Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: The Empire Ablaze (1)
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Before returning to Pyongyang, Kim Unhaeng met with Yi Jaeun.
Ever since taking charge of relay trade from Jeju during the recent war, Yi Jaeun had been primarily helping Park Jiwon make money, but Kim Unhaeng summoned him along with the warships from the Southern Sea Navy.
It was for the plan he was about to set in motion. Kim Unhaeng needed someone he could absolutely trust, someone who could freely travel between Pyongyang, Seoul, and the Qing.
However, when he asked about the movements of the Pyeongscongwan Park clan and the merchants, the response was unexpected.
"Yes, I am aware. The Pyeongscongwan that the old lord entrusted to me are also part of the Yi Yeonhoe, so they contributed money as well."
"What? Not all of those Pyeongscongwan are illegitimate sons, so why...?"
"The perceptive lord is making a strange joke. Do you think they donated that much money just to shed the stigma of being illegitimate? Ah, of course, I'm not saying they lack patriotism or loyalty, but what they truly desire goes beyond that."
Kim Unhaeng was baffled. It was certainly a large sum, but he didn't think 300,000 taels was excessive if it meant clearing the 'illegitimate lineage' issue.
In Joseon, the only path to success and honor was through officialdom. And to enter officialdom, one could not be the descendant of an illegitimate child or a remarried widow.
Moreover, this era did not treat poverty as the greatest crime like the modern world did. Frugality was even praised.
In other words, money was a luxury good, not a necessity. Compared to the honor of governing the world, it was utterly insignificant. That's why people squandered their fortunes to buy empty honorary titles with no real power.
Thus, like other conservative scholars, Kim Unhaeng only sighed at the trend of 'buying one's roots with money'—he couldn't dismiss the illegitimate sons' efforts as 'mere' anything. Even freed slaves weren't granted legitimacy in Joseon.
However, as a modern man who thought of the word 'bourgeoisie,' Kim Unhaeng should have immediately recalled the concept that followed.
Fortunately, Yi Jaeun explained it.
"You know that many Westerners, especially the English and the Hongmoin (Dutch), interact with the Pyeongscongwan, right?"
"Yes."
"From what I hear, the English originally planned to force open the markets, just like the Dal Dan during the Jeongtong era or the Japanese during the Eumyo year. Back then, they were rebelling against the suzerain, so it was quite vicious. But now, there's no emperor in the world—just barbarian chieftains.
So why can't we do the same? If the Northern Expedition happens later, customs houses will line up from Tianjin to Guangzhou. If the Yi Yeonhoe provides the funds now, who do you think will be chosen to run those Pyeongscongwan then?"
Kim Unhaeng's mouth hung open. But no thunderous rebuke worthy of the Northern Duke came forth.
He couldn't shout, 'I've shown these imperialist bastards the happiness of the people!' Yi Jaeun's calm explanation was perfectly grounded.
"The ancients always warned against extravagance because state resources are inherently limited—squandering them on frivolities leaves shortages elsewhere. But what if we build ships and wagons to bring in goods from abroad? Our people have learned ways to make money with money, all thanks to your grace, my lord."
Money begetting money. In other words, 'capital.'
It's a common misconception, but frugality wasn't Joseon's unique stifling trait.
Until the Industrial Revolution, economic growth rates worldwide barely differed from 0%. The pie never grew; to allocate more to one area meant cutting from another.
That is, until the Industrial Revolution and imperialism.
Of course, Joseon had no such Industrial Revolution. But there was no need to follow the exact historical path Kim Unhaeng knew.
Joseon's Pyeongscongwan sought Chinese markets precisely to 'regulate commerce and spread virtue widely,' as their name implied.
What is trade? Moving abundance from where it's plentiful to where it's scarce.
As Yi Jaeun said, no one disputed that Joseon, where 'ritual and music flourished,' brimmed with virtue. Since the Chongzhen Gabsin year, Joseon was the world's sole producer of morality.
Everyone knew the Jurchens had no virtue worth even using as medicine.
Thus, moral distribution was essential. And it would fetch a high price.
Stay calm.
I think I finally understand the point of this game. My mission is to correct the history warped by the status window.
Sorry, Park clan, but no Northern Expedition. That's a quest with way too much risk.
I'll just use the Northern Expedition as an excuse to assemble a massive army in my territory, Pyeongan Province. Making sure no one else can use it.
What I'm targeting are those rats like Jeong Hu-gyeom who'll slip through the cracks.
You say even Jeong Hu-gyeom, who has nothing but the Yongdu Grand Army, wouldn't dare step up unless he's insane?
Well, they have a powerful card: Yeongjo in Namhansanseong.
He tried to make the Yongdu Grand Army the son of Hyeonjang the Crown Prince. Like Jeongtong Emperor taking Jingeongseong with a mere edict, a former king can be worth 100,000 troops if used right.
No Joseon person could confidently call it delusion. There's already the strong precedents of 'Joseo' and 'Lee Seonggye.'
The fact that they failed doesn't matter. Rebels study failed precedents to fix flaws—they don't avoid attempts just because of past failures.
They have to be optimists to start ventures in always-disadvantageous situations. Without hope for the future, rebellion is impossible.
Of course, it's just a prediction for now. I need to watch them scurry about, maybe give a little nudge sometimes. That's why I sent Yi Hwan there.
I'll accept the 'Rebellion Suppression' quest from the status window once I've observed enough.
I delayed quest designation earlier for this reason too. To make it appear only when I call it.
Timing of contact is a key factor in negotiation leverage. Given the status window's (probable) rules for proposing quests on future events, it only offers them when 'that's the only option.'
I'd appreciate calling it a humanistic victory over a soul-tricking devil, not a loophole. This is the true ode to humanity.
Whether those vile bourgeois offer 300,000 or 3 million taels, I want no part in their inhuman imperialism—especially when it doesn't even help me.
What I need now isn't the Northern Expedition, but the opposite.
It's about hiding the military buildup in Pyeongan Province as much as possible while ensuring the Qianlong Emperor doesn't suspect Joseon.
Meanwhile, the Qianlong Emperor, enraged by the empire succumbing to darkness, launched a grand reform.
The opening salvo was little different from what countless emperors had done. He purged the 'vile ministers who blinded the sovereign and tormented the people.'
The criteria for good and evil were roughly like those of Christ, another 'son of God' by profession.
In short, the rich were mainly targeted. No one could thread the needle's eye. All failures in Junggar, Taiwan, and Japan were pinned on them, and their assets confiscated.
Discontent with the emperor came mostly from merchants and commoners, and it was recent. Control over the bureaucracy and military remained firm. This was the key difference from the 19th century.
The military was especially crucial—not because the remaining forces were exceptionally strong, but because a martial law atmosphere gripped society. In any nation, the military rages most fiercely against its own citizens.
Criminals were mass-produced like pottery in workshops. Tens of thousands of 'vile ministers' were arrested and executed.
Anyone criticizing the emperor's judgment for appointing legion-scale 'vile ministers' as officials was a vile minister themselves. A loyal subject would praise the emperor for achieving over half of Shichen Wugong despite such vermin lurking.
The emperor's resolve for a new era pressed on relentlessly.
"The Junggicheo is abolished. Those so-called Yijeongdaesin should feel shame. No minister shall henceforth petition me unilaterally."
Dispersing the bureaucracy is a cliché to strengthen monarchical power. But it overwhelms with increased workload.
This naturally expands informal aides.
Thinking of eunuchs would equate the Great Qing with corrupt Ming. Qing eunuchs, restrained by historical lessons, were few and barely literate.
Still, they filled a similar covert role.
Citing 'aged, rotten high officials' failing their duties, the emperor staffed his guards and attendants with fresh young boys from elite Manchu noble families.
The standout was Niuhuru Heshen from a prestigious house among prestigious houses.
Some 'vile ministers' gossiped about the emperor's taste for pretty boys, linking it to Kim Unhaeng of Joseon—but that's why they were vile. In this era, looks were a legitimate criterion for personnel evaluation.
There were rational reasons too. Young and networkless, they'd loyally serve as the emperor's tools; from noble houses, they tightened control over Manchu aristocracy (as hostages).
Heshen met expectations. He precisely voiced what the emperor wanted.
"Remonstrances claiming distress due to resource shortages aren't always loyal advice. How dare they call the realm poor under Your Majesty's achievements? It's excuses from the lazy. Entrust the trivial and bothersome to this servant, and Your Majesty can awe with a million-strong army, fully prepared without gaps."
Heshen issued a conditional amnesty in the emperor's name.
"The Son of Heaven is magnanimous. Those who repent and show loyalty will have even small sins forgiven."
Ways to show loyalty varied. The main method: confess sins to Heshen and pay fines. Heshen issued indulgences in the divine emperor's name.
Fines, minus minor admin fees, went not to the court but the 'emperor's' war chest. Confiscated assets too, of course.
Though infamous for corruption, Heshen was a capable minister sustaining Qianlong's reign. It wasn't mere extravagance; it invested in those far away wanting to show loyalty differently.
Purging tens of thousands of vile ministers meant tens of thousands of new loyalists could rise. Ambitious provincial youths led volunteer militias to become era's vanguard.
Overzealous, they razed rebel-like villages or raided official offices run by vile ministers—side effects, but Qing's military swelled endlessly, replacing depleted Green Standards and Eight Banners.
Unlike 19th-century Xiang Army, these had independence from private funds, but most wouldn't evolve into warlords.
The wealthiest merchants in Huizhou and Yangzhou had already turned from the emperor. Current militias rose from 'need' for power and money, not possession thereof.
Thus, Heshen controlled them by gripping their funds. With his inexperience, it meant direct imperial command.
Distinguishing from Green Standards and Eight Banners with red flags, they were named the Red Banner Army (Hongqi Jun) and deployed for suppressions everywhere.
As in the famous joke, many great generals are one-eyed.
Hannibal of Carthage, Philip II of Macedon, Jan Žižka of Bohemia. Odin's legend—sacrificing an eye for wisdom—might not be mere myth.
In the future, Russia's Kutuzov, hero of the Patriotic War, was one-eyed too.
Thus, the Russian Imperial Guard officer Potemkin, recently one-eyed in Sweden, might become a great general.
But now, Potemkin only wondered why he lacked an Orlov diamond.
While he lay wounded in Sweden, that sly fox curried favor with jewels, exiling Potemkin to this remote frontier.
Leading stinking Tatars and a scant regiment, he faced that mad red-flag horde.
"Retreat! Retreat, I said! Damn it, has the emperor lost his mind? We should sweep the British still lurking south before this wasteland!"
But that misjudged Qing priorities. As the continental dominance protocol showed, Qing's greatest threat was always the Mongols.
After a retreat better called a rout, Potemkin consulted the Mongol leader.
"It's impossible. We must withdraw all forces to the western Kalmyk region."
Unlike Elizabeth, Catherine aimed to prevent Junggar surrender. Securing influence to Kalmyk-Kazakh meant no need to contest China over Tianshan. Just monitor British moves.
But Amursana exploded.
"Is Russian faith so weak? We can never abandon ancestral lands!"
Potemkin swallowed, 'What you can't abandon is your safety—once you flee base, someone murders and usurps you.'
Arresting Amursana with his regiment? Discarded instantly— it'd cause fractures and Qing submission.
Potemkin held back tears. Romance was his forte, but this military quagmire was hopeless. Returning to the empress's bedchamber seemed distant.
The eastern Red Banner Army focused on inland foes too. British were overseas with scant army, thus low priority traditionally.
But no clear enemy here. So the Red Banner Army became 'Ming remnants.'
Not rebels—Red Turbans. Flags matched too.
They plundered suspicious villages indiscriminately to fatten up. In Hunan, Hubei, Shandong, they built horrors dwarfing those piled in Nagasaki by Mongol Eight Banners. Civilization's fury.
Like all such crackdowns, many criminals caught, few true culprits. Shandong's White Lotus headquarters remained hidden.
But pressure mounted. Meng Chan, head of the Eighteen Great Dharma Protectors, sensed the final battle neared. He declared gravely.
"Tell Joseon's Chunsik Doin (Kim Unhaeng) to send all remaining medicine and guns. Leave just enough grain and silver—strip everything else. Victory makes it irrelevant; defeat too."
The other Dharma Protectors, including Wu Sanlang, agreed. White Lotus sent illegal smuggling ships as usual.
Pyeongan now hosted Southern Sea Navy elite marines. White Lotus ships could be 'detected' smoothly from farther out—honestly, in Chinese waters?
Kim Unhaeng nodded satisfied at the coded letter specifying uprising date.
"The time to restore righteousness nears. Relay that I understand well."
Not mere words. He actually provided guns and Kim family Great Reversion Pills, then pocketed hefty sums.
Without hesitation, he drafted a dispatch to Qing.
Not overreach. Border commissioners could exchange documents ad hoc with provincial authorities on emergencies.
Though minor administrative matters, this 'Kim Unhaeng telegram' didn't need formality.
Any Qing person seeing it would race to Beijing like pants afire.
Unrepentant denunciation.
Even if White Lotus won a Zizhi miracle, prisoners inevitable; ties to Joseon would leak.
Qianlong raging at Joseon betrayal? Unthinkable horror. Preemptive action essential. Meng Chan would've boiled Kim Unhaeng alive for qi boost if known.
But Kim Unhaeng had no intent to waste the White Lotus card.
He timed the dispatch to reach Beijing around uprising day.
Too late even if known. What he wanted to convey wasn't the date, but Joseon's (and his proxy) 'loyalty' as premier vassal.
Thus, his tip caused no hindrance.
As British fleet, abandoning global interests for China play, assembled first in Manila that autumn, Qing's first massive rebellion erupted.
The empire blazed hot enough to burn.
Author's Note
1. From around 1000 AD to before 1820, economic growth averaged 0.05% annually.
2. The Oirat Ming invasion famed for Tumu Crisis stemmed directly from discontent with Ming's horse market arrogance and trade restrictions. Eumyo Wa-byeon similarly sparked by Japan trade curbs. Both measures due to Mongols' and Japanese' brazen trade cheats, of course.
3. Though Lee Seonggye lost throne to son, his vast Hamgyong wealth (30% of province) funded 'Joseo' rebellion as upper king—near-consensus theory.
4. Handsome corruptor Heshen started as imperial guard, won exams via favor, rose high. His fine system real (post-power), funneled to emperor's privy purse (not military), earning more favor. Jiaqing banned solo audiences fearing Junggidaesin bloat (post-Heshen), but didn't abolish Junggicheo.
5. Norse god Odin traded eye for wisdom well.
6. Potemkin's China dispatch in Ch. 207 'Seven Years' War: East Asia Expansion Pack'.