"What's the crime of the king? It's me who disturbed the king." The prince said humbly, while holding back the discomfort in his nose and letting go of Li Hui's hand, "The king is old after all.

There is no need to come to greet you in person, I will come to Gyeongbokgung Palace to pay a visit to the king after entering the city, so why bother to come here."

"I am the lord of the vassal state, and His Highness is the prince of ****. There is no reason for the prince to visit me." Li Hui smiled bitterly, "Please don't kill me."

The country of Goryeo usually formed its own unified country within its three thousand miles of rivers and mountains. Although it had to respect the emperor of the Central Plains, the Ming Dynasty basically did not interfere in the internal affairs of Goryeo. It only occasionally sent envoys during the replacement of the leader of Goryeo or important ceremonies.

The minister came here, so the king of Goryeo could always regard himself as the emperor behind closed doors, but when the Han prince came in person, he no longer had this convenience, and could only honestly call himself a minister.

Seeing the blind old man trembling slightly in the cold wind, the prince felt even more unbearable. "Although I am a powerful prince, I am just a young man now. The king is old and should be the senior. I am

Junior, how can I, as a junior, overwork my elders? It’s cold here, so please take me back to the city, Lord.”

Then, he turned to look at the kneeling civil and military ministers of the two countries in the distance, and waved his hand. "Stop kneeling, everyone, get up."

His voice was not loud, but the ministers of the two countries who had been kneeling on the ground and watching him could certainly understand what he meant. However, only the Han envoys and military attachés present stood up one after another, and the ministers on the Goryeo side did not follow.

And move.

According to the previously scheduled procedure, the chamberlain who followed the King of Korea to the Yingen Gate walked into the open space, and then shouted to everyone who came to greet him.

"Congratulations to His Highness the Han Dynasty!"

"Welcome His Royal Highness to the city!" Other chamberlains also shouted out, and the shouts suddenly made this slightly bleak suburban place suddenly become noisy and lively, and many birds were frightened.

, fluttering up from the trees, as if they were cheering for the arrival of His Royal Highness on behalf of the people of Goryeo.

As these people shouted, the Goryeo ministers who were still kneeling on the ground kowtowed to the ground again. Their movements were smooth and as meticulous as the minister Jin Mingguo who met the prince for the first time. It was not until the kowtow ceremony was completed that they

Stand up slowly.

Their respectful behavior not only surprised the prince, but also made the Han ministers present feel a little embarrassed. After all, they were not proactive at all in kneeling.

However, such a grand scene did not impress the prince. Apart from being surprised, he was also a little impatient. In his opinion, these people made these vain customs really cumbersome and meaningless. From his father, he

I have learned a truth: to govern the world, we need to know people well and appoint them well. We should be able to teach the heroes in the world and have a place to stand. Let the heroes kneel and kowtow. Apart from killing their enterprising spirit, what else can they do?

Meaning? A king who spends his time and ambitions in rituals and entertainment all day long can certainly enjoy the pleasure of being worshiped by everyone, but how can he possibly govern the country well?

Both the Ming Dynasty and Goryeo declined in the middle of the road. I am afraid this is partly the reason. I must avoid this kind of thing in the future, the prince thought to himself.

Then, he and the leader of Goryeo, Li Hui, got on the carriage prepared for him, and then, surrounded by a large group of people, they slowly marched towards Seoul.

It has to be said that the Goryeo monarchs and the Han dynasty attach great importance to the ceremony and safety of welcoming the crown prince. They mobilized a large number of soldiers from both countries to guard the surroundings, and they almost took photos from the Yingen Gate to the bottom of the Seoul city wall. It was also right. Because of the vigilance of soldiers from both countries, the road was a bit deserted, and not many Korean villagers dared to watch. Only when they arrived at the foot of Seoul City did some residents gather.

Although Goryeo respected Confucianism, it added its own national characteristics after the introduction of Confucianism. After many years of practice, the country began to divide and divide its citizens according to class. Standing at the top was the Yangban class, which had monopolized the court for generations. The aristocratic class with official positions and imperial examinations, these people possess a large amount of wealth, annex land through various means of plunder and plunder, and own a large number of slaves.

As time went by, the population of the two classes of nobles also increased, and the limited official positions and wealth resources of Koryo could not be infinitely supplied to these scholar-bureaucrats and noble families. Therefore, in order to compete for resources, internal battles broke out between the two classes. In order to control the excessive growth of Yangban's population, the provisions of "confinement of concubines" have been made since the Taizong era. The so-called "concubines" actually refer to the offspring of concubines in Yangban families. In order to slow down The population of Yangban is growing at such a rate that the population of Yangban, as concubines, has been reduced to another class separated from the circle of Yangban, called "middlemen". They are not allowed to enjoy the treatment of Yangban, but can only serve as translators, medical officers, and astronomers. , Jiao Xiao and other low-level grassroots officials used this method of artificial control of concubines to control the number of top nobles.

After these two classes, there are the common people and the untouchable class. The common people are ordinary people and are regarded as good citizens, while the untouchables are those who engage in untouchable industries and the descendants of scholar-bureaucrats who were demoted to untouchables because of crimes. The middle class, This class is the most discriminated against. They are untouchables at birth and cannot register as household members. No matter how educated they are, they cannot take part in the imperial examinations and have very few opportunities for education.

Originally, these four major castes were clearly distinct in the Li Dynasty, and the differences and discrimination between them were deep-rooted. However, during the Japanese Rebellion decades ago, because the government lost a lot of land and wealth, the number of good people that could be recruited during the war decreased. They were also unable to afford resistance on the entire battlefield, and had to rely on launching rebel armies to fight. Therefore, they had to reward the rebels for their merits during and after the war. A large number of public and private slaves and non-two-class good people participated in the rebel army. Those who received commendations from the government may have escaped from humble status, or even entered the yangban class due to their merits.

In addition, in order to restore the dilapidated social economy after the war, the Goryeo government also took measures to sell officials. Under the official positions given by the court, a group of rich farmers or businessmen who were willing to pay food or property also obtained Goryeo. With an official position, he ranks among the two classes.

Later, as Goryeo's national power declined and the government's finances became more and more corrupt, this system of selling officials became a common practice. Once the government experienced an economic crisis, a large number of officials and titles and unsigned appointment certificates were sold, and the wealthy households also With this, he was promoted to the second class. After the current leader Li Hui was restored to power by the Han Dynasty, in order to make up for the very embarrassing government finances, he took the initiative to buy and donate officials several times. In the past few decades, policy guidance As a result, the number of the two classes has expanded unprecedentedly.

Because it is the capital of the country, Seoul's commerce is the most developed in the entire Goryeo. Naturally, the number of wealthy households among the common people is the highest. Many of these common people have obtained the title of Yangban class for their families by donating officials. Although traditional

The two groups of nobles who came from scholar-bureaucrats and noble families despised them, these mud-legged people who had crawled in by taking advantage of the current situation, and did not associate with them at all. However, this did not prevent them from being complacent and thinking that they had become one of the gentlemen.

Therefore, unlike the cowering villagers, they were full of curiosity about the arrival of the Chinese and Korean princes. Many people came to the city gate with their families and curiously looked at this mighty group of people rushing towards Seoul.

Think of this as a lively event that only happens once in a century. With so many people gathering together to watch the fun, it will naturally cause crowding, and the crowds will be crowded. Even the soldiers maintaining order nearby will become a little uneven.

While riding in the carriage, the prince kept looking at the surrounding scenery, and from time to time he politely chatted with Li Hui next to him. It was quite boring at first, but when he got to the crowded city gate, he felt a bit interesting.

Although it is the capital of Goryeo, its financial, manpower and material resources are very limited after all. Therefore, the city wall of Seoul is not high and the city gate is not wide. Therefore, the soldiers and attendants leading the large group were blocked at the city gate.

They could only pass slowly, and they also mixed with the onlookers and civilians, and suddenly the order at the city gate was somewhat chaotic.

"Your Highness, would you like to maintain order? There seems to be some chaos in front." The guards who had been riding horses and following the chariot originally wanted to drive away the crowded crowd to avoid endangering the safety of His Highness the Crown Prince.

But the prince immediately stopped their action. "Do the people of Goryeo have the enthusiasm to welcome me? Don't hinder them. Goryeo is a loyal and obedient vassal state of our country, and the people are naturally very loyal and obedient. How can it be detrimental to me?"

As he spoke, he stood up from the chariot and looked around at the soldiers surrounding him and the Korean people who were looking at him on both sides.

When he arrived at the gate of the Goryeo city, he was so excited that he waved his hand heavily, and the sleeves of his robe moved accordingly. He looked high-spirited and said hello to the Goryeo people who came to pay homage to him.

If an adult did this, it might seem a little unstable and inappropriate, not worthy of the status of a prince. However, when a young man did this, he seemed energetic and full of enthusiasm. At least it was very appetizing to the onlookers.

.

On one side are young people who are as high-spirited as the rising sun, and on the other are old people who are depressed and disabled, creating an extremely strong contrast among these Korean people - especially, Li Hui is still unpopular with them.

tyrant'.

"His Royal Highness, a thousand years old!" I don't know who took the lead. Soon such shouts came one after another, and finally gathered together and turned into cheers from everyone.

The prince only smiled slightly on the surface, but in fact he was very happy in his heart. He enjoyed the cheers very much. Like the Han people, the Koreans only wanted peace in the world...

And Li Hui, who was sitting next to him, couldn't be as happy as him. The prince of China and North Korea came to Goryeo, but the people cheered and enjoyed the honor that should have been enjoyed by him. It really made it difficult for him to be calm, and even more

What's more, he also understood that these common people cheered for the prince of China and North Korea to some extent because they were dissatisfied with him. He also knew that the things he did when he first came to power have not been forgiven by the scholars and people, if not

Because it would be impossible for him to maintain his rule without the military support of the Han Dynasty.

I am so unpopular, what should I do if I am really kicked off the throne by a big man? As soon as this thought came to his mind, he was forcefully suppressed, but a chill ran down his back.

As if infected by the cheers at the city gate, the cheers still didn't stop when they entered Seoul City, but they became blurry as they went inside, because the closer they were to the palace, the more people living there naturally.

The more sparse it becomes.

Finally, when the cheers all around could not be heard at all, they arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

They entered from the south front Gwanghwamun. Gwanghwamun consists of three hauni gates. The hauni gate in the middle is for the king to pass through, and the two hauni gates on the left and right are for ministers to enter and exit. As the prince of China and North Korea, he

Naturally, you enter the palace through the middle door. The palace area is not large, not only because of Goryeo's financial constraints, but also because Goryeo is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. The regulations of the palace strictly follow the vassal relationship with the suzerain country. And the clothing.

The treatment of Gyeongbokgung Palace is the same as that of the prince. Therefore, all buildings are painted in blue to distinguish them from the golden yellow of Chinese imperial palaces.

After entering Gyeongbokgung Palace, the prince looked around out of curiosity and found that the surrounding walls were old and dilapidated, and some palaces even showed signs of being burned by fire. He couldn't help but be surprised.

Decades ago, Japan invaded Korea and the Imjin War broke out. Because the weak and internally fighting Goryeo court was unable to resist the Japanese army, the royal family fled Seoul very early. Kim Myung-won, the general who stayed in the capital,

Deputy Marshal Shen Ke only led more than a thousand troops to station in Chuanting. Seeing the huge strength of the Japanese army, they did not dare to resist desperately, so they sank all their weapons in the river, and then fled on horseback.

When the commander fled, all the troops naturally collapsed.

Japanese general Kato Kiyomasa led the Japanese army to cross the Han River and capture Seoul. Before and after the Japanese army entered the city, Seoul had been greatly damaged. On the eve of the escape of the then king, the palaces, government offices, city gates and palace treasures in the city,

All the ancient books, cultural relics and ritual vessels have been burned, leaving only the ancestral temple of the Li family. The Japanese generals used this place as their residence after entering the city. Later, the Japanese generals even burned the ancestral temple and moved to

Nanbie Palace, directing the Japanese troops to pursue northward.

After the emperors and ministers of Goryeo borrowed reinforcements from the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese army began to withdraw their troops southward and left Seoul because the Ming Dynasty army was out of reach. However, before leaving, in order to vent their anger, they massacred all the people in the city. When the motherland was declared that year

When the king returned to Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace was in ruins and the city was full of thorns. The officials could only sit against the walls. He also had to use the old residence of a royal family as his palace. After Seonjo's death,

The current head of the country, Li Hui, succeeded to the throne. Under his urging, the original ancestral temple and palace began to be restored.

Because Gyeongbokgung Palace occupies a large area and there are many palaces, the wealth that needs to be consumed is really difficult for the current Goryeo court to support, so he just maintained Gyeongbokgung Palace hastily, and then focused on Changdeok, who was originally the palace.

Above the palace, it was once regarded as the main palace.

However, later, because of Li Hui's rebellious behavior, the Goryeo ministers launched a coup, led troops and rushed into the Changdeok Palace where he lived, and then removed him from the position of king. Changdeok Palace also

It was burned down during the coup.

His nephew Li Hui, who had usurped his power, moved to another palace, and Changdeokgung Palace was abandoned. Later, Li Hui was finally restored to power under the threat of the Han Dynasty sending troops, and executed Li Huan and his children and relatives.

In addition, Li Hui once planned to rebuild Changdeokgung Palace again and use it as his palace.

However, under the suggestion of the Han Dynasty envoy that "Gyeongbokgung Palace is the main palace, and the king can live in it, it can be justified. Moreover, Gyeongbokgung Palace is located in Seoul, which is conducive to defense to prevent similar things from happening again." He gave up rebuilding Changdeokgung Palace.

Instead, he moved his palace back to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Although Gyeongbokgung Palace has been repaired over the years, after all, it is a large place, so the Goryeo court with limited financial resources only focused on building a small part of the palace. There are still many remains in the palace left from the Imjin Japanese Rebellion.

The traces of the military disaster could be seen by the prince with keen observation at a glance.

The main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace is Geunjeongjeon, where the throne is seated and where the king holds various ceremonies and attends court affairs. It was naturally not suitable in the past, so we took a carriage and walked to the Gyeonghue Building in the palace.

Qinghui Pavilion is a pavilion built on a huge artificial lake. It is a guest house where the king hosted banquets to entertain ministers and foreign envoys. Now it is naturally very suitable to be used as a stay for the princes of China and North Korea. Beside the huge pool, the princes and

The King of Goryeo walked down the chariot together, and others lined up on both sides.

Then under the guidance of the chamberlain, they walked along the narrow stone passage, passed through the artificial lake, and walked into the Qinghui Building in the center of the lake. Along the way, the spring breeze mixed with the fragrance of flowers kept blowing on the prince's face.

, made him feel a lot more comfortable.

Qinghui Building was originally a banquet place for the king and ministers, so the place is quite spacious. However, since Li Hui rarely entertained ministers after his restoration, it has not been properly used and protected in the past few years.

The prince had just tidied it up in a hurry before his arrival. Although it was clean, it always seemed a bit deserted. The rockery was overgrown with weeds and the stone steps were uneven. The palaces in the distance that had not been completely restored made it even more strange.

Added a bit of desolation.

*******
Chapter completed!