Long before Zhu Qizhen stirred up trouble in Liaodong, Joseon had been formulating and discarding various operation plans in anticipation of potential armed conflict with Ming.

During this process, an operation to sabotage the Grand Canal caught everyone’s attention.

“Upon examination, if we can somehow cut off Ming’s canal, we’ll sever their lifeline.”

“Indeed. Even looking at Ming’s railway construction now, the canal is primary and the railway secondary.”

“Let’s investigate further.”

Joseon’s General Staff continued their investigation of the Grand Canal.

After various investigations, the conclusion was clear.

-If armed conflict with Ming breaks out, cutting off the Grand Canal is essential!

Following this conclusion, they began searching for the optimal location for sabotage operations.

Jinan emerged as the prime candidate.

Jinan was selected as a candidate when Sejong had not yet departed for New Frontier. Upon hearing the General Staff’s plan, Sejong first reconfirmed their reasoning.

“Why Jinan?”

To Sejong’s question, the General Staff explained as follows:

-Jinan is the optimal point to inflict damage on Ming by cutting the Grand Canal. Points further north are closer to Beijing, and those below are closer to Nanjing.

-Beijing and Nanjing are Ming’s northern and southern administrative centers. This means they can quickly mobilize large-scale manpower for repairs.

-Jinan is where waterways connecting the Yellow River to the canal meet. Though relatively inland, it’s easily accessible by sailing up the Yellow River.

-If armed conflict with Ming breaks out, most ground forces must be deployed to Liaodong. This means insufficient forces for inland invasion. Therefore, Jinan is optimal as it can maximize use of existing naval forces.

“It’s good that it’s right in the middle as the generals say, but…”

As Sejong trailed off while looking at the map, the General Staff members became tense.

Did we miss something?

I thought we did it right…

Every time His Majesty does this, I feel like I age ten years!

While the General Staff generals were on edge, Sejong asked again.

“Is that the only reason for choosing Jinan?”

“Pardon?”

“Did you truly choose Jinan for that reason alone?”

Unable to find an answer to Sejong’s question, the General Staff members looked dismayed.

Seeing their dismay, Hyang joined the conversation.

This might be a cliché too! But it can’t be helped!

“Father, are you thinking of the ‘Jingnan Rebellion[1]‘?”

Sejong silently nodded at Hyang’s question. Upon receiving this silent answer, Hyang continued questioning.

“Isn’t that aspect closer to political strategy than military strategy? And isn’t the probability too low?”

“Wouldn’t it emerge if Ming becomes paralyzed? Whether real or false claimants?”

“While that’s possible, could it happen? No, would there be followers?”

To Hyang’s point, Sejong replied with an expression suggesting it was trivial.

“Why should we worry about their success or failure? We only need Ming to become unable to function properly.”

“Ah…”

Nodding at Sejong’s words, Hyang continued with a face full of regret.

“Come to think of it, it’s truly regrettable. If we could properly damage just that middle section, it would really cripple them, but we can’t move openly…”

“That aspect will need much consideration too.”

“I’ll think about it.”

While Sejong and Hyang were conversing, the staff members who had suddenly become like decorative screens grumbled internally.

Again! The father-son zen dialogue starts again!

Ah, dammit! They said just watching makes you feel inadequate, now I understand why!

Is this some temple? Why sudden zen dialogue!

Finally, Sejong rejected the operation plan submitted by the General Staff.

“Though it’s a very good strategy, it still seems somewhat lacking. Please revise it further.”

“We receive your command.”

At Sejong’s order, the General Staff members all bowed their heads and responded.

Meanwhile, the court historian recording all this added:

-…Thus when His Majesty judged it lacking and rejected it, all the staff bowed and withdrew.

The historian says: I shall not comment on the General Staff’s plan as it concerns military strategy.

However, recording the dialogue between His Majesty and the Crown Prince is truly painful.

The ancient sages said to value the inner meaning rather than the surface, and this is undoubtedly true.

But sometimes don’t you need the surface to understand what the inner meaning signifies?

This is absolutely not a complaint about my inability to understand the conversation between His Majesty and the Crown Prince.

***

The staff members, who were in a similar position to the historian, soon put their heads together.

“Just what’s lacking?”

“I really don’t know… just…”

When putting their heads together yielded no satisfactory conclusion, the staff members soon found an alternative.

“Let’s go to the Crown Prince!”

Finally, Hyang began giving a special lecture to the staff members.

“Does nothing come to mind when you think of the ‘Jingnan Rebellion’?”

“Isn’t that when the Yongle Emperor drove out the Jianwen Emperor and ascended to the throne?”

“Correct.”

“What connection does that have with Jinan?”

“Which place defended to the end against the Jingnan forces who were riding high after consecutive victories against Li Jinglong?”

“Jinan… Ah!”

The staff members who had been answering unconsciously all suddenly showed expressions of realization.

Seeing their expressions, Hyang continued with a slight smile.

“Could that have been possible with Tie Xuan’s ability alone? Wasn’t it possible because all the people of Jinan were united in purpose?”

Nodding at Hyang’s words, the staff members soon continued with brightened faces.

“Now we understand what His Majesty meant! When Luoyang fell, the bodies of the Jianwen Emperor and Crown Prince were never found! If chaos erupts in Ming, there will be those who will rise using their names, whether real or fake!”

“Looking at Central Plains history, such things have happened many times! It’s entirely possible!”

“There must still be many among Jinan’s people who hold grudges! If we use this aspect, it’s quite possible!”

Understanding Sejong’s intent, the staff members immediately began revising the operation.

While making these revisions, the staff members could also understand the aspect Hyang regretted and Sejong’s response to it.

“If we could properly shake up this region between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers where Jinan is, Ming would just collapse.”

“Right? After all, Chinese people are more accustomed to division than unity.”

“Should we draft and deploy more troops?”

“Impossible… We lack transport capacity. Supply would be problematic too.”

“Besides that, there’s also the risk they might unite in hostility toward us.”

Finally, the newly revised operation received Sejong’s approval. However, the aspect Hyang had expressed regret about remained incomplete.

This part was only resolved after Hyang used Han Myeong-hoe to draw in Japan.

***

Upon hearing that the combined Joseon-Ouchi forces had arrived nearby, the soldiers and residents of Jinan city firmly closed their gates and began battle preparations.

“Just let them try to come! Do they know who we are!”

“This is Jinan, which even the Jingnan army couldn’t breach!”

While Jinan’s military and civilians were making thorough battle preparations, the Joseon-Ouchi combined forces arrived.

***

The Joseon-Ouchi combined forces that arrived right before Jinan city took unexpected actions.

They didn’t touch Jinan city.

Building defenses against possible attacks from Ming forces stationed in Jinan was the extent of their military actions against the city.

Everything else the Joseon forces did was related to destroying the canal.

“Detonate! Detonate! Detonate!”

Bang! Boom!

Each time the engineers in charge of demolition shouted, canal-related facilities were blown up one after another.

The waterways supplying water from the Yellow River and Ji River to the canal were cut off midway, and the water that leaked out spread to nearby fields.

Then the locks installed along the canal exploded. As the locks were destroyed, the function maintaining the canal’s water level was ruined.

Finally, all the water wheels supplying water from the Ji River and Yellow River to the waterways were completely destroyed.

As all canal facilities around Jinan were blown up this way, the canal connecting from Dezhou in the north to Beijing began to stop functioning.

***

After completing all demolition operations, the Joseon-Ouchi combined forces turned their ships around and sailed back down the Yellow River.

The residents of Jinan, who had been tense wondering when the Joseon forces’ tremendous firepower would turn toward them during their daily demolition operations, breathed sighs of relief.

“Whew! Are they really gone?”

“They’re really gone!”

“Thank goodness, thank goodness!”

Rejoicing that the Joseon forces had left without doing anything except destroying the canal, Jinan’s residents offered all sorts of tributes to the temples and Taoist shrines in the city.

However, not long after rejoicing at safely escaping crisis, Jinan’s residents began to wonder.

“Why did they just leave?”

“Our city isn’t that poor…”

Soon, strange rumors began circulating among the Jinan residents wondering why the Joseon forces had quietly withdrawn.

-They say the Joseon forces held a memorial service before leaving!

-And they say it was a memorial service for the Jianwen Emperor!

-They say Joseon didn’t touch our Jinan because we resisted the Jingnan army!

-They say it was because of our loyalty shown to the legitimate Jianwen Emperor!

Rumors connected to the Jianwen Emperor soon began spreading throughout Jinan city and nearby regions.

And among Jinan’s residents who heard these rumors, all those over 50 looked into the distance and muttered:

“That’s how it was back then…”

“It was so fierce…”

***

“This is a serious problem!”

The Jinan Inspector, upon receiving reports of rumors circulating among the people, turned pale.

The current Emperor Xuande was the Yongle Emperor’s grandson. In such circumstances, rumors mentioning the “legitimate line of Jianwen Emperor” were tantamount to treason.

“One wrong move and my head will fly!”

The panicked Jinan Inspector hurriedly issued orders.

“Immediately arrest and imprison anyone spreading such treasonous rumors!”

While issuing arrest orders to stop the rumors, the Inspector hurriedly wrote a memorial to send to Beijing.

However, this memorial never reached Beijing.

The canal was blocked, and Japanese who had landed on the Shandong Peninsula were wreaking havoc between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.

****

Meanwhile, news of the Japanese landing reached Beijing.

“Cough! Cough!”

Upon receiving the report, Emperor Xuande’s qi surged and he coughed up blood.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“I’m, I’m fine! Don’t make a fuss!”

After calming the commotion among those gathered in the main hall, Emperor Xuande confirmed the situation.

“So, how many Japanese pirates have invaded Shandong now?”

“At least 100,000, Your Majesty.”

“At least! Cough! Cough!”

Shocked by the number 100,000, Emperor Xuande coughed up blood again, and finally lost consciousness.

“Your Majesty! Call the royal physician!”