Chapter 304: Wind Sweeps Across Fengyue, the King's Ministers Panic

It was September, and the Korean Peninsula was filled with autumn.

Mt. Kumgang is the highest peak on the peninsula. It changes with the seasons, but each has its own name.

The wonders in spring are like pure and transparent diamonds, so it is called Mt. Kumgang; in summer, it is comparable to Penglai, so it is called Penglai; in autumn, the red leaves on the mountain are like cinnabar, so it is called Fengyue Mountain; in winter, the strange rocks and stones are thin and lonely, so it is called Gyegu Mountain.

At this time, Mt. Kumgang is covered with red leaves, and there is white mist on the mountainside, as if it is a fairyland on earth, so Mt. Kumgang changed from Penglai Mountain to Fengyue Mountain.

A fast horse came from the north, and had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery here. It ran directly from the side of Mt. Kumgang to the capital.

When the news of the Ming Dynasty's recovery of Jianzhou reached Seoul, ordinary people did not feel too strongly, but the Korean authorities suddenly became panic-stricken.

Although the progress of the Eastern Expedition led by Wang Yue was slow, the army directly destroyed the base camp of Jianzhou Jurchen with the momentum of Mount Tai, which proved the incomparable strength of the Ming army.

Although Tuo Luo managed to escape, he had lost both legs. Not to mention calling on the remnants to counterattack the Ming Dynasty, even his own safety might not be guaranteed.

As a result, Jianzhou in the north of Korea has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the powerful Eastern Expedition Army is now like a sword hanging over the Kingdom of Korea.

"Defeated? So defeated?"

"Aren't Jianzhou Jurchens very strong?"

"Although Jianzhou Jurchens are very strong, the Ming Dynasty is stronger!"

...

The officials who advocated peace could not accept the fact that Jianzhou Jurchens were easily defeated by the Ming Dynasty, but some officials have begun to re-examine the powerful Ming army.

In the impression of many people, Jianzhou Jurchens are a very strong force.

Not to mention that Jianzhou Jurchens are good at riding and shooting, because they evolved from nomadic peoples, they have strong mobility.

In response to the call of King Hyeonjong, Korea also dispatched a large army to help the Ming Dynasty sweep away its neighbor Jianzhou Jurchens, but because of the extremely strong combat power and mobility of Jianzhou Jurchens, their army eventually returned without success.

Now the Ming army wants to wipe out the Jianzhou Jurchens. Based on their experience, it is naturally the same as the situation back then. Although the Ming army will gain something, it will eventually retreat back to Shanhaiguan.

But who would have thought that the situation this time is completely different from what everyone thought. The Ming army's Eastern Expedition Army achieved an unprecedented victory, and successfully destroyed the base camp of the Jianzhou Jurchens, thus recovering the entire Jianzhou.

That is why the current situation is developing in a direction that is extremely unfavorable to North Korea. The Jianzhou Jurchens, which was originally considered a buffer zone between them and the Ming Dynasty, have disappeared.

"What should we do now?"

"What else can we do? Naturally, we will continue to submit to the Ming Dynasty!"

"What should we do if the Ming Dynasty investigates us for not sending troops this time?"

...

Since Jianzhou has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and now North Korea borders the Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to guarantee that the Ming army's Eastern Expedition Army will not suddenly enter the Korean Peninsula, so everyone has begun to worry about the Ming army's southward march.

Since North Korea implemented the new policy, North Korea's military strength has been reduced to 100,000.

Even if there are only 100,000 left, the quality of this army is worrying. How powerful is a 100,000-man army? Judging from the fact that it was very difficult for the army to fight a few bandits, its overall strength may not be as good as that of the Jianzhou Jurchens.

This is indeed the case. Judging from the performance of the Korean army in history, let alone competing with the Ming Dynasty, it is probably impossible to resist the Eastern Expedition Army.

Under the panic of the entire Seoul, many officials began to "seek another way out."

Many Korean officials have made the worst plan. Once the Ming army invades Korea, will they choose to surrender or surrender?

Fortunately, Korea has a deep connection with the Ming Dynasty, and even some important officials are of Han blood, so they are also ready to embrace the thick thighs of the Ming Dynasty.

Some extremely smart Korean officials took a different approach and immediately sent their confidants to Sanzhi Island to contact the Governor of Donghai Xu Shiying, so as to prepare a way out for themselves.

In the few days after the news came, the entire Korean upper class seemed panicked. Out of concern for the war, they all looked for their own way out.

Koreans love pine trees, so some pine forests for people to enjoy have been built into various mansions and even the palace.

This year's autumn is more intense than in previous years. Even the greenest pine trees in the backyard of the palace have a few dry needles under them.

Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace.

This palace built in Ming Dynasty style seems very noisy. The parties headed by Prime Minister Yun Pil-sang and Left Minister Li Kepei are arguing.

Left Minister Li Kepei was originally a staunch advocate of peace. He had insisted on not sending troops to help the Ming Dynasty to suppress the Jianzhou Jurchens, and even threatened that the Ming army would definitely return empty-handed.

But now he was slapped in the face. The Ming army won an unprecedented victory and incorporated the entire Jianzhou into the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Now North Korea is undoubtedly on the wrong side. Due to this wrong decision, it has created an undesirable consequence.

Li Kepei, the left councillor, knew that he had made a mistake, but he tried to calm everyone down by saying, "Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty has already called Korea a country that will not be conquered. Even if Emperor Hongzhi is so cruel, he cannot conquer Korea for this reason!"

"Yes, we are a country that will not be conquered!"

"Conquering Jianzhou because of deer tendons is the act of a tyrant!"

"We in Korea respect Confucianism, and not sending troops is also in line with the holy way!"

...

When the officials present heard Li Kepei's words, they all nodded in agreement.

Although the Emperor of Ming Dynasty was very powerful, emperors of all dynasties did not dare to ignore the ancestral system. It is certainly wrong for them not to send troops now, but it is also against the ancestral system to conquer Korea just for this reason.

What's more, Hongzhi's conquest of Jianzhou was against Confucianism, so their North Korean approach was not wrong.

"Don't forget, when Tuoluo sent people over earlier, we gave them a letter of credence!" Bing Cao Li Shi saw the gang leader and the faction enjoying themselves happily and couldn't help but pour cold water on them.

Although this gang claims to be for the sake of righteousness, and I'm afraid they themselves believe it to be true, in essence they are a group of rats who are greedy for life and fear death and are only interested in profit.

During the negotiation process with the Jianzhou Jurchens, they signed letters of credence with the Jianzhou Jurchens just for a little convenience.

It would have been better if the Ming Dynasty returned it without success, but now that the Ming Dynasty has regained Jianzhou in one fell swoop, how could it be possible to give up once the credential fell into the hands of the Ming Emperor?

this……

The officials present seemed to have just remembered this past incident, and couldn't help but look at each other.

Zuo Yizheng Li Kepei's face was as dark as water, but he said with a bit of luck: "Not to mention that the credentials may be missing and may not fall into the hands of the Ming Dynasty. The Jurchens of Jianzhou have always been a good neighbor, and now they take the initiative to surrender to North Korea. "We in North Korea have no reason to refuse people thousands of miles away. I believe that Ming Dynasty will not be so careless."

"Yes, they have always claimed to be a country of etiquette, how could they be so fussy about it?"

"If Korea is conquered because of this matter, then Ming Dynasty will be worthy of being the country of the suzerain!"

"I believe that the Ming Dynasty must be tolerant and cannot blame us for this matter!"

…

Officials such as Li Cao Jin Huo had their own logical judgments and immediately agreed with him.

Li Shi looked at the shameless logic of these people, with a self-deprecating smile on his face. He really couldn't wake up a group of people who were pretending to be asleep.

It would be okay if the credentials did not fall into the hands of the Ming Emperor. Once the credentials were obtained by the Ming Emperor, the Ming Emperor would definitely not give up.

Not to mention that the emperor could not be bound by the ancestral system at all. Now that North Korea is so disobedient to the will of the Ming Emperor, it will definitely be "rectified" by that emperor.

Yin Bishang, the leader of the government, did not pay attention to these clowns, but he said to the king Li Jue above: "Your Majesty, this matter may lead to war, so we must not be careful. I think I can take the initiative to explain the reason to the Ming Emperor. I believe that the Ming Emperor will definitely If you understand the king’s difficulties, then there will be no worries about war!”

"No! No one in the world knows that Emperor Hongzhi is cruel. Now he takes the initiative to admit the fact to the Ming Dynasty and gives him a reason to raise troops. This move is clearly to make Korea suffer military disaster! For the current plan, a small elite team can be sent to Jianzhou , get back the credentials from Tuoluo." Zuo Yizheng, Li Kepei and Yin Bishang did not deal with it, so they stood up and strongly opposed it.

King Li Ju of North Korea was an indecisive person, and he was also worried that voluntarily admitting it would lead to military disaster, so he immediately decided: "This matter is as Li Qing said!"

Seeing that King Li Juo once again chose to trust his teacher, the soldier Cao Li sighed helplessly, knowing that North Korea was laying mines for him.

At the end of September, the red leaves all over Mount Kumgang are in full bloom.

What was supposed to come finally came, and the Ming Emperor sent envoys to the capital to deliver the decree.

Although Li Ju is the ruler of the Korean Peninsula, when faced with the imperial edict of the Ming Emperor, he respectfully knelt down to greet him: "Li Ju, King of Korea, respectfully greets you!"

"Holy Holy Gong!"

The person who issued the decree was Zhang Sui, the new governor of Liaodong, who immediately began to list all the improper actions of the Korean King Li Suo.

Finally, the final content of the imperial edict is: "I know that the King of Joseon and the Ming Dynasty have the same intention of cultivating the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years. However, various actions of the King of Joseon have made people suspicious, and even important ministers in the court advised me to build weapons. This is the end of the day. The suspicion between the two countries has been built up for thousands of years. Therefore, I invite the King of Korea to come to the capital immediately to talk to me and explain the reason to me face to face, so as to resolve the suspicion between the monarch and his ministers. I appreciate this!"

This imperial edict seemed very polite, but it also contained a naked threat. The important ministers in the court advised the Ming Emperor to build weapons. This was probably fabricated by the Ming Emperor, but who dares to rule out that the Ming Emperor would not do this?

Not to mention that the Ming Dynasty supported millions of troops, but the Eastern Expeditionary Army is still staying in Jianzhou.

As long as an order is given and the Eastern Expeditionary Army moves south, what will the North Korean side do to resist?

Although the Ming Dynasty purchased 150 sets of bows and arrows for North Korea every year, it was far from meeting the needs of 100,000 soldiers, and this already corrupted army probably did not have the courage to fight against the Ming Dynasty army.

What's more, Ming Dynasty has recently upgraded its bows and arrows, and they are asking for Xuefeng Dao but can't get it. Now the Ming Dynasty's weapons are at an absolute advantage. Once North Korea raises troops against them, it will be a dimensionality reduction blow.

After less than half a month, the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace became noisy again.

"Our intelligence has learned that the Ming Dynasty has obtained credentials!" Bing Cao Li Shi glanced at Zuo Yizheng Li Kepei resentfully, but he directly exposed all illusions.

Zuo Yizheng, Li Kepei and other officials knew that a big disaster had occurred, but they were not prepared to take the responsibility on themselves and chose to remain silent.

When King Li Ju of North Korea saw the development of the situation, he knew that he had made the wrong choice.

From the time he ascended the throne to the present, he has always wanted to be a wise minister in the history books, so he relied on his teacher Li Kepei for many things, but he did not expect that he would end up like this.

King Li Suo of North Korea took a deep breath and asked seriously: "My dear friends, the imperial edict of the Ming Emperor has been issued. How do you think this king should respond to the Ming Emperor?"

this……

The officials present looked at each other in bewilderment at this question.

Although Korea has always regarded itself as a vassal state, the throne also needs to be conferred by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is just that the King of Korea went to the capital of the Ming Dynasty in person. It is equivalent to handing his life to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which is undoubtedly a risk.

As the actual helmsman of the Korean Peninsula, when has he ever done such a dangerous thing, but to hand over his noble life to others.

Unfortunately, Emperor Hongzhi is still a famous tyrant, and no one dares to guarantee whether Emperor Hongzhi will set up a Hongmen Feast.

If Korea refuses to go this time, not to mention that the earlier letter of state has given the Ming Dynasty an excuse to send troops, and now it makes the Ming Dynasty's reason for sending troops even more sufficient.

Even if the Ming Dynasty does not send troops to conquer, the Ming Dynasty alone announces that it will sever ties with the Korean royal family, and the status of the Korean royal family in the country will become precarious.

You know, the Korean royal family is not strong in control now, and they are military generals who have seized the throne, but it is difficult to guarantee that the generals in the army will take the opportunity to start a rebellion.

In fact, there are many noble families in Korea who are very pro-Ming. In order to restore the friendship between the two countries, these people are likely to support the generals to overthrow the Lee Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, a gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall. I beg you to refuse!"

"Once the Ming army marches south, will you lead the army to fight against the Ming army in person?"

"Even if I die, it doesn't matter. Anyway, as a minister, how can I let the king take risks?"

"Your Majesty, the Ming emperor did not directly raise troops, which gave us a chance. I beg you to go to the capital!"

"Your Majesty, you can't make the same mistake again this time! The matter of the state letter is our fault. Only if you go to the capital can you stop the war!"

"Your Majesty, everyone knows that Hongzhi is a tyrant. However, if you go against his will, he will inevitably raise troops to the south. Who can stop him then?"

...

Faced with this difficult problem, the court officials present expressed their opinions. Although the officials headed by the Left Councillor Li Kepei still opposed it, the officials who advocated going there had the upper hand.

At this point, if they disobey the will of the Ming Emperor, the entire country will be destroyed. However, they can only push the King of Korea, Li Jin, to go there, so that they, Korea, will have a glimmer of hope, and they can keep their current wealth.

King Li Jin of Korea seemed unwilling to ask: "Is there really no good plan that can stop the war without the king going to the capital?"

Faced with this question, officials including the Left Councillor Li Kepei shook their heads silently, but they knew that they could either give the Ming Dynasty a head or go to the capital of the Ming Dynasty obediently.

As for King Li Jin of Korea, he could either be a king of a fallen country or face reality and run to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to recognize his elder brother.