King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's roar seemed particularly powerless in the open wilderness. The five thousand Ming troops were like a sharp knife pointing directly at the heart of these frightened birds.

Tokugawa Ieyasu had a gloomy face as he looked at the word "Lu" on the Ming army's flag fluttering in the wind in the distance, secretly cursing Toyotomi Hideyoshi for his stupidity.

"Daimyo, the Ming army is coming fiercely. In this battle, we are afraid that..."

A samurai rode up to Toyotomi Hideyoshi on horseback, with undisguised fear in his tone.

"What are you afraid of? Old Maori's reinforcements will arrive soon. When the time comes, we will attack from both sides and make sure these Ming dogs will never return!"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi roared in a timid manner, as if he was cheering himself up.

Tokugawa Ieyasu sneered in his heart. The old fox Mori was very shrewd. How could he possibly sacrifice his own family fortune for Toyotomi Hideyoshi?
This was nothing but Toyotomi Hideyoshi's delusion.

"What the daimyo said is true. A mere 5,000 Ming troops are nothing to worry about! We swear to follow the daimyo and kill all these Ming dogs!"

Tokugawa Ieyasu echoed loudly, his tone full of enthusiasm, as if he really believed Toyotomi Hideyoshi's lies.

"Good! Tokugawa-kun is indeed our loyal minister to Japan!"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was overjoyed and patted Tokugawa Ieyasu on the shoulder. "Pass the order down, set up the battle formation, and fight!"

In the Ming army formation, Zhu Tan, wearing silver armor, sat upright on a tall warhorse, calmly observing the situation in front of him.

A hint of contempt appeared on the corner of his mouth. He had already seen all the little movements of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Pass the order down, concentrate superior forces and attack the central army!" Zhu Tan ordered in a deep voice, with a cold light flashing in his eyes:
"Also, separate a team and hold on to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Don't let him have a chance to come back for help!"

"As ordered!"

The sound of war drums rang out like thunder, shattering the last bit of tranquility. Like a flood that broke through a dam, the 5,000-strong Ming army launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army, which far outnumbered them.

The Ming army was well-trained and well-equipped, while the Japanese army's morale had long been low after a series of defeats. After only a few moments of fighting, the Japanese army showed signs of defeat.

"Kill!"

Screams, the sounds of weapons clashing, and the neighing of war horses intertwined into one, blood dyed the earth red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Tokugawa Ieyasu led his samurai and stubbornly resisted the attack of the Ming army.

He knew in his heart that he was like a prey targeted by a hunter. If he revealed a flaw, only death would await him.

"Tokugawa Ieyasu! You can't escape now!"

In the Ming army, a general rushed out on horseback, pointing the long sword in his hand directly at Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was the Ming army general Lan Yu!
"Hmph, just you?!" A trace of contempt flashed in Tokugawa Ieyasu's eyes. He shook the spear in his hand and rushed forward.

The two horses met, swords flashed and guns flashed, and the two men fought in a group.

Lan Yu was extremely brave, and each of his sword strikes had the power to split mountains and crack rocks. On the other hand, Tokugawa Ieyasu was experienced and steady, and used clever moves to resolve Lan Yu's attacks.

During the fierce battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly heard a cry of killing coming from afar. He was startled and subconsciously turned his head to look. He saw that Toyotomi Hideyoshi's central army had been dispersed by the Ming army. Countless Ming soldiers surrounded Toyotomi Hideyoshi like a black tide.

"Daimyo!" Tokugawa Ieyasu was horrified and wanted to go back for help, but found that he was tightly entangled by Lan Yu and could not get away at all.

"Hahaha, Tokugawa Ieyasu, your own reputation is already in danger, you should worry about yourself!" Lan Yu laughed wildly and his attack became more and more fierce.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was extremely anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

The Ming army's offensive was unstoppable.

Soon, Tokugawa Ieyasu's army was defeated.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi could never have imagined that he would end up in such a situation.

At this moment, he was kneeling in the mud in a miserable state, his once luxurious armor being pierced off by the spears of the Ming army.

The luxurious helmet had rolled off to somewhere unknown, revealing his greasy and messy hair.

Beside him were the warriors who normally bowed down to him.

At this moment, they had all become cold corpses, lying on the ground in all directions. The smell of blood mixed with the fishy smell of soil after the rain irritated his nostrils.

"Daimyo, are you okay?"

Tokugawa Ieyasu struggled to move to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's side with a look of concern on his face, but only he himself knew how much of that concern was true and how much was false.

"Tokugawa-kun, do you think we still have a chance to survive?"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's voice was trembling, as pitiful as a dog that had lost its home.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was silent for a moment, then he looked up at a distance.

The Ming army general, who was dressed in silver armor and looked like a god of death, felt a chill in his heart.

"Daimyo, now that things have come to this, we can only... surrender."

"Surrender? Humph, do you think these Ming dogs will let us go? They will take us back to Ming, chop off our heads at Caishikou, and then hang our heads on the city wall for public display!"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi roared hysterically, his eyes full of fear and despair.

"Your Highness..."

Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted to say something but was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.

He looked up and saw the Ming army general, accompanied by several personal soldiers, walking towards them with steady steps.

"He's coming...He's coming..."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's body was shaking like a sieve, and he kept muttering to himself.

Zhu Tan stood in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, looking down at the two Japanese heroes without any mercy in his eyes.

"Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, do you admit your guilt?"

Zhu Tan's voice was icy cold, as if it came from the Netherworld.

"You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you!" Toyotomi Hideyoshi stiffened his neck and roared in a timid manner.

"Humph, you are about to die, and you still dare to be stubborn!"

Beside Zhu Tan, the Ming army general Lan Yu stepped forward, unsheathed the long sword in his hand, and with a flash of cold light, he went straight for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's neck.

"stop!"

Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly rushed in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and used his body to block Lan Yu's blade.

"General Lan, wait a minute!" Zhu Tan raised his hand to stop Lan Yu, "Tokugawa Ieyasu, what do you mean?"

"General, I am willing to exchange my life for the life of my family's daimyo. Please grant my wish!"

After Tokugawa Ieyasu finished speaking, he bowed his head deeply.

Zhu Tan chuckled, with a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Tokugawa Ieyasu, you are really loyal."

"I will serve my lord even if it means death!" Tokugawa Ieyasu's voice was firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"What a man who is willing to die!" Zhu Tan's smile became even more intense. "Someone, help him!"

"What?!" Tokugawa Ieyasu suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Da Ming! Save me! Save me!"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was also panicked. He never expected that Tokugawa Ieyasu would die to save him!

"Pfft!"

The knife flashed, blood splattered, and Tokugawa Ieyasu widened his eyes in disbelief. He never understood until his death why, why...

It doesn’t mean that the Ming Dynasty was a country of etiquette.

Who do you admire most are loyal and righteous people?
"Hahaha! So happy! So happy!"

Lan Yu laughed loudly and waved the long sword in his hand again. This time, his target was Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was lying on the ground...

The blood dyed the ground red and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Lan Yu walked up to Zhu Tan and asked in confusion:

"Your Highness, why don't you take these two pirates back to Ming and let the king deal with them personally?"

Zhu Tan looked at the scene of corpses strewn all over the ground, without any wavering in his eyes:
"Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys is the only way to eliminate future troubles. Today, I will dye the land of Japan red! I will make these Japanese pirates remember the fear of today forever!"

Lan Yu was shocked when he heard this. He knelt on one knee and clasped his fists, saying, "I obey your orders!"

……

The army rested for a night on the blood-stained battlefield. On the second day, Zhu Tan left Lan Yu to continue to clear out the remaining Japanese pirates, while he himself returned to Nagasaki with some troops.

After returning to Nagasaki, Zhu Tan ordered that all the Japanese pirates who had been captured before be taken to mines, where they mined gold, silver, copper and iron day and night.

These Japanese pirates, once the masters of this land, have now become slaves of the Ming Dynasty, wasting their last moments in the dark mines.

The news was like the wings of a black crow, carrying an ominous omen, flying over the rolling mountains of Honshu Island and finally landing in the imperial palace of Japan.

"What?! Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu are both dead?!"

The brush in the King of Japan's hand fell, and the ink spread on the spread rice paper, just like his mood at the moment, shocked and angry.

"Your Majesty, calm down!" The old minister Fujiwara Tadamichi, who was kneeling below him, said tremblingly, "The Ming Lu Wang is so cruel, it seems that he has planned it in advance. We must not act rashly!"

"Act rashly? Do you want me to watch helplessly as that barbarian from the Ming Dynasty swallows up the entire territory of Japan?!"

The King of Japan slammed the table in anger, pointed at Fujiwara Tadamichi's nose and cursed:

"You old man, you usually talk about morality and justice, but now that we are facing a powerful enemy, you can only teach me to swallow my anger. You are really useless!"

Fujiwara Tadamichi was so frightened that he lowered his head even lower and dared not speak a word.

"Your Majesty, calm down," another minister, Kujo Kanetaka, saw this and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over:

"Master Fujiwara is also thinking about the country of Japan. Ming is a big country after all. We can't confront it head-on."

"Then in your opinion, what should we do?" asked the King of Japan unhappily.

"In my humble opinion, why don't we send envoys to the Ming Dynasty as we did before, write a letter to the Ming Emperor to apologize, and offer treasures to show our submission."

Kujo Kentaka suggested cautiously.

"Humph, do you think the Ming Emperor will let us go so easily?"

The King of Japan snorted coldly, obviously not satisfied with this proposal.

"Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty has always regarded itself as a country of etiquette, and I think the Ming Emperor is not a bloodthirsty person." Kujo Kanetaka continued to persuade, "As long as we show enough sincerity, I believe the Ming Emperor will show leniency and withdraw his troops back to the country."

The King of Japan pondered for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and finally nodded, agreeing to Kujo Kenshin's proposal.

"Pass the order and summon all the ministers to discuss countermeasures in the meeting hall at noon tomorrow!"

……

At noon the next day, the atmosphere in the meeting hall of the Japanese Imperial Palace was solemn.

The King of Japan sat high on the throne, his face as gloomy as water. His Highness, the civil officials and military officers were standing on both sides, each of them was as silent as a cicada, not daring to make a sound.

"My dear ministers, the Ming army is now approaching and Japan is in danger. I wonder if you have any good ideas? Feel free to speak freely." The King of Japan broke the silence first and asked in a deep voice.

The ministers looked at each other, but no one dared to speak first.

"What? Are you all mute?!" Seeing this scene, the King of Japan became even angrier and couldn't help but shout angrily.

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Kujo Kanetaka stood up with a stiff upper lip, "I think the most urgent task is to stabilize the Great Ming Prince Lu and prevent the war from spreading."

"How can we keep it stable? Are we going to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, cede territory and pay compensation as you said?!" the King of Japan said angrily.

"Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty is coming with great force this time. It is obvious that they are well prepared. We must not confront them head-on!"

Fujiwara Tadamichi also stepped forward to persuade:

"In my opinion, we should first send envoys to the Ming Dynasty to apologize to the Ming Emperor and offer treasures to show our submission. After the Ming Dynasty withdraws its troops, we can then proceed slowly."

"Yes, Your Majesty, as long as there is green, there is no need to worry about running out of firewood!"

Other ministers also echoed.

Listening to the ministers' advice, the King of Japan was angry, but he also understood that the situation was stronger than he was, so he had to suppress his anger and nodded helplessly.

"Okay, let's do as you say. We will first send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to apologize to the Ming Emperor and offer treasures to show our submission."

"Your Majesty is wise!" all the ministers said in unison.

"But the choice of this envoy..." The King of Japan frowned slightly and looked around, but found that all the ministers lowered their heads and did not dare to look at him.

"What? Do you think that sending a random person can calm the anger of the Ming Dynasty's Prince Lu?"

The King of Japan snorted coldly, his tone full of sarcasm.

When the ministers heard this, they were all shocked, knowing that the King of Japan wanted them to recommend a candidate. However, everyone knew that this mission to the Ming Dynasty would be dangerous, and no one wanted to be the victim.

At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to the Ming Dynasty and persuade the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to withdraw his troops!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person who spoke was Kujo Kenshin's son, Kujo Masataka, who was only eighteen years old!
"Masataka, you..." Kujo Kentaka was suddenly shocked and hurriedly tried to stop his son.

"Father, I have made up my mind. Please don't try to persuade me anymore!" Kujo Masataka said with a firm face.

"But..." Kujo Kentaka wanted to persuade him again, but was interrupted by Kujo Masataka with a wave of his hand.

"Your Majesty, although I am young, I also know that every citizen has a share of responsibility for the fate of a country." Kujo Masataka turned to face the King of Japan and said loudly, "I am willing to risk my life to go to the Ming Dynasty and persuade the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to withdraw his troops, so that the people of Japan can have a peaceful and prosperous life!"

Looking at the young and determined face of Kujo Masataka, the King of Japan could not help but feel a little moved. He pondered for a moment, and finally nodded and said, "Okay! Kujo Masataka, I will appoint you as the chief envoy, and you will set off for Ming tomorrow!"

"I accept your order!" Kujo Masataka knelt down to accept the order, his eyes gleaming with determination. (End of this chapter)