Chapter Twenty-Five: Setting Out on the Return Journey

  Zhen Youcai and Dāo Bāliǎn followed the Korean officials into the Korean palace. Although Zhen Youcai was short in stature and not handsome, he walked with a swaggering air, his spirit lively and present. This guy was indeed afraid of death, but he also understood that now the more arrogant he appeared, the safer he would be; if he appeared weak and timid, he might end up dead on the spot.

  Upon entering the grand hall, Zhen Youcai neither kneeled nor paid respects, and in a haughty tone using Manchu said: "The Qing heavenly envoy has arrived outside the walls of Han Yang, why did you not open the gates to welcome him?"

  "How dare you!" North Korean General Kim Tae-hyun shouted in extreme anger. "Why didn't you kneel when you saw the great king of our country?"

  This Kim Tae-hyeon was the son of Kim Kyong-rye, who was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Joseon army during the Battle of Sarhu. After the Ming army's defeat, the Joseon army was also forced to surrender, and Kim Kyong-rye and his son Kim Tae-hyeon were held captive in the Later Jin for over a decade until they were released when Hong Taiji invaded Korea for the second time.

  So, Kim Tae-hyun spoke fluent Manchu.

  "A joke." Zhen Youcai sneered, "I am an envoy of the Great Qing Empire... a representative sent to negotiate, is it reasonable for me to pay homage to the king of a subordinate country?"

  "You."

  Kim Tae-hyun was furious, and with a sudden movement, he drew his sword and took a step forward to force Jerng Yu-tsai. The scar-faced man standing behind Jerng Yu-tsai suddenly stepped forward, blocking Jerng's path, his eyes gleaming with an evil light as he stared fixedly at Kim Tae-hyun. Kim's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't dare take another step forward.

  Zhen Youcai sneered: "How dare you kill the envoy of the Great Qing Empire?"

  Another official who was also fluent in Manchu hastily stepped forward and said, "I dare not, my country would never have such intentions, but I don't know which envoy the Great Qing Empire has sent this time?"

  Zhen Youcai bowed his fist in a northerly direction and said proudly: "Li Qinwang Daishan."

  Leading the politician back to Li's face, he lowered his voice and said in Korean: "Your Majesty, just now the guards on the city wall saw that among the Qing army outside the city, there were several hundred cavalrymen wearing red armor. It seems that the one who came is indeed the master of the Red Flag of the Great Qing Dynasty, Li Shixian, no doubt."

  Li Cong also lowered his voice and said: "No matter who comes, we absolutely cannot let the Qing soldiers enter the city."

  Ryōgi nodded and asked Zhen Youcai: "The Qing Empire's envoy has come to Korea, what is the noble business?"

  Zhen Youcai's nose twitched as he proudly said, "To raise military expenses."

  Yeonguijeong again consulted with Yi Hwang and other ministers in Korean, then asked: "I don't know how much more silver the Great Qing Empire will give to our country?"

  Zhen Youcai stretched out five fingers and said in a tone that brooked no doubt: "Five million taels!"

  "What?" The leader's face changed color and he said, "This, this is simply... Your Excellency, our country's people are weak and thin, it's really impossible to collect so much silver."

  "How you collect the silver is your business, I'm just responsible for delivering the message." Zhen Youcai said proudly, "The Duke of Li said that if you really can't come up with so much silver, you can also use gold, ginseng, and jewels to offset the price. The Duke of Li also said that if you can't collect 5 million taels of military pay within three days, then the Qing army will have to send troops to collect it. However, by that time, it won't be just 5 million taels anymore. You'd better think carefully about it."

  With these last words, Zhen Youcai strode away with a proud smile.

  As soon as Zhen Youcai and Dāo Bō Liǎn left the grand hall, Li Xun hastily asked Ling Yì Zhèng: "How was it?"

  The premier let out a sigh and replied: "Your Majesty, the Qing government wants us to raise 5 million taels of silver for military expenses within three days."

  "What? Five million taels!"

  "This is daylight robbery!"

  "That's going too far."

  The crowd in the great hall was indignant, and Li Song also sighed: "But now there are only 1.5 million taels in the national treasury, even if the gold, silver and jewels in the palace are valued at a price of no more than 2 million taels, still short of 3 million."

  Korea was influenced by the Ming Dynasty and also implemented a silver-based currency system domestically.

  "Your Majesty, I'm afraid we can't avoid paying the silver tax." The prime minister sighed and said, "The Qing emperor has sent a highly respected prince this time. How about this: Your Majesty can issue an edict to let the wealthy households in Hanyang donate taxes, and each of you ministers also donates some goods. I estimate that we can gather one million taels, then I'll go negotiate with Prince Li again and say that the remaining two million is really impossible for us to pay."

  Marshal Dae-soo Kim Tae-hyeon hastily said: "Your Majesty, we cannot afford this military expenditure!"

  Zuo Yizheng attached and said: "The Commander-in-Chief is right, if we pay the ransom, our national treasury will be completely empty, and even the salaries of all the ministers cannot be paid."

  "Not paying?" The leader of the council said coldly, "Then wait for the Eight Banners army to invade Korea and wait for the country to perish."

  Kim Tae-hyun and Jwa Ui-gyeom shivered coldly and were stunned.

  The Qing army's military prowess they had all experienced before, Kim Tae-hyun had even been a prisoner of war for over a decade, and still remembered the might of the Qing army vividly. With the bravery and martial skills of the Qing army, they only needed to dispatch a single iron cavalry unit of 5,000 men to bring about the downfall and extinction of Korea.

  Li Yannan slumped back in his chair, waved his hand weakly at the leader of the meeting and said: "Forget it, let's just do it your way."

  ■■■

  Beijing, Forbidden City.

  The drunken Chongzhen Emperor, supported by Wang Chengen, arrived at the Kunning Palace, where Empress Zhou and the palace maids and eunuchs were already kneeling on the ground to greet him. The Chongzhen Emperor waved his sleeve and said loudly: "Everyone rise."

  Empress Zhou personally helped Emperor Chongzhen into the Dongan Hall, served him as he lay on the imperial bed, and had palace maids present fragrant tea. Only then did she say with a smile: "It's been a long time since I've seen Your Majesty so happy."

  "Delighted, I am truly delighted today." Chongzhen Emperor said with a drunken gaze, "With less than a thousand troops, they deeply infiltrated the Liaodong region, and in one fell swoop, destroyed the old nest of Jianzhou, captured the chieftain alive, and lifted the siege of Jinzhou and Songshan without a fight! I dispatched 130,000 troops who couldn't lift the siege of Jinzhou, but this lone army managed to do it. This Wang Pu is truly extraordinary!"

  Empress Zhou smiled and said: "Since Your Majesty appreciates Wang Pu so much, just reuse him heavily when he returns."

  "Reuse is definitely reusable." Emperor Chongzhen tilted his head, seemingly deep in thought, "However, this Wang Pu only brought a thousand isolated troops to attack the old nest of Jian Nu, his courage is too great, so great that it makes me worried. This Wang Pu is indeed a rare talent, but I'm afraid he's an unmanageable inferior horse."

  Empress Zhou smiled and said: "Then the Emperor will give him a halter, this thousand-mile horse will be obedient even if it is unruly."

  "The empress and I have discussed this. The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, "It is right to give this thousand-mile horse a saddle, let him do his best for me, for the great Ming dynasty."

  Empress Zhou asked: "It seems that Your Majesty has already made up your mind?"

  "Hmm." Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "When Wang Pu returns, I will betroth Ru'er to him."

  Ru'er is actually Princess Changping Zhu Wei Ru, the eldest daughter of Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou, who is now 14 years old and has reached the age of marriage according to Ming law.

  Empress Zhou seemed to have an epiphany and said: "Your Majesty is thinking of inviting Wang Pu as a son-in-law?"

  Chongzhen Emperor said: "This Wang Pu is just a martial artist, his family background is not noble enough, but he is a great hero, and will not humiliate Ru'er."

  "It's up to the Emperor, whatever he says goes." Empress Zhou waved her hand, signaling the palace maids and eunuchs to withdraw. Her eyebrows and eyes had already revealed a hint of flirtation, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, let's retire early."

  The Chongzhen Emperor had not visited the Kun Ning Palace for two whole months, and Empress Zhou was just over thirty years old, in her prime. Tonight, she finally managed to get the emperor to come, and just as she was thinking of **, a soft snoring sound came from behind her. She turned around to see that the Chongzhen Emperor had already fallen asleep leaning on the embroidered cushion.

  "Alas."

  Empress Zhou let out a soft sigh, her heart filled with both resentment and pain.

  ■■■

  Hanyang

  When Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou were considering making Wang Pu an imperial son-in-law, Wang Pu was in Hanyang, plundering the property of the Korean royal family, officials, and wealthy households. After some haggling, the Qing government reluctantly agreed to a compromise proposal put forward by the Korean minister, which was to send 3.5 million taels of silver to Korea within five days.

  Among them, 1.8 million taels of silver, 200,000 taels of gold (valued at 800,000 taels of silver), 50,000 jin of ginseng (valued at 500,000 taels of silver), and other jewels, furs, and dry goods in 40 large boxes (valued at 400,000 taels of silver).

  Five days later, the Qing army, which was regarded as a plague god by the people of Hanyang, finally left. Along with the "Qing army", dozens of silver cars, participating cars and forty large boxes of jewelry, fur and dry goods also left. This time, the Koreans suffered heavy losses, especially the Korean royal family, which can be said to have gone bankrupt.

  Arriving in Incheon, Wang Pu again used the Korean king's national letter to requisition three warships, which were fully loaded with treasures plundered from Shengjing, Hanyang and along the way, setting sail for their return journey.

  ……

  PS: The Swordsman updated at dawn today and will update another chapter later. He also sent out rewards, hoping for the support of all readers.