The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 146 "They are all insects!"

The murderer who killed Tanuma Oji's eldest son, Masato Sano, did not run away but surrendered directly.

He was soon brought before the general Tokugawa Ieharu.

Tokugawa Ieharu personally interrogated Masato Sano and felt that the reason why he killed Tanuma Oji's eldest son was a bit outrageous.

Because Sano took the initiative to show his goodwill to Tanuma, but did not get a response from Tanuma.

The Sano family was descended from the Ashikaga clan, a branch of the Fujiwara Kita family's Hidego-ryu. They are considered to be a branch of the samurai family with a relatively accurate origin and family tree.

Tanuma Okitsugu had great power in the shogunate, but there was no accurate family tree.

Sano wanted to include Tanuma as a tributary of his family, so he specially compiled a family tree and sent it to Tanuma Okitsugu to read.

However, Tanuma Okitsugu did not care about his background and did not take this matter to heart at all. The key point was that he forgot to return the family tree of the Sano family.

At the same time, the retainers of Tanuma Ojiro's son seemed to be more concerned about this matter and asked the Sano family to enshrine Tanuma Daimyojin in the shrine.

The reason why the Sano family was willing to actively try to please Tanuma was, of course, because they wanted to get promoted.

But Tanuma Okitsugu did not respond at all.

Sano claimed that he held a grudge against Tanuma Okitsugu for this, so he suddenly stabbed Tanuma Okitsugu's eldest son to death.

Tokugawa Ieharu and Tanuma Okitsugu sent people to verify it and soon discovered that it was true, including the family tree and the shrine information.

The assassination case seemed to have been solved.

However, politicians understand that even if the facts themselves are true, it does not mean that these facts are the essence.

Tanuma Okiji naturally guessed in his heart that Sano Masato might have been chosen specifically to do this because he just happened to have a conflict with him.

Tanuma Okitsugu was deeply trusted by Tokugawa Ieharu and implemented reforms to encourage industry and commerce in Japan, which resulted in him gaining a large number of conservative political enemies over the years.

If we investigate in depth, we may be able to find the possible mastermind behind the incident, but it is probably difficult to find solid evidence.

It is likely to directly intensify factional struggles and cause turmoil in the entire shogunate.

At the critical moment when the Ming fleet was about to arrive, neither the general nor himself could handle these things well.

In the end, Tokugawa Ieharu accepted the reality and ordered Sano Masagotomi to commit suicide by seppuku.

Tanuma Oji also quietly accepted the result.

In the original history, after losing his eldest son, Tanuma Okitsugu became disheartened and began to lose his authority in the shogunate.

After Tokugawa Ieharu's death, he was immediately retaliated by his political enemies.

The mansion and salary bestowed by Tokugawa Ieharu, as well as the family's accumulated property, were all confiscated. He completely lost his status and lived in seclusion, and his grandson was transferred to the remote Mutsu.

The Tanuma Okitsugu of this world was even more angry.

He urgently hoped to use the power of the Ming Dynasty to deal with those disgusting villains inside and outside the shogunate.

It should be said that they are all insects!
After Sano Masagon committed suicide, Tanuma Okitsugu returned home and called his eldest grandson to his side.

Tanuma Okitsugu had four sons who lived to adulthood, but three other than the eldest were given away as adopted sons, and one of them died shortly after reaching adulthood.

Now the eldest son who stayed with me has also died, and my only direct relatives are three grandchildren.

The eldest grandson, Tanuma Omiaki, is twelve years old this year. The two grandsons behind him are just five years old and only three years old.

Tanuma Okiji opened his eyes wide, stared at his grandson and said loudly:

"Do you want to avenge your father?"

The twelve-year-old Tanuma Omiaki was a little confused at this time:

"Didn't the murderer who killed my father commit seppuku to apologize?"

Tanuma Okitsugu immediately said:
"That was just a specific executor. The person who actually killed your father was not just that one person!"

Tanuma Omiaki immediately asked:

"Grandpa, what you mean is that there is someone behind this? Why doesn't Grandpa catch him?"

Tanuma Okitsugu said with a straight face:

“I don’t know who it is, but it doesn’t matter who it is.

"The people who really killed your father were all the insects inside and outside the shogunate!

"Only by completely destroying them can we comfort your father's spirit in heaven!"

Tanuma Yoshiaki was confused again:
"So what should I do?"

Tanuma Okitsugu has already made arrangements:

"In a few days, the Ming fleet will arrive in Edo and will recruit samurai in Japan.

“These warriors have the opportunity to become the flag bearers of His Royal Highness the King of Wu of Ming.

“His Royal Highness the King of Wu of the Ming Dynasty is the living Lu Ban, the most famous king of the Ming Dynasty.

"I want you to go to Ming, follow the Ming army to fight at sea, expand territory, and make achievements.

“Gain the trust of the Ming Emperor and King Wu, and then return to Japan.

"Then use the power of the Ming Dynasty to clean up the pests in the shogunate and completely transform Japan."

Tanuma Okitsugu made this arrangement because the accidental death of his eldest son made him realize that he had made too many enemies.

He himself is sixty-five years old and could die at any time in this day and age.

After his death, his family would inevitably be liquidated by his political enemies, and his fiefdoms and assets would certainly be lost, and his descendants would most likely be transferred to bitter and cold places.

His eldest son who had grown up had already died, and his eldest grandson might not even reach adulthood before his death.

Now he can use his connections to send his eldest grandson to Ming Dynasty for development ahead of time, which will be safer for his grandson.

With the background of the Ming army, this grandson will have a chance to make a comeback in the future. Tanuma Omiaki is only twelve years old and does not understand the complicated political logic.

But like many boys, he had admired the heroes of the Three Kingdoms and the Warring States Period since he was a child.

Now, hearing about the arrangement to expand territory and establish achievements, Tanuma Omiaki became inexplicably excited:
"I understand grandpa, I will become a general of the Ming Dynasty!"

Tanuma Okitsugu sighed with emotion, then gently patted his grandson's shoulder:

"Good boy."

Of course, Tanuma Okitsugu would not let his eldest grandson go to the battlefield alone.

Swords and spears are merciless on the battlefield, but many generals can go in and out of the battlefield because they are always surrounded by a group of guards.

The guards first form a joint charge with the general, while clearing the enemies behind and on the sides for the general, and using their bodies to block swords for their commander when necessary.

After Tanuma Okitsugu arranged for his grandson, he immediately named eight retainers and asked them to follow his eldest grandson into the army:
"I will take good care of your family and children. You just need to protect your master. When your master reaches adulthood, he will naturally receive additional rewards."

The eight warriors immediately knelt down and kowtowed to receive the order:
"I obey my orders."
-
On October 16, the 38th year of Xianning in the Ming Dynasty, a large fleet sailed into Edo Bay.

The Ming Dynasty's fleet was even larger than what Fei Chun mentioned at the beginning.

Sixteen battleships of over 2,000 tons, thirty-two battleships of over 1,500 tons, and sixty secondary battleships of over 1,000 tons.

There are a total of 108 large warships with more than 5,000 guns.

The docks of Edo Castle could not be opened at all, and most of the main forces of the fleet did not dock, but patrolled on the surface of Edo Bay, thus closing the entrance and exit of Edo Bay.

Only three warships carrying envoys docked at the pier.

For unknown reasons, the news of the Ming fleet's arrival in Edo spread in advance.

Countless people came out to watch, including foreign daimyo living in Edo, local samurai, merchants, farmers, and recent disaster victims.

No foreign ships have approached Edo Bay for many years.

The local people of all kinds were very curious about the sudden visit of the "Tang fleet".

Now there are people everywhere inside and outside the Edo Pier and around Edo Bay, all looking at the pier from afar.

The Japanese attitude towards the Ming fleet is completely different from that of the American black ships in history.

When the Ming fleet came to Japan, it was the arrival of envoys from the Celestial Big Brother. When the American fleet forced its way in, it was an invasion by unknown overseas barbarians.

Led by the Edo Shogunate's Senior Minister Tanuma Okitsugu, the main officials of the Edo Shogunate came to the dock to welcome them.

Tanuma Okitsugu wanted to let other officials see firsthand the scale of the Ming fleet.

This will save a lot of trouble when discussing things in the future.

Tanuma Okitsugu's plan was successful.

Most of the high-ranking elders of the shogunate who usually showed off their might in Edo Castle were so shocked that they were speechless when they saw the huge ships that seemed to have no end on the sea in the distance.

Many people's mouths, hands, and legs trembled involuntarily. They had never seen such a large fleet.

I have never seen so many moving cannons.

The key point is that this large fleet with bad intentions has reached the coast, but the sea in Edo is still calm.

There was no longer any hope of divine help.

Perhaps only when Japan is fighting against barbarians like the Yuanyi will the divine wind help it.

When Japan was fighting with the Tang Dynasty at Baekgang, and when it was fighting with the Ming Dynasty on the Korean Peninsula, God did not help either side.

Many people inexplicably feel that Japan, like the Ming Dynasty, is being arrogant because they both call themselves the Son of Heaven.

Tanuma Okitsugu stood in the middle of the crowd and exclaimed loudly:
"The Ming Dynasty's fleet is indeed so powerful.

“The Ming Dynasty now has six military governorates, and these are just some of the warships from two of them.

“It was them, under the command of His Majesty the Prince of Wu of the Ming Dynasty, that crossed tens of thousands of miles across the Earth’s oceans and swept across North America and Europe.

"The barbarians that used to wreak havoc in the outer seas have been driven out of the two oceans by the Ming Dynasty, and have been chased back to the mainland by His Royal Highness the King of Wu of the Ming Dynasty to suppress them.

"The Dutch barbarians who were once everywhere have now accepted His Royal Highness the King of Ming Wu as their king in their native country.

"In the entire divine world, from ancient times to the present, there has never been such a great achievement in expelling the barbarians."

Zhu Jianxuan never dreamed that he would have any contribution to "expel the barbarians".

But according to the Japanese perception, driving the Western barbarians out of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is indeed an act of expelling barbarians.

Now Zhu Jianxuan's great contribution in expelling foreign invaders and the great victory of the Ming navy and army in the expedition made the surrounding shogunate elders tremble even more.

The Ming representatives who came to Edo this time were first the secretaries of the Wu State Secretariat Fei Chun and Shen Chu, then the prince of the Min State Duke Zheng Ruian and two staff members of the Min State Duke's Office.

After Fei Chun and Zheng Ruian and their group disembarked, Tanuma Okitsugu led the shogunate officials to come forward and bow and salute:
"The Japanese king's officials welcome the angel."

Fei Chun, Zheng Ruian and their group stood up straight and bowed slightly to the Japanese officials, which was considered a return of greeting:

"You're welcome, everyone."

After the two sides greeted each other, Tanuma Okitsugu led Fei Chun, Zheng Ruian and his party into Edo Castle.

Tokugawa Ieharu was waiting in the Ohiro room of the main hall of Edo Castle.

Fei Chun, Zheng Ruian and others, with the identity of envoys from the Celestial Empire, faced the "King of Japan" Tokugawa Ieharu, but they just stood up straight and clasped their hands without bowing.

Tokugawa Ieharu and his subordinate officials did not think there was anything unusual.

The fact that he did not need to kneel to greet the envoys from the Celestial Empire showed that he attached great importance to his status as a king.

Tokugawa Ieharu even stood up and bowed in return, then had someone bring in a Ming-style armchair and invited several Ming envoys to sit in the middle of the hall.

(End of this chapter)