Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 607 Sophistry
Wu Yunqian's pupils contracted in fright at the low shout, and he could only slowly sit back down, touching the armrest of the chair.

Yuan Keli stared at Wu Yunqian until he was seated firmly before speaking again: "In our dynasty, defecting to the enemy in the face of battle will bring disaster upon one's family. Envoy Wu, your Joseon claims to be a country of righteousness; surely you have such a rule?"

"Yes, yes." Wu Yunqian's lips trembled, and his face was completely bloodless.

"Then I would like to ask Envoy Wu, why has His Majesty the King been so slow to punish Jiang Hongli's family and relatives, and even refused to imprison them?" Yuan Keli asked quietly. "Envoy Wu, are you implying that Jiang Hongli's wife and family were also captured by the slaves?"

"This, this..." Wu Yunqian was completely speechless.

In fact, as early as April of the 47th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, shortly after the major defeat at Sarhu, news of the surrender of Jiang Hongli and Jin Jingrui was relayed back to Korea by envoys sent by the Jin Dynasty. At that time, some petitioned the king to strip the surrendered generals, including Jiang Hongli, of their official titles and ranks, and to punish their families as well, in order to appease the Ming Dynasty. However, after a debate in the court, King Yi Hun maintained a firm stance, only approving the stripping of their official positions, but refusing to punish their families. As a result, rumors circulated throughout the court and among the people that His Highness the King had privately instructed the frontline generals to adopt a passive approach to the war, "not to blindly follow the words of the heavenly generals."

Now that Yuan Keli is using this incident to criticize North Korea, Wu Yunqian has no way to explain himself, even though he himself signed the petition requesting severe punishment for the surrendered generals.

Wu Yunqian was trembling uncontrollably, panting heavily, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He raised his sleeve to wipe it, and a dark sweat stain quickly appeared on the cuff.

If it were merely a matter of facing Yuan Keli's questioning, Wu Yunqian might not have been so afraid. But now, with the Jurchens' plot to seize Liaoshen failing, their southward advance to feast on the Koreans seemed inevitable. If Yuan Keli were to stand idly by and watch from the sidelines, then yet another national calamity awaited Korea.

But what if the Celestial Empire comes to the rescue? Then it's all over. Once the slave chieftain is defeated, the Celestial Empire will inevitably hold Korea accountable for its double-dealing. Wu Yunqian can already imagine the emperor's furious expression when he sees that letter. He even has a vague feeling that the emperor might not wait until the war is over before launching an attack on Korea.

Done!Done!
North Korea is now caught in a dilemma, with neither side able to gain an advantage. Whether the Japanese or the Celestial Empire wins, North Korea will not have a good outcome.

Amidst the rush of thoughts, Wu Yunqian suddenly recalled a passage from the powerful memorial "Petition to Execute the Japanese Envoy" written by Zhao Xian, the Duke of Chongfeng, thirty years ago, when the Japanese pirate raids were imminent: "If the Celestial Empire fails to recognize their treachery and unleashes the wrath of the Tang Dynasty, then armies like those of Li Ji and Su Dingfang will come to inquire about the crimes of the Li people. How will the Holy Emperor atone for this? How will his subjects be spared death?"
Just as Wu Yunqian was forced into silence and felt lost under immense pressure, Liu Yingyuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

"Councilor Yuan, Councilor Gao, Commander Lu, and Guerrilla Commander Mao." Liu Yingyuan first feigned composure and bowed to everyone. "The wife and family of the criminal general Jiang Hongli were indeed not captured by the slave traitors, nor were they arrested or imprisoned. But this is all because there are treacherous officials like Hui and Lun in the court who have misled Your Highness in court!"

Hui and Lun refer to Qin Hui and Wang Lun, respectively. One was a treacherous minister who strongly advocated for peace between the Song and Jin dynasties, and the other was a treacherous envoy sent to the Jin state to facilitate the peace treaty. For five hundred years, whenever traitors are mentioned, these two are used as examples for criticism. This was true of the Ming Dynasty in China, and it was also true of "Little China" Korea.

Liu Yingyuan's solution was simple. The fact that Jiang Hongli's wife and family had not been arrested and detained was undeniable, but as long as the king could be extricated from the situation and the emperor would not retaliate against him, there was still hope for the great cause, and Joseon would not perish.

"Ha." Yuan Keli sneered and said without any politeness, "Without a ruler like Ji and Gou, how can there be ministers like Hui and Lun?"

Liu Yingyuan's expression froze. Yuan Keli's words were tantamount to a direct insult to the King of Joseon, comparing him to the likes of Zhao Ji and Zhao Gou. As the king's envoy, Liu Yingyuan should have vehemently refuted him. But at this moment, he only dared to smile awkwardly and offer a tactful explanation: "Two years ago, after our defeat, our small nation lost all its elite troops, and the whole country was in mourning. Amidst this gloomy atmosphere, rumors spread far and wide. For a long time, there were rumors that surrendered generals like Jiang and Jin had died heroically for their country, and there were also rumors that generals like Jiang and Jin, though captured, refused to surrender and were brutally murdered by the slave chieftain."

Liu Yingyuan paused, his eyes glancing downwards. "On the contrary, there are those who falsely accuse martyrs like Jin Yinghe and Li Youji of being traitors. With such rampant rumors, even if Yao and Shun were alive again, it would be difficult to discern right from wrong. I now present this difficult and unclear situation to you gentlemen, and I humbly request your understanding and forgiveness, and to report it to the Emperor!"

After saying this, Liu Yingyuan stood up and bowed deeply to Yuan Keli and the others.

Liu Yingyuan's action immediately inspired Li Qingquan, the scribe beside him. Li Qingquan put down his pen, which had been idle for a long time, and also stood up and bowed.

Li Qingquan was swayed, but Wu Yunqian, who was always proactive and had even knelt down on his own initiative, did not follow suit. He turned his head in surprise, looking at Liu Yingyuan with a puzzled expression.

“Jin Yinghe?” Yuan Keli looked up at Liu Yingyuan’s white beard, as if he had just remembered something. “Is the 'General Yi Liu' that the envoy Liu is referring to?”

"So you really knew him!" Liu Yingyuan's face immediately lit up with joy. Under everyone's gaze, Liu Yingyuan quickly walked to the box where Wu Yunqian had taken the "Qiutan Collection," and hurriedly pulled out several booklets. Liu Yingyuan's movements were quite large; when he took out the booklets, the neatly stacked pile of books had already collapsed into a mess.

"Hmph," Yuan Keli snorted sarcastically. Of course he knew about Jin Yinghe, because a shrine dedicated to the worship of Jin Yinghe had recently been built in Yizhou.

“Councilor Yuan, Councilor Gao, Commander Lu, and Guerrilla Commander Mao,” Liu Yingyuan said, steadying himself, and like a servant serving tea, respectfully placed the booklets one by one in front of Yuan Keli and the other three. “This is the recently compiled ‘Record of Loyal Martyrs.’ It contains poems and essays by scholars and officials of our small state mourning General Jin.”

After putting down the last book, Liu Yingyuan circled back to the crowd and bowed again. "I'm sure you gentlemen are aware that a new 'Hall of Loyalty and Martyrdom' has recently been built in Yizhou to commemorate General Jin. The reason it was only built now is because rumors are rampant, covering up the truth. Even a brave warrior who died fighting can be smeared as a traitor who surrendered to the enemy. This shows how rampant the rumors are in our small country!"

"Does Envoy Liu mean that His Majesty the King is hesitant to detain the wives and families of surrendered generals like Jiang Hongli because the facts have not yet been clarified?" Yuan Keli leaned slightly to the side, gazing at Liu Yingyuan. "His Majesty the King is influenced by rumors and believes that Jiang, Jin, and others may have died heroically like General Jin."

"Yes!" Liu Yingyuan answered decisively, as if every muscle in his body was straining. Beside him, Wu Yunqian, still seated, had a flicker in his eyes and a slight twitch on his face. Wu Yunqian ultimately said nothing.

Yuan Keli slowly lowered his head, gently stroking the cover of the book "Records of Loyal Martyrs," but did not open it. A sorrowful line appeared on his brow, and a bitter smile curved his lips. "Huff," he stretched out his hand, a puff of breath escaping from between the curves of his lips. "Li Xiuzhuan, please return the letter to me."

Li Qingquan was taken aback for a moment, then instinctively handed the slightly crumpled copy of the letter of denunciation to Yuan Keli. "Councilor Yuan, please!"

Yuan Keli took the letter with one hand and casually said, "It's almost noon, let's eat first."

Upon hearing this, Mao Wenlong immediately stood up, opened the door, and said his first words after entering and sitting down: "Clear the tea and serve the meal!"

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A welcoming banquet, its undertones of obsequious smiles and fawning from the guests, ended in an almost chilling atmosphere. After the meal, Yuan Keli and other Ming officials left the post station citing busy official duties, while Wu Yunqian and other Joseon officials saw them off with stiff smiles. The roles of welcoming and sending off were reversed, the warmth and coldness reversed, as if Yuan Keli and his group were the guests who were being treated well and were now giving their hosts a cold shoulder. "Postmaster Huang," Wu Yunqian turned from watching them leave, smiling at the old postmaster who had been standing by the door, "Are we staying in the same courtyard again this time?"

"Yes, yes, it's the same courtyard as before. Everything is ready, and the servants are all settled. Please follow me." Huang Yicheng sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. However, he never expected that throughout the entire meeting, except for the initial inquiry about the Emperor's well-being, Yuan Keli and his group had given the Korean delegation almost no friendly treatment.

"Thank you for your trouble, Huang Yicheng." Wu Yunqian walked up to Huang Yicheng and bowed to express his gratitude. Immediately afterwards, Wu Yunqian took Huang Yicheng's hand and performed a "hidden secret" trick.

"Oh, you're still so kind!" The heavy weight in his hand made Huang Yicheng's smile even brighter.

“We are able to stay comfortably in the post station,” Wu Yunqian released Huang Yicheng and bowed again. “It is all thanks to the care of Huang Yicheng and his men.”

"Oh dear, the Chinese and North Koreans are like father and son. Ambassador Wu, please don't be so formal." Huang Yicheng bowed and gestured for them to enter. "Please come in, please come in!"

“Please,” Wu Yunqian stepped forward, but glanced back. “Huang Yicheng, I would like to ask where Yuan Canzheng’s military affairs office is?”

"Military Affairs Office?" Huang Yicheng was taken aback. "There is no Military Affairs Office in Zhenjiang."

"Where are Councilor Gao and Councilor Yuan staying?" Wu Yunqian asked.

"Where else could it be? Right here," Huang Yicheng said with a smile, pointing to the ground beneath his feet.

Wu Yunqian was taken aback for a moment, but quickly figured it out. "Which courtyard do they live in? Is it the one we were eating in just now?"

“That’s right.” Huang Yicheng nodded and said, “Before Yuan Canzheng came, that courtyard was where Gao Canzheng lived. After Yuan Canzheng came, they lived together.” Huang Yicheng had prepared another courtyard for Yuan Keli, but Yuan Keli insisted on sleeping with Gao Bangzuo, so Huang Yicheng could only go along with his wishes.

"Who else is staying at the inn?" Wu Yunqian then asked.

“Besides Councilors Yuan and Gao, and their personal guards and servants, there’s no one else,” Huang Yicheng paused for a moment and chuckled, “Of course, there are also the various vassal envoys.”

Wu Yunqian chuckled as well. "What about those Tartar messengers? They should be at the post station too, right?"

"Oh dear!" Huang Yicheng gently patted his forehead. "Look at my brain, you have a better memory. Those Tartar messengers are indeed staying at the post station, in the same courtyard as Yuan Canzheng's personal attendants."

"When did they arrive?" Wu Yunqian asked in a low voice, as if he were chatting casually.

Huang Yicheng thought hard. "About four or five days ago, or five or six days ago, I really can't remember exactly which day. Anyway, it was recently."

"Hmm," Wu Yunqian nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"By the way, Wu Fanshi," Huang Yicheng asked with a smile, "Didn't you just meet those Tartars? What did they say, and what message did they bring?" Although Huang Yicheng didn't get close to serve them, he had been waiting outside the courtyard, so he witnessed Mangku and the others coming and going.

Wu Yunqian's expression darkened briefly. However, when he spoke again, a forced smile appeared on his face: "Actually, it's nothing. Just some military intelligence related to our country that you haven't heard of, Chief Inspector Huang?"

"Hey, what could I possibly hear?" Huang Yicheng scoffed. "They won't even let us into the courtyard."

Wu Yunqian nodded slightly. Neither the secret defection of the Minister of the South Gate nor the collusion between the King of Joseon and the slave traitors could be publicized—unless the Emperor had already decided to take drastic measures.

"Envoy Wu, could you please tell me what the military situation is?" Huang, the postmaster, asked in a low voice. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Upon hearing this question, a surge of fear and anger immediately welled up in Wu Yunqian's heart. He turned his head sharply and saw that Huang Yicheng only looked curious, so he managed to suppress his surging emotions.

Wu Yunqian remained silent for a while, and finally couldn't help but sigh, "It is said that the Jurchens have stationed tens of thousands of troops in Kuandian, and it seems that they are going to attack Shuozhou." Up until now, Yuan Keli and others have not told the delegation how to protect Korea from the Jurchens' military might.

Huang Yicheng had absolutely no intention of keeping it a secret. After hearing what was said, he immediately sighed, "No wonder!"

"No wonder what?" Wu Yunqian immediately replied. Liu Yingyuan and Li Qingquan's eyes also showed a lot more urgency.

"To be honest, the mobilizations have been very frequent lately! Troops from Xiuyan, Xuancheng, and even Huanggu Island have arrived. Judging from the looks of it, they've probably sent over five thousand men. A few days ago, the day those three Tartars arrived, Councilor Yuan even wrote a letter to Liaoyang requesting reinforcements. Judging by the days, the reinforcements from Liaoyang will probably be stationed here in another two days." Huang Yicheng smiled and reassured him, "So, Envoy Wu, don't worry too much. Your country has been loyal for generations, and the court will not abandon you."

Wu Yunqian froze, a surge of warmth condensing against the chill that enveloped him, reaching his tear ducts. His thoughts raced, and he felt as if he were transported back thirty years to the day when Admiral Li Rusong led 40,000 Ming troops across the Yalu River.

(End of this chapter)