There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 421

422. The World Now (2)

Onsado, who had defected to Joseon as a child with nothing to his name, and who had moved even the iron-willed Yi Bang-won with his dedication, eventually reclaimed the throne of Namsan.

Moreover, having achieved the monumental task of unifying the three mountains, his status within Ryukyu was comparable to that of Taejo Wang Geon of Goryeo [founder of the Goryeo dynasty].

There was another similarity to Wang Geon.

He, too, shouldered the national burden of marriage alliances with powerful local families.

With twice the number of alliances compared to Wang Geon, wouldn’t it be fair to say he was twice as great as Taejo of Goryeo?

However, human life is finite.

Even a hero like Onsado was destined to damage his health if he dedicated himself so completely to ‘state affairs’.

Onsado, who had been managing state affairs with the aid of elixirs brought from Joseon, eventually passed away at a young age.

The cause of death was overwork.

Emperor Ije of Joseon posthumously bestowed the title of Gyeongmu [a posthumous honorific meaning “reverent and martial”] on this wise ruler, the de facto founder of the nation who had devoted himself to his people, and mourned his passing.

Subsequently, Ryukyu’s Crown Prince On Ryuhwan ascended to the throne, inheriting his late father’s will, but the repercussions of the great king’s death were not easily overcome.

In particular, the complex succession, intertwined as it was with the interests of local magnates, posed a significant problem.

Early on, Onsado had recognized his eldest son, On Ryuhwan, as his successor, sending him to study in Joseon and entrusting him with the conquest of Satsuma, showing him considerable favor.

However, conversely, didn’t that also mean that On Ryuhwan had been unable to establish a strong power base within the country?

“The King has not been on the throne long, but he is already demonstrating a lack of ability, which is a great concern for the country.”

“Sugar is rotting unsold in every port!”

“To think that the country would fall into such misery so soon after the king’s passing. I cannot stand idly by!”

Regardless of whether sugar was rotting or not, with domestic discontent so widespread, ambitious individuals were bound to emerge.

The slump in Ryukyu’s sugar industry had begun towards the end of Onsado’s reign, coinciding with the opening of the Jiangnan market [region south of the Yangtze River in China, known for its economic prosperity].

However, as always, rebellions start because people desire them, and the reasons are merely convenient justifications.

On Ryuhwan was Onsado’s only son by his official wife, but he had countless half-brothers.

Among them, there were bound to be those who thought, ‘A perfect opportunity has arisen,’ and conspired with their maternal relatives.

Especially given the current economic crisis facing the Ryukyu magnates.

“That’s right. In such extraordinary times, we should be serving a wise man as king!”

“Are you referring to the Eighth Prince?”

“Indeed. Isn’t the Eighth Prince also a son of King Gyeongmu? Even his maternal grandmother was a renowned Noro [Okinawan priestess] in this Ryukyu land.”

They were all consumed by dreams of overthrowing the current king and seizing power.

“Then how should we deal with the Queen?”

In Naha, the outer harbor of Shuri Castle, lay a Joseon naval base.

Although called an outer harbor, Naha had grown larger than Shuri and was now so closely connected that it could be considered part of the castle itself.

Moreover, even if they succeeded in seizing power, it would be futile if the suzerain state of Joseon did not approve.

“I doubt the Queen, raised in the palace, will directly oppose us. Isn’t securing Joseon’s approval the main thing anyway?”

“If we depose the current king and enthrone a new one, wouldn’t it be possible to have him take the current Queen as his wife?”

“That’s a brilliant idea!”

“If the new king is also the son-in-law of the Emperor of the suzerain state, why would they have any reason to interfere?”

“The suzerain state will never approve of it.”

A student who had returned from studying in Joseon spoke, his face paling.

Re-marriage customs like *hyungsa chwisu* [fraternal polyandry, where a widow marries her late husband’s brother] were common not only in Goguryeo but also worldwide, but not in Joseon.

He had attended the meeting without realizing they were plotting such treason.

However, he was met with a cold response.

“You studied with the king in Joseon and developed unnecessary affection? Wake up! Your cousin is not the king sitting in Shuri Palace, but the Eighth Prince here!”

“…Father!”

His face was contorted with despair, but no one there understood the depth of his feelings.

Nor his resolve.

* * *

The investigation that began with the Eighth Prince’s accusation of treason quickly spread throughout Ryukyu.

Initially, only a few people present at that meeting were arrested based on the accusation, but soon the names of other magnates began to emerge from their confessions, like sweet potato vines being pulled from the earth.

In less than a month, the number of those arrested swelled from a handful to dozens, then to hundreds.

The Seogeom’s [Office of Royal Decrees] fearsome blade, which fabricated crimes even where none existed, swept through more than half of the Ryukyu magnates.

Some were *wǒnyuān* [wrongfully accused], some were genuinely involved in heinous plots, and some were implicated in entirely different acts of treason, but the outcome was the same for all.

Those caught in the investigation or crushed in the rebellion desperately grasped at any lifeline, leading to sporadic uprisings, but they stood no chance against the Ryukyu court, backed by the Joseon army from the outset.

Those caught in the investigation or defeated in rebellion were all hanged, and their territories were confiscated by the Ryukyu royal family and court.

Only then did the traitors realize.

It wasn’t that On Ryuhwan lacked a power base in Ryukyu.

He simply didn’t need one.

However, On Ryuhwan himself trembled at the cruelty of the measures.

“In this investigation, the most heinous traitors were beheaded, their families enslaved, and their clan lands seized by the court.”

“However, those dealt with are merely the hands and feet of the traitors; the heart and mind of the treason still remain. I implore Your Majesty to make a decisive choice.”

As the ministers prostrated themselves and spoke, On Ryuhwan answered, holding his forehead.

“Is there still something left?”

“There are several who have abandoned filial piety and fraternity as sons of the late king, harboring heinous intentions. We must not leave them unpunished.”

At those words, On Ryuhwan sighed deeply.

“I will withdraw for a moment. Discuss the detailed charges and present them to me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

On Ryuhwan’s steps towards the inner palace grew slower and slower.

The hundreds of court ladies standing in attendance on the way to the inner palace were all fiercely imposing.

In the innermost room, Queen Yi Gyeong was reading a book behind a screen.

“Would… wouldn’t it be better to spare my siblings?”

“Oh my.”

At On Ryuhwan’s question, Yi Gyeong narrowed her eyes and closed the book.

“Has the court requested the punishment of the royal brothers?”

“…”

“Wouldn’t it be best to act as you see fit?”

When On Ryuhwan asked back, his face brightening, Yi Gyeong tapped the desk and said.

“Since Your Majesty studied in Joseon, you must have heard how my grandfather punished the traitors, correct?”

“Y-yes. But now is different from then…”

“At that time, my grandmother took out armor and dressed Taejong [King Taejong of Joseon], urging him to take action, did she not?

If Taejong had hesitated, could his father’s reign have come to pass?”

She was the one who insisted on expanding the investigation as soon as she sensed treason.

She was also the one who promptly requested the Joseon army’s intervention and crushed the rebellion.

No matter how he looked at it, Yi Gyeong was playing both the Yi Bang-won [King Taejong’s personal name before ascending the throne] and Queen Wongyeong [King Taejong’s wife, known for her political acumen] roles, but On Ryuhwan couldn’t bring himself to point that out.

“Now you are not alone. You must carefully consider and make a choice that will benefit the dynasty.”

As Yi Gyeong stroked her belly, On Ryuhwan had no words to refute.

The Queen’s appearance was no different from the person he had longed for, but her personality was completely different.

“With this incident, the disloyal have been eliminated, and only those who obey the king’s orders remain. It can truly be seen as a blessing in disguise. Is that not so?”

The balance of power between the royal family and the magnates, previously strained, had been significantly altered by this incident.

The Ryukyu magnates were either swept away or prostrating themselves before the court’s blade.

The centralization of power, which Onsado had strived for throughout his reign but could not fully achieve, had been firmly established due to the investigation.

“The treacherous ones have disappeared, but if the country’s situation does not improve, such people will rise again someday.”

At Yi Gyeong’s words, On Ryuhwan nodded slightly.

“I have already sent a letter to the home country requesting assistance in managing the surplus sugar. However, this is only a temporary measure. We must find other solutions.”

Ryukyu’s distorted industrial structure was the result of the sugar demand from Cheonghaejin [a Joseon trading hub] and the greed of the Ryukyu magnates.

The Ryukyu royal family’s situation, lacking direct control over any territory, also contributed.

Until now, the plantation economy, selling profitable sugar and importing even rice and other necessities, had functioned well, but the situation changed after Joseon conquered Ming.

The abolition of the maritime ban and the subsequent opening of the Jiangnan market.

Even Ryukyu, which had covered its entire land with sugarcane fields, could not compete with the overwhelming volume of Jiangnan sugar.

As sugar prices plummeted, Ryukyu was thrown into turmoil.

Ryukyu’s native products were conch shells, clam shells, and sulfur, but selling those items now would not be very profitable.

Fortunately, the other pillar of the Ryukyu economy, entrepôt trade [re-exporting goods], was still reasonably successful, but even that was gradually being taken over by ships using Jiangnan ports like Zhejiang and Fujian.

It was fortunate that they had heavily invested in the fleet when they had the resources.

“In the end, we have no choice but to increase the size of the country.”

“Are you suggesting we completely annex the Satsuma Province?”

The *kuni* [provinces] of Kyushu were all reorganized into Damro and incorporated into Baekje’s territory, but Satsuma, at the southern tip of Kyushu, was different.

Ryukyu had previously occupied this area and made it a colony, so Baekje did not bother to seize it by force.

Satsuma is larger than the entire Ryukyu mainland combined.

During the reign of Onsado, the previous generation, they only focused on mobilizing Ryukyu’s fleet to extract manpower and food from the region, but Yi Gyeong’s idea was different.

If the Satsuma people were treated as slaves, they would naturally view Ryukyu as an external enemy to be defeated.

“In the future, integrating the Satsuma people as Ryukyu citizens will be a long-term project.”

Yi Gyeong continued.

“Also, the home country does not seem particularly interested in that Soyukyu [Taiwan] land. They must be focusing all their efforts on managing that vast Manchuria and the Central Plains.”

Joseon’s main concerns are those two. That’s certain.

If there is surplus population, they must send it to Manchuria and scatter it in the Central Plains, focusing on transplanting the Joseon system, so they lack the *yeoyu* [leeway/capacity] to pay attention to Taiwan.

Ryukyu’s population is small, but that’s only in absolute numbers.

To address the population that has already grown beyond Ryukyu’s food production capacity, they must send people elsewhere.

Taiwan’s name itself is Soyukyu.

Wouldn’t it be fair to say that it is a historically recognized living area of the Ryukyu people?

Yi Gyeong rubbed her hands together.

The time had come to envision the future she had always, always desired.

Nothing could stand in the way of her who had achieved her dream.