Cancer?

"Secondly, we must receive an edict prohibiting the excessive demands of the envoys coming to Joseon," Hyang stated.

"Oh?"

"Huh!"

King Sejong showed a surprised expression at Hyang's remark, while the ministers turned pale.

Amidst the frozen silence, the Minister of Rites raised his voice.

"Your Highness! The second point is unacceptable! No, it is impossible!"

"Why is it impossible?"

In response to Hyang's question, the Minister of Rites answered immediately.

"Our country, Joseon, has a tributary relationship with Ming. It is not proper for a tributary nation to protest against a great power's subjects."

"How is that a breach of etiquette? Is it not unvirtuous for a great power's subjects to oppress a small nation? If you truly consider yourselves gentlemen, should you not point out such unvirtuous behavior?"

"The envoys are eunuchs. They are the closest aides to His Majesty the Emperor! If they speak ill of our Joseon to the Emperor, our Joseon will be in danger!"

"Is our Joseon such a weak nation? From what I have learned, the 100,000 Ming troops stationed in Liaodong are worried that our Joseon might invade the great power. Is our Joseon really a weak nation that the Ming is so wary of?"

"That is..."

"And do you think the Emperor of the great power is such a foolish person? That a single eunuch's sweet words could determine the course of war?"

As the Minister of Rites was losing the argument, the Grand Minister of State intervened.

"Since ancient times, it has been the natural order for small nations to serve great powers. For a small nation to act against a great power is to go against reason. If our Joseon were to act against reason, Ming and Joseon would inevitably come to military confrontation.

In that case, we would have to expand our military forces, which would not only waste resources but also burden the people. This is truly a shortcut to ruin and a loss of virtue.

Of course, I understand what Your Highness wishes to say, but you are still young and may not realize the folly of small gains leading to great losses..."

"Did you just say small gains leading to great losses? I have heard that every time an envoy from Ming comes, the carts filled with goods they take away block a road five li long! The goods piled in those carts are treasures taken from our national treasury and the granaries of our people! Are these not small items? If so, then next time an envoy from Ming comes, let the Grand Minister take responsibility for all those items!"

The ancient sages said that the duty of a ruler and the noble class is to ensure the comfort and sustenance of the people! Yet, to bow down to a mere eunuch while the people are plundered and the national treasury is emptied—does that reflect the virtue and righteousness learned by the noble class?

"After speaking for a long time, Hyang took a breath and continued."

Which of the two sages, Confucius or Mencius, said that we should serve rather than submit?

""Your Highness, your words are a bit harsh!

It is not submission...

"Seeing that Hyang had crossed the line, the Grand Minister of State was about to retort, but Hyang interrupted him."

I have not finished speaking! To dwell in a vast house, to stand in the right place, and to walk the great path—this is what it means to be a true man! What part of bowing to a mere eunuch and offering treasures corresponds to these three?

And you still call yourselves true men? In ancient times, when the State of Qi threatened the State of Lu, Confucius boldly pointed out the injustice and repelled it.

Do you think your actions are similar to that?

"At Hyang's criticism, the faces of the ministers turned bright red. With the king present and the historian recording everything, the crown prince had openly insulted them, calling them"you small-minded people!

"But Hyang's remarks were not over. He turned to Sejong and bowed deeply."

Your Majesty, I wish to speak! Here, the esteemed ministers have gathered, yet rather than risking their lives for the people's well-being, they wish to wear fine robes and lie in soft beds until their natural lives are over! I will go on this diplomatic mission!

I will go and petition the Emperor to put an end to these wrongful practices.

Please grant me permission!

""Prince!

""These ministers gather and openly call Joseon 'Little China,' showing no concealment of their admiration for the great power.

However, when it comes to developing our Joseon like that great power, they make excuses and do nothing.

How can this not be hypocrisy?

Father!

That great power has been using coins since the Song Dynasty, and now the Ming uses coins made of gold and silver, and even taxes are being paid in gold and silver instead of goods! But what about our Joseon?

Since the time of King Taejo, we have tried to create paper money for the people to use comfortably, yet we have only failed! What is the reason for this? It is because our national treasury is weak!

For this reason, I wish to bring merchants with me to fill the national treasury! A strong treasury is essential to relieve the hungry people and circulate currency, making our Joseon even stronger! I earnestly request, Father!

Allow me to go on this diplomatic mission! Though I am only nine years old and small in stature, my heart is as high as Mount Tai!

""Prince, the road to Yanjing is long and perilous.

"Sejong tried to dissuade him, but Hyang did not stop his advance."

In the history of the Western barbarians, there was a great empire called Rome.

However, Rome also began as a small city-state.

Yet one day, the earth split, and a sacrifice was demanded for the rise of the nation.

At that time, a young noble of Rome declared that the only sacrifice worthy for the rise of the nation was a person, and he rode forth alone.

Was it only the Westerners who acted this way? Look at the Hwarang who unified the Three Han.

Not only Kwan Chang but also the sons of noble families became Hwarang and were the first to leap into the jaws of death! Today, the situation of our Joseon is both a crisis and an opportunity!

If we seize this moment, our Joseon will lay the foundation for a thousand years; if we fail, we will decline into a small nation on the fringes!

Father! Please understand!"

"Return to your room."

"Please understand!"

"I said return! Eunuch! The prince seems too excited! Take him back to his room and help him calm down!"

"Father!"

After Hyang was led away by the eunuch, Sejong glared at the ministers standing outside the hut. His eyes were filled with fury.

"You small-minded people."

"Your Majesty..."

"Are you truly the noble class, the gentlemen you claim to be? Even a nine-year-old child is willing to risk his life for Joseon, and what have you been doing? Are you gentlemen? Are you noblemen? Are you true men?"

"Please kill me!"

Starting with Prime Minister Ryu Jeong-hyeon, the ministers prostrated themselves on the ground, crying out for death.

"Is that all you want? To die? If you want to die, then I will grant your wish! What kind of subjects are you? You are truly fit to be called 'those lowly scoundrels'!"Sejong, who had always spoken with decorum, threw etiquette aside and fiercely berated his ministers.

"Prince, do you know how many hours that child sleeps? He sleeps no more than three hours! A child of barely nine years is sacrificing sleep to think about how to strengthen Joseon and bring comfort to the people, while what have you been doing? You beggars! You always look for what cannot be done instead of seeking ways to make things possible! What else could you be but beggars? What good is it to be big in stature and white-haired? You are less than a child in spirit!"

"Please kill me!"

"Do not just ask for death with words; go find answers immediately! If you cannot do that, I will grant your wish and kill you all! Get out!"

At Sejong's outburst, the ministers quietly retreated. Meanwhile, the historian who recorded all of this added the following: - Although the prince's remarks were harsh, they were undeniably true. The current ministers and officials of the six ministries—are they the ministers of Joseon or of Ming?

According to the words of the sages, in order to ensure the peace and well-being of the nation, they should forget about eating and sleeping, yet they wear fine Ming robes and are busy lying on soft Ming bedding. In such a situation, the prince's words are refreshing, indeed.

Meanwhile, after returning to his room and sending away the eunuchs, Hyang let out a long sigh."

Huh~.

Damn!

I went overboard.

"Watching the ministers' behavior in the hut where Sejong resided, he suddenly felt it overlapping with the situation in 21st-century Korea. And so, Hyang went on a rampage."

Should I prepare to go to Ming...

Going to Ming was not part of the plan...

"As he anticipated the situation that would arise from his outburst, Hyang nervously scratched his head and reached a conclusion."

It's a rampage! Either my calf will be broken, or the ministers will be!

"Having made his decision, Hyang shouted toward the outside."

Eunuch!

""Yes, Your Highness!

""I must prepare to go to Ming!

""What?

""Pack my things!

"* * * Upon hearing the news that the prince was packing his things, Sejong jumped up from his seat."

Why is that child packing?

""Well, it seems... he intends to go to Ming right away...

He says he cannot delay even for a moment if he is to think of the nation and the people...

"At the answer from the minister, Sejong burst out of the hut."

My child!

"In the Middle Palace."

Your Highness! Your Highness!

Something terrible has happened!

""What is the commotion about?

"Queen Sohyeon, who was reading a tale brought by the court ladies, looked puzzled at the urgent words of the court lady who rushed in. Gasping for breath after running in a hurry, the court lady opened her mouth."

His Highness the Crown Prince is preparing to go to Ming!

""The Crown Prince to Ming?

Why?

Ming is not just next door to Hanseong, and why would a mere nine-year-old go?

""The envoys from Ming have been excessively plundering the people, and he says he will stop it...

When the ministers said it was unreasonable, he insisted on going himself..." Before the court lady could finish her words, Queen Sohyeon stood up and rushed outside.

Crash!

"Your Majesty!"

"Step aside!"

Before the court ladies could fully open the door, Queen Sohyeon broke it down and began to run through the palace, holding up her skirts.

"You fools! What are you doing? Hurry and attend to the Queen!"

"Yes, yes!"

The court lady who followed Queen Sohyeon ran out in her socks, shouting at the frozen court ladies and calling for the Queen as she dashed forward. * * *"Huh~, who should I recommend for the diplomatic mission?" Minister of Personnel Kim Jeom was pondering whom to recommend for the diplomatic mission.

Normally, he could self-recommend, but this time it was absolutely not possible. If he made a mistake, he could lose his head to the Yongzheng Emperor, and conversely, if he failed to accomplish the task, he would surely lose his head as well.

"Who would be good..."

As he continued to ponder, the Minister of Internal Affairs rushed in with a pale face.

"Sir! Something terrible has happened! Something big has happened!"

"What is so urgent that you have lost your composure?"

"It is not a matter of composure! Something terrible has happened!"

"Are the Jurchens moving? Or the Japanese pirates?"

"Rather, it would be fortunate if it were the Jurchens or the Japanese pirates! The Crown Prince is moving!"

"The Crown Prince?"

"The Crown Prince is currently packing his things to go to Ming!"

"What!"

Bang!

At the words of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kim Jeom jumped up from his seat.

The chair he had been sitting on rolled away, but Kim Jeom had no time to retrieve it as he dashed out of the Ministry of Personnel toward the palace.