The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 432 It’s time for the God of House to take action
Kuroda Josui came to see Toyotomi Hideyoshi again.

Early that morning, around noon, he hurried into the lobby on the top floor of the castle tower, carrying a new issue of the tabloid and bowing, saying, "Your Highness, they have indeed printed the second issue."

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard this, he became furious.

The weather was already extremely hot, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty kept slapping him in the face. He could hardly contain his anger.

He took the Japanese tabloid and took a look at it, and his veins popped out and his face turned red.

This episode seemed to be specifically about the Ming Dynasty releasing prisoners, but as the story went on, the blame was put on him again.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty listed the plan for releasing the prisoners.

Last year, nearly 50,000 troops from the Nishimori clan of Honshu were released.

This year, Kagekatsu Uesugi, Masamune Date, and Ujisato Gamo of northern Honshu, along with their subordinates, numbering nearly 50,000 men.

Next year, Chosokabe Motochika and his young and strong soldiers from Shikoku will be released to Shikoku, numbering nearly 50,000.

As for the captives from Kyushu, the Ming emperor actually said that it was not that they were unwilling to release them, but that he, the Taiko, was unwilling to give even one million taels. The food expenses for two or three hundred thousand soldiers in the Ming Dynasty would be more than one million taels a year.

The Ming Dynasty could spend two to three million taels a year to support these soldiers, but he, the Taiko, was unwilling to spend even one million taels, and only cared about enjoying wealth and glory!

This guy also took the opportunity to spread the word that the Ming Dynasty was a country of etiquette and that it treated prisoners very well, and that none of the prisoners were abused.

The Ming Dynasty only asked them to help with farming. The daily meals were very good. They were full at every meal and never hungry. You can ask the released captives about this, it is absolutely true.

On the other hand, when Taiko was fighting in the vassal state of Korea, these captives were often hungry, and the Ming army had to bring a lot of food with them when they captured them!
This guy said such a terrible thing about him!
What would his soldiers think when they saw this?
What would the other daimyo's soldiers think when they saw this?
Toyotomi Hideyoshi gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "Where are the people? Have they been caught? Who are the people helping the Ming Dynasty to distribute this tabloid?"

Alas, this is why I came to see you.

Kuroda Rusui said rather embarrassedly, "We found out that the people distributing these tabloids are all ronin. There are many of them. Our people were beaten when they went to catch them."

Ronin!

I was originally a wanderer too.

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard this, he was stunned.

Of course he knew that ronin would do anything to have enough to eat.

He was the same at the beginning. As long as he could have enough food to eat, he would do anything, even murder or set fire to something.

There was no way. I was hungry, and I couldn’t go home. If I went back, I would be beaten.

He started wandering around the world at the age of thirteen, and no one knew how much suffering and hunger he had endured.

Ronin are very sad and pitiful. It is precisely because they have no home and no source of livelihood that they can only rely on themselves to survive. Ronin will do anything for money and food.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi thought about it for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "If they dare to attack our people, won't you mobilize troops to round them up?"

That depends on what you mean.

Kuroda Rusui explained carefully, "I've already ordered people to investigate, and these ronin are from the ronin camp.

There are now ronin camps near coastal port cities. Because those camps provide food and pay wages, the ronin seem to gather in those camps.

Now each ronin camp has at least a thousand ronin, and some even have tens of thousands.

I estimate that there are more than 100,000 ronin gathered in the coastal ronin camps. Your Highness, are we really going to mobilize troops to round them up?"

Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, you are so shameless!

You are using the compensation money and food I paid you to bribe the ronin to cause trouble for me!

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard that there were ronin camps near the coastal port cities, he understood that these must have been recruited by the Ming emperor using the money and grain he paid as compensation.

Two million taels of silver and one million and four hundred thousand shi of grain, let alone more than one hundred thousand ronin, even two hundred thousand ronin can be supported!
Did he really mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress them?

Then you've been fooled!
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty probably wanted him to mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress the ronin. That would not only cause chaos in Japan, but also cause heavy losses to his men.

This kind of evil cannot be tolerated.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi slowly shook his head and said, "With so many ronin, there's no need to mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress them. Send someone disguised as a ronin to infiltrate the ronin camp and find out who is providing these ronin with money and food.

These people who provide money and food are definitely the ones who hired the ronin to distribute the tabloids everywhere. As long as these people are arrested, the ronin will naturally disperse because they can't earn money and food."

As expected, it is you, Taiko, who was born a ronin, who have a way to deal with ronin.

Kuroda Rusui quickly bowed and said, "Hi."

At this time, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was also experiencing a heat wave.

However, the palace was quite cool. Coincidentally, just when Kuroda Josui came to see Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Mori Terumoto also came to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to see Wanli.

In other words, it was Wanli who summoned him to the court.

Mori Terumoto thought that it was Wanli who asked him to send a hostage.

This guy actually brought three young boys with him.

In the imperial study, after the four of them had a respectful conversation, Maori Terumoto explained, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was busy with many things after returning home and forgot to send them here.

This is my eldest son, Mori Hideki, this is my third uncle, Kobayakawa Takakage's eldest son, Kobayakawa Hideaki, and this is my cousin, Yoshikawa Hiroie's eldest son, Yoshikawa Hiromasa."

If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it!
It seems that you have completely turned to the Ming Dynasty, and even sent protons to me.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Well, I will arrange for them to be taken to the vassal state of Korea, where the King once lived, and entertain them well. I will also send people to teach them the Four Books and Five Classics."

Maori Terumoto bowed repeatedly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wanli nodded slightly and asked, "How many troops do you have now?"

What is this for?
Maori Terumoto said carefully: "At present, our troops are still about 150,000, of which 100,000 are in Honshu and 50,000 in Kyushu.

However, according to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's order, the able-bodied men must be sent back for a month during the busy farming season, which means that from October to November we will only have 50,000 men in total."

Wanli nodded slightly, then said solemnly: "150,000 troops are enough, it's time for you to take action."

what?
Shall we start fighting now?

Tokugawa Ieyasu hasn't taken any action yet!
Forget it, let’s not worry about this for now. I can’t question the words of the Ming emperor.

The words of the Ming Emperor are golden and cannot be questioned.

Now I must be obedient to keep the Maori family business.

Maori Terumoto was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, should we attack the Shimazu clan in southern Kyushu or the Toyotomi clan in central Honshu?

If they were to attack southern Kyushu, it would not be difficult. The Shimazu clan did not have many troops left in Kyushu, and a group of young and strong men in Kyushu were forcibly conscripted. They probably could not even gather 30,000 troops now.

However, the Toyotomi clan is still relatively strong. Their vassal forces have not moved, and together with the Maeda clan's forces, it is estimated that there are at least 200,000 to 300,000 men."

What did you say?

Will I let you go head-to-head with the Toyotomi clan?

Wanli shook his head and said, "I meant to ask you to take action, not to do it. Taking action and doing it are not the same thing.

I asked you to instigate Tokugawa Ieyasu. You wrote a letter to Tokugawa Ieyasu, saying that Toyotomi Hideyoshi has lost the support of the people and that you are willing to join forces with Tokugawa Ieyasu to attack Toyotomi Hideyoshi from both sides.

By then, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's territory will belong to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and you will only want the current territory of the Mori clan and northern Kyushu and Shikoku. You will still submit to him and respect him as the Lord of Japan."

Oh, so you want me to write a letter to instigate Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Will this guy be fooled?
The Toyotomi clan's territory is not small. If I give it all to Tokugawa Ieyasu, won't he get suspicious?

Maori Terumoto thought for a moment, then said carefully, "Your Majesty, Tokugawa Ieyasu is a very cautious man and will not be easily fooled. If I say that all the territories of the Toyotomi clan belong to him, I think he will be suspicious.

If I say this, it would be a thankless task and would be a waste of effort. This is totally abnormal.

I think that I should discuss with Tokugawa Ieyasu the share of silver produced by the Iwami Silver Mine. Now Hideyoshi has given me about 20%. I say that after the matter is accomplished, except for the silver paid to the Ming Dynasty every year, the rest will belong to me.

This way, I can get at least hundreds of thousands more taels of silver each year. This benefit is enough for me to make a move. So, Tokugawa Ieyasu should not have any doubts."

You are just too lazy. Otherwise, with your intelligence, you can compete with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu for the rule of Japan.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Well, it's up to you how to write the letter. I don't know Tokugawa Ieyasu very well. In short, you must do everything you can to instigate Tokugawa Ieyasu to take action first."

Maori Terumoto nodded, then asked carefully, "Your Majesty, if Tokugawa Ieyasu takes action, will I really send troops to join him in attacking Toyotomi Hideyoshi?"

Why are you rushing forward?

Wanli shook his head and said, "Don't do anything. Just gather 100,000 troops on the border of the Toyotomi clan's territory to prevent Toyotomi Hideyoshi from attacking you. If Tokugawa Ieyasu makes a move, you can have Kobayakawa Takakage lead 50,000 troops to capture southern Kyushu."

Oh, I don’t have to fight Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

That would be great.

Mao Li Terumoto bowed repeatedly and said, "I understand."

(End of this chapter)