Chapter 81 Asking for help from Japan
The Battle of Jincheng had a huge impact on Goryeo.
Although it was a seemingly victorious battle, it suffered heavy losses. But it stabilized the people of Goryeo, and Goryeo was only a small part of Gyeongsang Province. That is, Busan and the land around Busan in later generations. However, this piece of land is separated from the plains on the west coast of Goryeo by terrain and mountains. There seems to be a stable boundary line.
Regardless of whether this boundary line is truly stable or falsely stable. At least people's hearts are stable. That's good.
At least the small Goryeo court, which was a mess, really looked like a court. And the Prime Minister Zheng Mengzhou really has some powers as a Prime Minister.
Of course. Goryeo has innate genes and a powerful family. Now the central power has been rebuilt. If it weren't for the aggressive Ming army. I'm afraid the inside will be torn into pieces. The great victory in Jinzhou gave Zheng Mengzhou great prestige. But this chronic disease cannot be solved, it is just temporarily covered up.
Zheng Mengzhou was not deceiving himself by holding a grand victory ceremony. But to unite people's hearts.
On the other side, a person was called to his side. It was his long-time friend, Jin Jiurong. He is a direct descendant of the famous Goryeo family Andong Kim. A famous family from generation to generation. The birth of the Jin family is even more mythical. It is said that in a chicken forest, someone found a baby. This baby is the ancestor of the Jin family. The Silla Dynasty was established. The Andong Kim family is their descendant. A famous family from generation to generation. Even in the Joseon Dynasty, they were still a famous family.
What the Ming Dynasty did in northern Goryeo certainly stabilized the hearts of the people in the north. But it also offended all the wealthy families in the south of Goryeo. The reason why these big families are able to run rampant is that they are native to their own country and are familiar with everything in their own homes. Master a large number of contacts and resources.
Once they migrated to Liaodong. How is that different from ordinary people?
At that time, Tian's family was still in Qi, calling for wind and rain, but he moved to Guanzhong. Is there anything else famous in later generations that we don’t have?
Same thing.
On the matter of opposing the Ming Dynasty, the major families of Goryeo were unprecedentedly united. Of course, under this unprecedented unity, there are also various disharmony. For example, many families separated their personnel and migrated to Japan, and some simply smuggled themselves to the Ming Dynasty.
etc.
But the main manpower and material resources were spent on resisting the Ming Dynasty.
Zheng Mengzhou didn't care about being so strict.
Zheng Mengzhou and Jin Jiurong have been friends for many years, and they were even allies who were exiled together. Zheng Mengzhou didn't go around the bush when he said something. He said: "Jin Xiong, now the Ming Dynasty is coming fiercely, and the fate of the country hangs on a thread. Relying on the power of Goryeo alone is no longer enough to save the situation. Now there is only one way. Only in this way can there be a slight change. I am not willing to make this decision. But Now we have to do it.”
Jin Jiurong also had some guesses in his mind. Said: "Do you mean the east side?"
Zheng Mengzhou said: "That's right. Go to Japan to ask for help. Ask for help at all costs."
"You also know the situation in Japan. The three generations of the Ashikaga family have managed to unify Japan and end the war between the north and the south. Now Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who ascended the throne at a young age, is only in his twenties. He is said to be arrogant and extravagant. Moreover, Japan and the Ming Dynasty have always had a long history. None of them were very good. The Ming Dynasty asked Japan to restrain its people and destroy the pirates. Then Ashikaga Yoshimitsu just killed some pirates and killed the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty has cut off contact with Japan for more than ten years. "
"There are very few connections between the Japanese shogunate and the Ming Dynasty. Only Tenryu Temple has ships that travel between the Ming Dynasty and Japan. The rest are private actions of the Kyushu lords, and the shogunate cannot check and balance. Japan does not know what the Ming Dynasty wants to do. When you arrive in Japan, just say that the Ming Dynasty wants to destroy Goryeo and conquer Japan, and make the prince of the Ming Dynasty the king in Japan, thus destroying the thousand-year-old tradition of the Japanese emperor. How come it is so powerful?"
Zheng Mengzhou fell silent at this point.
Jin Jiurong knew why Zheng Mengzhou was silent. These are all false. Asking for help means asking for something tangible. Otherwise, Japan is a fool, offending Ming Dynasty for nothing?
Jin Jiurong said: "Brother Zheng, Japan is extremely greedy and its desires are hard to satisfy. I will always have something when I go."
Zheng Mengzhou said: "I have prepared gold and silver jewelry as gifts. There is also a Tripitaka. It can be said to be the national treasure of Goryeo. However, this is just a stepping stone. I can persuade the king to respect the Japanese Emperor. Please ask the Japanese Emperor to canonize him."
Speaking of this, Zheng Mengzhou burst into tears. Can't help myself.
Zheng Mengzhou never took the Emperor of Japan seriously. I feel like they are just a grassroots team. Just call it yourself. He was always the absolute Emperor of Japan, equal to the King of Korea. But now that he admits this, he admits that Goryeo has become a vassal state of Japan.
In other words, the status of Goryeo is similar to that of Japanese daimyo. It's just a special name.
For a great Confucian, a great Confucian who valued his reputation more than his life, one can imagine the struggle in Zheng Mengzhou's inner struggle due to his decision. Even for him, this was a decision more difficult than death. For Zheng Mengzhou, death is an easy thing.
A touch on the neck will do.
But what to do about a national crisis? What to do with the legacy of the late king?
Zheng Mengzhou put everything he had into it. After making this decision, it may be impossible for him to have a clean reputation after his death.
Jin Jiurong was also moved by it. Want to object. But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. There are Japanese reinforcements. Perhaps Goryeo would have survived, had it not been for Japanese reinforcements. Then Goryeo will probably die this year.
There really is no choice.
Jin Jiurong could only say sternly: "If we go to Fusang, if we don't ask for reinforcements, I will cross the sea and die. Brother Zheng, please don't worry."
Jin Jiurong set off immediately to cross the sea from Busan. Heading to Kyoto, Japan by sea.
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Kyoto.
This was the time when the Ashikaga Shogunate was at its most powerful.
When talking about the Ashikaga Shogunate, we must first start with the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Japan. The battle between the Southern and Northern Dynasties started with an emperor. The emperor had two sons, one of whom he passed his property to. Pass the throne of emperor to another son.
But later the son who inherited the throne felt sorry for his brother. He made his brother's son the crown prince.
This resulted in the formation of a system in which two generations alternately served as emperor for ten years.
By the time of Emperor Go-Daigo, there were no longer two lines, but four lines. Every time an emperor succeeds. It's an internal power struggle. And Emperor Go-Daigo was a very capable man. At that time, the Hojo shogunate was in decline. Emperor Go-Daigo began to persevere in his campaign against Hojo. From various conspiracies, after being discovered, he was exiled and escaped, failed again, was exiled and escaped again. In short, perseverance. The Ashikaga family was the general under the Hojo family at the time. Married to the Hojo family for generations. However, the Ashikaga family was a high-ranking Minamoto family, and they were dissatisfied that the Hojo family, a remnant of the Taira family, was above themselves. So Ashikaga Yoshitsune. He turned against Emperor Daigo. Defeated the Hojo family.
Emperor Go-Daigo began to establish a new military policy.
It's just that Emperor Go-Daigo's idea was to take power personally and abolish the shogunate. However, the interests that affect a large part of the samurai can be regarded as a war between the public family, that is, the line of public ministers, and the line of samurai. Ashikaga Yoshitsune rebelled.
He raised troops from Kanto and attacked Kyoto, but Emperor Go-Daigo retreated to Yamato. The Northern and Southern Dynasties in Japanese history began.
However, we cannot understand Japan’s Southern and Northern Dynasties based on the Northern and Southern Dynasties in Chinese history. Because China’s Southern and Northern Dynasties were a battle between countries, while Japan’s Southern and Northern Dynasties were a battle between countries. It is just a struggle within the country. The Northern and Southern Dynasties each called on their tribes, and tribes from both sides were spread throughout Japan. There was no large-scale separatist situation. They relied on the daimyo from various places to fight. As for the daimyo, they fought against Qin, Mu, and Chu. Repeatedly. It's just using the names of the two parties for their own personal gain.
It lasted for decades. After knowing that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu came to power. The Northern Dynasty had an absolute advantage. Under the command of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and under pressure step by step, coupled with the internal problems of the Southern Dynasty, it had fallen apart. Just one last breath away.
Although there are still remnants of the Southern Dynasties. But not much more. It is not enough to shake the overall situation of the Ashikaga family. The heyday of the Ashikaga family began.
And Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is this lucky guy.
