Part 1 - Min Mu-jil: Openly Rebuking Jeong Do-jeon
We reached the following conclusions after our discussions, covering everything from the preparations to the strategy during the coup.
First, the preparations:
1. We siphon off our private soldiers. We're all commanding more troops than officially allotted anyway, so it won't raise suspicions. We'll also divert some weapons.
2. Deliver those siphoned private soldiers discreetly to Ha Ryeon, who is about to take up his post as Governor of Chungcheong Province.
3. When they try to seize our soldiers, we put on a show of fierce resistance. That's the only way to avoid suspicion.
4. We absolutely must persuade Jo Yeong-mu, the outgoing Governor of Chungcheong. After his term, he'll be in charge of palace guards, so we have to win him over. Yi Bang-won, with his close ties, will handle that. We'll also recruit several others.
5. Meanwhile, I lay out a mat in front of the palace and draw all eyes from Jeong Do-jeon's faction. I can say whatever harsh things I want—my job is to keep their attention locked on me.
That's the preparation phase. The strategy itself is straightforward, just like during the Princes' Revolt. Our forces—Chungcheong troops, plus Park Eun, Park Po, and others—march in, enter the capital, surround the palace, and that's the kickoff. Of course, this includes sending Yi Suk-beon to command the Ji'an Garrison for the Jeongneung repairs. That's how we get the gates open. Then we slaughter Jeong Do-jeon's faction, while Sin Geuk-rye and I Geo-i seize the Three Armies Bureau with their troops, and the rest take the Six Ministries.
This works because, whether we invade Liaodong or not, Sin Geuk-rye and I Geo-i are key generals in this Joseon—no one else can lead armies like they can.
That's the rough strategy. The timing is TBD, decided by Yi Bang-won himself. Well, he'll handle it fine. He'll probably pick a time when Yi Seong-gye is bedridden with illness.
After hashing out the strategy, Yi Bang-won said,
"Now we just have to trust Mu-jil."
I have to draw Jeong Do-jeon's full attention to start everything off, so it's important in its own way. But I'm confident.
"With Jeong Do-jeon, I get chills just thinking about him, so I can rile him up properly. No need to worry."
Everyone laughed. They'd all heard the exchanges between me and Jeong Do-jeon already.
"Then let's get to preparations."
"Yes, Prince Jeong-an."
And so we began.
Three days later, I spread a mat in front of the palace with my subordinate officials and got right to it.
"Your Highness! Liaodong cannot be invaded under Joseon's current circumstances. Please rescind the order. And withdraw the appointment of Jeong Do-jeon as Minister of the Three Armies Bureau!"
Everyone shouted after me at the top of their lungs.
"Your Highness, Jeong Do-jeon is showing signs of corruption. His mere presence in court sows chaos—please rescind the order!"
But then I spotted Kim Sa-hyeong. Should be Jeong Do-jeon, not him. Come on out already.
I kept hurling provocations at Jeong Do-jeon, waiting for him to appear.
Meanwhile, at that moment, Jeong Do-jeon was meeting with Jo Jun.
"Left Prime Minister, don't be like this—cooperate."
When Jeong Do-jeon brought up the Liaodong invasion in the Six Ministries meeting, Jo Jun, Kim Sa-hyeong, and others dismissed it as unworthy of debate and flatly refused, ending the meeting. So Jeong Do-jeon had come to persuade Jo Jun. Kim Sa-hyeong was hopeless, so at least Jo Jun.
"No. Liaodong? Absurd!"
"Why?"
"Do you really not know? Have you forgotten the Wihwa Island Retreat? This Joseon was built on that foundation. Liaodong now? Nonsense!"
"I've told you repeatedly—the situation then is different from now."
"The capital relocation to Hanyang exhausted the people with corvée labor, and the Tsushima invasion consumed vast supplies. Stockpiling 500,000 seok of grain doesn't make war possible. We need troops and weapons too, and Joseon lacks the logistics for a Liaodong campaign."
"Even accounting for that, it's feasible. We can produce weapons starting now."
"Where's the funding? This land of the Three Hans is just recovering from wars—dragging it into another is madness."
"Weren't you all for a massive expedition to Tsushima?"
"Comparing Ming bandits to Japanese pirates? I'm done listening. Leave. My mind won't change."
"U-jae!"
"Don't call me that anymore, Minister. I'm deeply disappointed in you."
"What?"
"For old ties, I wanted to bring you back to the Six Ministries. But I never dreamed you'd push this insanity. I regret ever letting you argue it back then."
"U-jae, this completes our great cause. Seize Liaodong, hold it and the Three Hans—then the Central Plains won't dare look down on us. Help me this once."
"Say we mobilize all Joseon's might and take Liaodong. How long can we hold it? History books are full of nations ruined by overextending. Why ignore that? I'm curious—what twisted logic drives this folly?"
Jeong Do-jeon cited Zhu Yuan Zhang's death and potential Ming civil war. Jo Jun retorted,
"Even if true, nothing guarantees a prolonged civil war. It's just your idealistic fantasy. And after it ends, Ming will target us—what's your plan? We can't stake Joseon's people on your dreams. Drop it."
As they argued, suddenly Shim Hyo-saeng burst in.
"What is it?"
"Lord Sambong, Min Mu-jil has laid a mat before the palace and is impeaching you."
Jeong Do-jeon fumed. That bastard tasted blood from the last impeachment and now again? When Shim Hyo-saeng added that Min Mu-jil called him a pyehaeng, Jeong Do-jeon trembled with rage.
Pyehaeng—a sycophantic villain fawning on the king for power, the worst insult for a Confucian scholar. Enraged, Jeong Do-jeon stormed out to confront Min Mu-jil.
There, seeing officials openly calling him pyehaeng, Jeong Do-jeon bellowed,
"How dare you call someone pyehaeng!"
Min Mu-jil smirked.
Finally, Jeong Do-jeon showed up. Time to begin.
"Aren't you the armchair general, Minister?"
Jisang-ni-byeong—paper-talk soldier. From China's Warring States, referring to Zhao Kuo, who doomed Zhao at Changping. It mocks someone who spouts strategy from books but is useless in reality. Basically, calling Jeong Do-jeon a big-mouthed phony like Zhao Kuo.
"What did you say?"
He got it, face twisted in fury.
"Oh? Not quite? Zhao Kuo at least knew the classics inside out—you're worse. If you'd properly read The Art of War, you wouldn't push Liaodong."
"You dare..."
"Pushing an impossible Liaodong invasion earns you that. Take it to heart, Minister."
"What do you know to spout such nonsense!"
Jackpot.
"I'm young, but I've wielded a sword on the frontiers for years. I know military affairs. Why question what I know now, after praising my expertise to Zhu Yuan Zhang?"
He ground his teeth. No comeback?
Then Shim Hyo-saeng snapped,
"You dare slander the Prime Minister? Want to die?"
"I want to live. Liaodong means we all die. I'm preventing disaster. Slander? Where? Minister, I'll explain why Liaodong's impossible—judge for yourself."
Kim Sa-hyeong chimed in,
"Intriguing. Speak."
"Minister, punish him for slandering the Prime Minister! What nonsense?"
"If the Bingjo Jeongnang's words hold merit, it's no slander. If not, I'll interrogate him harshly. Speak—why is Liaodong impossible?"
Kim Sa-hyeong, foaming at the mouth against Liaodong, backed me up.
"Yes. First, Joseon's depleted from Hanyang move and Tsushima—short on Liaodong supplies. Second, funding means squeezing the people dry, ruining lives. Third, our forces can't beat Ming. Fourth, we can't control the Jurchens."
As I continued, Jeong Do-jeon interrupted,
"Think I ignored all that?"
"Yes. Looks like it."
"What?"
"What possessed you to use Jurchens for Liaodong? The least trustworthy tribe. Employing them to seize it? Lucky if they don't turn spears on us. As Dongbuk-mok defender, if you missed that, you've wasted your time."
Even with Yi Seong-gye's sway over Jurchens, he doesn't control them all. Those outside his influence will knife us in the back during a Ming war. Can't he see?
"Say we succeed per you, drive Ming from Liaodong. How do you control the remaining Jurchens alone?"
"With His Highness, we can."
"Our edge over Jurchens is His Highness's prestige, his elite army, gunpowder. Take Ming's Liaodong, they cut saltpeter—we lose gunpowder, our key control. How do you control more Jurchens without it? And without saltpeter, pirates revive—your plan? Jurchens north, pirates south, Ming everywhere. Enough, Minister. Joseon can't afford enemies on all sides like you think."
"You bastard."
"Not done. You underestimate Ming terror—let me explain. Zhu Yuan Zhang resettled 11 million in ruined Huabei, 4 million military households under li-jia, mobilizable anytime. Over a million prime troops in Huabei alone. Joseon? Barely 200,000. Invade Liaodong, they swarm—what then?"
"War isn't just numbers. Training, discipline, weapons matter."
"Not just numbers, but numbers aren't ignored. Art of War stresses great armies. Didn't read it? Weapons? Ming cuts saltpeter—why harp on them? Think we have better than gunpowder?"
I detailed Ming's land, population—busy work while detained by Zhu Yuan Zhang. I'd secretly gathered intel.
"Liaodong because of possible civil war? Minister, if you hate going to Ming, say so. Don't ruin Joseon. Worried? I'll go instead. You?"
I threw it in his face: I'll go to Ming for you—what about you?
Shim Hyo-saeng sputtered,
"That punk..."
No words? Good.
"Step aside. I must impeach Lord Sambong. I have confidence to resolve this in Ming—those without, leave."
Live-for-today talk, but I had my ace.
"Drag him out. I'll beat a confession today!"
As they grabbed me,
"Lord Sambong, lend an ear."
"How dare—"
"Ignore me, you'll regret it."
Curious, he leaned in.
"Lord Sambong, want me to reveal you ordered Yi Sug-in beaten to death and poisoned Yi Sak?"
He froze. Yeah, that blows up, you're done. Too many weaknesses, Jeong Do-jeon.
In the end, he left me alone, and I raised my impeachment cries louder.