Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 295 Zhu Yuanzhang's Plan
Let’s move forward a little in time.

In the spring of the 26th year of Hongwu, news from the Korean Peninsula flowed back to the capital of the Ming Dynasty like a spring breeze.

Although the grass is green, the spring chill in the south of the Yangtze River has not yet dissipated.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma and Crown Prince Zhu Biao were sitting in the warm room, drinking a pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea. The aroma of the tea wafted in the air and the atmosphere was peaceful.

When the eunuch hurried in, holding a telegram tightly in his hand, the joy on his face was beyond words.

He knelt on the ground, presented the battle report with both hands, and his voice was filled with excitement that could not be concealed: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Highness, the victory report from Goryeo has arrived!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his eyes lit up. He quickly took the battle report and glanced through it.

As his eyes moved, the smile on his face grew wider and wider, and he finally couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Good! You are worthy of being a son of the Zhu family!"

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao also guessed it. They looked at each other and smiled, their hearts filled with relief.

Zhu Biao held it up for Empress Ma to see. Empress Ma gently stroked the sleeves embroidered with auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes, glanced at him and said in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, Ying'er has really lived up to everyone's expectations. Now that the Goryeo incident has been pacified, our Ming Dynasty's prestige has become even greater, which is truly a blessing for the country."

Zhu Biao read it carefully and said, "Li Chenggui's usurpation of the country and rebellion is a heinous act. Our great Ming royal army will go to heaven to suppress the thieves. This is the only way to deter the scoundrels. Otherwise, what is the point of the royal family and vassal states?"

Zhu Yuanzhang put down his teacup, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and slowly paced in the warm room. He said in a deep voice: "Goryeo has been pacified, and the crown prince Wang Shi has returned to Kaifeng and ascended the throne smoothly. The situation has stabilized. This is a great victory for our Ming Dynasty. But what we value more is that Ying'er can spread the culture and system of our Ming Dynasty in a foreign country, so that the people of Goryeo will be loyal to the Ming Dynasty. This is the way to long-term peace and stability."

Empress Ma nodded in agreement, her eyes full of love: "Your Majesty is right. Ying'er is a child who has both literary and military skills and far-sightedness. She is truly a blessing for our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Biao suggested: "Father, I think that you should immediately issue an edict to commend the heroes of this battle and give them generous rewards to encourage our Ming soldiers and show the world that our Ming is both gracious and powerful."

"Biao'er is right. The commander-in-chief, Duke of Liang Lan Yu, the deputy commanders, Prince of Yan Zhu Di, Prince of Wu Zhu Xiongying and all the meritorious officers and soldiers will be rewarded generously!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment after hearing this, and said, "In addition, immediately draft an imperial decree to appoint Duke Zheng Chang Mao as the pacification envoy of Goryeo, and give him some gold, silver and jewelry as a reward. At the same time, he is ordered to continue to stay in Goryeo, assist Goryeo King Wang Shi in stabilizing the situation, and gradually implement our Ming system. When the situation is completely stabilized, he can withdraw to Busan and Jeju Island."

Zhu Biao was startled, but didn't say much.

The reason why Duke Lan Yu of Liang and Prince Zhu Di of Yan, who had made new contributions to the Ming army on the northern front, were not allowed to stay in Goryeo was obviously to prevent these two unruly and capable people from gaining power and becoming powerful outside.

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Go and draft the edict, and tell Ying'er that we have high hopes for him. We hope he will live up to our expectations and continue to make achievements in Goryeo. As for returning to the country to serve as a vassal, we will talk about it after we have dealt with the affairs over there."

"Yes, father!" Zhu Biao responded.

Wait until Zhu Biao leaves.

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang tenderly and whispered, "Ying'er is a smart child who has experienced the baptism of war. He will definitely achieve great things in Wu. However, the customs and habits in Wu are very different from those in the capital. We need to make careful preparations so that he can adapt quickly when he returns to the country."

As the saying goes, "A mother worries about her child even when he is thousands of miles away." As a grandmother, Empress Ma was naturally more worried about her.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "We will send the Jinyiwei to Wudi to study the local people's livelihood, commerce, and scholars to give him a reference."

"What about the palace? How is it being built now?" Queen Ma asked expectantly.

If Zhu Yuanzhang didn't tell her about this, Empress Ma would definitely not know about it.

“It’s basically done.”

Zhu Yuanzhang still paid some attention to this matter. He patted the back of Empress Ma's hand and said, "The palace must be in line with the royal regulations and reflect the characteristics of these Suzhou gardens. The three guards should also select some elite soldiers to ensure Ying'er's safety."

"Suzhou is very safe, so I'm not worried about these things."

Empress Ma added: "As for Ying'er's daily life, we need to select experienced eunuchs and palace maids. I have to personally select some capable ones in the palace."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then changed the subject and said, "When you come back, hold a proper captive surrender ceremony to show the court's attention."

"We can invite more retired officials and senior representatives."

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked out the window at the blue sky and white clouds in spring and suddenly sighed: "Alas"

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

"Sister, after this year, we will be sixty-six years old. We are old."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand to stop the other person from talking, and continued to talk to himself: "Sister, do you still remember what happened forty years ago?"

"remember."

Empress Ma was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Forty years ago, you were twenty-six, still a strong young man, and I was also young."

"Yes."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression showed some reminiscence: "Back then, I led Xu Da and the other 24 brothers out of Haozhou City with great ambitions. People now only know us as the '24 Generals of Huaixi'. Who would have thought that the expedition would go wrong? I got seriously ill on the way and was carried back to Haozhou City to recuperate. I was in a coma for half a month before I woke up and almost died."

Queen Ma's heart trembled.

She knew what Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking about from forty years ago.

But she couldn't bear to say it.

Because what her adoptive father Guo Zixing did forty years ago was really unkind.

At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang had just woken up, and Guo Zixing didn't want to keep a useless person.

To be honest, if it were someone else, it would not be Guo Zixing's fault, because there was a shortage of food in Haozhou City, and there were frequent frictions and fights within the rebel army. But Zhu Yuanzhang had saved Guo Zixing's life not long ago! Without Zhu Yuanzhang's wisdom and courage, Guo Zixing would have been tortured to death by Zhao Junyong and Sun Deya.

But even so, a few days after Zhu Yuanzhang woke up, Guo Zixing deliberately walked past Zhu Yuanzhang's house with the help of a crutch, sighing repeatedly, urging Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just recovered from a serious illness, to go out of the city and work.

Because Guo Zixing was short of men at that time, and there was a team in a mountain stronghold far away outside the city that wanted to surrender to Haozhou, but was hesitant. A friend of Guo Zixing was in the stronghold, so he wanted to send someone to contact them and subdue the team. Guo Zixing himself did not dare to go, and no one else dared to go. In other words, at that age, if you went there, you would most likely be chopped to pieces, after all, the so-called rebels in the mountain stronghold were actually bandits.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just recovered from a serious illness, knew that Guo Zixing had deliberately come here to perform such a show in order to encourage him to go there to lobby. Zhu Yuanzhang was afraid that Guo Zixing would think that his godson was a freeloader and would be treated as an abandoned person. So, that night, Zhu Yuanzhang, despite his illness, went to see Guo Zixing and was accepted by Guo Zixing. After Guo Zixing declined a little, he drove Zhu Yuanzhang away to work for him.

Zhu Yuanzhang had told Zhu Xiongying the first half of this story, but for the sake of "keeping the name of the respected person secret", he did not explain the details of the cause and effect in detail.

But Zhu Yuanzhang was grateful to Guo Zixing, but how could he not feel resentment? Anyone would feel resentment in this kind of situation.

When Zhu Yuanzhang entered the bandit's den, he was also surrounded by dangers.

At that time, he rejected Fei Ju's suggestion to replace him and entered the bandit's lair. The bandit leader asked him why he came. After listening, he agreed to surrender and asked Zhu Yuanzhang to leave a token as a proof. So Zhu Yuanzhang left a sachet and the bandit leader also presented him with ox jerky. After Zhu Yuanzhang finished eating, the bandit leader told Zhu Yuanzhang that you should go back for the time being and go to surrender after the camp is cleaned up.

This was obviously a lie, but Zhu Yuanzhang had no soldiers at the time, so he could only leave Fei Ju in his camp. Three days later, Fei Ju ran back in the morning and told Zhu Yuanzhang that this group of bandits wanted to flee somewhere else.

Zhu Yuanzhang borrowed 300 soldiers and invited the bandit leader to a meeting and discussion. He let the 300 people on Zhu Yuanzhang's side gather together to watch, and then let him go back three times in a row to make him relax his vigilance. Zhu Yuanzhang then took the opportunity to kidnap the bandit leader and ordered 50 strong men to gather around the bandit leader to leave the camp and walk more than ten miles. He then sent someone to convey a false order to the camp. When the bandits left the camp, he burned down the camp to cut off their retreat and returned with all the troops in the camp.

And how many soldiers are there in the entire battalion? Three thousand!
This group of refugees turned bandits became the first cornerstone of Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial ambitions.

With the twenty-four generals of Huaixi and these three thousand soldiers, Zhu Yuanzhang had the capital to attack the Yuan general Zhang Zhiyuan in the east at night. The Yuan general abandoned his troops and fled. Zhu Yuanzhang captured 20,000 strong men. After a brief training, he led his army south to capture Chuzhou, and embarked on the road to dominate the world.

It can be said that this time of diving into the tiger's mouth was the first pot of gold that Zhu Yuanzhang truly made his fortune.

So much so that now, forty years later, I still feel a little emotional when I think of my fearless self at the age of twenty-six.

"It's all over." Queen Ma comforted.

"Yeah, it's all over."

Zhu Yuanzhang's mood became more positive. He said with satisfaction, "I feel that Ying'er has the same courage as we did when we fought to the death in the battle on the south bank of the Yalu River! We did have a way out back then, but a real man should have the courage to take risks."

"Ying'er looks like you."

"To be honest, I have some selfish motives," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "He is more like me than Biao'er, who has never been to the battlefield."

"In short, Ying'er is now both civil and military, and has gained some prestige in the local area and the army. We can rest assured about future matters. After all, we are old and don't have many years left to live."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, a hint of sadness flashed across his eyes, but it was soon replaced by determination. He turned around, looked at Empress Ma, and continued, "Sister, do you know? I have been thinking about something that concerns the future of our Ming Dynasty and the inheritance of our Zhu family."

Empress Ma's heart tightened when she heard this, but she still kept a gentle smile on her face and asked softly, "Your Majesty, what you are thinking in your heart must be for the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty. I would like to hear the details."

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly walked to the window, staring at the blue sky outside, as if thinking about how to word it.

After a moment, he turned around and said in a firm tone: "Sister, we plan to abdicate the throne to Biao'er in two years. Let him officially succeed to the throne and become the new emperor of Ming Dynasty."

When Queen Ma heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

Almost instantly, she understood the deep meaning of Zhu Yuanzhang's move, and nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty is far-sighted, this move will surely stabilize the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, and I fully support it."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled with relief and continued, "More importantly, I want to see Ying'er being made the crown prince with my own eyes. This way, three generations of our Zhu family will live together, and the throne will be passed down in an orderly manner. I can also rest assured."

"Ying'er is a child who has inherited your wisdom, courage and insight. She will definitely be able to shoulder great responsibilities in the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, his eyes full of expectation: "Yes, Ying'er is not only knowledgeable about military affairs, but also cares about the world and knows how to govern the country. With him, my Ming Dynasty will be more stable."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to remember something and changed the subject, "However, before we abdicate, we still need to make all preparations for Biao'er and Ying'er, including the stability of the government and the handover of military power. These are things that need to be handled. You and I know this, and no one else is allowed to know about it."

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, his heart full of expectations for the future. This was the most important step in his future life. He would hand over the Ming Dynasty to the next generation and then establish the inheritance rights of the next generation. In this way, the Ming Dynasty would not be easily shaken in the next few decades.

After all, the heir to the throne is the foundation of the country. Once he is established, evil people will not have any evil thoughts and the country will enjoy long-term stability.

As the years passed, Zhu Yuanzhang felt more and more that he was unable to cope with the situation.

——Aging is everyone’s enemy.

The saying "Since ancient times, beauties are like famous generals, and they are not allowed to grow old in the world" is exactly this truth.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not a person who was particularly attached to power. The reason why many people have the opposite impression is because of Zhu Yuanzhang's diligence and some of his almost paranoid behaviors. But in fact, the motivation for all Zhu Yuanzhang's actions was to leave a stable and prosperous Ming Dynasty for future generations.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not believe that his descendants would be able to surpass him in ability and character, so he worked hard to establish all the systems, to accomplish everything that his generation could do, and even to make arrangements for the next generation.

After so many years of experience, Zhu Yuanzhang believed that Zhu Biao was able to take on this supreme power and responsibility.

In addition, Zhu Xiongying's outstanding performance in the past three years also won the recognition of Zhu Yuanzhang.

When Zhu Yuanzhang reached his age, he could not be sure when an accident would happen and his life would end.

Therefore, he had to arrange the succession to the throne while he still maintained his health and judgment.

For this reason, he didn't mind being the emperor for a few years. After all, as long as the "crown prince" was still alive, there was no rule or reason to have a "crown grandson" with the same inheritance rights.

But as long as Zhu Yuanzhang abdicated and let Zhu Biao succeed him as emperor, Zhu Xiongying could be immediately made crown prince.

However, this matter is not particularly urgent.

After all, although Zhu Yuanzhang felt that his physical condition had deteriorated a little, he was not seriously ill, nor had anything happened to make him so angry that his body would quickly collapse, so there was still time for all this.

He also needed to make a series of adjustments to the personnel and various systems in the central court and local areas to facilitate Zhu Biao's succession and win the hearts of the people. Zhu Yuanzhang also believed that under his careful arrangements, the future of the Ming Dynasty would be better with each generation.

While Zhu Xiongying was busy consolidating Ming's power in Goryeo, the Muromachi shogunate, which was far away in Japan...well, maybe not that far away, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was also closely watching the changes in the war situation in Goryeo and the next strategy that Ming might adopt against Japan.

As the news of Lee Seong-gye's defeat and suicide came, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was well aware that this incident would have a profound impact on the relationship between Japan and the Ming Dynasty. He immediately summoned his important ministers - the "Three Kanrei" including the Sasaki clan, the Hosokawa clan, and the Hatakeyama clan, as well as the "Four Officials" in charge of the samurai office: the Yamana clan, the Isshiki clan, the Kyogoku clan, and the Akamatsu clan.

Hatakeyama Motokuni, Sasaki Yoshimasa, Hosokawa Mitsurugi, Akamatsu Yoshinori, Isshiki Mitsunori... these important officials in Kyoto all gathered in the meeting hall of the shogunate's "Hana no Gosho" to discuss countermeasures.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu knelt upright on the main seat, frowning, and swept his eyes over every important official present. He spoke slowly, "Everyone, the situation in Goryeo has changed suddenly. Lee Seong-gye has been defeated, and the Ming army is unstoppable. Now Goryeo has been controlled by the Ming. We must prepare for a rainy day and make arrangements in advance."

Hatakeyama Motokuni spoke first, his voice steady: "General, what you said is very true. The defeat of Goryeo has fully demonstrated the might of the Ming army. Although Japan is far away across the ocean, it is difficult to guarantee that it will not be affected, so as to avoid the recurrence of the Yuan invaders. The most urgent task is to strengthen coastal defense and build more 'Yuan invaders' fortresses' to prevent the Ming Dynasty from expanding eastward."

The Mongols did not make much preparation for logistical supplies during their first sea expedition to Japan, and the supply ships were unable to arrive due to hurricanes. The hungry Yuan army was driven into the sea by the Japanese, and only half of the troops escaped. The second sea expedition to Japan was wiped out by the so-called "divine wind".

However, a hundred years ago, the Hojo family built many defensive fortifications about two or three meters high and three meters wide at the bottom along the coastline of Hakata Bay, which were called "Yuankou Fortresses". They were used to observe the situation of the enemy on the sea and resist the enemy's landing. This idea still gives great inspiration to the Japanese today.

"Yes, it's better to be prepared for this matter."

Yoshimasa Sasaki took over the conversation and added: "Although what Lord Hatakeyama said makes sense, strengthening coastal defense is not a one-day job. We also need to consider how to establish a more stable diplomatic relationship with the Ming Dynasty to eliminate its possible hostility. Perhaps, we can express our respect to the Ming Dynasty through the so-called "tribute system" of the Ming Dynasty, and at the same time buy more buffer time."

Hosokawa Mitsuru pondered for a moment, but then expressed a different view: "Tribute is a traditional method, but the Ming Dynasty has become stronger in recent years and has invaded many neighboring countries. Tribute alone may not be able to satisfy its appetite."

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Isshiki Mitsunori said nothing.

After hearing this, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu nodded slightly, expressing his approval of the opinions of these shogunate officials: "What you said is all reasonable. Strengthening coastal defense, establishing diplomatic relations, and preferably achieving 'Kan' trade to promote trade are all indispensable. But more importantly, we must keep a clear mind and be confident. We must see the strength of the Ming army, but also believe in our own strength. What the Yuan Dynasty could not do, the Ming Dynasty may not be able to do either."

Subsequently, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu deployed the next action plan in detail. On the one hand, he strengthened the defensive fortifications in the coastal areas, increased fleet patrols, and ensured the safety of the sea; on the other hand, he selected smart and capable envoys to go to the Ming Dynasty to express friendly intentions and explore the establishment of closer economic ties, that is, a larger-scale and formal "Kan'ei trade."

The so-called "Kanhe trade" refers to a name for foreign countries to conduct tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty, also known as "tribute ship trade". After the implementation of the maritime ban in the early years of Hongwu, only foreign countries were allowed to conduct tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty with specified time and place. Foreign merchant ships carried tribute and their own local products to China. After the Ming court collected the tribute and purchased local products, it rewarded the foreign merchants with the Ming Dynasty items they needed in the form of "state gifts". The tribute period for each country was three or five years, and for Japan, it was stipulated that the tribute was once every ten years. The reason for this was that unlike Goryeo, Annan and other countries, Japan did not establish a real vassal relationship with the Ming Dynasty. The tribute ships must hold a "Kanhe" issued in advance by the Ming Dynasty, which is a trade license.

The reason why Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was different from the rulers of other countries, such as Lee Seong-gye, and was very enthusiastic about trade was based on two reasons.

First, Japan is now in a state of civil war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Although it is nearing its end, the Southern Dynasty is still putting up an effective resistance. The land occupied by the Southern Dynasty is in the southern part of the islands, which is closer to the Ming Dynasty and conducts maritime trade more frequently. The Northern Dynasty is generally in the mountains and inland, and only a few feudal domains on Kyushu Island have fleets for maritime trade. The Northern Dynasty has more land and land forces than the Southern Dynasty, but there is still some gap in navy and maritime trade.

Second, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was very short of money. Japan was different from Ming or Goryeo. Any lord, even the shogun, was highly dependent on loans from big merchants and temples for military expenses. In Ming, merchants were the lowest class. Zhu Yuanzhang could kill any big merchant he wanted, and the merchant dared not say a word of "no". However, in Japan, the shogun and even the emperor owed money to the merchants and had to pay it back honestly. After fighting for so many years, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had no money, so he urgently needed to get some money through the kango trade with Ming.

After the meeting, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu remained alone in the meeting room.

Outside the window is the tranquil courtyard of "Hanano Gosho", but his mind has already crossed the ocean. In such troubled times, understanding the movements of the Ming Dynasty is crucial to Japan's security.

Therefore, he summoned the abbot of Beishan Temple——Gu Jian Miao Kuai.

The Buddhist temple economy was an important part of Japan's economy at that time. Buddhist temples generally owned a large amount of land and population. In addition to these, they also had special rights to interpret scriptures, arm monks, and be exempt from taxes. Therefore, rather than viewing these Buddhist temples as ordinary temples, it is better to say that they were separatist forces that gathered a large population, possessed strong economic and military power, and even controlled a considerable territory.

Kitayama-ji Temple is a temple directly affiliated with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

This is the birthplace of Japan's famous Kitayama culture. The biggest feature of Kitayama culture is the integration of traditional public family culture and emerging samurai culture, as well as the influence of Zen Buddhism. The samurai represented by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu advocated Zen Buddhism and perfected the Five Mountains and Ten Temples system, making Zen culture deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The monks of the Five Mountains made remarkable achievements in Chinese poetry and prose, and Zen painters represented by Ming Zhao and Ruzhuo also showed some Japanese characteristics based on their study of Chinese Song and Yuan Dynasty ink paintings.

Therefore, at this time, Kitayama Temple was actually the cultural center of Japan.

"Master Myokai." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said respectfully, "I have been deeply worried about the situation in the Ming Dynasty recently, especially about the changes in its foreign policy. I heard that there is a monk named Daoyan who once served under the Ming Dynasty Wu Wang Zhu Xiongying. He is now traveling around the world and happened to come to our country and stayed at Beishan Temple. This person is extremely wise and has a thousand connections with the top leaders of the Ming Dynasty. I want to learn about the possible next moves of the Ming Dynasty through him. I wonder if you are willing to go to Beishan Temple and invite Master Daoyan to come to the shogunate for a chat?"

Gu Jianmiao Kuai heard this, clasped his hands together, bowed slightly and said: "General, you have a long-term vision, I will do my best. Master Daoyan is indeed knowledgeable and has extraordinary insights. Please rest assured, I will return to the temple immediately and will not let you down."

Soon, Gu Jian Miaokuai, wearing a cassock and holding a rosary, set out on the journey back to Beishan Temple.

Kitayama Temple is located on the outskirts of Kyoto, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and towering ancient trees. At this time, Kitayama culture had just emerged, and for many monks and common people, this place was a pure land.

After arriving at the temple, Gu Jianmiao quickly came to Daoyan's Zen room.

After knocking on the door lightly and getting a response, Gu Jianmiao walked in slowly and quickly.

The room was simple and elegant. Daoyan was sitting upright on a cushion with his eyes closed in meditation.

Gu Jian Miao quickly stepped forward and bowed, explaining his purpose, and sincerely invited Daoyan to go to the shogunate to discuss important matters with General Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Daoyan opened his eyes, his gaze was deep and peaceful, he smiled slightly, and said: "Master Gu Jian, your kindness is hard to refuse. Since I have been invited by the general, I will do my best to help. However, I am a poor monk with little knowledge and ordinary experience, so I hope the general and the master will not have too high expectations."

Gu Jianmiaokuai heard this and secretly admired Daoyan's humility. He quickly returned the greeting and said, "Master Daoyan, you are too modest. The general is looking forward to it. Please do me the honor of visiting you."

So, accompanied by Gu Jian Miaokuai, Daoyan embarked on the journey to the shogunate's "Hana no Gosho". Along the way, the two talked about Buddhism and worldly affairs from time to time, and they deepened their understanding of each other.

After arriving at the shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu personally welcomed Michiyan and treated him with the highest etiquette.

(End of this chapter)