Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 288 Wang Cheng: I am not stingy with my own lead bullets, and I hope you will not stingy with your own lives.
The Japanese kingdom of Yingzhou was strictly hierarchical and socially rigid. Even the offspring of retainers at various levels, such as the outer vassal, hatamoto, hereditary retainer, and the main retainer, were not accommodated. Naturally, good things did not go to the common people at the bottom.

There has never been a relatively fair selection system like the imperial examination system.

The "Wang Hua Zhao Shi Ling" (Order on the Beginning of the King's Transformation) truly opened up an unprecedented channel for them to rise in social status.

Although the real name of this path to advancement is—kneeling and licking!
But attaching oneself to the strong is hardly a psychological barrier for the people of small countries.

As Wang Cheng and Shen Yueye stepped off the carriage to receive the worship of the commoners of Daoye Village, an elderly man, though very short in stature, dressed and styled like a Dazhao person, suddenly stepped forward and knelt down.

Although their clothes looked somewhat worn, at least they looked like they had been naturalized.

His eyes welled with tears, filled with reverence, pride, and unbelievable joy. He repeatedly kowtowed, speaking in a somewhat incoherent Zhao dialect that was even more fluent than that of the fish market vendor:
"Xiao Ren Banping is a traveling medicine doctor who goes from street to street, and he is quite knowledgeable."

In the past, however, we only saw younger brothers and their descendants undertaking general labor, horse service, military service, and miscellaneous official duties, bringing their own rations to work for the lord without pay.

Year after year, time and time again, the adults always treated us like livestock, wishing they could use us, these lowly people, until we died.

I thought I would die in this quagmire sooner or later, but I never thought I would actually have a day when I could turn my life around.

The great lords of the past turned people into beasts, but His Highness Prince Jinghai has turned beasts into people! Your Highness, have mercy!

"I have admired the culture of China since I was young. A few years ago, when the Prince of Jinghai was conquering various countries, my son and I even guided the prince on his way."

In the past two years, all three of my daughters have married Tangren Haishang as concubines, and they have given birth to four grandchildren in total, which is a great honor for my family.

"To have seen Your Highness's countenance today, I would die without regret."

In fact, this person was not a plant, but a typical example carefully selected and marked in advance by [Xie Li Yin Yang]. Therefore, what he said sounded particularly real and sincere.

Wang Cheng didn't put on any airs of a prince; he quickly stepped forward and helped him up with both hands, saying kindly:

"Please rise, sir. It is a blessing for our Donghai Kingdom to have a good citizen like you."

If all the people under my rule were like you, the country would be at peace.

After exchanging a few more words of concern and inquiring about his family situation, he took a "First-Class Good Citizen Certificate" with the number 00001 from the accompanying staff and handed it to him.

In the future, his family's land will be subject to the "four public and six private" system, with them taking the lion's share. They will also enjoy a series of privileges, including a certain amount of fixed commercial tax reduction, priority in obtaining citizenship in the outer five banners, and enrollment in higher education institutions.

Of course, as a living advertisement, Wang Cheng also bestowed a surname upon him.

"Since your main profession is a medicine seller, you shall take the surname 'Medicine Shop' from now on."

"Someone come here, [the genealogist], to re-register the medicine shop."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Among the entourage was a local official called a "genealogy craftsman," who, as the name suggests, was a person who specialized in compiling family genealogies.

During the Han Dynasty, the official position of "Zongzheng Guan" was established, which was specifically responsible for the affairs of the royal family and the clans of the feudal lords, and for compiling or revising family genealogies. Their duties were similar to those of the minor officials in the Zhou Dynasty.

During the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, due to the implementation of the "Nine-Rank System", family genealogy became a symbol of a person's status, and everyone rushed to forge family genealogies to improve their status.

Another folk profession quietly emerged: the "musician".

They specialize in forging family trees and fabricating lineages.

This group of people are not only knowledgeable about ancient and modern times and have professional knowledge of genealogy, but they are also familiar with a series of processes and operations in genealogy compilation. Therefore, they are known as "master craftsmen" and can deal with the ancestral tablets of various families.

In short: "I'm randomly claiming ancestors!"

They themselves are even more powerful; as long as they shout "Ancestors, save me!", they can borrow the power of the corresponding "ancestors." The more famous the historical figure, the stronger the power they can borrow.

At the same time, it can also connect with the ancestral spirit of the Chinese nation, so that the people in the newly compiled genealogy will instinctively act from the perspective of a certain "ancestor" and consciously safeguard their ancestors.

This serves as a double insurance.

The genealogy was quickly completed, and Wang Cheng bestowed upon the old man, Yaowu Banping, the outstanding Japanese traitor, the great honor of having a separate page in the genealogy, encouraging him to continue his efforts and fearlessly serve as a Japanese traitor.

The latter received the family genealogy of the pharmacy, his whole body trembling with excitement:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will tattoo this good citizen certificate on my body tomorrow. If I hear anyone speaking ill of you while I am out and about, and anyone who dares to disobey the king, I will report it to the yamen immediately."

Behind them, an artist working as a high-speed painter used Western sketching techniques to "capture" this scene full of affection between the fish and the water.

It is intended to be used in the first newspaper officially issued by the Ministry of Rites.

The Japanese, who benefited from the reforms, were typically full of gratitude.

"Your Highness is simply a Bodhisattva reincarnated!"

"Your Highness has mercy!"

But no one realized that this first "Certificate of Good Citizenship" marked the beginning of the demise of the Japanese people.

Even Tachibana Yukichiyo, the next head of the Tachibana family who had always been by Wang Cheng's side, did not realize that anything was wrong, and only thought that it was a means to win over the hearts of the people.

Of course, the main reason is that she is a yokai (demon) and not a Japanese. She just worked for a Japanese daimyo and couldn't empathize with him.

At this time, in the eyes of ordinary Japanese who had escaped or hoped to escape their misery, Wang Cheng was already a living bodhisattva. Those who usually did evil to them were the henchmen of the Outer Five Banners.

Even if the dark clouds temporarily obscure the sun, causing him to be momentarily blinded, once he learns the truth, he will surely seek justice for himself.

The performance was quite good, and the power of will that was concentrated on Wang Cheng also increased significantly.

Amidst shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", Wang Cheng turned and left.

But at this moment.

Boom——!
A bolt of lightning struck Wang Cheng's head, and was then instantly absorbed by the [Thunderfire Cardinal].

The shouts of "Long live!" abruptly ceased.

"Your Highness, was it struck by lightning?"

Upon hearing this, Banping, the first-class medic, immediately jumped up and shouted:
"Nonsense, His Highness is practicing cultivation! Didn't you see that he is completely unharmed and even more energetic?"

I see that Your Highness is the incarnation of [Hokushin Myōkenten], who commands thunder, protects the land, and eliminates calamities!

This is a deity who integrates Taoism, Buddhism, and Tantric Buddhism, and is also a facet of Taoism, whose status is far higher than that of ordinary ghosts and gods.

Many people worship it in Yingzhou and Southeast Asia.

"May the Heavenly Palace of Wonderful Insight forgive me!"

Upon witnessing this divine power, everyone knelt down in unison.

In fact, being struck by lightning was merely a stress response of Yingzhou's own dragon energy due to Wang Cheng's "great lack of virtue".

However, the First Emperor of Han, Wang Shenqi, was overjoyed and bestowed upon him even more divine favor.

Wang Cheng's lips curled up:

"He who bears the nation's disgrace is called the master of the state; he who bears the nation's misfortune is called the king of the world."

The sins are committed in this generation, but the merits will last for generations.

For the sake of all the people of China, I will bear this infamy!
"At worst, I'll just have to suffer a bit more myself; I still have the kidneys of my brothers across China."

On the way back, Shen Yueye asked in a low voice:
"If we show such obvious favoritism towards our own people, it might provoke fierce resistance from those who have already benefited when we attack other islands later."

Wang Cheng patted her hand to reassure her.

"Of course we should side with our own people!"
As the victors, we should ride on their backs and make them work like cattle and horses.

If you try to understand the Japanese by using the Chinese virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness that have been passed down for thousands of years, then you are going in the opposite direction!

Do you think that by giving them policies and benefits, they will be grateful and become one of your own in the spirit of national unity?

Quite the contrary!

They'll just think we're fools. A little kindness is appreciated, but too much will breed resentment. If you ever do them even a little less kindness, they'll see you as their mortal enemy.

Just treat them like Japanese slaves and train them.

The bald eagle has already set the example.

In fact, over the past thousand years, Japan has bowed its head and admitted defeat many times, and its attitude has been more submissive than it is now.

But has this ever prevented a new war between the two countries from breaking out?

One of the greatest geopolitical failures in China's five-thousand-year history is the failure to completely conquer Yingzhou. Our ancestors couldn't bring themselves to do it, leaving countless calamities for their descendants.

When it came to Wang Cheng, he also asked himself these questions.

Are we going to repeat the mistakes of history?

The answer is obviously no.

The new policies of the "Wang Hua Zhao Shi Ling" may be good for a very small number of individuals, but they will completely break the backbone of the entire Japanese nation and solve all the problems once and for all.

As for whether it will shake the rule of the Donghai Kingdom?

The answer is no.

Just like Emperor Wu of Han, as long as you hold the reins of power, what does it matter if the population is halved? Your rule will remain as stable as Mount Tai.

The Donghai State has the Five Peaks Banner as its core base, which possesses absolute military power, and the Japanese under its rule cannot cause any trouble no matter how much they try.

"If even this peaceful exchange of blood cannot be accepted, then those daimyo who dare to resist, those stubborn samurai who refuse to be 'educated,' and commoners deserve to die."

Tens of thousands, millions, tens of millions—I will spare no effort with my lead bullets, and I hope you will spare no effort with your lives!

Of course, without this base of support, the first traitor to the country to be punished by Heaven would be me, Lord Wang.

(End of this chapter)