King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 815 Killing Sun Shaozu

Park Jin-young was a maid, but she had been serving the emperor for a long time, so she knew that Zhu Jinghong was asking casually and did not expect her to answer.

"Your Majesty, I don't know whether I should say it or not!"

Logically, Park Jin-young should have said "I dare not say anything nonsense" or just pretended not to hear the question. However, her answer at this moment really surprised Zhu Jinghong.

She doesn't know whether she should say it or not, which means she does have something to say, and it might be some harsh truth, which is very interesting.

There is no doubt that Park Jin-young's response was very dangerous, because as a small servant, she should not express her opinions on state affairs. Even Baochai was extremely cautious in this regard.

She knew it was dangerous, but she still took the risk because she wanted to help her brother.

After looking at Park Jin-young for a few seconds, Zhu Jinghong said, "Then tell me!"

"Your Majesty, I was once a commoner in Korea, and I know how exploitative the local government is. Take the military tax in Andong as an example. The imperial court only collected 20 catties per mu of land, but the Korean government increased it to 25 or even 30 catties!"

"After the 13th year of Zhengtong, the rebellions in various places became even more difficult, and the Joseon government imposed more and heavier taxes and levies, and the people were really suffering!"

Didn't Zhu Jinghong know about these things? Of course he knew, and he knew them in much more detail than Park Jin-young.

But this thing is a layer of window paper. It would be very embarrassing if it was broken. For example, Zhu Jinghong is very embarrassed at this moment.

"People couldn't survive, so they ran into the mountains and became bandits, so..."

Before Park Jin-young could finish her words, Cheng Ying, the eunuch who held the pen, noticed the emperor's strange expression and immediately scolded him: "How dare you, a mere servant, know nothing about military and national affairs!"

"How dare you speak so arrogantly in front of His Majesty? You are simply overestimating your own abilities!"

The eunuch showed his power, and Park Jin-young was so scared that he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

Before Cheng Ying could finish his words, the eunuch Lu Tong, who was in charge of the seal, said, "Your Majesty, this woman is arrogant. I will order her to be beaten to death!"

As a capable servant, he must protect the emperor's wisdom and speak for the emperor on his behalf. At this moment, Lu Tong gave the option of killing.

Park Jin-young knew that it was dangerous to speak today, but she didn't expect it to be so dangerous. At this moment, she was kneeling on the ground and trembling.

Looking at Park Jin-young lying on the ground, Zhu Jinghong suddenly realized that it might be a very stupid thing to have a North Korean on duty next to him.

After all, she had served him for so many years, so Zhu Jinghong was not without feelings for her. After thinking for a while, he replied, "There's no need to beat her to death. She was a dancer. Just send her back to Concubine Zhang!"

The noble lady Zhang mentioned by Zhu Jinghong is none other than Zhang Xiaoyue, whom he brought back from Liaodong. Now she has changed her name to Zhang Jingyi.

"Hurry up and get off!" Cheng Ying scolded.

Park Jin-young didn't dare to say anything more. He stood up and retreated out of the hall.

After leaving the warm room, Park Jin-young was still scared. She found that she had lost her mind and actually thought that there was a chance of changing something with just a few words from her.

The emperor, that is the emperor, this is the emperor... Park Jin-young's understanding of the emperor is extremely profound at this moment.

At this moment, Park Jin-young was truly full of gratitude, grateful for the emperor's mercy in not dragging her out and beating her to death.

It can be said that she has feudal ideas to her core, but this is her truest thought at the moment.

The emperor saved her life in the past, and has taken good care of her over the years. Today he has forgiven her serious sins. It will be difficult to repay such a kindness in this lifetime.

After Park Jin-young left with gratitude, Zhu Jinghong continued to read the memorial. He actually did not quite agree with the strategy given by the Ministry of War.

In recent years, the civil unrest in North Korea has been fluctuating, and the suppression has been endless. How to solve the problem once and for all is the result that Zhu Jinghong wants.

So regarding this matter, or the matter in the north, he decided to convene a court meeting and let the ministers discuss the strategy again.

Of course, he also had some ideas about this, but he would also instruct others to express them during the court meeting.

So before the formal court meeting, Zhu Jinghong met with civil and military officials one after another.

After a major court meeting in early October, he directly convened a court meeting to discuss the situation in the north and southwest.

Needless to say, in the southwest, stability is the most important thing, but force can be used when necessary.

In the north, the focus in recent years has been on suppression, but the rebellion has never been completely eradicated, so the strategy of combining suppression and appeasement was adopted.

It's not really that brilliant, but if it can be successfully implemented and bring peace to the North, then it is indeed a good idea.

The content of the court discussion was naturally carried out by the Andong Xingdusi. The urgent order from the court took eleven days to be delivered on October 12.

Then, on November 18, the commander-in-chief Geng Zonggui summoned all the tribes under his command, as well as the Jurchen tribe under his jurisdiction, and of course the Korean government to discuss the matter together.

Before the meeting, Geng Zonggui read out the contents of the urgent letter, which was a formal official document and a national policy that the Xingdusi must implement.

After the document was read, a formal meeting was held, and the final strategy was to forgive those who were willing to surrender, but to kill all those who were stubborn and unyielding.

After the meeting, Geng Zonggui sent an official letter to the small Korean court in the name of Andong Xingdusi, asking them to cancel the sneak attacks on rebels in various places.

When the document reached the palace, King Li Hui was almost furious to death, because these rebels had seized a lot of the royal family's private property during their rebellion.

If these people are not punished, where is the dignity of the royal family?

In the Qinzheng Hall, after listening to the report, Li Hui was so angry that his body was shaking, and he threw all the papers and pens on the desk.

Several officials in the hall, as well as several eunuchs on duty, were all so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

"Did the imperial edict clearly state that the An Dong Xing Du Si should release those traitors?"

"For the crimes they committed, it would not be excessive to kill them ten times. It is simply crazy to pardon them directly!"

"What does Geng Zonggui mean? Is he looking down on North Korea? Is he looking down on me, the king?"

Walking in front of his ministers, Li Hui suddenly raised his voice and said hysterically: "Immediately send someone to the Andong Xingdusi and ask Geng Zonggui to kneel outside Guanghua Gate and apologize to me!"

Gwanghwamun was the main gate of the Joseon royal palace. Everyone present found it outrageous that Geng Zonggui, the deputy governor and commander-in-chief, was made to kneel here.

So, after Li Hui roared, he didn't get any response, which made him even more angry.

"Are you all deaf? Hurry up and go!"

"Go, go now!"

Perhaps it was because he had endured too much anger in the past few years, which had accumulated and now exploded, causing Li Hui to completely lose his mind.

When several officials did not move, he went straight forward to grab them, shouting and even kicking and beating them. All the ministers could only endure it quietly.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Princess Cui Xiuqing rushed out, stepped forward and grabbed her husband, and stood between Li Hui and the officials.

Everyone was grateful to the princess for rescuing them, and in the past few years, Cui Xiuqing had helped the people below her out of many difficult situations, so she was actually more popular than Li Hui.

"You all get down!"

So when she spoke, several officials didn't even think much about it, but carefully stood up and retreated, and Li Hui didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

"Your Highness, why are you so angry?"

"Geng Zonggui, this old bastard, actually... pardoned those traitors without consulting me!"

"He dares to look down on me like this. I cannot coexist with him!" "Your Highness, please keep your voice down. If these words get to other people's ears, a lot of trouble will arise!" Cui Xiuqing soothed.

She actually didn't finish her words. If the news really reached Geng Zonggui's ears, Li Hui would end up having to go to the gate of Anxi Xingdusi to apologize.

However, this would only add fuel to the fire, so it is better not to say anything.

"It is useless to say more now. Your Highness should think about what to do next!"

Pulling Li Hui back to the throne, Cui Xiuqing continued, "In fact, I think if it really helps to bring peace to the world, it wouldn't hurt to pardon a few traitors!"

"It's just a matter of saving face, so why not give it up?"

To be honest, Cui Xiuqing is a very qualified politician, and it is a waste of her talent for her to marry Li Hui.

So in many of her midnight dreams, she would think of the selection in Beijing and dream of becoming the queen of the Ming Dynasty instead of being trapped in this small Korea.

"It's easy for you to say that. Now that the royal power is declining, if we even lose our face, how can we rule the people in the future?" Li Hui is not really stupid. In fact, he has a clear mind.

Sighing, Cui Xiuqing said, "If the king wants his subjects to die, they must die. This is the will of His Majesty. What can you do about it?"

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This was indeed an unsolvable situation, so Li Hui gradually calmed down and thought about how to deal with it in a way that would make the royal family look better.

Geng Zonggui ordered the pardon of all traitors, which was a gesture of goodwill towards the rebels in order to undermine their determination to die.

But the rebels had been fighting with the government troops for several years, and the two sides lacked the necessary basis of trust, so the rebels did not believe it at the beginning.

Of course, contacts between the two sides have been ongoing, and there will be negotiations every few days. Overall, the basis of mutual trust is being rebuilt.

Time passed gradually, and in the blink of an eye, Qianshengyuan came to an end. It has been a month since the North Korean side issued an order to pardon the traitors.

During this month, some people did leave the rebellious group and quietly returned to their hometowns without being arrested.

At the end of the year, Geng Zonggui once again hosted a banquet for Korean officials and local tyrants, declaring the emperor's love for the people, which was equivalent to endorsing this appeasement with Zhu Jinghong's credibility.

It should be noted that the so-called local tyrants are traitors. This is the latest characterization of them by the government, which has completely cleared them of the charge of treason.

If you are not forced to do so, who would be willing to put their head on the belt? A wife, children and a warm bed are the truth.

Although they seem very tenacious, the imperial court has not been able to completely wipe them out. That's because people have died one after another, but the local people have not all died out.

So, near the end of the year, the bandit leader Park Junda expressed his stance, saying that he had always been loyal to the emperor, and now was grateful for the emperor's kindness and was willing to surrender, and he also gave his own additional conditions.

The conditions were very simple. These people would still live in the prefectures and counties where they were stationed, and they would pay all the taxes they were owed, but they would have to pay them directly to the Andong Xingdusi, bypassing the Korean government.

Handing it over directly to the Ming army bypassing the Korean government was to prevent exploitation by the Korean government, but this was indeed inappropriate.

In order to ensure Geng Zonggui's agreement, Park Junda also gave a compensation condition, which was to increase the rated tax by 10%.

This also illustrates a point, that is, the local governments in North Korea exploited the people at all levels and levied more than 10% more taxes.

Geng Zonggui did not refuse immediately, but said that he would think about it carefully. However, someone clearly expressed his opposition, namely, Sun Shaozu, the deputy commander of the capital.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month in the second year of Qiansheng, in a mountain in Hamgyong Province of Korea, the bandit leader Park Jun-dae was convening a meeting.

"I don't think Geng Zonggui would agree to bypass the royal family and pay taxes directly. If they do that, the royal family will lose face. After all, this is the Kingdom of Korea!"

The seven people present today are all high-ranking rebels. At this moment, they are all sitting around the fire in the middle. The one who is speaking is a capable general under Park Junda.

Hamgyong Province is mountainous, and they and their tens of thousands of troops usually hide in the mountains. This is the main reason why it is difficult for the court to completely wipe them out. Of course, Park Jun-dae's planning is also indispensable.

"The ruler and his subjects are related to each other, and the emperor will not agree if we report this to him!"

"Yes, but if we still let the government collect the grain, I'm afraid they will go back to their old ways, and even our brothers will be harmed by them!"

"I think we should stop talking and just stay like this. At worst, we can just keep fighting!"

Everyone was talking at once, but Park Jun-dae didn't say a word the whole time. After everyone gradually quieted down, he spoke up, "Who said the emperor wouldn't agree?"

"Think about it carefully. What the emperor wants is to control Korea, not to maintain the rule for the royal family!"

"If we pay taxes directly to the Xingdusi, it would be equivalent to letting the court directly rule Hamgyong Province. Why would the emperor be unwilling?"

"Don't forget how enthusiastic the Emperor is about expanding the territory. I heard that a few months ago, he sent troops to Ayutthaya, Myanmar and other countries!"

Next, Park Jun-dae analyzed the situation in detail again before convincing everyone to stop explicitly opposing it and believe that this operation was feasible.

"Now we are only one problem away from success!" Park Jundae said with a serious expression.

He was the one who said it was a success just now, and he was also the one who said there were problems now. Everyone present was a little confused.

"What's the problem?" someone asked.

"Sun Shaozu is obstructing us!" Park Jundae said grimly.

Sun Shaozu was the second-in-command of the Andong Xingdusi, and his words of opposition carried great weight, which could indeed lead to bad consequences.

"Why is this bastard causing trouble?" someone yelled.

Pu Jun's eyes gleamed as he said slowly, "He's not coming after us, he's trying to cause trouble for Geng Zonggui!"

"Don't forget, we were in danger several times before, and our main force was able to escape because of Sun Shaozu's help!"

It was almost no secret in North Korea that Sun Shaozu and Geng Zonggui, the two superiors, did not get along well with each other, and many people knew about the fact that the two of them had submitted memorials to each other to criticize each other.

At this time, someone suddenly realized: "So, this time Geng Zonggui wants to succeed, and he is here to ruin it?"

Park Jundae nodded. Even though Sun Shaozu had let him go several times, he still hated this man to the core because this guy had done so many cruel things in North Korea.

"I heard that this man is the emperor's favorite general. If he interferes, I'm afraid that the plan will not be accomplished. It seems that we have to be thieves after all!"

Although his men were not confident, Park Jundae was not panicked at all. Instead, he said, "Just take care of him together!"

"Deal with him? How to deal with him?" someone was surprised.

Picking up the ceramic bowl, Park Jun took a sip of water and said, "Just kill him!"

When people heard about killing Sun Shaozu, they thought it was a fantasy. If they had the ability to do so, they would not have been forced to flee from the government troops.

"Brother, he is surrounded by many guards. It is too difficult to kill him. There is no chance at all!"

"Yes, this guy has done so many bad things that he really values ​​his life. How can we kill him if he is in the army?"

"Instead of killing him, we might as well pray to God to have him struck to death by a bolt of lightning!"

Hearing the dejected words of his men, Park Jundae was not panicked at all. He just said, "Who said to kill him? We must do it!"

"If we don't take action, who will kill him? Who can kill him?" Everyone was even more confused.

Park Jundae smiled and said slowly, "Have you forgotten the saying, 'If the ruler wants his subjects to die, the subjects must die!'"

Of course everyone has heard this, but they still don't understand what Park Jundae means. How can he use this to kill the villain Sun Shaozu?

(End of this chapter)