Chapter 681: Cleaning Up Joseon

The King of Joseon was thoroughly disgusted inside, but he couldn't let it show on his face. Watching Kim Jeong-min walk in from outside, he said directly: "Beloved minister, you look like you've lost quite a bit of weight these days. Though the affairs of state are taxing, you must still take care of your health."

Kim Jeong-min paused, then quickly said: "In serving the kingdom with loyalty, I dare not slacken in the slightest. As for my body, I thank Your Majesty for your concern—it will hold up fine for the time being."

*Want me dead? Not that easy. *

Kim Jeong-min sneered coldly in his heart, yet on his face he wore an expression of overwhelming gratitude.

The King of Joseon, having been rebuffed, could only force an awkward smile and say: "That is good, then. Just now, Minister Jeong said you had found some things—may I ask what they are?"

"It concerns certain officials in the Ministry of Punishments." Kim Jeong-min said with a grim face: "Your Majesty, it is time to make arrests."

"Then make your move." The King of Joseon nodded and said.

Kim Jeong-min glanced at Jeong Xuhong, the meaning obvious: *Let's go, time to make arrests—what are you waiting for? *

Though helpless inside, Jeong Xuhong hurried out after him, and the two of them ran off together to make the arrests.

The Great Ming Embassy.

Zhang Yu looked at Song Xiang as she walked in and asked: "Any news from over there?"

"They've already started moving." Song Xiang nodded and said: "Jeong Xuhong and Kim Jeong-min have gone to make arrests—interrogations should begin soon. Our plan has also reached its closing phase."

"Good, excellent!" Zhang Yu smiled and nodded: "Then let's proceed to the next step."

"How?" Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu and asked.

"I want Kim Jeong-min dead." Zhang Yu's gaze flickered uncertainly, then he raised his head to look at Song Xiang and said: "This matter must be handled covertly—not with the same fanfare as Park Jeong-yang's time."

"I understand." Song Xiang nodded: "There are people who can get it done. Our people have long been prepared—once a date is set, he can die that very night. But you'll need to decide the method: a blade directly, or poison?"

"Poison." Zhang Yu said without a moment's thought: "Let him die the same way Park In-yong did."

"I understand." Song Xiang nodded: "When do we strike?"

"First, build momentum." Zhang Yu said: "Let everyone know this matter implicates Zhang Fu—spread the word about his son's affairs too, let everyone know Zhang Fu has been behind all of this. Mobilize the Joseon officials we've cultivated, have them submit memorials, have them request Zhang Fu's arrest. When the matter reaches its peak, then let Kim Jeong-min die."

"I understand." Song Xiang nodded: "I'll make the arrangements right away."

"By the way, there's one more thing." Zhang Yu raised his head and stopped her, asking: "Has the candidate for the rebellion been chosen? If the Second Prince of Joseon won't do, then pick someone else. We have no use for cowardly trash."

"That Second Prince of Joseon's intentions are still unclear," Song Xiang thought for a moment and said: "Before Park Jeong-yang died, he had quite a bit of contact with him. But he's never shown his stance—on the surface he's all propriety, yet privately he's made few preparations. He seems to want to profit from the conflict as a bystander."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu snorted coldly and said: "He wants to play the bystander reaping the spoils? Not that easy. Everyone in this world wants to be the chess player, yet everyone is a chess piece. Can the matter with Zhang Fu be made to implicate him?"

Song Xiang pondered for a moment, then said with some hesitation: "That may not be easy. This Second Prince is cautious in all his dealings, and he's cultivated few connections among the court ministers—this time he only connected with Park Jeong-yang. Drawing him into this matter would be difficult."

Zhang Yu sat there in silent contemplation, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop. After a long while, he raised his head and asked: "What if we work through Park In-yong's side? Is that possible? After all, Park Jeong-yang was close with the Second Prince—it wouldn't be strange for Park In-yong to have ties to him as well."

Song Xiang thought it over and said: "We can try, but I don't know if it will work. After all, his status is special—he's the Second Prince of Joseon. This matter won't be easy to handle."

"If the Crown Prince in the capital were to die, things might be simpler." Having said this, Song Xiang raised her head to look at Zhang Yu, the meaning obvious: *Shouldn't we consider this angle? *

The saying "when Qin loses its deer, all under heaven give chase" captures exactly this principle. Once the Crown Prince of Joseon is gone, the Second Prince would have no choice but to fight.

Zhang Yu shook his head, his expression grave as he said: "That method won't do—don't entertain such thoughts in the future. The Crown Prince of Joseon is being handled by His Majesty; that man still has his uses. I cannot disrupt His Majesty's plans for the sake of my own. If I were to submit a memorial on this, His Majesty would think I don't know my place."

Song Xiang nodded, her expression also turning serious, then said: "You've thought this through more thoroughly. That was a lapse in my own consideration."

Hearing Song Xiang say this, Zhang Yu's tone softened, and he said with a wry smile: "You don't serve in the court, so you don't understand—as a minister, there are things one may do and things one may not do; that is the duty of a minister. His Majesty may be magnanimous and not hold things against us, but we must not fail in our duty as ministers. Besides, even if we make suggestions, His Majesty won't blame us—whether to adopt them or not is entirely His Majesty's decision."

"There's another reason as well: if the Crown Prince of Joseon were to die at this time, it would arouse Joseon's suspicion. No matter how it happened, a death on Great Ming soil immediately puts Great Ming in the spotlight. At that point, people would suspect Great Ming. We cannot let their attention shift onto us—we've been operating in the shadows all along, and if we're exposed, it would be dangerous. We must never be exposed in what we do—you should understand that."

Song Xiang nodded and said: "I understand. So what do you think we should do?"

"Have the Joseon generals given their answer?" Zhang Yu turned and said: "We've given them so many benefits and gathered so many handles on them—if we ask them to risk their lives for us, would they be willing?"

"That might be difficult." Song Xiang said after thinking it over, not daring to guarantee it.

"Then we need to think of another way," Zhang Yu said in a low voice: "Some things in this world are beyond one's control. I haven't made them understand that sometimes it's not a matter of whether they want to do something or not—they simply have no choice. Back then, Zhao Kuangyin staged the Chenqiao Mutiny and had the yellow robe draped over his shoulders—we can do the same. Who is the general closest to us?"

"Ma Chengfeng." Song Xiang thought for a moment and said: "That man was Park Jeong-yang's confidant. When we distributed weapons back then, we gave him some, and he's been handling matters for us ever since. Privately, we've also collected some handles on him that we can use."

"Then he's the one." Zhang Yu said: "Send someone to make contact with him—covert contact, under the banner of the Second Prince. Show him those handles, threaten him in the Second Prince's name."

"Won't this cause problems?" Song Xiang asked with some hesitation.

"No. He wouldn't dare risk leaking those handles, and with Park Jeong-yang dead, he's in a panic right now—he needs to find a new patron. If he could attach himself to the Second Prince, that would be exactly what he wants. When the time comes, our people will issue orders in the Second Prince's name and have him rebel."

"And don't limit yourself to just this one man—make contact with several others. First, win them over in the Second Prince's name, then coerce them with their handles. Once chaos erupts, these men will be the blades in our hands. The Second Prince will have no choice but to act—those men will force him to. Consider this our backup plan."

"I understand." Song Xiang nodded: "I'll make the arrangements right away."

Having said this, Song Xiang looked at Zhang Yu with an admiring gaze.

*Her man really was remarkable—to come up with so many good plans in such a short time. *

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhang Yu turned to look at Song Xiang, puzzled by her burning gaze.

With a snort, Song Xiang turned and walked away.

*This man, when it came to strategy, was simply the foremost genius under heaven—nothing was unsolvable in his hands. He could act with grand righteousness, yet also with cunning malice. *

*But when facing her, that mind of his never went to the right place—he understood nothing about a woman's heart. He was a block of wood! *

Yet after walking a few steps, Song Xiang smiled. *She loved this man precisely for who he was—and he didn't chase after other women, which was hardly a bad thing. *

*There were no concubines in the household besides his wife, and after he'd gotten involved with her, he spent his days worrying about his wife. Joseon had sent him plenty of women, and he wouldn't touch a single one. *

*As the saying goes, strengths and weaknesses are relative. Perhaps only such a block of wood would truly stay faithful to her. *

*That feeling was rather nice too—a man who could sweet-talk a woman into happiness might well turn out to be a philanderer. *

Zhang Yu sat there, utterly bewildered.

*What's wrong with that woman? Is she ill? *

*He could read people's hearts and play the game of power flawlessly, but when it came to a woman's heart, he just couldn't understand it. What was all this? Angry one moment, smiling the next—was she having a fit? *

Shaking his head, Zhang Yu cast the matter from his mind.

*Since he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it. *

He stood up and stretched, preparing to review his plan in detail once more before proceeding to the next step.

All of Great Ming's arrangements here were carried out in silence, while outside the commotion grew—public sentiment among the populace was already boiling over.

Zhang Fu's household was surrounded day and night by people throwing rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables at it; anyone from the family who came out would be beaten. In no time at all, the Zhang family had become rats in the street—everyone knew about the filthy business Zhang Fu had been up to.

No one knew who had brought the families of the victims there, but day after day they wailed before the Zhang family's gate, their miserable cries piercing heaven and earth and drawing countless onlookers.

In the end, someone shouted to go to the royal palace, and a crowd of people ran off toward it.

Besides the victims, there was a crowd of onlookers, and another crowd of people bursting with righteous indignation, who followed along outside the palace gates shouting all day long, as if it were their own affair.

It was obvious at a glance that someone was agitating and orchestrating this from behind the scenes. Who could be doing such things?

Of course it was Zhang Yu — though not acting in his own name, but under another banner.

In a single stroke, all of Joseon was thrown into chaos, like a pot boiling over.

At this time, Zhang Yu came to another courtyard of the embassy to see the old Prince Fu.

After this old prince of the Great Ming arrived in Joseon, he had practically become an emperor in all but name, throwing his weight around all day long, while Joseon sent every kind of delicacy and amusement his way. Every day someone accompanied the old Prince Fu on outings to scenic spots, and he lived a life of utter ease and pleasure.

On top of that, there were beauties Joseon sent over on ordinary days — the old Prince Fu had already gotten four women pregnant. His vigor was frankly terrifying.

Zhang Yu felt helpless. If the old prince returned to the Great Ming bringing back a dozen or twenty children, what would that even look like?

At your age, with your qi deficiency and corpulent frame, you can still be this fertile?

Zhang Yu was helpless, but there was nothing he could say.

The man was a Prince — what did it matter if he toyed with a few women and sired a few children?

Besides, these women were sent over voluntarily by the Joseon side. Zhang Yu couldn't very well stop it.

Hearing that Zhang Yu had come, the old Prince Fu's expression turned somewhat grave.

Though he was enjoying himself in Joseon, he understood well enough that he was not the one actually in charge here — he was nothing but a memorial tablet, sent here for the sole purpose of lording over the King of Joseon.

After all, if a minister of the Great Ming were to face a commandery prince enfeoffed by the Great Ming (the King of Joseon), he wouldn't be able to suppress him.

But he himself was different — a full Prince of the Great Ming, and moreover the uncle of the current Emperor. With that standing, was it something just anyone could have?

Even the King of Joseon had to bow his head before him and treat him with the utmost deference.

Still, as long as Zhang Yu didn't bother him, he was having a perfectly good time. Now that he had come, something must be up, and there was no way to refuse the meeting.

"I pay my respects to Your Highness." Zhang Yu came before the old Prince Fu and bowed with a formal salute.

"Good, good." The old Prince Fu smiled and helped Zhang Yu up, saying: "No need for ceremony, no need. Come, come, sit over here."

As he spoke, he reached out, took Zhang Yu by the hand, and led him off to one side.

This Zhang Yu — the old Prince Fu did not dare offend him in the slightest. He was the Emperor's confidant, sent not only to handle affairs but also to keep watch over him. If he did anything improper, this man could probably take him down at any moment.

If he were to pull an imperial edict from his bosom, would he really be all that surprised?

Zhang Yu followed the old Prince Fu to the pavilion and sat down. Looking at the women attending around them, he felt somewhat helpless.

This Prince truly knew how to enjoy himself — wasn't he afraid of ruining his health?

The old Prince Fu paid no mind to such concerns. After sitting down, he said with a smile: "I obtained some fine tea today. Bureau Secretary Zhang has arrived just in time — do have a taste."

The woman at his side poured tea for Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu raised his head and glanced at this woman. She was quite beautiful, likely a noble lady of Joseon, and clearly much favored by Prince Fu.

Zhang Yu said nothing about it. It was fine for her to be here — nothing he had to say was unfit for others to hear.

Taking a sip of the tea, Zhang Yu said with a smile: "Truly fine tea indeed. Your subject has come today to discuss a matter with Your Highness. Those disturbances stirring up the city of Joseon — have you heard of them?"

"These matters have nothing to do with us." Prince Fu turned to glance at the woman, speaking with a somewhat guilty air.

The old Prince Fu also felt a pang of regret inwardly — why had he let her stay here?