Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 298 Trigger

In the same year that the Ming Dynasty changed its era name, Daoyan, who had been lurking in Japan for a long time, also received instructions from Zhu Xiongying.

Now that the Ming Dynasty's fleet has been formed, the army has been equipped with a large number of new muskets and artillery. In terms of combat power, there is no problem at all.

More importantly, Japan was never able to obtain any decent intelligence about these highly confidential military secrets. However, with the development of the Kanco trade with Japan and the investigation of Jinyiwei spies in recent years, Ming Dynasty had basically mastered all aspects of intelligence on Japan. Even the map of Japan in the Five Military Governor-General's Office was more detailed than the one drawn by the Muromachi shogunate itself.

Everything is ready for the attack on Japan, except for the favorable conditions.

And now, it is time for Daoyan to show his talent.

Daoyan's entry point was the Buddhist temple power in Japan. Japanese Buddhism is now the largest religion in Japan, without a doubt, far surpassing Japan's native religions. The reason why Daoyan was able to make a breakthrough in the Buddhist temple power in Japan was due to his identity as a high monk in China.

This identity is very popular in the Buddhist community in Japan.

Because the prosperity of Buddhism in Japan fundamentally originated from Jianzhen's voyage to the East during the Tang Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, Master Jianzhen made a great vow to spread Buddhism from China to Japan. It took him eleven years and he failed five times before he finally arrived in Japan on the sixth attempt. By that time, Jianzhen was already 66 years old and blind, but such a blind old monk received tremendous respect and admiration in Japan.

At that time, Emperor Shomu of Japan settled him in Todaiji, the largest Buddhist temple in Japan, and built Japan's first ordination platform in front of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji.

The first person to receive ordination and become a Buddhist disciple was Emperor Shomu himself.

Subsequently, the entire Japanese royal family took the vows, and Buddhism officially became the state religion of Japan at that time.

However, at that time, Buddhism was only believed and respected among the royal family. It was not until many years after the Heian period that it was widely spread among the nobility.

There were two giants in Japanese Buddhism during the Heian period, both of whom were Japanese monks who returned from the Tang Dynasty after studying Buddhism.

One of them was Kukai. Kukai received full ordination at Todaiji Temple at the age of 23, and came to the Tang Dynasty at the age of 32. He was chosen as the successor by the seventh patriarch of the Shingon sect, Acharya Huigo, and succeeded the eighth patriarch. He was named "Vajra of All-Illuminating Light". After Kukai's Buddhist teachings were fully accomplished, he vowed to spread the Shingon sect to Japan, and finally established Shingon-in in Todaiji Temple.

The other one was Saicho. Unlike Kukai, Saicho also went to the Tang Dynasty, but he only stayed there for one year. He did not learn anything real. He learned a lot of things and then integrated Esoteric Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Vinaya Buddhism together to create the Japanese Tendai Sect.

But none of this matters. If you have been to China, you will definitely be a great monk when you come back.

After all, although Chinese Buddhism was introduced from India, after so many years of development, it has not only been localized, but also formed an extremely complex theoretical system. For Japanese Buddhism, it is the best object to emulate.

Buddhism was promoted to the state religion by Emperor Shomu, and the nobles were naturally keen to become Buddhists in order to show off their status. Therefore, many large Buddhist temples in Japan were built with funding from the nobles during the Heian period.

Moreover, as time passed, Buddhist temples gradually became more political in nature.

——Giving up all power and becoming a monk became the final bottom line tacitly accepted by the Japanese nobles.

As long as you become a monk and enter the monastery, you can be considered to have retired from the world.

Of course, since there are rules of the game, there must be rule breakers, people with deep blood feuds, and occasionally there are a few people who don’t care whether their enemies become monks or not, they will kill them anyway.

It’s just that religion, no matter what kind of religion it is, can’t always remain lofty and noble.

Therefore, during the Kamakura shogunate period, as Buddhism began to be popularized, a large number of new Buddhist branches began to appear in Japan, and monks from poor families also began to travel around and preach.

As a result, the localized Jodo Shinshu and Nichiren sects began to spread widely among the Japanese common people.

But even so, the eminent monk from China is still an absolute golden signboard.

What's more, Daoyan was not a half-baked monk who was swindling others for money. Instead, he was a true eminent monk who could be ranked among the top in the entire Ming Dynasty in terms of his level of Buddhist knowledge.

Therefore, in just a few years, Doen, who was recognized by the Muromachi shogunate, traveled to almost all major temples in Japan, discussed Buddhism with Japanese monks, won extremely wide acclaim, and was hailed as "the first person in Buddhism."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu gradually relaxed his vigilance towards Michiyan.

Because Ashikaga Yoshimitsu learned about the past of Monk Daoyan through the envoys sent to the Ming Dynasty. This man was a serious monk. Because of his profound knowledge of Buddhism, he had taught the King of Yan and the King of Wu. It is said that he had developed the ambition to travel around the world to spread Buddhism a few years ago, so he came to Japan.

Generally speaking, it has some connection with the top leaders of the Ming Dynasty, but it does not involve too much politics.

Now he is truly devoted to studying Buddhism. Apart from Buddhists, he seldom sees people from the Ming Dynasty. He behaves like a high-level monk and does not look like a spy at all.

In addition, Daoyan was not only active in the areas controlled by the Muromachi shogunate of the Northern Dynasty, but also in the Kamakura Shogunate in Kanto and the territories of the Southern Dynasty, where he worshipped Buddhism and discussed Buddhist scriptures.

Therefore, the Muromachi shogunate had basically no power to monitor Michiyan.

Daoyan's target was Xingfu Temple.

Kofuku-ji Temple was originally one of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto. It was the central place for the teaching of Dharma-sastra and Abhidharma-kosha, and produced many talented people. In the Heian period, it also managed Kasuga Shrine, and its power became even greater. It owned huge estates and monk soldiers, and became the largest Buddhist temple in Japan. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Kofuku-ji Temple was divided into two, Ikjo-in and Daijo-in.

On the surface, Kofuku-ji is a temple.

But in fact, this is a complete local lord, and a very important local lord.

Because Kofuku-ji not only had a large amount of land, population, and monk soldiers, but also occupied the most critical location in the whole of Japan - the northern part of Yamato.

Because of the division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Yamato Kingdom never had a daimyo to protect it.

To the north of Yamato Province was the territory of the Muromachi shogunate. The three counties of Uchi, Yoshino, and Uda in the southern part of Yamato Province were the only remaining territory of the Southern Dynasty on Honshu Island. The northern part of Yamato Province in the middle was the Nara and Kunichū regions controlled by Kofuku-ji Temple.

This is a "U"-shaped basin, not far from Kyoto, and is somewhat similar to China's Nanyang Basin. In any case, it is not very good at defending against enemies in the north, but it can indeed defend itself. It is the type that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the interior is suitable for farming. It naturally became a buffer zone between the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

But now Kofuku-ji is in a state of division.

The division of Xingfuji Temple is not exactly the same as the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but it can be said to be exactly the same.

Ever since Jixun took over as Betsudo in the first year of Tenpyo Hoji, the temple affairs of Kofuku-ji have been managed by the "Betsudo" (roughly equivalent to the abbot) for hundreds of years, and this position is held in turn by Ikjoin and Mahajōin. It is very similar to the Daikakuji lineage of the Southern Dynasty and the Jimyōin lineage of the Northern Dynasty, isn't it?
The split between the two sides was due to the fact that in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, they represented different interest groups within the powerful Xingfu Temple.

The armed forces of Kofuku-ji were divided into two parts, one was called "the followers" and the other was called "the people".

The former are literally monk soldiers, except that they are samurai with shaved heads. These samurai also hold management positions and manage the armed forces of Kofuku-ji.

The latter belonged to the same class as Japan's "kokuto (local samurai)". They were not monk soldiers, but samurai who believed in various local gods. After shrines such as Kasugasha were incorporated into Kofuku-ji, they joined the armed forces of Kofuku-ji.

At the beginning, when Kofuku-ji was not so powerful, the two armed forces could still work together and were collectively called "the people of all sects". However, as Kofuku-ji became increasingly powerful, the two sides had different beliefs and conflicts of interest became very acute.

The two armed forces quickly chose their own representatives in Xingfuji Temple.

The "disciples", or monk soldiers, chose Ichijo-in.

The "people" chose Mahayana-in.

The combination of ruling power and armed forces within the Buddhist temple soon led to greater conflicts.

Thus, Kofuku-ji Temple split.

The "shuto" monks of Ichijoin Temple in the north controlled the northern part of the Nara Basin and had close ties with the Muromachi shogunate.

The "national" warriors of Daijoin in the south controlled the southern part of the Nara Basin and secretly pledged allegiance to Emperor Go-Kameyama of the Southern Dynasty.

But what’s interesting is that although Kofuku-ji was actually divided, it still remained a whole when facing the outside world.

Because in Kofuku-ji, whether it was Ikjo-in or Mahajō-in, they all knew very well that only as a whole would they be qualified to become an indispensable part of others in the turbulent times of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

At present, the abbot of Kofuku-ji Temple is Master Koen of Daijo-in Temple.

Daoyan had exchanged letters with him before, and later he came to Xingfu Temple in person and lived there for more than a year. The two had a very close relationship and could talk about anything.

And now, it's time to show down.

Daoyan's purpose was to take advantage of the de facto divided Kofuku-ji Temple and the Nara region, an extremely sensitive border area between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, to reignite the war between the two dynasties.

The moonlight was as bright as a mirror, and Daoyan and Xiaoyuan sat opposite each other in the Zen room.

The dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the wrinkles on their faces.

Outside the window, Nara's night breeze blew gently, bringing waves of pine waves.

“What night is without the moon? What place is without bamboo and cypress?”

"Bie Dang." Dao Yan said slowly, "We have known each other for a long time. I have always admired your compassion for the world. However, Bie Dang should know that in this chaotic world, although Buddhism can save people, it is difficult to quell wars and conflicts."

Upon hearing this, Master Xiaoyuan sighed softly, clasped his hands together, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes: "Master Daoyan is right. Although I am a monk, I am also uneasy when I see the people suffering in this chaotic world. However, my ability is limited. Although Xingfu Temple is big, it is difficult for it to remain immune."

"Don't blame yourself too much, Bie Dang," Dao Yan consoled him, "The world is like a chess game, each move needs to be carefully planned. I came here this time to discuss the big plan with Bie Dang, to see if we can use the power of Xingfu Temple to bring a glimmer of hope to this chaotic world."

Upon hearing this, Master Xiaoyuan's eyes flashed with curiosity. He knew that Daoyan was not an ordinary monk. Ordinary monks would study Buddhism, but would not be interested in military tactics, numerology, astronomy, geography, or the Eight Trigrams.

"Appreciate further details."

Daoyan smiled slightly, took out a secret letter from his sleeve, and gently pushed it in front of Xiaoyuan: "This is written by Zhu Xiongying, the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty. The letter mentioned that the Ming Dynasty is concerned about the situation in Japan and is willing to lend a helping hand to end the division of Xingfu Temple."

Xiao Yuan took the secret letter, read it carefully, and his brows gradually relaxed.

He put down the letter and looked up at Daoyan: "I understand what the Crown Prince of Ming meant. However, Kofu-ji has been divided for a long time, and there is deep resentment between Ichijo-in and Mahayana-in. It is not easy to reunite them."

"That's why we need to work together." Daoyan said solemnly, "The Ming Dynasty is willing to support behind the scenes, but you still need to not do things in public yourself. I have a plan that may be worth a try."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan frowned slightly, gently stroked the rosary with both hands, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Master Daoyan, although I have not heard of the events of the Northern and Southern Dynasties for a long time, your plan is...

Daoyan smiled slightly, with a hint of cunning in that smile.

"Don't assume that you have deep wisdom and will understand it naturally."

"Although the 'disciples' of Ichijoin Temple in the north and the 'citizens' of Daijoin Temple in the south are both the pillars of Kofuku-ji, they are torn apart by conflicts of interest. My intention is not to intervene directly, but to guide them subtly, so that the two sides will clash due to misunderstandings, and then attract the attention of the Muromachi shogunate."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan was shocked. He knew the danger of this plan, but he also understood that this might be his only chance to end the division of Kofukuji. "Master, your plan is risky, but it is worth a try. But how can we ensure that the conflict does not get out of control? How can we use this opportunity to realize my wish?"

Daoyan twirled his beard lightly, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. First, I need to use subtle methods from Daijoin to stir up the anger of the 'disciples' of Ichijoin. But remember, no innocent people should be harmed. Just create enough chaos to force the Muromachi shogunate to intervene. Then, I will go to Kyoto in person and encourage other nobles to lobby the Ashikaga Shogun to escalate this matter into a dispute between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, so that the conflict between the two dynasties will be intensified because of the incident at Kofuku-ji Temple."

Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment, realizing the ingenuity of this plan, but he was also full of worries.

"Master, your concerns are profound, but the Southern Dynasty is weak. Without external help, it may be doomed to fall. Once Xingfu Temple is involved in such a dispute, it may no longer be able to remain immune."

Daoyan sighed softly, his eyes full of compassion.

"Don't take it as mercy, but things are unpredictable, and sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."

"Although the Southern Dynasty is weak, it is not without a chance of recovery. The split of Kofukuji Temple is a stumbling block to its revival. If we can take this opportunity to balance the power of the two dynasties, Kofukuji Temple may be able to take advantage of this opportunity and regain its former glory."

Daoyan's words sounded nice, but Xiaoyuan knew very well that this was just a preparation for the Ming Dynasty's intervention.

And what Xingfuji did was to take the initiative to make a choice.

But, if he doesn't choose this, what else can Xiaoyuan do?

The secret letter was thrown into the brazier, and the flames gradually licked it, turning it into ashes.

Watching the continued disintegration of the Kofukuji Temple? Watching the continued decline of the Southern Dynasty? Watching himself being driven out of power at some point in time?
Xiao Yuan had mixed feelings, but having made this choice, there was no turning back once he embarked on this path of no return.

But for the future of Kofuku-ji and to end this endless division, he was willing to give it a try.

After hearing this, Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment, and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes: "This plan is very good, I am willing to give it a try. However, this matter must be handled with extreme caution, so as not to leak the news and cause unnecessary trouble."

"Don't worry." Daoyan smiled slightly, "The Ming Dynasty has its own arrangements to ensure that this matter is foolproof. In addition, the Ming Dynasty is willing to provide military support to Xingfu Temple to enhance its self-defense capabilities and ensure that it will not be disturbed in troubled times."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyuan stood up and bowed deeply to Daoyan.

"Master Daoyan, on behalf of the entire Xingfu Temple, I would like to express my gratitude."

The conspiracy between Daoyan and Xiaoyuan is like a spark in the dark night, which only needs to wait for the right wind to set the whole prairie on fire.

Soon, a carefully planned drama quietly took place in Nara.

One evening, a group of "national" warriors, dressed in casual clothes and wooden clogs, walked into a tavern run by the "disciples" near the northern dojo with a bit of unruliness.

This tavern is not only a place for the monks to rest, but also a place for them to brag.

Inside the pub, candlelight flickered and the aroma of sake filled the air.

In addition to civilians and merchants, there were also monk soldiers mixed in, some talking in low voices, some laughing loudly, creating a lively scene.

However, this tranquility was soon broken by the intrusion of a group of "national" warriors.

These warriors, who had their hair in a bun and shaved in front, were deliberately making loud noises. It would have been fine if they just sat down to drink and brag, but their words were mixed with contempt for the "disciples", and this provocative talk instantly made the atmosphere in the tavern tense.

"Humph, the so-called 'disciples' are nothing but cowards with shaved heads. How can they be compared with us real warriors?" A "national" warrior, with a look of disdain on his face and reeking of alcohol, mocked loudly.

As soon as these words were spoken, the "disciples" of monk soldiers in the tavern all changed color, and the atmosphere suddenly dropped to freezing point.

An elderly monk leader stood up with a frown on his face.

However, he did not draw his sword immediately, but warned with a cold face: "Everyone, we are all from Xingfu Temple, why do we have to be so confrontational?"

However, this group of "national" warriors seemed to have lost their minds long ago. Not only did they not appreciate it, but they became even more arrogant. After a few words, they even started pushing and shoving. The tables and chairs in the tavern were knocked all over the place, and drinks splashed everywhere. A farce caused by a disagreement on the topic instantly escalated into a physical conflict.

"stop!"

The older monk leader finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted angrily. At the same time, the surrounding "disciples" of monks also stood up. The atmosphere was tense and the two sides confronted each other. The samurai swords flashed coldly in the dim candlelight.

"Hmph, I've long wanted to teach you fake monks a lesson!" A "national" warrior roared, suddenly drew the samurai sword at his waist, and slashed at the opponent at an extremely fast speed.

The air in the tavern seemed to freeze in an instant, and a bloody conflict broke out.

Amid the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers, the tavern turned into a battlefield, with shouts and the sounds of metal clashing intertwined.

Then, both sides started to mobilize people.

The scale of the conflict is growing, and the casualties are simply out of control.

The news of the outbreak of a large-scale conflict quickly spread throughout Kofuku-ji Temple and the entire Nara Basin. A conflict secretly planned by Doen and Koen was gradually drawing the attention of the Muromachi shogunate and the Southern Court to this seemingly calm but actually turbulent Buddhist holy land.

Behind this chaos, Daoyan's figure quietly disappeared into the night.

There was a barely perceptible smile on the corner of his mouth, and everything was going according to plan.

As the situation became increasingly serious, the villages in the entire Nara Basin were shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

War seems to be about to break out.

The villagers, who had lived in peace for several years, were talking about the matter. Rumors spread like wildfire, and everyone felt heavy in their hearts.

At this critical moment, several "disciples" and representatives of Ichijo-in monks stepped forward. They prepared to go to Kyoto to request the intervention of the Muromachi shogunate.

Along the way, they slept in the open air and traveled day and night. The people along the way had no idea what was happening in Yamato because of the lack of information. When they saw this group of people hurrying by, they all looked at them with curiosity.

Finally, they arrived in Kyoto, the most prosperous city in Japan.

At the shogunate's Hana no Gosho, they knelt down with their hands clasped together, and in the most humble manner, presented Ichijoin's urgent request for help to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the ruler of the Muromachi shogunate.

The book describes in detail the conflict between the "followers" and the "nationals", as well as the possible impact of this conflict on the entire Nara Basin and even the situation in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

After receiving the call for help, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu looked solemn. He realized that this was not just a fight within the temple, but more likely a harbinger of the breakdown of the balance of power between the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Therefore, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu quickly convened a meeting of important officials of the shogunate to discuss the matter.

All the important officials of the shogunate, including Hatakeyama Motokuni, Sasaki Yoshimasa, Hosokawa Mitsunori, Akamatsu Yoshinori, and Isshiki Mitsunori, were present.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sat in the main seat, brows furrowed, his eyes sweeping over every important minister present, thinking secretly in his heart.

"Everyone, you have all read the request for help from Ichijoin-in. What do you think about this matter?"

Hatakeyama Motokuni spoke first: "General, this matter may not be as simple as a struggle within the temple. Kofuku-ji has always been the focus of contention between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This conflict may be the result of manipulation by the forces of the two dynasties."

Sasaki Yoshimasa nodded slightly: "Master Hatakeyama is right. If this conflict gets out of control as the request for help says, it is very likely that the entire Nara Basin will be dragged into the war, and even affect the situation of the entire Northern and Southern Dynasties."

Obviously, both of them are relatively cautious and calm.

Hosokawa Mitsurugi pondered for a moment and said, "General, we cannot ignore the status of Kofuku-ji Temple in the Nara Basin. Once the division among temples intensifies and we ignore our ally Ichijo-in, it is likely to trigger more rebellions among nobles and samurai, which will be a huge threat to our rule."

"General, no matter what forces are behind this, we cannot sit idly by. If we allow the Southern Dynasty to take advantage of this opportunity to grow stronger, or even take over the entire Yamato Kingdom, we will lose."

"The Southern Dynasty is nothing to be afraid of."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was very calm at this time: "Before, we still had financial pressure and could not destroy the Southern Dynasty in one fell swoop, but after five years of recuperation and trade, the money and food to completely destroy the Southern Dynasty are ready."

Obviously, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had previously agreed to the Ming Dynasty's suggestion, and the two sides reached a brief peace, but it was only to buy time to make adequate preparations for the military destruction of the Southern Dynasty.

However, there were still many different opinions within the shogunate on whether to completely destroy the Southern Dynasty by force.

Isshiki Mitsunori spoke slowly: "General, this matter may be resolved through peaceful means. We can send envoys to the Southern Dynasty to negotiate with them to jointly quell the conflict in Kofuku-ji Temple and maintain peace between the Northern and Southern Dynasties."

"We cannot ignore the ambitions of the Southern Dynasty and the complex forces behind the split of Kofukuji. If we simply send envoys, it will probably be difficult to quell this conflict."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu paused, looked around at the crowd, and continued, "Make preparations for both scenarios. On the one hand, send envoys to the Southern Dynasty to negotiate with them to jointly quell the conflict; on the other hand, mobilize the army and prepare for a possible war."

After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

They all knew very well that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's decision was wise and necessary. In this turbulent era, only by staying vigilant can one survive, and one cannot pin everything on peace. Peace is merely a measure taken when there is not enough confidence to use force.

However, they all knew that the undercurrent behind this conflict was far more turbulent than it appeared on the surface. It might be an accidental incident, but it might also be something that Mahayana Temple or the Southern Dynasty had planned for a long time.

"What if the Ming Dynasty intervenes?"

A senior official of the shogunate suddenly raised this key question, which instantly made the atmosphere in the entire conference room solemn. The influence of the Ming Dynasty, this giant in the East, could not be ignored in Japan.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu pondered for a moment, with a hint of determination in his eyes: "Although the Ming Dynasty is strong, we cannot show weakness. If they really intervene, we must also make our position clear. However, before that, we should try our best to avoid direct conflict with the Ming Dynasty. But if the Ming Dynasty really wants to hinder us, there is nothing to be afraid of."

Hatakeyama Motokuni nodded and added: "General, what you said is very right. Let's do it our way first. If the Ming Dynasty really intervenes, we will consider how to deal with it."

At the same time, Daoyan was not idle either.

Daoyan used the connections he had built up in Japan over the years to secretly contact several nobles in Kyoto, and through them he fanned the flames of the shogunate and asked it to intervene in the conflict over Kofuku-ji.

His plan had actually been initially successful. The division of Kofuku-ji had already attracted the attention of the Muromachi shogunate and the Southern Court. Next, he only had to wait and see how the situation developed.

For a moment, the air in Kyoto was filled with tension and anxiety.

The Muromachi shogunate, the Southern Dynasty, Kofuku-ji Temple, the Ming Dynasty... All the forces were ready to move in the undercurrent, waiting for the right opportunity to push the storm to a climax.

The farmers in the Nara Basin could only helplessly wait for the decision of fate. They did not know how this conflict caused by internal conflicts in the temple would change their lives and the fate of the entire country. They could only pray silently, hoping that the Buddha would bless this land from the ravages of war.

(End of this chapter)