My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 41 The Correct Way to Use Yao Guangxiao
Zhu Yuanzhang had almost no dealings with the word "billion" in his life.

The number I came into contact with most when I was a child was a bowl of porridge.

When I was young, I was a broken bowl.

Later, the numbers I encountered became larger and larger, such as ten taels of silver, a hundred strings of copper coins, and killing a thousand enemies...

Even after becoming emperor, the biggest number he came into contact with was the collection of 10 million dan of grain.

"Billion" is a number that only exists in dreams. No, no, I can't even dream of it!
Now, someone told him that on the other side of the sea, there was a country called Wakoku, where there were silver mountains, and three silver mountains in fact, with over 100 million taels of silver!
No, no, it’s 36.48 billion taels!

More than three hundred, that’s 100 million!

The stars in the sky and the grains of sand in the rivers are not this many, right?
God has mercy on us. We didn’t expect that Japan, which is as poor as a ghost, is full of silver!

Compared with him, Shen Wansan is just a beggar!

Wait, Lao Li said, the Japanese don’t know yet!
This means that the three silver mines are like undiscovered virgin lands, opening their arms and waiting for us, Old Zhu, to explore and conquer them!

Old Li, it seems that he knows everything about everything in the world!

It's a pity that you, Old Li, are too indifferent to fame and fortune, otherwise, I, Old Zhu, would really like to build an ancestral hall and a temple for you so that you can enjoy the incense and respect of the world!

However, the biggest difficulty in the eastern expedition to Japan is the ocean that is like a chasm between the Ming Dynasty and Japan.

In the past, the Yuan Tartars launched three invasions into Japan, suffered two disastrous defeats and failed once. The reason for this was that the Yuan Tartars all rode horses on the grasslands and were not good at naval battles.

In this way, Old Zhu will understand why Old Li has always emphasized the importance of shipbuilding technology!
Let’s see what Lao Li says. I’m sure he has a solution.

“The three silver mines are Iwami Silver Mine, Sama Silver Mine, and Besshi Silver Mine.

Although the silver mountain is there, it is not within easy reach. Moreover, we have to guard against Japan's evil ambitions.

Therefore, Japan must be conquered and controlled!

It is not only for the peaceful development of China in the next thousand years, nor is it just for the three silver mountains. More importantly, Ming Dynasty can use Japan as a key point to expand Ming Dynasty's maritime interests eastwards!
So if we want to conquer Japan, we cannot be in a hurry. The shortest distance between Japan and Ming Dynasty is 1,380 miles, which is almost an insurmountable gap for the current Ming Dynasty.

Then the Ming Dynasty must establish a springboard to achieve its offensive against Japan.

One of them is the Ryukyu Islands. Ryukyu can be said to be the most loyal vassal state of China, but it is currently divided into three small countries: Shannan, Zhongshan, and Shanbei. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty can help them unify into one country, or incorporate them into the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

By controlling Ryukyu, you can clamp down on Japan to the north, and control the Penghu Islands to the south!

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty also has urgent practical interests, which is to greatly reduce the living space of Japanese pirates! "

Ryukyu?

Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his head and thought for a long time before he remembered that in the tenth year of Hongwu, envoys from the three Ryukyu countries did come to the Ming Dynasty separately, hoping that the Ming Dynasty would grant them the status of vassal states and establish tributary relations.

At that time, seeing that the Ryukyu envoys were loyal to the Ming Dynasty, he granted them vassal status and established tributary relations.

What Lao Li said was correct. When the Ryukyu envoys came to pay tribute, they did express their desire to become citizens of the Ming Dynasty. However, I didn't care about Ryukyu at all at that time, and the matter was left unresolved.

Now it seems that I was short-sighted!

It’s so hateful, Lao Li, why didn’t you write to Lao Zhu earlier!
"And the other, and most important, springboard against Japan is Goryeo!

As I said before, Goryeo's location is extremely important, and the closest distance between Goryeo and Japan is only about 400 miles.

Therefore, in the future, Japan will repeatedly invade China, all using Goryeo as a springboard! "

Did Japan launch invasions against China repeatedly?
It seems that this happened more than once in the late Qing Dynasty. Very good, very good!

A sharp cold light flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes!

"Therefore, the Ming Dynasty wanted to destroy the Jianzhou Jurchens in order to further control Goryeo and control this springboard for the war against Japan!" Destroy the Oirat Mongols, conquer Liaodong, control Goryeo, and finally conquer Japan. It seems that Lao Li has already had a plan in mind.

“Finally, let’s talk about how to fight against Japan.

Of course, there are also the more urgent remnants of the Yuan Dynasty and the Wala Mongols who need to be dealt with!

However, all of this can be done simultaneously.

Let us first analyze the domestic situation in Japan.

Today's Japan is in the period of division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Southern Dynasty, with the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty as its center, is entrenched in Yoshino, but its strength is relatively weak.

The North, centered around Emperor Kita-no-Kamikado and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, controlled Kyoto and the surrounding areas.

The Northern Dynasty had great advantages in economy, politics and military. In the future, it was also under the promotion of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu that the Northern Dynasty achieved the unification of Japan.

So what do you think about the current situation in Japan, Old Zhu?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was happy and said, "Old Li, you are testing me."

The Northern Dynasty is strong and the Southern Dynasty is weak, so if the Ming Dynasty wants to intervene, it will naturally support the Southern Dynasty. It would be best to let the Northern and Southern Dynasties fight each other to the death, and finally the Ming Dynasty will come in and reap the benefits!
"Of course, the best strategy is to support the Southern Dynasty, fan the flames between the North and the South, and make the people in the North and the South have their brains beaten into dog brains.

But there is a better solution!"

A human brain is beaten into a dog brain?

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help laughing again. Every time he communicated with Li Han, he would be amused by his humorous and hilarious words.

And Old Li said there is another best solution, and Old Zhu is really looking forward to it!
“Although the Southern Dynasty is weak, it controls the three sacred treasures that represent the power of the emperor, namely the Kusanagi sword, the Eight-foot Mirror, and the Yasakani no Magatama. These things are just like the imperial seal of China. Whoever controls them can represent the orthodoxy.

But true power comes from strength. The weak Southern Dynasty possessed the three sacred artifacts, which meant that he was innocent but was guilty of possessing the treasures.

The Emperor Go-Komatsu of the Northern Dynasty was actually a puppet of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

It would be fine if he was content to be a puppet, but Emperor Go-Komatsu was not willing to do so. He also had the ambition to restore the glory of his ancestors, which gave us enough room to maneuver.

Therefore, the Ming Dynasty should not only secretly support the Southern Dynasty, but also secretly support Emperor Go-Komatsu, and even Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who could also be communicated with.

He could fully create discord between Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Emperor Go-Komatsu, and support Emperor Go-Komatsu, so that he would have enough strength to challenge Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, but he must not be fed enough!
At the same time, you can also make selective investments in the daimyo who rule various parts of Japan!
The Ming Dynasty wanted to let the weak Southern Dynasty hold the so-called three sacred treasures to represent the power of the emperor and symbolically unify Japan, but at the same time, it wanted to contain it with the separatist daimyo in various places, so as to achieve the goal of controlling the entire Japan at the lowest cost! "

Silence, deathly silence!

Zhu Yuanzhang was having an intense brainstorming session in his mind. This best strategy fully integrated the strategies of killing with a borrowed knife, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, watching the fire from the other side of the river, smiling but hiding a dagger, counter-espionage, chain strategies, and so on!

It is simply the culmination of all Thirty-Six Stratagems and is extremely vicious!

But, we, Old Zhu, like it very much!
Old Li, actually, the Thirty-Six Stratagems were written by you!
"Then, the key to the implementation of this plan lies in how to alienate Emperor Komatsu and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who were the ones fueling the flames.

Here, I have an idea, what do you think, Old Zhu?

Monk Daoyan was a man of extraordinary talent and a rebellious nature. He was a natural rebel and chaos maker.

You see, he was sent to Japan as an angel of the Ming Dynasty to have friendly communication with Emperor Go-Komatsu and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in order to promote the building of friendly relations between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Dynasty.

how do you feel? "

With a click, the letter paper in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand fell to the ground unconsciously, and he was completely unaware of it.

This time, he was really surprised by Li Han’s plan!
Note 1: The phrase Thirty-Six Strategies originated from the "Book of Southern Qi·Biography of Wang Jingze" in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, but it was systematically compiled in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that there was nothing wrong with the Thirty-Six Strategies.

Note 2: Emperor Go-Komatsu is not well-known in China, but he has a son who is quite famous. Book friends can guess who he is.

(End of this chapter)