Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 313: Killing a Camel and Eating Its Meat
After the battle, the Ming army quickly set up temporary first aid tents on the battlefield to treat the wounded and count the spoils.

At the same time, Zhu Xiongying sent a messenger to Gaoqu Castle to report the battle situation and convey the next action plan.

The Southern Dynasty army in Takatori Castle also passed the news back to Yoshino. When the Southern Dynasty rulers and ministers learned that the shogunate army was defeated, they were all excited. It seemed that with the help of the Ming army, they would be able to return to Kyoto, which they had longed for for decades, and become the true legitimate government of Japan.

However, things did not develop in this direction. With the assistance of the Ming army, the Southern Dynasty did not begin to recover lost territory and gradually advance towards Kyoto. With the defeat of the shogunate army, the Ming army only occupied the Nara Basin and stopped advancing. Instead, it stationed in the temple properties near Kofuku-ji that had not been burned down.

The reason is very simple. There is no need for the Ming army to take risks.

If the supply line is to be extended northward out of Yamato, then troops must be allocated and supply costs increased, which is not cost-effective from a military perspective.

Moreover, from a political perspective, if they wanted to attack Kyoto rashly at this time, it would only unite the Muromachi shogunate, which was already on the verge of collapse.

Therefore, now that the overall situation has basically been determined, waiting is the best way.

Zhu Xiongying sat firmly on the Diaoyutai and stayed in Xingfu Temple.

Of course, he did not just do nothing and wait for the arrival of the main force of the Ming army led by Duke Cao Li Wenzhong.

Instead, they continued to send envoys and form alliances through diplomatic means.

The greatest significance of this battle is far more than a military victory. It is also a display of the Ming Dynasty's powerful and overwhelming strength, and a profound deterrent to various Japanese forces.

With strength as a foundation, all negotiations will be much easier.

Soon, Jian Yi arrived in Kamakura again, but this time he came alone, without Ano Gong. The significance of this change could not be more obvious.

At this time, the Kanto Shogun Ashikaga Mitsukane also learned the result of the decisive battle between the Muromachi shogunate and the Ming army. This battle was a great shock to Ashikaga Mitsukane.

If we say that in the previous Battle of Yoshino, where several thousand Ming troops repelled tens of thousands of shogunate troops, it could be said that this was an unrepeatable individual case, but this time in the Nara Basin, both sides did not use any tricks in the open terrain and fought a real battle with real swords and guns. The Ming army, which was at a significant disadvantage in terms of military strength, defeated the Muromachi shogunate army. This is enough to illustrate the problem.

Therefore, when the Ming envoy Jian Yi came to Ashikaga Mitsukane again with conditions to negotiate, Ashikaga Mitsukane was already a little more fearful.

However, the conditions this time are more stringent than last time. After all, the positions and prices of both parties have changed.

As Jian Yi was invited into Ashikaga Mitsukane's study again, the Kamakura Palace outside the window was still noisy, but after the door was closed, the study became unusually quiet, as if even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

"Your Excellency Gongfang, we meet again." Jian Yi started with his usual calmness, but his eyes revealed a sharpness that should not be underestimated.

Ashikaga Mitsukane nodded solemnly.

"No need to be polite. Please go ahead, envoy."

Jian Yi smiled slightly and handed a more complicated draft agreement to Ashikaga Mitsukane.

"Master Gongfang, we have made comprehensive revisions to this agreement."

Ashikaga Mitsukane took the draft and frowned slightly. This new agreement not only added some specific conditions, but also included a series of additional restrictions. For example, the Ming Dynasty required Ashikaga Mitsukane to open some ports to Ming Dynasty merchants after integrating Kanto, and promised to cede the northern islands such as Sado Island to the Ming Dynasty, and obey the Ming Dynasty's policy towards Japan.

"Sado Island? What's so great about this small island where criminals are exiled?"

Ashikaga Mitsukane had some doubts in his heart.

However, this doubt quickly passed.

Because the Ming Dynasty really liked to cede some small islands for use as ports, such as Jeju Island, and the recently occupied Tsushima Island and Iki Island, which will probably belong to the Ming Dynasty after the war.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Ashikaga Mitsukane ceded Sado Island.

And if you think about it carefully, Sado Island's geographical location is not entirely useless. After all, it is a place that can contain the entire northeastern waters of Honshu Island. Well, that's because there is only such a large island in this sea area.

In this way, whether it was for commercial trade or military considerations, the Ming Dynasty had its reasons for wanting Sado Island.

However, Ashikaga Mitsukane did not take this matter seriously, after all, he did not have much of a navy.

In fact, Ashikaga Mitsukane could never have imagined that the barren land where he exiled criminals was actually a mountain of gold! A mountain of gold in the literal sense!

As for the other additional conditions, although they were harsh, the situation was stronger than the people. Ashikaga Mitsukane failed to completely take over Kanto, and the Ming army had defeated the main force of the shogunate army. With the continuous arrival of Ming army reinforcements, the demise of the Muromachi shogunate seemed inevitable, so Ashikaga Mitsukane must also consider the next situation.

Generally speaking, the status of the two sides became more unequal, and they no longer had the qualifications to negotiate on an equal footing. As long as the conditions of the Ming Dynasty were not particularly excessive, Ashikaga Mitsukane had no reason to refuse.

However, although there was not much room for bargaining, Ashikaga Mitsukane still planned to talk.

"These conditions." Ashikaga Mitsukane pondered for a moment, then looked up at Jian Yi, "seem to be beyond the scope of our previous agreement. Are they too hasty?"

Jian Yi explained calmly, "Mr. Gongfang, the Ming Dynasty supports you in all aspects, but naturally it also requires corresponding returns. Opening the port will not only help the prosperity of trade between the two sides, but also provide you with more resources and support."

"As for the rest, Daming just hopes to get your cooperation in possible future changes in the situation. Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't cooperate."

Jian Yi did not finish the rest of his words to give Ashikaga Mitsukane some face.

But the meaning is very clear. Although the Ming Dynasty cannot swallow up the whole of Japan in one breath, it is still a very simple thing to destroy that force and support a puppet.

However, Ashikaga Mitsukane had other plans in mind. He was well aware that once he became completely dependent on the Ming Dynasty, his independence would be greatly reduced.

Of course, Ashikaga Mitsukane has no choice but to rely on the Ming Dynasty now, because after this war, there are still many forces that want to serve the Ming Dynasty as dogs. If he really turns against the Ming Dynasty, then forces such as the Southern Dynasty and Ouchi Yoshihiro will definitely be eyeing him covetously, trying to use the rift in the cooperation between him and the Ming Dynasty to seek benefits and become the Ming Dynasty's dog.

"I will naturally consider the request of the Ming Dynasty carefully." Ashikaga Mitsukane said slowly, "But before that, I have a few doubts that the Ming Dynasty needs to answer. First, the remaining forces of the Uesugi clan are indeed difficult to deal with, but how can the Ming Dynasty guarantee that it will not harm my fundamental interests when intervening? Secondly, what is the attitude of the Ming Dynasty towards the Southern Dynasty? Will it abandon me at a critical moment and support the Southern Dynasty?"

Jian Yi's expression remained unchanged when he heard this.

On his way here, he had already thought that Ashikaga Mitsukane would raise these sensitive issues so directly.

After a moment's thought, Jian Yi replied, "Regarding the issue of the Uesugi clan, if His Excellency needs it, we can discuss the specific conditions. The Ming Dynasty will send elite troops to assist. As for the Southern Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty has always maintained a neutral position, but will not tolerate any behavior that harms the interests of the Ming Dynasty. If His Excellency can sincerely cooperate with the Ming Dynasty, he naturally does not have to worry about the threat of the Southern Dynasty."

However, Ashikaga Mitsukane was not completely reassured.

Every word spoken at the negotiation table certainly contains hidden meanings, but at the same time, many agreements reached at the negotiation table with great effort often end up becoming waste paper.

So, he changed the subject and made another request: "If the Ming Dynasty is sincere in cooperating with me, I hope to get more specific promises. For example, can the Ming Dynasty provide more substantial support in military and economic areas?"

Although Jian Yi felt dissatisfied when he heard this, he also understood that this was some kind of test from Ashikaga Mitsukane to see how sincere the Ming Dynasty was.

Jian Yi pushed Taiji and said, "Ming will seriously consider Lord Gongfang's request, but before that, we also hope that Lord Gongfang can show more sincerity. After all, cooperation between the two sides needs to be based on mutual trust, don't you think?"

Then, the two sides exchanged sharp words again. Ashikaga Mitsukane kept putting forward new conditions, trying to gain the maximum support from the Ming Dynasty while maintaining independence, while Jian Yi needed to flexibly respond to various issues raised by Ashikaga Mitsukane while safeguarding the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

The two sides exchanged sharp words back and forth, and finally they managed to reach an agreement that was relatively compromising.

Although this agreement still has many unfinished parts, it at least provides valuable support for Ashikaga Mitsukane to integrate Kanto, fight against the Uesugi clan, and even occupy a place in the future political landscape of Japan.

Of course, Ashikaga Mitsukane paid a painful price for this.

For the Ming Dynasty, this agreement is also an important step in its layout in Japan.

When Jian Yi returned to Xingfu Temple, the burned-down temple had already begun to be rebuilt.

The dispute between Mahayana-in and Ichijo-in was the fuse of this war. Before the war, Zhu Xiongying had already made a promise to Master Betsu Koen of Kofuku-ji through Daoyan.

Now is the time to fulfill our promise.

Well. It's not that Zhu Xiongying kept his promise to the Japanese monk, but the geographical location of Xingfu Temple is very critical. Since Zhu Xiongying wants to disrupt the situation in Japan, he has to learn from Dai Ying's inhumane behavior and lay mines everywhere. Xingfu Temple is a very good mine.

This place can block the Southern Dynasty and the Northern Dynasty, but the Kofuku-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple power, and naturally it is not in harmony with the imperial court. This is the same in China and Japan. The rise of Buddhist temple power will inevitably acquire a large amount of land, population and wealth.

However, it is impossible for the power of Buddhist temples to establish a Buddhist kingdom on earth.

In addition, the existence of Buddhist temple forces in Japan is very widespread, so supporting an independent and powerful Buddhist temple force to curb Japan's secular regime is a very effective means of division and balance.

At this time, Zhu Xiongying was playing chess with Daoyan. When he saw Jian Yi coming back, he stopped the chess piece in his hand.

"How did the talk go?" Zhu Xiongying put down the white piece in his hand and looked at Jian Yi.

Jian Yi bowed slightly and briefly reported the process and results of the negotiations. Finally, he added: "Although Ashikaga Mitsukane was unwilling, he finally accepted our conditions under the pressure of the situation."

Zhu Xiongying nodded slightly, with a smile on his face. "Very good. Ashikaga Mitsukane's compromise proves that our strategy is correct. However, this agreement is only the first step. Next, we must ensure that every item in the agreement can be implemented."

He turned to Daoyan and continued, "Master Daoyan, the affairs of Kofuku-ji Temple are now in your hands. I promised to provide assistance to Master Xiaoyuan, and it must be in place as soon as possible. We want to make Kofuku-ji Temple an important chess piece for us in Japan."

"Amitabha."

Daoyan clasped his hands together.

"Your Highness, rest assured. I will do my best to assist Master Xiaoyuan in rebuilding the temple, and secretly guide the balance of power between the 'disciples' and the 'citizens' to ensure that Xingfu Temple can both protect itself and become a force for us to contain the Northern and Southern Dynasties."

Zhu Xiongying nodded with satisfaction and turned his gaze to the chessboard again, as if everything was under control.

"Master Daoyan, let's continue this game of chess."

The two men threw themselves back into the game of chess, but their minds were already drifting away.

After learning that the shogunate army was defeated, Ouchi Yoshihiro in Kansai and Imagawa Ryotoshi in Kanto also adjusted their strategic deployments.

Ouchi Yoshihiro took the opportunity to expand his sphere of influence in Kansai, while Imagawa Ryotoshi continued to remain neutral and wait and see. They were both waiting for a better opportunity to gain an advantageous position in this major reshuffle.

As the war progressed, Japan's political landscape began to undergo profound changes. Shugo daimyo from all over the country took sides, and the whole of Japan was drawn into a huge vortex, and no one could remain immune.

As the main force of the Ming army led by Li Wenzhong arrived one after another, Zhu Xiongying also prepared for the next step.

Before mobilizing troops, he was still waiting for feedback from Kansai and Kyushu Island.

The Northern Court forces on Kyushu Island are the Otomo, Ouchi, Matsuura, Arima, Kikuchi, Sagara, Hata, Goto, and Munesada families. Most of them are small forces. The only ones that can be considered big forces are the Otomo and Ouchi clans. Now, the head of the Otomo clan has died in the Battle of the Osumi Islands, and the Ouchi clan has also raised the banner of rebellion against the shogunate. It can be said that they have become a group of mobs and can no longer cause any trouble.

In addition, Kyushu Island is the closest to Ming Dynasty in Japan and the place where maritime trade is most prosperous. Therefore, the forces here have some exchanges with Ming Dynasty. Now that they see that the shogunate is failing, in order to maintain their own interests, they have sent envoys to show goodwill to Ming Dynasty. The current fragmentation of Kyushu Island is also welcomed by Ming Dynasty. There are all kinds of conflicts between these families. As long as the situation is completely settled, it is not difficult to slowly provoke and turn the conflicts into conflicts.

Therefore, after waiting for all the forces on Kyushu Island to communicate, Zhu Xiongying temporarily put aside his attention on Kyushu Island.

The most important one is the powerful Tadanobu clan in Kansai.

Not only did the Ouchi clan raise the banner of rebellion, and not only because he was one of the two wings attacking the shogunate, but more importantly, the Iwami Silver Mine in Iwami Province was located in the Ouchi clan's territory.

After the Meitoku Rebellion, the Ouchi clan had become the guardian of the six provinces of Suho, Nagato, Iwami, Buzen, Izumi, and Kii, and also controlled the trading port of Sakai City and the east-west shipping routes of the Seto Inland Sea.

In addition, the Ouchi clan claimed that they were descendants of the Baekje royal family and used this as an excuse to ask Goryeo to grant them land.

It can be said that the Ouchi clan was the most powerful force active in the border waters between Ming, Goryeo and Japan.

A powerful Kansai force is not something anyone wants to see.

The last such a strong force in Kansai was the Yamana clan. When Yamana Tokiuji surrendered to the shogunate, he was appointed the guardian of five provinces, namely Tamba, Tango, Inaba, Hoki, and Bimasaka. After Yamana Tokiuji's death, the position of guardian was taken over by his son. Soon after, the Yamana clan also obtained the guardian of six provinces, namely Tajima, Izumi, Kii, Izumo, Oki, and Bingo. In this way, the Yamana clan occupied the guardian of eleven out of the sixty-six provinces in Japan, and was therefore known as the "sixth of the majority".

The Muromachi shogunate wanted to weaken the Yamana clan, so the "Meitoku Rebellion" broke out. Yamana Ujikiyo and Yamana Mitsuruyuki led their troops in Uchino in Kyoto and fought a great battle with the shogunate army, but ended in failure. In the end, the Yamana family only retained the three countries of Tajima, Hoki and Inaba, which were also the reasons for the rise of the Ouchi clan.

Although the Ouchi clan's power is only half of what the Yamana clan was at its peak, this force spanning the northeastern part of Kyushu and the western part of Honshu has unique trade advantages, which is still intolerable to the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, it is not difficult to obtain Sado Island from Ashikaga Mitsukane. It would be best if we can get it through negotiation. If not, the Ming fleet can do it later. It is just an isolated island overseas.

But Iwami Province is different. It is a large piece of coastal land. If you want to obtain it, you will inevitably come into conflict with the Ouchi clan, and you will need to station troops for a long time to defend this land.

However, at the moment, the Ouchi clan is only a theoretical "ally" rather than an enemy.

Zhu Xiongying still needs to concentrate his energy and first crush the dying camel of the shogunate before dealing with other things.

The Ouchi clan also attached great importance to this negotiation. Ouchi Yoshihiro sent his younger brother Ouchi Hiroshige to take a boat. After arriving at the port in the southern part of Honshu Island, they rushed all the way to Kofuku-ji Temple.

Zhu Xiongying met him in person.

When Ouchi Hiroshige stepped into the reception room of Kofuku-ji Temple, he was wearing gorgeous clothes and had a famous sword passed down from generation to generation in his family on his waist. It was obvious that he was very particular about his appearance, or he did not want to lose face here.

Zhu Xiongying extended his hand and motioned for Ouchi Hiroshige to take a seat.

"The envoy has come from afar and has worked hard. Let's talk while we drink tea."

Ouchi Hiroshige bowed slightly to express his respect for Zhu Xiongying, and then sat down opposite him.

The waiter then served fragrant tea. It was different from the tea popular in Japan now, or the tea learned in the Tang Dynasty. The tea in the Ming Dynasty was almost the same as that in the modern world, and no sugar, salt or other things were added to it.

Take a sip, and the fragrance of tea immediately spreads between your lips and teeth.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Ming, on behalf of my brother, Ouchi Yoshihiro, I express my deepest respect to you."

Ouchi Hiroshige got straight to the point and spoke sincerely: "The defeat of the shogunate army this time shows the great military strength of the Ming Dynasty. We, the Ouchi clan, deeply admire it."

Zhu Xiongying smiled slightly: "I have long heard of the reputation and strength of the Ouchi family in Kansai. This cooperation is a win-win situation for both parties."

"That's right." Ouchi Hiroshige continued, "My brother hopes to establish a closer cooperative relationship with the Ming Dynasty and jointly fight against the shogunate."

This is what it means to hope to occupy a favorable position in the future political landscape of Japan.

Zhu Xiongying nodded slightly, picked up the teacup and said meaningfully.

"I am deeply gratified by the attitude of the Ouchi clan. However, cooperation is not just a verbal promise, but also requires the support of practical actions. I believe that as a powerful force in Kansai, the Ouchi clan will definitely play an important role at the critical moment."

Translation, translation, what is the critical moment?

Taking advantage of the situation to destroy the Muromachi shogunate, this is called a critical moment.

Ouchi Hiroshige understood what he meant and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. The Ouchi clan will go all out. My brother has ordered the troops to be reorganized and ready to respond to the call of the Ming Dynasty at any time. At the same time, the Ouchi clan is willing to provide full support in trade, intelligence and other aspects."

Zhu Xiongying nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction with Ouchi's attitude. He changed the subject and mentioned a more specific topic.

However, Zhu Xiongying did not mention the fact that Iwami Kingdom had a silver mine.

The locals must have known that there was a silver mine there, but because it was in the mountains and there had been years of war, no one had the energy to explore and mine. They just thought it was a small associated mine, so they didn't know the specific information.

If the Ouchi clan knew about this, things would become a little troublesome at the moment, so it would be better not to mention it and wait until the Muromachi shogunate is destroyed. If the Ouchi clan does not appreciate it, then we will have to use force.

On the other side of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu fled the battlefield and fled back to Kyoto with his remaining troops.

Faced with this great defeat, he was filled with resentment. There was also a lot of discussion within the shogunate about this tragic defeat. Many people questioned Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and were somewhat hopeless about the future of the shogunate.

Moreover, after this disastrous defeat, many forces that had originally relied on the shogunate began to waver, and some even began to consider turning against it.

In the Hana no Gosho in Kyoto, the same people were still there. Hatakeyama Motokuni, Sasaki Yoshimasa, Hosokawa Mitsurumoto, Akamatsu Yoshinori, and Isshiki Mitsunori. They all looked a little dejected at this time.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. The flickering candlelight illuminated the gloom on everyone's faces.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sat in the main seat, looking at them, trying to find a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

The result was none.

"Everyone, we have suffered an unprecedented defeat, but we must not give up at this moment. We must unite and work together to find countermeasures." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's voice no longer had the confidence it had in the previous decades.

Hatakeyama Motokuni spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue: "General, what you said is very true, but how should we deal with the current situation? The main force of the Ming army has arrived, the Southern Dynasty is ready to move, and the daimyo in various places are also beginning to waver. The situation is already precarious."

Yoshimasa Sasaki raised his eyelids and said with some effort: "The most urgent task is to rebuild the morale of the shogunate army and strengthen the defense of Kyoto to prevent the Southern Dynasty and Ming army from taking the opportunity to attack."

As for the rest of the words, Yoshimasa Sasaki did not say anything.

——Do your best and leave the rest to fate.

"How easy is that?" Hosokawa Mitsuru sighed, "We suffered heavy losses in this battle, and many of our elite troops were almost wiped out. It will take time to recruit and train new soldiers."

"Even if we have time, food, and weapons to rebuild a large army, what can we do?" Akamatsu Yoshinori became a defeatist strategist at this time. "Also, although the Ming army is temporarily stationed, their strength is obvious to all. Once they decide to attack Kyoto, I'm afraid we will find it difficult to resist."

Isshiki Manfan was silent for a moment, and finally said with some disbelief, "Perhaps, we can try to negotiate peace with the Southern Dynasty and fight against the Ming army together. After all, their target seems to be the shogunate, but in fact, the Ming army is our common enemy."

No one believes this bullshit, it's like you've lost your mind.

The Southern Dynasty now wishes to kill them all so that it can "return to the capital".

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into an awkward silence.

Obviously, there is no other way.

Well, it’s not that there is no other way. There is another way: surrender.

But if he had fallen down at the speed of light before the battle, there might be some explanation, but now it is probably too bad.

Unless the Ming Dynasty intends to keep the Muromachi shogunate.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who had been strong-willed all his life, also said what he had always been reluctant to say.

"Negotiations can be considered, but we must proceed with caution."

It is said to be peace talks, but in fact it is surrender.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said slowly: "We can't make a big fuss about it, and we can't make it public. Otherwise, it will be detrimental to the people and the army. At the same time, we must strengthen our ties with other daimyo and win their support, especially those daimyo who have not yet expressed their views. We must try our best to win them over and let them see that the shogunate still has the power to revive."

Everyone was silent again.

Finally, it was Hatakeyama Motokuni who came out to smooth things over: "The general is right. We can send envoys to various places to explain the shogunate's determination and promise more benefits."

Soon, the shogunate's envoy arrived at Kofuku-ji Temple.

In Xingfu Temple, Zhu Xiongying and Daoyan didn't know which game they were playing, but the game was still undecided.

"Your Highness, the shogunate must have already started discussing surrender." Daoyan said softly, his eyes still fixed on the situation on the chessboard, as if everything was under his control.

Zhu Xiongying smiled slightly and put down the chess piece in his hand.

"It's as expected. However, no matter how sophisticated their countermeasures are, they can't escape my layout."

Daoyan nodded in agreement, then changed the subject: "However, Your Highness still needs to be cautious. Although the shogunate has been defeated, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and they still have some power to fight back."

Zhu Xiongying put away his smile and his eyes became deep.

"A lean camel is bigger than a horse? This time we're going to kill the camel and eat its meat!"

After saying this, Zhu Xiongying stood up, paced around the room, and expressed his true plan for Japan's future situation.

"The Muromachi shogunate must not be left behind, but the confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties must continue."

"We can send King Go-Komatsu of the Northern Dynasty to Kanto, and King Go-Kameyama of the Southern Dynasty back to Kyoto. We can use Kofuku-ji Temple to split the Southern Dynasty's territory in the middle, and use Imagawa Ryotoshi to split the Kanto territory in the middle. The territories of Kofuku-ji Temple and Imagawa Ryotoshi must have areas close to the sea. In this way, not only can the Northern and Southern Dynasties continue to confront each other, but the two dynasties can also be separated from each other."

"As for Kansai, and even Kyushu and Shikoku, the more chaos there is, the better."

"Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has nowhere to escape, and he has to fight one last battle in Kyoto. This battle must make them feel despair and fear. Only in this way can these forces in Japan truly submit to the Ming Dynasty."

As he spoke, Zhu Xiongying stood up, looked out the window at the gradually darkening sky, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)