After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang sent a mission to demand tribute from Japan and control Japanese pirate activities. However, Prince Huairiang of Japan at that time dismissed the mission and instead detained and killed the members of the mission before releasing them after a long time. The Japanese invaders were still around. After expelling Bei Yuan, Zhu Yuanzhang was determined to conquer Japan, but was eventually dissuaded by his ministers and gave up.
From the Kenbun period to the early Yongle period, the domestic situation in Japan had changed. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu took the initiative to make peace with the Ming Dynasty and sent envoys to pay tribute in accordance with tradition, hoping to receive generous rewards. So Emperor Yongle issued a seal of approval, allowing Japan to pay tribute every ten years.
However, this system is not rigorous. Japan has never actually expressed surrender. However, the Central Plains dynasty has always had the habit of treating foreign countries as vassals and tributaries whenever they come to establish diplomatic relations.
Let's talk about China's tribute system. Since most small countries are unable to compete with it, and since ancient times, the returns in both economic and artistic terms have been huge, and with the nominal protection of the suzerain, most of them are willing to do so. Only Japan has never been invaded by China, and because it is an island country, it has no need for protection, so it has never officially expressed its surrender.
After the Onin Rebellion, Japan entered the Warring States Period, with domestic chaos and the interruption of tribute. The defeated warriors, merchants, and ronin once again came to Korea and the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty to develop their power, burning, killing, and looting, which aroused the extreme opposition of the Ming Dynasty and Korea to Japan. Hatred.
For Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had nominally unified Japan, regaining the title enshrined in the Ming Dynasty would not be of much help to his status in Japan, but it cannot be said to be meaningless.
The reason is not complicated. Although Japan has never surrendered to China, its culture was inspired by China, and even its official system was almost copied from the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, its domestic ruling class still highly recognized the Central Plains Dynasty.
It just so happens that Toyotomi Hideyoshi came from a humble background. If he can be recognized by the Ming Dynasty, the orthodox of the Central Plains, he can at least significantly improve his family status - will you try to say that I came from a humble background in the future? Having said that, General Ashikaga was also the Japanese king conferred by the Emperor of the Central Plains. He can have Ashikaga, but I, Toyotomi, can't have one?
So the next day, Toyotomi Hideyoshi received the Ming envoy, and the Ming envoy announced:
"The emperor is entrusted with the destiny of heaven, and he said: "The emperor has been appointed to carry great fortunes, and no one in heaven or earth will fail to respect the emperor's orders. Pu will always follow the sunrise in the corner of the sea. In the past, my imperial ancestor gave birth to many things. Turtle, New and Dragon Chapter, bestowed from far away. The territory of Fusang; the great seal of Zhenmin, the mountain of Rongshi Zhenguo. Then the waves were raised, and the wind occasionally occupied the area.
On this great occasion, I wish you Toyotomi Taira Hideyoshi to rise as a great nation and to respect China. An envoy traveling to the west is very pleased to come with him; he is knocking at the pass thousands of miles away from the north, begging for help. Love is strong in obedience, kindness can be softened in tenderness. Zite made you the king of Japan and gave you a royal decree.
Yu Xi! Long Ben's letter sent his crown and robes to the surface of the sea; the fashionable robes of flowers strengthened the vassal and guarded the heavenly dynasty. You should be mindful of your duties as a minister, adhere to the essentials, and be grateful for the emperor's kindness. There is no substitute for sincerity, only obey the words of Lun, and always respect the teachings. Awesome! "
The envoy read this original text, but although many people in Japan understood Chinese, most of them knew the pronunciation of Wu dialect and were not very familiar with the northern Mandarin. In addition, the imperial edict was written with gorgeous rhetoric and difficult language. Not to mention the Toyotomi retainers and the daimyo, even the Japanese ministers could not understand its meaning immediately (compared to the samurai family, the Japanese ministers pride themselves on being proficient in sinology). ).
Therefore, on the other side, Shen Weijing prepared overnight and came with another wave of translators. During the translation, he completely changed the content of the edict, and the basic content was completely in line with Hideyoshi's vision.
Hideyoshi was very happy about this. After making an impromptu speech hoping that the two countries could live in harmony, he asked Governor Konishi to send the envoy away to rest and wait for the canonization tomorrow.
Returning to the resting place, Shen Weijing reported to the envoy: "We have made another translation according to the instructions of Mr. Gaoge. Toyotomi Hideyoshi said that the canonization will be done tomorrow. According to the recent discussions, someone in Japan should be able to hear the difference between you and me. , I will definitely report it to him afterwards, and then it will depend on whether Toyotomi Hideyoshi will start another war in anger."
Yang Fangheng praised Shen Weijing a few words with satisfaction, and then said: "So, you and I and the envoy's entourage will also enter the most dangerous moment tonight. We may leave our lives in Japan. Do you regret it?"
Shen Weijing smiled and said: "It is said that wealth can be obtained through danger, not to mention that after this incident, I can still leave a mark in history. This business has reached this point, and I have not lost money. Why do I regret it?" Yang Fangheng laughed.
They really didn't make much of a mistake. Although the discrepancy in the edicts issued by the envoys during the day was not immediately noticed, it happened that a senior monk from the Tendai Sect was visiting Hideyoshi today. Hideyoshi knew that he was studying Chinese intensively, so he invited him to attend tomorrow. Canonization ceremony.
The next day, the ceremony was completed. Hideyoshi accepted the canonization in Osaka. The Ming Dynasty envoy stood on the golden platform and announced the canonization of Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the King of Japan. He was also awarded with clothing and seals, ten pieces of python, brocade and other colored satin, and fox fur. One raid revealed hundreds of mink skins and some gold and silver utensils.
At the same time, he warned Hideyoshi that he should withdraw from the entire territory of Korea immediately, stay safe, and not raise any more troops to invade. The Ming Dynasty would decide on trade cooperation based on his performance. In accordance with the previous agreement with Konishi Gyōchō, Toyotomi Hideyoshi thanked the emperor with Ming etiquette and knelt to greet the emperor.
However, since the senior monk of the Tendai Sect was proficient in Chinese, he checked the text of the edict with Hideyoshi one by one after the ceremony. He also said that the envoy did not seem to know that Japan had put forward many conditions, so it was not mentioned at all in the edict.
When Hideyoshi learned the truth, he became furious and threw the edict to the ground. He immediately called in Maeda Toshiie, Toyotomi Hideji, Konishi Yukinaga, Ukita Hideie and others to discuss the matter.
Hideyoshi cursed: "The Ming Dynasty's edict is arrogant. I want a king in Japan, and I don't need a beard to seal me! What I want is south of the Han River in Korea, what I want is the marriage of the Ming Dynasty princess, and what I want is a Korean prince." As a result, not only did the imperial edict contain no mention of land cession, pledges, marriages, etc., there was not even any prospecting and trade exploration!
This edict describes the Ming Dynasty as being so powerful, as if it has already defeated us. It is simply nonsense! Governor Konishi! what on earth is it? Did you betray me? ! "
Seeing that Hideyoshi was angry, Toyotomi Hidetsu was the first to persuade him: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Is there any misunderstanding about this matter? For example, is this just a customary etiquette for conferring titles in the Ming Dynasty, a way to deliberately show yourself and hide your shortcomings to preserve your dignity?" Face. Have you confirmed this with the envoy?"
Hideyoshi said angrily: "What are you talking about? Sunshichiro, are you an idiot! Do you need to confirm this again? If they agreed to my conditions, there would be no such words in the canonization! Damn it, it was completely People have underestimated it, it is a scam from beginning to end! President Xiaoxi, why are you colluding with Mingguo? Tell me immediately and I can kill you alone!"
Governor Konishi begged again and again: "Your Highness, I have been wronged, and I have no idea what is going on. At that time, Mingguo had agreed to all the conditions, and the replies to me were the same several times!"
Hideyoshi scolded: "That's nonsense. You have been responsible for this. You were also present when the edict was first read out. You are also proficient in Chinese. Not only Jiangnan dialect, but also Northern dialect! From North Korea to Osaka, you have no way of getting along with them at all. Did you notice? This edict was read out twice, but you still don’t understand it!"
Ukita Hideie also felt that something was wrong. He looked at President Konishi with a stern face and asked: "Konishi, what's going on? Are you really betraying His Highness Taikaku behind your back? If that's true, I, Ukita Xiujia will definitely not let you go!"
Governor Konishi defended himself repeatedly: "Your Highness Taikaku, I did not notice any falsehood when I swore to get along with them. It is true that I can answer questions from both north and south in Chinese, but Chinese can be divided into spoken and written languages. Spoken language is easy to understand, and I will not have any problems. , but my subordinates were not very proficient in written language. The wording of this edict was complicated, and my subordinates could not translate it immediately.
Moreover, there was an envoy who swore the oath, and there was a Japanese translation of the edict later, so the ministers believed it to be true. My subordinates have always been deceived by them. I never imagined that they could be so despicable...especially that Shen Weijing!
And the emperor of the Ming Dynasty also betrayed our sincerity and wanted to play tricks on us from the beginning! Playing tricks on His Highness! I just want to kill them with a thousand swords right now! "
Governor Konishi is worthy of being a businessman, and his ability to tell lies with his eyes open is quite good. Seeing him like this, Ukita Hideie didn't bother to argue about his position. Instead, he immediately asked for war and conquered Korea again, and asked Hideyoshi to order the expulsion of the Ming Dynasty. Mission.
Maeda Toshiie was very calm. After thinking for a while, he advised: "I think it is not appropriate to do this now. Since the Ming Dynasty has acted like this, I think it must have been prepared. I am worried that during this truce, the Ming army had previously I am afraid that all the difficulties we face can be overcome and we are fully prepared.
Your Highness Taige, the Tang Dynasty (Ming Dynasty) had a vast territory and had millions of troops. In the previous war, only 50,000 people were dispatched. This was very unusual. I thought this might be related to the fact that they had just finished fighting Mongolia. Once mobilized, I don't know what kind of military strength it will be.
On the other hand, we only still occupy Busan and have some troops stationed there. The rest have already returned home to disarm. If we want to recruit again, it will not only take a lot of time, but also need to prepare a lot.
Therefore, I boldly suggest that it is better to pretend not to know anything about it, continue to accept the canonization, and continue to create the illusion that there is no intention to fight again to deceive Datang and Goryeo, but in fact quietly prepare for war again.
As for our purpose... Your Highness, if we stop here, the soldiers will only face fragmentation and separation between life and death when they return. More importantly, the daimyo who do not receive compensation may deepen their dissatisfaction with His Highness, which will eventually lead to rebellion. Therefore, at the very least, we must divide or even occupy North Korea to quell this internal hidden danger. "
These words were reasonable. Toyotomi Hideji sighed with emotion: "I see, you have a comprehensive idea. But I really didn't expect that the mighty Ming Dynasty would use such methods. When I heard about the Ming army's combat power, I still thought It was once thought that the Korean War would drag on for a long time.
Later, a peace ceasefire was suddenly negotiated. Although I had doubts, I didn't think much about it despite all the manifestations. Unexpectedly, the truth turned out to be like this, and then it was time for us to prepare military supplies again. "
Maeda Toshiie nodded and said: "Yes, Your Highness Guanbai, the Tang people say that 'war never tires of deceit.' They are at war with us, so naturally they will not hesitate to use any conspiracy. After thousands of years of development in the Tang Dynasty, no matter the conspiracy, it is very So profound, I almost got deceived by him this time.
In addition, judging from the last battle, the two armies are each good at winning: our army has plenty of troops but insufficient firepower; the Ming army has strong combat power but is afraid of losses.
In this case, this time we need to prepare secretly for another battle, seize the opportunity, and strive to defeat it with all our strength. To this end, we still need to plan carefully... Your Highness Guan Bai, in terms of military preparations, mobilization and dispatch, I would like to ask you to assist His Highness Taige. " Xiuji quickly said that this is his duty and it should be taken for granted.
Hideyoshi walked around twice, stamped his feet and said: "You are right, Toshiya, and it should be so. After this war, I no longer need peace talks. I must do my best to destroy all Korea, and then invade the Tang Dynasty one after another. , Tianzhu, anyone who stands in my way must die without a burial place!
As for now... there will be a big banquet tomorrow, and we will all wear bright clothes to entertain the bright envoys. Xiaoxi, I can give you another chance. You need to let the envoy know that although I am grateful but not satisfied with the canonization this time, I would like to ask the Ming Emperor to consider it again, otherwise I will not withdraw from Busan.
Also, we must make them feel that we only want better canonization and trade, and we must not let them have any awareness of us launching another attack. Do you understand? "President Xiaoxi quickly took the order.
So, on another day, the Ming Dynasty envoys were warmly entertained by Japan at a banquet. All Japanese ministers and daimyo attending the meeting were ordered to wear Ming Dynasty costumes to show their submission. Toyotomi Hideyoshi even brought Sekiba Toyotomi Hideji together to personally pay homage to the envoy. Taige and Guanbai had already achieved this level. The others dared not fall behind, so they also toasted one after another, and the Ming Dynasty envoys also responded in turn.
During the Noh performance session, President Konishi turned to the side of Ming envoys Yang Fangheng and Shen Weijing, put on a cheerful smile and said: "You have come all the way to consecrate His Highness Taikaku, and everyone in our country is grateful. But this is about conferring Japan. King, although Your Majesty Taikaku is well aware of the great kindness of the Emperor, we still have His Majesty the Emperor in Japan, so this... is still a bit difficult.
Japan has its own national conditions. His Majesty the Emperor is supreme in Japan, but he does not conduct state affairs. All state affairs are handled by his ministers. This has been the case for hundreds of years. His Majesty Taikaku has been canonized as the King of Japan. How does His Majesty the Emperor deal with himself? Not only His Highness, but everyone will be ashamed. "
Shen Weijing replied: "But if Japan is not crowned the King, the matter will be very difficult for the Ming Dynasty. It is against etiquette and law, and there is no precedent. For example, the Ashikaga family, the Japanese general who conquered the barbarians, was not also crowned the King of Japan by the Ming Dynasty? At that time, he Why don't you think it's 'somewhat difficult'?
What's more, my great emperor, Jinguo Yuyan, has no reason to arbitrarily change the seal in an imperial edict! The celestial dynasty has stood for thousands of years, and the barbarian guests from all over the world are in submission. All nations come to the dynasty, and etiquette and law are the most important thing in everything. Now that this is the case, it can't get any easier. "
Governor Konishi turned to Yang Fangheng and said: "I would like to ask you to re-confirm the canonization issue. Of course, if it is impossible to re-canonize it, Japan will not force it. It is just the joint trade that is the lifeblood of Japan. Japan I will continue to plead, and please report this matter to the Holy One, please."
Since he was not forcing anything, and the matter of joint trade exploration was just "just keep pleading," Yang Fangheng was not afraid of complying, so he promised to respond again.
After the climax of the banquet, Shen Weijing met with President Konishi alone for a secret conversation and asked, "The secret hasn't been revealed yet? Why did you suddenly make such a request to the envoy during the banquet, but you didn't discuss it with me before?"
President Konishi lied: "It was not leaked. It's just that His Highness was very surprised by this matter. It can even be said that he was at a loss. I have no choice but to do this today. Please forgive me, Mr. Shen."
Shen Weijing sighed and commented: "Your national conditions are really strange and incomprehensible. Well, it's just another performance, it doesn't matter... But when will you withdraw the troops that are still entrenched in Busan?"
President Konishi replied: "I haven't received any instructions from His Highness Taige on this matter. His Highness has been almost crazy about paying tribute recently, and I am also very embarrassed. Oh, there are many people here, and it is not suitable for you and me to stay for a long time. Please feel free to do it yourself .”
President Xiaoxi found an excuse to leave, and went back to the banquet with Shen Weijing respectively, and continued to participate in the banquet.
During the banquet, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Toyotomi Hideji sat together. Hideyoshi chatted with Hideji many times about daily life. During this period, Hideyoshi said: "I was very poor in the past. I never dreamed that I would be here today, so I cherish every day and every day. I cherish every piece of food I eat, and I hope that what I do can bring benefits to the world... As Guan Bai, you must always remember this."
Xiuji said: "Yes, my nephew has always cherished his blessings. My uncle and aunt have always kept in mind the teachings given to me by my uncle and aunt, and I dare not forget them for a moment. After a long period of war, peace has finally come to us. Although my nephew has nothing I have great talent, but I dare not slack off even a little bit every day, and I hope to make everyone rich as soon as possible.”
Hideyoshi clapped his legs and said: "If you can occupy Korea, Tang Dynasty, Tianzhu and other places, you will have unimaginable wealth. In the future, I will hand over Japan to the Ukita Hide family, let you become Tang Guanbai, and welcome the emperor to live in the Ming Dynasty." The capital of the country, and I will stay in Ningbo. What do you think?"
Xiuji didn't comment, but asked what Shaojun planned at that time. Hideyoshi replied: "I have my own arrangements for Shi's future, but you don't need to ask any more questions. You will be the official official of the Tang Dynasty in the future. How much do you know about the customs and government affairs of the Tang Dynasty now?"
Naturally, he didn’t know much about it at all, so Xiuji replied that he was busy with official duties and only knew a little about part of China’s history and culture, and the rest had not yet been covered.
Hideyoshi therefore scolded Hideji: "You don't know that I want to occupy this place. Why haven't you made any preparations for the Tang Dynasty? Do you think that with me in charge of the conquest, you can just prepare some military supplies and set up a few flying stations?" Did you pass on military information with your feet and watch from the sidelines without caring about other things about the Tang Dynasty? Didn’t your retainers also remind you?!"
Hidetsu saw Hideyoshi's expression change suddenly, and he didn't know why. However, the best reaction at this time was to apologize hastily, so he quickly said: "Your Majesty Taikaku, calm down, my nephew will start preparations immediately. It's just that my nephew thinks that Japan has been in trouble for many years now." Is the foreign conquest a bit too hasty? My nephew is saying... is it more advantageous to fight again when the country is richer? "
Hideyoshi said angrily: "You are talking nonsense again. I thought you understood the meaning of this! Didn't I make it clear before? If you forget, find someone to help you recall your memories, and then do your duty."
Xiuji was suddenly accused and once again felt trembling and uneasy, so he had to keep silent to show that he knew he was wrong.
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PS: I remember that I had saved the imperial edict in this chapter before, but I couldn’t find it. It took me a while to find it temporarily. In addition, the final length is more than a thousand words longer than the originally scheduled 4K, so the update time is two hours late. I'm sorry.
