Chapter 3487
Chapter 3487
Chapter 3487
These high-ranking officials who were selected by Li Yi to accompany him on the visit to Hai Han basically all have close ties with Hai Han.
Shin Hak-ui is a son who follows in his father's footsteps. His father Shin Gyeong-jin served as the Minister of Military Affairs during the reigns of Yi Jong and Yi Seong, making him a sought-after general in the Joseon army at a young age. As early as twenty years ago, he had led his troops abroad many times to participate in military operations organized by the Hai Han organization.
Although An Dao Shi was born into a hunter family, he stood out in the military talent selection with his extraordinary talent and became one of the first Korean officers to study abroad at the Hai Han Sanya Army Academy. He then rose rapidly and became one of the most famous generals in Korea today.
There is an invisible rule in the Korean army: as long as one has a background related to Hai Han, it is often easier for one to win military merit than others. Shen Xueyi and An Daoshi are undoubtedly such beneficiaries.
Of course, there are also conservative military officers in the Kingdom of Korea who want to pursue an independent path and advocate reducing excessive dependence on Hai Han, but such people often find it difficult to make a name for themselves in the military. It is basically difficult for them to have the opportunity to gain significant military merits, nor can they be promoted to the court and become big figures with the right to speak.
In fact, no matter whether they are civil servants or military officers, as long as they have objections to Hai Han and have made certain remarks that are not conducive to the relationship between the two countries, their careers will often be aborted halfway and they will disappear from the officialdom quietly.
Over time, the voices against Hai Han naturally became fewer and fewer, and the officials in charge of government and military power were basically all pro-Hai Han.
As the king of a country, Li Yi was well aware of the situation, but he was powerless to change this situation which had already formed a strong inertia.
He knew that if he tried to change anything, it was possible that even the position of king would suddenly be replaced by someone else at some point.
After all, in Pyongyang, 400 miles away, his brother Li Hao was in charge of a small court that was almost identical to the one in Seoul, and the supporters behind him were also Hai Han. If any problems arose on Li Hao’s side, Hai Han would definitely push Li Hao to the front and replace him as the ruler of the Korean Peninsula.
Back then, Hai Han was able to support him to ascend the throne. Now, more than 20 years later, it certainly has enough ability to support the next King of Korea.
It was precisely because of this concern that Li Yi was always cautious during his reign, obeying all requests made by Hai Han, and consciously sending his son Li Bai to study abroad in Hai Han for a long time.
Although it was still unclear what the real purpose of Hai Han's hosting of the Zhoushan Forum was, and the invitation letter did not specifically request Li Yi to attend in person, he still decided to take this opportunity to come to Hangzhou to meet with the senior officials of the Executive Committee. While maintaining personal relationships, he also took the opportunity to show them Korea's steadfast loyalty as a vassal state.
Most of the attendees from other countries were diplomats or senior generals. Li Li's attendance as the King of Korea was obviously an over-standard practice.
But he knew that he couldn't miss such an occasion. If he didn't show up, and his brother Li Hao came to Hangzhou quietly, wouldn't that make outsiders think that Li Hao was the representative of the Joseon Dynasty? He couldn't let his competitor get this opportunity to show off for nothing.
In the carriage entering the city, Li Yi was still pondering what he was going to do next, but his thoughts were interrupted by the childish voice of Li Xuan beside him.
"Father, is this the capital of Hai Han? Look, the city walls are so high!"
Li Yi smiled and explained to his son, “This is actually an old city built during the Ming Dynasty. Now Hai Han is building a new city outside the original city. When it is completed, it may be more spectacular than the old city!”
Li Xuan's attention has shifted to the numerous shops in the city and the bustling flow of people in the streets: "Father, the capital of Haihan is so lively, much more lively than Seoul!" One is a peninsula vassal state, and the other is an intercontinental empire. If Seoul is to be compared with Hangzhou in terms of prosperity, there is naturally a far cry from that.
However, Li Yi found an opportunity to ask his son what he thought: "Father asks you, since it is so lively here, how do you feel about letting you stay here?"
Li Xuan blinked and thought seriously for a moment before responding, "Can the child go out of the palace every day and come to this city for a stroll?"
Li Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The way children look at the world is indeed very different from that of adults. He had no choice but to continue explaining to him, "There is no palace here. What kind of palace are you leaving from... Father means that he wants you to come here to study and learn skills, just like your elder brother!"
Li Xuan shook his head and said, "Brother came to Hai Han to study and only returns to Seoul once every few years. I am not happy that I can't see my father and mother!"
Li Yi was feeling a little relieved, thinking that the child cared about family affection, but unexpectedly Li Xuan said, "Why don't father and mother come here as well? Can't we move our family to Hangzhou?"
Li Yi sighed, "If our whole family moves to Hangzhou, we'll just be living under someone else's roof!"
Li Xuan was born to his concubine, and the person who will inherit the throne in the future will most likely be the Crown Prince Li Baek. At most, Li Xuan will be given the title of "Grand Prince" and become an idle prince.
Therefore, Li Yi did not feel much psychological burden in sending Li Xuan to Hai Han to replace Li Bai. However, Li Xuan's unintentional words just now made him feel emotional.
If the whole family moved to Hangzhou to settle down, it only means that the situation in Korea has changed. Either the king has changed, or the entire country has been annexed by Hai Han.
Of course, Li Yi also knew that the possibility of the latter situation occurring was extremely small. Hai Han had no obvious interest in annexing Korea, and its main focus was still on replacing the Ming Dynasty's rule over the world.
As long as Li Li does not commit suicide, his family will probably rule the Korean Peninsula for generations under the protection of Hai Han - or at least half of the peninsula, and the other half will be ruled by his brother Li Hao's family.
Sometimes in his dreams at midnight, Li Yi would wonder whether he, as the King of Korea, was truly the ruler of a country, or was he merely administering the country on behalf of Hai Han.
If it is the latter, would it also be considered a different kind of living under someone else's roof?
There is no real answer to this question, because if Li Li were to seek the answer, he would only feel powerless and painful. Maintaining the status quo was already the best he could do.
The team that came to welcome Li Yi did not stop in the city, but passed through it and went straight to the new city on the north side of West Lake. The guesthouse built to receive foreign dignitaries is located in this area.
Since last year's National Day, the Guest House has recently welcomed a new wave of visitors. When Li Yi's motorcade arrived here, they met another group of foreign visitors who had just arrived in Hangzhou.