Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 444 The Real Army

The Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Ming Dynasty is the ancestral temple of the imperial family, where the ancestral tablets of the Li family are enshrined.

From Emperor Li Ming's great-great-grandfather, Li Hu, the Pillar of State of Western Wei, known as "Emperor Taizu Jing of Tang," all the way to Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan of Tang.

After Li Shimin's death, his memorial tablet as Emperor Taizong of Tang will also be erected here.

After Li Ming passes away, he will also move here to live.

Therefore, this place can be described as the most sacred and private place in the Ming Dynasty, the heart of the heart.

Today, we commemorate the lives lost in this natural and man-made disaster.

This forbidden zone, for the first time ever, has been opened to the general public.

There has never been anyone like him before, and it is estimated that there will be no one like him in the future.

The commoners who entered the royal garden for the first time did not push or shove, did not make a fuss, and did not look around with the same curiosity as when entering the Grand View Garden.

Everyone looked solemn.

This sacrificial ceremony was extraordinary.

However, within this vast crowd...

It's not that there weren't rats mixed in.

A remarkably short adult male was hiding in the crowd, cold sweat pouring down his face.

"Something's not right. Something's very wrong in the Ming Dynasty..."

He was a Japanese spy who landed in Silla a few months ago and infiltrated the country from the northeast by land.

Before the great battle, intelligence was gathered in advance, and the Japanese sent many spies to the Ming Dynasty.

He just didn't know why, despite the grand sacrificial ceremony being held in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, he didn't run into any of his other colleagues.

This is also very strange.

Despite being surrounded by a huge crowd, the Japanese spy felt a strange sense of unease.

His instincts told him that this was no place to linger; he should leave quickly...

Just as he was preparing to flee.

The atmosphere among the crowd changed again.

It became more solemn.

There were some minor noises just now, but now it's completely silent.

If it weren't for the mournful howling of the north wind, this Japanese man would have thought he had gone deaf.

The gathering of tens of thousands of people came from all over the world, and even from different ethnic groups.

They were able to remain silent in such an organized and disciplined manner.

This was quite shocking for the Japanese, who were still in the process of transitioning from a tribal system to a feudal system.

Beyond the shock, he also grasped a principle without being taught—

If such an organized populace were to take up arms and go to the battlefield...

Invincible! Invincible!
An organization of tens of thousands of people exerted unprecedented pressure, making the Japanese tremble with fear.

"Let's go, let's go..."

He was struggling with his thigh.

Then, the quiet moment was suddenly interrupted by a loud "whoosh" sound.

It was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, terrifying him to the point of utter despair.

That was the cheers of tens of thousands of people.

He subconsciously looked up.

Surrounded by the crowd, a young boy dressed in a yellow robe strolled in.

It was this young boy who suddenly drove the orderly crowd into a frenzy.

It is His Majesty the Divine Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty...

"Cough cough."

Li Ming coughed lightly on the stage.

With a whoosh, as if time had stood still, the entire room fell completely silent.

Damn it, they've all gone mad, they've all gone mad... The spy felt immense psychological pressure.

What exactly was the state of the Ming Dynasty's people?

One in motion, one still, it's just like...

These tens of thousands of people are like one person.

With everyone united as one, a common and strong belief has become increasingly prominent.

The Japanese spies seemed to hear the north wind whispering in their ears:

kill!

kill!

kill!

This is hardly a sacrificial ceremony.

This is clearly a rallying ceremony!
No, something's not right!

"The flood did not have a devastating impact on the Ming Dynasty!"

"They are definitely not too busy to look eastward!"
"They even have the capability to start a war..."

"I must return immediately! I must report this news to His Majesty the Emperor as soon as possible!"

The Japanese spy, enduring the throbbing pain in his scalp, struggled to move his limp legs.

"Excuse me, please make way..."

He changed direction and tried to separate the crowd.

The people around him glanced at him, said nothing, and silently parted ways.

This silent gaze put even more pressure on him, so he lowered his head and forced himself to move away from the center.

The gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple is now clearly visible.

He will soon be able to escape this hellish place.

"call……"

The spy let out a heavy breath and stepped smoothly out of the majestic gate.

Before he knew it, his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

The north wind of early winter blew, making him shiver.

"The fishing boat that was supposed to take us back to the archipelago was on the harbor, but when I went to visit it as soon as I arrived in Tangzhou, there was no one there."

"If we can't take a boat, we can only travel by land, return to Silla, and then take a boat from Silla."

"I don't know if there's enough time..."

The spy quickly calculated the time in his mind.

Logically speaking, at least several months of preparation are needed before launching a war, so there is still time to return to Japan.

However, through his observations in Tangzhou.

The Ming Dynasty's war potential probably cannot be judged by ordinary standards...

"Hello."

Just as he was making his plans, a pair of strong hands suddenly patted his shoulder, startling him.

Turning around in surprise, he saw that the other person was a tall Han Chinese, not his Japanese colleague.

"you……"

Before he could finish speaking, the spy was knocked down with a blunt object and stuffed into a sack.

…………

"During the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, a Japanese spy was captured?"

After the national memorial service ended, Li Ming had just returned to the State Affairs Office when he received a bombshell message.

He looked suspiciously at the charcoal-faced man who had come to report, and asked him again to confirm:
"Only one person?"

Yes, the problem isn't that a spy has been caught.

The question is, how come only one was caught?
Given the Japanese's nature, when they cause trouble, they will inevitably send out a large number of spies to infiltrate.

Especially these kinds of officially organized gatherings of tens of thousands of people.

There must be spies everywhere then.

"Brother Ming, I'm sure of it. There really was only one spy who infiltrated the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

As always, Yuchi Xunyu was nonchalant and confidently patted his chest.

This guy maintains a magnanimity and confidence that seem completely out of place in intelligence work.

"Really?"

"Really! Ming-ge, didn't you notice? He's the only one with such a short stature in the whole place, so he must be a Japanese spy!"

"hiss……"

Li Ming rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Haha, I was just kidding," Yu Chi Xunyu chuckled and brushed it off.

"Our department cooperated with Di Renjie and his team to set up checkpoints in various seaports across the country, blocking the Japanese from entering our country at the source, and also seized their roster."

"The Japanese spies who had infiltrated the country have long been captured."

"The fugitives arrested today came in from the peninsula by land, which is why they were only brought to justice today."

Li Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead:
"Really……"

That sounds a bit more plausible.

Could you please not say it in such an unreliable way...?

Although Yuchi Xunyu has a big mouth, he is quite reliable in his work.

Otherwise, Li Ming wouldn't have put him in that position.

After all, even if he's unreliable, he still has his subordinates to clean up his mess. "So, are you involved in spreading false information or anything like that?"

A wicked smile crept across Li Ming's lips.

Dismantling the spy network is only the first step.

The next step is the focus of intelligence work.

First, we must continue to send regular messages to the Japanese so that they don't realize their thorn has been removed.

This is a passive defense.

In addition, we must launch a defensive counterattack.

That is to send false information to the other side.

Now that all the Japanese spies have been captured, it's the perfect opportunity to infiltrate their intelligence.

The key is how to deliver the message in a way that is indistinguishable from the real thing, so that the Japanese chieftain cannot tell the difference and ultimately falls into the trap carefully woven for them by the Ming Dynasty.

As professionals, I believe that Yuchi Xunyu and his team will seize this opportunity.

“That’s…natural,” Yu Chi Xun Yu said, but his expression was no longer as confident as before, and he seemed somewhat hesitant.

"Under interrogation, those spies obediently confessed to us the ways they transmitted intelligence to their own country."

“These channels are now under our control, and they maintain regular contact with our country according to their letter-passing habits.”

As for how such core intelligence was "interrogated," Yuchi Xunyu did not want to elaborate.

All I can say is that the methods employed by his two companions, Di Renjie and Lai Junchen, were beyond his imagination.

“Okay, tell them that.” Li Ming didn’t care about the process; he only cared about the result.

"Give them a shock."

“Tell the Japanese, ‘The Ming Dynasty is outwardly strong but inwardly weak. All plans are progressing smoothly. Thanks to the Emperor’s divine decree, the nation of the Rising Sun will enjoy a long and prosperous future.’”

…………

"Hehe... Does the high monk mean that the Ming Dynasty is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and that it was already in complete chaos before this flood?"

Namba-gu Shrine in Osaka, Japan.

Emperor Kōtoku sat up straight on the Tang-style couch, a gentle smile on his face, showing great respect.

“Amitabha Buddha, monks do not lie.”

The guest sitting opposite Emperor Kōtoku was a monk, wearing a kasaya embroidered with gold thread, and was a head taller than the Japanese people around him.

This attire belongs to a monk who crossed the sea from the Ming Dynasty.

It was truly rare for a Ming Dynasty monk to become a guest of honor of the Japanese chieftain.

"The emperors of the Ming Dynasty had already attracted a lot of controversy before they usurped the throne."

"His corrupting influence and his exploitation of the people have long been a source of resentment among the wealthy and influential, and this is well-documented."

The monk clasped his hands together, but instead of reciting Buddhist scriptures, he spoke of politics.

"It was precisely because of his perverse actions that the late emperor excluded him from the list of heir apparent and passed the throne to the crown prince."

"But he disobeyed his father's orders and recklessly raised an army to wage a great war for his own selfish desire to become emperor, resulting in widespread suffering and the change of dynasties. How is he any different from a traitorous minister?"
"In addition, his annexation of Goguryeo and the Turks caused resentment among the various barbarian tribes."

"Therefore, the people of the world harbored great resentment towards Emperor Ming!"

Every point the monk made was true, but after some interpretation, the result was...unoriginal.

This rather "original" intelligence happened to suit Emperor Kōtoku's tastes perfectly.

He quickly searched his memory and confirmed that what the other person said was true, and couldn't help but smile broadly.

“What ‘Master Jianzheng’ said has truly cleared the clouds and allowed me to see the sun!”
"I thought the Ming people had great respect for their emperor!"

The monk, whose Buddhist name was Jianzheng and who indeed enjoyed "keyboard politics," let out a cold laugh:
"Those were all illusions deliberately created by the Ming Emperor through such absurd and fallacious theories as 'newspapers'."

"But there are gods watching from above. Can he deceive mortals for a time, or deceive the entire world for a lifetime?"

"This catastrophe is proof of that!"

These words struck a chord with Qing, and the corners of his mouth widened.

In his eyes, the Ming Dynasty was nothing more than a dilapidated thatched hut that would collapse with a single kick.

"Cough cough."

At the lower end of the room, the retainers became restless.

What this bald monk is saying is utter nonsense. He coughed lightly, indicating that he was about to speak.

"Cough cough!"

Sitting in front of him was Nakatomi no Kamatari—now Fujiwara no Kamatari—who stopped his colleague from committing suicide.

Doesn't this bald monk know what kind of person the Emperor is? Don't these ministers know?

Don't be fooled by Emperor Kōtoku's current gentle and harmless appearance.

If you really disobey him, he might just throw an inkstone at you and smash your head open.

So, it's best to protect yourself and obediently comply.

"So the Emperor of Ming is so unpopular? I was too conservative..."

Overjoyed, Emperor Kōtoku fell into deep thought, tapping the armrest of his bed with his right hand.

"Japan's grand blueprint can be even bigger."

"Not only should we integrate Silla and Baekje into one nation, but we should also restore Goguryeo and achieve a three-way coexistence."

"If we can use the Three Hans as a springboard to further advance into the Central Plains..."

He slammed his hand on the armrest and stood up abruptly.

"Everywhere the sun shines is my land!"

"Fujiwara!"

He immediately issued orders to his subordinates.

"Your subject is here!" Fujiwara no Kamatari responded immediately.

"Report this to all the major families, and let them gather their troops to march with me on the continent!"

"To conquer the mainland, not the peninsula...?" Fujiwara dared not think too much about it and immediately replied:

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will immediately organize all available troops, gather the supplies, and march towards the mainland!"

As for what to do with supplies after getting people ashore, don't ask.

The answer is that the Japanese are a herbivorous people; if they don't have rice, they can eat grass.

"Ah this..."

Monk Jianzheng looked up, staring blankly at the scene before him.

This monk, who practically wore the words "Ming Dynasty spy" on his face, was indeed an agent under Yuchi Xunyu.

Under the guise of "crossing the sea to spread Buddhism," he infiltrated Japan and successfully entered Emperor Kōtoku's circle of friends, where he began to strategically deceive his target.

However, even the monk Jianzheng himself did not expect that his deception would be so effective.

His task was simply to keep the Japanese at bay, so that they would think the Ming Dynasty would be too busy to look eastward and could continue to maintain their strength on the peninsula, making it easier for the Ming army to encircle them.

Surprisingly, although the Japanese are small in stature, they have an outrageously large appetite.

They've all set their sights on China's mainland.

What could the monk Jianzheng say about such reckless behavior?

"Respect, understanding, and blessings."

The eminent monk of the Ming Dynasty sincerely prayed for the Japanese and their emperor.

…………

Behind them, flames raged.

Ahead, the Pae River (Taedong River) flows swiftly.

Across the river lies Pyongyang, the heart of the Ming Dynasty's rule on the peninsula.

The Japanese soldiers could even see the majestic walls of Pyongyang from afar.

But as evening approached, the sky darkened.

They could only see a rough outline.

"Oh, that's all."

The Japanese army was scattered in large numbers along the border between the two Han states and the Ming Dynasty.

Although their country was fragmented and in a transitional phase from tribal to feudal centralized power, real power in various regions was still in the hands of major families.

However, upon hearing that they could rob, the various clans immediately united and marched proudly across the Whale Sea to the mainland.

So at first glance, this ragtag army, assembled from the strength of the entire Japanese island, seemed to have quite a strong momentum.

They felt that this wave was in the bag.

His Majesty the Emperor is truly brilliant!
All you need to do is dig a hoe on the Yellow River embankment in the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

The seemingly powerful Ming Empire, like its dam, collapsed!
During their conquest of Silla and Baekje, the Japanese army encountered almost no resistance.

What about the invincible Ming Dynasty army?

Where are you hiding, shoveling dirt by some secluded pond?
"We should turn back first, burn down all the Korean cities, loot all their treasures, and enslave their men and women!"

"Idiot! What are you talking about? The Chinese are weak and incompetent; now is the perfect time to launch a full-scale attack!"

"You're all right, our army needs to rest and reorganize on the spot."

Faced with this favorable situation, the Japanese from different tribes began a heated debate.

It was during this time that the leaders of the various tribes were unable to reach an agreement.

The Japanese soldiers sitting on the ground, panting, seemed to vaguely see...

The gates of Pyongyang on the opposite bank of the river appear to be open.

"what?"

The Japanese man paused, then squinted, trying to get a closer look.

But it was too dark.

Before they could see anything clearly, they heard a whooshing sound as it cut through the air.

(End of this chapter)