Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

With the absolute advantage in manpower and weapons, Osaka Castle was breached in less than half an hour, and the defending samurai and Inoue Masamitsu's family were all slaughtered, leaving no one alive.

Several new army generals searched out the imprisoned Tokugawa Munemasa and brought him to Jia Cong.

"Your Majesty, spare my life. Inoue Masamune refused to listen to my advice and stubbornly resisted. I tried to persuade him but was imprisoned. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy."

Tokugawa Munemasa was also shocked by Jia Cong's brutality of massacring the entire city, and he kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Jia Cong glanced at him and scolded him, "Useless! I thought you could persuade a few cities to surrender with the name of the Tokugawa family, but you wasted my time instead! If you fail again in your mission to Kyoto, I will kill you."

"Yes, yes, I will certainly make amends for my crime and live up to His Majesty's high expectations. I have known Matsudaira Terutaka, the chief of the Kyoto branch, since childhood. I will definitely be able to persuade him to submit to the Celestial Empire."

"Get out." Jia Cong snorted.

"Hey." Tokugawa Munemasa crawled back.

"Who is willing to lead troops to guard this city and block the army's retreat route?" Jia Cong looked around at the generals and asked.

"I am willing to take on this task." A young general strode out and said generously.

Jia Cong saw that he was an acquaintance. Song Zhou, the Henan Jieyuan who had fought against him in the examination hall, was now a guerrilla fighter, so he asked, "Do you know what to do?"

Song Zhou said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, I will divide the troops into two groups. One group will defend the city, and the other group will suppress the surrounding areas. We will use both suppression and appeasement to prevent the rebellion. We will use both kindness and force to win the hearts of the people, so that the people of Osaka will sincerely submit to the Heavenly Dynasty and ensure that the army's retreat will be safe and secure."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "I will give you a thousand men and horses, you can do whatever you want."

"I will obey your order and will never let you down." Song Zhou said happily.

Two days later, Jia Cong's army arrived at the gates of Kyoto and finally saw a decent city, which was worthy of being the former political and economic center of Japan.

Kyoto City is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has a vertical layout. It is seven or eight miles long from north to south and four or five miles wide from east to west. A moat was built using water from Lake Biwa. The city wall is about two meters high, which is roughly the same as some of the larger prefectures in China, but it is already a leading city in Japan.

Jia Cong divided his forces into two groups and ordered two guerrillas to lead them to block the mountain passages on the east and west sides of Kyoto respectively. The main force was stationed on the south, east and west sides, forming a tight siege.

Because Jia Cong advanced very quickly, the capital seemed to be unprepared. Seeing the heavenly army suddenly approaching, they hurriedly closed the four gates and defended the city.

Jia Cong released Tokugawa Munemasa again and ordered him to enter the city to persuade the enemy to surrender. He brought Cheng Lingsu and his personal soldiers with him to stroll around the castle town outside Kyoto at leisure and enjoy the scenery of Kyoto under the sunset.

Although the Japanese were terrified by the divine soldiers descending from heaven, they gradually calmed down when they saw that the government troops did not disturb the people. They just ran around telling others and inquiring about the purpose of the divine soldiers.

"Master, there is an izakaya over there that serves delicious food. Do you want to try it? I'll treat you." Cheng Lingsu suggested.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's great. I'm hungry. Have you been to Kyoto before?"

Cheng Lingsu said: "I have been here to carry out missions. The Kii Domain is not far from Kyoto."

Jia Cong teased, "I thought you only ate those hard dry food balls, but it turns out you are not stupid and know how to go to a restaurant."

Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "Bingliang Pills are for emergencies. It would be better if I could eat something else. I don't have money to eat at a big restaurant in Kyoto, so I can only eat at an izakaya in the castle town."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Okay, you treat me tonight, and after we capture the city tomorrow, I will treat you to a hearty meal at the largest restaurant in Kyoto."

While chatting and laughing, we arrived at the door of the small pub. There were a few Chinese characters "Yi" written on the water curtain: Ono Izakaya.

The store had already been checked by the ninjas who had arrived ahead. The owner was driven to the door and enthusiastically led Jia Cong and the other two in.

"My dear guests, what would you like to order?" the shopkeeper asked with a white cloth draped over his shoulders, nodding and bowing.

Cheng Lingsu said, "Bring up all your delicious dishes, and a pot of sake."

"Yes, please wait a moment." The boss agreed and went to the kitchen to work.

Jia Cong looked at the cramped space in the store and sneered, "Are all Japanese people birds? They like living in cages so much. You should leave to avoid crowding."

All the guards laughed, bowed and left. Two others went into the kitchen to supervise the cooking.

Cheng Lingsu smiled sheepishly and said, "This is a small country in the mountains. I am sorry for the inconvenience."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with you. When I conquer Japan, I will order all houses to be built according to the Chinese way, so that you won't be bored when looking at them."

Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "Japanese architecture cannot be compared with that of the Celestial Empire. The people here are poor and have limited financial resources. They just want to have a small place to live and have no desire for something big and beautiful."

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "It doesn't cost much to build a house. We are not asking them to build a palace or manor. It's just that the big name is too much."

"Your Highness is right. The Japanese daimyo are often cruel and inhumane. They do not treat the common people as human beings and trample on them at will. They are much more hateful than the landlords and powerful people in the Celestial Empire." Cheng Lingsu said.

Jia Cong said: "The more brutal they are, the easier it will be for me to conquer Japan."

Soon, the boss personally brought out a tray with many steaming bowls and dishes on it.

"You two, please use it slowly."

Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "Master, this is soba noodles, which is my favorite. This is young eel sushi, this is tempura and tofu, and this is grilled eel..."

Jia Cong looked at the delicate snacks in front of him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and said, "This boss is too stingy. Is he afraid of people eating after opening a shop? The brothers are also hungry, so let him cook as much as he wants."

Cheng Lingsu hurriedly gave orders, and the boss came out hastily to agree. He took his wife and children to work quickly and moved all the stock in the house out, but his heart was bleeding.

He was afraid that the famous person from the Celestial Empire would bring a large group of people to eat for free and would definitely bankrupt his small shop. Fortunately, he didn't kill people indiscriminately, and as long as he was obedient and served, he should be able to save his life.

An hour later, looking at the golden ingot left on the table, the boss felt as if he had fallen into a dream. He immediately burst into tears of gratitude and prostrated himself to express his gratitude. Jia Cong had already led everyone away.

Back in the tent, Jia Cong sat on his horse and sword and asked casually, "Is there any news from the city?"

Peng Cheng said: "My Lord, there is no news yet."

"Well, give the Japanese pirates some more time and attack the city at dawn. It's better if they don't surrender, as it can give the new army some practical experience." Jia Cong waved his hand.

"Yes."

It was not known whether the massacre of Osaka by the new army had frightened the Japanese pirates, or whether the identity of the Regent of the Celestial Empire had some weight, or whether Tokugawa had finally shown his eloquence, but before daybreak the south gate of Kyoto slowly opened.

A group of people stepped onto the stone bridge and crossed the moat. The first person came to the gate of the military camp with a tray containing yellow silk packages and scrolls.

When Jia Cong learned that the enemy surrendered without a fight, he smiled slightly and went to the tent to summon them.

But I saw Tokugawa Muneshige led a group of people into the central army tent, kowtowed and said: "Your Highness, I have fulfilled your mission and persuaded Mr. Matsudaira to surrender to the Heavenly Dynasty."

Jia Cong nodded with satisfaction and said, "You finally didn't make me regret sparing your life." He waved his hand to order him to leave, then looked at the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground and said indifferently, "Are you really willing to surrender, or are you pretending to surrender, huh?"

Matsudaira Terutaka hurriedly said, "I sincerely pledge my loyalty to the Heavenly Dynasty. Your Highness, please understand. Here is the map of Kyoto and the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please have a look, Your Highness."

"Well, you keep the seal. I already have the map, which is more accurate than the one you have. Since you are truly surrendering, order the defenders in the city to lay down their weapons, leave the city and accept the recruitment of the heavenly soldiers." Jia Cong said.

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away." Matsudaira Terutaka put down the tray and hurried back to the city. He knew Jia Cong's methods, so how could he dare to pretend to surrender and seek death?

Soon, the defenders in the city came out of the city unarmed and lined up in front of the battle.

Kii-ryu ninjas had already stepped forward and divided them into teams of fifty and handed them over to the guard of the government troops. Peng Cheng then led his men into the city and went straight to the Imperial Palace.

Jia Cong’s most important purpose of this trip was not to capture the capital city, but to control the emperor.

Although the emperor has no army and no power, he enjoys great prestige among the Japanese people. He is known as the unrivaled dynasty that has been passed down for more than two thousand years, which is much longer than any imperial dynasty in the Central Plains.

The biggest reason is that he has no power and no soldiers, and is easily controlled by those in power. Whoever seizes power will be worshipped as a symbol of legitimacy, which is somewhat like using the emperor to control the princes.

As long as the emperor can be forced to submit, it will be of great political benefit to conquering Japan.

Jia Cong thought of this, hooked his finger, called Matsudaira Terutaka over, and said: "What does your Emperor Xiaren mean? Do you want to resist to the end and sacrifice your life for the country, or obey the will of heaven and abandon the dark and join the light?"

Matsudaira Terutaka hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the Emperor succeeded to the throne at a young age. Now he is only an elephant-like age. How dare he defy the majesty of the Emperor?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "If the people of that country were all as righteous as Mr. Matsudaira, I would have less work to do."

Matsudaira Terugakao felt honored by Jia Cong's praise, and hurriedly said with a smile: "Your Highness is hunting in Japan with the power of thunder, who dares to stop him?

The current shogunate is incompetent and stupid, and we have long been willing to submit to the imperial court and enjoy the emperor's grace. I am familiar with many daimyos and am willing to serve your highness at my service."

Tokugawa Munemasa hurriedly said, "I am also willing to serve."

Jia Cong laughed and turned his head and said, "Lingsu, Japan should be incorporated into the Celestial Empire. There is the 'shrimp' emperor above and the people with lofty ideals and benevolence below. This is God's help to me."

Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "Who dares to challenge my majesty? They will surrender naturally."

"Well said!" Jia Cong said with a smile, "Once we get the edict from the 'Shrimp' Emperor, we can issue an edict to all parts of Japan and settle the matter."

Soon, Peng Cheng led his men out of the city and escorted the current Emperor Xiaren back.

Jia Cong sat high in the commander's tent, looking coldly at the young emperor wearing a crown and robes on the ground, and said, "Xia Ren, I am the regent of the Celestial Empire. I am attacking Japan because you are unruly and disobedient to the country. Do you have anything to say?"

Emperor Yoshihito was fluent in Chinese, so he tried to remain calm and said, "The Japanese have always served the Celestial Empire with respect and never overstepped the mark. I don't know what Your Highness has done wrong."

Jia Cong sneered and raised his chin slightly, and Peng Cheng hurriedly handed him the "letter from the government".

"See for yourself!"

Emperor Yoshihito opened it and was immediately shocked. He felt a chill on his back. After taking a closer look, he said hurriedly, "Your Highness, this book is a forgery. Our country's official documents are never written like this. The seal is also wrong. For one thing..."

"Enough!" Jia Cong slammed the table and stood up, pointing his spear and shouting: "The evidence is irrefutable and you still dare to deny it? Do you want to die?! Now my army is approaching, I only ask you one question, do you surrender or not?
If you surrender, you can live the rest of your life in peace and enjoy wealth. If you don’t surrender, I will kill you immediately and then sweep across the entire Japan!
To tell you the truth, at this moment, dozens of important towns along the coast of Japan have been captured by the heavenly soldiers, and the destruction of the country is inevitable. The only choice you have is to end it with dignity and stop the war, or to resist stubbornly and perish together with the enemy!"

"You..." Emperor Xiaren was shocked, his lips trembling, unable to speak. At such a young age, he had never experienced the danger of losing his country. He was confused for a moment, and after a long while, he stammered, "If I am willing to surrender to the Celestial Empire, can the fate of Japan be preserved?"

Jia Cong sneered, "Is there such a good thing? Then wouldn't my trip here be in vain?
After you submit to the Imperial Court, I will submit a petition to request a title for you. You cannot be the emperor, but you can be... well, a first-class general. It's just a different title, which is almost the same.

As for Dongying, it will naturally become a province of the Celestial Empire, called Donghai Province. What do you think? You can rest assured that as long as you are willing to submit, there will be great benefits, and the people of Dongying will also be safe. "

Emperor Xiaren struggled for a long time, and finally sighed, clasped his hands and said: "I am willing to submit to the Celestial Empire, and I only ask Your Highness to treat the people of Japan well."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely treat them better than the Shogun and the Daimyo." As he said that, he waved his hand and two of his personal soldiers brought pens, ink, paper and inkstone.

"Your Highness, this is..." Xia Ren said.

"Write a letter of surrender and say that the shogunate is unjust and perverse, and call on the soldiers and civilians of the various feudal domains in Japan not to resist the heavenly soldiers, obey the will of heaven, and sincerely submit to the Celestial Empire. Anyone who dares to disobey will be the eternal sinner of Japan! Just write it down like this." Jia Cong said.

Xia Ren had no choice but to pick up the pen and write the edict. He took the emperor's seal from Peng Cheng's hand and slowly stamped it on the paper.

Cheng Lingsu took it and looked at it carefully, then presented it to Jia Cong: "Master, it's OK."

Jia Cong said: "Well, that's right. He who knows the current situation is a hero. Now everyone can sleep peacefully.

Lingsu, go make a hundred copies and send them out to spread the message. You two, follow along and deliver the message. For every city you conquer, I will give you one credit."

"Yes, we obey your command." Tokugawa Munemasa and Matsudaira Terutaka said hurriedly, overjoyed. The rest of their lives of wealth and glory depended on this imperial edict.

"The army is marching into the city!" Jia Cong waved his hand.

"The general will get the order!"
-
At this time, Edo Castle, the seat of the Japanese shogunate and the political and economic center, was covered by intensive artillery fire.

Yan Shuangying led an army of 10,000 and divided it into two routes. One route landed at Yokosuka Port, and headed straight for Edo along Kuraki County and Kawasaki-juku; the other route sailed into Edo Bay from the sea and approached Edo Castle.

At the scheduled time, the two armies simultaneously launched an attack on Edo Castle, the largest city in Japan.

Inside the palace, Tokugawa Ieshige, the ninth shogun appointed by Emperor Sakuramachi and the contemporary shogunate leader, was breathing heavily with bloodshot eyes. He looked at a group of elders (similar to the Grand Councillors of the Imperial Court) and said something incoherently.

Years of indulgence in alcohol and sex had already drained Tokugawa Ieshige's body, and he had been weak since childhood and had slurred speech. The ministers could not understand what he meant, so they hurriedly looked at his attendant (close attendant) Ooka Tadamisu.

Ooka Tadamisu said, "The general said, if there is any other bad news, tell me all of it."

Nishio Tadanari said, "Reporting to the general, there are reports of enemy activity in important coastal areas around Edo, including Sunpu Castle, Kuraki County, Kawasaki-juku, and Sakura Castle."

"Where are the artillery batteries on our coast?" Tokugawa Ieshige asked angrily.

"General, the enemy's warships are too powerful. There are dozens or even hundreds of cannons on one ship. Dozens of our artillery batteries along the coast were destroyed in an instant." Honda Masatsune said.

Listening to the faint sounds of gunfire and shouting, Tokugawa Ieshige took a deep breath with great effort, as if tearing a bellows, and said, "Let's not worry about anything else for now. What should we do now?"

Matsudaira Takemoto said: "According to the current intelligence, the enemy has more than 10,000 troops at most. I think we should take the initiative to attack and annihilate the enemy at the gate of the city, and then send troops to rush to the four directions."

Sakai Tadayoshi said: "I agree with the proposal. The enemy army surrounded the city but did not attack. They only bombarded it and had no intention of attacking it urgently. It is obvious that they are stalling for time and hindering our army's rescue. With the regular troops in the city, we can annihilate the enemy army."

Tokugawa Ieshige said: "In this case, order Wakatoshi to select the best from among the samurai and hatamoto to attack!"

"Hi."

Yan Shuangying looked carefully at the latest 1:2000 Edo Castle sand table provided by Kii Ryu, and secretly praised in his heart that the Japanese pirates were not all fools. This city was only slightly smaller than Shenjing, and it was built with great ingenuity, making full use of the geographical advantages, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Explain it to us."

One of the eight great chunins sent by the Kii-ryu to assist in the siege, Godi, hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes. Generals, please see, Edo Castle was originally a small fishing village with a population of less than 60,000. It has grown to this size over a hundred years after the Battle of Sekigahara. It is more than ten miles from east to west and seven or eight miles from north to south. It has a population of nearly one million, a standing military force of more than 60,000, and a peculiar layout. It will be extremely difficult to attack by force."

Yan Shuangying said, "Your Majesty is far-sighted and has a good command of the situation. He knew that this city would be a tough nut to crack, so he ordered us not to attack it by force to avoid unnecessary losses." He Li sighed, "Your Majesty is truly a military sage. He has already secured victory before reaching Japan. Edo Castle was built by the Tokugawa family over a hundred and fifty years ago, and it took a huge amount of manpower and material resources to build it. It is extremely difficult to capture.

General, please see that the moat adopts an unprecedented spiral structure and extends to the entire Edo city area, forming a spiral waterway that circles the city twice.

The entire city seemed to be embraced by the river, and the city was also divided by the river. Even if the heavenly army could break through the city wall, they would be forced to disperse after entering the city to fight against enemies that were several times their number.

Moreover, the city was densely covered with fortifications and traps. The heavenly army was unfamiliar with the terrain and roads. Although their firearms were powerful, they were easily ambushed by the defenders.

There are many small castle towers built outside the Shogun Palace, which are steep and difficult to climb, so it is not wise to attack by force. "

Yan Shuangying nodded and said, "The Art of War says that the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. Attacking cities is a last resort.

Even the ancient sages said that attacking a city is a last resort. How dare I be reckless and play with the lives of my brothers?

The order was passed that all units should back to Edo Bay and strictly guard the main camp. They were not allowed to leave the range of the warships at will and wait for the defenders to come out and die.

If they don't come out, we'll just wait and see who can outlast the other. Order the scouts to monitor the movements around Edo Castle."

"Order!"

He Li also bowed and agreed, saying, "I will make arrangements right away and ensure that no movement in the city can be hidden from the general's eyes and ears."

"Thank you."

"You are too polite, General. We are all working for the prince."

Yan Shuangying smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that his master was indeed far-sighted. He had accepted Miss Cheng as his subordinate when he was in Jinling, and gained this force, which was now of great use and saved a lot of effort.

"Report! General, the south gate of Edo Castle has been opened, and a large number of defenders have taken the initiative to go out of the city to fight, at least 30,000 to 40,000 people."

Yan Shuangying's eyes lit up and he said with a smile, "You're just in time! Pass the order, all troops get ready!"

"Yes!"

The four major flag bearers under the command of the Shogun, namely, Ehara Tsukasa, Takagi Naoto, Gouji Taro, and Sakamoto Yuto, each led more than 10,000 people and formed a semi-moon formation to press towards the government army.

Yan Shuangying stood on the stage, judging the situation, and said in a deep voice: "Listen to my orders, get closer and fight again!"

"The general has given orders! Get closer before you fight!"

The military order was passed down layer by layer. The 10,000 new troops remained unmoved in the face of enemies that outnumbered them by several times, and waited quietly for the enemy to approach.

The warships anchored in Edo Bay also stopped firing and adjusted their guns to aim at the densely packed Japanese pirates leaving the city.

Seeing the enemy approaching within a hundred steps of the battle formation, Yan Shuangying waved his hand fiercely and shouted, "All troops, open fire!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

As if they were in sync, the Japanese pirates' generals saw that the new troops had no shields and shouted at the same time: "Shoot!"

Bang, bang, bang, boom, boom, thousands of guns roared, naval guns and field guns roared, the front row of Japanese pirates were chopped down like wheat by an invisible sickle, and countless shells fired into the enemy's formation, plowing out bloody and muddy furrows like plowshares.

"Ah! Help!"

As soon as the battle started, there were cries of fear and a slight commotion among the Japanese pirates. It was obvious that they had not expected that the government army's firearms were so powerful.

"Shoot!" Jiang Yuansi roared regardless.

Bang, bang, bang. Thousands of archers drew their bows and shot continuously. The arrows flew over a space of a hundred steps and just landed in the formation of the government army. However, their arrows had already exhausted their power and could not penetrate the fine cotton armor at all.

All the officers and soldiers laughed in unison. They didn't know that the bow was good at shooting heavy arrows. The arrows were heavy and the bow was strong, but they couldn't be shot far, so they didn't shoot lightly. If they shot, they would definitely hit the person, and the person hit would be killed.

If the target is to be far away, it is necessary to switch to light arrows, which will result in a serious lack of killing power. If it is to get within twenty steps and then shoot, even cotton armor may not be able to withstand it.

However, Yan Shuangying, who had been prepared, would not give them this opportunity. He saw smoke spurting out of the muzzles of the guns, and countless bullets bombarded into the enemy camp like heavy rain. At the same time, the platoon of gunners took turns shooting, like a never-stopping harvesting machine. With a flash of fire, a row of Japanese pirates fell down.

"Charge forward and kill them all!"

"Come on!"

No matter how the hatamoto screamed, the area around fifty steps seemed to become a restricted area. Countless Japanese pirates fell one after another, and it was difficult to cross the line.

At the same time, the ship's guns were still bombarding the rear formation recklessly. All those hit were torn into pieces, with blood and flesh flying everywhere. The scene was horrifying.

The one-sided massacre lasted for half an hour. No matter how strong the Bushido spirit of the Japanese pirates was, it was crushed by guns and cannons. They retreated back to the city in panic, leaving behind more than 20,000 corpses.

"Damn it! Come again if you dare! I'll let you have a taste of the bullet!"

"The barbarians know nothing. How can they recognize our new guy?"

"Hey, it's more fun to kill the enemy with guns and cannons! They're light and clean, and I haven't even broken a sweat after fighting."

"I'm not? Look at my new clothes, there's not a speck of mud on them."

The government troops laughed in unison as they watched the Japanese pirates fleeing in panic.

Yan Shuangying won a victory and breathed a sigh of relief. After this battle, the Japanese pirates would probably not dare to leave the city and fight head-on again.

If things go well for the prince, once the Emperor's surrender edict arrives, the enemy will collapse on their own. I don't think there will be many diehards willing to be buried with the Shogun.

For attackers, the best way is to attack the heart.

It was almost the same as Jia Cong had expected. The government troops that attacked the important coastal locations encountered very little resistance. Under the dimensionality reduction attack of hot weapons, no daimyo could withstand it, and they were killed or retreated into the mountains one after another.

Zhang Yi, Deng Lei, Lei Tai, Jie Hui, Kong Xing and other generals strictly followed the tactics set by Jia Cong. When the enemy retreated, we stayed and held the city firmly.

At the same time, with the help of the Kii-ryu ninja, he pacified the people and publicized the intention of the Heavenly Dynasty to punish the criminals and avenge the people. He directly reduced taxes for the next year and did not harm the people at all. The people were all grateful and secretly prayed that the heavenly soldiers would stay there forever and that the greedy daimyo would not come back.

For the common people, it doesn't matter who they pay taxes to, and I will support whoever treats me well. Besides, the Celestial Empire is the suzerain state, so there is no resistance in obeying it.

As Emperor Kyohin's surrender edict arrived, the daimyo and samurai who still had the will to resist in various places were all disheartened and surrendered one after another. They could no longer gather any resistance forces, let alone rush to the rescue of the besieged Edo Castle.

Edo has become an isolated island.

Jia Cong was not in a hurry to take over the tough nut of Edo, but instead consolidated his existing territory according to the original plan and confiscated the property of the defeated daimyo and nobles.

He also distributed land to the poor and announced policies to reduce taxes and allow for recuperation in the future. People from all over the country were delighted and praised the virtue of the Heavenly Dynasty.

At the same time, Wang Jin, the governor of Liaodong Town, dispatched 50,000 reinforcements from Shannan, crossed the sea, landed in Songjiang Domain, and quickly rushed to various places to assist in reorganization and garrison, so that the new army could free up its hands and concentrate on dealing with the crumbling Edo Castle.

The Qingliangdian in the Kyoto Imperial Palace was originally the residence of the Emperor. But now Jia Cong had usurped the throne and banished Xia Ren to live with the Empress in the harem, while he himself occupied the largest palace.

Jia Cong was reading the good news coming in from all over, smiling and nodding from time to time, when he suddenly saw Cheng Lingsu leading a few elders in, so he asked, "What's the matter?"

"They said they had something to report to you." Cheng Lingsu said with a smile.

"Your subordinate greets His Majesty." The elders knew the rules and knelt on the ground ten steps away.

"Go on." Jia Cong waved his hand.

"Reporting to the Lord, the situation has been resolved and the daimyo in various places are powerless to resist. I am afraid that someone will be desperate and send ninjas to assassinate the prince.

The most powerful Japanese ninjas are the Iga and Koga branches, and both are near Kyoto. I know the situation well and am willing to be the vanguard to help the heavenly soldiers root them out and eliminate future troubles. " said Elder Ren.

Jia Cong understood immediately, knowing that Ji Yiliu wanted to use him to kill his old enemy and then become the only one in power. However, as he was now in a higher position, he naturally would not allow this to happen.

Yin said calmly: "Although Iga and Koga are helping the tyrant, I will deal with them myself. Now that the shogunate has not been destroyed, there is no need to rush.

I promised you that I would make Kii-ryu a major ninja sect that is not inferior to these two, and now I have done it.

I think there are many talented people in Koga and Iga, you can go and tell me so I can meet them."

Elder Ren, Elder Yan and others could hear the displeasure in Jia Cong's words, and hurriedly kowtowed and said, "I obey your command and am willing to die for my master."

"Well, I hope to see you defeat Koga and Iga with your own abilities. If I destroy them, it may not be beneficial to your future development."

The two men realized that Jia Cong had seen through their little thoughts, and cold sweats immediately broke out on their backs. They quickly knelt on the ground to express their gratitude.

Suddenly, someone outside the door loudly said something in foreign language, and everyone was shocked. More than ten personal soldiers in the hall flashed over in an instant, surrounded Jia Cong and Cheng Lingsu in the middle, and stared at the outside with swords drawn.

"Sir, there seem to be people from Koga and Iga outside the door. They call you a great hero and beg for a meeting." Cheng Lingsu whispered.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Being able to approach my bedroom quietly is quite a feat."

Cheng Lingsu said: "That's all. Otherwise, they will definitely appear in front of me suddenly, which will make me pay more attention to them."

With a bang, the palace door was pushed open, and dozens of personal soldiers came in, bringing two people who were tied up.

"Your Highness, we have captured two spies." Du Dapeng said.

Jia Cong waved his hand, and the soldiers dispersed, still staring at the two people on the ground.

"Who are you?"

"Koga-ryu Chuunin, Aoi Tsubasa."

"Iga-ryu Chuunin, Furukawa Tsuyoshi." The two men introduced themselves in stiff Mandarin.

Cheng Lingsu raised her eyebrows and whispered, "They are all famous figures in the ninja world."

Elders Ren and Yan looked at each other and felt something was wrong. What were these two bastards doing here? Could they also want to...

Jia Cong asked, "Why do you want to see me?"

"I would like to offer the head of Tokugawa Ieshige as a gift. Your Highness, please accept it."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "When you present a gift to someone, you must have something to ask for. Tell me, what is it?"

"I wish to submit to the Celestial Empire like the Kii clan did, and serve Your Highness attentively. Please grant me your permission."

As expected! Ren and Yan glared at the two of them angrily, very angry at the enemy's behavior of joining you when they can't beat you.

If these two groups joined in, with their background and abilities, they would easily gain Jia Cong's favor.

Jia Cong didn't expect that they were coming to seek refuge, so he smiled and said, "If that's the case, I'll agree. Next time, let your family come and talk to the chief jonin beside me."

The two looked at Cheng Lingsu and kowtowed, "Yes."

"Go ahead. Untie them." Jia Cong waved his hand.

"Thank you, Your Highness. No need to trouble you." The two men twisted their bodies slightly, and the rope suddenly loosened somehow and fell to the ground.

The personal soldiers were startled, thinking that the two men were cheating, and quickly raised their swords to force them to stop, waiting for Jia Cong's order to chop them into meat paste.

The two men showed no fear, kneeling on the ground, motionless.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You are very capable. Go ahead. I will wait for your good news."

The personal soldiers slowly dispersed and formed a human wall in front of Jia Cong, staring at the two men closely.

"I'll take my leave." The two men slowly stood up, bowed, and stepped back and left.

Elder Ren saw Cheng Lingsu remained silent, and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Koga and Iga are ambitious and should not be trusted."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "When did I trust them so easily?"

Elder Ren was speechless for a moment.

Cheng Lingsu glared at him and said, "You guys should withdraw. How can you guess the prince's intention?"

"Yes, I'll take my leave." The two men had no choice but to go, secretly cursing Koga and Iga for being shameless. After all, they were a sect that had been passed down for hundreds of years, but they didn't even have the courage to risk their lives. Bah!
After everyone left, Cheng Lingsu asked curiously, "Master, do you really want to accept Koga and Iga?"

Jia Cong said: "Why not? After all, he is a local tyrant, which will be very helpful for governing Japan in the future."

"Aren't you afraid that they will turn against you?"

Jia Cong smiled and pulled her into his arms, saying, "If it is beneficial for them to submit to me and harmful for them to rebel against me, why should they rebel?
It's just a ninja school. In the future, you will establish a world-class ninja school in Japan, called Lingsu School. You will be the founder of the school and bring in all the big and small schools to serve you."

Cheng Lingsu covered her mouth and laughed, "I don't have the ability to do this, I'm afraid I'll mess it up."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Just do it. Invite all these ninja schools to supervise each other and compete with each other to see who dares to rebel. Then select some elites from them and establish a secret team directly under your control to monitor the overall situation.

We also need to select instructors to bring together all the ninjas from various schools for training, and teach them the principles of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism from a young age." (End of this chapter)