Joseon, Hanseong.
The King of Joseon, Yi Jong, was forty-three years old this year. Yet judging from his appearance alone, one might easily guess he was already past sixty.
His spirit seemed hollowed out, as if someone had scooped the life out of him and left behind nothing but a shell.
The disaster known as the Qing invasion of Joseon (1636) had wounded Joseon deeply, and it had wounded Yi Jong even more.
His political stance had always been clear: support Ming, reject Qing.
Inside the country he had always taught his ministers the same principle. Because of that, the humiliation of surrendering to the Qing destroyed his prestige at court almost overnight.
True, he was the king.
Technically the highest authority.
But civil officials could protest by resigning.
A wave of resignations and retirements swept through the bureaucracy. Military officers were even worse. Conspiracies and rebellions popped up one after another like weeds after rain.
In bitter self-mockery, Yi Jong once called himself "a bird frightened by the mere twang of a bowstring."
His ministers did not spare him either. They criticized him bluntly:
"Since that great disaster, Your Majesty has shown not a single trace of renewed resolve, merely praying each day passes without trouble."
These days, simply holding onto his throne required exhausting effort.
And then, at that very moment...
One of his confidants rushed in, shouting breathlessly.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Terrible news, terrible news!"
Yi Jong answered weakly, "What is it?"
The man gasped, "A Ming coastal commander, Cao Wenzhao, has launched an attack on Dandong. The battle ended in complete victory. The city has already fallen. The Three Shun Kings, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi, were all killed."
Yi Jong shot to his feet the instant he heard this.
"Is that true?"
"Completely true! Countless civilians stood along the Yalu River and witnessed the battle on the opposite bank with their own eyes. There can be no mistake."
Yi Jong burst into wild delight.
Joy. Pure, overwhelming joy.
The wrinkles on his aging face seemed to soften immediately. It was as if he had grown ten years younger, transforming from a weary old man of sixty back into someone closer to fifty.
"If Dandong has fallen into Ming hands," he exclaimed, "then the Qing and Joseon are separated by Ming territory!"
"Exactly," the confidant replied. "Until the Qing retake Dandong, they cannot possibly attack us."
Yi Jong laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
But after only six bursts of laughter, his face suddenly stiffened.
"Oh no."
"What is it, Your Majesty?"
"If Ming has suddenly become powerful again… will they blame me for surrendering to the Qing?"
The confidant froze.
Yi Jong's face aged another ten years in an instant, wrinkles spreading across his brow as worry filled his eyes.
"This is bad. Ming will certainly blame me. I betrayed them, surrendered to the Qing, and even sent troops to assist the attack on Pi Island. Ming must hate me to death."
The confidant did not know how to respond.
"Will Ming send troops to attack us as well?" Yi Jong muttered.
As the thought formed, he seemed to age another five years, becoming an old man of sixty-five.
"Report!"
Another attendant rushed inside.
"A Ming envoy has arrived!"
"What?!"
Yi Jong's face instantly brightened again, returning to the appearance of a man in his mid-fifties.
"A Ming envoy? Quickly, bring him in!"
Soon the envoy entered.
Yi Jong studied him carefully.
The visitor wore white robes. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, yet his bearing was excellent. Calm, confident, and dignified, he carried the air of a refined gentleman that made people instinctively trust him.
The man cupped his hands in greeting.
"My name is Bai Yuan. I have been sent by the Ming coastal commander Cao Wenzhao to meet Your Majesty. There are important state matters to discuss."
Yi Jong froze slightly.
"Sent by Commander Cao?"
So he was not an envoy dispatched by the Ming emperor himself, but merely by a regional commander?
Oh no.
This was bad.
Yi Jong's face aged another five years, returning to the look of a weary sixty-year-old.
Bai Yuan smiled gently.
"Your Majesty need not worry that my status is insignificant. I only borrow the commander's name for convenience. The backing behind me is far greater. The words I speak here will be honored, and powerful people will ensure the agreement between us becomes reality."
Yi Jong wondered silently: How powerful could they possibly be?
Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, Bai Yuan guessed his thoughts.
Still smiling, he raised a finger and pointed toward the sky.
"The one behind me… is Heaven."
Yi Jong understood immediately.
Heaven meant the Son of Heaven.
In other words, the Ming emperor.
So this man was not merely Cao Wenzhao's envoy.
He was a heavenly envoy.
Yi Jong was overwhelmed with joy. His face seemed to grow younger again, returning to the appearance of a fifty-year-old.
"So that is the case. Wonderful, wonderful. May I ask what instructions the Heavenly Envoy brings?"
Bai Yuan spoke calmly.
"There is only one matter. We hope Your Majesty will sever relations with the Qing and return to the embrace of Great Ming."
Those words were exactly what Yi Jong longed to hear.
Yet he still hesitated.
"Would Ming… truly forgive Joseon?"
Bai Yuan pulled out a folding fan and snapped it open.
Two characters were written across it.
"Gentleman."
He smiled as he quoted:
"A gentleman's heart is vast as Heaven and Earth. A petty man's heart is smaller than grains of sand."
"We understand perfectly well why Joseon submitted to the Qing," Bai Yuan continued softly. "Your Majesty was placed in a difficult position. Do you think the Great Ming would fail to understand? If we grew angry over such matters, how could we claim the dignity of the Celestial Empire?"
Yi Jong burst into tears.
"This humble king… has carried so much anguish in his heart. Thank you to the Celestial Empire for understanding… sob… it has been so hard…"
Bai Yuan merely smiled and waited patiently for him to cry it out.
After a long time, Yi Jong finally raised his head.
"This king has always wished to stand with the Celestial Empire. If Ming is willing to send troops to assist Joseon, I would dare to break with the Qing immediately. However… there is one matter that cannot be ignored."
Bai Yuan nodded.
"You refer to the hostages."
"Yes."
After the Qing invasion, when the Qing army withdrew, they took the crown prince Crown Prince Sohyeon and the royal prince Prince Bongrim as hostages.
If Joseon dared to break with the Qing now, those two men would surely die.
Bai Yuan smiled calmly.
"We naturally understand this problem. Therefore the mission of rescuing the hostages will be handled by us."
Yi Jong blinked.
"For now, Your Majesty may continue pretending to be a Qing vassal. Once we successfully rescue your hostages, you may publicly declare your true allegiance."
Yi Jong's last hesitation vanished.
In a flash, his appearance seemed to revert to his true age of forty-three.
All the energy that had been drained from him returned at once.
The King of Joseon, Yi Jong, had revived completely.
Full health. Full spirit.
As expected, only when following Ming did he finally feel like a real human being again.
Yi Jong said excitedly, "Now I can summon back the officials who resigned in protest and ask them to serve again. All the ministers will support me even more. The rebellious military officers will also return to loyalty."
Bai Yuan smiled slightly.
"Then we shall wait for good news… from our side next."