Back to the Song Dynasty as a tyrant

Zhao Chen asked, "Why is he here?"

"Let him in." Han Shizhong said.

Zhang Jun walked in very quickly, saw Han Shizhong and Zhao Chen, and immediately saluted: "Your Majesty, see His Royal Highness King Liao, and see Han Shuai."

Zhang Jun was also from the Western Army, and in the first year of Jingkang, he also participated in King Qin.

At that time, Zhang Jun's position was much higher than that of Han Shizhong.

Now that Han Shizhong has been conferred the title of duke of the country, and has experienced military exploits, the status of the two has already increased.

Zhang Jun is respectful on the surface, but his heart is very complicated, and he is also full of jealousy towards Han Shizhong.

Chapter 1194 Japan's ambition (second more)

"I don't know why Boying came to me?" Han Shizhong asked.

"Don't dare, I heard that Han Shuai has arrived in Hangzhou, and the next official came to pay a special visit. I have some small gifts in my hand, which is not a respect."

Zhang Jun began to introduce his gifts, most of which are extremely precious items from overseas, and any one transported to Song Dynasty can be sold for sky-high prices.

Han Shizhong said: "Brother Boying is too polite. You will not be rewarded for nothing. Please take these gifts back."

Being rejected by Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun was annoyed in his heart, but there was no embarrassment on his face.

He said: "It's just some items that are not on the table."

"What's the matter with you, but it's okay to say."

Seeing that Han Shizhong refused to accept the gift, Zhang Jun didn't force him anymore, so he said, "It's true, there are rumors in Hangzhou that Han Shuai intends to conquer Japan?"

"This matter seems to have nothing to do with Boying."

"Han Shuai, now Japan is fully cooperating with Da Song in business and trade. If you attack Japan, it will destroy the sea line between Da Song and Japan, and it will involve countless families."

"If Boying comes here, to talk to me about this matter, please come back."

"Han Shuai, as a doctor of the ship department in Hangzhou, I am responsible for the business between the Song Dynasty and Japan. I can't sit idly by. Do you know who are the people behind the business of Song and Japan?"

Without waiting for Han Shizhong to speak, Zhang Jun spoke quickly: "They are all ordinary people who work day and night, farming, and weaving! Their goods go to sea and are sold in Japan, and they can also have part of the income to support their families. If you attack Japan now, the two countries If the business is cut off, who will compensate for the money they lost?"

"Please come back!"

"Han Shuai think twice!"

Zhao Chen said: "The imperial court has its own arrangements!"

"His Royal Highness Liao Wang is right, how will the court remedy the losses of those people?"

"Please come back!"

"Farewell!" Zhang Jun didn't say any more, turned around and left.

However, this matter was fermented in Hangzhou.

After Zhang Jun returned, he immediately wrote several letters to the capital.

Obviously, as Chen Gongfu said, going to war with Japan would damage the interests of some people and would inevitably be opposed.

For several days in a row, there were people talking about it.

However, Han Shizhong was not affected by this incident, and he quickly prepared for the battle.

First, part of the Yuanxiang Army was mobilized from Hangzhou, and then the maritime patrols in Hangzhou Bay were mobilized.

On February [-]th, the Liaodong naval forces headed by Zhang Rong arrived near Hangzhou Bay.

By February [-], the army had assembled near Hangzhou Bay.

However, the army avoided the place where the merchant ships docked. No one knew the current strength of the army, let alone where it was and when it would set off.

In fact, so far, although the rumors in Hangzhou are lively, many people think that they are just speculation.

Even many Japanese merchant ships still docked in Hangzhou Bay, and many people stayed in inns outside the city, and even wandered in commercial streets outside the city. They also heard some rumors, but they didn't take it seriously at all.

On the evening of February 27th, Han Shizhong's warships left Hangzhou Bay and headed eastward.

"The silver mines that the Japanese promised us are mainly in this place, and this place is called Iwami Country."

It was a middle-aged man who spoke, his name was Sima Du, he was dressed in light blue silk, he was a businessman in Hangzhou, and he was the businessman who had the closest relationship with Japan.

And his first three generations have done business with Japan.

The reason why he is willing to cooperate with Han Shizhong is because his son graduated from the Hangzhou Naval Academy and is now serving in the South China Sea. It is said that he has made great contributions and has been promoted to Cheng Xinlang.

Although this military officer is the lowest level, but given the importance that the Song Dynasty attaches to military merit, as long as he has obtained military merit, his descendants will receive preferential treatment during the exam.

When the family is doing business, it can also declare a part of the tax exemption.

All in all, there are many benefits.

And the higher the rank, the more preferential treatment.

Of course, these are all obtained by military merit, and they have to risk their lives.

Han Shizhong is a famous general in the Song Dynasty. This is a great opportunity for a businessman like Sima Du. Compared with this, what is the family's business with Japan?

"The lord of Japan is now in power, and the powerful minister is called Hira Tadamori. He is the guardian of several countries. The Song Dynasty trades with Japan, and a considerable part of the goods enters Japan under his influence."

Zhao Chen asked, "What is this person's attitude towards the silver mine?"

"It was the promise made by this person at that time." Sima Du said, "A few years ago, the Hangzhou government sent a group of people to go to Shi Jianguo. , A group of people were sent last year, and there was no follow-up."

"What do you think the Japanese are doing this for?" Zhao Chen continued to ask, "Aren't they afraid that my Song Dynasty will block business?"

"There are rumors in the market that Ping Zhongsheng has the ambition to seize power. He promised us to mine quarries in the early years in order to stabilize the business line and win people's hearts."

"Win people's hearts?" Zhao Chen was puzzled, and Han Shizhong was also puzzled.

What does this have to do with winning hearts and minds?

"Da Song's products are extremely popular in Japan, and I have always wanted to import more products from us, but the Japanese ruler does not want to do business with Da Song frequently."

"Why?"

"Because I'm worried that many people from Japan will take advantage of business and trade to smuggle into our Song Dynasty, causing the loss of Japanese population."

Only then did Zhao Chen nod his head, and the reason was quite reasonable.

"In the past, after my merchant ships arrived at the Japanese port, they would dock first and be under the control of Dazaifu, Japan. When merchants went ashore, they had to register, including age, appearance, gender, and clothing."

"Japan has very strict control over foreign businessmen."

Sima Du spoke unhurriedly.

This is the first time Zhao Chen, Han Shizhong and others have heard of these details of the past.

They only know that the Song-Japanese business line is very prosperous now, but they don't know that the Japanese rulers in the past were actually very repulsive to the Great Song business.

Zhao Chen asked inexplicably: "Since the Japanese ruler is very repulsed by our Great Song business, why do you say that our Great Song products are very popular in Japan?"

"It was rejected by the ruler, but Japanese dignitaries loved Chinese products very much. It was precisely because after Hira Tadamori came to power, he withstood the pressure of the Japanese ruler and insisted on opening the country to our Great Song Dynasty, which led to the later business lines."

Zhao Chen was stunned, and then said: "So that's the case. From this point of view, this Ping Zhongsheng helped us."

"But Ping Zhongsheng is an ambitious person. How could he help us for no reason? By doing this, he first won the hearts of the dignitaries, and second, he manipulated the Song-Japanese business line and gained huge profits from it. Only these two things, It can help him control the power of Japan and even form a private army."

What Sima Du said was true.

Historically, Hira Tadamori strengthened the power of the Ise Heira clan, and his son Hira Kiyomori established the Hira clan regime on this basis, becoming the first samurai in power in Japan, and almost mastered all the land west of Japan.

And Iwami country is in West Japan.

Sima Du said again: "I heard that Ping Zhongsheng sent people to Shi Jian country to mine silver mines."

Chapter 1195 Japanese Honey Confidence ([-]rd)

Hearing what Sima Du said, Zhao Chen immediately realized that the Japanese wanted it, wanted it, and wanted it.

One word: want it all!

Especially Ping Zhongsheng, he wants to accumulate prestige, let him be a good person, he wants to do business, he wants to get the most of the profits, he wants to build an army, and he also wants to take power.

In this era, Japan has entered the end of the Heian period, and the power of the emperor has fallen. Although Genji has not yet risen, the Taira family has been spying on power for a long time.

Ping Zhongsheng's son Ping Qingsheng is accumulating strength.

"You mean, this Ping Zhongsheng, on the surface, agreed to let us mine the silver mine, but has been delaying it, and has actually done it himself?"

"Yes." Sima Du said, "Speaking of which, the Japanese did discover silver mines there before, but now more silver mines were discovered by people from the Song Dynasty in the past, but the Japanese always found them in their own way. This reason refuses us to continue mining."

Even Zhao Chen couldn't listen anymore, he asked a little angrily, "Why didn't you send troops directly before?"

"In the past, it was mainly based on trade between the two countries. I also made a lot of money from trade with Japan. The goods of the Song Dynasty are often sold more expensive in Japan than in China. The Liangzhe Road needs merchants who are willing to sell goods to Japan. The folks There is money to be made, and the court also has money to make, so naturally no one mentioned sending troops."

February 28, Japan, Heian-kyo.

The spring in Heian-kyo is quite cold, the mottled city walls are covered with the wind and frost of the years, and soldiers who are resting can be seen at the gate of the city.

These soldiers were completely different from those of the Song Dynasty. They wore gray and ragged clothes, were short, thin, dark-skinned, and listless.

The civilians who came in and out of the city gate were those dressed in shabby clothes. They were even thinner, and some were even skinny.

It is the cherry blossoms blooming on the side of the road, which add some elegant beauty to the capital.

Ping'an-kyo was the capital city built after Emperor Chang'an and Luoyang of the Tang Dynasty during the period of Emperor Huanwu.

Of course, the scale is completely inferior to Chang'an and Luoyang, only one-fifth of the size of Chang'an City.

But the Japanese completely copied the architecture of the Tang Dynasty at that time, so many pavilions looked quite majestic and magnificent like the Tang Dynasty.

As for the cherry blossoms on the roadside, they were actually passed down from China.

As early as the Han Dynasty, cherry blossoms began to be planted in the royal gardens of Chang'an.

However, at the end of the Heian era, that is, in this era, the Japanese began to change from copying China to localizing transformation.

For example, the styles of some buildings in Heian-kyo began to be localized.

At this time, a group of people came in one after another from outside the city.

The passers-by who were on the street quickly moved aside.

I saw the warrior on the horse in front, wearing armor, carrying a bow and arrow, and a groom in front of him was leading the horse.

On either side of him are samurai, also in armor.

This kind of armor in Japan is not the big armor of the Warring States Period in Japan. It is very simple. It protects the upper body and has a short skirt armor.

This kind of defense is very poor, there is no armor on the shoulders, just two straps to hang the breastplate.

Not to mention the stepper armor, the ordinary armor of the Song Dynasty can hang it.

After all, Japan's economy was very backward in this era, and the hierarchical manor system made it difficult for the emperor to collect taxes throughout the country.

"Get out of the way, Daisuke Chubu is back! Get out of the way!" A soldier roared rudely, speaking the very noisy Japanese civilian language, not the Central Plains Yayin.

Nakahara Yayin can only be spoken by the upper-class Japanese nobles.

The common people around all gave way one after another, trembling.

What is the official position of the Daisuke of Central Affairs?

Equivalent to the second in command of the Ministry of Central Affairs, deputy.

The Ministry of Central Affairs was established by Japan by imitating the system of the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, it was called the Ministry of Central Affairs, which was the yamen where the highest consul and the prime minister were located.

In other words, this big man who just entered the city is the deputy prime minister of Japan.

The full-time secretary of state is generally held by the prince of Japan, most of the time there is no one, and the deputy is the prime minister who assists the emperor.

In short, this person is the prime minister.

A long procession followed, and finally, he dismounted in front of the palace of the Emperor of Japan and entered the palace.

"I see His Majesty the Emperor." Ping Zhongsheng said respectfully.

"You don't need to be too polite. I can't help but be overjoyed that Daisuke Chubu is back." Emperor Sutoku appeared very happy, but in fact he was already very afraid of this person in his heart.

Hira Tadamori married the eldest son of Fujiwara, and the Fujiwara clan was the general of the Hira clan, and their influence should not be underestimated.

Taira Tadamori's father, Hira Masamori, once served as the northern samurai (imperial guard) of Emperor Shirakawa, crusaded and defeated Genji, and later married Genji.

Hira Tadamori's mother's natal family is the well-known Genji.

As for Ping Zhongsheng himself, he was in power at this time, and he fought against pirates many times and won victories.

This time, he was still going to hunt down pirates.