A Storm Over China [Chapter 5]
Changgyeonggung, Hanseong
Hyojong of Joseon relaxed in the cool breeze coming through the great arched window. He’d had this palace renovated as a wedding present to his wife. There were other palaces, of course, but he had become rather fond of this one.
Gentle footsteps. “Is that you, dear one?” It was, of course. He turned to embrace her. “How have you been, my precious gem?”
Their lips met. Further conversation was unnecessary and, at times, quite impossible. Although they enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Afterwards, spent, he relaxed, his queen curled up in his arms. “I received an emissary from the Ming court today,” he said.
“Oh?” Erdani -- for so she was known in all but the most formal ceremonial contexts -- raised her head. “The real court, you mean?”
“The one in Beijing, yes. Not the rebellion that’s going on. Careful how you talk, now,” he teasingly pinched her bottom.
“I did not question the legitimacy of our esteemed elder brother,” she said, swatting at his hand. “And if the emperor’s men were in our bedroom, listening to us talk, then after what they’ve just seen, they should be in a good mood, anyways!”
He laughed. The idea of the Ming emissaries watching him and his wife was, frankly, absurd.
“It’s all a mess,” he said.
“You are not wrong.” Erdani stretched her arms, only to cuddle even closer to him. “From what you say, this princeling thinks that he’s the true emperor, with a superior claim to the man who rules in Beijing, because his father should have been emperor before him? How many generations removed are we from when the controversy actually mattered?”
“One or two, I think. Not that it makes a lot of practical difference.” Hyojong yawned. “Point is, we’ve got some quite violent men looking to gather support in their little civil war. And we’ve got the emperor in Beijing making it very clear that he counts upon our loyalty and continued support.” Or at least, not giving any support to the usurper.
“Mm. I could have told you as much, and I haven’t talked to any emissaries.”
“Quite so. And yet,” the king continued, “the emperor has a special request of us. If his sons, the imperial princes, make it to our territories, we are to extend them every gesture of hospitality and keep them safe against their enemies.”
Erdani raised her head. “What?!”
Hyojong briefly filled her in on all that had happened.
“But they haven’t arrived yet, have they? How long has it been?”
“I am not sure. I assume the rebels attempted to capture them at the beginning, failed, and are now searching for them. The emissary came to me by a rather fast ship.” It would take longer, he knew, for someone to travel overland. Especially if they were trying to hide.
“That’s interesting.” Erdani appeared to be thinking. “Well, that settles it. You will need to call out the soldiers. Being neutral, now, is no longer an option.”
“What?”
“Husband of mine,” she said patiently, “if the princes arrive, they will likely be pursued. We cannot let them cross our frontier and then be butchered by their enemies. That would reflect very poorly of us, and would show the world that we are either faithless or weak. So you will need enough of an army to keep the frontiers safe. And given the desperation, as you have described it, of the rebels, they may even be willing to fight us for a chance at the princes -- assuming, of course, that the princes still live, and can be kept safe in our domains. So we are committed. It would be in the best interests of the kingdom to take these actions.”
His head swam. “Well,” he said, “I suppose you’re right. You have no objection? I mean, your family, that is to say your brother’s folks, they wouldn’t mind?”
Erdani snorted. “Him! He’s looking to the west, he doesn’t care who rules from Beijing. There may have been Yuan princes in Beijing once, but not now, hundreds of years later. He is indifferent, which means support for the status quo, because he doesn’t want the trouble of dealing with an unknown.” She kissed him on the cheek. “And I’m married to you now, which means I share in the fate of Joseon. So I think you should stay in the emperor’s good graces and, if the chance arises, keep the princes safe.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He lapsed into silence. “You know,” Hyojong said with a sigh, “sometimes I almost wish my father was still alive.”
“Hm?”
“Then this would be his problem. I mean, I know we had our arguments,” the king rubbed his face, “but the way he died...none of that made any sense! Would he try to poison me? Or was it one of his friends? And then he died too. So maybe it was all just a horrible accident, or a rare sickness. Something like that. I just...I don’t know. I don’t know what to think, sometimes.”
Erdani had gone very still. “Your father,” she said gently, “was not a bad king, but he was, hmm, easily controlled? I recall hearing that he got the throne because some men at court ousted his predecessor and elevated him. Maybe the court factions, they got impatient and wanted you in charge instead? That would explain everything, I think. They want to use you,” she hissed, “as a puppet.”
Hyojong smacked a fist into his palm. “That’s it. I do believe you have it. Well, my darling wife,” he said, “I’ll be doing just what you said. And once I’m done, I’m taking a thorough look at the powerful men in my own kingdom. Can’t have them doing the same thing they did to my father, can I?”
Erdani smiled at him, seeming almost relieved. “Of course, my husband. Now, if you are ready again...”
They didn’t discuss politics the rest of that night. They had better things to do.
Hyojong of Joseon relaxed in the cool breeze coming through the great arched window. He’d had this palace renovated as a wedding present to his wife. There were other palaces, of course, but he had become rather fond of this one.
Gentle footsteps. “Is that you, dear one?” It was, of course. He turned to embrace her. “How have you been, my precious gem?”
Their lips met. Further conversation was unnecessary and, at times, quite impossible. Although they enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Afterwards, spent, he relaxed, his queen curled up in his arms. “I received an emissary from the Ming court today,” he said.
“Oh?” Erdani -- for so she was known in all but the most formal ceremonial contexts -- raised her head. “The real court, you mean?”
“The one in Beijing, yes. Not the rebellion that’s going on. Careful how you talk, now,” he teasingly pinched her bottom.
“I did not question the legitimacy of our esteemed elder brother,” she said, swatting at his hand. “And if the emperor’s men were in our bedroom, listening to us talk, then after what they’ve just seen, they should be in a good mood, anyways!”
He laughed. The idea of the Ming emissaries watching him and his wife was, frankly, absurd.
“It’s all a mess,” he said.
“You are not wrong.” Erdani stretched her arms, only to cuddle even closer to him. “From what you say, this princeling thinks that he’s the true emperor, with a superior claim to the man who rules in Beijing, because his father should have been emperor before him? How many generations removed are we from when the controversy actually mattered?”
“One or two, I think. Not that it makes a lot of practical difference.” Hyojong yawned. “Point is, we’ve got some quite violent men looking to gather support in their little civil war. And we’ve got the emperor in Beijing making it very clear that he counts upon our loyalty and continued support.” Or at least, not giving any support to the usurper.
“Mm. I could have told you as much, and I haven’t talked to any emissaries.”
“Quite so. And yet,” the king continued, “the emperor has a special request of us. If his sons, the imperial princes, make it to our territories, we are to extend them every gesture of hospitality and keep them safe against their enemies.”
Erdani raised her head. “What?!”
Hyojong briefly filled her in on all that had happened.
“But they haven’t arrived yet, have they? How long has it been?”
“I am not sure. I assume the rebels attempted to capture them at the beginning, failed, and are now searching for them. The emissary came to me by a rather fast ship.” It would take longer, he knew, for someone to travel overland. Especially if they were trying to hide.
“That’s interesting.” Erdani appeared to be thinking. “Well, that settles it. You will need to call out the soldiers. Being neutral, now, is no longer an option.”
“What?”
“Husband of mine,” she said patiently, “if the princes arrive, they will likely be pursued. We cannot let them cross our frontier and then be butchered by their enemies. That would reflect very poorly of us, and would show the world that we are either faithless or weak. So you will need enough of an army to keep the frontiers safe. And given the desperation, as you have described it, of the rebels, they may even be willing to fight us for a chance at the princes -- assuming, of course, that the princes still live, and can be kept safe in our domains. So we are committed. It would be in the best interests of the kingdom to take these actions.”
His head swam. “Well,” he said, “I suppose you’re right. You have no objection? I mean, your family, that is to say your brother’s folks, they wouldn’t mind?”
Erdani snorted. “Him! He’s looking to the west, he doesn’t care who rules from Beijing. There may have been Yuan princes in Beijing once, but not now, hundreds of years later. He is indifferent, which means support for the status quo, because he doesn’t want the trouble of dealing with an unknown.” She kissed him on the cheek. “And I’m married to you now, which means I share in the fate of Joseon. So I think you should stay in the emperor’s good graces and, if the chance arises, keep the princes safe.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He lapsed into silence. “You know,” Hyojong said with a sigh, “sometimes I almost wish my father was still alive.”
“Hm?”
“Then this would be his problem. I mean, I know we had our arguments,” the king rubbed his face, “but the way he died...none of that made any sense! Would he try to poison me? Or was it one of his friends? And then he died too. So maybe it was all just a horrible accident, or a rare sickness. Something like that. I just...I don’t know. I don’t know what to think, sometimes.”
Erdani had gone very still. “Your father,” she said gently, “was not a bad king, but he was, hmm, easily controlled? I recall hearing that he got the throne because some men at court ousted his predecessor and elevated him. Maybe the court factions, they got impatient and wanted you in charge instead? That would explain everything, I think. They want to use you,” she hissed, “as a puppet.”
Hyojong smacked a fist into his palm. “That’s it. I do believe you have it. Well, my darling wife,” he said, “I’ll be doing just what you said. And once I’m done, I’m taking a thorough look at the powerful men in my own kingdom. Can’t have them doing the same thing they did to my father, can I?”
Erdani smiled at him, seeming almost relieved. “Of course, my husband. Now, if you are ready again...”
They didn’t discuss politics the rest of that night. They had better things to do.
