Di Ming

Chapter 316 Mr. Wenchang is a man of brilliant strategy.

Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa bowed to express their apologies, offered a few words of concern, and reiterated that they would do their best to investigate and give Zhu Yin an explanation as soon as possible.

Zhu Yin saw them bowing repeatedly and expressed his understanding and gratitude.

Kaihime then said, "His Highness Taiko said that Mr. Wakatora is a gentleman whom Japan can trust. Please, Mr. Wakatora, do not stand on ceremony any longer and make your request as soon as possible."

Zhu Yin said, "I haven't been to Japan for a long time. I hope to leave the building and wander around to see the scenery."

Kaihime smiled and said, "Please do as you please, Chikorokuni. As long as you bring enough guards to ensure your safety, you are free to move around."

Asano Nagamasa took out a "royal edict" signed by Hideyoshi and handed it to Zhu Yin with both hands, saying:
"This is the pass His Highness Taiko gave to Chikorokuni. There will be no inspection or restrictions. As long as you don't go too far, there will be no problem."

The Taiko has already given orders that since Zhu Yin, as a Ming envoy, is unwilling to reveal the origins of Oichi's adopted son, he should be given as much freedom as possible and facilitated in secret.

"Then thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Yin felt a sense of relief and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Why had he gone to such lengths to mislead the other party, making them speculate that he was A-Shi's adopted son?
One of the reasons is precisely for freedom of movement and to be as unrestricted as possible, right?

Now that the other party has agreed, things will be much easier for him.

He accepted the imperial edict bearing the seal and Hideyoshi's signature with both hands, secretly amused.

"Another day, I will go into the city to pay my respects to the Grand Secretary." Zhu Yin's demeanor was very humble, without the arrogance of a Ming Dynasty envoy.

Just then, Ding Hongying came over and presented a jade pipe, which was already lit and filled with swirling smoke.

"Master," Ding Hongying said in the manner of a maid, "the longevity syrup is ready. Please enjoy it to calm your nerves."

Zhu Yin took it, took a satisfying puff, and exhaled smoke, looking ethereal and mysterious.

Although the smoke smells like opium, it's not actually opium at all.

Zhu Yin was smoking counterfeit opium mixed by Ning Qingchen to deceive the Japanese.

This fake opium is made with 50% frankincense, 30% pine resin, and 20% valerian root. Not only does it look like opium, but the smoke it produces when lit is also very similar. People who don't smoke opium regularly would find it difficult to distinguish it just by smelling the smoke.

This fake opium was certainly not a drug, much less addictive. Of course, it was also unpleasant to smoke, much harder than tobacco. Yet Zhu Yin still feigned utter ecstasy.

“Smoking opium is still the best,” Zhu Yin laughed. “One puff and my heart is at peace, with a faint joy. No wonder even the Emperor enjoys it.”

Asano Nagamasa immediately became interested, because he had never seen anyone smoking before, and he found it very fascinating.

Moreover, this jade pipe is exquisite and clearly a valuable item.

Kaihime asked curiously, "Chikora-kun, what is this? It's truly amazing. I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Zhu Yin exhaled a puff of smoke and explained in a serious tone:
"This is the Longevity Ointment and Jade Smoking Pipe bestowed by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. They were originally imperial items. The Emperor used them frequently, which kept him healthy and perfect in his Daoist practice. This item not only nourishes the body but also cultivates the mind and character. It is not an ordinary item. Although it is not a divine elixir, it is still considered a blessing and longevity item in the human world, hence the name Longevity Ointment."

"If you are mentally or physically tired, just a few puffs will immediately relieve the pain; it's quite miraculous."

"The emperor bestowed this upon me, and after using it for half a year, I found it quite effective, feeling refreshed and invigorated."

After saying that, he took another puff, puffing out smoke in a very stylish manner.

In the eyes of Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa, he looked very elegant and graceful, with an indescribable charm.

Even someone with an ordinary appearance and demeanor seems to change once they start smoking with this kind of pipe.

"That's really amazing." Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa were very envious.

Zhu Yin himself used it, and even claimed it was an imperial product used in the Ming Palace, so of course they didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Zhu Yin said somewhat embarrassedly, "Originally, I should have given one to each of you, but unfortunately the Emperor only gave nine opium pipes, one of which was bestowed upon me, leaving eight. These eight opium pipes were a private gift from the Emperor to the Grand Secretary."

"When the official letter is read aloud, I will present it to His Highness the Taiko."

"Besides the opium pipe, there are also two hundred catties of opium, worth ten taels of silver per catty, which will also be presented to His Highness the Taiko."

Hearing this, the two felt even more hopeful.

Ten taels of silver per catty! This stuff is incredibly expensive. One catty of this drug could be exchanged for a thousand catties of rice.

What they didn't know was that Zhu Yin not only prepared opium for Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, and others, but also, with Qingchen's help, the opium was processed a second time.

It can be said that the opium that Zhu Yin brought to Japan and gave to important Japanese figures was more harmful and caused more severe withdrawal symptoms than ordinary opium.

The opium used by the Wanli Emperor was this very substance. Unbeknownst to the gold-digging emperor, the opium he inhaled daily originated from Zhu Yin.

Hideyoshi was already fifty-six years old. Given his age and health, his body would collapse within a year, and he would die a few years earlier than expected.

If Hideyoshi falls, Japan may fall into division again.

Although this method was very dishonorable, Zhu Yin had no other choice.

He didn't want to defeat Japan; he wanted to completely conquer Japan.

A complete and total conquest, not just a defeat!
How difficult is it militarily?

Japan is a large country with a population of ten to twenty million, far from being a small island nation or a tiny country. Moreover, it is unified and possesses hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened troops. It even has 30,000 arquebuses alone!
Japan possessed the largest and most tactically advanced musketeer force in Asia. The Ming Dynasty did not have that many matchlock guns, nor did it have such a well-developed musketeer system.

Japan possesses strong cohesion when facing external enemies, highly values ​​military force, and has a strong sense of Bushido and a samurai class, making it a very tough nut to crack.

No matter who it is, conquering Japan will be no easy task.

Given the current financial and military strength of the Ming Dynasty, conquering Japan by sea is extremely difficult; it is practically an impossible strategy.

However, Zhu Yin was eager to complete this strategy and did not want to give Japan the opportunity to establish a shogunate and consolidate its unification.

Otherwise, once Japan's unification is consolidated, conquering Japan will only become more difficult and costly.

The new muskets he developed in Daishan and Jingzhou, although much more advanced than the Japanese-style matchlock muskets, were still smoothbore muskets using black powder. They lacked the advantage of being a game-changer and were essentially still muskets.

How could Japan possibly conquer itself with only more advanced firearms and the small population of the Eight Banners overseas? The technological threshold for new firearms wasn't that high; Japan could easily replicate them.

How will he play then?

Therefore, conquering Japan solely through legitimate military means would be too difficult and too costly.

We must use intrigue and political means to weaken, divide, and disintegrate Japan by any means necessary, defeating it one by one.

Impersonating Oichi's adopted son was just the beginning of this grand scheme. Perhaps two months later, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, among others, would be heartbroken!
Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa never dreamed what Zhu Yin was thinking at that moment.

If they knew that this young man harbored the idea of ​​completely conquering Japan, I wonder what they would think.

Kaihime looked at Zhu Yin amidst the swirling smoke, bowed again, and smiled, "Chikoro-kun, please go ahead. You are in Japan... not an outsider."

When she said that they were not outsiders, she lowered her voice, as if afraid that the other members of the delegation around her would hear her.

Zhu Yin feigned a slight surprise, then nodded as if he understood, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Lord Kai. Please take good care of me in the future."

Asano Nagamasa withdrew his gaze from the jade pipe, performed a slight curtsy, and said:
"Then, I'll take my leave now, as I must hurry to investigate the assassin's trail."

Zhu Yin gave a slight bow and said, "Then I'll leave it to you."

...

After Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa left in a hurry to investigate the case, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Mori Terumoto, Maeda Toshiie, Ishida Mitsunari and other bigwigs arrived.

On behalf of Japan and His Highness the Taiko, they expressed their apologies and presented him with local specialties (souvenirs) as a personal gesture of sympathy.

Even Ieyasu, whose status was second only to Hideyoshi, the lord of the eight provinces of Kanto, and the head of the five powerful figures, bowed to Zhu Yin with concern and said:
"Mr. Chikorō, you have been startled. It is deeply regrettable that such a rude thing has happened in our humble country. Please do not misunderstand Japan."

“Those audacious and reckless assassins, unable to comprehend the importance of the Japan-Korea peace talks, committed such unforgivable stupidity, which truly shames us lowly people.”

"It is truly heartbreaking that such an unexpected incident has occurred, which none of us wanted to see. Even if Your Excellency is safe and sound, we are still deeply ashamed." Because of the cold weather, Tokugawa Ieyasu wore a sable cloak over his paulownia-patterned haori, with a sable collar and a folded eboshi hat. He also wore gloves, wrapping himself up tightly.

Zhu Yin suddenly thought of a tortoise and almost burst out laughing.

While exchanging polite words, Ieyasu curiously examined Zhu Yin's pipe, his eyes full of inquiry.

Zhu Yin could only return the greeting to the old tortoise, politely saying:
"Lord Ieyasu's words truly make me ashamed. I know that some people in your country are unwilling to engage in peace talks between China and Japan, which is why they have resorted to extreme measures, but this is not the fault of the Taiko and Lord Ieyasu."

Zhu Yin knew very well that Tokugawa Ieyasu was just putting on a nice show. This man was shrewd and always knew how to do good deeds and say nice words, but he didn't care about his own life or death in the slightest.

Ishida Mitsunari, the head of the Five Commissioners, also bowed and said:

"His Highness the Taiko was shocked and furious to hear of Prince Chikorok's peril. He has issued an imperial edict and a black-seal document, ordering us to supervise the case closely and solve it as soon as possible."

"The Taiko issued the Sōmu-shi-ryū (prohibition of private warfare) and the Tō-shō (sword hunting) edicts a few years ago, and of course he would not tolerate the assassination of envoys. This matter must have been done by those exiled ninjas who disregarded the law."

Compared to Ieyasu, Ishida Mitsunari was dressed much more lightly, giving off the air of a poor samurai. It wasn't that he couldn't afford to wear more, but rather that he deliberately wore less.

Ishida Mitsunari was the head of Hideyoshi's bureaucracy, similar to a prime minister, responsible for finance and land surveys, implementing the "Ishikatsu System," and overseeing the Japanese army's food and logistics.

His words best represent the official Japanese stance.

At least in terms of etiquette, upon learning of the assassination attempt on the Ming envoy, these top Japanese dignitaries displayed an impeccable level of apology.

The powerful daimyo, Maeda Toshiie, one of the Five Elders, and Mori Terumoto also said similar things, as if they were all ashamed.

In reality, their shame stemmed primarily from the diplomatic embarrassment of being unable to control the unexpected events, rather than from Zhu Yin himself being threatened.

Unlike Kaihime and Asano Nagamasa, they did not know that Zhu Yin was Oichi's adopted son, so their sincerity was not as great as that of Kaihime and the others.

Clearly, Maeda Toshiie and Mori Terumoto were also very interested in the opium pipe. They barely managed to suppress their curiosity.

What's going on? Ming is using this thing to exhale smoke; I've never seen or heard of it before. It must be something special.

Although they looked down on the Ming Dynasty in terms of military strength, they always considered the things from the Ming Dynasty to be of high quality.

Besides swords and firearms, silk, tea, porcelain, cotton cloth, white sugar... even that kind of elixir, are all from the Ming Dynasty.

They even considered women from the Ming Dynasty to be superior to Japanese women, because they were of a higher social standing.

So, the things Zhu Yin is using now must be of good quality, right?

However, out of politeness, and out of the pride and arrogance of powerful daimyo, they could not ask, lest they appear ignorant.

Zhu Yin, of course, did not explain, saying, "I am new here and should pay my respects to each of you individually, but I am afraid it would be inconvenient."

He said this, of course, to Ishida Mitsunari, a close confidant of Hideyoshi.

Ishida Mitsunari quickly replied, "Of course we would be delighted. If Mr. Chikatora has the time, we will prepare incense and wine to welcome you."

With Ishida Mitsunari's words, Zhu Yin was able to visit Tokugawa Ieyasu and others.

This is actually normal. The role of envoys is, after all, to conduct diplomatic exchanges. Meeting these high-ranking officials and magistrates, and promoting peace talks—what's there to be nervous about?
Tokugawa Ieyasu smiled and said, "I am temporarily staying at the Tokugawa Jinya near the town, and I await your arrival, Mr. Chikatora. It looks like it's going to snow, which will be perfect for enjoying the snow in my thatched teahouse."

Mori Terumoto said, "I am also waiting for Chikoro-kun to visit Mori Jinya."

These powerful figures, following Hideyoshi's orders, temporarily came to the Nagoya Castle headquarters in southwestern Kyushu to participate in the military council, and naturally had temporary accommodations.

These powerful figures' temporary residences were called "Jinya," which were actually independent temporary residences outside Nagoya Castle, surrounding Hideyoshi's Honmaru Palace like stars around the moon.

It was as if the most prestigious group of daimyo in Japan were protecting Hideyoshi, demonstrating the supreme authority of the "ruler of the land" and the "head of the samurai family".

Although Ieyasu invited Zhu Yin to his camp, he himself was also a "guest" there.

He actually didn't want to stay under Hideyoshi's nose, fearing that Hideyoshi might turn against him one day. But at Hideyoshi's command, he had no choice but to leave Kanto and obediently come to Kyushu to serve Hideyoshi.

I wonder when I'll be able to leave this place and return to my own territory.

...

Zhu Yin saw off Ieyasu and the others; it was already early morning. After finishing the exquisite breakfast for the envoys, Xu Wei also arrived at Zhu Yin's academy.

As an official, Xu Wei naturally also lived in the guesthouse. His room was only a dozen or so feet away from the academy, so he already knew what had happened.

Upon seeing Xu Wei, Zhu Yin immediately went to an open area in the courtyard.

"My lord, who is the assassin?" Xu Wei asked directly.

Zhu Yin recounted the story, and Xu Wei couldn't help but show surprise, whispering:
"Is it Yan Shaoting? I know him. I met him a few times when I went to the Yan family with Hu Zongxian. Yan Song had many grandsons, but he left the deepest impression on me."

"When this man was eighteen, the Yan family fell from power. He was not in Beijing at the time, but in Nanjing. He had somehow received advance notice and, before being arrested, led more than a hundred Yan family henchmen to abscond with the Yan family's silver from their businesses in Nanjing and sailed out to sea via the Yangtze River. Rumor has it that they went to join the Japanese pirates."

"It's been twenty-seven years. Now it seems he really did defect to the Japanese."

With Xu Wei's statement, Zhu Yin could finally conclude that the record of Yan Shaoting in the Wanli Yehuo Bian was true, and that he had indeed defected to Japan.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Hattori Shunju is Yan Shaoting.

Xu Wei added, “That’s not surprising. When Yan Shifan fled south, he originally intended to go to sea and seek refuge with Japan. The Yan family had been colluding with Japanese pirates for many years. It’s just that Yan Shifan was a step too late, while his son successfully escaped.”

“Yan Shifan is as cunning as a fox. He had already made arrangements in Japan as a backup plan. In addition, Yan Shaoting took more than a hundred assassins and a lot of silver with him, so he was naturally very successful in Japan.”

"Among Yan Shifan's sons, Yan Shaoting was the most taciturn and unique. He had the shrewdness of his grandfather and the cunning of his father. He not only liked martial arts, but also the arts of divination and medicine, which made him very different from the other sons."

"Based on my lord's speculation, I also suspect that the deaths of Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide are related to Yan Shaoting."

"However, he has been operating in Japan for nearly thirty years, with deep-rooted connections, numerous followers, and powerful figures protecting him. We are just a delegation and cannot confront him."

"My lord has done a good job. For now, we should pretend that we didn't get any confessions from the assassin and that we didn't know anything about him, so as to avoid a fight to the death."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "What you say is absolutely right. For now, we can only swallow our pride and pretend we don't know he's the mastermind."

Xu Wei smiled slightly, "Perhaps we can use him once more to recoup some interest from our lord's plans in Japan."

"Let's leave him aside for now. As for the Japanese Taiko, he'll probably hand over a scapegoat soon to appease the Ming delegation."

It seems he has a new plan. This operation in Japan was a joint effort between him and Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin sneered, "Do you think they'll kill a few scapegoats to appease the Ming Dynasty?"

Xu Wei stroked his beard and said, "That's for sure. Anyway, they probably won't be able to find out. Tomorrow or the day after, they'll claim to have found the mastermind behind the assassin, and then just execute him."

"There are many Korean merchants who have lived in Japan for many years in Kyushu. I suspect that they are mostly being used as scapegoats. One is to give an explanation to the mission, and the other is to take the opportunity to implicate others and confiscate the property of all the Korean merchants, killing two birds with one stone."

...

Sure enough, the next afternoon, Asano Nagamasa came to Zhu Yin's academy again, and said with a slightly pleased expression:
“Chihko-kun, the mastermind has been found. The assassin was actually a ninja hired by Choi Kwang-se and his son, who were Korean merchants. Choi Kwang-se and his son have confessed, and the evidence is irrefutable.”

Asano Nagamasa's expression was filled with anger. "In order to prevent peace talks and force your country into a decisive battle with Japan, they hired ninjas to assassinate you. As long as the Ming envoy is assassinated and a decisive battle breaks out between the two countries, Korea can reap the benefits and take the opportunity to restore its nation."

"The Koreans are truly despicable and shameless," the Taiko (King Taiko) said, furious upon hearing the news.

"Lord Chikorō, they are the masterminds behind the assassination attempt on you. We request that Lord Chikorō lead the delegation to the seaside to witness the execution."

"At noon, following the orders of the Taiko, we executed Choi Kwang-se and his son at the seaside!"

"Chikorok-kun, please!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin's expression immediately became somewhat strange.

Old ginger is spicier; Mr. Wenchang is truly a man of brilliant wisdom.

(End of this chapter)