Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

In May of the sixth year of Yongle, Pingjiang Bo Chen Xuan led the Ming Navy to conquer Yiqi Island.

At this point, the three springboards for attacking the Japanese archipelago are all in the hands of the Ming army.

In order to successfully land on Kyushu Island, Jiang Xinghuo also met a secret guest on Iki Island.

An old friend of the Ming Dynasty, Ryotoshi Imagawa, a former Kyushu explorer in Japan.

Imagawa Ryotoshi has a broad and far-reaching influence on Kyushu Island. This comes from the fact that when he served as the general manager of Kyushu's military and political affairs during the Southern and Northern Dynasties of Japan, he also served as a post, An Yun, Chikuzen, Chikugo, and Bunzen. , Hizen, Higo, Hyuga, Osumi, Satsuma and other countries' guardian daimyo.

Although he stepped down in the subsequent temple struggle, Imagawa Ryotoshi's influence has always been maintained.

"Master Imperial Master."

Imagawa Ryojun knelt down in front of Jiang Xinghuo. He came in disguise and didn't have much time, so he told a long story about his grudges with the shogunate and his demands.

"Thirteen years ago, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu dismissed me from the post of Kyushu Research Project and was succeeded by Mitsuru Shibukawa. This was because the Shibukawa family was related to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Shiba Yoshishog, and the shogunate leader who supported me at first Hosokawa Yoriyuki was forced to step down in the Kangli coup. Of course, the more important reason is that after the reunification of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who had established the power of the shogunate, believed that my power in Kyushu was too strong and that I had independent diplomatic power. (The envoy sent by the Ming Dynasty to confer Prince Huairang of the Southern Dynasty as the King of Japan was detained by Imagawa Ryojun. Imagawa Ryojun obtained the right to negotiate with the Ming Dynasty from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and also secretly negotiated with Goryeo Prime Minister Zheng Mengzhou alone. It would be too dangerous to continue negotiating with North Korea after the establishment of North Korea."

"Nine years ago, Ouchi Yoshihiro raised troops in Sakai, and the Oinaga Rebellion broke out. Because my fiefdoms were in Toe and Suruga Provinces, at that time, Kamakura Duke Ashikaga Mitsukane asked me to respond to the rebellion. Later, Oinaga The Ouchi clan was defeated in the Great Rebellion. If it hadn't been for the begging of my good friend Uesugi Kensada and my nephew Imagawa Taishin, I might not have had the opportunity to see the Imperial Master today. Back then, I only managed to survive at the expense of not participating in all political affairs in Shangluo. .”

"The Imperial Master knows the rest."

Jiang Xinghuo listened quietly, and then asked: "So, the Imagawa clan's fiefdoms are still the Yuanjiang Kingdom and the Suruga Kingdom?"

"Yes, Imagawa Yasinori is now the guardian daimyo."

"Does he support your plan?"

This is very important. In Japan in this era, even close brothers may turn against each other when it comes to interests. The same surname does not mean that they are in step with each other. It is not surprising that they regard each other as enemies.

"I am the head of the Imagawa clan." Imagawa Ryotoshi said with certainty.

"But Toe Country and Suruga Country are far away in Kanto, so we can't be of much help right now."

Jiang Xinghuo knew very well the current distribution of vassal states in Japan. The Imagawa clan's territory was all in Kanto. Now the Ming Dynasty was going to land on Kyushu Island, which was thousands of miles away.

Kyushu Island, also known as the "West Sea Route" of Japan's domestic administrative divisions, consists of Chikuzen Country, Chikugo Country, Bunzen Country, Bungo Country, Hizen Country, Higo Country, Hyuga Country, Osumi Country, Satsuma Country, Iki Country, There are eleven vassal states including Tsushima Kingdom, and now the vassal states on the two small islands of Iki Kingdom and Tsushima Kingdom have been captured by the Ming army. There are still nine vassal states left on Kyushu Island.

These Nine Kingdoms are basically the places that Imagawa Ryojun ruled during his tenure as Kyushu. It took Imakawa Ryojun twenty years to unify Kyushu Island, and his influence here cannot be ignored.

At present, these vassal states on Kyushu Island are basically under the rule of Shimazu, Otomo, and Ouchi. The strength of other guardian daimyo is not as good as them.

So the key is to get rid of Shimadzu, Otomo and Ouchi.

Imakawa Ryojun heard what Jiang Xinghuo meant.

"The head of the Ouchi clan, Ouchi Moromi, is a close friend of mine. He once served under me, so I can convince him."

The Ouchi clan is the most important force in Kyushu, and the feud between the Ouchi clan and the Muromachi shogunate has been going on for a long time.

The Ouchi family is different from many native-born families. The ancestor of the Ouchi family is Prince Seongrin, the third prince of King Seongmyeong of Baekje. After Prince Seongrin crossed the sea to Japan, he thrived here, and his descendants called themselves the "Tadoryang clan". "As time went by, the family moved to Ouchi Village and changed its name to "Ouchi clan". After the Kamakura shogunate was established, the Ouchi clan was awarded the title of Nagasaki for helping Minamoto Yoritomo pursue the remnants of the Ise Taira clan. Part of the fiefdom of Monkuni became the royal family of the Kamakura shogunate.

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Ouchi clan, who was loyal to the Southern Dynasties, was appointed by the Muromachi shogunate as the guardian daimyo of Shufang and Nagato in exchange for the Ouchi clan's allegiance to the Muromachi shogunate and the Northern Dynasties. Imagawa Toshin just became Kyushu The military strength was very limited when the topic was explored. In fact, the war in Kyushu mainly relied on the then Ouchi family governor Yoshihiro. The brave and skilled Ouchi Yoshihiro also made military exploits in the subsequent Meitoku Rebellion and won the title of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. He was granted a title and served as the guardian of the six kingdoms of Shufang, Nagato, Bunzen, Iwami, Izumi, and Kii, and his power reached its peak.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu saw that he had finally defeated Toki and Yamana, but unexpectedly he brought out a monster like Ouchi. Therefore, in order to curb the Ouchi clan, he suppressed it overtly and covertly. Then came the Onaga Rebellion. .

The reason why Imagawa Ryotoshi was deprived of all power because of the "Oinaga Rebellion" provoked by the Ouchi clan was indispensable to the Kamakura Kōkō. When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu set out to punish the Toki clan, the second generation Kamakura Kōkō On the pretext of assisting Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in suppressing the rebellion, Ashikaga Mitsuru led an army to prepare to enter Luo. However, just one year after the death of Ashikaga Mitsuru, the third generation of Kamakura Duke Ashikaga Mitsuru Kaneji joined forces with Ouchi Yoshihiro to prepare for the war with Ouchi. The clan attacked the Muromachi shogunate from east to west.

But in the final analysis, the fundamental conflict between the Ouchi family and the Muromachi shogunate is still about money.

The Ouchi clan's fiefdoms are all in the west, and they are large, so the Ouchi clan is one of the biggest beneficiaries of trade with North Korea and the Ming Dynasty. The Ouchi clan exports sulfur, samurai swords, fans, and tortoise shells, etc., in exchange for The porcelain, books and Yongle Tongbao that came to the Ming Dynasty (trivia: Yongle Tongbao was the mainstream currency in Japan's Muromachi period) accumulated huge wealth. The Ouchi family used this wealth to build their own territory into a very prosperous territory, known as Japan's "Western Country". Kyoto".

Most importantly, the Ouchi clan did not share trade profits with the shogunate

In short, the Ouchi clan and the Muromachi shogunate can be said to be irreconcilable, and they are definitely a target that can be won over.

"Where is the head of the Otomo clan, Otomo Akashi? Do you know him?"

Imakawa Ryojun's face darkened.

Of course he knows it!

But this understanding is not a good relationship.

During the Northern Dynasties, the Otomo clan won the position of guardian of the daimyo in Bunzen and Chikugo because of its support for the Muromachi shogunate. , the elder brother who succeeded to the throne became an ally of the Southern Dynasty, and he had a fratricidal quarrel because of his support for the Northern Dynasty. Later, Otomo's relatives were ordered by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to assist Kyushu who went to Kyushu to explore the issues of Imagawa Ryotoshi, Tahara Uno and others. Work together to defeat the Southern Dynasty forces on Kyushu Island.

Logically speaking, Otomo Chise and Imagawa Ryotoshi should have a good relationship, but in fact this is not the case.

Because there is an old grudge here, called the "Mizu Island Incident".

This matter is not complicated to say. In the first year of Tianshou in the Southern Dynasty/the first year of Yonghe in the Northern Dynasty, Imagawa Ryotoshi, who was then Kyushu Tanti, was preparing to fight the Southern Army on Mizushima, so he summoned the "Three Kyushu People" The so-called Otomo Akashi of Bungo Province, Shao Erfuyu of Chikuzen Province, and the Shimazu clan of Ohsumi Province came to help. Among these "three people", Shao Erfuyu had a bad relationship with Imagawa Ryotoshi and refused to participate in the war. Later, it was under the mediation of Shimazu Ujihisa that they came to the rescue. During the banquet, Imagawa Shun arrested the second son Dongzi on the spot for secretly communicating with the Southern Dynasty. This was the "Mizushima Incident".

This incident directly slapped the Otomo and Shimazu clan in the face, and eventually caused the Shimazu clan to switch to the Southern Dynasty, and the Otomo family almost fell to the Southern Dynasty. If it weren't for Ouchi Yoshihiro's support, Imagawa Ryotoshi would not have been able to unify at all. Kyushu Island, and it was precisely because the Ouchi clan and the Otomo clan were related by marriage that the Ouchi clan reluctantly stayed in the Northern Dynasty camp.

Two years after the "Mizushima Incident", the Northern Dynasty coalition forces led by Imagawa Ryotoshi and the Southern Dynasty coalition forces led by Kikuchi Taketo and Aso Etake fought in Kuda. The Northern Dynasty coalition's victory in this battle completely established the Northern Dynasty's control of Kyushu Island. The strategic advantage is the battle for Hizen.

Otomo's family has always been brooding about the "Mizushima Incident" of that year. After the reunification of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, when Imakawa Ryotoshi was kicked out of the post of Kyushu Research, Otomo's family made great efforts.

Therefore, the relationship between Imakawa Ryotoshi and Otomo's relatives is not only incompatible with each other, but also incompatible with each other.

After listening, Jiang Xinghuo silently skipped this option.

"Where's Shimazu?"

"You can do the same thing again."

Imagawa Ryotoshi's repetition of his old tricks refers to the fact that when he was in charge of the Kyushu expedition, the Shimazu clan, headed by Shimazu Ujihisa and his nephew Shimazu Ihisa, stood in the Southern Dynasty camp, so Imagawa Ryotoshi sent his His son, Imagawa Mitsuhiro, incited the people of Minami Kyushu to attack and forced the Shimazu clan to submit.

The Shimazu family is an existence that can definitely be called a legendary family in the history of Japan in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life.

Starting from the Kamakura shogunate period, the Shimadzu family served as guardian of the shogunate as a member of the shogunate. After experiencing the invasion of the Yuan Dynasty, they later participated in the Kamakura shogunate movement launched by Emperor Go-Daigo. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Shimazu family chose to follow the Ming Dynasty. The more famous Prince Huairo surrendered decisively to the monkeys during the Toyotomi Hideyoshi era. During the Battle of Sekigahara, he supported the Western Army and occupied Ryukyu in the Edo era. Therefore, he was severely beaten by Westerners during the Bakumatsu era, but it was also under the Shimadzu family. With the support, the Satsuma Domain produced Okubo Toshimichi, Saigo Takamori and others, and became the central force in the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It disappeared directly after the Meiji Restoration.

How should I put it, Shimadzu has a magical ability, which can make him stand up even after being in the wrong camp almost every time.

However, Imagawa Ryojun repeated his old tricks, and obviously he himself did not have the confidence, so Jiang Xinghuo also skipped the Shimazu option.

"Please go and persuade the head of the Ouchi clan, Ouchi Moromi. The Ouchi clan has a blood feud with the shogunate. If you can stand on Ming's side, it will be much easier to land."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't say the last half of the sentence. Imagawa Ryojun could also guess that if the Ouchi clan refused to allow landing, it would only be a little more difficult for Daming to land.

Because Ming Dynasty now has three springboards: Jeju Island, Tsushima Island, and Iki Island. It is two different things to set off from the mainland to cross the sea to conquer Japan.

Moreover, the strength of the daimyo on Kyushu Island is not considered strong in Japan as a whole. Whether the Ming army is 100% sure of landing in the heart of the shogunate does not mean that it is not 100% sure of landing in such leftover areas.

"Also, are you familiar with Mr. Kamakura?"

"familiar."

"Then persuade Duke Kamakura to join us in the crusade against the shogunate."

Kantō under the rule of Kamakura Kōkō was an independent kingdom to the letter, possessing the same power as the shogun. Under the shogun was the guardian daimyo, while under Kamakura kōkō there was the "Hatsuya-kata" (the Eight Families of Kanto served). The powerful samurai families on the public side are the Utsunomiya clan, the Oda clan, the Oyama clan, the Satake clan, the Chiba clan, the Naganuma clan, the Nasu clan, and the Yuki clan); the troops directly under the shogunate include the "Goba Kai", The Kamakura Crown Prince has a "service to the public"; the shogunate can issue imperial books and royal teachings (decree issued by three or more officials in Japan to subordinates), and the Kamakura Crown Prince also has the same administrative power.

And the most important thing is that the Kamakura Duke and the shogun are both descendants of Ashikaga Takauji, and they are both qualified to serve as shogun. What's even more terrible is that the Kamakura Duke has always hoped to overthrow the Muromachi shogunate and replace it, becoming the unified Gyeonggi and Shogun of Kanto.

Now that the Ming Dynasty is sending troops to support Emperor Kameyama of the Southern Dynasty, Jiang Xinghuo doesn't believe that the Kamakura Duke of Kanto, who once joined forces with the Ouchi clan in the "Onaga Rebellion", will not take action against the Muromachi shogunate at this time.

And if the Ming army, Kamakura Lord, the Ouchi clan, the Imagawa clan, and the Kitahata clan who supported Emperor Gogameyama could attack the Muromachi shogunate from three directions at the same time from the east, west and south, then I believe the Muromachi shogunate must have paid attention to one thing and lost the other.

——————

The soft sunshine shines on the land of Bunzen Province, and the warm atmosphere is accompanied by the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms. This land is filled with a peaceful and peaceful atmosphere.

However, this atmosphere was quickly broken.

Imagawa Ryotoshi, the former Kyushu explorer, set foot on this land belonging to the Ouchi clan.

His arrival was like a depth charge thrown into the lake, causing huge waves.

The head of the Ouchi clan, Ouchi Morimi, is a calm and strategic military commander.

When Ouchi Yoshihiro died in the "Oei Rebellion", Ashikaga Yoshimitsu appointed his cronies. Ouchi Yoshihiro's younger brother Ouchi Hiroshige returned to Zhou Fang Kingdom and Nagato Province as the new governor, but was replaced by his brother Ouchi. Yoshihiro ordered Ouchi Morimi, who stayed in the territory, to refuse to recognize Ouchi Hiroshige's position as the governor of the family, and fought with him. In the end, Ouchi Morimi pacified Hiroshige's party, forced the Muromachi shogunate to recognize his position as the governor, and was granted a title. The title of guardian of the four countries of Shufang, Nagato, Bunzen, and Chikuzen.

It is worth mentioning that, unlike his brave brother, Ouchi Morimi was not only good at commanding battles, but also very devoted to Sinology and Zen. It can be said that the artistic talents of the Ouchi family were inherited from him.

Ouchi Morimi was sitting in the high and spacious attic, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, waiting for the arrival of Imagawa Ryotoshi.

The surrounding retainers were whispering, and their eyes were both curious and a little wary, as if they were guessing what kind of news the former "King of Kyushu" would bring.

"Is Imagawa-kun here to be a lobbyist?"

Ouchi Morimi held a fan with "Feng Lin Shan" written on it in his hand and looked at his former boss.

Imagawa Ryotoshi walked slowly into the attic. He bowed deeply and then raised his head, looked directly into Ouchi's eyes, and said slowly: "No, I am here to pay homage to Ouchi."

As soon as Imagawa Ryotoshi finished speaking, the atmosphere in the attic suddenly became tense, and the retainers put their hands on their waists.

A complicated look flashed across Ouchi's face. Of course he knew the power of the Ming army and the discord between the Ouchi clan and the shogunate. But as an independent force, the Ouchi clan also had its own interests and Consider.

"The Ming army conquered the Tatars in the north, attacked Tamerlane in the west, and Ping An in the south. The fleet's footprints reached as far as the end of the world, and they fought all over the world without finding any opponents. Even the Mongols in the past were nothing more than that, right? But today's Japan is not as good as it was back then. Divine wind to help? Can we have the sincerity and unity we had back then to fight against the enemy?"

"The Ming army now has 400,000 armored men and canopies to cover the vast ocean. It has already occupied Jeju Island, Tsushima Island, and Iki Island. Landing on the Saikaidō is just a snap. What I say is true or false. The Ouchi clan has been trading with the Ming Dynasty all year round. , it should be possible to judge that in such a situation, the Ouchi clan neither gathered troops to resist nor offered loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, but waited for destruction. As an old friend, shouldn't I come to pay homage to the Ouchi clan?"

After hearing what Imakawa Ryotoshi said, Ouchi Mori's face sank slightly, as if he had been blown by a gust of cold wind, which made the already solemn atmosphere suddenly become more tense, and the eyes of the retainers were also focused. On his face, he waited for his decision.

Ouchi Morimi's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, making a rhythmic "tap-tat" sound. This sound echoed in the silent hall, reflecting his inner struggle.

Ouchi Moromi frowned, weighing every word and every word in Imakawa Ryotoshi's words.

After a moment, a flash of light flashed in Ouchi Moromi's eyes, as if he had made some kind of decision. He slowly raised his head, looked directly at Imakawa Ryotoshi, and said in a low and powerful voice: "Imagawa-sama, what are you saying? I have understood, but you have to know that although alliance with the Ming army is a tempting choice, you must also admit that the risks involved cannot be underestimated."

Ouchi Mori paused for a moment and continued: "Of course I know how powerful the Ming army is, but their ambition and appetite are also what worries me. If we form an alliance with the Ming army, it will be like seeking the skin of a tiger. Shen, you may be annexed by it, Mr. Imagawa will not deny this, right?"

Imagawa Ryojun smiled slightly: "What the Ming army needs is not the land of Xikai Road. I can only say this. As for the other things, it depends on how you negotiate with the Ming Dynasty. But no matter what, the decision-makers of the Ming Dynasty They are not unreasonable people, they know how to measure their limits, and as long as you Ouchi clan can stick to your bottom line, I believe the Ming army will not do anything excessive."

Ouchi was silent for a moment after hearing this, seeming to be thinking about Imakawa Ryotoshi's words. His eyes gradually became firm, as if he had made some kind of decision.

He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Okay! Since Mr. Imagawa is so sincere in coming here in person, I am also willing to consider forming an alliance with the Ming army for the future of the Ouchi clan."

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the attic suddenly relaxed, and the retainers showed happy expressions, as if they saw the hope of the Ouchi clan's rise.

After the "Onei Rebellion", the Ouchi clan has declined much compared to its peak period.

Imagawa Ryotoshi also breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his lobbying had finally achieved initial success. Next, there would be further bargaining and distribution of benefits between the two parties. As long as both parties are sincere, the alliance will definitely be achieved.

Ouchi Morimi was silent for a moment, and then asked: "So, what does the Ming army need from us?"

"Open the landing site, first clean up the shogunate forces in Xikaidō, and then join forces to the east."

Imagawa Ryojun smiled slightly and said: "What the Ming army actually needs is a friendly Ouchi clan. They hope to find a stable ally in this land, a partner who can jointly fight against the shogunate forces. As for the land, the Ming army does not unnecessary."

After hearing this, Ouchi fell into deep thought. He knew that forming an alliance with the Ming army would undoubtedly strengthen the power of the Ouchi clan, but it also meant a complete break with the shogunate. This was a difficult decision that required weighing the pros and cons and considering many domestic issues in Japan. aspects of the impact.

After a fierce ideological struggle, Ouchi finally made a decision.

He raised his head, looked at Imagawa Ryojun and said, "We need to get corresponding guarantees and benefits. I need to talk directly with the top brass of the Ming Army."

Imakawa Ryojun showed a satisfied smile after hearing this. He knew that most of his mission had been completed.

He bowed deeply again, and then said: "Don't worry, the Ming army will definitely keep its promise."

——————

The Ouchi family opened their own port as a landing ground for the Ming army. This news quickly swept Kyushu Island like a storm.

For a time, all the major forces in the originally peaceful Kyushu Island were alarmed, and they began to pay close attention to the movements of the Ouchi clan and the further actions of the Ming army.

Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimachi, who had not yet sorted out the major forces within the shogunate, was on pins and needles after learning the news.

He was well aware of the strength of the Ming army and its ambitions towards Japan, and also knew that the move of the Ouchi clan was undoubtedly a provocation to the authority of the shogunate. Therefore, for the time being, he needed to first deal with Emperor Gogameyama in Yoshino County in Yamato, so he did not In order to mobilize troops to fight against the Ming army, he quickly issued an order to Saikaidō and asked the guardian daimyo in various places to gather troops to prepare to fight against the Ming army.

For this reason, Shimazu Motohisa personally came to pay homage to Otomo.

The "three people from Kyushu" at that time were Otomo Akashi of Bungo Kingdom, Fuyu Shisui of Chikuzen Kingdom, and Shimazu Ujihisa of Ohsumi Province. Shimazu Ujihisa was Shimazu Motohisa's father, so when talking about In terms of seniority, Otomo is Shimazu Motohisa's uncle.

Pushing open the thick red-lacquered wooden door, Shimazu Motozu saw a samurai standing in the living room. He bowed and said, "Please follow me."

He followed the warrior into the study at the back. The scent of ink came to his nostrils. There was an old man sitting behind the desk. His beard and hair were white, his expression was gentle, he looked very kind, and he was obviously a highly respected old man.

This old man is none other than Otomo.

Because of his merits in the unification war of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Otomo Otomo not only served as the guardian of Bungo Kingdom, but also served as a high-ranking official in ancient Japan. ) and the Saikaidō Pursuer (who has the power to maintain security in the entire Saikaidō and mobilize troops), and their official positions are much higher than Shimazu Motohisa.

Shimazu Motohisa saluted and said, "It's not against the law to see the prosecutor."

Otomo Jinshi waved his hand, smiled easily, and pointed to him to sit down.

Shimazu Motohisa knelt down and did not go around in circles. He went straight to the point and said: "The shogunate's letter must have been received by the shogunate. The shogunate asked us to fight against the Ming army first to buy time for the shogunate to assemble the army, but I guess..."

"I know what you mean."

Otomo nodded slightly and sighed: "If the shogunate cannot send reinforcements in time, our two families may be in danger, but can we not join forces to resist the Ming army? If the Ming army is allowed to gain a foothold in Saikaidō, I am afraid that the whole of Japan will be destroyed Caught in disaster.”

He paused and said, "But no matter what, my Dayou family will face the Ming army at the front. Just come and support us. When you can no longer support us, flee."

"How is this possible? It is illegal to inspect it, sir!"

Shimazu Motohisa said loudly: "The Shimazu family has been brave for generations, and there is no reason to retreat! What's more, what I protect is the ancestral property of the Shimazu family, and I will never surrender."

Dayou said personally: "Okay, I understand what you mean. The men in my Dayou family are also willing to sacrifice their lives."

"It's just that I'm old and can no longer fight the enemy. I will let my nephew Dayou personally command the Dayou family's army to assist you instead of me."

Shimazu Motohisa suddenly felt a great pressure and said: "What good ideas do you have, Sir, to prosecute non-violators?"

"The Ming army is strong and cannot be fought in the field. It is better to defend the city."

After the two discussed the strategy, Otomo Immortal immediately began intense preparations for the war. He summoned the military generals and retainers in the family, mobilized all the troops and gave them to Otomo Immortal's command to prepare for the upcoming war. Otomo Immortal knew clearly that This battle is not only related to the life and death of the family, but also related to the future destiny of Kyushu Island.

Shimazu Motonhisa felt from the bottom of his heart that the Shimazu clan, as one of the important forces on Kyushu Island, had the responsibility and obligation to stand up against the invading Ming army, so he mobilized all the forces in the family and prepared to fight side by side with the Otomo clan. .

As the forces of the Otomo and Shimazu clans gradually gathered, the atmosphere on Kyushu Island became increasingly tense.

While they were gathering their forces, Ouchi Morimi was also not idle. He knew that although an alliance with the Ming army could bring benefits, the major forces on Kyushu Island would never give up, so he must do everything possible. Prepare to deal with the inevitable war, and at the same time prevent the Ming army from attacking Guo and eating the Ouchi clan.

As a result, Ouchi Morimi began to mobilize his own troops to strengthen the defense within the territory. This defense was not only to defend against the Otomo and Shimazu clan, but also to defend against the Ming army.

At the same time, he also sent his confidants to various places to contact those forces that were dissatisfied with the shogunate, trying to form an anti-shogunate alliance, and he took the lead as the leader to expand the influence of the Ouchi clan, and there would be another "Oinaga Rebellion". There was a Kamakura official who kept in close contact with the Ouchi family.

Just as Ouchi Morimi was busy setting up defenses and the Ming army was landing in large numbers, Otomo Akashi and Shimazu Motohisa also completed the assembly of their troops. They continued to issue calls to various forces in Kyushu Island, hoping that they could join the anti-Ming army. alliance.

However, what Otomo and Shimazu Motohisa didn't expect was that their actions did not immediately receive response from all the forces on Kyushu Island. Many forces chose to remain silent after learning about Ouchi Morami's alliance with the Ming army. Neutral or secretly observing, they know very well that the Ming army is powerful. It is not a good choice to join the anti-Ming army camp at this time. It is better to follow whoever wins the battle.

This made Otomo and Shimazu a little embarrassed, but they still had to bite the bullet and go forward to defend.

In the end, the Otomo clan and the Shimazu clan chose to hoard heavy troops in Tachibanayama Castle.

This mountain castle is located on Mount Tachibana at an altitude of 367 meters. Legend has it that this mountain is home to the gods Izanagi and Izanami, who created the world in Japanese mythology, and thus became their sacred mountain. It was originally named "Two God Mountains". Japan's creation gods, these two gods happen to be a man and a woman, and they have human heads and animal bodies, somewhat similar to Fuxi and Nuwa in Chinese mythology.

The name "Tachibana Mountain" comes from the famous Japanese monk Saicho who returned from studying Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty and established the Buddhist temple Duguji Temple on this mountain. At the same time, Saicho planted the pistachio tree brought back from China next to a rock in the mountain. It was straight and lush, and many flowers later bloomed on the mountain, so the mountain was named "Tachibana Mountain".

Mount Tachibana is located in Chikuzen Province, at the northernmost part of Kyushu Island's shogunate defense line. Since Mount Tachibana has seven peaks, each of which has city defense facilities, Mount Tachibana is an out-and-out military fortress. This mountain castle is one of the seven peaks. Built more than ten years ago by Otomo Sadamune, the head of the Otomo family at the time, it overlooks Hakata Bay. It was the most prosperous trading port in Japan along with the later Osaka and Sakai.

It can be said that the two coalition forces chose this battlefield very deliberately.

If the Ming army does not conquer this place, it will not be able to threaten their core territory. If the Ming army goes eastward regardless of them, they can also use Hakata Bay to send naval forces to sneak attack the Ming army's maritime logistics supply routes, which will also delay the Ming army. Effect. If the Ming army came to attack them, Tachibanayama Castle would be very easy to defend and difficult to attack.

In this way, the Otomo and Shimazu clan can completely guarantee their own territories and at the same time give Ashikaga Yoshimochi a very justifiable explanation.

If you ask us to take the initiative, we can't defeat the Ming army!

However, we hoarding troops in Tachibanayama Castle can not only preserve our effective strength, but also threaten the Ming army's logistics supply line. It is definitely much wiser than going out to fight and destroying all our troops. If our two families are defeated, the Ming army will march eastward again. No worries, right General?

Therefore, in their view, holding on like this can completely achieve the purpose of putting the Ming army in a dilemma and delaying the Ming army. Of course, this is just their wishful thinking.

The question is, will the Ming army really be helpless against them?

This is obviously impossible.

However, when Ouchi Morimi's scouts arrived at Tachibanayama Castle, they found that Tachibanayama Castle was full of fortifications and traps, and the armies of the Otomo and Shimazu clans were also well prepared and ready to fight at any time.

Seeing this scene, the Ouchi clan's scouts couldn't help but feel numb. They didn't expect that the Ouchi clan and the Shimazu clan could be so fully prepared in such a short period of time.

Of course Ouchi Mori was unwilling to waste his own troops to help the Ming army attack the city, so he began to wait for the Ming army's action.

However, the Ming army made no movement in a short period of time. They seemed to be in no rush to wipe out the shogunate forces in Kyushu, but focused on stabilizing the landing site and hoarding soldiers and supplies.

It was not until half of the Japanese troops had landed and the Ming army had completely established a foothold on Kyushu Island that the Ming army made a large-scale advance under the command of deputy commander Cao Guogong and five-star general Li Jinglong.

Although the remaining Beiwa troops were still landing under the command of Chengguo Gong Zhu Neng, Zhu Neng exchanged views with Li Jinglong, Jiang Xinghuo and others and agreed that these troops were sufficient.

——————

On the horizon, the first ray of dawn gradually spread like a thin thread, dyeing the skyline of Kyushu Island into a light golden yellow.

Li Jinglong stood on the temporary command podium, looking through the telescope at the gradually dissipating morning fog and staring closely at Tachibana Mountain Castle in the distance.

The city is built on the mountain. Each of the seven hills is equipped with a fortress and a lookout tower as well as several complete walls of defense. The flags of the Otomo and Shimazu clan are fluttering in the breeze.

The hillsides that Tachibanayama Castle can attack are relatively narrow and cannot deploy too many troops. Therefore, although the Ming army has many powerful generals and many soldiers, they cannot swarm it.

At this time, Ping An and Zhu Gaoxu had each led their troops into attack positions.

Ping An is good at using firearms, but as a surrendered general of the Southern Army, he was not appointed as the chief military officer of the Nine Borders. Instead, he participated in the cross-sea expedition. Based on his characteristics, Ping An was assigned to command the firearms unit.

Following Li Jinglong's order, war drums beat, and the Ming army rushed towards Tachibana Mountain Castle like a tide. The vanguard led by Zhu Gaoxu quickly broke through the Otomo clan's outer defense line, and under the cover of artillery fire, charged towards the hilltop fortress.

At this time, the hills of Tachibana Mountain Castle had turned into a sea of ​​fire. The Ming army's artillery continued to bombard the city walls and fortresses, and stones and rubble were flying in the air.

The soldiers of the Otomo and Shimazu clan fought back hard, with arrows intertwined like rain, trying to stop the Ming army's attack, but the Ming army soldiers were not afraid. These armored warriors braved the rain of arrows and bravely moved forward.

In this fierce siege battle, the heavy siege artillery specially prepared by the Ming army played a huge role.

These behemoths, far larger than ordinary field artillery, were pulled by dozens of mules and horses, and each step forward was accompanied by the shudder of new rubber wheels.

Loaders need several people to work together to load the shells, and then the gunner adjusts the angle and ignites the fuse.

With a loud "bang", the artillery shells cut through the sky with a long tail wave, directly crossing the mountain city.

Huo Fei and others on the Eagle Guard in the sky were constantly correcting the trajectory of the Ming artillery on the ground based on observations.

Soon, the heavy artillery of the Ming army became more and more accurate. Every bombardment made the walls of Tachibanayama Castle tremble, as if they would collapse at any time.

The battle lasted only half a day. Otomo, who was hiding in the fortress supervising the battle, and Shimazu Motohisa looked at each other with shock on their faces.

Can the war still be fought like this?

There were more than a dozen hot air balloons in the sky high up where they could not reach them, giving them a clear view of their every move. The power of the Ming army's artillery on the ground was even more incomprehensible to them.

The field artillery of the Ming army had a fast rate of fire, and the damage effect on the soldiers defending the city was extremely obvious. A dozen Japanese soldiers were often killed in one shot.

Although the Ming army's heavy artillery fired slowly, it was incredibly powerful. The effect of hitting the city wall was like the earth shaking.

At the same time, the soldiers of the Ming army were very well-equipped and generally equipped with iron armor. Therefore, the Japanese defenders' bows and arrows were very ineffective.

After being silent for a long time, Dayou said: "Send someone immediately to contact the reinforcements..."

Shimazu Motohisa said hurriedly: "I just wanted to send the messenger birds out, but they were all killed. Some of them were shot by the ball above the Ming army while they were flying in the air."

"What should we do?" Dayou asked kissing her.

Shimazu Motohisa thought for a moment and said: "We can only delay the Ming army as much as possible."

Dayou kissed and sighed, suddenly stopped, looked back to the west, and murmured: "Something's wrong."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Did you hear that?"

Shimazu Motohisa was stunned for a moment, looked over there, and sure enough, he heard a faint and terrifying noise.

The two looked at each other, and their mood suddenly became tense.

"Could it be?"

Then, there was a violent shaking, and earth and rocks fell from the top of their heads, almost killing the two commanders.

Soon, they both knew what happened.

It only took the Ming army half a day to dig tunnels and use high explosives to blast away a group of fortresses on the top of a hill!

Upstairs in the west castle of Tachibanayama Castle.

A guard of the Otomo family lay down next to the arrow stack and looked down. He saw that the dark Ming army outside the city wall had rushed within more than 300 steps, and the formation was clear and orderly.

"The Ming army has at least two thousand troops."

He muttered, feeling an unspeakable sense of panic in his heart.

The Ming army had just repelled the first group of tentative attacks, and the second group of Ming troops rushed forward immediately. The Ming army had too many soldiers that could be rotated, but the number of defenders in Tachibana Mountain Castle was limited.

There were about 70 or 80 tanks in the Ming army camp under the city wall. This was the standard equipment of the Southern Army during the Jingnan period. There were hundreds of cavalry around the tanks, who were responsible for protecting the safety of the tanks.

The chariots lined up in a line, forming a "city wall" and began to advance slowly behind the infantry.

At this time, the Japanese soldiers on the city tower had been frightened by the Ming army's heavy artillery. They were all hiding in the house or near the crenellations. They looked timid and did not dare to try to attack the moving "city wall".

Soon, they knew what was inside the "city wall", and the gunmen and archers with bunkers began to rely on the car formation to form a long-range suppression of the city wall.

Not only did the Japanese soldiers have to be bombarded by artillery, but now they had to be shot with blunderbuss or arrows as soon as they showed up, which was extremely miserable.

In this case, how to prevent the Ming army from climbing the city?

At this time, the sound of cannons in the distance rang again, and the cannonballs stirred up dust and gravel on the nearby fortress, mixed with the screams of people.

A group of Ming soldiers climbed up from the gap in the city wall. They swarmed in and chopped down the Japanese soldiers hiding behind the city wall.

The soldiers of the Ming army were extremely brave. The first one to ascend was a young man. He rushed into the gap in the city wall with a waist knife and rushed towards a Japanese soldier who was about to escape.

His blade flashed across like lightning, and the Japanese soldier didn't even have time to scream, and fell to the ground with blood spurting from his neck.

On the other side, several Ming soldiers holding short spears and shields were stalemate with a small Japanese army.

"ah!"

One of the samurai shouted loudly, rounded his katana, and slashed hard at the shield.

"Bang!"

A piece of sawdust flew between the gaps in the shield, but it was not cut open. The Ming army took the opportunity to stab the Japanese warrior in the abdomen with a short spear, and immediately knocked him to the ground on his back.

Another Japanese soldier shouted and rushed over, raising his sword from behind and hitting the sword and shield man in the head.

The Ming army on the other side had just arrived at the city. They grabbed a spear, kicked the ground with both legs, jumped up, and kicked the Japanese soldier in the chest hard.

A muffled sound of "click" came, and the Japanese soldier was kicked in the chest. He opened his mouth and spit out a mouthful of blood. Then he rolled his eyes and collapsed on the ground, completely motionless.

The Flying Eagle Guards in the sky also began to throw explosives at the Japanese army gathering area in the rear. This caused the Japanese soldiers' already small discipline to begin to collapse. When had they ever received such a severe beating from the land and air? He immediately fled in all directions, but ended up bumping into a friendly formation, causing even greater chaos.

In an instant, people were crying for their fathers and mothers on the city tower, and mourning was everywhere.

"Kill them all, take no prisoners." A member of the Ming Army shouted an order.

The Ming army's attack could be described as aggressive, and they quickly broke through the fortresses on both sides of Tachibana Castle.

"Quickly retreat!"

The Japanese nobles on the city tower fled toward the city gate, but before they could get far, they were blocked by the Ming army at the bottom of the city tower. They could only resist with all their might, but it was to no avail.

"kill!"

"Bang bang bang bang bang..."

For a time, the shouts of killing and the sound of artillery fire were heard endlessly, and the entire Tachibana Mountain Castle became a Shura purgatory.

"Bang bang bang..."

Explosions followed one after another, and balls of flames and debris were sprayed onto houses and buildings. Bricks and tiles flew, and firelight flashed.

"ah--"

There were shrill screams on the city walls, and not only the ordinary Japanese soldiers, but also the nobles began to lose their will to fight.

"Run!"

"Help!"

"We're surrounded!"

"My leg is pressed, who can help me?"

With the Ming army's all-out attack, the various fortresses of Tachibanayama Castle were under tremendous pressure.

In many defense areas that were not in charge of the Otomo and Shimazu clan, the Japanese soldiers led by the small families were unorganized and completely scattered. The Ming army often collapsed as soon as they landed on the city. The Ming army successfully controlled the situation on the city wall. , and these Japanese soldiers scrambled to flee.

Otomo and Shimazu Motohisa stood on the top of the city and looked at the situation in all directions, both showing extremely horrified expressions.

The retainer on the side couldn't help but said: "The strength of the Ming army is too strong. It is better to withdraw the main force as soon as possible to avoid being completely wiped out by the Ming army."

Dayou hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Where can we retreat to if we retreat further?"

But soon, the development of the situation completely exceeded Otomo's expectations.

The Japanese army did not hold out for long. On the afternoon of the third day, the Ming army finally launched a general attack. Dozens of large siege vehicles mounted on the walls of the various fortresses of Tachibanayama Castle.

In this siege, the Ming army adopted a step-by-step tactic. Artillery was arranged to carry out targeted bombardments at regular intervals, and anyone who dared to resist would be bombarded.

The Japanese defenders were horrified to find that these Ming troops, who were responsible for jumping directly into the city wall through large siege vehicles, had very sophisticated armor, which was stronger than iron armor. All of them were actually equipped with heavy steel armor!

The steel armor equipped by the Ming army was impenetrable to cuts by knives, impenetrable to spears, and hard to be damaged by bows and arrows. For a while, it had some effect besides rolling wood and stones, and it was actually invincible.

Obviously, since the Song, Liao, Jin and Xia dynasties, this kind of heavy armored infantry has basically disappeared. Coupled with the advancement of smelting technology, steel armor has replaced iron armor, and its defensive power is even better. The effect of using it by the Ming army is very impressive. It's the same as ordinary ones. The katana slashed on the steel armor, not even leaving a white mark.

About half an hour later, the entire defense line of the Japanese army was in danger. The walls of many fortresses were breached by the Ming army. The sound of crying and wailing was deafening for a while.

"Baga, get out quickly!"

The Japanese defender Ohta Junsuke roared loudly, but unfortunately it was too late. The warriors who looked like stupid green soldiers were sent away collectively by a cannonball, and then waves of heavy armored infantry of the Ming army attacked the city wall and began to clean up the remaining enemies.

"Pfft..."

A samurai sword penetrated Junsuke Ohta's throat. Ohta Junsuke stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Ota-san..." several warriors behind him cried sadly.

Ohta Junsuke covered his neck, blood gushing out, he glared at the men in front of him with a ferocious expression, and yelled angrily: "Baga, you damn thing, why?"

By the end of his speech, his trachea was blocked by blood and he could hardly utter any syllables.

The warrior behind him threw his sword directly, knelt down and asked the Ming army to surrender.

Ohta Junsuke's lips trembled a few times, and he slowly tilted his head back and fell down, his eyes wide open, obviously extremely resentful and unwilling.

This kind of situation keeps happening in Tachibanayama Castle. In order to survive, human nature cannot stand the test at this time.

After several days of fierce fighting, the Ming army finally broke through the defense lines of the Otomo and Shimazu clan. They waved weapons and flags and shouted the slogan "The Ming army will be victorious" and rushed into the city.

When night fell on Kyushu Island, the Ming army had completely controlled Tachibana Mountain Castle, and the soldiers lit a blazing bonfire on the top of the city.

"National Master, what should we do with these prisoners?"

"Kill all those who are still breathing, take no prisoners."

And without the cover of Tachibanayama Castle, the Otomo fleet, which was forced to huddle in Hakata Bay by the Ming fleet, only managed to survive for one more day before falling into a desperate situation of being surrounded and annihilated.

On the sea of ​​Hakata Bay, a not-so-thrilling naval battle was taking place.

The Japanese navy, which was tightly compressed in the narrow bay, faced the bombardment of the Ming fleet that had laid out the "original battle line". They really couldn't bear the humiliation of waiting for death, and they rushed out like locusts. .

The 1,500-material treasure ships of the Ming Army were tall and solid, like sea fortresses. Under the control of the Ming Army soldiers, these warships sailed steadily on the sea and could maintain stable shooting even in rough seas. On the deck The artillery continuously sprayed out smoke and made a deafening roar.

The warships of the Japanese navy appeared to be too "small and nimble". They filled up their sails and paddled vigorously, trying to rush in front of the Ming army's fleet.

On the sea, artillery shells intertwined into a dense fire net, and the huge waves caused by each shelling made the Japanese navy's boats tremble.

In this naval battle, the Ming fleet showed strong firepower and tactical advantages. Their artillery not only had a long range and powerful power, but also shot accurately, making the Japanese navy's suicide charge a delusion.

Under the fierce offensive of the Ming army's fleet, the Japanese navy quickly fell into trouble. Their warships were sunk by the Ming army's artillery, and the soldiers fell into the water one after another. The Ming army did not give them any chance to breathe.

In the end, under the Ming army's huge ships and cannons, the Japanese navy was completely defeated.

There were countless corpses and wreckage of warships floating on the sea, and the water of Hakata Bay was dyed blood red.

After this battle, the strength of the entire Kyushu shogunate was wiped out, and Tachibana Castle was notoriously easy to defend and difficult to attack, so when Tachibana Castle was quickly captured by the Ming army, an uproar immediately set off in Japan, whether it was Both the Muromachi Shogunate and the Kamakura Crown Prince were shocked.

At this time, Ashikaga Yoshimichi, who was planning to destroy the Southern Dynasties first and then turn around to fight against the Ming Dynasty, did not bother to attack Yoshino, and hurriedly led the shogunate's coalition forces to the west of Honshu Island to prepare to resist the Ming army's attack.

——————

Kanto, Kamakura.

A retainer hurried into the lobby of the Kamakura Crown Prince, bowed down and said: "Tachibanayama Castle has been captured by the Ming army! The shogunate army has withdrawn from Yoshino and is marching westward."

"Nani?"

Ashikaga Mitsukane said with great joy: "This is really great! Hahahahaha!"

As a party to the "Oinaga Rebellion" back then, as the third generation of Kamakura Lord Ashikaga Mitsuru and the Muromachi shogunate were dissatisfied, it was not a matter of a day or two. Now that the capital is empty, it was he who went to Luo with a sword and fought with Of course, he could not miss the opportunity for His Majesty the Emperor to state his interests.

Ashikaga Mitsukane stood up excitedly, and then issued an order: "Immediately mobilize the public and order the Utsunomiya clan, Oda clan, Oyama clan, Satake clan, Chiba clan, Naganuma clan, Nasu clan, Yuki clan and Kanto clan All soldiers and horses from the ten countries gather!"

Ashikaga Mitsuru felt very comfortable. From Kanto to Kansai, it was just a few hundred miles. He and his father Ashikaga Mitsuru had traveled for forty years, and now they were about to successfully replace the waste in Kyoto and become the new shogun. How could he not happiness?

As for the Ming army, Ashikaga Mitsukane has not considered it yet. Anyway, there are allied forces of the Muromachi shogunate blocking the front. Now Kyoto has become an isolated city. He can capture it and then lead his troops westward. Taking advantage of the strength of the Ming army and the Muromachi shogunate, Kyoto has become an isolated city. The coalition forces fought until both sides suffered losses, and then jumped out to pick peaches.

——————

Yamato country.

With the withdrawal of the shogunate coalition forces, Kitahata Manya and Emperor Gogameyama, who were overwhelmed by strong military pressure, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that the situation seemed to be turning towards the Southern Dynasty, Kofukuji Temple also began to re-contact with Emperor Gogameyama.

Kofukuji Temple was originally one of the seven major temples in Nanto. It was the central monastery for Buddhist teachings and teachings. It was home to numerous talents. In the Heian period, it also took charge of the Kasuga Shrine. It became even more powerful, with a huge manor and monks and soldiers, and became the largest Buddhist temple in Japan. power.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Japan, Kofukuji Temple was divided into two parts, Ichijo-in and Mahayana-in.

There is no guardianship in Yamato. In fact, Kofukuji Temple holds the de facto guardianship authority. However, its scope of authority cannot reach the three counties of Uchi, Yoshino, and Uda in the south. Basically, it can only control Nara and Kunichaka (later generations Nara Basin) area.

In this era, the armed forces of Kofukuji Temple were divided into two parts, namely, the "disciples" and the "citizens".

The word "disciples" was originally synonymous with the group of temple monks. However, with the development of Japan's temple economy, internal status differences gradually emerged. In the middle of the Kamakura period, monks who specialized in learning were called "students" among the public. "Priests", in contrast, armed lower-level monks are called "disciples". To put it bluntly, they are warrior monks.

By the end of the Kamakura period, the armed group "disciples" were not only monks of Kofukuji Temple, but also held positions such as village officials of Kofukuji's estates. Since they had almost nothing to do with the Buddhist rituals in Kofukuji Temple, they were actually related to the samurai. There is no difference, the only difference is that the head is shaved.

The so-called "citizens" belong to the same class as the "nationals (that is, local samurai)" of other countries. They do not believe in Buddhism and are believers in other gods. However, since Kasuga Shrine and other shrines are integrated with Kofukuji Temple, , so the "nationals" also began to affiliate with Kofukuji Temple and operate as a violent gang in shrines such as Kofukuji Temple and Kasuga Shrine.

Since the characteristics of "disciples" and "citizens" are similar, they are actually variants of the warrior class and are often referred to as "disciples and nationals" together.

But in recent years, the two sides began to split.

In July of the second year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty/the eleventh year of Onei in Japan, the "disciples" of the Ichijo-in conflicted with the "citizens" of the Mahayana-in. The Muromachi shogunate ordered the two to cease fighting and asked Kofukuji Temple to serve as the chief (equivalent to the abbot). ) Xiao Yuan, who belongs to the Mahayana Academy, came forward to coordinate, but Xiao Yuan said that this was a problem of the Ichijo Academy.

After that, disputes continued between the "disciples" of the Ichijoyuan and the "citizens" of the Mahayana. Although the shogunate ordered a truce each time, because the Ichijoyuan had always been loyal to the shogunate, the Mahayana had favored the Southern Dynasties during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Therefore, the shogunate's The ruling is inevitably biased in favor of Ichijoyuan.

Therefore, the current disputes in Yamato have actually developed into a struggle between the "disciples" of the Ichijo-in of the Oyamurocho shogunate, and the "citizens" of the Mahayana-in who opposed the shogunate.

After thoroughly observing the various declines and incompetence of the Muromachi shogunate, Takaoka Beito of Kofukuji Temple felt a strong desire to correct the situation.

However, Xiao Yuan is not a rash person, and his decision is carefully considered.

The most important reason that prompted him to make this decision was the terrifying combat power of the Ming army.

After the Ming army was assembled, they captured Tachibana Mountain Castle in just a few days and completely wiped out the shogunate army on the entire Kyushu Island. Takaoka believed that Ashikaga Yoshitomichi would not be the opponent of the Ming army.

Nowadays, the "citizens" of Daijo-in are quite powerful in Yamato. These samurai who once belonged to the core ruling area of ​​the Southern Dynasties have never forgotten their old masters. In addition, the Ming army supports Emperor Gogeyama. Therefore, now In Xiaoyuan's view, it was the best time to revive the Southern Dynasty.

In fact, the return of Kofukuji Temple to the Southern Dynasties was not only a political choice, but also a spiritual conversion.

In Xiaoyuan's heart, the Southern Dynasty, which once owned the three artifacts, represented orthodoxy and was the most important basis for the prosperity and development of Buddhism.

In order to achieve this goal, Xiaoyuan began to plan carefully. He understood that the power of "nationals" alone was far from enough and must receive broader support.

Therefore, he sent his most trusted disciples to go to Yoshino to express his wishes to Emperor Kameyama anyway. At the same time, he also expressed to the Sawa clan, Akiyama clan and other powerful people in Uchi and Uda counties that Kofukuji Temple was willing to join forces with them.

In Yoshino County, the couple went through all the trouble and finally met Emperor Gogameyama. He stated Takaen's wishes and Kofukuji's position in detail, and at the same time expressed his loyalty to the Southern Dynasty.

Soon, large-scale "national attacks" broke out in Pingqun County, Tenga County, Tengo County, Yamabean County, Katsuki County and other places throughout Yamato.

The influence of the Southern Dynasties began to extend to most areas of Yamato. Although the "disciples" of the Ichijoin of the Oyamachi Shogunate did not recognize the rule of Emperor Gogameyama, on the southern front, the offensive and defensive positions of the Southern Dynasties and the Muromachi Shogunate changed. But it couldn't be more obvious.

Ashikaga Yoshimichi, who had just led the shogunate's coalition forces to march westward, was so angry that he almost vomited blood after hearing the news.

It's a pity that he didn't know that at this time, the Kamakura Crown Prince had ordered the general mobilization of the Ten Kingdoms of Kanto to prepare to go to Luo with their swords, otherwise he would have vomited it out.

In fact, the Ming army quickly wiped out Kyushu Island, and the chain reaction caused by it is still continuing.