Chapter 1578: The Superior State Is Heaven

If they agreed to their proposal, it would surely cause a shock in Goryeo and even back home — the move seemed too drastic; yet if they refused, it also seemed a pity…

The Crown Prince looked at the two men kneeling on the floor and, for a moment, found himself unable to decide. Although he had received the highest level of education since childhood, he was still only a youth, after all.

Better to call them over and let everyone discuss it together. The Crown Prince finally made his decision.

"I understand your intentions." Then, with an expression that betrayed no inclination, he looked at the two men. "You may withdraw for now and wait outside. I need to think this over carefully."

"I beg Your Highness to keep the common people of Goryeo in mind!" Kim Jin-guk kowtowed once more, then rose and left the room together with Yi Gae.

Once the attendants had escorted them to another room, the Crown Prince summoned back Zhao Song, Shi Gaoyi, and the others who had been consulting with him just moments before, and told them of the proposal those two Goryeo ministers had just made.

Like the Crown Prince, they were utterly astonished.

"I wish to ask, in your esteemed opinions, what exactly should be done?" After he finished speaking, the Crown Prince very earnestly sought the advice of these several ministers.

"This matter is of great importance. Your Highness would do best to write a letter to be sent back home, to ask the Grand Secretariat and His Majesty for their opinions." Among this group, Zhao Song had the least entanglement with Goryeo, and since he was not a civil official, he had no desire to voice an opinion on the matter, so he simply spoke first.

Compared to Zhao Song, the expressions of the chief and deputy envoys of the Great Han mission were far more complicated.

"The Earl of Xingyang's opinion is the correct course. It is absolutely impermissible not to report this matter back home." After a moment of deliberation, Shi Gaoyi concurred with Zhao Song's opinion. "However… with mountains and passes blocking the way, travel between the two states is inconvenient. If we merely wait for instructions from home, who knows how much time will be lost going back and forth? I fear… I fear it would be detrimental to the greater cause."

"That is very true." As soon as his superior spoke, Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan immediately chimed in. "Although State Councilor Kim's visit today was a private one, this matter will spread throughout Goryeo before long, and when it does, I fear it will stir up even more trouble. Delay is inadvisable. This humble servant presumes we should make a decision sooner, Your Highness."

"Before His Majesty left the capital, he already entrusted all Goryeo affairs to Your Highness. Even if we send a letter back home to inquire, I fear the result would be the same…" Zhao Song could hear the implication in the other man's words, clearly doing his utmost to urge the Crown Prince on, but since this matter was not his responsibility, he had no wish to interfere. "Therefore, this matter should still be weighed by Your Highness. This servant will simply follow orders."

"Father Emperor did indeed say that he was entrusting all Goryeo affairs to me…" The Crown Prince felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, his earlier composure now hard to maintain. But he did not want to show weakness before these ministers, so he kept up a calm front. "However, even so, I cannot act recklessly and betray Father Emperor's trust."

The men could all see His Highness's vexation, so for a moment no one spoke. They simply waited quietly for the Crown Prince to regain his composure.

Time trickled by, and the Crown Prince's slightly ragged breathing gradually steadied. The education he had received since childhood finally exerted its full effect. He set his face grim, just as he remembered his father doing, and cleared his mind. He knew this was the first major decision of his life.

"Envoy Shi, what do you think should be done?" He first turned his head toward Shi Gaoyi to seek this official's opinion. "You have been in Goryeo for many years. In your view, should this be done or not?"

Because of their earlier dispute, Shi Gaoyi had long wanted to get back at Yi Hon. Now that such a fine opportunity had fallen into his lap, there was no way he would let it slip.

"This servant believes we should accede to State Councilor Kim's proposal and establish an heir for the Goryeo king!"

"Why?" The Crown Prince was not at all surprised by his answer, but pressed further.

"As State Councilor Kim has rightly said, Goryeo now truly faces a crisis of an unsettled royal succession. As the superior state, we ought to take precautions so that Goryeo can avoid such a crisis." Shi Gaoyi answered with head held high. "Furthermore… our nation now possesses immense interests in Goryeo and absolutely cannot sit by and watch Goryeo descend into chaos. If Goryeo were to fall into turmoil, our nation's interests would inevitably suffer. What is more, Your Highness will soon be stationed in Goryeo to plan the campaign against Japan, which makes it even more intolerable for Goryeo to show any sign of instability."

"But… if we forcibly establish an heir for the king, won't Goryeo fall into chaos anyway?" the Crown Prince asked back, somewhat hesitantly.

Any clear-sighted person could see that his mind was already swayed, and someone like Shi Gaoyi naturally saw it even more clearly.

"This servant believes there will be no chaos." Shi Gaoyi answered at once. "First, the Goryeo king, during his previous reign, acted perversely and had no prestige whatsoever in his country. Although our nation has now supported his restoration, he still has not won the people's hearts over these years. There will not be many diehard loyalists willing to serve him. Your Highness can see that even the Chief State Councilor he personally promoted wants to betray him. Second, we are not deposing and installing a Goryeo monarch, merely establishing a primary heir for him. This is done for Goryeo's own good and is an act that follows the popular will of Goryeo. It will not provoke too much criticism."

"This servant also believes there will be no chaos." Deputy Envoy Zhang Daoyan immediately echoed. "This servant and others have previously associated with many Goryeo ministers and royal clansmen. They have made similar proposals, only they dared not voice them openly. If His Highness the Crown Prince upholds righteousness, I expect absolutely no one will object."

This was no empty claim. The two of them had previously plotted to forcibly establish an heir for Yi Hon, secretly communicating with many Goryeo royal clansmen and ministers, only the plan had been suspended later.

Seeing that both the chief and deputy envoys of the mission supported this proposal, the Crown Prince's heart leaned ever more toward it. Both the Goryeo ministers and his own mission members had this inclination. If he let them achieve their wish, they would surely serve him with greater ease and effectiveness. Moreover, establishing an heir for Goryeo would be equivalent to bestowing another great favor upon Goryeo's future ruler. He would also be better able to command Goryeo during the campaign against Japan and secure his own authority.

As for Yi Hon, after an heir was established, he would certainly be sidelined by Kim Jin-guk and his faction. True, the old man was pitiable, but for the sake of Great Han's interests, such concerns had to be set aside. There were plenty of pitiable people in the world; how many could he manage? Great Han had restored him to the throne — that was already more than enough for this old man.

He lowered his gaze, pondered a moment longer, then asked again.

"Then… if we are to establish an heir, are there suitable candidates now?"

The moment they saw the Crown Prince ask this, the two envoys almost simultaneously laughed in their hearts. They knew they had gotten what they wished for.

"Your Highness, the Goryeo royal clan has a flourishing population. Several past kings have surviving descendants from collateral lines. Although the conditions required to legitimately inherit the heir's position are extremely strict, with careful selection, there are always a few candidates." Shi Gaoyi spoke unhurriedly. "Since we are selecting an heir, we must look among the king's nephews… and these nephews cannot be too old, lest they invite criticism."

Choosing a young child to inherit was mainly to facilitate continued interference in Goryeo's state affairs. Everyone understood this tacitly, and the Crown Prince did not dwell on it.

"After narrowing down the age range, this servant and others further examined the physical condition of these suitable candidates, as well as the character of their biological fathers, and finally settled on a few candidates. One is Yi Jing, the youngest son of Prince Gyeongpyeong Yi Gak; also Yi Hoi, the youngest son of Prince Inheung Yi Yeong; and in addition, Yi Xin, the youngest son of Prince Yeongseong Yi…" He rambled off several names, all candidates they had privately agreed upon beforehand.

"It seems you have been well prepared for some time." The Crown Prince smiled faintly, whether in approval or mockery was unclear. "Are their fathers all willing to let their sons inherit?"

"Naturally." Shi Gaoyi nodded. "This servant and others have already discussed this with these several royal clansmen. They are all anxious about state affairs and regret only that they cannot fulfill their aspirations. If an opportunity arises, I expect… I expect they will all be willing."

Although letting a son inherit would, by clan law, make him the king's son, with great profit at stake, there were always those who rushed forward eagerly, wanting a taste of being the biological father of an heir apparent.

"Then which one do you actually favor?" the Crown Prince pressed further.

"This servant and others…"

"We've come this far — don't hold back!" The Crown Prince's tone hardened. "Among these three, you must have already had a most favored candidate beforehand, yes?"

"Your Highness sees clearly… This servant and others previously consulted in detail for a long time, weighing carefully, and finally concluded that establishing Yi Hoi, the youngest son of Prince Inheung Yi Yeong, would be most beneficial to both states." Shi Gaoyi now dared not delay further and answered immediately. "Prince Inheung is upright in character and greatly admires and feels close to our dynasty. If his son becomes the heir, he will surely be closer to our nation than the current king and more willing to keep in step with our nation."

"I'm afraid he promised you the most benefits." The Crown Prince gave a cold laugh, and Shi Gaoyi and the others awkwardly lowered their heads.

In the soundless silence, the Crown Prince pondered a long while again, and finally raised his head. "Summon Kim Jin-guk and the others back here!"

Kim Jin-guk and Yi Gae, who had been waiting outside all this time, were called back in once more. When they saw the extra people now in the room, both were somewhat startled, but they quickly regained their composure and sat down again at the Crown Prince's gesture.

"I won't hide it from you two. Envoy Shi and Deputy Envoy Zhang were just here with me, and I also told them of the request you brought." The Crown Prince did not intend to delay further and directly explained the situation to them. "Both envoys greatly admire your earnest, patriotic devotion."

"We thank His Highness the Crown Prince!" Both men were overjoyed.

"No clamor yet!" The Crown Prince raised his hand, stopping their words. "The reason I called you two here is that I want to ask: in your hearts, whom do you favor to inherit the position of heir?"

"Whom to establish as heir is a matter that only the superior state can decide. It is absolutely not something we can presume to comment on…" Kim Jin-guk first gave himself a way out, then looked cautiously at the Crown Prince. "However, this servant and others believe it would be best to determine the succeeding ruler according to clan law…"

"Please speak plainly, State Councilor. I am not very familiar with your country's royal relatives." The Crown Prince was unmoved and continued to press.

"Thank you, Your Highness. The king now has no heir of his own. According to clan law, the succession should pass to the eldest younger brother. The king's eldest surviving younger brother is Prince Uichang Yi Gwang. Of course, since we are establishing an heir for the king, Prince Uichang naturally cannot be considered as a candidate. However, we could find one of his sons to inherit the royal line. This would be most convincing both in sentiment and in reason."

Yi Hon's father was the previous king, Seonjo Yi Yeon. He had thirteen sons, but over the years many had died. Those who died young left no descendants, and the fifth son, Prince Jeongwon Yi Bu's son Yi Jong, had even launched a palace coup and usurped the throne for a time before his entire clan was executed. Thus, after all these upheavals, apart from Yi Hon, the eldest surviving son was the seventh son, Prince Inseong Yi Gong. So Kim Jin-guk, citing clan law, proposed establishing his son as heir.

After hearing Kim Jin-guk's explanation, the Crown Prince did not speak for a moment.

"Although Prince Inseong is now the eldest surviving son of the late king besides the king himself, that does not mean we must establish his son as heir." Seeing that the Crown Prince was actually considering the other side's proposal, Shi Gaoyi hurriedly voiced his opposition. "Your Highness, so-called adoption to continue the line is meant to extend the king's incense offerings and allow him to enjoy the happiness of family bonds. Therefore, it is best to find a young child to adopt, lest the new king later cause trouble over his biological father. The former Ming dynasty had similar lessons…"

To refute the other side's opinion, Shi Gaoyi spoke recklessly, even dragging out the Great Rites Controversy of the former Ming. But the Crown Prince also caught the implied meaning within.

"I won't hide it from you, State Councilor. Envoy Shi has already recommended several candidates to me earlier. He says these candidates are most beneficial to both states." The Crown Prince remained impassive and told the other party the several candidates Shi Gaoyi had just recommended to him. "I wonder what the State Councilor thinks?"

Hearing the Crown Prince say this, Kim Jin-guk's previously high spirits were suddenly dampened. He had not expected that, in just that short while, Shi Gaoyi and the others had already recommended their own candidates to the Crown Prince, and it seemed His Highness was more inclined toward those candidates. He knew in his heart that achieving total victory today was already very difficult; he could only settle for the next best thing.

"This servant is anxious about state affairs, but perhaps my thinking was not thorough enough, so I merely recommended one candidate based on my own ideas." He immediately changed his tune. "Only Your Highness can decide the candidate. This servant will obey whatever is commanded."

He had an extremely good relationship with Prince Inseong Yi Gong, and when he had previously advised Yi Hon to establish an heir, his most favored candidate had been that prince's son. But now it seemed that wish probably could not be fulfilled. However, as long as he could closely follow the Crown Prince of the Central Dynasty, a share of the merit for supporting the enthronement would still be his. Furthermore, judging from the candidates the Crown Prince had named, Great Han was inclined to establish a young child as heir. Although they were undoubtedly acting out of selfish motives, for himself as Chief State Councilor, this was also a very good outcome.

"Obey whatever is commanded? Good… It seems the great matter can be settled today." The Crown Prince smiled. "I think Envoy Shi's argument is the most reasonable. Then we shall proceed according to the Envoy's proposal."

Shi Gaoyi and Zhang Daoyan were both overjoyed, exchanging a furtive glance, their eyes filled with indescribable delight.

"... Then let us establish Li Jing, the youngest son of Qingping-gun Li Le, as the heir!"

Then, when the next sentence reached their ears, their original joy instantly vanished, replaced by shock.

The candidate they had strongly recommended to the Crown Prince was Li Xi, the youngest son of Inheung-gun Li Ying. This Inheung-gun had been on very good terms with them before, constantly flattering and currying favor with the delegation, and he had also made them the most promises — not only to the Great Han, but to them personally. It was precisely for this reason that they had intended to use this opportunity to push him strongly.

But they had not expected that the Crown Prince would change his mind at the very last moment, not choosing Li Xi as they had wished, but instead selecting Li Jing, the youngest son of Qingping-gun Li Le, from among the three candidates. This sudden outcome left the two of them momentarily unable to accept it.

"Your Highness?" they asked almost simultaneously.

Then, what met them was the Crown Prince's slightly frowning face. Before this youth, they both immediately chose to fall silent.

"I have decided. It shall be this Li Jing," the Crown Prince said, pausing deliberately between each word.

Just moments ago, he had made up his mind. Although he could choose an heir for Goryeo, he could neither follow Kim Sin-guk's wishes, nor could he completely follow the delegation's wishes. The authority of the central government must absolutely not be easily usurped by others. He wanted to make this group understand that the one who could truly make the decision was none other than himself, representing the imperial authority of the Great Han, and that they must never think they could easily coax and manipulate him.

Moreover, this was not a willful, pique-driven act on his part. Since he was one of the recommended candidates, Qingping-gun Li Le must be quite loyal to the Great Han, and control over Goryeo could continue to be maintained through him. At most, it would just require the delegation to expend a bit more effort to support him. They had grown accustomed to throwing their weight around in Goryeo these years; they should be able to handle this small matter.

Under his silent gaze, for a moment no one spoke. Kim Sin-guk and Li Ke were pondering how Qingping-gun had stumbled upon such great fortune, while Shi Gaoyi and Zhang Daoyan had yet to recover from their initial shock.

"This subject obeys the command!" Amid this strange stillness, Zhao Song suddenly shouted out loudly, "Since His Majesty has already entrusted this matter to Your Highness, we subjects should act according to Your Highness's will, without the slightest deviation!"

His shout was like a deafening wake-up call, snapping the several men, each harboring their own intentions, back to clarity. They all understood that since the Crown Prince had made his decision, they could only comply.

"This subject obeys the command!" they called out one after another.

"Very well, then all of you shall proceed with preparations accordingly." Seeing his decision passed so easily, the Crown Prince secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Chief State Councillor Kim, you are the Chief State Councillor of Goryeo, so presumably you should be able to control the court deliberations. Ambassador Li, you are of the royal clan and presumably it is inconvenient for you to argue in the court, but among the other clan relatives, I must trouble you to put in a few words as well, to pacify the various opinions."