"We need to keep in touch with the ministers of the DPRK. We don't have to be on the same page. After all, we are all disciples of the saint. We have been colleagues and classmates and even have a teacher-student relationship. There is no need to break with each other. Only in this way can we learn about the imperial court through them. If you know yourself and your enemy, you will be victorious in any battle! In addition, if things really change in the future, you will be able to cooperate with the inside and outside, so you might as well do something like Hong and try to contact some ministers who have friendships with you in the court."
At this time, Hong Chengchou was telling Ding Qirui and other reactionary gentry the reasons why he wrote to Yuan Keli and other ministers of the DPRK.
After hearing this, Ding Qirui and other reactionary gentry felt that it was reasonable, and decided to follow suit.
After Yang Sichang was arrested, the entire reactionary gentry group fell into a state of leaderlessness, and for a while they did not know how to fight against the court.
Fortunately, at this time, Hong Chengchou, a wavering group of people, suddenly stood up and became the backbone of these reactionary gentry. Just like in history, when he was captured by the Manchus, he wanted to die at first, but when Huang Taiji died, he suddenly became the Manchus in the Shunzhi Dynasty. It's like Qingju is exhausted.
Hong Chengchou's thoughts are elusive to ordinary people.
Now, he took the lead in writing a letter to Yuan Keli, and also decided to go to Edo to meet Tokugawa Hidetada.
Because Hong Chengchou knew that if he wanted to save himself and change the current situation, he could only let his entire reactionary gentry group continue to grow bigger and stronger, and be recruited by the court in the future, or establish a country on his own without having to worry about being annihilated by the emperor's army.
Hong Chengchou naturally knew that the former was the most likely.
Therefore, the current Hong Chengchou actually wants to be recruited, like Song Jiang in "Water Margin".
However, Tokugawa Hidetada met Hong Chengchou and other reactionary gentry.
Although Tokugawa Hidetada compromised and signed an unequal treaty in previous negotiations with Ming Dynasty, he still felt dissatisfied in his heart.
After all, the current Tokugawa shogunate's prestige in the eyes of the daimyo has been seriously reduced due to the bullying of the Ming Dynasty.
Based on the principle that the enemy of the enemy is a friend, he met Hong Chengchou and other reactionary gentry.
In addition, Tokugawa Hidetada also hoped to understand through reactionary gentry such as Hong Chengchou how these opponents of the Ming Emperor evaluated their emperor.
Tokugawa Hidetada now also strongly wants to know more about the Ming Dynasty because of a series of events.
"What you don't know is that although the Ming Dynasty seems invincible, it is actually turbulent internally. It can even be said that the country will be destroyed!"
"The emperor of the Ming Dynasty implemented a brutal rule in the country. For those who opposed him, he always confiscated the family and exterminated the clan. Therefore, there were many people who hated him in the Ming Dynasty. Now his invasion of your country is just to divert the attention of the people in the country. , to cover up the fact that his empire is already weak!"
At this time, Hong Chengchou deceived Tokugawa Hidetada.
Tokugawa Hidetada was particularly excited after hearing this. He now likes to hear bad news about the Ming Empire.
Hong Chengchou also happened to catch his mentality and began to fabricate for him how Emperor Zhu Youxiao had made the Ming Dynasty a mess and the people were in dire straits.
After hearing this, Tokugawa Hidetada nodded: "Then please tell me, Sir, when will the Ming Dynasty collapse and when will it become completely weak?"
Tokugawa Hidetada is now especially looking forward to the internal turmoil in the Ming Dynasty, so that he can take the opportunity to attack the Ming Dynasty court when there is an internal crisis in the Ming Dynasty, regain Nagasaki Island, and stop trade, avenging his previous shame.
"As late as one year, as short as three years, the Ming Dynasty will fall apart due to conquests! Just like the disaster caused by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, you must also know about the demise of the Sui Dynasty of China."
Hong Chengchou said.
Tokugawa Hidetada nodded and said: "But the Ming Dynasty's ships are strong and powerful, and their strength is very important. Even if they decline, they will not suddenly collapse. Even if I have the intention of spying, I am afraid that there will be no chance of revenge."
"No! Since ancient times, anyone who can enter our country has become the master of China, regardless of barbarians or Tibetan people! The sage also said this! As long as you are willing, we, the knowledgeable people in China, will respond positively! You must also know that it is necessary to eat the courage of lying down. At that time, Gou Jian was even weaker than your country, and Wu was much stronger than today's Ming Dynasty. However, within three years, Yue replaced Wu! It can be seen that things in this world are unpredictable. No one knows what the outcome will be until the end. how."
"Although I don't have Zhang Liang's plan or Xiao He's ability, I am willing to help your country join our China and be our master! Therefore, this time we specially present 300 Western firearms, 50 cannons, and 100 craftsmen. They are all skilled craftsmen among our slaves. Some make gun tubes, some make gunpowder, and some can build large ships. One hundred thousand catties of iron materials were seized by Duke Yang from the officials and merchants of the Ming Dynasty that day. I hope you will Accept it."
As he spoke, Hong Chengchou bowed to Tokugawa Hidetada. He knew that he must use the unwillingness of Japanese people like Tokugawa Hidetada to arouse the ambitions of these people in order to attract the attention of the court, so that reactionary gentry like himself could have the opportunity to save money overseas. Strength, waiting for opportunities.
Japan has no shortage of gold and silver. A large amount of silver and gold flows out every year. However, Japan is severely short of iron and lacks skilled craftsmen.
During the Toyotomi Hideyoshi era, the Japanese nation kidnapped a large number of porcelain craftsmen from Korea after annihilating Korea and returned home. This made the porcelain making industry of the Japanese nation very developed and can compete with China.
Now Hong Chengchou has dedicated the Ming Dynasty's iron and shipbuilding craftsmen, gunpowder craftsmen, and iron materials to Tokugawa Hidetada. This will undoubtedly make Japan's iron smelting, shipbuilding, gunpowder and other industries rapidly advance, and naturally it will play into Tokugawa Hidetada's ambitions. .
Tokugawa Hidetada was very satisfied with this, and decided to grant Hong Chengchou and other beautiful ladies in Edo, and appointed Hong Chengchou as the Edo Castle Honmaru Senior High School, and began his ambition for the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou and other reactionary gentry temporarily stayed in Edo City instead of wandering around, and secretly recruited ronin in Edo City.
…
At this time, Ming Dynasty had also sent officials to Japan.
Chen Xinjia was appointed as the chief foreign envoy to Japan, and he came to Edo, Japan, together with Liang Heng, a member of the Jin Yiwei Qianhe family who was considered the deputy envoy.
Tokugawa Hidetada now regarded Hong Chengchou as an honored guest and obeyed Hong Chengchou's advice. As for Chen Xinjia and other Ming court officials coming to court, he also followed Hong Chengchou's advice and decided to let his son Tokugawa Iemitsu learn from Gou Jian and take the initiative to go to Edo Castle. At the outer pier, Chen Xinjia and other Ming court officials were greeted.
Chen Xinjia, the official who was beheaded by Chongzhen in history for negotiating peace with Jiannu in the last years of Chongzhen, did not expect that one day he would come to Japan to stay.
But Chen Xinjia is not considered incompetent. He can be regarded as an official if he can become the Minister of the Ministry of War and leave his name in history.
Before coming to Japan this time, he had already made a lot of preparations, and after being personally summoned by Zhu Youxiao, he understood the basic role of his coming to Japan.
Therefore, when Chen Xinjia saw Tokugawa Iemitsu, he was still very polite on the surface. He smiled and cupped his hands and said: "Why should the shogun be so polite? Chen will make great use of this and there will be many opportunities to meet him in the future."
Tokugawa Iemitsu replied: "This general comes in the name of my father. My father said that the envoys of the superior country must not be neglected."
"Your Majesty's attitude has really changed now. He is becoming more and more respectful to my Ming people. Even my Ming Dynasty's traitors and traitors are treated as honored guests! The same is true for me now!"
But in fact, Chen Xinjia is very good at hiding things.
And Tokugawa Iemitsu's face quickly lost the smile because of this.
Next, Chen Xinjia continued: "I also ask the general to tell your Majesty that your country should detain the traitors in his residence as soon as possible and hand them over to our country for disposal, and return the iron materials that belong to our country, and the other countries in your house should Craftsman, our Ming Dynasty needs to bring them all back. In the future, residents traveling between the two countries must have relevant certificates! Otherwise, they will be regarded as illegal immigrants! Now that I come to Japan, the first thing I have to do is this!"
…
"Did he really say that?"
Tokugawa Hidetada asked.
Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded: "Yes!"
After hearing this, Tokugawa Hidetada threw the ceramic doll in his hand to the ground and shouted: "Who leaked the secret! How did Akito know these things!"
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