The Paozi River, which is close to the northeast of Chongwenmen, was a small section of the Tonghui River outside the city in the Yuan Dynasty. After Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, he moved the southern city wall of the Yuan capital to the south two miles and re-excavated the moat. After the completion of the inner city, the river became a "cecum" in the southeast corner of the inner city.

However, because this is the low-lying place of the inner city, there are several waterlogged puddles along the river, the small one has more than ten acres, and the largest one has nearly 100 acres, and the northerners call it "Paozi", and this river is also called "Paozi River".

The bubbles are connected by a jade-belted river, and the surrounding vegetation is verdant, so the scenery is quite good. Many powerful and wealthy people liked the scenery here, so they built many private houses along the river. After gaining Chongzhen's trust, Zheng Cai sent his younger brother to Beijing, where he bought a mansion to use as his family residence in Beijing.

This ten-acre mansion was built next to a small bubble, and half of the bubble was enclosed in the garden in the backyard. In this crisp autumn season, the grass and trees in the backyard are verdant, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, and it is hard to believe that this is actually in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, not in some countryside.

However, in the backyard of Zheng's house today, there is a lot of people, completely breaking the silence of the past. On the lawn near the lake, there is a long row of tables with white tablecloths for dishes served in fine porcelain for their own use. Nearly 100 guests were scattered in the backyard talking in twos and threes, as if they were gathering with friends in their own courtyard.

Zheng Cai and Shen Qiyuan, the envoy of the Kingdom of Korea in Beijing, sat in the pavilion by the lake, watching the people in the courtyard and talking casually.

After chatting a few words, Zheng Cai withdrew his gaze at several guests on the lawn, turned his head to look at Shen Qiyuan and asked, "Brother Sui, what do you think about commemorating the victory of the Wanli Aid War with my country next year?" ”

Shen Qiyuan, who was dressed in green clothes, was silent for a moment before he said to Zheng Cai: "To commemorate the battle between Shangguo and the Contempt State to defeat the Japanese Invaders, the lower officials are naturally in favor, and presumably there will be no one in the Contempt State who will oppose it."

But when Renchen was in turmoil, the salvation of the state was all thanks to the help of the heavenly soldiers of the kingdom, although Li Zhongwu had some small contributions, how could he dare to be on a par with the generals of the country? Can the Kingdom remove the person's name from the ceremony? ”

To be able to obtain the approval of the Ming Emperor and admit that the Korean army had contributed to the Imjin War, and that it was the Korean Kingdom and the Ming Dynasty that joined forces to drive away the Japanese invaders, for a Korean scholar like Shen Qiyuan, he was undoubtedly happy to see it. After all, this greatly put gold on the face of the Korean kingdom, and it can also slightly cover up the incompetence of the Korean scholars and monarchs in this war, so as not to make them lose face in front of future generations.

However, His Majesty the Emperor's choice of Yi Sunsin as the representative of the generals of the Korean Kingdom put Shen Qiyuan in a difficult situation, so that he had to try to persuade the Ming to change his object. Because Yi Sunsin was discovered by Liu Chenglong of the Nanren Party, he theoretically belonged to the Nanren Party.

Although the territory of North Korea is not large, the internal struggle between the two groups of ministers is more fierce and long-standing than that of the Ming Dynasty. Since the time of Seonjo in North Korea, the two classes in North Korea were divided into the East People's Party and the West People's Party, which was also the beginning of the Korean party struggle.

However, in the beginning, the ruling power in North Korea was in the hands of the East People's Party, and it had nothing to do with the West People's Party. However, the East People's Party was the dominant party, and after being in power for too long, there was a split within it. On the issue of Seonjo's canonization of the king's son, the Dongren Party split into the Southern People's Party and the Northern People's Party.

During the Imjin War, the Nanren Party, which advocated inviting the Ming army to protect Korea, rose in status after the restoration of the country and began to govern Korea. But soon the king of Joseon was worried that the Nanren Party would collude with the Ming State to empty himself, and after the Ming army withdrew from Korea, he supported the Beiren Party, and the Nanren Party began to decline.

With the incident of Injo's anyway, the Westerners, who had been wandering outside the court, finally seized the opportunity to abolish Gwanghae-kun and united with the Southerners to overthrow the ruling Northerners, thus beginning the era of Westerners' rule.

Although the Westerners united with the Southerners, it does not mean that the Westerners will trust these Southerners. After all, the Westerners supported Yi Liang to replace Gwanghae-kun as the king of Joseon, while the Southern Party had to join forces with the Western-Japanese Party only because it opposed Gwanghae-kun.

The Nanren Party, which is more pro-Ming than the Westerners, has some signs of instability after the Ming Dynasty took away the deposed monarch Guanghaijun. And after Shen Qiyuan, who was sent to Beijing, knew that Zhaorong Ren Aiying of Gwanghaejun gave birth to a son and was given the name Li Zhong by the emperor, he knew that the future of North Korea was not good.

Therefore, although the emperor had canonized Li Liang as the king of Joseon, he did not express his position on the incident of Injo anyway, nor did he mention anything about Li Jun, the prince of the king who went to Shenyang as a hostage. If something happens to Li Ju, the emperor wants to send Gwanghaejun back to Korea after that, and a new battle will inevitably arise.

In Korea, obedience to the suzerain-vassal system established by the Ming Dynasty was the greatest political correctness, and violating this political correctness would be attacked by two classes of ministers. The reason why there is such political correctness is not how powerful the Ming Kingdom was in the past, not in the grace of Emperor Shenzong to restore the country, but in the ethical guidelines transmitted from the Ming Dynasty.

The two-class system on which Korea was founded was based on the Confucian code of ethics, and the Imjin Rebellion dealt a great blow to this two-class system. The two classes of Korean nobles found themselves insignificant compared to the rebel armies that took the initiative to resist the Japanese invaders.

With the support of the Ming Dynasty, although the Korean Kingdom was restored again, the Korean rebels who grew up in the war against the Japanese invasion have become a force to be reckoned with in Korea. When the two classes of Korean nobles tried their best to send the Ming army out of the country, they had to face their own rebel forces, which were difficult to suppress by force.

In such a situation, if you want to let the rule of the two classes of nobles continue, and there will be no more civil strife, then it is naturally most appropriate to brainwash the people ideologically and let them take the initiative to accept the rule of the two classes of nobles.

Therefore, it has become the political correctness of the two classes of nobles to talk about the ethics of ethics internally, and the grace of the Ming Dynasty to the re-establishment of the Korean Kingdom will never be forgotten externally. Even if the Jianzhou Jurchens rose, and even the Later Jin army defeated the city of Hanyang, it could not change their pro-Ming attitude.

Because the Jianzhou Jurchen was a group of barbarians, they did not rely on their own bloodline and the permission of the suzerainty to establish the Houjin, but occupied Liaodong and established the Houjin with their own force.

If the two classes of aristocrats in North Korea approve of the rise of Houjin, they are undoubtedly saying to the untouchables and slaves at the bottom that the code of ethics is often something that does not exist, and only the strong soldiers and strong men are the two classes, which is tantamount to digging their own graves.

Mr. Shen was shy about the possibility that the South People's Party might use the ceremony to gain momentum in China, but Mr. Chung clearly did not want to understand the complex party struggles in North Korea.

He mocked Shen Qiyuan mercilessly: "Brother Shen, you might as well talk about it, apart from General Yi Sunsin, who else can represent the North Korean army and deserve to be commemorated by our two countries?" ”

Shen Qiyuan's face suddenly turned ugly, and he couldn't answer this question even after racking his brains. After all, during the Renjin Rebellion, the main battle faction was the Nanren Party, and the other two classes of ministers fled with King Seonjo and almost escaped across the Yalu River.

Although the Westerners were far away from the court at that time, they did not do any outstanding work in the local area, but many people chose to surrender to the Japanese in order to keep their family property.

Looking at Shen Qiyuan's speechless expression, Zheng Cai softened his tone and said: "Brother Shen, don't worry too much, at the commemorative ceremony, the North Korean side is represented by General Yi Sunsin, which is also what Your Majesty means, and I believe that there will not be much opposition in North Korea."

Although I don't know much about the political situation in Korea, I understand that the reason why you are reluctant to mention General Yi Sunsin's name at the commemorative ceremony is that you are worried about the resumption of fighting in Korea.

However, this commemorative ceremony is a symbolic activity for the Ming Dynasty and the DPRK to show the spirit of unity and friendship and the unity of the clan and the vassal family, and it is also to eliminate the prejudice of some people in the Ming Dynasty against the DPRK. They believe that North Korea, in the chaos of Dingmao and Houjin's alliance in Pyongyang, is in danger of becoming barbaric, and can no longer be regarded as an ally of our Ming Dynasty..."

Shen Qiyuan was startled, and immediately got up and defended with a flushed face: "There is no such thing, the state is just forced by the situation, and it is a snake to the Houjin Dynasty, and there is absolutely no intention of betraying the alliance between the Ming Dynasty and the Houjin Hulu."

Back then, our king once explained this matter to the first emperor, and the first emperor also comforted and understood our king. This letter is still enshrined in the temple of our country..."

After hearing this, Zheng Cai replied disappreciatively: "Since North Korea has not really formed an alliance with Houjin, where is the prince of North Korea now?" ”

Shen Qiyuan's throat squirmed a few times, but finally he didn't make any sound and sat down slowly.

Zheng Cai looked at him and said sternly: "Your Majesty is unwilling to send someone to Hanyang to question the king of Joseon, but only let the official interview the envoy in private, that is, he has already taken into account the face of the king of Joseon and the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Joseon dynasty."

Your Majesty also asked the official to convey to you a word, the Ming Dynasty will never sit idly by and watch Korea become a barbarian country, and will never tolerate a barbarian prince ascending to the throne of Korea. ”

Shen Qiyuan's face suddenly turned pale, he subconsciously looked at the environment on the left and right, and then whispered to Zheng Cai: "The king is not only the prince under his knees, but also ask the noble official to reply to Your Majesty, as long as Your Majesty agrees, our country can set up another prince, and the lower official is willing to guarantee his life." ”

Zheng Cai looked at him and shook his head and said: "But the current prince of the king was canonized by the first emperor, and it is not advisable to abolish the elder and establish the young without major faults." At that time, there will inevitably be opposition within the country, so why should Your Majesty do such a thankless task.

Gwanghae-kun was at fault back then, so there is the current king of Joseon. But according to the etiquette, Gwanghae-kun's faults cannot be extended to his descendants, and now that Gwanghae-jun has a queen, why can't he set things right and bring the Joseon royal family back to the right path? ”

Shen Qiyuan lowered his head and was silent, not answering the topic thrown by Zheng Cai, Zheng Cai waited for a while, and finally couldn't help but persuade again: "Why is Brother Shen so inflexible?" After the chaos, I heard that the king of Joseon did not change his mind and made great efforts to resist the actions of the Hulu at home.

Instead, he expelled a great talent like Brother Shen from the court, and blindly connived at his subordinates to compete for power and profit in order to maintain his position. With this happening to the king of Joseon, I think it is inevitable that North Korea will encounter a second rebellion.

At this moment, even if Brother Shen does not think about the future of North Korea, he should think about his own family. To be honest, for this commemorative ceremony, the people in the capital of your country's Deshui Lee family, Eunjin Song family, Jeonju Kim family and other families are very supportive, and General Lin Qingye, the general of Donggang Town and the Korean Sandao Water Envoy, will not refuse.

With the opportunity to commemorate the battle of Wanli to aid the dynasty, why didn't Brother Shen abandon his past suspicions and shake hands with Guanghaijun, and the two sides shook hands and made peace? ”

Shen Qiyuan lowered his head and thought for a long time, before slowly looking up at Zheng Cai and said: "I look at the history of the Song Dynasty, Taizong wanted to pass on the Taizu son in his later years, and asked Prime Minister Zhao Pu, Pu said: It is a big mistake for Taizu to pass on his younger brother but not to his son. How can the emperor make mistakes again and again!

The same is true of today's contempt state, how can one mistake be wrong again? What's more, Gwanghae-kun has a violent temperament, and when the son of Gwanghae-kun returns to the throne, how can we, these sinners who offended him in the past, not be liquidated? ”

PS: The debt on the 23rd was made up.