Chapter 637: Preparing to Turn the Young Crown Prince of Joseon

Zhang Yu's eyes were bright, a smile on his face as he said, "I'd bet that His Majesty won't just agree—he'll support it."

Song Xiang hadn't expected Zhang Yu to say such a thing. She hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Trying to guess His Majesty's mind probably won't end well. You might be a big shot with ideas. I'm just a little woman—I don't want to die with you."

As she spoke, Song Xiang shot Zhang Yu a glare.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu laughed. With a very expressive look, he said, "Have you ever been in contact with His Majesty? Or rather, have you ever met His Majesty?"

Song Xiang shook her head and said directly, "No, but I'd very much like to meet His Majesty."

"Then once this matter succeeds, I'll go speak with His Majesty, and I'm sure he'll see you then." Zhang Yu glanced at Song Xiang and said, "Interested in hearing my story?"

"Alright!" Song Xiang nodded and said, "Then let's hear it."

"I know you have files on me where you're from." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "You don't need to put on that expression. You know a lot about me, but I'm certain you don't know about the things between His Majesty and me."

Song Xiang nodded and said, "Anything concerning His Majesty is forbidden to investigate, and even more forbidden to record. People like us naturally couldn't know."

"When His Majesty and I first met, it was during the first Imperial Academy examination." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "At that time, His Majesty was dressed up as a young master from a wealthy family. We genuinely thought he was a rich young gentleman—young in years, with attendants following him, dressed very lavishly. Anyone could tell at a glance he was a young master from a great household in the capital. But he was extremely knowledgeable, and when he chatted with us, he had plenty of ideas."

"Back then, we felt this young gentleman was somewhat unconventional and rebellious—the things he said often startled us. Now that I think about it, those were words only His Majesty would dare to say. Later, the facts proved that His Majesty not only dared to say them, but dared to do them as well."

"Those of us started working for His Majesty from then on—there was me, and Liu Xian of Tianjin Prefecture. Also a few from the Imperial Guard Corps: Lu Xiangsheng and Cao Wenzhao. You've heard of them, haven't you?"

Song Xiang nodded and said, "I'm in the Staff Office, so of course I've heard of these men. You could say their names thunder in my ears. How many people now look up to them as models? I've heard people in the Staff Office say that in a few years, Lu Xiangsheng and the others will surely have a place in the Staff Office."

"That'll be a long wait." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "Given their age now, by the time they enter the Staff Office, it'll be at least several decades from now."

Song Xiang nodded without refuting, which counted as tacitly accepting Zhang Yu's words.

"I'm telling you all this so you understand that His Majesty knows people like us very well. From the time we were still studying, His Majesty already knew what kind of men we were, so when he employs us, he plays to our strengths and avoids our weaknesses. This time His Majesty sent me to Joseon, knowing I wouldn't act by the book, and he still let me come—that proves he'll very likely approve of me." Zhang Yu looked at Song Xiang with a smile and said, "It's just that this time it's a bit dangerous, and I haven't decided yet whether to do it."

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu and asked with some hesitation.

"Telling you is fine too." Zhang Yu was silent for a moment, then after thinking it over said, "The plan your Staff Office drew up is fine—steady and gradual—but in my view it's too slow."

Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu helplessly and said, "Haste makes waste."

"But sometimes you have to be fast." Zhang Yu said with a grave face, "The Great Ming's strength is this formidable—there's no need to keep waiting. This time we must be fast, fast enough that no one has time to react."

"The Joseon king's second son is very ambitious—you all know that too. So I want to secretly support him, get him to launch a rebellion, ideally wipe out the Joseon king and the Southerners faction entirely. Then we release the Crown Prince of Joseon from the capital to return and suppress the rebellion, with the Great Ming backing him."

"At that point, the supporters of the young prince and his ministers will get swept away in another purge; the Crown Prince of Joseon, far away in the capital, will have no one supporting him either. After all, the Joseon king and the original Southerners faction will already have been eliminated. Don't you think Joseon's top-level officials are a bit too numerous? Even if things succeeded according to your Staff Office's design, so what? You'd still have to face those Joseon officials, wouldn't you?"

"You'd still have to wrangle with them then—the gain wouldn't be worth the loss. Better to just wipe them all out, and while they're at it, they'll be in the middle of their own internal strife. These matters have nothing to do with the Great Ming, and in the end the Crown Prince of Joseon can only rely on the Great Ming."

"And once he returns to Joseon to suppress the rebellion—or better yet, have the Great Ming suppress the rebellion in Joseon on his behalf, so he needn't even return—the Great Ming can rule Joseon from afar, with Great Ming ministers governing it. Establish a Chief Governing Minister position. That would be excellent."

Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu, her expression one of utter astonishment.

She had seen people with ideas and schemes before. But someone like Zhang Yu—this was the first time.

This was indeed a hundred schemes at once, and the key was the ruthlessness. What kind of tactic was this?

If things were done as he said, Joseon's top echelon would be swimming in blood—or close to it.

"Do you really want to do this?" Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu hesitantly and asked.

After thinking it over, Zhang Yu nodded and said, "I'll memorialize this matter to His Majesty in secret—not through the Staff Office, not through the Grand Secretariat, but presented directly before the throne. Whether it ultimately happens or not depends on what His Majesty says."

In fact, Zhang Yu had even considered not reporting to His Majesty and just doing it privately. If the matter never came to light, then naturally everyone would be happy; if it was exposed, he would take the fall himself—if anyone was to be held accountable, it would be him. The Emperor wouldn't know; it would all be his subordinates' fault.

But on reflection, Zhang Yu abandoned the notion.

As someone who understood the Emperor very well, this was something he could not do. His current Majesty was a man of deep foresight, always laying plans far in advance.

This time, who knew whether the arrangements His Majesty had made didn't conceal some even deeper scheme? If there was one, acting on his own might disrupt His Majesty's plans—and that would not do.

Being a clever man, Zhang Yu naturally understood this. He directly abandoned the idea and prepared to report to the Emperor.

Only after word came back from the Emperor would he consider whether to proceed.

"Then should we make preparations in advance now?" Song Xiang said with some hesitation.

"No need—proceed according to the original plan." Zhang Yu said with a smile, "What we need to do now is build good relations with Joseon's officials, learn everything about them, and push as quickly as possible for war against Japan. Once war breaks out, we'll find it easier to earn their trust, they won't have time to watch us, and there will be more things we can do."

"On your end, keep going to see Queen Inmok and try to win her trust. Her health is poor—she's near death. See if you can cure her."

"Understood." Song Xiang nodded and said, "I'll get this done as quickly as I can. You need to be careful on your end too—don't let anyone detect your intentions."

"Don't worry, they can't imagine the resources I can mobilize." Zhang Yu said with a smile as he stood up and looked at Song Xiang. "Bring over a brazier."

Song Xiang nodded and fetched a brazier with burning charcoal from the side.

The two of them directly threw all the papers on the table into the fire to burn. Their awareness of secrecy had been ingrained to the bone.

Though Joseon hadn't realized anything yet, their plotting had already begun—no information could be allowed to leak.

The two handled these matters with great efficiency.

After the papers had finished burning, Zhang Yu said, "Let's rest."

Song Xiang nodded.

The atmosphere between them grew a bit awkward. This was the only moment between the two that still felt awkward.

After each found a spot to lie down, Zhang Yu said, "Sleep."

Song Xiang also nodded and said, "Sleep."

Early the next morning, both rose very early. Getting up, washing up, eating breakfast—the two went about it in an orderly fashion.

Today they each had their own business to attend to. Song Xiang was to bring the imperial physician to see Queen Inmok—this had been arranged long ago and could not be delayed.

Zhang Yu and Prince Fu were to meet with the king of Joseon—this matter could not be delayed either, as both sides needed to further negotiate the dispatch of troops. According to Zhang Yu's intelligence, by the time he had left the capital and set out for Joseon, there had already been movement in Tianjin. The Great Ming's Imperial Navy had already departed from Tianjin, racing toward an island between Joseon and Japan.

Once coordination on his end was complete and Joseon's forces were sent over, this war would begin.

And when that time came, some of the things Zhang Yu had been scheming could officially commence.

Zhang Yu and Song Xiang went together to the Joseon royal palace. At the palace gate, the two parted ways.

Zhang Yu was to meet Prince Fu first, then enter through the main gate to see the king of Joseon.

As for Song Xiang, she was to enter from the side—not going to the Joseon king's residence, but going straight to the rear to see Queen Inmok.

"Take care of yourself." Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu and said.

"Don't worry, it's nothing." Zhang Yu smiled, speaking with a firm tone: "With the Great Ming behind us, there's nothing to fear."

After saying this, Zhang Yu turned and left.

Watching Zhang Yu leave, Song Xiang also led her people toward the Joseon royal palace.

After walking a short distance, Song Xiang's expression turned serious, and she beckoned to someone behind her.

A man in his thirties ran up, glanced at Song Xiang, and said respectfully, "Miss."

"How are your preparations?" Song Xiang looked at him and asked coldly. "If you don't perform well this time and fail to handle things properly, we'll all be in trouble."

"Rest assured, Miss, I've already found out everything." The man said with a smile. "Judging from various rumors, Queen Inmok injured her lungs during her years in the cold palace. It's nothing too serious."

Song Xiang nodded, said nothing, and turned to walk inside.

Lung problems were always troublesome. But then again, trouble was relative to whom it concerned.