Chapter 1459: The Crown Prince

"My son, after you go to Goryeo, though everyone there, high and low, will be your subjects, you must absolutely not become arrogant and self-indulgent, nor should you unyieldingly force and pressure them." After handing the Goryeo policy memorials to the Crown Prince, the Emperor continued to exhort him. "If there are any matters that breed resentment, just delegate them to the members of your mission. You need not handle them personally. You must play the good person before the Goryeo people; only in this way can you win their hearts!"

"Your son understands!" The Crown Prince hurriedly nodded. "Your son will certainly deal with the Goryeo people cautiously and will not let them become alienated."

"There's no need to be overly cautious either. You are the Crown Prince, so you must display some of our Great Han's majesty." The Emperor smiled and patted the Crown Prince's shoulder again. "In truth, the Goryeo people are delighted that we want to strike Japan! In the early years of the Wanli era, the Japanese army landed in Goryeo, inflicting grievous slaughter and torment. One could say they share a blood feud with the Goryeo people, so much so that they still call that Japanese invasion the 'Imjin Waeran' and gnash their teeth whenever it's mentioned. Therefore, your trip this time is to carry out the kingly way and uphold justice. They will be too grateful to even have time for anything else. As long as you don't go overboard, you will be their sacred lord!"

The Crown Prince did not reply, but the excited light shining in the young man's eyes grew ever more intense.

That's the spirit. What young man doesn't yearn to achieve great deeds and establish a legacy? The Emperor thought with gratification.

"Now do you understand how heavy the burden on your shoulders is, my son? Being the Crown Prince and being the Emperor may be glorious, but the tasks that must be done are just as numerous…" The Emperor still smiled, as if comforting his Crown Prince. "So, for this period, just enjoy yourself. If you don't fully relax your body and mind, you'll suffer when it's time to be tense… No matter what, next year's matters will be handled next year. With me here making arrangements for you, just relax a bit more."

"Your son understands. Thank you, Imperial Father." The Crown Prince was deeply moved in his heart and once again expressed his gratitude to his Imperial Father. "Although your son will relax his body and mind, he will absolutely not fall behind in his studies. During this period, besides producing the relevant policy memorials on Japan and Goryeo, your son will certainly study more on the art of war. Only by learning more about military affairs can your son properly oversee things from the rear. Imperial Father is sending your son there, surely you don't wish to see your son merely surrounded by a group of advisors, only knowing how to nod in timid agreement?"

"You certainly have ambition!" Seeing the Crown Prince answer this way, the Emperor laughed even more happily. "Good, if you want to learn, then learn. I'm only afraid you won't want to learn! I've arranged so many military instructors for you; you can seek their guidance more often recently. Don't just listen to them; you must ask more questions on your own! However, remember not to reveal the plans to strike Japan to them. Just inquire by indirect hints and veiled questions."

"Your son will certainly go and ask." The Crown Prince hastily agreed, but then suddenly hesitated a little. "It's just…"

"Just what?" The Emperor sensed something was amiss and immediately pressed the question.

"It's just that several of the teachers instructing me in literature have been constantly urging me to read more of the classics recently, especially the Analects. They say the ancients relied on the Analects to govern the realm, and that as the Crown Prince, I will also have to rely on these to govern the realm in the future…" The Crown Prince's voice grew lower and lower. "They also say that our family won the realm on horseback, but we cannot govern it on horseback in the future. We must still rely on virtue and edification. Only through the Confucian ethical code and the principles of social order can this realm be maintained. Relying solely on military expansion is merely trying to stop water from boiling by skimming it off; ultimately it cannot… ultimately it cannot last…"

As the Crown Prince recounted this, the Emperor's expression grew increasingly grim.

Finally, he raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Insolence!"

The Emperor had always disliked Confucian scholars; this was known to all under Heaven. Therefore, aside from a few book-addled Confucian scholars who, in the very beginning, boldly came to remonstrate with him to "practice the kingly way" and "govern the state by virtue" and were severely punished by him, no one else dared to babble to him anymore about governing the state with Confucianism and the ethical code.

He had never expected that these literati were still not dead to the idea and had actually set their sights on the Crown Prince.

When selecting teachers for the Crown Prince, although the Emperor intentionally did not want him exposed to Confucian classics, he still had to let him learn some ancient prose and poetry and gain some cultural knowledge. Therefore, he had still employed several teachers to instruct him in literature—of course, the Crown Prince's curriculum was still primarily focused on military and economic knowledge, with culture serving only as a supplement.

They were clearly just teachers, yet they could not properly position themselves and regarded themselves as imperial tutors. They even deludedly hoped to rely on their status to influence the Crown Prince and instill their ideas into him… How could the Emperor tolerate such a thing?

"Your son is guilty. Please forgive me, Imperial Father!" Seeing his Imperial Father angry, the Crown Prince hurriedly bowed and pleaded for forgiveness.

"You are not guilty. Your love of learning is a good thing; you cannot be blamed for this!" The Emperor seemed still not to have vented his lingering anger and continued to glare at the Crown Prince. "It is these few pedantic scholars who are at fault, actually thinking of using you to promote their own views. Such audacity, such audacity! I will certainly not spare them!"

Although the Emperor was usually very amiable when interacting with the Crown Prince, when the Emperor's rare fury erupted, even the Crown Prince found it somewhat unbearable. The monarch's wrath seemed to plunge even this warm room into an ice chamber.

"Imperial Father! Imperial Father, please do not be angry!" Seeing his father so enraged, the Crown Prince was very frightened in his heart, and even his voice trembled.

However, afraid that his own unintentional words would cost several teachers their lives, he immediately gathered his courage and embraced his father.

"What are you doing?" Within the Crown Prince's embrace, the Emperor glared at him angrily.

"Imperial Father… please quell your anger!" Looking at the Emperor's furious visage, the Crown Prince said with slight anxiety, "Imperial Father usually teaches your son never to act out of anger, lest he do something he will deeply regret in a moment of impulse. So today, please also quell your anger, Imperial Father… Do not, do not kill out of anger. Although the tutors spoke foolishly, their crime… their crime does not warrant death! Your son pleads not only for their lives but also fears damage to Imperial Father's reputation!"

Under the Crown Prince's earnest plea, the Emperor finally gradually calmed down, though he still furrowed his brow slightly.

This somewhat thin youth had now thrown himself onto him. Although trembling all over with fear, he still unhesitatingly embraced him, then remonstrated with him not to kill out of anger.

He possessed a benevolent heart, yet was not weak, daring to speak his own views. Such natural talent was what it took to be a good Crown Prince, to become an ideal successor emperor.

The anger on the Emperor's face slowly faded.

"Kill them? Why would I kill them, to let them put on a show of sacrificing themselves for righteousness? You're overthinking it. I won't kill them." He grasped the Crown Prince's hands and gently pushed him away. "But not killing them doesn't mean I won't punish them. Starting tomorrow, I will dismiss all of those few people, not a single one will remain!"

"They indeed have their faults, and your son also agrees to replace them." The Crown Prince nodded, agreeing with his father's arrangement. "The way of literary expression lies in one's original intent. Your son has already learned this much; from now on, I can elucidate things on my own. There is no need to rely on those literati."

"The way of literary expression lies in one's original intent…" The Emperor's eyes lit up, and he murmured to himself, "Not bad, not bad! It's rare for someone your age to say such a thing. It seems you have truly learned and understood!"

Because he was pleased in his heart, he had the Crown Prince sit down again.

"Crown Prince, you must not take the babbling of those Confucian scholars seriously! Any strong state, as long as it has strength to spare, will certainly try every means to expand, turning all places within its reach into its own territory. This is precisely what is meant by 'all the land under Heaven belongs to the king.' What 'guarding simplicity' and 'the doctrine of the mean' are all utter nonsense! If the Zhou people had practiced guarding simplicity and the mean, wouldn't the Han people still be stuck in the Central Plains, unable to emerge? Not to mention anything else, wasn't this very Yanjing beneath our feet expanded inch by inch by the Zhou people? Confucian scholars are best at whitewashing; they can paint black as white. Clearly they lacked the strength to expand and were passively beaten everywhere, yet they insisted on calling it practicing the kingly way and subduing others by virtue. Only they could do such a self-deceiving thing." Because of his longstanding dislike for Confucian scholars, the Emperor's tone suddenly became much more acerbic. "Those pedantic scholars only know how to chatter endlessly with their classics. You absolutely must not listen! Follow your original intent, follow your original intent!"

By this time, the Great Han's territory had already greatly expanded compared to the former Ming dynasty, especially in the Mongolia and Western Regions areas. Through many campaigns, the Great Han court had not only reclaimed the Hetao region but had also extended its control to the Dunhuang area and was still planning further expansion. Given this, the Confucian officials' doctrine of "moderation and maintaining the status quo" naturally displeased the Emperor immensely.

"Your son understands. Your son will also, like Imperial Father, forge ahead with keen determination and expansion, and will absolutely not rest on his laurels." Seeing that his Imperial Father's anger had subsided, the Crown Prince deeply sighed in relief. "It's just, Imperial Father, after studying some military affairs, your son still has one matter he does not understand. May I ask Imperial Father for instruction…?"

"What is it? Speak freely, don't be afraid." The Emperor immediately agreed.

"Imperial Father, ever since our dynasty was established, we have been forging ahead with keen determination in the west and north, successively annihilating the Jurchen and various Mongol tribes. One could say we have expanded our territory by a thousand li, with military achievements surpassing the former Ming and almost comparable to Emperor Wu of Han… It's just…" The Crown Prince's expression was still somewhat hesitant as he kept glancing at his Imperial Father. "It's just that in your son's view, Liaodong, the Western Regions, and the northern frontiers are mostly snowy plains or barren deserts, largely uninhabitable. Yet your son learned in geography class that the lands of Annam are fertile regions where rice can be harvested three times a year… Why does Imperial Father constantly campaign in the northwest and now plans to strike Japan, yet has always been unwilling to campaign in the south…? Although the southern regions each have their own difficulties, compared to the bitter cold lands of the north, I'm afraid… I'm afraid the cost would still be much smaller. If we first spend some time occupying those fertile lands, use them as a foundation to continue expanding our strength, and then campaign northward later… wouldn't that… wouldn't that be easier?"

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