Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 433: Dethronement and Enthronement
"So, there is indeed a big problem with Jiang Hongli." There seemed to be a hint of resentment brewing between Zhu Changluo's brows.

Xu Guangqi hesitated for a moment, then added, "It's not just Jiang Hongli. I believe the King of Joseon is also suspected of collaborating with the enemy."

Upon hearing this, both Wang An and Zhu Youxiao's expressions changed. Having relations with the Xiannu and collaborating with the enemy during wartime were two different things.

"Li Hun is collaborating with the enemy." Zhu Changluo's expression remained unchanged. "You think so too?"

Xu Guangqi was stunned, unsure of whom the emperor was referring to. "It is true that I am not the only one in the court and the country who believes the King of Korea is collaborating with the enemy. And this is by no means a mere figment of the imagination."

"Tell me in detail." Zhu Changluo said.

"Yes." Xu Guangqi straightened his already sluggish posture, his expression becoming more serious than before. "As I said before, after Liu Ying's defeat in the east, the Korean commander, Jiang Hongli, not only failed to provide assistance, but surrendered his army that same day. As far as I know, the Korean army at the time of their surrender wasn't just a remnant forced to surrender after a fierce battle, but a force of over ten thousand men."

"North Korea only sent 13,000 people to participate in the war, right?" Zhu Changluo asked.

Xu Guangqi nodded and replied, "The Korean army was divided into three battalions: Left, Center, and Right. The Center Battalion, commanded by Jiang Hongli himself, was the largest and best prepared. Yet, from beginning to end, Jiang Hongli and his battalion remained stationary. It can be said that almost the entire Korean army surrendered to the enemy. More importantly, after Jiang Hongli and his troops surrendered, they were treated with respect by the enemy. Not only did he return to Korea unharmed, he even avoided severe punishment."

"In Joseon, major government offices, primarily those responsible for border defense, have repeatedly petitioned the king to arrest and punish the surrendered generals and their families. Yet, two years have passed, and the king has yet to punish Jiang Honglip and Yun Sugyeom, the envoy who surrendered to the enemy. Instead of arresting them and imprisoning them, he has simply dismissed them from their official positions. This behavior leads one to suspect that the Joseon army's use of a lack of pay and food as an excuse to delay the Eastern Route Army was at the king's behest. How could the Joseon monarch and his ministers, with their ungratefulness, not send someone to monitor and oversee their actions?"

"How do you know the news in North Korea?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"In reply to your Majesty," Xu Guangqi replied. "This information is no secret within Korea; it's practically universally known, and it's been circulating in Beijing for a long time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have written this article, 'The Danger in Liaodong is Serious,' and wouldn't have requested the late emperor to send an envoy to monitor Korea."

"How to monitor North Korea?" Zhu Changluo asked for advice.

Xu Guangqi immediately responded, "I believe we should send a special envoy to Pyongyang to explain to the Chinese people the natural law of monarchy and subjection. This should also serve as a daily reminder to them, reminding them of the late emperor's great kindness in restoring the country and reminding them to repay the debt."

"Stop! There's no one else in the Qianqing Palace, so don't say these empty words." Xu Guangqi began to speak, but Zhu Changluo raised his hand to interrupt him. "Just depose the king and establish a new Korean king. What do you think, Lord Xu?"

Xu Guangqi was horrified, as if struck by lightning. "Dethrone the king!?"

Not only Xu Guangqi, but Zhu Youxiao and Wang An also looked at the emperor in surprise. If this were to happen, Emperor Taichang would become the first emperor in 250 years to depose the King of Korea.

"Twenty years ago, the Ming Dynasty mobilized all of Liao to help Korea restore its independence. Now Liao is in trouble, and the King of Korea is ambivalent. How can this be tolerated? Instead of being constantly vigilant, it would be better to support an obedient king." Zhu Changluo said coldly, "Wouldn't an obedient king be a better guardian than Li Hun?"

"That being said, but..." Xu Guangqi subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his head with his sleeve. "But how should we do it?"

"Heh." Zhu Changluo chuckled. "I was just asking you what to do, why are you asking me back?"

"Minister, minister" Xu Guangqi muttered for a long time before he uttered the word "minister".

"Wang An, what do you think?" Zhu Changluo leaned on the armrest and turned to look at Wang An.

Wang An didn't dare to answer and simply knelt down. "This is the emperor's business, I dare not interfere."

"Emperor's business!" Zhu Changluo straightened his posture and turned his gaze to Zhu Youxiao. "Zhu Youxiao, what do you think?"

"Your son." Zhu Changluo's gaze slowly moved up as Zhu Youxiao stood up, and then slowly fell down as he knelt down.

As soon as Zhu Youxiao knelt, Xu Guangqi could no longer sit still. He left his stool and knelt on the ground, secretly glancing at the current emperor and the future emperor out of the corner of his eye.

Zhu Changluo stared at Zhu Youxiao intently, but remained silent. After a long moment, he finally sighed, "Forget it, it's still me."

"Father!" Zhu Youxiao called out tremblingly.

"Oh! Do you have an idea?" Zhu Changluo leaned forward unconsciously.

"I think that a country cannot be without a king for a day. If your Majesty wants to depose the King of Korea, you should first choose a successor so that the people can be reassured quickly after the dethronement." Zhu Youxiao raised his head and happened to meet his father's eyes.

"Well said!" Zhu Changluo beckoned him to stand up. "Don't kneel anymore."

The three of them stood up, and Zhu Changluo's gaze shifted to Xu Guangqi. "Xu Qing, who do you think is more suitable to be the new king of Joseon?"

This time, Xu Guangqi didn't hesitate and immediately responded, "According to ritual law, if a feudal lord is deposed for a crime but his title and kingdom are not diminished, his son will inherit the kingdom. The King of Joseon currently has an only son named Yu, who is also the Crown Prince of Joseon."

"How old is Li Yu this year?" Zhu Changluo asked again.

"The Crown Prince of Joseon is..." As the Minister of Rites, Xu Guangqi was quite familiar with the family lineages and inheritance relationships of the surrounding vassal states. "He was born in the 26th year of the Wanli reign, and is 23 years old this year."

"Twenty-three years old." Zhu Changluo pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is Li Hun's lineage legitimate?"

"The current King of Xian is the second son of the late King Sogyeong. He was appointed Crown Prince by the late King Sogyeong during the War to Resist Japanese Aggression and Aid Korea. Although King Sogyeong's Consort Jin gave birth to a legitimate son, Li, in the 34th year of the Wanli reign, King Sogyeong did not dethrone the King of Xian as Crown Prince." As Xu Guangqi spoke, he sensed something was amiss. He noticed that the Emperor was looking at him with a look of amusement, not inquiry. After a moment's reflection, Xu Guangqi realized that the Emperor's intentions were more than meets the eye. The Emperor not only wanted to dethrone the current King of Xian, but also the entire line of Li Hun!
"In the 36th year of Wanli, King Zhaojing passed away and King Xian succeeded to the throne," Xu Guangqi continued, but his voice became smaller and smaller.

"Please finish what you are saying," Zhu Changluo said quietly. "I'm asking whether Li Hun's lineage is legitimate. Don't just talk about arguments without drawing conclusions."

"To reply to your Majesty," Xu Guangqi thought hard. "I believe that, on the surface, the Xian King is indeed the crown prince. But there is something strange going on!"

"What's strange?" Zhu Changluo asked immediately.

"Li's death," Xu Guangqi explained, "In the 45th year of the Wanli reign, the Ministry of Rites, following an imperial decree, posthumously conferred the title of Queen Zhaojing on King Xian's biological mother, Jin, and bestowed upon her a posthumous title. This, in itself, was not problematic; it was simply a matter of following established precedent. However, immediately after the posthumous conferment, King Xian imprisoned Jin, the consort King Zhaojing had appointed during his lifetime. Furthermore, in the 42nd year of the Wanli reign, Jin's father, Yeonheungfu Won-gun Jin Ti-nam, was executed by the King Xian for treason. King Zhaojing's only legitimate son, Li, was also exiled. That same year, Li mysteriously died at the age of eight. This series of events, taken together, makes it hard not to speculate."

The execution of Kim Ti-nam and the mysterious death of Yi Liu after his release caused a great uproar in Joseon. Because the incident occurred in the 41st year of the Wanli reign, it was also called the Guichou Prison Incident. When the news reached the Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of Rites also reported it. However, at this time, the Wanli Emperor, the father of the Ming Dynasty, was not even concerned about his own family affairs, let alone the affairs of Joseon, the country of his children.

"Hmm, this is strange. I think there must be something fishy going on." Zhu Changluo nodded approvingly and asked, "If Li Hun's accession to the throne was not legitimate, who would be elected as the King of Xian?"

Xu Guangqi thought for a moment and said, "According to the order of seniority, apart from the current King of Xian, the eldest surviving son of King Zhaojing is the seventh son of a concubine, Li Gong, the Lord of Rencheng. He was born in the 16th year of the Wanli reign and is 33 years old this year."

"That's not right." Zhu Changluo interrupted, "We should follow the old practice of the Shimiao Temple and appoint a new emperor."

Xu Guangqi looked puzzled.

The so-called old rules of the ancestral temples were that the throne should be passed down to the younger brother after the elder brother's death. On March 14, the 16th year of the Zhengde reign, Emperor Zhengde Zhu Houzhao passed away. On that day, Chief Minister Yang Tinghe, citing the principle of "succession to the younger brother after the elder brother's death" in the "Imperial Ming Ancestor Instructions," requested the Empress Dowager's decree, declaring Zhu Houcong, the second son of Emperor Xianzong's fourth son, Prince Xingxian Zhu Youlang, who was currently in mourning, as the heir to the throne.

Xu Guangqi thought for a long time, but he really didn't know how to apply the principle of "brother succeeds brother" to this matter. He could only say, "I am stupid. Your Majesty, please explain clearly."

"Li Zong." Zhu Changluo slowly uttered two words.

Xu Guangqi was stunned for a moment, and his eyes gradually widened.

From a formal perspective, after deposing the legitimacy of the current king Yi Hwon's lineage, the new king was enthroned as the eldest son of King Sogyeong-seon's fifth son Yi Yeong, Prince Yeongyang Yi Jong. This is indeed very similar to invoking the old precedent of the Seomyeo Temple, which traces back to the grandfather and then enthrones the eldest surviving grandson.

"Your Majesty," Xu Guangqi stood up and said, "Li Zong cannot be enthroned."

"Why?" Zhu Changluo looked at Xu Guangqi with a raised eyebrow.

Xu Guangqi replied, "If Li Zong is made the new ruler, it would be contrary to the laws of propriety."

"If Li Zong cannot be enthroned, how can the ancestral temple be established? If the ancestral temple cannot be established, shouldn't I return the throne to the lineage of Prince Yi? What is the name of the current Prince Yi?" Zhu Changluo asked three questions in a row like an interrogator.

The current Prince of Yi is Zhu Youmu, born on June 23, the 16th year of the Wanli reign, and inherited the title on April 12, the 45th year of the Wanli reign. He is only six years younger than Emperor Zhu Changluo, but is a cousin of Zhu Youxiao. Interestingly, Zhu Youmu's original name was "Zhu Youxiao," but he dropped the "jiao" (jiao) to avoid the taboo of his cousin, a prominent clan member.

Xu Guangqi glanced at Zhu Youxiao subconsciously, but only answered the first question: "Shimiao succeeded the throne as the younger brother and followed the ancestral teachings of Wumiao. His accession to the throne could not be more legitimate."

When Emperor Wuzong passed away, Yang Tinghe chose not to enthronize Prince Yi Zhu Youbin but instead enthroned Prince Xingxian Zhu Houcong. The reason was not that Zhu Youbin was older and harder to control, while Zhu Houcong was younger and easier to control. Instead, it was because Yang Tinghe could not find any legal basis to enthronize Prince Yi.

Prince Yi Zhu Youbin was Wuzong's uncle. Neither the Zhou Li nor the ancestral precepts provide for the rule that "the uncle succeeds the nephew after his death." Even if we trace back to Zhu Di, who was then Emperor Taizong, it's not "the uncle succeeds the nephew after his death" but "the son succeeds the father after his death." Otherwise, there would be no such unusual jump from "the 35th year of Hongwu" to the first year of Yongle.

If Yang Tinghe forcibly adhered to the principle of "the son succeeds the father" and let Prince Yi inherit the throne of Emperor Xianzong, it would be a denial of Emperor Xiaozong Zhu Youtang. If he adhered to the principle of "the younger brother succeeds the elder brother" and let Prince Yi inherit the throne of Emperor Xiaozong, it would be a denial of Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao.

If he dared to do so, the empire would immediately be in chaos. Whether Prince Yi would dare accept this immense wealth and prestige was unknown, but all the other princes could, under the pretext of purging the emperor, attack Yang Tinghe. Therefore, he could only invoke the "brother succeeds the younger brother" rule and allow his cousin Zhu Houcong to inherit the throne from his cousin Zhu Houzhao.

"However, Yi Jong's succession to the title of a vassal prince was not the traditional practice of the younger brother succeeding the elder brother, but rather a nephew succeeding the elder brother. This idea of ​​a nephew succeeding the elder brother is unprecedented, even if one searches through all the historical records." In Xu Guangqi's view, while the enthronement of Sejong after Wuzong's death and the dethronement of King Cepheus to Yi Jong share the commonality of "tracing back to the grandfather and then enthroning the eldest surviving grandson," they are fundamentally different. The emperor was simply playing with music!

"What we are doing here is a matter of deposing and enthroning, that is, deposing the unworthy and enthroning the worthy. There is no such thing as succession." Zhu Changluo disagreed.

Xu Guangqi then explained, "What I mean by 'replacing' is not King Yi Hun of Joseon, but rather Prince Inseong Yi Gong. If we depose Yi Hun's lineage and do not enthronize Yi Seol as king, it would indicate that the Ming Dynasty has never recognized Yi Hun's throne. Therefore, we should follow the ancestral precept of 'the son succeeds the father' and enthronize King Sogyeong's eldest surviving son, Prince Inseong Yi Gong, as King of Joseon. By appointing Yi Jong as King of Joseon, we are essentially replacing our uncle with our nephew."

"Li Gong is already 33 years old. He is neither easy to monitor nor to protect," said Zhu Changluo.

Xu Guangqi's face showed more doubts. He said tactfully, "Your Majesty, Li Zong was born in the 23rd year of the Wanli reign, making him three years older than Li Shi."

"." Zhu Changluo did not respond to him, and the hall fell into silence.

Xu Guangqi couldn't understand why the emperor considered this adult nephew, only six years younger than his uncle, a better guardian. Even if he wanted to control the vassal state by holding the younger prince hostage, wouldn't it be better to simply enthronize King Zhaojing's youngest son, the fourteen-year-old Li? While skipping the older brothers and directly enthroning the younger brother would also create public pressure for "disrupting the order of seniority," it was still far better than replacing the uncle with a nephew.

Suddenly, Xu Guangqi had a flash of inspiration, and he recalled the imperial edict he had written himself. There were two identical surnames on the edict. He had first seen these surnames on a gift list.

(End of this chapter)