Chapter 1524: The Envoy

The ambassador's words stunned everyone in the room. Similar worries had already flickered through each of their minds, and in an instant, the room fell utterly silent.

The reason they feared "slanderous talk" was precisely because every one of them had a guilty conscience.

Ever since they had welcomed Li Hun back and restored him to the throne, the Great Han envoy had enjoyed an exalted status in Goryeo year after year. Stationed in such a position, with the imperial court a thousand li away and difficult to restrain, everyone from top to bottom had privately been reaping benefits for themselves in Goryeo.

The timid ones took money from Chinese and Goryeo merchants, backing them and handling their affairs; the bold ones even had their relatives come to Goryeo posing as merchants and engage in profit-seeking schemes. It was Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan's relative who had forcibly seized ginseng fields in northern Goryeo and run an exclusive trade.

Because he still wanted to climb higher, Ambassador Shi Gaoyi kept his own hands much cleaner and did not involve himself in any obvious exchanges of interests. However, to maintain his relationships with officials in the capital and with his colleagues, he too needed large sums of money, so he had done no small amount of accepting bribes from merchants and Goryeo ministers, and helping them meddle in Goryeo's court politics.

Thus, through prolonged infiltration, a great number of estates and ginseng fields in northern Goryeo had fallen into the hands of Han merchants. These Han merchants privately recruited armed forces and had long since ceased to regard the Goryeo court with any respect. Some of the original Goryeo inhabitants there became hired laborers for these merchants, forced to toil for them, while others were driven from their homes, becoming refugees. This, in turn, filled Goryeo from top to bottom with simmering resentment.

In ordinary times, none of them thought there was anything wrong with this. Goryeo was a vassal state of the Great Han, and they themselves were the Great Han's representatives — wasn't it only right for them to throw their weight around? Besides, much of the money the Goryeo envoy extorted from Goryeo each year was handed up to the Foreign Affairs Bureau, so for years the Bureau had turned a blind eye to their doings.

But of course, none of this could be spoken of before the Crown Prince.

Everyone said the Crown Prince was benevolent. If the Crown Prince truly believed the slander and launched an investigation, the high officials in the capital would naturally be fine, but everyone here would find themselves in very deep trouble.

Such worries naturally stirred a shared sense of defiance throughout the envoy.

"That old wretch wouldn't dare!" Meng Zhigao's face was full of fury. "It was the Great Han that sent troops and expended effort to restore that old wretch to the throne. If not for us, that old wretch would have died who knows when long ago — and he actually dares to bite the hand that fed him?"

Under the efforts of Shi Gaoyi and the envoy's people, the envoy had already inserted itself into every aspect of Goryeo's political affairs. Yet his actions naturally provoked a backlash from the Goryeo court, and because of the accumulated resentment throughout Goryeo, this backlash had grown fiercer over the past year or two, greatly angering the envoy. So now, when they spoke privately of King Li Hun, the short-tempered ones directly cursed him as "old wretch" or "old scoundrel," without a shred of respect for his status as a monarch.

"There are far too many ungrateful people in this world — one cannot afford not to be on guard…" Shi Gaoyi stroked his beard and gave a bitter smile. "Although the King of Goryeo was put on the throne by our country, once he reached that position, he wanted to keep savoring the sweetness of being a king, and so he cannot tolerate us. That is only natural, I suppose…"

"My lord, since that is the case, we should make preparations as quickly as possible," Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan said, his face already heavy with gravity. "As the saying goes, guard against those who would harm you. This old wretch Li Hun was a bloodthirsty and cruel king back in the day — he may not feel much gratitude toward us at all."

"The Deputy Envoy's words align exactly with my own thoughts." Shi Gaoyi let out a long breath. "Indeed, we have now reached a critical juncture and must make some preparations."

Seeing the ambassador's words so laden with hidden meaning, the others looked at one another in bewilderment.

"Please give us your instructions, my lord!"

"In truth, the reason our dynasty has been able to obtain so many rights and interests in Goryeo is, first, because our Great Han's military might is so awe-inspiring that it has pressed the Goryeo people into terror and submission; and second, because we hold the merit of having placed the king on the throne — the king has no choice but to repay that favor." The ambassador unhurriedly picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Now this King of Goryeo is becoming more and more outrageous. It seems we must think of another way. If one favor of enthronement is not enough, then we shall do it twice…"

Do it twice? Everyone seemed to understand something.

These past days, unusual figures had been coming and going from the embassy, some of them members of the Li royal clan. Although they came and went furtively, rarely showing themselves before others, everyone privately had plenty of guesses. Now that the ambassador had spoken openly, no one was particularly surprised. Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan and several other key embassy officials were especially composed, since they were the actual participants.

"My lord's meaning… is to find a way to depose Li Hun?" Battalion Commander Meng Zhigao asked in a low voice.

Compared to his earlier fervor, he now seemed somewhat nervous.

What the ambassador was suggesting was nothing less than forcibly deposing and enthroning a monarch in Goryeo. He was not afraid of the Goryeo people — his main concern was whether there would be differing opinions back home.

"This cannot be called deposing and enthroning." Shi Gaoyi waved his hand with perfect composure. "The king is old, and as everyone knows, he is blind. How many affairs can he manage? He has likely long been unequal to the task… Moreover, he has no son of his own. It is only right that a child be chosen from the royal clan to carry on the ancestral line. This is all perfectly proper — is there anything wrong with it?"

Not depose him, but instead find a child from the royal clan to serve as the king's adopted son? Everyone finally understood the ambassador's scheme, and they began whispering among themselves.

After discussing for a while, they all strongly agreed with the ambassador's idea — Li Hun had become harder and harder to control, and it was necessary to replace him with a new king; and by forcibly saddling him with an adopted son, they could also silence the multitudes.

Li Hun had no popular support within the country and had caused a calamitous upheaval back in the day. As long as the envoy handled the matter with a decent appearance and created a fait accompli, the Goryeo people would have nothing to say.

"If we find him an adopted son, won't the reins of government still remain in his hands?" At that moment, one of the embassy officials raised a question. "Even though he is already old, who knows how long it will be until he dies… I fear that would be too slow to meet the urgency!"

"There is no need to worry about that." Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan answered at once. "The adopted son will be young, but he will still have a father. Once the adopted son is installed, we can have Li Hun convalesce within the palace — once he is convalescing, will there be any need for him to manage court affairs? The adopted son's natural father will naturally act as regent in his stead…"

Only then did the officials who had not been part of this scheme realize that the ambassador had probably foreseen the current situation long ago and had thought it through meticulously — he might well have already selected a candidate for the adopted son.

It was obvious that someone within the Goryeo royal clan had already reached an agreement with the ambassador: the ambassador would place him or his son on the throne, and in return, he would sell off even more rights and interests to the Great Han.

That Goryeo's national power had fallen to such a ruinous state, yet there were still people in the royal clan staring fixedly at this throne — many in the room sighed inwardly.

"My lord's foresight is profound — this humble official is in admiration!" The official who had just spoken had nothing more to say and gave a slight bow.

"Ah, stationed in a foreign land, surrounded on all sides by unfamiliar foreign barbarians — one has no choice but to think ahead!" Shi Gaoyi sighed again, then laughed bitterly. "Originally, though I wished to carry out another enthronement, I intended to proceed slowly, so as not to incur the court's displeasure. But now… I have thought it over, and it is better to get the matter done sooner, to avoid long nights and many dreams."

"Then… shall we do it right now?" With the ambassador's words backing him, Meng Zhigao's courage swelled even more, and he raised his hand, making a chopping gesture. "Long nights bring many dreams — the Goryeo people might grow wary at any moment. We might as well strike within these next few days, and lock up the King of Goryeo first!"

The Great Han's garrison in the Goryeo capital was not large — two battalions totaling sixteen or seventeen hundred men. Because men were frequently needed to patrol the various islands of Goryeo or suppress civil unrest, the number that could be mobilized was even smaller, just over a thousand. And of those, the number who could directly take up blade and gun and go into battle was fewer still — while the Goryeo court's guards around the palace alone exceeded that number, and the troops stationed in Hanseong were even more numerous.

Yet Meng Zhigao cared nothing at all for this numerical disadvantage and had no fear whatsoever of Goryeo resistance. He was a warrior who had fought and killed on the battlefield for many years; he had crossed blades with the finest troops of Manchuria, and since coming to Goryeo he had also seen Goryeo soldiers — he did not take them seriously in the slightest.

"No, no, Battalion Commander Meng, do not be hasty." To his surprise, the ambassador waved his hand repeatedly, rejecting his proposal. "This matter must be handled urgently, but the more urgent it is, the less we can afford to rush. Our embassy here is watched by the Goryeo people. If we make any move in haste, they will surely become alert. The King of Goryeo may be blind, but he still has some brains. We must plan before we act, and have everything prepared before we strike. Besides, a matter this great cannot be done without reporting to the home country in advance. We must also send a letter home, so that those above know our calculations."

"Will those above agree?" Seeing the ambassador speak thus, another official voiced his doubt.

"That depends on how we phrase it." The ambassador cast a meaningful glance at Battalion Commander Zhao. "We must write home at once, laying out in full the treacherous conduct of the Goryeo monarch and his ministers, informing those above of the king's disaffection and resistance toward us. Then we tell the home country that, because of the King of Goryeo's obstruction, our every move in Goryeo is now beset with difficulties, and that if this is allowed to continue, even more serious developments may occur… And then, we append our plan and submit it together as a recommendation."

The ambassador had come from the Foreign Affairs Bureau and enjoyed the deep trust of Bureau Director Kong Zhang, so he was not worried that his opinion would be rejected by the Director. And with the Director speaking on his behalf, the Chancellor and His Majesty should not object either — they would hardly wish to see Goryeo drift away.