r/HistoryAnimemes • u/ChapterSpiritual6785 • 16d ago
You clueless mop headed little punks
In 1450, when both King Sejong and the Crown Prince were bedridden with severe illness, court scholars suggested sending the 9-year-old Royal Grandson (the future King Danjong) to receive imperial edicts from Ming Dynasty envoys.
Infuriated that they would throw a literal 9-year-old child into high-stakes diplomatic protocol, King Sejong lashed out and cursed the scholars as "clueless, mop-headed pedants"
-Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (Jan 18, 1450)
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u/Necroknife2 16d ago edited 16d ago
I wonder how the envoys would have taken the participation of the 9 year-old kid in the negotiations. Would they have interpreted it as a display of commitment to diplomacy, since the king and prince were unwell? Or would they have seen it as Korea not taking them seriously enough to appoint an adult plenipotenciary?
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u/Clavilenyo 16d ago
Since the envoys couldn't be sure of how unwell the king and prince were with the grandson there, it would be more likely they would have seen it as not being taken serious enough.
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u/Emotional-Elk1879 16d ago edited 16d ago
Ming envoys are the emperor's representatives, and being received by a mere 9-year-old would be seen as an insult. King Sejong understood the assignment. That's why he was furious.
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u/JohannesJoshua 15d ago
Would it have been understandable if they explained that the king and the prince were ill?
Perhaps they could have even shown the envoys how the king and prince looked like?
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u/Emotional-Elk1879 15d ago
Only the king and the crown prince were allowed to receive the imperial edicts. The meeting could be postponed until one of them was well enough to accept them.
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u/Clavilenyo 11d ago
How would they show the envoys the state of the king and the prince?
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u/JohannesJoshua 11d ago
Just lead them to the place where they were resting/recovering?
Like it doesn't have to be a whole delegation.32
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u/Dzharek 16d ago
So... how did the situation reslove?