As Prophet - Chapter 77



Only Krnovel

Episode 77. Remonstrance

“Is this what you mean by ‘don’t call him’?”

“Your Majesty, I am sorry. I may have to leave this world.”

“You’re going back to the mountains?”

“His current state is awkward and unbalanced. To be honest, I don’t know if he really needs to study the world that the master is talking about. He is a person who has surpassed the limits of human martial arts. To be honest, I wonder if it is possible to do so while lacking something somewhere. When a sage advances on the path of seeking the truth through martial arts, he dreams of a certain perfection. He makes excuses because he can’t do it, but I believe that he is complete in terms of humanity.”

“Ahem, that’s great. But I’d like to see it once using your name.”

“For your information, he is the head of the school. I think you should approach him with a name that fits that description.”

“Oh, that’s… … .”

The king’s eyes widened and then slowly sank. Approach him in a manner befitting your status as the head of the academy… … It is not that there is no way. There may be ministers who will dissuade you, saying it is dangerous, but if you want to do it, there is nothing you cannot do.

“Finally, the Grand Princess is currently studying in the school building.”

“That’s what they said.”

“If you call the Grand Princess and ask her, many things will be answered.”

“Why on earth is that guy there?”

Baek Ui-hyung shivered at the irritating words he spat out. He must be careful from here on out.

“It is said that he was under threat of assassination.”

“You have to make sense.”

“I wanted to keep the governor by my side, but he refused, so I thought of a way to get in as that student.”

“You even refused the Grand Duke’s request? Ahem, how arrogant.”

I have already mentioned the example of a genius, but he is judged as arrogant from this perspective. He does not know how far he has gone. The brother-in-law did not say anything more and bowed his head deeply.

“They say the situation in the North is not good.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know that?”

“The boundaries of the mountain people transcend the Three Hans. They regard and move even the boundaries of the distant Liaodong, Liaoxi, and the distant grasslands as one world.”

“Is that what you mean, the area of ​​activity is bigger than Joseon?”

“Yes, so I hear it through various channels.”

“What do you think?”

“It is called the Four Great and Four Friends. In one land, there are the Ming army to pay tribute to, the 25 Wei under the Liaodong Provincial Commander-in-Chief, and dozens of Jurchen tribes to pay tribute to. Some have submitted to the Ming, received official posts, and are growing in power through border trade. Some have distanced themselves from them and are maintaining their distance. In the meantime, we must increase our share. We must embrace the Jurchen without submitting to the Ming.

The trade they hang themselves on is a double-edged sword. If you give them, they become stronger, and if you don’t, they turn away. You have to restrict trade in things that can be converted into military supplies, and you have to trade and support things that are necessary for living. Their reason for coming down ninety-nine times a year is survival.”

“Haven’t you been doing that?”

“There is only one superpower, the Ming Dynasty, that is, one super empire. It is not possible to solve problems through diplomacy like Goryeo, which had two empires, the Song and the Liao.”

The king frowned and grabbed the handle of the throne. Leaning his upper body forward, he asked impatiently.

“Tell me the conclusion. Tell me what you think.”

“I have a different opinion from the current government, so I dare not speak out.”

“Speak.”

“I would like to recall that they were once the subjects of our ancestors.”

“What?”

“They were subject to Goguryeo and were Balhae citizens. It is said that the founder of the Jin Dynasty was a descendant of Gyerim. I don’t know if this is true, but if Agolta and Kim Bu-sik were distant relatives and knew each other, it might explain why the Jin Dynasty did not attack Goryeo.”

“Isn’t that a story from a folk tale?”

“They believe so. They are perplexed by the hostility we show. They ask why we are being so vulgar when we are a brother country.”

“What’s the conclusion?”

“We should accept them as our people. We should accept those living in the vast empty land between Ming and Joseon, and make that land our own. Your Majesty, this is the opinion of a foolish military man.”

There are many stories of people dying after saying one wrong thing. Baek Ui-hyeong banged his head on the floor after finishing speaking. He spoke too carelessly, saying that his mouth was open.

But there really is no answer. No, no one said anything. That’s what I mean, but it’s a little different. If there were a yes or no answer to what I said, I could say that we’re still having a conversation, but not saying anything is already crossing the line and going too far wrong.

I should have said I didn’t know because I was foolish. The conclusion that I had taken for granted while spending time with Dalcheon could seem like an absurd and vain thought to those who were petty. I buried my head in my hands, waiting for the poison to come down, or rather, waiting for it not to come down. I breathed slowly and shallowly, fearing that they might hear my silent breathing. I was wrong. I should have been careful with my words. I should have thought I was dealing with the most petty person in the world and not said anything.

Regret is already too late. I felt like tears were flowing down my face as I buried my head in the form of a loyal subject. How did I get this official position? It was all ruined by a few words of bragging.

I couldn’t even remember what I said. The highest power in Joseon doesn’t guarantee the highest humanity. What did I say wrong? The tone, feeling, and emotion I had when I spoke remained clear, but no words or sentences that would have offended me came to mind at all. The opinions I had shared with Dalcheon and some new information about the North were scattered like trash in my mind.

The silence of Daejeon was suffocating and stifling. If anything could break this silence, it felt like I could catch my breath.

“I am extremely sorry. My foolish thoughts have disturbed Your Majesty. Please punish this ignorant man.”

As darkness descended upon the vast space of silence that seemed destined to continue, the king opened his mouth.

“What does the Minister of Justice think?”

“Your Majesty, a new officer is going north. New information, new ideas. I wonder if this will be another opportunity. Between the Ming, Jurchen, and Northern Yuan, Liaodong is like a fire bomb that could explode at any time. The 25 Wei of the Liaodong Provincial Commander-in-Chief seem to have settled down successfully, but only in the west, and the commander who went far to Gando seems to be giving up now. I believe that they have not established a self-sufficient foundation.

“I tried to weaken the remnants of the Northern Yuan during the expedition to the steppes, but they are still alive and well. Yi Yi Je! I want to control them with the Jurchen, but the Jurchen are too weak and are as picky as thorns under the fingernails. I already knew that it would be difficult to just give them official posts and allow trade. I was truly hoping that the local government of Hoeryong would be the turning point.”

Fortunately, he was able to change direction from blaming Dalcheon’s insolent freedom. The king quickly read from a book the seven virtues that local officials should be mindful of.

“Your Majesty, is there anything else you would like to ask?”

“If Your Majesty permits, I have a few questions.”

“Permission is granted.”

It’s not over. But he is different from the king. The chief secretary is said to be the king’s confidant, but isn’t he just another official? He is not the master of this country. Baek Ui-hyeong turned slightly from his prone position and headed toward the chief secretary.

“That academy sent three students to the military service examination, and all three passed, and they took the top three positions: A, B, and C. I would like to send my son as well.”

“Didn’t Do Seung-ji’s son pass the state examination and is currently working at Hongmungwan?”

“There is another son besides that one.”

“Heh heh.”

Do Seung-ji took a step closer to Baek Ui-hyeong. His attitude was to ask him to answer.

“The academy is open. There are some qualifications to be examined, but it is not very difficult. Please send it once.”

“Thank you. Secondly, do you know that your thoughts about the North are very dangerous?”

“Yes. The discord with the Ming caused difficulties in the early days of the founding of the country. Now that it has barely been mended, it could lead to diplomatic disaster. The reason why the tributaries and allies are gathered in one land is because they are separate countries and races. If we can divide their countries, it will be another opportunity. If the Jurchen can restrain the Ming as they did in the previous dynasty, they might be able to breathe a sigh of relief. I understand that now, no matter what, we must bow down, bow down, and offer tribute.”

“Are you saying we should help them build their country?”

“How could a small person know the great diplomacy of a country? I think it is best to strengthen the military and strengthen diplomacy to prepare for the disaster that may come at any moment.”

“Trouble is coming? So, do you think they could be a threat to the Ming Dynasty?”

“It is a potential threat, but the North has always been like that. There has never been a non-threatening one in any period of history. If the superpower Ming dynasty had subjugated everyone, I don’t know, but I think the Ming has reached its limit. The empire of the Central Plains may not have much trouble, but I know that it is difficult to maintain even the 25 Wei under the Liaodong Commandery.”

The king interrupted the conversation between the two.

“I guess I’ll have to send someone to find out some information.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do it right away.”

“It will be done as you command, Your Majesty.”

The Royal Secretariat quickly took over and the Royal Secretariat quickly took over.

“This is the third question. It is about your disciple, Prince Dalcheon. I would like to ask you again how you can be so arrogant while living in this land. If Your Majesty commands, as a citizen of this country, I must accept any command. What did you say? You are a free man? The most powerful military force on earth? That is why you are telling me to endure this inconvenient truth. It was very appropriate to use the example of a genius.”

I speak for the King, but this is a conversation between you and me.

“Do Seung-ji’s question is very timely. I want you to think about the analogy I mentioned earlier again. The territory they live in is not the Three Hans. If anything happens, they will disappear far away to Liaodong, the grasslands, or even further away to the northern forests. If they don’t come, Your Majesty will have no worries. We need time to examine the differences. If they reject me for being different and not obeying my orders, it will be a great loss for the country.”

“Does he think of this country as his own?”

It’s a difficult time. I can’t just let it go with some lame words. I already know that he doesn’t think of me as a country. Do Seung-ji attacked that gap precisely.

“I will tell you honestly. The mountain people are the successors of the traditions handed down from a distant homeland. They consider themselves the ancestors of Goguryeo. They consider themselves the descendants of the Korean people who spread far beyond the Three Hans, Liaodong and Liaoxi, the great forests and grasslands. Their land, people, and people are much larger. In that sense, Joseon is also their country. The difficulty is that they do not see the Jurchen as others. They consider all ten countries of the old Joseon as their own people who must be taken care of.

It was not long ago. Word spreads very quickly in the mountains. The Liaodong Province Commander-in-Chief used the method of using barbarians to control barbarians to attack the tribes of the Jurchen. At that time, the discussion in the mountains was whether we should help them. Can we not say that it is arrogant for their country to extend to the scope of a larger people?”

Although he spoke carefully, he could not change the stubbornness of Do Seung-ji, who thought he was superior to him. He just waited for him to acknowledge that this could be the case.

“A bigger country… … .”

“I’m sorry. I was just talking nonsense because I was ignorant.”

Suddenly, Do Seung-ji thought that it might be dangerous to send someone with such thoughts to the far north. However, the edict had already been issued, and as a subordinate, his job was to stop his rash actions. He glanced at the king and saw that his discomfort had subsided. Should he be satisfied with this? If he goes and sees what he does, he can be dismissed. The personnel affairs of a single military officer can be manipulated in some way. There is also a way to make the Do Mok Jeong Sa (都目政事) leave by putting him at a disadvantage. He has joined the organization and must act in accordance with the organization’s goals, and he cannot assert his own opinions.