"Second, we must obtain an imperial decree prohibiting excessive demands for goods from Ming envoys visiting Joseon."
"Oh?"
"Gasp!"
At Hyang's declaration, Sejong looked intrigued while the ministers turned deathly pale.
As everyone froze in shock, the Minister of Rites raised his voice.
"Your Highness! The second proposal is impossible! No, utterly impossible!"
"And why is it impossible?"
The Minister of Rites answered immediately.
"Joseon stands in a tributary relationship with Ming. For a tributary state to protest against the servants of the great empire would violate proper etiquette."
"And why would that be discourteous? Is it not the true immorality for officials of a great nation to oppress a smaller one? If you truly consider yourselves scholar-officials, then should you not point out immoral behavior exactly as it is?"
"The envoys who come here are eunuchs! They are among the Emperor's closest confidants! If they slander Joseon before the Emperor, our nation may fall into danger!"
"Is Joseon truly such a weak country? From what I have learned, the hundred thousand Ming troops stationed in Liaodong exist because Ming fears Joseon might invade them. Is a nation that Ming fears truly weak?"
"That is..."
"And do you truly believe the Emperor of Ming is such a fool? Foolish enough to decide upon war merely because of the flattering words of a single eunuch?"
"That..."
As the Minister of Rites faltered during the verbal exchange, the Chief Censor joined the argument.
"Since ancient times, it has been natural for smaller nations to serve greater ones. For a lesser state to oppose a greater one is to oppose the natural order itself. If Joseon chooses such a path, military conflict with Ming will become inevitable. Then we would be forced to expand the army, wasting talented men and placing enormous burdens upon the people. That is the fastest road toward national ruin and abandonment of virtue. Of course, we understand Your Highness's intentions, but because of your youth you fail to recognize the danger of sacrificing the greater whole for small profits..."
"Did you just say small profits?!"
Hyang exploded immediately.
"I have heard that whenever Ming envoys visit Joseon, the wagons carrying the goods they extort stretch so far they block the roads for over two kilometers! Every cart is filled with wealth stolen from Joseon's treasury and the granaries of our people! And you call that insignificant? Then from now on, every time Ming envoys arrive, the Chief Censor may personally supply every single item they demand! The sages taught that the duty of kings and ministers alike is ensuring the people live without hunger or suffering! Yet trembling before a mere eunuch while allowing the people to be plundered and the treasury emptied... is that truly the benevolence and righteousness you scholars claim to have learned?"
Breathing heavily after speaking at such length, Hyang steadied himself before continuing.
"And furthermore, which of the two great sages, Confucius or Mencius, ever taught submission instead of proper diplomacy?"
"Your Highness's words go too far! This is not submission but..."
Believing Hyang had crossed the line, the Chief Censor attempted to rebut him, but Hyang immediately cut him off.
"I have not finished speaking!"
The entire court fell silent.
"A great man dwells in the broadest house under Heaven, stands in the proper place beneath Heaven, and walks the greatest path beneath Heaven. Which of those principles involves bowing before a mere eunuch while handing over treasure? And you still dare call yourselves great men? Long ago, when the State of Qi threatened Lu, Confucius himself stepped forward boldly and denounced their injustice directly. Do you truly believe your conduct now resembles his?"
At Hyang's criticism, the ministers' faces turned bright red.
Before the king and the historians recording every word, the Crown Prince had effectively called them petty cowards to their faces.
Yet Hyang still was not finished.
Turning toward Sejong, he immediately prostrated himself.
"I humbly beg Your Majesty! Though many great ministers are gathered here, not one seems willing to risk his life for the people and the prosperity of the nation. Instead they seem interested only in wearing fine silk robes and dying peacefully in luxurious bedding! Therefore I ask permission to serve personally as chief envoy for this winter solstice mission! I shall go myself, appeal directly to the Emperor, and put an end to these corrupt practices once and for all! Please grant your permission!"
"Crown Prince!"
"These ministers endlessly quote the sages and insist Joseon must become like Ming while praising Chinese civilization without restraint. Yet the moment anyone proposes reforms that might truly strengthen Joseon as Ming strengthened itself, they invent excuse after excuse to avoid action! How is that not hypocrisy? Father! The great Ming Empire has used coinage ever since the Song Dynasty, and now silver and gold increasingly replace even goods for tax payments! But what of Joseon? Ever since Grand King Taejo, we have repeatedly attempted to circulate paper currency so the people might trade more easily, yet every attempt fails! Why? Because the treasury is weak! That is exactly why I seek to accompany merchants on diplomatic missions and fill the treasury! Only with a strong treasury can we relieve starving people, circulate currency, and make Joseon truly prosperous!"
After speaking without pause, Hyang continued with even greater force.
"I earnestly beg Your Majesty! Permit me to serve as chief envoy for this winter solstice mission! Though I am only nine years old and my body remains small, I swear my spirit is higher than Mount Tai itself!"
"Crown Prince, the road to Beijing is long and dangerous."
Sejong attempted to calm him, but Hyang refused to stop.
"In the histories of the Western barbarians I read of a great empire called Rome. Though mighty in later ages, it began merely as a tiny city-state. Then one day the earth split apart and demanded sacrifice for the nation's prosperity. At that moment, a young Roman noble declared that only a human life could serve as proper sacrifice and rode directly into the chasm alone. And were only the Westerners capable of such devotion? Look upon the Hwarang who unified the ancient Three Kingdoms! Beginning with Gwanchang, the sons of the greatest families rushed willingly toward death first! The present moment for Joseon is both crisis and opportunity! If we seize this chance properly, Joseon may lay foundations lasting a thousand years! But if we fail, we shall forever remain a weak border kingdom! Father! Please understand!"
"Return to your chambers."
"Please understand!"
"I said return! Eunuch! The Crown Prince is too agitated. Escort him back and calm him immediately!"
"Father!"
Dragged away by the eunuchs, Hyang disappeared from the mourning hut.
Once he was gone, Sejong glared coldly toward the ministers standing outside.
Pure killing intent filled his eyes.
"You pathetic cowards."
"Your Majesty..."
"Can any of you truly call yourselves scholar-officials? Can you truly call yourselves great men? A child barely nine years old is willing to risk his life for Joseon while all of you stand trembling in place! Are you truly scholars? Truly ministers? Truly men?"
"Please execute us!"
Beginning with Chief State Councillor Ryu Jeong-hyeon, the ministers all prostrated themselves and begged for death.
"If I kill you, does that solve everything? Is that all you know how to say? Which nation's ministers are you? The phrase 'damned bastards fit to be torn apart' suits you perfectly!"
Usually Sejong never violated court etiquette in speech, but now he cast all restraint aside and roared furiously at the ministers.
"Do you know how many hours the Crown Prince sleeps each day? Barely six! A child not yet even nine shortens his own sleep while desperately searching for ways to strengthen Joseon and ease the suffering of the people! Yet what have all of you done? You useless parasites! Instead of searching for solutions, your first instinct is always to explain why things cannot be done! If that does not make you parasites, then what does?"
"Please execute us!"
"Please execute us!"
"Stop begging for death and instead bring me answers! Otherwise I truly shall grant your wish and kill every last one of you! Get out!"
At Sejong's furious roar, the ministers quietly withdrew.
Meanwhile, the historian recording everything added the following note.
-Though the Crown Prince's words were fierce, not a single part of them was incorrect. Are the current ministers servants of Joseon or servants of Ming? At a time when they should be sacrificing sleep and comfort for the prosperity of the nation and the welfare of the people, the ministers instead concern themselves only with wearing silk robes to court and sleeping comfortably beneath silk blankets. Under such circumstances, the Crown Prince's words were deeply satisfying.
Meanwhile, after returning to his chambers and dismissing even the eunuchs, Hyang released a long breath.
"Hooo... Fuck. I completely lost control."
Watching the ministers inside Sejong's mourning hut had gradually overlapped too heavily with memories of twenty-first-century Korea.
And eventually, Hyang simply exploded.
"At this rate... do I actually need to prepare to go to Ming? That was never part of the plan..."
Trying to predict the consequences of his outburst, Hyang scratched his head irritably before reaching a conclusion.
"It's all-out war now! Either my legs get broken from punishment, or the ministers get destroyed!"
After making his decision, Hyang shouted outside.
"Eunuch!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"We need to prepare for a journey to Ming."
"...Pardon?"
"Pack my luggage!"
"The Crown Prince is packing his luggage!"
The moment Sejong heard the report, he leapt to his feet.
"Why is that child packing luggage?"
"W-Well... he says if he truly cares for the nation and the people, not a single moment can be delayed..."
Hearing the explanation from the chief eunuch, Sejong immediately burst out of the mourning hut.
"That damn child!"
Queen's Palace.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is causing such chaos?"
Queen Soheon looked up in confusion from the popular fiction book she had secretly borrowed through palace maids.
Still breathing heavily from rushing there, the senior court lady finally managed to speak.
"The Crown Prince says he is going to Ming and is packing for departure!"
"The Crown Prince is going to Ming? Why? Beijing is not some neighboring village! Why would a child barely nine years old..."
"To stop the Ming envoys from exploiting the people... and when the ministers said it was impossible, he declared he would go himself..."
Before the explanation even finished, Queen Soheon had already risen and rushed outside.
Crash!
"Your Majesty!"
"Move aside!"
Before the palace maids could even fully open the doors, Queen Soheon shoved them open herself and sprinted barefoot through the palace grounds, clutching her skirts in both hands.
"You idiots! What are you all doing?! Hurry and escort Her Majesty!"
"Y-Yes!"
The senior court lady who ran after her screamed at the frozen maids before racing after the queen herself.
Meanwhile, Minister of Taxation Kim Jeom sat alone agonizing over whom to recommend as chief envoy for the winter solstice mission.
Under normal circumstances, he might have nominated himself.
But not this time.
If things went badly, Yongle might personally order his execution.
And if he failed the mission, Sejong would likely do the same.
"Who should I recommend..."
As he continued agonizing, the Minister of Personnel suddenly burst into the office with a pale face.
"Minister! Disaster! A complete disaster!"
"What disaster could possibly make you forget your dignity like this?"
"This is no time for dignity! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it? Did the Jurchens move? Or perhaps the Japanese pirates?"
"At this point I wish it were the Jurchens or pirates! The Crown Prince has moved!"
"The Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince is packing his luggage and preparing to go to Ming himself!"
"What?!"
Bang!
At those words, Kim Jeom shot upright so quickly his chair crashed backward across the floor.
Without even bothering to pick it up again, he sprinted straight out of the Ministry of Taxation toward the palace.
