Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 681 The snipe and the clam fight
"What did you say!" Li Zhu broke free from his mother's embrace and looked at Pei Ji with a horrified expression.

"Your Highness," Pei Ji knelt down on the spot, trembling as he said, "The Ming army... the Ming army demands to take over the Southern Camp!"

Li Chu's vision blurred, and he almost roared, "Have they reached the city walls already?!"

"This servant doesn't know!" Pei Ji shook his head repeatedly, rubbing his forehead against his front. "General Cai only said these words to this servant."

"Which General Cai told you that?" Li Chu sat up, propping himself up on the edge of the bed.

"Is it Cai Zongji?" Park Seung-jong asked.

“That’s right,” Pei Ji nodded sharply, making a thud on the ground, “It’s Cai Zongji! It’s Cai Zongji!”

“Cai Zongji? Who is that person!” Li Chu was quite certain that he had heard this name somewhere before, but he just couldn’t remember where.

“Your Highness, this Cai Zongji is the gatekeeper of Sungnyemun Gate,” Park Seung-jong said. “He was also the one who came to the sergeant a few days ago to report that the Ming army had landed at Incheon.”

"Where is he now?" Li Zhu asked Pei Ji.

“It’s right outside the palace gates,” Pei Jifei said quickly.

"Then let him in!" Li Chu shouted, his chest heaving.

"Yes! This servant will go right away!" Pei Ji hurriedly got up and ran out in a flurry.

After Pei Ji's figure disappeared, Li Chu's body went limp. He gripped the edge of the bed tightly, his nails almost digging into the wood, barely managing to maintain his current sitting posture.

"Gentlemen," Li Chu felt as if countless dark shadows were flying before his eyes. "What should we do?"

“Your Highness,” Park Seung-jong was the first to speak, “Since the Ming army has requested to take over the South Byeol Camp, we have no choice but to comply and hand over command of the South Byeol Camp to them.”

“It’s not just the South Camp,” Park Seung-jong had barely finished speaking when Lee Er-chan, the training commander, chimed in. “Why don’t we just hand over the entire training command to that Commander-in-Chief Shen?”

"If we hand over the entire army, what if..." Yi Chu was clearly worried about the throne. He even considered using the army to negotiate with the Ming army.

But Park Seung-jong interrupted him, refusing to let Yi Ye-chan voice his thoughts in public: "There's no 'what if'! We only have two options: to relinquish power voluntarily or to be forced to. Once the Ming army adopts an offensive posture, the Training Commander will inevitably collapse at the mere sight of them!" As he spoke, Park Seung-jong deliberately glanced at Yi Ye-chan. "If it comes to that, our situation will be very dangerous."

Li Erzhan originally didn't want to cause trouble with Park Seung-jong at this time, but since Park Seung-jong had taken the initiative to provoke him, he wouldn't hold back. Li Erzhan met Park Seung-jong's gaze and raised his voice two octaves: "Minister Park, is this how you speak to His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Park Seung-jong was taken aback, then retorted loudly, "Am I wrong? Or are you, Commander Lee, planning to lead the military governor to confront the Ming army?"

Li Erzhan completely ignored Park Seung-jong's words and instead adopted a righteous and stern demeanor: "Watch your attitude! Minister Park, don't think that just because you're an elder or the Chief State Councilor, you can disregard the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject!"

"I...you!" Park Seung-jong's breath hitched. Park Seung-jong was certain that if he hadn't interrupted Yi Yeok's "what if," Yi Er-chan would have also spoken up to interrupt Yi Yeok's meaningless discussion about the throne. But now that Yi Er-chan was attacking him with such an attitude, it was difficult for him to retort.

"Hmph." Li Erzhan rolled his eyes at Park Seung-jong, then turned around and very "magnanimously" defended Park Seung-jong. "Your Highness, I believe that although Prime Minister Park was emotional and somewhat rude, he was ultimately just worried and confused, and it was an unintentional mistake. Moreover, Prime Minister Park's words are not entirely wrong. Since the Ming army has made a request, we should comply."

"If we go a step further than what the Ming army demands and proactively transfer command of the entire Training Command, we can better demonstrate Joseon's loyalty to the Admiral, the Imperial Envoy, and the Emperor. In the future, when discussing right and wrong or important matters, we will have something to say."

“Alright.” Yi Chu nodded at Yi Erzhan, then gave Park Seung-jong a weary smile. But in the end, he looked at Yoo Hee-bum with a certain degree of reliance on past experience. “Then who would be the most suitable person to send to negotiate with the Ming army?”

Liu Xifen immediately noticed that when Yi Chu looked over, Park Seung-jong and Yi Er-chan both turned their gazes toward him.

Park Seung-jong's eyes were filled with undisguised eagerness.

Although Li Erzhan only had a faint smile, Liu Xifen understood that he, like Park Seung-jong, wanted to be the one to hand over power to the Ming army.

As for Liu Xifen himself, he was also somewhat tempted.

However, looking at it from another perspective, this is actually a dilemma. Recommending Li Erzhan would most likely offend Park Seung-jong, while recommending Park Seung-jong could very well allow Park Seung-jong to become too powerful, and recommending himself would offend both sides.

Liu Xifen was unaware that the seed of suspicion that Li Erzhan had planted in his heart had begun to sprout.

Just as Liu Xifen was hesitating, the eunuch Pei Ji arrived outside the sleeping quarters with Cai Zongji, the guard of Chongli Gate.

"Your Highness, General Cai has arrived," Pei Ji greeted softly from the doorway.

Li Chu withdrew his gaze and led everyone toward the doorway. "Let him in."

"Let's go in," Pei Ji whispered to Cai Zongji.

"Where should I go?" Cai Zongji had never seen anything like this before, and he went limp before even going inside.

If it were Director Jin present, he would immediately realize that Cai Zongji wanted to know where to stay, and then point him to a suitable place—an open space directly opposite the bed as soon as he entered the room.

But Pei Ji had no experience, so he just dryly urged, "Where else can we go? Of course, we'll go into the palace. Hurry up!"

Cai Zongji shuddered, and forcing himself to take a shaky step, he managed to walk to within two steps of the bed. This was a position reserved for trusted ministers, and Cai Zongji clearly did not have the qualifications. Fortunately, in this dire situation, no one cared about such details.

"Your subject Cai Zongji pays respects to Her Highness the Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness the Consort." Cai Zongji knelt and kowtowed.

“I ask you,” Li Zhu said weakly, “has the Ming army reached the city walls yet?” “Your Highness, no,” Cai Zongji shook his head.

"Then the Ming army's demand to take over the Southern Camp..." Li Zhu tried to take a deep breath to appear more energetic. "And who told you that?"

“It was General Zhao,” Cai Zongji replied. “General Zhao came to say it himself!”

"What else did he say?" Li Chu pressed. "Did the Ming army have any other demands?"

“That’s all,” Cai Zongji said. “General Zhao only mentioned this one thing when he was outside the city.”

"Below the city walls," Li Chu asked absentmindedly, "you didn't let him in?"

“Of course not, there’s martial law in place right now. Besides, Prime Minister Park has already warned us not to.” Cai Zongji looked at Park Seung-jong as if to pledge his loyalty, but was interrupted sharply by Park Seung-jong: “Enough!”

Park Seung-jong's sharp gaze made Chae Jong-gi swallow the words he was about to say. Then, he looked at Yi Yeo and said, "Your Highness, this good-for-nothing knows nothing. Don't waste time on him. The most urgent task is to send someone out of the city to contact the Ming army." As he spoke, Park Seung-jong gave a wink to Kim Ryu, the judge of the Ministry of Justice, and Jeong Kyung-se, the judge of the Ministry of Works.

“That’s true,” Li Zhu had slept less than two hours in three days, and was utterly exhausted, barely able to breathe. “But who should we send?”

"Your Highness, transferring troops and power is a matter of great importance to the nation and should not be delegated to others. During the two Japanese invasions, when the Ming army entered the country, King Seonjo personally welcomed them outside the city." Minister of Works Jeong Kyung-se spoke first. "Therefore, I believe that Your Highness should go in person."

Park Seung-jong glanced at Jung Kyung-se in surprise. But before he could react, Queen Yoo said with a choked voice, "No! Absolutely not! My son is already so weak, and you still want him to go out of the city to negotiate with the Ming army? Are you trying to kill him?"

"Your Majesty is terrified!" Zheng Jingshi hurriedly kowtowed and said, "It is a long-standing custom for Your Majesty to welcome the heavenly army in the suburbs and the angels from afar. Now that the Crown Prince has left the city, it can also establish his legitimacy and reassure the people."

“No!” Judge Jin Liu of the Ministry of Justice retorted, “While what Zheng Gongshu said is true, these matters cannot be compared. Back then, those welcomed by King Seonjo were either civil strategists like Song, Yang, and Xing, or military generals like Li, Ma, and Chen.”

"The person who went to the Southern Camp to demand the takeover is likely just an ordinary vanguard under a certain adjutant general. For the Crown Prince to personally go out of the city to negotiate is to be disrespectful and damage the prestige of our country." Jin Liu paused for a moment, then said to Lady Liu, "Therefore, I believe that, for the sake of the Crown Prince's dignity and the face of our country, it would be best to choose a responsible minister to negotiate."

“Absolutely right! What Judge Jin said is absolutely right!” Lady Liu immediately agreed.

"Therefore, I recommend..." Kim Ryu's lips twitched slightly, and he was about to recommend Park Seung-jong.

Unfortunately, before that, Jin Jinguo, the Registrar of the Household Department who had been keeping quiet, interrupted Jin Liu from the side with an almost loud voice: "Jin Xingshu, you want to recommend Lord Li, don't you? That's what I think too!"

Kim Ryu was taken aback, and subconsciously looked back at Kim Jin-guk, then exchanged a glance with Park Seung-jong. He shook his head slightly at Park Seung-jong as if to express that he did not think so.

But at this moment, Kim Ryu couldn't get a word in edgewise. Kim Jin-guk's lips kept moving, and his voice was loud, clearly not giving anyone a chance to speak: "As the Prince of Guangchang Prefecture, Lord Li not only holds the positions of both the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War, but is also the Director of the Training Bureau. Therefore, whether from the perspective of matters of rites, military affairs, or the handover of the Training Bureau itself, he is an excellent candidate for the mission."

"More importantly, Lord Li is the maternal grandfather-in-law of the Crown Prince's household and the maternal grandfather of the Consort's household. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water, and people are of the same blood. Lord Li's mission will not only enable him to complete his mission, but also protect the dignity of the royal family!"

Kim Jin-guk shut down everything Park Seung-jong could say. All Park Seung-jong could do at that point was grit his teeth and accept the loss.

Park Seung-jong personally stepped forward and said, "However, the Assistant Minister Li who went to greet Imperial Envoy Yuan and the Assistant Judge Zhang who went to greet Admiral Shen are only second or third-rank officials. If we were to let our Prince of Guangchang, as a first-rank military commander, meet that young vanguard general, wouldn't that disrupt the proper order?"

As he spoke, Park Seung-jong glanced at Yoo Hee-bun, hoping to find common ground.

But Liu Xifen simply knelt woodenly beside the princess, showing no intention of responding at all. It was as if the discussion in front of him had nothing to do with him.

“Lord Park,” Kim Jin-guk said with a smile to Park Seung-jong, “just as Kim Hyong-seok said, these two matters are completely different and cannot be compared or contrasted. Counselor Lee and Judge Jang left the capital to welcome the imperial envoy on behalf of the Crown Prince. But Lord Lee’s departure from the city is merely to discuss the handover of the training commander with the Ming army. Is there anyone in the world more suitable than the Commander-in-Chief?”

“Minister Park, things have come to this point, you no longer need to be wary of me and the Training Commissioner, do you?” Lee Er-chan looked at Park Seung-jong, his face calm as still water. “Or does Minister Park have some reason to want to delay things any longer?”

“If Director Li wants this job, just say so. Don’t beat around the bush.” Park Seung-jong glanced at Lee Er-chan with a stern face, his hands clenched into fists inside his long sleeves.

Yi Chu's vision blurred and his head throbbed, but he still understood. His wife's two ancestors were embroiled in factional strife!
Even now, there's still factional infighting!
"That's enough." Lee Chok turned around and glanced at Madam Park.

Park met his gaze, her eyes filled with embarrassment and bitterness. Ultimately, this was not a matter she could comment on. Amidst the conflict between her grandfather and maternal grandfather, all she could do was mediate, and even then, not in this setting. She couldn't speak, and had nothing to say, only casting pleading glances at Lee Er-chan and Park Seung-jong.

Li Chu remained silent for a while. Finally, in a state of dizziness and disorientation, he exercised the power of a monarch for the first time with independent will: "Uncle, you may go."

"Me?" Liu Xifen's heart skipped a beat.

“You are young and vigorous,” Li Chu casually offered an excuse. “You are more resistant to bumpy rides.”

Li Erzhan returned Park's smile, then shouted at the top of his lungs, "I second that!"

Liu Xifen looked at Li Erzhan in surprise, unable to understand why the other party had said or done such a thing until he saw an undisguised indifference and estrangement in Park Seung-jong's eyes, and then he suddenly realized Li Erzhan's intention.

But at this point, even if you understand, it's useless. Because if you want to thwart Li Erzhan's attempt to sow discord, the only option is to hand over the opportunity personally offered by the Crown Prince, or simply throw it away.

In order to mend his relationship with Park Seung-jong, he gave up the opportunity to show goodwill to the Ming army and offend the crown prince.

Liu Xifen didn't think it was a good idea.

Having made up his mind, Liu Xifen slowly prostrated himself, kowtowed, and shouted, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

(End of this chapter)