unclear

Chapter 1209 The Solution Is Right Next to You
"30 seconds..." Wang Chengen took out his pocket watch and started timing without hesitation, shouting loudly in a long tone every 30 seconds, as if he was back in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.

He loved to see such a large group of senior generals racking their brains and being at a loss. What he held in his hand was not a pocket watch, but the wheel of fortune that could determine life and death. He really wanted to finish the exercise quickly so that he could see the expressions of these generals.

Just after 3 minutes, the generals were sweating on their foreheads, and they glanced at Tan Mingming intentionally or unintentionally. It's not the first time that you are criticized for talking too much. It's been like this since childhood. Although the emperor has a sharp tongue, he is not cruel. If you have a better attitude and endure it, it will pass.

Now, you are tough, but everyone else has to follow you. You are demoted one level. When you are a senior general, you usually don't get much military merit. It takes several years to get half a level. Now at least five or six years of work are in vain.

"Your Majesty, I have made a bold guess, but I wonder if it is correct?" At 3 minutes and 30 seconds, Wang Chengen had just finished shouting when a heavenly sound suddenly came from the seat of the General Staff on the left.

"Oh, tell me!" The emperor still stood with his hands behind his back, his face ashen, and squeezed out three words from between his teeth, sounding very impatient.

"Batavia..." The voice was a little soft, and it was interrupted by Tan Mingming just at the beginning. The latter stood up excitedly, even uttering colloquialisms.

"Fuck! Your Majesty, yes, it's the Dutch. We can rent merchant ships from them. As long as we say we're going to fight the Spanish, they'll probably agree!"

"Yes, the Dutch have many ships and have experience in long-distance sailing. Your Majesty, there is no need to confer honors this time. I will immediately send someone to Batavia to meet with Governor Cohen to discuss this matter. We don't need many ships either, twenty ships will be enough."

The astronauts responded a little slowly, but they were also excited. They not only gave the benefits of renting a ship from the Dutch, but also the specific quantity.

"You two get out of the way. Whoever came up with the answer just now, stand up and let me see it!" Hong Tao didn't want to punish the generals collectively, but their brains were a bit rigid. If no one could give an accurate answer, they would have to execute it.

"The student, So Yoshiaki, graduated from the first class of the Imperial Academy and is currently serving as the deputy commander of the Maritime Transport Command of the General Staff." The astronaut and Tan Mingming stood on either side of each other, and an officer stood up from the third row behind them. He was obviously thin and had a small voice.

"...Mune Yoshiakiko? Is your family in Tsushima Domain?" Even though he was wearing a military uniform and had a buzz cut, Hong Tao could still tell whether he was a male or a female from his body shape.

She was a woman, about 30 years old, of average appearance, with dark skin. The most notable feature was the canine tooth on her left side, which was a bit large, almost as big as a fang. Her lips were often held up by her teeth and could not close naturally, which was very funny.

Apart from the navy, the proportion of women in the military is increasing year by year. In fact, there are many female officers and soldiers in the navy, but they are only limited to the base logistics departments, and there is not a single one on the ships.

It's not that women can't be sailors, but it's a bit troublesome. It's too easy to get into trouble with a ship full of men, and it's easy to cause conflicts, so it's better not to have any.

What really caught Hong Tao's attention was her name, which sounded Japanese, and Souyoshi was the surname of the lord of Tsushima Domain. If nothing unexpected happened, she should be related to the current lord of Tsushima Domain, Souyoshige.

"Lord So Yoshishige is the student's uncle..." So Yoshiakiko became more nervous when she heard this question, her voice became even lower, and it trembled slightly.

"That's right. I remember that So Yoshishige only had two sons and one grandson. You answered my question correctly and saved the honorary titles for everyone present, which is also a merit. Tell me, what reward do you want? Try to choose something that is easy to achieve. If it is too difficult, I can't give it to you." If this woman dared to say that she was a direct descendant of So Yoshishige, Hong Tao would have her arrested on the spot and sent back to the capital to be strictly interrogated by the East Factory. Tsushima Domain was the closest to the Ming Dynasty among all the daimyo forces in Japan. It is not an exaggeration to say that they were in Cao's camp but their hearts were with Han.

The feudal lord, So Yoshishige, faced the change of the Tokugawa shogunate twice, but was saved by the so-called Ming merchants. He also got the privilege that he did not need to be a sankin-ko-tai, but only needed to leave his wife and children in Edo and give them enough money to ensure a luxurious life.

In fact, Tokugawa Iemitsu and the ministers of the shogunate all understood the relationship between So Yoshishige and the Ming Dynasty, and knew that they were no longer able to control the Tsushima domain. This move was just a cover-up to prevent other domain lords from following suit.

If such a key figure lies to the Ming Dynasty and does not even explain the issue of his children clearly, it would be tantamount to betrayal and must be thoroughly investigated.

As for whether it was appropriate to allow a Japanese to infiltrate the Maritime Transport Command under the General Staff and occupy a high position, this was a secondary issue.

What is the great integration of ethnic groups? It means to minimize ethnic differences. No matter where you come from or what ethnic group you are from, as long as you identify with Ming culture and are willing to abide by Ming laws, you have only one legal identity: a Ming citizen.

There were not only Japanese in the court and the army, but also Koreans, Mongols, Tibetans, Arabs, and people from Southeast Asian countries and Europeans. More than 60% of them were from areas that had been invaded, occupied, controlled or influenced by the Ming Dynasty's military force.

But this did not affect some people, most of whom were local nobles, who were attracted to the Ming Dynasty because they saw more advanced things, more developed culture, more opportunities and a more comfortable life.

As for whether it is right to betray one's country or not, people at that time did not have a strong sense of national identity. The rise and fall of the family and ethnic group were more important. Whoever could bring them a better life and more hope would be their leader.

"..." There was greed in So Yoshiakiko's eyes, but she was not brave enough and hesitated whether she should mention it.

"Your Majesty is famous for his fairness and will not break his promise!"

At this time, Tan Mingming spoke up. After all, So Yimingzi was also a member of the General Staff, and she was also proud of being rewarded. Of course, if So Yimingzi could make some requests that would embarrass the emperor, he would also be happy to watch the fun.

"I have loved sea ships since I was young, and I have always dreamed that one day I could sail out to sea..." After taking a deep breath, So Yoshiakiko finally expressed her wish.

"Stop! I can't let you serve on a ship. This is not a question of whether you are willing or not. I can't change the system just for you. Let's change it."

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by the emperor before he could finish his words. He rejected the proposal very straightforwardly and with very good reasons. No matter how great the individual's achievements are, he cannot break the system. This is the bottom line. Otherwise, it will be a mess and it will be unfair to other soldiers. There is no room for negotiation.

(End of this chapter)