As an island outside Incheon City and near the entrance of the Han River, the small Yeongjong Island is bursting with a different kind of prosperity at this time.
After the new tribute regulations were promulgated, the most important one was friendly trade, and North Korea arranged the trade location at Yeongjong Island.
All foreign businessmen traveling to and from North Korea must and can only live on Yeongjong Island and are not allowed to cross to the North Korean mainland at will.
Moreover, Song Shang and Lai Shang, as respected kings, monopolized North Korea's foreign trade, just like the Guangzhou Thirteen Banks of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in later generations.
As a result, Yeongjong Island was quickly built as a free city without walls.
When Huang Zongxi stepped into this city, he felt as if he had stepped across the Three Kingdoms.
What caught his eyes was a building full of Jiangnan flavor, graceful and elegant, simple yet a little grand.
Ming-style buildings occupy more than half of the city. Sailors in short brown clothes and wealthy businessmen wearing silk and satin abound.
The other half is occupied by the exotic Korean and Japanese buildings, which are low-profile, exquisite and exquisite, which is refreshing.
These Japanese were merchants who had to stay overseas due to the closed-door policy. Instead, they now became agents of domestic famous names, selling and importing needed goods.
A large number of Ming Dynasty goods, Korean goods, and Japanese goods gathered here, forming an extremely prosperous commercial center in this era.
With this city alone, North Korea earns 10,000 silver dollars a month, which can be said to be guarding a continuous mine.
"I am waiting for the little foreign minister to pay homage to the angel."
Several officials wearing North Korean official robes, looking rich and smooth, saluted him politely.
The pure Beijing dialect he speaks makes Huang Zongxi, who is from Yuzhao, Zhejiang Province, quite ashamed because it is much more standard than him.
"I came here this time just to preach in Seoul..."
After explaining casually, Huang Zongxi accepted a banquet surrounded by everyone.
Not long after Zheng Sen returned to Beijing and was promoted to the Ryukyu Special Envoy, Huang Zongxi and a group of other Hanlin officials had also finished their training at the local level and returned to Beijing to arrange their posts.
Unlike their predecessors, they could not take up positions in Zhanshifu, Hanlin Academy, or Imperial College, but instead served as directors in the Six Ministries.
When Huang Zongxi served in the Lifan Yuan, he got such an errand to announce the imperial edict.
The credit is nothing, and there is only one benefit, that is, he can carry goods to North Korea with integrity, and he can also accept bribes.
This trip can bring him at least two to three thousand silver coins.
"Angel, I heard that China and Japan are going to fight?" At this time, Magistrate Yongzong asked hurriedly, with excitement on his face.
After three rounds of drinking, Huang Zongxi also knew that these officials were all businessmen and their rules were lax, so he didn't take it seriously.
Of course, the reason why people charged a high price for the goods he carried was just the most common reason.
"There was never a fight."
Huang Zongxi shook his head and said disdainfully: "Japan tried to occupy Ryukyu, and Ryukyu suffered terribly. When my heavenly master arrived, he cried bitterly and recounted his pain. In the end, he even surrendered to avoid revenge."
"As for the Japanese, the imperial court has no time to settle accounts with them now, it just gives them a warning."
Hearing this, several officials looked regretful.
In the Ryukyu incident, the Ming Dynasty and Japan continued to collide, which made the Koreans extremely excited.
For North Korea, Japan is a feud and a mortal hatred. Although Toyotomi Hideyoshi is dead, the hatred will never end.
The invincible Ming Dynasty actually let Japan go. This has to be said to be a very regrettable thing.
"Angel, the Japanese must not be lenient, they are so ambitious!"
"In the past, it dared to covet the Ming Dynasty. How did it know that its ambition was gone?"
The Koreans kept saying bad things about Japan, but Huang Zongxi smiled and said nothing.
The next day, he left Yeongjong Island by boat, sailed upstream, and arrived in Seoul.
Seoul, which has gone through many vicissitudes of life, appeared before him.
The cash-strapped Joseon court had no spare time to repair the city wall, so the gray and black marks on the city wall were obvious, the city gate was incomplete, and the copper gate on it was also removed, making it look particularly poor.
Beggars wandered the streets, eager for every copper coin.
It seems that due to changing customs, the people's mental outlook is very good.
Although this capital of the kingdom is gradually reviving, it is still far behind Beijing or Nanjing.
"Go to the palace—"
As an ordinary chief executive, Huang Zongxi naturally could not receive a personal welcome from the King of Joseon, but it was good for him to be greeted by Zuo Yizheng (the elder of the cabinet) of the Uijeong government.
Entering the palace, I met the young and steady King Li Hao of Joseon.
It was announced that North Korea must cooperate with the army to move north and prepare for food and grass issues.
In this regard, North Korea naturally obeys its orders.
The King of Korea, Li Hao, couldn't bear his loneliness and asked: "Has the war between the Kingdom of China and Japan begun?"
"It has ended."
It was this question again. Huang Zongxi took the trouble to explain: "The most important thing for the Ming Dynasty now is Liaodong. Japan can just wait and see. The court will forgive him and it will not be too late to settle accounts in the future."
Li Hao sighed regretfully after hearing this.
Why didn't North Korea want to follow the Ming Dynasty and attack Japan? However, the budget was insufficient and the finances were almost bankrupt. They really didn't want to go through the trouble.
After getting the answer, Li Hao fell into depression.
Huang Zongxi, on the other hand, came to the inner city and met Wu Sangui, the Duke of Jingguo, who was equivalent to the Supreme Emperor of North Korea.
Li Chengdong, who was promoted to earl, and Li Yingren, who worked very hard.
"I'm going to pay homage to Your Majesty!"
"Saint Gong'an——"
Facing these three people, Huang Zongxi directly declared: "I will carry the emperor to heaven, and he will say:..."
The title of knighthood has been announced a long time ago, but now it is arranged by the army.
In North Korea, there are more than 20,000 people in the Beijing camp, commanded by three people respectively, and tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers and horses are indirectly controlled by them.
This time, the imperial court established the Liaodong Army, with Wu Sangui as the commander-in-chief, Li Chengdong and Li Yingren as deputy commander-in-chief, commanding the North Korean and Beijing troops, and waiting for the imperial court's order to move north.
The total number of soldiers and horses is about 50,000, and they are all rare elite soldiers. Even the Korean soldiers and horses have survived the war.
"I wonder how much food the imperial court has allocated?"
Wu Sangui knew the importance of money. After the imperial edict was announced, he couldn't wait to ask:
"My sons and daughters are in a foreign land, and the only thing that can soothe their homesickness now is money."
Li Yingren and Li Chengdong were equally concerned.
"Don't worry, as a partial teacher, the imperial court will not delay you, so at the beginning of next month, five hundred thousand silver dollars will be transferred, and another five hundred thousand will be transferred later."
Huang Zongxi said with a smile.
In a country like North Korea, which is extremely short of metal currency, half a million silver dollars is enough to buy out the entire Seoul.
"As for food, don't worry. North Korea has already prepared food and grass. You can just pay the silver yuan directly when the time comes."
"In Pidao, the imperial court is also transporting grain and supplies day and night, so there is no need to worry."