Di Ming

Chapter 406 "Marquis of Jiangning, His Majesty summons you!"

Xu Wei continued, “The best place for Prince Xin’s fiefdom is Jiujiang Prefecture. Jiujiang is in Jiangxi, and Jiangxi already has a princely fiefdom, so it is a province that can be divided into fiefdoms. It is also very close to Southern Zhili, and it is located on the Yangtze River. It is only a few days’ waterway from Nanjing.”

Zhu Yin nodded in agreement. Southern Zhili and Zhejiang were not places for enfeoffment; they had never had princes there. Therefore, the closest and best-located fiefdom to Nanjing was indeed Jiujiang in Jiangxi.

Jiujiang is a riverside city with well-developed water transport and is also connected to the vast Poyang Lake. The Jinghai Army could completely control the route from Jiujiang to Nanjing via waterways.

Xu Wei added, "If we can't get things done in Jiujiang, we should settle for second best and try to make Hanzhong and Wuzhou the fiefdoms of Prince Xin."

Zhu Yin said, "Alright, I'll make the arrangements now. I'll try my best to get Prince Xin enfeoffed in Jiujiang!"

……

Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, birds sang and danced.

In the grove where hibiscus flowers bloom, the Goryeo king and his ministers are drinking and making merry, celebrating the restoration of Goryeo and the defeat of the Japanese pirates.

For this banquet, the King of Goryeo naturally invited Zhu Yin, Qi Jiguang, and others, and treated them as honored guests.

Although King Seonjo of Goryeo returned to the palace in Seoul, the Japanese pirates were wiped out by the Ming army, and the puppet regime supported by the Japanese army was destroyed, he was very unhappy.

Because Zhu Yin simply didn't take him, the King of Goryeo, seriously. Zhu Yin's military headquarters practically controlled all major affairs, including the defense of Seoul, the provision of funds and relief, and the administration of Goryeo.

Even the royal guards were mostly Ming soldiers.

Once he leaves Gyeongbokgung Palace, he has no say in anything; he's just a puppet.

He was very worried that Zhu Yin would stay in Goryeo and not leave.

Yi Yeon was preoccupied with his own thoughts, and even fine wine and song and dance could not bring him joy.

"Your Highness," Zhu Yin, dressed in a bullfighting robe and wearing a jade crown, raised his cup, "why are you so sullen when you invited us to the palace for a banquet today?"

Zhu Yin asked knowingly with a smile.

Didn't you impeach me to the emperor? I'll make sure you're not happy, otherwise, wouldn't your impeachment have been for nothing?

As soon as Zhu Yin spoke, the Ming generals all looked at the King of Goryeo with indifferent gazes.

They were also very dissatisfied with the Goryeo king and his officials.

How much money and grain did the Ming Dynasty spend on Goryeo, and how many soldiers died? In the end, after finally eliminating the Japanese pirates, the Goryeo king and his officials couldn't wait for them to leave.

Isn't this like crossing the river and then burning the bridge?

That would have been one thing. What's even more despicable is that the King of Goryeo secretly impeached the Grand Chancellor and made false accusations against him to the Emperor.

The Grand Marshal is a benefactor of Goryeo. Is this how you treat your benefactor?

In addition, the King of Goryeo secretly recorded historical records such as the Veritable Records, exaggerating and fabricating the achievements of the Goryeo people in resisting the Japanese pirates. They were already doing this secretly before the army had even left, and the battle had just ended; one can only imagine what would happen later. It's likely that once the army leaves Goryeo, they will erase the benevolence of the Ming Dynasty.

This shows that the Goryeo king and his ministers were truly ungrateful bastards, petty people who repaid kindness with ingratitude.

Fortunately, the Grand Coordinator had made preparations in advance. During this period, he provided relief to Goryeo refugees in the name of the Ming Dynasty, built cemeteries for fallen Ming soldiers everywhere, and printed books to publicize the Ming Dynasty's resistance against Japanese pirates in Goryeo. All these measures were to make the Goryeo people remember the two-times-great-kindness of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Yeon, of course, dared not openly oppose Zhu Yin, and could only force a smile and say:
"Thanks to the Emperor's great fortune and the General's bravery, Goryeo has finally recovered its land. We will never forget the kindness of the heavens and the earth. However, due to this national calamity, millions of Goryeo people have suffered terribly. Countless people have been left starving, displaced, or even forced to eat their own children. Therefore, we are filled with sorrow and grief."

Zhu Yin sneered, thinking to himself, "What are you pretending for? If you truly loved your people, would you have embezzled the Ming Dynasty's relief grain? Would you have sent people to slaughter the rescued Goryeo women? It's clear you have no heart, only knowing how to indulge in extravagance and debauchery, and how to exploit them to the bone."

Take today's banquet, for example. A lavish spread of delicacies, hundreds of dishes, and singing and dancing. The Goryeo royal court spent half a month preparing for this grand feast. Is such extravagance appropriate for the current situation? Many Goryeo people can't even afford thin porridge these days!
Zhu Yin said bluntly, "Now that spring planting is complete and the autumn harvest is in the second half of the year, Goryeo will be able to catch its breath. The Ming Dynasty is also facing a food shortage, and with the long distance and inconvenient transportation, Goryeo will have to rely on itself for food from now on."

"As long as your country's rulers and ministers truly cherish their people, they will soon be able to overcome the difficulties and will no longer need to trouble the Ming Dynasty."

The King of Goryeo was furious, wishing he could kick the autocratic Ming general to death, but he could only force a sheepish smile on his face. "What you say is absolutely right, General. I will cherish the people and will not trouble the Celestial Empire any further."

Ryu Seong-ryong and other Korean ministers also wore smiles, secretly cursing Zhu Yin in their hearts.

Strangely enough, although Zhu Yin was a benefactor of Goryeo, they just couldn't bring themselves to like Zhu Yin and other generals of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing Zhu Yin and others would remind them that it was the Ming Dynasty that saved Goryeo, not Goryeo itself that defeated the Japanese pirates.

This fact made them feel humiliated.

But even if he disliked Zhu Yin in his heart, he still treated him with utmost respect on the surface.

Zhu Yin knew perfectly well what the Goryeo king and his ministers were thinking, but he didn't care at all. For now, he was still the military commissioner, and these ungrateful bastards dared not speak out against him. But what would they be like once he was no longer the military commissioner?
Hehe, by all accounts, Song Yingchang, who is succeeding him as the Left Vice Minister of War, should be arriving in Seoul soon, right?

Besides Ming military generals, the Ming people attending the banquet included advisors such as Xu Wei, Sun Chengzong, Gao Panlong, and Feng Menglong.

They held no official positions, but thanks to Zhu Yin, they became honored guests at Goryeo palace banquets and were flattered by Goryeo ministers.

Ning Qingchen, who also attended the banquet, was surrounded by a group of noble ladies from Goryeo, who fawned over her like a star.

The Goryeo royal court had long known that this young girl was the sister-in-law of the Grand Chancellor, and was said to be the reincarnation of the Medicine King Bodhisattva, who had cultivated Taoism in the North Sea—a story shrouded in mystery. Although they didn't believe it, they knew that this girl was very much loved by Zhu Yin.

So, as soon as the banquet began, the noble ladies of Goryeo fawned over Ning Qingchen. Even several Goryeo concubines and princesses smiled obsequiously at her.

Fortunately, although their Mandarin was awkward, it was still barely understandable. Otherwise, Ning Qingchen would have suspected they were cursing her.

In fact, Ning Qingchen could understand Goryeo, which is the Korean language of later generations. But they didn't speak Goryeo.

"Young lady, please try our Goryeo Five Elements Dishes. You probably can't find them back in the Celestial Empire."

"The young lady is like a goddess in a painting. If I hadn't seen her with my own eyes, I would hardly believe that there is such a beautiful young lady in the world."

"Young lady, this is red ginseng stewed with young chicken... this is pumpkin soup with abalone... this is seolleong soup, made by simmering ten kinds of beef bones for three days, with the addition of the Six Gentlemen Soup from the Han Dynasty... this is the Immortal's Furnace, a bronze furnace with a nine-square grid, in the center of which are eight delicacies including deer antler, pheasant, sea cucumber, and ginkgo, corresponding to the eight trigrams..."

"Young lady, try this... roasted and sliced ​​jujubes, pear slices wrapped around deer spine, and persimmons that have been steamed and dried nine times..."

Ning Qingchen found them annoying and ignored them, focusing solely on dealing with the bear paw. Since arriving in the Ming Dynasty, bear paw had become her favorite food.

She had little interest in the so-called Five Elements cuisine that Koreans were so proud of.

Among the guests attending the palace banquet was a special guest: Xiao Hei.

The Goryeo people knew that this was the beloved dog of the Grand Marshal, who was almost always by his side. Therefore, several Goryeo eunuchs were specially assigned to serve Xiao Hei meat, which consisted mainly of venison and mutton braised in salty sauce.

This sleek, majestic black dog from the Celestial Empire is even more noble than their king's favorite steed.

Just then, a Ming army captain guarding the city gate came in and reported:

"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, reporting to the General, the Vice Minister of War, Minister Song, has arrived. This humble general has examined the imperial envoy's seal and it should not be a fake."

They've arrived! Zhu Yin, Xu Wei, and Qi Jiguang exchanged a glance and then sneered.

Zhu Yin put down his wine cup, stood up, and said, "Prime Minister Song has arrived. We will go out of the city to greet him!"

The Goryeo king and his ministers exchanged bewildered glances. What was going on? Had the Ming Dynasty sent another imperial envoy? Hadn't the war already ended?

Could it be… King Seonjo of Goryeo suddenly couldn't help but smile. Could it be that his impeachment had been effective, and the Ming emperor had sent this Minister Song to replace Zhu Yin?
If that's the case, then Zhu Yin would soon no longer be the military commissioner. The fact that the Ming emperor sent someone to replace Zhu Yin at this time is enough to show that Zhu Yin had fallen out of favor!
Thinking of this, the way the Goryeo king and his ministers looked at Zhu Yin suddenly changed. Previously respectful and cautious, their gazes instantly turned cold, and their smiles began to fade.

The Goryeo king and his officials followed Zhu Yin out of the city and soon saw a procession carrying the imperial envoy's regalia.

Zhu Yin and Song Yingchang were acquaintances, and Zhu Yin recognized Song Yingchang at a glance, who was dressed in the formal attire of a second-rank civil official.

"Brother Siwen!" Zhu Yin greeted with a fist and palm salute, "It's been several months since we last met, I never expected to see you in Goryeo!"

Song Yingchang was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, whose rank was above Zhu Yin's, and he was also very senior, so Zhu Yin always treated him with the respect due to a senior.

Song Yingchang also cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Brother Zhihu, you have made great contributions. The court was greatly encouraged when it received the news of the victory. Everyone said that you are the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang."

Qi Jiguang also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Prime Minister Song!"

Song Yingchang greatly admired Qi Jiguang and quickly returned the greeting, saying, "Greetings, General!"

At that moment, all the Ming generals stepped forward to pay their respects. The Goryeo king and his ministers also happily took the initiative to pay their respects, seemingly happier than anyone else.

After exchanging pleasantries, Song Yingchang produced a yellow silk edict and said in an official manner, "Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang, receive the edict! Everyone, prepare to kneel in welcome!"

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang bowed together and said, "Your subject Zhu Yin (Qi Jiguang) receives the imperial decree!"

They then led Song Yingchang into the city, prepared an incense table at Gyeongbokgung Palace, lit incense, and everyone knelt down together, forming a large, dark mass of kneeling figures.

Song Yingchang stood before the incense table, unfurled the imperial edict, and said:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ... In the past, the Japanese invaders were rampant and defiled our eastern territories. You led your troops to the capital, received your orders amidst the defeat of the enemy, and were commanded in a time of crisis. You personally donned your armor and personally beheaded countless enemies. The news spread rapidly, restoring the prestige of our Great Ming Dynasty. I am overjoyed to hear this report..."

"...You have all toiled tirelessly, enduring the cold and frost in your battle robes. Now that the Japanese pirates have been defeated and the Eastern Kingdom is pacified, I hereby order the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Song Yingchang, to rush to his post to relieve the hardships of the campaign, to release the six armies from their duties, and to return to the capital... The Imperial Sword shall also be handed over. This is my decree!"

Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang already knew, so it didn't matter. But when Li Rusong and other generals heard about it, they were all surprised.

Has the Emperor stripped the military power of the military governor and the general?

The war is over, and the military merits have been truly earned. The rest is just post-war matters. There is absolutely no need for the Emperor to send another imperial envoy to replace the Grand Coordinator. Moreover, the imperial edict uses "you all" instead of "you," making no mention of the Grand Coordinator's personal achievements. This is a deliberate attempt to downplay the Grand Coordinator's great contributions in resisting the Japanese pirates.

Isn't Your Majesty going too far? Even if you suspect the Grand Marshal, there's no need to be so hasty.

Could something have happened in the court?

For a time, not only generals like Xiong Tingbi, Mao Wenlong, and Cao Wenzhao, but also Li Rusong, Ma Gui, and others felt indignant on Zhu Yin's behalf.

The three advisors, Feng Menglong, Sun Chengzong, and Gao Panlong, all secretly criticized the emperor's actions as unkind.

On the contrary, the Goryeo king and his ministers felt relieved and proud.

It turned out that the Ming emperor had replaced Zhu Yin with this Prime Minister Song as the new military commissioner.

With this imperial edict, Zhu Yin lost all authority to interfere in Goryeo's affairs and could only slink back home in disgrace.

Haha, great! That's fantastic!
At this moment, the Goryeo king and his ministers were filled with joy at Zhu Yin's dismissal, completely forgetting that it was Zhu Yin who led the army to defeat the Japanese pirates several times, thus saving Goryeo from dire straits.

They only remember Zhu Yin's "tyranny," "importance," and "unyielding nature," and only remember Zhu Yin's "humiliation" and "oppression" of them.

As for Zhu Yin's kindness to Goryeo, they subconsciously filtered it out.

Right now, all they want is to please the new strategist. How do they curry favor with the new strategist? The best way, of course, is to ignore the old strategist and fawn over the new one.

"Your subject obeys the decree and expresses his gratitude!" Zhu Yin's expression remained calm.

Song Yingchang handed the imperial edict to Zhu Yin, helped him up, and said with some guilt, "Brother Zhihu, I really didn't want to come and take your place, but I had no choice but to obey the imperial decree..."

He had a good relationship with Zhu Yin and really didn't want to be the new military commissioner.

The war is over; there's absolutely no need to change commanders. His Majesty has been incredibly harsh on Zhu Yin.

Song Yingchang also knew that His Majesty had decided to demote Zhu Yin to the position of county magistrate. He felt very sorry for Zhu Yin.

"It's much better for Brother Siwen to come than for anyone else," Zhu Yin said with a nonchalant smile. "I'll leave the important matters of Goryeo to Brother Siwen."

Song Yingchang sighed and said with a wry smile, "Those who don't know better might think I came to Korea to reap the benefits. Justice resides in the hearts of the people. Just because Brother Zhihu doesn't care doesn't mean the people of the world are convinced."

The King of Goryeo, unaware of the close personal relationship between Song Yingchang and Zhu Yin, assumed they were merely putting on an act. Thinking Song Yingchang was being sarcastic, he immediately stepped forward and said:
"Your Excellency, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Please take the seat of honor!"

Ryu Seong-ryong and a group of Goryeo ministers also rushed to address Song Yingchang as "Grand Chancellor" and invited him to take the first seat.

To address Song Yingchang as "Generalissimo" so quickly in front of Zhu Yin, and to invite Song Yingchang to take the seat of honor, is simply too snobbish.

Because Song Yingchang took the first seat, it meant that Zhu Yin, who had previously been sitting in the first seat, would have to move!
Song Yingchang glanced at the King of Goryeo without revealing his expression and said calmly, "No need, please sit wherever you like. Your Highness need not trouble yourself."

He already knew perfectly well what the King of Goryeo truly meant.

The Goryeo king and his ministers dared not disobey, and invited Song Yingchang to sit down, offering him a long and short explanation of his strategic plans.

"With the arrival of the Grand Coordinator, Goryeo is like an innocent child seeing its parents, and has been free from worries ever since."

"We await your arrival, General, as we await rain after a long drought..."

"Lord General, please come again! We toast you with a cup of wine..."

The Goryeo court showered Song Yingchang with flattery, treating him with great enthusiasm. However, they completely ignored Zhu Yin, as if he were invisible. Moreover, their praise of Song Yingchang subtly implied that Zhu Yin was hostile towards Goryeo.

It's true... the person hasn't left, but the tea has already gone cold.

This fickle and opportunistic attitude was unacceptable to Li Rusong, Nurhaci, and others.

The Goryeo king and his ministers, thinking themselves clever, assumed that the new strategist and Zhu Yin were bound to be at odds. They deliberately ignored Zhu Yin in an attempt to win the new strategist's favor. Little did they know that not only did they fail to please the new strategist, but they also aroused his contempt and resentment.

But what kind of person was Song Yingchang? Of course, he wouldn't lash out on the spot; he would just give Zhu Yin a wink, and they would both know what was going on.

He could naturally see that Ji-ho was completely indifferent to the snobbery of these Goryeo rulers and ministers, and had no interest in them whatsoever.

Once the Goryeo king and his ministers changed their minds, the Goryeo noblewomen stopped fawning over Ning Qingchen.

They all became too lazy to talk to Ning Qingchen anymore and grew indifferent.

Ning Qingchen didn't care about this behavior at all. After all, that's just how this guy is—superficial and laughable, like a clown, and it will remain so in later generations.

It would be strange if it weren't like this.

……

On May 12, Zhu Yin, Qi Jiguang, and others left Goryeo and set off north.

When they left Seoul, not a single Goryeo king or minister saw them off; instead, they celebrated as if sending away a plague god, which was truly chilling.

According to the imperial edict, the Ming army would return home in batches. The first to return were the chieftain soldiers, the Jurchen soldiers, and 20,000 Han soldiers.

Therefore, Qin Liangyu, Nurhaci, and others also returned north together.

On May 21, Zhu Yin and his entourage crossed the Yalu River and finally entered Liaodong.

Upon entering Jianzhou territory, the Jianzhou warriors who had miraculously returned could not help but burst into tears.

Most of them died in Korea, and only a third returned.

The leaders of the Haixi Jurchens, including Buzhai, were also in low spirits; their losses were equally heavy.

Although the Japanese pirates were wiped out and Liaodong was preserved, the Jurchen people suffered a severe blow and it was unknown how many years it would take to recover.

Zhu Yin arrived at Fuala City in Jianzhou and held a grand ceremony for the fallen soldiers with Nurhaci after the war.

The entire city of Folar was filled with the sound of weeping.

Most of Jianzhou's most elite warriors were lost in Goryeo. The Jianzhou tribes had been decimated by the Japanese pirates.

But what could they do? Two hundred thousand Japanese pirates were almost at Liaodong; they had no choice but to fight desperately.

After attending the grand ceremony, Zhu Yin only stayed in Fola City for two days before leaving Jianzhou and returning to the capital.

Before returning to Beijing, Nurhaci carried out the historical figure known as "Emperor Taizong of Qing" and said to Zhu Yin:
"Little Tiger Brother, we don't know when we'll meet again after this parting. I have an unreasonable request: I hope you can take Red Tai Chi with you. You are his godfather, and I hope he can grow up with you. Of course, don't force yourself if it's inconvenient for you."

“Okay, I promise you.” Zhu Yin took Huang Taiji, whom he renamed Hong Taiji. “Don’t worry, Brother Wild Boar Skin. He is my adopted son, the Gu Chu Zhu Yi. I will never mistreat him.”

Zhu Yin certainly knew what Nurhaci was thinking. Nurhaci entrusted his precious son to him for the sake of the future.

Nurhaci indeed thought so. The Jianzhou tribe had suffered extremely heavy losses and had been crippled. Even if he completely unified the Jianzhou tribe, he had no hope of unifying the Jurchen tribes, and he would have difficulty even protecting himself.

There is no other way but to rely on the Ming Dynasty. For at least the next few decades, or even longer, the Jianzhou tribe will have no choice but to obediently depend on the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the best solution would be to choose a son and have the tiger cubs take him to the Central Plains to raise him as a Han Chinese.

This was a fallback plan for the family. In case the Jianzhou tribe could not survive, the family could still seek refuge with their son in the Central Plains.

Besides the Little Tiger Brothers, who else could he entrust Red Taiji to with peace of mind?
“Little Tiger Brother, no need for thanks, we’re not strangers,” Nurhaci said. “From now on, Hong Taiji is your son!”

...

Zhu Yin bid farewell to Nurhaci, and Ning Qingchen bid farewell to Jilan's mother. Amidst the farewells of the Jianzhou people, they left Jianzhou and journeyed westward.

Upon reaching Shanhaiguan, the Ministry of War's messenger immediately sent a message to Beijing, announcing the army's triumphant return.

Early on the morning of June 5th, Zhu Yin and others finally escorted a group of prisoners back to Beijing.

The Ministry of Rites held a grand welcoming ceremony in the suburbs, and then Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang entered Beijing amidst the attention of the crowd and the cheers of the whole city, and participated in the presentation of prisoners of war at the Meridian Gate.

The emperor, as always, did not attend.

Zhu Yin returned to the capital in another great victory, and the entire city was in an uproar. With such a great military achievement, it would be difficult for his prestige not to soar.

Fortunately, Zhu Yin was a civil official; if he had been a military general, things would have been very dangerous at that moment.

For example, Qi Jiguang was filled with unease after entering the capital. He wasn't a civil official, and his military achievements were so outstanding; how could he not be worried?

Zhu Yin presented the list of prisoners and the military merit book for the Ministry of War to verify and record. He also submitted a memorial requesting merits filled with names. Then he returned the official seal and the imperial edict.

These are all inherent aspects of the matter. At this point, Zhu Yin was no longer an imperial envoy.

It was already past 3:45 PM. Zhu Yin had been busy all morning, just finished handing over the imperial seals, and hadn't even had a bite to eat or drink when a eunuch came to deliver the emperor's edict:
"Marquis of Jiangning, His Majesty summons you!"

(End of this chapter)