Chapter 472
After sending Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen back to Nanjing, Emperor Xuande muttered while looking at the map with a tired face.
“Though the Northern Yuan is a problem, Joseon is the biggest issue. They’ve grown too big.”
When Joseon’s Crown Prince Hyang first visited to discuss the joint merchant group, Joseon’s position relative to Ming suited the phrase “neither too close nor too far.”
Though they couldn’t absolutely guarantee they would never rebel against Ming, they weren’t an enemy to be treated as a complete hostile state either.
Rather, Japan was more problematic due to Japanese pirates and pirates troubling Ming’s coastal regions.
Instead, it was beneficial to placate Joseon by pretending to accommodate their constant concerns.
In such circumstances, the joint merchant group Hyang proposed was advantageous to the Ming imperial court struggling with financial problems. Therefore, Xuande readily accepted Hyang’s proposal while allowing both the resolution of the Jonggyebyeonmu (종계변무) issue that Joseon had continuously requested and the recovery of Hwaryeong—the royal family’s origin place deeply imbued with Yi Seong-gye’s influence—and regions north of it.
“As long as Joseon’s kings inherit Yi Seong-gye’s bloodline, they will devote all efforts to recover that region. So by allowing this while making them bear the burden, and while they focus on recovering that region, they’ll set aside interest in Liaodong. During that time, we’ll firmly make Liaodong Ming’s territory.”
Under such calculations, Xuande granted Joseon’s requests. And initially, Xuande’s calculations worked well.