Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 364 Resistance
Naha Port, the delegation went eastwards from the port and soon arrived at the Shuri Castle Archway outside the city.

Although Shuri Castle is called a castle, it is actually the palace of the Ryukyu royal family and no ordinary people live in it.
Zhu Zhiyu and his companions entered Shuri Castle and were soon led to the North Palace to rest. Half an hour later, they received a report and set up their carriages again and headed for the Zhongshan Main Palace.
In the main hall of the palace, Shang Zhi had already changed into the crown prince's formal attire and was waiting in the hall. The Ryukyu officials below had also lined up according to their ranks.
There were five incense tables in the hall. On the center table was the envoy's token, on the left table was the imperial edict, on the right table was the seal given to the new king, and on the left and right side tables were colorful satin gold coins given to the new king, Shang Zhi and the queen.
The hall was filled with solemnity. Zhu Zhiyu walked to the incense table. The musicians beside him suddenly played ritual music. The ceremonial officer on one side of the hall sang and shouted:
"kneel"

Shang Zhi and all the officials of Ryukyu immediately knelt on the ground. Shang Zhi led the officials of Ryukyu to kneel three times and kowtow nine times. After Shang Zhi and others finished their ceremony, Zhu Zhiyu also walked to the center of the incense table. The ceremonial officer beside him shouted loudly:
"Open Reading"

As soon as the ceremonial officer finished speaking, the music and rituals in the hall stopped immediately. Deputy Envoy Lin Risheng took the imperial edict from the incense table, held it above his head with both hands, and presented it to the chief envoy Zhu Zhiyu. During the whole process, there was no other noise in the hall except the music and rituals.
Zhu Zhiyu took the imperial edict with both hands and then read it out loud.

"The Crown Prince of Ryukyu, Shang Zhi, is the direct descendant of the former Ryukyu Prince Shang Feng. As the Crown Prince, you should inherit the throne. I have specially sent Zhu Zhiyu, the Chief Censor of the Inspectorate, to confer upon you the title of King of Zhongshan of the Ryukyu Kingdom, to succeed you in governing the country."

"Your father Shang Feng succeeded the throne and ruled the country. He led his duty with loyalty and was as careful as ever. You are the original heir and the people are loyal to you. When you first succeed him, you should be extra cautious and abide by the king's rules."

"Today I grant you a black gauze hat, a bright red silk round collar with a golden kirin on the chest and back, a dark blue guard, a gold rhinoceros horn belt, and I also grant you and your concubine crowns, clothes, colored coins, and other items."

"I hope you will lead the people with your own efforts, govern the country with integrity, live up to my command, and live up to my promise."

"I, Shang Zhi, accept your order and thank you for your grace."

Shang Zhi knelt down and bowed, and the Ryukyu officials behind him also bowed three times and kowtowed nine times. After everyone finished bowing, they stood up under the guidance of the ceremonial officer.

After all the ministers stood up, Zhu Zhiyu at the top spoke again.

"The seal script is now complete, and a new seal has been cast. The Emperor has sent an envoy to give it to you, the king, to receive."

Shang Zhi shouted in thanks, and knelt down again when he reached the place where he was to receive the seal. The Ryukyu officials who had just stood up knelt down again.

The seal-bearing official took the golden seal from the incense table, Zhu Zhiyu took the newly cast royal seal, and Shang Zhi held up the seal with both hands.
After Shang Zhi received the seal, the judge walked forward to Guo Qi, knelt on the ground, and took the royal seal from Shang Zhi.

At this point, Shang Zhi had established his position and received the royal seal, legally becoming the new generation of the Ryukyu Chushan King.

After Shang Zhi accepted the seal, all the officials in the hall knelt three times and kowtowed nine times again. The three judicial officials of Ryukyu came forward and held the royal seal, satin coins, and formal clothes and entered the inner hall. Shang Zhi also bowed to the angel and retreated to the back hall.

When Shang Sheng walked into the hall again, he had changed into the crown and clothes given by the Ming Dynasty. Shang Sheng sat on the throne in court clothes, while Zhu Zhiyu and other envoys stood in the hall to watch the ceremony.

In the main hall, Regent Shang Sheng led the Ryukyu officials to kneel three times and kowtow nine times again. This time, the officials were no longer worshipping the angel of the imperial edict, but the new generation of Ryukyu King Shang Zhi.

After the ministers paid their respects, Shang Zhi officially succeeded to the throne of Ryukyu, and the enthronement ceremony was completed.
Shang Zhi was relieved after receiving the greetings from all the ministers. He looked at the envoys Zhu Zhiyu, Lin Risheng and others below and said:

"The ceremony of enthronement is over. Please move to the North Hall. The kingdom has prepared a banquet to thank you for your hard work."

The envoys would be entertained with banquets from the moment they arrived in Ryukyu. The Ming court's envoys would usually arrive in Ryukyu in May or June. After arriving, they would stay in Ryukyu for half a year until the winds turned in autumn and winter, when they would board the ship again and set off on their return journey.
During this half year, the Ryukyu Dynasty held seven banquets in succession. There was a banquet for the enthronement ceremony, followed by the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the Double Ninth Festival banquet and other banquets. In addition, there were countless small banquets held by the Ryukyu King in his private capacity.
Zhu Zhiyu and others below heard what Shang Zhi said, but did not move. Before Shang Zhi stood up, Zhu Zhiyu walked into the hall again and said

"The new succession of the King of Zhongshan is a happy event, but before celebrating, I have something else to report to the Ryukyu Kingdom."

"The imperial court has issued an order that from this year onwards, our Great Ming will station troops in the Ryukyu Kingdom. Please ask the King of Zhongshan to allocate a port in the country for our Great Ming Navy to station."

Shang Sheng, Xiang Guoqi and other Ryukyu officials were all shocked when they heard this.

Cai Jian in the train let out a breath, then suddenly raised his head and looked at the King of Zhongshan Shang Zhi above him.

Shang Zhi was still immersed in the joy of ascending the throne. When he heard this, his face was confused and he subconsciously asked

"Garrison, why does the Ming Dynasty station troops in Ryukyu?"

Zhu Zhiyu said directly

"Ryukyu is located on the sea, and there are many merchants and travelers. You should also know the current situation in the Central Plains."

"Now our Ming Dynasty is at war with the Eastern Tartars. Our Great Ming Regent Gui led his army to fight against the Tartars. Over the past few years, he has captured and killed hundreds of thousands of the Tartars in the southwest of Fujian Province. Now the Tartars have stopped in the north and cannot advance an inch."

"But the Tartars are cunning and when they saw that the land route was unsuccessful, they came up with an evil plan."

"Last year, the Qing invaders sent out ships to repeatedly attack our Ming merchant ships at sea and plunder the property of our Ming people. Therefore, the court decided to station troops in Ryukyu to intercept and kill the invaders' ships at sea."

Shang Zhi also came to his senses at this time, and was suddenly panicked. When Shang Zhi was born, Satsuma had already ruled Ryukyu.
Shang Zhi was very clear about the situation in the country. Although he was now called the King of Ryukyu, he could no longer decide the major events in the country. Moreover, after the Ming Dynasty stationed troops, they would definitely find out about the affairs of Japan.
The Ming court strictly prohibited even the Japanese, so how could it accept Ryukyu being controlled by Japan? Once the matter was exposed, his throne as the King of Zhongshan would probably be taken away immediately.
Shang Zhi was panic-stricken. Seeing that Shang Zhi did not respond for a long time, Zhu Zhiyu said coldly:
"Why didn't the King of Zhongshan speak? Doesn't the King of Zhongshan want to help the Ming Dynasty to wipe out the Qing Tartars?"

Shang Zhi subconsciously wanted to refuse, but when he looked at the bear-like military uniforms worn by Lin Risheng and the others below, his expression suddenly changed.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that the two hundred ceremonial guards had just followed Zhu Zhiyu and others into the palace, and now those soldiers were outside the main hall of the palace!

Shang Zhi was completely panicked when he thought of this, and subconsciously looked at Shang Sheng below.

Shang Sheng also had a gloomy expression at this time. He also did not expect that the Ming court would actually plan to station troops in Ryukyu.
There are already Satsuma troops stationed in the country. Whether for Ryukyu or for his own sake, Ming Dynasty must not be allowed to station troops in Ryukyu at this time!

The ministers in the palace were panicked. Shang Sheng looked at Shang Zhi who was becoming more and more panicked on the throne above. He gritted his teeth, stepped out directly, and said in a deep voice:
"Master Zhu, why do you have to press me so hard? Master Zhu is an envoy from a superior country, but the king is also the ruler of our Ryukyu Kingdom. Master Zhu, it is very rude to press me in front of the court like this."

"The most important affairs of the country are sacrifice and war. Although Ryukyu and Ming are vassal states, they are also independent countries. How can we allow people to station troops in our country at will?"

"The imperial edict is really against the rules of etiquette. Please ask Lord Zhu to report to the imperial court on behalf of Ryukyu. It is difficult for Ryukyu to obey the order."

Shang Zhi's face changed slightly when he heard what Shang Sheng said, and he was about to deny it. However, looking at Shang Sheng's determined expression below, a trace of fear flashed across Shang Zhi's face, and he finally kept silent.

Shang Sheng didn't care about Shang Zhi's expression at all. After he finished speaking, he stared at Zhu Zhiyu opposite him.
Zhu Zhiyu turned his head and glanced at Shang Sheng opposite him, his face was cold and indifferent, and he suddenly spoke

"Who are you? Who allowed you to speak freely here?" Shang Sheng was shocked when he heard this. He had just hosted a welcome party for Zhu Zhiyu in Naha this morning, but now, less than half a day later, Zhu Zhiyu turned his face against him.
Before Shang Sheng could reply, Zhu Zhiyu spoke again in a cold voice.

"I am now discussing the matter of stationing troops to quell the rebellion with the King of Zhongshan on behalf of the Ming Dynasty."

"How can such an important matter of state be allowed to be spoken nonsense by a subordinate of the royal palace like you? If you, a subordinate of the Ryukyu, dare to make irresponsible remarks on state affairs and deceive the King of Zhongshan, I will punish you without mercy."

After Zhu Zhiyu finished speaking, he ignored the livid look on Shang Sheng's face and looked up at King Shang Zhi of Zhongshan and said:

"King Zhongshan, I am here to ask you on behalf of the Ming Dynasty. Are you prepared to disobey the will of the Ming Dynasty?"

The hall was completely silent. A cold shout resounded throughout the place. Although Shang Zhi managed to remain calm, his heart was already in a state of panic.

Shang Sheng, who was standing below, had a look of shock and anger on his face. He looked at Zhu Zhiyu, who was wearing a bright red official robe, and was about to speak.
But Shang Sheng's mind suddenly flashed back to the group of silent red-clad soldiers on the embankment today. Shang Sheng's expression changed several times, and in the end he did not dare to speak.
The Ryukyu judicial officials, including Xiang Guoqi and Ma Jiamei, lowered their heads and dared not speak.

At this time they finally realized why the Ming Dynasty sent three large ships to seal the expedition and why there were so many soldiers among the accompanying personnel. It turned out that the Ming Dynasty was going to station troops in Ryukyu!

They knew that Japan was behind Ryukyu, but the fact that Japan could stop the Ming did not mean that it would protect them.
If you speak rashly at this time, once you contradict these envoys from the upper country, no one knows whether you will eventually become a victim used by the country to appease the anger of the Ming Dynasty.
There was silence in the hall. After an unknown amount of time, a figure suddenly walked out of the court. Everyone's eyes instantly focused on that figure.
Cai Jian bowed to Shang Zhi, then looked at Zhu Zhiyu and said in a deep voice

"Today is the ceremony of enthroning the King of Zhongshan. Although the imperial order is urgent, Lord Zhu is so pressing today. I am afraid that this may go against the original intention of the Holy Emperor to be lenient."

"Ryukyu is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and we dare not disobey the orders of our superior country. However, even if Ryukyu obeys the order, it will take time to plan."

"Master Zhu has just arrived in Ryukyu and is not familiar with the situation in various parts of the country. Garrisoning troops is not a trivial matter. If we hastily decide on a garrison, I'm afraid it will not satisfy Master."

"The delegation has worked hard today. Why don't you ask Lord Zhu to go to the residence to rest for a while? The Ryukyu Kingdom will discuss this matter as soon as possible. Once the Ryukyu Kingdom has selected a suitable place to stay, we will invite Lord Zhu to the court to discuss it."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhiyu snorted coldly and said

"That's more like it. Among the many vassal states of the Ming Dynasty, only Ryukyu has been able to pay tribute every two years for hundreds of years. What a great favor!"

"At this time, our Ming Dynasty needs to station troops to suppress the invaders, but some people in your country are still saying that it is not appropriate to allow outsiders to station troops."

"What do you mean by outsiders? When you come to the court to pay tribute every year and are granted many precious goods by the Ming Dynasty to trade with foreign countries, how come you don't remember that you are outsiders?"

Shang Sheng also looked unhappy when he heard this. Zhu Zhiyu was clearly pointing at him and scolding him.

But before Shang Sheng could speak, Cai Jian spoke again.

"In this case, please invite Lord Zhu and the other envoys to the North Palace for a banquet. After we have discussed the issue of garrisoning in the Ryukyu Kingdom, we will report to Lord Zhu as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes, the enthronement banquet has been prepared. Sir Zhu, please go to the palace to rest for a while."

Shang Zhi saw Zhu Zhiyu relax and spoke again and again, but Zhu Zhiyu was unmoved and said directly

"I appreciate the good intentions of the King of Zhongshan, but the matter of stationing troops was personally ordered by His Royal Highness Gui, the Regent of the Ming Dynasty. At this moment, the imperial court has not yet decided, so I have no intention of having a feast."

"I will wait in the Naha residence for three days. Please give me a reply within three days. I will take my leave now."

Zhu Zhiyu bowed to Shang Zhi above him, then turned around and walked out of the hall. Lin Risheng and others followed him.
"Pacification troops, assemble immediately and withdraw to Naha"

Outside the hall, a loud shout was heard, followed by a steady stream of footsteps, which then became increasingly distant.

In the hall, the Ryukyu king and his ministers looked at the Ming envoys who suddenly withdrew, and their faces were all shocked.
Zhongshan Hall, at midnight, the hall is brightly lit
Today is the day when the new Ryukyu King Shang Zhi ascends the throne. The palace has prepared fine wine and delicacies, and we should have enjoyed the feast tonight, but the atmosphere in the palace is extremely heavy.

Shang Zhi sat on the throne, looked down at the official Xiang Xiangxian, and asked

"How is the mission going?"

"After the Ming Dynasty envoys returned to Naha, they refused to stay at the Angel's Pavilion. Instead, they spent extra money to rent two pavilions near the port. Outside the pavilions were patrolled by Ming Dynasty soldiers, and no outsiders were allowed to enter."

"The wine, meat and vegetables sent to the embassy were all returned by the Ming embassy. The water used by the embassy is now transported from the ship to the embassy."

Shang Zhi's face turned pale when he heard this. The strong reaction of the Ming envoys was beyond the expectations of the Ryukyu monarch and his ministers.

The dissatisfaction or hostility of the delegation has been clearly demonstrated. Why did the delegation not want the drinking water provided by the national middle school? Because the delegation already believed that the food sent by the Ryukyu national middle school was no longer safe.

Shang Zhi sat on the throne for a while, his face looking tired. Shang Zhi was silent for a while before he spoke.

"Please discuss how this matter should be handled."

As soon as Shang Zhi finished speaking, Regent Shang Sheng looked angry and shouted at Cai Jian below.
"Cai Jian, as the Purple Gold Doctor in charge of the imperial tribute and envoy reception, why didn't you report this important event in advance?"

"I am only responsible for receiving the delegation. The garrison is a major matter for the country. How could they inform an outsider like me? I didn't know about it beforehand..."

Before Cai Jian could finish his words, he was interrupted by a shout.
"You still dare to quibble"

"The Ming envoys stayed in Kume Island for several days, and you only arrived at the court from Kume Island yesterday. You and Zhu Zhiyu and other envoys are all from the Ming Dynasty and have always been close. How could they hide it from you?"

"Today, you and Zhu Zhiyu sang the same tune in the court. Do you really think that the ministers in the country can't see that you, Kume Island, dared to join forces with the delegation to deceive the court? Cai Jian, you deserve to be put to death."

In the hall, cold shouts continued to echo. Shang Zhi, Xiang Guoqi and other Ryukyu officials were also staring coldly at Cai Jian and other Kume scholars below.
(End of this chapter)