Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 528 You want to talk to me about recovering lost territory?
One hundred thousand catties of lead is fifty tons, and fifty tons per year. For a small country like Goryeo, and given the current ancient smelting technology, this was certainly not a small amount.

China does have its own lead mines, but most are located in Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Gansu, and Hunan. Yunnan, Gansu, and Guangdong have not yet been reclaimed, and Hunan is the only place where mining is convenient.

Liaodong certainly has mines, for example, there are large lead-zinc mines in the Ming-occupied area on the border between the Ming Dynasty and Goryeo. However, Liaodong has too few people and no machinery at present, so mining relies entirely on manpower. Liaodong simply cannot undertake such a task.

Besides, lead is a toxic substance, especially lead smelting. Inhaling too much lead vapor can damage the nerves and make people stupid. Now that there is a clear opportunity to get something for free from Goryeo, Lu Jin certainly wouldn't harm his own people. Getting Goryeo to provide manpower and resources to help him mine lead is the best choice.

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen, who was kneeling to the side, had an uncertain expression on his face. Lu Jin had just demanded 20,000 warhorses and another 6,000 each year. Now he was making an outrageous demand for 100,000 catties of lead each year. Judging from this, if they did not agree, the matter of becoming a vassal and being granted a title might not be able to be accomplished. Did he really want to turn against the Ming Dynasty?

However, considering Goryeo's current predicament of internal and external troubles, it was really not advisable to make enemies with such a powerful neighbor as the Ming Dynasty. If the Japanese pirates were just a minor ailment, then the Ming Dynasty next door was truly capable of destroying Goryeo! Not to mention anything else, the 200,000 elite Ming troops from Liaodong alone would be something Goryeo could not easily withstand.

Moreover, the Shuangcheng General Administration is still in the hands of the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming army is determined to attack Goryeo, it can break into the heart of the Goryeo capital region from the east coast of the peninsula at any time. Once the Ming army breaks into the heart of the country, not to mention whether Goryeo will perish, at least the most prosperous capital region will inevitably be ravaged by the Ming Dynasty. If such losses happen a few more times, Goryeo will really not be able to withstand it.

Think back to nearly a century ago, how did the Mongols conquer Goryeo? They launched nine campaigns against Goryeo! Nine campaigns!

Every time the Mongol army came, they did nothing but massacre cities, seize women, and plunder wealth. They didn't occupy any land and didn't fight any city sieges or defenses with Goryeo. They simply looted and killed and left. Wherever the Mongol army passed, it was like a locust swarm passing through, leaving only a blank expanse.

After nine such beatings, Goryeo was completely subdued. No one could withstand such dull, stabbing pain. Before the wounds from the previous beating had even healed, they were stabbed again to bleed them dry. Goryeo was truly terrified of being beaten, and they really didn't want the newly rising Ming Dynasty to treat them like this again.
Thinking of this, Lian Tichen took a deep breath, silently recited "compromise and compromise" twice, and then changed his mind.

Given Lu Jin's domineering style, it's impossible not to give these things. However, while these things can be given, Goryeo's core demands must also be met as much as possible. If these costs can be used to obtain one or two conditions that are beneficial to Goryeo, it's not entirely out of the question.

Thinking of this, Lian Tichen looked up and said, "If the superior country wants to sweep away the remnants of the Yuan invaders, it needs lead to make firearms. The inferior country naturally has the obligation to help the superior country share the burden. If what Your Majesty said is true, and Goryeo really has two large lead mines, it is not impossible to produce 100,000 catties of lead a year."

"After I return to my country, I will certainly inform the king and explain the advantages and disadvantages involved. I believe that my lord will not refuse."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin's expression flashed with surprise, but it was fleeting. He then nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good. I knew that Goryeo must be a country that understands the greater good and is truly willing to fight alongside the Ming Dynasty against the Yuan."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Seeing Lu Jin finally nod, Lian Tichen breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked, "Does Your Majesty have any further requests for our small nation?"

Lu Jin's astonishment deepened. What was wrong with Lian Tichen? Was he perhaps a masochist? Or was he addicted to being abused?
However, such opportunities to get something for free are rare. Since Lian Tichen took the initiative to ask about the request, Lu Jin couldn't be blamed for being ruthless.

He immediately picked up the official letter again, looked at the list of tribute items on it, and said calmly, "I see that there are two hundred Goryeo women among the tribute items listed?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This is bad." But then he gritted his teeth and said, "It is true."

Lu Jin then put the list aside and once again solemnly stated his demands.

"These two hundred tribute women are really useless. I don't lack women to serve me. What use are these two hundred women?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen immediately raised his head and looked at Lu Jin in disbelief. He thought he had misheard. This ruthless man actually had something to complain about? Did he intend to return those two hundred tribute women?

However, the next moment, upon hearing Lu Jin's next words, he realized he was wrong and nearly coughed up blood again.
"I have no shortage of women to serve me, but the soldiers fighting against the Yuan on the front lines are suffering greatly. Many of them are still unmarried and do not even have wives to wash their clothes or care for them. Since Goryeo is willing to offer women as tribute to our superior nation, surely they cannot bear to see those patriots who are fighting against the Yuan lonely and miserable. Shouldn't you all do something to help them?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen felt a wave of dizziness and nearly fainted. If 20,000 horses and 100,000 catties of lead were relatively easy to obtain, then providing each of the hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers in the north with a wife would require hundreds of thousands of women. Even if Goryeo were to be wiped out, they still couldn't get that many women.
"Your Majesty! It's not that our country is unwilling to give, but with hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers, Goryeo is truly willing but unable to do so. If we were to forcibly conscript women to pay tribute within our own borders, not only would it be difficult to do, but if word got out, it would also damage the reputation of our superior nation. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately nodded, "Of course I know, but didn't I say that I would assign a woman to each soldier? Don't worry, I certainly won't make things difficult for you."

"How about this, 20,000 tribute women?"

Lian Tichen's eyes widened immediately. He was about to speak, but before he could utter a sound, Lu Jin said again, "It's settled then. Don't worry, I will definitely not make things difficult for you. This tribute of women will only happen once. I will never ask for it again in the future."

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will definitely inform the King when I return and try my best to meet Your Majesty's request, so as to show the sincerity of Goryeo in resisting the Yuan together with the Ming Dynasty!"

Lu Jin immediately said with satisfaction, "That's excellent. Goryeo is so loyal to the Ming Dynasty, which shows Wang Zhuan's heartfelt desire to serve his country. If we don't grant him the title of prince, it would be a disservice to him."

"In that case, when you return this time, I will send an envoy to accompany you back to the country to finalize the investiture as soon as possible, so as to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Seeing that Lu Jin had finally relented, Lian Tichen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace on behalf of the King."

"Well, Mr. Lian, you've come a long way and must be tired. Now that things have been settled, why don't we go back to our lodgings to rest first? Once I've finished arranging the investiture mission, I'll immediately return to our country with you. What do you say?"

However, to everyone's surprise, Lian Tichen, who had just been yielding, suddenly changed his tactics and launched an attack on Lu Jin.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Although I am old, the affairs of our two nations are of paramount importance, and I cannot afford to rest. Since Your Majesty has just mentioned the joint resistance against the Yuan Dynasty, I also have a matter concerning this resistance. I humbly request Your Majesty to help our humble nation.” “Oh? The resistance against the Yuan? What is it? Tell me.” Lu Jin gave a noncommittal reply, but inwardly he was unconcerned, and took a sip of his tea.

Now that all the pro-Yuan factions in Goryeo have been purged, and Goryeo doesn't border the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty, what else could Goryeo possibly have to do with resisting the Yuan? It's probably just that this old guy is using this as an excuse to try and get something back from the Ming Dynasty.

As Lu Jin was thinking this, sure enough, he heard Lian Tichen say something.

"Your Majesty, since the two countries are jointly resisting the Yuan, and Goryeo has contributed a lot of funds this time, the Shuangcheng General Administration was originally land that the Yuan invaders forcibly seized from Goryeo. Although there are still remnants of the Yuan dynasty trapped in the northern desert, the Yuan dynasty has been destroyed. I wonder if Your Majesty can decide to return the Shuangcheng General Administration, which was seized by the Yuan court, to Goryeo."
"Goryeo will continue to fight against the Japanese pirates together with the Celestial Empire. Since the Celestial Empire still lacks a place to settle down and station troops in the East China Sea, our humble nation is willing to offer Jeju Island in exchange for the Shuangcheng General Administration Office that the Yuan Dynasty seized from Goryeo. We hope Your Majesty will consider our nation's sincere desire to serve the country and show some understanding."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin's face immediately turned cold. He put down his teacup and said in a sinister tone.

"It seems Mr. Lian has indeed grown old. I made the matter of the Shuangcheng General Administration very clear when I was in Dadu. How could Mr. Lian have forgotten so quickly?!"

Lian Tichen kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty has not forgotten. However, Your Majesty has repeatedly said that the two countries should fight against the Yuan together. Although Goryeo did not send troops, it still contributed a lot of resources. We, the lower country, would naturally not dare to share the spoils of the defeat of the enemy and the land we obtained with the Celestial Dynasty. But Shuangcheng General Administration is different. This is the lost territory of Goryeo."

"Your Majesty has demanded so much tribute this time, and our country will do its best to meet it. However, if we cannot even recover a single lost piece of land, it will be difficult for our lord to explain to the people of Goryeo. We beg Your Majesty's understanding."

"Furthermore, our two countries will be fighting against the Japanese in the future. Goryeo is not asking for it for nothing. The land on Jeju Island is not much less than that of Shuangcheng General Administration. Our country is willing to exchange Jeju Island with our country and will never let our country suffer a loss."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately retorted, "I think you've become senile, sir. You've completely forgotten what I said in Dadu. If I remember correctly, I already told you that Jeju Island belongs to the Ming Dynasty from now on."

"What? How dare you use my things to exchange for something else? There's no such logic in the world!"

Lian Tichen seemed not to hear him and kowtowed again, repeating his previous reason: "Shuangcheng General Administration is the former territory of Goryeo, which was forcibly occupied by the Yuan court. Since the two countries jointly resisted the Yuan, Goryeo dares not share the spoils of this resistance with the Celestial Dynasty. However, I beg Your Majesty to consider Goryeo's loyalty and return the former territory of Goryeo, so that our lord can give an explanation to the people."

With a bang, Lu Jin slammed his hand on the table and roared, "What if I don't give it to you?!"

Lian Tichen then said again, neither humble nor arrogant, "If Your Majesty insists on not giving it, our country will naturally not dare to do anything. However, if this matter is spread, it will damage the reputation of the Celestial Empire. If the Celestial Empire acts in this way, it may cause other vassal states to become alienated from the Great Ming."

"The Ming Dynasty is vast and boundless, so how could it be lacking in a small corner of Shuangcheng General Administration? Those two cities are but a drop in the ocean for the Ming Dynasty. However, Goryeo is small and cannot compare to the vastness of the Celestial Empire. These two cities are like the torso and limbs for Goryeo. If the two cities cannot be recovered, it will be like Goryeo losing an arm. Moreover, our country is willing to exchange Jeju Island for them. The Ming Dynasty will not suffer any loss. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and understand our country's situation."

These metaphors, comparing a drop in the ocean to losing an arm, were spoken with such sincerity and evoked deep emotions. Li Shanchang, who had remained silent until now, was also moved upon hearing them and immediately wanted to offer some advice to Lu Jin.

We've gotten so many benefits from Goryeo this time, that's enough. Goryeo is quite powerful now, so we shouldn't push them too far and create another major enemy for the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong.

Moreover, the Shuangcheng General Administration is located in a remote and inaccessible place. Not to mention how important it is to the Ming Dynasty, it is a remote and inaccessible place even to Liaodong. If you want to get there from Dongning Prefecture or Shenyang, you have to cross countless mountains and ridges.

Such a piece of land is indeed somewhat of a burden to the Ming Dynasty. However, to defend this land, it would be a waste to keep stationing troops there. Why not give them face since Goryeo has established diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty in such a humble manner?

However, Lu Jin would never easily give up the territory he had acquired. Others might not know, but Lu Jin knew perfectly well that there was a uranium mine with reserves of over 10,000 tons on that land, and it was also exceptionally rich in high-quality iron ore.

Leaving aside the issue of resources, just considering the strategic military value of that land—a pistol pointed at the back of a Korean's head—would you easily hand that gun over to someone else?!
cough~
Li Shanchang coughed and was about to say something, but Lu Jin immediately turned around and glared at him, making him swallow back the words he was about to say. Then Lu Jin said coldly and forcefully.

"Though the Ming Dynasty is vast, not an inch of its land is superfluous! If you want to seize land from the Ming Dynasty, then be prepared to pay with your blood!"

These words sent a chill down Lian Tichen's spine. Just as he was about to say something more, Lu Jin spoke again.

"However, the matter of recovering lost territory is not something that cannot be discussed."

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen's eyes lit up. Could there be a chance for things to turn around? However, he then heard something even more frightening.

"Prime Minister Feng, bring me another map of Goryeo. Since we're going to talk about recovering lost territory, let's have a proper discussion. I remember that China also has a piece of lost territory in Liaodong that hasn't been recovered yet. Go and mark out the four commanderies of the Han Dynasty in Liaodong. I remember that the four commanderies of Lelang, Zhenfan, Lintun, and Xuantu are quite large."

"I think it's not impossible to discuss leaving the remaining Baekje and Samhan territories to Goryeo to establish a new kingdom."

"Yes!" Feng Guoyong replied, then turned around and pretended to go get the map.

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly exclaimed, "Your Majesty, wait! The matter of recovering lost territory still needs to be discussed. In my opinion, the Shuangcheng General Administration does not necessarily have to take back Goryeo."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin glanced at him and asked indifferently, "What, you're not going to take back the lost territory?"

(End of this chapter)