Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 529 Never happen again
Upon hearing Lu Jin use the four commanderies of Han as leverage, Lian Tichen broke out in a cold sweat. If he continued to argue ungratefully and insisted on discussing the recovery of lost territory, then Lu Jin would have a reason to use the four commanderies of Han as leverage.

You want to reclaim lost territory, huh? Fine, then let's have a proper discussion about whose territory the Korean Peninsula is!
Lian Tichen had been neither humble nor arrogant, arguing eloquently with Lu Jin just moments before, but now he suddenly stammered, "This humble subject dares not. Since Your Majesty insists on not returning the two cities, then our country will simply offer the two cities to the Celestial Dynasty."

"Return it? Return it to whom? It seems you still haven't learned your lesson!" Lu Jin immediately stood up, walked up to Lian Tichen, and looked down at him condescendingly.

"Since we've brought up the recovery of lost territory today, let's have a proper discussion about whose lost land this Liaodong region is, so that you can understand."

"More than two thousand years ago, since people began to live on the peninsula, the earliest state established was Gija Joseon. Gija was a member of the royal family of the Shang Dynasty and a vassal of the Zhou Dynasty. After King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, Gija was enfeoffed by the Zhou emperor to establish the Joseon state on the peninsula. This was the first state on the peninsula."

"After the Qin Dynasty was destroyed and the Han Dynasty was established, the Han Dynasty's traitor Wei Man led more than a thousand people to flee to the peninsula, destroyed Gija Joseon, and took its place. This is known as 'Wei Man Joseon'. Wei Man was a member of the royal family of Yan State, a vassal of Ji Zhou, with the surname Ji and the clan name Wei. No matter how you look at it, he was a Chinese!
"Later, Emperor Wu destroyed Wiman Joseon and established the Four Commanderies of Han in its territory, namely Xuantu, Zhenfan, Lintun, and Lelang. The land of these four commanderies has been China's inherent territory since ancient times."

"Afterwards, the Goguryeo County under the jurisdiction of Xuantu Commandery rebelled against the Han again, usurped the right to establish a state, and took advantage of the fall of the Han Dynasty to move the capital to Pyongyang, gradually growing in power on the peninsula. At that time, at the southernmost tip of the peninsula, south of Goguryeo, there were only a few uncivilized barbarian tribes called the Three Hans. Later, the Three Hans gradually evolved into the states of Baekje and Silla."

"By the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Goguryeo and Baekje were destroyed by the Tang Dynasty, leaving only Silla in the southeast corner of the peninsula."

"Your Wang clan of Goryeo was originally founded by Wang Geon, a rebel general from Silla, who usurped the throne. Later, it annexed the land of Baekje and gradually expanded northward, encroaching on the original territory of the Four Commanderies of Han in China, which is why it is what it is today. However, Goryeo has always regarded the Later Tang and Former Song dynasties of the Central Plains as its suzerain states and is a vassal state of the Celestial Empire. Am I right?"

Seeing that Lu Jin had directly exposed Goryeo's secrets, Lian Tichen didn't dare to talk back and could only lie on the ground pretending to be dead and listen.

But Lu Jin showed him no mercy and continued, “I know that among your Goryeo court and scholars, there has always been a claim that Goguryeo is the ancestor, and you advocate expanding your territory to Liaodong in the north and recovering the so-called ‘former Goguryeo lands.’ But you should at least have a limit to your random claims of ancestor recognition and arbitrarily claiming kinship!”
"I, Ji, of the Gongshu clan, am the legitimate successor of the Zhou Dynasty in China. Whether it is Gija Joseon, which was a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty, or Wiman Joseon, which rebelled from the Han Dynasty, their origins are all from the Celestial Empire of China. Wiman was even of the same clan as my ancestors two thousand years ago!"

"Even Goguryeo was originally just a small county in one of the four commanderies of Liaodong during the Han Dynasty. What does it have to do with your Silla?"

"Your Wang clan of Goryeo originally came from a traitorous general of Silla. Going further back, you were nothing more than a savage tribe of the Three Hans, a bunch of barbaric monkeys who eat raw meat and drink blood and know nothing about culture. You've only been down from the trees for a few years and learned to wear clothes, and you've already forgotten your ancestors? You even claim Goguryeo as your ancestor and ask me for lost territory. Do you even deserve it?!"

“A bunch of ungrateful bastards who claim kinship with others. Since you can’t remember, I’d better teach you. I think Wang Zhuan’s title doesn’t need to be called King of Goryeo anymore. Let’s just call him King of Silla. That way, he’ll know where his ancestors came from.”

Lian Tichen, who had been lying there being scolded like a grandson, suddenly changed his expression upon hearing this and immediately said, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! I beg Your Majesty to rescind your order!"

Lu Jin glanced at him and said, "What, you dare to do it but not admit it? Wasn't the Wang clan of Goryeo just a rebellious general from Silla, Wang Geon, who usurped the throne and established himself as king? I helped him find his ancestors and made him the King of Silla, which is well-deserved. What's wrong with that?"

However, Lian Tichen was sweating profusely as he listened. How could he dare to agree? If he did, he would be condemned by the entire nation of Goryeo as soon as he returned home.
Koreans have a tradition of randomly claiming ancestors and fabricating history. It was fine when they were less educated, but since they started learning Confucianism, they have increasingly felt that the Three Han tribes were of low birth and do not consider themselves to be of barbarian origin.

From the imperial court to the common people's circles of scholars, Goryeo people have always considered themselves descendants of Goguryeo, believing that this makes them part of China. They can then look down on other people around them as barbarians. The key point is that this also allows Goguryeo to claim the territory of Liaodong.

However, once they accepted the title of 'King of Silla' given to them by Lu Jin, it would be tantamount to directly exposing Goryeo's true nature.

Firstly, it was tantamount to pointing fingers at the Wang family and accusing them of being traitors who usurped the throne. Secondly, it was tantamount to directly accusing all Goryeo people of being of barbarian origin from the Three Hans, exposing their delusional belief that they were descendants of Goguryeo and considered themselves "Little China".

Suddenly, they went from being "civilized people" from the Celestial Empire to being despised barbarians. How could those Koreans, who had long been immersed in Chinese culture and Confucianism, accept this?

Hey, you can ponder this barbaric hierarchy within the Confucian cultural sphere all you want, but once you start, you'll all fall silent.

As for the group surrounding China, if China were to truly disappear, no one would care if they called themselves "Little China." But as long as China exists, they will forever remain barbarians! Just reveal a little bit of their past, and they will have no way to refute it.

Lian Tichen certainly didn't want to go back and face the condemnation of the entire nation, so he could only bite the bullet and say, "This humble subject knows his crime. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree. Our country will no longer demand the Shuangcheng General Administration Office."

Seeing this, Lu Jin asked jokingly, "Really don't want it anymore?"

Although Lian Tichen gritted his teeth inwardly, he still softened his tone again, saying, "Really, I don't want it anymore."

"What about Jeju Island?"

“Jeju Island is naturally also the territory of the Ming Dynasty.” Lian Tichen’s heart bled, but he could only grit his teeth and accept it.

"That's more like it. In that case, if there's nothing else, you can go back to your quarters and wait. I will send someone to inform you once I have made arrangements for the delegation."

Lian Tichen then kowtowed to express his gratitude, but then he said something else.

"Your Majesty, I have been entrusted by the King to make another request, which I hope Your Majesty will grant."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin's face darkened again. "Speak."

Lian Tichen then said, “When we parted in Dadu last time, Your Majesty took away my lord’s cousin, Lord Dexing. My lord misses this uncle very much. May I take Lord Dexing back this time, so as to fulfill the bond between my lord and his nephew?”

Lu Jin narrowed his eyes, but this time he did not directly refute her. Instead, he said, "Of course you can."

Lian Tichen was delighted to hear this, but when he looked up at Lu Jin's face, he immediately realized something was wrong. Sure enough, Lu Jin changed the subject and continued speaking.

“Send Wang Zhuan’s eldest son or his relatives here, and I will let his uncle go back to reunite with him, so that he can fulfill his uncle-nephew relationship. What do you think?”
"Isn't he missing his uncle? I don't think this is a problem for him, right?"

Lian Tichen knew immediately that the plan was doomed again; Lu Jin was determined to detain Wang Zhuan's uncle as a hostage.

Of course, the reason for using Wang Jeon's uncle as a hostage was not because Wang Jeon cared about his uncle so much, but because his uncle was also a member of the Goryeo royal family and had the right to inherit the Goryeo throne. If Lu Jin really wanted to turn against Wang Jeon, he could send a large army to take his uncle back and forcibly support Deokheung-gun to inherit the throne.

How could Wang Zhuan feel at ease with someone with the right to inherit the throne being held in the hands of the Ming Dynasty?

However, Lu Jin's meaning was also very clear: if they wanted Deokheung-gun back, they could exchange him for other hostages with succession rights. As long as they had such a hostage, if anything Goryeo did did not satisfy the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty could use the hostage to replace the current Goryeo king. This operation was similar to what the Yuan Dynasty did in Goryeo before. Before the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty could also change the Goryeo king's position at will.

Upon hearing Lu Jin's demand for hostages in exchange for hostages, Lian Tichen hesitated for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly report this to Your Majesty upon my return and ask Your Majesty to make a decision on this matter."

"Okay, then go back and ask for instructions. Is there anything else?" Lu Jin nodded gently and said.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll take my leave and return to my quarters to await news from the mission."

"Go."

Lian Tichen then stood up, bowed deeply, took three steps back, and turned to leave.

Lu Jin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, watching Lian Tichen's departing figure thoughtfully until Lian Tichen's figure completely disappeared. Only then did he say to the people around him, "Everyone else, leave. The two prime ministers, please stay."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing the order, the guards, palace servants, and the court attendant all immediately withdrew, leaving only Lu Jin, Feng Guoyong, and Li Shanchang in the hall.

Lu Jin then turned to Li Shanchang and questioned, "Mr. Baishi, were you just trying to speak up for Lian Tichen?"

Li Shanchang immediately cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, I did indeed want to speak, but Your Majesty, it's not that I wanted to speak for that foreign envoy, but rather that the Ming Dynasty has only been established for less than a year, and the Northern Expedition has only just ended less than half a year ago. We are about to attack Fujian and Guangdong again. The Ming Dynasty's forces are currently too scattered and tied up in various places. The country is also in dire need of reconstruction. It is truly unwise to create another powerful enemy for the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong. I am also worried that Your Majesty is pushing Goryeo too far. If they become desperate, the Ming Dynasty really doesn't have any good ways to deal with them.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin did not speak immediately, but continued to tap the table with his fingers, as if he was thinking about something. After a long silence, Lu Jin spoke again.

"Sir, you have no experience in diplomatic negotiations with foreign states. Little do you know that in diplomatic battles, it is also important to gather intelligence. If you know the other party's bottom line in advance, you can naturally handle the negotiations with ease."

"Why do I dare to press them so hard without worrying that Goryeo will resort to desperate measures? It's because I know where their bottom line is."

"Sir, you think that the Ming Dynasty is currently in dire need of reconstruction, with several provinces still unconquered and the elite forces of the five armies tied down in various places, making it impossible to deal with the counterattack of Goryeo. This is the disadvantage of the Ming Dynasty, and you feel that you lack confidence when negotiating. Little do you know that Goryeo is not much stronger than us at this time."

"They are also beset by internal and external troubles. Domestically, land annexation is severe and there are refugees everywhere. Outside, there are Japanese pirates harassing them. In Liaodong, there are three army groups of the Ming Dynasty with hundreds of thousands of troops right next to them. It is only because there is no one in Goryeo who can raise a banner to rebel that tens of thousands of refugees will rise up in an instant."

"Sir, you don't want to turn against Goryeo and go to war, and you're worried about the impact on the recovery of people's livelihoods in the country. Do you think Goryeo has the guts to fight us desperately? No, they don't dare!"

"The Ming Dynasty and Goryeo are now like two weak people who are starving and dizzy. The Ming Dynasty is slightly stronger, while Goryeo is even weaker. Neither side wants to break off relations and fight. They are just deceiving each other."

"But the Ming Dynasty is still a great empire, and even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Goryeo, as a small vassal state, naturally has a fear of the great empire. This is our advantage. Now that we have figured out Goryeo's bottom line and know that they will not dare to easily turn against us, why not take advantage of their bottom line and rip them off?"

"In this way, we can continue to bleed Goryeo dry by taking advantage of the tribute system, and at the same time, we can get a lot of benefits to help the Ming Dynasty recover its strength as soon as possible. Take the 20,000 warhorses this time, for example. If we don't take this opportunity to harvest them from Goryeo, where else can we get 20,000 warhorses so easily?"

"I see, Your Majesty understands. Since Your Majesty has someone to rely on, then I will naturally follow Your Majesty's arrangements." Li Shanchang immediately cupped his hands and said.

“No, you don’t understand!” Lu Jin retorted immediately, which surprised Li Shanchang.

Lu Jin then spoke again.

"Furthermore, regarding the Shuangcheng General Administration, not to mention its strategic military location, it is like a sharp blade pressed against the back of Goryeo, ready to pierce Goryeo's heart at any moment. This is the Ming Dynasty's reliance for deterring Goryeo, and also the reins for controlling Goryeo. It must not be easily handed over to others."

"The reason why Goryeo insisted on demanding the Shuangcheng General Administration Office is because they realized how powerful this place was in the hands of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Let's talk about the resources here."

Lu Jin paused here, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "In your opinion, gentlemen, how does the world today differ from that of the past thousands of years?"

Lu Jin's train of thought was too abrupt, and this sudden question caught both of them off guard. They hesitated for a long time, unable to come up with a coherent answer.

Li Shanchang immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant, please enlighten me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin stood up, paced back and forth in front of the desk with his hands behind his back, and then spoke earnestly.

"I know that you Confucian scholars do not really respect me, a descendant of Gongshu Shu. You think that mathematics is just a miscellaneous and minor subject, and cannot be compared with the learning of the sages. As for mechanical arts, physics, chemistry and biology, they are just strange skills and tricks. Although they have some wonderful uses, they are not worthy of being called elegant. They are just numerology and cannot be compared with true Daoist learning."

Upon hearing Lu Jin's words, the two immediately bowed in fear and said, "Your Majesty, we would never have such a thought."

Lu Jin raised his hand to interrupt the two, "You don't need to argue. I have no intention of blaming you. This is the worldview, outlook on life, and values ​​formed over thousands of years of Confucianism as the sole state ideology. It is a barrier built over thousands of years. How can it be broken so easily? It would be strange if you didn't think so."

"But what I want to tell you is that the teachings of Gongshu, whether you regard them as techniques or the Way, when enough techniques are accumulated, they can also lead to a qualitative change."

"What is the difference between the world today and the world of the past thousands of years? The difference lies in the fact that I am here today, and I have the Gongshu Secret Manual! From the moment I was born, this world has ushered in a change that has not been seen in thousands of years."

"You've never seen anything like the ability to fly to the heavens, dive into the earth, move mountains, fill seas, or transmit sound across thousands of miles, so you naturally don't believe it. But you've all seen exploding grenades, haven't you? What do you think of the bombs here?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Guoyong and Li Shanchang exchanged glances, feeling that Lu Jin's words today were somewhat incoherent and seemed like he was acting crazy. However, Feng Guoyong still went along with what Lu Jin said.

"The exploding grenade is indeed powerful and can easily blow up the enemy's formation, making it a powerful weapon in battle."

"But it still hasn't overturned your understanding, has it? This exploding grenade is at best nothing more than a Song Dynasty's 'Ten Thousand Men' Thunderclap,' just an iron shell filled with gunpowder."

"But if I told you that the Gongshu clan had another method to make a bomb, just one of which could easily raze a large city like Jiankang with a population of hundreds of thousands to the ground. This is not an exaggeration, but literally raze it to the ground, leaving not a single tile behind, and turning hundreds of thousands of people into ashes in an instant, without any power to fight back. What would you think then?"

"This"

"Does such a thing really exist?"

Both Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong seemed somewhat skeptical, clearly not believing it.

Lu Jin replied, "Do the two prime ministers think I'm joking?"

"His Majesty would not play tricks on us, but this is still somewhat unbelievable. If such a thing could truly be made, how would it differ from the supernatural powers in those folk tales?"

Lu Jin solemnly said, "Whether you believe it or not, I want to tell you that this item does indeed have a method of production, and the required mineral materials happen to be found near the Shuangcheng General's Mansion."

The two were taken aback by what they heard, then suddenly realized that Lu Jin's long detour was all for this reason.

At this moment, Lu Jin said again, "We may not be able to use this kind of ore now, and Goryeo certainly doesn't know how to use it either. But if this land falls into Goryeo's hands a few hundred years later, and they make this kind of weapon that can be called divine punishment, they can use it to deter the Celestial Empire."

"Then you and I, ruler and subject, are sinners in history, not even as good as that brat Shi Jingtang who handed over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun to the barbarians. Our descendants will dig him up from his grave and whip his corpse!"

"Therefore, the Shuangcheng General Administration must not be given to Goryeo. The same applies to other lands. Not an inch of land in the Ming Dynasty is superfluous. Even if you cannot use the most barren land now, it does not mean that you will not be able to use it in the future. Therefore, no matter what the reason, not an inch of territory shall be ceded to foreign countries, not even in exchange. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we will remember this." The two men solemnly replied upon hearing this.

Li Shanchang understood that Lu Jin had said these words specifically to him. It seemed that his actions during the negotiation had indeed angered the emperor, but Lu Jin's composure and the fact that he was a veteran minister who had served the emperor since his founding had prevented him from directly turning against him.

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang became even more cautious.

Lu Jin then said, "This is the first and last time. I don't want to hear any more talk of abandoning land. The land of my Great Ming can only be earned inwards, never abandoned outwards. Save more wealth for your descendants, so that they won't be dug up and whipped after they die. You must never do anything like this again, you know?"

Lu Jin's words were practically a direct name-calling, and Feng Guoyong naturally understood who Lu Jin was referring to. Li Shanchang, not daring to hesitate, immediately replied again, "Your subject will keep it in mind!"

"Well then, let's all go about our business. Prime Minister Feng, please come up with a plan to attack Fujian and Guangdong as soon as possible. Mr. Bai, please also make arrangements for the imperial examinations, normal schools, and the immigration to the north as soon as possible."

"Yes! Then we will take our leave."

"Well, let's go."

(End of this chapter)