I

  Chapter 463 461【Japanese Mission】

  The Tokugawa shogunate really intends to directly govern Kyushu, just like opening a large number of ports after closing the door.

  But it is one thing to want to do it, another thing to be able to do it, and another thing to do it.

  The first step is naturally to cut down the feudal clan, such as Tangjin Fan and other small feudal lords were eliminated.

  Some feudal lords are lobbying in series everywhere, naturally to organize Tokugawa Iemitsu.

  Tokugawa Iemitsu finally gave up directly governing Kyushu. In addition to too much local resistance, another reason is that the "Kan Yong Great Famine" has begun.

   Amakusa Shiro's rebellion was able to attract a large number of farmers precisely because of the famine in Japan.

   And just this year, a bigger famine broke out, and it will last for several years. This is Japan's Kanei famine. Facing the famine, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who had always advocated dictatorship, could only be forced to loosen his control over the local area, and the Karatsu domain, which was brought under the direct control of the shogunate, was also re-partitioned.

  Little Ice Age, no one will get better.

   There was famine in Ming Dynasty, famine in Europe, and famine in Japan.

  The Tokugawa shogunate has even decided to issue a decree in the first month of next year: prohibiting the sale of land across the country and prohibiting the separation of farmers with less than ten people, so as to protect farmers and agricultural production.

  In the first month of the new year, before the Spring Festival, Lin Luoshan led a delegation to visit China.

  Lin Luoshan is Japan's "Emperor Teacher", who has educated two shoguns in succession, and is already educating the third and fourth generations.

   Throughout the Edo period, the ideological system constructed by Lin Luoshan was the main idea of ​​Japanese society, and it was not abandoned until the Meiji Restoration.

  This person is a crazy supporter of Zhu Xi, who criticizes Lu Wang's Xinxue and absorbs Xinxue's ideas at the same time. He fused psychology with Neo-Confucianism, and Neo-Confucianism with Shinto, redefining Japanese Shintoism. He also advocated the rejection of Buddhism and the expulsion of Christianity, making Shintoism the official religion of Japan.

   This time the Tokugawa shogunate set up a government school, and the entire plan came from Lin Luoshan!

  According to the tradition, the leading envoy of the mission sent by Japan to China must be a monk. But Lin Luoshan hated monks very much. Not only were most of the members of the envoys Confucianists, but also no monks were brought along.

  From Edo to Nagasaki, and from Nagasaki to Ryukyu by boat, Lin Luoshan came to Fuzhou.

  Looking at the huge city of Fuzhou and witnessing the bustling port, Lin Luoshan not only sighed: "This is really a kingdom of heaven!"

   After resting in Fuzhou for three days, Lin Luoshan took a boat to Ningbo again. Encountering a patrol by the Fuzhou Navy on the way, Lin Luoshan said: "The giant ship is not inferior to the Nanban (Netherlands), and it must not be defeated."

   All the way to Shanghai, they were finally received by local officials and sent a boat to take them to Nanjing.

  When Lin Luoshan disembarked in Nanjing, he was numb by the shock along the way. He was arranged to go to the foreign ambassador's hotel. After staying in the hotel, he couldn't calm down and asked the guards around him: "What did you see?"

  The bodyguard is called Yagyu Jubingwei, and his father, Yagyu Somo, is the intelligence chief of the shogunate.

  Yagyu Juhei was only thirteen years old, and he had already become Tokugawa Iemitsu's attendant. After becoming an adult, he was sent to various places to monitor and inquire about the words and deeds of the local daimyo, and belonged to Tokugawa Iemitsu's absolute confidant.

   "Sir, I saw prosperity." Yagyu Juhei replied.

  Lin Luoshan said with a smile: "China is so prosperous because it is governed by Confucianism. As long as Japan also governs the country by Confucianism, supplemented by Shinto, sooner or later it will be similar to China."

  Yagyu Juhei said: "Mr. High opinion."

  Both of them knew in their hearts that although Lin Luoshan was the chief envoy of the envoy, Yagyu Jubei represented General Tokugawa.

  Lin Luoshan's words were not only addressed to Yagyu Jubei, but also to Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Lin Luoshan pushed open the window and looked at the big tree in the courtyard: "If Japan wants to be rich, it must not only govern the country with Confucianism, but also have good relations with China. Trade with China, learn Chinese skills, and learn everything about China. This is also Ieyasu. public will!"

  Yagyu Juhei nodded: "It is true that we should do business with China."

  In the second year after Toyotomi Hideyoshi died, Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted to restore diplomatic relations with China. In order to show goodwill, Mao Guoke, the captured general of the Ming Dynasty, was also sent to **** the captured Ming Dynasty all the way to Fujian to return it.

  The Ming court also responded by sending two merchant ships to Japan, hoping to contact them in an unofficial manner first.

   As a result, the two Chinese merchant ships were robbed by Japanese pirates.

  Although Tokugawa Ieyasu captured the pirates and executed the pirate leader, the communication channels between the two countries were cut off.

   In desperation, Ieyasu Tokugawa conveyed goodwill through North Korea. The King of North Korea said: Fuck you!

   Immediately afterwards, Tokugawa Ieyasu asked Ryukyu to act as an intermediary. It happened that there was an envoy from the Ming Dynasty in Ryukyu. Xia Ziyang and Wang Shizhen were inquiring: Daming sent two merchant ships to Japan, why did the two merchant ships disappear?

  I can’t explain this matter!

  Finally, Tokugawa Ieyasu sent an official letter to Daming. Claiming that Japan is "Tuoer Country" and China is "Daming", "Your Country" and "China". Japan is willing to regard Ming as its suzerain, and asks Ming to "make big things small", and Japan will definitely "make small things big."

  There are Confucian diplomatic standards in "Zuo Zhuan": small things make things big, and trustworthiness; big things make things small, and benevolence.

   That is, a big country should have benevolence in its relations with a small country; a small country should have integrity in its relations with a big country.

  The act of trying to restore diplomatic relations with China ran through Tokugawa Ieyasu's entire shogunate career. And it has gradually achieved results, but every time the relationship improves, there will be Japanese pirates looting. The emperor and ministers of the Ming Dynasty were angry, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was even more angry. He wished he could personally sail a boat and kill those Japanese pirates.

  It wasn’t until Tokugawa Iemitsu came to power and was busy consolidating the shogunate rule, and Ming was also busy dealing with the Manchu Qing, that the two countries completely broke off communication.

   "Boom boom boom!"

   "Please invite the envoy to eat."

  The handyman in the hotel brought the food, which was a regular work meal for officials.

  Yagyu Jubei picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly. After the handyman left, there was no one else in the room, this guy immediately put his head down and wolfed down the food, even covering the grease on the bottom of the plate with rice.

However, Lin Luoshan deliberately left a little to eat, and reminded: "How many times have I said, pay attention to the daily necessities. If you eat all the food, doesn't it reveal that there is not enough food in Japan? Even the ministers of the shogunate can't eat delicious food. Food?"

  Yagyu Juhei said: "It's just that Chinese food is so delicious, I can't help but eat it clean."

  Yagyu Juhei, a high-level warrior, actually lived a good life, seeing fish every day. The low-level samurai are miserable, boil rice with plain water, and eat pickles.

  The Kuan Yong Great Famine is breaking out, in order to ensure food supply. The shogunate prohibited farmers from buying and selling freely. They could only sell grain to regular merchants, who then transferred it to the shogunate and daimyo. The price of grain had to be officially set by the shogunate.

  Yagyu Juhei said: "My lord, I think China has a lot of grain. After resuming trade, it is better to buy grain from Chinese sea merchants. Wouldn't this solve the famine in Japan?"

"No," Lin Luoshan said with a wave of his hand, "The diplomatic relationship between the two countries is a major event. Even if millions of farmers starve to death, it cannot damage Japan's national prestige and the face of the shogunate. If the Chinese emperor knows that Japan is famine, the Chinese Monarchs and ministers must think that the shogunate cannot govern benevolently. Heaven and man feel that only a benevolent monarch will bring disasters."

  Liusheng Shibingwei hesitated to speak, and slandered: If you say that, isn't the general also considered a heartless king?

  After the meal was finished, Yagyu Shibingwei wanted to go to the yard to practice swords, but Lin Luoshan asked, "Are you familiar with the Chinese etiquette I taught you?"

  Yagyu Shibingwei said: "After practice, it is kneeling, bowing and bowing."

  Lin Luoshan said: "Call everyone here, and let's practice a few more times. According to the usual practice, officials of the Ministry of Rites in China will specially teach the etiquette of foreign envoys. But we practice in advance so that we will not be ridiculed by the officials of the Ministry of Rites."

  Seeing China's prosperity along the way made Lin Luoshan even more inferior, and he was even more unwilling to be looked down upon by the Chinese monarchs and ministers.

  Two days later, an official from the Ministry of Rites came and said, "Please come with me to see His Majesty the Emperor."

  Lin Luoshan asked in surprise, "Don't you train in audience etiquette?"

  The official of the Ministry of Rites smiled and said: "The country was established at the beginning of the dynasty, and Vientiane was renewed. Your Majesty does not like red tape."

  Lin Luoshan murmured in Japanese: "This ceremony and music will collapse!"

   Halfway, Lin Luoshan asked again: "His Majesty the Emperor of Datong, doesn't he live in the Forbidden City?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites explained: "The country is in ruins, and in recent years there has been a severe drought. Your majesty is benevolent and does not want to disturb the people. The imperial city has not been repaired. Now that the construction has started, your majesty will be able to move in in a year or two. Forbidden City."

  Lin Luoshan said with emotion: "He has all the people in his heart and does not build buildings, and the emperor of Datong lives here. He is really a benevolent king!"

   Walked more than a hundred steps and walked through several corridors. The Japanese envoys met the emperor.

  Lin Luoshan took the lead and knelt down: "My servants of the lower kingdom, pay homage to His Majesty the emperor of the upper kingdom!"

   "Let me be flat, give me a seat!" Zhao Han said with a smile.

  Yagyu Juhei hadn't stood up yet, and secretly looked at the emperor. Mighty, tall and imposing, he is worthy of being the emperor of China.

  On Zhao Han's desk, there was a list of members of the envoys. He scanned the crowd: "Who is Yagyu Jubei?"

  Lin Luoshan could understand Chinese, and hurriedly said: "The emperor calls you!"

  Yagyu Shibingwei who had just sat down left his seat again, ran forward, knelt down and prostrated: "Liusheng Shibingwei, I greet Your Majesty!"

  Zhao Han was a little disappointed. The famous Yagyu Jubei didn't have the mighty image in the game at all. Although the body is still strong, but the stature is too short, kneeling there like a half-grown child.

  Zhao Han said: "You are the chief guard of the Japanese mission, and you want to be proficient in martial arts. Where are the weapons?"

  Lin Luoshan quickly translated.

  Yagyu Jubingwei replied: "When I had an audience with His Majesty, I was taken away by the female officer and the guards."

  Zhao Han was full of viciousness: "And bring his weapon. I heard that Japanese swordsmanship is quite unique, so I'm here to learn a few moves with my guards."

  Lin Luoshan quickly warned: "You have to go all out, you can't fall into the prestige of the shogunate, but you can't kill the guards of the Chinese emperor."

   Then how to fight?

  Yagyu Jubei was suddenly at a loss.

  (end of this chapter)