Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 284 That lord is truly valiant! A lecture at the Imperial Academy?

Seven days later.

Mare Willis

The largest port in Luzon, Manila.

The place is bustling with activity in the early morning, with ships from all over the world densely packed together. Huge Spanish galleons stand tall in the harbor, their drafts deep, clearly indicating they are fully loaded with cargo.

Since the opening of the sea during the Longqing reign more than a decade ago, trade between this area and the Ming Dynasty has been bustling. Apart from Spanish ships, the most frequent travelers are Ming Dynasty merchant ships.

Boxes of silk, porcelain, and tea were unloaded from merchant ships and then loaded onto other ships. It can be said that Ming Dynasty goods had almost no trouble finding a market in this place.

Every now and then, you'll see Japanese ships with sailors and crew dressed in completely different clothes, but flying Spanish flags.

The Ming Dynasty restricted trade with the Japanese, so many Japanese paid a fee to obtain Spanish flags for passage between Yuegang and Manila.

These Japanese, however, were very concerned about their image. They flew the Spanish flag when they arrived at Yuegang, their own flag during the middle of the route, and then switched to the Spanish flag again when they returned to Manila, without finding it troublesome at all.

"Hang up the flag! Hang up the flag!"

The sailors on deck shouted, and the Burgundy cross flag was raised high.

Upon hearing the noise, Oda Sankichiro emerged from the cabin. He jogged along, leaned over the railing, and gazed out towards the harbor of Manila.

Oda Sankichiro was so excited he almost cried. He shouted, "I've finally arrived in Manila! I'm finally in Manila! Hahahaha~"

Whether he was laughing or crying, he appeared extremely manic.

No one knows how anxious Oda Sankichiro was on his journey.

He didn't know what the samurai who called himself the "Pirate King of the Ming Dynasty" was thinking, that he had released his group without asking.

Yes, they didn't intend to hand themselves over to the enemy, nor did they expect to gain any benefits from Oda Nobunaga; they simply gave a reason.

"We're here to do business."

No one, not even if Oda Sankichiro were beaten to death, would believe that this group of people were out at sea to do business.

In this sea area, the strength of that army is comparable to that of the Portuguese army, yet they claim to be pirates who want to do business.

Therefore, after leaving the Penghu Islands, Oda Sankichiro did not have a single night of restful sleep. He kept urging the surviving crew members and merchants to speed up their journey, fearing that something else might happen.

In an attempt to evade pursuit, he even steered the ship off course, nearly causing a major disaster.

Fortunately, we have finally arrived in Manila without any major incidents.

"Young Master, our ship is now empty of cargo. If we return to Manila, it will be difficult to set sail north back to our homeland."

Shimai Muneshiro appeared behind Oda Sankichiro and couldn't help but remind him.

He was a well-known merchant in Japan, and he had come to assist Oda Sankichiro on Oda Nobunaga's orders, but he did not expect to encounter such a change.

Oda Sankichiro glanced at the other party and was somewhat relieved that there were still more than a dozen loyal merchants on the ship.

This Shimai Sōshū was the head of the merchants, and the Ming people, under the guise of "doing business," did not take their lives.

Oda Sankichiro let out a breath, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

"It's alright. We still have some money on board. We'll rest briefly in Manila and then head north to Cagayan, where we'll get help. Someone will send a ship to escort us back to Japan."

Kagayan?
Shimai Muneshiro's pupils contracted. He often traveled along this route and was naturally familiar with the power in the Cagayan region.

As early as last year, thousands of Japanese sailors built a temporary fortress in the Cagayan area.

The Portuguese control over Luzon was primarily concentrated on the southern island of Moro, while their control over the northern region of Cagayan was relatively weak.

This gave the Japanese a chance to take advantage of the situation.

They claimed that they were not supported by any forces within Japan and wanted to establish their own independent kingdom in the Cagayan region, which made the Portuguese grit their teeth in hatred.

Now that Oda Sankichiro had mentioned it, Shimai Sōshū immediately understood that the so-called lack of help and instructions was just a facade. Japan was in chaos, and the Portuguese couldn't tell which faction was involved.

It seems that Oda Nobunaga, even before unifying the Japanese islands, already had his sights set on extending his influence to the sea.

Shimai Muneshiro was inwardly turbulent. He knew all too well what a great opportunity this was for him, but on the surface he remained calm and composed, bowing respectfully as he spoke.

"Young Master, I still have some concerns. Lord Oda is a man of great talent and ambition in this sea, but that group of Ming people don't seem like pirates. With their strength, they will surely affect your plans."

When the Ming people were mentioned, Oda Sankichiro looked apprehensive and sighed heavily.

"They don't look like pirates, but they do pirate things."

Murder and robbery—these were no less common practices among the Ming Dynasty people.

All the supplies in the fleet were looted, and all the accompanying warriors were killed, leaving them with only a seaship.

Shimai Sōshiro also had a strange expression: "The Ming people keep talking about free trade, but why did they attack us? If it were normal communication, we would definitely trade with them."

His tone was quite resentful; more than half the people on that ship had died!

However, for some reason, Oda Sankichiro felt that his opponent was too powerful, so much so that he didn't dare to harbor any resentment.

He even spoke with a hint of reverence.

"That is an extremely powerful force. If we could possess such samurai, neither the Mori clan nor the Takeda clan would be a problem."

The most powerful is still that samurai.

The scene from that day flashed before Oda Sankichiro's eyes: Qi Jiguang staring with his bull-like eyes, sometimes like a kind old man, sometimes like a god of death.

For some reason, Oda Sankichiro began to admire this "demon" who had killed all his comrades.

"Young Master." Shimai Muneshiro's voice brought him out of his reverie, "We're almost at shore."

Oda Sankichiro seemed to wake from a dream. He looked up at the bustling port, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice.

"Let's dock first and then head to Cagayan for supplies. Send some men to report this to Father as soon as possible."

"As early as the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, the Han Dynasty bestowed upon Wa the seal of the King of Wa, and the name Wa has existed since ancient times."

"During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Japanese sent envoys to Tang China to promote the Taika Reform, which was completely imitated."

"During the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Japanese were in a period of turmoil and division. Later, pirates, composed of impoverished samurai, merchants, and refugees, frequently harassed our borders."

"Our great-grandfather, Emperor Gaozu, implemented a maritime ban to curb the incursions of Japanese pirates and established a 'Kango Trade' agreement with the Northern Court of Japan. This trade gradually ceased due to internal turmoil within the Japanese people."

"The various warlords of Wa (Japan) have been fighting amongst themselves for nearly a century, with the Hojo, Takeda, Mori, and Oda clans vying for power."

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the sandalwood incense from the incense burner rose in wisps. Yu Youding, the lecturer at the Imperial Academy, stared blankly at the smoke, almost forgetting that today was a "lecture at the Imperial Academy."

Listening to the history of Japan, he finally couldn't bear it any longer. "Ahem~"

Yu Youding coughed heavily and looked at Zhang Yunxiu in front of him.

“Zhang Zhangwei, today the lecturer is lecturing on the chapter of the Great Learning, ‘To bring peace to the world, one must first govern one’s own state.’ It would be best not to mention the matter of Japan.”

Yu Youding also served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. Last time, Zhang Yunxiu caused quite a stir at the Imperial Academy. After he stopped going to the Imperial Academy so often, Yu Youding breathed a long sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, this "claw" has now reached into the imperial lectures.

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "Your Excellency is mistaken. If we are to govern the country and bring peace to the world, how can we not talk about Japan?"
In the past, Japanese pirates harassed the coastal borders of our Great Ming Dynasty. What losses did they inflict? And how much was spent on governing those borders afterward?

“The Cocoa Sea has been pacified, and the Japanese pirate raids have long been quelled,” Yu Youding said with a frown.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and said, "Your Excellency is mistaken. The Japanese are ambitious and want to unify the country. They admire military force and their years of war have made the people suffer. Japan is short of all kinds of resources. If they consolidate their power, the first thing they will think of is to seize benefits from our Great Ming!"

"This is merely a hypothetical situation," Yu Youding cautioned. "The classics are not about these things."

As a lecturer at the Imperial Academy, he still harbored some thoughts of "correcting the wrongs".

But the emperor didn't seem to care much. He looked at Zhang Yunxiu with bright eyes and asked him a question.

"That's interesting. Shiyuan, tell me about Oda Nobunaga. He's quite ambitious, and I'll definitely want to learn more about him!"

After sending Qi Jiguang away, the Wanli Emperor developed some interest in the small Japanese country to the east.

Most importantly, the issue of Japan was a matter of immediate concern, which, compared to the various vague and abstract discussions at previous imperial lectures, was much more likely to capture the Wanli Emperor's attention.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled, cupped his hands, and gave the emperor a brief introduction to Oda Nobunaga's life and the current situation in Japan.

After hearing the general description, Emperor Wanli sighed.

"It's just like our Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with constant strife everywhere, the imperial power slipping away, and the monarch becoming the name of these treacherous ministers and rebels."

As an emperor, he naturally thought about the situation of the Japanese imperial family.

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, Japan is just a small island nation, and the scale of the struggle for supremacy among the major powers is quite small. It is naturally incomparable to the struggle for supremacy and the contention of a hundred schools of thought during the Spring and Autumn Period in ancient times."

As for the loss of imperial power, it was due to the barbarians' lack of education. The so-called Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, while the Japanese samurai were loyal, it was blind loyalty. The feudal lords were often cruel and tyrannical, and would often order their subordinates to commit suicide.

Our Great Ming Dynasty follows the ancient system, upholding the principle that "the ruler should treat his ministers with propriety, and the ministers should serve their ruler with loyalty." This is the true way of the relationship between ruler and minister.

"well said!"

Emperor Wanli slammed his hand on the table and looked at the assembled officials below. Those who had participated in the lecture were either Hanlin scholars or important ministers of the court.

Zhang Juzheng was not present today, but the Second Grand Secretary Shen Shixing was, along with officials from the Six Ministries.

Emperor Wanli immediately showed empathy and looked at his ministers, speaking with deep sorrow.

“The Japanese are barbarians. Since ancient times, only when the ruler and his ministers are in harmony can the world be well governed. The barbarians are ‘reckless and fond of killing.’ Our Great Ming has always treated scholars well. This is the difference between Chinese and barbarians!”
I hope you will all take the Japanese as a warning and not act out of blind loyalty. A subject should be loyal to his ruler, and the ruler should treat him with the respect due to a subject!

Upon hearing this, all the officials present exchanged bewildered glances, for they could easily discern the emperor's implied meaning.

Look at the Japanese across the way; if a subject has a problem, he has to commit seppuku. But my Great Ming Dynasty treats scholars with such benevolence.

Oh dear, if all of you ministers are "loyal to your sovereign," how could I not "treat my ministers with courtesy"?

Zhang Yunxiu, that scoundrel, is very wicked. Under the guise of talking about Japan, he secretly handed a knife to the emperor.

The officials looked as if they had swallowed flies, but they still had to bow respectfully.

"I will heed Your Majesty's instructions."

"Your Majesty~"

Yu Youding couldn't hold back any longer. He was about to step forward to remind the emperor when he met Shen Shixing's gaze.

Shen Shixing subtly pressed his hand down.

Yu Youding gritted his teeth but still sighed inwardly.

Shen Shixing then looked up at the Wanli Emperor and Zhang Yunxiu, who were having a pleasant conversation.

It was a scene of harmonious coexistence between the ruler and his ministers.

However, the other ministers harbored some resentment, which is probably why Zhang Juzheng, the Prefect of the Capital, was unwilling to come.
This confrontation between the imperial court and Jiangnan has stirred up countless dissenting voices in the court. Whether they were the upright officials who originally opposed Zhang's faction or the officials who supported Zhang's faction, they all had their opinions.

The key point is this issue of "whether the imperial court treats scholars well".

Which of the officials in the imperial court did not come from a local gentry family? How many of them were born into commoner families?

The court's punishment of the Jiangnan gentry would surely evoke a sense of shared fate among the officials.
However, both the emperor and the chief minister Zhang Juzheng seemed to have been bewitched by Zhang Yunxiu, and although they wavered slightly, they still firmly supported him.

As you can see, both Southern and Northern Zhili are in complete chaos, prices in the Jiangnan region are skyrocketing, and the capital is in no better shape.

Shen Shixing supported the new policy reforms, but he was a moderate and moderate.

As far as he knew, there were already quite a few officials in the capital who wanted to join the Prince of Nalu's faction and advocate for the implementation of a "benevolent and kind" policy, and many Zhang faction officials were becoming increasingly skeptical.

If this continues, trouble is likely to arise.

However, it would be difficult for Shen Shixing to be on the front lines. Due to his relationship with Zhang Juzheng, he could only try to smooth things over in this matter.

This lecture was clearly being led by Zhang Yunxiu. Even the subsequent discussion on the content of "The Great Learning" was canceled, and instead, Emperor Wanli listened to some work reports from the Medical College and the Mechanical College.

Since the incident involving Consort Gong, Emperor Wanli has become increasingly interested in medical schools, often bestowing rewards upon them. After listening to the medical scholars' summaries of the latest research in obstetrics and gynecology, the emperor was delighted and praised them highly.

The School of Mechanical Engineering was equally impressive. Several scholars presented their latest research findings, and Emperor Wanli's eyes lit up.

The once ingenious and frivolous skills have now entered the mainstream, showing a strong momentum to overshadow the Hanlin Academy.

The Hanlin scholars, led by Yu Youding, saw this and were anxious. After the lecture, their faces were ashen.

The young Hanlin Compiler Chen Yubi was furious and wanted to continue to advise the emperor, but Yu Youding stopped him.

He then imitated Shen Shixing, patting Chen Yubi's hand and saying something.

"Avoid their sharp edge."

This averted a disaster.

The court officials and scholars felt as if the sky was about to fall, but on the other hand, when Emperor Wanli returned to his side hall to rest after the lecture, his eyes were filled with anticipation.

He looked at Zhang Yunxiu eagerly and said.

"Shiyuan! Is there any news of Junior Protector Qi? We must not tarnish the reputation of our Great Ming Dynasty on this voyage of plunder!"

(End of this chapter)