Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 338 The cunning emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the reason why Jiajing forced Yang Tinghe to retreat!
Xu Dong, the pirate leader and representative of the coastal tycoons, replied to Otomo Yoshiaki:
"Because they changed the name and called it an inspection, instead of directly saying it was a campaign. But based on the situation when the eunuch Sanbao went to the West, an inspection does not mean that there will be no use of force."

Snapped!
Otomo Yoshiaki, who was kneeling, slammed his hand on the table after hearing this: "What a cunning Ming emperor!"

When I think about the complicated situation in Japan right now, it is a chaotic time with various daimyos fighting for supremacy.

If the Ming army were to come for inspection, the situation would certainly become more complicated. It might allow the Ming to take advantage of the situation and make Japan a target for the Ming to erode.

Therefore, Otomo Yoshiaki couldn't help but show panic in his eyes.

"Isn't there still chaos in the southeast of your Ming country?"

"Any news about your brother Xu Zhen and my retainer Irita Chikamachi?"

At this time, Otomo Yoshiaki remembered that he had sent Irita Chikamane and others to assist Xu Zhen in disrupting the southeast of the Ming Dynasty and capturing Wang Yangming, a favorite minister of the Ming emperor.

Xu Dong clenched his fists at his waist and said gloomily:

"I was just about to tell the guards that they were all ambushed by the Ming emperor's personal army and captured alive. My brother and Irita Chikamane have been escorted to the capital and will probably be executed by slow slicing. As for the rest of your people and foot soldiers, they were all beheaded and their heads were used to build a memorial. Their bodies were burned and spread on the fields to fertilize the seedlings."

When Otomo Yoshiaki heard this, his thick lips twitched.

Xu Dong continued, "Also, there is no major chaos in the southeastern Fujian and Zhejiang!"

Otomo Yoshiaki showed a look of disappointment and asked Xu Dong hurriedly: "Why, didn't you keep saying that you would cause chaos in the southeast?"

"Because the Emperor of Ming established the Imperial Merchants!"

"These imperial merchants are buying up large quantities of unsalable goods and recruiting large numbers of unemployed seafarers, making it impossible for the tycoons along the coast who want to cause chaos to disrupt the southeast and take advantage of the opportunity to plunder."

"In addition, he also allocated a special fund of 3 million silver dollars, strictly ordered the provincial governments to strengthen training and alert, and greatly increased the patrol force of each prefecture, state and county. He even sent his trusted followers of the Jinyiwei to the southeast and spent a lot of money to spread spies. From the governors and governors to the night watchmen and midwives, there are spies of the Jinyiwei."

"Then, the Coast Guard also patrols the sea day and night."

"So, let alone causing chaos in the southeast, even for us, it is now more difficult to survive in the southeast, and we have to move to the surrounding remote islands."

Snapped!
After hearing this, Otomo Yoshiaki slammed the table again.

"hateful!"

then.

Otomo Yoshiaki said this with gritted teeth.

Otomo Yoshiaki then looked at Xu Dong with fiery eyes: "Are you so powerless in front of your new emperor?!"

Otomo Yoshiaki certainly didn't understand.

In his understanding, his country of Japan, from the retainers of the shogunate to the guardians of each reizhi province, and then to the lower guardian deputies and the lords of each county, all wanted to overthrow their superiors.

Therefore, he did not think that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had much ruling power.

You must know that the Emperor of Japan has now been completely sidelined by the Ashikaga clan of the shogunate, and the shogunate has also been sidelined by the retainer Kanrei Hosokawa clan, making the Hosokawa clan the real ruler of the Kyoto area.

Therefore, Otomo Yoshiaki questioned Xu Dong in this way at this time.

Xu Dong smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, the local gentry in our area do envy the great power of the various countries and counties in your land, but it is indeed different in our Ming country. The local officials who hold military power are all from other places, and the wealthy families in the villages are not united enough. Even now, the Yuyao Wang family and the Yongjia Zhang family, who are also wealthy families in Liangzhe, are still the most loyal lackeys of the current emperor. Now there are only two of them as imperial merchants. Do you think this can be the same as yours?"

After hearing this, Otomo Yoshiaki regained some of his sanity and could not help but sigh:
"No wonder your country has been peaceful for more than a hundred years without a major chaos. No wonder your emperor, although a foreign vassal, was able to force the elders of the country to voluntarily give up power with just a few tricks. No wonder, when he gets ruthless, you dare not even raise the banner of clearing the court!"

"The maturity of your country's system is admirable. It is a blessing for the common people, but it is a misfortune for the rich and powerful."

"That's what you said."

"But the wealthy families in our Ming Dynasty have also tried their best to resist, from kneeling in front of the emperor to killing the imperial envoy, to threatening to purge the emperor's side, and even threatening to use the heir to the throne. However, the emperor's determination and rich methods are truly admirable!"

"More importantly, he was willing to mobilize the common people. He supported the military households again, restored the status of untouchable boatmen to good citizens and recruited them as sailors. Even when he first ascended the throne, he united the refugees in the name of being a saint and loving the people, and forced the Prime Minister Yang Tinghe to give up his position due to illness." "Logically, since ancient times, few emperors have been willing to mobilize the common people, and would rather compromise with the nobles than benefit the common people. After all, everyone knows that caring for the people is just lip service. If the common people are really allowed to live a comfortable and prosperous life, who in the world would be willing to work hard like cattle and horses to support the nobles in the world?"

"But he's different!"

"He seemed very willing to benefit the common people, and in this way, the teachings of the sages became his real helper."

Xu Dong nodded in response.

After hearing this, Otomo Yoshiaki's expression became more serious: "It seems that since he doesn't let the common people in his own country be treated as cattle and horses, he is confident that he can make people outside the Ming Kingdom treat them as cattle and horses!"

"That's the truth!"

Xu Dong replied.

Otomo Yoshiaki immediately said: "Then we cannot allow his fleet to come to the East! The only ones coming to Japan are smuggling fleets, not the power of other countries' monarchs!"

"Just as the guard said, we don't want him to succeed in his patrol of the East. For this reason, our people have already murdered the close ministers he sent to patrol the East, and threatened the imperial envoys who were coming. We also plan to concentrate all our forces on Shuangyu Island and your forces at that time. After their fleet leaves Dinghai, we will attack them by surprise and destroy their fleet!"

"At that time, your country can send an envoy to report to the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, saying that it was caused by the evil wind. In this way, even if the Emperor of Ming Dynasty wants to send a fleet to patrol the East Ocean again in the future, there will naturally be more people who oppose it. After all, this will further prove that the sea is dangerous, and the evil wind can also make them believe that it is God's will, just like the defeat of the previous Yuan Dynasty."

Xu Dong said at this time.

Otomo Yoshiaki became interested after hearing this, and asked Xu Dong curiously: "Inside and outside cooperation?"

"That's right!"

"It's a combination of inside and outside."

"The Imperial Envoy Huo Tao, who is patrolling the East Ocean, has agreed to cooperate with us and send our people to serve as cooks and others."

Xu Dong said with a smile.

Otomo Yoshiaki nodded and said thoughtfully: "As long as we can make the Emperor of Ming give up his inspection of the East, it is worth a try."

"What do you want us to do?"

Otomo Yoshiaki then asked about Xu Dong.

Xu Dong said: "Send us some more elite soldiers. After all, their fleet must be guarded by the navy. The existing troops on Shuangyu Island alone are not enough. We need your country to send more troops to Shuangyu Island, and then unite with the private soldiers of the coastal big families to destroy this fleet in the near sea!"

"Then I will send another 3,000 people and 5,000 foot soldiers to accompany you to Shuangyu Island."

"No more."

"Unless you can persuade the Ouchi clan to withdraw their troops."

The Otomo clan was currently facing an invasion from another Japanese daimyo, the Ouchi clan. Therefore, although Otomo Yoshiaki had plans to collude with the wealthy families along the coast of the Ming Dynasty to gain benefits in order to strengthen his strength against the Ouchi clan, he did not dare to send too many troops.

Xu Dong nodded and said, "This is enough! Because this time, the Nanman will also send troops."

Zhu Houcong has also been paying attention to the inspection of Japan and even the situation in the southeast.

To this end, he also asked Zhu Wan to carefully investigate a place called Shuangyu Island.

Zhu Wan only thought that the emperor had learned more secret information through the Jinyiwei spies and now needed him to corroborate it, so he did not delay and sent a brave and careful man in the navy to pretend to be a daring fisherman and sail for a secret investigation.

Soon, Zhu Wan submitted a memorial to Zhu Houcong, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. There are a large number of people living on Shuangyu Island, with dense docks and bright lights at night like a sea of ​​stars. It is likely to be a pirate lair. I request that you unite the forces of the Fujian and Zhejiang naval forces to wipe out this place!"

Zhu Houcong then ordered Wang Hong to secretly lead the Fujian navy to Zhejiang in the capacity of Deputy Censor-in-Chief and Governor of Military Affairs of Fujian and Zhejiang, and asked Zhu Wan to cooperate with him and seize the right opportunity to jointly suppress the local pirates.

(End of this chapter)