Chapter 36: The Ten-Perfected Elder

It had already been fifty-five years since the era name of Qianlong was inherited by the Daicing Gurun, the Great Qing Empire.

Only then did the emperor, who would later go down in history as the Qianlong Emperor, finally put a stop to his leisurely hobbies.

"Clear it away."

At a single wave of the emperor’s hand, the art pieces upon which he’d been stamping his seal were cleared away in an instant.

As if it were a daily occurrence, the eunuchs skillfully tidied up the emperor’s pastimes.

"Um, does the Emperor not take care of state affairs…?"

Unlike King Jeongjo, who was practically a workaholic, Jeong Yakyong whispered as he watched the emperor fiddling with art pieces in broad daylight.

However, Kim Josun and Park Jegaa, both of whom had experience with diplomatic missions, seemed quite accustomed to the eccentricities of the aging emperor.

"Mm. He is quite old, after all, and his most trusted aide, Heshen, handles the government for him."

"His most trusted aide handles government affairs? What about the Crown Prince…?"

"Qing has yet to designate an heir. Well, there are rumors the emperor has his heart set on one of his sons, but nothing is certain."

Just as Park Jegaa said, at this time, the court of Qing was, in practice, controlled by the powerful minister, Niohuru Heshen.

The 15th prince, Yongyan, who would eventually succeed the Qianlong Emperor, was participating in government to some extent, but was still just a candidate for succession.

Of course, his power had been entirely entrusted to him by the aging emperor.

And Heshen, in turn, used that authority to amass a tremendous fortune through corruption.

Still, by leaving everything to his official, the Qianlong Emperor was able to enjoy a leisurely artistic life.

As such, for the Joseon envoys, the audience with the emperor was little more than a formality.

The real business would be conducted later with Heshen, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household and Chief Minister of Military Affairs.

In Joseon terms, it would be as if the official representing the emperor’s authority was serving concurrently as Prime Minister, Minister of War, and head of the Border Defense Council.

Seeing someone of his own age manipulating a vast empire, Park Jegaa seemed to find the taste bitter.

But, of course, a mere junior envoy could hardly offer unsolicited advice on the politics of the suzerain.

Thus, their brief conversation came to an end, and the old man, who had seemed so frivolous, returned to his dignified role as emperor and began to receive the envoys' formal greetings.

But then—

"Wait."

It was just as the ceremony of the Joseon envoys’ audience with the Qianlong Emperor was wrapping up without incident.

"Among you, who is it that Ji Yun called 'A Talent of the Central State' (華國之才)…?"

Just as everyone was preparing to withdraw, the old emperor spoke an unexpected question.

‘A Talent of the Central State’ meant an outstanding talent from China itself.

As it was the highest praise that could be given to a foreign scholar, everyone’s eyes widened.

Moreover, Ji Yun was a favored official of the emperor and currently served as Minister of Personnel, a figure of great influence.

He would later rise to a position akin to Senior Grand Secretary, similar to Joseon’s highest ministers, so it was clear any comment he made to the emperor carried enormous weight.

And then—

Someone among the Joseon envoys stepped forward.

It was someone very familiar to both Kim Josun and Jeong Yakyong.

"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty."

The plump scholar with green-tinted spectacles stepped forward.

Park Jegaa was doing his best to appear calm, but Jeong Yakyong saw that the fist lightly clenched at his side was trembling without pause.

It would be stranger still if he could maintain his composure after being singled out by the emperor of such a great nation.

But the Qianlong Emperor’s inquiry did not end there.

"And, who among you presented the miscellaneous tales of Qingqiu to Ji Yun…?"

That meant, who was it who had gifted a Joseon novel to his favored official.

Jeong Yakyong’s gaze darted sideways in an instant.

At the same time, Kim Josun shot him a look, unable to conceal his own surprise.

"Step forward at once! His Majesty commands it!!"

The Grand Eunuch who attended the emperor barked at the Joseon envoys, making them tremble.

But it seemed the emperor was not joking.

At the command, Kim Josun had no choice but to step forward before the emperor, just as Park Jegaa had done.

And then—

"Urgh…!!"

Jeong Yakyong, who had been standing quietly, had his sleeve seized and was forcibly dragged forward.

Kim Josun, drenched in cold sweat, had decided to go down with his accomplice.

"…!!"

No one dared to speak before the emperor.

Jeong Yakyong silently mouthed, ‘If you’re going to die, die alone!!’ but it was to no avail.

Thus, just three among the Joseon envoys—those most closely related to the Crown Prince—were summoned before the Qianlong Emperor.

Immediately after, a royal command was issued for the remaining envoys to withdraw from Geoncheonggung Palace and proceed to the next ceremony.

And then—

"Sir Chojeong. This is…"

"It feels like this is turning into something big…"

As they were led further into the inner palace at the emperor’s command, Jeong Yakyong and Park Jegaa could not hide their unease.

Kim Josun, who looked even paler than he had before King Jeongjo, kept his lips tightly shut.

Of course, both men could guess the cause.

It must have been something the three had done during the long waiting period before the audience.

But even so, none of them could have imagined things would escalate to this extent.

Now, their fate was surely in the hands of the old emperor.

Perhaps the only relief was that the Qianlong Emperor had always shown special favor to the Joseon envoys, to the extent of being called the ‘Emperor of Goryeo.’

Some time later, the three of them faced the aged emperor whose inner thoughts were utterly unreadable.

And their guess proved to be right on target.

"So, this handiwork is yours, then…?"

Soon, the eunuch placed several books in front of the three Joseon envoys.

Jeong Yakyong blinked in recognition at the familiar yet foreign titles, realizing his hunch had been correct.

". I never imagined something like this would have come out of Joseon…"

Before the emperor, who now wore a kindly, grandfatherly smile—the complete opposite of King Jeongjo—their defenses nearly collapsed.

But, being seasoned by the self-righteousness and arbitrariness of Confucian elders, they just barely managed to hold on to their composure.

Behind the old man’s gentle expression, a sharp glint could be seen.

It was the sharpness of a conquering monarch who had presided over the greatest territory of the Daicing Gurun.

"Why so silent? I’m not such a frightening person, am I…?"

"…"

"Is the interpreter perhaps lacking in skill? I know that the famously modest envoys of Joseon would never dare to show me disrespect…?"

When the Joseon envoys gave no reply, the old emperor tilted his head, still smiling.

But Jeong Yakyong and the other two knew.

The longer they delayed their answer, the keener the blade behind the emperor’s mask became.

This was a new kind of supreme authority, distinct from the strict, earnest, solemn Confucian elders they had served.

Still, the overwhelming pressure he exerted over his subordinates was much the same.

"Have mercy, Your Majesty!!"

As expected, the first to prostrate himself was Kim Josun, who had been thoroughly trained at King Jeongjo’s side.

Following his lead, Park Jegaa and Jeong Yakyong also flattened themselves on the floor.

"We only provided Minister Ji Yun with these Eastern Barbarians’ little tales to amuse him! We never dreamed it might offend Your Majesty…!!"

Moreover, Kim Josun had already experienced a similar situation once before the King of Confucian Elders.

So, even before this second emperor, he quickly displayed the proper conduct.

He even felt grateful to Jeongjo for all the trials he had endured up to now.

However, even after hearing such a polished apology from Kim Josun, who was now so refined from his time under his own elder, the Qianlong Emperor only continued to look down on them with a benevolent smile.

He might very well have been wondering to himself, ‘What’s wrong with these Joseon fellows?’

But the three men prostrated before the old emperor could still feel that the tension in the air had not lifted.

The sharpness emanating from the Qianlong Emperor was still present.

Just how long did that suffocating moment last?

"Ha. Hahaha."

The emperor’s hearty laughter rang throughout the hall.

And in that instant, the overwhelming pressure disappeared in a flash.

This old man had been testing the Joseon envoys from behind his gentle facade.

"So, you rascals weren’t up to any mischief in my Daicing Gurun after all…"

Looking down at the Joseon envoys as if they were his wayward grandchildren, the Qianlong Emperor muttered.

"Stand up, all of you…"

The emperor gently ordered his attendants to brush off the official robes of those who had prostrated themselves.

Thus, Kim Josun, Jeong Yakyong, and Park Jegaa let out deep sighs and stood once more before the emperor.

Now that the sharpness had vanished, the Qianlong Emperor truly did look like a kind grandfather.

"Very well…"

Just then, the eunuch brought in steaming tea, and the emperor looked on with curiosity as he asked:

"So, you tried to distribute these tales in Liulichang through Ji Yun…?"

Liulichang was, at the time, the largest district of bookstores in Beijing.

Originally, as its name suggests, it had been home to kilns and factories making glassware.

But ever since the Qianlong Emperor had compiled the , and filled the area with shops dealing in books and antiques, it had become known as the city’s book market.

In other words, the emperor was asking about the Joseon envoys’ attempt to bring their novels into Beijing’s publishing market.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Senior Scholar Kim Josun here has long been interested in such matters, even back in Joseon."

"And, to that end, you visited your old acquaintance, Ji Yun…?"

"Yes. Might I be permitted to explain the circumstances?"

"As you wish…"

Thus, Park Jegaa, the eldest and most experienced with Qing, began to explain.

In short, Ji Yun was an old acquaintance of Park Jegaa.

Therefore, Park Jegaa naturally visited him on this mission, accompanied by the genius Jeong Yakyong—someone Ji Yun would surely find interesting—and Kim Josun, whom they’d grown close to during their travels.

"And you showed him the tales there…?"

"Yes. That was what Senior Scholar Kim Josun had wanted, and the Minister of Personnel was interested in the stories’ content."

"Quite interesting… Please continue."

But there was a problem.

The original  was a bit difficult for readers of the Central Plain to immerse themselves in.

However, Ji Yun, who enjoyed the novel itself, made a proposal to the three envoys.

‘You wish to adapt this yourself, Minister?’

‘If we leave out only the parts set in Joseon, this is an excellent tale. Moreover, it isn’t entirely unrelated to my own work.’

He went on to add that things like Sungkyunkwan and the system of lower and upper civil service exams would seem unfamiliar to people in the Central Plains.

As it was, Ji Yun was a renowned novelist who had written , counted among the three greatest novels of the era.

He was also the chief editor of the , the work that revived Liulichang, Qing’s biggest publishing market.

Perhaps that’s why he showed such keen interest in this bestselling Joseon novel.

In fact, that was the very reason Park Jegaa and Kim Josun had sought him out.

With Ji Yun’s help, distributing ‘His Excellency’s’ works in Qing’s publishing market would be as easy as pie.

Thus, in Ji Yun’s hands,  was splendidly arranged.

The result was the Qing version of the novel, titled .

Here, ‘Confucianism’ (Yuhak) could mean Confucian learning, but also referred to the government-run schools established in various provinces of the Central Plains.

In short, Joseon’s Sungkyunkwan had been adapted into Qing’s Confucian Academies.

Also, the exam granting students the qualifications to enter these academies was called the ‘school exam.’

In Joseon, that would be the so-called lower civil service exam.

And then—

"As it happens, Ji Yun also memorialized these tales to me, noting that there has never been an end to cheating at local school exams…"

Perhaps people everywhere are the same.

In truth, most of the cheating depicted in  also occurred in Qing.

And, as Minister of Personnel, Ji Yun could not be ignorant of these issues.

That might have been why he was even more proactive in adapting .

"Even during my grandfather’s reign, fraudulent exams were a major issue…"

As the Qianlong Emperor said, ever since the Manchus entered China, the Qing had suffered from such problems.

The incident the emperor mentioned occurred during the Kangxi Emperor’s reign.

In the South, wealthy salt merchants bribed examiners, and gentry even occupied the Confucius Temple in protest—a huge scandal.

The emperor was so enraged that dozens were executed; naturally, Qianlong would have learned of such events.

At that moment, the three Joseon envoys exchanged glances in midair.

They, too, had faced similar situations in Joseon.

"So you sought Ji Yun’s help to distribute these tales in Liulichang…"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Hmm… An admirable intention…"

Was it possible that, like Jeongjo, this aging emperor planned to use the incident to launch a purge?

Kim Josun shivered with excitement at the thought that ‘His Excellency’s’ novel might even have an influence in the great empire.

But their expectations were dashed utterly.

"But that sort of thing is for Ji Yun to handle…"

Yawning as if bored, the Qianlong Emperor smacked his lips.

After all, this was an emperor who could not even be bothered with governance, delegating everything to his most trusted official.

Besides, Qing was in the final years of its golden age, still functioning smoothly on the surface.

In such circumstances, why would someone of the emperor’s stature personally involve himself in a trivial matter like this?

‘Well, it’s not as if we can expect the same vigorous energy from this old man as we do from our king.’

‘At any rate, it seems we won’t be punished for this incident, so that’s a relief.’

‘Hmm…’

In any case, the Qianlong Emperor’s attitude suggested he wouldn’t make an issue of this.

Kim Josun, Park Jegaa, and Jeong Yakyong breathed silent sighs of relief as they realized their ordeal with the Qing emperor was drawing to a close.

However, the old emperor was about to deliver one last, delicious smack to the back of the three Joseon envoys’ heads.

"But what truly interests me is not such dull matters!!"

He declared loudly that he’d never cared for so-called popular tales.

Suddenly, the old emperor’s previously listless voice brimmed with energy.

Only then did the three notice that, at some point, the seals and red ink that had been cleared away earlier had been brought back to the emperor’s table.

"These! And these!! Do you Joseon envoys know their origin!!"

Thump. Thump.

The bright red ink was stamped onto paper, leaving clear impressions of the seals.

It wasn’t , the version adapted by Ji Yun.

Somehow, the old emperor had even gotten hold of the original manuscript.

He now possessed the very manuscript the three envoys had entrusted to Ji Yun.

And—

This manuscript was the unaltered original, written in strong, masculine script by ‘His Excellency’ of Joseon, before Ji Yun had adapted it and translated it into more elegant colloquial Chinese.

"This calligraphy!! And these poems!!"

Thump. Thump.

Now, it was time for .

The memories were so vivid that the Qianlong Emperor opened the book precisely to the right page.

It was the romantic scene in  where the characters exchanged feelings through poetry.

"Who is the budding master of calligraphy and the Poet Sage behind these works!! Summon them before me at once!!"

Thump.

Once again, the Qianlong Emperor’s seal left a red mark on the very page written by ‘His Excellency.’

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Author’s Note

1. The Qianlong Emperor really did stamp his seal on every piece of fine calligraphy or painting that he liked, just as described above.

This is why later collectors have been known to curse the Qianlong Emperor with particular vehemence.

Source: Wang Xizhi’s "Kuaixue Shiqing Tie" (National Palace Museum, Taiwan)

2. It is true that Ji Yun, a high-ranking Qing official at the time, bestowed the title ‘Talent of the Central State’ (華國之才) on Park Jegaa.

Originally, he wrote a separate letter to King Jeongjo via the envoys, requesting that Park Jegaa be sent to Beijing again.