Late Ming Dynasty: Conquering the world starting from riding and cutting

In the fifth year of Fuso Kan'ei (1628), Emperor Gomizuo, who had ascended the throne for five years, was tasting beef porcelain head from Keelung with Kinshi.

"Do you think we can make something like this?" Hou Shuiwei played with the porcelain head in his hand.

The appearance is smooth and delicate, even better than women's skin.

It is truly a product of heaven, even the small food is so exquisitely prepared.

Several servants with minor surnames came forward and said, "Your Highness, this will take some time to prepare."

"Exclusively for Keelung!" Hou Shuiwei whispered the four Chinese characters marked on the porcelain head, "It seems that the craftsmanship is not simple, so it takes a lot of work."

"Hai Yi!"

Had it not been for the lack of money in the palace, Hou Shuiwei would never have allowed his servants to engage in menial jobs such as merchants.

A daughter was recently born, and the palace expenses were huge.

Izumi, Kawachi, and Yamashiro in Kyoto Kinki are the royal family's property. They are located in the Kanto Plain, with thousands of miles of fertile fields, a prosperous population, and an annual income of one million koku.

In addition, the royal family does not need to send military pay, and the attendants they usually support can be paid for three to four hundred dan, and the rest is pure income.

Although I have no freedom and cannot leave Kyoto, I can live a worry-free life with endless wine and delicious food, so I don’t have to worry about my safety.

The problem is that three years ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was behind the scenes, died, and the incumbent Tokugawa Iemitsu immediately showed his fangs.

I don't know where I found a copy of the royal family's "Four Rules of Astronomy", and arbitrarily and unreasonably seized nearly a million stones of land in Izumi, Hanoi, and Yamashiro.

1. The royal family cannot have private property, and all common expenses are provided by the shogunate;

2. Royal marriages cannot be settled privately;

3. The royal family is not allowed to leave Kyoto randomly;

4. The royal family needs to report to the shogun for enthroning, and can only ascend the throne after receiving permission.

This is not the Four Principles of Astronomy. It is simply the Four Principles of Murder and the life of the royal family. Seeing this newly bound "Four Principles of Astronomy", Hou Shuiwei had no choice but to press down his seal.

There are always evil people, but the Tokugawa family went too far, which made Gomizuo very unhappy. No matter how hard you try, you can't make me hungry.

If you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust.

After lunch, Gomizuo invited the Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyoto. This official position was to manage Fuso's political affairs, but like Gomizuo's throne, it was just a decoration. The person who really managed Japan's food was in Edo.

"Your Highness, stay safe!" Kita Nobu, who was wearing a simple cyan uniform, saluted respectfully. Kita Nobu is the head of the contemporary Kita family and is also the Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyoto.

"Get up!" Kita Cheng stood up slowly. He is fifty-three years old this year and has long passed his prime. His face is full of wrinkles.

After sitting cross-legged, he looked at the table and said, "I wonder what instructions your highness has to the minister!"

In Kyoto, where there had been no imperial meeting for three years, Kita's sudden recruitment of Gomizuo was still very strange.

"Master Mamoru, you also know what the Tokugawa family is doing now." After saying this, Mizuo completely ignored his own image and cried to Kita Kazuo about all the evil deeds of Tokugawa Iemitsu.

"What Iemitsu-sama did was a bit excessive." Kita Kazuo had heard a little bit about Tokugawa Iemitsu's confiscation of royal land.

"It's not just excessive, it's simply a heinous crime." Hou Shuiwei twirled his fingers angrily.

Only in front of Kita Shoto can he speak his mind so openly and without any hesitation. There is no other reason. Kita Shouki is the life-caring minister left to him by his father and will never betray him.

"Your Highness, when I get back soon, I will send some land and silk cloth to the royal family for their salary."

"Thank you, Wei and sir."

Compared with several ministers he had approached before, Kita's attitude made Hou Shuiwei very satisfied.

Food is temporarily secured, but the real problem has not been solved. If the Tokugawa family does not return the land for one day, this problem will exist for one more day.

I can still rely on the support of my retainers for a while, but what will happen later.

"I can't even get enough to eat. I'm probably the worst offender." Hou Shuiwei couldn't help but laugh at himself.

The unsatisfactory life made this strong man, who had just celebrated his thirtieth birthday, become thinner and thinner, with wrinkles showing at the corners of his eyes.

Hou Shuiwei had already retreated, but he still felt unsafe. After all, who knows if walls have ears.

If what he said just now was heard and reported, the Tokugawa family would probably pay more attention to it, but what he was going to say next was an even bigger secret.

Hou Shuiwei leaned close to Kita's voice and whispered in his ear: "Master Weihe, I was wondering if I could invite you to Keelung."

Kita was stunned and narrowed his eyes as he looked at His Highness, who had been regarded as the most cowardly and incompetent person in the royal family in the past century. His heart was filled with waves.

"Your Highness, you"

"Master Weihe, you are the old man left by my father to me. I will not hide it from you. The Tokugawa family has gone too far this time. I could tolerate it in the past, but now."

"But Your Highness, you have to know how risky it is to do this." Kita Nobu cautioned carefully, "If the Tokugawa family finds out, I'm afraid the Kyoto politicians will face a big sack."

"What's the matter? There are still a few officials in Kyoto who are looking at me." Gosui Wei really didn't care.

"Lord Weihe, I heard that Qin Hao of Keelung has hundreds of thousands of troops and a base of tens of thousands of miles. He has tens of thousands of cannons and countless iron cannons. He also has ships sailing on the sea. He has already become a hero for a while. Is this true?" In fact, Hou Shuiwei was still puzzled by this news. How could a person suddenly rise to prominence in just a few years and build such a big business?

There was no reason why he didn't believe it, Kita Shoko immediately confirmed: "What your Highness heard is true, that man is indeed a hero. He occupied Tai Island and fought against Ryukyu, and the Shimazu family suffered a lot."

"The Shimazu family also suffered a loss." Gomizuo looked shocked, then poured a glass of sake to Kita and asked him to continue.

"Just one month ago, the Shimazu family brazenly sent troops to attack Ryukyu. Before Ryukyu could ask for help, the Shimazu family's ashigaru were all killed by Kirung's guards left in Ryukyu."

"In that battle, the Shimazu family lost three thousand ashigaru. As for Keelung, I heard that there were only more than thirty casualties." Kita, who was over fifty years old, couldn't help but feel very emotional. He seemed to be thinking of those days when he fought in Kansai. A big battle.

"hiss!"

His eyes widened with a look of surprise on his face, "How can you be so brave."

"This one is worthless."

If I had an army like this

Hou Shuiwei drank a glass of sake and woke up his head. How could such a thing be possible?

But since Keelung can be so powerful, the possibility of realizing his plan is much greater.

After tidying up his robes, Hou Shuiwei solemnly knelt in front of Kita Cheng. This was against etiquette, but he had no choice.

"Please Weihe-sama, please save me!"

Kita, who was immersed in the first battle to get the enemy general's head, was frightened half to death by Gomizuo's move, and he quickly knelt down.

"Your Highness, the guilty party deserves to die."

"We still hope that the guards and your lord will go on an envoy!"

"Your Highness requests that I will never disgrace my mission!"

Faced with His Highness's persistent pursuit, Kita was helpless. Looking at the child he had accompanied since childhood, he softened his heart.

Now that he is also a father, he has the idea of ​​​​planning for his own offspring.

Edo is currently the most prosperous city in Japan, with a permanent population of 330,000, which is much higher than Kyoto's 250,000.

Since the 18th year of Tensho (1590), after the Battle of Odawara against Hojo, Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Kanto and made Edo his residence. After several constructions, Edo Castle began to prosper.

In the eighth year of Keicho (1603), Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo which lasted for more than 200 years. Since then, as the national political and economic center, Edo Castle has developed greatly, eventually forming the current Tokyo metropolitan area.

As the third generation of the Tokugawa shogunate, the shogun currently lives here. However, compared to the name of the third generation of the Tokugawa shogunate, the current shogun prefers to be called his name - Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Just one word difference, but the praises of the two generations are completely opposite.

Tokugawa Ieyasu is regarded as an old turtle in the eyes of later generations, but the Japanese still have a good impression of him. After all, this guy ended the chaotic Warring States Period and created the Edo Period.

As the grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu is not that likable. When his grandfather was alive, he could still be a courteous corporal. Once his grandfather died, he completely exposed his true nature.

There are millions of people who are talented but unruly!

Toyojo Hideyoshi was granted the title of Daimyojin after his death. Tokugawa Ieyasu took back the title of Daimyojin after destroying the Toyotomi family. This is understandable.

But Tokugawa Iemitsu did something that surprised everyone. He personally climbed Mount Amitabha, the eastern mountain of Kyoto, and destroyed Toyotomi's tombstone.

He also ordered Hou Shuiwei to designate himself as the divine king, and use the divine title of Dongzhao Daquan to accept worship from all directions.

According to Ryotaro Shima, Iemitsu is more of a freak than a genius.

In the appraisal hall, Tokugawa Iemitsu was reviewing the letter sent by the Kyushu Kumamoto family. Looking around at the many retainers in the room, he only handed the letter to a personal attendant next to him: "Musashi, how do you think this matter should be handled?"

This man named Musashi is none other than Nobutsuna Matsudaira, a minister with "wisdom Izu". However, he has not yet made a fortune, but is highly appreciated by Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Today, all the retainers of the Tokugawa family gathered in the assessment room, including Taisei Minister Kitajima Ryuji, Dainagon Masuda Mikio, Ukonoe General Tomoko Yamashita, and many high-ranking officials above the fourth rank.

It was his turn as a little valet to talk.

Ukonoe General Yamashita Tomoko spoke first: "We must take care of Tokugawa Palace and Kobe."

Before he could finish speaking, Tokugawa Iemitsu turned aside from him coldly.

"Your Highness, did I say something wrong?"

"Did I ask you to speak?"

"の" Yamashita Tomoko was stunned for a moment. He was speechless by Tokugawa Iemitsu's words.

When he speaks, should he let a close attendant speak?

How can a person without any grade be qualified to stay in the assessment room?

"Musashi, tell me what you think."

Tokugawa Iemitsu didn't care about the eyes of these elders at all, and asked Matsudaira Nobutsuna to speak by name.

Matsudaira Nobutsuna was also breaking into a cold sweat. His Highness has become more and more confident recently.

Now he is an ant on the chopping board, or an ant who has to get out of the frying pan.

"For Kobe, Your Highness, do you think it's better to take a long-term approach?"

"Long term plan?!"

Tomoko Yamashita snorted coldly, "Do you need someone else to tell you what to do in Fuso? I think your highness, this little think tank, is a coward!"

Tomoko Yamashita looked at Matsudaira Nobutsuna arrogantly. His Highness could not contradict him. It was not easy to beat an unofficial and jobless Matsudaira Nobutsuna.

He had no idea that just one simple word could offend Tokugawa Iemitsu.

No matter how bad Matsudaira Nobutsuna is, he is still one of his own. When beating a dog, it depends on the owner.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's heart has reached the point where he wants to deal with the veteran of Azuchi-Momoyama era.

On the other hand, Kitajima Ryuji, the Taishei Minister on the side, seemed to see the gloominess on Tokugawa Iemitsu's face, and quickly pulled Yamashita Tomoko's sleeve and scolded him in a low voice.

"This is the assessment room, not the backyard of the Yamashita family. Whoever His Highness Iemitsu wants to speak can speak. Why don't you interrupt."

"I just can't stand it." Yamashita Tomoko said stubbornly, full of arrogance, "If you are not just a personal servant, how can His Highness take him so seriously, and how can he be compared to us important ministers?"

"well!"

Kitajima Ryuji had no choice but to shake his head. He didn't want to say more than a few words, so he didn't say anything.

If Tomoko Yamashita wasn't a veteran, he really wouldn't have wanted to remind him.

Ignoring General Ukonoe's arrogance, Matsudaira Nobutsuna stayed by Tokugawa Iemitsu's side and talked about his own thoughts.

"Iemitsu-den, as far as I know, Kobe is occupied by a group of maritime merchants, but those people should be the Keelung people who have become famous recently. It is this group of people who support the Saga family on Kyushu Island.

According to the ashigaru who escaped, the iron cannons and large barrels of this group were sharp and difficult for ordinary people to resist. "

Tokugawa Iemitsu touched the mustache under his chin, thoughtfully.

The appearance of this group of Keelung people is bound to disrupt their plan to regain Kyushu Island.

"How to deal with it?" Even he wanted to ask Matsudaira Nobutsuna for a while.

"If it is granted by the palace, I am willing to lead the troops to fight. If I win, I will merge with the Kumamoto family according to your highness's original plan, attack from both sides, and annihilate them in one fell swoop. If the military luck is not good, I will find another way out. As for Kobe, we will fight again after the war. Make a decision."

"That's all we can do now!"

Although he did not learn the skills of "living a living" from his grandfather, Tokugawa Iemitsu was the person most deeply influenced by Sinology, and he was familiar with various collections of Han classics and history.

In future generations, he will be a top student who graduated from Stanford, and is familiar with dozens of good books with top-level thinking such as "Wolf Path", "Guiguzi", and "Murphy's Law".

"Soldiers are important matters of the country, the place of life and death, and the path to survival. We must pay attention to them."

This is the opening line of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, and it is also the most well-remembered sentence of Tokugawa Iemitsu, "Musashi, don't go to the temptation of Kyushu, I have my own arrangements."

Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at Matsudaira Nobutsuna confidently, and then turned his attention to Yamashita Tomoko.

Tomoko Yamashita also noticed the look in Iemitsu's eyes and stood up in a hurry, "I wonder what your Highness's orders are."

"Ukonoe-sama, the person who occupied Kobe was found to be the supporter behind the Saga family, so I plan to send you to crusade, are you willing?"

Iemitsu calmly threw this burden to Tomoko Yamashita, not afraid that he would not agree.

Whenever there is a war, this old guy is not the most active. Although his ashigaru have strong fighting ability, they are the most undisciplined and do everything they can to burn, kill, and loot.

His grandfather, Tokugawa Ieyasu, loved and hated him when he was alive.

But now Iemitsu doesn't like this old guy at all, so sending him to death is the best choice.

He also warned the officials who wanted to persuade him with his eyes, and Tomoko Yamashita took over as the general for this expedition.

Apart from the assessment room, he was still feeling complacent that he had once again been given an important job in the hall, and he didn't notice the looks in other people's eyes at all, as if they were looking at someone dead.

The three great veterans of the Azuchi-Momoyama era, the political minister Kitajima Ryuji knew how to advance and retreat, and Masuda Mikio, the great minister, was just a decoration and never said a word of advice. As for Ukonoe General Yamashita Tomoko, no one knew that he was the most hated in the main hall.

Letting him go on an expedition this time was also for testing, and it was definitely a conspiracy.

Even so, this guy didn't notice it, and he was still the same stupid person as before.

Either early or late, many ministers hoped that Tomoko Yamashita, an old fool, would die on the way to the expedition, otherwise the palace would have to find other excuses after returning.

It doesn't matter if he dies, but it won't be good if he affects others.

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