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Chapter 818: Go to his place

Of course, the Korean problem must be solved, and of course it cannot be solved by pure force. With all the army and navy, the Ming Dynasty could indeed turn the Korean Li Dynasty upside down. But the old question arises again, what is the purpose? Is it just to make yourself feel good?
Governing a country is obviously not so easy, and most of the time it is a struggle between various compromises, concessions, and seeking perfection. This time is no exception. It seems unrealistic to solve the problem of North Korea's position by force.

But Emperor Jingyang put forward a bold and very constructive suggestion. As the suzerain state, Ming seemed to be qualified to interfere in the internal affairs of Korea, such as replacing the disobedient king with an obedient one.

"...This..." As soon as these words came out, all the ministers were stunned. In addition to being too shocked, they were also desperately searching for clues about the King of Korea in their minds.

The cabinet chief Ye Xianggao had the biggest reaction, but he could only open his mouth but could not make a sound. This was too unpopular. No one knew whether the King of Korea had usurped his brother's throne. That tiny country had a little presence except when paying tribute, but who would pay attention to it at other times?
"Your Majesty, the Korean delegation has always been received by the Ministry of Rites. Should we allow Doctor Fang Zhenru to enter the palace to make presentations?" The first person to react was the Minister of Rites Yang Sichang. He was also not clear about the details of Korea, but recommended someone who knew.

"Hehe, if I expect you to know each other, I'm afraid I'll lose everything. Well, there's no need to pretend to be thinking hard, I've already made arrangements. Tan Mingming, let's get started!"

Although these more than ten military secretaries of the General Staff were selected by himself and could be considered capable ministers who were not too stubborn and conservative, they still could not keep up with his pace in many aspects.

Hong Tao had no good solution for this situation. He could only consume the people step by step. When this generation or even the second generation was exhausted, it would be possible to make a major change in the central court and local government. Before that, he could only pick the best from the worst and use the ones that were not too annoying.

"Student obeys your order... Military officials, please look at this, this is the list of the royal family of the Joseon Kingdom, this is the list of ministers who support and oppose King Yi Hun. After several years of hard work, the General Staff has gained the trust of some Joseon ministers and royal family members.

At present, the Western Party of Korea has contacted several generals who hold military power, preparing to launch a mutiny to rescue the imprisoned Queen Dowager and nominate Yi Hyun's nephew, Prince Yeongyang Yi Jong, as king.

Now everything is ready except for the east wind. Li Zong and his son and the Queen Dowager are worried that they will not be recognized by the Ming court, so they have not made up their minds yet. They just need to wait for the Emperor to agree and explain the pros and cons. Li Hun can be deposed within a few days. "

Tan Mingming, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, immediately stood up and walked to the map when he heard the emperor's order. He pointed to the names and official titles written on two pieces of paper and gave a brief description of the protagonists and supporting roles in the Korean palace drama.

“…” After the introduction, you could hear a pin drop in the hall.

Most of the military secretaries of the General Staff had heavy expressions and vague eyes. It cannot be said that there have been cases of interfering in the political affairs of other countries from ancient times to the present, but it has never been done so blatantly, and there is no precedent of direct intervention.

It’s not that the emperors and ministers of the Central Plains Dynasty were kindhearted, but they didn’t dare to cultivate such talents. If you can overthrow someone else’s regime today, you may be retaliated tomorrow. Even the so-called imperial skills had to be kept secret. Who dared to treat how to change dynasties as a technique?

If it weren't for the fact that Tan Mingming was wearing the uniform of the General Staff, which was an organization directly under the emperor, the public would have been immediately outraged and the person who made the outrageous remarks would have been arrested on the spot and thrown into the imperial prison to be tortured to extract a confession in order to find out if there was someone behind it.

"…Your Majesty, this person lightly talks about the dethronement of another country. His heart is worthy of death!"

The cabinet minister Weng Zhengchun was one of those who didn't quite understand the situation. He jumped up and pointed at Tan Mingming and accused him, claiming that he was right from the perspective of maintaining the imperial power. "Grand Secretary Weng, please be patient. This person is my student, and I have appointed him to be in charge of this matter. Today, I will only discuss the matter, not the person. My dear ministers, please tell me how to make Li Jong and Queen Dowager understand my intentions."

Hong Tao raised his hand and pressed it a few times, signaling Weng Zhengchun to sit down. His words set the tone. This matter had nothing to do with others. It was the emperor's will. Anyone who criticized others for the matter would be committing an offense.

Then they continued to discuss the topic of North Korea. No, it can't be considered a discussion. The key link was glossed over. It can be considered a notification at most. Whether you agree or not, this matter has been done!

"..." But the court officials seemed to be deliberately defying the order and fell silent again. This time, they even lowered their heads, looking at their noses, their noses looking at their mouths, and their mouths tightly shut. If there was a door on the ground at this time, most of them would have gone in.

Relying only on a group of young people in the General Staff, they want to stir up trouble in Korea and usurp the throne. This is too much of an underestimation of the Lee family. They have lasted for more than 200 years and experienced countless court disputes. If they can't even handle a few brats, they should have perished long ago.

This matter is more dangerous than good, so it is best to say less. Once you fail and lose face, the emperor may not punish the adviser, but find someone else to take the blame. At this time, whoever speaks faster will be blamed.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Korea to help the country!" Don't say there are no loyal ministers, there is one sitting next to Ye Xianggao. Cabinet Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe is willing to sacrifice his life for the country regardless of his own safety.

"Good, very good! This phrase of relieving the country's worries is very well used... Since I can lead the army in person, as a subject, I must also be ready to die for the country at any time.

Sit down first, Lord Fang. I don't mean to humiliate you in public, but a small country doesn't need its most trusted ministers to risk their lives. You are all military advisors, and you are supposed to help me with the overall situation at all times. It's better to send subordinates to handle such trivial matters.

Uh... Minister Yang, you just mentioned that there is a doctor in the Ministry of Rites who is familiar with North Korea, so send him as an envoy. The specific matters will be directed by someone sent by Chief of Staff Yuan. The sooner the better, the sooner the better. Set off tomorrow and take a naval warship to...

Hey, six days later is New Year's Day, hahahaha, God is helping. Then we will take action on the night of New Year's Day, Doctor Yang and the navy will wait at the mouth of the Han River. If there is any accident, try to bring Yi Jong, Queen Dowager and the ministers involved on board and return together.

If successful, the navy warships will go up the Han River to help Li Jong stabilize the situation in the capital and Gyeonggi Province. Tan Mingming, tell your people to get rid of Li Hun even if it fails. Now that the relationship has been torn apart, don't drag it out and eliminate the trouble forever! "

Hong Tao certainly would not regard Fang Congzhe's performance as mere bravery. This guy was taking a gamble, planning to take a chance and create an opportunity to replace the position of Prime Minister of the Cabinet.

But even if he knew it, he still had to encourage him. Without his tireless efforts, Ye Xianggao would not be as sensible and obedient as he is today. So it is better to keep him as a troublemaker.

(End of this chapter)