Chapter 82 Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
Today, Ashikaga Yoshihide is nearly thirty years old, which is almost the same age as He Xi.
At this moment he was talking to his teacher Yoriyuki Hosokawa.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said: "Does the teacher know about the Korean envoy who came to Kyoto?"
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, a young boy, took over the power. He was only a teenager when he came to power. At that time, it was Hosokawa Yoriyuki who presided over the overall situation of the shogunate and resisted enemies from all directions. And made a decisive contribution, just growing up with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. I am increasingly worried and dissatisfied with my teachers.
Yoriyuki Hosokawa is very smart. Immediately become a monk. He gave up all power and passed the title of governor of the Hosokawa family to his son.
As a result, the Hosokawa family is still powerful. But without the old head of the family, the Hosokawa family was not strong enough to challenge Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu naturally received the signal. Make peace with the teacher. Bring the teacher to live in Kyoto.
Get together when you have time, especially when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu can't make up his mind, he always wants to ask his teacher for advice.
Hosokawa Yoriyuki said: "Mr. Jin is a master of Buddhism and Confucianism. He also has treasures such as the Tripitaka, which has caused a sensation in the Nanshan Mountains of Beiling. How could I not know this? I even met Mr. Jin. Let me also I can’t help but feel a little moved.”
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said, "It is no longer a concern for the Southern Dynasties to huddle in the mountains of Yamato. Only Kyushu is my worry. I actually intend to conquer Kyushu. It's just that Kyushu is remote. I'm afraid no one is in charge of Kyoto. Once I leave Kyushu, I'm afraid There is chaos in various places. But if we don’t deal with the great names of Kyushu, I’m afraid it will be a big trouble in the future.”
"At this time, Goryeo was destroyed by the Ming Dynasty. I am even more worried about causing unrest in Kyushu. What Mr. Jin said that the Ming Dynasty will attack Japan, do you think it is true or false, teacher?"
Hosokawa Yoriyuki said; "True or false is not important. What is important is that Goryeo is inhabited by people. It is only separated from Kyushu by a sea. Even though it is protected by the divine wind, the Ming Dynasty is not a barbarian in the Yuan Dynasty. In recent years, there have been Merchants from the Central Plains came to Japan. The general did not indulge Tianlong Temple in trading with the Central Plains. Therefore, I am worried that a strait cannot stop the Ming army."
Tenryuji Temple is the temple built by Ashikaga Yoshitsune. Close relationship with the Ashikaga family. At that time, the Ashikaga family was in financial difficulty and had no money to build temples, so they allowed Tenryuji to build ships and conduct maritime trade. Today, Ryūji still controls maritime trade on behalf of the Ashikaga family.
It's just that here, it's far better than those famous names in Kyushu.
What worries Ashikaga Yoshimitsu even more. Before the Southern Dynasty, he went to Kyushu as a prince. The famous names of Kyushu, Otomo, Ouchi, Aso. Shimazu, all fought under the Southern Dynasties. Although they have all surrendered to the Northern Dynasty now. It seemed like everything was over.
But has it really passed?
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was skeptical.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said: "Teacher, do you want to support Goryeo?"
Hosokawa Yoriyuki put his hands together and said, "Amitabha. China is a big country, and Japan cannot compete with it. If you rashly antagonize China, you may bring disaster to yourself. It will also be a mistake for the great general who stooped to humiliation before."
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu lived a luxurious life. When he was a child, the Southern Dynasty army invaded Kyoto, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu fled to a small village. Seeing the beautiful scenery there, he ordered the scenery to be carried back to Kyoto. After he returned to Kyoto, he built an exactly the same place.
As for the cost of living. Needless to say.
Therefore, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu still attaches great importance to maritime trade. It was precisely because he valued him that he was willing to accept the title of King of Ming Japan. There was even a hint of submission in the reply. He has been criticized a lot both inside and outside Japan. In fact, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu doesn't care too much about these.
But in Hosokawa Yoriyuki's words, it was Ashikaga Yoshimitsu who endured the humiliation for the sake of Japan's overall interests.
However, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu did not have much fear of Daming. On the one hand, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has brought the Ashikaga family to a whole new level in these years, even compared with the national power of ancient Japan. The Ashikaga Yoshimitsu period was also a rare era of strength. It can probably be compared to the Toyotomi Hideyoshi era and the early Tokugawa shogunate period.
This also makes Ashikaga Yoshimitsu proud deep in his heart.
The Japanese nation is both proud and inferior. Now it's revealed. Not to mention, more than a hundred years ago, Japan repelled the Mongolian attack, although it was protected by the divine wind. But it is also a victory. Over the years, there is not much left of the panic about the Yuan Dynasty's attack. But the victory over the Yuan Dynasty has become a matter of course.
It seems that the Yuan Dynasty was more powerful than the Ming Dynasty today. Even the Yuan Dynasty could not conquer Japan, and the Ming Dynasty certainly could not do it either.
Compared with the situation in Goryeo, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was more worried about the changes in Kyushu. At the same time, he was greedy for the price given by the Koreans. Once the Koreans surrendered. He will be able to extend Japan's territory to the mainland, which is a great achievement that has never been achieved by previous generals and emperors.
Why can't Ashikaga Yoshimitsu be moved?
Although he was excited, he was also afraid of Daming's strength.
Then I came to ask my teacher.
Yoriyuki Hosokawa actually knew very well what he, a student, was thinking about during the discussion. It is precisely because I understand that I dare not say it directly. After all, his disciple is not that broad-minded. Otherwise he wouldn't be a monk here.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said: "Teacher, don't you know what to do?"
Hosokawa Yoriyuki said: "Old monk, after much thought, I haven't come up with any solution that has both sides. It can annex Goryeo's territory without offending the Ming Dynasty."
After hearing what Hosokawa Yoriyuki said, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu suddenly felt something in his heart. He thought about it carefully and said to himself: "Yes. What I want is the land of Goryeo. Not the submission of the King of Goryeo. The King of Goryeo is now a bereaved dog. What's the point of asking for his surrender? Besides, annexing the territory of Goryeo doesn't necessarily mean fighting with the Ming Dynasty."
For a time, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had a vicious plan in his mind.
If he destroyed Goryeo before the Ming Dynasty, he would be able to occupy the remaining land of Goryeo. Although it is much less than Goryeo in its heyday. But it is also the old land of Silla. It is much, much larger than any of the sixty-six countries in Japan.
As for the relationship with Daming, as long as they don't break up. We fought several times in private. Let Ming know how powerful Japanese samurai are. In the future, peace can naturally be achieved. It's nothing more than trying to give up some status.
It must be said that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had several contacts with Daming, which left a deep impression on him. It's not another impression, it's that the Ming Dynasty envoys paid special attention to etiquette, and there was no problem at all. But in terms of actual benefits, I don't care too much.
This gave Ashikaga Yoshimitsu the illusion that he could negotiate with Ming Dynasty.
There is precedent for this too.
When the Tang Dynasty destroyed Baekje, it did not annex Baekje, but left it to Silla. Even the Ming Dynasty wouldn't want this remote land. It's just that the King of Goryeo, Wang You, was capricious. Colluding with the Yuan Dynasty only offended the Ming Dynasty.
With humble words and generous courtesy, Ming might be able to let go of Goryeo's last bit of territory.
In fact, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had this plan. It was said under the temptation of Hosokawa Yoriyuki. Hosokawa Yoriyuki still knows this disciple very well. He may not agree with this plan, but he knows very well that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu will definitely like this plan.
Sure enough, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu wanted to understand this, suddenly laughed and said: "Teacher is indeed very wise. I figured out what to do?"
"General, can you give some advice to the old monk?" Hosokawa Yoriyuki said.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said: "Teacher, why should you be anxious? Teacher will naturally know it in a few days." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu hurriedly left.
Hosokawa Yoriyuki was sipping tea carefully under the cherry blossom tree. When the wind blew, countless cherry blossoms fell on Hosokawa Yoriyuki's monk robe. The old monk with a white beard fell into deep thought. After all, he had been in power for a long time, and the Hosokawa family was also very powerful. He is the pillar of the shogunate, and there are some things that he cannot help but think about.
If possible, with his approach, he would not pay attention to Goryeo's affairs. But Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was not him. He knew it early.
The hearts of master and disciple are never the same.
He figured out a lot. The only thing I don't understand is how Ming Dynasty will deal with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's move. He has also learned about overseas news over the years, and even has a few official newspapers in his hand. He always feels that the current Ming Dynasty is changing every day, and there are many differences from the Ming Dynasty in the early Hongwu years that he understands.
Hosokawa Yoriyuki thought for a long time and couldn't figure it out. Suddenly my heart moved, I picked up the tea bowl and tasted it carefully. He thought to himself: "I have served the Third Shogun for so many years, and now that I am old, why do I still want to do so much? The world belongs to the Ashikaga family, not the Hosokawa family."
