Chapter 1509: The Jungle Where the Strong Devour the Weak

Ever since they had adopted the full set of Confucian ethics from the mainland and structured their entire state upon that ethical framework, Goryeo had always regarded itself as a Little China, seeing itself as the highest-ranking nation beneath China. Yet, all of a sudden, Goryeo had plummeted from its relatively autonomous position into a state where it was bossed around by officials of the Central Dynasty, something the Goryeo ruler and his ministers found hard to accept in private. In particular, they also felt that the new elites of the Great Han were all coarse and uncultured, ignorant of the classics, and even showed a tendency to disdain Confucian learning, so in their hearts they all harbored some contempt for the Great Han.

However, no matter how much discontent and disdain they felt, Goryeo could only silently accept it — because the Great Han was simply too powerful.

Right from the founding of the nation, it had been able to campaign in all directions and sweep away border conflicts; the once-mighty Jianzhou Jurchens and Mongol tribes had all been routed in a single stroke, fleeing like wolves and scurrying like rats, utterly incapable of resistance. In just a few short years since its founding, the Great Han had already carved out a territory surpassing that of the former Ming.

The Great Han's such illustrious military achievements completely awed these Goryeo people. Even within Goryeo itself, they held this legendary emperor in the utmost reverence and fear, so even though they were resentful in their hearts, they absolutely dared not show it and could only endure in silence.

Since resistance was impossible, they might as well think of ways to curry favor obsequiously. If they could win the favor of the Central Dynasty's imperial house, then Goryeo would be regarded with a bit more importance and its treatment would improve considerably — harboring such thoughts, the Goryeo ruler, Yi Hon, had used him to propose to the Central Dynasty the idea of offering a Goryeo royal clanswoman to the Crown Prince as a concubine.

Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor of the Central Dynasty summoned me precisely for this? A flash of insight crossed Yi Ga's mind.

If that were the case, then it would be wonderful...

As the head of the mission, Yi Ga would be delighted to see this matter come to fruition.

With a sense of relief, Yi Ga followed the attending official into the Hall of Central Extremity.

The moment he entered, he paid no heed to anything else and knelt down before the Great Han Emperor seated high upon the imperial throne, then meticulously performed the grand ceremony of a court audience.

"The vassal-state envoy, Yi Ga, pays homage to the Emperor of the Central Dynasty. Long live, long live, long live the Emperor!"

Taking advantage of the leeway during the ritual, he used the corner of his eye to sweep a glance at the youth standing beside the Emperor.

This youth was tall of stature and upright of countenance; though not exactly refined and elegantly handsome, he was very steady and proper, and one could see he possessed the bearing of his father.

If we can gain the favor of the Central Dynasty's Crown Prince, perhaps our country can finally escape from its abyss of suffering...

"Ambassador Yi, I have put you to trouble today, having to rush to the palace so early in the morning," the Emperor first said a few polite words, signaling to soothe the envoy. "I imagine you hurried over at dawn and haven't eaten anything; you must be hungry. Well then, today I won't bother with so many tedious formalities. Let's get straight to the point so you can rest sooner."

"To be able to attend the Central Dynasty's grand New Year banquet is this minister's utmost honor, with absolutely no toil whatsoever. I beseech Your Majesty to understand," Yi Ga solemnly expressed his thanks to the Emperor.

During his previous audiences with the Central Dynasty's Emperor, he had inwardly grumbled about the Emperor referring to himself as "I," finding it far too crude and uncultured — truly the mark of a man of humble Xuzhou origins. But after several audiences, he no longer felt any discomfort about it.

"Actually, this matter is quite simple..." The Emperor's expression was very relaxed. He then pointed to the Crown Prince. "The Crown Prince will soon have a request to make of you, so I am asking you in advance to do him a favor."

Could it be... could it really be about having the Crown Prince take a Goryeo royal clanswoman as a concubine? Yi Ga felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

He knew that a Crown Princess was impossible, but so long as there were Goryeo concubines by the Crown Prince's side, and they managed to win the Crown Prince's favor, then Goryeo's status in the future was bound to be vastly different from before. And he, Yi Ga, would certainly be rewarded for handling this matter.

"If the Superior State has any need of our humble country, please simply speak. Our humble country, grateful for the grace of ****, will absolutely not show the slightest negligence." He lowered his head deeply, then loudly reported back to His Majesty.

"Goryeo's loyalty, I understand. Among all the vassal states under Heaven, the one closest to China is none other than Goryeo." The Emperor nodded with considerable satisfaction. "Since you have said as much, very well, I shall speak plainly..."

Just as Yi Ga thought His Majesty was about to say, "Then let it be as your noble country's ruler wishes," he instead heard words he could scarcely believe.

"Yi Ga, you are a very astute man and are also thoroughly familiar with the conditions and sentiments throughout Goryeo. After the New Year, please accompany the Crown Prince to Goryeo and help him handle some affairs concerning Goryeo."

"Your... Your Majesty?" Upon hearing these words, even with the composure of a scholar-official that Yi Ga ordinarily prided himself on, his body could not help but sway. "This... why is this?"

He was truly frightened in his heart.

At this very moment, what the Goryeo ruler and his ministers, especially the entire royal clan, feared most was that the Great Han, insatiably greedy and not content with the benefits it had already seized, would want to further bring Goryeo under its control, or even directly abolish the Goryeo royal house and turn Goryeo into Great Han territory.

After many years of cultural edification, Goryeo at this time was full of scholars well-versed in the classics but short of generals capable of campaigning. They no longer possessed the spirit of the days when they had proclaimed their own court and resisted the Central Plains. Back when the Japanese pirates invaded, the entire country had been effortlessly occupied within a few months; it was only by borrowing the military might of the Great Ming that they had finally managed to drive the pirates out. Now, at this juncture, the Great Han was who knew how many times stronger than those Japanese pirates — how could Goryeo possibly have the ability to resist? They would probably be nothing but meat on the chopping block.

It was precisely out of this fear that the Goryeo ruler had desperately tried to curry favor with the Great Han, not only treating the Great Han missions with the utmost deference but even coming up with the idea of offering royal clanswomen to please the Great Han court, utterly abandoning all face.

This was the sorrow of Goryeo, a small country, in facing the great powers of the Central Plains over so many years.

Yet, even after we have humbled ourselves to this extent, the Great Han still does not intend to spare us... A trace of desolation suddenly flashed through Yi Ga's heart. It seemed that the three-hundred-year national fortune of the Yi Dynasty was about to be ruined in this generation's hands.

However, no matter what, I will not play the jackal to the tiger; I will never bend the knee and act as a guide to lead the Great Han into Goryeo. If the illustrious Yi clan is fated to meet with sudden calamity, then let it begin with me! Such a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

In an instant, a multitude of thoughts rushed into his head, and he became somewhat dazed.

But the Central Dynasty's Emperor did not notice his abnormality and continued speaking. "I shall tell you a confidential matter. You must remember to keep it secret and are not permitted to mention it to anyone for the time being. After court deliberations, our dynasty has already decided — we shall launch a punitive expedition against Japan and will use Goryeo as a base."

After a moment of silence, Yi Ga finally regained his senses and understood the Central Dynasty's meaning.

So... so that's how it is... It's not about extinguishing our Goryeo's national fortune...

The heart that had been hanging in suspense slowly settled back down. He felt a slight relief in his chest, and then realized his back was drenched in cold sweat, almost completely soaked through.

"Ambassador Yi, what do you think?" Seeing that he had not responded for a long time, the Emperor pressed him.

After the fright he had just endured, Yi Ga felt his mind was still somewhat disordered and he found it difficult to concentrate on thinking. But on the whole, he understood — the Central Dynasty intended to send a large army against Japan and use Goryeo's territory as a base of attack.

To be honest, once he had recovered his wits, his initial reaction was a touch of secret delight — back then, the Japanese pirates had landed in Goryeo, plundered the entire country, and who knew how many of Goryeo's people they had poisoned and slaughtered, how many blood debts they had incurred. The mere thought of it made every Goryeo person gnash their teeth in hatred.

But while the hatred had been there, the Goryeo people had no way to organize a large army to strike back and exact revenge. Even the restoration of their nation had relied on the Great Ming. Thus, for decades, the desire for revenge throughout Goryeo could only be suppressed in their hearts.

Yet now, the Central Dynasty's Emperor was saying he was preparing to dispatch troops to attack Japan — how could this not bring one secret delight? So long as the Central Dynasty raised a great army to invade Japan, regardless of whether they could win, they could at least wreak havoc upon Japan and let the Japanese also suffer the pain and misery that the Goryeo people had endured back then.

But after the secret delight, Yi Ga immediately regained his composure.

Since ancient times, raising troops and waging war had always required the expenditure of countless funds and provisions. If the Central Dynasty wanted to use Goryeo as a base, it would naturally also requisition funds and provisions from Goryeo. Goryeo was already a poor and weak small country; how could it withstand such torment? Moreover, if the Great Han's grand army were massed in Goryeo, heaven only knew how many incidents might arise...

At this thought, Yi Ga's secret delight turned into worry. However, he did not dare refuse the Emperor's request. This was not a matter he could decide in the first place.

"This outer minister has understood Your Majesty's intent. After returning today, this outer minister will immediately send a letter home for our ruler to decide. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

His answer did not satisfy the Central Dynasty.

"Goryeo is a thousand li from the capital. Sending letters back and forth — who knows how much time that would waste? Speed is paramount in war; our dynasty does not have that much time to squander." His Majesty smiled faintly. "Did the Ambassador not say earlier that Goryeo is the vassal state most loyal and reverent toward our dynasty? How is it, then, that when our dynasty intends to send troops against Japan to avenge Goryeo's past blood debts, Goryeo would instead be unwilling?"

"Your Majesty, this outer minister absolutely has no such intention!" Seeing the Emperor speak so sternly, Yi Ga was so frightened he hurriedly explained. "This outer minister merely meant that the matter is of great importance... it is not for this outer minister to decide."

He now understood that the Great Han court would give neither him nor Goryeo any room for choice. They had already decided and were determined to do this. Their polite inquiry now was merely to give the vassal state some face. If he were to disagree or make excuses here, they would probably turn hostile without any mercy.

In the era of the Great Ming, when had my Goryeo ever suffered such humiliation... This Great Han, compared to the Great Ming, is truly who knows how many times worse. I can only hate that Heaven is blind, actually allowing such people who have turned their backs on the Way of the Sages to win the world. They act so overbearingly and tyrannically, ignorant of propriety and righteousness — I wonder how many generations they can last before they perish!

Yet, grumble as he might in his heart, Yi Ga dared not show any sign of it. He even had to feign a very pleased expression on his face. "Our country and Japan share a blood feud as deep as the sea. That the Central Dynasty is willing to raise troops against Japan naturally fills us with immense satisfaction..."