There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 430

431. A Tree with Many Branches (5)

“Is this the plan you’ve come up with?”

“…I did get some advice from those around me.”

I nodded at Dan-i’s admission.

It’s better to take good advice than to try to plan, draft, and execute everything yourself and screw it up.

Listening to others is originally the job of a monarch.

He knows that, so he didn’t try to take credit for himself and told me honestly.

“How about sending warships to Gwangju to make port? His Majesty has already ordered us to coordinate with Ryukyu and Baekje to operate a fleet, so if the fleets of the three countries stay in Gwangju and train, it will send a chill down Annam’s [historical name for Vietnam] spine.”

The Southeast Asian waters are already like our own backyard.

Vietnam has no way to defend its ports if our fleet goes there.

If even the warships of vassal states like Ryukyu [Okinawa] and Baekje [ancient Korean kingdom] gather, Vietnam’s thoughts will become complicated, wondering if Joseon [Korea] is seriously considering an invasion.

“We should send a national letter rebuking them for establishing presumptuous etiquette, and tell them to send people to congratulate us when the fleet of the suzerain state arrives.”

“If we also question them about the crime of killing Yeo Chal, they will resist. It would be better to give Yeo Won-ryong a way out.”

Going that far would be interfering in their internal affairs to the point of shaking the king’s legitimacy.

From Yeo Won-ryong’s point of view, he might choose to fight back instead.

“If they don’t submit obediently even after sending the national letter… or if they pretend to obey but still stick to their position?”

“Then we should pressure Guangxi’s Sunmu to send troops unofficially to question them, saying that the Emperor is angry, and actually raise a large army in Yunnan and Guangxi.”

In simple terms, it’s nothing more than a bluff.

But Zhu Yuanzhang [Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty] probably didn’t really intend to strike Goryeo [ancient Korean kingdom] either.

If this happens, it is obvious that there will be a debate in the Vietnamese court.

Although Yeo Won-ryong is leading the state affairs, those who still remember the war with the Ming Dynasty will be the mainstream of the court.

No wonder he is Zhu Yuanzhang’s grandson, Dan-i’s plan had similar aspects to the Ming Dynasty’s pressure on Goryeo.

They don’t actually intend to go to war, but they strongly create a war crisis by bluffing through various channels.

If that happens, of course, Vietnam will be very embarrassed.

‘Are you still going to test the waters even now? Even now?’

If Yeo Won-ryong is a spineless guy, he will obediently submit, and if not, wouldn’t he be flustered?

Since they had been subtly looking at advancing into Liangguang since the time of the previous king when the Ming Dynasty was collapsing, the idea of ​​taking a preemptive strike would not be an impossible one.

In fact, it doesn’t matter even if they do.

‘Then all we have to do is beat them up as they come up.’

The important thing is to prevent our troops from being tied up in Vietnam for years.

That damn terrain is overwhelmingly advantageous for the defender over the attacker, and there is almost no possibility that we will lose.

Even if a full-scale war breaks out in the worst case, if we eat up all the main forces that rush towards the Central Plains without knowing anything, Yeo Won-ryong is finished.

If not, a Vietnamese version of Yi Seong-gye [founder of Joseon Dynasty] will come out and do a ‘Wihwado Retreat’ [historical revolt].

In any case, the conclusion is that Vietnam has no choice but to bow its head.

“Even if we go to war, we should not establish something like the Office of Royal Lectures. Annam is far away and there is nothing to gain, so it would be better to show the generosity of a suzerain state by continuing the interrupted lineage and establishing a new king.”

You have learned the lessons that Yongle [Ming Dynasty emperor] left to posterity well.

He knows that investing national power in a place that is difficult to directly govern is meaningless.

“You’ve grown up now too.”

“Yes?”

I said, looking at Dan-i.

“As Joseon becomes a powerful country, there are always guys who are impatient because they can’t use their overflowing power. If you don’t control this properly, it will fester quickly.”

Even if Joseon’s power seems infinite now, if you invest it in all directions, it will eventually run out.

It has no choice but to be that way.

So, the key is whether you can grab the reins properly in time.

At least he is considering the minimum about the handling of Annam’s affairs, instead of just firing cannons indiscriminately, so it is a fortunate thing.

In times like now, when the empire’s expansion is over and entering a period of stability, dissatisfaction is bound to arise in many ways.

The guys next to my son would have wanted to start a war first.

‘If they had, I would have stepped in and smashed their heads.’

“Now I can hand over the throne without worrying.”

“Ugh……”

Dan-i made a strange noise.

He probably guessed that might be the case, but it must be new to hear it directly from my mouth.

“You are still healthy, is it already time?”

Dan-i jumped up and said.

Yes, if you didn’t show that much action, your dad would have been disappointed.

“I had already inherited the throne when I was your age. My current age is similar to Emperor Taejong’s [Joseon Dynasty king] age at that time.”

“Aren’t I already in charge of most state affairs? Wouldn’t it be okay to continue in the form of acting as regent?”

“That’s not desirable. It’s not bad to have the crown prince act as regent because he can gain experience in state affairs, but there’s no need to occupy the position even though you’ve already reached a sufficient level, wouldn’t you say?”

I continued, driving in the wedge.

“I have already conveyed my intentions to your uncle and the court officials.”

Without this prior work, it would be nothing more than a show of abdication, not an abdication.

Dan-i, realizing that my will was already firm, was silent.

I asked my son, who was bowing his head with an expression that he still found it difficult to handle, to change the atmosphere.

“So, what are you going to do about the great-grandson issue? Has anyone mentioned the issue of establishing an heir?”

“Didn’t you say that there was no need to rush until now?”

“That’s right. I’m just asking what you think.”

If I set my mind to it, the lineage of my grandsons would not be a problem.

Even Dan-i and my other children have half Ming blood mixed in, so what.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad to make the child I have in mind as the heir.

‘After all, is it the eldest son?’

It is better to have a clear standard to avoid a family feud.

Everyone will think that they are equal illegitimate children, but then there may be various rumors.

We should set a clear standard and go.

In that respect, the eldest grandson, Yi Gyu, was the best.

Anyway, Dan-i doesn’t seem to be very affectionate and friendly with his wife, so he seems to be pouring his affection into his children, and among them, Imjonwang tended to follow his father well.

However, Dan-i scratched his cheek and said instead.

“Well… shouldn’t we think about it slowly, as Your Majesty said?”

“Really?”

It’s an unexpected answer.

“Still, aren’t there those who advise that it is not good to have the heir vacant?”

“This is our family’s business before it is the nation’s business, so who dares to interfere like this?”

It was an unexpectedly firm answer.

At this point, is his own view合格 [gōuké – up to standard]?

I smiled with satisfaction as I watched my retirement plan fall into place.

Once Dan-i has brought Annam to its knees, I can announce my retirement plan and finish it.

That’s what I thought.

* * *

Anyone who welcomes a new era has the same desire to take the lead in the king’s ascension and receive his favor.

However, as with this kind of thing, if you act out of line without paying attention, you could end up losing your head.

Those without greed kept their mouths shut to blend in with the flow, but those who didn’t wanted to get on the train led by the new king first.

For that reason, a battle of wits was taking place in the court to read the king’s hidden intentions.

And the person who knew the intentions better than anyone else were the old subjects, the close aides of the emperor, who had been secretly clicking their tongues, saying that he would not step down.

The stories coming out of their mouths are actually the emperor’s true feelings, so they have no choice but to look at their mouths.

Minister of War Kim Jong-seo was also the same.

If there is an abdication, there will be a cabinet reshuffle first.

In particular, wouldn’t Crown Prince Yi Dan want to use his own people in the military?

Of course, he wouldn’t immediately reveal himself because of the emperor’s awareness, but if he continues to stand by for a few years without real power and fails to jump to the position of prime minister and retires, what is the difference from resigning immediately?

Kim Jong-seo thought that it would be better to lend a hand to the crown prince’s ascension in advance.

If it was Hwang Hee, who usually had a ‘relationship’, he would surely tell him the direction of the emperor’s heart.

So, he asked cautiously like this.

“There are rude rumors circulating in the court, shouldn’t you, as the head of the court, crack down on them?”

This was referring to Hwang Hee’s silence on various rumors.

“What are the rude rumors you are talking about?”

“The story that His Majesty is abdicating the throne.”

Then Hwang Hee sternly shouted.

“The Minister is a senior official of the court and has served the Lord for decades, so how can he be swayed by such trivial rumors and come to me?”

This is, of course, the original story that must come out.

Hwang Hee is the person who has eaten the most court rice among the living humans right now. There is no way he would answer in a way like ‘Um, it’s not a rumor, it’s true’.

“Then does that mean it is a groundless rumor?”

Hwang Hee avoided giving an immediate answer to Kim Jong-seo’s question.

“Even if that story is true, His Majesty is still young, so how can a subject agree to it? In terms of loyalty, our loyal subjects should stop it with the determination to pour out their brains!”

“Yes, that’s right. But His Majesty is a wise man, so if he really had such a mind, there must be a reason. Then wouldn’t it be impossible to criticize him for understanding such a heart?”

Kim Jong-seo asked, subtly agreeing.

At this point, if an answer like ‘I see, you are right’ comes out, it will be real.

If he takes a stance of ‘I must risk my life to advise him to abdicate, but if the Emperor’s heart is firm, there is nothing I can do’, there will be no problem.

However, Hwang Hee shouted even more strongly, unlike his usual self who pretended to be indecisive.

“Those who dare to talk about this and that behind the scenes about the great position will do so! But they are truly disloyal and unfilial people! Even if such people act rashly, this old man cannot do that.”

‘Was it a trap after all!’

If the Prime Minister comes out like this, the other old subjects like Maeng Sa-seong and Heo Jo are the same.

That means that the Emperor is doing this to clearly distinguish who the court is following in order to distinguish the jade from the stone.

Whether they follow him or power.

Sweat dripped down Kim Jong-seo’s back.

Although he was in the north, he was a person who ate salary when Yi Bang-won [King Taejong] gave the servants a chance to show their skills with the abdication show.

The current Emperor is the son of that Taejong.

‘Is His Majesty getting older and more like the late Emperor?’

As expected, the court had been peaceful for a long time, so I had forgotten, but originally, wasn’t Joseon a place where prisons would break out from time to time and prime ministers and the king’s in-laws would be beheaded one after another?

Kim Jong-seo, who thought of the great purge that took place in Ryukyu as someone else’s business, could not help but overlap with the current situation.

“The Prime Minister is right.”

“Yes! You must never abdicate! I, no, would the people of Joseon have let His Majesty escape from the throne?