Chapter 557: The King of Joseon Comes to Pay Audience

Watching Wukeshan leave, the expression on Zhu Youxiao's face returned to normal.

Everything just now had been an act. Having lived two lives, he naturally couldn't be genuinely attracted to a woman to that degree; as the Emperor of the Great Ming, he wouldn't be so desperate for women either.

He had experienced no shortage of women, and there was someone as beautiful as Empress Zhang among them—the quality of women in the palace was not low. Wukeshan wanting to use a woman to attract him was truly unlikely. Even if it did attract him, it wouldn't reach such a degree.

Why put on such a disguise?

The reason was even simpler: it was all for show to those people outside. Let Wukeshan grow arrogant, let him become strong because of one's own indulgence.

Although his understanding of Wukeshan was not deep, Zhu Youxiao also knew that people find it very hard to resist when faced with such temptation.

And this time, besides Wukeshan, there were also people from other tribes who came here. Among them, the more powerful ones were like the five tribes of Inner Khalkha, plus people from many small tribes—not to mention that there were also many small tribes under Khorchin.

As long as he showed sufficient trust in Wukeshan and sufficient favor toward Da Yu'er, then these people would subconsciously band together.

The reason was also simple: they were all currently in an independent state, and this state had existed for a very long time, and they had all grown accustomed to one another.

Under such circumstances, they would not want to be led by someone. If they could accept being led, they wouldn't be in such a fragmented situation as they were now.

Whether it was Ligdan Khan or Nurhaci, who was powerful in his day, neither had been able to make these people submit, so Wukeshan naturally couldn't either.

Relying on this Emperor's support, Wukeshan would grow even stronger and would also make the others even more vigilant. Under such circumstances, even if Wukeshan did nothing at all, those people would subconsciously band together and oppose him.

Besides, once Wukeshan had his support, how could he possibly do nothing at all?

This would lead to an even more fragmented situation, and would even deepen their contradictions.

And this was exactly what he wanted.

From this moment on, his methods would have to be put to use.

Bumbutai looked at Zhu Youxiao, a flush flashing across her face. This Emperor's gaze was truly too naked!

Over these years she had received no small amount of education in this regard—she had even been taught how to seduce men—but such a gaze still made her uncomfortable.

Zhu Youxiao paid no attention to any of that. He directly stood up, walked down from the steps, smiled at Bumbutai, reached out and took her hand, and asked softly: "How have these past few years been?"

Bumbutai raised her head to look at Zhu Youxiao. The blush on her face had not faded, but she remained very steady overall.

Her mind had always been relatively mature—it had been so since she was young. After these years of tempering and growth, she had become even more mature, and when facing Zhu Youxiao, she was no longer as timid as before.

She had understood another thing: that she and her family were useful to this Emperor. Even if it was from the angle of being used, he would still treat her somewhat well and treat her family somewhat well.

In fact, Bumbutai really hadn't guessed wrong. If those people wanted to get rid of Wukeshan, Zhu Youxiao absolutely would not agree.

Zhu Youxiao was using Wukeshan to split them apart, not to have them kill Wukeshan. If that happened, where would the Great Ming's prestige stand?

"Very good." Bumbutai said softly: "Is Your Majesty well?"

"Very well." Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, pulling her along as he said: "Since there's nothing to do today, come take a walk outside with me. Staying in here all day is rather boring. Actually, I quite want to go ride a horse on the grasslands."

"Blue sky, white clouds, wind blowing low over grass revealing cattle and sheep—thinking about it, it's a beautiful scene. If I could ride a tall horse in such an environment, galloping freely across the vast grassland, it would do wonders for one's spirit. It's just that I don't know if I'll ever have such an opportunity."

"All under heaven is the King's land; all within the shores are the King's subjects. Wherever Your Majesty wishes to go, naturally no one dares to stop you." Bumbutai smiled and said: "If Your Majesty likes it, you can come visit our Khorchin. That's what it's like there—the sky is vast, the wilderness is boundless, wind blows low over grass revealing cattle and sheep."

Hearing Da Yu'er's words, Zhu Youxiao was not particularly surprised.

If he could take care of Hong Taiji this time, going to Khorchin for a visit wouldn't be a problem.

As for worrying that they might do him serious harm, Zhu Youxiao wasn't worried at all. Although he had firepower insufficiency phobia, that didn't mean he lacked courage.

He wouldn't need many—just bring a force of over twenty thousand men, and Zhu Youxiao didn't believe Khorchin and the others could do anything to him. If ammunition was sufficient, even if all those Mongol tribes came, they could all be killed.

But Da Yu'er's words did make Zhu Youxiao feel rather pleased—this was placing Khorchin under his rule.

Of course, those words were just worth listening to; they had no practical effect. When the day came that the Great Ming grew weak, they would still turn around and bite.

If the Great Ming truly remained strong forever, then they really would be under the Great Ming's rule.

There was no need to continue the conversation further at this point. After all, Da Yu'er couldn't make decisions on this matter, so there was no need to discuss anything more with her.

Zhu Youxiao led Bumbutai out, and the two went outside to stroll around.

In the evening, Zhu Youxiao naturally sent her back to Wukeshan's side.

Although he was anxious, he wasn't so desperate for women as to go that far. The reason he took her out was to show those outside—plainly speaking, to show those Mongols outside, to let them know the current situation.

Early the next morning, just after Zhu Youxiao had gotten up, Wei Chao came rushing in at a fast pace.

Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, Wei Chao bowed and reported: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the King of Joseon, Li Zong, is about to arrive."

Hearing this news, a smile appeared on Zhu Youxiao's face.

The current King of Joseon was named Li Zong, a staunch supporter of the Great Ming. During his reign he was called Injong, and he accomplished quite a few things, one of the more famous being the Injong Restoration.

The previous King of Joseon before Injong was Gwanghaegun. On the matter of succession, Gwanghaegun harbored dissatisfaction toward the Ming, and therefore advocated for flexible diplomacy while trying not to offend the Ming too much.

Under Gwanghaegun's insistence, Joseon sent a letter to the Jianzhou barbarians, saying that their submission to the Ming was "a matter of great righteousness, which could not be otherwise," and asking whether their "friendly neighborly feelings" with the Jianzhou barbarians "were also absent?" Hoping both sides would "each guard their own borders and restore their former good relations."

And this Injong directly launched a grand-scale palace coup, toppling Gwanghaegun and taking the position of King of Joseon for himself.

In terms of policy, Injong had also always been extremely, extremely supportive of the Great Ming—even to the point that when the Great Ming fell, he still did not recognize the Emperor of the Later Jin.

It was only later, when there was truly no other choice, that he became a vassal of the Qing. After all, the Great Ming was gone, and he could no longer hold out on his own.

Moreover, this Li Zong was a very long-lived monarch, which was also a very good thing for Zhu Youxiao's policies. Naturally, support for Li Zong had to be carried out with full effort.

Zhu Youxiao even thought of marrying a Princess to this King of Joseon, but since the Great Ming had the rule against marriage alliances, this matter was rather difficult to arrange.

Later, if Joseon could be brought under the Great Ming's rule, then this matter would be easy to handle.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Wei Chao and said: "Have Sun Chengzong lead people to receive him. You go as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Chao quickly agreed: "This servant will make the arrangements right away."

Toward this Li Zong, he needed to show sufficient importance. Of course, personally receiving him was impossible—there was no one in this world who could make him personally go to receive them. Sending Sun Chengzong was already giving them plenty of face.

On this matter, Zhu Youxiao naturally would not make mistakes.

But Joseon's political situation was no less chaotic than the Great Ming's—the Southerners faction, the Northerners faction, the Westerners faction, the Easterners faction, all kinds of factional strife without end, plus constant struggles among the various great families, and various Queens and Queen Dowagers ruling behind the curtain—that it could still last so many years had to be called a miracle.

It was just that this time, with the Great Ming intervening, they would actually get some things done.

For example, this time Zhu Youxiao planned to discuss two matters with Li Zong. First was the issue of mutual exchange of personnel between the two sides.

Joseon people could come to the Great Ming to study, and could even serve as officials or do business in the Great Ming—this was what Zhu Youxiao would open up to them.

Of course, correspondingly, Joseon would also have to open its doors wide—Great Ming people could also go there to study, serve as officials, and do business.

On the surface, it appeared to be a good-neighborly and friendly approach, and also an equal treaty. But the two sides were fundamentally mismatched in scale.

For example, one clause in the unequal treaties of later generations was: both navies could freely navigate within each other's territorial waters.

But unfortunately, you simply had no navy at all, which made it a thoroughly unequal treaty.

And the Great Ming's treaty with Joseon was, of course, not nearly so unequal. However, once such a policy was opened up, many of Joseon's talented people would flock to the Great Ming. Combined with recruitment by Ming merchants, this would form a considerable wave of immigration. These people would also become the main force for Zhu Youxiao's future annexation of Joseon—they would help.

Beyond that, there was even more economic and military cooperation to be had. For instance, the two sides could join forces against the Wa nation—a common enemy for both.

After all, the Wa nation would, at every opportunity, come raid the Korean Peninsula and cause havoc, always dreaming of conquering Joseon. Back in the Wanli era's Three Great Campaigns, Joseon and the Great Ming had fought that war against the Wa nation right there.

Although the Koreans later refused to acknowledge it, that was simply their shamelessness—because at the time, their Joseon king had already fled to this side of the Yalu River to beg for aid, having already lost his capital. If not for the Great Ming dispatching troops, they would have been wiped out entirely.

As for the Yi Sun-sin they loved to boast about, that came only in the later stage of the war. If not for that war, the Great Ming's national strength would not have been weakened, its strength in Liaodong would not have been so poor, and it would not have given the Jianzhou barbarians their opportunity.

But this time was different—there would be no such opportunity again.

Zhu Youxiao now believed that when it came to going and giving the Wa nation a good pounding together, Joseon would certainly be willing.