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

"General!"

"General!"

When the surrounding Japanese warriors saw this scene, they immediately became chaotic and drew their weapons, wanting to rush up to avenge Ashikaga Yoshimochi.

"kill!"

Seeing this, Lan Yu roared, pointed the long sword in his hand at the sky and shouted.

"Kill all these Japanese barbarians, leaving no one alive!"

"kill!"

The Ming army officers and soldiers could no longer suppress the murderous intent in their hearts.

Hearing Lan Yu's order, they rushed towards the panicked Japanese warriors like a tiger descending from a mountain.

For a moment, the palace was filled with deafening shouts of killing, flashing swords, and flying blood and flesh, just like hell on earth.

Zhu Tan stood on the high platform, looking coldly at everything in front of him, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

He came to Japan with only one purpose, which was to completely conquer this country and make it submit to the Ming Dynasty forever!
Anyone who dares to stop him will be ruthlessly crushed by him!

Waves of blood surged in the palace. The Ming army was like a group of bloodthirsty wolves, madly biting the resisting prey.

The Japanese samurai's swords were like children's toys in front of the Ming army's sophisticated armor and were vulnerable to any blow.

The screams and the sounds of weapons clashing intertwined into a symphony of death, echoing over the palace.

"General! The King of Japan has been found, hiding in the palace!"

A captain of the Ming army, covered in blood, rushed to Lan Yu, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly and excitedly.

Lan Yu wiped the blood off his face, showing his white teeth, and grinned:
"This old guy is really good at hiding! Let's go and meet him!"

Inside the bedroom, the aged King of Japan hid behind a screen trembling. Listening to the footsteps getting closer outside, he knew that his situation was hopeless.

"My Lord, let us fight to the death to escort you out!"

An old warrior knelt before the King of Japan and said tragically.

"It's useless, it's all over..." The King of Japan waved his hands weakly, his eyes full of despair.

With a loud "bang", the door of the bedroom was roughly knocked open by Ming army soldiers, and Lan Yu strode in with a long knife dripping with blood.

He looked around, and finally fixed his eyes on the screen, sneering, "King of Japan, please come out. How can you hide like this?"

The King of Japan remained silent behind the screen. He knew that he would die even if he went out, so he might as well keep the last bit of his dignity.

"Hmph, if you don't eat the toast, you'll be punished with a drink!"

Lan Yu snorted coldly and kicked the screen fiercely. The fragile screen shattered into pieces in an instant, and the King of Japan sat on the ground in embarrassment.

"You...you guys..." The King of Japan pointed at Lan Yu with trembling fingers, but could not utter complete words.

"Kill me..." The King of Japan closed his eyes and waited for death to come.

Lan Yu walked up to him and looked down at the once arrogant king.

A mocking smile appeared on his face:

"Don't worry, I will make good use of your brain."

After saying that, he suddenly drew out the sword from his waist, and with a wave of his hand, a head flew up, and blood gushed out, splashing all over Lan Yu's face.

Outside the palace, Zhu Tan was standing on a high platform in military uniform with a stern expression.

"Pass the order down, hang the heads of Ashikaga Yoshimochi and the King of Japan on the city gate for seven days! I want all the Japanese to know the consequences of daring to resist the Ming Dynasty!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Tan's order was quickly carried out.

Two heads with their eyes open were hung high above the city gate.

Swaying in the cold wind, it seemed to be silently telling the tragic fate of its owner.

The Japanese people in the city were all terrified when they saw this scene, and those who had originally held out hope were completely despaired.

Some Japanese warriors chose to lay down their weapons and surrender. They had lost the courage to resist and only wanted to save their lives.

But there are still some warriors who cannot accept the outcome of failure.

Unable to accept surrendering to their former defeated enemies, they chose to flee Kyoto, hiding in the mountains and forests, waiting for the opportunity to make a comeback.

……

The sea breeze was biting. Masataka Kujo stood at the bow, looking at the gradually approaching coastline, feeling helpless.

"Your Highness, we are about to dock."

Beside him, the elderly Fujiwara-sama reminded softly, with a barely perceptible tremor in his tone.

Kujo Masataka withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly.

"Your Highness, look, that is..."

Lord Fujiwara suddenly pointed into the distance and exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief.

Kujo Masataka looked up suddenly and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The familiar castle tower was now engulfed in raging flames, with thick smoke billowing into the sky, shrouding the entire Kyoto in a doomsday scene.

"how so?!!"

Kujo Masataka cried out in shock, and an ominous premonition came over him.

Without waiting for the ship to dock, Kujo Masataka jumped onto the boat impatiently and sped towards the shore.

He was extremely anxious and wanted to know what had happened in Kyoto.

However, the moment he stepped onto the shore, he saw an even more despairing scene.

The once prosperous Kyoto is now in ruins. Broken walls can be seen everywhere and the air is filled with a disgusting smell of blood. It is like hell on earth.

“This…what on earth is going on?!” Kujo Masataka’s legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

“Your Highness!” Lord Fujiwara hurriedly supported Kujo Masataka, tears streaming down his face, “Kyoto… Kyoto has fallen!”

“What?!” Kujo Masataka grabbed the collar of Fujiwara-sama’s clothes, his eyes bloodshot, “Who is it? Who did it?!”

"It's... it's the Ming Dynasty..." Lord Fujiwara said in a trembling voice, "It's the Ming Dynasty's army..."

Kujo Masataka suddenly raised his head and looked towards the city wall.

He saw two bloody heads hanging high above the city gate, swaying in the cold wind. They were the heads of his father and the shogun!

"what--!"

Kujo Masataka roared at the sky like a mad beast, his voice filled with a mixture of grief, despair and deep hatred.

Lord Fujiwara tightly grasped his sleeve, tears streaming down his face, but he did not dare to say a word.

After a long time, Kujo Masataka knelt down on the ground, grasping the cold ground with his hands weakly, letting the tears blur his eyes.

"Zhu Tan! I, Kujo Masataka, will never forgive you!"

He growled through gritted teeth, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Lord Fujiwara felt mixed emotions as he looked at the grief-stricken man in front of him.

He knew that the pain that Kujo Masataka had endured was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

His father, his country, and his dignity were all completely destroyed overnight by Zhu Tan, the Prince of Lu of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry..."

Lord Fujiwara said with a trembling voice, he knew that any words would be pale and powerless at this moment.

Kujo Masataka slowly stood up, his eyes were red, but he was unusually calm, so calm that it was scary.

He reached out his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, took a deep breath, and said coldly: "Pass the order down, pack up and prepare to return!"

"Return? Sir, we should take this opportunity..."

Lord Fujiwara was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion.

"Take advantage of the opportunity? Take advantage of what opportunity?"

Kujo Masataka turned his head suddenly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, "Now that Kyoto has been destroyed, my father and the general have been killed, what kind of trouble can we stir up with our remnants?"

Lord Fujiwara was frightened by his gaze and trembled all over. He lowered his head and dared not speak again.

"Zhu Tan's move is clearly to kill first and report later. He doesn't take the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty seriously at all!"

Kujo Masataka sneered:
"Does he think that he can sit back and relax after conquering Kyoto? He doesn't even think about the fact that the Ming imperial family has many descendants, all of whom are ambitious. With his achievements surpassing his master, isn't he afraid of getting into trouble?"

Lord Fujiwara suddenly realized and immediately understood Kujo Masataka's intention.

"My lord, what you mean is..."

"I want to go back to the Ming Dynasty. I want to expose Zhu Tan's evil ambitions to the Ming Emperor!"

There was a glimmer of ruthlessness in Kujo Masataka's eyes, "I will make Zhu Tan pay for what he did!"

The sea breeze was howling and the waves were rolling. Kujo Masataka stood at the bow, looking at his homeland which was gradually going away, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

He knew that his future was uncertain if he went to Ming Dynasty, but he had no choice.

……

The inner court of the royal palace, once a place of peace and prosperity, is now filled with the disgusting smell of blood.

Zhu Tan was dressed in military uniform, sitting on the throne that originally belonged to the King of Japan with an imposing manner, playing with an exquisite samurai sword in his hand, with a little blood stain still on the blade.

Kneeling in front of him were the trembling Japanese nobles. They usually lived a life of luxury, but now they were like dogs that had lost their homes, with pale faces.

"Next!"

Zhu Tan's voice was like a death warrant from hell. Every time he shouted, a Japanese noble was dragged out.

A moment later, a scream was heard in the yard, followed by silence.

"Your Highness, all the Japanese ministers have been arrested and their property has been confiscated."

Lan Yu strode in, clasped his fists and reported, his tone filled with an undisguised excitement and greed.

These Japanese nobles usually acted tyrannically and plundered countless amounts of the people's wealth. The gold, silver and treasures they obtained from their homes were piled up like mountains, which made Lan Yu jealous.

Zhu Tan responded nonchalantly and threw the samurai sword aside.

The blade hit the stone steps, making a crisp sound that was particularly harsh in the silent hall.

"These Japanese monkeys usually show off their power and bully the people. Now it's time for them to have a taste of pain."

Lan Yu said this with gritted teeth, his heart filled with anger when he thought of the Japanese warriors who had fought stubbornly on the battlefield before.

Zhu Tan smiled contemptuously. These so-called Japanese nobles were nothing but clowns in his eyes. If it were not for the purpose of establishing his authority, he would not bother to pay attention to these ants.

"Your Highness, these gold and silver treasures..."

Lan Yu rubbed his hands and asked tentatively, but his eyes were fixed on the boxes of glittering gold bars in the corner.

Zhu Tan glanced at him sideways, which made Lan Yu's heart tremble and he quickly lowered his head.

"Why, do you also want to embezzle money like those corrupt officials?"

Zhu Tan's tone was cold, with a hint of warning.

Lan Yu was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He fell to his knees with a plop and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I dare not! I am loyal to Your Highness and have no second thoughts!"

Zhu Tan snorted coldly.

"Get up."

"What use do I have for all this gold and silver? I want the whole of Japan!"

Lan Yu was stunned when he heard this. He raised his head in confusion and looked at Zhu Tan in suspicion.

Zhu Tan stood up, walked to the window, looked into the distance with deep eyes, and said slowly:
"Send the order to open private schools in various parts of Japan and recruit Chinese teachers. All Japanese people, regardless of their status, can enroll and study."

Lan Yu was even more puzzled, "Your Highness, what are you doing..."

Zhu Tan turned around, his eyes gleaming with ambition, "I want to make Japan an inseparable part of the Ming Dynasty!"

Lan Yu was shocked, and then he understood Zhu Tan’s real purpose.

His intention was not just to plunder Japan's wealth, but to fundamentally conquer the country, completely sinicize it, and turn it into a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

"But Your Highness, those Japanese people have lived here for generations. I'm afraid they won't easily accept our culture and language."

Lan Yu said with some concern.

Zhu Tan sneered:
"Then let them accept it! From now on, the official language of Japan will be changed to Chinese, and all official documents must use Chinese characters. Anyone who violates this order will be killed without mercy!"

"Also, gather all the people who can speak Chinese for me, whether they are merchants or captured Ming people. As long as they can speak Chinese, bring them to me!"

Lan Yu was shocked. He knew that Zhu Tan was going to do something serious, so he quickly took the order and left.

……

The next day, before the sun had dispersed the morning mist, Zhu Tan's courtyard was already bustling with people.

Lan Yu was dressed in military uniform, with the sword at his waist still stained with blood. He exuded a murderous aura, and behind him was a sea of ​​human heads.

These people, both men and women, old and young, dressed in rags, with pale faces, huddled together timidly, like lambs to be slaughtered.

"Your Highness, these people were collected from all over Japan according to your instructions. They can speak Chinese. Whether they are merchants or Ming people who were once captured, they are all here."

Lan Yu clasped his fists and reported, with a hint of pride in his tone, as if he was presenting a treasure.

Zhu Tan sat on a high platform, wearing a black robe with golden dragons embroidered on the cuffs, which made him look handsome and majestic.

He casually glanced at the huge crowd below, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"very good."

He slowly stood up, walked to the front of the stage, and scanned everyone with sharp eyes, like an eagle, making people shudder.

Those who were swept by his gaze all trembled and lowered their heads, not daring to look him in the face.

"I am Zhu Tan, the Prince of Lu of the Ming Dynasty!"

His voice echoed in the courtyard like a huge bell, making people's ears buzz.

"From today on, you are the people of Ming Dynasty!"

When everyone heard this, they were all stunned and looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

"Why, don't you want to?"

Zhu Tan raised an eyebrow, with a hint of danger in his tone.

"No... I dare not..." A trembling voice came from the crowd, but no one dared to look up at him.

"Humph!" Zhu Tan snorted coldly, "Lan Yu!"

"I am here!" Lan Yu quickly stepped forward and responded with a fist salute.

"Pass on my order to classify these people according to my requirements!"

There was a cold light in Zhu Tan's eyes and his tone was cold.

"As ordered!"

Lan Yu's heart trembled, and he quickly waved his hand to signal the soldiers behind him to go forward and drive the crowd to the center of the courtyard.

Soon, the crowd was divided into three parts under the rough driving of the soldiers. (End of this chapter)