The Seed of Abundance (9)
**Line 1:** `CHAPTER_TITLE: [The Seed of Prosperity - Part 9]`
**Line 2 onwards:**
At the Beijing Conference Hall, also known as the Joseon Envoy's Residence, the South Hall.
Lee Jun hurriedly slipped out following someone.
"Let's hurry."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Yi Yeon chased after him, shouting.
"Physician Lee! Let's go together!"
Lee Jun had just crossed the Okha Bridge when he stopped and turned around.
Yi Yeon, wearing a crooked hat and accompanied by his escort soldiers, came sprinting up.
"Your Majesty! Please stay here! This might not be the one!"
Ignoring the warning, Yi Yeon stepped in front of Lee Jun and said, panting.
"Still, let's go together. If you get hurt, I won't be able to face His Majesty."
"Then, please lend me only the soldiers."
"No, that won't do. We have to do everything together. Isn't that right?"
"You seem bored."
"Sometimes, yes. Anyway, we are one in body and mind."
Yi Yeon fixed his hat, shouldered the pack, and led the way.
"What? Not going?"
"Yes, yes. Let's go."
Instead of the interpreter who had already left for Joseon earlier, a merchant who was handling the translation brought news.
He said a sick cow had been seen.
At those words, Lee Jun rushed out.
After all, it might be the cow he had been looking for.
Lee Jun hurried past Yi Yeon, who was looking at the merchant who had brought the news.
"Do you know which cow it is?"
"I didn't see it myself, but the talk I overheard makes me think it's the one Your Grace is looking for."
"What is it?"
"It has a large abscess with round pus."
"Really? Then let's hurry."
When the group reached the Uma Market outside the West Gate, the fair was already winding down.
The sounds of cows and horses neighing and merchants shouting filled the air.
"Wow... How many cows and horses are there?"
It wasn't just the quantity.
The types were varied.
There were cows with short horns, like those in Joseon, and cows with horns as tall as a person's height.
Many of the horses were things Lee Jun had never seen before.
"Yes, where is it?"
"Just a moment, Your Grace."
The merchant ran inside the market, bargained with someone, and rushed back.
"Your Grace, there's trouble."
"What happened?"
"It seems they chased away the cow they said was sick and went back."
"Where to?"
"That... the merchants who came from the west."
"When did they leave?"
"About an hour ago."
Lee Jun looked up at the sky.
The sun was already setting in the middle.
"Your Majesty?"
"Why?"
"We must move quickly, so I need to buy some horses."
"How many?"
"Let me see... I think five will be enough."
"Five?"
"That should be sufficient."
"No, that's not possible."
"Neither am I."
Lee Jun shook his head firmly.
Yi Yeon shook his head too.
"We are one in body and mind, remember?"
"Still, no. We might be in danger if we leave here."
"Are you okay with that?"
"Am I okay?"
"What is okay? Do you think bandits will spare us just because we're physicians?"
"No, it's not that..."
Lee Jun looked Yi Yeon up and down and continued.
"I don't look like a great prince."
"Hmph!"
Yi Yeon, dressed in the white silk clothes he had gotten here, turned his head to gaze at the distant mountains.
His splendid attire would make him an obvious target for bandits.
"Then how about this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Change your clothes first, and you and I will go ahead with the others. Send someone to bring the remaining escort soldiers."
"That won't do."
"Why do you keep saying no?"
"Do you know where we're going?"
"Um... Yes, I see. Then what should we do?"
"Just leave it to me and wait for me back here."
"I said that won't do."
After much negotiation, only two soldiers remained to escort Yi Yeon back, and the rest went with Lee Jun.
"Then, about thirty horses?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Here."
Yi Yeon took two large silver ingots from his pocket and handed them to Lee Jun.
Lee Jun passed one to the merchant and said.
"No need for change. Buy thirty sturdy horses quickly."
"Understood."
"Saddle them and bring plenty of water and rations."
"Yes, yes. We will do that."
Lee Jun was in a hurry.
Although they had left an hour ago, he didn't know where they went, so he had to search everywhere.
Watching Lee Jun and the soldiers walk away, Yi Yeon muttered.
"I won't let it be the sick cow this time... we'll find it for sure..."
* * *
April 1, 1568 (Year 1 of King Seonjo)
Yi Yeon, waiting for his elder brother and Lee Jun, had not come. Instead, Yao Chen and Li Qing, the eunuchs sent by the Ming emperor, arrived.
Following them were Minister of Rites Lee Tak and the Joseon merchants who had gone as envoys, and they returned.
It was worrying, but good news.
The escort soldiers who were to protect Yi Yeon had stayed behind.
Yi Yeon received a high mandate and imperial decree from the Ming envoys and was formally conferred as the king of Joseon.
The ministers bowed to him and praised him as a thousand years, but Yi Yeon felt nothing.
"What do they think I should bend for!"
Yi Yeon shoved the gifts and tribute from Ming China to one side.
"They dare to shout at me! Who do they think I am? They..."
Yi Yeon shoved the gifts and tribute again, dropping them under the table.
Kim Yang-bo swallowed hard at the sight.
Yi Yeon brushed off the dust on his palm, crossed his hands, and turned his gaze to Kim Yang-bo.
"Yang-bo?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Suppose you were in the position of those eunuchs. Would you act like them?"
"Your subject is overwhelmed. I do not understand Your Majesty's words."
"Would you clench your teeth and act arrogant like them?"
"How could that be?"
"True. Absolutely not. You are representing the emperor, not the emperor himself. Understand?"
"I will remember, Your Majesty."
Kim Yang-bo heard his heart pounding loudly in his ears.
The Ming envoys this time treated the king with contempt.
They seemed weak, but their reception on the way had been unsatisfactory, so they were in a bad mood.
The king, upon hearing the report of the Ming envoys' arrival, issued an order.
'Do not forget your duty as a subject of Joseon, act with proper etiquette, and face them with dignity!'
Thanks to this, the people along the envoy route were not plundered.
The envoys were extremely arrogant toward the Joseon officials, whose actions had differed from what they had heard.
They openly demanded gold and silver ingots.
Even so, the young king showed no anger and just smiled it off.
The ministers nodded in approval of the king's appearance, but Kim Yang-bo felt his heart ache.
His lord was appearing humble.
But it was not.
It was endurance.
It was suppressing anger.
"Yang-bo?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Have these sent to the preparation hall and request the trade bureau chief."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the palace maids carried out the silks sent from Ming China, Kim Yang-bo returned shortly.
"Your Majesty, the trade bureau chief is waiting at the Wan Chun Hall."
"Tell him to come immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yi Yeon decided to add the character 'guk' to the name of the new organization.
Since the imperial country Ming used the Six Ministries, Joseon had to use the lower Six Cao.
It was not to his liking, but he could not use 'seong' or 'bu' outright.
It was meant to be a direct challenge.
Yi Yeon thought it over and decided to use the character 'guk' formed by 'chik' and 'gu'.
'Pang guk' means a long chessboard or go board.
However, in the future it would be used for subsidiary organizations, so it would look good as a name for a palace direct agency.
This time, Sim Tong-won, who had become the chief of the trade bureau, rushed in upon receiving the king's call.
After all, he looked like he would take a cut from the trade with the Ming envoys.
When Yi Yeon entered the Wan Chun Hall, Sim Tong-won shouted loudly.
"This subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Sim Tong-won's voice was very excited.
He had given up the Left State Councillor position, but becoming the chief of the trade bureau that dealt with foreign trade was even better.
It felt even more satisfying since the king had said the trade bureau was an organization that performed independently as a palace direct agency.
He felt like he could become a prime minister with one below and ten thousand above.
"Please sit down. I called you because I have important matters to discuss."
"Please speak, Your Majesty."
"When we are alone like this, we can speak comfortably."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"I need to meet with the eunuchs."
"I wonder if I can guess the reason."
'Just like those greedy ones.'
Seeing that Yi Yeon was again using extreme respect, he let out a sigh.
Sim Tong-won did not refuse.
After all, such words could become a problem, so he left it to someone else.
But he could not question him about powerlessness.
They would just stick to his lips.
"I know you know they demanded gold and silver ingots. However, I will not give them."
"I understand, Your Majesty. Please entrust it to this subject."
"I trust you will handle it well. Let's touch Ming's silver ingots too."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will handle it well."
'That's why I have no choice.'
Yi Yeon found Sim Tong-won easy to deal with because he was obedient and quick to learn.
His greed caused problems, but as long as he didn't cause any, Yi Yeon liked having him around.
But he had to watch him constantly.
Otherwise, he would cause an accident.
"I trust you, but I feel one more thing might be insufficient, so I have prepared another."
"Yes?! What do you mean?"
Sim Tong-won looked surprised at Yi Yeon.
With just one, he had the confidence to satisfy the Ming envoys and attract Ming merchants.
He boasted that he had everything in Joseon that was valuable, but the moment he saw the one, he was left bewildered.
So it was insufficient?
It was hard to believe.
"Your Majesty, what is that?"
Yi Yeon smiled faintly and called Kim Yang-bo.
"Yang-bo? Bring it in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Again, Kim Yang-bo carried a large wooden box and carefully placed it to one side.
Sim Tong-won asked hurriedly.
"Your Majesty! What is this?"
"Open it."
He hesitated, then immediately opened the box.
"Wow..."
His eyes were blinded, and he could not open them.
Even so, without closing his eyes, he bowed his head close to the box as if to poke his head inside.
"Th-this, Your Majesty! This is..."
"Have you ever seen a mirror before?"
"N-no..."
Again, Sim Tong-won was at a loss for words.
Yi Yeon chuckled and took out one mirror from the box.
It was about the size of an A5 sheet.
"Take a look."
Yi Yeon held up the mirror and reflected it on Sim Tong-won's face.
Sim Tong-won hurriedly stepped back.
He was startled to see his own clear face reflected in the mirror.
Even so, he soon smiled brightly with greedy eyes.
It looked like a very kind-hearted grandfather if you just looked at it.
The grandfather standing in front of the chicken shop.
Yi Yeon took a deep breath and regained his composure.
'I can't fall for that smile!'
Yi Yeon handed the mirror to Sim Tong-won and asked.
"How is it? Will it become money?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. If it's such a mirror, I could receive millions of gold."
"Really?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. In my eyes, it looks several times, no, dozens or hundreds of times more valuable than a chessboard."
Sim Tong-won gripped the mirror tightly in his hand.
Like a child who had just tasted ice cream for the first time.
"Be careful. It's a fragile item."
"Yes?!"
"It's as fragile as ice."
"Ah, yes..."
Only then did Sim Tong-won relax his grip.
Then he held the precious treasure carefully, as if handling it.
"Even so, can you sell it for more than a chessboard?"
"Unlike a chessboard, since it will be used for viewing, there will be no one who will haggle over such a clear mirror."
Satisfied with the answer, Yi Yeon nodded.
"Your Majesty, but how was this made?"
'Why, you don't ask?'
"That is a secret and I cannot tell you. Even if I did, you wouldn't understand."
"Ah, yes..."
It was a habitual question, but he knew that even knowing the manufacturing method, such equipment could not be easily made.
"Your subject is overwhelmed. Your Majesty."
Thinking he had made a mistake, Sim Tong-won immediately apologized.
Even so, Yi Yeon's expression did not soften.
There was still something to prove.
Yi Yeon stared straight at Sim Tong-won.
* * *