The Legend of Swing Sword and Execution of Demons

The comedian stepped down from the stage.

But there are still many exciting programs waiting to be performed.

The lively atmosphere in the lobby remained high.

Just now, Luo Bo and Leng Shan had finished their tea, wine and appetizers when they heard the climax of the performance. After Mei Huaijin and Ji Dan took their leave, they called the waiter to reheat the main dishes and serve them again.

Fir took the first bite of a Goubuli steamed bun, which was only the size of a palm.

Luo Bo is stuffing a perfectly cooked piece of pan-fried tofu into his mouth, which has absorbed the sauce without breaking apart. At the same time, he is picking and counting with his chopsticks which of the eight delicacies are in the Eight Treasures Tofu, preparing to try them one by one.

The two were engaged in lively banter, while their inner thoughts were also quite active.

Especially Luo Bo, who had read the detailed battle report of the Battle of Nutao Canyon, knew more than Mei Huaijin and Jidan on stage before, and found it particularly interesting to listen to through the crosstalk performance.

After the Battle of Raging Waves Canyon, Radish and Fir participated in the planning and execution of the subsequent forced surrender of Japan, and even witnessed the dignified Emperor of Japan kneeling on the palace floor at their feet!
What Egg said on stage was a mixture of rumors and some official announcements.

The two were speaking in a way that could be shared with the general public.

The details are known only to Radish and Fir, but they are not suitable for too many people to know, much less to be made public.

Having just finished watching a great show, one is easily tempted to confide in others in such a lively atmosphere.

Looking at the man in front of her, Luo Bo really didn't know if she could control her mouth, so she could only use food to suppress her urge to vomit and turn her desire to eat into a desire to vomit.

After swallowing the last piece of the Eight Treasures Tofu, Radish's predatory gaze shifted to a plate of slightly yellow, viscous braised soup with many egg drop strands on the side.

In the past, people might have actually considered this dish a local specialty of Jinzhou City.

During his travels through various parts of Zhongzhou with the Hongchen Inn, Luo Bo tasted all kinds of flavors, from sweet to bitter, and his knowledge and experience greatly increased.

This is Fujian-style braised noodles.

Among the braised noodles in Fujian, Putian County Braised Noodles and Zhangzhou County Braised Noodles each have their own unique characteristics.

Zhangzhou Junlu noodles are made with pork bone broth as the base, and dried seafood is added and simmered. The broth is thickened with cornstarch, making it as thick as soup. The flavor is rich and slightly sweet. It is served with braised tofu, five-spice rolls, fried pork crisps, and stuffed sausages. It can be described as having a rich braised flavor and crispy fried food.

The braised soup on the table is a modified version of Zhangzhou Junlu noodles, replacing the original alkaline noodles with noodle dumplings, and combining them into a braised dumpling soup. There is a plate of braised fried food on the side, which makes my mouth water.

On a whim, the radish filled a bowl with braised dumpling soup, which was also piled high with braised and fried foods.

Just as they were about to start eating, Fir Tree asked, "Goodness, there's so much toppings! How about a couple more shrimp and some oysters?"

Luo Bo immediately waved his chopsticks and said, "Sir, that's how Putian Junlu noodles are eaten. Seafood is indispensable. Zhangzhou Junlu noodles are easy to be too sweet on their own. Braised and fried foods are essential, but seafood is optional."

Forced by the neighbors, Zhongzhou became the dish served this braised soup.

The Oirat Mongols were experiencing an unusually harsh winter, and their food reserves had been dwindling year after year. If they did not launch a southern expedition, a large number of people would freeze or starve to death.

To prevent national chaos, it is imperative to shift the focus of our conflicts. This war is indispensable and must be fought!

Japan, on the other hand, although the hard work and accumulation of the last one or two generations was squandered by a blunder, it can still continue to endure hardship and accumulate strength for a future breakthrough.

This weapon was essentially dispensable for Japan.

It is understandable that the Oirat fought the most resolutely.

Japan suffered the heaviest losses, but being separated by only a sea, it should have been the least likely of the invading foreign powers to surrender.

Why were they the first to surrender?

This is the result of Zhongzhou taking the initiative.

The fighting in various parts of the Central Plains has just subsided, and they still need to recuperate.

The debts owed by the Oirat, the Poisonous Zhu, the Luoyue, the Goguryeo, and the Eastern Ying must be settled, but it cannot be rushed.

However, if this drags on, it will undoubtedly embolden the loser, and at that point, it will be difficult to get the other party to admit guilt and accept punishment.

If Zhongzhou wants to settle scores with these good neighbors properly, it will inevitably have to establish its authority and make a statement.

—It's not that we won't settle accounts, but rather that we will settle accounts in a rhythmic and planned manner.

Taking action against Japan, which seems the least likely to surrender, across the ocean would be the most convincing choice.

Therefore, before the battle of Nutao Gorge, the imperial court had prepared a navy ready to go.

On the day the news of the victory reached the capital, fifteen main warships with a draft of over two zhang and thirty motorized warships with a draft of nearly one zhang set sail from the east bank of Luzhou to Japan!
This is the largest force the imperial court can mobilize without affecting domestic spring farming and the recovery of the nation's vitality.

It was not only to extinguish the Japanese people's resentment and desire for revenge after suffering a great loss, but also to force them to submit and surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise, Zhongzhou vowed to fight to the death!
This reflects the methods and attitude of the imperial court.

It was the gentleman who helped figure it out, and it was the radish stamp that gave the idea.

It's something done openly, something everyone can see and hear.

The methods and attitudes used on the darker side come from the martial arts world.

Two people from the martial arts world had already infiltrated Goryeo half a month ago and landed on Yingzhou via a merchant ship used for import and export trade!

These two were none other than Jiang Yichen and Leng Mei, the couple who had caused so much unrest and sleeplessness in the Oirat Central Court.

The two most outstanding assassins from Central Plains did not have the purpose of killing anyone during their trip to Japan.

The real purpose is to expose the inside story.

Some inside information that is not suitable for the entire island of England to know.

The last two jokes that Egg mentioned seemed closely related to Zhongzhou, and in fact, they were indeed inseparable from it.

But the first joke had a lot of luck involved.

This involves the conflict between the pro-war and pro-peace factions within Japan.

In the Japanese political system, the emperor was mostly a symbol of divine authority, with no real power both domestically and internationally, only a pitiful right to make suggestions and recommendations.

Those who controlled the fate of the court were the "Ten Ministers of Yingzhou," also known as the "Ten Elders of Yingzhou."

The Grand Chancellor (Kanpaku) was in charge of all government affairs, while the Grand Minister of State (Taijō-daijin) was the highest-ranking official, often held by the same person, and was the head of the ten ministers.

Next were the Left Minister, the Right Minister, and other court nobles.

It is true that Japan has always coveted the vast and resource-rich Central Plains, but the entire island of Japan has never formed a united front in the matter of westward invasion.

Radical pro-war factions usually make up 70-80% of the population, while conservative pro-peace factions generally only account for 20-30%.

The reasons given for war are purely profit-driven and ever-changing.

The peace faction consistently refuted the claims on two points.

Firstly, judging from past history, Yingzhou's attacks on Zhongzhou were often twice as difficult and half as effective, and they never gained any advantage.

Secondly, the size of Zhongzhou is incomparable to that of Yingzhou. Even if a large chunk of flesh and blood of Zhongzhou were to be taken away, it would be difficult to digest and manage.

However, history has always shown that people never learn from history, but only repeat the same mistakes time and time again.

For this reason, the pro-war faction in Yingzhou did not believe that they could not become the generation that changed history, and their numbers remained high.

In the current Japanese regime, aside from the Emperor, seven out of ten ministers advocated war, while three advocated peace.

Two of them were fence-sitters; they would side with whoever had the loudest voice or the strongest hand.

The Grand Minister of State, the Minister of the Left, and the Minister of the Right all advocated war, and they followed his lead.

When news of the Central Plains Navy setting sail and the devastating news of the Yingzhou army's failed escape through the raging valleys arrived one after another, the thought of war spreading on their doorstep caused panic to quickly spread throughout Yingzhou, leading the pro-peace faction to seize the opportunity to launch a wave of anti-war demonstrations.

Unexpectedly, an accident occurred amidst this wave!
The head of the Ten Ministers, Apei Jingshan, was swallowed by the waves and died an unexpected and tragic death!

This is a situation that the people of Yingzhou themselves could never have imagined, much less wanted to see!
It was an accident.

An investigation revealed that although the perpetrator harbored extremely violent anti-war sentiments, he had no connection whatsoever with the pro-peace faction.

On the day that Apei Jingshan gave his speech, the guards, who were usually lax in their vigilance and defense, made several mistakes in their defensive arrangements.

The truth can only be that it was an accident.

If the esteemed Regent and Grand Minister of State did not die in an accident, then it means that Yingzhou was preoccupied with internal strife when facing national crisis!
The biggest beneficiary of this unexpected event was none other than Zhongzhou. Besides being a beneficiary, Zhongzhou's connection to this affair lay in the fact that it transferred the pressure of war across the ocean to Japan.

The second joke told by the egg involved Jiang and Leng, who were deeply involved in it.

It is not uncommon for the powerful and wealthy to have their share of sordid affairs, especially since the Emperor is the ruler of a nation.

Even if it's just a nominal symbol, many people still have various motives for getting close to the Emperor.

Emperor Hiroya was of upright character and mostly kept to his duties, rarely engaging in philandering.

During his fifteen-year reign, he lived in perfect harmony with the Empress. Among the fifty palace ladies-in-waiting, only four women were allowed to serve him in bed because of their virtuous character and mutual affection. They were then promoted to the rank of Lady-in-Waiting or Palace Attendant.

The people of Yingzhou praised Emperor Hiroya for his pure and virtuous character.

Most people know that Emperor Hiroya especially loved the cherry blossom, the national flower of Japan.

However, most people don't know that Emperor Hiroya's love affair with the Empress and his ladies-in-waiting also began with cherry blossom viewing.

First female prime minister Ga Ya Cao Miao also has a fondness for cherry blossoms.

My favorite part is the cherry blossoms covering the hillsides around the Seisha Shrine next to the Imperial Palace.

After one, two, or three encounters, Emperor Hiroya and Lady Kashiya recognized each other by their eyes; they were both lovers of cherry blossoms.

Unfortunately, Ga Shi, the female prime minister, was already married, and she could not have both political participation and serving her master.

Fortunately, the two were still able to enjoy the cherry blossoms and fall in love in the quiet society.

When people in Central China talk about Japan, aside from war, they always mention the skills of Japanese women in bed.

When discussing Goryeo, it is often said that Goryeo women were skilled and sophisticated, surpassing the abilities of Japanese women.

It is unknown whether such arguments reached Emperor Hiroya's ears.

Until three years ago, when the Goryeo female envoy visited to discuss matters and was arranged to meet at the Jingshe Society, Hiroya was at least certain that the other party was also a refined person who appreciated and loved cherry blossoms.

In the years that followed, five female envoys from Goryeo visited, and for more than half the year, they met with Emperor Hiroya at the Seisha Shrine to admire the cherry blossoms and chat.

As the ruler of a nation, Emperor Hiroya's romantic affairs were not a big deal.

However, when it comes to matters of national importance, if such romantic affairs are involved, it is inevitable that one will be accused of wrongdoing or even charged with a crime.

The Jingshe shrine enshrines the gods and heroes of Yingzhou. When the Central Plains navy sailed across the sea and war was imminent, it was not inappropriate for Emperor Hiroya to come here to pray to the clan god, the spirit of the heroic ancestor.

It was understandable that the female prime minister, who was forced to succeed as Grand Minister of State, would come to Emperor Hiroya to request advice on state affairs.

After losing 50,000 troops in the northeast of Zhongzhou, Goryeo, which had been withdrawing and observing the situation, hoped that Dongying and Duzhu could drag Zhongzhou down. The female envoy visited Jingshe at night for a long time.

With the defeats of Poisonous Zhu and Dongying in just over a month, Goguryeo knew that the sooner Dongying surrendered, the heavier the price that the defeated allies would have to pay to Zhongzhou. Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen communication and exchanges with its neighbors.

It would be perfectly reasonable for Emperor Hiroya, Lady Gai, and a Goryeo envoy to appear together at the Seisha Shrine to admire the cherry blossoms by candlelight one night.

That night, Jing She was away on official business, and Da Zhu, being old, couldn't stay up all night and slept soundly. While Mi Yi was dozing off, she accidentally knocked over the lamp oil and candles. Because she was startled and didn't put out the fire in time, a huge fire broke out!

The Jingshe Society flickered in the fire!
The first to arrive at the scene to put out the fire were the Emperor's palace servants.

Upon hearing the news, the court officials rushed to put out the fire.

The nearby residents, alarmed by the flames, rushed to put them out!

The fire is out.

The Jingshe Society has burned down!
More than ten people were rescued from the fire.

Three of them were completely naked.

The clothes must have been burned to ashes in the fire.

Just then, news arrived from the sea that the warships from the Central Plains would be approaching the shore in five days.

The Yingzhou court is in a panic!

They knew they lacked sufficient grounds to blame such a scandal on the Central Plains—they would resort to underhanded means to frame the Emperor of Eishu!

Instead, Japan desperately needed an excuse to bow down and admit its mistakes to Central China.

There are good reasons for this, given the fire.

Emperor Hiroya, bewitched by the sorcery of a female envoy from Goryeo, was greedy for fame and profit, disregarded the lives of the soldiers and civilians of Yingzhou, and colluded with former Kanpaku and Grand Minister of State, Ai Peikei, to launch a westward invasion. He hereby apologizes to the world and will personally surrender and seek peace in the Central Plains.

Ga Shi, a woman of no virtue and without fidelity, requested to be sent to the countryside to atone for her sins through hard labor.

After the Goryeo envoy was executed by slow slicing and sent back to her country, Yingzhou will choose a day to launch an attack on Goryeo and hold them accountable!

Leng Mei and Jiang Yichen thus unknowingly exposed the crime of the Empress Dowager to the public in Japan.

This laid a solid foundation for Zhongzhou to force Japan to surrender.

After finishing a bowl of braised noodles and half a bowl of braised fried food, Luo Bo felt quite full. Looking at the food on the table that he hadn't yet tried, he lost some of his desire but still felt a little unwilling to give up and at least have a taste.

After wiping her mouth and letting out a soft burp, Radish decided to take a tactical break and find a topic to chat about with her husband.

The first naval fleet to return to Zhongzhou brought back news of the surrender of the Japanese pirates.

The naval commander, who was "escorting" the Japanese emperor and his ministers to kneel in the Zhongzhou court, reported the specific details of the trip to Japan, especially the detailed account of the actions of Jiang Yichen and Leng Mei. The details that could not be disclosed to outsiders were reported separately to Luo Bo.

It was mentioned that the network of contacts that Lin Zhaoyan and Ning Sufang, who were captured by the Japanese pirates twenty years ago, had built in Yingzhou provided great convenience for Jiang and Leng's actions. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to put the entire Japanese court in a position of utter humiliation before the Central Plains army landed.

The secret report contained only a few words. Radish knew that the returning navy had also sent a letter home to Fir. He wondered if it concerned more matters concerning the Lin couple. As the emperor, he could not inquire about the family affairs of his master, so he could only ask in private.

"Sir, Young Master Jiang has found his birth parents in Japan. Did he mention in his letter that he would like to return to Zhongzhou to see them?"

Upon hearing this question, Leng Shan instructed him not to spread the word, and then simply answered.

"My brother-in-law, Young Hero Jiang, or more accurately, Young Hero Lin, is a man whose parents can indeed be called heroes of Central China."

"In their early years, in order to protect the people, they fought alongside the Japanese pirates for many days before being captured."

"For the first three years, the Japanese pirates tried every means possible but failed to make the Lin couple betray their country."

"Later, the Japanese pirates changed their approach and placed the couple under house arrest in the mountains and villages, hoping to use their simple and honest folk customs to influence them to serve Japan."

"Initially, the couple resisted the Japanese invaders' plan to corrupt their emotions by remaining silent and unresponsive."

Five years later, they also realized that emotional interaction is two-way, and they could fully integrate into the rhythm of life of the Japanese people and in turn educate them with the ideas and culture of Central China.

Five years later, they had a son and a daughter and lived a peaceful life. The pirates gradually forgot about the couple.

"In the following years, Lin Zhaoyan and Ning Sufang, through their wisdom and hard work, had a subtle influence on the Japanese people living near their residence and continued to expand their network of contacts."

"When the pro-war faction in the imperial court was active, they remained silent."

“Once the pro-war faction releases shocking negative information, they can take advantage of the situation and secretly fuel the flames, allowing the anti-war and pro-peace voices to continue to grow.”

"My sister and this young hero Lin were able to take advantage of this opportunity to push the pro-war faction to the brink of defeat and bring about a great event."

Upon hearing this, Luo Bo said, "This is a national hero. If he returns to his homeland, he will surely be richly rewarded and given an important position!"

Fir shook its head slightly and said, "It cannot be returned, it cannot be rewarded, and it cannot be used."

Upon hearing this, Luo Bo pondered the meaning behind the gentleman's words.

After a long silence, he sighed regretfully, "It's a pity that as a native of Zhongzhou, I can't return to Zhongzhou."

Leng Shan said, "At least they are still alive, at least they can see their eldest son grow into a capable person, which is a great comfort to them."

Radish asked, "Do they have any wishes that I can fulfill for them?"

Leng Shan said, "Just do your duty. They only wish to be people of Zhongzhou again in their next life."

Luo Bo raised his tea in place of wine and said, "Heaven blesses the Central Plains; everywhere there are people who care for the Central Plains and are willing to sacrifice themselves for the country!"

Leng Shan raised his glass in a toast and said, "May Heaven bless Central Plains!" (End of Chapter)