Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 81 I trust your loyalty and know your abilities.

The Imperial Prison, the coldest and darkest corner of the capital.

Li Kuo has been here for two and a half years.

Two and a half years is enough time to polish a former Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial who refused to bow to the eunuch faction into a silent and rough stone. He no longer thinks about the outside world, nor does he recall his past reputation and glory.

To live, to live humbly and tenaciously like moss in a gutter, was his only thought.

However, today, he was taken away from that familiar darkness.

After leaving the prison, the carriage traveled for a long time before Li Kuo was roughly taken into a steamy, clean room. Several silent eunuchs washed him clean from head to toe and changed him into a blue robe.

No one spoke to him throughout the entire process; it was as if he were not a person, but an object about to be presented.

When he was led to a side hall, the bright sunlight outside was so intense that he could barely open his eyes; he hadn't seen such brilliant light in a long time.

"Go inside," the Jinyiwei captain escorting him said coldly.

The main hall was spacious and imposing.

He dared not look up, but instead kept his gaze fixed on the ground three feet in front of him. This was one of the most important survival rules he had learned during his two and a half years in prison.

He could sense that there were people inside the hall, and more than one. Their auras were heavy and solid, carrying the scent of blood and power emanating from the Jinyiwei captains.

Strangely, these imperial guards, who were usually so arrogant and domineering, were now like tamed hunting dogs, so quiet that they didn't make a sound, and even their breathing was deliberately very soft, as if they were afraid of disturbing something.

Who could command such utmost respect from these kings of hell in the imperial prison?
With a curiosity that almost burned him, Li Kuo cautiously raised his eyelids a crack.

He saw a figure sitting directly in front of him.

The man was dressed in ordinary black casual clothes, without a crown, and his figure was not particularly burly. But what shocked Li Kuo the most was the man's age.

too young.

It was an excessively young face, with delicate features, and even a hint of youthful exuberance.

This could never be any of the senior ministers or high-ranking officials in the court.

Li Kuo's heart began to race uncontrollably. He thought of a possibility, a possibility so absurd that it made him feel crazy. He involuntarily looked up again, and finally, he saw the young man's eyes clearly.

Profound and serene.

At that very moment, all the clues suddenly connected in Li Kuo's mind!
A person who can command the respect of the Imperial Guards like servants, who can sit comfortably on the throne in the deep palace, and who possesses such youthful looks and unparalleled demeanor...

Who else could it be?

It's... the Emperor!
Li Kuo's mind went blank for a moment, as if it had just gone "buzz".

He couldn't understand why the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, would personally summon him, a criminal who had been pulled out of the deepest part of the imperial prison and long forgotten by the world.

The shock was beyond his imagination, and he instinctively wanted to kneel down, but his legs had already become stiff and numb from extreme shock and fear, and he stumbled and fell to the ground in a disheveled state.

Ignoring the pain and disregarding his dignity, Li Kuo struggled to crawl on the ground, slamming his forehead heavily onto the cold, smooth gold brick.

"Your Majesty, I, Li Kuo, pay my respects!"

His voice was hoarse and dry, and every word trembled violently with extreme excitement and fear.

Inside the main hall, only Li Kuo's heavy breathing could be heard. The silent pressure was like an invisible mountain, making it almost impossible for him to breathe, but it also made him more certain of his judgment.

After a long while, a calm voice finally came through.

"Li Kuo, I ask you, what is the foundation of a vassal state?"

Zhu Youjian, exuding an invisible pressure, approached Li Kuo step by step, stopping three steps in front of him. Without waiting for his reply, he continued:

"I have summoned you here today to give you an opportunity to let the Korean monarch and his ministers reconsider the weight of profit and righteousness."

Li Kuo's heart began to pound wildly.

"I hereby pardon you," Zhu Youjian said calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Li Kuo suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"I am already aware of your case. I will not only pardon you, but also reinstate you to your original position." Zhu Youjian took in his expression, his tone remaining calm. "I have already dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to bring your family back and settle them properly. When you return, it will be a time for your family to be reunited." Zhu Youjian gave him everything he had never dared to hope for.

"Now," the emperor's voice, devoid of any emotion, pulled him from his overwhelming elation, "before you are reinstated, I have a task for you to perform."

"Your subject... would gladly die ten thousand times over!" Li Kuo kowtowed heavily, his whole body trembling with emotion, his voice already choked with sobs.

"I order you to secretly travel to Korea as a member of the Hongshuo Temple's entourage."

"His Majesty……"

Zhu Youjian raised his hand, stopping him from saying what he was about to say.

"I know what you want to ask. Why you? And why the secrecy?"

He turned and walked to the huge map in the hall, his gaze falling on the long, narrow map of the Korean Peninsula.

"Some officials in the court thought that Korea was a minor ailment and not worth worrying about; others thought that they should punish its treason with thunderous force. The former were foolish, and the latter were reckless."

"The Later Jin has a dense network of spies in Korea. If I were to send a high-ranking delegation, it would be tantamount to announcing to the world that Huang Taiji would be alerted and our plans would be dead before they even began."

“The most important point,” Zhu Youjian turned around and looked deeply at Li Kuo, “is that your family once accompanied the army to aid Korea during the Wanli era and has a long-standing friendship with the nobles of the Korean yangban. This kinship cannot be conveyed by official documents from the court. I need you not only to bring the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, but also the sentiment of old friends.”

These words were clear, logical, and well-reasoned, explaining all the causes and consequences clearly. Li Kuo listened with complete conviction, and his initial doubts vanished.

He kowtowed again: "Your Majesty understands. May I ask what Your Majesty desires for me to achieve on this trip?"

"I do not want you to engage in a debate with the Confucian scholars, nor do I want you to force the Korean king and his ministers to immediately switch sides." Zhu Youjian's answer once again surprised him. "Korea is a frightened bird; pushing it too hard will only backfire. I want you to do only three things on this trip."

He held out a finger.

"First, appease them. You must tell King Injo of Joseon and those ministers who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty that I understand their predicament. The Dingmao Campaign was not a fault of the war itself, and the Ming Dynasty also bears responsibility for its oversight. I will not hold Joseon accountable for this."

This is a favor, and Li Kuo's heart stirred.

Zhu Youjian extended his second finger.

"Second, enticement. You must show them what tangible benefits they can gain by siding back with the Ming Dynasty. What can the Later Jin offer them? Only extortion and enslavement. But what can I offer them? I have already decreed the reopening of the Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office, allowing Korean merchant ships to trade here. The medicines, silk, and books they lack, the Ming Dynasty can supply double the amount. What I offer them are benefits and hope."

This was a temptation, and Li Kuo's breathing began to quicken.

Zhu Youjian extended his third finger, a sharp, cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Third, show them. You need to let them know about the changes happening in the Ming Dynasty. You need to tell them that I have appointed Man Gui as the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong, with a million taels of silver and grain to reorganize the nine border regions and trade with Mongolia. You need to make them understand that the day when the Later Jin will be attacked from both sides is not far off, and Huang Taiji will soon be too busy to take care of himself! This is Korea's opportunity."

This was a sign of danger; a layer of cold sweat had already seeped out of Li Kuo's back.

By combining kindness and severity, supplemented by benefits, and with each step linked together, it directly addresses people's concerns!
"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Kuo exclaimed sincerely. "With these three strategies, even the most hard-hearted Joseon king and his ministers will be moved!"

"Being moved is only the first step." Zhu Youjian's gaze became distant. "I want you to be a probe, to find out who are friends, who are enemies, and who are fence-sitters who can be won over in the Joseon court. I also want you to be a seed, to replant the hope of the Ming Dynasty's revival in the hearts of the Joseon monarch and his ministers. I don't ask it to blossom and bear fruit immediately; I only want it to take root and sprout at the most crucial moment!"

He walked back to Li Kuo and picked something up from the tray held by a eunuch.

It was an ivory waist tag with worn edges.

Do you recognize this?

Li Kuo stared intently, his whole body trembled violently, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes!

"This is my grandfather's waist token! It was the official waist token issued by the court when my grandfather accompanied General Li Rusong to aid Korea! This item was lost when our home was searched, so how did it end up in Your Majesty's hands?"

"It was found by Tian Ergeng in the prison's stash of stolen goods when he was sorting through your old belongings." Zhu Youjian placed the warm, smooth waist token into Li Kuo's hands. "I am now returning it to its rightful owner."

Li Kuo held the waist token in trembling hands. It seemed to still retain the warmth of his grandfather's body and also carried the honor and disgrace of the family.

"I trust your loyalty and know your abilities," Zhu Youjian said slowly, looking at him. "But an envoy abroad represents the face of the Ming Dynasty, and one person cannot carry the burden alone. I will send a team of imperial guards to accompany you. They are my hands and your sword. Let them do everything."

Li Kuo understood that this was both a favor from the emperor and an exercise of his authority; behind this trust lay the heavy responsibility of completing the task.

"Your subject... Li Kuo, obeys the decree!" He pressed the waist token tightly to his chest, kowtowed heavily, and his voice resounded throughout the palace. "If I fail to fulfill His Majesty's entrustment on this trip to Korea, I will have no face to see His Majesty's countenance again, nor will I have any face to face the ancestors of the Li family!"

(End of this chapter)