Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Deceive the Ming Dynasty (3)
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The Japanese bastards and the Ming scum have no sense of honor whatsoever.
Rather than trusting those guys, it'd be better to bet my entire fortune on my little sister actually succeeding in her New Year's resolution: "This year, I'm getting an S-line figure so I can rock a bikini."
No, both will screw me over anyway, so it's best not to trust either one.
But our Joseon keeps its word even to Tsushima, which is basically a pirate haven.
Heo Jo and I—loyal officials of a Joseon where benevolence and trust are alive and well—submitted a memorial to King Sejong outlining a plan to save Tsushima. We got his approval to let the Lord of Tsushima and his people survive.
"Long time no see, Lord of Tsushima."
The Lord of Tsushima stared at me like I was some demon crawled back up from hell.
Come on, everything I've done for Tsushima so far has been good...
Not a single bad thing.
I have no idea why he's looking at me with such disdain.
Lately, among Joseon officials, they've been calling me the "goblin with an axe," or saying I'm some masochist who loves work so much that I go around singing, "I love it, love it, love overworking!"
Even if the world badmouths the king behind his back when he's not around, isn't this level of slander going too far?
And then King Sejong and King Taejong subtly go, "Dae-bung, what a brilliant proposal. Time to become a senior official."
I'm already getting this much flak as a rank 4, so if I suddenly jump to senior rank, how many more vicious rumors will get cooked up?
I can brush off the current level of slander, but if it escalates, Gyeol will worry... Promotion can wait.
"Oh dear, what brings our busy Assistant Magistrate Kim all the way to this remote Tsushima?"
"Lord of Tsushima, I'll get straight to the point. Tsushima's fate is hanging by a thread—like a candle flickering in the wind."
His face hardened the moment he heard my words.
I totally get how he feels.
If some lunatic showed up out of nowhere yelling, "Joseon's about to collapse," I'd react the same way.
"The Ming are assembling the Haixiyang expedition fleet—that massive one Zheng He led. They're planning to subjugate Tsushima and Iki."
"You mean the Haixiyang expedition that carried tens of thousands of sailors, sailed past Tianzhu all the way to Zhiju?"
"You know your stuff."
"Some of our Tsushima navy veterans have been there themselves. Luzon might as well be a casual outing."
Most of the pepper circulating in Joseon these days comes via Japan.
And the source? Pirates from Tsushima and other spots sailing to India or Southeast Asia, waving swords around—er, conducting fair negotiations—and bringing it back.
"Some who've been to Tianzhu have seen the fleet firsthand. They said the ships were mountain-sized, and counting the armada was overwhelming. And now that fleet's coming for us..."
The Lord of Tsushima let out a deep sigh as he looked at me.
"A nothing like Tsushima will get crushed like ants underfoot. I might scrape by fleeing everywhere, but over half the island's people will die or end up slaves."
Joseon's Tsushima expedition was much smaller than Zheng He's, and with no overseas campaign experience, they bungled things left and right. That's why some claim King Sejong's conquest failed, even though it had decent results.
But Zheng He's fleet is the strongest of our era—and battle-hardened to boot.
Tsushima, with its weak defenses and small population, can't possibly hold out.
Unless the Lord of Tsushima is Admiral Yi Sun-sin reborn, he'll lose 1,000 battles out of 1,000.
"So in the end, we'll have to rely on our lords, the So clan. We're their retainers—practically subsidiary bosses. They won't abandon us."
Pre-shogunate Japan operated like the yakuza.
A big boss shogun at the top, his lieutenants running sub-groups below...
Turf wars between subs sparked full-on conflicts.
Honorless as the Japanese are, ditching a subordinate now would fracture the great daimyo So clan into infighting.
They can't afford to abandon the Lord of Tsushima and his people.
But these are the same backstabbing Japanese famed for zero loyalty.
Even if the So clan takes in desperate Tsushima refugees, will they treat them right after they've lost their base?
"The So and Ouchi clans are still at war. Two years ago, the Ouchi even snatched Hakata Castle in Chikuzen from them."
"......How the hell do you know that, Assistant Magistrate Kim?"
"If I want to know, I know. Merchants coming to Jeju's Jeongui County spill all sorts of intel to me. Oh, and His Majesty knows all this too, of course."
The knowledge I "have" is packaged as merchant gossip from Jeongui County, funneled through the Ministry of Rites to King Sejong.
"The So clan will soon ally with the Otomo to retake Hakata."
It's around 1430 now, so in about a year, the Otomo/So alliance will behead Ouchi Moriie, the Ouchi head.
But right now, everyone thinks the So are losing, so I need to poke at his insecurities.
"And the So clan will stick you and your people—territoriless refugees—right on the front lines of the bloodiest battles. No chance for glory."
"......Yeah, that tracks."
"So abandoning Tsushima to throw yourselves on the So clan's mercy isn't a great call."
"Sounds like you've got another option. Care to share?"
"Come to Ulleungdo for a bit. His Majesty has permitted you and your people—vassals of Joseon—to live there."
To cross the Pacific to America someday, Joseon needs Ulleungdo, Dokdo, and even Hokkaido.
Ulleungdo's empty thanks to King Taejong's depopulation policy, despite plenty of arable land—no fields or paddies.
Protect Tsushima folk temporarily, have them reclaim new land in exchange?
Ulleungdo becomes livable.
"You make a good point about the So using us then discarding us. But what's to stop Joseon from doing the same..."
"If the Ming learn Tsushima's coastal raids were tied to Joseon, it'll hit us hard."
I'm volunteering their leverage over us unprompted for a reason.
Even if they snitch that Joseon ordered their piracy, the Ming won't forgive them.
They'll punish them as traitors to make an example, slaughter the lot...
Then scorch Tsushima into uninhabitable wasteland.
So Tsushima can't rat us out to the Ming.
Obey Joseon, and they get rice, silk, steel to sell for fat profits... Why betray us?
"Joseon has to protect Tsushima. And we're not at war now. No need or plan to throw you or your samurai into the meat grinder."
"Fair enough."
"One more thing: temporarily hand Tsushima over to the Iki Island scum."
Here, I lowered my voice and flashed a wicked grin.
"The Ming fleet will sweep the Iki pirates clean first. Then the ones holed up in Tsushima."
"Makes sense."
"Once they're gone, wait a bit, then you reclaim the empty Tsushima. Swear loyalty to the So, and what do you get? Maybe a crappy 2,000-3,000 koku plot in Kyushu's backwoods. But take Iki..."
"No war, just free land? Perfect for us. Deal—let's do it."
The negotiations with the Lord of Tsushima wrapped up smoothly.
Now, just wait for the Joseon fleet with surveillance troops. We'll team up, trash Tsushima, and bail.
The rest is up to whoever comes after.