My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 422 It’s scary to think about it carefully

Li Chengliang was an extremely audacious person.

After hearing Tang Jinxing's idea, the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed!
In fact, the Jurchen problem also owes some credit to North Korea.

In their early days, the Jurchens were a border people of the Ming Dynasty and were officially recognized by the Ming. They were originally quite loyal to the Ming.

However, the Jurchens were sandwiched between the Ming Dynasty and Korea. When the Jurchens were weak, Korea repeatedly organized northward expansion, shrinking the Jurchens' living space.

Ultimately, these Jurchen garrisons along the Yalu River collapsed.

While mediating relations between Korea and the Jurchens, the Ming Dynasty also relocated these Jurchens to the interior of China.

However, the Ming court at the time failed to properly handle the resettlement of the Jurchen people during their relocation, and instead enfeoffed these Jurchen people in key areas such as the Hun River basin, the Suzi River valley, and the Tongjia River.

The original intention was to have the Jurchens "guard the border," but in reality, it meant giving up the fertile lands of Liaodong.

During the Chenghua era, the Jurchen forces expanded rapidly and absorbed the military and metallurgical technologies of the Ming Dynasty, gradually becoming a force that threatened the stability of the Northeast region.

In addition, the salt administration system was corrupted at the same time, leading to the collapse of military farms in the border areas of the Ming Dynasty and a significant decrease in the Han population, which further gave the Jurchens more space to live.

The rise of the Jurchens brought bitter consequences to the Koreans.

The powerful Jurchen tribes repeatedly crossed the Yalu River to plunder Korea, and Korea was powerless to stop them.

These Jurchen tribes robbed grain and abducted people.

At this time, Korea once again sought help from the Ming Dynasty.

Li Chengliang was naturally aware of this process. If the Koreans hadn't oppressed these Jurchen tribes first, the Northeast wouldn't have been filled with Jurchens.

Therefore, when Tang Jinxing proposed that Korea also send troops, Li Chengliang strongly agreed.

What are the main problems in Northeast China right now?
The problem is a lack of population to maintain necessary outposts.

The Jurchens of today are no match for the Ming army in open field battles, but they are numerous, familiar with the terrain, and skilled in wilderness survival.

Every time the Ming army marched north, it was harassed by the Jurchen tribes.

Over time, the Ming Dynasty lost interest in expanding northward as it could no longer control the occupied territories and had to spend more military funds to maintain them.

Li Chengliang did not bring these Korean soldiers to fight the Jurchens.

These North Korean soldiers only need to be able to defend the military camp.

After the advent of firearms, the physical requirements for soldiers in defensive operations were greatly reduced.

As long as one can operate firearms, even a new recruit on the battlefield can defend a fortified fortress.

Li Chengliang heard from the students of the military academy that the academy also had a trench warfare tactic.

By digging trenches in the ground and hiding in them, soldiers could defend against expensive troops like cavalry using only infantry, employing muskets and grenades.

Li Chengliang also tried it once, and the effect was indeed very good.

Moreover, the northern land freezes in winter, becoming as hard as stone, making the trenches an insurmountable barrier for the Jurchens who lacked firearms.

The only drawback of this type of warfare is that it requires a certain number of garrison troops.

The North Korean soldiers could be used to fill the trenches.

Li Chengliang looked at Tang Jinxing.

Tang Jinxing knew things were going badly!
He was so focused on showing off that he forgot that the deputy protector was Li Chengliang.

To achieve his goal, this person doesn't care if you're from the same hometown; he has absolutely no psychological pressure when it comes to ripping you off.

As expected, since it was Tang Jinxing who brought this up, Li Chengliang immediately said:

"Sir Tang's plan is excellent! Then please go to Korea and persuade them to send troops to help Liao!"

Tang Jinxing immediately said:
"Lord Li! This humble official does not speak Korean. Please find someone else!"

Li Chengliang waved his hand and said:
“That’s easy. There are plenty of people in our army who speak Korean and can act as translators for Lord Tang.”

Tang Jinxing quickly added:

"Such important matters should be handled by professionals."

Li Chengliang stood up and said:

"Today's meeting is a military meeting, and my order just now is a military order."

Hearing this, Tang Jinxing knew he couldn't escape. He wanted to slap himself a few times; why couldn't he change his self-righteous and clever nature?
This time, his advice earned him another exile to Korea. Tang Jinxing secretly vowed never to stand out again!
Of course, Li Chengliang was not the kind of general who only oppressed his subordinates.

On the third day, just as Tang Jinxing was about to leave for Korea, a pigeon flew out of Li Chengliang's study.

Immediately afterwards, Li Chengliang summoned Tang Jinxing.

"I have already discussed your plan with Su Hanlin, and Su Hanlin praised your plan."

The "Su Hanlin" that Li Chengliang mentioned was naturally Su Ze.

As a fellow townsman, Tang Jinxing naturally knew that Li Chengliang and Su Ze had a close relationship.

Upon hearing that Su Ze had praised him, Tang Jinxing was naturally excited!
Even the renowned Su Zilin agreed with his plan!

Li Chengliang continued:
"Su Hanlin also agrees with your idea. It is appropriate for North Korea to bring this up itself, so as not to damage the harmony between the two countries and to silence the opposition from North Korea and China."

"Moreover, North Korea has received great favors from the Heavenly Kingdom, and it is indeed time to repay them."

Although Koreans always feel extremely aggrieved by their "serving the great power" mentality, in reality, the Ming Dynasty, being such a good "father," is extremely rare in the history of China and the world.

The Ming Dynasty almost never interfered in the internal affairs of Korea. No matter how much turmoil occurred in Korea, the Ming Dynasty would not intervene.

Joseon gained substantial profits from the tribute system, which the Ming Dynasty tolerated for the sake of its reputation.

If Korea were ever invaded, the Ming Dynasty would always step in to help.

Among the vassal states of today, Ryukyu, which has repeatedly petitioned to become part of the Chinese empire, is far more submissive than Korea.

However, North Korea still holds a special status.

Su Ze naturally agreed with Tang Jinxing's suggestion.

Although North Korea was nothing in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, it could be considered a major power in the world.

If the Ming Dynasty were to truly embark on a path of foreign colonization, it couldn't possibly field all its own troops.

As the most important vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, Korea naturally had to contribute as well.

Li Chengliang said:
"Although Su Hanlin cannot provide us with official assistance, he has already written to Lord Feng of the Joseon State Administration Office, asking him to provide assistance to Lord Tang."

Tang Jinxing's eyes lit up when he heard that the North Korean State Administration of Communications was willing to help.

Everyone knows that this Lord Feng is a guest of honor of the King of Joseon and has a huge influence in Joseon.

If we can get his help, this plan might actually succeed!
After leaving Li Chengliang's study, Tang Jinxing became puzzled again.

How did the news reach the capital and then return to Li Chengliang's side in just three days?

Is Lord Li trying to frame me?
But upon further reflection, Li Chengliang wouldn't use Su Ze's name to frame himself.

Although Tang Jinxing couldn't understand it, he still quickly left Liaoyang and headed to Korea by sea.
-
Seoul, Korea. The Ming Dynasty's Office of Transmission in Korea was located next to the Korean Royal Palace. Chief Administrator Feng Xueyan had just returned to the office from the Korean Royal Palace when Tang Xianzu came to request an audience.

Having heard about Tang Xianzu's poem recited in public, Feng Xueyan naturally knew why Tang Xianzu had come.

In order to return to the Ming Dynasty, Tang Xianzu would come to ask him, the chief judge, every few days. But whether Tang Xianzu could go back was not something that Feng Xueyan could decide.

Others may not know why Tang Xianzu came to Korea, but how could Feng Xueyan not know?

That petty former Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, now Minister of Personnel, would have been appointed Chief of the Court of Judicial Review by Feng Xueyan if he had released Tang Xianzu back to the Ming Dynasty.

But these words cannot be spoken openly to Tang Xianzu.

Who knows if there are any spies or informants for that lord inside the Korean Ministry of State Affairs?

No, there must be. Feng Xueyan was absolutely certain that there were spies of that master among his subordinates.

"Please come in, Mr. Tang."

As fellow sufferers in the same world, Feng Xueyan also admired Tang Xianzu's talent and learning.

Tang Xianzu walked into the public room and said to Feng Xueyan:
"Lord Feng! Has my request to return home been sent out?"

Feng Xueyan immediately said:
"Of course, it has already been sent back along with the official documents from the department."

When can we expect a reply?

Feng Xueyan secretly criticized Tang Xianzu's emotional intelligence, no wonder he had been sent to North Korea for so long and still didn't understand why he came to North Korea.

"Mr. Tang's longing for his hometown is so genuine that I was moved to tears after reading it. I believe that the officials of the court will understand Mr. Tang's homesickness and allow him to return home as soon as possible."

Tang Xianzu then asked, "Back then, Zhang Xuanlang promised me that I would only need to come to Korea for three months, but three months have passed and then another three months have gone by. When will I be able to return?"

Tang Xianzu was clearly getting anxious, but Feng Xueyan changed his tune and said:
“Times have changed. Last time, when Mr. Tang wanted to return to his country, the court blocked him from leaving. Now that the court has recalled him, if it causes problems between the Ming Dynasty and Korea, can Mr. Tang bear the consequences?”

Feng Xueyan had used this rhetoric several times before, so Tang Xianzu went all out and said:

"What does this have to do with Mr. Tang!"

Feng Xueyan's expression remained unchanged as she coldly said:

"The matter between Mr. Tang and those beautiful women has nothing to do with you, sir?"

"Although our Great Ming Dynasty has extraterritoriality, such crimes are still serious offenses in the Great Ming Dynasty. Even if the court takes into consideration your distant posting, what if you strip your academic title?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xianzu's face turned green.

He was depressed in North Korea, and as a talented man, he naturally attracted many women.

At first, it was just widows and the like. Although it was indecent, at least there were no victims.

However, Tang Xianzu soon began to seek excitement, and his associates included many young women from prominent families and married women.

Tang Xianzu was quite pleased with himself, unaware that all of this had fallen into Feng Xueyan's eyes and ears, and that Feng Xueyan had written it all down.

Having said all that, Tang Xianzu had no choice but to leave in a huff.

Hmph, scholar.

Tang Xianzu was dismissed with a few words, and the sound of pigeons flapping outside the window could be heard again.

Feng Xueyan quickly opened the window, and a plump pigeon flew in.

Feng Xueyan immediately took out a bag of rice, which contained Baekje rice that he had collected. This rice was considered tribute rice for the Joseon royal family and could only be grown on royal estates.

Feng Xueyan was a guest of honor of the King of Joseon. He specially requested this kind of rice to "reward" Lord Pigeon.

As expected, seeing that Feng Xueyan was so cooperative, Fat Pigeon didn't make things difficult for him and readily handed over the letter cage.

The letter in the cage contained a handwritten letter from Su Ze, requesting Feng Xueyan to cooperate with the Andong Protectorate and persuade Korea to "voluntarily" send troops to help the Andong Protectorate deal with the Jurchens.

In his letter, Su Ze also mentioned that the Andong Protectorate had dispatched Tang Jinxing, the military commander in charge of agricultural settlements, to Seoul, hoping that Feng Xueyan could push things forward.

After destroying the letter, Feng Xueyan began to think.

North Korea is currently timid and war-averse, so getting North Korea to send troops, or even to "voluntarily" send troops, is not an easy task.

However, Feng Xueyan quickly came up with a plan. Having lived in Korea for many years, he had a deep understanding of the Korean monarchy and its people, as well as the national character of Korea as a whole.

To get the Korean king and his ministers to send troops "voluntarily," persuasion with kind words and even bribery won't work; only intimidation and threats can make them comply.

Having realized this, Feng Xueyan summoned his men and sent someone to find Tang Xianzu.

To force North Korea to submit, it is necessary to exert pressure both politically and culturally.

Politically, Feng Xueyan had no problem exerting pressure; he enjoyed immense prestige in North Korea and had cultivated relationships with many important North Korean officials.

The yangban system in Joseon Dynasty created a significant divide between civil and military officials.

In recent decades, North Korea has also followed the example of the Ming Dynasty, with the civil service group gaining the upper hand over the military group.

Feng Xueyan was extremely adept at exploiting the animosity between civil and military officials to stir up conflict in this matter.

But that's not enough.

To make a decisive decision, it is necessary to convince the North Korean king to send troops.

Tang Xianzu was summoned back to Feng Xueyan's study with a puzzled look, only to find that Feng Xueyan had changed his expression again.

"After much consideration, I still cannot allow a talent like you to be left to wander in barbarian lands."

Tang Xianzu was on the verge of tears. He was just a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and knew no one in the court. If he wanted to return to the Ming Dynasty, he could only rely on Feng Xueyan.

Feng Xueyan said:
"There is only one person in the court who can persuade Mr. Tang to return to the Ming Dynasty."

"Which lord is it?"

"Su Hanlin".

Tang Xianzu immediately adopted a respectful expression.

He was now practically a member of the officialdom, and he understood some of the rules of officialdom. He also knew Su Ze's influence in the court, so he no longer dared to be as arrogant as before.

"Lord Feng, could you put in a good word for me with Hanlin Su?"

Feng Xueyan said:
"Su Hanlin has a good impression of Mr. Tang, but if he wants to ask Mr. Tang for help, Mr. Tang still needs to make some more contributions."

Tang Xianzu nodded quickly. Feng Xueyan explained her needs, and Tang Xianzu immediately said:
"This is easy to handle. I'll get back and start writing!"

Soon after, Tang Xianzu's new work, "Three Arrows to Settle the Tianshan Mountains," was published and quickly became a sensation in Korea.

The story of Xue Rengui, a general of the Tang Dynasty, is about how three arrows subdued the Tianshan Mountains.

Tang Xianzu's play is grand and magnificent, fully displaying the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. This naturally opened the eyes of the small and sparsely populated Korea, and the Korean king also liked it very much.

But as they observed, the clever people in North Korea realized something was amiss.

Xue Rengui was the first Protector-General of the Andong Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty. He was stationed in Pyongyang and terrified Goryeo. Legends about him still exist in North Korea today.

Xue Rengui, the Protectorate General of Andong, and the Ming Dynasty's move to establish the Protectorate General of Andong.

Is there some deeper meaning behind this?
The King of Korea thought for a moment and broke out in a cold sweat!
(End of this chapter)