Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

It's September, and the Korean Peninsula is filled with autumn.

Mount Kumgang is the highest peak on the peninsula. It adapts to the changes of the four seasons, but it has its own reputation.

The wonders of spring are like pure and transparent diamonds, named Mount Kumgang; in summer, because they are comparable to Penglai, they are named Penglai Mountains; in autumn, the mountains are covered with red leaves like red, and are named Fengyue Mountains; in winter, the strange rocks and strange rocks, and the emaciated bones, are called Mount Kumgang. It's called Jiegu Mountain.

At this time, Mount Kumgang was covered with red leaves and white mist shrouded the mountainside, making it look like a fairyland on earth, so Mount Kumgang changed from Penglai Mountain to Fenggak Mountain.

A fast horse came from far away from the north and had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery here. It rushed directly from the side of Mount Kumgang to the royal capital.

When the news of Ming Dynasty's recovery of Jianzhou reached Seoul, ordinary people did not feel too strongly, but those in power in North Korea suddenly became panicked.

Although the Eastern Expedition Army led by Wang Yue made slow progress, the army directly destroyed the Jurchen base camp in Jianzhou with the overwhelming force of Mount Tai, which proved the incomparable power of the Ming Dynasty army.

Although Tuoluo successfully escaped, he had lost his legs. Not to mention calling on the remaining troops to counterattack the Ming Dynasty, even his own safety may not be guaranteed.

Just like this, Jianzhou in the north of North Korea has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the powerful Eastern Expeditionary Army is now like a sharp sword hanging over North Korea.

"Failed? Is this how you lose?"

"Isn't the Jianzhou Jurchen very strong?"

"Although Jianzhou Jurchen is very strong, Ming Dynasty is even stronger!"

…

Knowing that the Jianzhou Jurchens were easily defeated by the Ming Dynasty, the officials of Zhuhe could not accept it for a while, but some officials had begun to re-examine the powerful Ming army.

In many people's minds, Jianzhou Nuzhen is a very powerful force.

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

In response to Xianzong's call, North Korea also dispatched a large army to help the Ming Dynasty sweep away the Jurchens in Jianzhou, their neighbor. However, due to the extremely strong combat power and maneuverability of the Jianzhou Jurchens, their army ultimately returned without success.

Now the Ming army wants to wipe out the Jurchens in Jianzhou. Based on their experience and judgment, the situation is naturally the same as that of the past. Although the Ming army would make some gains, they eventually retreated and returned to Shanhaiguan.

But who would have thought that the situation this time was completely different from what everyone thought. The Ming Dynasty's Eastern Expeditionary Army achieved an unprecedented victory, and even successfully destroyed the Jurchen base camp in Jianzhou, thus regaining the entire Jianzhou.

Just like this, the current situation is developing in a direction that is extremely unfavorable to North Korea. Jianzhou Jurchen, which was originally the buffer zone between them and the Ming Dynasty, has disappeared.

"What should we do now?"

"What else can I do? Naturally, I will continue to surrender to the Ming Dynasty!"

"If the Ming Dynasty pursues us for not sending troops this time, what should we do?"

…

Since Jianzhou has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and now North Korea borders the Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to guarantee whether the Ming Dynasty's Eastern Expeditionary Army will suddenly enter the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, everyone has begun to worry about the Ming Dynasty's army going south.

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

Even if there are only one hundred thousand left, the quality of this army is worrying. The combat strength of an army of 100,000 is huge. Judging from the fact that it is very difficult for the army to defeat a few bandits, the overall strength may not be as good as that of the Jianzhou Jurchens.

This is also true. Judging from the performance of the Korean army in history, let alone competing with the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that it will not be able to withstand the Eastern Expedition Army.

Amid the panic among people throughout Seoul, many officials began to "find another way out."

Many North Korean officials have already prepared for the worst. Once the Ming army invades North Korea, will they choose to surrender or surrender?

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

Some extremely smart North Korean officials found another way and immediately sent their confidants to Shenji Island to contact the Governor of the East China Sea, Xu Shiying, so as to prepare a way out for themselves.

In the few days since the news came, the entire upper echelon of North Korea seemed panicked. Out of worries about the war, they were looking for their own way out.

North Koreans love pine trees, so some pine forests for people to watch are included in various mansions, and also into the palace.

The autumn mood this year seems stronger than in previous years. Even the greenest pine trees in the palace backyard have a few dead needles falling under them.

Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace.

This royal palace with clear specifications seemed very noisy, and the parties headed by Yin Bishang and Li Kepei, the leader of the left Yizheng, were at war with each other.

Li Kepei, the leader of the Left Council, was originally a staunch peace advocate. He had previously insisted not to send troops to help the Ming and Qing Dynasties suppress the Jurchens in Jianzhou, and even threatened that the Ming army would return without success.

But now they were slapped in the face. The Ming army achieved an unprecedented victory, and even incorporated the entire Jianzhou into the Ming Dynasty.

Now North Korea is undoubtedly on the wrong team, and this wrong decision has had negative consequences.

Zuo Yizheng Li Kepei knew that he had made a mistake, but he calmed everyone down and said: "Taizong of the Ming Dynasty has called our Korea a country without conquest. Even if Emperor Hongzhi is so cruel, he cannot conquer our Korea because of this!"

"Yes, we are a country without conquests!"

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

"We in Korea believe in Confucianism, and not sending troops is also in line with the Holy Way!"

…

When the officials present heard what Li Kepei said, they 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 couldn't help but pour cold water on him when he saw the gang leader and the faction enjoying themselves happily.

Although this gang claims to be for the sake of righteousness, I'm afraid they themselves believe it to be true, but 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 in confusion.

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. Jianzhou Jurchen has always been a good neighbor, and now she takes the initiative to surrender to North Korea. , We in North Korea have no reason to refuse people thousands of miles away, and 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 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 let it go.

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 this 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.

The king of North Korea, Li Ju, 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 issue decrees.

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 officials 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, so 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 alleviate 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 they had caused a big disaster, 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 couldn't help but look at each other in confusion when faced with this problem.

Although North Korea has always regarded itself as a vassal state, the throne also needs to be canonized by the Ming Emperor. It was just that the King of Korea went to the Ming capital in person. But it is equivalent to sending one's life into the hands of the Ming Emperor. This is undoubtedly an adventure.

As the actual helmsman of the Korean Peninsula, when has he ever done such a dangerous thing, but put his noble life in the hands of others?

Incidentally, Emperor Hongzhi was still a famous tyrant, and no one could guarantee whether Emperor Hongzhi would host the Hongmen Banquet.

If North Korea refuses to go this time, not to mention that the earlier letter of credence has given Ming an excuse to send troops, and now it will give Ming even more reasons to send troops.

Even if the Ming Dynasty does not send troops to conquer, if the Ming Dynasty announces that it has severed relations with the Korean royal family, the status of the Korean royal family will become precarious in the country.

You must know that the North Korean royal family does not have strong control now, but they have military generals seizing the throne, but it is difficult to guarantee that the generals in the army will take the opportunity to cause trouble.

In fact, there are many nobles in North Korea who are very close to Ming Dynasty. In order to restore the friendship between the two countries, these people are likely to support the military generals in overthrowing the Lee Dynasty.

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

"Once the Ming Dynasty raises its troops and goes south, will you personally lead the troops to fight against the Ming Dynasty army?"

"It doesn't matter even if I die. I am a minister anyway. How can I put the king in danger?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not directly raise troops today, but he gave us an opportunity. I sincerely request your Majesty to go to the capital!"

"Your Majesty, please don't make the same mistake again this time! The fault of the certificate is ours. Only Your Majesty can stop the swordsman by going to the capital!"

"Your Majesty, everyone in the world knows that Hongzhi is a tyrant. However, if your Majesty disobeys his will, he will definitely raise his troops to go south. Who can stop him then?"

…

Faced with this problem, the courtiers present expressed their opinions. Although officials headed by Zuo Yizheng Li Kepei still opposed it, officials who advocated going had the upper hand.

At this point, if they disobey the Ming Emperor's will, the entire country will be destroyed. But it can only push the North Korean King Li Ju to go, then North Korea will have a glimmer of hope, and they can keep their current wealth.

The King of North Korea, Li Suo, looked reluctant and asked: "Is there really no good way to stop the war without the king going to the capital?"

Faced with this problem, officials including Zuo Yizheng and Li Kepei shook their heads silently, but they knew that they could either give their lives to the Ming Dynasty or go to the Ming Dynasty capital.

As for the North Korean king Li Ju, he must either become a king who subjugates his country, or he must recognize the reality and go to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to recognize his eldest brother.