My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 353 What's going on? Little Ice River isn't even here?

Just then, Zheng Zhilong said again:

"Besides that, my son knows more about other things, so let him tell you about them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang put down the document in his hand.

Immediately afterward, Tagawa Shichizaemon, who was standing nearby, quickly spoke up and began to introduce the situation in Japan.

During the late Ming Dynasty, Japan was in the early Edo period, ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

During this period, Japan underwent significant political, social, and cultural changes, which contrasted sharply with the turmoil at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo Shogunate, ending more than a century of chaos during the Sengoku period and ushering in a centralized period of rule centered on Edo (Tokyo).

The shogunate implemented the shogunate-vassal system, controlling the regions by enfeoffing daimyo. It also implemented the sankin-kotai system, which required daimyo to travel to and from Edo regularly. This measure greatly weakened the power of the local forces and made the rule of the shogunate more stable.

Furthermore, to guard against Western colonial powers and the influence of Christianity, the Tokugawa Shogunate gradually prohibited trade with most countries, retaining only trade with the Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands, Korea, and Ryukyu.

In addition, the shogunate implemented a policy of 'separation of soldiers and farmers,' which led to the gradual concentration of the samurai class in cities, while farmers were fixed on the land to focus on agricultural production.

This policy promoted agricultural development, resulting in a bumper harvest and a period of prosperity in the cities.

Of course, the shogunate also implemented a strict class system of "samurai, farmers, artisans and merchants," which reduced social mobility and bound people firmly to their own class, making it difficult to cross over, somewhat similar to the household registration system of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Cilang listened quietly to what Tagawa Shichizaemon had to say, while occasionally frowning.

He hadn't expected that the Ming Dynasty would be beset by internal and external troubles at this time, as well as various abnormal weather conditions, leading to poor harvests or even crop failures.

In contrast, Japan at this time seemed to be thriving.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but wonder, didn't Japan experience the Little Ice Age?

Zhu Cilang then asked directly:
"In recent decades, the weather in the Ming Dynasty has been quite abnormal, especially in winter when it is unusually cold. Sometimes the heavy snow can last for four or five months, causing crops to fail in many places."

"Doesn't Japan have a similar situation?"

Upon hearing this, Tagawa Shichizaemon pondered for a moment before replying:
"Your Highness, as far as I know, Japan does not have this situation. Although it was a bit cold a couple of years ago, it was not as cold as in the Ming Dynasty. Overall, the weather is relatively normal."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang could only shake his head helplessly and sigh inwardly.

Who would have thought that the Little Ice Age would only affect the Ming Dynasty and not Japan? It's really bad luck that the heavens are against us!

Of course, this is probably also related to Japan's unique geographical environment!
After all, Japan is surrounded by the sea, and the characteristics of its maritime climate mean that its weather is definitely different from that of the Ming Dynasty.

Just then, Zheng Zhilong cautiously asked:
"May I ask, Your Highness, is the imperial court planning to take action against Japan?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang snapped out of his daze, then smiled and looked at Zheng Zhilong, saying:
“Since you are family, Father-in-law, I will not hide anything from you. Japan is a small island nation that has been harassing the borders of the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years. They are like a pack of greedy wolves, trying to tear a piece of flesh from the Ming Dynasty from time to time, making the people on the borders of the Ming Dynasty suffer.”

"How can we let such a wicked neighbor go unpunished? Therefore, after dealing with the peasant army and the Jurchens, the next target of our Great Ming will be Japan."

"I will need my father-in-law's full support at that time."

Zheng Zhilong was not surprised when he heard this, because he had already guessed this outcome.

He then bowed slightly and said in a firm tone:
"Your Highness, please rest assured, when the time comes, I will do my utmost and will certainly not disappoint you!"

Although Tagawa Shichizaemon had heard Zheng Zhilong mention this matter before, he was still somewhat shocked when Zhu Cilang said it.

However, of course, it was merely a shock!
After all, he had never considered himself a Japanese, but rather a Ming person.

Japan was merely a place of his birth; he was still of the Zheng family bloodline, and the blood of the Ming Dynasty flowed in his heart.

The next second, Tagawa Shichizaemon hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting:
"Your Highness, if there is anything I need to do, I will do it even at the cost of my life!"

Zhu Cilang looked at him with considerable appreciation upon hearing this, and then said:

"I am very pleased with your loyalty. For the sake of our future plans, the Ming Dynasty needs to obtain as much information as possible from Japan. Therefore, in addition to conducting trade with Japan, we may need your help to collect information from both inside and outside Japan to prepare for our future attack on Japan."

"The situation in Japan is complex, with various daimyo engaging in open and covert struggles. We need to understand their political, military, and economic situations in order to formulate a reasonable strategy."

"Once we take over Japan, I'll make you a marquis."

Upon hearing this, Tagawa Shichizaemon felt a surge of excitement, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Although he was not very familiar with the titles of nobility in the Ming Dynasty, he knew that his father, Zheng Zhilong, was a marquis.

If he were to become a marquis, how could he possibly refuse?
At that moment, Tagawa Shichizaemon hurriedly said:

"Your Highness, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Zheng Zhilong was also gratified to see this.

For Tagawa Shichizaemon, this was actually a very simple matter.

With the help of the Tagawa family, Tagawa Shichizaemon was able to obtain a lot of intelligence about Japan.

Afterwards, the two talked about some other things, and then Zheng Zhilong and Tagawa Shichizaemon took their leave.

Zhu Cilang personally escorted the two of them to the door.

Overall, tonight was very fruitful.

Time flies, and a night has passed in the blink of an eye.

Early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window into an inconspicuous room in the meeting hall.

Inside the room, Li Dingguo slowly opened his eyes, a hint of weariness in them.

Originally, Li Dingguo's main task was to go on a mission to the Jurchens, then bring the Jurchen envoys back to Liaodong, and then have others escort the Jurchen envoys to the capital.

However, in the end he still went to the capital with them.

There was nothing they could do, because when the ship reached Liaodong, the sky suddenly became overcast, and then it started snowing heavily.

The heavy snow fell thick and fast, quickly covering the entire sea area.

Under these circumstances, the ship was unable to dock, leaving him with no choice but to follow them to the capital.

After arriving in the capital, Li Dingguo and his entourage, being not envoys, stayed at the Huitongguan according to the court's regulations.

The Huitongguan was an officially designated reception institution established by the imperial court. Its main responsibility was to accommodate officials from other places who came to the capital for audience, reporting on their duties, or on official business.

Of course, if you have money, you can find luxurious and comfortable inns to stay in. However, Li Dingguo was clearly not one of those wealthy people; the little silver he carried was not enough to stay in an inn for even a few days in the expensive capital.

Therefore, after some deliberation and consideration, he finally obediently chose to stay at the Huitongguan.

The Liaodong soldiers who came with him were in similar situations.

However, their treatment at the meeting hall was not as good as that of Li Dingguo.

Since the rooms at the Huitongguan were arranged according to official rank, those officials and military officers with slightly higher ranks could enjoy a spacious and bright single room by themselves.

Officials and military officers of lower rank had to squeeze into places similar to dormitory rooms.

Despite the basic accommodations, the Huitong Inn has one irresistible advantage: it includes meals and lodging, and the meals are quite good, with three dishes and a soup always provided.

Therefore, this was undoubtedly a huge temptation for generals like Li Dingguo who were short of money.

After getting up, Li Dingguo went to the basin of water that had been prepared and washed his face. The cold water stimulated his skin and instantly made him more awake.

He then picked up a towel, wiped his face haphazardly, and went to find the group of soldiers who had come with him, intending to get something to eat.

But as he reached a corner, Li Dingguo suddenly stopped.

His eyes were fixed on a spot not far away, and a look of doubt and surprise appeared on his face.

On the opposite corridor, a familiar figure suddenly appeared. The figure's gait and posture felt incredibly familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, and it quickly overlapped with a familiar figure in his mind.

Li Dingguo shook his head, muttering to himself:
What's going on? Am I seeing things?
In that daze, he seemed to see Luo Rucai.

But how is this possible?
Wasn't Luo Rucai following his adoptive father Zhang Xianzhong in Henan?
Henan is thousands of miles away from the capital. How could he suddenly appear in the capital, especially in a place like the Huitongguan?

You should know that the Huitongguan was a place only for Ming Dynasty officials to stay in. Luo Rucai, a peasant army general, should not have been here at all!

Thinking about this, Li Dingguo found it somewhat amusing. He figured he probably hadn't slept well last night, which was why he was hallucinating.

However, just as he was trying to comfort himself, a sudden exclamation came from not far away:

"Li Dingguo, is that you?"

The sound was like a thunderclap, ringing in Li Dingguo's ears.

He suddenly looked up and saw that the person speaking was the same one he had previously mistaken for Luo Rucai.

No.
More accurately, this person is Luo Rucai!

In an instant, both of them were filled with disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.

Li Dingguo felt his heart suddenly race, as if it were about to leap out of his throat.

As for Luo Rucai on the other side, he felt much the same way at this moment.

Neither of them expected to meet the other in this place or at this time.

This is quite normal, because Luo Rucai never knew that Li Dingguo had been captured by the imperial court.

Not many people knew that Li Dingguo had been captured in the battle with Zuo Liangyu's troops, so they all assumed that Li Dingguo had been killed by Zuo Liangyu.

Zhang Xianzhong was heartbroken for a long time because of this.

Similarly, Li Dingguo was unaware of Luo Rucai's surrender to the imperial court.

After his capture, he was quickly escorted to the capital. After staying in the capital for a few days, he was sent to Liaodong. He knew nothing about what was happening in Shaanxi and Henan.

This is how this scene came about.

The two men stared at each other, dozens of meters apart, both looking as if they had seen a ghost.

The soldiers around Li Dingguo were completely baffled. They looked at each other, their faces showing confusion.

Their general seemed to recognize the person opposite them, but they didn't know what to say, so they could only stand quietly to the side and wait for things to develop.

Before long, Luo Rucai was the first to react. He strode towards Li Dingguo and then smiled:

“Brother Dingguo, I didn’t expect to meet you here. Come, let’s sit in my room and have a good chat.”

Li Dingguo nodded with a complicated expression, then gave a few instructions to the soldiers behind him before leaving with Luo Rucai.

Throughout the journey, both of them had very mixed feelings, including the joy of reunion and curiosity and doubt about what had happened to each other.

Luo Rucai's room was located in a corner of the Huitongguan, which was relatively quiet.

The room was small, but it was decorated very exquisitely. A wooden bed was placed in the corner, covered with clean sheets and blankets, and a small table was placed in the center of the room, on which were a tea set and several teacups.

There was also a desk next to it, covered with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, and several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall next to it.

There was also a brazier that was burning, but it wasn't burning honeycomb briquettes; instead, it was burning high-quality charcoal.

This is much better than Li Dingguo, because Li Dingguo's room was not burning coal, but honeycomb briquettes.

It was obvious that the officials at the Huitong Hall also knew of Luo Rucai's special status, so they dared not neglect him.

After entering the room, Luo Rucai invited Li Dingguo to sit down opposite him and then personally poured him a cup of tea.

The tea was steaming, emitting a faint fragrance.

However, neither of them was in the mood to savor the tea. Their expressions remained complex, and their eyes revealed an indescribable emotion.

However, unlike Li Dingguo, Luo Rucai reacted more quickly.

Although he was a little surprised when he first saw Li Dingguo, he quickly realized what was going on.

That means Li Dingguo did not die, but surrendered to the court. Otherwise, he would not have appeared in the capital and stayed at the Huitongguan.

You should know that only people with official positions can live in this place.

Li Dingguo now knew that Luo Rucai, like himself, had surrendered to the imperial court. However, he did not know how Luo Rucai had surrendered. Was he captured like Luo Rucai, or did he do so voluntarily?

At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

After all, they were once peasant soldiers who fought side by side against the oppression of the imperial court, but now they have all surrendered to the court.
(End of this chapter)