Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 444: Overlord outside, sage inside

It is an imperial edict and also a manifesto.

As for North Korea’s past affairs, we will leave it to the higher powers to make the final decision.

Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the young Prince Lu sat on the throne, looking down with curious eyes.

Prince Hui Zhu Changrun and Prince Duan Zhu Changying occupied the guest seats at the first two sides of the hall.

Then on the left and right were the Korean officials headed by Li Sancai and the Ming officials headed by Tian Le.

"Old Master, just give the order." Li Sancai was very obedient, "Everyone in North Korea will obey."

Since the Ming Dynasty made this decision, Korea entered another transitional stage.

In the first stage, Prince Lu became the ruler of Joseon and Ming Dynasty appointed a group of civil and military ministers. However, Joseon still had its own independent army and existed as a vassal state.

In the new stage, Korea has become a province, but it has not been named yet, and it may not be a complete province in the future. Li Sancai, the governor of Korea, is of course equivalent to returning to the status of a minister of the Ming Dynasty and must follow the emperor's orders.

And Tianle was the highest decision-maker on the front line of this expedition against Japan.

Tian Le nodded upon hearing this, and saluted to the prince and two county princes above him, and then looked at Jin Jingrui: "General Jin, do you need me to explain the purpose of this battle again?"

Jin Jingrui simply clasped his fists and said, "I understand clearly. The army has been rectified, and I will lead all the brave officers and soldiers to follow the heavenly soldiers to fight against the Japanese pirates. I will fight to the death!"

Tian Le looked at him deeply and said, "This is a blessing for the Korean people. General Jin's loyalty and bravery will be recorded in history."

Jin Jingrui looked relieved.

How can Jin Jingrui's reputation be written when he remonstrated with Li Hui here? This story cannot be erased.

Although the winner can help him beautify it, the most important person is Jin Jingrui himself.

He originally thought that if he persuaded Li Hui, Joseon would remain Joseon, and it would just be replaced by a wise king to rectify the government and drive out foreign enemies. However, the trend after that was that the Li clan's ancestral temple was cut off, and the ruler of Joseon took on the surname Zhu.

But over the years, Jin Jingrui had to admit that although Li Sancai, the governor of Korean affairs, and other Ming civil and military officials sent to Korea "started a massacre", they only killed those unwilling and stubborn families and old meritorious generals. In addition, under their leadership, the administration of Korean officials was completely changed.

After the first two or three years, each province really entered a state of recuperation and reduced taxes and levies - this was of course because a large amount of wealth, land, and industry were confiscated in the previous purge.

This kind of "cleansing" began again after last summer.

This time, they need to make a choice: to become subjects of the Ming Dynasty from now on, or to follow their king to Japan to establish a new country?
Those who were purged were those who clung to their "homeland and country" and were unwilling to be naturalized as Ming Dynasty subjects, yet wanted to continue living freely in their homeland.

The Ming Dynasty did not give them this choice.

As for Jin Jingrui, if he could achieve success in the process of conquering Japan, history would be able to add another evaluation for him: his choice was due to national hatred.

It’s better to go to Japan, leave this homeland and explore new territories.

"Then there is no need for me to say more." Tian Le continued, this time to the three people above, "The two county princes are newly appointed. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has donated money to help with the military expenses. In the future, the Japanese islands will be under the jurisdiction of Prince Lu in Honshu and Ezo, and the two county princes will each occupy Kyushu and Shikoku."

This is the division of territory in advance. Zhu Changrun and Zhu Changying did not have much experience, they were just following orders, so what opinions could they have?
Tian Le said to Jin Jingrui and other Korean-born civil and military officials, "The territory of Honshu and Ezo in Japan is not much smaller than that of Korea today. After the war, the remaining Japanese population is also millions."

"Rely on the power of the country above."

That's all they said.

Yes, the Ming Dynasty wanted to incorporate Korea into its territory, but it would also give them an equally tempting bargaining chip: a huge island that was less likely to have many foreign enemies and millions of people who could be governed.

So this work is not difficult to accomplish.

But they are just plans at the moment.

"Then we will set the date on the sixth day of next month and send troops to Tsushima Island!" Tian Le said solemnly, "The Tsushima Island clan will surrender if they ask for it. I will keep them for good!"

……

With such a big commotion in the Ming Dynasty, how could the So clan on Tsushima Island not know about it?
The strait was not very wide, and when spies sailed across it, they would always know that Korea was already shrouded in war clouds and its troops were heading straight for Japan.

Tsushima has always been the front line.

When the Mongols invaded the East, Tsushima Island was the first stop. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi was going to march to the mainland, Tsushima Island was the frontline command center. Now that the Ming Dynasty and Korea are going to counterattack Japan, Tsushima Island is the front line again.

It is true that there has never been a precedent of a successful complete conquest of Japan, but Tsushima Island would definitely not be able to withstand it - it was occupied by the Mongols in the past.

Even during the Gyi Hai expedition during the reign of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty, Tsushima Island could not withstand the attack and quickly surrendered.

There were benefits to surrendering. The clan would declare itself a vassal of Korea, with one island serving two masters, and would gain the privilege of dominating the trade between the two countries.

This situation was not interrupted until Toyotomi Hideyoshi took action. If nothing had changed, the main family would have returned to this situation at this moment, and even be recognized by the shogunate more than ten years later, with the main family of Tsushima Island fully presiding over diplomacy with Korea.

The current lord of Tsushima Domain, So Yoshishige, is only thirteen years old and he just celebrated his birthday.

After his father died the year before, he went to Edo with his retainers last year to pay homage to the Ogosho and was allowed to inherit the family headship.

Of course, the ones who made great contributions were his retainers who supported him, and the most important among them was Yanagawa Tiaoxing.

But at the critical moment, Yanagawa Tiaoxing was not there.

When Tokugawa Ieyasu passed away last year, Yanagawa Chosei went to Tsushima Island to pay his respects, but why hasn't he returned for so long?

"That guy!" Another retainer of So Yoshishinari gnashed his teeth, "He has been unwilling to stay in Tsushima! He can no longer enjoy the privilege of trading with the other side like in the past. That guy is not willing to wait like this any longer!"

"Does he think that the General needs more retainers now..."

"Everyone knows that he wants to be a retainer of the shogunate! When he was guarding Tamba before, he never kept quiet!"

The retainers complained a lot, blaming Liuchuan Tiaoxing for not being on the island when the enemy was approaching. However, the island's defense could not be separated from him: the young master was young, and many of them only listened to Liuchuan Tiaoxing's arrangements.

There must be someone to come forward to coordinate. In the past two years, this position has been managed by the Yanagawa family, with the cooperation of other families.

Zong Yicheng was at a loss: "What should I do now? Surrender."

Several retainers lowered their heads and said nothing.

What is Bushido? Zong Yicheng couldn't figure it out, but they did.

The Ming Dynasty and Korea might counterattack. We have known about this for a long time. How can Tsushima Island be defended in the face of a major war?
Liuchuan Tiaoxing refused to go back. Was he trying to avoid the possible war?
The previous general passed away, and although the current second-generation general has been in that position for many years, the real power is not in his hands. This is the window where the enemy is most likely to attack.

Just when they were at a loss, someone came running to report: "Lord Yanagawa is back with a lot of warships!" "What?" Zong Yicheng was surprised and delighted, "A lot of warships?"

Tsushima Island is not big, so of course they immediately rushed to the port from the mountain city.

After seeing Yanagawa Tiaoxing, he greeted other retainers enthusiastically, and then bowed solemnly to So Yoshinari: "Your Highness! I am back late! But..."

He turned around and pointed at the ships parked at the port, and said proudly: "The general finally accepted my advice and concluded that this war is inevitable! Tsushima Island is the first bastion against the strong enemy. The general will personally go to Kansai and lead all countries to defeat the strong enemy! These are the first batch of warships and samurai from Edo to support Tsushima!"

Zong Yichen was young, so although he felt relieved, he also knew the seriousness of the matter.

"So... we must continue the fight?"

"We have been protecting Tsushima for generations. How can we retreat without a fight?" Yanagawa said solemnly, "Your Highness, do you want other countries to laugh at us for being weak in Tsushima and not having a single samurai?"

"But……"

Zong Yicheng just wondered, can they win? How long will it take? After the battle, will Tsushima be a ruin?
"Are you also scared?" Yanagawa Tiaoxing looked righteous, "No matter who it is, as long as they cross the sea to attack, they will become food for the fish in the sea under the power of Amaterasu and the divine wind! Have you forgotten the entrustment of the lord?"

"Tiao Xing-san... Can the General really continue to support Tsushima?"

"What do you think I, Yanagawa Tiaoxing, have been doing in Edo for the past six months?" Yanagawa Tiaoxing said angrily, "Foolish fellow! The Shogun now needs to make all countries obey the one country, one city order! We only have one Shimizu Castle against us, and we don't have any other burdens. If the Shogun cannot lead all countries to resist powerful enemies, how can the heroes from all over the world recognize the Shogun's ability and bravery?"

After that, he said without question: "Stop talking so much. Go and prepare the wine and beauties to entertain the heroes coming from Edo!"

Looking at the troops gradually getting off the warships, it seemed that Yanagawa Tiaoxing was really determined to fight to the end in Tsushima.

Even though he was not the lord of Tsushima.

However, So Yoshishige had no say at all, after all, Yanagawa Tiaoxing seemed to have brought power from the shogunate.

Tsushima is ready for battle.

At the banquet, Yanagawa Tiaoxing discussed the battle plan in detail with the "Special Attack Team 1" who came from Edo for support, and it seemed that they did not consider retreat at all.

But Zong Yicheng always felt that they were too close.

"Of course the head of the family will go to the front line to boost morale! I, Yanagawa Tiaoxing, assure you that Your Highness is the descendant of Master Ziguo, and the courage of the more than 80 Tsushima samurai who resisted foreign enemies still exists!"

Zong Yicheng couldn't help but panic: Go to the front line?

More than three hundred years ago, when the Mongols attacked, his ancestor Zong Ziguo did lead more than eighty cavalrymen on the island to resist enemies that were dozens of times their number, but the final result was that he died on the spot.

Of course, the So clan also replaced the Abiru clan and became the master of Tsushima.

Among the three defense lines of the harbor front, South Island headquarters and mountain castle in the current combat deployment, why doesn't he, as the feudal lord, stay in the mountain castle?

……

For Zhu Changluo, the execution effect of the first step of the East Asia plan was not something to worry about.

He believed in Tianle's ability, and it would be strange if Tsushima Island, a tiny island that was quite familiar to both Ming and Korea and was isolated in the sea, could not be taken.

As for the price? It won't be big, and it will be paid mainly by the Korean soldiers - that is what they must pay to regain a vassal state that is not too constrained by the upper country.

Now he is like a player playing a real strategy game. The battle plan has been deployed and all he has to do now is wait for the battle report.

The days of waiting for battle reports are long, but they do not mean we are idle.

Other specific matters were easy to deal with, and he didn't need to worry too much. But the tasks assigned to the ministers before the New Year, they each gave their own opinions, so this aspect needed to be focused on.

This also shows their ability and willingness.

Zhu Changluo found a relatively free time when all the government offices were occupied and summoned them together in the Huangji Hall.

All seven ministers are here, and the topic starts with the disaster relief work that has been going on for so many years.

"In addition to giving them the opportunity to make meritorious contributions during the cessation of war in recent years, which facilitated the rectification of local administration, the army often appeared and made local officials fearful. Have you ever thought about the purpose of this?"

When the emperor asked questions, they naturally had to think about the answers.

Everyone knows that it is related to the core issue: how to ensure control over the military and enforce compliance with orders.

They also knew, of course, that the emperor did not seek absolutes. From the perspective of the theory of knowing through investigation of things, there is no absolute either, except that change is the absolute norm. Even if we do not understand it from this perspective, the experience of past dynasties also conforms to the theory of quantitative and qualitative changes - as long as there is no large-scale rebellion, there is still room for improvement.

However, since the emperor asked this question, it means that the various checks and balances they came up with based on their own understanding may not have gotten to the root of the problem.

In fact, there is no way, because there is still imperial power, and there is still the word loyalty. Everything has its pros and cons. If you overemphasize loyalty to the imperial power, then if the imperial power weakens and the emperor's own ability is limited, it is very likely that he will be countered by the military, which is too independent.

At this time, Xiong Tingbi was the first to think of something. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, do you mean... to win the hearts of the people?"

This sentence made Wang Yingjiao and others suddenly realize something.

"That's right! It's the will of the people!" Zhu Changluo nodded approvingly, "The stability of the throne depends on the will of the people. Although the will of the people is weak and scattered, it is an invisible force, almost like the law of nature! I want the army to participate in disaster relief, which is of course beneficial to the will of the people. But how can the will of the people restrain the army in turn? Fei Bai, tell me."

Xiong Tingbi pondered for a moment and said, "If the government troops are all doing disaster relief, suppressing bandits, and quelling rebellions, then they are actually defending the land and keeping the people safe. The difficulty is that over the years, this has been the case every time, with strict military discipline and no harm to the people. The people view the government troops in this way. If the government troops suddenly become rebels, even if the people are temporarily coerced or bewitched, they only need to wait for the emperor's order. If the rebels start to harm the people in order to survive, then morality will be lost and everyone will want to kill them."

"Not enough." Zhu Changluo added, "The rear will be like this. If there is a rebellion, what about the front line? In order to survive, I'm afraid there will be many people who will become fence-sitters."

Everyone thought about it and realized that this was indeed the truth. Which rebellion was not isolated and weak at the beginning? But since the war has begun, if the rebellion cannot be suppressed or even becomes stronger, it will eventually be irreversible.

Seeing that they were no longer talking, Zhu Changluo pointed at them and said, "There is only one way to avoid this disaster, and that way lies with you and the people!"

Ye Xianggao couldn't understand the reason for this at first.

He has weapons in his hands!

"If the government can serve the people and the country wholeheartedly, and the people under its rule firmly believe that the future will be better than the present, and the scholars of the world agree from the bottom of their hearts that the court is doing better and has won the hearts of the people, then what kind of all-round talents can succeed in rebellion?" Zhu Changluo asked them, "Which hero in history did not have a few military advisors around him? Which true dragon in the history did not have wise and good generals to assist him, and did indeed achieve better governance results and win the hearts of the people to gain the world?"

Ye Xianggao hesitated to speak, feeling that it was too boring to say so.

The court is so big, the government is so powerful, how can there be no omissions? Can everyone be like this?

And we are not thinking about this issue for the present, but for future generations. Time is so long, who can guarantee the future?
At this point, Zhu Changluo continued to ask them to think from another perspective.

"Next, why don't we think about how the Master became a saint?"

(End of this chapter)