Chapter 1571: The Crown Prince's Intentions

"In reply to Your Highness, by the boundless good fortune of the Celestial Dynasty, our humble country's king is still in passable health." Kim Jinguk immediately answered with the utmost deference. "However, His Majesty is now advanced in years, and previously suffered a great calamity that dealt a severe blow to his constitution, so his vitality and vigor have somewhat declined. Although the royal physicians have been tending to him with the greatest care, they can only barely sustain him. Originally, our humble country's king wished to come in person to Ganghwa Island to welcome Your Highness, but the royal physicians warned that his health is somewhat frail and he should not undertake a long journey, so he had no choice but to send me, his minister, to welcome Your Highness instead…"

The reason Yi Hon had not come personally to Ganghwa Island to welcome him was, on one hand, that his health was indeed frail; on the other hand, it was a matter of face — for the king of a nation to go in person to Ganghwa Island to welcome the crown prince of the Celestial Dynasty was, frankly, far too humiliating. After much deliberation, Yi Hon still could not swallow this indignity and could only dispatch a state councilor to attend to the matter personally. Kim Jinguk, fearing the Celestial Dynasty's crown prince might take offense, was therefore explaining on the king's behalf in advance.

"His Majesty is advanced in years and in frail health; he should not be exerting himself overmuch to begin with. I am but a junior of a younger generation — how could I require him to come welcome me in person? Once I arrive in your esteemed country's capital, I shall go pay my respects to His Majesty instead." The crown prince showed no intention of taking offense; he could also sympathize with an old man's difficulties.

"Though His Majesty could not come in person to Ganghwa Island to welcome Your Highness, the proper rites cannot be omitted. How could the crown prince be made to go see him first?" Kim Jinguk hastily bowed deeply once more. "When Your Highness accompanies me to Hanseong, His Majesty will personally lead the assembled officials in welcoming Your Highness the Crown Prince at the Gate of Welcoming Grace!"

"That… let's forget it, there's no need for such a grand display." The crown prince looked at him with some hesitation. "His Majesty is advanced in years; how could I dare put him to such trouble?"

"Our Joseon is a vassal of the superior state, and Your Highness the Crown Prince's arrival is an unprecedented grand event. How could we not follow the rites and display the superior state's majesty?" Kim Jinguk remained wholly solemn. "His Majesty said that failing to come in person to welcome Your Highness the moment you set foot on Joseon soil was already a grave discourtesy. If he still does not welcome you when Your Highness arrives at the capital, then our humble country would truly lose all face. Therefore, even if his health is poor, he absolutely must welcome Your Highness before you enter the city. Otherwise, not only would we be discourteous before the superior state, but we would also be unable to give an account of ourselves before our own people."

To please the crown prince, he deliberately spoke with fervor. Yet while the speaker had no particular intent, the listener took it to heart. The crown prince did not feel pleased as Kim Jinguk had hoped; instead, his heart sank.

In his words, he had referred to Ganghwa Island, where the crown prince had just set foot, as "Joseon territory." In his mind, there was nothing wrong with this — Ganghwa Island had always been Joseon territory; it was merely that the Great Han was temporarily stationing troops there now. But the crown prince did not see it that way.

In his view, since Ganghwa Island was already garrisoned by Great Han troops and a military port had been established there, it should now be considered Great Han territory. Since Joseon was a vassal of the Great Han, it ought to acknowledge this reality and formally recognize Ganghwa Island as Great Han territory.

So even though Kim Jinguk had gone to great pains to ingratiate himself, the crown prince's heart instead turned cold.

"Since that is the case, I can only accept with reluctance." The crown prince nodded impassively. "Your esteemed country's sovereign and ministers have taken great pains. Very well."

Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he suddenly asked Kim Jinguk, "By the way, State Councilor Kim, since your esteemed country's king unfortunately suffered a great calamity, to the point that… to the point that he was left disabled and blind in both eyes, and now he is also advanced in years… when he handles your esteemed country's state affairs, are there times when he finds his strength unequal to his will?"

This question made Kim Jinguk's heart clench abruptly. He hurriedly raised his head to look at the crown prince, not understanding why he had suddenly asked this.

However, given his position, he certainly could not speak ill of his king. "Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, for your concern. Although our humble country's king is in poor health, he has accumulated a wealth of experience from handling state affairs over many years and can rely on that experience to manage them; he is not entirely unable to govern. Moreover, with ministers like myself diligently assisting him, although we cannot claim it is a golden age of great peace, we have at least roughly maintained the nation's stability."

"So it seems your esteemed country's king governs a great nation as one would cook a small fish — truly an enlightened sovereign." The crown prince calmly offered a comment, his expression betraying neither pleasure nor displeasure. "And the state councilors and other great ministers are each public-spirited and devoted to the state; only thus can a nation's peace be maintained."

"This is all under the Celestial Dynasty's protection; how dare we ministers presumptuously claim any credit!" Kim Jinguk was secretly delighted, but his lips still spoke words of modesty. "Had the Celestial Dynasty not set things right, Joseon would still be under a false king, and the myriad people would be in dire straits. Therefore, our humble country, high and low, is moved to tears of gratitude and deeply thanks the Celestial Dynasty for the grace of restoring the moral order!"

"I wonder, in State Councilor Kim's eyes, this grace of restoring the moral order, and the grace of the Great Ming's Wanli Emperor — which one, after all, weighs heavier?" the crown prince asked indifferently.

His voice was very soft, but to Kim Jinguk's ears, it was like a thunderclap.

That the crown prince could ask him this question to his face was tantamount to indicating that the Celestial Dynasty still harbored some misgivings about Joseon. And the Joseon court, now dependent on others for its survival, feared nothing more than the Celestial Dynasty harboring misgivings.

The Great Ming had dispatched troops to expel the Japanese pirates, saving Joseon from dire peril — that could be called a grace of re-creation. Moreover, the Great Ming did not afterward exploit that grace to extort Joseon but instead bore the military expenses of the expedition itself. And what grace did the Great Han show Joseon? They merely used the pretext of restoring the moral order to carry out a deposition and enthronement. Even if they had not done so, Joseon's dynastic line would still have continued. Furthermore, the Great Han acted as benefactors, dispatching a legation that ran rampant and tyrannical, stirring up popular resentment everywhere. How could the grace of these two be mentioned in the same breath?

Although without the Great Han, Joseon would now be under Yi Jong and the Westerner Faction, and Kim Jinguk might never have had a chance to rise, much less become the Chief State Councilor he was today, he still felt not the slightest gratitude toward the Celestial Dynasty and instead cherished the memory of the Great Ming.

However, these were words he absolutely dared not speak plainly to the Celestial Dynasty's crown prince.

"Both were great acts of grace, both allowed our country's dynastic line to continue — they are truly difficult to compare… His Majesty and his ministers all feel gratitude in our hearts and deeply thank the Celestial Dynasty." Kim Jinguk suppressed the anger in his heart and answered in a low voice. "However, in my humble view, had the Great Han not dispatched troops to rescue us, we ministers would still be forced to serve a false king. Therefore, the Great Han's grace and righteousness toward us ministers is somewhat greater."

"I see." The crown prince nodded once more.

He was evasive, refusing to say outright that the Great Han was better than the Great Ming. Even with empty words to gloss it over, his true attitude was abundantly clear. From Kim Jinguk's attitude, he could already see what Legation Chief Shi Gaoyi had said: among Joseon's sovereign and ministers, there indeed existed a sentiment of nostalgia for the former Ming and resentment toward the Great Han. Even someone like Kim Jinguk, who had gained immense benefits at the Great Han's hands, so much so that he had become the chief assisting minister, held little goodwill toward the Great Han. Then what image the Great Han held among Joseon's ordinary scholars and commoners went without saying.

The crown prince could not help but feel somewhat troubled by this.

Although as the Great Han's crown prince, he felt he had no obligation to curry favor with Joseon's sovereign, ministers, scholars, and commoners, Joseon was, after all, a vassal of the Great Han. Moreover, he would be staying in Joseon for a very long time afterward and would need the cooperation of all levels of Joseon. If they were full of resentment toward the Great Han, that would be extremely disadvantageous to him and detrimental to the Great Han's image as well.

Each harbored his own thoughts, and for a moment, the room fell into silence — the atmosphere had grown somewhat awkward.

Seeing the attitudes of these two men turn so strange, the Joseon envoys behind and the Great Han officials all looked at one another, but no one dared to whisper.

"Your Highness? Are you feeling fatigued?" Liao Hui knew in his heart that something was amiss and hurriedly drew close to the crown prince, attempting to break the sudden deadlock. "The luncheon is largely prepared and will be ready to begin shortly… Would Your Highness like to rest a while first?"

"I'm fine, no need to rest." The crown prince finally collected himself at this moment and turned his gaze back to Kim Jinguk. "State Councilor Kim, there are some matters I wish to discuss with you further. I wonder if the State Councilor has any other urgent business to attend to at present?"

"I am entirely at Your Highness's disposal. My sole duty at present is to welcome Your Highness the Crown Prince," Kim Jinguk hastily replied.

"Good." The crown prince turned to Liao Hui. "Commander Liao, are there any quieter rooms within the government office?"

Liao Hui furrowed his brow with considerable difficulty. The crown prince had barely exchanged a few words after arriving at the government office before leaving behind a large assembly of officials from both nations to speak privately with the Joseon Chief State Councilor. This appeared to be a breach of decorum and would inevitably invite speculation.

However, he also knew that His Highness the Crown Prince's wishes were an order not to be disobeyed, so he did not remonstrate. "There are a few secluded rooms within the government office. If Your Highness wishes to speak privately with State Councilor Kim, I can lead the way."

"Very well, please lead me there." The crown prince nodded, then suddenly added, "Summon Legation Chief Shi Gaoyi as well."

"Yes." Liao Hui bowed and accepted the order.

The Celestial Dynasty's crown prince wanted Shi Gaoyi to accompany him for a private talk? This was absolutely no good omen.

By now, the sharp-eared Kim Jinguk had also heard the crown prince's words, and his heart suddenly grew even more tense. As legation chief, Shi Gaoyi had thrown his weight around in Hanseong for years, leaving Joseon's sovereign and ministers, high and low, with lingering fear. Kim Jinguk himself had been infuriated by him on several occasions. Moreover, the two sides were currently attacking each other in mutual recrimination, each wishing to be rid of the other — they were already adversaries.

"State Councilor Kim, please follow me." Before Kim Jinguk could sort out his thoughts, the crown prince stood up. Then, under the astonished gazes of the assembled ministers of both nations filling the hall, he followed Ganghwa Island Commander Liao Hui out of the main hall of the government office.

After making a gesture to his subordinates behind him to remain calm, Kim Jinguk hurriedly followed behind the Celestial Dynasty's crown prince, and together they arrived at a secluded room in the western wing of the government office.

As soon as they entered the room, Liao Hui saluted the crown prince, then silently departed, leaving only the uneasy Kim Jinguk behind.

"State Councilor Kim, please sit. This is a private discussion now; you need not be as constrained as you were just now. I also dislike people trembling with fear before me." The crown prince casually found a seat and sat down, then indicated another seat for Kim Jinguk to take. "I presume you also know the purpose for which I have come to Joseon this time."

"We ministers have heard something of it. Your Highness has come to secure the rear for the Celestial Dynasty's punitive expedition against Japan," Kim Jinguk answered cautiously.

"That is indeed the case." The crown prince nodded. "We have heard that Japan's shogunate has usurped the Japanese monarch, and the moral order has decayed. As the common sovereign of all under heaven, my Imperial Father has decided to follow the precedent of Joseon and dispatch troops to punish the rebellious ministers and villains, restoring the moral order under heaven."

Although both men present knew that the Great Han's dispatch of troops to Japan could not possibly be merely for the sake of restoring the moral order, the crown prince still spoke with rigid precision, utterly solemn and earnest. The Great Han Emperor assumed the position of "common sovereign of all under heaven" and, under the great banner of upholding the moral order, interfered everywhere in neighboring states — the surface work had to be done thoroughly.

"Japan's moral order has decayed; warlords fight endlessly among themselves, persisting in evil without repentance, and have even repeatedly dispatched troops to raid and harass our humble country. With the Celestial Dynasty sending forth heavenly soldiers to punish the rebels, they will surely sweep through their lairs and wipe out the rebellious ministers and villains in one stroke!" Kim Jinguk played along perfectly, flattering with a solemn expression.

"The punitive expedition against Japan is a decision reached by my Imperial Father and the court ministers after pooling their wisdom. He assigned me to secure the rear. To be honest, I am filled with trepidation, fearing that I may not do well and disappoint my Imperial Father and the court's expectations." The crown prince gently raised his head. "Since I am stationed in Joseon to oversee the army's rear, I will inevitably require the cooperation of the Joseon authorities. State Councilor Kim is Joseon's chief minister; I ask for your kind assistance in the future."

"As a minister of Joseon, when the Celestial Dynasty issues a command, I shall naturally exert myself to the utmost to carry it out. Whatever orders Your Highness may have, I would not refuse even ten thousand deaths," Kim Jinguk replied, still full of fervor.

Just at that moment, a soft knock sounded from outside the door.

Kim Jinguk's expression quickly darkened, but the crown prince, paying no heed to his expression, turned his head toward the doorway.

"Enter."

The door was gently pushed open. The Great Han's legation chief to Joseon, Shi Gaoyi, wearing a faint smile, walked in unhurriedly, then bowed deeply to the crown prince. "Your servant Shi Gaoyi pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Then, he straightened up and stood respectfully to one side, as if he had not seen Kim Jinguk's stiffened expression at all.

"Legation Chief Shi, we were just speaking of the punitive expedition against Japan. State Councilor Kim has already expressed his intent to assist me with all his strength," the crown prince said unhurriedly. "You have served as an envoy in Joseon for many years and are well-versed in Joseon affairs. In the future, you must also give me your full support, so that the court's military campaign may be brought to a smooth conclusion. The Joseon legation is the same — no one is permitted to slack off."

"Your servant shall spare no effort unto death!" Shi Gaoyi bowed once more and accepted the order.

He was impassioned and fervent, but Kim Jinguk, standing beside him, felt a chill run down his spine. Previously, the Joseon sovereign and ministers, through Yi Ga, their envoy stationed in the Great Han capital, had lodged a complaint against Shi Gaoyi and the Great Han legation in Joseon, accusing them of running rampant and acting tyrannically. They had originally assumed that even if the Great Han did not punish these envoys, they would at least issue a few words of reprimand to the legation and transfer a few key officials for the sake of appearances. They had never imagined that the Great Han crown prince's intention was to deal with none of them — the matter had simply been suppressed.

If the legation's side was not dealt with, then what about Joseon's side? How exactly did the Celestial Dynasty intend to handle Joseon's sovereign and ministers? Although he still barely maintained a calm exterior, inwardly he was extremely uneasy, so much so that fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

From Shi Gaoyi's composed demeanor, he seemed to sense a trace of hidden smugness. What exactly this smugness signified — he could hold no very optimistic view.

"Councilor Kim, before my arrival, there seem to have been some unpleasantness between the mission and your esteemed country's court — quarrels that grew quite fierce, and even led to complaints being lodged all the way to the capital, stirring up a huge storm. When I left the capital, my Imperial Father made a point of mentioning this matter to me; he was deeply troubled…" While the man was still in the grip of terror, the Crown Prince turned his gaze back to him. "I asked my Imperial Father how it should be resolved. He said that since he cannot come to the front lines himself, he could only entrust it to me to handle — though he also told me that these are troubled times, and everyone ought to unite in good faith, working together to overcome difficulties. It would be best not to quarrel among ourselves and breed conflict. And so, as I see it, both the mission and your esteemed country's court have their own difficulties. Everyone's original intentions were good — all aimed at ensuring smooth governance and harmony between our two nations. There was never any need to quarrel so bitterly. Why not each take a step back? I will restrain the Goryeo mission. In the future, they must act with greater steadiness, show courtesy to your esteemed country's court, and above all, must not show disrespect to your country's sovereign. Your esteemed country's court, in turn, must understand the mission's difficulties and cooperate with them as much as possible. Never again let incidents like lodging complaints in the capital arise. If word spreads, it does neither side any good."

Kim Jinguk felt his mouth go completely dry. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Central Dynasty Crown Prince's speech, while appearing even-handed on the surface, in reality already favored the mission. He acknowledged that the Great Han mission had previously done things improperly, but he defined it merely as overeager attitude and failure to pay attention to method — carrying a clear implication of letting bygones be bygones and not dwelling on past misdeeds. Going forward, he only said they should temper their attitude somewhat; what needed to be done would still be done. What was more, he even insinuated blame against the Goryeo court for running to the capital to lodge complaints and stirring up too great a storm.

Such a judgment was truly hard to accept. Yet he was the Crown Prince of the Central Dynasty, and in his words he had even dragged out the Central Dynasty Emperor as a tiger-skin shield — where was the room left for him to refuse compliance?

"Your Highness… Your Highness speaks truly. At present, the campaign against Japan is the foremost priority for both nations; we absolutely cannot afford private disputes on the side. The earlier disagreements between your servants and the mission truly ought to be resolved swiftly and not be allowed to drag on." Because there was still some unwillingness in his heart, even as he agreed with the other party's opinion, he could not help but raise a small point of his own. "The mission's earnest devotion is something your servant fully understands; after all, they too bear a heavy responsibility. In the future, your servants will certainly do our utmost to cooperate with the mission, striving to ensure that such a storm never occurs again… However, your servant believes that going forward, the mission should remain in a position of lofty oversight, focusing on supervision and exhortation, and no longer directly interfere in Goryeo's internal affairs, lest conflicts be provoked once more. Those lawless elements who previously misused the mission's name should also be cleared out as quickly as possible, lest they run rampant and break the law, thereby tarnishing the reputation of ****."

Many things leave one with nothing to say.