Chapter 67
Those Japanese bastards have no honor.
Among them, the bastards from Tsushima are even more devious.
These bastards, back then and now, are forever trying to swindle Joseon and squeeze out every last bit they can.
"Vice Envoy."
"Yes, Senior Envoy."
"Are you certain that if Joseon allows the Lord of Tsushima to trade, they will no longer stir up trouble in Joseon's seas?"
"They're rotten to the core, but when it comes to their own profit, no one is sharper than them."
Envoy Shin Jang nodded in agreement.
"No matter how many wako they send, all they can plunder are a few poor peasants' homes, a little rice, and a few people to drag off as slaves."
"It's unsettling to hear someone famous for his concern for the people speak so coldly."
"To solve a problem, shouldn't we set aside all emotion and examine its cause coolly?"
They say people called criminal psychologists know exactly what murderers are thinking.
Things like what emotions they feel while killing someone, and how they view a human life.
They even say they can understand, to a degree, why they kill people.
You have to get that far to understand criminals' motives and devise measures to prevent crimes from happening.
If I want to govern the Japanese bastards, I should start by looking at them exactly as they are.
"If you allow free trade, they'll be able to get as much rice as they need to live on. On top of that, they can sell precious goods like Joseon's silk, porcelain, ginseng, woven flower mats, and mother-of-pearl lacquerware to the daimyos or the shogun and improve their impoverished households."
"So their motive for piracy disappears."
"Moreover, to preserve the benefits they gain from trade with Joseon, the Lord of Tsushima and the other daimyos will be far more eager than before to crack down on wako heading for Joseon."
"So you don't rule people through benevolence and righteousness, but rule the Japanese through profit. That's truly an unusual idea. I don't like it, but... Joseon probably needs people who think like you."
"But there is one thing that worries me... As the saying goes, a habit formed at three is still hard to break at eighty, is it not? So I'm concerned that the wako who can't shake their old ways will all end up going to 'Ming' instead."
At the idea that wako could be unleashed on Ming, Envoy Shin Jang smiled.
Come to think of it, there wasn't a single person in Joseon who liked Ming these days.
Who wouldn't like the chance to screw over those Ming bastards?
While we were talking, a sailor came up to us in the cabin and said:
"Senior Envoy, Vice Envoy, we will arrive in Izuhara shortly."
Looks like we've arrived already.
"Quickly prepare to disembark."
The two of us changed into dangnyeong robes instead of our comfortable clothes.
When we came up on deck, hundreds of samurai were waiting to greet us at Izuhara harbor.
Those bastards looked like they were going to put on a show, bragging about how tough they were. I wasn't all that scared.
Once the ship docked and we disembarked, a samurai in the most ornate armor approached us and, with great politeness, escorted us to the castle.
Upon arriving at Izuhara Castle, Envoy Shin Jang immediately read out the royal edict.
"We are well aware that Tsushima's land is barren and that farming there is difficult, leaving it in great poverty. Therefore, we shall extend special grace and permit you to trade freely in Jeongui-hyeon on Jeju Island."
At those words, the Lord of Tsushima and the samurai under him all gave a violent start.
Not because they were frightened, but because they were so happy at the prospect of their fortunes taking off.
And the old codger standing near the Lord of Tsushima had tears streaming down his face.
"Lord of Tsushima Jong Jeongseong (Sō Sadamori), devote yourself to suppressing and controlling the evil wako so that you may repay this royal favor."
When the reading was finished, the Lord of Tsushima, Sō Sadamori, bowed according to Joseon etiquette.
Every movement was filled with gratitude toward King Sejong.
He even offered thanks in clumsy Joseon speech.
"I am overwhelmed by your grace."
After that, a banquet began to entertain us.
The Lord of Tsushima launched into praise of the King of Joseon without even wetting his lips.
He praised so fluently and at such length that if only his words were in Joseon...
He was so good at flattery that you could almost call him a natural-born Joseon sycophant.
"It is truly a shameful thing to admit, but Tsushima has not properly carried out Your Majesty's command to suppress the wako until now."
The Lord of Tsushima's nominal rank is higher than that of the envoy, who is a third-rank senior court official.
That's why he speaks to him so casually like this.
"Especially the disaster that occurred in the year of Gihae was, when you get down to it, caused by my failure to properly control the Sōda clan, my retainers, which led them to invade Joseon's borders. You could say it was all my responsibility. And yet His Majesty has extended his grace and opened a way for the people of Tsushima to make a living. I can scarcely express my gratitude in words."
Envoy Shin Jang, listening to the Lord of Tsushima through the interpreter, relaxed a little.
He probably didn't believe everything the Lord of Tsushima said, but he must have sensed some sincerity in the way he kept saying he was endlessly grateful for the royal grace.
"I am also the one whom the bakufu entrusted with managing Tsushima and guarding the seas. So defying my words and engaging in wako acts is no different from disobeying the shogun's orders."
"Is that so?"
"The shogun truly admires Joseon, having seen its beautiful culture and refinement, as well as things like exquisite porcelain and mother-of-pearl lacquerware."
There's an old saying that if you're going to flatter someone, leave your pride at home and flatter them properly.
If you're that good at flattery, you can even pay off a thousand nyang debt with just a few words.
The one who used this best was none other than the Japanese daimyo Won Gyun, who used hypnosis on Seonjo to have Yi Sun-sin impeached.
The Lord of Tsushima was no less wicked than Won Gyun, so he rattled off lies with ease.
Joseon had no way to verify his words, so they had mistaken the Lord of Tsushima for a senior retainer of the shogun with the authority and power to control the wako... but I don't believe a word that bastard says.
That's because that bastard is nothing more than a mere retainer of the Shōni clan...
...and he never even got the position of 'Tsushima shugo,' which should have been the symbol of the bakufu's recognition of his actual control over Tsushima.
"I will speak directly to the shogun and make sure the wako do not invade Joseon."
"If you would do that, His Majesty will be most pleased."
Shin Jang seemed to relax a little at the Lord of Tsushima's attitude... but I don't trust that bastard.
Rather than believe that bastard's words, I'd sooner believe the "Won Gyun the Master Strategist" theory that claims Won Gyun was a military genius worthy of being Admiral Yi Sun-sin's rival.
Or even the theory that Emperor Gojong was an enlightened monarch.
"I have special gifts prepared for the envoy and vice envoy."
The Lord of Tsushima beckoned to an attendant nearby.
The attendant handed each of us a lacquered box.
Then he handed us papers with Chinese characters written on them.
The paper said that each box contained 50 nyang of silver.
When Shin Jang saw that, his eyes lit up and he was beside himself with joy.
In Joseon, they nearly break their backs paying the Ming bastards about 700 nyang of silver in tribute every year, and yet the Lord of Tsushima can casually hand over 100 nyang as a bribe.
Honestly, if I didn't know the circumstances, I would have made the same mistake.
Ah, even if the Lord of Tsushima keeps asking Joseon to send this and that... he really is a great daimyo with enormous power.
It's like this.
"It's a token of my sincerity. Use it to help with your household expenses."
Shin Jang was still at a loss, but I answered in a completely unruffled tone.
"We gratefully accept. And please have a cup of the drink I've poured for you as well."
"Thank you."
Thanks to the bribe, we continued talking in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
The Lord of Tsushima asked what Joseon needed, and Shin Jang and I answered as honestly as possible—excluding confidential information, of course—both to reciprocate the gift and to help meet Joseon's needs.
Those bastards would now focus their plundering on the goods mentioned here—or rather, move those kinds of goods into Joseon.
Every time they do, the Ming coastline will be thrown into chaos, but that's none of my concern.
After the banquet ended and everyone went to their rooms to sleep, I gave a special instruction in Japanese to the samurai in attendance.
"Since the Lord of Tsushima has given me such a generous gift, I wish to secretly share valuable information about Joseon with him, away from Senior Envoy. So please tell the Lord of Tsushima that, if it is not too much trouble, I would like him to spare some time tonight."
"Yes, sir."
"You must not tell anyone that I am meeting the Lord of Tsushima separately in the middle of the night."
In fact, Senior Envoy Shin Jang already knew in advance, and the higher-ups in the delegation also already knew that I would disappear in the middle.
They know I'm carrying out a secret order, so officially they'll just act like they don't know.
And so, late at night, I got lost on my way to the bathroom, and by a truly amazing coincidence I ended up in the Lord of Tsushima's room, where I was able to meet him alone.
The Lord of Tsushima seemed to have high hopes for the information I was secretly bringing him, because his face was full of smiles.
But that smile shattered the moment I spoke.
"How exactly do you expect to crack down on the wako when you're nothing more than the bakufu's vassal of a vassal and haven't even been appointed Tsushima shugo? Did you think Joseon wouldn't know?"
The Lord of Tsushima's face went deathly pale.
"Joseon knows everything."