by slightly increasing the amount of trade goods.

“So, are you going straight back to Hanyang?”

“Since I came down here, I was thinking of continuing to look around this Japanese village.”

A kind of Japantown, with rows of traditional houses, so it was quite fun to look around.

“Hmm, you’re not planning to stay long, are you?”

“I’m thinking of resting for a few days and then leaving. Why?”

Considering the national affairs piling up in Hanyang, I don’t intend to stay too long either.

Wait, isn’t Yi Bang-won the king?

Why am I worrying about this?

I think I’ve been setting up the relationship with my father wrong since some point······.

Could it be that I look like a slave instead of a son?

Yi Seong-gye, who had no interest in his grandson’s worries, clapped his knees.

“That’s a relief. Grand Master Muhak sent me a letter.”

“Grand Master Muhak?”

This person······ Even the monk who only left behind the Hamheung Envoy legend [a story about envoys sent to assassinate Yi Seong-gye], after Yi Seong-gye’s downfall quietly disappeared into history, but now he has established himself as the leading figure in the Buddhist purification movement.

He is actively working with the absolute title of the Supreme King’s Royal Preceptor.

I heard that he is currently traveling around the country giving sermons without a special residence. Is he near here?

Anyway, I tore open Grand Master Muhak’s letter that Yi Seong-gye handed me, and the content, excluding unnecessary formalities and greetings, was as follows:

[I heard that the Supreme King has gone down to Chungcheong Province. As I was at Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju, there was a difficult matter to deal with, so I am writing this letter. I have been running around trying to resolve it, but I have repeatedly failed, so I have no choice but to ask for the Supreme King’s help······.]

“In the end, he didn’t write down what the matter is.”

He wouldn’t have not written it because there wasn’t enough space like Fermat [a reference to Fermat’s Last Theorem], so is it something you have to go and see to know?

“Are you going to go?”

“How can I refuse a request from Grand Master Muhak, of all people?”

Well, he is also Yi Seong-gye’s spiritual mentor.

In fact, even if it is a request, it would normally be very rude to have the highest person in Joseon come and go with just one letter, but it means that the relationship between the two is that close.

“Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju was founded by Grand Master Muhak’s teacher, Naong Hwasang. Perhaps the Grand Master is staying at that temple because of his teacher’s connection. Yeoju is a bit of a detour, but I should stop by on the way.”

“Then I’ll go up to Hanyang first.”

Grand Master Muhak only asked Yi Seong-gye for help, after all.

However, Yi Seong-gye got angry.

“You bastard, are you going to abandon your grandfather and go back to Hanyang by yourself?”

‘No, didn’t you send only me to Buyeo and go on a hot spring trip?’

I was speechless at Yi Seong-gye’s confident attitude.

They say people become like children when they get old.

‘Well, I’ll get cursed if I don’t accompany my grandfather on the way back.’

If I came down here with him and went back to Hanyang alone, how would the people see me?

It was unfair to think about Yi Seong-gye’s arbitrary absence, but I had to manage my image anyway.

“Okay, okay, let’s go together.”

I said, flopping down.

Who else would put up with my grandfather’s stubbornness if not me?

The place we are staying is Baekje Samwang Shrine [a shrine dedicated to the kings of the Baekje kingdom].

Once we go on a tour like this, we usually stay at temples, so it’s not that strange, but it felt strange because it was a shrine.

‘Naming it a palace (宮) would normally be something to be punished for.’

Even in Joseon, the Baekje kings were treated appropriately while organizing history, so it was fortunate that the excuse ‘It’s a shrine because it’s a palace where gods, not people, reside’ worked.

“Come to think of it, I heard that this place was originally a temple site.”

“Is that so?”

Yi Seong-gye had traveled all over the country to suppress the Red Turbans and the Wokou [Japanese pirates], so he was knowledgeable about this kind of story.

I didn’t think he would even know about the Buyeo temple site, though.

“I also heard a new story while I was at the hot spring. The Japanese built a shrine for the Baekje kings on the temple site. And it was said that the temple was from the Baekje period.”

“What a strange connection.”

Wait, then wouldn’t something like the Baekje king’s royal seal come out when digging in the ground?

‘Logically, if there was such a thing, it would be in the palace site, not the temple site.’

Still, when the Tang Dynasty and Silla forces occupied Sabi [the capital of Baekje], someone who wasn’t the king might have run away to the temple.

Sun Jian of the Three Kingdoms found the royal seal in a well in Luoyang [an ancient Chinese capital], so perhaps······.

‘Well, that’s not likely.’

I shook my head, smacking my lips after a moment of delusion.

===

But it actually happened.

Baekje Samwang Shrine was constantly undergoing expansion work.

Of course, not all Japanese people were from the government, so it was not easy to secure the necessary labor on their own.

So, just like modern temples entrust construction to construction companies, Ouchi Mitsuyo and the shrine were also outsourcing the work to nearby engineers.

It happened that I knew someone I had met in Yeouido, so I offered to help with the construction.

I was just going to give advice on making heavy equipment, but it was already made wonderfully.

“Geojunggi [lever], Nokro [water wheel], Yuhyeonggeo [movable frame]. You’ve learned well.”

“No. It’s far from the things Your Highness first created. Still, these guys do the work of dozens of people when they do construction in their hometown.”

The engineer bowed his head and said.

It doesn’t require any special materials, and it’s not something that runs on fuel, so anyone can make it if they know the manufacturing method.

However, I felt proud to see them actually using it usefully.

‘This is why I do research and development.’

That’s what I was thinking when it happened.

The murmuring among the workers grew louder, and then someone shouted.

“Master craftsman, something has come out!”

“Oh, is that so?”

The engineer, who answered indifferently, bowed his head again towards me and said.

“I heard that there was a temple in this place a long time ago, so it seems like it’s a broken statue fragment.”

That story had been spreading among the people around here.

However, since I had the thought I had before, I became interested.

On a whim, I strode over and saw the workers holding a lump of hardened mud and talking about something.

Correction. It’s not a lump of mud, but something neatly wrapped in mud.

“Hand it over to me.”

Holding my somehow trembling heart, I received it.

After removing the dirt, although its radiance was dulled by the dirt, the color was still clearly revealed without fading at all.

‘Why is this coming out here?’

The thing I had seen countless times in photos in Korean history textbooks in the past.

Surely the name was······ Baekje Gilt-bronze Incense Burner [a famous Baekje artifact]?

< Rain and You (3) > End

ⓒ Pitkong