Dashun Yongchang

After finishing the conversation with Fan Wencheng, Dorgon's mood relaxed a lot, but when he thought about the fight with Li Zicheng in the future, his mood became a little bad again.Unlike the Ming Dynasty, which was on its way out, the Dashun led by Li Zicheng was a rising new dynasty, which can be seen from their confrontation with the Qing army.When the Ming army faced the Qing army, they only wanted to escape, but the Shun army, led by Li Zicheng, turned from defeat to counterattack.

This difference in energy and spirit means that it is difficult for the Qing army to replicate the previous tactics of fighting and intimidating when facing the Ming army, and it is also impossible to send an army to drive straight into the hinterland of the Shun army to kill and loot, thus weakening Dashun. The strength of the controlled area, the failure of the Azig Army has proved this point.

So what should the Qing army do next to regain its advantage over the Shun army, Dorgon didn't think of any good strategy for a while.Standing on the steps of Guiji Gate, Dorgon looked at the Jinshui Bridge and Huangji Gate in the distance and thought for a long time, then he ordered to the entourage around him: "Let Ganglin change the names of the gates in the palace. , peace is the most important thing, let him draw it up and show it to me."

When the war in China came to a standstill, there was a storm of war as far away as the Korean peninsula.In December last year, Li Zicheng's envoy Zhu Shuaicui and deputy envoy Lin Qingye arrived in the North Korean capital.

At the beginning, the Korean court did not want to receive the envoys sent by the rebels of Ming Dynasty, but they also did not want to offend the new Chinese dynasty that overthrew Ming Dynasty, so they decided to procrastinate.However, Zhu Shuaicui quickly revealed his identity as the imperial family of the Ming Dynasty, and said that the mission also had the intention of the prince of the Ming Dynasty. In addition, Lin Qingye used his family relationship to spread the news of the mission. Do not agree with them entering the capital.

Before the Manchus entered the customs, the Manchus had a very strict control over the Joseon Kingdom, and the Manchus were specially sent to the capital.But with Huang Taiji's death, Dorgon moved his capital into the customs, and even the headquarters of Manchuria was evacuated, and the personnel stationed in North Korea naturally withdrew.

However, the North Korean monarchs and ministers who lived very cautiously under the control of the Manchus did not want to anger the Manchus by receiving Chinese envoys, and then sent people to North Korea to monitor themselves, so they always hoped to receive Chinese envoys in a low-key manner.What's more, Zhu Shuaicui did not come here on behalf of the Ming Dynasty, which also allowed the North Koreans to find excuses to lower the standards. Of course, they still dare not neglect Zhu Shuaicui, the Ming clan. .

However, Zhu Shuaicui did not come to North Korea to eat, drink and play. There are still matters that have not been resolved in Japan. He wants to meet with the King of Joseon as soon as possible to sort out the relationship with North Korea. After taking back Jeju Island, he will return Japan went to deal with the detention of the Catholics in Nagasaki, so he asked to see the King of Joseon several times to no avail. He issued an ultimatum to Jin Zuoming, who received him, saying that he would leave the capital if the King of Joseon saw him again. Then regard North Korea as a vassal.

Zhu Shuaicui’s ultimatum was still effective. On December 24, the King of Joseon, Changdeok Palace Hee Jung Tang received him, but the King of Joseon said that he could not accept the imperial edict of Emperor Dashun Yongchang, because North Korea could not betray Daming.The interview was suspended because the King of Joseon did not obey the edict, and therefore Zhu Shuaicui was unable to negotiate with North Korea on the recovery of Jeju Island and other matters, because he first had to get the King of Joseon to admit that Dashun is now China’s Zhengsu, without this name There is no way to exercise power as the suzerain state.

Then came the first lunar month in North Korea, and the negotiations dragged on even more.After the first lunar month, the North Koreans started wrangling with Zhu Shuaicui again. Seeing that no progress had been made in the past half of February, Zhu Shuaicui thought that the fleet should start from China at this time. If you negotiate with others, you have to be tough.

Finally, on February [-]th, the son of Joseon, who had been a hostage for eight years with the Manchus, returned to the capital.

Zhu Shuaicui also went to the city gate to take a look. After taking a look, he finally smiled, and finally had a reason.The newly returned son of Joseon was dressed in full attire, and even his hair was shaved. The Korean officials and people who greeted him were all shocked and speechless.

Zhu Shuaicui immediately returned to the residence, handed a revised letter to Jin Zuoming and said to him: "Please hand over this document to your lord. Since I saw the prince's luggage today, I know your country's choice, so I will leave it here. It’s useless, let’s say goodbye today.”

Of course, Jin Zuoming knew that things were heading in an unpredictable direction. Although they called the Manchus Hulu and Dashun a rebellion in private, in public, those in power in North Korea knew very well that whether it was the Manchus or the overthrow North Korea can't afford to mess with Li Zicheng of Ming Dynasty.So even though the North Koreans have been fooling the envoys sent by Dashun, they dare not treat them badly.

However, now that Zhu Shuaicui used the excuse of the clothes of the son who had just returned to China to launch an attack, this is to directly treat North Korea as a barbarian.Although Dashun is still not a threat to North Korea, if this matter is spread, it will be a blow to the rule of the Li Dynasty.

The contemporary king of Joseon came to power by means of a coup, but he did not fulfill his promise to the people after the coup. The Ban forces dealt a blow, and 30 people from the two classes with status were taken away by the Manchus, which objectively eased the conflict between civilians and landlords in North Korea.

Right now, King Li is relying on advocating his loyalty to Daming to attract the support of some Liangban and civilians who are loyal to Daming. .Once North Korea is declared a barbarian genus by China, even the rhetoric of Dashun who replaced Ming Dynasty will greatly shake the support of those Confucian scholars who follow the orthodox school for the Li Dynasty.

Jin Zuoming immediately ran back and told his father, Jin Yu, that Jin Yu was the Joseon Li Cao Shenpan and the backbone of the Western People's Party. He immediately ran to intercept Zhu Shuaicui, but Zhu Shuaicui asked harshly in the street: "Jin Shenpan is trying to arrest Am I dedicated to the Manchus?"

Naturally, Jin Yu didn't dare to answer such a question in public, but begged the other party to stay and give him a chance to explain.But Zhu Shuaicui didn't listen, and charged forward with his horse, Jin Yu could only dodge, and the North Korean officers and soldiers he brought with him also dispersed, Jin Yu watched helplessly as they rushed out of the capital.

The king of Joseon, Li Ji, received two bad news in one day. One was that the prince appeared in front of the people in a Manchu costume, which aroused criticism from the capital; A letter just ran away.

Li Jing had to summon his cronies, Jin Zidian, Yuan Doupiao, etc. to discuss countermeasures. Jin Zidian had married Li Jing's favorite concubine Zhao Guiren at this time. He slandered the son wantonly in front of him.

Jin Zidian is a faction that is pro-Manchurian in North Korea. His slander against the son made no ministers who were pro-Manchurians dare to speak out.The other ministers were all anti-Manchurians, and they were also disappointed that the son entered the capital wearing a Manchu costume, thinking that he had forgotten the disasters that he had brought to North Korea twice indiscriminately, and also forgotten the old kindness of Ming Dynasty, such a mean and ungrateful man How can a man be a king?

As for the son's father-in-law, Jiang Shuoqi, who passed away a few years ago, the Jiang faction in the Western People's Party is weakening, and it is impossible to appear in such a small court meeting. Therefore, what Li Zhen heard was a court that was extremely dissatisfied with the son. Obviously a bad thing.As for the departure of Dashun's envoy, almost no one was willing to express their opinions, because no one knew who Dashun's backer was.

Chapter 525 North Korea II

Li Zhen's dissatisfaction with Shizi is not only because of the mandarin clothes, but also because of his doubts about the intention of sending the Manchus back to the son at this time.Therefore, when he summoned this son who had not seen him for many years, he asked him about the situation of Manchu.

However, the prince who has become somewhat Manchurian is obviously difficult to adapt to this North Korean style of conversation. Not only did he not show resentment towards the Manchus and nostalgia for the Ming Dynasty in the conversation, but he regarded the Manchu Qing Dynasty as a direct trace, and the Ming Dynasty regarded as a loser.

Li Jing regarded this father-son meeting as a dialogue between the monarch and his ministers, but the son obviously did not realize this. The eight-year proton career made him lose some political sensitivity, so he confided in front of his father that he wanted to emulate Manchurian reforms. North Korea's intentions.

After this conversation, Li Jing became very indifferent to this son, and Shizi was also dissatisfied with his father's thin feelings. After he returned, he said to his wife, Shizi concubine Jiang Shi: "The last time I went back to China to visit relatives, , my father seemed indifferent to me, and this time he talked to me even less cordially, I think there must be someone around my father who is trying to provoke our father-son relationship."

The eldest son, Mrs. Jiang, did not like to see this father-in-law, because his father was seriously ill when he returned home to visit relatives last time, but his father-in-law refused to let him go home to visit his doctor, saying that he was afraid that he would be angry with his grandson if he got sick. There was a conflict with the father-in-law.Therefore, after listening to her husband's words, she not only refused to persuade her, but also echoed her husband's views, and suggested that her husband get in touch with his mother's family and get close to the Zhonggong Zhao family.

The son's mother is the deceased Queen Renlie, and now the middle palace is from the Zhao family of Yangzhou, and has nothing to do.But the person in charge of the power in the palace is the nobleman Zhao, who is favored by the King of Joseon. This Zhao has two sons.Zhao Guiren, who had already coveted the position of the son, saw the actions of the son and his wife, and immediately started plotting with his in-law Jin Zidian, trying to falsely accuse the son of treason.

Not only out of love for his son, Li Jing really listened to the slander, so he ordered the son to be placed under house arrest in the palace, which undoubtedly became the first step in abolishing the son.However, when fierce struggles were raging within North Korea over the position of the crown prince, on March 22, the military governor of the Gyeongsang Left Province sent an urgent report to the capital. The naval forces in the area did not dare to fire at the Sun and Moon Banner, so they dispersed in a crowd, and the soldiers of Shangguo immediately occupied Busan Port.

Li Yu, who drove Guang Haijun out of power under the banner of being pro-Ming and anti-Qing, has greatly declined since the two rebellions. The domestic rebellion can be said to be endless, and even some of the original heroes wanted to launch a rebellion overthrow him.The reason why Li Jing can still sit in this position is that one relies on the severe suppression of the rebels; the other is to create an image of himself in Cao Ying and his heart in Han.

However, this kind of measure is still barely used to maintain domestic stability. When encountering external force attacks, this seemingly stable society will be broken immediately. The Shangguo army under the banner of Dashun and Ming Dynasty invaded, and the first reaction was to ask Daqing for help.

This kind of claim was naturally attacked by other people. Gongcao judge Yuan Doubiao said: "Please invite the Qing soldiers to enter North Korea to resist the heavenly soldiers. Doesn't this prove that the heavenly soldiers' crusade against our country is true? Could it be said that Our country has really admitted that it is a barbarian? How will the people below view the imperial court? In addition, the Qing army entered the customs and is competing with the upper kingdom for the world. Even the soldiers and civilians in Manchuria have almost moved. At this time, the Qing people can still send troops Come to help us? Even if we send troops, how much property will our country have to provide to satisfy these Qing troops who come to help us?"

Even Jin Zidian's henchmen, in this atmosphere, no one dared to come out to support the proposal of inviting the Qing army into North Korea.Li Jing also had to say that he had no intention of inviting the Qing army into North Korea, but although everyone denied the idea of ​​inviting the Qing army, no one could come up with a solution to the landing of soldiers from the upper kingdom in North Korea.

Although everyone knows that since they can't fight, they should send someone to negotiate with them, but this is obviously a scapegoat, so no one is willing to take the initiative to make this suggestion, for fear that the negotiation will fall on themselves.Then a strange phenomenon appeared. Gyeongsang Zuodo has been sending urgent reports to the capital, asking for instructions on whether it is a war or a peace. The war will send reinforcements, and the peace will send negotiating envoys. Bian is always discussing but has no conclusion.

Although Zhu Shuaicui and Zheng Cai commanded the army to land in Busan, they did not expect to conquer a country with several million people with thousands of people, not to mention that Zhu Shuaicui also asked Zheng Cai to send a fleet to Nagasaki. In order to intimidate, Nagasaki demanded that the Chinese sailors who believed in Catholicism should be released, compensated, and promised not to use "step painting" identification methods against Chinese businessmen in the future.

However, the dispersal of North Korean officers and soldiers without a fight suddenly exposed an undefended country to them.And Lin Qingye also insisted on marching to the capital. As a participant in Shen Qiyuan's rebellion, although Lin Qingye escaped the fate of being punished because he was not in North Korea, his relatives, friends and colleagues were all killed by the Western People's Party.

Lin Qingye, who was already dissatisfied with Li Zhen, didn't want him to stay on the throne anymore, and Qingshang Dao was originally the headquarters of the Anti-Western Party, and there were two classes of Confucian scholars who were dissatisfied with the imperial court.Because anyway, the hero has made a secret agreement internally, not to let the southerners be officials above Cao Panshu and Zhengcheng.Therefore, the Confucian scholars of the three ways in the south hardly got any official positions in the imperial court, and naturally formed a group that opposed the Western People's Party.

Under the contact of Lin Qingye, Xu Mu, Yin Shandao, Yin Kai and other southern Confucian scholars came to visit the Daming clan one after another, and said that North Korea was not Huhua but was occupied by a group of villains. If you drive them away from the court, then North Korea will correct the mistake of being close to the barbarians.

Naturally, Zhu Shuaicui and Zheng Cai would not object to helping these North Korean Confucian scholars clean up the villains in the court. Anyway, it doesn't take much effort to support a few words.So at the request of Lin Qingye and these southern Confucian scholars, Zhu Shuaicui vindicated the case of Shen Qiyuan in the name of the country, believing that this case was a conspiracy by the Western Party to clean up the southern forces, and it was also a conspiracy by the pro-Manchu forces against the pro-Ming forces. hit.

Shen Qiyuan's younger brothers: Shen Qizhou, Shen Qicheng, sons: Shen Shuoqing, Shen Yueren, and other exiled family members of the accused were pardoned and returned their family property.With the support of these southern Confucian scholars and Liangban, the size of the coalition army soon exceeded 2, and took down the entire Gyeongsang-do. The coalition army began to march towards Jeolla-do and Chungcheong-do. , the coalition forces finally encountered resistance, but this resistance was not against the army of Shangguo, but against the servant army of Gyeongsang-do.

Naturally, Zhu Shuaicui would not suppress the people of Jeolla Province and Chungcheong Province for the sake of the people of Gyeongsang Province. He ordered that as long as the people in these areas did not resist the heavenly soldiers, the coalition forces would not be allowed to attack the towns. .

On April 4, the three provinces in the south fell under the control of the coalition forces. Of course, this control was also very illusory. Many places only declared neutrality and were willing to provide food and salaries for the coalition forces, but refused the coalition forces to enter.

The fall of the Southern Three Ways made the dignitaries in the capital suddenly lose their words, and what frightened Li Zhen even more was that the southern Confucian scholars in the coalition forces pushed out the son of Huai Enjun Li Deren, saying that they wanted to clear the king's side.In this way, the war became more complicated. If changing the king could appease the anger of Shangguo, then Li Jing thought that it was impossible for the two classes around him to do nothing.

Li Jing neither dared to hand over the military power to the Western People's Party and let them organize resistance. This might completely make Shangguo give up his full support for the Southerners; he also did not dare to send the Western People's Party to negotiate with the coalition forces. Maybe the Westerners would betray him. In exchange for making peace with the Southerners.At this time, he remembered that he still had a son. At least on this issue, the interests of his son and himself were the same. If he was kicked out like this, his son would not be able to live.

So Li Jing went to visit his son on the evening of April 4, because the outbreak of the war directly put him on hold on the issue of heirs, which saved the son's life.After all, according to the tradition of North Korea's political struggle, once the son is abolished, he can only die, so as not to become a flag for other ambitious people to stage a coup d'etat. This is why Li Deren, Huai Enjun, was executed by Li Yu even though he did not participate in the conspiracy.

The son, who had been imprisoned for nearly a month, finally regained some sense of the political struggle in North Korea. He realized that the conversation tonight would be the key to whether he would be released. At this time, he did not expect that he would die, but he just thought that his father It seems that he intends to abolish his position as the son of the world.

Therefore, when his father asked him about his views on the war, he completely abandoned his own ideas, but followed his father's wishes and said: "It is definitely not acceptable to invite the Qing army to North Korea. The people have never been merciful, and letting them come to North Korea will only make the North Korean people suffer.

As for our own army to resist the coalition forces, this does not seem very appropriate.After all, what is the army of Shangguo and not the army of barbarians? If we don't have righteousness in hand, organizing an army to resist the army of Shangguo will not get the support of the people.

Therefore, I thought that we should send people to negotiate. At present, Shangguo and North Korea are cut off by land, and only sea routes are available. The risk of sea travel is extremely high. Therefore, once Shangguo withdraws its troops, it is impossible to send troops again soon.

In addition, apart from the soldiers and horses of Shangguo, the coalition forces are nothing but mobs.As long as we can persuade the upper kingdom to withdraw its troops, we will naturally be able to suppress these rebels easily, so our country's security will naturally be safe.Therefore, negotiation is the best policy. "

The son's remarks were exactly in line with Li Zhen's thoughts. He nodded and said, "This month, you are here to study and reflect. It seems that you have reflected well. Our North Korea really shouldn't be at war with Shangguo. I will see you outside tomorrow. The guards can be withdrawn, you prepare, as an envoy to meet the envoy of the Shang Kingdom, tell him that my heart of obedience to the Shang Kingdom has never changed."

Li Jing paused for a moment, and warned his son again: "Don't think about the reform of enriching the country and strengthening the army. The reason why we can survive in North Korea has never been because we are strong enough, but because of the reassurance of the upper country.

The regent may be very kind to you now, and I hope you can make North Korea prosperous and strong, but when North Korea really becomes prosperous and strong, the regent will be the first to cross the Yalu River.We can sit on this throne because North Korea is weak enough, if you don’t get rid of those unrealistic ideas as soon as possible, both North Korea and the Li family will be destroyed in your hands..."

Chapter 526

After the father-in-law left, the eldest son Jiang entered the room and asked her husband what the father-in-law said.Jiang is not an ordinary woman. She followed her husband to Manchuria as a hostage. She did not only know how to do housework like ordinary women. Instead, she quickly established relationships with those Korean women who married Manchus, and became a Korean woman. Trade intermediary between Manchurians and Manchurians.

Huai Enjun Li Deren's daughter was taken away by the Manchus and became the wife of the leather brand Bo (Baksh), and this woman is also quite economical, and became the trade representative of Concubine Jiang among the noble ladies of the Manchus. Therefore, the eight-year proton career did not bring any difficult memories to the son. On the contrary, it allowed the Jiang family to earn a lot of money and provided sufficient material guarantee for the son to deal with the nobles of Manchuria. This time he returned to North Korea He also brought hundreds of packs of treasures, so the son still respects his wife very much.

Hearing his wife's question, he also relayed the conversation between his father and himself to his wife in detail.After hearing this, Jiang just sneered and said, "Your Majesty is very reassuring to Shangguo, so he can't even sleep well now. If Dashun hadn't sent troops to fight over from the sea, he might not even be your son." I want to take it away, because he is afraid that the regent will ask you to come back just to replace him."

Hearing this, the eldest son Li Luo was a little unhappy. Although he felt that his father's feelings for him were indifferent, he still respected his father very much, and he didn't want his wife to continue to fight against his father, which made him caught in the middle It's very embarrassing, after all, it's because of the mother's absence. If there is a mother who disciplines the wife, the wife will not have such a big opinion of the father.

Seeing her husband's displeased expression, Jiang Shi was not afraid at all. She and Shizi had supported each other and struggled in Manchuria for eight years. They were also a couple in need. She felt that she was more important than her father-in-law in her husband's heart. , after all, the father-in-law has many sons, and the husband has only one wife, her.

She ignored it and said in grief and indignation: "Aren't I telling the truth? Do you really think that the king put you under house arrest just to make you reflect? We haven't even been able to send out a note in the past month." , This is the means to deal with treasonous sinners.

Your Highness, if you are so weak again, I am afraid that I will lose my body and two children.The open swords and dark arrows in the North Korean palace are far more powerful than those in Shengjing. Your Highness should not only remember that he is someone else's son, but also think that he is still the father of the child and the husband of a concubine. "

Li Mo sat down dejectedly, and said in his mouth: "That's not the case. When my father sent me to Manchuria that day, he was quite reluctant."

Jiang sneered and said, "That's because the concubine mother is still there. But now the palace is dominated by noble Zhao, who still remembers the concubine mother's kindness?"

Li Luo finally felt a little nervous, but he still smiled bitterly and said: "After all, he is the father, and I am the son. If the king wants his minister to die, the minister must die; if the father wants his son to die, the son has to die."

Mrs. Jiang was silent for a long time before she said: "Yes, in North Korea, the king is the father, and His Highness is a subject. But in front of Shangguo, everyone is a subject, so His Highness naturally doesn't have to worry about being plotted against for no reason. .”

Li Luo frowned and said: "But who is the Shangguo now? When we set off from Beijing, the situation in Daqing was very good. But when we arrived in North Korea, Dashun attacked from the sea again. Why did they do this?" Why did the Ming army obey the rebellion? Why did the Ming prince recognize the thief as his father?"

After bowing down to the prince, Jiang said firmly: "No matter whether the Qing Dynasty still has the advantage, the Qing Dynasty is far from being able to quench our thirst. The only ones who can save His Highness at the moment are the envoys of the Shang Kingdom representing Dashun and Daming. As long as they can With his affirmation, the voices criticizing His Highness in North Korea will disappear, and the King will not be able to do anything to His Highness. Therefore, the concubine dares to ask His Highness to go south to negotiate this time, and she should first consider for herself, not for the King .”

Li Luo stared at his wife with wide eyes and said, "You want me to betray my father?"

Jiang looked into the eyes of the son and said: "You are the son of North Korea, and my eldest son is the grandson of this country, but it was just for the king to take care of him earlier, how can you say it is a betrayal?

Besides, if the crown prince didn't come forward, would the envoy of Shangguo tolerate a king of Joseon who had bowed his knees to the barbarians several times?Wouldn't they support the clan as the king introduced by those southerners?At that time, not only will the king not be able to keep his throne, but our family may not be able to keep their lives. "

Li Lu and his wife looked at each other for a long time, and finally retreated first. He avoided his wife's sight and murmured, "Even if I am willing to bow to the kingdom, they may not be willing to accept me. They put me in a Hu suit Entering Beijing has become one of the terms of the questioning."

Jiang gritted her teeth and said, "His Royal Highness can take all the belongings brought back by the concubine from Shengjing. I don't need them at this time, why should I take them to the ground? As long as the envoys of the upper kingdom can support His Highness, North Korea has Anything can be given..."

After all, Li Lu still failed to overcome his wife's insistence, saying that he would consider his wife's suggestion.The son of Joseon went south with a mighty sympathy team. The King of Joseon was unwilling to use the banner of negotiation, so he let the son go south in the name of condolences to the heavenly soldiers of the upper kingdom.Although this made the Korean people in the north who were not well-informed think that it was just a misunderstanding that the Heavenly Soldiers of Shangguo attacked Yunyun, but it made the soldiers and civilians in the three southern provinces even more lose their will to resist the coalition forces.

At this time, Zhu Shuaicui was discussing with Zheng Cai in Busan whether he wanted to restrain the actions of the coalition forces. After all, they came to question the king of Joseon, not to establish another king of Joseon for North Korea.Zheng Cai also said: "It is impossible for us to stay in North Korea forever, and our supplies cannot last for so long. Although North Korea can provide food locally, North Korea does not produce gunpowder. Without gunpowder, the cannons and muskets on the ship are just for display. , we can’t fight hand-to-hand with the North Koreans, can we?”

Zhu Shuaicui also agreed and said: "Yes, if North Korea is really messed up, who should we find to sign a peace treaty? This is definitely not our goal, but now that the capital is not showing weakness, we have no reason to stop the coalition forces." Action? In fact, I am still more worried about the Japanese side, and I don’t know whether Xi Benyi can handle the negotiations with the Japanese well.”

Zheng Cai also felt a headache when he heard this. He didn't expect that this expedition to North Korea would expand to such a scale. Not only was North Korea about to become a war of annihilation, but even the negotiations with the Japanese shogunate were heading towards an armed conflict. direction of development.This is actually not in the interests of Zheng's business group, but Zheng Cai is really unwilling to give up this opportunity to sell to the Marshal's Mansion.

Since Zheng Zhilong was recruited by the imperial court as the leader of Shibazhi, he has confirmed the position of this leader. This actually makes other people dissatisfied, because Zheng Zhilong is only the person in charge they elected, not some fleet. Owner.After that, Zheng Zhilong used the power of the court to suppress the pirate gangs who did not obey him, and even Shibazhi suppressed them together, so everyone respected Zheng Zhilong at a distance.

But at this time, Zheng Zhilong was already full-fledged, and even the smugglers sent by the Fujian gentry were wiped out. Everyone wanted to resist and lacked the strength.And since Li Zicheng intends to make trouble overseas this time, Zheng Cai certainly hopes to seize this opportunity to stand on his own and become an official figure on an equal footing with Zheng Zhilong.

It is precisely because of such a little selfishness that he succumbed to Zhu Shuaicui's order and changed his original plan for negotiating with Japan.Of course, this is not because they are looking for trouble deliberately, it is really that these Japanese are too arrogant and unreasonable.Not to mention the Chinese crew who captured a ship in September last year, just as they were negotiating with Nagasaki, another Chinese ship that had just arrived in Nagasaki was captured by the Japanese in November because they found Catholic scriptures. stand up.

Since Zheng Cai's fleet had not arrived at that time, Xi Benyi, who stayed in Nagasaki, could only negotiate with Nagasaki Fengxing through Tang Tongshi.But obviously this kind of negotiation without the backing of force is of little use to the Japanese. Although out of fear of China, the Nagasaki government refused to recognize Ximoto Yi Dashun on the grounds that the shogunate did not recognize it. Although he has the status of an envoy, he is still given the treatment equivalent to that of a North Korean envoy.

However, regarding the treatment of Catholics, these Japanese officials still carried out cruel torture according to the order issued by the shogunate, ignoring Xi Benyi's repeated requests at all.When Zhu Shuaicui returned to Busan from the capital, news came from Nagasaki that six detained Chinese crew members had been tortured to death.

At this time, the fleets of Zheng Cai and Shi Hongshi had arrived in Tsushima Fan. Zhu Shuaicui rushed to Tsushima Fan to join the fleet, and immediately expressed his opinion on the death of Nagasaki sailors. He said to the fleet generals: "If we Such a fleet is parked next to Japan, and the Japanese can kill our crew regardless of our repeated dissuasion, so can we still expect Japan to conduct fair trade with our civilians in the future? We must not give Japan an illusion , let them feel that we will not dare to offend them for the sake of trade, which will only fuel their arrogance."

After all, the officers and soldiers led by Shi Hongshi went to sea to attack foreign countries for the first time, so they were quite cautious. They believed that the fleet should not make too many enemies. They will also be forced to return to the country because there is no place to supply them.

But at this time, Zheng Cai supported Zhu Shuaicui, because he didn't want Li Zicheng to think that he was a war avoidant. Since Li Zicheng sent them to the Korean Strait, he would naturally not allow them to fight against the Koreans and Japanese. Back off in front of you, otherwise, wouldn't it be easier to send a few envoys to negotiate with the Joseon king and the shogun?

It's just that Zheng Cai was thinking about occupying the Tsushima domain and putting pressure on North Korea and Japan in turn. He really didn't expect North Korea to be so invincible, and his army was trapped in the interior of North Korea. It is difficult to meet the Zhenglian Squadron in Nagasaki.

Chapter 527 Nagasaki One

Outside Nagasaki Port, Xi Benyi is also presiding over a military meeting on Zheng Lian's ship. He doesn't even know why he, a businessman, wants to preside over such a combat meeting.His original duty was to establish trade relations with Japan, not to fight the shogunate.

However, with the arrogance and avoidance of the shogunate officials, the hope of a peaceful solution between the two parties was completely shattered. After the fleet arrived in Nagasaki, force pressure became the only option.

But until this moment, Xi Benyi and most of the officers in the fleet still hoped to resolve the Nagasaki incident peacefully, and it was the Portuguese and the British who really wanted to use force.The Portuguese, who were originally forced to join the fleet, and the British, who voluntarily joined, were particularly resolute in their attitude of going to war against Nagasaki, and they were even willing to be the first troops to land.

The reason why the Portuguese were so resolute was to defend the Catholics. The Nagasaki incident also broke out because the Japanese shogunate strictly prohibited Catholicism.After the Shimabara Rebellion, the shogunate regarded Catholicism as a scourge, strictly prohibited Japan from importing Catholic scriptures and other religious items, and even brutally persecuted domestic Catholics.

This blow to Catholics not only destroyed decades of efforts of the Jesuits in Japan, but even the Portuguese who supported the Jesuits in the East also suffered, and the shogunate banned trade with the Portuguese.

For the Portuguese who are weak in the east, it is of course impossible for them to provoke a powerful eastern country like Japan. After all, even the Dutch can only bow to the shogunate and use bribes to maintain the trade relationship between Japan and the Netherlands.It is even more difficult for the Portuguese, who are weaker than the Dutch, to threaten Japan with force.

But following behind the Chinese, the Portuguese became more courageous. With China's population and special status in Asia, if a conflict broke out between these two countries, Japan would definitely be the loser. The war that is going on is not in their consideration. Anyway, as long as they can open the door to Japan, Macau will have a way to survive.

Therefore, the Portuguese, who were originally the logistics of the fleet, resolutely supported Zhu Shuaicui's policy of putting pressure on Japan and defending the legal rights of Chinese Catholics. In fact, they wanted to restore the legal right of Catholicism to preach in Kyushu.

As for the British captain Richard, as a port businessman who mainly travels between Macau and Pattani, the decline of Macau and the expansion of Dutch power in Southeast Asia made British businessmen feel that they could not get along in Southeast Asia.Volunteering to serve the Emperor of China, Richard just wanted to gain the power to trade directly with Chinese merchants.

In 1612, Thomas Best, the general of the British East India Company, defeated the Portuguese fleet led by da Cunha in the naval battle of Cambay Bay, making them valued by Sadr Khan, the Governor of Gujarat in the Mughal Empire.

This led to a successful 1615 visit by King James I of Sir Thomas Roy to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who granted the East India Company the right to settle and establish factories in Surat and elsewhere.

Richard just wanted to replicate the success of his British compatriots in mainland India and open up direct trade links between China and Britain, which would also make him a figure of fame and fortune.

However, if you want to be received by the Chinese emperor, it is obviously not enough to participate in an expeditionary fleet. In that case, the Chinese will only regard Britain as an insignificant small country like Portugal, so Richard hopes to be able to participate in this expedition. What he showed attracted the attention of the Chinese emperor.What's more, there were conflicts between the Japanese and the British. When Japan cut off trade with the Portuguese, it also drove the British out of the country, leaving only the Dutch.

It can be said that Japan has now become an enemy in the eyes of the British because they are on the side of the Dutch, Britain's powerful sea enemy.It's just that Britain's strength in Southeast Asia is insufficient. Under the persecution of the Dutch, it even had to withdraw from most of its business in Southeast Asia and began to carefully manage trade in the Indian mainland.

Provoking a war between China and Japan would at least hit the Dutch trading partners in East Asia.What's more, the Dutch have become the target of the Chinese. From this point of view, China has become the de facto ally of the British against the Dutch in Southeast Asia. Of course, Richard must help this ally and make the relationship between the two sides The possibility of peace was eliminated.

Facing the strong claims of the Portuguese and the British, some Fujian navy generals were not calm, and they also put forward such an opinion: "Our stop outside Nagasaki Port cannot force the Japanese to feel afraid. It made the Japanese see through our reality, because it is impossible for us to drift on the sea forever, and the crew cannot bear such a life.

So, either end this matter as soon as possible, or simply fight the Japanese. If we lose, we will run away. If we win, we can at least occupy Nagasaki and keep the crew happy for a few days on the shore. Otherwise, we can’t guarantee it. The crew doesn't make trouble. "

Whether it was Zheng Lian's subordinates, the Portuguese, or the British, they had all played pirates, so they didn't have much psychological pressure to attack Nagasaki. The only one who really had psychological pressure was Xi Benyi, who was a businessman.

However, when he saw the soldiers who were starting to get anxious, he finally gave up his insistence and said to everyone: "We really should take some actions to let Nagasaki see our determination.

However, I don’t think it’s appropriate to attack Nagasaki directly. There are nearly one-fifth of Chinese businessmen living in Nagasaki City. If we attack Nagasaki, we will definitely accidentally injure them. This is probably not what His Majesty wants to see.So we should first get out of the Dutch business house on the island, anyway, we have already started a war with the Dutch, and the Japanese refuse to hand over the Dutch, so we can do it ourselves..."

The Chinese soldiers really have no interest in attacking the island. This is a fan-shaped artificial island in the bay. The long side is about 100 steps away, and the short side is about [-] or [-] steps. There are walls around it, and there is only one long bridge leading to the shore.It is impossible to get much property here, and it is impossible to have women.

However, the Portuguese and the British expressed their support, and they were more motivated to fight the Dutch than the Japanese. What's more, Dejima, which is in the bay, is completely within the range of the naval guns, so it doesn't take much effort at all.

Therefore, on the afternoon of April [-]st, the second year of Yongchang, Xi Benyi, as an envoy of Dashun, sent a letter to Nagasaki Ryobobababa Saburozaemon and Yamazaki Gonhachiro, stating that the Shunming fleet would fight against those who robbed at sea. They arrested the looting Dutchmen and asked Japan not to help these Dutchmen, otherwise it would be regarded as a provocation to the Marshal's Mansion.

When Baba Saburo Zaemon and Yamazaki Gonhachiro received this document, they were both angry and worried, because the situation was slipping in a direction that they could not control.Edo actually attached great importance to China's domestic situation, because the shogunate was worried that once the new dynasty in China was established, it would have the intention to expand outward, and Japan might also become one of the targets that the new dynasty tried to surrender.

This is not unfounded worry. The Yuan Dynasty’s attack on Japan, and the Ming Dynasty’s canonization of Korea, Vietnam, and Sanfoqi are all political declarations by the new Chinese dynasty to show that they have become the lord of the world.Therefore, when a new dynasty replaces Ming Dynasty, this new dynasty will inevitably take some actions to show that it has inherited the power to rule the world. This is the legal rationale of the Lord of China.

A Chinese dynasty that cannot be subdued by the barbarians cannot be called the co-lord of the world.Therefore, the shogunate will still send people to collect information on the mainland for merchant ships from the mainland, in order to speculate who can become the new lord of China.It's just that they didn't expect that Dashun would take the initiative to come to the door.