Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 132 Small countries fear power, not virtue

It only took one day.

Most of the dozens of Japanese pirate strongholds along the Korean coast were wiped out.

This brought the Ming Dynasty the harvest of over a thousand Japanese pirate heads.

The heads of the Japanese pirates, sporting the hairstyle of the Otsushiro samurai, are highly recognizable.

These heads were strung together with ropes by the Ming soldiers, and the sight of them being carried around was quite eye-catching.

The local residents couldn't help but turn their heads to watch this scene.

To know.

These people had suffered from the torment of Japanese pirates for many years, and countless families had been destroyed and people had died as a result.

Two days ago, everyone had already heard about the Ming army's actions of distributing silver to the people after arriving in Korea. At that time, everyone was already looking forward to the Ming Dynasty ruling Korea.

If shouting a slogan gets you a few taels of silver, then wouldn't those truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty be getting a hundred taels?
Now, the Ming Dynasty has once again swept away the scourge of Japanese pirates with thunderous force.

The fact that such a beneficial thing for the country and its people was done in just a few days has deeply moved everyone.

In a very short period of time, the Ming Dynasty won the hearts and minds of many people in Korea.

Ordinary people are quite simple and honest; they will naturally support whoever treats them well.

Although a small number of Japanese pirates are still roaming around, these bastards may still continue to commit crimes.

But the current situation is enough to win back the hearts of many people.

Mao Wenlong is naturally very romantic.

Since it was inconvenient to take the bodies of the Japanese pirates to Japan for exhibition, they were left here to serve as a way for the people of Korea to vent their anger.

The main point is to make the best use of each person's abilities.

The Ming Dynasty is just entering its initial stage, and everything must be put to its maximum value; waste is shameful.

After doing all this.

Mao Wenlong had just sent men with the heads of these Japanese pirates, and they immediately set off for Japan on the fastest ships.

Watching the ships rapidly disappear into the distance on the sea, Mao Wenlong breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, Mao Wenlong had not received any news from Chen Jisheng until now, and he had already realized that something might be wrong.

But now that we have these things, we don't have to worry anymore.

At this sailing speed, this batch of ships transporting Japanese pirates should arrive in Japan by tomorrow night.

Then, in about a few more days, we will be able to see Chen Jisheng returning on the sea with the silver transport ship.

Unlike Mao Wenlong, who felt completely relaxed,

At this moment, Chen Jisheng, who was far away in Japan, was truly unable to eat or sleep.

He has been in Japan for two or three days.

However, as of now, there has been no progress on the task of raising funds assigned by His Majesty.

It cannot be said that there has been no progress.

The main issue was Tokugawa Iemitsu's extremely ambiguous attitude, giving the impression that he was both willing to lend and unwilling to lend.

What angered him the most was...

That bastard Tokugawa Iemitsu is still playing tricks on him.

To give a very simple example.

Yesterday, a cat in my apartment hissed at me.

Tokugawa Iemitsu immediately led his men to kill all the cats in the yard, and then sincerely apologized to himself for it.

To say that one's own cat was disrespectful to the Ming Dynasty envoy is a grave breach of etiquette.

Of course, an apology is just an excuse.

He took the opportunity to bribe marginal figures in his envoy team with lavish gifts.

Then, from these people, we learned more about the secrets of the Ming Dynasty.

That was Tokugawa Iemitsu's true objective.

If it weren't for the high loyalty of my men...

As soon as the other side made a move, someone immediately reported it to me.

That might actually give them the upper hand.

Thinking about these troubling things.

Chen Jisheng rubbed his temples and paced back and forth in the room.

He was pondering how to get Tokugawa Iemitsu to lend him the money.

Just as Chen Jisheng frowned, one of his subordinates leaned over and said:

"General, Japan's ambiguous attitude in dragging its feet on lending money to the Ming Dynasty is simply because they think our Ming Dynasty is not strong enough."

"As long as they know the might of our Great Ming Dynasty, given the despicable nature of these Japanese, they will surely hand over the silver obediently."

Chen Jisheng raised an eyebrow.

He was certainly aware of what his subordinate was saying.

In the past two days, he has been using various methods to emphasize that the Ming Dynasty of today is no longer the Ming Dynasty of the past.

But how can a few words be enough to convince someone?
You have to show something tangible to convince people.

The current problem is...

These people alone pose no threat to Japan whatsoever.

Therefore, they naturally could not truly feel the power of the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Jisheng glanced at his subordinates and said, "In your opinion, how can we let Japan know the might of our Great Ming Dynasty?"

The subordinate paused for a moment: "General, I do have a plan, but I need you to use some methods."

Chen Jisheng: "Speak freely."

"You can first tell Tokugawa Iemitsu tomorrow that the Korean region is frequently invaded by Japanese pirates."

"Tokugawa Iemitsu will definitely deny any involvement of the Edo Shogunate and apologize to the Ming Dynasty."

"Then you can take the opportunity to say that since that's the case, then the Ming Dynasty can deal with these Japanese pirates as it is."

"Then I will go back now and tell His Majesty about this matter."

"With Your Majesty's wisdom, you will surely be able to find a way to deal with those Japanese pirates."

"Once those Japanese pirates are wiped out, Japan will no longer dare to refuse."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Jisheng slowly nodded.

This round trip will take about ten days.

But no matter what, it's much better than dragging on like this with no clue whatsoever.

In this situation...

He'd rather make a mistake than do nothing!

Chen Jisheng: "You should return to the Ming Dynasty now and report this matter to His Majesty! I will deal with Tokugawa Iemitsu tomorrow."

"Yes!"

soon.

Time comes the next day.

Chen Jisheng and Tokugawa Iemitsu meet again.

When the topic of borrowing silver from the Ming Dynasty came up again, Tokugawa Iemitsu once again evaded the question.

Chen Jisheng knew he was beating around the bush, so after a few more words, he changed the subject:
"General Tokugawa, Korea is now part of the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty, but as far as I know, there are still many Japanese pirates gathering along the Korean coast, and the people in various places are suffering greatly from them."

"I wonder if these Japanese pirates have any connection with your country?"

Upon hearing this, Tokugawa Iemitsu immediately sat up straight and said that those Japanese pirates were a minority of scoundrels and had absolutely nothing to do with Japan.

He then solemnly apologized to Chen Jisheng and the rest of the Ming Dynasty envoys.

He indicated that although the matter had nothing to do with him, he had failed to properly restrain these people as the shogun, and that this was his fault.

And this time.

Chen Jisheng then suggested that since the Japanese pirates had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty would not be lenient in dealing with them.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this, but he immediately agreed.

After Chen Jisheng and the others left.

Maeda Tomohide, the strategist who had just participated in the conversation, stepped forward and said to Tokugawa Iemitsu:

"General, what the Ming envoy just said is probably just a bluff."

Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded; he had naturally noticed this as well.

Japanese pirates, or rather, ronin samurai.

If the Ming Dynasty had truly been capable of eliminating them, how could it have fallen to the point where it needed to borrow money from Japan?
Moreover, the Japanese pirate problem had persisted for a century during the Ming Dynasty.

It has only intensified over time, and can be said to have become a major threat to the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty.

How could the Ming Dynasty possibly have the strength to solve this problem in a foreign land?

If the Ming Dynasty could really accomplish this.

Let alone lending money, Tokugawa Iemitsu could even lend them 15 million ryo for free.

They don't even charge interest!

The opportunity to learn from such a powerful country cannot be measured by mere monetary value.

but now.

Even if the Ming Dynasty increased the interest on the loan several times over, he wouldn't bother with them anymore.

original.

Before Chen Jisheng made any bluff, Tokugawa Iemitsu still harbored some hesitation.

He planned to first investigate the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, and then decide whether or not to lend silver to the Ming Dynasty based on that.

However, after what just happened, he has completely decided not to lend it anymore.

How can the weak be worthy of borrowing money from Japan?!
Moreover, the true state of the Ming Dynasty today is probably even weaker than he imagined. Chen Jisheng's earnest and exaggerated acting was, in essence, a scheme to swindle money from the Ming Dynasty.

For a major power, such methods are truly despicable.

At the same time, another thought arose in Tokugawa Iemitsu's mind.

How could such a corrupt regime as the Ming Dynasty be worthy of occupying the vast and fertile land of the Central Plains?

Think of this.

Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at Maeda Tomohide beside him: "Tomohide, arrange a banquet tonight to entertain the Ming Dynasty envoys, and have all the samurai in my shogunate attend."

A glint flashed in Maeda Tomohide's eyes: "Yes!"

After Maeda Tomohide left, Tokugawa Iemitsu returned to the quiet room and began polishing the samurai sword that his grandfather had left him.

The reason for holding a banquet that evening was that Tokugawa Iemitsu planned to take advantage of the banquet to severely humiliate the Ming Dynasty envoy.

This wasn't done for revenge, or to reclaim the respect shown to the Ming Dynasty over the past two days.

It's simply because in Japanese culture, it's acceptable for the strong to humiliate the weak.

If you are stronger than me, I can treat you with the utmost respect.

But now I know you're weaker than me, wouldn't it be against the rules if I didn't humiliate you?!

Just as Toyotomi Hideyoshi was once contemptuously called a "monkey" by Oda Nobunaga when he was young.

Even the great name of his past life and his ancestors would tacitly accept this rule.

It was even less likely that Tokugawa Iemitsu would break this tradition with him.

This is not something that can be decided by his personal likes or dislikes; it involves many political rules.

but.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's purpose in holding the banquet was not solely for this purpose.

He had deeper considerations as well.

He planned to use tonight's banquet to further stimulate the expansionist ambitions of the warriors in his household.

If we can successfully humiliate the Ming Dynasty envoy, it will greatly boost morale on our side.

This would allow us to prepare in advance for the future when we could take a piece of flesh from the Ming Dynasty.

After all, the weak are not worthy of possessing that fertile land in the Central Plains that symbolizes orthodoxy!

Tokugawa Iemitsu took a deep breath.

In an instant, he felt that the precious sword left by his ancestors had suddenly become even sharper in his hands.

soon.

The time comes at night.

Chen Jisheng received a banquet invitation from Tokugawa Iemitsu's side.

Although I sensed that something was off.

But given the current situation, he still resolutely led the envoy team to the banquet.

To Chen Jisheng's surprise, the banquet tonight was even larger than he had imagined.

The two groups combined numbered several hundred people.

However, although it was lively with many people.

But Chen Jisheng immediately became alert as soon as he took his seat.

Chen Jisheng keenly sensed that the attitudes of these officials and warriors who had treated him with utmost respect during the day had now changed.

You don't need to wait for the other person to actually speak; you can glean a lot of clues from subtle glances and gestures.

Chen Jisheng instantly realized that tonight's grand banquet was very likely a trap set by Tokugawa Iemitsu!
The ultimate goal of this treacherous banquet was nothing more than to take the opportunity to humiliate them and, in turn, to undermine the dignity of the Ming Dynasty!
Chen Jisheng narrowed his eyes, touched the sword at his waist, and then gave a wink to the envoy team beside him.

Even if it costs him his life tonight, he will not let the other side succeed.

The rest of the envoy team nodded silently in response to Chen Jisheng's gesture.

They are not afraid of what will happen next because they are confident enough to deal with it.

Yesterday, someone had already gone back to Korea to inform His Majesty of the situation in Japan.

Everyone believed that His Majesty would be able to resolve the problem here once he received the intelligence.

Take ten thousand steps back.

Even if Tokugawa Iemitsu were to kill them all today without a word, His Majesty would surely avenge them in the future.

All of a sudden.

With various thoughts swirling in their minds, the atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became subtle.

But soon.

This delicate balance was completely disrupted after a few rounds of drinks.

A shogunate samurai with a flushed face and wearing a loose samurai robe seemed to be drunk, and he staggered toward Chen Jisheng while holding a wine cup.

As the warrior moved, the entire palace fell silent, and everyone's attention was focused on him.

Chen Jisheng watched the other person's unsteady figure, continuing to sip his sake without changing his expression while gripping the sword at his waist.

The warrior walked up to Chen Jisheng's table, a slightly drunken smile on his face, and asked, "Envoy of the Ming Dynasty, I have a question that has been puzzling me for the past few days."

"So, given that China is a great and prosperous nation, why is it so humble to borrow money from Japan these past two days?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the warriors behind him burst into laughter.

Chen Jisheng kicked over the low table in front of him, drew his cleaver from his waist, and slashed straight at the man's face.

He brandished his sword and roared, "Fuck your mother, you lowly Japanese scum! The Great Ming Dynasty is only asking you for money because we think highly of you!"

"And who do you think you are? How dare you question the might of my Great Ming Dynasty?!"

The samurai, who had been drunk just moments before, now saw the steel sword pointing at him.

In an instant, he nimbly dodged backward.

As the strike missed, both sides instantly drew their machetes and samurai swords.

What was originally a lively banquet has now devolved into a tense standoff with swords drawn.

Sitting in the main seat, Tokugawa Iemitsu couldn't help but frown slightly as he watched this scene.

He didn't expect that.

The Ming Dynasty envoy was surprisingly fierce, drawing his sword at the slightest provocation.

They don't even hesitate to give small gifts anymore!

In the initial conception.

The drunken warrior from earlier was just the vanguard.

More pre-planned vulgarities awaited Chen Jisheng and his group.

The actions of Chen Jisheng and others somewhat disrupted Tokugawa Iemitsu's rhythm.

Where did these Ming Dynasty envoys get the audacity to draw their swords? They're in Japan right now!

Could it be that I misjudged the situation? Was the Ming Dynasty not as weak as I imagined?
But that shouldn't be the case. The Ming Dynasty had already fallen so low that it needed to swindle money from Japan. Where did these people get the audacity?!

They didn't seem to be putting on a brave front; rather, they were genuinely prepared to die in a foreign land to uphold national dignity.

Tokugawa Iemitsu rubbed his fingers together.

Although he is not yet clear what gives these people the confidence to go to such lengths.

However, since things have already developed to this point, it is naturally impossible to give up halfway.

Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded his chin almost imperceptibly.

Immediately, a high-ranking official from the shogunate stood up abruptly, pointed at Chen Jisheng and the others, and shouted:

"Outrageous! We have treated you Ming Dynasty envoys with courtesy ever since you entered Japan, yet you have disregarded etiquette and drawn your swords against us! This is simply outrageous!"

"Capture them all! In a few days, Japan will convict them and then send them back to the Ming Dynasty!"

"Yes!" the samurai present shouted in unison.

Then, without hesitation, these Japanese samurai drew their swords and pointed them at the Ming Dynasty envoys.

Those who could become samurai in the Shogun's shogunate were all highly skilled in martial arts.

With their strength, taking down a mere few dozen people from the Ming Dynasty would be an incredibly easy task.

Chen Jisheng and the other Ming Dynasty envoys watched this situation unfold.

After exchanging a glance, they were all ready to fight to the death.

Even if they die here.

It's impossible for them to fall into the hands of these Japanese and let them convict them.

however.

Just as the two sides were about to engage in battle.

Suddenly, a person rushed in from outside the palace.

This person was a trusted confidant of Tokugawa Iemitsu, and did not attend the banquet tonight.

With this person's sudden intrusion.

The forces from the Ming Dynasty and Japan did not immediately engage in combat, resulting in a stalemate.

All eyes were drawn to the person who had burst in, wondering why he had suddenly rushed into the hall at such a time.

The man ran up to Tokugawa Iemitsu and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing his trusted confidant's words, Tokugawa Iemitsu's expression changed drastically.

The lapse in composure on Tokugawa Iemitsu's face quickly disappeared.

However, when he looked at Chen Jisheng and the others again, the disbelief in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

You mean...

The Ming Dynasty envoy had just announced during the day that he was going to annihilate the Japanese pirates.

Then that night, they delivered one or two thousand heads of Japanese pirates?!

(End of this chapter)