Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 620 The Shame of a Feudal State

Wu Yunqian wanted to argue further, but Gao Bangzuo's last words froze him in place. Wu Yunqian was startled, then felt a wave of dizziness. The moment the ringing in his ears hit him, his body went limp. Wu Yunqian leaned back, but tripped over the stool beside him. Fortunately, Liu Yingyuan and Li Qingquan, who were sitting on either side of him, reached out to catch him in time, preventing him from falling seriously.

"How could this be?" Wu Yunqian stammered, changing his words repeatedly, finally muttering to himself, "Has things really come to this?"

“It seems,” Gao Bangzuo stood up, holding the wine jug, and poured Wu Yunqian a full glass without further ado, “that Envoy Wu had already anticipated this?”

“Xu Lishu’s magnificent memorial has already spread throughout our small state,” Wu Yunqian said, his tone slightly calmer, though his face remained pale. “Although I have been away from the imperial court for many years, it is difficult for me to be completely unaware of it.”

"A magnificent memorial? Is that all?" Gao Bangzuo turned around and was about to pour wine for Liu Yingyuan again. However, Liu Yingyuan was of sound mind and politely declined Gao Bangzuo's offer as usual: "I dare not trouble Councilor Gao, I can do it myself."

Wu Yunqian lowered his head, not responding to Gao Bangzuo's comment.

“Now that things have come to this,” Gao Bangzuo put down his wine jug, raised his cup, and toasted Wu Yunqian, “Envoy Wu, there’s no need to cover for Li Hui any longer, is there?”

Wu Yunqian was in turmoil, but he still raised his cup in return. "A dog doesn't dislike its poor home, and a son doesn't speak ill of his father." Wu Yunqian downed the bitter wine in one gulp, and when he spoke again, his voice trembled with emotion: "A subject will not speak ill of his ruler."

"Hehe!" Gao Bangzu laughed. "The Wu envoy treated me like a dog, which I cannot agree with. However, the sages have their own words on the way of the son and the way of the minister. Confucius said, 'If a state with ten thousand chariots has four remonstrating ministers, its territory will not be diminished. If a state with a thousand chariots has three remonstrating ministers, its state will not be in danger. If a family with a hundred chariots has two remonstrating ministers, its ancestral temples will not be destroyed. If a father has a remonstrating son, he will not be disrespectful. If a scholar has a remonstrating friend, he will not be unjust. Therefore, if a son follows his father, what is filial piety? If a minister follows his ruler, what is loyalty? Examine the reasons and follow them; this is called filial piety and loyalty!' The Wu envoy passed the imperial examination and was a regular graduate; surely he should have read this passage?"

Wu Yunqian's heart tightened. This was the first time he had ever truly empathized with Confucius's words.

Gao Bangzuo persisted, adding, "Now that the Emperor's majesty has arrived, our vassal state is humiliated. Isn't this precisely because your ministers failed to promptly remonstrate with the King?"

Wu Yunqian's psychological defenses began to crumble. Beside him, Liu Yingyuan looked complicated, while Li Qingquan clenched his hands tightly under the table.

Of course, Joseon was not without loyal and outspoken ministers, but most of these upright men were demoted or even executed by the king after offering their advice. However, the fact that Joseon had outspoken ministers was something Wu Yunqian could not use to defend himself.

These events not only further demonstrated the king's incompetence, but Wu Yunqian was not one of them. During the most intense period of court infighting, knowing that mediation was futile, Wu Yunqian directly requested the post of "responding to and returning the messenger," and went to Japan to congratulate Tokugawa Ieyasu on his victory in the Battle of Osaka, which completely defeated the Toyotomi regime. In other words, he indeed failed to offer timely advice when he should have.

A stream of cloudy tears fell from his eyes. Overwhelmed with shame and remorse, Wu Yunqian even contemplated suicide.

“It’s too late to say anything now that things have come to this.” Seeing the elder’s tears, Gao Bangzuo couldn’t help but soften his heart. He softened his tone and poured Wu Yunqian another glass of wine: “I invited you all here today not only to inform you of this matter and express my apologies, but also to ask you whether you plan to continue north or return south. Of course, whatever you choose, I will provide you with the necessary assistance.”

Wu Yunqian choked up and lost control of his emotions. Finally, Liu Yingyuan picked up the conversation: "Counselor Gao, where has Councilor Yuan gone?"

“He’s been leading his troops south; they should have passed Longchuan by now,” Gao Bangzuo said.

“So,” Liu Yingyuan’s face showed little surprise, “that Yuan, the Councilor, is the modern-day Ban Chao?”

“That’s not wrong. But there’s one thing wrong. Lord Jiehuan wasn’t the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shandong, but the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate,” Gao Bangzuo corrected.

"I see." With Gao Bangzuo's explanation, Liu Yingyuan immediately understood why Gao Bangzuo always maintained a subordinate posture in front of Yuan Keli. At the same time, Liu Yingyuan also remembered something else: "Counselor Gao, were the soldiers that Supervisor Yuan brought to our country the same Southern soldiers under that Lieutenant General Zhang?"

“No.” Gao Bangzuo took a bite of food before continuing, “General Zhang led his troops here mainly to relieve Mao Youji’s defenses.”

"So the soldiers who marched south into our country were Mao's guerrilla troops?"

"There's also a guerrilla-style one."

"Why not just send General Zhang south?" Liu Yingyuan pressed.

Gao Bangzuo did not answer immediately, but stared intently at Liu Yingyuan and said quietly, "Vice Envoy Liu is quite calm. He actually has the leisure to care about such trivial matters at this moment."

“As you just said, the wrath of Heaven has arrived, and even if we are filled with fear and sorrow, we cannot defy it,” Liu Yingyuan gently patted Wu Yunqian on the back. “If there are any military or state secrets that cannot be spoken of, I will not ask.”

“Hehe.” Gao Bangzuo chuckled lightly. “Actually, there’s nothing that can’t be said. The reason why General Zhang isn’t heading south is quite simple. He and his Zhejiang troops are still under the jurisdiction of Liaodong and not under the supervision of Korea. In other words, they only help defend Zhenjiang during the recent period of turmoil to prevent the Jurchens from taking advantage of the situation. Once the Shandong naval forces arrive in Hanyang and Pyongyang in two routes and fill the gaps in North Pyongan and North Hamgyong Provinces, General Zhang will retreat to Liaoyang. Correspondingly, Guerrilla Commander Mao will also retreat to Zhenjiang.”

"Is there still a Shandong fleet?!" Even the usually composed Liu Yingyuan trembled slightly.

"The combined guerrilla forces of Mao and Zhang number less than ten thousand. How can such a small force protect Korea?" Gao Bangzuo retorted. "Or does the envoy of the Ryu Kingdom believe that the army of Korea alone can withstand the ferocious army of the Jurchen traitors?"

Liu Yingyuan fell silent.

Gao Bangzuo continued, "His Majesty is benevolent and does not take his anger out on the entire Joseon Dynasty because of the disobedience of the deposed King Yi Hun. Our Celestial Empire will still protect the ancestral temples and the state of Joseon."

"May I ask, Councilor Gao?" Wu Yunqian asked, forcing himself to be alert, "How many men are there in the Shandong naval force?"

“Twenty-five thousand,” Gao Bangzuo said.

"So many!?" Wu Yunqian gasped. Liu Yingyuan and Li Qingquan also stared wide-eyed. Such a force could easily plow through the entire length of Korea.

"A lot?" Gao Bangzuo picked up another bite of food. "There are fifty thousand slave bandits in Kuandian."

“Our small nation is weak and vulnerable, and has suffered greatly from the Japanese invasions,” Wu Yunqian wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I’m afraid we cannot afford such a large army!” One of Wu Yunqian’s major missions during his mission to Japan in the 45th year of the Wanli Emperor’s reign was to request the Tokugawa regime to return the Korean people who had been abducted by the Japanese army during the two Japanese invasions. The “return” in his title of “Reply and Return Envoy” means the return of the Korean population.

“Envoy Wu need not worry.” Gao Bangzu raised his cup in a toast. “Our troops’ provisions and supplies will still be provided by Liaodong and Shandong, following the old practice of the Eastern Expedition.”

Wu Yunqian immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly returned the courtesy, saying, "Your Majesty is benevolent and your Excellency is kind. I thank you in advance."

Gao Bangzu smiled and clinked glasses with Wu Yunqian, but didn't respond to his comment. Gao Bangzu was actually a little guilty. It was true that the Ming army's provisions and pay were supplied by Liaodong and Shandong, but this was on the premise that Joseon's own reserves had been allocated.

Times have changed. Back then, when the Japanese pirates invaded, all eight provinces of Korea fell, and the Ming Dynasty had to bear the burden of supplies for the expeditionary force. But now, although the Jurchen invaders are pressing in with their large army, the eight provinces of Korea still exist, and the situation is better than it was back then. Under such circumstances, it would be unreasonable for the Ming Dynasty to bear the entire burden of supplies. This idea has already reached a consensus among the three ministers in charge of pacification. The emperor has also learned of their idea through the accompanying Imperial Guards, but there has been no formal response yet.

"Let's get back to the main topic," Gao Bangzuo said, setting down his wine glass. "Now that your apprenticeship period is over, it's up to you whether you stay or leave. Do you intend to continue north or return south?"

"Does Senior Councilor Gao have any suggestions?" Wu Yunqian asked in return.

“I have no advice to offer; it’s your freedom to come and go as you please,” Gao Bangzuo said. “But if I had to say something, I could offer one.”

"Please enlighten me!" Wu Yunqian immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

Gao Bangzuo took another big bite of food. "In the end, you are all sent by the deposed Prince Hui. Even if you insist on going to the capital to congratulate the Emperor on his birthday, you would be better off revising the official letter first, so as not to displease the Emperor."

Hearing the title "Deposed King Hui" made Wu Yunqian's eyes twitch.

"Counselor Gao!" Liu Yingyuan raised his wine glass and abruptly asked, "I have a question. I would be grateful if Councilor Gao would be so kind as to enlighten me."

Gao Bangzuo felt he had drunk enough, and that drinking any more might delay his afternoon business, so he simply picked up the teacup next to his bowl and chopsticks and returned the toast. "Vice Envoy Liu, please speak freely."

Gao Bangzuo could substitute tea for wine, but Liu Yingyuan dared not wait. He downed his cup in one gulp and asked, "I would like to ask, which prince His Majesty has decided will succeed to the throne of our humble state?" Upon hearing this question, Wu Yunqian and Li Qingquan immediately cast eager glances at Gao Bangzuo.

“What’s there to say?” Gao Bangza said matter-of-factly. “It’s just that deposing a king is not the same as abolishing a domain. Of course, according to the law, the crown prince will inherit the throne.”

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wu Yunqian was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. The fact that the deposed king's fiefdom was not revoked, and that the crown prince would still ascend the throne, meant that the emperor had indeed not taken his anger out on the entire Joseon because of the king's rebellious actions. In Wu Yunqian's view, this was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Liu Yingyuan immediately followed up with a eulogy, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Qingquan could not possibly express anything else, but his expression was not as joyful and natural as Wu Yunqian's.

Gao Bangzuo smiled happily, unaware of the subtle nuances hidden in the chanting. "I've said enough. Will you all return home now, or continue your journey north?"

"Can we discuss this a little?" Wu Yunqian asked.

“Of course,” Gao Bangzuo nodded. “Once you’ve discussed it, just let Huang Yicheng know.”

--------

Wu Jiyu was waiting at the entrance of the Korean guesthouse. As soon as he heard footsteps approaching, he immediately put on a smile and went out to greet them. "Sir! The people from the post station have all left."

"Get out of my way!" Wu Yunqian raised his hand and waved Wu Jiyu aside.

"What's wrong?" Wu Jiyu was startled. He hadn't seen such a terrifying expression on Wu Yunqian's face in a long time.

Wu Yunqian ignored him, and together with Liu and Li, stepped over the threshold and headed straight for the backyard.

"Do the gentlemen still want to eat?" Wu Jiyu asked, standing still.

"No one is allowed to come over while we're talking!" Wu Yunqian's voice drifted out the moment his figure disappeared.

In the study, the three men had different expressions: Wu Yunqian was worried, Liu Yingyuan was gloomy, and Li Qingquan was even somewhat excited.

"What do you two think? Should we return here, or continue our mission?" Wu Yunqian asked.

"Mission? By whose orders?" Liu Yingyuan asked quietly.

"Of course, it's on His Highness's orders!" Wu Yunqian frowned, suppressing his emotions.

“It’s precisely because we are acting on the orders of Prince Gwanghae that we must return!” Lee Kyung-cheon interjected.

“Gwanghaegun?” Wu Yunqian suddenly raised his head, looking at Li Qingquan with displeasure. “You’re already using that title now!?”

Gwanghaegun was King Yi Hun's early title. According to Joseon tradition, if a king is overthrown in a coup, he will most likely reuse this title, just like Yeonsangun, who was previously overthrown and deposed as a tyrant.

"If we don't use it now, when will we ever get the chance?" Li Qingquan retorted directly to Wu Yunqian. "If the Emperor issues a special decree, it might not even be for Prince Gwanghae!"

Wu Yunqian glared at Li Qingquan for a while, but in the end, he could only sigh: "So, Li Xiuzhuan still remembers those things?"

“It’s not that we ‘still remember,’ it’s that we can’t forget at all! During the reign of the late king, our family stood firmly by his side when Prince Gwanghae was most oppressed. But not long after he ascended the throne, he began to appoint people like Yi and Jeong to suppress us.” Yi Gyeongcheon’s smile was somewhat morbid. “What goes around comes around; this tyrant has finally been punished by heaven!”

"Your Highness has reinstated you, hasn't he?" Wu Yunqian frowned, his mind in turmoil.

“Of course I can overlook the wasted years and patience of these past ten years, and I can even be grateful to Prince Gwanghae for letting me start over as a seventh-rank official, but what about my ancestors?” Li Qingquan closed his eyes in anguish. “They died in despair. Can they come back to life?”

"This is no time to dwell on personal grudges; we are facing a national disgrace!" Wu Yunqian suddenly became agitated, clenching his fists and slamming them on the table several times without warning. "Even a thousand years from now, the fact that the King was deposed by the Emperor will still be a disgrace to our Joseon!"

(End of this chapter)