GBP Chapter 1004 The Filial Piety of the Korean King
Chapter 1004 The Filial Piety of the Korean King
After uttering a few useless words, Yang Shaofeng got straight to the point: "I heard from Vice Envoy Park that the King plans to send some laborers to the Ming Dynasty?"
Wang Zhuan nodded and replied, "That's right."
"Having heard that the Ming Dynasty is in dire need of laborers, I, Xiao Wang, am deeply concerned."
"After discussing with Vice Envoy Park, Xiao Wang decided to send 200,000 laborers to the Ming Dynasty. These laborers do not need wages; they only need the Ming Dynasty to provide for their food, clothing, and shelter."
"If that's not enough, Goryeo can send another 300,000 laborers to the Ming Dynasty within six months."
"Xiao Wang can guarantee that these laborers are all young and strong, between twenty and thirty years old, and they will not hold back when they work."
Yang Shaofeng nodded with a smile, but inwardly he felt a little contempt for Wang Zhuan's mind.
What category does Wang Zhuan fall into?
It's probably because my brain isn't working very well.
If someone with his abilities were placed in Europe or the Philippines, he might even become a great ruler.
But if you put this level next to the Ming Dynasty, it would be considered utterly brainless.
This fool didn't see through Lao Deng and Li Shanchang's scheme behind the scenes at all.
To put it bluntly, if Wang Zhuan really had any brains, he should have been wary from the moment Park Sung-sung and his gang started reselling large quantities of warhorses.
Even if they don't dare to directly confront Da Ming or eliminate Park Sung-sung and his group, they should at least leave behind a backup plan for a desperate fight.
Wang Zhuanke, on the other hand, didn't make any preparations and just watched as Park Sung-sung and his men sold off all of Goryeo's tens of thousands of high-quality warhorses.
Now he wants to use the guise of laborers to get the Ming Dynasty to get rid of Chen Li and Ming Sheng, those two unfortunate brothers.
Then the problem is coming.
Who are Chen Li and Ming Sheng?
Marquis Guide and Marquis Guiyi were their official titles.
In Goryeo, Chen Li and Ming Sheng would be considered Han envoys.
So, you think you can send the Han envoy away with 500,000 laborers?
Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "Since Your Majesty has brought up the matter of laborers, then I will explain this matter to Your Majesty in detail."
"First, the Ming Dynasty needs a considerable number of laborers. Let alone 200,000 or 500,000, even 5 million would be a drop in the ocean for the Ming Dynasty."
"Secondly, as the King just said, the Great Ming is the parent of all nations under heaven. If the King is willing to send laborers to the Great Ming, the Great Ming will certainly pay them wages and will never drive the people of Goryeo for nothing."
"Third, the Ming Dynasty needs not only male laborers, but also a large number of female laborers."
"..."
Wang Zhuan blinked blankly, then looked at Park Sung-sung with a bewildered expression.
Can someone explain to me what the concept of five million laborers means?
Also, what does it mean to need a large number of female workers?
If what Yang the Madman said is true, Goryeo sent five million laborers to the Ming Dynasty...
Doesn't that mean that one in every two Goryeo people would have to come to the Ming Dynasty as a laborer?
If half of them were men and half were women, that would be equivalent to robbing all the able-bodied men and women of marriageable age in Goryeo.
Does Goryeo even have anyone left?!
Yang Shaofeng looked at the bewildered and despairing Wang Zhuan and laughed, "The five million I mentioned was just a figure of speech. It doesn't mean that Goryeo really needs to provide five million laborers. Your Majesty can rest assured."
Wang Zhuan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a forced smile, "I will try my best to send more people to work in the Ming Dynasty."
"Including matters concerning women, Xiao Wang will try his best to allocate more resources."
"However, Goryeo is ultimately a small country with a small population. All its people combined number only about ten million. I'm afraid that no matter how many people are mobilized, it will be difficult to reach a million. I would like to ask Your Highness to put in a good word for me before the Emperor."
Yang Shaofeng suddenly realized.
At that time, South Korea was not the South Korea with a population of 50 million that would become known in later generations.
Wang Zhuan was already quite filial for being able to draw 500,000 laborers from a population of ten million.
It's really not good to be too harsh on him anymore.
Thinking of this, Yang Shaofeng nodded with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, having 500,000 laborers is enough to show His Majesty's sincerity, and he will certainly not impose any further demands."
Wang Zhuan was overjoyed and tentatively asked, "To be honest, Your Highness, I have another request."
Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please speak frankly. If it is something I can do, I will do it for you directly. If it is something I cannot do, I can at least offer you some advice."
Wang Zhuan bowed to Yang Shaofeng with a grateful expression and said, "Actually, this matter is related to Liaodong."
Wang Zhuan paused slightly, then glanced at Yang Shaofeng again. Seeing that Yang Shaofeng still had that smiling look, he continued, "As far as I know, people from the Ming Dynasty have been entering Goryeo in recent days."
"These people are not traveling or trading; they are simply looking to take concubines."
"Logically speaking, Goryeo is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Your Highness should not prevent the people of the Ming Dynasty from entering and leaving Goryeo, much less prevent them from taking concubines in Goryeo."
"only……"
Wang Zhuan put on a worried expression and said, "Goryeo is a small country with a small population. The women in the country all yearn for the Celestial Empire and consider it an honor to become a concubine of a Ming citizen. If too many Ming citizens go to Goryeo to take concubines, Goryeo women will marry out of the country, and then Goryeo men will find it difficult to marry. If this continues..."
Yang Shaofeng said "Oh," frowned slightly and pondered for a moment, then pretended to suddenly understand and said, "So that's what's troubling Your Majesty?"
Wang Zhuan nodded with an awkward smile, then looked at Yang Shaofeng expectantly and said, "I don't know about this..."
Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do not worry."
After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng continued, "The king must have been educated and should know what the 'Song of Everlasting Regret' says: 'Sisters and brothers are all granted land, bringing glory to the family. Thus, the hearts of parents throughout the land wish for daughters rather than sons.'"
"For the people of Goryeo, it was actually a good thing for the people of Goryeo to take concubines when the people of the Ming Dynasty went there."
"At the very least, the number of uncivilized acts among the common people of Goryeo will be greatly reduced."
"If people are willing to have daughters, the number of women will gradually increase, which is a good thing in the long run."
"Even if there is a situation where a man has many suitors in the short term, it can also motivate Korean men to work hard to earn money, so it can't be considered a bad thing."
"..."
Wang Zhuan blinked blankly again.
It seems to make sense.
But something still felt off.
Just as Wang Zhuan was deep in thought, Yang Shaofeng continued, "I have just told the king that the Ming Dynasty will pay the laborers their wages. The laborers will have to spend the money they earn when they return to Goryeo, and Goryeo's treasury will be enriched as a result."
"Put yourself in their shoes, wouldn't a Goryeo woman also want to marry one of these Goryeo men who have worked in the Ming Dynasty?"
"In this way, more Goryeo men will be encouraged to come to the Ming Dynasty to work."
"The Goryeo treasury will also become more abundant as a result."
"..."