prosperous age

"Something has happened in Japan."

Liu Shouyou entered the duty room and reported to Wei Guangde.

"What is it? Has Japan attacked Korea?"

Wei Guangde knew that there was such a period in the Ming Dynasty, but he didn't know when it happened. However, he remembered that Li Rusong was the main general of the Ming army that aided Korea.

This is also why Wei Guangde treated Li Chengliang well; even though Li Chengliang was old, he still had a son who could fight.

Wei Guangde laughed after he finished speaking. Li Rusong was still very young. Although he had reached adulthood, he was far from being able to be entrusted with important responsibilities and fight independently by the court.

Therefore, Wei Guangde was certain that Japan was not yet capable of attacking Korea.

However, if that's really the case, then it's a good thing.

He was already planning a naval expedition to the east, and Japan's attack on Korea was the perfect excuse for the Ming Dynasty to send troops. Those old scholars wouldn't say much about it.

I didn't see how respectful the King of Joseon was to the court; he acted like a grandson.

Moreover, the imperial court now has a large army and many generals.

Despite Yu Dayou's advanced age, his continued presence gave the imperial court the confidence to send troops against the Japanese pirates.

Qi Jiguang of Liaodong was also famous for fighting Japanese pirates. His Zhejiang soldiers became famous for making a fortune by taking the heads of Japanese pirates, and became a skilled army for the imperial court.

Compared to the actual war to aid Korea against Japanese pirates, the Ming Dynasty had lost many of its generals at that time. Many of the generals who had shone brightly in the war against Japanese pirates were no longer around, which was also the reason why the Ming court hesitated to send troops.

Finally, the order to go to war was issued by Emperor Wanli in his own decisive manner, and even the funds for the expedition were provided by the inner court.

Seeing Wei Guangde's relaxed expression, Liu Shouyou wiped away non-existent sweat and smiled in agreement: "The Japanese pirates wouldn't dare. Their own country is still in chaos, how could they possibly have the ability to attack their neighbors?"

"Hmm? Yes, Japan is in a lot of chaos right now, with armed clashes everywhere."

Wei Guangde didn't even use the phrase "warring states" to describe Japan's so-called Warring States period. He said it was just a few county magistrates and township heads leading villagers in a fight. What kind of Warring States period is that? Only the ignorant Japanese would use such a term during this period, making them a laughing stock.

"Yes, yes, hehe."

Liu Shouyou chuckled awkwardly a few times before finally stopping.

"Tell me, what news has come back from over there?"

Wei Guangde smiled and asked, unconcerned.

"Last night, news arrived in Kyoto that on February 28th, Oda Nobunaga held a grand display at the horse farm east of the Emperor's inner palace in Kyoto, imitating my grand review ceremony to hold what is called a Kyoto military horse drill."

This exercise was a display of military might for the Oda clan, led by Nobunaga, including Niwa Nagahide and Yamauchi Kazutoyo. The King of Wa also attended the cavalry drill.

In March, Tokugawa Ieyasu recaptured Takatenjin Castle, which had been occupied by the Takeda army. Nobunaga then issued a mobilization order against the Takeda clan, gathering a large force to besiege the Takeda clan's last remaining territory.

In May, the Uesugi general Kawada Nagachika suddenly died, and the Oda army's offensive intensified. Taking advantage of a gap in their defenses, they marched into Echigo and occupied most of the territory.

Liu Shouyou suddenly had a letter in his hand, and he began to talk while looking at it.

Due to the inconvenient transportation, it took several months to complete a single communication with Japanese spies.

Therefore, each intelligence report sent back is often a compilation of all the intelligence gathered over several months.

When Wei Guangde heard the names of these Japanese daimyo, his head started spinning. He couldn't remember them, nor did he care to.

In fact, if he had a map of Japan that marked the territories of the Ming Dynasty, it might have made it easier for him to understand the current situation.

"Just tell me what's wrong with it, there's no need to go into so much detail."

Wei Guangde interrupted.

"Grand Secretary Wei, the chaotic situation in Japan is probably coming to an end. The Takeda clan in eastern Japan is on the verge of destruction, or perhaps it has already been destroyed."

Shibata Katsuie should have already defeated the Uesugi clan, and the Hojo clan and the forces of Oshu have submitted to Oda Nobunaga. The eastern provinces are basically under the control of the Oda clan.

Now, the only place that remains somewhat chaotic is western Japan, which they call the "Western Country."

Before Liu Shouyou could finish speaking, Wei Guangde frowned and asked, "What kind of strength does the Western Kingdom possess? Is it the kind of place we've been eyeing?"

Based on the intelligence gathered last time, Wei Guangde basically determined that the area across the sea between western Japan and the Korean Peninsula should be the location of Gold Mountain and Silver Mountain.

These areas are still divided among local warlords, so their strength is not great, and it would be relatively easy for the Ming Dynasty to take them over.

However, if we were to act even slightly too slowly and Oda Nobunaga were to seize those places first, and then the Ming Dynasty were to launch a large-scale attack and occupy those areas, we might have to fight against almost half, or now more than half, of Japan.

Clearly, this is not conducive to maximizing the benefits for the Ming Dynasty.

The most cost-effective business is one that yields the greatest benefit at the lowest cost.

"In the west, there is also the Mori clan, and in addition, there is Nagatobe Motochika of Shikoku Island. However, there is intelligence that Shikoku has secretly sent envoys to Kyoto, which seems to indicate that they are submitting to Oda Nobunaga."

Finally, there's Kyushu, but the Ōtomo clan of Kyushu was on good terms with Nobunaga and had long supported his foreign campaigns; only the Shimazu clan's stance was unclear.

Liu Shouyou hurriedly replied.

"The Mori clan, the Shimazu clan"

Wei Guangde almost jumped up when he heard this. In his memory, Japan was still a country with many daimyo fighting their own battles. How come he suddenly realized that there were only two daimyo who might provoke Oda Nobunaga to send troops?

If these two families were defeated, Oda Nobunaga would have unified Japan.

"What happened? How come all those famous names have disappeared all of a sudden?"

Wei Guangde pressed for an answer, finding it rather difficult to understand.

"After the defeat of the Takeda and Uesugi families, most of the daimyo submitted to Oda Nobunaga, and some even brought their troops to fight alongside Oda Nobunaga's forces."

After the defeat of the so-called strategist Takeda and the war god Uesugi, no daimyo in Japan was capable of resisting the Oda clan's massive army.

Therefore, if the Mori clan is defeated, the Shimazu clan of Kyushu will likely also submit.

It was because I saw this that I rushed over to report this news.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Oda Nobunaga will certainly be able to unify Wa (Japan) within two or three years, at least nominally, and no daimyo will dare to question any of Oda Nobunaga's orders.

Liu Shouyou hurriedly said.

"Have the people sent out to explore for minerals returned with any news?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

Previously, in order to pinpoint the exact location of the gold and silver mines, Wei Guangde instructed Liu Shouyou to find some veteran miners and, under the protection of secret agents from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to enter the western region of Japan to search for mineral veins.

Many of these places have sporadic mining operations, and in some areas the mining volume is quite large, used to meet the needs of the Daimyo's armed forces.

Identifying these mineral veins is crucial for the Ming Dynasty's military campaigns; at the very least, it will tell you the specific locations you want to occupy.

The information previously relayed by the spies only confirmed the location of the Iwami Silver Mine, and also revealed that the area had abundant brass resources, producing large quantities of silver and small amounts of gold and brass each year.

Jinshan seems to have made a mistake, after all, there are many gold and silver mines along the coast of Japan, and the Japanese already call it Jinshan.

The latest intelligence indicates that Sado Island, located in eastern Japan, is rich in gold and silver, and is said to be the largest producer of these products.

After all, gold and silver are important strategic resources in Japan, and the mines under the command of the various daimyo are kept strictly secret. It is not surprising that the intelligence obtained by the Jinyiwei earlier was wrong.

"The people have already set off with the East China Sea Navy's northern patrol fleet. They will separate after entering the North Sea and head to find Sado Island."

Liu Shouyou lowered his head slightly and replied.

The intelligence was flawed, and as the head of intelligence, he was somewhat at fault.

"you."

Wei Guangde suddenly stood up and said sternly to Liu Shouyou, "Immediately arrange for people to form a second exploration team and contact the East China Sea Navy to send warships to protect them as they head to the North Sea."

Considering the potential upheaval in Japan, Wei Guangde couldn't wait any longer. He had no choice but to send out more men and teams to search and pinpoint the location as quickly as possible so the navy could be mobilized.

"I will speak to the Ministry of War and ask them to cooperate with your operation."

This time, you, the Imperial Guard, will be in charge. You must investigate thoroughly by the end of the year.

Wei Guangde said urgently.

Since there is not much time, we can only speed things up. At the latest, next year, the government troops will launch an eastern expedition to take down the Iwami Silver Mine and Sado Island in one fell swoop.

Actually, the Iwami Ginzan is not a single mountain, but a region located in western Honshu, also known as the western region of Japan.

It was not difficult for the Ming Dynasty to occupy the Iwami region; the difficulty lay in maintaining long-term control.

After all, this was tantamount to seizing territory from Oda Nobunaga, and the Oda clan would definitely fight back desperately.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde couldn't help but regret not sending troops ahead of time.

If troops are dispatched this year, it could disrupt the Oda clan's eastern expedition. At that time, the Takeda and Uesugi clans in the eastern provinces will also be there to restrain Oda Nobunaga.

However, when the Ming Dynasty launched its military campaign, it was ill-prepared. Apart from determining the location of the Iwami Silver Mine, they did not even know where the so-called Gold Mine was.

At this moment, Wei Guangde felt as if everything had piled up at once, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Everything takes time.

Even if it's just a round trip to explore for minerals, it would take several months. Under the current conditions of transportation and communication, there's no way to increase the speed.

Liu Shouyou had already left in a hurry. He needed to find the old miners to go out to sea to look for minerals. The warship was easier to find, as it was stationed in Shandong. Once the people arrived, they could set off.

Liu Shouyou left the cabinet directly. Wei Guangde thought about it and picked up the letter, or rather the intelligence collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and read it carefully before getting up and leaving the duty room to go directly to Zhang Juzheng.

The deployment of troops will take place no later than next year. This is no longer a matter of not having a specific timeframe; it is a matter of having to make a decision.

All the small equipment and provisions needed for the army's expedition in Dengzhou and Songjiang had to go through Zhang Juzheng's hands.

At the same time, the Ministry of War also had to prepare for the expedition, which involved selecting and training troops.

Everyone knows what kind of people the Ming Dynasty's garrison soldiers were like.

However, it is impossible to mobilize all the troops, so the main force will still be the garrison troops, supplemented by a small number of elite troops.

In this way, the selected garrison soldiers would need to undergo rigorous training and eat good food to gain weight in the remaining time. He would not treat people as expendable resources and send them to the battlefield, as this would not only be disrespectful to life but also damage the reputation of the imperial court.

The Ming Dynasty needed to use overwhelming superiority to crush Oda Nobunaga's forces in order to have a chance to gain a foothold in the Iwami region and completely control Sado Island.

Wei Guangde even brought along a map of Japan that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had previously given him, which showed the spheres of influence of various daimyo.

However, this map, which includes the sphere of influence of the Japanese daimyo, is clearly outdated.

"Shan Dai, please sit down. What's up?"

This time, Zhang Juzheng did not come out to greet him. He sat behind his desk, with a memorial spread out in front of him.

However, what caught Wei Guangde's eye was a bowl of medicinal soup next to the memorial.

Upon seeing this, Wei Guangde laughed and said, "Brother Uncle, are you still taking medicine? I think it would be better for you to rest and recuperate for a while."

Wei Guangde did not want Zhang Juzheng to die at this time, because if he died, no one could stop him from taking the throne.

But does he really need to sit in this position?
The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.

With Zhang Juzheng out of office, all the conflicts would then fall on him.

Zhang Juzheng has already faced much criticism for sitting in this position, especially regarding his reform measures.

Once Zhang Juzheng steps down and he takes that position, the first storm he will likely face will be a counterattack against Zhang Juzheng's reforms.

If he persists, he will be resented by these people and become their new enemies.

Moreover, Zhang Siwei's ambitions are not small either; even if he didn't have them back then, he might not have them now.

It is almost certain that Zhang Siwei will take over the position of second assistant.

"Hehe, it's just a minor ailment, medicine will do the trick."

The only remaining issue is that the land survey and tax determination in the last few provinces are still delayed. Only when this matter is settled can I truly rest.

Zhang Juzheng replied.

Upon hearing this, Wei Guangde's lips twitched involuntarily.

That's such an unlucky thing to say.

"You came here because of this medicine, didn't you? Is something the matter?"

Zhang Juzheng asked again.

"The latest news from the Embroidered Uniform Guard indicates that Oda Nobunaga is unifying Japan faster than we anticipated, and may complete the task in two or three years at the latest."

"What? Why so fast?"

Zhang Juzheng asked in surprise.

Although he seemed to have nothing to do with Japan, the news of Japan's vast wealth was too much for him; the imperial court desperately needed money.

If the Ming Dynasty had mountains of gold and silver, producing millions of taels of gold and silver every year, would it have needed to offend so many people and carry out that reform?

Unfortunately, the Ming Dynasty did not have that.

Even with his painstaking efforts, he could only increase the court's annual revenue by a few million taels of silver.

The letter was handed to Zhang Juzheng for him to read, while Wei Guangde waited on the side.

At this moment, the clerk came in, placed the tea prepared for Wei Guangde on one side of the desk, and very observantly moved a stool over.

With the help of the map, Zhang Juzheng was able to understand the current situation in Japan.

"The east has been pacified, leaving only the west and the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu."

Zhang Juzheng began.

"In fact, the four provinces have basically submitted to the Oda clan, with only the Mori clan in the west and the Shimazu clan in Kyushu remaining unclear about their stance."

Wei Guangde explained.

"Two years, one per year, that is, two years."

"It will take a few more years to bring Japan back to its senses, and only then will Japan be truly unified."

Zhang Juzheng read it in a low voice.

Occupation or submission does not constitute unification; one must also assimilate the gains and fully take over the fruits of victory.

Although Oda Nobunaga had forced most of the daimyo to submit, it would still take time for him to fully take over.

"Are you planning to send troops next year?"

Zhang Juzheng looked at Wei Guangde and asked.

Wei Guangde nodded silently, which was taken as agreement.

"Whatever the Ministry of War needs, have them write a note to the Ministry of Revenue, and I'll give them a heads-up."

Having already decided on the plan to attack the Japanese pirates, Zhang Juzheng didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately agreed. (End of Chapter)