Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 605 The Unattended Granary

"..." Yuan Keli frowned slightly, and could only settle for second best, saying, "What about Anzhou? Surely the Wu envoy knows about the situation in Anzhou?"

Anju was a secondary center of Pyongan Province. The name "Pyongan" itself is a combination of "Pyongan" (平, meaning peace) from Pyongyang and "Anju" (安, meaning peace) from Anju. Anju held a strategic location, situated south of Guiju, east of Dingju, and north of Pyongyang, controlling the lower reaches of the Chongchon River. Deploying defenses here would effectively block enemy forces westward along the Uiju-Dingju line or the Sukju-Guiju line, and could even prevent infiltration from the Old Jurchens to the north.

Furthermore, Anzhou has another advantage: its strategic location deep within enemy territory. Whether traveling from Shuozhou on the upper reaches of the Yalu River or Yizhou on the lower reaches, reaching Anzhou requires a journey of two to three hundred li (approximately 100-150 kilometers), roughly equivalent to the distance from Gaizhou to Shenyang. If the Jin army were to attempt to besiege Anzhou, their supply lines would be significantly stretched. At that point, simply cutting off the Jin army's supply lines or their retreat would plunge them into a predicament of starvation and isolation.

“Of course.” Wu Yunqian nodded with a gloomy expression.

"Please go ahead, the more detailed the better," Yuan Keli waved his hand.

"I wonder if Councilor Yuan has heard of a common saying that is widely circulated in Ping An Road?" Wu Yunqian said.

"What proverb?" Yuan Keli asked in return.

“‘If Pyongyang is not peaceful, Anju will not be at peace.’” Wu Yunqian said it first in Korean dialect, and then repeated it in the standard Korean pronunciation of the capital.

"What does this mean?" Yuan Keli leaned forward slightly, his brows furrowing even more.

“The saying goes, ‘If Pyongyang is not peaceful, Anju will not be peaceful,’” Wu Yunqian took a deep breath. “It means that the criminal justice system is superior to that of other prefectures, and civil and military officials are only concerned with their own interests. Right and wrong are reversed, and the virtuous and the wicked are confused. Generals and commanders line their own pockets, and the accusation of ‘debt-ridden generals’ is rampant. As a result, the people are not at peace, the country is not at peace, and the signs of ruin are already visible.”

Wu Yunqian's sharp criticism not only stunned the four Ming officials sitting opposite him, but also left Liu Yingyuan and Li Qingquan beside him speechless.

“Li Xiuzhuan,” Liu Yingyuan quickly came to his senses. He turned slightly and gently tugged at Li Qingquan’s sleeve. “Li Xiuzhuan!”

"Ah?" Li Qingquan was startled, and two drops of ink that had just touched the tip of his pen were flicked away, staining the character "An" in Anzhou. He instinctively lowered his voice, but turned his head sharply: "Liu, what are your instructions, Vice Envoy Liu?"

Liu Yingyuan shifted his position closer to Li Qingquan, glancing at the paper as he did so. He noticed it was a recently replaced sheet of paper, with Yuan Keli's rhetorical question still on the last line.

"Don't remember a single word Ambassador Wu just said!" Liu Yingyuan said in a commanding tone.

"Huh?" Li Qingquan blinked blankly.

"Did you hear that!" Liu Yingyuan shouted in a low voice.

“Yes, I heard it.” Li Qingquan swallowed.

Wu Yunqian glanced at the two men beside him and continued to Yuan Keli, "Councilor Yuan wants to know how many soldiers Anzhou has capable of fighting and how many days they can hold out. To that, I can only say that, given Anzhou's current situation, let alone resisting a well-equipped Jurchen rebels, it might not even be able to stop a rebel army or civilians of any significant size and morale. It would be quite good if they could avoid opening the city gates and fleeing before the Jurchen rebels arrive."

"Are there still rebels and rioters in North Korea?" Yuan Keli's gaze lingered on Li Qingquan's paused pen. "Where are they, and what is their scale?"

“In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, and small-scale peasant uprisings and slave revolts have occurred everywhere, too numerous to mention. But fortunately, they are not large in scale and have not yet spread like wildfire,” Wu Yunqian said dejectedly.

“Ha,” Yuan Keli scoffed. “According to Wu Fan’s words, if my troops don’t come, won’t Korea be doomed again?”

“That’s true.” Wu Yunqian nodded painfully.

"After the Eastern Expedition, your country has not strengthened itself in the slightest?" Yuan Keli's tone was full of indignation, lamenting its misfortune and angering at its lack of resistance.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling, but that I can’t.” Wu Yunqian interlaced his fingers and braced them on the table, as if he were lost in some painful memory. “Twenty years ago, the Celestial Empire restored the territory of our small nation with the might of thunder. As the saying goes, ‘The bears and wolves led their troops in triumph, and the virtue and might of the Han dynasty spread far and wide; the wild geese returned, and the fiefdom of Ji Zi remained unchanged.’”

"After the restoration of the kingdom, the king and the former king worked tirelessly day and night to govern the country. However, the Japanese were extremely vicious and rebellious, destroying seven of our houses and cutting down eight roads. This resulted in the loss of millions of lives and the capture of hundreds of thousands of people by the Japanese."

"After the two Japanese invasions, the registered population of our country shrank to less than 30% of its original size. In Hanyang alone, the number of households plummeted from more than 80,000 before the war to more than 30,000 after the war. All industries were in dire straits, and agricultural production was severely reduced and difficult to recover. Although twenty years have passed, the damage has not been completely healed. The defeat two years ago resulted in the complete loss of our elite troops, and the whole country was shrouded in fear and anxiety. It was only when we heard of the great victory in Shenyang that we felt a little bit of relief."

"Now, the Jurchen army has suffered a great defeat. Although our country is unaware of the Jurchen situation, insightful officials in the court, such as Prince Li Gongyuanyi, have quickly realized that the Jurchen bandits may invade our small country from the east. Therefore, we have submitted a memorial to Your Majesty, requesting that an envoy be sent to the Celestial Empire to observe the might of the Celestial Army, to consult on military strategies, and to request plans for national defense." At the end, Wu Yunqian did not forget to reiterate the reason for their early arrival: "At present, the New Year has passed, and the winter solstice has not yet arrived. The most suitable person to deliver this message is the envoy on the day of the Holy Festival."

The various vassal states of Joseon, at least in terms of sending envoys, maintained this practice. This is because even in peaceful years, Joseon would send envoys to pay homage to the emperor four times a year. The first envoy was for the New Year's Day; the second for the winter solstice; the third for the emperor's birthday; and the fourth for the crown prince's birthday. Unless the emperor was young and had no son, such as during the reign of King Wuzong (Zhengde era), or had a son but had not designated a crown prince, such as during the succession struggle from the tenth to the twenty-ninth year of the Wanli reign, these four envoys were always present.

In cases of imperial death, crown prince ascension to the throne, the investiture of the crown prince or empress, or other significant events of mourning or celebration, or other important matters such as refuting false accusations, Joseon would dispatch special envoys to the capital. The delegation led by Yi Jung-gu, who previously debated with Xu Guangqi and others in the capital and even knelt outside the palace gates to block Grand Secretary Fang Cong-cheol, was a special "expert in refuting false accusations."

Often, these envoys also had the additional responsibility of "presenting advice." "Presenting advice" originates from the *I Ching*, specifically the *Cui* hexagram. The original text consists of six characters: "Presenting advice with tears and snot, without blame." This means that even while weeping and lamenting, there is no fault to be found. To express humility, Korea used "presenting advice" instead of "inquiring" or "consulting."

Therefore, in the narratives commonly used in Korea, the full title of Wu Yunqian's mission should actually be "Emperor's Day Envoy with Imperial Inquiry". If Wu Yunqian came under the title of Winter Solstice Envoy, then the mission would be "Winter Solstice Envoy with Imperial Inquiry". Of course, for the Ming Dynasty, whether the Korean envoy also carried the title of "Imperial Inquiry" was not important. In fact, in the records of the Ministry of Rites, the titles of Wu Yunqian's party ranged from two characters: Attendant Minister; to five characters: Attendant Minister of Korea; and at most seven characters: Attendant Minister of the Holy Day of Korea.

The imperial court acted in this way, and so did Yuan Keli. After confirming that Wu Yunqian's delegation hadn't come to gather information because of a leaked surveillance plan, he lost all interest in their purpose. Whether it was to congratulate the emperor on his birthday or to deliver military advice, none of that mattered anymore.

Yuan Keli didn't even bother to inquire further about the defenses of Pyongyang or Hanyang. Whatever the reason, Korea at that moment was an unguarded granary, ready to collapse at any moment, and could only be protected by the Ming Dynasty.

"Heh, heh heh." Yuan Keli suddenly laughed, a laugh that was both weary and resolute.

"Where did I say something wrong?" Wu Yunqian felt that Yuan Keli's smile was more chilling than any of his previous smiles.

“No, I just remembered what Xiong Jinglue told me.” Yuan Keli shook his head.

"W-what did you say?" Wu Yunqian asked anxiously.

"Envoy Wu need not know. If that matter were to occur, it would be my sole decision." Yuan Keli turned his head. Gao Bangzuo, thinking Yuan Keli was looking at him, immediately asked, "What are your orders, Envoy Yuan?"

“No,” Yuan Keli waved his hand. The person he was looking at was actually Lu Wenzhao, who was sitting in the next seat. “Commander Lu, please send someone to bring those people over. I have a few last things to ask Envoy Wu.”

"Yes, I'll go right away." Lu Wenzhao immediately stood up. He glanced at the three Korean envoys subconsciously, then turned and left.

Wu Yunqian then realized—the person sitting in the third seat was not a servant, but a commander of a thousand men without official robes. But why would a fifth-rank commander of a thousand men sit in front of a fourth-rank guerrilla?
Wu Yunqian couldn't understand it. He didn't understand what "that matter" actually was; he only instinctively felt that "that matter" and "the last few things" might not be the same thing.
“There’s no need to bring that wounded soldier!” Yuan Keli’s addition interrupted Wu Yunqian’s thoughts.

"Yes," Lu Wenzhao replied, then gave a wink to the Imperial Guard who walked up to him.

--------

Yuan Keli did not treat Mangku with the same etiquette as an envoy, but he also did not imprison him, along with Sangguli, Erjigen, and Yu Youyu, who had been sent to Zhenjiang by Shu Sipo and her group the next day at noon. They stayed at the post station, sharing a courtyard with the Jinyiwei under Lu Wenzhao.

Mangku knew perfectly well that this was house arrest, but he didn't mind; in fact, he felt somewhat comfortable. Not only was there plenty of food and drink, wine and meat, but there was also a doctor to treat Ergigen's injuries.

"We pay our respects to Master Luo." The door opened, and Mangku, Sangguli, and Yu Youyu immediately went to greet him. Erjigen did not come over; his high fever had just subsided, and he was still lying in bed recovering from his injuries.

"No need for formalities." The Imperial Guards who followed Lu Wenzhao to Jiangnan have all been promoted, and Commander Luo is no exception; he is now a trial centurion. "I'll handle the rest."

"Where are we going?" Mangku asked.

“It’s right at the post station, not far.” Luo Shi, the centurion, raised his hand and gestured for Erjigen, who was about to get up, to press down. “You stay lying down. You don’t need to come along.”

"Thank you for your mercy, sir," Ergigen replied weakly.

"Master Luo, where are we going?" Mangku asked with a smile.

"You'll know when you get here." Although Luo Shi, the centurion, wasn't in the reception room, he could roughly guess Yuan Keli's intention in having them take these Jurchen Tartars to meet the Koreans.

“Interpreter Luo, shall I come too?” Yu Youyu asked in Chinese.

"Tsk, I didn't say you weren't welcome." Luo Shi, the centurion, thought for a moment, then turned and gestured with his hand. "Fine, come along too."

"Yes." Yu Youyu immediately crossed the threshold with Mangku and Sangguli and followed closely behind.

Behind them, the Jinyiwei officer in charge of guarding Mangku and the others silently closed the door again.

The two places were indeed close. The group of six had barely stepped out of the courtyard when they arrived at the meeting place between the suzerain state and its vassal state.

"I've brought the person." Luo Shibai gently knocked on the door of the reception room.

"Please bring him in," Yuan Keli's voice suddenly came from behind the door. The reception room had been silent for some time.

Luo Shi, the centurion, pushed open the door in response. The moment the door opened, the three men from Mangku behind Yuan Keli and the three men from Wu Yunqian in front of Yuan Keli were all stunned.

"Does the Wu envoy know these people?" Yuan Keli put down the book "Qiutan Collection" and looked at its author.

"This is... a Jurchen Tartar?" Wu Yun asked, puzzled, wondering what Yuan Keli intended to do.

“They are messengers,” Yuan Keli said. “The information about the enemy that I just told Wu Fan’s envoy came from them.”

“Messenger? Who sent them?” Wu Yunqian still faced Yuan Keli directly, but his eyes kept glancing at Mangku and the others.

"What does the Wu envoy think?" Yuan Keli countered.

"Councilor Yuan is joking. How would I know?" Wu Yunqian's scalp began to tingle. If Yuan Keli wanted to prove the authenticity of the enemy's situation to them, he should have summoned these people earlier. Now, he cut them off halfway through his speech, suddenly pulling out a group of "messengers" when he was supposed to be discussing military strategy. It certainly wasn't going to be anything good.

"Has the Wu envoy ever heard of Wang Dutang?" Yuan Keli asked.

After thinking carefully, Wu Yunqian, the "Wang Dutang," finally said honestly, "The name sounds familiar. I think I've heard of him or seen him somewhere before."

“He is the chieftain of Nanguan,” Yuan Keli said casually.

"Oh! So it's Wang Tai's grandson!" Wu Yunqian suddenly realized, and felt a sense of relief. "He sent these people?"

"Hmm." Yuan Keli nodded slightly and asked, "Does the Wu envoy know what message they brought?"

"Weren't they here to report on the enemy's situation?" Yuan Keli's unchanging solemn expression made Wu Yunqian's relaxed nerves tense up again.

"No." Yuan Keli then turned his head to look at Mangku and the others. "I found out about the enemy's situation incidentally." His gaze lingered on Youyu for a while, but in the end, he didn't say anything more.

"Then, I don't know." Wu Yunqian felt the fine sweat slowly wetting his shirt.

“Alright, that’s all for them,” Yuan Keli said, looking at Luo Shi, the centurion standing next to Mang Ku and the others. “Thank you for taking them all back.”

"Yes," Luo Shi, the centurion, immediately agreed, but a slight regret lingered in his heart. He had wanted to stay and watch Yuan, the councilor, slam his fist on the table and blow his beard at the Koreans.

boom.

As the door to the reception room closed again, Yuan Keli took a letter from his pocket and gently placed it in front of him. "This is the message they brought."

Wu Yunqian stretched out his hand, then withdrew it. "May I take a look?"

“Of course,” Yuan Keli pushed the letter forward, casually uttering a sentence that almost made Wu Yunqian’s heart stop beating: “This letter is a copy I made; the original has already been sent to the capital. Judging by the time, His Majesty should be able to see the letter in about two days.”

(End of this chapter)