Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 526 Envoy from Goryeo
The great war that led to the change of dynasties at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty may be an exaggeration to call it World War I, but it is certainly an East Asian war. In fact, this war affected almost the entire East Asia, involving not only the Ming and Yuan armies, but also Goryeo and Japan.

In the original history, because the anti-Yuan war lasted longer, in the later stages the Yuan court was unable to suppress the rise of the Red Turban Army, so it successively brought in Goryeo and Japan to help fight the Red Turban Army.

The Red Turban Army was equally determined. Their anti-Yuan campaign went without saying, and Guan Duo's central army even captured Gaegyeong in Goryeo. Wasn't that a deep enough involvement?
Later, because Guan Duo's central army was entrenched in Liaodong and Goryeo, it posed a great threat to Dadu. The Yuan court in Dadu even went so far as to invite Japanese pirates to help fight against Goryeo and the Red Turban Army in the central route of the Northeast. What does "allying with Japanese pirates to resist China" mean? It can only be said that the Yuan and Qing dynasties, these two foreign regimes, were the same in the end.

However, things are different in this timeline. Lu Jin pacified the core areas of China in just three years. Currently, only Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Fujian remain to be recovered. The Yuan court naturally has no chance to ally with the Japanese against China again.

As for Goryeo, located on the peninsula, although the Red Turban Army did not capture the capital in this timeline, the negative influence of the pro-Yuan faction within Goryeo was still considerable, thanks to Lu Jin's rapid pacification of the country. This purge of the pro-Yuan faction has caused another political upheaval in Goryeo, and the country must now address its internal affairs properly.

Of course, the biggest difference between this timeline and the original history is that the strategic situation in Northeast Asia has changed significantly. Lu Jin took advantage of the Northern Expedition to quickly send troops to seize Liaodong, and occupied Dandong and Shuangcheng General Administration in advance. He stationed a large number of troops on the border between Ming and Goryeo. Goryeo will definitely not be able to expand northward as it has in history, taking advantage of the Ming army's unstable foothold in Liaodong.

Another point is Choi Young, whom I mentioned earlier. He was a staunch hardliner against China. Historically, the northward expansion of Goryeo during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties was initiated by him.

Originally, Goryeo had no intention of expanding northward. It was Choi Young who forged an imperial edict and ordered troops to attack Dongning Prefecture on the north bank of the Yalu River. At that time, the Yuan Dynasty had retreated to the Mongolian steppe, and the Ming army had not yet penetrated into Liaodong, which was a strategic window of opportunity. It was easy to seize land in Liaodong.

Seeing how easily the Goryeo royal family had expanded its territory northward, they then began to take charge of the northward expansion at the national level.

It can be said that the entire northward expansion of Goryeo was initiated and presided over by Choi Young alone. If it weren't for the Ming army finally landing in Liaodong and Yi Seong-gye staging the Chenqiao Mutiny, Choi Young might have continued to expand northward.

Given Zhu Chongba's personality, by then the die is cast, and with Goryeo already a fait accompli, he might actually grit his teeth and accept it, and then create a "non-conquest" clause for the country.
However, this timeline is completely different. Cui Ying, a staunch hardliner against China, was killed by Lu Jin in Dadu. The newly appointed general from Goryeo, Zheng Shiyun, is a famous general known for his resistance against Japanese pirates. In addition, Lu Jin has now deployed a large number of troops in Liaodong. Zheng Shiyun really has no intention of expanding northward. At most, he can only think about whether he can take back the 'lost territory' of Shuangcheng General Administration.

After purging the pro-Yuan faction within the country and establishing the overall strategy of submitting to the Ming Dynasty and paying tribute, enduring humiliation and hardship to secure a few years of peace while focusing on governing the country, the next step was to send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to formally clarify the relationship between the two countries.

However, before officially embarking on his mission to the Ming Dynasty, Jeong Se-un, as Goryeo's top general, offered his suggestions on how to negotiate with the Ming.

"The Ming emperor said he wanted to take Jeju Island and use it as a base to deploy the navy to defend against the Japanese pirates. This reason is reasonable. Moreover, the Japanese pirates are indeed rampant now. It is not all bad that the Ming Dynasty can help us share some of the pressure from the Japanese pirates."

"Furthermore, Jeju Island has a small population and very little tax revenue, so giving it to the Ming Dynasty is not impossible. However, I think this matter can be used as a condition for negotiation. For example, we can give up Jeju Island to the Ming Dynasty in exchange for the Ming Dynasty returning Hamheung and Yeongheung Prefectures."

"The threat posed by the Shuangcheng General Administration is too great. To the west, with the Yalu River as the boundary, there are at least Longzhou (Sinuiju) and Xijing Pyongyang as barriers. Even if the Ming army wants to cross the river and move south, they won't be able to reach Gaegyeong for a while. We still have enough time to mobilize troops to counterattack."

"But the Shuangcheng General Administration is different. It is the only flat land on the east bank where heavy troops can be stationed. Moreover, it is separated from the capital by only the valley of Yuanshan. Once the Ming army marches south from the Shuangcheng General Administration, they only need to break through the pass of Yuanshan. There is no more obstruction behind them. They can go straight to the heart of the capital from Yuanshan. At that time, we will not even have time to react. The Ming army may be besieging the capital."

"Therefore, I believe that Jeju Island is far overseas, with a small population and poor land, like a chicken rib that can be abandoned. However, the Shuangcheng General Administration must find a way to get it back, otherwise it will be a sharp blade hanging over our heads, and we will be in danger of being destroyed at any time!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhuan couldn't help but frown and worry. Goryeo believed that its only advantage in resisting the great powers of the Central Plains was the mountainous terrain of the peninsula. Moreover, Goryeo was mostly composed of mountain cities. Whether it was the Sui Dynasty or the Tang Dynasty, they were both disgusted by the continuous mountainous terrain when they attacked Goryeo.

The Shuangcheng General Administration and Wonsan are exceptions. If the attack on the peninsula is from Wonsan, there is only one mountain pass that can serve as a barrier. Once this line of defense is breached, the rest of the way will be open. This is equivalent to the Ming Dynasty holding a gun to the back of Goryeo's head. If the Ming Dynasty has no intention of attacking Goryeo, that's fine. But if the Ming Dynasty really wants to take action against Goryeo, Goryeo will not be able to stop it.

Anyone familiar with the terrain of the peninsula would surely be worried about this geopolitical situation.

So Wang Zhuan immediately said to Lian Tichen, "What do you think, Uncle Kai? These two prefectures, Hamheung and Yeongheung, are indeed a great threat to our Goryeo. I am willing to use Jeju Island as an exchange to get back the two prefectures from the Ming Dynasty. I wonder if this can be included in the negotiations?"

"This..." Lian Tichen frowned immediately. "Talks are possible, but the Ming emperor is quite domineering. What if he insists on not exchanging and even demands Jizhou?"

Upon hearing this, both Wang Zhuan and Zheng Shiyun frowned. Indeed, given Lu Jin's domineering behavior, it would be a miracle if he were willing to exchange land.

Wang Zhuan had no choice but to turn his gaze to Zheng Shiyun again and ask, "If the Ming Kingdom insists on not returning, does the general have any other way to ensure the safety of the capital region?"

Zheng Shiyun thought for a moment before saying helplessly, "Then the only option is to build a fortified city and a strategic pass at the entrance to Yuanshan and station a large army there for a long time. Only in this way can we possibly resist the Ming army to some extent."

After thinking for a long time, Wang Zhuan said, "I'm afraid this is the only way. However, Mr. Kai should still try his best to negotiate. Even if it means giving more tribute, as long as it can win the favor of the Ming emperor and bring back the Xianxing and Yongxing prefectures, it will be worth it."

Lian Tichen immediately nodded, then raised another question, "This time, our country's submission to the Ming Dynasty and payment of tribute will inevitably give the Ming Dynasty the upper hand. If they really do make exorbitant demands and blackmail our country as I predicted, what should we do?"

This time, Wang Zhuan did not hesitate and immediately said, "Didn't you just advise me to endure humiliation and seize the opportunity to govern the country's civil affairs? Why are you asking me about it now? As long as Ming does not go to war with Goryeo and is willing to grant me the title of king and recognize Goryeo's status, even if the tribute they demand is more, we will give them whatever we can afford."

"Once we have finished governing our internal affairs and the country has recovered its strength, we will be able to fight the Ming Dynasty. It is not unreasonable to discuss reducing tribute in a few years. Even if the Ming Dynasty is tough at that time, as long as we can withstand the Ming army's advance, they will not be able to force us to do anything."

Lian Tichen nodded. "Your Majesty is wise. With Your Majesty's words, I know what to do."

Wang Zhuan nodded and said, "Then please make preparations as soon as possible, and send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to finalize this matter quickly. This will save the country from constant anxiety, and allow us to focus on addressing the long-standing problems within our borders." "Yes!"

After discussing the strategy for paying tribute, Lian Tichen immediately began preparations for his mission to the Ming Dynasty.

In 4052 AD, the second year of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, 1355 AD, on the fifteenth day of the first month, not long after the Spring Festival, Lian Tichen arrived at the Goryeo side of the Yalu River and crossed the river to seek an audience with Liu Futong, the highest-ranking official there.

Liu Futong quickly received the news and summoned Lian Tichen. Upon learning that this man had come to the Ming Dynasty to pay tribute and submit to the Ming Dynasty on the orders of the King of Goryeo, he immediately spoke.

"Since the envoy is to be sent to the Ming Dynasty, His Majesty has already given instructions that if the envoy comes from Goryeo, he should not be allowed to enter the country by land from Liaodong. Instead, a naval fleet should be dispatched to escort him by sea to the capital."

"So please wait here for a few days, envoy. I will now send an order to the navy to send a ship to pick up the envoy and take him to the capital."

Lian Tichen frowned upon hearing this. "Since the Ming army has already pacified Liaodong and the two countries are now on the same border, why go through all this trouble? Can't we just go by land? The journey from Liaodong to the Ming capital is fraught with danger. What if something goes wrong?"

Liu Futong glanced at him indifferently, "Since His Majesty has already made arrangements, the envoy should just listen. Since it is our navy that is sending the ships, we will ensure the envoy's safe arrival in the capital. On the contrary, if you go to the capital to pay tribute without permission, we cannot guarantee what will happen to you on the way."

“There are even envoys who complain that the sea route is troublesome. Do you know that the sea route takes at most twenty days, while the land route would traverse half of the Ming Dynasty and take at least two or three months? Is the sea route more troublesome, or is the land route more troublesome?”

Upon hearing this, Lian Tichen had nothing more to say and could only lead his delegation of several dozen people to stop in Dandong and wait.

Even if Liu Futong hadn't said anything, Lian Tichen could have guessed Lu Jin's intention: he simply didn't want them to travel by land, traversing half of China, to spy on China's national conditions.

To his surprise, the wait lasted for nearly a month. Liu Futong kept making excuses to delay, but in fact he had sent a ship to inform Lu Jin in advance. Calculating the days, when the ship carrying the message was about to arrive in Jiankang, Liu Futong then transferred three seagoing ships from Lushun to send Lian Tichen and others to Jiankang. One ship was responsible for carrying people, and two ships were responsible for escorting them to avoid encountering Japanese pirates on the way.

They waited until the tenth day of the third month before Lian Tichen and his party finally arrived in Jiankang by sea.

Meanwhile, in the first three months of the second year of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Lu Jin in Jiankang was also busy.

After the Spring Festival, the science class he personally taught resumed classes. Under Lu Jin's guidance, a group of students finally produced three acids and two alkalis in the laboratory and began to produce soda ash in small batches in the laboratory, which was specially supplied to glass workshops. Then, using the crucible method, they added soda ash to white crystal and fired it to produce quartz glass with high transparency and high temperature resistance.

Now not only are the chemical experimental equipment in place, but even optical instruments like telescopes can finally begin trial production.

However, the amount of soda ash produced by hand in the laboratory is far from sufficient for large-scale industrial production. Under Lu Jin's guidance, these students are trying to design the first chemical plant in the Ming Dynasty, aiming to at least achieve mass production of soda ash and caustic soda.

Meanwhile, the pyrotechnic workshops along the Qinhuai River finally produced the first generation of low-pressure steam engines. The principle was exactly the same as the technology of Watt's time: a reciprocating piston, a separate condenser, and centrifugal speed control.

By March, the first-generation steam engine had been running smoothly for over a month and was perfectly capable of powering the adjacent machine tool workshop. As a result, Lu Jin immediately issued an order to begin mass production and gradually replace the power source of several state-run ironworks.

In addition to these technological advancements, Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army Group, which had been ordered by Lu Jin to halt its Spring Festival activities in Dezhou, Shandong, also began its southward march in February after the Lunar New Year and arrived in Jiankang before March to join forces with Zhu Liangzu's Second Army Group.

In this way, all the troops participating in the southern campaign were in place, and the Privy Council was also working hard to make arrangements for the attack on Fujian and Guangdong.

It was at this time that the Goryeo delegation led by Yeon Ti-chen finally arrived in Jiankang by sea.

On March 12th, the third day after the arrival of the Goryeo delegation, which happened to be a Sunday, and the next day was the weekly grand court assembly, Lu Jin decided to first privately summon Lian Tichen to see what conditions Goryeo had. After all, the grand court assembly was just a formality, and such important matters as diplomatic negotiations between the two countries were really not suitable to be discussed publicly in the court assembly.

Inside the Imperial Palace, in a side hall of the Grand Secretariat, Lu Jin sat at the head of the table, with the two prime ministers, Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong, on either side. Only then did Lu Jin have Lian Tichen brought up.

Lian Tichen was brought in by the guards. He only glanced at him briefly, but when he saw the familiar Lu Jin, he immediately kowtowed.

"This humble foreign subject, Lian Tichen, pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty of China."

"Be flat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Lian Tichen stood up, Lu Jin asked with a smile, "Mr. Lian, you've arrived quite early. I wonder how the purge of the pro-Yuan faction in your Goryeo is going?"

(End of this chapter)