New Shun 1730

This is not a step down.

Rather, he was afraid that the King of Ryukyu could not find a step down, so he quickly bent down and made a step down, fearing that the King of Ryukyu would fall to his death.

The angels could not convict the King of Ryukyu, and Zhao Baiquan did not want Liu Yu to go too far - directly go to the vassal to capture the prince. With Liu Yu's current favor from heaven, he would definitely reward but not punish. Wouldn't that encourage the border generals to learn from Liu Yu?

Anyway, fighting can make merit, and if you do well, you can be granted a title and become a prime minister, so why not fight hard? It is even possible that the chieftains will not rebel, and the vassal will be forced to rebel because of their loyalty.

This Dashun will really perish by force...

Liu Yu could probably guess what Zhao Baiquan was thinking, and thought to himself that you gave a good step down.

Shang Jing, who knelt on the ground, did not dare to look up. The first thing he thought of was not the Celestial Empire, but his younger brother, who was the biggest threat. The emperor would protect the vassal's country and would not occupy Ryukyu, but his younger brother had a good relationship with the previous angel.

Thinking of this, he immediately raised his head and kowtowed heavily to the ground.

When knocking his head, he wiped it quickly when it hit the ground, leaving a trail of blood. He didn't cry to Long Ting until the blood flowed out and wet his eyes. He cried to Long Ting: "I am guilty! I am guilty! I am guilty! Don't I think about the hatred of my ancestors and my country day and night?"

"But the Japanese are very strict, and I can only follow the example of Gou Jian, endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, and seek opportunities."

When he was crying, the old minister Cai Wenpu behind him sighed secretly, thinking to himself, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't say this nonsense, you are not without opportunities, our country has sent people to study at the Imperial College and the Imperial Hospital. Isn't it adding to the crime if you say this?

Deputy Envoy Zhao Baiquan also felt that the words of the Ryukyu King were too nonsense. It's okay to give him a way out, but you can't treat the emperor's envoy as a fool. At least you have to be careful when making up a lie. I still have the responsibility. When I go back, the emperor will ask me, how can you believe such an obvious lie? You don't have to mix in the future.

"King Zhongshan, even if the Japanese are keeping a tight watch, Emperor Xian still issued a secret letter to the emperor even though Cao Cao was so rude in the past. Although the Japanese are threatening, Ryukyu has sent many Confucian scholars to study at the Imperial Academy. Could it be that these people are learning to be loyal to the emperor in the Imperial Academy, but they know nothing about Ryukyu? Could it be that King Zhongshan cannot secretly have them report Ryukyu affairs to the emperor? Or are all the people from Ryukyu who go to the Imperial Academy to study selected by the Japanese?"

This was just a reprimand to King Zhongshan, but to Cai Wenpu, who had studied in the Imperial Academy, it sounded like a scolding to him.

Thinking about what Zhao Baiquan said just now, such as "no emperor and no father", this was an unacceptable humiliation for a Confucian scholar who was well-read in poetry and books.

Thinking about the wrath of the Celestial Empire this time, which was obviously well prepared, Cai Wenpu sighed.

Thinking about the words of the saints and the loyalty to the emperor that he had learned in the Imperial Academy of the Celestial Empire, he said to himself, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this old minister can only help you for the last time." He suddenly raised his gray head and slammed it against the ground with all his strength.

He was really trying to die, not just pretending.

He was nearly seventy years old, and his brain burst and he died on the spot.

When the scene was in chaos, Shang Jing saw Cai Wenpu's head in a pool of blood and knew that he could not survive, so he said without hesitation: "When I was the crown prince, Cai Wenpu came to Beijing to study at the Imperial Academy. I secretly sent him to tell the emperor about the Japanese disaster."

At this point, the dozens of lives of Cai Wenpu's family and children flashed through his mind, but he could not care about so much.

"This time the angel came to my small country, the heavenly soldiers were lined up, and the warships were magnificent. I thought that the Heavenly Kingdom was here to do justice for me. Cai Wenpu asked me to be patient, and also said that he had secretly reported the matter to the emperor when he was in the Imperial College. Could it be that there was no such thing? Or maybe he secretly communicated with the Japanese, concealed it, and deceived me that he had reported it to the emperor?"

Liu Yu sniffed the blood in the air, and silently gave Shang Jing a thumbs up in his heart, thinking that he was indeed a noble material, and the basic skills of being a noble were very solid.

He didn't say it, and just listened to Shang Jing talking nonsense without changing his face. Now the only witness is dead, isn't it up to you?

Zhao Baiquan didn't know much about the situation in Ryukyu, and didn't know whether it was true or not, but he knew that he should believe it at this time.

Facts are not a reason to believe.

But the step was still not enough, he said: "King Zhongshan, if you really want to do this, can't you send someone to the Celestial Empire in a small boat?"

"The angel doesn't know that the Japanese in Satsuma are very strict. The ships and the goods they carry are all controlled by them. Although I want to be a shield for the Heavenly Family, my country is small and weak, with less than a thousand soldiers, so I really have no power. Now that the Heavenly Army has arrived and the angel has come in person, the hatred of our country and the hatred of our ancestors can be avenged!"

He kowtowed to the ground several times and cried: "I know that I am guilty of death. I would like to ask Your Majesty to come in person. If you can restore the Ryukyu ancestral temples and the country, I will die without regrets! I can't atone for my sins even if I die a thousand times. I am afraid that I will not be able to see my ancestors after I die!"

He cried several more times, fainted on the ground, and got up again. He really had the sorrow of Dujuan crying blood and Chang Hong turning into a green sigh.

Liu Yu was silent, listening to it was really boring.

He lowered his head in boredom, watching the blood of Cai Wenpu, who died in the distance, slowly gather together. He stared at a crack in the bricks in the distance, thinking that he seemed to have high blood lipids, otherwise the blood would have flowed to the cracks long ago.

He looked at Shang Jing again, couldn't help coughing, and thought that it was enough.

This time he was definitely going to capture Shang Jing, not for the emperor's face, but for the Westerners to see: within the Chixian Shenzhou barrier, the tribute system was equivalent to territory, and the emperor had the right to deal with any tributary king.

Let Westerners recognize the internal legal system of the Celestial Empire. In the future, they cannot deal directly with the tributary states announced by the Celestial Empire, but have to go to the capital. The emperor of the Celestial Empire is the common emperor of China, Korea, Ryukyu and other countries, not the king of the Han legal kingdom on the map made by the missionaries.

No country in the world is qualified to be the emperor, but the Five Hegemons can still be together. Although the Five Hegemons’ etiquette is not in line with the rules, it can only be done this way.

If the Celestial Empire system wants to smoothly transition to the Westphalian system, it must figure out what the vassal is? Is it a colony? Is it a vassal state? Or a feudal state? A united state? Or is it none of the four, but a kind of transcendent special existence with geographical significance but no legal significance?

All these need to be signed with the four of the future "Five Hegemons", clarified, and recognized by major countries. Whether it is reasonable or not, it will be reasonable if there are facts first and then "international law".

Korea is too "loyal" and has no excuses. Ryukyu just hit the gun point, so it is necessary to use it as a demonstration.

How to prove that this is his son? The household registration can be forged, but beating the child in front of outsiders, and the child crying and shouting "I know I'm wrong", should be enough to prove it.

The Ryukyu King didn't know that he had to bear such a big significance, and all he thought about was how to get rid of the crime.

He didn't dare to look up at Liu Yu and Zhao Baiquan, thinking that he had to go to the Celestial Empire this time anyway, to tie himself up and plead guilty.

Going to the Celestial Empire, he might die.

But staying in Ryukyu would definitely die.

According to the previous rules, when such a big thing happened, the prince or the prince's brother had to be sent to the Celestial Empire. But at this time, whether it was sending the prince or the prince's brother, it was very dangerous.

This time, that time.

Ryukyu was a small country, and the status of a tributary country was given by the Celestial Empire. In the past, when sending the prince or the prince's brother, the Celestial Empire needed to abide by the etiquette. Not only would it not have any bad intentions, but it would maintain the Ryukyu King who ruled Ryukyu. This is called etiquette.

Now, if he sent his son or younger brother, what if his younger brother behaved very well in front of the emperor and pushed all the responsibility onto himself, the king of Ryukyu? At that time, the emperor would deprive the king of Ryukyu of his title on the grounds that the king of Ryukyu was disloyal and unfilial, and grant the title to his younger brother or son who behaved well in front of the emperor. Wouldn't he be finished?

And if he went to the Celestial Empire, he would only be a regent or supervisor in the name of staying in Ryukyu. As long as the emperor forgave him, his throne would still be stable.

Thinking of this, he also made up his mind. He knew that he might die if he went to the Celestial Empire, but he could only take a gamble.

"I have failed the grace of heaven. Please tie myself up and meet the emperor to confess my sins. Please allow the angels!"

Zhao Baiquan was about to speak, but Liu Yu coughed lightly, stopping what Zhao Baiquan wanted to say.

The scene gradually became quiet, and no one spoke, until someone outside hurriedly ran over and whispered a few words in Liu Yu's ear.

"Sir, we have already taken control of the artillery fort in Naha. The Ryukyu people did not resist. Smoke is rising, and the warships outside will arrive around noon."

"The guns on the fort are very old, and they are all iron cannons, not copper ones. We did not dismantle them. They are useless."

Liu Yu nodded to indicate that he understood, and then looked down at the King of Ryukyu.

At this time, the King of Ryukyu also happened to look up and quietly look at Liu Yu, wanting to know what this person who suddenly came in said, and what his fate would be?

Zhao Baiquan was also looking at Liu Yu, and he was responsible for the verbal cannon. But Liu Yu was the main envoy for how the King of Ryukyu would deal with it. Now he would not object to anything Liu Yu did. In this matter, the Ryukyu side did too much. If it was in the court, it would be tortured to death - the prince colluded with foreign countries, deceived the emperor, and even had a lot of foreign warriors in the court. If he was not tortured to death, it would really be a disregard for the king's law.

Liu Yu took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. There were still three hours before noon, so he was not in a hurry.

"King Zhongshan, the emperor sent us here just to inquire about the state affairs of Ryukyu. You are a vassal of the Celestial Empire, and only the emperor has the right to deal with you. Since you have the intention to tie yourself up in the capital to plead guilty, although you are sincere, this sincerity is only seen in form and not in substance."

"Come here! Pen, ink!"

The pen, ink, paper and inkstone have been prepared long ago, but now the emperor's Dragon Pavilion is still there, and there is no way to write while sitting or standing. The person holding the pen has to kneel on the ground, facing the empty Dragon Pavilion that symbolizes the imperial power, and spread the paper on the ground.

"King Zhongshan, please go in. Where do the Japanese follow the rules in Ryukyu? How many warriors are stationed there? Where do they live? How many people in the court are loyal and how many are treacherous? How many are controlled by the Japanese? How many people are officials because of the Japanese orders?"

"Although Ryukyu is far away, the imperial army can still reach it. The Japanese are rude, and the emperor will punish them. It will be too late to talk about it after the six divisions move there."

After talking to the King of Ryukyu, he said, "Zhongshan's brother Shang Che!"

Shang Che was shocked and said hurriedly, "Here!"

"Last time the emperor conferred titles, the angels returned to the court and praised you a lot, saying that you are quite talented and have an unparalleled memory. I think it's true. King Zhongshan is old, and I'm afraid some people can't remember clearly. You might as well help him recall. Come on, send King Zhongshan's brother to the side wing to write a list."

"And the officials of the Ryukyu Kingdom above the purple gold doctor also help the prince recall, so as not to let any fish slip through the net. Send him away."