Ming East India Company

Bai Jingxing had been a seaman for many years, so he was very fluent in Japanese. Bai Ye then sent him to interrogate the prisoners.

Having been "frightened" by Bai Ye's actions, Bai Jingxing dared not resist this time and immediately obeyed.

A short while later, Bai Jingxing returned, his hands still stained with blood.

Bai Ling asked with concern:

"How is it?"

Bai Jingxing laughed:

"He confessed everything with just one finger. He told us that this was Unten Port, and there was a large city nearby called Kinkijin Castle, which was a strategic location on the north side of Ryukyu Island."

There were probably four or five hundred people inside, and the commander was named Xiang Kezhi…

After giving a detailed account of the defenses of Nakijin Castle, Shirano nodded:

"Alright, starting tomorrow, speed up the unloading. No matter how much lands, launch a full-scale attack on Kinkiren by the morning after tomorrow at the latest."

"Perhaps we should wait a little longer; this number of troops might not be advantageous!"

"We can't go any further. We have several hundred people on the shore, and we can only stay there for two or three days at most. If we drag this out any longer, we'll definitely be discovered."

……

At dusk on the Ryukyu Island, on the official road from Shuri Castle to present-day Kijin Castle, Ryukyu Prime Minister Tōeiji Sei-tō was kneeling in a cage as he traveled.

For Ryukyu, which lacks large livestock, this was already the fastest way forward.

As the de facto "Minister of Foreign Affairs" of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Zheng Jiong was very reluctant to accept such a difficult task. King Shang Yong sent him to the present-day Guiren Castle on this trip, with the mission of investigating Xiang Kezhi, the guard of the northern mountains of Ryukyu.

Ryukyu's military strength was limited, with about a quarter of it located in Kijin Castle, where the Kitayama garrison was situated. Moreover, it was far from Shuri Castle, the main city of Ryukyu, which made King Shōei of Ryukyu very uneasy.

Therefore, Shang Yong would change the garrison commander of present-day Guiren City every few days. This time, Xiang Kezhi had been serving in present-day Guiren City for two years, and it was almost time for him to be "released from service".

This made Zheng Jiong, who was a descendant of the thirty-six surnames of the Min people, very disdainful. He thought that the Central Plains dynasties had vast territories, so they needed to resort to such intrigues and tricks. The Ryukyu territory was less than the size of two counties in the Central Plains, yet they were so petty and narrow-minded, which was speechless.

Speechless as he was, as a high-ranking official of the Ryukyu Kingdom, he could only obediently go to Kijin Castle.

Upon arriving at the city gate, they presented their identification, and the city guards opened the gate.

It was called a city, but in reality it was just a large stockade surrounded by rammed earth, with walls only about two people high.

At this moment, Zheng Jiong couldn't help but recall the Ming Dynasty's Beijing city wall that he had seen when he was sent as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty a few years ago, and it was completely different from this.

That's the kind of grandeur a true emperor should have! Zheng Jiong couldn't help but feel a pang of longing.

After entering the city, Zheng Jiong suddenly felt something was wrong. Guiren City should have about 500 garrison troops, but after a rough count, there were only about 200 or 300 at most. Where did the rest go?

Zheng Jiong summoned the accompanying soldier to inquire about the situation.

"Reporting to Tang Rongsi, the day before yesterday, Xiang Kezhi's son, Xiang Shenxing, went out for a trip and has since disappeared without a trace. In addition, he also lost the guard's cage. The guard is now sending people everywhere to search for him!"

About half of the troops in the city were sent out this afternoon and have not yet returned.

So that's how it is. Zheng Jiong now had a better understanding of his mission. Ryukyu was influenced by the East, and non-nobles were not allowed to use riding cages. Xiang Kezhi's younger brother was currently a commoner, and he was using a riding cage that was only allowed for nobles without reason. Based on this, he could impeach the other party.

With a sense of confidence in his heart, Zheng Jiong's steps became steady as he leisurely walked into Xiang Kezhi's small house.

"By order of His Majesty, I have come to investigate the case of the Beishan Supervisor abusing his power and engaging in favoritism."

Xiang Kezhi, who was distraught over his younger brother's disappearance, looked up and sized up Zheng Jiong:

"What did you say? Abuse of power and favoritism? Tang Rongsi, don't you dare slander me!"

Zheng Jiong described in detail what he had seen and heard, and raised a pointed question:

"Since the guard of Beishan believes he has done nothing wrong, then please produce the imperial carriage bestowed by His Majesty! Wouldn't that immediately prove its authenticity?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Kezhi's expression immediately changed; of course, he couldn't produce the cage.

Zheng Jiong pressed on relentlessly:

"The guard of Beishan can't even produce this, can he? If you can't, don't blame me for taking you back to Suori Castle to be questioned by His Majesty!"

At this moment, Xiang Kezhi realized that the other party was deliberately picking a fight, and a sinister smile appeared on his face:

"Tang Rongsi, as far as I know, you have been in charge of our trade with the Ming Dynasty for many years, and I'm afraid you've embezzled quite a bit of it!"

This question left Zheng Jiong completely bewildered. How did he suddenly become the defendant?

The key point is that Zheng Jiong has actually made some extra money in Tang Rongsi's position over the years, so he feels a little guilty.

Before Zheng Jiong could figure out how to reply, Xiang Kezhi said:

"Tie up this traitorous bastard, drag him out and behead him. Have the penman write me a document accusing him of corruption."

Then the two soldiers pulled Zheng Jiong toward the door.

"Xiang Kezhi, you beast! You murdered a high-ranking official! His Majesty will not let you get away with this..."

Zheng Jiong shouted as he was dragged outside.

Meanwhile, Xiang Kezhi continued to think about how to find his younger brother. People like Zheng Jiong from Tang Dynasty China were like fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered in Ryukyu. A batch of them would be cleaned up periodically. With his noble connections, at worst, King Shang Yong would transfer him to another place to serve as an official.

Anyway, he was a nobleman from Jinwu, and the worst that could happen was that he would have to go back to his fiefdom to retire.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Three muffled drumbeats shattered the summer's tranquility.

Then came the sounds of charging and shouting.

This startled Xiang Kezhi. Could it be that Zheng Jiong had brought men with him? Had the people outside lost contact with their master and started this trouble?

However, Xiang Kezhi thought about it again and felt it was impossible. Ryukyu had always used the "Thirty-Six Surnames of Fujian" and their descendants as cheap craftsmen and laborers, strictly forbidding them from practicing martial arts and training soldiers, and even more so from controlling the army. Shang Yong, no matter how stupid he was, would not do such a thing!

Suddenly a guard covered in blood ran in:

"Guard! Someone's broken in! Let's run!"

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. Their attire is messy, and they have white cloths stuck in their left arms. Judging from their accent and appearance, they seem to be from the Ming Dynasty?"

"Ming Dynasty people?"

Xiang Kezhi felt extremely strange. How could the Ming Dynasty, which was so far away, suddenly appear in Ryukyu?

Moreover, even if it were Ming people coming, they should have landed in Naha. I am in the northernmost part of Ryukyu. If anyone is coming, it should be the Japanese!

Xiang Kezhi, puzzled, gathered his men to prepare for battle, but before he could even put on his armor, a group of Ming soldiers wielding spears rushed into his hut.

The man at the front raised his broadsword and slashed it down in mid-air. With a cry of "Ah!", the governor of Kitayama in the Ryukyu Kingdom met his end in a daze.