big song poppi

Chapter 629 0626 [Chaos in Japan]

A hundred miles is not far. Besides, they were all soldiers, including Tachibana Takeyasu, and had no heavy baggage, so they arrived in Heian-kyo on the afternoon of the second day.

Along the way, the miserable conditions of the people along the way gave Mr. Yin and Sun Zhi some understanding of Japan.

They were poorly clothed and poorly fed, and were even worse than the beggars in the Central Plains.

You know, this is around Kyoto.

This is the case even under the emperor's feet, not to mention other areas.

Along the way, Ju Zhukang was very enthusiastic, especially after he had a few sparring sessions with Sun Zhi's personal guards last night, his words and actions were full of humility.

He considered himself to be quite skilled in martial arts, having learned from a famous Iaido master, but he was defeated by his personal guards in just five moves.

The Japanese have always admired the strong, and Tachibana Takeyasu is no exception.

The sun sets in the west.

Standing on the official road, Tachibana Takeyasu pointed at the city not far away and said proudly, "Envoys, please look, this is our country's capital, Heian-kyō. There are 200,000 people in the city, and it is the most powerful city in our country."

The Japanese are proud of Heian-kyo.

Because this city was built in imitation of Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, even the layout of the various markets and canals in the city were copied completely.

It is the most prosperous and grand city in the entire Japan.

But if compared with Chang'an, it seems too petty.

Sun Zhi smiled without saying anything, with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Two hundred thousand people?

There are so many county towns in the Central Plains with a population of 200,000 that one cannot count them on one’s fingers, not to mention the world’s number one city, Bianjing.

Mr. Yin at the side pondered for a moment and uttered, "Not bad, it has the style of the prosperous Tang Dynasty."

Hearing this, Ju Zhukang couldn't stop smiling.

Japan's respect and yearning for the Tang Dynasty has been deeply rooted in their bones. After all, the exchanges between the two countries were most frequent during this period, and the influence of the prosperous Tang Dynasty's culture and technology had a strong impact on Japan. At this moment, he was naturally very happy to hear Mr. Yin's praise.

Even as they were talking, a group of warriors came galloping over on horseback.

More than 200 soldiers suddenly appeared outside Kyoto, it was hard not to attract attention.

Soon, when the group of warriors were a hundred steps apart, they all pulled the reins of their horses, put their hands on the hilts of their swords, and glanced at Sun Zhi and others vigilantly.

The leading warrior shouted: "Who are you?"

Tachibana Takeyasu stepped forward and answered, "I am Tachibana Takeyasu, a retainer of the Grand Councilor Tachibana Inomichi. I am here to escort the Chinese envoys to the capital to see His Majesty the Emperor."

"The Chinese envoy."

Hearing this, the leading warrior relaxed his guard a little and stretched out his hand, asking, "Do you have a letter from the credential?"

After the helmsman translated, Mr. Yin snorted coldly and said with a haughty look: "Of course I have the letter of credence, but how can you, a soldier, blaspheme it? Why don't you retreat quickly!"

Faced with Mr. Yin's insulting scolding, the samurai leader did not get angry and continued, "No weapons are allowed into Kyoto, and only ten people are allowed into the city."

These are two hundred fully armed soldiers wearing leather armor and holding guns. Just by looking at their majestic postures and the terrifying aura they exude, you can tell that they are elite troops.

How could he dare let him into the capital? If something went wrong, even his master would not be able to bear the consequences.

"presumptuous!"

Sun Zhi shouted loudly.

At the same time, the two hundred sailors behind him stepped forward together, with their hands on the hilts of their swords or crossbows at their waists, staring at the warriors in front of them with murderous eyes.

Herod~
The loud shout and the burst of murderous intent frightened the war horses so much that they raised their front hooves one after another.

The warrior leader swallowed, his face full of fear.

"Calm down, envoy."

Seeing that the two sides were on the verge of a fight, Ju Zhukang hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Sun Zhi said coldly: "Tell him that it is your honor to be my envoy to Japan. Don't be shameless."

The helmsman didn't care about that and translated the words truthfully.

The warriors all looked unhappy and angry, but they did not dare to show it.

Tachibana Takeyasu pretended not to hear these words. He stepped forward and spoke to the samurai leader in a low voice in Japanese.

I don't know what he said, but after a moment, the warrior leader rode his horse respectfully to the side and obediently gave way to the official road.

Seeing this, Mr. Yin dusted off his clothes and walked towards Heian-kyo.

After arranging one of his warriors to rush to the palace to report first, the warrior leader led the others on horseback to follow and escort the envoys into the city.

……

……

In the palace.

"The Chinese envoy is here?"

When Emperor Toba heard the news, he was surprised.

Since the Heian period when Japan entered the world of war, the Fujiwara clan took over the government and cut off diplomatic ties with China in order to consolidate their rule and prevent any unexpected events. During the Northern Song Dynasty, official letters were only exchanged twice, and they were not formal letters of credence.

For the past two or three hundred years, the Fujiwara clan's strategy towards China has always been not to provoke it, but not to get close to it either.

Chinese merchants are not prohibited from coming to trade, but domestic merchants are strictly prohibited from going overseas to trade.

Logically speaking, after so many years, China should have been clear about their attitude, so why did they suddenly send envoys?
After thinking for a moment, Emperor Toba ordered: "First, settle the Chinese envoys in the embassy, ​​and invite the Grand Minister and the Left and Right Ministers to enter the palace."

The Heian period was an important turning point for Japan.

Before this, the emperor had always ruled the entire Japan, holding both political and military power in his hands.

However, as the Fujiwara clan obtained the status of in-laws by marrying their daughters, and then supported their grandsons to ascend the throne, they gradually sidelined the emperor, and eventually evolved into a regent politics.

The so-called Sekkan is a combination of regent and kanpaku.

The meaning of regent is easy to understand. The original meaning of Kanpaku originated from the Han Dynasty. It was an official in Wakoku, equivalent to the prime minister in the Central Plains.

The Sekkan system was the predecessor of the shogunate.

However, the imperial family was not without resistance. Emperor Toba's grandfather, Emperor Shirakawa, united with domestic temples and supported the Taira clan, which was suppressed by the Fujiwara clan, to establish the Insei system, thereby weakening the Fujiwara clan's control over the court.

After several decades and three generations of efforts, when Emperor Toba ascended the throne, he finally regained some power. Although it was not much, it was countless times more powerful than the original puppet.

However, everything has a price. In order to seize power, the emperor's family pushed Japan to the edge of the cliff.

The status of monks in temples was greatly improved, and the monasteries' territories expanded again and again, occupying a large amount of land, causing countless people to be displaced and become refugees, thus triggering riots.

After the rise of the Heike clan, they gradually began to show their ambition and became restless.

At the same time, with the death of Fujiwara no Yorimichi, the Fujiwara clan had no successor and a power vacuum appeared.

Genji, who was once a lackey of the Fujiwara clan, wanted to turn the tables and become the master.

Japan today seems calm, but in fact it has reached a critical point. The lower-class people are in mourning, and the upper-class nobles are on the verge of a war. It is like a powder keg filled with explosives, which will explode with just a spark.

At present, several forces in Japan are maintaining a delicate balance.

Because of this, whether it was the emperor's line, or the Taira clan, the Minamoto clan, or even the Fujiwara clan, none of them wanted to establish diplomatic relations with China, forming a strange tacit understanding.

After all, China's size and influence are there. Once diplomatic relations are established with Japan, the influence it brings will completely break this balance. Not long after, three ministers dressed in luxurious silk clothes walked into the palace together.

Although the Japanese upper class had severed diplomatic relations with the Central Plains, they were extremely obsessed with Central Plains' luxury goods such as silk and porcelain.

On the surface, the people were strictly prohibited from engaging in foreign trade, but whether it was the emperor or powerful people such as the Fujiwara clan and the Taira clan, they all maintained a merchant caravan in private and secretly did business with the Central Plains and Goryeo.

The Fujiwara clan, in particular, occupied Oshu, adjacent to Hokkaido, and engaged in the slave trade.

When they were short of money, they sent people to Hokkaido to capture Ezo and sell them to Goryeo and Central Plains in exchange for luxury goods such as tea, porcelain, silk, and incense.

Do you really think that the Japanese pirates that Kuang Zixin and Li Nanjia cleared out were all wandering Japanese warriors?
Can a wandering samurai afford a boat to cross the sea?

It is possible that they are samurai hired by the Taira clan, specializing in plundering merchant ships.

"Meet the Emperor!"

The three of them saluted together and then knelt on the tatami.

The Japanese Empire has a strict hierarchy, and the status of Goryeo can be seen from the positions of the three people kneeling.

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The middle-aged man in the middle had a square face, a calm and dignified temperament, and was half a step ahead of the other two.

This person was none other than the current head of the Fujiwara clan, Fujiwara no Tadamichi, who served as Junior First Rank, Regent, Kanpaku, and Grand Minister.

Although the regent still existed, it was in name only. The Fujiwara clan was no longer as powerful as before. The emperor's line regained some power through the Insei system. The Taira, Minamoto, and Tachibana clans also gained a firm foothold in the court and gained great say.

Emperor Toba held a small folding fan in his hand, covering half of his face, and slowly said, "You all should have known that China has sent envoys here. What do you think of this?"

It is not even April yet, and the weather is not hot. However, ever since folding fans were introduced to Japan, they have been used as ceremonial objects and a symbol of status.

Even in the bitter cold and heavy snow, the rich and powerful still keep their fans in their hands.

Upon hearing this, Fujiwara Tadamichi said in a clear voice: "China has wanted to communicate with our country for a long time. This time, the envoys are sent here for the same old reason: the two countries are on good terms and exchange what they have with each other."

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Song sent envoys to submit letters of credence several times, hoping to establish diplomatic relations with Japan.

The reason for establishing diplomatic relations is naturally to expand overseas markets.

"good."

The Left Minister Yuan Weiyi nodded.

At this time, Taira Tadamori on the side had a flash of light in his eyes and said thoughtfully: "I think there is nothing wrong with making friends with China."

He had his own little ideas. With the geographical advantages of Kyushu and Shikoku, once transportation and trade were established with China, it would immediately become a bridgehead for trade and develop rapidly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fujiwara Tadamichi refuted him: "Have you forgotten the lesson of Daoyi's invasion?"

The invasion of Toi was the first time that Japan was invaded.

The invaders were Jurchen pirates under the rule of the Liao Dynasty.

At that time, Japan made a lot of money by trading with Goryeo, which made the Jurchen pirates jealous.

So, under the guidance of the Koreans, three thousand Jurchen pirates headed towards the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, burning, killing and looting along the way.

Although the Jurchen pirates were later repelled, Japan suffered heavy losses.

Since then, Japan has completely implemented a policy of isolation.

"Hai, the Grand Minister is right."

Ping Zhongsheng quickly leaned forward to plead guilty.

Fujiwara Tadamichi looked at him deeply, then turned around and said, "I think it is better to be still than to move. China and our country have good relations and trade, which has a hundred benefits and no harm, but for our country, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Once trade is opened, restrictions on the people will inevitably be lifted. If we want to control them in the future, I am afraid it will be difficult."

When these words were spoken, Taira no Tadamori and Minamoto no Tameyoshi were shocked.

Yes!

Nowadays, the people are easy to manage. As long as they have something to eat and don’t starve to death, it’s fine.

But if they start trading with China, these people will have seen the world and become more active in thinking, and it will be difficult to control them.

It is even possible that they will learn the Chinese saying "Are there any kind of kings, princes, generals or ministers?"

Although the emperor, the Fujiwara clan, the Minamoto clan, and the Taira clan were fighting each other, they were actually all members of the royal family, just side branches that had split off.

Thinking of this, Taira Tadamori hastened to say, "The Grand Minister is right. I also think that trade should be refused."

"I second the motion."

Minamoto Tameyoshi also leaned forward to agree.

Soon, the three forces reached a consensus.

As for trade, they just do it secretly. As for those untouchables and peasants, they just need to help them farm the land honestly.

Seeing this, Emperor Toba stood up and said, "In this case, I will go and ask the Emperor what he means."

The reigning emperor of Japan is called the Mikado, the retired emperor is called the Retired Emperor, and the one who becomes a monk after retiring is called the Dharma Emperor.

The "Holy Emperor" mentioned by Emperor Toba was his grandfather, Emperor Shirakawa.

His father died early, and he was only five years old when he succeeded to the throne, so it was always Emperor Baihe who gave the orders behind the scenes.

Even though he has reached adulthood, Emperor Baihe still has not given up power and is like a puppet.

Following the pavilions all the way to the flower garden in the east, Emperor Toba bumped into a woman just as he passed through the hanging flower gate.

The woman was extremely beautiful. She was none other than Fujiwara no Shoko, the empress of Emperor Toba.

Looking at the empress in his arms, with her eyes charming, her cheeks flushed, her whole body sweating, and a look of satisfaction as if she had eaten a lot, and she had just come out of the residence of Emperor Baihe, he knew what had happened, and a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.

Fujiwara no Shoshi was the adopted daughter of Emperor Shirakawa. She grew up in the palace and was deeply loved by Emperor Shirakawa.

However, this woman had a very bad reputation and was rumored to have had an affair with Emperor Shirakawa.

In his early years, Emperor Shirakawa wanted to marry her to Fujiwara no Tadamichi, but was rejected by Tadamichi's father Fujiwara no Tadamichi.

In a rage, Emperor Shirakawa betrothed her to Emperor Toba, who had just come of age.

Less than eight months after the marriage, Fujiwara no Shoko gave birth to a baby boy.

Emperor Toba suspected that he was his grandfather's son, so he hated him and even called his eldest son "uncle" in private.

Emperor Toba suppressed his anger and said in a stiff tone, "What are you doing here?"

Fujiwara no Shoko was not afraid at all, and said in a hoarse voice: "The Emperor is ill, and I have come to visit him."

"Go back early after visiting."

Emperor Toba snorted coldly.

Fujiwara no Shoko smiled and said, "I will go back right away."

Watching Fujiwara no Shoko's back as she left, Emperor Toba's face turned pale and he cursed silently, "Shameless bitch!"

After taking a deep breath and suppressing his unhappiness, Emperor Toba put on a smiling face and walked towards the palace.

Inside the bamboo pavilion, an old man with white hair and beard was kneeling there sipping tea, his shirt open at the chest, revealing his bony chest.

"grandfather."

Emperor Toba bowed respectfully.

(End of this chapter)