Chapter 621: Because, His Majesty is Kind!

The Great Ming is the parent country of the Yi Dynasty Korea, and it is a biological one. This statement has appeared since the day the Yi Dynasty Korea was established, and it was established from the day Li Chenggui requested the Great Ming to invest him as the King of Korea.

In July of the 25th year of Hongwu, Li Chenggui, who had endured for more than twenty years, finally realized his long-cherished wish, taking the place of the last king of Goryeo and becoming the new actual king. But Li Chenggui still needed the recognition of the suzerain state, so he sent envoys to request the Great Ming to bestow a country name.

In February of the 26th year of Hongwu, the Great Ancestor Gao Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang finalized the country name of Korea and officially invested Li Chenggui as the King of Korea.

Li Chenggui had already seized power by force and became the actual king, but the old officials of Goryeo were still an extremely huge opposition force. To suppress these opposition forces, Li Chenggui repeatedly started great prisons, manufactured unjust cases, and purged political enemies. But the more he suppressed, the more the opposition forces gathered.

Even Li Chenggui, who had ascended the throne in the Shouchang Palace, could only report to the suzerain state in the name of "acting as the affairs of Goryeo" when writing to the Great Ming, and sought the support of the Great Ming court.

And the four words "parent country" originated in the Jingtai years. The fourth uncle Li Yao, who launched the Jingnan, after determining the country name of "serving the great and befriending neighbors," set "parent country" and "the grace of great creation" as ancestral teachings.

And the six-year long-distance expedition from the 20th year of Wanli to the 26th year of Wanli was the Great Ming's grace of re-creation to the Yi Dynasty Korea.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched a full-scale invasion of Korea in the 20th year of Wanli, sending an army of 150,000 to attack Korea. In just one month, Toyotomi Hideyoshi captured Hanseong, and Korean King Li Yan fled north to Yizhou, seeking help from the Great Ming.

In this six-year war, the Great Ming dispatched a total of more than 120,000 troops. All the grain and pay for this army were the responsibility of the Great Ming court, transported from Liaodong to Korea. By the end of the fighting, there were complaints everywhere in the Great Ming, which was why the Honglu Temple officials, regardless of the face of the heavenly upper country, asked the Korean King for grain and pay, because long-distance transport was really too consuming.

But the Korean King just said there was none, and had that sentence: "Relying on the parent country, the vastness of the upper country should not be demanded." The Ministry of Rites officials, who cared most about face, broke their defenses and said: "You deserve to perish if you live."

Mobilizing the troops of the world and spending the wealth of the world, they saved Korea from the hands of the Japanese pirates.

The Great Ming had the grace of great creation and the grace of re-creation for the Yi Dynasty Korea. So, does the Yi Dynasty Korea thank the Great Ming?

The Yi Dynasty Korea does not thank the Great Ming.

Because the Yi Dynasty Korea went back on its word.

On May 1st of the 20th year of Wanli, Korean King Li Yan sent envoy Liu Mengding to the Great Ming to seek help. Li Yan said to Liu Mengding: "When you reach the capital, you can first speak of the intention of internal attachment." To exchange for the Great Ming court's reinforcements, the condition Li Yan gave was internal attachment.

On June 13th, Korean King Li Yan, who had fled to Yizhou, swore to the sea again: "Our country's land has no place to hide. Today, I cross the river to attach internally, looking up to the monarch and father to report the hatred of the destroyed country."

On June 21st, Great Ming Minister of War Shi Xing dispatched Huang Yingyang to Pyongyang to discuss this matter.

On July 16th, after the court discussion, the Wanli Emperor issued an imperial decree: "Korea requests reinforcements, must be confirmed and reported. When the King comes, choose a good place to settle him."

This imperial decree of the Wanli Emperor approved the dispatch of troops to Korea and said that the Korean King should be settled well.

This was an imperial decree, clearly confirming that if the Great Ming reinforced, the Korean King would attach internally, and the Korean territory would become the Great Ming's actual land and counties, because at that time, local officials represented by Zhejiang Grand Coordinator Chang Jujing, Fujian Grand Coordinator Zhao Canlu, and Liangguang Viceroy Liu Jiwen advocated exterminating the Japanese pirates and attacking Japan's mainland to eliminate future troubles.

Minister of War Shi Xing was also a supporter of exterminating the Japanese pirates. With Korea, they could attack Japan's mainland and solve the problem once and for all.

You must know that the grain and grass for troop mobilization is a very, very critical matter. Large-scale military operations will form a supply line like a Changshan snake on the sea. Once there are strong winds and big waves, the supply line will break, which will cause huge trouble.

So setting out from Korea would have no worries.

But after the Great Ming drove out the Japanese pirates, the Korean monarch and officials regretted it. Korean King Li Yan played the Great Ming court after the fact and directly abdicated the throne to the Crown Prince Gwanghaegun, going back on his word. As a king, he promised internal attachment, but now internal attachment was impossible because I am not the king.

The Minister of War sent several envoys in succession, but eventually it could not be done. The Great Ming fought continuously for six years, eventually exhausting the national treasury and the inner treasury, but lost both face and substance. The face was played by the Korean King, and the substance was the failure to annex Korea.

The most serious result of this incident was that the Wanli Emperor's own governing ability was questioned as never before.

The reason why Korea dared to go back on its word like this, shouting "parent country" on its mouth but playing the Great Ming court in behavior, was because it was sure that the Great Ming had no strength to fight again.

At that time, the news that the returning southern troops demanded pay but failed and were suppressed reached Korea. Li Yan and his son were sure that the Great Ming had exhausted its consumption and had no grain and pay to punish them, so they dared to be so bold and reckless, and the Great Ming could only swallow this dumb loss.

At that time, the Great Ming was so poor that it had to send mining supervisors to gather wealth everywhere, at the cost of damaging the tax base. And the Wanli Emperor did such a losing business, so naturally all subsequent decisions were not recognized.

Honglu Temple Junior Minister Gao Qiyu received the Great Ming Emperor's imperial decree, was stunned for a moment, and then showed an expression that it should be so. His Majesty had long been displeased with the money-losing business of Korean tribute trade. His Majesty's stinginess was known to the world. Such a huge deficit had to be paid several times every year. It would be strange if the Emperor did not feel heartache.

His Majesty is one who saves where he should save and spends where he should spend. Gao Qiyu knew this very well.

"Junior Minister, Korean envoys Li Houbai and Yin Genshou are looking for you. They said they received news that the Great Ming court is going to cut off their tribute several times a year! We just received the imperial decree, and they knew the news after us!" Xu Jiugao said with an extremely ugly face.

The Great Ming Honglu Temple had not yet informed the Korean envoys of the situation, but the Korean envoys found them instead. This was truly beyond Xu Jiugao's expectation. Obviously, the Korean envoys had already received the news, one step ahead of the Honglu Temple.

And coming without being summoned meant they didn't treat themselves as outsiders at all.

"Not surprising. The imperial decree issued by His Majesty is not a secret edict, nor is it something shameful. Why can't people know?" Gao Qiyu looked calm and composed.

The imperial decree issued was for the purpose of making it widely known, letting everyone know. The news was likely leaked on purpose.

"But we haven't discussed the countermeasures yet. If the Korean envoys ask, how should we answer?" Xu Jiugao said with some worry. The Emperor suddenly lowered Korea's diplomatic level. The Ministry of Rites was not surprised by this, but it was not easy to answer. You couldn't just say it was because the Emperor was stingy.

Korea pays tribute at least three times a year, and each time the court has to pay a reward of 100,000 to 150,000 silver taels. This is an extremely heavy burden. Even in the late Jiajing and Longqing years when the court's finances were in great deficit, it had never been broken. The Great Ming just loved face. It had done the thing of "dying for face and suffering for sin" more than once or twice.

And now the Emperor finally let go of his face, because there is no need to pretend to be fat by slapping his face, so naturally there is no need to hold on anymore.

Sometimes, many things are like this. The more you lack something, the more you like to emphasize it. The more the court is in a great deficit, the more it likes to set up a scene to bluff.

Facing the inquiry of the Korean envoys, the answer of the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple must not damage His Majesty's wisdom, nor lose the country's face, and even more so, cannot talk nonsense, making friends surprised and barbarians sneer.

This answer tests personal level very much, and the most critical thing is to react in such a short time. After all, the Korean envoys came too fast.

"Why don't we let the Korean envoys go back first, and let's go ask the Grand Minister of Rites how to answer?" Xu Jiugao had a sudden inspiration and felt it was better to ask the Grand Minister of Rites.

Gao Qiyu smiled and said: "Troubling the Grand Minister of Rites with such a small matter, if His Majesty knows, he will think that the Ministry of Rites only has the Grand Minister of Rites. No need, let the two envoys come over, I have my own way."

Li Houbai and Yin Genshou walked into the Honglu Temple in a hurry. After seeing each other with panicked expressions, Li Houbai, as the leader, took a step forward and asked anxiously: "Suddenly heard the strict decree passed to the Ministry of Rites, saying that our Korea cannot pay tribute many times a year, only once a year. May I ask the Junior Minister, where did we offend the upper country?"

"No," Gao Qiyu said with a smile.

"Then why is there such a strict decree suddenly? Hearing the news, I am terrified and uneasy. The heavenly upper country has the grace of great creation for our Korea. Our dynasty's Prince Su Yang set up an altar of great creation to offer sacrifices every year, always holding a heart of gratitude. The upper country is our parent country. I ask the Junior Minister to clarify. If there is a crime of ignorance, change it if there is one." Yin Genshou was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead.

Korea requested the decree of the Chengzu Emperor in the Yongle years to build the Seonggyungwan in Hanseong, Korea, and invited famous Confucian scholars of the Great Ming to teach, which has been more than a hundred years. And Li Houbai and Yin Genshou were both scholars from the Seonggyungwan. If they went back to Korea, they would be scolded to the point of being bloody.

The benefits of the rewards obtained from tribute every year had long been divided. Suddenly, there was none. If they, the envoys, went back, wouldn't they be skinned alive?!

Gao Qiyu said as a matter of course: "His Majesty issued the strict decree to the Ministry of Rites. The reason for doing so is because, His Majesty, he is kind!"

Xu Jiugao was stunned on the spot as if struck by lightning, looking at Gao Qiyu in disbelief. How did this person do it? Opening his eyes and telling lies to this point, and still having an expression that it should be so, as if this was the real reason. Stopping Korea's multiple tributes was because His Majesty was kind?!

Although everyone is a reader, they should at least have some face!

Li Houbai and Yin Genshou looked at each other in horror. Was their study not refined, or could they not understand Chinese? Every word of the Honglu Temple Junior Minister's words was recognized, but when put together, why couldn't they understand it?

"I ask the Junior Minister to clarify." Li Houbai hurriedly said.

"Let me ask you, the Great Ming troops, are they the Great Ming's, or are they Korea's?"

"Naturally, they are the Great Ming's."

"Let me ask you again, the Great Ming grain and pay, are they the Great Ming's or Korea's?"

"Naturally, they are also the Great Ming's."

Li Houbai bit the bullet and answered these two questions that even a three-year-old child could answer. The Great Ming's troops and grain and pay, if they are not the Great Ming's, whose could they be?

"Korea, does not know how to train troops, always uses China's troops as troops; Korea does not know how to accumulate pay, always uses China's pay as pay. Of course, this was fine before, but now it won't work," Gao Qiyu said with great emotion.

"Is there anything bad about this? A small country does not stay humble, has little strength but does not fear the strong, is rude and insults big neighbors, it can perish. It was fine before, but now it won't work? What kind of logic is this?" Yin Genshou still did not understand the logic.

"Because, the Great Ming is old. You keep saying that the Great Ming is your parent country, but is it sincere?" Gao Qiyu asked back.

Li Houbai frowned and said: "Naturally sincere."

If the Great Ming wanted to require Korea to do something unwilling by cutting off tribute, then Li Houbai would definitely not agree! Even if it was within his power, it wouldn't work.

"Parents are old, so they can't be relied upon," Gao Qiyu sighed heavily and said helplessly: "You have also seen that the Great Ming is really old. In the officialdom, everyone is a teacher, and everyone below is a disciple. This is like the mountain heads in the mountain stronghold. The interests of these mountain heads are inconsistent, and their ideas are different, each with their own propositions."

"If Korea has something, the Great Ming knows it needs time. The Great Ming officialdom is so rigid, and making decisions also takes time. Going back and forth, it delays things very much. Rigidity causes the lag of decision-making. I think the two of you have not seen it once or twice."

"His Majesty, he is kind! Now cutting off this multiple tributes of Korea every year is to let Korea train troops and accumulate grain. If there are changes, it will not be too late to regret when things come to an end, and the court will also have time to react."

"This!" Li Houbai understood! And the logic is very complete. It seems that the Great Ming doing this is really for Korea's good.

As a parent country, it gave too much, leading to Korea's excessive reliance on the Great Ming. Now the Great Ming is old and has begun to rigidify. The promotion and disposal speed of various political decrees cannot be compared with the beginning of the country.

If something really happens, what should Korea do?

Gao Qiyu said worriedly: "Japan has now entered the last time of the chaotic war of the Warring States daimyo. No matter who wins, no matter who becomes the Kampaku, there is only one thing to do, and that is to attack Korea to consume the large number of samurai produced by the chaotic war. With so many samurai, Japan cannot stabilize at all. Using external war to relieve internal contradictions is an extremely common means."

Li Houbai asked blankly: "Can't the Great Ming make a response in advance?"

Gao Qiyu and Xu Jiugao looked at each other. This is Korea, greedy and insatiable Korea. The Great Ming cannot manage too much. If it manages too much, it will take out the ancestral laws of "not to be conquered" and "parent country" to talk about things, but it wants too much. Even for major events related to Korea's life and death, it wants the Great Ming to make a response in advance.

Gao Qiyu shook his head and said: "The Great Ming now has four overseas governor's offices: Nagasaki, Ryukyu, Lu Song, and Jiugang. The Great Ming navy has 100,000 people at most. You say, how should we respond in advance?"

"Expand the army! If 100,000 navy is not enough, expand it to 200,000. For the heavenly upper country, this is not an extremely easy thing?" Yin Genshou immediately threw out a hat of the heavenly upper country, asking the Great Ming navy to expand the army to deal with possible changes.

The Great Ming loves face the most.

"If you want more, it is unfilial," Gao Qiyu immediately buckled a big hat of unfilial piety. Who wouldn't buckle a hat? Gao Qiyu's words were extremely cold. He was admonishing. His Majesty is kind—this is an answer that can be passed on the face. Keep it in mind. If you continue to pester like this, do you really think Honglu Temple is a place where vassal envoys can run wild?

His Majesty's imperial decree is the result. Whether you accept it or not, this is the result.

Li Houbai and Yin Genshou finally came back to their senses. They wanted to say something, but in the end, they didn't say it and had to leave.

The answer that His Majesty is kind is that everyone's face can be passed.

"It seems that the Great Ming is really out of money, even the reward for tribute has to be saved," Yin Genshou said after walking out of the Honglu Temple, thinking about it, and found an answer, that is, the Great Ming's inner treasury is empty.

Li Houbai said approvingly: "That's right. Otherwise, how could the Great Ming, which loves face, lose face for a little silver? His Majesty, he is really poor."

If the Emperor knew that these two envoys were saying this, he would definitely smash them with silver and let them see what the punishment for slandering the monarch is.

After Li Houbai and other Korean envoys left, Gao Qiyu and Xu Jiugao went to find the Grand Minister of Rites Wan Shihe to report today's situation.

"You did a good job," Wan Shihe said after listening to the details. "This matter is left to you."

Wan Shihe had been pondering since receiving the imperial decree, and had been pondering for a long time. What he thought was that everything was for Korea's good, which was the same as Gao Qiyu's "His Majesty is kind."

Wan Shihe glanced at Gao Qiyu, slightly regretful. Zhang Juzheng never forgave this former subordinate. Gao Qiyu's ability is not weak, but if no one pulls him, he will stop at Honglu Temple in this life.

"Has Li Yashi been sent away?" Wan Shihe mentioned the special envoy of the West, Li Yashi. The envoys from the West had already met collectively, and Li Yashi had reached the time to leave. This red-haired barbarian who had lived in the Great Ming for twelve years was deeply in love with the land that raised him.

"Already on the road," Gao Qiyu said with some emotion. "Can only wish him good luck."

Wan Shihe said very peacefully: "He will be burned to death. He is a blasphemer, a rebel, a devil, a heretic, a person not on the list of God's gospel, but he is also a martyr. He made a choice, and we must respect his choice."

"I have a miscellaneous report here, you guys take a look."

Gao Qiyu finished reading the miscellaneous report and frowned: "Isn't this nonsense? Where is this miscellaneous report? I will have their big pen-pusher called to the Ministry of Rites."

If you don't listen when drinking tea, you have to take out a heavy punch.

The content of the miscellaneous report is more fierce than Kublai Khan, that is, Kublai Khan is fierce.

Criticizing the Great Ming court for the eleven copper mines in the Lu Song Governor's Office, these eleven copper mines contributed more than 15 million jin of brass, and the quantity is still growing rapidly, which caused the scale of Yunnan copper to be suppressed, and the production scale cannot be expanded, and the Yunnan people cannot become craftsmen.

For every 10,000 jin of copper produced in Lu Song, Yunnan has one less copper craftsman!

The Great Ming court is "giving to foreign friends, not to domestic slaves!"

"The Great Ming lacks copper so badly that even cannons are made of steel! People's red-haired barbarian cannons are cast in copper! What production of 10,000 jin of copper means one less copper craftsman! No matter how much copper is produced, it cannot satisfy the Great Ming's needs!" Gao Qiyu's evaluation of this miscellaneous report was very low. He didn't know anything about the Great Ming, so he could say such things.

The Great Ming is a glutton. Copper material, as much as there is, it wants as much. The Great Ming can use it all. In the supply and demand relationship of copper material, the Great Ming's demand for copper has no upper limit, just like its demand for silver.

"I let you see this miscellaneous report, not to let you interview them," Wan Shihe looked at Gao Qiyu, unable to laugh or cry. It really is what kind of teacher, what kind of apprentice. Zhang Juzheng is an authoritarian figure who cannot tolerate others' comments. Gao Qiyu is exactly the same. The first thing he thought of was to cover his mouth.

"This is the process of consensus formation," Wan Shihe explained the reason why he let them see these miscellaneous reports.

Wan Shihe explained in detail why he wanted Gao Qiyu to see these miscellaneous reports. The great thinking in the Wanli Reform, how it was formed step by step, then transformed from consensus into customary public order and good customs, and finally formed into laws and put into practice to constrain.

Public order and good customs are the greatest consensus of everyone in the Great Ming, which is the greatest common divisor.

The Wanli Reform has appeared many fresh things, allowing limited freedom of speech, but instead, consensus can be gradually formed in scolding battles. This miscellaneous report criticizing Lu Song copper mines quickly aroused one after another discussion. Everyone has their own reasons, so who is right? Practice is right.

After verification by practice, it was denied, and then consensus was reached, finally completing the construction of public order and good customs.

Every step of this is indispensable.

"At this time, a question arises: what duties should the court perform in this process? When should it intervene?" Wan Shihe looked at the two Junior Ministers of Honglu Temple and asked for their thoughts.

"It is very difficult to clearly define this, because the boundary is not clear," Gao Qiyu frowned, took a few steps, and continued: "Lacking a standard, the court needs a standard to control the degree of freedom of speech, but what should this standard be?"

In the feudal imperial system, the clearest standard is the Emperor. Articles that abuse the Emperor should be covered, but what about others? How the court should guide public order and good customs is a problem that the Ministry of Rites must face.

"When the interests of most people are harmed, it is necessary to intervene," Wan Shihe gave his standard. The position of public opinion must be firmly grasped in the hands of the Great Ming court. The court has suffered too many such losses.

And Wan Shihe found that standard: public order and good customs that protect the interests of most people.

"This gives a clear definition of rites and laws: public order and good customs that protect the interests of most people," Wan Shihe said with some emotion: "When His Majesty executed Chen Youren, who slandered Commander Qi and beautified the Japanese pirates, he had already fully realized the essence of rites and laws."

Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith have new clear definitions in the Wanli Reform. This is the result of the Wanli Reform.

"Gao Qiyu, are you willing to worship under my door?" Wan Shihe finished the definition of rites and laws, changed the subject, and asked Gao Qiyu for his opinion on worshipping under his door.

Gao Qiyu said very certainly: "I am the Master's disciple, even if the Master doesn't recognize it."

"It's not asking you to worship as a teacher," Wan Shihe had long guessed that Gao Qiyu would say so. What he wanted was not Gao Qiyu to worship as a teacher, but to become an Imperial Party member. In this way, talents would not be wasted.

The Great Ming does not lack officials, but lacks those who do things.

"I don't want to cause trouble for the Grand Minister of Rites. The Master will be angry if he knows," Gao Qiyu thought about it again and again, but still chose to refuse. If he really entered the Imperial Party, Zhang Juzheng would be afraid of dealing with Wan Shihe.

Wan Shihe said with full confidence: "You don't have to worry about the Chief Assistant. I will handle him. You have paid a big enough price for your mistakes, which is completely enough."

"Then thank you, Grand Minister of Rites." Gao Qiyu is an official of the Great Ming court. Which official doesn't want to be promoted? Gao Qiyu has the great merit of visiting the West, similar to Zhang Qian's exit from the fortress in the Han Wudi period. Gao Qiyu also wants to make progress.

But Zhang Juzheng's difficulty in provoking is known to all.

"Take this waist token. You, this Junior Minister, should also be transferred to the Grand Honglu. Go back and wait for the letter," Wan Shihe handed over his waist token. The waist token of the Imperial Party.

The reason why Wan Shihe has confidence is entirely because the waist token he gave is the Imperial Party, and what he does is His Majesty's instruction. Wan Shihe has a clear understanding of himself: he is just watching the door for His Majesty. His Majesty is the party leader of the Imperial Party.

Gao Qiyu, like Zhou Liangyin, also passed the ten-year inspection period and obtained an opportunity from His Majesty's hands. ===== CHAPTER 622 =====

The Great Ming does not lack officials, but it lacks people who get things done.

"I don't want to cause trouble for the Grand Secretary; the Master would be angry if he knew." Gao Qiyu pondered repeatedly and still chose to refuse. If he truly joined the Emperor's Faction, Zhang Juzheng would likely target Wan Shihe.

Wan Shihe said with full confidence, "You don't need to worry about the Senior Grand Secretary; I will handle him. You have paid a sufficiently high price for your mistake; that is completely enough."

"Then I thank the Grand Secretary." As a court official of the Great Ming, which official does not want to be promoted? Gao Qiyu has the great merit of being an envoy to the West; similar to Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Gao Qiyu also wants to advance.

But it is known to all under heaven that Zhang Juzheng is not to be trifled with.

"Take this waist medallion; you, as a Junior Vice Minister, should also be promoted to Grand Herald. Go back and wait for news." Wan Shihe handed over his own waist medallion—the waist medallion of the Emperor's Faction.

The reason Wan Shihe had confidence was entirely because the waist medallion he gave was that of the Emperor's Faction, and the things he did were at the Emperor's instruction. Wan Shihe had a clear understanding of himself: he was merely a gatekeeper for His Majesty; His Majesty was the true leader of the Emperor's Faction.

Like Zhou Liangyin, Gao Qiyu had also passed a ten-year observation period and obtained an opportunity from His Majesty's hands.