Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2355: Fortunately in Nanjing (Twenty-two) Xuanwu Lake

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Gao Fushi saw that it was still early, so he asked Gao Qi to arrange a tour of Xuanwu Lake immediately. Obviously, the tour was not the main purpose, but he wanted to meet Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada.

Although he had just made a very clear analysis to the emperor, he actually didn't know who had come up with the request for Japan to send students to the Ming Military Academy.

However, he also had a preliminary opinion. If the request came from Shimazu Tadatsune, then there should be no problem. His motive was most likely simple: admiration for the strong, which is one of the very obvious characteristics of the Japanese.

If this proposal came from Tokugawa Hidetada, then I would have to be more cautious and test his tone to determine his motives behind this proposal. Of course, there is another possibility that the proposal did not come from Tokugawa Hidetada himself, but from Tokugawa Ieyasu behind him, so I would have to be more cautious. After all, this old fox's acting skills are very powerful and should not be underestimated.

Although Gao Youshi lived in Chunhe Palace, the emperor did so to deliberately elevate him, and his usual movements were not restricted. He resigned and said he wanted to visit Houhu Lake (Xuanwu Lake is also known as Houhu Lake), which was unexpected, but Gao Qi still quickly arranged it for him - in fact, there was nothing to arrange, just inform the internal guard Tian Yi, and the rest of the matter will be handled by Tian Shoubei.

There is also a small episode here. When Tian Yi heard that Gao Youshi was suddenly going to Houhu, his first reaction was surprise. He hurriedly came to ask Yuanfu Gongye in person whether he wanted to check the Yellow Book.

Gao Youshi had not thought about this matter at first, but when Tian Yi reminded him of this, he remembered that there was a building in Nanjing Xuanwu Lake that was specially used to store the Ming Dynasty Yellow Book. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "I won't check the Yellow Book this time, but since I am the Minister of Revenue, it would be appropriate for me to take a look. I'll ask the internal garrison to make arrangements."

In fact, it was not Tian Yi's turn to be anxious about checking the Yellow Book. The main reason why he hurried over to ask was that if Gao Youshi really wanted to check the Yellow Book, it would be a political incident. Even if he, the Nanjing garrison commander, had no direct connection, he would still need to respond to it. Now that Gao Youshi said he would not check, he was naturally relieved and quickly agreed to make arrangements.

The spring light is dim, the drizzle comes and goes, and the Xuanwu Lake in the north of Jinling City looks like it has just woken up. Layers of mist are floating on the surface of the lake, like the eyes of a beautiful woman who has just woken up, hazy and dreamy.

The group walked along the lakeshore, onto the stone bridge, and on the wet stone road, they slowly arrived at Yingzhou. Yingzhou, named after the cherry blossoms on the island, is one of the five islands in Xuanwu Lake. Every spring, the cherry blossoms on the island are in full bloom, like clouds and rosy clouds, and are beautiful beyond words.

Today is a good time to come. Although the cherry blossom seasons are similar in different parts of the country, they are slightly different. The cherry blossom season in Nanjing is in late March. At this moment, the cherry trees on the island are swaying gently in the spring breeze, and the pink petals are falling with the wind, like a gentle rain, sprinkling on the tourists' lapels.

As Japanese, Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada were deeply attracted by the beautiful scenery before them. Their eyes lingered on the cherry trees, feeling the magnificent scenery of cherry blossoms from a foreign country.

Gao Fusi smiled and introduced them, "This place is called Yingzhou, and it is a great scenic spot in Xuanwu Lake. Every spring, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, like clouds and brocade. If it weren't for the fact that this place is where the Ming Dynasty's Yellow Book is stored, it would surely attract countless literati and poets to come here to enjoy the flowers and write poems."

Shimazu Tadatsune exclaimed: "The beauty of Sakura Island is beyond words. In Japan, we also have the custom of cherry blossom viewing, but today, after seeing the cherry blossoms in Lake Xuanwu, I realized that the beauty of cherry blossoms is not only gorgeous, but also so spectacular."

Tokugawa Hidetada also nodded and said: "Although cherry blossoms are beautiful, they are also fleeting. Just like the impermanence of life, good times are always short. It is Hidetada's honor to be able to enjoy the cherry blossoms with the palace today."

Gao Fusi nodded, with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes: "The brevity of cherry blossoms is indeed touching. But it is also this brevity that makes people cherish the beautiful scenery in front of them even more. Just like the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Japan, although there have been many twists and turns before, as long as both sides can cherish peace and work together in the future, they can create more beautiful times."

Since such a polite remark came from Gao Youshi, what else could Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada say? Of course, they echoed it and praised Gao Youshi for his great contribution to the current peace.

The three of them were strolling on Sakura Island. Along the way, they actually saw some people dressed as painters painting under the cherry trees. Occasionally, a pleasure boat would gently pass by on the lake, with musicians on the boat playing melodious music, which intertwined with the ripples of the lake and the falling cherry blossoms to form a moving spring picture.

Considering what Gao Youshi had just said, that Houhu Lake was the place where the Ming Dynasty's Yellow Book was stored and was usually not open to the public, Shimazu and Tokugawa couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Gao Shishi smiled and said, "You two don't have to be confused. This was deliberately arranged by Tian Shoubei when he heard that I was going to cruise the lake. The painters, musicians, and even the women on the painted boats are all from the Jiaofangsi."

After a pause, he smiled and said, "I am also benefiting from the emperor's help. The emperor just visited Houhu Lake a few days ago, and I believe that he also arranged it this way that day. I am coming today, and I think Tian Shoubei will use the same trick again... hehe."

  Although he said that he "got the emperor's help", Shimazu and Tokugawa had a different story - who can get this kind of help? The emperor's arrangements for visiting Houhu Lake were copied by the person in charge when he came. How much face was that?

Gao Fusi didn't think much about it, and took Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada to a small pavilion, from where they could overlook the entire Sakura Island, and even see other small islands in the lake. The lake breeze blew gently, bringing the fragrance of cherry blossoms and the freshness of the lake, making people feel relaxed and happy. "Seeing such a beautiful scenery, it really makes me want to write a poem." Shimazu Tadatsune sighed, "It's a pity that I was born in a samurai family and can barely recognize a few characters. I can't express my poetic feelings in words, what a pity!"

Tokugawa Hidetada laughed and said, "I am no different, but Your Highness Tadatsune, don't feel sorry. Although you and I don't have such talent, the most learned person in the Ming Dynasty is right before our eyes. Why don't you ask the Imperial Pavilion to leave a poem for us, which will be enough for you and me to show off in the future and tell everyone we meet."

Shimazu Tadatsune was overjoyed and immediately asked Gao Youshi to write a poem. Gao Youshi waved his hand and said, "You two don't know that this cabinet only reads books for governing, not for poetry."

He actually said this very honestly. After all, his purpose back then was very simple, which was to take the imperial examination. Writing poems was just a basic skill in that era, and it was not something that he delved into. Unfortunately, the two of them did not believe him at all. They just thought he was being modest and insisted that he write a poem as a souvenir, saying that he would have something worth bragging about in the future.

Gao Fusi saw that he couldn't refuse, so he had to bite the bullet and ponder. He looked around and said, "

The spring breeze is warm in the north of Jinling City, and the willows by the Xuanwu Lake are green.

The misty waves reach the blue sky, and the green shadows of the five continents reflect the sun.

The beautiful country and mountains are the ancestral heritage, and wise rulers and virtuous ministers have their duties.

The world is peaceful and we all share the same aspiration, and together we will create a long and prosperous future for our dynasty."

After saying this, he waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I have been entangled in worldly affairs these years, and even my poems have lost a lot of elegance. It's really embarrassing."

Although he said so, Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada were not really "barely readable". As soon as they heard it, they knew that Gao Youshi's poem was not meant to be "elegant" and he was just passing on a message. However, this message was not passed on to them, but to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The two of them were both suddenly enlightened and regretful: Hey, after all, he is an important minister of the country, and his every word and action has political purposes.

It turns out that Gao Youshi's poem describes the scenery in the first stanza and expresses his aspirations in the second stanza, but describing the scenery is just a prelude, and expressing his aspirations is the main purpose - the focus of the whole poem is actually the sentence "A wise ruler and virtuous ministers have their duties."

  What does this mean? It simply means that our ancestors left us such a beautiful country, and we, as the descendants, must protect it well! How can we protect it well? We must strictly observe the duties of the monarch and his subjects, as the so-called "the monarch is the monarch, and the subjects are the subjects". Then express the vision, saying that peace and prosperity is the common goal of you and me, the monarch and my subjects, so let's paint this picture of the "eternal spring" of the Ming Dynasty together!

Although these two people's level of Chinese studies is certainly not that of experts, they can still understand such straightforward poetry. They even suspected that Gao Youshi's "Wanlichun" might be a homophone, which means both "Wanlichun" and "Wanlichun".

Regardless of what the two really thought, Shimazu Tadatsune smiled modestly and bowed slightly, saying, "This poem by the Imperial Pavilion is truly a voice for governing the country. The phrase 'a wise ruler and virtuous minister have their duties' not only explains the key to governing a country, but also explains the integrity of a minister, which is awe-inspiring. This poem not only depicts the splendid mountains and rivers of the Ming Dynasty, but also shows the righteousness of the ruler and his ministers. Although I am not talented, I can also feel the loyalty and responsibility contained in the poem."

Tokugawa Hidetada did not dare to neglect him and immediately said, "Your Highness Tadatsune is right. This poem by the Imperial Court has brought to life the image of a famous minister who wholeheartedly seeks peace and prosperity for the country. 'The four seas are united in the same thought', this sentence further reflects the Court's earnest hope for national stability. I deeply feel that the Court's poetic talent is not just the embellishment of words, but also a sincere heart for the country and His Majesty the Emperor."

No, they can even brag about this? And they brag about it so calmly? The Japanese are really gifted in this aspect. If they have any dignity, they will not lose it.

Gao Youshi, on the other hand, could no longer hold back. He coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "When it comes to sincerity, I think you two are not much behind... I heard that you two hope that the Ming court will allow Japan to send students to study in the Ming Dynasty, just like the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty did back then?"

Shimazu Tadatsune and Tokugawa Hidetada were both cheered up when they heard this, knowing that the main part of the drama had finally begun after the three of them had been talking about this and that for a long time.

  The two of them were visibly concentrating, and they looked at each other. Finally, Shimazu Tadatsune, the head of the Japanese delegation, bowed respectfully and replied, "Report to the Imperial Court, it is true."
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PS: Thanks to book friends “云覆月雨”, “doni”, and “book friend 130311122745499” for their monthly ticket support, thank you!

PS: I had finished writing this chapter at around 23 o'clock last night, but the PC version of the writer's backend was stuck and I couldn't log in, so I planned to wait until around o'clock to post it, but... well, I fell asleep.