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

Chapter 335 The Ming Dynasty is going too far! Zhang Yunxiu must be extremely fond of women!
"Excuse me~ Excuse me~"

Annamese envoy Nguyen Van Trung hurriedly straightened his robes and apologized repeatedly.

"Please excuse my poor appearance, gentlemen."

When he spoke Mandarin, it was even in a Guangdong-Guangxi accent with a twist, and coupled with his two catfish-like whiskers, he looked truly comical.

Fortunately, both the Korean envoy Yi In-shin and Hosokawa Yusai were highly skilled at self-control and managed to suppress their laughter.

But as soon as the laughter subsided, the three of them fell into a somber silence again.

They were not illiterate soldiers; they naturally understood what the dazzling fireworks outside the window truly meant.

Is it really just for display? Are we welcoming these foreign guests and celebrating New Year's Day again?
Li Renxin has a round face and small, squinty eyes.

He gazed at the colorful sky outside the window and sighed with emotion.

"The Ming Dynasty truly deserves to be called the Celestial Empire. If such a grandeur could appear in our country, I, Li Renxin, would die without regret."

In my opinion, the Ming Dynasty is now rich in natural resources and treasures. If it could open up the spread of Confucianism and Taoism and facilitate trade with our vassal states, it would be a very good thing.

Lee In-shin's mind was already filled with fantasies of the Ming Dynasty's Confucian orthodoxy arriving in Korea, sweeping away all its ills, and making Korea as prosperous as the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

"Those fireworks can be used for viewing, but they can also be used as cannons!"

Annamese envoy Nguyen Van Trung was the first to lose his composure, slamming his fist on the table and speaking out.

"Can't you two see clearly? The Ming Dynasty of today is no longer what it used to be!"

The Ming Dynasty of the past was like a strong and robust man. Although he carried a knife, we were no match for him, but we could still use the right timing and location to maneuver around him and prevent him from acting recklessly.

But now things are different—not only has this burly man's knife become even sharper, but he's also picking up a book!

His words were full of apprehension.

But Li Renxin smiled upon hearing this: "What do you mean by that, Ambassador Ruan? Compared to resorting to violence, wouldn't it be a safer course of action for us vassal states to use Confucian and Taoist teachings and reason to persuade them?"

"Safe?" Ruan Wenzhong slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "Compared to a hard knife, this soft knife is the most deadly without drawing blood!"

“Ambassador Ruan, you are overthinking this.” Li Renxin shook his head repeatedly. “The Ming Dynasty is rich in resources. Why would it covet a small country like ours?”
In my opinion, instead of pondering these unrealistic matters, Annam should focus on how to secure the assistance of the Ming Dynasty. That's the most pressing issue for them right now.

The current Korean monarch and his officials can be said to be completely devoted to the Ming Dynasty.

Ruan Wenzhong was so choked up that his face turned red: "Ambassador Li, which country's envoy are you anyway? How can you have no ambition at all!"

Li Renxin's face also darkened: "Ambassador Ruan, are you being overly pessimistic, or do you have ulterior motives?"

The two argued back and forth, their faces flushed, neither able to convince the other. In the end, they both turned their gazes to Hosokawa Yusai, who had remained silent.

In reality, although Japan is in turmoil, its military strength is far superior to that of Annam and Korea.

The threat of Japanese pirates at sea plagued the Ming Dynasty for decades, and it took three emperors to eradicate it.

Compared to the opinions of these two individuals, the views of the Japanese ambassador are far more important.

Hosokawa Yusai, however, maintained his composure, slowly picking up his teacup, gently inhaling the aroma, and then taking a small sip.

The movements were very elegant and refined, and it was even clear that they were deliberately imitating the officials and nobles of the Ming Dynasty.

Hosokawa Yusai looked completely absorbed.

"This pot of Longjing tea from Jiangnan is something you can never get in our country! If we could drink it every day, we would truly be so happy here that we would never want to leave!"

Ruan Wenzhong and Li Renxin exchanged glances, clearly already knowing the answer without needing to ask.

In a courtyard of the Huitong Hall.

Hosokawa Yusai strolled in, having long since changed out of his Japanese nako and into a shokudo, a style often worn by Ming Dynasty literati.

Aside from his shaved head, he looked almost exactly like a scholar from the Ming Dynasty.

Even though Hosokawa Yusai's chonmage hairstyle covered a much smaller area than that of a typical Japanese samurai's shaved head, it still retained a distinctly Japanese flavor.

Hosokawa Yusai looked up with a complicated expression, glanced at the dazzling fireworks in the sky, and finally fixed his gaze on the reflection in the room.

Since returning from the court assembly, Hosokawa Iya, the daughter, has been hiding in her room reading. Her slender and graceful figure has made many sons and sons of great lords pursue her madly.

But his own daughter, by sheer chance, ignored all these sons of famous families and, influenced by him, yearned for the Ming Dynasty.

This trip to the Ming Dynasty was not only arranged by Oda Nobunaga, but also largely due to Hosokawa Iya's own strong request.

"Father, is that you?"

A clear voice came from inside the room. Hosokawa Yusai paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and said...

"Ah."

Then, I gently pushed the door open and entered. The first thing I saw was a charcoal stove in the corner, hanging on the wall, with the flue running along the wall to the outside.

Hosokawa Iya noticed his father's confusion and covered his mouth as he spoke.

"This is a newly built charcoal stove from Xishan. It burns specially made briquettes from Xishan. The flue on the wall can greatly reduce the smoke in the room, allowing people to sleep peacefully."

She let out a sigh.

"It's a pity that we don't have this in our country, otherwise the winter would be much more bearable."

Before coming to the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Hosokawa Iya was worried that the place would be too cold, but after arriving, he found that not only was there a floor heating system in the palace, but even the meeting hall had a charcoal stove.

Hosokawa Yusai narrowed his eyes and said, "Where did Iya learn about these things?"

Hosokawa Iya, beaming, waved a booklet on the table and said, "It's a semi-annual publication from Shinmei Bookstore, containing the essence of the Wanli Xinbao over the past six months. My daughter figured out the principles of this charcoal stove from it."

In the past, if you wanted to see a newspaper in China, you had to go to great lengths and ask around for help, and even then, you wouldn't get a complete copy.

Now my daughter can watch to her heart's content.

Hosokawa Yusai, with his hands behind his back, stepped forward and took a look. He found that the contents were densely packed and all-encompassing, including not only the latest technological advancements in the Ming Dynasty, but also various daily news, and even sections for exchanges between different literary and academic schools.

His eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but feel a little envious, but out of consideration for his status, he coughed and said in a serious tone.

"Iya, what do you think of the Ming Dynasty?"

Hosokawa Iya noticed the subtle change in his father's emotions and asked in confusion.

"Why did father say this?"

She looked up and thought for a moment.

"My daughter naturally thinks it's excellent. The Ming Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, and the capital is so prosperous that people linger there. You can find almost everything you need here."

The cities of the Ming Dynasty were also magnificent, and the soldiers all exuded the air of a great nation.

Most importantly, this place is a place of flourishing culture and learning. Not only can one find new scientific knowledge, but also the philosophy of mind and reason. The literati are full of vigor, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment.

Then he spoke of the charcoal stove.

Hosokawa Iya pointed to the charcoal stove on the wall and couldn't help but sigh.

"My daughter thought that only nobles could afford this item, but she found out that it cost less than one tael of silver. A day laborer in the Ming Dynasty could save up for it by working for a few months."

Compared to the poverty and scarcity of resources in Japan, the atmosphere in the capital of the Ming Dynasty was truly worlds apart. Hosokawa Yusai's gaze grew increasingly complex, a mixture of longing and sorrow on his face. He sighed and said...

"This place is nice, but it is not our country."

He greatly admired the culture of the Ming Dynasty, but he was still very clear-headed, and to some extent, he came with Oda Nobunaga's ambition and expectations.

“Isn’t this exactly what we’ve come here for?” Hosokawa Iya’s smile was infectious. “The Ming Dynasty is willing to exchange goods and knowledge with other countries, and we should naturally seize this opportunity.”

"But it's not that simple!"

Hosokawa Yusai stepped forward and grabbed his daughter's wrist, his eyes showing a hint of fierceness.

“The Ming Dynasty is certainly not so kind. We cannot yet discern their intentions, but we must not allow ourselves to be manipulated!”

"Father! You're hurting me."

Hosokawa Iya was startled and retreated repeatedly. He barely managed to escape Hosokawa Yusai's clutches and said with tears in his eyes.

"Why does Father say something different from before?"

When the Ming Dynasty was mentioned earlier, Hosokawa Yusai always looked longingly at it. Hosokawa Iya always believed that the purpose of his trip was to promote friendly relations between the two countries.

But now it sounds like that's not the case at all.

“I am!” Hosokawa Yusai narrowed his eyes, his face showing both sorrow and determination. “Women of the Hosokawa family are not born to live for themselves. You should know that.”

He walked to a corner without anyone noticing and opened the wooden box wrapped in brocade.

Inside lay a black samurai sword with mottled patterns.

Hosokawa Yusai took it in his hand.

"The spirit of a warrior lies in loyalty and righteousness, as well as in forbearance. The Ming Dynasty is strong now, but it is still outwardly powerful but inwardly weak."

We should follow the lead of the "superior nation" when dealing with outsiders, and be as humble as a domestic dog in their presence. But even at home, we must understand why we are here!

"Father?"

Hosokawa Iya was terrified. He knelt on the ground, two tear streaks appearing on his face, looking completely lost.

I wonder what triggered Hosokawa Yusai's reaction.

She had almost never seen him so crazy in her entire life.

"We, the Hosokawa family, are obliged to serve Lord Oda!"

Hosokawa Yusai gritted his teeth, trying to pull out the family heirloom katana, but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't get it out.

"Damn it!"

He cursed and threw his katana on the ground.

But with a loud crash, Hosokawa Yusai's heart bled, and he carefully picked it up again and put it back into the wooden box.

Hosokawa Yusai's face turned bright red as he let out a heavy sigh. Only then did he realize that, as a scholar, he hadn't opened the wooden box or polished the samurai sword for many years.

I came to the Ming Dynasty intending to protect myself with my family's heirloom samurai sword, but today it seems to be a bad omen.

Hosokawa Iya looked at his father with considerable worry: "Father, you may be a little drunk. Perhaps you should go ahead."

"enough!"

With red eyes, Hosokawa Yusai took a few steps forward, grabbed his daughter's shoulder, and said fiercely.

"Hosokawa Iya! You carry the honor of your family and the expectations of your lord. You may flatter others, but you must not harbor even the slightest attachment to the Ming Dynasty in your heart!"

"But Father... back then..." Hosokawa Iya felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and his whole body was trembling.

"Promise me!!!" Hosokawa Yusai roared.

Hosokawa Iya collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. The semi-annual edition of the Wanli Xinbao lay scattered at her feet. Finally, she nodded and said...

"I promise, I promise Father, I will certainly not fail the trust of the family and the lord."

"it is good."

Hosokawa Yusai seemed to have let go of something, letting out a long breath, and the violent look on his face instantly disappeared.

His voice softened, and he immediately stepped forward to help Hosokawa Iya up, his eyes filled with worry.

"Yo, you must have been frightened just now. Your father loves you. Come, sit down and have some water."

Hosokawa Yusai, like a diligent servant, helped his daughter to a chair, poured her a cup of hot tea, picked up the scattered books on the floor, and carefully arranged them.

Hosokawa Iya took a sip of hot tea and finally calmed down. The way she looked at her father was like that of a frightened kitten. However, her long-standing habit of obedience made her lack the courage to face the authority of her father.

She lowered her head and said, "Father, what do you want me to do? As a ninja, should I become a spy?"

Hosokawa Yusai paused for a moment, then forced a smile and said.

"He is overthinking it. We haven't even gone to war with the Ming Dynasty yet, so how can we talk about spies? However..."

He paused.

"If I had to put it in words, you would be like the Iga ninja of the Tokugawa clan, lurking in the Ming Dynasty, waiting for the right moment to bring glory to your family and your sovereign."

"Disguise?" Hosokawa Iya shuddered again.

“My daughter doesn’t need to pretend to be an ordinary person.” Hosokawa Yusai’s eyes seemed to hold a fire. “In the Ming Dynasty, those who are more handsome than you are far less talented than you, and those who are talented cannot match your demeanor or appearance!”

He picked up the semi-annual edition of the Wanli Xinbao newspaper on the table, his fingers almost turning white from the force.

"The Ming Dynasty is showing signs of a revival. If one day the ruler can unify the world, it may not be inferior to the Ming Dynasty! The Ming Dynasty's only advantage lies in its methods of enriching the country and strengthening the military!"

"Iya, you must not only make the men of Ming submit and become obsessed, but also discover the secrets of science from the officials of Ming!"

Hosokawa Yusai said through gritted teeth.

"Conquering Zhang Shiyuan is the first step in our ambition!"

“But…” Hosokawa Iya seemed somewhat moved upon hearing this name.

"It's nothing!"

Hosokawa Yusai said with great certainty.

"It has long been rumored in the Ming Dynasty that Zhang Shiyuan is an extremely lecherous man! He doesn't even spare old women, so how could he resist your beauty?"
His attendance at court today was nothing more than a pretense of being a virtuous gentleman.

"I am you! The future of my Japan rests on your shoulders!"

Hosokawa Iya lowered his head, feeling somewhat uneasy, yet also seemingly expectant.

She looked down at her tightly bound chest and murmured to herself.

"Is Lord Zhang Shiyuan really so fond of women?"

(End of this chapter)