Di Ming

Chapter 301 Imperial Edict to Japan

According to the plan, Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei acted separately. Zhu Yin went on a diplomatic mission to Japan, while Ning Caiwei secretly set sail, leading overseas Eight Banners troops and armed merchant groups to attack Japan under the guise of piracy.

That night, the group talked until very late before finally going to sleep.

...

At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) on the first day of the tenth lunar month, just as dawn was breaking, the envoy's entourage was already lined up outside the Meridian Gate.

Beneath the Five Phoenix Tower, Zhu Yin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, dressed in a python robe and jade belt specially bestowed by the emperor, knelt to receive the imperial edict.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was holding a sacrificial ceremony with five kinds of animals, and the prayer texts were burning in a copper basin, producing wisps of blue smoke. The deputy envoy who accompanied Zhu Yin on his mission, along with a group of attendants including the interpreter and clerk of the Ministry of Personnel, knelt behind Zhu Yin in a line like geese.

A group of solemn-looking Tantric monks stood to Zhu Yin's right. These Tibetan lamas were, of course, a group of monks sent by the emperor to Japan to spread Buddhism at Zhu Yin's request, and were also part of the mission.

Since Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, the investiture of Annam for independence, and the return of the legitimate emperor to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming court's dispatch of envoys has never been as grand as it is today.

The civil and military officials lined up in a dense crowd from the Meridian Gate to the Duan Gate square, both to participate in the ceremony and to bid farewell to the delegation.

Although the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet did not attend, their rank was still the highest among the Nine Ministers.

The Ming Dynasty governed the world with propriety. Such a momentous occasion as a mission to Japan naturally required grand treatment. Firstly, it demonstrated the Celestial Empire's love of peace and magnanimity. Secondly, it also proclaimed the emperor's benevolence towards the people and all things, his compassion for his soldiers, and his aversion to militarism.

At the same time, it also implies a willingness to use courtesy before resorting to force, and to do everything in one's power, which can be seen as a strategic move: "The Ming Dynasty is willing to negotiate because it is out of respect for the great power, and should not be mistaken for fear of Japan."

Therefore, the imperial court held an exceptionally grand ceremony for this mission.

Although, in order to save face for China, diplomatic protocol was downgraded towards Japan:

For example, a letter of state was a "declaration" from the suzerain state to the vassal state, and state gifts included classics such as the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty," and the "Laws of the Ming Dynasty."

In particular, they even gave away one hundred copies of the "Datong Calendar," all of which were next year's new calendars, regardless of whether the recipient wanted them or not.

The imperial court, of course, was unaware that Japan was using the Xuanming Calendar from the Tang Dynasty, which had been in use for nearly eight hundred years. Coincidentally, the Xuanming Calendar even contained the character "Ming" in its name.

Although Zhu Yin felt helpless, he couldn't object. As the imperial envoy and representative of the Celestial Empire, he couldn't very well tell the high-ranking officials in the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites that Japan wouldn't buy into this and that they shouldn't be so wishful.

This history has been completely distorted. Originally, the Sino-Japanese peace talks were just negotiations between the Ming court and Japan on behalf of Shen Weijing, a charlatan. The negotiation delegation led by Shen was a makeshift team that used deception and trickery to its advantage.

Now? The imperial court has actually sent a high-ranking official, equivalent to the Vice Minister of War, to Japan as a formal envoy, making the peace talks even more formal and of a higher level than those in the past.

Suddenly, the sound of a whip cracking interrupted Zhu Yin's thoughts.

Then, the Master of Ceremonies from the Ministry of Rites recited the "Imperial Edict to Japan on the Dispatch of an Envoy":

"...The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty issued an edict to Japan, stating: ...I, inheriting the mandate of Heaven, govern all nations, pacify distant peoples, and extend my virtue to the four seas. Your country has long been a vassal state, having received investiture from the Han Dynasty, thus establishing a hierarchy of respect..."

When the officials heard the imperial edict jointly drafted by the Ministry of Rites, the Hanlin Academy, and the Grand Secretariat, they couldn't help but nod in approval.

Excellent, this is the attitude of the Celestial Empire. So what if Japan has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Korea?

The Ming Dynasty is the Celestial Empire, no matter what!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin sighed inwardly. The Han Dynasty's investiture of Japan was over a thousand years ago; do you really believe Japan will accept this?
But the voice of the master of ceremonies from the Ministry of Rites grew louder and louder, the long trailing tone piercing through the morning mist and startling a flock of crows that had risen early to forage for food below the city gate.

"...I have recently heard that your country has recklessly raised an army, crossed the sea to invade our court, slaughtered countless lives, and defied the will of Heaven. Your perverse actions and calamities have brought untold suffering to all corners of the land; I am utterly astonished..."

Upon reading this, many young court officials were filled with righteous indignation.

Zhu Yin was speechless, and even uttered the words, "I am utterly astonished."

But the master of ceremonies continued reading:
"Korea is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and has always been respectful and courteous to its superiors. We are also neighbors, and have shared the same reverence for China since ancient times. Why then have you presumptuously raised troops and started this conflict? Do you not know that the wrath of the Celestial Empire, no matter how far away, will be met with retribution? All crimes committed by China will be punished..."

"I, in accordance with Heaven's benevolence towards life, and considering that your ruler may have been misled by treacherous officials or coerced by powerful ministers, hereby issue this decree, instructing your nation: swiftly cease hostilities, withdraw your troops, cease fighting, cultivate friendly relations, and restore your loyalty as subjects. I will forgive your past transgressions and grant you the honor of paying tribute as before..."

When Zhu Yin heard the phrase "bewitched by treacherous officials and forced by powerful ministers," his expression turned strange.

Sure enough, the harshest words were finally uttered: "If you remain obstinate and stubbornly cling to your defenses, then the Celestial Empire's fleet, covering the seas and its iron cavalry, like a forest, will not be at your mercy. The vast ocean cannot withstand the seven voyages of our fleet to the Western Seas. The distant land of Japan cannot resist our nine expeditions to the northern deserts. Wherever our heavenly army arrives, everything will be burned to ashes, leaving nothing but dust. Not only will your ancestral temples be destroyed, but I fear your common people will also suffer the injustice of war. What good will my pity then be…"

"...I urge you to consider this carefully and make a swift decision, lest you regret it later. When you see the envoy, treat him as if I were personally present. Obey my command!"

Zhu Yin couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He seriously doubted that if he were to read the Ming Emperor's condescending and forceful edict to that arrogant "man of the world," he might be beheaded.

This was wishful thinking. The Ming Dynasty court always deceived itself into believing that Japan was a tributary state of the Ming Dynasty, and thus considered itself the superior Celestial Empire.

The imperial court's understanding of Japan was like the blind men and the elephant; how could they know that Japan had long been arrogant and looked down on China? They had even sent troops to try to conquer the Ming Dynasty; how could they consider themselves inferior?
This letter from the government is a slap in the face to Japan. Can Toyotomi Hideyoshi tolerate it? Even if the Taiko (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) can swallow this insult, those warlike daimyo (feudal lords) cannot.

Upon hearing this, Deputy Envoy Zheng Guowang suddenly felt a pang of worry. He thought to himself, "Wouldn't the Japanese King, upon hearing this edict, be so enraged that he kill the envoy?"

She couldn't help but glance at Zhu Yin, and felt a little more at ease.

Logically, even if the Japanese pirates killed the envoy in a fit of anger, they should have killed the chief envoy and then kept the deputy envoy to return and deliver the message.

In short, I am just a deputy envoy; if the sky falls, Zhu Zhihu will take care of it.

What is she worried about?

Thinking of this, Zheng Guowang felt much more at ease.

Once the official letter was read aloud, it was handed to Zhu Yin. Zhu Yin accepted the letter, and the official in charge of ceremonies announced, "Imperial Envoy's Credentials are hereby conferred!"

This is the ceremony of bestowing the title of leader.

Luo Wanhua, the Minister of Rites, held the imperial tally in both hands as he exited through the Meridian Gate and handed it to Zhu Yin.

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial behind him handed Zhu Yin a wooden "bill" measuring one foot and five inches long, along with a red ribbon and silver seal.

The seven-tasseled staff wrapped in yellow silk, adorned with pheasant feathers and banners, fluttered in the autumn wind. It was a token specially authorized by the emperor for envoys of the third rank and above to carry.

It is actually the same as the old-fashioned envoy's staff.

Zhu Yin solemnly accepted the envoy's gift, raised his hands high, and loudly proclaimed:

"Your subject Zhu Yin has been ordered to go to Japan to convey the imperial edict. I will certainly not fail in my mission, not tarnish the prestige of our nation, and not betray the Emperor's grace!"

The master of ceremonies announced, "Bestow upon them ceremonial guards and state gifts!"

Eighty armored soldiers from the Five Military Commands stepped forward, carrying the ceremonial guards of the mission, leading horses and driving carriages.

The flag bearer of the mission carried a sixteen-foot-long apricot-yellow flag with the words "Imperial Envoy on Mission to Japan" written on it in gold ink.

The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial presented a list of gifts, which read: "Twenty bolts of hemp silk, fifty pieces of celadon porcelain, one hundred taels of gold leaf, six pairs of plum vases with lotus scroll patterns, eighty bolts of Shu brocade, one set of crown and belt for the Prince and one set for the Princess..."

These were all precedents for granting titles to Ryukyu, and were largely the same, except for the addition of ten newly published copies of the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty," as well as gold-lacquered pages of the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" transcribed by the Ministry of Rites, and the "Datong Calendar," etc.

Seeing that everything was ready, the Minister of Rites cupped his hands and said:

"Above the wind and waves, the sun and moon shine. Wherever the imperial banners reach, all is the king's land. Envoy, may you have a safe journey and return safely. Do well, do well."

The officials who came to see him off bowed together.

Zhu Yin returned the greeting with clasped hands and said, "This humble official bids farewell to you gentlemen! I request permission to depart!"

Luo Wanhua said, "Let's go!"

Zhu Yin straightened his clothes, boarded the envoy's two-wheeled, curved-roof carriage, raised the envoy's staff, and shouted, "Let's go!"

The delegation immediately surrounded Zhu Yin and slowly set off!
P.S.: I'm having a severe writer's block today, so that's all for now. Thank you, goodnight, and lots of requests!
(End of this chapter)