Di Ming

Chapter 263 "If something happens to Korea, it means something happens to the Ming Dynasty!"

The officials sat in their proper order, listening as Grand Marshal Shi Xing spoke eloquently:

"Now that the Northwest has been pacified and Hexi has been recovered, it is time to talk about the situation in Korea. The King of Korea has reported that there are hundreds of thousands of Japanese pirates in Korea, and the country is doomed to perish in no time. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has investigated and the information should be true."

"In view of this, I believe that negotiating peace is the best policy. Japan is just a tiny, insignificant pest; why bother with it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Shi Xing continued, “When a nation is in peril and war is fierce, the wolf star is unfavorable. Therefore, even a large nation that loves war will perish. Thus, the best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting. This is the first point.”

"The army moves before the supplies are moved. Warfare is all about money and supplies. Once a large army is sent to Korea to fight the Japanese, it will cost millions more in money and supplies, which will put a heavy burden on the national treasury. This is the second point."

"Going to Korea to fight is going abroad and making a long and arduous expedition. How can it be compared to suppressing the rebellion in the Northwest? In the Northwest, any one person could lead an army and win by relying on the power of the emperor. But fighting against the Japanese pirate army in Korea is a completely different story."

"Didn't the several thousand troops that Zu Chengxun sent to support Korea before all perish? This is a lesson from the past. How can we repeat the same mistake? If the army goes out and suffers another defeat, it will not only result in the loss of soldiers and generals, but also damage the prestige of our Great Ming Dynasty. This is the third point."

Shi Xing paused here, letting everyone ponder his words, and after taking a sip of tea, continued:

"Based on these three points, I believe that peace should be the fundamental principle, and China and Japan should negotiate peace!"

Sino-Japanese peace talks? Upon hearing this, some of the people present nodded in agreement, feeling that peace talks would be the best course of action and the best policy.

Some, however, disagreed. They argued that the Ming Dynasty was China, while Japan was merely a foreign power that had actively crossed the sea to invade; how could China and Japan possibly negotiate peace?

Some people have ambiguous attitudes and no consensus.

Zhu Yin observed that half of the court officials clearly agreed with Shi Xing!
At most one-third of the court officials explicitly expressed their opposition. This shows that even though Korea was on the verge of collapse, the Ming court still favored the most conservative national defense strategy.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have initially sent only 3,000 people as a symbolic gesture to support North Korea, and the main army wouldn't have waited nearly half a year before entering North Korea.

If it weren't for the internal divisions within Japan at this time, which affected the next strategic steps of the invading Japanese army, the Korean capital would have been destroyed before the main Ming army entered Korea.

However, among the four cabinet members whose stance is of utmost importance, two opposed it, while two supported it.

Grand Secretary Wang Xijue, whose teacher was Shen Yiguan, advocated sending a large army to the capital.

The second-in-command Zhao Zhigao and Zhang Wei opposed the large-scale army entering Korea to fight against the Japanese pirates.

In this respect, Zhu Yin discovered that Wang Xijue, who disliked him, shared the same stance as him.

However, Zhao Zhigao and Zhang Wei, who had previously supported him, now held opposing views.

Shi Xing knew the Grand Secretary disagreed with his opinion, but he still asked:

"This is merely my humble opinion; may I ask what your insightful views are, Your Excellency?" He hoped to persuade Your Excellency to support him.

With the support of the prime minister, the national policy of Sino-Japanese peace negotiations could be finalized.

But he actually had the confidence. The emperor appointed him as the new Minister of War, which naturally indicated his inclination towards peace talks. After all, the emperor was most afraid of spending money.

"You all continue your discussion," Wang Xijue said, not immediately offering his opinion, but instead pouring himself tea. He wanted to see which ministers advocated peace and which advocated war.

He suddenly thought of Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing, who had already retired and returned to his hometown, had written a few days earlier, saying that he hoped he would preside over the peace negotiations and not engage in armed conflict with Japan.

Shen Changzhou has always been focused on stability, seeking only peace and tranquility both internally and externally.

When Burma invaded Yunnan, it caused heavy casualties. Shen Changzhou, the then chief minister, opposed sending troops to quell the rebellion, advocating that the country's vitality should not be damaged by war.

This time, it's not surprising that Shen Changzhou wrote a letter hoping to advocate for peace.

But this time, he is the Grand Secretary!
It's not Shen Shixing.

Shen Yiguan didn't immediately express his opinion either. His thoughts were the same as Wang Xijue's; he also wanted to see which way the wind was blowing first.

Shi Xing then asked Zhao Zhigao, "What does Grand Secretary Zhao think?"

"Our dynasty should not undertake a long and arduous expedition," Zhao Zhigao said solemnly. "The Japanese pirates were so ferocious that they nearly ravaged half the country during the reign of Emperor Shizong, causing immense harm. At that time, a single Japanese pirate group consisted of only tens of thousands of people, many of whom were not true Japanese pirates but were treacherous coastal civilians. Even so, they still caused trouble for many years, devastating several provinces."

"Currently, they have over 100,000 troops in Korea alone. It is said that they are all elite soldiers personally selected by the King of Wa, far superior to the Japanese pirates who fought individually back then. With such a powerful enemy, how risky would it be for the imperial court to launch a long-distance expedition?"

"It is certainly not advisable to engage in a major war with Japan in Korea. If our army suffers any mishap, we will be criminals against the court, and even suicide would not help. If China and Japan can negotiate peace, that would be the safest course of action."

“A new town was established from Shanhaiguan to Dengzhou and Laizhou, specifically to defend against Japanese pirates. Fortifications were reinforced and artillery positions were added along the strategic passes of the mountains and the sea. Elite troops from across the country were mobilized to take turns guarding the area, ready for battle. Defense is the best strategy.”

Wang Xijue's expression darkened upon hearing the Vice Minister's words. He had long known that Zhao Zhigao was a proponent of peace, but hearing Zhao Zhigao publicly state his position still displeased him.

This Zhao Zhigao was truly frightened by the Japanese pirates before, boosting their morale while diminishing his own.

"Peace, peace, peace, Japan is about to conquer Korea and invade Liaodong. Even if they accept peace talks, how much more can they possibly want?"

Zhang Wei nodded and said, "What the Vice Minister said is indeed a wise and prudent approach to governing the country. The risks involved in sending troops on a long expedition and fighting against hundreds of thousands of Japanese pirates in Korea are immeasurable. Since ancient times, the Central Plains have launched several campaigns against Goryeo, and how many men have been buried in the East?"

"If a major war breaks out, how much money and food will be consumed, and how many lives will be lost? If we can negotiate a peace and get Japan to withdraw its troops, that would naturally be the best course of action."

Shi Xing was greatly encouraged and said, "The fact that the two Grand Secretaries also agree to peace talks shows that it is feasible. This is a strategy of defense as offense..."

Song Yingchang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, couldn't help but interrupt:

"I cannot agree with the Grand Marshal's words and the Grand Secretary's strategy of defense as offense. Japan has come across the sea with a lot of ulterior motives, not hesitating to offend the Ming Dynasty. They have invaded Korea with an army of over 100,000, which shows their wolfish ambitions. It is not something that can be resolved by empty talk and peace talks."

"Even if we want to negotiate peace, we can only do so by fighting a few battles on the battlefield, breaking its arrogance, extinguishing its ambitions, and letting it know that the might of the Ming Dynasty is inviolable. Only then can we truly negotiate peace. If our army doesn't come to the capital, what right do they have to negotiate peace? Just the silver tongue of their envoys?"

Minister of Rites Luo Wanhua shook his head and said, "What Junior Marshal Song said is not without reason. But the Japanese pirates have hundreds of thousands of troops in Korea. They are coming across the sea and can cover the sun. How many troops and how much money and food will our dynasty have to send to win the war? It is difficult."

"If we are defeated before we even win, wouldn't that make Japan look down on us even more? It would be even more troublesome to negotiate peace then."

"Therefore, in my opinion, the most prudent strategy is to adopt a defensive approach and to negotiate peace with Japan. At the very least, we should have a proper talk first. If we really can't reach an agreement, then we should only resort to war as a last resort."

"After all, Japan was also a country that Emperor Taizu personally designated as not to be conquered."

Shi Xing said, "Grand Minister of State is right. Japan is a country that Emperor Taizu decreed will not be conquered. The court's decision to make peace with them is a reward and leniency, not a sign of fear."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

A man who insisted on peace was appointed Minister of War.

But were the peacemakers necessarily wrong? Of course not. These ancient people didn't have a God's-eye view; their thinking was very limited, unlike time travelers who "see through everything."

The Ming court ultimately decided to send a large army on a distant expedition to Korea because it was certain that Japan's ambition was to truly occupy China.

To put it bluntly, we were forced into a state of conservatism by the extreme arrogance of Japan.

Hideyoshi was too arrogant and ambitious, completely disregarding common sense. He misjudged the true strength of the Ming Dynasty, forcing it to fight a war that would impact the East Asian landscape.

Minister of Personnel Sun Long said, “War is dangerous and dangerous. Since the Yongle Emperor’s campaign against Annam, our Ming Dynasty has never launched a distant expedition beyond its borders. Do you all remember the war against Annam? It was exhausting and costly, with no results for many years. In the end, we were defeated and left to establish ourselves.”

"How do the Japanese pirates compare to Annam? How do the elite troops and strong generals of the early days of our dynasty compare to the troops of today's peaceful times? If our army were to enter the capital and suffer a crushing defeat, how would we explain ourselves to the Emperor and the people of the world?"

"To adopt a defensive strategy is indeed the best course of action," said Yang Junmin, Minister of Revenue, raising his official tablet firmly.
"That's right! It's absolutely unacceptable for the army to go on a long expedition abroad! The Korean king's memorial clearly states that almost all eight provinces of Korea have been lost, and the cities and granaries are in the hands of the Japanese army. The remaining Korean soldiers are already lacking food and fodder, and they are still hoping that the court will provide them with relief. How can they possibly supply the court's army?"

"If the army were to enter Korea, it would have to transport supplies from within the Great Wall, and the supplies in Liaodong would be far from sufficient! Given the long distance, how much would the consumption be? It would probably be twice as much as the war in the Northwest!"

"It's not that the imperial court is short of money and supplies. The Ministry of Revenue can prepare the military pay and provisions for hundreds of thousands of troops within a month. But does that mean the imperial court is going to starve? Every place costs money!"

"The Northwest campaign went well. Zhu Yin was relatively frugal, but it still cost nearly two million taels of silver. The Emperor's mausoleum, the palaces of the Six Western Palaces, the salaries of the imperial family, the salaries of officials and soldiers, disaster relief, the repair of the fortresses, and the tributes to the palace... every single thing costs a lot of money, and the national treasury can't withstand any more major expenditures."

"Even if we win this major battle, we'll have spent millions of taels of silver like water flowing through a river, leaving the national treasury empty. What will we do when there's a shortage of supplies? Are we going to issue an edict to increase taxes? And if we suffer a major defeat, then there's even less to say."

“On behalf of the Ministry of Revenue, I also agree with the strategy of defense as the best offense and the need for peace talks between China and Japan.”

Li Shida, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stroked his beard and nodded, saying:
"Negotiation is the right thing to do; at least it puts us in a more stable position. If we don't negotiate, sending too few troops won't work, but sending too many will be too costly. Every time troops are mobilized, it costs a lot of money, so we'll lose money either way."

Sun Piyang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, shook his head and said, "Gentlemen, negotiating peace is by no means the best policy. The Japanese pirates have always been greedy and ruthless, fearing power but not gratitude. How can they possibly submit obediently without a large-scale military campaign?"

"It is said that the Japanese king was extremely arrogant, boasting that he would become the ruler of the Central Plains. How is he any different from the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongols? Since ancient times, has China ever successfully negotiated peace with a foreign race without going through a bitter war?"

"The Japanese pirates have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Korea, eyeing us covetously. Peace talks would only embolden them and make them look down on China. Why not send the mighty army of our Celestial Empire to conquer them?"

Minister of Justice Xiao Daheng immediately echoed Sun Piyang:
"Absolutely, absolutely. The Ming Dynasty has two million troops, enough to stop a river with a single whip. What do we have to fear from a mere Japan? The mighty China, which has always called itself China, dares to challenge us with such ignorant island barbarians? They even talk about peace talks between China and Japan. Do they think the Central Kingdom is to be compared to island barbarians and treated as equals?"

Tan Lun said, "A scholar without martial skills is a pedant, and a martial artist without scholar skills is a commoner." But he taught us not to be pedants, and naturally we would be full of martial virtue.

Shi Xing frowned and said, "Grand Minister of Justice, Grand Minister of Justice, although Japan is a small country, it is not easy to defeat it by force!"

"Back then, some people said: 'The Japanese pirates are brave but foolish, and they don't really know the difference between life and death. The southeast has always lacked brave, capable, and fierce warriors. As soon as the soldiers and generals heard that the pirates were coming, they would scatter like birds and beasts and collapse at the mere sight of them.'"

Huangfu Fang once wrote a poem saying, "The island barbarians of Japan are the most powerful, with shaved heads, double thumbs, and bright eyes. They sail through dangerous and turbulent waves, leaping like butterflies and gathering like bees. They raise their poles and blaze their torches, making the sun shine red. Who dares to challenge their swords when they attack cities and plunder towns?"

"Could it be that Huangfu Fang and the others are boosting the morale of the Japanese pirates and praising them?"

"These Japanese pirates number over 100,000 in Korea. How can we possibly defeat them so easily?"

Li Shida sighed and said, "Tang Shunzhi personally fought against the Japanese pirates back then and was very familiar with them. He often lamented: 'When our army hears that the Japanese are coming, it's as if cold water has been poured over them. Their faces turn pale and pitiful. Even if they can't escape, their legs already tremble...'"

"As for the Japanese pirates, they talk and eat as if walking on flat ground on the sea. But we live near the shore, and when we encounter the sea wind during the day, we feel dizzy and our ears are hurt. When we hear the tide at night, we are deaf and our hearts are filled with fear. The Japanese have the arrogance to look down on us, but we have no ambition to conquer them. We are already bored before we even fight."

"This is not about boosting the morale of others and diminishing our own, but rather a consensus reached by our predecessors who fought against the Japanese. Although Japan is small, it is not easy to defeat."

"The Ming Dynasty claims to have two million troops, but how many elite soldiers and generals can it spare to fight the Japanese pirates in Korea? What about the nine border defense lines?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Piyang, Xiao Daheng, and the others merely sneered but did not refute it further.

Zhu Yin was utterly speechless upon hearing this. Wasn't this just fear of the Japanese pirates? And they put it so subtly and in a novel way.

He could no longer hold back and said:
As Han Feizi said, "A state that is small and does not act humbly, that is weak and does not fear the strong, that is impolite and insults its great neighbors, that is greedy, stubborn and inept at making friends, is doomed to perish."

"Compared to the Ming Dynasty, Japan is a small and weak country. Yet, despite its small size, it does not act humbly; despite its weakness, it does not fear the strong; it is rude, greedy, and despicable, yet it faces no danger of national subjugation. On the contrary, it possesses an arrogant ambition to devour the heavens. Why is this? Why is this?"

The two consecutive "What?" questions were deafening, leaving the assembled officials speechless.

Zhu Yin was now the Right Vice Minister of War and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and was fully qualified to speak, so he no longer held back.

He continued, “The country has enjoyed peace for a long time, and there are many people who are complacent and arrogant, so naturally the spirit of martial arts has declined. Scholars indulge in composing poems about the wind and moon and elaborating on their thoughts. But it is precisely because of this that we must rise up with courage and determination.”

"Is it possible that all things in the world have become so corrupt that no one dares to hunt with such a small country in the East? Where is my mighty Ming Dynasty now?"

"But if the nation is in trouble, as long as the court rises up with high morale and righteousness, even a mediocre scholar can become a warrior in armor. What is there for China to fear in war?"

Zhu Yin's words made everyone think deeply.

Even Shi Xing did not utter a word of rebuttal.

Because he couldn't deny that what Zhu Yin said made sense.

Many officials, especially young officials who were still full of enthusiasm, wholeheartedly agreed with Zhu Yin's words.

Wang Xijue glanced at Zhu Yin, his gaze extremely complex.

Sigh, I hope Wang Shizhen is mistaken, I hope I've wronged him.

If Zhu Zhihu is truly a loyal and upright person, then that is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that everyone was expressing their opinions and that the time was almost right, Shen Yiguan finally spoke:
"Both Grand Secretary Zhao and Grand Secretary Zhang advocated for strengthening fortifications and adding artillery positions along the strategic passes of mountains and seas, using defense as a means of attack. Although they were experienced in planning for the country, it may not have been the best strategy."

"In the past, Fan Zhongyan presided over the defense of the Northwest, implementing the policy of 'building fortresses, planting crops, and avoiding fighting,' euphemistically called 'defense as offense.' And what was the result? The Tanguts came and went freely, while the Western Xia remained aggressive. He could only retreat to the city and write poems like, 'A cup of turbid wine, ten thousand miles from home; the Yanran inscription uncarved, no plan for return.'"

“I dare not criticize Fan Wenzheng, but we should not emulate his strategy of defending against the Western Xia. If his strategy of defense as offense were truly effective, the Song army would not have been so passive, and he himself would not have been trapped in Qingzhou.”

Shen Yiguan did not directly criticize the two Grand Secretaries' strategy of "defense as offense," but he used historical examples to illustrate his point, citing the lesson of Fan Zhongyan.

The implication was also a veiled question: Are you all more clever than Fan Zhongyan?

After saying that, Shen Yiguan stopped talking and started drinking his tea.

The prime minister then spoke.

Wang Xijue, who had remained calm and collected, finally spoke up.

He stated with an unquestionable tone, "Korea must be protected. If the mighty Ming Dynasty cannot protect its submissive vassal states and makes peace with the unruly island barbarians, is it still a celestial empire?"

"If the Japanese pirates occupy Korea and collude with the Tartars to plot against the Ming Dynasty, wouldn't the Ming Dynasty be caught off guard and exhausted?"

"Korea is not only a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but also a bulwark of the Ming Dynasty. With tigers and wolves eyeing this bulwark, can the master still sleep peacefully?"

Wang Xijue put down his teacup, tapped his ivory tablet lightly on the tea table, and spoke with a slightly resounding tone:

"As for fearing defeat, victory and defeat are common occurrences in warfare. It's not defeat that's the problem, but the inability to withstand defeat. So what if we lose one or two battles? The Ming Dynasty could afford to lose, but can Japan?"

"You can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. We don't want to fight this big battle, but we can't avoid it."

"Since we can't avoid it, we might as well prepare early and achieve victory in one fell swoop! Let the Japanese island thieves never dare to underestimate China for a hundred years!"

"That's right!" Song Yingchang, the Left Vice Minister of War, clapped his hands. "What the Grand Secretary says is absolutely correct! Our mighty Ming Dynasty cannot be humiliated by island barbarians!"

"Just now, Zhu Shaosi also said that as long as the court rises up, even a mere scholar can become a warrior in armor. Now that Korea is in trouble, it is the time to rise up!"

Wang Xijue looked around at everyone, cupped his hands, and said:

"I have been fortunate enough to receive Your Majesty's favor and be appointed as the Prime Minister. I dare not indulge in the pursuit of comfort and stability, nor should I fail to strive for advancement. If there is trouble in Korea, then there is trouble in the Ming Dynasty!"

"Regardless of the outcome of today's court debate, I humbly request Your Majesty to dispatch a large army to the capital! The royal army will not return until the Japanese pirates are driven back!"

P.S.: That's all for the court discussion; the related plot has come to an end. Thank you, and goodnight. Please interact and leave comments; it's very helpful for increasing its popularity.

(End of this chapter)