Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 692 The Queen's Invitation

The so-called public land was land specifically designated by the government for certain purposes to cover expenses, while land granted to meritorious officials was tax-exempt land. Taxes generated from this type of land did not need to be remitted to the central government.

On his journey south to Hanyang, Yuan Keli had already discovered that public government land and tax-exempt land constituted a very large proportion of the reclaimed farmland. Although Yuan Keli's survey of farmland in various places was only a cursory inspection, like reviewing troops, and lacked concrete data, on average, at least 20% to 30% of the farmland in a prefecture or county was public government land and tax-exempt land—not counting the hidden land attached to public government land and tax-exempt land.

Yuan Keli's preliminary estimate is that if we take it seriously and insist on a precise calculation, more than half of the land in North Korea is probably not included in Zheng Jingshi's so-called "national land".

“Jung Gongshu!” Jung Kyung-seok lowered his head and dared not speak, but at this moment, Yuan Keli insisted on making him explain the issue clearly: “I’m asking you! If all the land in the country is measured clearly, all the private lands hidden by the Yangban are verified, and all the taxes that should not be exempted are collected into the national treasury, can Korea support another nine thousand elite troops!”

"..." Jung Kyung-se trembled like a leaf, his heart filled with resentment towards Park Seung-jong.

This is a question he simply cannot answer!
Like everyone else, Zheng Jingshi was neither afraid of expanding the army nor of increasing taxes; his only fear was that these taxes would fall on his own shoulders. If he gave a positive answer, he would certainly offend his colleagues present. Conversely, if he disobeyed Yuan Keli, Yuan Keli could behead him on the spot without any consequences.

"Speak!" Yuan Keli shouted, but his expression remained as calm as before. "If you're not going to speak, get out!"

"..." Zheng Jingshi gasped for breath, his mind racing with a complex decision.

"Someone come here!" Yuan Keli raised his baton and slammed it on the map stand.

"Here!" Upon hearing the voice, the guards who were waiting outside the hall immediately filed in.

"Drag him out of here." Yuan Keli pointed at Zheng Jingshi with his baton and then made a throwing gesture.

"Yes, sir!" The standard-bearers pounced like wolves. Only then did the North Korean officials finally understand that although Yuan Keli had been smiling and willing to explain, his attitude from beginning to end had been one of notification, not discussion.

"Your Honor!" Zheng Jingshi knelt down with a thud. "I've thought it through!"

"Speak." Yuan Keli stopped the pacesetter who had rushed up behind Zheng Jingshi with a look.

"We can raise them! We can raise them!" Park Seung-jong had told him not to express his opinion earlier, but now, Jung Kyung-se had no choice but to speak up. "Don't even mention raising another nine thousand elite troops, it's not impossible to send another one hundred thousand!"

"Hmph." Yuan Keli snorted lightly, slowly withdrawing his intimidating stance. "Get out."

"Yes." The model team leader stood tall and straightened his back, then turned and left.

Yuan Keli put away his baton, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Korean officials. "Supervision, supervision. The emphasis is on supervision, protection is secondary. His Majesty sent me to Korea primarily to oversee Korea and help it become strong. If Korea wants to become strong, it needs to train its army; if it wants to train its army, it needs money and supplies. I'm making this clear: whether you like it or not, the land survey in Pyongan, Hwanghae, and Gyeonggi provinces has already begun under the leadership of the Ming troops stationed there, and it will soon expand nationwide! Anyone who tries to obstruct it, feel free to do so."

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Having expressed that stance, I've said most of what needed to be said.

Yuan Keli put down his baton, and Shen Yourong and Luo Yangxing, who had been silent until now, immediately stood up.

The three met at the foot of the platform and solemnly bowed to Yi Chu, who stood there dumbfounded. "Your Highness, the Regent Prince, we will now take our leave."

"Please wait, gentlemen." Li Chu came to his senses, quickly walked down the platform, and came to Yuan Keli and the other two, bowing slightly.

"Does the Regent have any further instructions?" Yuan Keli asked, but his expression grew even more somber. Clearly, he had no intention of negotiating with Li Chu on matters already decided. If Li Chu insisted on obstructing him, he wouldn't hesitate to strip Li Chu and even the entire Hanyang of their power.

"I wouldn't dare. It is Her Highness Grandmother who wishes to meet with you all. I wonder if you would do me the honor?" Li Zhu's heart was pounding, but he still managed to force a smile.

“Your Highness, Grandmother,” Yuan Keli glanced at Luo Yangxing subconsciously, “Is the Regent referring to the Grand Princess Zhenyi?”

“That’s right, it’s Her Highness the Grand Queen Dowager.” Yi Chok quickly nodded in agreement.

"When?" Yuan Keli asked.

“If you gentlemen are not in a hurry, please follow me to the Great Construction Hall now. If you are busy, we can postpone it to another day,” Li Zhu said politely and considerately.

Yuan Keli's brows furrowed even more.

Logically, as the imperial envoy sent by the emperor to restore order in Korea and the de facto ruler of Korea, Yuan Keli should at least pay a visit to the Queen Dowager of Korea, who had been formally appointed by the late emperor. If he could obtain a "compassionate instruction" from her rebuking the deposed king, and then announce it to the world, it would make their actions appear more legitimate.

However, the matters concerning Qingyun Palace were far too troublesome. Not to mention at this juncture, even if Yuan Keli had nothing better to do, he wouldn't want to easily get involved in such a large-scale internal power struggle within the imperial clan, which could potentially drag him down as well.

Unfortunately, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. Yuan Keli wanted to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, while Luo Yangxing was eager to make a big scene.

“Guardian Yuan, we don’t need to rush. Since the Queen Dowager sent the Crown Prince to invite us, wouldn’t it be impolite of us not to go?” Luo Yangxing said with a smile.

Yuan Keli ignored Luo Yangxing's words and instead asked Li Chu, "Regent, why does the Queen Dowager suddenly want to see us?"

Yuan Keli, a former magistrate, never believed in coincidences. He had only heard about the assassination and the faked death yesterday, and today the woman at the center of the vortex came to invite him, and even had the regent's son, who was also at the center of the vortex, come on his behalf. The situation was very delicate, and Yuan Keli even suspected that the Embroidered Uniform Guards under Luo Yangxing's command were up to something.

It's important to know that these Imperial Guards entered the city much earlier than him. Let alone ordinary bribery, infiltration, or threats, even if Luo Yangxing told Yuan Keli that Imperial Guards had already infiltrated the Joseon royal palace and were even eavesdropping on the roof of the Xuanzheng Hall, Yuan Keli wouldn't be too surprised.

"Why?" Li Chu blinked, puzzled, not quite understanding why Yuan Keli asked such a question. In his view, this was just an ordinary, polite meeting.

Li Chu really didn't know how to answer Yuan Keli's question, and feeling uneasy under the gazes of Yuan Keli and Luo Yangxing, he simply asked back, "Is there something wrong with it?"

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Please lead the way, Your Highness.” Yuan Keli steeled his resolve and gestured for him to proceed.

"Alright, this way please!" Li Zhu was overjoyed to see Yuan Keli accept the invitation and quickly ran ahead to lead the way. The four of them walked out of the Xuanzheng Hall, leaving a group of Joseon officials inside the hall looking at each other, unsure whether they should leave.

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On the way to the Daejojeon Hall, Yi Cho walked in front, with Yuan Keli and the other two following behind. Ahead of the four were the eunuchs of Changdeok Palace, while behind them were the elite guards of the Imperial Guard who had accompanied Yuan Keli into the palace.

Li Chu wanted to discuss the land surveying reform with Yuan Keli in detail, but when he turned his head to look at the corner, he was disappointed to find that Yuan Keli was whispering to Luo Yangxing.

"Why today?" Yuan Keli asked Luo Yangxing in a low voice.

Luo Yangxing paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Even if that Grand Consort Wang had requested an audience the day before yesterday, she wouldn't have been able to see you. After all, you only entered the capital yesterday to deliver an imperial decree."

Yuan Keli hesitated for a moment, then took two more steps before speaking directly: "Lord Luo, you told me those things yesterday, and today this Princess Consort Wang wants to see me. Don't you think that's a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"Does Guardian Yuan suspect that I'm interfering?" Luo Yangxing's eyes narrowed slightly, but he still smiled.

Yuan Keli didn't respond to the question, but instead said, "I won't interfere in the affairs of your Embroidered Uniform Guard, but since Vice Commissioner Luo is working on the territory that the Emperor has allocated to me, shouldn't he at least give me a heads-up?"

“That’s natural, but today’s meeting has nothing to do with us. If I had to say, it’s that a few days ago, this Crown Prince Regent invited me and Commander Shen to the palace in the name of the Queen Dowager. But at that time, we just used the excuse that you hadn’t arrived yet to make an excuse.” Luo Yangxing gestured with his lip toward Li Chu, who was about three steps ahead. “So Commander Shen and I were just taking it one step at a time and were forced to comply. Instead of asking me here, you should ask our Crown Prince Regent what he thinks.”

Having said all that, it would be impolite to press further. Yuan Keli smiled faintly and gently stepped onto the step Luo Yangxing had offered. "Once we meet that Grand Consort, we'll know what this grandmother and grandson are really up to."

"You're right." Luo Yangxing smiled and turned his gaze back, only to see a worried old face.

Compared to Yuan Keli, Shen Yourong had absolutely no desire to get involved in the Li family's messy affairs—he desperately wanted to escape, but unfortunately, he couldn't.

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Daejojeon was the sleeping quarters of the queen consorts of Joseon. Originally named "Jeongjeon" when first built by King Taejong (Yi Bang-won), it was renamed "Ryangyijeon" during the reign of King Sejo (Yi Yu), taking inspiration from the phrase "Taiji generates Yin and Yang" in the I Ching. In the fourth year of Seonghwa's reign, before his death, Yi Yu renamed Ryangyijeon "Daejojeon," again taking inspiration from the phrase "I have made great contributions in the West" in the Zuo Zhuan, to commemorate his great achievements and benevolence during the "Gye-yu Rebellion."

Logically, Daejojeon should have been the queen's private residence, but due to the hasty reconstruction and limited usable buildings, it had been the residence of all the concubines, including Queen Yoo, ever since they moved into Changdeokgung Palace. It wasn't until Queen Dowager Kim moved to Changdeokgung Palace that these concubines gradually moved out.

"The Regent's Residence has arrived!!" Just as the group was about to reach the entrance, the eunuch guarding the main gate immediately shouted this out.

When Li Chu saw that the eunuch had stopped singing after that one note, he immediately became anxious. He strode forward, glared at the eunuch, and said, "The imperial envoy from the Celestial Empire has also arrived, didn't you see?"

"Ah?" The eunuch turned his head and saw a vermilion flying fish and two black qilins. He quickly shouted, "The imperial envoy of the Celestial Empire has arrived!!"

Speak Chinese!

"This servant doesn't know how."

"You!"

Inside the main hall of the Daejojeon Palace, Queen Dowager Kim and Queen Yoo, who had become somewhat lethargic from waiting for so long, immediately sat up straight upon hearing the announcement. "Summon them!"

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness, Grandmother! Your son pays respects to Your Majesty, Mother!" Li Hui led the way into the hall and knelt before Lady Jin and Lady Liu.

"Please rise, Your Highness." Madam Jin beckoned upwards, but her eyes were fixed on Yuan Keli and the other two standing outside the hall.

Inside the palace, a soft, dim light flickered. Queen Dowager Kim, not yet forty, sat regally on the main seat facing south. The vicissitudes of time had etched their marks on her face, and her former elegance seemed to be covered by a refined pallor.

Her eyes were shrouded in a faint blue shadow, like two deep, cold pools. When Yuan Keli's gaze met Jin's, something extremely cold and hard seemed to flash across the depths of those pools.

"Your subjects Yuan Keli, Shen Yourong, and Luo Yangxing greet Your Highness the Queen Dowager and Your Highness the Queen." Li Hui rose and offered his seat, and Yuan Keli led Shen Yourong and Luo Yangxing to Jin Shi's side to bow and pay their respects.

Kneeling was out of the question. Before the three Ming Dynasty envoys, Queen Dowager Kim and Queen Dowager Yoo were merely two women around forty years old.

“There’s no need for such formalities, Your Excellencies.” Lady Jin and Lady Liu rose to return the greeting. “Please sit down.”

"Thank you for the seats, Your Highness." The three bowed again and sat down in the seats that Jin had indicated to them.

"Is Your Majesty well?" The first thing Madam Jin did upon arriving was to politely inquire about the emperor's health.

"Your Majesty is well." Yuan Keli nodded with a smile. "Your Highness, please do not worry."

"Your Majesty is exceptionally talented and wise, decisive and sagacious, and in the prime of your life. The dynasty is destined for prosperity, and the world can be at peace!" Jin added another compliment.

Yuan Keli bowed slightly, his gaze steady, his voice gentle: "Your Highness is absolutely right. His Majesty also often thinks of Your Highness's integrity and composure, your calmness in the face of change, and your ability to uphold righteousness and protect the ancestral temples even in times of national turmoil. This is truly a blessing for Joseon and a comfort to His Majesty."

Jin's expression changed slightly, because she vaguely felt that Yuan Keli's words carried a certain warning meaning.

Jin composed herself, a dignified and appropriate smile quickly appearing on her lips: "Lord Yuan, you flatter me. The restoration of order is entirely due to His Majesty's extraordinary wisdom and talent. The stability of the ancestral temples is also thanks to the Crown Prince's filial piety and sincerity. The Crown Prince's regency is truly in line with the people's hearts, and even more so..." She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over Yuan Keli's calm face, "...because he enjoys the deep trust of the Ming Dynasty?"

Yuan Keli smiled gently and nodded slowly. Then he looked away, meeting the gazes of Li Zhu and Luo Yangxing. "The Crown Prince is a handsome young man with no bad reputation. In this temporary regency, he will surely be able to secure the borders of the Ming Dynasty and bring peace to the Joseon Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)