jdhmnovel Chapter 281 I've been too lenient with you!
Chapter 281 I've been too lenient with you!
Compared to the Koreans who love to yell and scream and chop off fingers at the drop of a hat, the Annamese envoy Du Shunqin was clearly more composed. Even when he saw a request addressed to "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty," he did not immediately get angry but continued to read through the requests one by one.
"The Ming Dynasty and Jiaozhi established embassies in each other's territory, and the embassy grounds were considered Ming territory. The Ming Dynasty was required to send a hundred households of soldiers to garrison them? And Jiaozhi was to send the Ming Dynasty's Five City Garrison to garrison the Ming embassies?"
This is barely acceptable.
"The people of a superior nation are not subject to the judgment of a inferior nation... They must be arrested and interrogated by the Ming embassy... Jiaozhi (the region of Hebei) is not allowed to make its own arrests?"
This one... isn't unacceptable either.
"Merchants of the Ming Dynasty have the right to conduct business freely in Jiaozhi, but their taxes cannot be higher than those of Jiaozhi merchants?"
That's how it should be.
After Du Shunqin finished reading all the dozen or so clauses in the treaty, he couldn't help but frown and say, "Young Master Yang, there seems to be something unreasonable in this treaty?"
Magistrate Yang laughed heartily and said, "Your Excellency can rest assured. This treaty is the greatest sincerity I can offer."
After saying this, Magistrate Yang took another envelope from He Huan's hand, took out the "Myeongga Friendship Treaty" signed by Park Deok-hwan, and handed it to Du Shunqin, saying, "Your Excellency may wish to take a look at this first."
After Du Shunqin had seen the treaty signed by Park Deok-hwan, he immediately smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to Magistrate Yang, saying, "Minister Yang, please wait a moment. I will grind the ink and sign the treaty now."
In no time at all, the revised and renamed "Ming'an Friendship Treaty" was produced.
Magistrate Yang didn't take it seriously. After putting away the treaty, he took the four scholars and left the Huitongguan where Du Shunqin was staying. After settling the four scholars, he went directly to the Tongzhengsi (Office of Transmission) to request an audience with Emperor Zhu.
……
Emperor Zhu paced back and forth, his brows furrowed so deeply they looked as if they could trap a fly.
"That bastard got it done so quickly?"
Emperor Zhu muttered under his breath, "Damn it, if he sees us, won't our trip to Ningyang County be forgotten? We were still thinking..."
Empress Ma glared at Emperor Zhu and snorted, "What are you still thinking about? There are still two months until Jin'er and Yu'er's wedding. Are you still thinking about hiding your identity and surprising your son-in-law on the wedding day?"
When Empress Ma directly exposed his thoughts, Emperor Zhu blushed and then said with a grin, "I'm just a little angry that that bastard always treats me like a beast of burden."
At this point, Emperor Zhu sighed helplessly and said, "Alright, let's take Biao back to the Qianqing Palace and see how he's handled things."
Empress Ma couldn't help but laugh and said, "Go quickly. Come back when you and Biao'er are done with your work. I'll make you two pancakes and steam two sausages while I'm at it."
Upon hearing that there were flatbreads and sausages, Emperor Zhu's eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly replied, "Hey! Sister, wait for us a moment, we'll be right back, right back."
After saying this, Emperor Zhu couldn't wait to leave Kunning Palace with Zhu Biao and head towards Qianqing Palace.
Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Zhu first sent someone to escort Magistrate Yang to an audience. Then, he said to Zhu Biao, "Guess what kind of mess that dog... your brother-in-law will make of things?"
Zhu Biao smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's hard to say exactly how it will turn out, but it certainly won't be a loss. After all, my brother-in-law can give all the officials in our Ming Dynasty a headache. How could two mere foreign envoys possibly compete with him?"
Emperor Zhu did not believe that Park Deok-hwan and Du Shun-qin could defeat Magistrate Yang.
After all, Park Deok-hwan and Do Soon-kyung both looked like well-read and refined gentlemen, while that bastard was a typical scoundrel. When it came to shamelessness and scheming, even ten Park Deok-hwan and Do Soon-kyung combined wouldn't be enough to stop him.
Just as Emperor Zhu was mentally assessing just how thick-skinned Magistrate Yang really was, a eunuch outside the Qianqing Palace announced loudly: "Yang, acting Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and Magistrate of Ningyang County, is here to have an audience!"
Emperor Zhu nodded slightly, and the chief eunuch Chen Zhong, standing behind him, announced loudly, "Summon Yang, the acting Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and Magistrate of Ningyang County, to an audience!"
As Chen Zhong finished speaking, Magistrate Yang immediately bowed and entered the Qianqing Palace, saying, "Your subject, Yang, who is temporarily acting as the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial and Magistrate of Ningyang County, pays respects to Your Majesty."
There were specific rules regarding the occasions and methods for paying respects to the emperor.
For example, on the day of court congratulations, TV dramas and movies depict the emperor shouting "Long live the emperor!" three times. In the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor also shouted "Long live the emperor!" three times. However, starting from the 28th day of the first month of the second year of the Hongwu reign, the emperor's three shouts changed.
The specific procedure is that the master of ceremonies shouts "Hoo~", and the officials shout in unison "Heavenly Emperor is virtuous and benevolent". The master of ceremonies shouts "Hoo~" again, and the officials shout in unison "Peace and tranquility throughout the land". Finally, the master of ceremonies shouts "Hoo~", and the officials shout in unison "May Your Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness", instead of shouting "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" as in movies and TV dramas.
For someone like Magistrate Yang, who requested an audience with the Emperor privately through the Office of Transmission, the proper etiquette dictated that he did not need to be addressed with three shouts; a simple bow was sufficient.
After Magistrate Yang bowed, Emperor Zhu said directly, "Minister Yang, rise and take a seat."
As soon as Emperor Zhu finished speaking, the eunuchs serving in the Qianqing Palace immediately brought a stool for Magistrate Yang. Magistrate Yang naturally had to thank Emperor Zhu first, and then sit down on the stool with half of his buttocks touching it to show his respect.
Throughout this entire process, Magistrate Yang had to maintain a slightly bowed head and could not raise his head to look directly at Emperor Zhu.
Magistrate Yang was naturally happy with this arrangement. After all, he had threatened Emperor Zhu when he was in Ningyang County, saying he would "break his claws." Now, by keeping his head down and not looking at Emperor Zhu, he naturally avoided an awkward situation.
Damn it, if I had known this day would come, I wouldn't have deliberately acted like that.
Just as Magistrate Yang was lost in thought, Emperor Zhu, with a mischievous glint in his eye, chuckled and ordered, "Minister Yang, raise your head."
Damn it!
You old man, Deng, you've really lost all humanity, haven't you!
I've been too lenient with you!
While cursing inwardly, Magistrate Yang slowly raised his head, then hurriedly stood up, feigning great alarm, and bowed to Emperor Zhu, saying, "Your Majesty! Your subject has been impolite."
Emperor Zhu was immediately satisfied.
Although this bastard showed no remorse whatsoever—meaning he didn't think he was wrong to say he'd "break our paws"—it was good enough that he'd given the bastard a fright; we couldn't ask for more.
Emperor Zhu thought to himself, but said aloud, "Minister Yang, please sit down first. We went there incognito back then, so we can't blame you. Besides, we'll soon be family, so how could we possibly hold you accountable for such a small matter?"
Magistrate Yang sat down as instructed, but thought to himself: You didn't blame me, but you old rascal have certainly given me a hard time!
Just as Magistrate Yang was secretly grumbling to himself, Emperor Zhu asked again, "Minister Yang, you've come to see us at this time because you've taken care of things in Goryeo and Annam?"
Magistrate Yang nodded slightly, then raised the two envelopes he had been holding for a moment. After Chen Zhong took them, he bowed to Emperor Zhu and said, "Your Majesty, I have signed treaties with the envoys from Goryeo and Annam. Please review them."