My father is Jiajing

In the early winter of the first year of the Longqing reign, a frigid wind swept across the Bohai Bay as a fleet of ships flying the Ming Dynasty dragon flag sailed through the waves.

Minister of Rites Zhao Wenhua stood at the bow of the flagship, gazing at the faint outline of land in the distance, a confident smile appearing on his lips.

Standing beside him was another envoy who had accompanied him—Tan Lun, the Minister of War.

They were sent on a mission to Korea this time, and instead of taking the land route, they chose to travel by water. This was not only because they were in a hurry, but also because the waterway was now more comfortable than the land route.

After all, the land route from the Ming Dynasty to Korea was not an easy one; there were countless rugged and difficult mountain roads in between.

Moreover, Korea did not have the smooth, paved roads of the Ming Dynasty. If they were to travel by carriage overland, it would probably take them several days to recover their strength by the time they finally arrived in Seoul, the capital of Korea.

Therefore, when compared in this way, the waterway is still the safest.

After all, the Bohai Sea is an inland sea of ​​the Ming Dynasty, and it is early winter now. Apart from some cold winds from the far north that would blow inconsiderately, there are no other strong winds.

Therefore, traveling by water to North Korea is not only fast, but also very safe and comfortable.

"Ji-ri, the Joseon king and his ministers have probably already received the news, haven't they?"

Zhao Wenhua adjusted his fox fur cloak, turned to Tan Lun, the Minister of War beside him, and said with a smile.

Tan Lun stood beside Zhao Wenhua, listened to Zhao Wenhua's words, and nodded and smiled slightly, "The urgent message was sent to Seoul when we left the capital. I suppose the King of Joseon is currently living in fear and wondering how to deal with our interrogation."

Zhao Wenhua chuckled, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

This is a natural sense of superiority that a superior nation has over a inferior nation.

Zhao Wenhua said, "Korea is nothing but a small vassal state, yet it dares to harbor a criminal wanted by our Great Ming Dynasty and even accepted a bribe of 250,000 taels of silver from that scoundrel Luo Longwen. They are truly audacious! They don't know what death is!"

"Those silver coins may be dirty, but they are still silver from our Great Ming Dynasty. How dare they accept them? They are even more audacious than Yan Shifan back then."

Tan Lun chuckled and agreed with Zhao Wenhua's words.

The fleet carrying the Ming Dynasty envoy left a white trail on the sea as it headed towards Jeju Island, at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula.

There, Yu Huatian, who had arrived earlier, was preparing to conduct a live-fire naval exercise with Qi Jiguang, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Ocean Fleet.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, the capital of Joseon, which had already received an urgent message from the Ming Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung Palace was also in a state of panic.

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"

A eunuch stumbled into the Sizheng Hall, knelt down with a thud, and cried out to the King of Joseon in great excitement and fear, "The delegation from the superior nation has arrived at Jeju Island. The chief envoys are Zhao Wenhua, Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, and Tan Lun, Minister of War, with Qi Jiguang, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Ocean Navy, and Yu Huatian, the supervising eunuch, as deputy envoys. They say they want... they want..."

King Yi Hwan of Joseon abruptly stood up from his throne, smashing his teacup on the ground with a crash. He couldn't help but ask in fear, "What do you want? Speak quickly! Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

The eunuch pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling, and said, "They said they would investigate my Joseon for harboring the imperial criminal Luo Longwen, and they also mentioned the matter of three million taels of silver, as well as the matter of the Left State Councilor and the Crown Prince receiving 250,000 taels of silver in bribes from Luo Longwen."
Upon hearing this, King Yi Hwan of Joseon turned deathly pale, his body went limp, and he staggered back two steps before being quickly supported by Crown Prince Yi Ye.

Standing below the throne, Left Councilor Zheng Bin turned pale upon hearing this, and his hands trembled involuntarily.

“Father, this is slander against your son. Your son has never received any such thing.” Crown Prince Li Yi had just finished speaking when Li Huan waved his hand to interrupt him.

King Yi Hwan of Joseon, trying to remain calm, said, "Immediately summon all the officials in the city to prepare to welcome the envoys from the Celestial Empire!"

Although he tried to remain calm, the trembling in his voice betrayed his inner fear.

He then added, "Furthermore, immediately seize all of Luo Longwen's properties in North Korea! Before the angel arrives, no one is allowed to touch a single thing, or I will kill them!"

Just as King Yi Hwan of Joseon was frantically arranging for the reception of the Ming Dynasty envoys inside and outside Seoul,

The Ming Dynasty delegation that landed on Jeju Island was already preparing to split into two groups:
Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun led the delegation's honor guard toward Seoul in a grand procession, while Qi Jiguang and Yu Huatian remained on Jeju Island to command the East Sea Fleet in conducting maritime combat exercises.

After Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun leisurely strolled around for three days, they arrived in Seoul.

The gates of Seoul were already wide open, and Korean officials knelt outside the gates to welcome the Ming Dynasty envoy according to their respective ranks.

Zhao Wenhua lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, not even glancing at the kneeling Korean officials, nor paying any attention to these ministers of a small state, and directly ordered the entourage to head towards the Korean royal palace.

Upon receiving the news inside the Sajeongjeon Hall, King Yi Hwan of Joseon immediately led the Crown Prince and civil and military officials out of the hall to kneel and greet the envoys from the Celestial Empire in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Upon arriving at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Zhao Wenhua finally ordered the ceremonial procession to stop. He and Tan Lun leaned out of the carriage, looking down at the Joseon king and his ministers.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

Under such a repressive atmosphere, even the Korean king and his officials could no longer hold back.

King Yi Hwan of Joseon touched his forehead to the ground, his voice respectful yet tinged with fear. "Your subject Yi Hwan respectfully welcomes the envoy from the Celestial Empire and inquires about His Majesty's well-being."

Upon hearing King Yi Huan's words, Zhao Wenhua calmly replied on behalf of the emperor, "I am well."

Then Zhao Wenhua said to King Yi Huan of Joseon, "King Yi, please prepare, I am about to announce a decree."

King Yi Hwan of Joseon was immediately filled with fear and bowed again, saying, "I have prepared an incense table; please, angel, move it here."

Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun acted together, walking openly ahead of the Korean king and his officials, as if they were the masters of the place.

Moreover, this scene was considered perfectly normal by the Korean monarch and his officials, who did not perceive it as an insult to Korea.

After all, in terms of vassalage, the Ming Dynasty was the superior suzerain state of Korea.

Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun were ministers of a powerful state, holding a higher status than anyone else in Korea.

It's perfectly reasonable for them to walk at the front without hesitation.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Reflection, Zhao Wenhua wasted no time and immediately took out the imperial edict, placing it on the incense table that had been prepared beforehand.

Then Zhao Wenhua began to ask questions on behalf of Heaven.

Zhao Wenhua said, "I am acting on the imperial decree of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty to ask King Yi Hwan of Joseon: Why did your country harbor Luo Longwen, a criminal wanted by our dynasty? Why did you allow Zheng Bin and the Crown Prince of Joseon to accept bribes of 250,000 taels of silver from him? And why did you not actively return the 3 million taels of silver that Luo Longwen had hidden in Joseon?"

With each question Zhao Wenhua asked, Li Huan's body trembled.

When he heard that the Crown Prince of Joseon was also mentioned, he almost collapsed to the ground.

Li Huan kowtowed repeatedly in excitement: "The Celestial Empire is wise! I truly had no idea that Luo Longwen was a wanted criminal of the Celestial Empire, let alone any mention of three million taels of silver!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Lun's face immediately hardened.

"I don't know?"

Then he asked sternly, "Luo Longwen purchased land, opened businesses, and bribed officials in your country. How dare you say you didn't know?"

Tan Lun's questioning was like a thunderbolt, striking straight to the soul, filling the prostrate Korean king and his ministers with boundless fear.

Especially Zheng Bin, the Left Councilor, was drenched in cold sweat, his court robes completely soaked.

Crown Prince Li Wei looked utterly bewildered and horrified. He hadn't seen a single coin of the 250,000 taels bribe.

This accusation is even more unjust than that of Dou E. For a moment, the palace was deathly silent, with only the tense breathing of the Joseon king and his ministers audible.

Zhao Wenhua looked down at the Korean king and his ministers from his high position and said, "Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, considering that Korea has served the Ming Dynasty as a father for two hundred years and has always followed the Ming Dynasty's lead, it has set a good example for foreign vassals."

"Therefore, His Majesty's decree is clear: if you immediately hand over Luo Longwen and his ill-gotten gains, and severely punish the officials who accepted bribes, the Ming Dynasty will not pursue their crimes. If you evade or make excuses, the heavenly army will arrive in an instant to punish the wicked and bring them to justice."

Meanwhile, off the coast of Jeju Island, warships of the Eastern Fleet were arrayed at sea, their banners fluttering in the wind.

Standing on the deck of the flagship "Yongle" giant ship, Qi Jiguang looked at the distant Korean coastline and said to Yu Huatian beside him: "Eunuch Yu, today's exercise should let the Koreans see clearly the mighty navy of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Yu Huatian chuckled upon hearing this: "General Qi is incredibly brave and capable; he will surely intimidate those arrogant Koreans."

Then the bugle sounded, and more than a hundred warships changed formation, their cannons roaring, the sound shaking the sea and sky.

Upon witnessing this scene, the North Korean officials and civilians on the shore turned pale, and some were even so frightened that they knelt down.

Qi Jiguang and Yu Huatian exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Their actions and purpose were very simple: to cooperate with Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun in questioning the Joseon king and his officials in Seoul.

Qi Jiguang ordered, "Let's have another round of live-fire exercises. Let North Korea understand what it means for the might of the Emperor to be inviolable!"

In Seoul, Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun, having finished their interrogation, were led to a side hall to rest.

The King of Joseon sent his eunuchs with delicacies, but Zhao Wenhua waved them away.

At this moment, Tan Lun also whispered his opinion. "Grand Minister of Rites (Grand Minister of Rites), judging from the reaction of the King of Joseon, it seems he truly knows nothing about Luo Longwen's matter?"

Zhao Wenhua chuckled and looked at Tan Lun, saying, "Why are you so naive, Zili? Three million taels of silver—how could Luo Longwen have hidden in North Korea without the tacit approval of a high-ranking North Korean insider? Moreover, Zuo Yizheng is clearly guilty."

Tan Lun nodded slightly, then pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, why don't we start..."

Before the words were finished, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. A guard from the delegation rushed in and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to Your Excellency, Jeong Bin, the Left State Councilor of Korea, requests an audience."

Zhao Wenhua and Tan Lun exchanged a glance, and a meaningful smile appeared on their lips.

"Let him in."

Upon entering, Zheng Bin immediately knelt down, his forehead touching the ground: "Your Excellency, please be wise! I did indeed accept money from Luo Longwen, but I truly had no idea he was a wanted criminal of the Celestial Empire!"

Zhao Wenhua slowly took a sip of tea: "How much money did you receive?"

“Fifty thousand taels.” Zheng Bin’s voice trembled.

"Fifty thousand taels?"

Tan Lun slammed his hand on the table. "Luo Longwen hid three million taels in Korea, and you're only giving him fifty thousand? Zheng Bin, do you think the Celestial Empire is so easily fooled?"

Zheng Bin was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Immortal, spare my life! This humble official is willing to hand over all the stolen silver, only begging for the Heavenly Dynasty's forgiveness!"

Zhao Wenhua glanced at Zheng Bin indifferently and said, "Oh, who else besides you took Luo Longwen's money?"

Zheng Bin trembled, hesitated for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness... Your Highness received the most, at least two hundred thousand taels."

Zhao Wenhua chuckled again, a laugh that sent chills down Zheng Bin's spine.

"very good."

Zhao Wenhua said softly, "Prime Minister Zheng is very sensible. You may go back now. I will ask you again in your court tomorrow."

That night, Crown Prince Yi Ye of Joseon secretly summoned Jeong Bin.

"When did I ever accept any dirty money or bribes from that Luo Longwen?"

Li Wei grabbed Zheng Bin by the collar, his eyes filled with murderous intent, he was furious.

He was completely unaware of this from beginning to end.

Now they've been singled out and punished by the Ming Dynasty; they're utterly wronged.

Zheng Bin quickly said, "Your Highness, please calm down. This was all my oversight. What is Your Highness's current status?"

Li Wei snorted, "Of course it's as stable as Mount Tai!"

Zheng Bin pushed Li Wei away and chuckled, "I don't think so. It's common knowledge that His Highness dotes on his youngest son. Why should Your Highness deceive yourself?"

"Now, as long as Your Highness is willing to stand with me through thick and thin and acknowledge this matter, leave the rest to me. I will definitely ensure that Your Highness will be able to ascend the throne after His Highness's passing!"

Hearing Zheng Bin's words, Li Wei couldn't help but start to think seriously.

But he still couldn't understand how Zheng Bin could help him.

Knowing that Zheng Bin was already in dire straits himself in such a huge matter, how dare he still speak so arrogantly?

Do you really think the mighty Ming Dynasty is a vegetarian?

Seeing Li Wei's hesitant expression, Zheng Bin asked, "Has Your Highness ever heard the saying 'to be put in a desperate situation and then to survive'?"

Li Wei glared at Zheng Bin resentfully, "I have heard of it, but in this deadly place, I see no hope of survival."

Zheng Bin laughed and said, "Your Highness is too swayed by appearances. Can't you see why the Ming Dynasty sent two high-ranking officials, the Minister of Rites and the Minister of War, here?"

"The Ming Dynasty is worried that we will covet Luo Longwen's three million taels of dirty silver, which is why they sent out such a large force."

"If we can deliver all the money that Luo Longwen bribed us to the Ming delegation's residence by tomorrow morning, how do you think those two Ming ministers will view you?"

Li Wei asked, puzzled, "How would you view this?"

Zheng Bin said, "They will see a more sensible and obedient future king of Joseon."

"As long as His Highness gains their favor and attention, even if His Highness dotes on his youngest son and wants to depose the eldest son and establish the youngest in his place, the Ming Dynasty probably will not agree. They might even take the initiative to help His Highness ascend to the throne as soon as possible."

"And that is where Your Highness's life lies! At that time, Your Highness only needs to cry and claim that you are an innocent person who has been deceived by Luo Longwen, and leave the rest of the blame to me. I will definitely ensure Your Highness's safety!"

Li Wei was also moved when he heard Zheng Bin's words. If this matter could really be done, not only would his crimes be wiped clean, but his position would also be more secure!

Unable to contain his excitement, Li Wei reached out and grabbed Zheng Bin's arm, saying affectionately, "Zheng loves me."

At this moment, Zheng Bin also bowed to Li Wei, saying, "Your subject swears to protect Your Highness with his life!"

Clearly, Zheng Bin is now also risking everything to achieve a miraculous comeback, and he's putting in an even greater effort!
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