Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Deceive the Ming Dynasty (1)
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A eunuch came trudging into the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.
His massive frame was utterly unsuited to an eunuch, and he carried the fierce aura of a lifelong battlefield general.
One might expect the assembled ministers to mutter about such insolence from a mere eunuch, barging in so boldly...
But not a single grand secretary in the Hall of Supreme Harmony dared to take issue with his imposing presence.
And for good reason—this hulking eunuch was none other than Zheng He.
The supreme commander who led the largest maritime expeditions in Chinese history, the very man who, during the Jingnan Rebellion when the Yongle Emperor was still Prince of Yan, commanded 80,000 troops to hold off a force of 500,000.
"Your servant, the Grand Eunuch of the Defense Corps, Zheng He, has arrived at this Hall of Supreme Harmony from Nanjing at His Majesty's command."
"Good. How fares Nanjing? Do you think we can return there from this Beijing within the next ten years?"
The original capital of the Ming Dynasty had been Nanjing.
Nanjing was ideal for rice farming, ensuring steady grain supplies, and as the starting point of the Grand Canal, it served as a hub where goods from across China converged—making it perfect for commerce as well.
But after the Yongle Emperor, who sparked the Jingnan Rebellion, forcibly moved the capital to Beijing—his old base—the site's suitability as a capital was far inferior to Nanjing's...
Thus, starting in the reign of the previous Hongxi Emperor, reconstruction of Nanjing began, with plans to return once completed.
Official documents under the Hongxi Emperor even labeled Beijing a "temporary capital" and Nanjing the "legal capital" per Ming law, underscoring the firm intent to relocate.
And the man in charge of this vital project was none other than Grand Eunuch Zheng He.
"If we exert ourselves for another nine years or so, Nanjing's reconstruction should be complete."
"Nine years... nine years."
"Can it not be shortened further?"
"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
The Xuande Emperor wished to fulfill his father's dream by fully rebuilding Nanjing and returning to the former capital.
Yet he couldn't relocate to a city still half-finished, unworthy of imperial dignity—so he had no choice but to wait.
"Redouble your efforts on the reconstruction. In nine years, it must be a city befitting my majesty."
"I shall engrave it upon my bones, Your Majesty."
"Very well. And the reason I summoned you this time is to entrust you with a new grave responsibility."
"What new duty might that be?"
Among Ming eunuchs, the Grand Eunuchs held positions even grand secretaries hesitated to challenge.
And Zheng He, though often away on expeditions and out of sight, had been granted by the Yongle Emperor command of tens of thousands of troops and full authority to handle foreign affairs.
Assigning him a new role signaled the emperor was launching a massive national project.
The grand secretaries perked up their ears, eager to hear the emperor's intentions.
"Grand Eunuch Zheng He, you are to take command of the admiralty for voyages to the Western Ocean."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by...?"
"The Great Emperor Yongle showcased the might of our Great Ming across the seas to the barbarians. Thus, I shall emulate his achievements, extending civilized rule beyond India to the Western Lands."
The Ming grand secretaries felt their vision go white upon hearing the emperor.
The Yongle Emperor's expansionism had wrecked the nation's livelihood, sparking rebellions everywhere...
And now the emperor wanted to launch another ruinously expensive expedition?
'Won't this bankrupt the treasury completely?'
In Joseon, the ministers would have bombarded the throne with memorials decrying such a wasteful venture.
But in the Ming, where the emperor's word could mean a minister's head or exile as a traitor, no one dared challenge him.
Even Zheng He had no desire for another expedition.
Advanced in years, his body ached even at rest—what hell would it be dragging this frame across the sea to India?
"Your Majesty, this servant is nearing sixty, my frame frail. It has been years since I could undertake such a great task."
"In my view, no one but you is fit for this voyage. The others have never even ventured beyond the seas—how could I entrust them with dozens of treasure ships, hundreds of warships, and tens of thousands of sailors' lives?"
"Yet this servant is aged..."
"I am convinced you must go. Accept my decree and sail to the distant Western Lands to proclaim the Great Ming's majesty."
Kim Dae-bung would have scoffed—what use was "majesty" funded by squeezing the people dry?
But to the Xuande Emperor, who believed all under heaven must submit to Ming rule, this was an essential expense to assert imperial dignity, however costly.
"And while you're at it, sweep away the wokou pirates on Tsushima and Iki. Send an envoy to the King of Japan—that title we bestowed on their shogun—commanding him to crack down properly."
The Xuande Emperor issued the order to eradicate the Tsushima and Iki wokou as casually as sending a child to the corner store.
His arrogance was staggering, treating pirate suppression like child's play...
Yet Zheng He's grand fleet wielded enough might to crush even a coup in a Southeast Asian micro-kingdom single-handedly—not to mention conquering Japan proper.
Wiping out wokou on Tsushima and Iki? Easier than cold porridge.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Use this chance to show the King of Joseon the Great Ming's majesty plainly. Ensure they wouldn't dream of defying us even in their sleep."
The Ming truly believed no other nation—least of all Joseon—would dare oppose them.
Yet to indulge their ultimate fantasy—that the Great Empire rendered all nations Chinese colonies—they needed Joseon prostrating before Ming prestige.
And this wasn't mere imperial whim; it was essential theater to bolster the dynasty's authority and stabilize the realm.
Thus, the Xuande Emperor ordered Zheng He to make Joseon bow.
"Prepare the fleet."
Soon after, word reached Joseon that the Ming was readying Zheng He's grand expedition—what they called voyages to the Western Ocean.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Ming had no navy for coastal defense.
No one could deny that.
But it was equally undeniable that the Ming still possessed Zheng He's grand fleet—the world's mightiest armada.
In the original history, the final expedition had launched about a year from now, in 1431.
I'd known that and made preparations accordingly.
But I'd overlooked one thing.
"The Ming bastards are going to hit Iki and Tsushima?"
Iki Island? Honestly, who cares if it gets razed.
The Mings bought plenty of Joseon steel, but the sellers were all Tsushima merchants.
So no grounds for the Ming to complain to us over it.
Just blame Tsushima, trot out some caught fraudster merchant as the ringleader of the smuggling— what could Zheng He do?
The real problem was Tsushima, bound to us so closely.
"If the Lord of Tsushima and its people get turned into a wasteland by the Ming, that's a disaster we can't fix."
To Joseon, Tsushima was like an appendix.
Healthy and attached? Great, sure.
But cut it out? No big deal to daily life.
The Lord of Tsushima and his folk vanishing wouldn't make the island disappear.
Joseon wouldn't lose access to silver.
Other daimyo clans could handle the smuggling conduit.
Team up with the Ouchi, give a shot to the Hosokawa or Yamana houses.
They'd lose their minds for Ming goods—imagine how thrilled if Joseon supplied them.
"The problem is our secret pact with the Lord of Tsushima leaking out."
To keep things from escalating, we had to evacuate him and his people somewhere safe—keep them from Zheng He's grasp.
"I need to talk to the Minister of Rites right away."
We had to decide how to protect Tsushima and act fast, or it'd be irreversible.
At least there were ways to spirit the Tsushima folk away. That was some consolation.