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In the winter of the twenty-sixth year of the prosperous era, the ninth prince Guo Jing and the tenth prince Guo Guo were ordered to cross the sea to Japan.

On the day the fleet set sail from Dengzhou, a fierce north wind was blowing across the sea.

The two brothers stood at the bow of the flagship, wrapped in thick fur coats, gazing at the ever-receding coastline, neither of them uttering a word.

Behind them were ten 10,000-ton steam turbine warships and twenty transport ships, fully loaded with three thousand soldiers, weapons, provisions, and the book "Colonial Strategy" that their father had personally handed to them.

Before they set off, the emperor summoned them to the imperial study and handed Guo Jing that thick book.

"In Japan, those who obey will be spared, those who disobey will be killed. Remember, you are princes of the Great Zhou, not here to beg for favors. You are here to guard the borders and establish authority."

Guo Jing kept his father's words in mind.

The fleet sailed at sea for half a month.

When the wind and waves were high, the ship rocked violently, and young Guo Guo vomited several times, his face turning pale.

But he gritted his teeth and remained silent, standing at the bow of the ship every day, gazing eastward.

"Tenth Brother, why don't you go inside and rest?" Guo Jing advised him.

Guo Guo shook his head: "Ninth Brother, I'm not tired. Father said we're going to guard this place. If we can't even withstand this little storm, what will we do when we get there?"

Guo Jing patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

……

On the third day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year of the prosperous era, the fleet docked at Hakata Bay.

Hakata, the largest port on the west coast of Japan, was where the Great Zhou Dynasty established a trading post and stationed 500 soldiers for decades.

The docks were bustling with people: merchants from the Great Zhou Dynasty, people from Japan, ships from Korea, and goods from Southeast Asia.

Upon seeing the flags on the warships, the merchants of the Great Zhou Dynasty knelt down on the dock and kowtowed.

"Long live the Great Zhou! Long live His Highness the Prince!"

Guo Jing disembarked and set foot on that unfamiliar land.

Beneath my feet was a stone-paved dock, above me a gray sky, and in the distance, the mountains were covered with remnants of snow.

The people from the trading post came forward to greet us. The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties named Zheng, who had been in Japan for more than ten years and knew everything about the place.

His face was rather pale, and he knelt down as soon as he saw Guo Jing. “Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, you’ve finally arrived.”

Guo Jing frowned. "What's going on?"

Steward Zheng looked around and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, may I speak to you in private?"

Once the group entered the trading post, Manager Zheng finally spoke up, "The situation at Dazaifu... is not peaceful."

Dazaifu was an official government office established by the Fusang court in Kyushu, which governed several western countries.

Because the strategic focus of the Great Zhou Dynasty was always on the Khitan in the north, after destroying the Khitan, it immediately launched westward expeditions to the Middle East and the Abbasid Caliphate. Therefore, its treatment of Japan, which was like a chicken rib, was mainly limited to trade and mining.

Furthermore, at this time, the Great Zhou Dynasty was the Celestial Empire to Japan, and the warlords and nobles of Japan were all very obedient.

Over the years, Da Zhou had been doing business in Hakata and had maintained peaceful relations with Dazaifu.

The Great Zhou Dynasty would send some benefits to the Grand Chancellor's Office, and the Grand Chancellor's Office would turn a blind eye, with everyone going their own way.

But as soon as they heard that the Great Zhou was going to send a vassal king to guard Fusang, the Dazaifu immediately changed its attitude.

After all, this would put their Japanese emperor in an awkward position.

“Those samurai loiter around outside Hakata Castle every day, claiming to ‘protect the area,’ but they’re really just watching us. A few days ago, when the merchants went out of the city to buy goods, they were stopped and searched, and even the goods on the carts were ransacked. When our men argued with them, they were slapped twice, knocking out their teeth.”

Guo Jing listened without saying a word.

He turned to look at his younger brother, Guo Guo.

Guo Guo, in his early twenties and full of youthful vigor, glared at these words and exclaimed, "They've rebelled! Ninth Brother, I'll take men and capture all those warriors!"

Guo Jing waved his hand, telling him not to rush, "Who's in charge at the Grand Chancellor's Office?"

“His name is Fujiwara Sumitomo. He is from a branch of the Fujiwara clan and has three thousand samurai under his command. I heard that he doesn’t have a good relationship with the people in Kyoto, but he’s the one who calls the shots in Kyushu. This man is greedy and has taken a lot of benefits from us over the years, but he doesn’t do anything after taking the money. Last time, when we were expanding the trading post, he stubbornly refused to approve it, and finally extorted two thousand taels of silver from us before he gave in.”

"Then let's try diplomacy first, then resort to force." Guo Jing nodded.

"promise!"

……

That evening, Steward Zheng sent someone to the Dazai Mansion to deliver a message, saying that the Prince of Da Zhou had arrived and invited the Dazai to come to Hakata for a chat.

The letter was written very politely, using the word "please" instead of "summon".

After all, Guo Jing wanted to figure out the other party's tactics first, so that he could know himself and his enemy and win every battle.

The next day, the messenger returned, his face even more grim than the day before. "Your Highness, Fujiwara no Sumitomo said... that the Prince of Da Zhou has arrived, and he should be the one to pay his respects. However, he is currently very busy with official duties and cannot leave. Please... please go to the Dazaifu yourself."

Guo Guo was furious when he heard this. "Outrageous! He wants us to go? Who does he think he is! Ninth Brother, if we don't get rid of this man, we won't be able to stay in Japan for even a day!"

Guo Jing, however, calmly waved his hand at the messenger, "I understand. You may leave!"

"promise!"

After the messenger left, Guo Guo was still pacing anxiously. "Ninth Brother, this cannot be tolerated! Father sent us here to guard the area, not to be bullied! What will Father think if he finds out that we are being bullied by a local official from Fusang?"

Guo Jing glanced at him. "Who said I was going to put up with it?"

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the lights of Hakata Port twinkled.

The lights were still on on those Great Zhou merchant ships, and the sailors were drinking and chatting on board, their laughter faintly drifting over.

“My father said that in Japan, those who obey will be kept alive, and those who disobey will be killed. This Fujiwara no Sumitomo is clearly the disobedient type.”

"So what do we do next?"

"What should we do?" Guo Jing smiled. "Didn't he tell us to go to the Grand Preceptor's Office? Then let's go."

Guo Guo was stunned. "Ninth Brother, are you crazy? That's his territory, guarded by three thousand warriors. If we go, what if..."

“What if what?” Guo Jing interrupted him, “He’ll only feel at ease if we go. He’ll think we’re easy to bully, that we’re afraid of him. Once he’s at ease, he’ll reveal his true colors.”

Guo Guo wanted to say something more, but Guo Jing waved his hand and said, "Go and muster three hundred armored soldiers. They will set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"Three hundred?" Guo Guo's eyes widened. "Ninth Brother, three hundred against three thousand, is that even possible?"

“It can be done,” Guo Jing said. “We’re not going to fight, we’re going to observe. We’ll see if his three thousand warriors are real tigers or just paper tigers.”

"Alright! Ninth Brother, you'd better be careful."

"Don't worry! My brother and I will definitely win this time."

……

The next day, Guo Jing led three hundred armored soldiers to the Grand Preceptor's residence.

Guo Guo wanted to go with them, but Guo Jing stopped him, saying, "Tenth Brother, you stay in Hakata and guard the port. If something happens to me, you can come to my aid. Remember, no matter what happens, don't panic. If I don't return within three days, send an urgent report back to the capital, and then lead the fleet to retreat to Goryeo."

Guo Guo's face turned pale. "Ninth Brother..."

"Don't be afraid." Guo Jing patted his shoulder. "Father is watching us."

Dazaifu is east of Hakata; it took a day to travel there on horseback.

When Guo Jing arrived, it was almost dark.

In the distance, the outline of that mansion could be seen...

The walls were high, the gate tower imposing, and two rows of warriors stood in front of the gate, holding gleaming swords.

Fujiwara Sumitomo did not come out to greet him.

He sat in the main hall of the Dazaifu, waiting for Guo Jing to come in.

Guo Jing strode into the main hall, followed by two bodyguards.

Guo Jing was dressed in ordinary Zhou prince's casual clothes, without a knife at his waist, and had a faint smile on his face.

Fujiwara no Sumitomo was in his forties, sporting a mustache, dressed in a magnificent robe, and wearing an eboshi hat, looking every bit the Japanese nobleman.

Upon seeing Guo Jing enter, he bowed slightly as a gesture of respect, saying, "Your Highness of the Great Zhou has come from afar. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

He said he was sorry, but his face showed no remorse whatsoever.

Guo Jing, however, sat down directly opposite Fujiwara Sumitomo. “Fujiwara Dazai, I have come to guard Fusang by order of my father. From now on, we will be neighbors. I hope you will take good care of me.”

Fujiwara no Sumitomo laughed, a laugh tinged with disdain. "Your Highness is joking. Japan is a vassal state of the Great Zhou, and has always been subservient. If Your Highness wishes to guard it, then so be it. However..."

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "It's just that Japan is a small place and can't support too many soldiers. Your Highness bringing so many people is probably a bit...inconvenient. The five hundred from Hakata, plus the three thousand Your Highness brought, make three thousand five hundred. With so many soldiers, where will the food and supplies come from? Where will the pay come from? If a conflict breaks out with the local people, who will be responsible?"

"..." Guo Jing looked at him but didn't say anything, though the killing intent in his heart was brewing.

Seeing that Guo Jing didn't respond, Fujiwara Sumitomo continued arrogantly, "In my opinion, three hundred is enough. Of the five hundred from Hakata Port, keep two hundred and withdraw the rest. Also, withdraw two thousand five out of the three thousand Your Highness brought. This way, it will be convenient for everyone. What do you think, Your Highness?"

Guo Jing nodded. "I understand what the Grand Chancellor means."

Then, he stood up and said, "It's getting late, so I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."

Fujiwara Sumitomo was taken aback, not expecting him to leave so decisively. "Your Highness is leaving already?"

"Let's go. I will carefully consider what the Grand Tutor said."

Guo Jing turned and left.

Fujiwara Jun'yū frowned as he watched his retreating figure.

Why is this person so easy to talk to?
He was of course unaware that after Guo Jing left Dazaifu, he did not return directly to Hakata, but went to a village outside the city.

The village was small, with only a few dozen households, all of whom were farmers.

The thatched hut was dilapidated, the crops in the fields were sparse, and the people were as thin as dry firewood.

Guo Jing, accompanied by two bodyguards, knocked on the door of a house.

An old man opened the door; his hair was completely white and his face was full of wrinkles.

Seeing several armored figures standing at the door, he was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, "M-My lord, spare my life..."

Guo Jing helped him up. "Old man, don't be afraid. I am a prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, here to guard Fusang. I want to ask you, how does Fujiwara no Sumitomo treat you?"

The old man froze for a moment, then his eyes reddened. "Your Highness... he... he's not human..."

That night, Guo Jing's men thoroughly investigated the devastation in the village.

Fujiwara no Sumitomo served as the Dazai (chief minister) in Kyushu for twenty years, where he levied exorbitant taxes and oppressed men and women.

Those who couldn't pay taxes were seized and enslaved.

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed.

He abducted young and beautiful women and defiled them in his mansion.

There was a farmer's daughter, only fifteen years old, who was kidnapped and held captive for three months. When she was carried out, she was barely recognizable as a human being, and she died a few days later.

The people hated him to the core, but no one dared to say it.

He told them, and the next day someone came to his door, took him away, and he never came back.

After listening, Guo Jing remained silent for a long time. Finally, he had a reason to annihilate Fusang: to give the oppressed people of Fusang freedom.

……

The next day, Guo Jing returned safely to Hakata.

Guo Guo greeted him: "Ninth Brother, how is it?" Guo Jing didn't speak and went straight to the study in the merchant house.

He wrote a memorial to the throne and had it sent to the capital by telegram as an urgent request.

The telegram contained only one sentence: "Fujiwara Sumitomo should be killed."

Soon, a reply arrived from the capital.

The reply was brief, containing only four words: "Take it easy."

After reading it, Guo Jing handed the reply to Guo Guo.

Guo Guo's eyes lit up after reading it. "Ninth Brother, shall we make a move?"

Guo Jing nodded. "Let's get started! We must completely resolve the problem with Japan. That's why Father Emperor sent us brothers here."

"Ninth Brother, I have a question in my mind: why has Father Emperor always turned a blind eye to Japan?"

"It's not that we turn a blind eye! It's that we look down on it! After all, the strategic focus of the Great Zhou Dynasty is the northern frontier and the western regions."

"No wonder! This is the merit of conquering a country left to us by our father."

"That's right! The feat of destroying a country is quite rare."

……

That night, Zhou Jun from Hakata Port secretly set out.

Three thousand men were divided into three groups.

They marched straight towards Dazaifu, blocked the gates of the samurai camp, and controlled the main roads outside the city.

Each person had a wooden peg in their mouth, and their horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth. They moved silently toward their respective targets.

Guo Jing personally led the first group of one thousand men straight to the Taizai Mansion.

Fujiwara Sumitomo was still asleep when his personal guard woke him up, shouting, "Dazai! Something terrible has happened! The Zhou army is attacking!"

Fujiwara Jun'yū jumped up, rushed to the window, and turned pale.

Outside the mansion, torches blazed brightly, and the sounds of people shouting and horses neighing filled the air.

Zhou Jun's flags fluttered in the firelight, and the soldiers in black uniforms surged forward like a tide.

"How...how could this be..."

Before Fujiwara Sumitomo could finish speaking, the gate of the mansion was smashed open.

Guo Jing strode in with his men.

He was dressed in a black military uniform, with a knife at his waist, and his face was expressionless.

Fujiwara Sumitomo's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, "Your Highness... Your Highness, spare my life..."

Guo Jing looked coldly at Fujiwara Sumitomo, "Spare my life? When you were bullying the people, did you ever think about sparing their lives?"

Fujiwara Jun'yū trembled and was speechless, because he couldn't understand what the people of Fusang had to do with the Great Zhou.
Guo Jing waved his hand, "Take him away. Tomorrow at noon, behead him and display his head to the public."

"promise!"

Fujiwara Sumitomo was dragged away like that, his screams fading into the night.

The fighting was even more intense at the samurai camp.

Half of the three thousand warriors were still asleep when Zhou's army trapped them in their barracks.

Some tried to resist, but as soon as they picked up a knife, they were shot into pincushions by crossbow bolts.

Someone tried to run, but when he reached the door, he was pierced through by a spear.

Some people knelt on the ground to surrender and were then tied up.

The tenth prince, Guo Guo, personally led the troops, charging through the camp on horseback.

He brandished his sword, cutting down several warriors who tried to resist. He was covered in blood, but his eyes shone like stars.

After an hour of fighting, there were seven or eight hundred corpses lying in the warrior camp.

The rest of them all knelt on the ground and surrendered.

Guo Guo rode his horse around the camp, looked at the kneeling warriors, and sneered, "Is that all? Three thousand warriors, and this is how they were beaten?"

At daybreak, a notice was posted at the gate of Dazaifu.

The notice listed seventeen charges against Fujiwara Sumitomo...

Extortionate taxes, bullying men and women, indiscriminate killing of innocents, collusion with pirates, embezzlement of tribute, and contempt for the Great Zhou Dynasty... every single one of these is appalling.

The last sentence reads: "Fujiwara no Sumitomo, whose crimes were heinous, has now been executed. From this day forward, the people of Kyushu will no longer suffer as a result of his actions."

The people gathered around the notice, looking at it again and again, and some even burst into tears on the spot.

"Really...really dead?"

"That beast is really dead?"

"Thank God!"

At noon, Fujiwara no Sumitomo was escorted to the city gate.

At this moment, he knelt there, his hair disheveled, his face pale, and his whole body trembling like a leaf. Where was the arrogance of the Grand Chancellor?

The crowd of onlookers filled both sides of the street. Some threw stones at him, some spat at him, and some cried and shouted that they wanted to kill him with their own hands.

The executioner raised his knife and brought it down.

The head rolled to the ground.

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Long live the Great Zhou!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

Guo Jing stood on the city wall, looking at the cheering crowd, his face expressionless.

Guo Guo walked up to the city wall and stood beside him. "Ninth Brother, what do we do next?"

“Next,” Guo Jingdao said, “is naturally going to Kyoto! We must bring freedom to the people of Japan.”

……

Half a month later, Zhou's army arrived at the gates of the capital.

Three thousand Zhou soldiers set up camp outside the capital city.

Banners blotted out the sun, and swords and spears formed a forest.

Hundreds of cannons were aimed at the city wall, their dark muzzles like eyes, coldly staring at this ancient capital.

The Emperor of Japan sat in his palace, listening to the shouts of battle outside, his legs trembling.

He was in his forties, as thin as a bamboo pole, and his face was as white as paper. "What...what should we do?"

The ministers looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

Someone whispered, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Great Zhou said that he will withdraw his troops as long as those who colluded with Fujiwara no Sumitomo are handed over..."

The Emperor's eyes lit up. "Hand it all over! Hand it all over! Who colluded? Investigate immediately!"

After three days of investigation, they discovered more than a dozen high-ranking nobles.

Some were relatives of Fujiwara Sumitomo, some were his accomplices, some had accepted bribes from him, and some had bullied the common people with him.

They were escorted out of the capital and sent to Zhou's army camp.

Guo Jing glanced at the list, nodded, and said, "Kill."

Those nobles were beheaded.

Some cried and begged for mercy, some fainted from fright, and some stubbornly pretended to be tough guys. But with one stab, they were all the same.

The remaining nobles knelt before Zhou's army camp, not daring to raise their heads.

They knelt from morning until noon, and from noon until afternoon, their knees were all bruised and raw, but no one dared to move.

Guo Jing stepped out of the main tent and looked at the people. "From now on, Fusang will still be your Fusang. But there is one rule—the rules of the Great Zhou are the rules."

"Those who obey will enjoy wealth and honor. Those who disobey will end up like them."

The nobles kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "We'll obey! We'll definitely obey!"

"Long live the Great Zhou! Long live His Highness the Prince!"

……

In the spring of the twenty-seventh year of the prosperous era, the ninth prince Guo Jing and the tenth prince Guo Guo established their respective vassal states of the Great Zhou Dynasty in Kyoto and Hakata.

The prince's palace was located in the center of Kyoto and Hakata Port, covering an area of ​​100 acres, and included a main hall, side halls, government offices, military camps, and warehouses.

Above the gates of the Kyoto and Hakata princely residences, there are plaques with three large characters: “Song Prince’s Residence” and “Lu Prince’s Residence”, respectively.

The Japanese emperor sent envoys with congratulatory gifts, including gold, silver, silk, lacquerware, and swords, filling more than a dozen carts.

The envoy knelt at the entrance of the Prince's residence, not daring to raise his head. "Your Highness, the Prince of Great Zhou, His Majesty of our dynasty congratulates you on establishing your residence and wishes for an everlasting alliance between our two nations, and eternal peace."

Guo Jing accepted the gifts, rewarded the envoy, and sent him back with a message: "Tell your Japanese emperor to live a good life and not cause trouble. If anything happens, send someone to report it. I will handle it myself."

The envoy kowtowed repeatedly and withdrew.

Fusang officially became a vassal state of the Great Zhou Dynasty, paying tribute annually and coming to court every year.

When the local tyrants heard about Fujiwara no Sumitomo's fate, they all became obedient.

Those who are obligated to pay taxes should do so, and those who are obligated to obey should obey; they will no longer dare to engage in any underhanded tactics.

Meanwhile, King Guo Jing of Song and King Guo Guo of Lu immediately began to promote Confucian education in Fusang, supporting and cultivating Fusang nobles who were close to the Great Zhou, further undermining the already mascot-like Japanese emperor.

In fact, King Guo Jing of Song intended to forcibly send the Japanese emperor to the capital, but in order to smoothly take over the military and political power of Japan, he temporarily tolerated the mascot continuing to stay in the capital.

Hakata Port is becoming increasingly bustling.

Merchant ships from the Great Zhou Dynasty came and went, bringing silk, porcelain, and tea to Japan and taking back gold, silver, lacquerware, and swords.

The docks were piled high with goods, and the streets were crowded with people. Some spoke Chinese, some spoke Japanese, some wore long robes, and some wore kimonos. It was as lively as a market.

King Guo of Lu stood on the dock of Hakata Port, watching the merchant ships coming and going, and suddenly remembered what his father had said:

"In Japan, those who obey will be spared, and those who disobey will be killed."

King Lu smiled.

As expected, Father Emperor was right.

The chief secretary of the Prince of Lu's residence walked over and stood beside him. "Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"

"I miss my father," said Prince Lu. "I wonder what he's doing now."

The chief secretary of the Prince of Lu's residence remained silent.

After a while, the chief secretary of the Prince of Lu's residence said, "Your Highness, you should send more telegrams to His Majesty to tell him about the situation here. We cannot become estranged just because we are thousands of miles apart."

Prince Lu nodded. "Alright. I'll write it tonight."

...(End of this chapter)