Daming: My boss Zhu Yuanzhang

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu took over the post of shogun when he was ten years old. At that time, the war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties was in full swing, and the Ashikaga family was also in constant disputes. At such a young age, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu relied on his extraordinary wisdom to separate and contain the fierce power struggle. , defeated each powerful daimyo one by one, took complete control of power in his twenties, and suppressed the Southern Dynasty to the point of near destruction.

Although not as legendary as Zhu Yuanzhang, he is still a proper protagonist template and extraordinary.

There is a small road in Kyoto called Muromachi. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu lived here, and the Muromachi shogunate got its name from this.

The courtyard is full of simple charm, surrounded by green bamboos, and there are fish swimming leisurely in the small pool in the courtyard.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was wearing simple robes and holding a Buddhist scripture in his hand. His face was calm and peaceful, but his eyes were as deep as an abyss.

Tengxing, the deacon of the political office, hurriedly walked into the courtyard and came to his side and bowed respectfully:
"General, news came from Kyushu that the Ming army defeated the army composed of Shaoer clan and other guards and occupied Dazaifu. Shaoer clan sent a message to ask for help!"

Gong Tengyingzheng finished speaking somewhat eagerly, and then watched Ashikaga Yoshimitsu waiting for his order. With just one order from him, the shogunate could summon the daimyo from all over the country to form a large army and drive the Ming army out of Japan!

However, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was unabashed by Furui. After a moment, he spoke softly: "Let Imagawa Sadyo take over the Kyushu expedition and go to Kyushu to negotiate peace with the Ming army. Only then can we become a vassal and pay tribute, and can we restrain our people. The only requirement is I hope that the Ming Dynasty will open up sea trade and trade with our country, Japan."

Gong Tengxingzheng was slightly surprised: "General, are we going to give in so easily?"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu smiled lightly and said indifferently: "It doesn't matter, I am a minister and a monarch, but it is just a false name. The Ming Dynasty is far overseas and will not really come to take care of us."

Gong Tengxingzheng fell silent immediately after hearing this.

"Go ahead and let Imagawa Sadyo set off immediately without delay."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said calmly.

"Yes!"

Gong Tengxingzheng could only respond respectfully, turned around and left the courtyard.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu looked in the direction of Kyushu and showed a faint smile.

The local daimyo in Kyushu were independent in their own affairs. Whether they were under the Southern Dynasty or now after they fell to the shogunate, they only surrendered on the surface. In fact, they could not even collect a penny of tax, let alone control.

In fact, this Ming army's attack on Japan was also his deliberate move. The letter he sent back to the Ming Dynasty was written by someone in the name of King Huai Liang. The real King Huai Liang died of illness last year.

The Ming army defeated the Japanese guards in Kyushu, which was a rare opportunity for the shogunate. As long as it was done properly, he could truly control the land of Kyushu!

As for the Ming army, he was not worried. After all, the Ming Dynasty was far overseas and would have to withdraw its troops sooner or later. It was impossible to stay in Japan for a long time.

Even if the Ming Dynasty really had the ability to stay there for a long time, it had to take into account the opinions of other vassal states. If the Ming Dynasty seized the Japanese land, other vassal states would be frightened and turn to the Northern Yuan Dynasty, which would do more harm than good to the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, he never thought about going to war with the Ming Dynasty to the end. On the contrary, the shogunate only had to meet the Ming Dynasty's request to become a vassal and pay tribute in exchange for open trade, which would be of no harm to the shogunate.

Anyway, they are the emperor's ministers, and it doesn't matter if there is another emperor of the Ming Dynasty, as long as the other party does not interfere in the affairs of the Japanese country.

Gong Tengxing conveyed his meaning to Imagawa Sadayo, and Imagawa Sadayo soon took the shogunate's documents and set off for Kyushu.

In Dazaifu, Li Wei, Tang He and others were strengthening their defenses while constantly sending troops to conquer the surrounding areas.

Of course, during the conquest, the soldiers of the Ming army had to plunder.

Although this approach is inhumane according to the concepts of later generations, it must be done.

If they don't snatch the money, food and materials from the hands of the Japanese people, they will be forcibly taken over by Shao Er Puteng and others. Instead of doing this, we should be more decisive, weaken the enemy and strengthen ourselves.

As for how these Japanese people can survive without food, that is beyond their control.

Due to some twists and turns in the capital, Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial edict arrived a few days late, while Imagawa Sadyo, sent by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, arrived in Kyushu on the third day after the war.

When the two countries are at war, they will not kill the envoys. As the Chinese orthodoxy, the Ming Dynasty will naturally not act as randomly as small countries.

Imagawa Sadyo explained his purpose and was successfully brought to Tang He, Li Wei and others.

Tang He was at the top, while Li Wei, Hu Hai and others were on both sides.

Imagawa Sadao bowed his hands in accordance with the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty and said in fluent Chinese: "Imagawa Sadao, the minister of the Japanese country, has met all the generals of the Ming Dynasty."

Imagawa Sadyo kept Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's confession in mind and called himself a minister, which was regarded as acknowledging the vassal relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Japan.

Tang He and others were not surprised by this, after all, King Huai Liang also regarded himself as a minister in his letters.

But the key issue lies in Ming's requirements.

"Hmph, your Japanese country has repeatedly turned the people into bandits and harassed the Ming Dynasty. His Majesty ordered to reprimand you, but you still dare to make provocations. How brave you are!" Tang He directly shouted and questioned.

Imagawa Sadyo quickly handed over his hands and confessed: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! My general has always admired China. Since the Ming Dynasty has inherited the unification, we are naturally willing to be a vassal and pay tribute. We also hope to trade with your country and build good-neighborly friendship forever. This misunderstanding , is purely a rebellion against the puppet government, my general is deeply saddened by this, and I hope all the generals of the Ming Dynasty will take notice!"

"Are you here to negotiate peace on behalf of Chimingyuan?" Tang He said in surprise.

Imagawa Sadyo cupped his hands and said: "Exactly, I came here on the order of Shogun Ashikaga."

Tang He, Li Wei, Hu Hai and others looked at each other. They also had some understanding of the current situation in Japan. The Chimei Academy in the north was a puppet supported by the shogunate and had been competing with the Daikaku Temple in the south for power.

It's just that Kyushu is located at the southern end and was originally the territory of the Dajue Temple. The King Huailiang they contacted was also from the Dajue Temple, but now it was someone from Chimingyuan who came, which surprised them.

A few years later, the situation in Japan has undergone tremendous changes. The Ming Dynasty is thousands of miles away, and they don't know anything about it.

Li Wei didn't want to negotiate with them at all, and immediately shouted angrily: "Rebellious ministers and traitors, are you worthy of negotiating with me, the Ming Dynasty? Go back!"

Hearing this, Imagawa Sadao's face suddenly changed, and he said with some displeasure: "What this general said is different. I, Chimei-in, are the orthodox Japanese!"

"Oh, then why didn't I hear you mention your Japanese king? He kept saying he was your shogun, and he said he was not a rebellious minister!" Li Wei sneered.

Imagawa Sadao's face was ugly. The emperor of their Northern Dynasties was just a puppet like the Kamakura shogunate. This is something that everyone knows and everyone acquiesces to.

But Li Wei insisted on using this point to say that they were rebellious officials and traitors, and they had no excuse.

Tang He frowned slightly. In fact, it didn't matter to the Ming Dynasty who was in charge of the Japanese country. It didn't matter whether it was the Japanese king or the shogunate. As long as they could manage the people of the Japanese country well and not harass the Ming Dynasty.

But the Ming Dynasty also attaches great importance to the orthodoxy of etiquette and law, so he cannot ignore the reason Li Wei found, otherwise the first person to refuse to agree would be Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Emperor.

The rule of king and minister, father and son, is a system that all emperors will strive to maintain.

Tang He pondered for a moment and could only say coldly: "In that case, you should go back first and let the orthodox monarch of the Japanese country come and talk to us!"

"This...general, we are orthodox. Ashikaga General is also the general of the conquest of barbarians personally named by my king. His orders represent the wishes of my king."

Imagawa Sadyo quickly explained.

However, Li Wei didn't listen at all: "Do you think we are so easy to fool? Get out of here, or I will take care of you for your Japanese king!" Imagawa Sadayo wanted to fight for it again, but Li Wei saw that he refused to leave. , directly ordered: "Come here, blast him out!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers guarding the door came immediately, came in and dragged Imagawa Sadyo out.

When Tang He saw this, he didn't stop him.

Imagawa Sadyo was kicked out helplessly, and stood outside the door worried for a while. He did not expect that these Akito people did not even give him a chance to negotiate, and directly labeled him as a rebellious minister and ignored him!

After thinking for a moment, he could only leave first and ask for instructions from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu before making a decision.

After blasting him away, the Ming army in Dazaifu continued to do whatever they were supposed to do. His trip was in vain.

A few days later, the person Tang He sent to deliver the battle report to the capital of the Ming Dynasty also came back, accompanied by Guo Ying and an official from the Xingren Department.

Xingrensi were specially designed to run errands for the emperor, and were envoys when they were abroad.

This official came with Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial edict. Tang He, Li Wei and others saluted and accepted the edict.

"The Emperor, who was entrusted with the destiny of heaven, issued this edict: I first ordered the generals to attack the Japanese, and now I have received good news. I know that you have defeated the Japanese and won a complete victory. I am very relieved. The generals have made great achievements in battle. When the army triumphs, they will be rewarded heavily..."

Zhu Yuanzhang first praised the generals, and then mentioned Tang He.

"Xin Guo Gong Tang He has misdirected his command. You will return to Beijing today. Li Wei, the Marquis of Jiangdu, will take over the responsibility of commanding the army. In addition, Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding, will be appointed as the left deputy general to assist in the command! I appreciate this!"

When the officials of the Pedestrian Department finished reading the imperial edict, some of the generals were happy and some were worried.

Lu Tang, Jiang Long and other generals who followed Li Wei were naturally overjoyed. Although Sheng Yong and others felt a little unhappy, they could not say anything against Li Wei because of his superior performance.

Tang He looked calm, and after respectfully receiving the order to thank him, he stood up.

After announcing the decree, Guo Ying also greeted everyone, especially Li Wei.

He wasn't very familiar with Li Wei either. He was leading the Northern Army when they fought in Yunnan and had little contact with Li Wei. But now that he had to work under someone, he still had to have the necessary etiquette.

Li Wei also smiled and returned the favor in a dignified manner. After all, he was the emperor's brother-in-law, and strictly speaking, he was one generation older than him.

The next day, Tang He handed the seal to Li Wei, then said goodbye to his followers and returned to Beijing.

Li Wei led everyone to see him off, and he felt relieved as he watched Tang He board the ship and leave.

I finally got the command of the army, and it will be much easier to do things in the future!

A few days later, Imagawa Sadyo came to Dazaifu again. When he saw that the person in the upper position was Li Wei, he couldn't help but change his face slightly.

He remembered clearly that last time it was this person who deliberately made things difficult, insisting that they were traitors and refused to negotiate.

"I've seen this general!"

Imagawa Sadao bowed in a nervous mood.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was fully prepared this time. Not only did he ask the emperor of the Northern Dynasty to write a formal document, but he also specially contacted the Southern Dynasty, moved him with emotion and reason, and obtained the imperial edict from the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty.

"General, this is a document jointly drawn up by the Northern and Southern Dynasties. We, the Japanese country, are willing to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty and promise to do our best to control the people and no longer harass the Ming Dynasty. We also ask the general to withdraw our troops as soon as possible."

Imagawa Sadayo respectfully handed over the drafted document.

Li Wei was noncommittal, stretched out his hand to take it, looked at it, then curled his lips and said firmly:

"I don't believe it. You treacherous officials and traitors must have coerced them into writing this!"

"This is absolutely not the case! Leaving aside our side, this document from the Southern Kingdom was written by the king himself!"

Imagawa Sadao was in great need.

However, Li Wei didn't care about this at all and said coldly: "Haha, since you can hold one Japanese king hostage, you can also hold two Japanese king hostage. As the suzerainty of the Ming Dynasty, we should fight against the rebellion of the vassals. Go back and tell your shogunate. , let him wash his neck and wait, I will first destroy Kyushu, then level the Four Kingdoms, and finally bulldoze your Kyoto, let you know the consequences of offending the Ming Dynasty!"

Imagawa Sadashi was shocked. According to Li Wei's statement, the Ming army was clearly coming to destroy the country!

"We have agreed to your Ming Dynasty's request, why does the general insist on doing this?"

"What's the use of your promise? You Japanese kings are all being held hostage. It's better to wait until I kill you rebellious ministers and then talk to you Japanese kings myself."

Li Wei said lightly.

Imagawa Sadyo was in a hurry. He was a close confidant of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and knew a little about Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's plan. He was just using the Ming army to break the pattern of Kyushu, so that the shogunate could take the opportunity to control Kyushu.

But looking at it now, it is easier to invite gods than to send them away. The Ming Dynasty general actually wanted to directly destroy the Japanese country!

Why save the Japanese king? Only a ghost can believe such high-sounding words. If the Ming army gets rid of all these "rebellious ministers", then the Japanese king will also be a puppet, just with a different master!
"General, think twice. There are many other vassal countries watching this battle. If the general insists on doing this, what will other vassal countries think?"

Imagawa Sadyo eagerly advised that the shogunate did not want to really fight a tough battle with the Ming army.

Although the Ming army came from afar and they were confident of driving them out of Japan, the shogunate might be seriously injured after this battle. This was not the result Ashikaga Yoshimitsu wanted.

Li Wei curled his lips and sneered: "Haha, look at it however you like, come on, kick him out!"

"General, think twice, think twice..."

Imagawa Sadyo hurriedly tried to persuade him, but Li Wei didn't listen at all. After the soldiers got the order, they immediately kicked him out again.

After Imagawa Sadao was dragged out, Guo Ying on the side couldn't help but frowned and said: "General, I'm afraid this is not appropriate. Your Majesty's will is to only let the Japanese become vassals and restrain the Japanese. Besides, we don't have enough troops. Even if If I really want to destroy the Japanese country, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do so!”

Hu Hai also nodded in agreement.

They only had 100,000 troops at full strength. After deducting those who died and those who stayed on the ship, there were only more than 70,000 left.

Although the Japanese country was not big, it still had a population of nearly 10 million. Even if they were powerful and defeated the Japanese army, they could still gather them again and continuously replenish their troops.

On the other hand, they could only mobilize troops from the Ming Dynasty across the ocean. If they were stuck in a long-term war with the Japanese country, they would probably bring down the imperial court!
Li Wei waved his hand: "I have my own opinion on this matter, so you don't have to worry."

Hu Hai and Guo Ying looked at each other and could only suppress their worries first.

Li Wei was relieved when he saw that they were no longer making any noise.

This is the advantage of gaining military power. After giving an order, even if the subordinates do not agree, they can only act according to the order first, and at most they can turn around and complain to Zhu Yuanzhang. (End of chapter)