jdhmnovel Chapter 439 This is outrageous!
Chapter 439 This is outrageous!
On his journey from Dengzhou to Goryeo, Park Sung-sung kept thinking about the future.
My own future.
The future of the Park family.
The future of Goryeo.
Unfortunately, even after arriving in Wangjing and Manwoldae, Park Sung-sung still couldn't figure it out.
What made Park Sung-sung even more desperate was that the originally planned process had all gone wrong!
According to proper procedure, the eunuch Sun, Yeonda Mashiri, Crown Prince Chen, Crown Prince Ming, and their families should not come to Manwoldae, but should first go to the guesthouse, where King Jeon of Goryeo should also kneel and greet them.
But to everyone's surprise, Eunuch Sun and Yanda Mashili did not follow the rules at all.
After arriving in the Goryeo capital, instead of going to the guesthouse, they went straight to Manwoldae.
Fine, you two are Ming Dynasty angels, you two changed the process without authorization, you're awesome.
But wasn't what Yanda Mashiri did a bit too far?
The carriages escorting Prince Chen and Prince Ming were stopped at the main gate of Manyuetai.
The reason is simple: carriages are not allowed into the royal city.
So the guards of the royal city were right.
However, Yan Da Ma Shi Li, who was responsible for escorting Prince Chen and Prince Ming, directly pulled out a whip and frantically lashed the guards of Guanghua Gate.
"Tell your King of Goryeo to get out here!"
"What kind of thing dares to be so arrogant in front of me!"
"If you anger me, I'll burn down your dilapidated Goryeo courtyard!"
Park Sung-sung is completely Korean.
The number of Ming soldiers accompanying Yan Da Ma Shi Li and the eunuch Sun was not large.
They were at least several times fewer than the Goryeo soldiers guarding Gwanghwamun.
However, the advantage in numbers was of no use.
The Goryeo soldiers outside Guanghua Gate could only stare blankly, not daring to step forward and stop them.
It wasn't out of reverence for the Ming Dynasty, nor was it because the Ming soldiers accompanying and escorting them were particularly frightening.
Rather, it was because Yanda Mashiri was simply too brutal.
Especially his Mongolian face and physique, which are so typical that they couldn't be more so.
Even though he was dressed in the official robes of the Ming Dynasty, his bandit-like aura still intimidated the Goryeo soldiers, making them dare not resist.
Park Sung-sung also dared not step forward to stop him. He could only tell the guards at Gwanghwamun to quickly invite Wang Zhuan while suppressing the pain in his heart and apologizing with a fawning smile.
"They just don't know the rules."
"Please calm down, Your Excellency Yanda."
However, Yeonda Mashiri pointed the riding whip at Park Sung-sung.
"A bunch of pigs and dogs."
“You are just reptiles in the ground.”
"The Marquis of the Ming Dynasty."
"They are the stars in the sky."
"How dare you disrespect a Marquis of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Also, you shouldn't address me as Envoy Yanda."
You should address me as Dean Liu.
Hmm, the intonation and rhythm of the voice didn't sound like he was cursing; it sounded more like he was singing.
It wasn't until the eunuch Sun coughed that Yanda Mashili finally stopped.
Sun, the eunuch, smiled and said to Park Sung-sung, "Vice Envoy Park, Imperial Physician Liu has a rather bad temper. Please forgive him."
Park Sung-sung didn't dare to say anything more, and just said with a fawning smile, "No, no."
Park Sung-sung only breathed a sigh of relief when Wang Jeon, who had rushed to the guesthouse, hurriedly returned with Shin Don and other Goryeo officials.
Yanda Mashiri glanced at Wang Zhuan but did not speak.
Wang Zhuan also stared at Yanda Mashiri with a livid face.
Park Sung-sung's heart, which had just relaxed, jumped into his throat again.
The atmosphere became a little tense for a moment.
Seeing that things were about to escalate out of control, Park Sung-sung quickly went to Wang Zhuan's side and whispered, "Your Majesty, please first greet His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming."
Wang Zhuan's expression froze for a moment. He gave Park Sung-sung a deep look, then bowed slightly to Eunuch Sun: "Your Majesty Wang Zhuan, the foreign subject of Goryeo, respectfully inquires about the well-being of the Emperor of the Great Ming... Your Majesty."
The eunuch Sun accepted the gift without hesitation and said loudly, "I am well, you may dispense with the formalities."
Wang Zhuan straightened up, and the eunuch Sun announced loudly, "By His Majesty's decree, the Goryeo king and his ministers shall kneel and listen."
King Zhuan and his ministers obediently knelt on the ground.
Fine, since the final result is the same—whether we kneel to welcome them or it's at the Yingbin Hotel or outside Guanghua Gate—it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Park Sung-sung felt even more pain in his heart.
If he hadn't witnessed firsthand how officials and common people of the Ming Dynasty received imperial edicts, Park Sung-sung probably wouldn't have been in such agony.
But Park Sung-sung witnessed it firsthand.
When officials and commoners of the Ming Dynasty received imperial edicts, they performed the kowtow, which is known as "bowing, raising hands, and raising eyes in respect."
Rumors circulated that the Ministry of Rites originally intended to establish a kneeling ceremony, but before the newly revised Ming Dynasty law was fully completed, the kneeling ceremony was completely abolished by Emperor Zhu.
The reason why Emperor Zhu completely abolished the kneeling ceremony is said to be related to His Highness the Crown Prince and a certain prefect who wished to remain anonymous.
From then on, except for grand court assemblies, sacrifices to heaven and earth, offering incense to ancestors, and newlyweds bowing to their parents, all other kneeling rituals were abolished, with the most common being a single bow to the ground.
However, the Goryeo king and his officials had to kneel and bow when receiving the imperial edict from Emperor Zhu.
Moreover, it involved "bowing four times and then kowtowing once more."
The so-called "kowtow" is when the person performing the kowtow kneels down, places their left hand on their right hand (palm facing inward), clasps their hands on the ground, and slowly lowers their head to the ground, which is held for a relatively long time, with their hands in front of their knees and their head behind their hands.
The act of bowing down also involves kneeling, then clasping one's hands and touching the ground with one's head. However, unlike the act of kowtowing, the head is raised immediately after touching the ground, making it a more rapid act of worship with a very short time spent touching the ground.
It somewhat implied that they didn't treat the rulers of the outer vassal states as human beings.
This caused Park Sung-sung great distress.
The eunuch Sun took out the imperial edict, unfolded it, and read it aloud.
"The King of Goryeo in the East... gathered forty-eight bolts of silk and satin, and sent them to the former eunuch of the Yuan Dynasty... He then sent the Chen and Xia emperors, young and old, to the capital, where they were no longer soldiers or civilians, but lived a life of leisure..."
As soon as the eunuch Sun finished speaking, Wang Zhuan bowed respectfully and replied, "Your subject, Wang Zhuan, respectfully obeys the decree of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty."
Wang Zhuan, who had been kneeling, only stood up after the eunuch Sun handed the imperial edict to him.
Following behind Wang Zhuan, Park Sung-sung whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, please have Crown Prince Chen and Crown Prince Ming alight from the carriage."
Wang Zhuan was so angry that he almost ground all his teeth to powder.
This is absolutely outrageous!
Seeing Wang Zhuan's unwilling expression, Park Sung-sung could only whisper and advise, "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty is at its peak, and the Yuan Dynasty has fled north. If Goryeo wants to protect itself, it must serve the Great.
A hint of hesitation appeared on Wang Zhuan's face, but Park Sung-sung hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and whispered, "Your Majesty, the border market, the laborers, and King Kwon."
Upon hearing the words "border market," "laborers," and "King Quan," Wang Zhuan seemed to have all his energy drained away. He bowed to Eunuch Sun and Yanda Mashili and said, "Please, Eunuch, Director, Crown Prince Chen, and Crown Prince Ming, come to the palace for a chat."