Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 1128 1123 [The Marquis of the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor Emeritus in Japan]

The Genpei War, which broke out prematurely in Japan, did not affect the entire country at all. It was just the Gyeonggi samurai group versus the Tokoku samurai group.

A large number of Western warriors did not join the war, but watched the show from the sidelines.

For example, Taira Tadakuni of Bungo Province on Kyushu Island was too lazy to send troops to help the main clan.

Historically, Taira no Tadakuni even married his daughter to Minamoto no Tametomo, indirectly opposing the Taira clan.

Taira no Kiyomori did learn real skills in Ming, but his troops were too few and their combat effectiveness was low. In the face of absolute strength, no advanced strategies or tactics could be used, and a rubbish army could not effectively implement tactics.

Finally, Da Ming's father came.

Five hundred Ming cavalry and one thousand five hundred Ming infantry.

At this time, the Minamoto army had already occupied the entire Kanto region. Under the repeated fierce attacks, some of the Taira defenders who were trying to defend the pass turned against the Minamoto army and helped them break through the pass.

Without the pass being breached, the Genji army advanced straight into the capital and was about to reach the capital.

Under the guidance of Taira's guides, the elite troops of the Ming Dynasty landed in Ise on warships and appeared behind the Minamoto's southern army like a god descending from the sky.

The Minamoto clan's southern army, which was attacking Suzuka Pass, was attacked by both the soldiers guarding the pass and the Ming army, and fled over a hundred miles in disarray.

The Genji Northern Army that reached the Gyeonggi area was suddenly isolated and deep in the territory, with even its food supply being cut off by the Ming army.

The Ming Dynasty’s aid to Japan’s version of the “Incheon Landing”!
Well, it should be called Ise Landing.

"I, a humble official of the vassal state, kowtow to the great general of the Celestial Empire!"

Outside Heian-kyo, Taira no Kiyomori and his son, along with the nobles, went ten miles out of the city to welcome the triumphant Ming soldiers, and also invited Xue Daoguang to help support the occasion.

Xu Liangyou rode on a tall horse, looking down upon the group of short monkeys in front of him, and was too lazy to even dismount to talk.

His father is Xu Ning, Yang Zhi’s old brother.

He went to military school at the age of fifteen and was the first graduate of Kaifeng Military Academy. He joined the army as a grassroots officer at the age of seventeen and participated in the wars to destroy the Jin Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty.

Two years ago, his father Xu Ning passed away, and Xu Liangyou inherited the title even though his rank was downgraded.

How can such a noble son look down upon the people of Japan?

However, there was one person who did not kneel at the scene. He was an old Taoist priest with a fairy-like appearance.

Perhaps realizing who this person was, Xu Liangyou finally dismounted, took two steps forward and bowed, "But is it Elder Immortal Xue who is here in person?"

Xue Daoguang bowed as a Taoist priest and said, "I am honored to meet you, General."

How dare Xu Liangyou act rashly? He quickly said, "I am Xu Liangyou, my father is Xu Dingtao."

Duke Dingtao was a county duke, which was the title held by Xu Ning when he was alive.

The title that Xu Liangyou has now inherited has been downgraded to Marquis of Dingtao.

The two men began to reminisce about the past, completely ignoring the Japanese nobles.

Those Japanese nobles did not dare to say anything and just knelt obediently on the spot. At the same time, they also became more "admiring" of Xue Daoguang.

The Ming army was so powerful that it took only seventeen days from landing in Ise to wiping out the enemy. Such a devastating force frightened all the Japanese nobles, who feared that the Ming general would allow his troops to plunder Heian-kyō.

Taira no Kiyomori was secretly delighted, thinking that the stronger the Ming army was, the more stable he would be.

Moreover, General Xu had a cold attitude. Fortunately, I was well prepared and invited Immortal Xue to come and get closer to him.

"Are you Taira no Kiyomori?" Xu Liangyou glanced over.

Taira no Kiyomori knelt down and said, "It is you, my humble servant."

Xu Liangyou nodded and said, "Stand up and talk. You have studied in Ming Dynasty for several years, so I think you are an enlightened person who understands etiquette."

"Thank you, General!"

Taira no Kiyomori was complacent and he also considered himself an enlightened person.

Xu Liangyou said: "Let's find a place in the suburbs where my soldiers will set up camp."

As soon as this was said, several young officials who had studied in the Ming Dynasty were extremely happy and flattered him: "They approached the city but did not enter it. The military discipline is so strict. The Ming soldiers are truly a benevolent and righteous army!"

Xu Liangyou smiled and said to Taira no Kiyomori, "Find some prostitutes and send them to the barracks. Don't send any prostitutes with black teeth. My soldiers will stay here for another month or two to help you put down the rebellion that may happen next."

Taira no Kiyomori said quickly, "Since the Ming dynasty spread to the East, fewer and fewer nobles in Japan dye their teeth. Especially young men and women, they all regard dyeing their teeth as an uncivilized and evil custom."

This statement is half true and half false. It is true that fewer Japanese aristocrats dye their teeth, but there are still many who still insist on dyeing their teeth.

The crowd surrounded Xu Liangyou and went to the city, while Taira no Kiyomori sent people to arrange the military garrison.

Two thousand elite Ming troops were stationed outside Heian-kyo, and there were also naval soldiers and sailors at the port.

Seeing that the Ming army did not plunder, Japanese merchants took the lead and came to ask if they needed daily necessities. Soon, the places where the navy and army were stationed were crowded with merchants, bringing in various daily necessities for sale.

All kinds of Ming Dynasty coins can be circulated freely here.

There was no need for Taira no Kiyomori to make any arrangements. Brothels also came to inquire about the news and tried to send some prostitutes to see if the Ming army soldiers would give money.

Even the wives and daughters of commoners were sent to the military camp by their elders to sell meat to earn money and to "carry over the offspring" at the same time. Because in their eyes, the soldiers of the Ming army were all tall and mighty, and the children born would definitely be strong.

Nobles and businessmen were much more reserved.

Military discipline still had to be maintained, and the Ming soldiers stationed here could not rush out to shop or visit prostitutes. They had to guard the barracks as usual every day, and then go out in batches in turn, and there was also a special area set up to meet physiological needs.

Such strict military discipline amazed the Japanese people, who all praised them as worthy of being soldiers of the Ming Dynasty and said they were much more lovable than those arrogant and domineering samurai.

The exchanges between the military and civilians are extremely harmonious.

The next day, Xu Liangyou was invited to watch a play, where Taira no Kiyomori was going to execute high-ranking prisoners of war, especially the main family of the Genji clan, and Taira no Kiyomori was going to kill them all.

Seeing that there were still children, Xu Liangyou frowned and said, "There's no need for children, right? I can take those under twelve years old."

Taira no Kiyomori was startled: "Where did the general take it?"

Xu Liangyou smiled and said, "The place you ceded."

Taira no Kiyomori was furious when he heard this, but he still had to greet him with a smile.

How could he feel at ease when he brought the children of the Genji family to Kyushu Island, which was ceded to the Ming Dynasty, to be raised when each of them had a blood feud with them?

"What? You don't want to?" Xu Liangyou asked.

Taira no Kiyomori said quickly: "The general is kind and cannot bear to kill children. I admire you very much."

So, all the children of the Genji family under the age of twelve were untied and brought to Xu Liangyou.

Xu Liangyou looked at a boy and said in surprise, "You are not yet twelve years old? Even if you were born in Ming Dynasty, you would not be considered short."

Taira no Kiyomori introduced: "This is Minamoto no Tameyoshi's eighth son, born to a lowly prostitute."

The child in front of us, who still has six months to go before he turns 12, is none other than the "Chinzai Hachiro" Minamoto Tametomo in Japanese history, who was praised by his contemporaries as "the unrivaled archer of our dynasty."

Minamoto Tametomo was bullied by his brothers since he was a child because he was born to a prostitute. But he was tall and strong, and his arms were extremely long, so whenever his brothers insulted him, he would beat them up.

Historically, he became a despised child in the Minamoto family and was thrown to Kyushu by his father at the age of 13. The boy made friends in Kyushu and named himself "Chinzai General Constable". He led a group of country warriors to defeat various powerful families in Kyushu, causing the emperor to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Later, during the Hōgen Rebellion, he stood on his father's side and fought against his elder brother. When the army was at an absolute disadvantage, Minamoto no Tametomo turned the situation around with just one bow, killing a large number of samurai and forcing back the coalition forces of Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo.

Later, he was defeated and captured, his tendons were cut, and he was exiled to an island.

After recovering from his injuries, Minamoto no Tametomo led the seven surrounding island nobles to fight against the Japanese imperial court on the island where he was exiled. Unfortunately, he was defeated and committed suicide. It is said that he was the first person in Japan to commit seppuku.

His son later also rebelled.

Xu Liangyou called the translator and asked, "Have you learned martial arts?"

Minamoto Tametomo replied, "I can ride a horse, shoot arrows, and use a sword. I beat all my brothers, except for my eldest brother who has been away from home since childhood, so hard that they couldn't fight back. Even the adults couldn't beat me. I am taller and stronger than them."

Less than twelve years old, she is already taller than an adult Japanese man...

"Is your mother a prostitute?" Xu Liangyou asked.

Minamoto Tametomo said, "She is a prostitute from Jiangkou, and she is also very tall."

Xu Liangyou even suspected that the child's mother was the daughter of a Ming Dynasty merchant or sailor.

Xu Liangyou said in front of Taira no Kiyomori: "This man wanted to kill you and your brothers and sisters. I saved your lives. Are you willing to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty from now on?"

Minamoto Tametomo had been rebellious since childhood, and he would never give up until his death. He looked at Taira no Kiyomori with a venomous look, and immediately knelt down and said, "I will serve the general till death!"

Xu Liangyou really has no grudge against him.

His eldest brother killed his father, exiled his three brothers, and ignored him. Then his eldest brother went to war with Taira no Kiyomori, and Taira no Kiyomori asked Ming for help. It was a mess.

The hatred in his heart at this moment was purely because Taira no Kiyomori wanted to kill him!
Personal vendetta.

Xu Liangyou smiled and said, "In the future, the Ming Dynasty will set up an orphanage in Zhenxi (Kyushu Island) to adopt orphans and train them carefully. They will be given Chinese names and taught to read and write. You will also live in the orphanage, and you can become an officer when you grow up."

Taira no Kiyomori was sitting next to him with a gloomy face, and it was obvious that these words were meant for him to hear.

Yuan Weichao pointed at the guards behind Xu Liangyou and said, "When I grow up, can I be as majestic as them?"

Xu Liangyou smiled and said, "Of course you can. You are tall enough to be considered an outlier in Japan, but in the Ming Dynasty, everyone is the same. As long as you learn to speak Chinese and wear Chinese clothes, you will be a citizen of the Ming Dynasty from now on, and no one will dare to bully you anymore."

Yuan Weichao clenched his fists and said with infinite longing: "I want to be a citizen of the Ming Dynasty!"

Xu Liangyou laughed even more happily, he thought this kind of thing was very interesting.

Especially when he saw Taira no Kiyomori with a gloomy face, this kind of evil taste made him feel even more comfortable.

Xu Liangyou will lead his troops to garrison Kyushu Island next!
By the way, Jiuzhou will soon be changed to Yingzhou, which is a direct-controlled prefecture under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province.

What about the Japanese army there? In history, Minamoto no Tametomo, who was in his teens, gathered a group of samurai and fought all over Kyushu Island without any rivals.

Xu Liangyou can lead his troops there and handle the problem easily.

The execution has begun.

Yuan Weichao stood beside Xu Liangyou and witnessed his brothers' heads falling to the ground. He had no unusual emotions about this because he was not familiar with his eldest brother, and the other brothers often bullied him.

The whole family did not treat him as one of their own, just because his biological mother was a prostitute.

That night, Xu Liangyou stayed in the Ping family's house.

Taira no Kiyomori brought a young girl and flattered her, "General Xu, this is my sister. She is a virgin and has never had her teeth dyed. Please accept her."

Xu Liangyou said: "Taking a concubine in Japan is a violation of military discipline."

Taira no Kiyomori said: "My sister loves the general and only wants to have sex with him for one night. She does not ask for any official status."

Xu Liangyou looked at the girl and thought she was quite pretty, so he quietly brought her back to his room and accepted her with a smile.

It would be a waste not to sleep with her. Anyway, he won't take this woman away, and he won't recognize her even if they have a child in the future.

During his stay in Japan, Xu Liangyou was the emperor here!

(End of this chapter)