The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

"Civil unrest?"

"Yes," Pan Yun glanced at him, "Last year, the seventh shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, died. To this day, the position of shogun remains vacant. Now the power is controlled by a few guardian daimyo. I heard that there are wars every now and then in the country. It's really chaotic."

As a man of the world, and a young and passionate one at that, who only wanted to make a name for himself and cultivate immortality, he didn't even know who the six ministers of his own country were, let alone those of Japan.

He asked in confusion: "Doesn't Japan have an emperor? Why is there only a general mentioned?"

"Yes, he is a lucky charm, you can ignore him," Pan Yun said, "Instead of thinking about the emperor of Japan, it is better to think about the nine-year-old general who just died in Japan, and the eight-year-old Ashikaga Yoshimasa who may be the next general."

Qu Le: ...

He turned around and left: "Go talk to someone else. I'm not interested in the emperor or general of Japan."

Pan Jun snorted.

Qu Le immediately turned around and asked: "The family called Ouchi, are they powerful in Japan?"

Pan Yun: "Not bad. I heard that he is the guardian of the Western Kingdom and has considerable power."

Qu Le: "So it is confirmed that we are going to Japan to kill them this time?"

Pan Yun glanced at him and said, "We can't just kill them randomly. We have to find the man called Ouchi Hiromi and kill the people behind him."

"What if you can't find out?"

Pan Yun sighed, "Then we can only blame them. When the time comes, we'll look at their faces and kill anyone who looks like a pirate."

Qu Le took a step back in fear: "You, you look so perverted, like a devil."

Pan Yun pushed him away and left first: "If you don't know how to speak, just shut up."

Qu Le quickly followed her and said, "Speaking of which, their country is in such a mess. Wouldn't it be more dangerous for us to enter?"

Pan Yun: "If we were going there for business or tourism, it would of course be dangerous, but we are going there to kill people. We ourselves have bad intentions, so naturally the more chaos the better."

She brought the man to the deck, pinched her waist and shouted towards the cabin: "Found it——"

Those who were searching in the boat stopped immediately and came out.

Zhang Weiliang was very dissatisfied. Even under Zhang Weiyi's gaze, he still said, "One person caused such a commotion that I almost turned over all the prisoners. Until now, all I can hear are their screams."

The second generation of Xiu faced the second generation of Xia. The second generation of Xia, Qu Le, was no pushover either. He immediately said, "I'm not a pig. How could I hide among the captives who were all women and children? Only pigs would go to that place, right?"

Zhang Weiliang was angry: "Who are you calling a pig?"

"Whoever answers I'll tell you who it is!"

Pan Yun: "Since you have so much free time, I will give you a task. Go and register all the women and children on the boat. Find out their names, origins, and where they intend to go!"

Zhang Weiliang and Qu Le were furious and glared at each other fiercely, but did not dare to refute Pan Yun. They snorted at each other and went to the cabin in a menacing manner.

Zhang Weiyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Hua also said, "Fortunately, Junior Sister Pan beat up Junior Brother Weiliang last year, otherwise this mission would be difficult to accomplish."

"What did he do to provoke Pan Yun?"

Xue Hua and Zhang Weiyi were startled by the sudden voice behind them, and turned around to meet Xue Shao's innocent eyes. Zhang Weiyi didn't know much, but he knew that Xue Hua and Xue Shao were related, so he clasped his fists to Xue Hua and said, "You two can chat."

Then he slipped away immediately.

Xue Hua and Xue Shao looked at each other in silence for a long while.

He knew this cousin because he had always been the child of another family in his ear since he was a child.

Xue Taixu, Xue Zhen and Xue Qing are cousins. Xue Zhen is Xue Xuan's father, and Xue Qing is Xue Shao's grandfather.

The Xue family in Hedong was poor, but they were a well-known farming and reading family in the local area.

Several generations in the family have been studying and doing business. By Xue Zhen's generation, more disciples were studying.

Xue Zhen and Xue Qing are brothers. They are the best students in their family. After passing the imperial examination, one of them went to various places to be a teacher. He taught from Hedong to Hexi, and then to Hebei, Sichuan and Chongqing. He taught for more than 40 years and earned the title of "Teacher". It can be said that he has many students all over the world.

Xue Qing was less fortunate. He died young due to illness after passing the imperial examination. His son Xue Qiong lived with Xue Zhen. He was also very good at studying.

Xue Qiong lived with his uncle Xue Zhen and was more like a son to him than Xue Xuan, his biological son. This was because Xue Xuan was passionate about pursuing the truth. When he saw a river, he could not help but swim upstream until he found the source of water. Therefore, Xue Qiong, the nephew, always served Xue Zhen.

He inherited his uncle Xue Zhen's educational ideals and was also keen on being a teacher in various places. Later, because Xue Xuan was wronged, he wrote a letter to criticize the emperor and Wang Zhen, and was briefly dismissed from office for a few months. Later, because he had so many students and the connections left by Xue Zhen, he was reinstated and continued to be a teacher.

After Xue Xuan was dismissed from office, he returned to his hometown and taught there.

His grandfather often lamented to him that the Xue family could be where it is today, and even that their family members could get closer to heaven and earth through cultivation, all thanks to the contributions of the Xue Zhen and Xue Qing lineages.

The Xue family is the most concrete manifestation of the natural law of heaven, whose grace and benevolence extend to their descendants.

However, the one in the Xue family who is closest to heaven and earth and most loved by heaven is actually Xue Shao.

Unfortunately, he refused to enter Taoism, and his grandfather went back to Hedong several times but was unable to persuade him.

Xue Hua was very familiar with this cousin, but Xue Shao was obviously not familiar with him.

One of them had a complicated look, while the other had a clear look but some doubt.

"Cousin Hua?"

Xue Hua came back to his senses and said calmly, "Junior Brother Weiliang was instigated to cause trouble for Junior Sister Pan. Not only was he beaten up by Junior Sister Pan, but he was also kicked out of the academy by Junior Sister Pan to gain experience. That's why he is very honest now. Don't worry, with Junior Sister Pan here, there will be no trouble on the ship."

Xue Shao smiled and said, "I'm not worried about any trouble. I'm just a little curious."

"I'm also curious," Xue Hua looked at him and asked, "You are already an official of the imperial court, why do you still want to risk going out to sea?"

Xue Shao turned to face the sea: "Our Ming Dynasty has been attacked by Japanese pirates for a long time. They know us very well, but we know very little about Japan. The source of information in the Honglu Temple is either from captured Japanese pirates or from Japanese envoys who come to pay tribute every year."

“But the former’s language is unclear, and the local records are not detailed. Many of them are fake Japanese pirates’ nonsense, so the local records are chaotic, and the information reported to the Honglu Temple is even more chaotic and not very useful;
As for the latter, needless to say, most of the envoys who come here are treacherous and will naturally not tell the truth about the domestic situation. "

Xue Shao smiled and said, "It's a rare opportunity. It would be a pity if I don't go once."

"But you are the Imperial Censor. As the Imperial Censor inspecting Jiangnan, it is a serious crime for you to leave Jiangnan without permission. Now you have fled overseas..."

Xue Shao smiled and comforted him, saying, "A general is not subject to military orders when he is away from home. I went to Quanzhou to investigate the Japanese pirates in the south of the Yangtze River, and then went to the islands to suppress the bandits. Finally, I followed the clues and went out to sea. It was all for official business. Your Majesty and the Censorate will not blame me if they know." (End of this chapter)