The sea, the vast expanse of water stretches as far as the eye can see.
Several large ships had full sails in the favorable wind, as light as flying birds. Their sharp bows split the waves, and white water splashed and bloomed.
"Ah..." A sailor stood on the deck with his hands in front of his mouth and shouted loudly to the sea.
"Haha!" Everyone roared with laughter, and someone shouted, "Silly Xiang, you can't read a basket of Chinese characters, so you're going to recite poetry!"
"Ha ha……"
The boat was filled with happy sounds.
A Korean said in jerky Chinese: "Your envoy's ship is too fast. At this speed, we will be able to see our country very soon!"
At this time, the noise on the boat stopped and began to calm down.
After a while, the ship docked at Yongzong Island.
This is the trading port of North Korea.
Although according to the tribute regulations, North Korea must have free trade with the Ming Dynasty, the North Korean court was not a fool. They certainly understood the consequences of more imports and less exports.
The outflow of large amounts of silver and gold has caused great losses to North Korea, exacerbating the scarcity of gold and silver across the country.
Moreover, restricting merchants to Yongzong Island is more conducive to monopoly and tax collection management, and can also be regarded as increasing treasury revenue to a certain extent.
Several years passed by, and the number of merchants on Yongzong Island gradually exceeded a thousand households. A small town grew up around the consumption of this group of merchants.
Therefore, North Korea established Yeongjong County on Yeongjong Island.
The group landed on Yongzong Island and were warmly welcomed by the Han merchants on the island.
Especially the arrival of angels brings the atmosphere to its highest peak.
As an envoy, Xia Wanchun was the number one scholar in the seventh year of Shaowu.
Obviously, for him, going to North Korea as an ambassador can add a lot of qualification issues, and he has taken a step up in officialdom.
As soon as the young and handsome Xia Wanchun came out, there were endless greetings.
After a long sea voyage, hearing such familiar words in a foreign country made him feel happy.
It's just a banquet, where the guests and hosts enjoy themselves.
The next day, North Korean officials led Xia Wanchun upstream from the Han River to Seoul, the capital of North Korea.
After being devastated by many wars, Seoul actually still retains the wreckage of the war. Nearly half of the outer city has been reduced to ruins, but North Korea is unable to repair it.
Just like their Gyeongbokgung Palace, it never returned to its original state after the Imjin Japanese Rebellion.
This is the tragedy of small countries.
However, Xia Wanchun felt otherwise.
Yeongjong Island is prosperous and prosperous, not to mention one million a year, but hundreds of thousands are just idle. It is more than enough to repair these outer city areas. It is nothing more than the North Korean court turning a blind eye to the interests of the common people.
When the Ming Dynasty envoys arrived in the city, Seoul was in great turmoil.
Previously, the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty fought in Korea, almost destroying the capital, but fortunately the crown prince Li Hao, supported by the Ming Dynasty, once again took control of Seoul.
According to common sense, the Ming Dynasty had twice rebuilt Korea. However, a few years ago, tens of thousands of Korean elite soldiers went northward. Except for 20,000 to 30,000 who returned, the rest stayed in Liaodong as soldiers.
This makes North Korea extremely helpless. Over the years, what they have been obsessed with is taking back their elite soldiers.
Why?
In fact, elite soldiers are the foundation of strong royal power.
Although King Li Hao of North Korea was not very afraid of the arrival of the Ming Dynasty envoy, he was still a little uneasy in his heart:
"For some unknown reason, your superior country sent envoys to our country?"
Jin Yuze, the leader of the cabinet (chief minister of the cabinet), coughed and said with relief:
"It should be something trivial."
"Then I wonder if I can get the elite soldiers from the north back?"
Li Hao relaxed a little and couldn't help but ask.
You Yizheng Yuan Doupiao replied helplessly: "Your Highness, I'm afraid it will be difficult."
"My Korean soldiers and horses have gone through many wars and have become elite soldiers in hundreds of battles. It is impossible for our country to let them go, and we will not release them."
"The old minister is lying, my country is restless because it has such elite soldiers.
"
When Li Hao heard this, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
It's just nonsense.
With these elites in North Korea, will they still be able to rebel?
It is nothing more than that some wealthy families in the country are not willing to increase their royal power. After all, a king with a powerful army is the most difficult to control and the most willful.
Therefore, this tug-of-war has difficulties both at home and abroad.
But Li Hao still refused to give up.
Zuo Yizheng Li Jingshi saw the king's eagerness and said, "Your Highness, even if the army returns to the country, our country cannot afford it!"
"It's ridiculous. The imperial court can't afford to support only 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers and horses? There are nearly 200,000 soldiers and horses in the country, so there aren't that many!"
"Your Highness, as far as I know, the monthly salary of the border troops of the Ming Dynasty is two silver coins..."
As soon as these words came out, Li Hao was shocked and speechless.
"This, this is too much!"
It has been a consensus for hundreds of years that North Korea is a country short of gold and silver.
Especially in the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was particularly dissatisfied with North Korea and borrowed tribute to support his family. Therefore, from 1379 to 1385 alone, Goryeo's tribute to the Ming Dynasty included 10,400 taels of gold, 62,000 taels of silver, 65,500 pieces of cloth, and 7,583 horses. .
This almost wiped out all the gold and silver in North Korea.
Most of the horses raised on Jeju Island in the Yuan Dynasty were brought to the Ming Dynasty.
After the treasury was empty of gold and silver, the gold and silver axes used in the ceremony held after Li Fangguo's death were all fake.
His embarrassment is evident.
Later, after the Taizongs on both sides, Zhu Di and Li Fangyuan, succeeded to the throne, the relationship between the two parties gradually eased due to their similar experiences.
Without Zhu Yuanzhang's use of tribute as a means of provocation, North Korea's annual tribute content has stabilized at 150 taels of gold and 700 taels of silver.
But even such a request would be difficult for North Korea to fulfill, because North Korea (almost) does not produce gold or silver.
In 1429, under North Korea's repeated requests (the first two were in 1409 and 1420), the Ming Dynasty waived North Korea's gold and silver tribute and replaced the tribute with local products. Only then did the Ming Dynasty relieve North Korea of its burden.
Even though Yeongjong Island is now open to trade and gold and silver are flowing in, the shortage of gold and silver has not improved much because North Korea has been hungry and thirsty for hundreds of years.
It is simply unimaginable to give ordinary soldiers two silver coins and two taels of silver.
Seeing that the king finally gave up, several ministers breathed a sigh of relief.
Xia Wanchun, on the other hand, moved into the Muhua Pavilion where China's "angels" were welcomed.
There is a Ying'en Gate in front of Muhua Hall, which was originally called Yingzhao Gate. Later, when Xue Tingchong, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, came to North Korea, it was renamed Ying'en Gate.
Later, Ying'en Gate was destroyed during the Japanese Rebellion of Imjin. After it was rebuilt, the Ming Dynasty envoy Zhu Zhifan re-inscribed the plaque "Ying'en Gate" in 1606 and signed "The Imperial Envoy Jinling Zhu Zhifan's Letter".
Of course, during the Japanese occupation, Ying'en Gate was demolished, and later Koreans built the Independence Gate on the site.
When the sky was slightly bright, a colorful yellow tent hall was built in front of Ying'en Gate. A yellow house, dragon pavilion and incense pavilion were set up in the middle of the tent hall. Golden drums, yellow ceremonial guards and drum music were displayed in front of it.
This is part of the "suburban welcome" etiquette for the arrival of the Heavenly Angel.
King Li Hao of North Korea, wearing the dragon robe of Yi Shan Guan Gong, led his clan members and hundreds of officials to the Ying'en Gate.
Xia Wanchun was dressed in official robes with fluttering belts. He held the imperial edict in his hands and held his head high.
The thin body seemed extremely huge at this time.
In front of him, Li Hao and his ministers bowed respectfully:
"The little king leads his clan and officials to welcome the angel's arrival——"
Xia Wanchun returned the gift, and then together they enshrined the imperial edict in Longting.
After that, he walked side by side with the King of Joseon, passed through the Ying'en Gate together, and then headed towards the palace.
The ceremony was grand and the rituals and music were complete. North Korea did not dare to neglect it in the slightest, and there were countless people watching.
This once again declared North Korea's submission, and Xia Wanchun was very satisfied.
Waiting to enter the palace
, the green bricks and green tiles of Gyeongbokgung Palace made him frown:
This King of Korea is really too poor!
The banquet was quite lively.
Almost all North Korean civil and military officials could speak Chinese, and every one of them was fluent in Chinese. Their standard was no less than that of Xia Wanchun, which surprised him.
When asked why, Jin Yu, the political leader, laughed and said: "In our country's imperial examinations, even if you have profound knowledge, if you don't speak Chinese, you will definitely be dismissed."
Xia Wanchun praised him, but sneered in his heart.
The Ming Dynasty was so vast, and there were very few scholars who spoke Mandarin. The reason why North Korea valued Chinese so much was because it wanted to monopolize the imperial examinations.
Even if the ordinary two-class nobles have read the Four Books and Five Classics, how can they learn Chinese if they don't spend a lot of energy to be taught by a good teacher?
All crows in the world are generally black!
However, for Xia Wanchun, chatting and talking was not a problem, he talked and laughed freely, showing the demeanor of a Jinshi.
There are countless admirers at once.
"Today's banquet is in full swing. I wonder if Mr. Zhuangyuan would like to write a poem?"
Jin Yu raised his glass and said with a smile.
Xia Wanchun on the side did not panic at all.
He smiled slightly and said: "To write a good eight-legged essay, you need poetry to get poetry, and you need lyrics to get lyrics."
As he spoke, he raised his glass and toasted the King of Korea who was sitting on the throne, and then said: "The foreign minister is Meng Lang today."
"The water of the Yangtze River, which is thousands of miles away, flows far away from Chaozong.
The storm is coming, and the rain and dew are preparing for it.
When jade and silk come to China, their clothes and clothes will go upstairs.
Look at the appearance thousands of miles away, and praise the holy pilgrimage for thousands of years. "
"good--"
Suddenly, there was a loud voice of admiration.
Regardless of whether the poem is good or not, as long as the words are written by angels, they must be good poems.
At this time, a man stood up, raised his head and said: "I dare not let the angels focus on the beauty in front of me today, but I also want to write a poem."
"The Three Religions of the Heavenly King, Xi, and the Great Transformation of Bu Huanjiao.
Haiyue is divided into north and south, and there are nine concavities in the universe.
The mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the grass and trees are transformed into mountains.
The four countries have inherited their blessings, and the king's heart is high in his nest. "
All the ministers had angry faces at first, but after hearing this poem, they all couldn't help but nod in praise.
Even Xia Wanchun was amazed.
This is a poem that shows North Korea's respect for the Ming Dynasty. The rhyme of the poem is second, but the key is its intention, which is worthy of praise.
The King of Joseon, who was sitting high on the stage, also smiled.
A banquet where guests and hosts enjoy themselves.
At night, Zuo Yizheng Li Jingshi and Li Cao were invited to visit the angel at the Muhua Pavilion.
Xia Wanchun knew their purpose very well.
It's nothing more than wanting to understand the purpose of his arrival in North Korea.
No one would believe that in name only the Ming Emperor sent envoys to commend the Korean King for his loyalty.
Xia Wanchun was in the study, entertaining the two of them seriously.
It was also bitterly cold in North Korea at this time, but the entire Muhua Pavilion was burning with earth dragons and it was very warm.
Xia Wanchun casually put on a coat and poured two cups of tea:
"Please try it. This is the West Lake Longjing I brought from Jiangnan. Even in Jiangnan, it is very rare. You have to fight to buy it."
Zuo Yizheng Li Jingshi took a sip and praised: "Good tea, slightly astringent in the mouth, but immediately aftertaste is infinitely sweet, but it is good -"
"Angel spends so much money, it makes me ashamed."
"You and I have such a close relationship, why do we need to be so open-minded?"
Xia Wanchun shook his head.
"I don't know if the angel came to Korea, but what's the important thing?"
"We can't talk about important things—"
Xia Wanchun showed a smile, which actually meant two things.
As he spoke, he actually stretched out two fingers.
This surprised Li Jingshi, but he was relieved.
Since you can open your mouth so easily, then just
It means the matter is not big.
In this way, North Korea can also turn around without being too embarrassed.
He glanced at Councilor Li Cao beside him. In his arms, there was a banknote worth three thousand silver dollars quietly waiting.
Now, depending on the situation, there is no need to spend it at all.
Young people are easy to serve!
"Your Majesty, please make it clear that whatever we, North Korea, can do, the whole country will do it."
"It's not a big deal." Xia Wanchun pondered for a moment, thinking about which thing to say first.
In the end, he decided to start with the easy stuff first and then the tough stuff.
"The first thing is to ask for the princess of your country to marry for the sake of His Highness King Qin of our country——"
"Prince Qin?" Li Jingshi was stunned and glanced at Li Cao at random.
As the eldest son of the Ming Emperor, King Qin inherited his illustrious title of King Qin. You must know that this is the lineage of the Ming Dynasty, and his status is extraordinary.
He couldn't help but feel a hint of joy in his heart.
Then, there was some pity.
If this is a marriage with the current prince, the future harvest will be huge.
A mere princess is nothing.
"This is our country's honor." Li Jingshi nodded hurriedly: "Apart from King Qin, I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince would like..."
"This is His Majesty's Holy Judgment, and we are not allowed to speak arbitrarily."
Xia Wanchun shook his head directly.
"The marriage between the King of Qin and your country was finally approved after repeated discussions in the court."
Li Jingshi showed a hint of disappointment.
Except for the two or three emperors who founded the Ming Dynasty, basically no Korean women were selected to enter the imperial palace. This was very detrimental to the increasingly sophisticated relations between the Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty.
However, marrying the King of Qin is not bad.
After he calmed down, Xia Wanchun said in a deep voice: "In addition, your prince is not young anymore, so he can go to Beijing for a study tour."
"The Imperial College of the Ming Dynasty has solid academic qualifications and there are many knowledgeable people..."
"this--"
Hearing these words, Li Jingshi's heart exploded instantly.
The first thing he thought of was to use the crown prince as a pledge.
But in the blink of an eye, I thought that the relationship between Ming and Dynasty was very close, so it would not be like this. So what is the deeper meaning?
"How long will the prince stay in Beijing?"
"It will only take two or three years." Xia Wanchun said softly, "Just bathe in the Chinese style and experience the customs and customs of the Ming Dynasty."
"Don't overthink your country."
Why doesn't this make people think more?
"This matter is of great importance. I have to go back to the palace and report it to His Highness Ming."
After saying this, he hurried out, with an indescribable urgency in his steps.
