Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Get up, so you are really loyal?" Li Yan's expression softened. Although he was young, he was not easy to deceive. Park Erzhao said that he surrendered to Wei not because he was afraid of death but to speak for Joseon in front of the Wei Lord. This was a pure lie. This man was not so loyal and surrendered to Wei because he was afraid of death. However, it was possible that he was speaking well of Joseon, after all, it was his motherland. Since this man came as an envoy of Wei, it would not be good to be too neglectful.

"Although I have been appointed as an envoy by Lotus Khan, I have never forgotten that I am a Korean. After the peace talks are completed, I am willing to return to Korea and accept punishment from Your Highness," Park Er Zhao said firmly. His words were quite sincere, and they moved the Korean monarch and his ministers. If this person really gave up his official position to defend the country and returned to Korea, it would be considered a sign of loyalty to the monarch and patriotism! However, what they did not know was that before the delegation came, Lotus Khan had already intended to let Park Er Zhao return to his country as a chess piece in his control of Korea.

"Mr. Park has not forgotten North Korea, and North Korea will never forget Mr. Park. Tell me, what are the conditions for defending the country?" Li Yan took advantage of his words to subtly inquire about diplomatic intelligence.

"Lotus Khan asked me to propose three conditions to Korea: First, to demand 500,000 taels of silver as compensation for the crime of breaking the alliance and aiding the Qing. If the national treasury does not have that much silver, it can be replaced with copper coins, grain, livestock, ginseng, cloth, etc." Park Erzhao was respectful, but what he said shocked the Korean monarch and his ministers.

"Five hundred thousand taels~" There was a sudden buzz of discussion in the Heejeong Hall of Changdeok Palace. King Lee Jung's face turned purple, his fists clenched, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing him like this, Pu Erzhao was secretly happy, and changed the subject, starting to tell the "truth", "No, five hundred thousand taels is just Lianhua Khan's exorbitant price. Before he came, he told me that the minimum price for compensation is two hundred thousand taels. If it's lower than this number, the guards will never withdraw."

"Oh~" Li Yu's expression relaxed. After the Byeongja Rebellion, there had been no major wars in Korea. Although King Hyojong was determined to fight the Northern Expedition and spent a lot of money on expanding the military, he could still come up with 200,000 taels if he tightened his belt. "What's the second condition?" He asked Park Yeo-jo with a smile, and he felt that this man was much more pleasing to the eye than before.

"The second condition is that North Korea submits to Weiguo's rule."

"Submit vassalage? Previously, our Joseon and Weiguo were just allies, why are they vassals today?" Zuo Zan Song Shiyeol angrily rebuked him at an inappropriate time. As a great scholar, he always regarded Qing and Weiguo as barbarians, so he was naturally unwilling to submit to Weiguo. However, state affairs depend on the king. It is inappropriate for a minister to answer before the king even opens his mouth! Li Yu's expression became stiff. Damn it, this man is getting more and more domineering!

Park Erzhao stole a glance at the king's face and put forward his own opinion, "Although paying tribute may be detrimental in name, Korea has always only called itself a king and never an emperor, so it is not too embarrassing. Lianhua Khan deeply hated Korea for sending troops to help Qing attack Wei. According to my observation, your Majesty is a tyrant and will take revenge. If you don't agree, I'm afraid Korea will be flooded with blood. Moreover, Wei has always attached great importance to trade. If you pay tribute to Wei, not only Korea's specialties, but also goods from Japan, Ryukyu, and Western Yi countries can be shipped to Wei via the Yalu River East and Yeku River (Tumen River) borders, and Wei's goods can also be exported to maritime countries through Korea. The benefits of maritime trade are huge. Over time, the people of Korea will have enough food and clothing. The people are the foundation of the country. Although Zuo Zan's words make sense, it is unwise to damage the foundation of the country with false reputation."

"You~ damn it~" Song Siyeol was so angry that he trembled all over and was about to refute after being interrupted by this former minor official. Seeing this powerful official who liked to take the limelight suffer a setback, Li Yu was secretly happy, and saw that Park Erzhao's eyes were actually full of approval. Without waiting for Song Siyeol to speak again, the king of Chao made a decisive decision, "If the people of Joseon can have enough food and clothing, I am not afraid of being wronged, nor do I care about a little false reputation. The matter of becoming a vassal is approved. I hope Weiguo can treat Joseon well!"

"Your Highness's kindness is a blessing to the people of Korea. When I return, I will convey your kindness to the rulers and ministers of our country," Park Erzhao immediately praised the king.

"Well, what is the third condition?" Li Li asked, stroking his beard casually.

"The third thing is a great thing that will benefit both countries!" Park Erzhao laughed, "I heard that your sister is gentle and virtuous, and Lotus Khan wants to marry Korea."

"You mean Lianhua Khan wants to marry my sister? I heard that the Khan is already 46 years old, and my sister is still young. I wonder which one he likes?" Li Yan did have two unmarried sisters, Princess Sukkyung, the sixth sister born to King Hyojong and Queen Inseon, who was just fourteen years old this year, and the eldest daughter of King Hyojong Lee Ho, who was just thirteen years old this year. Although the emperor had no personal feelings, the king was not happy about letting his sister marry an "old man", but he did not dare to offend the Lord of Wei, so he asked with a long face.

"Your Highness has misunderstood. The one being married to is Lotus Khan's third son, Prince of Chu Baoyin. He is only 26 years old this year, handsome and elegant. Now the commander of the guards stationed on the Yalu River is none other than this prince. Lotus Khan heard that Princess Shujing is well-educated and well-mannered, so he arranged the marriage for the Prince of Chu," Park Erzhao explained calmly.

When he heard that the one who wanted to marry his sister was a young prince, Li Jian's face became much better. He also heard that the King of Chu was the commander of the guards who led the troops to invade the Korean border, so he dared not offend him, for fear that angering the King of Chu would cause war disasters in Korea. After thinking for a moment, he replied: "The marriage is beneficial to both countries, and I agree to this matter."

"Lotus Khan has a sacred edict, saying that since she is the daughter of the king of Chao, she should not be neglected. His Royal Highness the King of Chu's wife died of illness not long ago, and Princess Shujing can be the King of Chu's wife." Park Erzhao's next words made Li Yan happy. Thinking back to the time when Dorgon married the daughter of the Joseon royal family, she was just a concubine without a title, but Weiguo made his sister the princess. This obvious respect made the Joseon people very proud, much better than the Qing Dynasty! In fact, this is a political tactic of Sultan, which can show goodwill to Joseon externally and stabilize the internal situation internally. The kings grew up day by day and gradually gained the strength to compete with the crown prince for the throne. The old father was afraid that after his death, his sons would fight endlessly for the Khan's throne and shake the country he had fought so hard to win, so he decided to consolidate the status of the crown prince Zhuo Ligetu. The Joseon princess looked noble, but she had no foundation in Mongolia. Chu Wang Baoyin was close to the crown prince Zhuo Ligetu. Without the support of the powerful Yue family, he could only be a loyal minister of the crown prince.

"Pak Yeong-jo has made great contributions to the success of this peace agreement. He can be promoted to the position of Vice Minister of Military Affairs when he returns to Joseon." In order to thank Park Yeong-jo for "protecting" Joseon's interests in the peace agreement and to contain the powerful minister Song Si-yeol, Lee Seong-jo smiled and promoted Park Yeong-jo. (End of this chapter)