Daming: Stealing Chen Yuanyuan at the beginning

Chapter 341 Court Debate, Leveraging Strength
In mid-May, Zhang Shangxian led the Ming Dynasty mission to North Korea.

The mission fleet sailed into Ganghwa Bay and landed in Incheon Prefecture.Then he went to Seoul and met with the King of Joseon Yi Jie in Changdeokgung Palace.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang, North Korea has always been a subsidiary state of the Ming Dynasty. The ruler of the country is called the king but not the emperor. The palace is built in strict accordance with the etiquette system of the Ming Dynasty, and the scale is equivalent to the prince's mansion.

Originally, the kings of all dynasties of Korea governed in Gyeongbokgung Palace, but during the Japanese Rebellion, Gyeongbokgung Palace was destroyed by war, and Changdeokgung Palace replaced Gyeongbokgung Palace and temporarily became the main palace.

The audience ceremony was held in the Hall of Renzheng.

Zhang Shangxian walked at the front of the mission team with a solemn expression.Looking at the blue brick walls and blue roof tiles of Changdeok Palace, he thought to himself: "For more than 200 years, North Korea has been in awe of the Ming Dynasty and never dared to overstep. This is the majesty of the Kingdom of Heaven!"

According to the etiquette system, the imperial palace uses yellow glazed tiles, and the royal palace can only use blue bricks.Zhang Shangxian’s emotion stemmed from this.

With the sound of the salute, North Korean Li Cao officials loudly praised and guided the envoys into the Hall of Renzheng.

Zhang Shangxian raised his eyes and saw that the sky above the throne was empty, and there was no sign of Li Zhu, and he couldn't help but frowned.

"Where is the king of your country?" Zhang Shangxian asked.

"Your Highness is ill and has been lingering on the sick bed, so I cannot come to meet the ambassador. If your envoy has anything to say, you can tell your son and me, and we will tell His Highness the truth." Zuo Yizhengjin stood up.

Zuo Yizheng is equivalent to the prime minister.

When Zhang Shangxian came to North Korea with the Qing army, he met Jin Zidian, and he knew very well that Jin Zidian was a pro-Qing faction. He was the one who urged North Korea to pay tribute to the Manchu Qing.

Zhang Shangxian looked past Jin Zidian and towards a young man beside him, who was Prince Zhaoxian.

Prince Zhaoxian has a clear face, in his 30s, with a somewhat indifferent expression, he nodded slightly to Zhang Shangxian.

"Li Zhen didn't show up, and only sent his son and ministers to meet the mission, most likely he has a wait-and-see attitude." Zhang Shangxian thought to himself, frowning even tighter.

He raised his voice, showing a bit of anger: "Heavenly Dynasty sent a mission, and the king of your country didn't meet him in person, wouldn't it be a sign of negligence?"

Jin Zizhi said: "The king of our country is sick in bed and has limited mobility. Isn't it unreasonable for your ambassador to force a patient?"

Zhang Shangxian sneered and said: "It's not that this ambassador is unkind, but that your country's behavior makes people suspicious. It's not a matter of one or two years that your king is ill. This ambassador expresses my deep sympathy. . But this ambassador remembers that the Manchu Qing Dynasty sent Ying Erdai as envoy to North Korea many times. On which occasion did your king not receive him in person? Why did the Ming Dynasty envoy come, but your king avoided seeing him? In contrast to the two, why not Chilling?"

Jin Zidian looked embarrassed, and Crown Prince Zhaoxian tried to smooth things over by saying, "My father has indeed been seriously ill recently. Please forgive me, Ambassador."

Zhang Shangxian didn't want to make things too tense, so he stopped dwelling on this topic and said, "A few days ago, our government sent us letters of credence. I wonder if you have read them? What do you think?"

"The credentials have been received. Not only His Royal Highness the King has read them, but also this Crown Prince and many important officials in the court. But we have some questions and want to ask the Ambassador." Prince Zhaoxian said this and gave Jin Zidian a wink. .

Jin Zidian took over the conversation and said: "Our country has long surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and severed ties with the Ming Dynasty. After so many years, the Ming Dynasty suddenly sent letters of credence and sent a mission, saying that it would restore the previous relations with our country. It is really It happened suddenly."

"It happened suddenly?"

"Yes, it was too sudden and caught people off guard."

Zhang Shangxian suppressed his anger and said: "After Li Chenggui, the founder of your country, established the regime, he sent envoys to Daming to meet Emperor Taizu. The name of the country was bestowed by Emperor Taizu. It has been more than two hundred years now. , Your country still uses the name of North Korea, and it has always been a vassal state of our country. I sent a mission to your country, why did it happen suddenly?"

"Secondly, during the Wanli period, the Japanese pirates were rampant, and your country was in danger, almost in danger of destroying the country. The Emperor Wanli sent troops to support and repel the Japanese pirates, which is a kindness to your country. The benefactor sent a mission, why did it happen suddenly?"

Jin Zidian was resentful and unable to open his mouth again, and his son said: "What your ambassador said is an undeniable fact. Our country will never renege on its debts, and will always remember the kindness of the Ming Dynasty. But today is not what it used to be. The Manchu and Qing soldiers are strong and strong. The Ming Dynasty was unable to protect our country, and our country had to submit to the Manchu Qing in order to protect itself, is there anything wrong with that?"

Well, I finally spoke my mind!

Zhang Shangxian sneered again, he could see that Prince Zhaoxian really had a heart for the Manchu court.

It's useless to talk too much, Zhang Shangxian decided to frighten these people first, then he suddenly made an extremely rude move and took off his official hat.

"What do you want to do?" Prince Zhaoxian was shocked and angry, but when he saw Zhang Shangxian's bald head, he was stunned.

Zhang Shangxian pointed to his head and said: "Everyone, do you know why I have no hair on my head? To tell you the truth, I used to be an official of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and it has been less than a month since I surrendered to the Ming Dynasty! Why didn't you work hard for the Manchu Qing instead of serving the Qing Dynasty, but turned to the light?"

"The reason is very simple. The Manchu Qing Dynasty is no longer as strong as it was a few years ago, and it is no longer unstoppable. The entire territory of Xi'an, Kaifeng, and Shandong belongs to the Ming Dynasty. The territory owned by the Manchu Qing court is getting smaller and smaller. The Manchu army Beaten by the Ming soldiers, they threw away their helmets and armor and looked for their teeth all over the place. The Manchus cannot protect themselves, and your country still fantasizes about being protected by the Manchus, which is nothing more than a foolish dream!"

"This ambassador came to negotiate on the order of the emperor. What I want to see is the king of your country, and others are not allowed to talk!"

As he spoke, he put on his official hat and greeted the mission team to leave.

There were different discussions in the Hall of Renzheng, Prince Soxian and Jin Zidian looked at each other with gloomy faces.

……

Back at the post house, members of the mission went to rest in their rooms.Zhang Shangxian pretended to arrange various matters in the courtyard, and then went to inspect the stables.

He stood in front of the stables and scolded the groom loudly: "These horses came with the ambassador through the wind and waves, and they suffered from the wind and waves. You have to take good care of them. The ambassador must be majestic when traveling. If the horses are sick , wouldn't it damage the face of my Ming Dynasty?"

As he spoke, he knocked three times on a pillar in the stable.

In the middle of the night, Zhang Shangxian was sleeping with his clothes on, and when he was half awake and half unconscious, he heard a soft knock on the door.

He hurriedly stood up, lowered his voice and said: "Master Ren, you are here."

Ren Qi said with a smile: "It's not easy to be a groom, you have to be angry during the day, and you can't sleep at night."

"I would also like to ask Sir Ren Haihan. When the mission is stationed in the post house, it must have been monitored by all forces in North Korea for a long time. We must be careful in everything we do."

"I know that we are all for the important affairs of the court. It doesn't matter if we work hard and be cautious." Ren Qi sat down at the table and asked, "Ambassador Zhang, what should we do next?"

Zhang Shangxian said: "Master Ren pretended to be a groom and did not go to Changdeok Palace today. I will first talk about what happened in Changdeok Palace."

After finishing speaking in a few words, Zhang Shangxian said: "Li Zhen sits on the fence to watch, Prince Zhaoxian and Jin Zidian are both pro-Qing factions, and it is very difficult to come to negotiate."

"Zhiniang thief, the little demon in the temple is strong, and there are many kings in Chiqian!" Ren Qi cursed, and then said, "Why bother with them, anyway, His Majesty will lead the navy to North Korea sooner or later. Do you and his courtiers still dare to go against each other?"

"In any case, North Korea is a foreign country, and there are too many things to consider. When we were in Laiyang City, His Majesty had a detailed discussion with me late at night, and we have already made a plan. Before I send troops to North Korea, we must use our strength to fight .”

"Then let them fight each other first?" Ren Qi laughed meanly, "I like this method, tell me, who do we want to borrow?"

"Li Hao's second son, Li Hao!"

"Oh, does Ambassador Zhang need me to contact Li Hao secretly?"

"No, although you are pretending to be a groom, you are also a member of the mission, so you are too ostentatious. Let's not show up and let the North Koreans contact Li Hao."

"Who?"

"Kim Sang-heon!"

(End of this chapter)