Part 1: Treading the Dragon's Lair in Nanjing
Min Mu-jil, Yi Bang-won, and their entourage had arrived in Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Nanjing was a truly enormous city. What we called Nanjing was more precisely Jingsa, simply meaning "the capital." The name Nanjing had stuck so firmly that everyone used it anyway. Word had it that nearly a million people lived here. No wonder the streets teemed with crowds and commerce buzzed with activity. If only Joseon could reach this level soon. But after the ravages of late Goryeo's Japanese pirates and barbarian invasions, commerce would take time to flourish. Right now, in early Joseon, they could barely manage self-sufficiency, let alone surplus production.
As they passed through the bustling streets of Nanjing, the imperial palace came into view. Its scale was on another level entirely. They said Zhu Yuanzhang had built it frugally here in Nanjing, but bullshit. Build it frugal twice over and you'd bankrupt the empire. Maybe it was frugal compared to the previous dynasty's palaces? Come to think of it, it did seem smaller than the Forbidden City from his past life. Anyway, even in this era, the continental scale was real. Or perhaps "continental magnitude" was the better term.
Upon arriving at the palace, they were guided by Hwang Ja-jing, the Libu Shangshu, to the envoys' quarters within the grounds to await summons. Hwang Ja-jing—another of the Hongwu Emperor's key advisors. The man who'd dragged out the Jingnan Rebellion for four years. It was Hwang Ja-jing's recommendation of Li Jinglong that had botched things so badly, prolonging the chaos. Still, for Min Mu-jil's plans, some failure was necessary, so he had no intention of meddling.
After unpacking in the envoys' quarters, they waited for the Hongwu Emperor's call. Of course, only Yi Bang-won, Nam Jae, and Jo Ban would meet the emperor himself. Min Mu-jil, a mere low-ranking official, would have to wait for a summons from the Ministry of War or Rites. Pretty ridiculous for a sixth-rank clerk like him to even dream of an audience. He did want to see it once, though.
Days passed with no word from the emperor. Then Yi Bang-won remarked, "It seems he's trying to break our spirits again."
Like we were some damn pets to be tamed. Still, Min Mu-jil figured they were probably running background checks on the delegation. The Hongwu Emperor was notorious for that sort of thing. He likely knew they'd met with people close to the Prince of Yan too. Min Mu-jil wondered what calculations were churning in the emperor's mind.
Meanwhile, the Hongwu Emperor sat on his throne and summoned Je Tae and Seo Hwi-jo.
"Your Majesty, you called for us?"
"Yes. What are the Joseon envoys up to?"
"They're waiting in the envoys' quarters."
The Hongwu Emperor harbored deep resentment toward Joseon's delegation. He'd specifically requested their eldest or second son, but they'd sent others instead. The only reason he held his temper was that Yi Bang-won was someone he'd met once before.
"Insolent fools. But Left Supervisor of the Ministry of War (Seo Hwi-jo), have you looked into them thoroughly?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seo Hwi-jo then detailed the delegation's backgrounds, causing the emperor to scowl.
"The rest are tolerable enough, but they sent a mere sixth-rank clerk to handle the real work? Insolent bastards."
"But it's true—he handled all the practical matters. And he's the brother-in-law of the prince who came this time, so his status isn't that low."
The emperor pondered for a moment.
"Hmph. Someone deliberately sent him here hoping I'd dispose of him for them. That arrogant Jeong Do-jeon from before, no doubt."
The Hongwu Emperor prided himself on his judgment of character and had pegged Jeong Do-jeon as insolent and ill-mannered from their first meeting. Jeong Do-jeon had been perfectly courteous, of course, but the emperor saw through the facade to his true nature. Whether Jeong Do-jeon felt wronged was irrelevant—that was for someone else to worry about. The emperor's word was law, and seeing Jeong Do-jeon's fate only confirmed his instincts.
"Supervisor of the Left in the Ministry of War. You will meet this man personally. I'll handle the rest of the Joseon envoys. Bring me full details."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll extract information on the pirates and Joseon itself."
The emperor nodded in satisfaction. He knew exactly what he wanted. This confirmed why he'd marked the man as a minister to leave for his grandson. Soon after, he summoned Yi Bang-won, Nam Jae, and the others, granting them audience.
As soon as they entered, paid their respects, and rose, he demanded, "Why does Joseon keep stirring trouble along our borders? Why are you strengthening your military so aggressively? And what is this persistent overture to the Jurchens?"
Yi Bang-won replied, "Your Majesty, Joseon has long suffered under Japanese pirate raids. With the threat of their resurgence, we are reforming our military institutions for more effective defense. If Joseon fails to contain the pirates, they will reach the Great Ming through us. Thus, this also serves to guard Your Majesty's eastern flank—please withdraw your anger. As for the Jurchens, it has ever been said that ten thousand of them can shake the world. Checking them is only natural, and it aids in defending Your Majesty's Liaodong as well—please keep this in mind."
"And what are you implying? That without Joseon's help, I—or my descendants—cannot handle mere pirates and Jurchens? That my heirs are so feeble? Dare you insult my lineage?"
Yi Bang-won was utterly dumbfounded. Whenever they offered to assist Ming, it always devolved into these absurd nitpicks. Yet as a prince of Joseon, he genuinely wished for his kingdom's betterment and kept trying to sway the emperor's mood.
Watching this, the Hongwu Emperor secretly approved. The man asserted Joseon's needs with the poise of a prince, yet earnestly defended even against his petty jabs. A fine talent indeed. Empowering him to counter that arrogant Jeong Do-jeon wasn't a bad idea either.
"Your words please me. Remain in the envoys' quarters for now. I'll send a reply soon."
With that, Yi Bang-won returned to the quarters after the audience.
Meanwhile, as expected, Min Mu-jil was summoned by Je Tae. Right on cue. The Hongwu Emperor preferred to judge everything himself, but for a low-rank like him, it was one of the emperor's chosen who handled it—gathering intel to report back.
Je Tae immediately adopted a domineering tone, grilling him with questions. It felt like a full interrogation. But Min Mu-jil had anticipated the atmosphere. He pulled out a map and began explaining.
"Supervisor, the Japanese are divided into north and south but recently reunited, leading to frequent shifts in their domains."
"We know that much. Are you claiming military reforms to counter them? Then why so many cavalry? Surely not plotting against Liaodong with all that horseflesh?"
"No, sir. The pirates are armed with swords and spears, excelling in close combat. Cavalry is the most effective counter to their mounted shortages, so we're increasing them."
"That's an excessive number."
Min Mu-jil pointed to the map.
"The lord of Hokkokushu commands a massive pirate fleet. He accepts not just locals but wanderers from everywhere. Long civil wars have left Japan ravaged, swelling the ranks of vagrants. He absorbs them into his pirates—tens of thousands strong. One day, he'll send that fleet against Joseon and Ming, so bolstering cavalry is prudent preparation."
He wove in testimonies from pirate prisoners he'd submitted to the Ministry of War, intel from those captured at Dongnae, and future knowledge. Je Tae nodded.
"Hmph. Intriguing. They really sent someone who knows his stuff."
Seemed like a positive take. After more probing questions, Je Tae left, promising to meet again.
Oddly, no questions about the Jurchens. Well, from his tone, there'd be a few more meetings.
Back at the quarters, Yi Bang-won and Nam Jae were already there.
"How did it go?"
Yi Bang-won shook his head, recounting the emperor's power play: Joseon claiming to guard Ming's east implied he and his heirs were incompetent without them. Classic Hongwu Emperor bullying. Still, Yi Bang-won said his expression softened later—things had gone well enough. The prince's composure must have impressed him.
What was the Hongwu Emperor thinking now? History said they'd received lavish hospitality and returned home in triumph.
Meanwhile, the Hongwu Emperor was quite taken with this delegation. They opposed Jeong Do-jeon, for one, and Yi Bang-won himself appealed. A prince needed that caliber of bearing. Especially how he grasped the emperor's suspicions yet advocated mercifully for Joseon, quoting classics fluidly. It sat well with him.
"Indeed. A prince of a nation must measure up like that. Manly—I like him."
"Is that so, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, my grandson."
The emperor spoke gently to his grandson, Zhu Yunwen—the most precious person in his life.
"Then, Your Majesty, what will you do with them?"
"Send them off on good terms. That way, we can check those like Jeong Do-jeon. But that's not enough. We need moves to provoke Jeong Do-jeon and a warning to Yi Bang-won's side. Of course, lavish gifts to soothe them."
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"Grandson, to handle another realm, foster two factions: one close to us, one distant. Pit them against each other and ensure our ally wins—that's true control. Even our ally needs a warning to prevent disloyalty. I'll show you how. Use it when you ascend the throne."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good, my grandson."
The emperor smiled fondly at Zhu Yunwen. Then, officers from the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrived.
"As commanded, Your Majesty, we've scouted around the Prince of Yan."
The emperor still ran the Embroidered Uniform Guard covertly, despite court pushes to disband it. Officially dismantled, but he used it more secretly now—for his sons, the regional kings. Appointed out of necessity, but if they threatened his grandson or strayed, he'd eliminate them. They were under triple surveillance, including the Guard.
"Any issues?"
"Yes. Someone from the Joseon delegation contacted people around the Prince of Yan."
"Expected. Did they exchange insolent words?"
"Nothing significant. But one Joseon envoy was secretly spying on the Prince of Yan."
"Who?"
"The one who came as Supervisor of the Left in the Ministry of War."
"Withdraw for now."
"Yes."
Once they left, the emperor summoned Je Tae.
"You called for me, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. What intel did you gather?"
Je Tae recounted Min Mu-jil's information point by point, handing over the documents too. As the emperor reviewed them and listened,
"More capable than expected. He's really twenty-one? Your account suggests forty years' experience."
"I was shocked too, Your Majesty."
The emperor was genuinely surprised. The maps were meticulously detailed, explanations plausible. Hard to believe from a twenty-one-year-old.
"Just like Jeong Do-jeon. A most disagreeable fellow."
Then a report on the borders arrived.
"What of Joseon?"
"Yes. Troops on the border have pulled back. But their positioning suggests they'll redeploy next year."
"Does Jeong Do-jeon take me for a fool?!"
Furious at Jeong Do-jeon's ploy to placate him temporarily then resume, the emperor raged.
"Looks like Jeong Do-jeon needs a real warning. Left Supervisor, arrest that Ministry of War clerk at once."
His grandson interjected, "But aren't you warning Jeong Do-jeon? Why this?"
"To make enemies of Yi Bang-won and Jeong Do-jeon. We'll threaten the clerk lightly, reward him richly, then release. Hint that Jeong Do-jeon escalated Jurchen overtures deliberately, and Yi Bang-won's faction will hate him even more. The prince is too risky, so we use his brother-in-law. Also to test if he's Jeong Do-jeon's ilk."
"I see."
"Yes, grandson. Left Supervisor, fetch him quickly."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With that, Left Supervisor Seo Hwi-jo set off to arrest Min Mu-jil.