Chapter 39: A Debt of Boundless Gratitude
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Chapter 39: A Debt of Gratitude
Zhu Di could not simply take Xu Jingchang’s word for it. As soon as he returned, he dispatched Ji Gang to investigate and inquire into the movements of the Korean envoys. He even arranged for men to enter the guesthouse, obtain the records they had compiled, and bring them into the palace.
After three days of investigation, Zhu Di was beside himself with rage.
Among the many reports, one rumor infuriated him above all others.
Its general claim was that after four years of fighting to seize the throne, Zhu Di had suffered a crippling injury and was incapable of fathering children. After entering Yingtian, he supposedly took pleasure in slaughtering palace maids day and night. More than a dozen former consorts and attendants of the Jianwen Emperor had allegedly been executed by dismemberment…
“Shameless! Utter nonsense!”
Zhu Di was practically exploding with fury. The Son of Heaven was being branded impotent, and accused of dismembering palace maids as well. How had they even managed to invent such filth?
For a petty little country to harbor such vicious intentions was downright poisonous.
“Go. Summon every senior minister. I have questions for them!”
The Six Ministries, the Nine卿, several dukes and hereditary nobles, and all the academicians of the Grand Secretariat came before him. They were, in essence, the people who held the greatest authority in the Ming court.
Zhu Di went straight to the point. “Ministry of Rites, what is the situation with Korea, our vassal state?”
The Minister of Rites, Song Li, pondered briefly before stepping forward. “Your Majesty, Korea is separated from us by mountains and sea, a land fashioned by Heaven itself. As a country of the Eastern Barbarians, it has always been submissive. Since the founding of the Great Ming, it has acknowledged our suzerainty and paid tribute regularly. Among all the vassal states, it ranks among the most exemplary.”
Hearing such lavish praise, Zhu Di actually laughed in anger. “Then do you know what the Korean envoys have been collecting and asking about in the capital?”
Song Li had no idea, but could only answer vaguely. “As envoys from a foreign state, it is only natural for them to learn about the circumstances of the superior kingdom and observe its customs and the lives of its people. I have heard that Korea considers itself a lesser China and imitates the superior kingdom in every respect. Gathering unusual anecdotes and curious tales is hardly—hardly anything worth concern, is it?”
“Is that so?”
Zhu Di gave a cold laugh. “Minister Song, I have here some of the material the Korean envoys collected in the marketplace. Take a look.”
As he spoke, Zhu Di tossed out several sheets of paper. They scattered through the air like heavenly maidens spreading flowers before landing at Song Li’s feet.
The Grand Minister of the Ministry of Rites immediately sensed that something was wrong. Trembling, he picked up the papers. After only a few glances, cold sweat began to pour down his face, and his expression changed drastically.
“This—this is slanderous nonsense! Utter drivel!”
Zhu Di snorted coldly. “That wretched little country has devoted itself to collecting bizarre rumors and absurd tales, spreading lies and slandering the emperor of the superior kingdom. What exactly are they trying to do? Does your Ministry of Rites know of their treacherous ambitions?”
Song Li was struck speechless once again. It was perfectly normal for Korea to collect strange stories and unusual incidents from the Great Ming, record them, and send them back home. But to fabricate claims that Zhu Di was impotent, and even accuse him of dismembering palace maids—that went far beyond the limit.
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One had to understand that everything their envoys recorded would eventually be entered into their history books. What kind of image Zhu Di would have in those records was almost too horrifying to imagine…
“Your Majesty, I believe that this must be the result of confusion on the part of Korea’s envoys. You could issue an edict reprimanding them and order them to mend their ways at once. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Zhu Di pressed.
Song Li paused. “Otherwise, we could forbid them from paying tribute…”
The moment he finished speaking, someone burst into loud laughter.
“Truly worthy of being a senior minister of the superior kingdom—what a temper! You are displeased with a vassal state, so you forbid them from coming to pay tribute. Why does that sound like a child throwing a tantrum and saying, ‘I’m not playing with you anymore’? Am I right?”
The speaker was Xu Jingchang. Song Li’s aged face instantly flushed red.
“Commissioner Xu, you jest.”
Xu Jingchang became solemn. “I am not jesting. Minister Song, do you know how Korea was founded?”
“I have heard a little. Yi Seong-gye was originally a military official of Goryeo. After repeatedly distinguishing himself in battle, he seized control of the government, then usurped Goryeo and became the ruler of Korea.”
Xu Jingchang nodded. “Indeed. He was a powerful minister who usurped the throne, a figure comparable to Wang Mang, Dong Zhuo, or Sima Yi. He once defeated Naghachu, driving his army close to Liaoyang. The lands of Liaodong, a thousand miles of territory, all fell into his hands. Does that debt not need to be settled?”
At those words, Zhu Di’s entire body jolted.
Naghachu had been the Grand Preceptor of the former Yuan dynasty. Not long after Zhu Di had received his fief, he had campaigned against Naghachu alongside Feng Sheng, Lan Yu, and others, reclaiming all of Liaodong. That campaign had marked the beginning of Zhu Di’s emergence as a formidable commander.
He had never imagined that, even earlier, Naghachu had already suffered defeat at Yi Seong-gye’s hands.
“So this Yi Seong-gye was no ordinary man,” Zhu Di murmured.
“Indeed,” Xu Jingchang replied at once. “Judging by his achievements, he could be counted among the heroes of the late Yuan. He was a contemporary of the Taizu Emperor. It is only because he was born in a foreign land that he lacked the ability to contend for the Central Plain. Even so, by persuading rebels and defectors to surrender, he pushed Korea’s borders all the way to the Tumen River. Vast stretches of the old Han and Tang territories fell into Korean hands.”
Zhu Di’s expression darkened immediately. “How can the lands of our forefathers be abandoned? My imperial father had no time to settle accounts with them, but I will not let them off. This Yi Seong-gye must not be spared!”
Xu Jingchang smiled. “Your Majesty need not worry. In his old age, Yi Seong-gye favored his youngest son, plunging the country into chaos. His fifth son seized the opportunity to rebel, imprisoned Yi Seong-gye, and took power for himself. He even proclaimed himself king. One might almost call it filial devotion between father and son.”
This was essentially Korea’s version of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. When Yi Seong-gye later returned to the palace, he had even intended to shoot his beloved son dead with a bow and arrow. The affection between father and son was positively heartwarming.
Compared with them, Lü Bu and Grand Tutor Dong could almost be called model father and son.
The officials of the Great Ming had little interest in the sordid affairs of a petty foreign country. Many of them knew anything about the matter only because Xu Jingchang had just explained it.
Zhu Di looked over them, then fixed his gaze on Song Li and snorted. “Do you know why Korea has been collecting these rumors and composing slanderous accounts about me?”
Song Li was sweating profusely. “I understand now. Their intentions are malicious indeed and must be severely punished!”
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“How should they be punished? Merely suspending their tribute?”
Song Li hesitated. “Your Majesty, Korea lies far away, cut off by mountains and rivers. To dispatch an army against them would require enormous expense and might not be prudent…”
Zhu Di merely snorted and glanced at Xu Jingchang. “What do you think?”
“Your Majesty, the ruler of Korea imprisoned his own father, defied filial duty, spied on the Great Ming, and slandered his sovereign father. Such a beast without loyalty or filial piety cannot be allowed to remain in this world. I humbly beg Your Majesty to send armies by land and sea to punish the rebellious son and restore Yi Seong-gye to the throne!”
Zhu Di thought for a moment, then asked, “How do you propose that the land and naval forces advance together?”
“My view is that Zheng He should lead a fleet northward. Your Majesty could dispatch the Duke of Cao with five thousand troops to accompany the fleet and raid the Korean coast. Kill and destroy without restraint. From the direction of Liaodong, the First Imperial Son could oversee the army, with the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Neng; the veteran general Sheng Yong; and the deputy commander Ping An, who knows Liaodong well, commanding fifty thousand troops between them. Taking advantage of the rivers freezing in winter, they could drive straight into Korean territory. If necessary, they could requisition grain locally and sustain the army through warfare. Within a few months, the results would certainly be spectacular.”
Zhu Di was still pondering. “With the land and naval forces advancing together, the display would be immense. I fear that the slightest misstep could blunt our momentum. I am inclined to lead the army myself and undertake the campaign in person…”
Before Zhu Di could finish, Xu Jingchang’s face darkened.
Damn it, could he not stay out of this for once?
Fortunately, Yao Guangxiao stepped forward at that moment.
“Your Majesty, Goryeo is only a minor country, entirely unlike the Mongol tribes. It is hardly worthy of the Son of Heaven personally leading an expedition. Moreover, whenever the Son of Heaven campaigns in person, complete victory must be achieved. In this case, all that is necessary is to assist Yi Seong-gye in reclaiming the throne. Even if that fails, we must still punish Korea’s rebellious and unfilial ruler severely, so that they may understand the thunderous wrath of the superior kingdom. That will be sufficient.”
At last, Zhu Di nodded in agreement.
Li Jinglong had been given the opportunity to command an army, and he was so delighted that he danced for joy.
The next day, he hurried to the Bureau of Communications to thank Xu Jingchang for his immense favor.
“Commissioner Xu, say no more. I thank you. You have brought me back to life. From now on, I, Li Jinglong, will follow you through life and death. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do.”
Xu Jingchang rolled his eyes and snorted. “With words like that, you will still come to no good end. Keep your distance from me while you can, lest you drag me down with you.”
Li Jinglong’s expression changed drastically. “What—what do you mean?”
Xu Jingchang snorted. “Do you know why I recommended that the First Imperial Son command the army?”
Li Jinglong paused, then thought it over. “To help build the First Imperial Son’s reputation?”
“It is because only the First Imperial Son can protect all of you!” Xu Jingchang snorted. “When all is said and done, this is still the world of the nobles who helped win the Jingnan Campaign. Even if they throw caution to the winds and act recklessly, nothing will happen to them. People like you, however, are carrying eggs in your hands while constantly guarding against someone reaching in and crushing them. Only by following the First Imperial Son can you remain safe and secure. Do you understand?”
“I understand, I understand!” Li Jinglong nodded hurriedly. “But no matter what, Commissioner Xu, you are like a second set of parents to me. I will remember your immense kindness for the rest of my life.”
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