There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 382

383. The Outbreak of War (1)

The imperial family was stunned by the imperial decree that arrived like a sudden storm, as if the court had been waiting for this very moment.

“Won’t this lead to some kind of disaster?”

The imperial family members secretly gathered around Grand Prince Yeong, who was attempting to distance himself from the situation.

Grand Prince Ju-gwon frowned, displeased, and subtly shook off their sleeves, noticing eyes watching them from all directions.

“What are you doing, gathering with so many eyes watching?”

“When else would we meet if not at a time like this?”

“Are we really going to war with the Ming?”

“Does all this commotion seem like just the Emperor’s bluff to you, then?”

Grand Prince Yeong glared at the assembled imperial family members.

Finally, things had blown up.

The feeling of walking on thin ice had vanished completely, replaced by a strange sense of relief.

If the conflict with Joseon erupted like this, a definitive conclusion would eventually be reached.

Until then, there was only one thing he had to do.

‘Survive.’

He remembered his brothers who had been purged, imprisoned, or stripped of their titles during the Jianwen era [a period of political instability and purges in the early Ming Dynasty].

Prince Zhou, Prince Min, Prince Dai, Prince Qi, and others.

At least those individuals were reinstated when their brother, the Yongle Emperor, emerged victorious, but someone like Prince Xiang, Zhu Bai, could not escape death.

Even though he was reinstated posthumously, what good was the honor of a Prince to a dead man?

Now that events were unfolding, it was time to lower his head even further and play it safe.

“There may be many complaints, but let’s trust the Emperor’s wise decision and follow along calmly.”

Grand Prince Yeong wanted to end the discussion there, but the others were persistent.

“Isn’t this a matter that cannot be simply dismissed?”

“Even so, we shouldn’t be turning on each other as family.”

Seeing them invoke family, he could vividly imagine them lining their pockets with goods from Joseon through illicit trade.

He had also received his share, so he didn’t openly rebuke them, but Grand Prince Yeong still whispered in a measured tone.

“Let’s wait patiently, very patiently.”

In reality, all these people, who possessed nothing but nominal royal titles and wealth, could do was wait and see.

However, even so…

If the war situation began to turn against the Ming, they would all come to him again, seeking guidance or protection.

“You all should behave yourselves appropriately.”

Grand Prince Yeong patted the imperial family members on the shoulders with a meaningful look, then returned to his manor.

* * *

At first, I thought the Ming Dynasty had finally unsheathed its sword.

“The Ming is concentrating its forces in Jinzhou [a strategically important city in Liaoning, China].”

“Finally?”

I was busy scrambling around dealing with matters in the north and south, but the situation was not improving for the Ming Dynasty, so it made sense that they would try to strike at our main base to end the conflict quickly.

However, it was clear that breaking through our defense lines built around Jinzhou would be a difficult undertaking.

Therefore, I was able to assess the Ming Dynasty’s war preparations with relative ease.

“The Japanese regent seems to suspect a connection between Joseon and the Wokou pirates [Japanese pirates who raided the coasts of China and Korea].”

“Although they did not publicly declare it before the gods, they seemed to be trying to re-establish relations with the Ming, separate from the accusations they had previously made.”

While the shogunate and Kamakura were at odds and bickering, Ouchi’s pacification of Kyushu [the southernmost of Japan’s main islands] was nearing completion.

So, even if friendly relations were established between the Ming and Japan, it was unlikely to lead to the worst-case scenario for us.

However, I felt uneasy about letting things proceed according to the Ming’s intentions.

Our military officials seemed to be plotting to track down and assassinate the Ming envoys as soon as they returned, but the other side was aware of this and secretly left Japan, avoiding the watchful eyes of our military observers.

But the fish that had slipped through the net suddenly emerged as a justification for war.

“We ambushed and annihilated all the Ming envoys on their way back?”

I wondered if someone had acted independently behind my back, but the Cheonghaejin garrison [a major naval base] and the returned military observers vehemently denied any involvement.

“Do you think I’m crazy enough to start a war by slaughtering envoys?”

Such words escaped my mouth unconsciously.

That’s how absurd the justification the Ming Dynasty had fabricated was.

Our subjects’ reactions were similar.

“Now that the Ming has no legitimate reason to attack, they are trying to start a war by fabricating a false justification.”

“The enemy has already decided to invade our territory and is forcibly intimidating us.”

Everyone could only conclude that it was a self-created drama by the Ming Dynasty.

‘I don’t know why they’re going to such lengths to start a war.’

Isn’t it the Emperor’s prerogative to brand anyone he dislikes as a traitor and oppress them?

Did they think that wasn’t sufficient justification, so they added this fabricated incident?

‘Maybe it’s half true.’

Maybe they were attacked by the Wokou pirates we had inadvertently unleashed.

It’s not like the pirates provide daily reports on their targets and loot, so there was a possibility that the Ming envoys were unlucky and fell victim to them.

But there was a higher probability that they were swept away by a storm, or that the Ming Dynasty had fabricated the justification from the beginning.

At least, it was certainly not true that ‘the Joseon navy, disguised as the Ryukyu fleet [a kingdom historically tributary to China], attacked the envoys under the orders of the Joseon court.’

I could guarantee that.

In the end, the answer I gave was simple and direct.

Hwang Eom, who came as an envoy, stammered nervously.

“H-His Majesty has ordered that the detained envoys be returned quickly, and that the King of Joseon come forward and apologize for his great crime.”

“Killing the imperial envoy is a great crime equivalent to attacking the Emperor himself. A very generous offer has been bestowed upon the traitor.”

I cut him off without giving him any room to maneuver.

One of the things Lee Jae [the protagonist] enjoys most is… refusing demands from someone he perceives as powerful!

I had no intention of accepting whatever offer Emperor Xuanzong [the Ming Emperor] presented from the start.

If you’ve drawn your sword, you have to cut something, and it’s impossible to back down now.

It would only dampen the war enthusiasm of our court, which has been ignited with such difficulty.

Hwang Eom also seemed to realize that persuasion was impossible from the outset, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.

I looked down at Hwang Eom and thought.

‘This guy has a tough life.’

Hwang Eom was once a trusted subject of the Yongle Emperor and was aligned with Prince Zhao, but he was in danger of being executed along with Prince Zhao’s downfall.

If he had remained by Prince Zhao’s side instead of coming to Joseon, he would have shared his fate.

However, Hwang Eom survived thanks to our protection, claiming that he had informed us of Prince Zhao’s rebellion, and thanks to Emperor Hongxi’s mercy, but he had been completely sidelined from the center of power since then.

He came with the imperial decree because he was known as an expert on Joseon, but in a situation like this, being an imperial envoy was not a glorious duty, but a potential death sentence.

He must have been sent with the expectation that he would die.

“There’s no need to say more. We have already made up our minds to fight, so the only way to determine right and wrong is on the battlefield. Guards!”

At my signal, the guards strode in and seized Hwang Eom, forcing him to kneel.

“Y-Your Highness! Isn’t it customary not to kill envoys, even during war?”

“Why should we show courtesy to those who falsely accuse us? Furthermore, if we really attacked the envoy as you claim, what difference would it make to add one more person’s blood to the deed?”

Hwang Eom’s face turned ashen.

“T-This can’t be. It can’t be!”

Hwang Eom shouted, but the guards holding his arms didn’t budge.

There’s no way a eunuch with muscles trained on paperwork could overpower them.

Just as Hwang Eom was about to be cleaved in two, a eunuch came trotting along.

It was Noh Hee-bong from the Sangwang Palace [the palace of the retired king].

“Your Highness.”

“What brings you here when you should be attending to the King Emeritus [the retired King, Lee Bang-won]?”

“The King Emeritus ordered me to prevent any rash bloodshed, as he has known Imperial Eunuch Hwang for a long time.”

“Hmph.”

At the words of Noh Hee-bong, the eunuch from the Sangwang Palace, I sighed, pretending to be unable to resist.

“The King Emeritus has spared your life out of his love for all living beings, so I cannot disobey his wishes.”

Hwang Eom’s strength drained from his body in an instant, and he collapsed on the spot.

What good would it do me to kill someone like Hwang Eom?

He’s just a pawn the Ming sent hoping he would die and provide them with a justification for war, so there’s no need to play along with their scheme.

Lee Bang-won knows that too, so he sent a eunuch at the right time to stop me.

“Then may I return now?”

“Of course not. Imprison him until the end of the war.”

Although he was arrested and dragged away, Hwang Eom seemed relieved to have saved his life.

He was such an arrogant man when we first met, but once a person experiences ups and downs, he becomes grateful just to be alive.

Who knows, maybe being captured in Joseon will turn out to be a blessing in disguise this time as well.

“Is the King Emeritus still not feeling well?”

I asked, looking at Noh Hee-bong.

This eunuch, who was my father’s close aide, has also aged considerably.

Still, while Lee Bang-won is ailing, Noh Hee-bong remains healthy, so it seems the saying that eunuchs live long is true.

Good for you, Noh.

“He had just regained some energy when he heard the news and immediately called for Your Highness.

He told me to send a telegram, but I thought it would be faster to come in person.”

The countermeasures can be discussed a little later; I should go to Induk Palace [the King Emeritus’s palace] first.

* * *

“Were you truly going to kill Hwang Eom?”

“I had no real intention of killing Hwang Eom.”

Lee Bang-won, who was lying down, nodded at my answer.

“You did well. Killing or sparing a man like Hwang Eom won’t have any significant impact on the overall situation, but it’s not wise to do ominous things at a time like this.”

“That’s right. I even issued a general amnesty to pray for Father’s health, so I can’t undermine all that sincerity.”

Tearing up, I released hundreds of people from the gulag.

Considering the labor they would provide, it was a pity, but as a filial son, that’s the kind of gesture I want to make to show my devotion.

“I’m not talking about my life. A person’s lifespan is ultimately determined by heaven. How can you extend your lifespan with human power? Even Zhuge Liang [a famous strategist from the Three Kingdoms period] ultimately failed, didn’t he?”

“That’s just a story.”

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which had little recognition when I first arrived in Joseon, is now widely circulated.

Publishing culture is thriving, and exchanges with the Central Plains have become active, so it would be strange if the bestseller Romance of the Three Kingdoms hadn’t made its way here.

“When you were young, you scolded your teachers, saying that nitpicking the words of the classics was something only corrupt scholars did.”

“Yes.”

Don’t tell me you’re going to criticize me for plagiarizing famous lines from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

I knew this day would come, but it’s a good thing my children aren’t present.

If my dark past is revealed in front of them, I might die of shame before Lee Bang-won does.

“If that boast had remained mere words, you would have become even less than a corrupt scholar, but you actually accomplished it.

You have created a world as peaceful as the era of Yao and Shun [legendary sage-kings of ancient China] that they only talked about, or even more so.”

“Is that a backhanded compliment?”

It was still not enough in my eyes. There was so much more I wanted to show Lee Bang-won.

Now, the widespread supply of electricity has only just begun.

“Now there’s only one step left.”

Lee Bang-won grabbed my hand tightly and said.

“If you win the war with the Ming, no one in the world will doubt your qualifications, or those of our royal family.”

I nodded at Lee Bang-won’s words.

That had been his lifelong ambition for some time now.

“We have to win. We must win and make Father the Supreme Emperor.”

Lee Bang-won gave a faint smile at my jest.

“Call your brothers.”

My heart sank at Lee Bang-won’s words.

However, I couldn’t ignore Lee Bang-won’s command.

“I will order Noh to send a telegram. They will come running here in no time.”

My brothers arrived like bullets, as I had promised.

Not only Hyoryeong and Chungnyeong, and Grand Prince Seongnyeong, but also my brothers who had returned from Liaodong [a region in northeastern China], my sisters and younger sisters, all of them.

‘At least that’s a relief.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

I would have been very unfilial if I hadn’t changed my brothers’ affiliations.