Planting Chaos in the Ming Dynasty (5)

Wang Zhen looked at me as if I were ridiculous.

If I hadn’t been the envoy secretary from Joseon, he looked ready to say right in my face, 'Did some Joseon barbarian take the wrong medicine or something?'

Even for someone as famously gentle and kind as me, that kind of look hurts a little.

I'll have to soothe this pain by planting more wokou along the southern coast of the Ming Dynasty.

It eases my pain, and Joseon becomes even freer from wokou—how wonderful is that.

'Good for Joseon, good for me.'

But misunderstandings clear up quickly if you use a slightly exaggerated compliment filled with sincere feeling.

The fact that I'm kind and good is something even our Gyeoul, my father-in-law, and all the officials who worked with me in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War would acknowledge.

This fellow Wang Zhen will soon learn just how warm-hearted I am.

O Great British Empire, you who once tried to fund your war effort by selling opium when you were broke, only to fail at that too—please grant this servant who wishes to admire and follow you a tiny bit of power (lies)...