Di Ming

Chapter 384 "This is a trap! We've been fooled!"

Xu Wei's concept of "novelty" as the destiny of the nation was, in Zhu Yin's view, equivalent to reform as the destiny of the nation—a perfectly apt interpretation.

Throughout history, both dynasties and later nations have relied on innovation and change to shape their national destiny. In Xu Wei's words, this is "momentum." In later terms, it's the new driving force for progress and development.

A dynasty that loses its national destiny loses its "power," becomes a stagnant entity, and can only wait for death.

This is truly a warning in a prosperous era, and serves as a cautionary tale.

Xu Wei's summary of the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth as novelties actually refers to institutional reform, ideological reform, educational reform, technological reform, and military reform.

If the Ming Dynasty had truly implemented these five major reforms, it would have done far more than just prevent the Manchus from entering the Central Plains. China would have inevitably risen again, restored the hegemony of the Han and Tang dynasties, and let the light of civilization shine throughout the world.

This highly intelligent teacher from Shaoxing is truly remarkable. It's a pity that such a national hero was historically frustrated by the imperial examinations, unable to enter officialdom throughout his life, and was regarded by the world as a madman.

The Han people are exceptionally intelligent, but unfortunately, the Ming Dynasty didn't know how many talented people they had left, as the rigid eight-legged essay system stifled and imprisoned them.

Zhu Yin was not surprised that Xu Wei's words could reveal "heavenly secrets" for later generations.

In the late Ming Dynasty, a profound "new change" was brewing, one that could trigger a millennium of transformation, and its intellectual origins were Wang Yangming's "philosophy of mind".

The philosophy of mind is a revolutionary one. After Wang Yangming, many great masters of the philosophy of mind emerged, and their thoughts shone brightly. Such as "the daily life of ordinary people is the Way", "the theory of investigating things in Huainan", "investigating things to understand principles", "the world is the master and the ruler is the guest", etc. The ideas of technological innovation and social change became more and more mature, and later became the ideological foundation of the Meiji Restoration in Japan.

Xu Wei's ideas did not spring from nowhere.

Unfortunately, the intellectual reforms of the late Ming Dynasty aroused the vigilance and hostility of the conservative and stubborn ruling class. They viewed new ideas as a monstrous flood and suppressed them in the name of defending the old order, greatly delaying the development of innovative thought.

Originally, they couldn't stop it; they could only delay the process.

With the development of capitalism in the late Ming Dynasty, conservative forces gradually declined, and the social conditions for reform became increasingly perfect, so the rest was just a matter of time.

Even if the Ming Dynasty falls, as long as the Han Chinese rule remains, reforms will still occur, and may even come sooner.

But at this critical juncture, to make matters worse, the damned Manchu Qing dynasty entered the pass.

The Manchu conquest of China was the beginning of the downfall of the empire!

The Qing dynasty had its own destiny, and of course, it also had its own "new and different" aspects. However, the Qing dynasty's new and different aspects were the transformation of China into a barbarian state, which was a subversion of sovereignty, not a "new and different" aspect of progressive thought.

The Manchus were the most cunning, shrewd, and vicious foreign rulers in Chinese history. Taking advantage of the civil war in the Central Plains to reap the benefits and steal the sacred artifacts of China, they naturally wanted to reverse the course of history.

Under the strangulation of the sharp sword and the dense literary network, the Manchu Qing dynasty abruptly interrupted the intellectual progress that had begun in the late Ming dynasty.

Now, the Jurchen tribes are severely weakened, making it difficult for Nurhaci to unify them. The possibility of a new Qing dynasty is slim. But is it possible that a second "Qing" dynasty could not have emerged?
The threat from the Jurchens has diminished, and so has the threat from Japan. But is it possible that, given the unpredictable twists of history, a new threat might emerge?

As Zhu Yin was thinking about this, Xu Wei continued, "I served as the governor of Jingzhou (Luzon) for several years. I have some knowledge of Southeast Asia and have dealt with foreigners many times. I have seen a lot of foreign goods."

"The more I understand them, the less I dare to underestimate them. The Westerners' exquisite artifacts, rigorous thinking, broad knowledge, abundant martial spirit, and refined systems are showing a strong trend of surpassing others. They also possess a vigorous and enterprising spirit, which is truly remarkable."

"Though they are few in number, they can surpass a hundred or a thousand times more natives, like herding cattle and horses, completely above them. On the other hand, we Han people, with hundreds of millions of people, have not yet tamed these mere barbarians. Why is that?"

Zhu Yin said, "Please teach me, sir."

Xu Wei cupped his hands and said, “In my humble opinion, the new and strange changes in the West must be extremely great, wide, and deep. Therefore, the strength of their national fortune has already transcended their own country and reached overseas. Our Great Ming lacks the power of new and strange changes. It is like water without power, unable to enter the sea and unable to reach far. Naturally, we are helpless against the barbarians who are right next door.”

"The impermanence of the Way of Heaven is the ultimate truth. The system established by the Taizu Emperor cannot be upheld any longer, otherwise it would be like trying to find a sword by marking the boat. As long as our Great Ming takes the initiative to change and possesses new and different strengths, the nation's destiny will be reborn, and we will be able to reach as far as the Western barbarians, even thousands of miles away. Not to mention the surrounding foreign tribes?"

"Once you, my lord, reclaim the throne, I urge you to be resolute, defy the world's condemnation, abolish ancestral systems, reform and innovate, and resolutely implement changes. Only in this way can the fate of the Ming Dynasty be saved. Otherwise, even if you become emperor, you will likely be a ruler who brings about the downfall of the country, so why bother fighting for it?"

"However, I see that my lord has long harbored the ambition to reform. I fear that what my lord thinks is as deep as a mountain and as vast as a valley, far beyond my comprehension."

"My lord cares for the common people. How could he fight for the throne for his own selfish reasons? Since my lord is acting out of public interest and righteousness, and is fighting for the prosperity of the world, he must have a well-thought-out plan and a grand strategy. My words are merely presumptuous."

Zhu Yin nodded with delight, “Great minds think alike. Your words resonate with me. Rest assured, as long as I hold the reins of power, I will dare to change the world. I will not follow outdated ancestral rules. The new ideas you hope for are already in my mind. For example, this eight-legged essay system will definitely be abolished.”

Xu Wei laughed and said, "As expected, my lord is truly a ruler destined for greatness, a savior of the world. This old man will first offer my congratulations to His Majesty... my lord!"

Zhu Yin sat up straight and said solemnly, "If I can truly succeed to the throne, you will be the Grand Chancellor, the Grand Secretary, or the Minister of State Affairs of the Ming Dynasty!"

Xu Wei stroked his beard expectantly and said, "In my opinion, the position of Grand Secretary is more suitable for me."

...

The following day, Zhu Yin issued a proclamation, in the name of the Ming Dynasty and the military commissioner, to provide relief to the people of Goryeo. The nearly 200,000 tons of grain seized from the Japanese pirates were all used for relief.

The people of Goryeo throughout Pyongan Province and Hamgyeong Province were all given three dou of grain per person, and they were required to save seeds for this year's planting. Spring plowing was to begin immediately in all areas.

To prevent embezzlement and to win over the hearts of the Goryeo people, Zhu Yin appointed Feng Menglong, Sun Chengzong, Gao Panlong and others as relief ambassadors. He also ordered wounded soldiers from the Ming army who were no longer fighting to serve as relief workers and accompany the relief ambassadors to various places to provide relief to the Goryeo people.

They completely bypassed the Goryeo court.

As soon as the relief proclamation was announced, Uiju, which was the first to receive the news, erupted in jubilation, as if it were a long-awaited rain after a drought. The Goryeo people, who were already dissatisfied with the Goryeo court, became even more dissatisfied with the royal court, while feeling even more grateful to the Ming Dynasty and Zhu Yin.

Seeing that Zhu Yin had completely bypassed them and directly provided relief to his own people, the King and his ministers of Goryeo were filled with resentment and secretly cursed Zhu Yin.

As for Zhu Yin's great victory over the Japanese pirates and the recovery of lost territory in Goryeo, they subconsciously overlooked it.

Zhu Yin and others were busy with relief efforts and spring plowing, and Ning Qingchen was also very busy.

She was even busier than Zhu Yin.

Besides leading the medical battalion in treating wounded Ming soldiers, she also instructed a large number of students in dissecting Japanese corpses and explaining human organs. In just a few days, the medical battalion dissected over a thousand Japanese pirate corpses, and under Ning Xiaoyixian's guidance, they produced a large number of specimens, making rapid progress in their dissection and surgical experience.

Ning Qingchen issued an order to "make rapid progress and become skilled quickly." He had many Japanese pirate corpses preserved in salt water to slow down their decay. He then ordered each person to complete one hundred comprehensive anatomical surgeries within a month, so that they could skillfully open the thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity, and cranial cavity, and be familiar with organs, bones, blood vessels, and other tissues.

In addition, they "kindly" performed surgery on the wounded Japanese pirates who were captured, using newly developed anesthetics with unknown effects.

Most of the "patients" who underwent major surgeries performed by Ning Qingchen survived. The wounded Japanese pirates she treated were extremely grateful to her, even calling her their lord.

Nine out of ten major surgeries performed by the students result in the patients dying. Yet, their skills are indeed advancing by leaps and bounds.

Hundreds, even thousands, of Japanese soldiers were subjected to live dissection.

There were also thousands of Japanese pirate prisoners who were used to test various drugs, observe the toxic side effects and physical reactions after drug use, and collect clinical data.

Ning Qingchen and the two hundred students brought to Goryeo were all extremely busy, sleeping only three hours a day.
Using a large number of Japanese prisoners of war and corpses, and employing such barbaric and brutal methods, the students in the medical battalion made rapid progress, advancing by leaps and bounds every day.

For a time, the Yizhou School, which had been requisitioned by the military medical battalion, became a place that people feared.

Every day, more than a hundred prisoners' corpses were carried out of the medical camp, their deaths gruesome and horrifying. At this rate, all the Japanese prisoners would be dead in less than two months. Ning Qingchen's actions might have been tolerable to others, but they finally alarmed a powerful figure: the Imperial Inspector Qian Shizhen.

Qian Shizhen couldn't stand it any longer.

He found Zhu Yin and said with dissatisfaction, "Generalissimo, shouldn't you take care of the matter of the military medical battalion? Since the Japanese pirate prisoners have already surrendered, how can they still be treated like this? It would be simpler to just kill them all, it's just killing prisoners. But what about the dignity of the Ming Dynasty? What about its benevolence and righteousness?"

"If I continue to turn a blind eye, it will be a dereliction of duty. I urge the Commander to immediately issue an order to stop Lady Qingchen and the military medical battalion from their misdeeds!"

Zhu Yin glanced at Qian Shizhen and smiled slightly, saying, "Is the Taoist priest exaggerating? Is such a trivial matter worth the Taoist priest questioning? The Japanese pirates are brutal and barbaric. Since entering the country, they have repeatedly massacred cities and plundered, and the victims are more than a million. They deserve to die long ago. Why should the Taoist priest pity them?"

"Scar-mongering?" Qian Shizhen's expression darkened. "I pity them? The Japanese pirates deserve to die. You can kill prisoners, and I'll turn a blind eye. Although killing prisoners is unlucky, many have done it throughout history, and it doesn't add to the number of generals. Killing someone is just a matter of a head falling to the ground. You might as well kill them!"

"But to disembowel prisoners, rip out their skulls and remove their brains, dismantle their bones and drain their blood... and to use all sorts of bizarre and cruel medicines on them, is an act of extreme cruelty! Such cruelty is against the will of Heaven, how could the Celestial Empire possibly do such a thing?"

Zhu Yin's smile was indifferent, and he didn't bother to persuade Qian Shizhen. These Ming Dynasty officials, who considered themselves moral gentlemen, were all stubborn and narrow-minded.

"Master, this is for the advancement of Chinese medicine," Zhu Yin said patiently. "While benevolence and righteousness must be upheld, it must be considered in relation to whom. The Japanese pirates have ravaged the Ming Dynasty for over a century, committing countless atrocities! The massacres of Taizhou, Zhoushan, Shaoxing, Tongzhou, and Zhelin... weren't they extremely cruel?"

"Why can the enemy go, but I can't? Should we repay evil with kindness? Master Qian, let me tell you the truth, the reason we keep these heinous Japanese pirate prisoners is for use by the military medical camp."

Qian Shizhen shook his head. "General, the Japanese pirates are inhumane. Should we, as gentlemen, also be inhumane? Just because the enemy is wicked, should we abandon our principles and become demons? They are beasts, should we act like beasts? They are not human, should we also become not human?"

He solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, "Your humble servant requests that the commander-in-chief issue an order prohibiting the medical battalion from doing this. If the prisoners are killed, your humble servant will not object."

Zhu Yin shook his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Daoist. I cannot and do not want to issue this decree."

Qian Shizhen paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "Brother Zhihu, I greatly admire your character and abilities, and I really do not wish to confront you. I urge you to reconsider for the sake of your reputation."

Zhu Yin also sighed, "I do not wish to argue with you, Daoist. But for the sake of Chinese medicine and the suffering of the people, I can only disappoint you."

Qian Shizhen's expression turned cold. "Then I have already stated that I can only submit a memorial to impeach the governor. This is for the public good, not for personal reasons. I hope the governor will understand. The court appointed me as the imperial inspector, not to be a mere figurehead."

Zhu Yin sneered, "Do as you please. If you want to impeach me, then impeach me. At worst, the court will dismiss me as the military commissioner, and I'll happily return to the capital to live a peaceful life."

"Very well!" Qian Shizhen bowed respectfully. "This humble official takes his leave!"

After saying that, he turned and left with a frosty expression.

"Hmph." Zhu Yin slammed his teacup heavily on the table. "Old clichés, utterly pedantic! This brat is not worth discussing things with; you can't talk about ice with a summer insect!"

He was really angry.

Laozi fought the war with all his might. In order to win this battle, the Jinghai Army and Huya Army were mobilized, Caiwei's trading company was involved in logistics, and he painstakingly arranged for Qi Jiguang to take the lead. He also tried every means to bring the Jurchens onto the war chariot and gather famous generals of the Ming Dynasty. Only then did he quickly turn the tide of the war.

Do you think it's easy for me?

Now look what's happened. We just won a great victory, and you're impeaching me over this trivial matter?

He miscalculated in defending against external aggression, but was adept at internal warfare.

Go to hell.

Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. The imperial inspectors in the army were actually there to supervise the commanders, and they also had imperial seals. Qian Shizhen was the third most important figure in the anti-Japanese war shogunate, and offending him would be troublesome.

“My lord need not concern himself with him.” Xu Wei’s voice came as he stepped out from behind the screen and sat down. “Even if Inspector Qian’s impeachment of my lord succeeds, it will still take nearly two months for the process to proceed. By then, the war will be almost over, and my lord will have already achieved his great feat of suppressing the Japanese pirates.”

"The most urgent task at present is to eliminate the Japanese army in Goryeo as soon as possible. The faster we fight, the more money we save, the happier the court and the emperor will be, and the more we will have to rely on them."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "That's right. I predict that we will annihilate the Goryeo pirates within two months! I have saved the court so much silver, the court can't go too far."

Just then, Kangxi came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirate army from Anzhou has entered Uizhou. The commander-in-chief is Konishi Yukinaga."

Xu Wei clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! The Japanese pirates who will bring military merit to our lord have arrived! If we take down these 40,000-plus Japanese pirate reinforcements, the Japanese pirates will be doomed!"

……

On the third day after the great victory at Yizhou, more than 40,000 Japanese pirate reinforcements finally entered the Yizhou area, less than 30 miles from Yizhou City.

The commander-in-chief was none other than General Konishi Yukinaga, the First Army Commander-in-Chief who had previously been stationed in Pyongyang!

A few days ago, Konishi Yukinaga finally "captured" Anju. He then notified all Japanese troops and led more than 40,000 men northward to support the Japanese army in Uiju, leaving only a few thousand men to garrison Anju.

At present, supporting the Japanese army in Uiju is the top priority of the General Headquarters in Korea. We can't just stand by and do nothing when our allies are in trouble.
However, as soon as Konishi Yukinaga entered Yizhou, he heard devastating news: all 70,000 Japanese troops in Yizhou had been wiped out! The three daimyo, including Shimazu Yoshihiro, had all been captured.

He's late!

Originally intended as reinforcements, he has now become an isolated force after his allies have been wiped out.

Konishi Yukinaga simply couldn't believe it; tens of thousands of soldiers from the divine kingdom had been annihilated. How could this be?

"Withdraw!" Konishi Yukinaga reacted quickly. He was a samurai who came from a merchant background, not a die-hard fighter like Shimazu Yoshihiro. Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered a retreat.

But how could it be too late?

Just as the Japanese troops were about to regroup and retreat south, a scout arrived on horseback with a report:

"Reporting to my lord! A large Ming cavalry force, at least ten thousand riders, has been spotted twenty miles to the northwest!"

Konishi Yukinaga trembled, and looking up, he saw smoke and dust billowing in the northwest, with the faint sound of horses' hooves approaching.

There were many Ming cavalry!
Konishi Yukinaga felt a chill run down his spine and quickly ordered, "Pass on my orders! Immediately enter Linshan Town and take up a defensive position!"

"Hai!"

More than 45,000 Japanese troops immediately rushed to Linshan Town, ten miles away. Konishi Yukinaga and his men knew very well that when encountering a large cavalry force in the wild, it was best to have a city and camp for defense, otherwise they would easily be harassed by the cavalry and exhausted.

Linshan Town is also a key location in the vicinity, serving as the key to Yizhou. Occupying Linshan Town would provide a geographical advantage.

However, before they even reached Linshan Town, a scout came again to report: "My lord, Linshan Town has been occupied by the Ming army, with at least ten thousand men."

Konishi Yukito exclaimed in shock, "This is a trap! We've been fooled!"

P.S.: That's all for today. Thank you for your support, please vote with monthly tickets, goodnight! It's so hot, it's really uncomfortable.

(End of this chapter)