Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 669 The Story of Emperor Suzong and Lingwu
At 9:00 AM, Admiral Shen Yourong of Korea and Luo Yangxing, the Vice Commander of the Korean Branch of the Imperial Guard, led two hundred fully armored cavalrymen and, guided by most of the officials and gentry of Incheon Prefecture, entered the undefended city of Incheon through the west gate in a grand manner.

"Long live the Emperor! Mighty Heavenly Army!" The moment the Ming cavalry entered the city, Supervisor Shen Zhenghe immediately took the lead in shouting.

"Long live the Emperor! Mighty Heavenly Army!" Immediately afterwards, the organized Incheon crowd knelt down in unison.

"Long live! Long live!"

"Long live! Long live!"

Shen Zhenghe did a very good job. Along the entire road from the West Gate to the Yamen, there were always Korean crowds lining the way to welcome him, as well as local gentry and servants who led the way in kneeling and bowing.

This welcoming ceremony, which lasted from beginning to end, greatly satisfied the soldiers' sense of honor and also put Governor Shen Yourong's mind at ease.

Although the emperor had explicitly agreed to use force against the rebellious Joseon army, and Shen Yourong herself was prepared to fight her way into the capital, she still genuinely hoped to avoid direct conflict.

The procession stopped at the yamen gate, but the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" continued. Prefect Li Liting trotted to Shen Yourong's horse and, like a stable boy, smiled and extended his hand, saying in the Chinese he had just learned: "Admiral Shen, please slow down."

Shen Yourong hesitated for a moment, but finally smiled and nodded, letting Li Liting help her down from the horse. "Thank you for your help."

Li Liting didn't know what Shen Yourong was talking about, but judging from the smile, he could guess that Admiral Shen was expressing goodwill towards him. Li Liting became even more attentive, quickly bowing and gesturing towards the yamen: "Admiral Shen, this way please."

“Okay.” Shen Yourong nodded to Li Liting, but did not take a step immediately. Instead, she said to her son Shen Shouchong, who was serving as the Inner Ding Qianzong, “Notify Zhao Wenzhi to take over the defense of Incheon immediately.”

"Yes, Admiral!" Shen Shouchong was about to dismount when he heard his father's call and immediately stopped.

"Commander Luo, let's go." Shen Yourong turned her head, smiled and waved at Luo Yangxing.

"Alright, please go first." Luo Yangxing was carrying out an imperial decree, making him an imperial envoy and naturally holding the additional responsibility of supervising the army. However, he still showed great respect when facing Shen Yourong, the military commander.

Shen Yourong stopped being polite and turned to enter the Renchuan government office. Luo Yangxing followed a step behind. Li Liting was about to catch up, but before he could, Shen Yourong's personal guards and the Jinyiwei officers brought by Luo Yangxing had already filled the gap and blocked their way.

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In the official order of Korea, Incheon Prefecture was undoubtedly a second-rank Grand Protectorate, but in the eyes of Shen Yourong and others, this so-called Grand Protectorate was even more rudimentary than a seventh-rank county government office in the country.

The passageway was short, the ceremonial gate small, and the main hall quite simple. Moving to the main reception room in the second hall, there was barely enough room for a person to sit down.

"Please have a seat, both of you." Li Liting skipped and hopped, leading Shen Yourong and Luo Yangxing to the main seat facing south.

Li Liting was very self-aware. From the beginning, he did not think he could sit next to Shen Yourong. Even without Luo Yangxing, an important figure who wore the Qilin robe and walked side by side with Shen Yourong, Shen Yourong would have sat alone.

Shen Yourong took the main seat on the left, facing south, without hesitation, and then waved to the first seat below the main seat. "Prefect Li, please also take your seat."

"Thank you, Admiral Shen, and this gentleman!" Li Liting immediately bowed to Shen Yourong and Luo Yangxing, feigning flattery, and then asked Luo Yangxing, "Have I not yet had the pleasure of learning from you?"

"My surname is Luo." Luo Yangxing had no intention of saying much to Li Liting. In his eyes, this so-called prefect was no different from the magistrate of Changping County. If you added the prefix of vassal state, he would be half a rank lower.

"Master Luo." Li Liting keenly sensed the other party's coldness, so he gave up the idea of ​​further pleasantries, bowed once more, and sat down in the seat that Shen Yourong had indicated to him.

Shen Yourong took off his helmet and handed it to his attendant. After Lin Chengye was seated and Huang Baihu was standing, he asked, "If I remember correctly, the person that Prefect Li mentioned earlier who went to Hanyang to deliver the message is this Vice Prefect Lin, isn't he?"

Upon hearing the interpreter's whisper, Li Liting immediately nodded and flattered, "Admiral Shen has a good memory!"

“He said yes,” Huang Baihu translated casually.

"How far is it from Hanyang to Incheon?" Shen Yourong asked, puzzled.

After overhearing the interpreter's whisper, Li Liting did some quick calculations: "Hanyang is only about seventy li east of Incheon; a galloping horse can make a round trip in a day."

"No wonder." Shen Yourong turned to look at Lin Chengye. "When did Vice Envoy Lin return to Incheon?"

"Go over there." Seeing that Shen Yourong had turned her gaze to Lin Chengye, Li Liting quietly instructed the interpreter to go to Lin Chengye's side.

"Yes." The interpreter responded softly, then immediately whispered in Lin Chengye's ear, "Master Lin, Admiral Shen asked when you returned?"

Lin Chengye had served as a military attaché in the Korean envoy's corps in his early years and could understand some Chinese; at least he understood what Shen Yourong had said earlier. However, Lin Chengye did not dismiss the envoy because of this. Instead, he nodded to Li Liting and thanked him with his eyes before answering Shen Yourong in Korean: "Reporting to the Admiral, I returned at four in the morning."

Lin Chengye set off a little ahead of the Special Envoy of the Army, but the Special Envoy of the Army was acting on an extremely urgent order and could directly command the fastest and best horses. Therefore, the Special Envoy of the Army not only overtook Lin Chengye on the way, but also arrived in Incheon half an hour earlier than Lin Chengye.

"Thank you for your hard work." Shen Yourong smiled at Lin Chengye.

Lin Chengye was taken aback, and before the interpreter could translate, he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Admiral Shen, you flatter me. There are no small matters concerning the emperor, and I would never dare to be negligent."

Shen Yourong glanced at the stunned interpreter, then smiled. "What did they say in Hanyang?"

"Hanyang is already prepared to send envoys to welcome them," Lin Chengye said. "Around tomorrow or the day after, Zhang Gongwan, the acting military advisor, will lead a delegation to Incheon to welcome the heavenly army."

Shen Yourong wasn't surprised. "Supporting Secretary Lin should have met His Majesty the King, right? What was his reaction?"

Although the imperial edict had been issued and the decree had been sent, the Ming army had not yet entered Hanyang, and the edict had not yet been read aloud. Therefore, Shen Yourong temporarily retained the honorific title "Your Highness" instead of using terms like "Deposed King Hui" or "Commoner of Korea" to avoid communication conflicts and difficulties. "I have not seen His Highness the King," Lin Chengye replied, shaking his head. "I do not know His Highness's reaction."

Shen Yourong wasn't expecting a negative answer, and a look of confusion quickly appeared on her face. "Such a big matter, and the King didn't summon you personally?"

Shen Yourong inexplicably thought of Emperor Shenzong, a monarch who wouldn't even see his ministers if the sky were to fall. But this couldn't be any more serious; the Ming army had reached the outskirts of the capital and was about to besiege the city.
“I indeed did not see His Majesty the King; all decisions were made by His Highness the Crown Prince,” Lin Chengye quickly explained to Shen Yourong. “The order to send envoys to welcome him was also issued by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Wow.
Upon hearing this, the Korean officials present immediately exchanged glances and even whispered among themselves. Because the urgent order from the sergeant had arrived in Incheon before Lin Chengye returned, the officials did not inquire about the details of the audience with him, but instead continued to make preparations to welcome the Ming army.

"Did the order come from the Crown Prince?" Shen Yourong looked at Commander Huang and voiced the doubts in everyone's minds, though most of them couldn't understand her.

“Yes, I’m quite certain, it is the Crown Prince.” Commander Huang nodded emphatically. “He not only said Crown Prince, but also used the word ‘His Highness’. This word means ‘His Highness’, the ‘His Highness’ of a residence.’ It is the exclusive title for the Crown Prince in Joseon.”

"I understand." Shen Yourong nodded slightly; he had indeed heard the short, dialectal sound just now. "Then ask him if he has seen the Crown Prince in person. If these orders were all issued by the Crown Prince, then where is the King?"

"Admiral Shen is asking you," Commander Huang turned to Lin Chengye and said, "Where is the King? Have you seen the Crown Prince in person?"

As soon as the question was asked, the eyes of the other North Korean officials present immediately turned to Lin Chengye.

Lin Chengye himself deliberately said those things in preparation for answering these questions.

Yesterday, on their way out of Changdeok Palace, the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, Yoo Hee-bun, and Chief State Councilor, Park Seung-jong, emphasized to Lim Seung-yeop that they must find a way to ensure the Ming army's commander knew and believed that the order to open the city gates and the decision to send envoys were both issued by the Crown Prince. At that time, Lim Seung-yeop was still puzzled as to why things had turned out this way. It wasn't until he returned to Incheon and saw the proclamation that he suddenly realized—Hanyang had already learned of the emperor's deposition of the king through other channels, and the Crown Prince had therefore acted decisively, quickly contacting powerful ministers to launch a palace coup against the king.

"I did not see His Majesty the King, nor do I know where he is. However, I did see the Crown Prince," Lin Chengye replied truthfully.

“Admiral Shen,” Huang Baihu said to Shen Yourong, “he met the Crown Prince, but doesn’t know where the King is.”

Shen Yourong's expression changed. "Ask him, when did the Crown Prince begin to rule as regent?"

"I don't know," Lin Chengye said, shaking his head after hearing the translation.

"Then ask him again." Shen Yourong nodded at Li Liting again.

“Prefect Li,” Huang, a centurion, asked Li Liting, turning to him. “Commander Shen is asking if you know anything about the Crown Prince’s regency?”

"I don't know. This is the first time I've heard Vice Envoy Lin mention this matter," Li Liting shook his head repeatedly. He then asked Lin Chengye, "Vice Envoy Lin, what exactly is going on?"

“I’m not entirely sure either.” Lin Chengye glanced quickly at Li Liting, but then quickly turned his gaze and attention back to Shen Yourong. “Yesterday afternoon, I was ordered by the Li family envoy to return to Hanyang to deliver a message. When I arrived at the city of Hanyang, the entire city was already under martial law. After entering the city, I first went to the Ministry of War to meet with Prince Li Erzhan of Guangchang Prefecture, who was in charge of the Ministry of War. Then I was taken to Shimin Hall by a palace eunuch. It was there that I met His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Lin Chengye stopped there, and Li Liting immediately urged, "Go on! And then?"

Lin Chengye ignored Li Liting's comment and instead gave Huang Baihu, who was standing next to Shen Yourong, a serious look. Li Liting followed his gaze and was startled to find Huang Baihu still whispering to Shen Yourong.

Shen Yourong glanced at Li Liting, and after Huang Baihu said, "Prefect Li was just urging Vice Prefect Lin, and had no other intentions," she looked away.

"Let him continue." Shen Yourong frowned slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

"Envoy Lin, please continue," said Huang Baihu to Lin Chengye.

Lin Chengye tried to recall: "After meeting the Crown Prince, he asked me when your unit had arrived and whose banner you were flying. I answered truthfully, and Judge Liu and Counselor Zhang guessed that your unit was the navy that had appeared in the Jeolla Sea a few days ago. Later, Prime Minister Park and Judge Liu suggested that Your Highness immediately send me back to Incheon overnight to have the Prince of Lee open the city gates to welcome me. The Crown Prince made a decisive decision and immediately agreed. Subsequently, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Park, and Judge Liu discussed sending Counselor Zhang to Incheon to personally welcome the Admiral. After that, I returned to Incheon."

Lim Seung-yeop had no right to take sides on the issue of the succession to the Joseon throne, let alone have any influence over it. In order to avoid trouble, he could only follow the instructions of Yoo Hee-bun and Park Seung-jong, and delete as many details as possible that were difficult or impossible to say without changing the facts, while highlighting the role of the Crown Prince.

While Lin Chengye was speaking, Huang Baihu was providing simultaneous interpretation right next to Shen Yourong. So by the time Lin Chengye finished speaking, Shen Yourong had heard almost everything about Lin Chengye's visit to the palace to see the Crown Prince.

"You just said that martial law has been declared in Hanyang?" Shen Yourong asked Lin Chengye.

"Yes!" Lin Chengye answered directly without waiting for the translator, "I was hoisted up the walls of Hanyang in a basket. I also rode in a basket when leaving the city."

After listening to the translation, Shen Yourong asked, "At first you said that Zhang Wanquan, the Military Advisor, was in charge of legal matters, but later you said that Li Erzhan was in charge of the Military Affairs Office. Which of these two people is actually the superior of the Military Advisor?"

Lin Chengye was taken aback, not expecting Shen Yourong to ask such detailed questions. "I'm not entirely sure either. Since last autumn, Zhang Gong has been issuing the orders for the Ministry of War, but judging from the current situation, it seems that Li Gong is now in charge of the Ministry of War, since he sits in the main seat in the main hall."

After listening to the translation, Shen Yourong asked, "What is the relationship between Li Erzhan and the Crown Prince?"

"Lord Li is the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather-in-law." Lin Chengye's eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, and he couldn't help but think to himself: This guy is too perceptive!

"What about Park Young-sang and Yoo Pan-seo?" Shen Yourong asked immediately afterward.

“President Yoo is the Queen’s brother, and Speaker Park is the Crown Prince’s grandfather-in-law,” said Lim Seung-yeop.

"Hmph." Shen Yourong chuckled, then turned to Luo Yangxing and said, "It seems they've arrived. They've even forced out the story of Emperor Suzong's Lingwu."

"Emperor Suzong?" Luo Yangxing's lips twitched, and he said meaningfully, "What a pity."

(End of this chapter)