Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

On the third day of May in the first year of the Yongkang reign, more than a dozen sand ships that were trying to transport grain were hijacked by Japanese pirates at sea. Jia Cong was furious and the court was shocked.

A dozen grain ships were hijacked, resulting in the loss of 10,000 to 20,000 shi of grain. This may not seem like a big problem, but the sea transportation of grain was a major reform that Jia Cong vigorously promoted after he became regent. It was not only related to national affairs and the welfare of the people, but also to the authority and face of Prince Jing.

All the civil and military officials in the court knew that Jia Cong was furious, so they only dared to discuss it in private and did not dare to write a letter to offend him. Even if they wanted to oppose sea transportation, they had to avoid the limelight first.

Gu Tao, who was in charge of the whole matter, was also caught off guard. He didn't know why Japanese pirates suddenly appeared on the familiar sea route, and the escort warships were not there, so he hurriedly submitted a petition to apologize.

Once this incident happens, anti-shipping voices will become rampant again.

Jia Cong looked at the officials in the palace with a gloomy expression, and said slowly: "The Japanese pirates are rampant, invading our sea borders and looting our grain ships. Although the matter is small, how can the dignity of the Celestial Empire be tarnished by the pirates?
I propose to send a fleet to recapture the hijacked ships and impose a light punishment on them. What do you think?"

When they heard that a war was going to be fought, Wang Ziteng, Niu Jizong and other military leaders hurriedly said in unison: "The majesty of the Celestial Empire will not be allowed to be insulted by the Japanese pirates. We, the generals, swear to serve until death. Please give the order, Your Majesty!"

Although the civil officials were reluctant to go to war, they could not refute what Jia Cong said because it made sense. They could not say that the Celestial Empire was vast and rich in resources and could afford the loss of 10,000 or 20,000 shi of grain, so they just robbed it.

For a moment, no one in the civil service team spoke.

Jia Cong frowned and said, "If you have any profound ideas, please feel free to speak up."

Duan Zhun said, "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates' actions were probably caused by pirates, and may have nothing to do with the general's shogunate. The court should use courtesy before force to avoid disputes between the two countries and lose more because of a small loss."

"We second this motion." All the ministers quickly echoed.

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Mr. Zhun, this is a mature and prudent statement for the country. I also hold this view. This time we are sending troops not to fight for our country, but just to suppress the bandits and seize their ships.

However, the Japanese shogunate was also to blame for its negligence in governance, which led to the people of the other island becoming bandits and causing harm to the coastal areas.

The Hanlin Academy has drafted a warning edict, ordering the Japanese shogunate to restrain the people and discipline them. If they commit the same offense again, they will be punished!"

"I obey your order." Wu Jiangyou, the director of the Hanlin Academy, hurried out of the class and said.

"Your Highness is wise." Seeing Jia Cong so restrained, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was no major war, there was no need to fight for such a small amount of grain.

It was immediately agreed that the Ministry of Revenue would allocate a special fund of 200,000 silver coins, and Jia Cong would send Yan Shuangying to lead more than ten warships to the island where pirates were lurking and recapture the looted ships.

Ten days later, the capital once again received urgent news from the front, and the matter that the ministers thought was a sure thing turned out to be in turmoil.

Yan Shuangying walked quickly to the Golden Palace and kowtowed, saying, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

"What's the matter?" Jia Cong asked calmly.

“Reporting to the prince, I was ordered to send troops to Japan to recover the hijacked people. In order to abide by the court’s intention to turn hostility into friendship, I used courtesy before force.

Unexpectedly, the barbarians refused to obey the king's rule and denied his recognition. Some even gathered ships to attack the heavenly soldiers. I was forced to fight back and recaptured the hijacked ships, but all the grain on board had been stolen." Yan Shuangying said indignantly.

Jia Cong snorted coldly and asked, "What does Japan have to say?"

Yan Shuangying said: "I have presented the emperor's edict. The shogun of the Japanese shogunate is very arrogant. This is the reply from that country. Please take a look, Your Highness." As he said that, he took out a letter from his arms and presented it.

Jia Cong opened it and took a look. His face immediately became gloomy and he sneered, "What a great country Japan is. Please circulate it around."

Duan Zhun hurried forward to take it, and when he and everyone else looked at it, they were immediately shocked. The Japanese were rude!

"How dare you! The Japanese pirates are so treasonous!"

"The Japanese pirates are looking for death!"

"How dare the Japanese pirates touch the tiger's whiskers!"

"You are such a small country, yet you are so rebellious!"

"It's tolerable, but it's unbearable!"

"A barbaric country should be conquered!"

After reading it, all the ministers were outraged and started cursing.

This is because the first sentence of the letter from that country is: The descendant of Amaterasu, the one and only wise and virtuous Emperor in heaven and on earth, wrote to the Emperor of Wu.

Even when the Celestial Empire was at its peak, the letters it sent to smaller countries were never so arrogant. They never expected that the Japanese pirates would dare to flatter themselves in such a way and show no respect for the Celestial Emperor. It was as if the relationship between the two countries was turned upside down, which made the ministers so angry that they cried out in anger.

After seeing this, the nobles could no longer bear it and jumped up and down, shouting for war and killing.

Jia Cong raised his hand to stop the crowd and said, "Please be patient. Can anyone tell me what the Japanese said in the letter?"

Feng Yuan came out of the class and said, "Your Highness, the Japanese pirates said three things in total, and their words were very rude. First, the pirates' affairs had nothing to do with them, and asked the court not to wrongly accuse good people;

Second, let the Chinese dynasty respect itself and say that the Celestial Empire has no right to teach them a lesson;

Third, if the court is worried about the theft of grain from the sea, it can pay them two million silver coins every year, and they will help the court to eliminate the pirates, and the sea will be peaceful. "

Jia Cong laughed in anger, his voice shaking the palace, and the murderous look on his face frightened all the ministers. Even when the Western Regions fell, they had never seen Prince Jing so angry.

"What do you think, gentlemen?" Jia Cong suddenly stopped laughing and glanced at the ministers.

"Your Highness, a frog in a well cannot talk about the sea because it is confined to the void. The Japanese pirates are rude and only know how to talk. They are poorly educated. The Celestial Empire does not need to argue with them." Chen Ji said.

He represents the interests of the Chen family and is most unwilling to see Jia Cong start a war, which would lead to the expansion of military power.

Wang Ziteng, Niu Jizong and others hurriedly said in unison: "Now that the new emperor has just ascended the throne, the barbarians of that country not only do not respect and honor us, but also dare to be so disrespectful and rebellious. Where do they put our emperor?
The ancients said, "When a minister is concerned about his lord, he will toil; when his lord humiliates him, he will die. We ministers are willing to die for our country and pacify the sea."

"That's right! The Japanese pirates are now riding on the neck of our country. If we don't teach them a lesson, where is the prestige of the Celestial Empire? How will the other small countries view it?" The nobles clamored and demanded to send troops.

Jia Cong looked at the show he had directed with a stern expression, but a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Without this plan, it would be difficult to force the civil officials to agree to send troops.

The civil servants looked at each other in embarrassment. If they sent troops, they would have to pay for it from the national treasury, which did not seem worth it. However, no one dared to say it out loud.

After all, it involves the dignity of the new emperor and the dynasty, and it is very easy to be accused of being disloyal, unfilial, and colluding with foreign countries.

The emperor's face is as big as the sky. The dragon has a reverse scale, and if you touch it, you will die. This time, the Japanese pirates just happened to touch the reverse scale.

If the country was weak and could not pay, it would be fine and everyone could just bear with it. But now there is plenty of silver in the treasury, so we can no longer be cowards.

Seeing that the situation was almost right, Jia Cong said calmly, "What I mean is that this matter concerns the state and the imperial power, and we must not take it lightly. We must be careful to prevent other small countries around us from following suit. If they continue to disrespect the Celestial Empire, we will be criminals of the country, so we must send troops!

Not only must we fight, we must also subdue the Japanese and make them dare not look at the Celestial Empire in the face for a hundred years!"

"Your Highness is wise!" The nobles responded loudly.

Duan Zhun said: "Your Highness has a point, but war is a matter of national importance and should not be taken lightly. It is better to report to the Empress Dowager and ask for her decision before sending out the troops."

"What the Prime Minister said is right. This matter is of great importance and should be reported to the Empress Dowager." All the ministers echoed.

Jia Cong glanced at the ministers, nodded slightly and said, "Alright. Let's go today. All the ministers, follow me to the Yangxin Palace to report to the Empress Dowager."

In the Yangxin Palace, the Empress Dowager sat behind the pearl curtain. After listening to Duan Zhun's report, she pondered and said, "Since the hijacked ship has been recaptured, a little food is not worth mentioning. The Japanese's arrogant and delirious words should not be taken to heart. If we start a war over this verbal dispute, it seems a bit too much. What do you think?"

Chen Ji said hurriedly: "What the Empress Dowager said is very true, and I agree with her. Japan and the Celestial Empire have always been at peace. If we suddenly start a war, we may be accused of being aggressive and bullying the weak."

Jiang Feng, Feng Yuan, Guan Pu and others did not say anything. They did not care whether they fought or not.

Jia Cong said calmly: "Mr. Chen is wrong. This matter is no longer about a few ships or a few stones of grain, but about the dignity of the country.

Brother Zhengfang, please present the letter to the Empress Dowager. Now that the Emperor has just inherited the throne and the Empress Dowager has just assumed the throne, the Japanese dare to be so arrogant. Aren't they bullying China?
My dear ministers, if the Celestial Empire pretends to be deaf and dumb, how will it be recorded in history in the future? And where will the reputation of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor be? I think this is not the way for a minister to act. "

After reading the letter, the Empress Dowager was also very angry. Women care about face more than men, especially for an ambitious woman who has just tasted the imperial power. I have just incorporated Goryeo into my territory, and now Japan is making trouble. If future generations know about this, they will probably think that Goryeo was not my credit.

However, thinking of the consequences of Jia Cong's expansion of power, he chose the lesser of two evils, so he suppressed his anger and said, "It is not surprising that a small country with few people does not obey the king's rule and speaks wildly. Let him go. Why should Kunpeng compete with Chihuo?"

Duan Zhun said: "The Empress Dowager is right, and I, an old minister, agree. Perhaps we can issue an imperial decree to reprimand them, order them to repent and reflect, and cut off their trade as a punishment."

Because Gu Tao still needed Jia Cong's support for the reform of the water transport administration, although he agreed with the proposal in his heart, he said nothing to avoid offending him.

Except for Chen Ji, no one spoke.

The Empress Dowager saw Jia Cong sneer and said nothing, so she asked, "What do you think, Prince Jing?"

Given Jia Cong's current status and power, no one dares to make important decisions without him.

"I think it is absolutely impossible!" Jia Cong was blunt and directly denied the views of several people, saying: "If it was at the beginning of the founding of the country, the Celestial Empire would have tolerated the rude behavior of Japan to show its generosity, but now it is absolutely impossible!"

The Empress Dowager held back her anger and asked, "Why not?"

"Because now the Western powers are looking at China all around, if the Celestial Empire continues to tolerate the poor and weak Japanese, it will be seen as cowardly and incompetent in the eyes of the Western barbarians.

As the saying goes, good people are often bullied, and barbarians only understand the words of war. The magnanimity of our country has only harms and no benefits.

As a general in charge of the army, I dare not tarnish the reputation of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, nor let the dignity of our country be insulted by the barbarians. I beg the Empress Dowager to allow me to send troops to educate the barbarians and enhance our country's prestige. "

Jia Cong's words, especially the words "in charge of the world's troops", were full of threats. The Empress Dowager had no choice but to grit her teeth and say, "Prince Jing has such a loyal and patriotic heart, which comforts me. I wonder how to deploy this battle?"

Jia Cong said: "This war has three major benefits. First, it can make it clear that those who attack China will be punished no matter how far away they are.

Secondly, it would be an opportunity to expand the territory and bring the four islands of Japan under the jurisdiction of the Great Wu, so that future generations would know the wisdom and power of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Third, Japan is rich in gold and silver, which can be used to make up for the shortage in our country. "

The Empress Dowager felt relieved after hearing this. After all, winning the battle would be great for her prestige, so she asked, "How much military funds will be needed?"

Jia Cong said: "This battle is the first battle since the emperor ascended the throne. Only victory is allowed. I am willing to lead tens of thousands of troops to personally attack Japan. If I fail, I will die!

Well, as for military expenditure, if the Ministry of Revenue allocates 10 million taels, I will be 80% sure."

The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "Ten million... is a bit too much."

Feng Yuan also said hurriedly: "I have no objection to sending troops to Japan, but the national treasury has a little time to raise 10 million silver coins..."

Jia Cong sneered, "When I conquer Japan, I will return 15 million silver coins to the national treasury."

"Uh... it's a piece of cake." Feng Yuan's eyes lit up and he quickly changed his words, "To the Empress Dowager, a few tens of thousands of silver coins are not worth mentioning. The stolen money from the grain transport that was recovered last time was more than 10 million. I think we should send troops as soon as possible, and get the money back as soon as possible."

Chen Ji's heart was bleeding. Shameless man, you used my money to fight a war, and you still say it's not worth mentioning? It turns out that you didn't pay for it.

The Empress Dowager was also furious. What a shameless guy! Did he really want to make me angry?
Jiang Feng and Guan Pu heard that there was such a benefit in fighting a war, and they hurriedly said, "I second the proposal. The Japanese are disobedient and should be punished."

The Empress Dowager knew that Jia Cong had made up his mind, so she had no choice but to go with the flow and said, "Since all the ministers hold this view, let the General's Office draw up plans for the military deployment, and the Ministry of Revenue allocate 10 million taels for military expenses."

"I obey your command." Everyone bowed and left.

"Mr. Zhun, it's not that I'm warlike, but the land of Japan is extremely dangerous. If we don't take it now, it will become a big disaster." After Jia Cong came out, he stopped Duan Zhun.

Duan Zhun smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty has a far-sighted vision, which I cannot match."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Mr. Zhun is also mature and prudent. Although we have some disagreements, they are all selfless. I respect him very much."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness." Duan Zhun said.

"Mr. Jun, the world is changing, and the country must also change with the trend, otherwise it will suffer a great loss. Look at what happened to Goryeo. Didn't it suffer a great loss? Even its national destiny was cut short." Jia Cong said.

Duan Zhun nodded slowly and said, "Your Majesty, what you said is very good. I am too conservative and almost ruined the country."

Jia Cong said with a smile: "You are too modest, Master. You are highly respected and have coordinated the government affairs and coordinated the yin and yang. Your contribution is immeasurable. If you were not here, wouldn't Cong be exhausted to death?
By the way, speaking of Goryeo, have you selected the thousand school officials and teachers that were planned to be sent the other day?"

Duan Zhun smiled and said, "With the generous conditions offered by the prince, who would not want to join? The number of people who have signed up in the vicinity of Shenjing alone far exceeds a thousand."

"Very good. No matter how poor one is, one cannot be poor in education. Moreover, these people are supported by the people of Shannan, and the court does not need to spend a penny.

Well, ask the Ministry of Rites to prepare the books and other things and send them over as soon as possible. Wu Lang is also waiting anxiously over there. "

Duan Zhun said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, we will be able to send the first batch of people in the next few days. They are all students and scholars in their thirties who are in their prime."

"Well, tell them that we are not going to Shannan to cultivate scholars to take the imperial examinations. We just want to teach the children of Shannan to read and write, and understand loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness.

After that, you must not humiliate the villagers or create conflicts between the Han and the Yi people. Those who violate the law will be severely punished. I have also told Wu Lang this, and he can execute first and report later. "Jia Cong said.

Duan Zhun nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. This is the way it should be. I will reiterate Your Majesty's order."

Jia Cong bowed and smiled, "With Duan Jun here, I have nothing to worry about." Now the two of them were in a cooperative relationship, and he felt relieved to have Duan Jun stabilizing the court.

Duan Zhun returned the greeting and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind."

Because Jia Cong's personal expedition was top secret, except for a very few people, all the ministers knew about it. They only announced to the outside world that he was going south to inspect the country on behalf of the emperor.

That night, while having dinner at home, Jia Cong said with a smile, "Today, the Empress Dowager issued an order, ordering me to go south to inspect the grain transport and military affairs and the transformation of the natives into officials. I will be away for a few months."

The girls were a little surprised and asked hurriedly, "When are we leaving?"

"Let's leave early tomorrow morning." Jia Cong said.

Ruyi frowned and asked, "So urgent?"

Jia Cong said with a smile: "The rectification of the grain transport business is a complicated matter. One move will affect the whole body. The transformation of the natives into officials involves several provinces. If I don't hurry up, I will not be able to celebrate the old lady's 80th birthday in Suzhou in August."

The girls all laughed. They thought he was just saying it casually, but they didn't expect he really meant it. Daiyu smiled and said, "I'm afraid the old lady is old and can't stand the long journey."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "No problem. This time, I'll let you take a ship, sail from Tianjin, land in Taicang, and arrive in ten days."

Baochai was a little worried and said, "I heard that the sea is rough and there are pirates. Wasn't the grain transport robbed a few days ago?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't worry, if I can't protect the grain, can I protect you?
When the time comes, let Tadpole send a few large ships and another 10 to 20 warships to escort and keep it safe. If there are storms, we can stop at the shore to rest along the way. There is nothing to be afraid of. "

Qingwen, Xiangyun, Wanyan and other lively sisters clapped their hands and laughed, "Finally, we can see the vast ocean for once."

Baoqin laughed and said, "What's so good about it? It's all water. I'm tired of it."

Bai Qiuwei knew something about the situation and said, "I'll go with you."

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "No, I feel more at ease knowing you and Si Niang are in the capital."

Bai Qiuwei nodded and stopped talking.

Daiyu noticed something was wrong and asked hurriedly, "Are you in any danger this time when you go south?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "What kind of danger could there be? Even if there is danger, I don't have to take the responsibility. Don't worry. We will meet in Suzhou on the third day of August."

All the girls smiled and nodded.

The next morning, Jia Cong said goodbye to the girls and came out to explain things to his subordinates.

"When I am not in the capital, all matters shall be directed by Mr. Pang. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."

"We obey your order." Everyone bowed hurriedly.

"Mr. Pang, I leave the capital to you." Jia Cong said.

Pang Chao bowed deeply and said, "Take care, Your Majesty."

Jia Cong nodded, took Cheng Lingsu, Yang Ling, Peng Cheng, and three hundred personal soldiers, and headed straight for Tongzhou Wharf.

Everything had been arranged long ago. Everyone boarded the boat and sailed along the North Canal straight out of Tanggu Wharf. Dozens of warships had been waiting near the coast. When they saw Jia Cong's flag, a giant ship hurriedly sent a small boat over to pick up the group.

"Greetings to the prince." Yan Shuangying led hundreds of navy officers and sailors to kneel down in unison.

Jia Cong had already seen the densely packed gun ports on the side of this first-class battleship, and he was even more satisfied after boarding the ship. The hull had four decks, like a small city floating on the sea.

With such a huge ship, it should be easy to conquer Japan, which is still in the era of cold weapons.

Yin raised his hand and said, "Stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yan Shuangying bowed and led the way, saying, "Your Highness, please come this way. The meeting room and living room are on the top floor."

Jia Cong followed him up with his hands behind his back and asked, "Shuangying, are the warships and soldiers ready?"

"Your Highness, everything is ready. This battle will be several times more powerful than the previous invasion of Goryeo. We guarantee that it will be foolproof." Yan Shuangying said.

"That's good. I'm going back to Suzhou in August to celebrate the old lady's 80th birthday." Jia Cong said.

Yan Shuangying hurriedly said, "We dare not let down the old lady."

"Yes." Jia Cong led everyone into the meeting room and sat down. Seeing the huge sand table of the four islands of Japan on the table in front of him, he nodded with satisfaction and said, "Shuangying has made very thorough preparations."

Yan Shuangying smiled and said, "I followed the prince to fight in Liaodong that year, and I finally learned a little bit."

Jia Cong smiled and asked, "Is the sand table accurate?"

Yan Shuangying hurriedly looked at Cheng Lingsu. He had never been to Japan, so how could he know whether it was accurate or not.

Cheng Lingsu said, "Don't worry, sir. This sand table was made by the elders based on the latest intelligence. It shows the population, military strength, money, and lords of each place. It will definitely not be worse than the sand table used by the shogun."

Yan Shuangying also said: "Based on the experience of conquering Goryeo, the intelligence of the Kii Ryu is very accurate and rarely wrong."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Their ability to do things is quite good." Then he leaned over to take a closer look at the sand table and deduced the military strategy in his mind.

"Zi Long!"

"Third Brother!"

"Your Majesty!"

At this time, several young generals pushed the door open with excited expressions. They were the generals leading the troops this time, Zhang Yi, Deng Lei, Jia Huan, Lei Tai, Kong Xing, Jie Hui, etc., and more than ten children of noble families who had just graduated from the New Army Academy and were secretly transferred out of Beijing.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you." Everyone bowed down together.

Jia Cong raised his hand and said with a smile, "Everyone, get up. Lao Zhang, Shitou, how are you these days?"

The two men's faces turned purple, and they smiled when they heard the words, "Thank you for your concern, my Lord. We are doing fine. We are familiar with the muskets and cannons."

Jia Cong smiled and nodded, then looked at Jia Huan, who had grown a head taller, and said, "Brother Huan, have you ever been lazy?"

Jia Huan hurriedly put his hands together and said, "In reply to Third Brother's words, I have been training in Liaodong during the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, and I have also trained the new army in spring and autumn. I can also fire guns and cannons. I am willing to lead an army."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said with a smile: "You will go with me this time. If you want to lead the army alone, we can talk about it next time."

Everyone laughed.

Jia Huan's face fell and he said "oh" reluctantly.

Jia Cong ignored him and said, "Come and take a look."

Everyone gathered around the sand table.

"Lingsu, tell them about the situation in Japan."

"Yes, sir." Cheng Lingsu took the indicator stick and said, "Generals, the current population of Japan is about 30 million, with a total military force of about 700,000, scattered among nearly 300 feudal domains. The shogunate has about 60,000 to 70,000 standing troops."

"Three hundred vassal kings?" Deng Lei asked in a lost voice, "So many vassal kings?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "The political system of Japan is ridiculous. They are still using the feudal system that we stopped using more than 2,000 years ago. I estimate that their feudal lords are at most equivalent to one of our prefectures and counties. There is no such thing as a feudal lord or a daimyo."

Cheng Lingsu said: "Master, what you said is that compared with the Celestial Empire, the larger vassal states are equivalent to prefectures and counties, while the smaller ones are only equivalent to villages and towns."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jia Huan said with a smile: "Third brother, how about I lead the troops to attack a small vassal?"

Jia Cong glared at him and said, "Don't interrupt."

Jia Huan quickly shrank back.

Cheng Lingsu added: "Toyota uses the shi to determine taxes, labor service, military service, etc. The powerful vassal states have hundreds of thousands of shi, while the weakest vassal states only have 10,000 shi."

Zhang Yi asked: "What is Shigao?"

"It is the annual rice production in the daimyo's territory. For example, the weakest domain can harvest 10,000 koku of rice a year, which can recruit about 200 to 300 soldiers. If it is a powerful domain, it can support tens of thousands of people."

After a quick calculation, everyone realized that if 700,000 people were divided into 300 fiefdoms, the average would be no more than 2,000 people. Moreover, there must be heavy troops in important places in the capital, and the military strength in other places would be even thinner.

Yan Shuangying said, "Miss Cheng, if the country is divided into different parts, each with its own territory and troops, and no one is under the command of the other, isn't the Japanese government afraid of rebellion by the daimyo below?"

Cheng Lingsu said: "It is precisely because of this that the shogun was afraid that the daimyo would unite to cause chaos, so he established the Sankinkotai system to weaken the local areas."

"What a weird name?" Jia Cong asked with a smile.

"Every one or two years, the local daimyo had to go to Edo Castle to pay homage and take up office. After living in the capital for a period of time, they were allowed to return to their respective domains.

In total, half of the daimyo stayed in Edo Castle, and the other half stayed in their fiefdoms, taking turns to go back and forth every year. Each fiefdom was responsible for its own expenses, so each fiefdom was poor and had no extra money to grow and develop." Cheng Lingsu said.

"Weakening the branches." Jia Cong sneered, "Why bother with so much trouble? Although this will weaken the reputation, the general will not gain any benefits. It is better to avoid that explanation and collect more taxes, so that the local areas will become weaker and the shogunate will become stronger. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"

"Your Highness is wise, but the Shogun knows nothing." Everyone laughed.

Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "How can the people of the Tokugawa family compare with your wisdom?"

"Go on." Jia Cong said.

"In order to weaken the local daimyo, the shogunate also issued the one-domain-one-castle order, which allowed each domain to have only one castle, and the rest were residences and battle camps. Therefore, only the large domains had castles, and the small and medium-sized domains did not even have castles." Cheng Lingsu said.

"What are the names of Ikukan and Jinya?"

"The residence is like my farm outside the city, but of course it is a thousand times smaller, probably equivalent to a three or four-story house in the capital, with a wall and a gate.

The battle house was even more shabby, without even a wall, just a house that collapsed with one cannon shot. "Cheng Lingsu said.

Everyone shook their heads and laughed. These idiot tycoons were only as powerful as villages and towns, or even worse. Any rich local tycoon in the countryside would have high walls and even fortresses. "

"Because Japan is mountainous and transportation is inconvenient, its best and most fertile lands are concentrated in Edo, Kanto, Kyoto, Owari and other places, and the rest are scattered small cities.

For example, Hakata Castle, Kokura Castle, Kumamoto Castle, Kanazawa Castle, and Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima and other rice-producing areas in the Northeast.

Therefore, as long as our army occupies these key locations, the shogunate will collapse."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Everyone, I have named the strategy for this battle the 'Ant-Attachment Tactics'.

This time the imperial court has sent out a total of 50,000 troops. Each of you will lead a group, some with thousands or hundreds of people. A total of dozens of groups will advance in unison and attack the rich and fertile lands.

I will lead an army and land in Toshinari County, first capture Osaka Castle, then head straight for Kyoto and capture the emperor who is said to be the heir of the dynasty for eternity.

As long as the Osaka-Kyoto line is controlled, Japan will be cut in half, making it impossible to take care of both ends.

Shuangying led 10,000 troops to land in Ebara County of Musashi Domain and went straight to Edo Castle. They were not allowed to attack by force, but only had to set up camp and frequently bombard the castle to lure the enemy into either fighting or defending. They tried their best to kill and injure their manpower in field battles, making it difficult for them to rush to rescue other places.

As for the Shrimp Island, it is inhabited by uncivilized savages, so leave it alone for now and take it later."

"I have received your order." Everyone said in unison.

"Everyone, Japan is so small, and the small and medium-sized feudal states are even more vulnerable. In addition, we have the help of the Kii school who are familiar with the geography and customs, so it should not be difficult to win in one battle.

Therefore, this war requires not only military strategy, but also cultural attack, to win over the hearts of the people and completely destroy the ruling foundation of the emperor and the shogunate. You can ask Shuangying for advice on this aspect, he has experience in Shannan. "Jia Cong said.

"I have received your order." Everyone said in unison.

"The Art of War says that in the art of warfare, conquering the whole country is the best, and destroying the country is the second best. Therefore, winning every battle is not the best of the best; defeating the enemy without fighting is the best of the best.

Except for those who are stubborn and harbor evil intentions, no one shall kill innocent people indiscriminately, nor shall they commit rape, burning or looting.

The imperial court's intention was not to destroy Japan, but to bring it under the control of the Celestial Empire, expand its territory, and establish lasting achievements.

In the future, a large number of people will be needed to farm and work. If anyone fails to manage his subordinates strictly and ruins the reputation of the heavenly soldiers, I will kill him without mercy!" Jia Cong said in a deep voice.

"I have obeyed your order!" Everyone was startled, knowing that Jia Cong was a man of his word. Since he had said he would execute you without mercy, no matter who you are, you will lose your head.

"Lingsu, assign your people to them and let them get familiar with the situation over the next few days."

"Yes."

Next, Jia Cong assigned the tasks in detail, and arranged everyone to take which place.

Wei Wuji had received orders long ago and did not join up with the others. Instead, he set out from Shannan on time to take over the Buzen and Nagato domains at the junction of Kyushu and Honshu.

Five days later, Jia Cong led his troops to Incheon, and visited Hancheng, the capital of Shannan Province, and met with the ministers in the former Goryeo royal palace.

It was seen that Wu Lang, with the assistance of the Goryeo elders such as Jin and a group of capable officials sent from the capital, managed Shannan in an orderly manner and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

Jia Cong encouraged him, saying, "Wu Jiedu has made outstanding contributions to local governance. If he can persevere and make persistent efforts, it will not be an exaggeration for him to be promoted to Duke of the State one day."

Wu Lang was overjoyed. If someone else said this, he would have thought it was just bullshit, but when Jia Cong said it, it was more important than a thousand pounds. He bowed and said, "If I have any merit, it is all due to your guidance and instruction. I dare not take credit for it. I wish to lead your horse and whip you forever."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said with a smile: "I don't deserve it. You are already a senior official in charge of a region. How dare I overstep my authority?"

"I am happy to serve the prince," Wu Lang said hurriedly.

Jia Cong smiled and changed the subject, saying, "You said the other day that there are few people in Shannan who can speak Mandarin, so I asked the Ministry of Rites to send you a thousand scholars. Did you receive them?"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I have received it and have placed it in place according to Your Majesty's will."

Jia Cong said "hmm", looked at the other Goryeo officials, and said, "Everyone, is it better to be an official of Goryeo or an official of the imperial court?"

All the old and young people hurriedly lifted their clothes and bowed, kowtowed and said: "The people of Shannan have suffered from the Li family for a long time. Fortunately, the heavenly soldiers came to rescue them. We are willing to be loyal to the heavenly dynasty and willing to sacrifice our lives for His Royal Highness Prince Jing. We will go through fire and water without hesitation." (End of this chapter)