You have truly caused me great suffering!

In the autumn of the second year of Jianwu.

In the newly established southern part of Tsukushi Province on Kyushu Island, the people went about their daily work.

After a busy year, the harvest day has finally arrived.

The noble lords are going to war again, and it's uncertain how much food will be left this year. If they can keep their families from starving, they'll consider it a good year.

This place originally belonged to Satsuma Province, but it was conquered by the Shoni clan. Under the protection of Ōkage, Tsukushi Province still had a stable and powerful central government.

After all, Da Jing needs them to be stable so that he can mine gold with peace of mind.

This division into small countries makes them easier to control.

In Tsukushi, several powerful clans were either wiped out or surrendered voluntarily with the covert assistance of the garrison from Daikyo.

As a result, the originally impoverished people suddenly gained an opportunity for peaceful development in the midst of chaos.

Because of a strong central government, things will always be good for the people.

The powerful clans that controlled the local areas were now subject to the control of the national law, preventing them from being exploited without restraint.

Not far from the sea, the rice paddies rippled in the fields, and a group of short farmers bent over, wielding sickles, beads of sweat frequently dripping into the soil.

This year's autumn harvest seems unusually hot and humid.

Shao Ni Zhonggang stood by the ridge of the field, personally overseeing the autumn harvest. For all the rulers in the world at that time, the autumn harvest was of paramount importance.

Unless it's a foolish and incompetent bird, everyone will take it seriously, even in a place like Dajing where commerce is already highly developed.

Ultimately, this was an era where having enough to eat was considered a prosperous one. Productivity was not yet high enough to ensure everyone was well-fed, and even in wealthy areas, some people would starve to death.

Soni Tadashi is a member of the royal family of Tsukushi Province. Although he is not a core member of Soni, his status has risen since the founding of the country. He looked at the crops and smiled, "This year the rice grains are plump and full, enough to pay tribute, and we will have enough to last through the winter."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a slight tremor under his feet, as if a giant beast was turning over in the earth.

"What's that noise!"

One of his men looked terrified, as if something was stuck in his neck, unable to utter a sound, only pointing southeast—from the depths of the Misty Island mountain range, a muffled rumble came, like a heavenly drum beating from the earth.

Before anyone could react, the sky suddenly darkened, turning day into midnight. Birds took flight in fright, crashing into the eaves; oxen broke free of their reins and galloped wildly into the forest.

The woman who came to deliver food and water held the swaddled baby tightly, looked up, and saw thick smoke rising into the sky like an ink dragon, tearing through the clouds and blocking out the sunlight.

The fine ash, like snowflakes, fell softly. Someone reached out and grabbed some, and immediately a pungent smell filled the air.

"It's Airatake! The volcano has awakened!"

As soon as Shao Ni Zhong fell to his knees in the mud, he grabbed a handful of dirt with his withered hand and cried out, "The gods are angry... We, the descendants who betrayed Amaterasu, have been punished by the gods!"

Almost instantly, the falling ash turned black, thick as oil, and burned the skin.

Gradually, the black rain turned into a waterfall—scalding volcanic ash mixed with sulfur fragments, smashing people until their skin was torn and bleeding.

The rice paddies were instantly covered with a black blanket, turning the golden autumn into a scorched graveyard, with screams echoing everywhere.

Terrified people huddled under the eaves, their mouths and noses filled with black ash, making gurgling sounds in their throats, and dying from bleeding from their seven orifices.

The children rushed over and shook it; when their fingertips touched their skin, the ashes sizzled and smoked, and were poisonous.

A stream of blazing red lava swept over the mountain ridge, licking at the trees, and flames soared into the sky. Hot winds swept in, and even the sea was not spared; sails roared into flames, and fishermen scrambled for their lives.
-
Jinling, the Imperial City, Funing Palace.

Chen Shao stared in astonishment at the report in his hand: a volcano had erupted in Kyushu.

What he didn't know was that at the same time in history, in the same location, a volcano swept through Satsuma.

According to the Japanese book "Hyakurensho", during the Hōen era (1130), "the sky over the western provinces was as dark as night, and the rain was black and gray."

Although I have changed the situation in Kyushu, I cannot change the local geological movements.

"Isn't this a scam?!"

Chen Shao laughed in anger, feeling speechless. He had just instigated a local power to declare independence, and this was the last thing he'd done.

Wouldn't this be a disguised advertisement for Toba?

Would other powerful clans still dare to declare independence?

The Emperor's prestige was already precarious due to the mob incident, and now he's been branded a traitor deserving of divine punishment.

He stood up and walked around the Funing Hall. Li Tangchen and Yuwen Xuzhong, who were discussing matters together, exchanged a glance.

Li Tangchen said, "Your Majesty, this is most likely a coincidence. Japan is frequently hit by tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, and lava flows."

"How could I not know it was a coincidence? Even if there is divine protection, it is for me, not for those scoundrels."

Chen Shao threw the memorial on the table and sneered, "Because of this matter, Toba and the local strongmen will surely take advantage of the situation to attack. Tell Qu Duan to increase the support this time and slaughter all the enemies."

“If necessary,” Chen Shao said, his eyelids twitching, his voice growing even colder, “we can fight our way out!”

You're supposed to be a traitor to the country, so I'll just let Tsukushi suffer a great calamity. Not only will it not be annexed by others, but it will also expand its territory.

"I want to make it clear to all the scoundrels in Japan that what I'm about to do, even Heaven can't stop me."
-
When the emperor is angry, blood flows for miles.

At Chen Shao's command, the Jing army, who had been watching the show, joined the battle.

In Qu Duan's camp, all the generals and soldiers were eager to fight.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter..." The sound of horses' hooves came from the north. A rider followed the banner of the commander and shouted, "Report!"

"Commander Qu, the Imperial Household Agency and the Regent have both sent envoys to meet with you, Commander."

"not see!"

With these two out, the soldiers were relieved, fearing that the battle might not even start.

A few days ago, various forces formed a coalition and attacked Tsukushi Province.

The morale of Tsukushi Province was low, and the losses were heavy. The entire Shōni clan was filled with fear and unease.

His samurai had completely lost their will to fight.

The allied forces quickly reached the center of the country, and the nearest allied forces were less than fifty miles away from Shichang Mountain City.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, Qu Duan immediately dispatched troops to attack. The artillery battalion fired a hundred or so cannon shots, and five hundred cavalrymen charged, causing the allied forces to flee in disarray.

Unfortunately, they encountered the light cavalry of the Dingnan Army, and less than twenty of their two thousand men escaped.

Upon learning that the Dingnan Army had joined the war, all the various factions in Japan were terrified.

Qu Duan spread the word that Shao Erzhenjing was the General Who Guards the East and the Lord of Zhuzi Kingdom, a title bestowed by Emperor Jing.

Anyone who attacks him is deceiving the emperor.

Enraged, Toba immediately produced various arguments based on etiquette and law. Emperor Huizong also helped him by suggesting that he produce the letter between Chen Shao and Toba as evidence.

He sent messengers to reason with Qu Duan, but these men, full of arrogance, were blocked outside the military camp.

We finally have a chance to fight, and these damned Japanese still want to stop us?
Jing Jun looked at them as if they were his father's killers, wishing he could chop them all up.

Forget about the emperor emeritus and the regent; talk to me about my military achievements!

Three days later, Jing's army had already fought their way out of the border of Tsukushi Kingdom by a hundred miles, killing anyone they saw and taking countless heads.

On the third day, the Ryukyu garrison came to request permission to fight, but Qu Duan appeased them and refused.

If they fight again, they'll have to attack Kyoto.
-
Kyoto, Imperial Court.

Music drifted from the courtyard, and some women were dancing inside the rooms.

As soon as Fujiwara Tadashi entered, he immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

Then look at the Emperor, lying on top of several disheveled dancers, drunkenly babbling incoherently.

He wasn't even wearing pants.

Fujiwara no Tadashi was furious; the retired emperor had completely given up.

Many things have indeed happened in recent years, and most of them are beyond human control. The most serious are Jingjun's participation in the war and the mob uprisings that have continued since then.

"Your Majesty!" Fujiwara no Tadashi knelt down and cried out, "Please pull yourself together!"

Bird Feather opened his eyes drunkenly, his gaze seemingly evasive, but he quickly looked away.

He ignored Fujiwara no Tadashi and continued to flirt with the dancers, touching a young girl's cheek and lewdly grinning.

The dancers also laughed licentiously.

It was as if Fujiwara no Tadashi, who was kneeling in front of them, was kneeling down to them.

Born into humble circumstances, they were originally insignificant in the face of Fujiwara no Tadashi.

But at this moment, they had the illusion that they were superior to others.

Suddenly, Fujiwara no Tadashi stood up, drew his sword, and stabbed at the dancer who was embracing Toba.

With a soft thud, the sword pierced her chest.

The surrounding dancers screamed in terror and fled for their lives.

The guards on both sides rushed in, swords drawn, the atmosphere extremely tense.

Toba's face was ashen as he stared intently at Fujiwara no Tadashi.

"If Your Majesty doesn't pull yourself together, we're all doomed!"

Toba clenched his fists tightly, and finally said, "I understand."

Fujiwara no Tadashi sheathed his sword, turned and walked away, his bodyguards all gripping their sword hilts and following closely behind.
-
In the mountain town of Shichang, lanterns and decorations were hung, creating a joyful atmosphere.

The Shao Er clan members, who had been living in constant fear, all relaxed.

They knew Jing Jun was a good fighter, but they didn't expect him to be this good.

Shao Erzhen felt more awe and submission than anything else. The moment the cannons fired, he thought about what it would be like if he were on the other side.

To be an enemy of this army would be utter despair.

He originally had no ambition to establish a nation, nor did he have the strength to do so. In fact, on this island of Kyushu, he was not exactly the only dominant power.

But with the help of the Jing Kingdom, he was able to maintain his position, and even divine retribution could not change that.

This volcanic eruption only strengthened his belief that with the support of the Great Jing Emperor, anything could be accomplished.

"On New Year's Day this year, I will personally go to Jinling to pay homage to the Great Jing Emperor."

After Shao Erzhen finished speaking, no one else objected.

In the past, during the Tang Dynasty, crossing the sea to the Central Plains was an extremely dangerous undertaking.

The bright moon never returns, sinking into the azure sea; white clouds fill Cangwu with sorrow.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty was the center of the world, and all the foreigners wanted to come to Chang'an, but Japan was too far away and had poor shipping capabilities, so ships often sank.

Even Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, wrote a poem:

The sun shines on a place of no different customs, and the central court hosts a joyous gathering.

Their attire and manners were renowned throughout the land, and their rites and music resonated far and wide.

The waves of whales are unpredictable; how can one rely on a bird's path?
Things are different now. It only takes about ten days to sail to the Central Plains, and there is basically no danger.

Caravans from both sides passed back and forth countless times every day, and there were hardly any accidents.

Especially the merchant ships of Dajing, which are more reliable.

Shao Erzhen's trip to Jinling this time was not a whim, but because she was truly convinced of the power of faith.

When faced with natural disasters, he was honestly desperate, and even thought that this was bound to be divine retribution for being a traitor to the country.

It is God punishing me.

It's normal for him to have this idea. Logically speaking, the volcano of Kyushu has an intermittent period of 1,200 years.

That is to say, it will only spray once every twelve hundred years.

It just so happened that he was there when the country was establishing its independence.

Anyone would have doubts in this situation.

Even in the Central Plains, at its most prosperous time, when faced with such a natural disaster, the emperor would still issue an edict of self-reproach.

According to the theory of the interaction between Heaven and Man in the Central Plains, the emperor's virtue would determine whether natural disasters would befall the world.

In recent years, the four seasons have been out of order, and the Central Plains have also suffered many disasters.

Fortunately, Chen Shao spent a lot of money and effort on river management, dredging, forest protection, and tree planting, which reduced the disaster by more than half.

After all, in this era, many disasters were caused by floods. Historically, the Yellow River breached its banks several times during this period.

The number of victims was greater than the damage caused by the war.

Coupled with the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident, the northern Central Plains were truly beset by a series of natural and man-made disasters.
-
The Jing army's rampage across the Kyushu region, to some extent, emboldened the displaced people.

Even the most loyal powerful figures dared not make any rash moves at this time.

All parties tried to keep a low profile to avoid attracting Jing Jun's attention.

The chaos exacerbated the riots of the displaced people, and many ruthless individuals like Heiha Goro emerged from the countryside.

Anyway, there's already a formula for refugee riots in Japan, so you can just apply it directly.

The honest and kind-hearted people of Japan, who had lived for over a thousand years, lived a wretched and pathetic life, without even a name, and were essentially slaves.

Finally, under the encouragement of Jing Seng's "Maitreya's descent and the purification of the world by white lotus", they began to try to resist.

The hatred and resentment that had been suppressed for a thousand years suddenly erupted too forcefully, and the resistance became a bit too fierce.

That's just how this nation is; they either endure to the extreme or they become ruthless to the extreme.

They claim to be influenced by Chinese culture, but they haven't learned its true essence at all.

Just as people's hearts were in turmoil and the island nation was in chaos, Iwami declared its independence.

He immediately submitted a memorial to Jinling, pledging allegiance and requesting Emperor Jing to bestow titles and rewards upon him.

The current ruler of Iwami Province is, to put it bluntly, the 'Iwami Silver Mine,' and everyone around him is drawn to the silver mine.

The San'in Road, where Iwami Province is located, is one of the most remote places in Japan.

In such places, the power of the local magnates is the weakest. Without the support of the Jing Kingdom, who would believe they would dare to declare independence?

Sure enough, soon after, an imperial edict arrived from Jinling, bestowing upon Yoshimi no Iwami the title of Lord of Iwami Province.

The tributary relationship between the two sides was formally established.

In fact, Japan had only recently established a tributary relationship with Ōkage.

Compared to the first time in Tsukushi, when there was strong opposition from all sides in Japan, this time it was much calmer.

There's no way I can manage it; I simply don't have the time or energy to deal with it.

Moreover, with the Jing army joining the war, the thoughts of various forces have become more active.

Even divine retribution couldn't overcome Emperor Jing's decree, so perhaps I also have a chance?

If one could become the ruler of a country, who would want an emperor and a regent above them?

Moreover, after establishing a tributary relationship with the Great Jing, they can receive their protection and even material support.

In Tsukushi and Iwami provinces, there were no signs of riots or disturbances.

Nobody wants their entire family's heads to be hung from trees by a mob one day, so everyone is looking for a way to survive.
Now, it seems the path is right in front of us. (End of Chapter)