Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2354: Lucky Nanjing (Twenty-one) New Choice

In the Qianqing Palace, Gao Youshi shook his head slightly in response to Zhu Yijun's question and said, "It was Elder Shen who wrote the document today, so I have not yet learned about the Japanese envoy's memorial."

"Oh?" Zhu Yijun was obviously a little surprised: "Then what about this... Minamoto no Hidetada, he didn't even discuss this matter with you in advance?"

The "Minamoto Ieyasu" mentioned by Zhu Yijun is Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the "Minamoto Hidetada" is Tokugawa Hidetada. This is a customary name in the Ming Dynasty, just like the Ming Dynasty's "Ping Wa Edict" called Toyotomi Hideyoshi "Hideyoshi Taira", probably because China does not have the concept of "surname characters", so only the surname is recognized.

I have explained the meaning of each word in the full name of Tokugawa Ieyasu, "Tokugawa Jiro Saburo Minamoto Asami Ieyasu", so I will not repeat it here. In short, "Minamoto Asami" means his surname is "Minamoto". Although there are many surnames in Japan, there are only two surnames, Minamoto and Taira. Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not "Minamoto Asami", the Ming Dynasty's edict to pacify the Japanese naturally classified him as "Taira Asami" and called him "Taira Hideyoshi".

Gao Youshi continued to shake his head and said, "I have been busy with my duties these days, and I am also staying in the palace, so I asked my family to decline all kinds of visits. Toku... Minamoto Hidetada may have sent a letter to visit, or he may not. Anyway, I will have to ask the people below to find out later."

Zhu Yijun immediately said: "It is most likely that he is unable to see me... Rixin, you have been working really hard these days."

"This is my duty, I dare not say it is hard."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said thoughtfully, "You have been in full control of Japan's affairs since the end of the Korean War. Minamoto Hidetada is naturally well aware of this. But even so, he couldn't help but submit a petition to me before he had clearly obtained your consent. This shows that he has an urgent need for this... Do you agree?"

Gao Fusi hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but this matter is quite strange."

"Why is it so strange?" Zhu Yijun asked.

Gao Youshi said: "If you say that there are still some people in Japan who are unwilling to settle down, I agree. It is reasonable for Minamoto no Ieyasu, the father of Minamoto no Hidetada, to consider these things.

But as far as I know, even if those feudal lords who still have rebellious intentions join hands, Minamoto no Ieyasu has enough power to suppress them. Even if Minamoto no Ieyasu fails and loses the battle to suppress the rebellion for some reason, it doesn't really matter. I have another plan for this..."

"The other preparation you mentioned is the tens of thousands of servants you deployed in Japan?" Zhu Yijun suddenly took over the conversation, looking at him with a smile and asked.

"Your Majesty, when you said 'tens of thousands of retainers', I was really shocked." Gao Youshi actually laughed, but immediately denied the emperor's "accusation", saying: "Your Majesty, the retainers usually referred to in the court are the elite troops around the generals and commanders. The so-called retainers I have deployed in Japan are far less than tens of thousands."

Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Really? But I heard that you have deployed 30,000 elite troops in Japan, including about 13,000 troops stationed near Misaki Castle and Tamasawa Castle in Kanto; about 9,000 troops stationed in the direction of Shimizu Castle on Kyushu Island; and about 8,000 troops stationed in the direction of Osaka and Sakaimachi in Kinki. The total number of troops in the three directions is exactly 30,000. How... is my information wrong?"

Gao Fusi was secretly surprised when he heard this, thinking: This time you really underestimated my childhood friend, the emperor. I thought he didn't care about a small country like Japan, but I didn't expect that he not only cared about it, but also investigated the forces I deployed in Japan clearly...

  But, was it he who took the initiative to ask the Jinyiwei to go to Japan to investigate, or was it someone in the Jinyiwei who wanted to use this as a stepping stone to advance and went to investigate first and then report to him?

Gao Youshi, who had already started brainstorming in private, still maintained his usual performance level and smiled with surprise, "Oh, the emperor actually cares about these details? Then please let Rongchen brag a little:

First, everyone in Japan thought that I had placed 30,000 elite soldiers in Japan, so they were afraid and did not dare to question the various requests I made to them on behalf of the Ming Dynasty. Second, of these so-called 30,000 elite soldiers, only the 8,000 in Sakaimachi and Osaka were 80% to 90% as strong as the Ming Dynasty’s border troops, and the remaining 20,000 or so were only at the level of the factory and mine protection teams in various parts of Beijing, that is, militia.”

Zhu Yijun was indeed quite surprised when he heard what he said, and said in astonishment: "Is that so? But I heard that these 30,000 people are well-equipped, especially with artillery and muskets, and even some elite cavalry, all riding good horses..."

Gao Youshi laughed and said, "Your Majesty, do you know the story of Dong Zhuo entering Luoyang?"

"Of course I know about this." Zhu Yijun said, paused and shook his head, "But I don't know what you want to say."

Gao Guoshi said: "When Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he first ordered his soldiers to enter the city during the day, sneak out of the city at night, and then enter the city with great fanfare the next day. He did this for several days in a row. The people in Luoyang did not know the inside story and thought that Dong Zhuo's troops were increasing, so they became afraid of Dong Zhuo.

At the same time, Dong Zhuo further consolidated his position by buying off and winning over the troops in Luoyang. He bought off the remnants of He Jin, such as the troops controlled by his brother He Miao, and used Lu Bu to kill Ding Yuan, the Chief of the Imperial Guards, and annexed Ding Yuan's troops, greatly increasing his own military strength.

What I did in Japan was somewhat similar to what Dong Zhuo did back then, but not completely the same. First of all, I had already deployed thousands of elite troops to station them in Misaki Castle, and I had asked Minamoto no Ieyasu and Minamoto no Hidetada to watch their military performances to let them know how elite my forces were.

Then I began to transfer factory and mine protection teams of average strength to Japan, and equipped these troops with weapons and equipment that were almost the same as those of the previous elite troops, so that Minamoto no Ieyasu and other Japanese feudal lords would think that these people were elite troops.

At the same time, I used the methods that the Ming Dynasty used to deal with the Tumed and other tribes to bribe and subdue several powerful feudal lords in Japan, such as the Shimazu family in Kyushu, in order to build up my power.

Finally, I instigated the two sides of the Japanese civil war to go to war, and at the same time provided weapons, ammunition, food, and cloth to both sides, and influenced the situation on the battlefield by allocating these materials to them in order and in quantity. When they had exhausted their own potential, I would give one of the sides enough materials to form an overwhelming advantage, so that the civil war would end smoothly.

With your Majesty's wisdom, you can naturally see that after this, both the victorious and the defeated sides will be intimidated by the power that I possess - in their eyes, I have both powerful military force and unlimited material resources, so how dare they not submit?

But in fact, the real military force I have is only those 8,000 elite soldiers. As for material resources... Hehe, every penny I spend in Japan will naturally be paid by the Japanese themselves in the end. "

Zhu Yijun was stunned. After a long while, he could not help but sigh: "Warfare is a trick, war is a trick! Today I know the true meaning of this!" After a pause, he added: "It is like this, it can be said that 'four ounces can move a thousand pounds'!"

Gao Youshi bowed and smiled, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, as if the conversation just now had really made him interested in the situation in Japan. He simply said, "I haven't paid much attention to Japan before. Since there is something going on this time, why don't you tell me about the relevant situation in Japan, so that I won't be confused by Minamoto Hidetada's memorial."

Gao Youshi hesitated for a moment and then said slowly, "Your Majesty, although the Japanese civil war has ended, the domestic situation is still turbulent. Since the Japanese civil war, the strategy of our Ming Dynasty has always been to maintain stability. Through appropriate intervention, we ensure that the situation in Japan does not pose a threat to the security of our Ming Dynasty's eastern border."

"Before the Japanese Civil War, due to the death of Toyotaka…Hideyoshi, the central government was powerless, the feudal lords were divided, and war was imminent. At that time, as the minister in charge of Japan, I first adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude, and at the same time, I gradually increased my influence on Japan through economic and other invasions. As the civil war progressed, Minamoto no Ieyasu gradually emerged and his power gradually grew. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, I expressed my support for Minamoto no Ieyasu at the right time. This strategy effectively promoted the unification process of Japan."

"After the civil war, although Japan was nominally unified, in reality, many daimyo still had deep roots in various regions. Among them, daimyo such as Mori Terumoto and Uesugi Kagekatsu were dissatisfied with the loss of their interests after the war, but their power was not enough to pose a substantial threat to Minamoto no Ieyasu.

Although Minamoto no Ieyasu has some persistence in local ideas, I can see that he knows in his heart that it is not a wise move for Japan to be an enemy of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in his actions, he will try his best to be consistent with the Ming Dynasty.

As for Minamoto Hidetada's statement today... I think that although the conservative forces in Japan are strong, they have fully realized the strength of the Ming Dynasty, especially for various technologies related to economy, culture and military. I think that through appropriate cultural exchanges and technology transfer, we can gradually influence and change their ideas, making them more inclined to accept the orders of the Ming Dynasty. "

"Do you think Japan can be allowed to send students to study in Ming Dynasty, or even enter the Ming Military Academy?" Zhu Yijun asked.

Gao Youshi said: "The end of the Japanese civil war also means that Japan has entered a new era. During this period, Japan needs stability and reconstruction, which provides an excellent opportunity for our Ming Dynasty. Through economic assistance, technological exchanges and cultural influence, we can further consolidate our influence on Japan and make it a bridgehead for the eastern ocean of our Ming Dynasty."

"Bridgehead?" Zhu Yijun frowned and asked, "What does Rixin mean by that?"

Gao Guoshi said: "Your Majesty, although Japan is small, its geographical location is quite important. It is the gateway for our Great Ming to the Pacific Ocean... What I mean is that if Japan is controlled by the Great Ming, then the Great Ming will not only have no worries about the sea borders, but also be able to advance and retreat freely. On the contrary, if Japan is the enemy of the Great Ming, or is controlled by another foreign powerful enemy, then our eastern coast will face threats.

Our eastern sea borders are thousands of miles long (now including Outer Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula), so is it sensible to set up defenses everywhere? However, if we can properly handle Japanese affairs and make it a barrier to our Ming sea borders, it will be of immeasurable value to the long-term interests of our Ming.

Therefore, I suggest that we should adopt a prudent strategy for the situation in Japan. We should show the tolerance and generosity of our Ming Dynasty and not force it to submit like Korea did. But at the same time, we should also maintain the necessary vigilance and control to ensure that the situation in Japan is under control and add strength to the prosperity and stability of our Ming Dynasty. "

After hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly, with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. He said in a deep voice: "Ri Xin is right. How can we set up defenses everywhere along the vast sea? The destruction caused by the Japanese pirates to our Ming Dynasty during the reign of my grandfather Jiajing is still vivid in my memory. I will never let the past happen again."

Gao Youshi agreed with Zhu Yijun's words and nodded repeatedly. During the Jiajing period, the harassment of Japanese pirates did bring great challenges to the coastal defense of the Ming Dynasty.

The Japanese pirates were mainly composed of Japanese samurai ronin, pirates, and some Chinese pirates and smugglers. They took advantage of the complex terrain and vast coastline of the coastal areas to frequently plunder and attack the Ming Dynasty. This period of history does show the great disadvantages of "defense everywhere":

The coastline of the Ming Dynasty is extremely long. If defenses are to be set up everywhere, the investment of manpower, financial resources and material resources is huge. Moreover, because the coastline is too vast, even if a lot of resources are invested, it is difficult to ensure that every place can be effectively defended.

In the case of limited resources, if you try to set up defenses everywhere, it will inevitably lead to the dispersion of resources, making it difficult to form sufficient defense forces at each defense point. This is not only inefficient, but also easy for the Japanese pirates to find the weak links in the defense and break through.

At the same time, long-term defense everywhere requires a lot of military expenditure, including soldiers' salaries, maintenance and update of weapons and equipment, construction of fortifications, etc. These expenditures are undoubtedly a heavy burden on the national finances, and it is difficult to see obvious results in a short period of time.

Due to the long coastline, even if defenses were set up at certain key points, when Japanese pirates attacked a certain area, it was difficult for defense forces in other areas to be quickly mobilized to provide support. This slowed down the reaction speed of the defense forces and made it difficult to effectively respond to sudden attacks.

However, the attacks of the Japanese pirates were often sudden and rapid, and they might choose to attack places with weak defenses or unexpected locations. Although it seemed comprehensive to set up defenses everywhere, it was actually difficult to predict and prevent all possible attack locations.

As a result, long-term military tension and high military expenditures will inevitably affect the economic development of coastal areas. Economic activities such as commerce, fishing and even handicrafts may be restricted due to security considerations, thus affecting the economic prosperity of the entire region.

Therefore, it is obvious from the history of the Jiajing period being attacked by Japanese pirates that "setting up defenses everywhere" is not only costly but also has limited effect.

In contrast, adopting more flexible and targeted defense strategies, such as strengthening intelligence collection, improving rapid response capabilities, and strengthening joint prevention and control in coastal areas, may be relatively more effective and economical, but it is still in the state of "treating the symptoms but not the root cause."

But now, the Ming Dynasty has new strategic options. Eliminating the threat of Japanese pirates by controlling Japan is a more proactive and long-term strategy.

As for what Gao Youshi said, "(Japan) may also be controlled by another powerful foreign enemy", Zhu Yijun did not feel anything about this. After all, he did not know about "the great voyages", "the great geographical discoveries", "the industrial revolution" and so on. It was hard to imagine that there was any force that could cross the ocean to control Japan and then threaten the Ming Dynasty.

However, he would not deny Gao Youshi's statement because after all, what Gao Youshi said was just a long-term possibility... Since it is a long-term possibility, then if you say it is possible, then it is possible. There is no need for me to reject your face for this.

"I will leave the matter of Japan to you to handle properly. You must ensure the peace of the eastern border of our Ming Dynasty, and at the same time, make Japan a real helper of our Ming Dynasty, rather than a hidden danger."

  "I obey your order." Gao Youshi bowed solemnly.
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