Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 997 Meanwhile, elsewhere….. (2)

A group of gentlemen who were united in their desire to oust Ban Huang and find a true monarch began to search all over the Ming Dynasty to find a suitable candidate. But this was not an easy task. This was because there were almost no influential candidates, the pro-king and the monarch.

* * *

Ming Dynasty kings were largely divided into Qin kings and Gun kings. The royal title was given to the emperor’s brother. However, being brothers did not mean that they were unconditionally crowned kings. Only with the emperor’s decision could he be crowned king.

Among the royal king’s children, except for the eldest son, the royal family was given a separate award. Naturally, the number of pro-kings was bound to be small. This was because it had to go through the filter of the emperor’s ‘decision’. But the king was not like that. If you were not the eldest son of the royal king, you could receive a royal envoy.

After the Yongle Emperor took power, King Qin lost his political and military power. Instead, the emperor spared no effort in supporting his royal kings to live economically prosperous lives. In this situation, it was a daily routine for the royal kings to spend time ‘making children’. And as a natural result, kings appeared in large numbers.

In history before the intervention of incense, this was a big problem. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the number of feudal lords and their dependents totaled over 200,000, and they were a burden to the Ming finances.

* * *

Against this background, the gentlemen of the Ming Dynasty were optimistic about finding a candidate. But expectations and reality were different.

-I can’t find the king and the king!

This was the beginning of the problem. No, Joo Won-jang was the source. Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the Ming Dynasty, carried out large-scale purges in his later years. Zhu Yuanzhang, who eliminated the meritorious forces through this purge, appointed his sons as provincial kings and distributed them throughout the empire. And these feudal lords became a thorn in the side of Zhou Yun-wen. This was because the feudal kings did not have ruling authority, but they had military authority.

In order to strengthen the imperial power, Zhou Yun-wen carried out an unofficial purge of the feudal lords. Accordingly, King Juche of Yeon caused the ‘Ginnan Incident’ and became Emperor Yeongnak, and a second purge of the feudal lords was carried out. The pro-kings and kings who survived this process were able to open the royal office, but they had no power. Instead, they received support so they wouldn’t have to worry about making a living.

The number of feudal lords who survived the first and second purges increased again according to the above policy. However, the civil war that left the rivers of the central plains in shambles once again drove the kings and kings to the brink of extinction.

Those who called themselves Geonmunjae or his eldest son Jumungyu used all kinds of methods to raise the insufficient military funds. Among them, the most widely used method was to break up the royal family and the royal family.

-Since you are a descendant of a traitor, it is natural for you to be held responsible and punished!

With a very ‘justifiable’ justification, they robbed the royal family and the royal family. Next, it was Gyeongtaeje who pushed out the pro-kings and princes.

-There are more than one king who was harmed by those traitors, but they are okay? why? Could it be that he joined hands with traitors? The kings and kings who were taken to Emperor Gyeongtae under these suspicions soon confessed their crimes and disappeared into the dew of execution. And their property was recovered as it was, filling the hole in the national treasury.

* * *

Because of this situation, the kings and kings who seemed to have appropriate qualifications or value were almost invisible. Even if you managed to find the real king or king, it was a problem. After hearing the gentlemen’s proposals, the king and the kings became thoughtful and either kicked them out or detained them.

“Who are you making such a disloyal offer to now? I’ll pretend you didn’t listen! Get out!”

“Look! Arrest these people and detain them right now! And send someone to the coffin to ask for soldiers! This is treason!”

The pro-kings and monarchs who had survived several hardships of life and death had no intention of accepting their proposal.

“How strong is the Tang Jin Emperor’s military power and power, so this is a delusion! You are incompetent people who cannot read the times!”

As the kings and kings took the initiative to file a complaint, bloodshed broke out again throughout the Ming region. This was the best opportunity for Seonghwaje and his royal family, who had been unable to erase their anxiety even by dividing the gentlemen and the people.

While interrogating the gentlemen who had been transported to Beijing, not only those who shared the same cause but also their relatives and acquaintances were all targeted for purge. The so-called ‘extermination of the Ten Clans’ great purge started by Zhu Yuanzhang was carried out again. And the feudal lords also had to suffer once again.

The feudal kings who detained and reported the gentlemen did not have any major problems, but those who ended up simply throwing them out were the problem. Alumni and members of the Gold Medal Committee persistently pursued them.

“Other feudal lords detained these traitors and even reported them, but you just kicked them out? Have you forgotten that this was treason?”

In the end, they, too, disappeared into the dew of execution due to their classmates and members of the Geumui Committee who were so persistent, and their relatives were deprived of all privileges and became slaves and were driven out. Later. It was a great purge that came to be called the ‘anti-imperial party incident’.

* * *

The Seonghwa Emperor and his royal family, who had largely eliminated not only local gentlemen but also feudal lords due to the ‘Banhwangdang Incident’, soon moved on to the next.

“I think the Burning King Festival is too dangerous.”

“That’s right. So I’m thinking of reforming the system.”

The Seonghwa Emperor and his royal family referred to the imperial system and changed the Beonwangje system to the Deungjak system.

“The title ‘king’ itself is a source of trouble. It is best to remove it!”

With this justification, the royal forces strongly advocated for a reform to the rank-and-file system. The vested interests could not strongly oppose these moves of the pro-government forces. The reason the gentlemen approached the feudal lords in this ‘Banhwangdang’ incident was because of the meaning of the word ‘wang(旺)’.

-Heir to the blood of the emperor.

Because of this, there were many people who lived unfortunate lives as victims of treason. It was also a problem for the emperor. This was because monitoring the feudal lords spread throughout the Ming Dynasty was a considerable burden. It was not enough to simply attach one or two monitors, but to attach two or three monitors to prevent the monitors from neglecting their work or defecting.

In the end, the vested interests had no choice but to agree to the reorganization. In this way, as the feudal king system was reorganized into a deungjak system, the words ‘pro-king’ and ‘king’ disappeared into history.

* * *

The title system introduced by the Seonghwa Emperor and his royal family was more harsh than the imperial title system.

-The newly introduced rank is 5th rank, but each title is limited to the time.

-The legitimate eldest son of a title holder receives a title one level lower, and other legitimate children receive a title two levels lower.

-In the case of bastards, they receive a title three levels lower.

-Descendants of the lowest title, baron, become servants.

-In the case of those who become Seoin, they receive support from the country until they become adults. However, when they become adults, they are made independent with a small subsidy.

“This is too harsh!”

The vested interests protested, saying the treatment was too harsh, but the royal family immediately refuted it.

“How long must the country support them?”

“Think of the budgetary space you will gain by implementing this system!”

“Still, it’s a bit…”

As the royal family came forward with the excuse of ‘fiscal soundness’, the opposition from vested interests weakened. However, Seong Hwa-je, who believed that the vested interests’ argument was also valid, added a clause.

-Those who have made great contributions to the country will be promoted.

And one more large carrot was added here.

-Even if he is a commoner, those who have made great contributions to the country will be rewarded for their contributions. And it provides benefits corresponding to the position. In other words, if the provisions so far were related to the royal family, this was a carrot thrown to everyone who was not the royal family.

Considering the benefits that those with titles would receive, the number of people who would risk their lives to be loyal to the imperial family would increase without counting. To the ‘imperial family’ that will be inherited by the Seonghwaje and his descendants.

* * *

As a wind of blood swept past, Myeong’s insides shrank greatly. However, as time passed and various carrots were planted, Ming society began to become active again. In particular, the community where a big hole was left open by the ‘Banhwangdang incident’ was even more dynamic.

Many people took the civil service examination or entered the military service to take up the vacant position of ‘regional maintenance’. Those who did not became merchants or artisans and worked toward a better future.

Since it was already a company with a huge domestic market, it started to speed up as soon as it got back on track. And the Empire, seeing this, had a mysterious expression.

“It’s good because the border isn’t noisy, but I don’t know if they’re doing something in vain by trying to build up their power again like that.”

“At least, I am relieved that the Tang Jin Ming Dynasty monarch likes the empire so much…”

“I hope the Forbidden City does not ignore the words of the Ming Dynasty author.”

After suffering great damage in two major wars, this rumor circulated among the people of Ming.

‘When the emperor goes mad, the soldiers go east.’

* * *

While Ming in the western part of the empire was going through a turbulent time and growing again, Japan in the southern part of the empire was also going through difficult times. The Ouchi family, who overthrew the Muromachi shogunate and became the ‘people of the world’ and took over the world, received a ‘senior title’ from the Emperor and became the ‘Japanese royal family’.

However, the situation after that was not so smooth. This was because those who dreamed of ‘resurrecting the old system’ continued to attempt rebellion. Those who called for the ‘resurrection of the shogunate’ were the first to protest, and later those who called for the ‘reinstatement of the emperor’ rose up. However, this reactionary restoration attempt ended in failure. This was because Ouchi’s military power was already overwhelming them.

“Do you know what the saying ‘If you win, you’re a government official, if you lose, you’re a traitor’?”

“I know, but why do you say that?”

“Those guys are already traitors.”

The Japanese people, who were well aware that they were no match for military power, supported the Ouchi regime from beginning to end. Even Kyoto, famous for its rebelliousness, did not support the rebels. Of course, the Kyoto people maintained their pride by treating the Ouchi government forces coldly. Although it ended in victory, Ouchi’s pockets were also stretched thin. And the Ouchi administration had to stay up all night to fill these empty pockets.

“Crap! I’m having to work overtime in Yamaguchi again, which made me sick in Seoul! This is a nightmare! I have to wake up from this dream!”

“I even got fish food in Seoul…”

“Don’t even mention the ‘eo’ in fish food!”