As he was talking, he saw a man rushing onto the deck. He was only wearing a two-level armor and no helmet. He was holding two short halberds. He rushed into the enemy group like a tornado, slashing left and right, like chopping vegetables. Knock down your opponent. The Japanese around him were slashing and stabbing with harpoons, but his halberds were dancing like the wind, and he couldn't get close at all. In a short time, he killed seven or eight people, and their bodies fell to the ground around him. The rest of the Japanese saw this. They all jumped on the side of the boat and fled to their own boats. This man actually jumped into the Japanese boat, killed several more people, and took two boats before he finished!
"Is this your disciple too?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"Yes, it's my third disciple, named Li Bo, who is good at using both halberds!"
"Ask him to come up quickly!" Wang Wenzuo was both angry and amused: "Just drive the Japanese away. Why bother so hard? What if we fall into the water?"
"Yes, yes!" Cao Wenzong took a thick rope, jumped onto the side of the ship, and swung the rope to the Japanese boat where Li Bo was. Li Bo grabbed the rope, and Cao Wenzong pulled hard. Then he pulled him back with the rope. The master and the apprentice cooperated tacitly, and they were able to get on the boat in three clicks.
"Hongdu, Hongdu, how do you feel now?" Wang Wenzuo looked at Cui Hongdu who was lying on the bed. The doctor had taken out the arrow on his right shoulder. His face was a little pale and he looked very tired.
"It's not bad!" Cui Hongdu showed a wry smile: "I was careless and fell into the trap of a thief, making you laugh!"
"You can't say that. You and I are envoys of the Tang Dynasty now, and we are not going to the battlefield. Who will be on full alert? Besides, you and I were standing together just now. The thief either shot you or me, so your arrow is for me. I got it!" Wang Wenzuo patted the back of Cui Hongdu's hand: "Just be careful and take care of yourself. I just asked the doctor. The thief's bow was soft, and the arrow didn't penetrate deeply into the flesh. It only bled a little, and there was no muscle or bone. hinder!"
After hearing Wang Wenzuo's comfort, Cui Hongdu's face looked better: "Saburo, but this matter is indeed a bit strange. It is only two or three days away from the capital of the Japanese country by water. There are many ships on the river. How could there be so much water suddenly appearing?" Are thieves coming? You dare to attack a big ship like ours, I’m afraid there’s something fishy going on!”
"Is there anything fishy? This is all the Japanese people worry about!" Wang Wenzuo sneered: "I have ordered the ship to be turned back to Nambazu!"
"Back to Nambazu?"
"Yes, I have sent a letter to the Japanese, giving them ten days to investigate, and they must give me an explanation. No, give Datang an explanation. If they don't give me a satisfactory reply within ten days, I will immediately turn the ship back to Baidu. Help!"
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Asukakyo, Kawahara Palace.
"What? The envoy from the Tang Dynasty walked halfway and turned back?" The prince, the eldest brother, stood up from behind the case. His face was as cloudy and heavy as the sky outside the window: "What happened?"
"The envoy from the Tang Dynasty was attacked by water pirates on the way to the ship. The deputy envoy was hit by an arrow in the shoulder. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured!" Nakatomi Kamatashi's voice was as calm as usual: "The envoy from the Tang Dynasty said that we would be given ten days to track down the mastermind behind the scenes. If there is no result in ten days, he will go back to Baekje and report this matter to the emperor!"
"Absolutely not!" Prince Zhong Daxiong came out from behind the case and paced around the room quickly: "We must not let the Tang Dynasty envoy go back. Come, prepare a gift immediately. I will go to Namba Tsu in person to visit the Tang Dynasty deputy envoy. , you hurry up and investigate, and you must come up with a result within ten days!"
"Yes!" Nakatomi Kamazu was not surprised at all by Nakatomi's fierce reaction to Prince Naka's eldest brother. What the Tang envoys sent was actually an ultimatum: If the mastermind behind the scenes could not be handed over, then this attack would be understood as a military provocation. There is no need to continue diplomatic negotiations, and they will most likely be replaced by military action.
"Wait a minute!" Prince Nakatomi, the eldest brother, stopped Nakatomi Kamatashi: "Nakatomi-san, do you think this attack is a show staged by the Tang Dynasty?"
"It's unlikely! If it's acting, who will act with the Tang people? To put it bluntly, whether it is Dahairen, Saitama, or even other domestic wealthy families, it will not do them any good to fight with the Tang people!"
Prince Nakadai nodded, just as Nakatomi Kamatashi said, Dahairen, Saitama and other wealthy Japanese families, they
The purpose of fighting openly and secretly with the eldest brother and prince is either to fight for the throne or to fight for their own interests. However, a long-term military confrontation or even a direct war with a behemoth like the Tang Dynasty will not do any good for any of them. They can use the power of the Tang people to eliminate dissidents. They might do it, but attacking the Tang envoys and engaging in an all-out war would be unlikely.
"Since it can't be a Tang Dynasty actor, it must be an accident?" The eldest brother, the prince, sighed: "How could something like this happen at this juncture!"
"Actually, it's not surprising if you think about it carefully!" Nakatomi Kamazu said: "The Yamato River was originally the largest channel for countries to transport tribute to the capital. Attacks and robberies on tribute ships have not never happened. The only surprise is that they collided with each other this time. Ordinarily, *** people would not choose Tang people’s ships. After all, Tang people’s ships are so big and they don’t look easy to mess with!”
"That's enough in normal times, but this time it's different!" said the eldest brother, the prince, "Mr. Zhongchen, time is of the essence, and you have full authority to deal with the matter of clearing out the enemy!"
"As you command!"
"Also, send a letter to Fuyu Fengzhang and ask him to mobilize 1,000 Baekje people to Omi!"
"Thousands of Baekje people are going to Omi?" Nakatomi Kamatashi was stunned when he heard this: "Your Highness, the envoy from the Tang Dynasty wants us to hand over Fuyu Fengzhang, why do we still need to transfer his people to Omi? It will cause too much trouble."
"Without him, we must have a backup plan for the worst case scenario!" The prince, the eldest brother, looked gloomy, as if the Bodhisattva statue behind him had developed a lot of patina.
What is different from what most readers imagine is that most ancient countries had very loose control over the territory and people under their rule. The control areas were generally points or even lines rather than areas, even if they were only a dozen kilometers away from the capital. , it is not surprising at all that large groups of bandits and rebels appear in the hinterland area of tens of kilometers, and Japan is no exception. The Yamato River, which leads from Namba Tsu to the Nara Basin, is the choke point for transporting tribute from various places. Naturally, many people on both sides of the strait have spawned a living relying on these tribute ships. The most daring among them are the people who rob tribute ships. The ruler of the Yamato Kingdom They call it ***.
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Amaterasu Shrine.
"Master!" The spy lowered his voice: "Soldiers are being recruited over at Kawahara Palace, and there are also many people with bows gathered at the Nakatomi family's residence!"
"Katsurogi wants to use force?" Princess Saitama stood up and said, "This bastard is up to his old tricks again! Send an order to recruit warriors from the territory and gather at the shrine within two days!"
"As you command!"
Like a frightened leopard in a cage, Princess Saitama hurried back and forth uneasily. She knew very well the strength of Prince Naka, the eldest brother, and was different from those in later generations who could only write various decrees and hide behind the curtain when encountering real swords and guns. The difference between the trembling emperor, emperor and emperor is that the blood in the veins of the Japanese royal family at this time is not dirty yet, and the struggle between them is direct and cruel. Both the princes and the tribal elders can write letters on horseback. A warrior who can kill the enemy on horseback. Prince Nakadai is one of the leaders. Since the Otomi Incident that wiped out the powerful Soga clan, countless royal and wealthy leaders have died under his hands. Is it my turn this time?
"Here, bring a pen and paper!"
Princess Saitama asked someone to get paper and pen, write down the document quickly, and then summoned a confidant: "You immediately get on the fastest boat and send this letter to the Tang Dynasty envoy. Remember, you must hand it over to the Tang Dynasty." Envoy!"
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Namba Tsu.
On a cold morning with a strong north wind, Wang Wenzuo stood on the terrace of the building and looked at the Japanese who were coming ashore not far away. The flags fluttering had the insignia of the Japanese royal family. The first to come ashore were the guards. The soldiers' spear points were on Blinking in the pale sunlight. There was an officer walking in front of the team, and the drummer behind him beat the wooden drum on his chest, "Dong, dong, dong." The sound of the drum was dull and thick, as if it was beating on everyone's chest.
"This time there is a big shot!" Cui Hongdu whispered. His right shoulder was tightly wrapped in white cloth and had a big bulge, which looked a little funny.
"It's the Japanese royal family, either from the sea, or the prince himself, the eldest brother!"
"Prince Zhongda brother? He came in person?"
Wang Wenzuo didn't say anything. He walked down the terrace and said loudly: "Go down and line up!"
The meeting between the two parties was simple and direct. The first thing the prince said when he saw Wang Wenzuo was: "Your envoy, you can go to the capital with me. This should ensure your safety!"
"What about the thieves who attacked me?"
"I have handed over this matter to Nakatomi Kamazu! He is my most capable subordinate!" Prince Nakatomi, the eldest brother, looked directly into Wang Wenzuo's eyes. His eyes seemed to have a kind of magic, which made Wang Wenzuo feel even more pressure and want to He had the urge to avoid, but Wang Wenzuo forced himself to look directly at the opponent: "What about our conditions?"
"We can talk about this on board the ship!" said the eldest brother, the prince, "We have enough time on the way, don't we?"
"That's fine!" Wang Wenzuo had to admit that the man in front of him had a special magic power that could guide the negotiation in the direction he wanted. This made Wang Wenzuo a little admired and a little wary: "You'd better take my boat. ! Bigger and more stable!"
Under the control of the sailors, the ship left the dock, raised the sails, caught the wind blowing from the side, and began to swim upstream along the zigzag shape. The prince, the eldest brother of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at the huge hull with envy as it did not require a wooden beam. The oar can sail upstream, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty, you used a boat like this to win the battle at the mouth of Baijiang River, right?"
"The ship played a certain role!" Wang Wenzuo replied: "But in the final analysis, the battle is still fought by people!"
"That's natural!" Prince Zhong Daxiong said with a smile: "After all, ships need people to control them! But people who came back from Baekje told me that the Tang army's warships were very powerful. If it hadn't been for the failure of the naval battle, the situation would have been in our favor. !」
"That's what Fuyu Fengzhang said, right?" Wang Wenzuo laughed: "That's not surprising, that guy is a liar. It's because you believed what he said that you ended up in the situation you are in today!"
The prince, the eldest brother, showed a bitter smile and shook his head: "If I hand him over to you, what will you do with him?"
"If it were me, I would chop off his head!" Wang Wenzuo answered bluntly: "But it's not my turn to make the decision in this matter. I guess the emperor will let him go to Luoyang or Chang'an to be with his relatives!"
"Luoyang or Chang'an?" Prince Zhong, the eldest brother, laughed: "It sounds really good, but I'm not a villain in vain!"
"I don't know if he is a villain or not! But handing him over will not be a bad thing for you, the Tang Dynasty, or even himself!" Wang Wenzuo stretched out his right hand and pointed at the chest of the eldest brother, the prince: "Unless you still want to Send troops to Baekje for the second time, otherwise this guy will be a trouble to your country and will not be of any benefit at all!"
"After the Battle of Baijiangkou, my country has no intention of sending troops to Baekje!" The prince, the eldest brother, said solemnly: "As for Fuyu Fengzhang, his wife is the beloved daughter of our general Ampere Hirafu. Besides, he is poor. If you don’t protect me when you come to Ji, it will be disrespectful to our country!”
"Fuyu Fengzhang has more than one wife. We all know how he treats his other wife's brother!" Wang Wenzuo sneered: "Such unscrupulous people will only cause trouble. Your Highness, you'd better think more clearly! "
The eldest brother, the prince, did not pay attention to the obvious threat in Wang Wenzuo's words. He smiled and turned to the west: "Your Majesty, do you know? Although I have never been to Chang'an, I was also a fan of the Tang Dynasty when I was young. "Han Shu" and "Zuo Zuo" "Biography" and "Three Kingdoms", I couldn't put it down after reading them! I also wanted to go to Chang'an to see it in person, but unfortunately I never had the chance!"
Wang Wenzuo was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect why the other party suddenly changed the topic to Chang'an, so he had to say: "If Your Highness is willing to come, our country will definitely entertain you!"
"It's a pity that I don't have this blessing because I am busy with secular affairs! But I will send more young people to your country. They are more suitable to study than me!" The prince, the eldest brother of Zhongda, smiled and said: "I heard people who went to Chang'an say when I was young However, there are many foreigners in Chang'an, your country. Many of them are people who have subjugated their country. They fled to Chang'an and asked the Holy Emperor for asylum, and then they settled in Chang'an. Over time, they became Chang'an people. This Fuyu Fengzhang He is also a man who has subjugated his country, why doesn’t your country allow me to do the same thing?”
This guy has come around in such a big circle, and he is waiting for me here!
Wang Wenzuo thought to himself, but said: "Your Highness, survival is indeed the right way in the world. It is a benevolent and righteous act for me in the Tang Dynasty to do such things, but if your country does it, I am afraid it is a bit overestimating its own capabilities, and it is not enough to be self-sufficient. But if you want to follow the king's way, you will bring disaster to the sunless world!"
After hearing Wang Wenzuo's words, the prince, the eldest brother, looked a little ugly and said with a forced smile: "Although our country is not as good as the Tang Dynasty, it has more than 3,000 miles of land to make up for its shortcomings. It has a household registration of one million, and 200,000 soldiers. With the mountain We build a city and use the sea as a pool. The outcome is yet to be determined!"
