Chapter 422
At Lee Maeng-gyun’s words, Sejong, Hyang, and the ministers all nodded.
The locomotives that were operating or preparing to operate in Pyongyang, Gaeseong, Daegu, and Dongnae, starting from Hanseong, matched Emperor Xuande’s assessment.
However, the locomotives moving along the coast of Joseon were desirable enough in terms of speed and transport capacity.
Therefore, it was certain that Ming would demand them as tribute.
For this reason, Sejong and the ministers were convinced that Ming would definitely demand locomotives.
“The question is how many they’ll demand… In the current situation, we’re worried about meeting the quantity we need for ourselves.”
To the Minister of Land Development’s concern, Lee Maeng-gyun stepped forward to respond.
“Given the emperor’s disposition, the quantity to be offered as tribute won’t be much. With his nature, he’ll likely demand something else.”
“What do you mean by something else?”