In June of the 32nd year of Hongwu in the Song Dynasty, Jiuzhou Island, Hakata Bay.
This port city located on the Chikuzen National Sea in the northern part of Kyushu Island has always been the core of exchanges between Japan and the Western continent. An inwardly concave arc-shaped bay plus several long islands and sandbars form an excellent wind-sheltered anchorage. The anchorage is quite large, about sixteen miles long from east to west and eight or nine miles wide from north to south.
At this time, the open sea surface of Hakata anchorage was densely packed with almost identical Song Dynasty treasure ships!
The treasure ship fleet led by Emperor Zhao Lun of Dongzhou is currently anchored in Hakata Harbor, preparing to sail directly to the Dongzhou continent after replenishing supplies.
Due to the development of Tosu Continent and the development of Iwami Ginzan and Sado Gold and Silver Mountains on Honshu Island, Hakata Commercial City has been developing rapidly in recent years and has become the largest city on the Japanese archipelago.
Near Hakata Bay, brick and wood buildings in the Song Dynasty style are densely arranged, forming a criss-crossing street. It extends from Hakata Bay to the south for more than ten miles!
There are many quite novel human-operated pedal cranes lined up on the port pier, and they are hoisting bags of Kyushu rice onto the treasure ships docked at the pier.
Wearing white cloth belts on their heads and wearing shorts, short local coolies from Kyushu were shuttling between the pier and the warehouse, carrying small items of goods, jars of rice wine, and boxes of pickles onto the warehouses leaning against the pier. A moored treasure ship.
A little further away from the pier, at the site of the original Dazaifu Korokan, a brand-new six-sided and twelve-cornered bastion already stands there.
This bastion was completed only three years ago and is now Hakata Castle, the residence of the Hakata shogunate. It was also the residence of Emperor Tosu Shoron during his stay on Kyushu Island.
Zhao Lun arrived in Hakata ten days ago on the sixth day of June, and was warmly received by his two cousins, Zhao Shanzhen, the general who conquered the barbarians, and Zhao Shanhe, the administrator... Wanyan Yan, the actual founder of the Hakata shogunate He died of illness three years ago.
However, before Wanyanyan passed away, her two sons, Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe, had grown up.
Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe have completely different temperaments and temperaments from their father Zhao Gou, and they also look very different. Zhao Shanzhen was very stout, with a strong back and a strong waist, a round face, small eyes, and an unkempt beard. He looked almost like a barbarian warrior from the grassland.
Zhao Shanhe was much more handsome, with an elegant face, a tall figure, a three-stroke long beard, and he looked like a white-faced scholar.
If these two people were put together, if no one introduced them, who would know that they were brothers from the same father and mother? Zhao Lun couldn't see it anyway.
However, although the two brothers look very different, they can truly be brothers and sisters and brothers. Although they also have their own territories and retainers, they form a group. But whether during Wanyanyan's lifetime or after Wanyanyan's death, the two brothers supported each other and united as one!
As far as Zhao Lun knew, the rough-looking Zhao Shanzhen didn't look like a rough martial artist, he was actually a martial artist!
Long before his mother Wanyanyan passed away, he had already become the number one general in the Hakata Shogunate. He has been fighting the Japanese Tennofu army on the frontier of Honshu Island all year round, and he has also created a set of small team samurai cooperation tactics and small phalanx tactics that are very suitable for the rugged terrain of Honshu Island.
The former is a team of twelve people, equipped with large bamboo spears, spears, bows and arrows, divine arm crossbows, swords and thunder. This kind of small team does not engage in grand formations, but specializes in melee battles in the mountains and forests (this small team tactic was actually gradually discovered by the samurai of the Hakata shogunate in the Kyushu mountains). It is extremely effective!
The latter is a spear phalanx of several hundred people fighting in conjunction with camel cannon and "iron-clad cavalry". On the small flat land in the west of Honshu Island, this kind of troop size and combination of arms can best exert its power.
In addition, Zhao Shanzhen is also very capable of building cities. Not only will they build bastions on the ground, but they will also build mountain cities relying on the power of the mountains.
It is not easy for others to take back any territory he has conquered!
Therefore, famous Japanese generals such as Taira Taira, Taira Kiyomori, Taira Tamasa, Minamoto Yoshitomo, Minamoto Weiyoshi, and Minamoto Weitomo were all defeated by him!
Before Wanyan Yan's death, he had conquered six kingdoms including Nagato, Shufang, Iwami, Anyun, Bingo, and Izumo on Honshu Island.
After Wanyanyan's death, Zhao Shanzhen continued the offensive after a short rest and captured five countries including Bizhong, Bizen, Meisaku, Boqi, and Inaba... In total, he captured ten A country (of which Nagato Kingdom only captured half, and the other half had long been controlled by the shogunate), it also earned itself the reputation of the Tiger of Kyushu and the God of War!
Zhao Shanhe, who looked very elegant, was good at internal affairs and strategy. When Wanyanyan was alive, he was known as the "Prime Minister of the Shogunate". After Wanyan Yan's death, he simply moved to Hakata to live permanently, and was appointed by his brother as the leader of the shogunate. When his brother Zhao Shanzhen led the army on an expedition, he had full authority to preside over the government affairs of the shogunate.
Under his auspices, Zhao Shanzhen, who was fighting on the front line of the mainland, never worried about military rations, troop sources, civilians, weapons and ammunition... He had to fight for logistics!
Therefore, Zhao Shanzhen, the God of War, is at least half of the credit for Zhao Shanhe!
This is a true good brother, a real brother! How could brothers Zhao Lun and Zhao Ping almost fight each other in order to fight for the foundation of the country?
Standing on a triangular platform in Hakata Castle, looking at the busy scene at Hakata Port, looking at the densely packed treasure ships in Hakata Bay, and thinking of the unity and harmony of the two brothers Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe, Zhao Lun couldn't help but sigh.
How great it would be if Zhao Ping could be like Zhao Shanhe!
Hearing his sigh, brothers Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe exchanged glances with each other. Zhao Shanhe said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I often hear people who return from Dongzhou talk about the vastness and wealth there... The size of the land in Dongzhou even exceeds that of the Song Dynasty, but the population is smaller and has not been developed. If we can continue to immigrate and colonize over time, within a hundred years, the world will be as rich as the Song Dynasty! The entrustment to Your Majesty must have great expectations for His Majesty."
Zhao Shanzhen also said: "That's right... I once heard my mother say that the official family asked us brothers to open a shogunate in the Japanese archipelago just to allow the large sailing ships heading east to the Dongzhou Continent to refuel. This way, more Song people can be transported to Dongzhou to open up territory. If 100,000 people can be immigrated a year, Dongzhou will be greatly prosperous in thirty to fifty years."
Zhao Lun was stunned, "Really? There is such a thing..."
He had never heard his father say this. He had only heard people say that the Japanese shogunate was actually started by the remnants of Zhao Gou's party who fled to Japan. It has never been recognized by the Song Dynasty court!
Of course, Zhao Kai did not deny the Shogunate of the General Conquering Yi... Speaking of which, the two brothers Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe seemed to be like him. They both failed to seize the throne in China and were pushed to live in the Japanese archipelago.
Having the same fate as them, there is also the Southern Emperor Zhao Chen, who has been establishing his country in Tiannan for many years!
There are rumors that... this Zhao Chen is the real eldest son of the official family of the Song Dynasty!
Thinking of this, Zhao Lun's mood suddenly improved a lot. He squeezed out a smile and said to Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe: "I'm really grateful to you two... Although I didn't win the position of the foundation of the Song Dynasty, I After all, he is still the eldest son of a high-ranking official and the emperor of Dongzhou. If you two have any use for me, just speak up!"
Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe both laughed. Then they all bowed to Zhao Lun and said, "My dear brother, thank you for your support. If you are invited by me in the future, I will definitely send it to Dongzhou!"
The two of them entertained Zhao Lun so warmly, of course they were asking for something!
Although their Hakata shogunate has conquered 22 registries in Japan's Kyushu and Western countries, there are more than 60 registries in Japan.
They are just one of three parts of the world. It is not that easy to unify more than 60 countries in Japan... and the main reason why they cannot unify Japan is that the resistance on the side of the Heian court is very tenacious, which is Zhao Kai's Song court did not support the Hakata shogunate very much. Without the support of Zhao Kai, it would be extremely difficult for outsiders like them to unify Japan, where the military power was rising. Especially as the battlefield continues to move eastward, the Hakata shogunate has gradually become unable to support the army's expedition.
Of course, Zhao Shanzhen and Zhao Shanhe would not look for reasons from themselves and their mother Wanyan Yan, so they regarded the brotherly grievances between Zhao Kai and Zhao Gou as the main reason why the Song Dynasty court did not support Bodo.
Once the cause is found, of course there is a solution... Of course it is not to solve Zhao Kai, they don't have that ability, but they can wait. Zhao Kai is dozens of years older than them, and he is already running for the sixth grade now. How many more years can he keep running?
Once he dies and Zhao Ping comes to power... the Hakata Shogunate will have a chance!
However, the Hakata shogunate could not directly exert influence on the Song Dynasty court, could not speak, let alone get stuck in the Song Dynasty court's neck.
But they can exert influence on Emperor Dongzhou! After all, the connection between the Emperor Dongzhou and the mother country of the Song Dynasty could only be maintained through Japan.
Otherwise, ships going east will have to float at sea for 20-30 more days, which means that they need to prepare at least 30 more days of supplies... If you pack more supplies, you will have to pack less people and materials. It's one o'clock.
And after Zhao Kai died, Zhao Ping, the emperor of the Song Dynasty, would seek help from the emperor Dongzhou... because Zhao Ping would also have several sons who would follow in Zhao Lun's footsteps and go to Dongzhou to become kings.
Therefore, as long as Zhao Lun, the emperor of Dongzhou, supports it, Zhao Ping will give more help to the Hakata shogunate.
And with the help of the Hakata Shogunate, it is possible to unify Japan!
Zhao Dian nodded, then turned his attention to Hakata Bay, and said to himself: "In three or five days, we should be able to set off, right? I... will never come back, never come back again !”
