At the beginning of the civil castle, the Ming God of War was a little panicked

Chapter 157
The cabinet received a memorial from Nanjing.

It was Xu Chengzong, the Duke of Wei, who played the garrison in Nanjing.

Recently, the activities of Japanese pirates have become more and more rampant. In just one month, they landed and looted more than a dozen times in Fuzhou, Quanzhou and other places.

It is said that because of the civil war between the North and the South in the country of Wa, the north won the victory and unified the country, and the samurai, frustrated politicians and ronin in the south lost their support, so they drifted on the sea and occupied the island. If detected, they immediately run away.

The Nanjing side wanted to send troops to suppress the Japanese, but it was a bit of a headache to face the scattered Japanese pirates.

The three of Cao Nai couldn't make up their minds about the Japanese pirates, so they had to go to the Wenhua Palace to look for Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu frowned after reading the memorial, and said helplessly: "The Japanese pirates are raging like loose sand, what can I do?"

Cao Nai and the others looked at each other and said to themselves, if we have a way, why should we come to you?
"How about... Your Highness go down and ask the emperor, let the emperor make up his mind!"

Zhu Qiyu was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly felt a sense of anger in his heart, and said: "Don't bother the emperor, since the Japanese pirates are rampant, just suppress them, so there is no need to say more."

Cao Nai and the others didn't know what Zhu Qiyu was thinking, so they still said: "However, it is clearly stated in the memorandum that the Japanese pirates come and go without a trace, without a fixed base, and the navy is very troubled. bother……"

Zhu Qiyu was not in the mood to listen to what he said. In his mind, for some reason, a thought that he had never had before appeared.

From the moment of birth, his identity determines his position.

Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji had two sons before his death, the eldest son Zhu Qizhen and the second son Zhu Qiyu.

Although Zhu Qiyu is only one year younger than his elder brother Zhu Qizhen, this age is like a dividing line, one side is the ruler, and the other side is the minister. This line cannot be seen or touched, but it can never be crossed.

Zhu Qizhen’s status as the eldest son determined that he was born to be emperor. Even when Emperor Xuanzong died, Zhu Qizhen was only eight years old as the prince. The ministers of the court discussed whether they should welcome King Xiang When he entered the capital and ascended the throne, no one had ever considered Zhu Qiyu.

The prince was originally the first in line of succession, but he was too young, and the forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty were eyeing him, and he might go south at any time. Therefore, everyone proposed that King Xiang should succeed him.

King Xiang is old, has two experience in supervising the country, and has a good reputation among the officials. He has no problems in governing the country, but from the perspective of the heir, he is not justified enough.

As for King Zhu Qiyu... Sorry, it's not in the scope of consideration at all.

The biggest reason is not that he is one year younger than the prince Zhu Qizhen, but...he is a concubine.

Concubine Wu Xian, the mother of Zhu Qiyu, used to be a servant girl in the residence of Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han. When the king of Han rebelled, Zhu Zhanji led the conquest by himself. She fell asleep, and later pardoned her crimes. After returning to the capital, she was not even brought into the palace, but placed in the eunuch Chen Fu's home.

In the third year of Xuande, the Wu family gave birth to Zhu Qiyu, but the mother and son still lived in seclusion outside the palace for a long time.

It can be seen from this that neither Zhu Zhanji himself nor the court ministers have any sense of recognition for Zhu Qiyu's existence.

It wasn't until the tenth year of Xuande that Zhu Zhanji was seriously ill. Remembering that he had a son outside the palace, he sent someone to call Wu's mother and son into the palace. At this time, he officially recognized them and entrusted his mother, Queen Mother Zhang, to treat Wu's family well. mother and child.

Because Zhu Qiyu lived outside the palace for a long time and lacked the company of his father, his character was very cowardly since he was a child. Zhu Zhanji didn't expect this child to do anything when he grew up, but just as his own flesh and blood, he was named a prince and protected you A lifetime of prosperity and wealth is enough.

Empress Dowager Zhang did not break her promise, and made Zhu Qiyu the king of Yi, and built a palace for their mother and son to live in.

This year, Zhu Qizhen was eight years old and Zhu Qiyu was seven years old.

Perhaps because of his father's early death, Zhu Qizhen lacked companions in the palace compound. At this time, Wang Zhen saw the right moment and tried various ways to make the baby emperor happy in exchange for his favor.

However, Wang Zhen is an adult after all, playing with adults is different from playing with children.

So, Zhu Qiyu's little transparency returned to everyone's field of vision.

The emperor reads, and the king is to accompany him.

When the emperor went to court, he would bring his younger brother to the palace from time to time.

All the ministers spoke one after another, it was so unethical, but the young Zhu Qizhen insisted on bringing Zhu Qiyu with him.

Although he is very obedient on the surface, in fact, deep down in his heart, he has a natural resistance to these old guys.

On weekdays, you can decide on those major national affairs, but now that I bring my brother by my side, you also have to take care of it?
So, under the care of his elder brother, Zhu Qiyu lived in the capital until he was 20 years old, and he did not become a feudal clan.

Immediately afterwards, the attack from Oala, the emperor's personal conquest, was first besieged in the civil fort, then turned the tide of the battle, and led [-] battalions into the desert, and then severed contact with the court.

At this time, the officials remembered that there is still a King Tan in the capital!
It was the first time that Zhu Qiyu was taken seriously. At the beginning, those important court officials who didn't look at him seriously, they all greeted him one by one, which made people feel flattered.

However, since being in charge of the country, it is obvious that the burden on him has become heavier and heavier.

Dealing with important affairs in the court every day has exhausted him physically and mentally. However, what shocked him even more was what the emperor said on the day he left Beijing.

The ancestral system does not have to be static.

The principles of sages and sages and the way of governing the world in the mouths of the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty have become extremely pedantic empty words in the mouths of the emperor.

Everyone has his or her own standpoint. Those who are kings and ministers have different perspectives on issues.

From that day on, Zhu Qiyu began to doubt life.

He was thinking about who was right and who was wrong every day, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt weak, especially the truth contained in the emperor's words did not seem to belong to what they should have at their age.

So much so...he now feels the gap between him and the emperor, and feels a sense of inferiority in his heart...

Perhaps he himself was not clearly aware of this point, but Cao Nai's words made him angry.

The emperor is relieved to hand over the imperial court to me, but you are better off, you have to turn to the emperor for everything, and treat me as a superintendent of the country as a display?
Isn't it Japanese pirates? What is the imperial court raising so many Japanese guards for food? Just send troops!
As for the Japanese pirates moving fast, coming and going like the wind, the coastline is too long to defend, and other difficulties, these are all nonsense. If the Japanese pirates are so easy to deal with, do you still need to talk about them?

"Let the Ministry of War come up with a charter for suppressing the Japanese. Now that the imperial court wants soldiers and food, why should we be afraid of little Japanese pirates?"

Cao Nai was still worried, and asked again: "Your Highness is right, but I suggest that...you should ask the emperor what he thinks, since the emperor has not gone to court for three consecutive days, it is more appropriate for the emperor to handle some important matters in person. "

Zhu Qiyu's face darkened immediately, and he said: "The Japanese pirates in groups of three or four are considered a big deal, Mr. Cao Ge must have made a big deal out of a molehill, right?"

Cao Nai had already faintly felt that there seemed to be some changes in King Tan today.

However, he didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, and continued: "I think that the rampant Japanese pirates are inseparable from the Japanese country."

Zhang Yi also said: "That's right, if there is no one to support them, where will the property looted by these thieves be sold?"

After the two finished talking, Gao Zhu said: "The envoys of the Japanese people are in Beijing, how about calling them here and letting the emperor talk to them in person?"

Zhu Qiyu thought for a while, nodded and said: "Yes, bring the person here, and the king will meet him in person!"

"The emperor's side..."

Seeing that Gao Zhu mentioned the emperor again, Zhu Qiyu said impatiently: "It's just a small season, and this king has given them a lot of face when he sees him. Even if the king of the Japanese country comes here, he can be regarded as a prince at most. Status, according to etiquette, is also received by this king!"

Cao Nai and the others looked at each other, they didn't know what made King Tan unhappy, this was the first time such an unpleasant situation.

"The minister waits for this to arrange!"

When the three left Wenhua Hall, Zhang Yi took the lead and said, "You two, have you noticed that something is wrong with King Tan?"

Gao Zhu said: "Could it be that he was influenced by the emperor, more or less... some..."

As for what, he couldn't say.

The emperor has been changing at a speed visible to the naked eye in the past two years, even a little deviant.

It's all right now, and King Tan, who has always been honest and responsible, has also started...

The surrounding countries all have envoys stationed in Daming, mainly to coordinate tribute matters.

Dong Changyuan, the Japanese envoy of Honglu Temple, was also at a loss when he was summoned, so he came to see him in a hurry.

Today, Wa country has been in civil strife, and now it is the 14-year-old Ashikaga Yoshimasa who controls Kyoto and controls the shogunate.

Ashikaga Yoshimasa is the third son of the sixth-generation shogun Ashikaga Yoshinaka. In the sixth year of Orthodoxy, after Ashikaga Yoshinaka was assassinated by Akamatsu Misuke, his mother and brother Ashikaga Yoshikatsu succeeded him as the general, but died two years later.With the support of the leader Hatakeyama Mochikuni and others, Ashikaga Yoshimasa was elected as the eighth generation shogun, and officially took office in the 14th year of Zhengtong.

Dong Changyuan is an aide of the Ashikaga family. In addition to being a general, he is also a singer. He is equivalent to a scholar of Ming Dynasty.
Although Ashikaga Yoshimasa is young, he knows that controlling the sea trade, especially the tribute trade with Ming Dynasty, is tantamount to continuously making himself invincible. Therefore, he is very concerned about the tribute. That's why Dong Changyuan, the staff member, was stationed in Daming as the Japanese envoy.

Dong Changyuan was extremely tactful in dealing with people, and he was willing to spend money. During these years in Daming, he met many dignitaries, and he had a clear understanding of the internal affairs of Daming.

Especially for the new firearms of the Ming Dynasty, the Mongols who beat them lost their helmets and armors along the way, and they were defeated. This will completely quell the troubles in the north that have plagued the Ming Dynasty for a hundred years.

Dong Changyuan saw it in his eyes, and felt itchy in his heart. If the Japanese pirates also had such firearms, what would it be like?
He wrote to Ashikaga Yoshimasa to tell the truth about these things. Ashikaga Yoshimasa also showed great interest and wanted to follow suit. He wrote a letter of credence and submitted it to the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, wishing to follow Daming as his teacher. , Learn the technology of new firearms in order to improve yourself.

When Zhu Qizhen saw this letter of credence, he directly scolded him, and then he never heard from him again.

Today, he was finally summoned. Although he was not the emperor, it was still a glimmer of hope for him.

"I've met His Royal Highness, Prince Yi!"

Dong Changyuan bowed down and saluted.

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly, and then went directly to the topic: "Now I heard that the Japanese pirates frequently landed on the southeast coast and robbed the people of Ming Dynasty. Have you heard about this matter?"

Dong Changyuan has lived in Daming for a long time and is no stranger to Chinese. When he heard the question from King Yi, he hurriedly replied: "I have heard that these are some poor bandits from our country. They refused to surrender, so they went to sea..."

Zhu Qiyu was very dissatisfied with this answer, and frowned: "The property they plundered, could it be that they sold it on a deserted island? If Er country has no internal support, no one for them to sell the stolen goods, then... they plundered, Just to plunder food? According to this king, the root of the Japanese pirates is not just some wandering warriors, but because the Japanese country can't help, drive them out!"

"This……"

Dong Changyuan's expression panicked, he hesitated and couldn't speak.

Zhu Qiyu already seemed impatient, and said: "If the Wa country ignores it, I have no choice but to suggest to the emperor to reduce the tribute!"

The Ashikaga family started their business by sea trade, so of course they are most familiar with these activities at sea.

The essence of the so-called trade is to rely on the treasures looted by many Japanese groups to sell stolen goods. Overseas trade is not as simple as paying money and delivering goods with one hand. Above the ocean, who will abide by the rules? It is a sign of business, but there is a knife hidden in the secret. If you give me the goods, I will kill your whole family.

This kind of business is not limited to the Ashikaga family. All the major families share their interests equally. Once the Japanese pirates are attacked, it will be regarded as a complete loss of a source of income.

Dong Changyuan's expression was tense, and he said cautiously: "Your Highness, please be clear, this has nothing to do with us, it's all done by those wanderers living overseas, as for whether they are secretly selling goods in the country of Japan, it must be a secret operation, even if The king wants to thoroughly investigate this matter and give His Majesty the Emperor an explanation. I am afraid it will take a year and a half... No, it may even take three to five years... to have a result..."

Zhu Qiyu's face was gloomy, but he didn't say anything, he just waved his hand: "This king knows, you go down!"

Dong Changyuan plucked up his courage and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, the letter written by the Lord to His Majesty the Emperor, I don't know..."

"You mean, you want Daming to appoint a craftsman to go to Japan to teach the new method of making firearms?"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what it is!"

Dong Changyuan nodded again and again, and added: "The Japanese pirates will bear all the expenses for traveling!"

Zhu Qiyu couldn't help laughing, and said, "What are you thinking, is this possible?"

Dong Changyuan didn't understand, so he said, "If it's inconvenient, the king can send a study group to investigate..."

"Don't mention this matter again!"

Zhu Qiyu was influenced by Confucianism and talked about benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, and he also knew the importance of firearms.

How could this thing be given to you?

Dong Changyuan, however, looked like a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water, and continued: "Please pass it on to His Majesty the Emperor. The Lord of the Kingdom admires Daming very much, and hopes to worship Daming as his teacher and learn the advanced technology of Daming. This matter..."

"The king said it, don't mention it again, you go down!"

Zhu Qiyu issued the order to expel the guests again, and two big Han generals walked in, as if you are not decent, and I will help you to be decent.

Dong Changyuan wiped off his sweat and hurried to leave.

When he left the Wenhua Palace, he couldn't help but think that he must tell the lord of this matter quickly, but he only needs to bite him to death and refuse to admit it, and he believes that the Japanese pirates are wanderers in exile overseas, and they are not subject to the control of the Japanese kingdom. Torn skin.

He raised his head, looked at the majestic Forbidden City, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, the richness of China is really amazing, and it makes people linger...

(End of this chapter)