Chapter 427
From the early days of Joseon, serving the great (sadae) was a fundamental diplomatic policy.
However, the early sadae was not unconditional submission. Simply put, it was about establishing a relationship by setting an appropriate hierarchy, as confronting a great power would be uncomfortable for both sides.
Therefore, when Ming put pressure on Joseon by raising the issues of conquering Japan and the northern expedition, extreme opinions such as allying with Japan to attack Ming came from senior ministers like Ha Ryun. However, this ended with Taejong’s rejection. (Note 1)
To give a simple example, a situation like this occurred:
“These Ming bastards… Trying to make our Joseon a sacrificial lamb! Let’s just team up with those Japanese devils and teach those Ming bastards a lesson!”
“Has this old man gone mad?”
The reason Taejong and Ha Ryun had such a heated exchange was due to Joseon’s situation at the time and Ming’s intentions.
At that time, Joseon had not yet properly established its foundation. While they recognized the need to suppress the Japanese pirates, both national power and military systems were not fully prepared to wage a full-scale war with Japan as Ming demanded.
Regarding the Jurchen issue, if Ming used force against the Jurchens, it was certain that the Jurchens would attack Joseon.