Chapter 1067: The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets Is Declining; Seizing the Inheritance Is the Key

If one were to replace the Mexico Governor's Office with the Luzon Governor's Office, these requests would become simple and easy to understand. It was Governor Perto requesting the Ming court to establish official factories in Mexico.

It was equivalent to Governor Perto selling the silver mines he controlled and the silver mines he might control in the future to the Ming Dynasty at an extremely low price.

Governor Perto controlled half of the silver mine cluster, but because he lacked technology for prospecting, mining, refining, and transportation, and he had no talent to handle these, his profits were very low. Although the mercury method for refining silver was simple, the loss rate of labor was too high.

The indigenous people captured at great cost in manpower, material, and financial resources could rarely survive more than three years in the face of the mercury method, at most five years, before they died. Compared with the survival period of more than ten years in Ming plantations, the cost was too high.

Moreover, he had to face the high interest on war loans from the Ming court and the threat from Spain itself.

The Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance was a commercial alliance. The three governor's offices of Mexico, Peru, and Chile still belonged to Spain, not the Ming Dynasty, but the flow of silver to the Ming Dynasty was betrayal.

Governor Perto certainly knew very well that this was inviting a wolf into the house, but what he thought was actually very simple: the artisans, master craftsmen, scholars of the Academy of Investigation of Things, and accountants sent by the Ming Dynasty to establish official factories in Mexico would belong to his Mexico Governor's Office, not the Ming Dynasty.

Because there was a vast Pacific Ocean in between.

"What is the view of the Ministry of Rites?" Zhu Yijun asked Gao Qiyu about how the Ministry of Rites viewed Governor Perto's request.

"The official factories will be established in the Kingdom of Jinshan, and only finished products will be exported to Mexico." Gao Qiyu gave the Ministry of Rites' suggestion. Since Wan Shihe, the trend of the Ministry of Rites had become extremely conservative. This could be seen from the recent memorials tightening the management of foreigners entering the Ming Dynasty.

Gao Qiyu explained the plan envisioned by the Ministry of Rites to His Majesty in detail: the core industry would be in the Kingdom of Jinshan, and the finished products would be sent to Mexico.

There was a very key factor here. The Ministry of Rites was very certain that many of the Ming Dynasty's technologies, even if truly given to Mexico, Mexico would not be able to play with them. To realize these technologies, even for the Ming Dynasty, was very difficult.

It required eighteen great academies to provide talent, thousands of miles of galloping roads, canal transportation to ensure the transportation of raw materials and goods, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Works to make overall plans for the official factories, dozens of official factories working together to support production, etc. In short, it required a great Ming Dynasty to realize it.

How could the Mexico Governor's Office have the virtue and ability to realize these?

Gao Qiyu never thought that seeking benefits in overseas expansion was a shameful thing. People couldn't live just by ritual and law; people had to eat to survive. The Ming Dynasty's covetous heart for the three silver mine clusters of the Mexico Governor's Office had never been concealed.

Just as His Majesty said, the rich silver mountains of Mexico and Peru should really thank the Pacific Ocean for being in between; otherwise, they would have long since bred Ming troops.

The extreme conservatives did not trust barbarians, and even naturally viewed barbarians with hostility. In the eyes of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, establishing official factories in Mexico was extremely dangerous, while establishing them in the Kingdom of Jinshan, guarded by the Prince of Lu, became very reliable.

Even if after a long time, the Ming Dynasty and the Kingdom of Jinshan separated, they would still be natural allies and naturally close.

Especially in the face of the West's competition with the Ming Dynasty on the ocean, under such external pressure, even if they separated, the positions and interests of the Ming Dynasty and the Kingdom of Jinshan were the same.

This was not hard to understand. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, they enfeoffed states. The positions and interests of these enfeoffed feudal lords were naturally with the Son of Heaven, not with the barbarians.

"The opinion of the Ministry of Rites is very good." Zhu Yijun pondered. The Ming Dynasty must eat this piece of meat from the three silver mine clusters of the Mexico Governor's Office, but it must be eaten with chopsticks, not directly with one's hands, which was neither decent nor easy to burn one's hands.

"Is the Ministry of Rites dissatisfied with the establishment of official factories overseas after the opening of the seas during the Yongle reign?" Zhu Yijun keenly sensed the meaning between Gao Qiyu's words through the court discussion.

Gao Qiyu looked at His Majesty and said without dodging, "Your Majesty, after the Yongle reign, why was the Ming Dynasty so resistant to opening the seas? In fact, if you look into it, there is another layer of reason. After the opening of the seas during the Yongle reign, many official factories were established overseas, but these official factories, the Ming Dynasty provided the people, the effort, and the money, but in the end, the output was given to these overseas barbarians."

"No matter how you put it, the establishment of these overseas official factories was a consumption of the Ming Dynasty's national strength, but it did not bring enough benefits to the Ming Dynasty."

"Because of the obstruction of the ocean, these official factories, from the moment they were established, no longer belonged to the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chengzu Wen quickly realized this problem. After conquering Annam, Emperor Wen did not carefully manage Jiaozhi."

Managing Jiaozhi and moving the capital to the Northern Capital were conflicting national policies. Just like the Ming Dynasty opening the seas, Zhu Yijun had to run around like a migratory bird. Wherever the Emperor was, that was the center of power.

At first, Zhu Di was ambitious to transform the overseas with royal influence and create enough civil and martial achievements to prove that his throne was usurped correctly. But soon he discovered that establishing official factories overseas was a completely losing business. Soon, the activities of sailing to the Western Ocean changed from universal establishment of official factories to trade exchanges.

The goal of royal transformation was downplayed, and trade became the core.

Zhu Yijun calculated that in the twenty-two years since the Wanli opening of the seas, the Ming Dynasty had never set up or founded any industry in any area not under actual control. Most industries, plantations, mines, etc., were established around Han townships.

"Very good." Zhu Yijun approved of Gao Qiyu's statement. After Zhang Juzheng retired, Zhu Yijun became the biggest conservative leader of the Ming Dynasty. He had only one attitude toward foreigners: foreigners planted in the soil were the best foreigners.

The Ming Dynasty wanted the silver mines of Mexico, but the technology, especially the core technology, would not be given.

Zhu Yijun and Gao Qiyu talked for a long time. Gao Qiyu stayed in the capital, and the Emperor met with envoys from various countries in Songjiang Prefecture. There were some details that Zhu Yijun needed to communicate with the Junior Minister of Rites.

The Senior Minister of Rites, Shen Li, was an upright official. Sometimes, it was not convenient for the Emperor to say some things to Shen Li.

Shen Li was a very decent person, a true gentleman, who was neither humble nor arrogant even in the face of imperial power. But the true face of diplomacy was extremely dirty, and the means were low, because between countries, there was only interest.

So some dirty work, Zhu Yijun indeed had to communicate with Gao Qiyu. Neither of the two monarch and minister could be considered absolutely decent figures.

"Philip is like a resentful woman. What is the use of the Spanish envoy saying those things? Does he have the energy to deal with the centrifugal forces of the New World? In his state letter, there is only incompetent rage." Gao Qiyu finished reading the state letter Philip gave to His Majesty and stated his view very directly.

Regarding the fact that the Ming Dynasty used the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance to economically snatch Spain's colonies, even if it was crowned with the two words "Commercial Alliance," it could not change the basic fact that the Ming Dynasty was snatching Philip's territory.

The Ming Dynasty had never concealed this purpose. In the Ming Dynasty's expression, it was strengthening economic restraint.

In the state letter, Philip was like a resentful woman, complaining that the Ming Emperor did not keep his word, took advantage of others' danger, did not care about the friendship between the two countries, etc. He also threatened the Ming Dynasty that he would blockade the Strait of Magellan, making it impossible for the Ming fleet to successfully circumnavigate the globe, and threatened the Ming Dynasty that he would use his influence in the West to cut off the flow of Ming goods to the West.

The garrison at the Strait of Magellan was like a prostitute's waistband; as long as there was money, one could pass. And the garrison's explanation to Philip was that the Ming fleet risked passing through the storms of the Drake Passage, storms capable of tearing everything apart. Ming merchant ships could pass smoothly, and then the garrison kept the bribed silver for themselves.

In fact, the Ming fleet could not pass through the Drake Passage. Human power, under the terrifying power of nature, still appeared somewhat small.

Similarly, he could not cut off the circulation of Ming goods. Besides increasing the cost for Westerners to buy Ming goods, any of his actions would only make people feel that Philip's senility was becoming more and more serious.

He couldn't do anything, he could only watch helplessly as the Ming Dynasty took away the benefits of these three governor's offices.

"Philip does not understand and absolutely refuses to admit one thing: Spain's maritime hegemony is gradually coming to an end. Even without the Ming opening the seas, he still could not stop all of this from happening." Gao Qiyu stated his understanding.

Although England was shameless, the privateering license directly turned Spain's economic lifeline, the Atlantic trade, into a cesspool, so that Western countries all had the possibility of expanding on the sea. Portugal, the Netherlands, England, Sweden, etc., all wanted a share of the pie.

When the wall falls, everyone pushes.

"The banner of Spain's Empire on which the sun never sets is falling, and its maritime hegemony is coming to an end. In this time of ending, the most important thing is to fish for the inheritance. England, Portugal, and the Netherlands all clearly know this fact and want to snatch more inheritance in the process of Spain's collapse." Gao Qiyu said to His Majesty with a heavy face.

Grabbing the inheritance in time was the real business.

Even the Brazil Governor's Office was seeking to join the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance, even though it was a governor's office on the Atlantic coast.

Regarding whether to fish for the inheritance or not, there were also some differences within the Ministry of Rites.

The decent figures led by Shen Li felt that this kind of behavior was shameful, a manifestation of morality sliding downward under the alienating effect of interest, which was the concrete embodiment of "gathering wealth and promoting profit while losing virtue."

If something happened to a neighbor's house, watching the fun was enough. Colluding with others to snatch the neighbor's family property and land, and even planning to eat the family's extinction—no matter what reason was used to cover it up, it was an act of losing virtue.

Shen Li mainly worried that this low morality would spread to the Ming hinterland and cause harm to the Ming people.

And the group of evil figures led by Gao Qiyu felt that this kind of behavior was not unacceptable. In a world of great contention, the strong are strong, and the weak perish. Everyone else is snatching, and if you are the only gentleman, if you don't snatch, you will lose in the competition.

People like Gao Qiyu believed that the ideas of the decent figures were the concrete manifestation of the disadvantage of high morality in the process of expansion.

Shen Li was not wrong, and Gao Qiyu was not wrong either. Neither of the two, nor the two factions, could convince the other. It was truly "the public says the public is right, the mother-in-law says the mother-in-law is right." Both were for the good of the Ming Dynasty, so why should I listen to you?

In the end, Shen Li and Gao Qiyu also had a tacit understanding. The high morality of the Ming hinterland, the two factions would do their best to maintain. Regarding overseas expansion, Shen Li, this gentleman, would turn a blind eye to some low-morality behaviors and not conduct moral reviews, pretending not to know.

You Gao Qiyu snatch your snatch, Shen Li does not participate. Not participating does not mean not bearing responsibility. The Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance was established under the leadership of the Ministry of Rites. Shen Li not stopping it was also a kind of acquiescence.

"Then continue to snatch. I intend to agree to the Brazil Governor's Office joining the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance." Zhu Yijun mentioned a matter. There were two Brazil Governor's Offices, Spanish Brazil and Portuguese Brazil. Both governor's offices wanted to join the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance, and they would handle the problem of navigation through the Strait of Magellan themselves.

"I obey the decree." Gao Qiyu bowed his head and received the order, pushing the two to join the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance.

"Your Majesty!" A small eunuch walked hurriedly into the Imperial Study and presented a military report to the Imperial Presence, saying, "Your Majesty, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is dead."

Zhu Yijun frowned. Compared to the Great Demon King Oda Nobunaga, he didn't like this monkey, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, very much. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had almost no political integrity or faith.

At least Oda Nobunaga still wanted to end the chaotic world of Japan and wanted to establish a stable Japan by means of military force.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was completely about fighting for fame and profit, so everyone called him a monkey.

According to the original timeline, Toyotomi Hideyoshi should have waited until the twenty-sixth year of Wanli to die of illness. His lifespan was not yet exhausted, so how did he die just like that?

Zhu Yijun opened the memorial from the Nagasaki Governor's Office and read it for a long time before he understood Toyotomi Hideyoshi's way of death: he died at the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu's subordinates.

Tokugawa Ieyasu had a subordinate, Torii Mototada, who was very loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the complex and constantly intensifying contradictions, he struck first and killed Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the street.

The great melee in Japan began again.

And the origin of the intensification of contradictions was the Momoyama Shogunate, which failed to take Odawara Castle, failed to enter the Kanto Plain, and failed to realize the ambition of unifying Japan, so there were no enough benefits to distribute and appease the dissatisfaction of the daimyo.

And the place where the conflict occurred was Fushimi Castle.

After the Great Fire of Kyoto, Toyotomi Hideyoshi carried out large-scale construction in Fushimi Castle, and many daimyo's official residences were also moved from Kyoto to Fushimi Castle.

"Why is Japan so chaotic?" Zhu Yijun handed the military report in his hand to Gao Qiyu. Regarding Japan, he felt only one word: chaotic.

When Oda Nobunaga was alive, he faced assassination every day. Now Toyotomi Hideyoshi also died on the street. Torii Mototada actually stabbed Toyotomi Hideyoshi through on the street.

"Your Majesty, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are actually all the same type of people. They are usurpers." Gao Qiyu finished reading the military report. As the Ming Emperor, the longer he reigned, the harder it was for him to understand everything that happened in Japan.

Usurper politics is a very unstable political system, and it is inherently unjust.

Japan's supreme ruler is nominally the Japanese Emperor living in the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, it is the Shogun, which is a usurper. And the biggest problem with usurper politics is the widespread "gekokujo" (the low overcoming the high).

The blame is borne by the nominally supreme Emperor. In this way, the Shogunate can carry out various cruel and unjust policies without any burden.

Widespread "gekokujo" causes instability, and not having to bear the blame means being inherently unjust. Instability and inherent injustice caused the situation His Majesty saw: chaos.

The Ming Dynasty had just experienced a month of trepidation. Almost everyone was praying for His Majesty to recover from his severe illness, rather than taking the opportunity to stir up trouble. Even spirits like "soul-calling" and "Bliss" were lying low, fearing they would bring disaster upon themselves. Even so, they were still caught by Hu Junde, and a storm of cracking down on spirits was set off in Jiangnan.

But usurper politics would never be like this.

The Bliss Sect's rampant spread in Japan—there were many daimyo who were supporters of the Bliss Sect, using this divisive force to contend with and hollow out the Shogunate.

Gao Qiyu did not like the fourth volume of *Class Theory* very much. Although His Majesty had never published it, he knew His Majesty had finished writing it. And from the natural deduction of the first three volumes, one could get the deduction of the fourth volume, which was that imperial rule must perish. Obviously, the fifth volume was continued struggle.

For China, the constitutional monarchy of the West was fundamentally untenable, especially England, which liked to boast about the Magna Carta.

Whether it was constitutional monarchy or the Shogunate, in essence, they were usurper politics, unstable and inherently unjust. This kind of politics would naturally tend to establish a system of shifting blame, with the Shogun shifting blame to the Emperor, the daimyo shifting blame to the Shogun, and the samurai shifting blame to the daimyo.

This blame was shifted back and forth, and the final result was to achieve the effect of being unable to be held accountable through system design.

This land of China absolutely could not accept this political system. The supreme ruler must bear the responsibility for the rise and fall of the world; that was the fundamental logic.

The ruling class didn't even want to bear the responsibility for rise and fall, only wanting to enjoy the support and adoration of the people, but unwilling to fulfill their function of pacifying the world. This was typical barbarian thinking.

This was why Gao Qiyu didn't like the fourth volume. Imperial rule must perish—this was correct. No matter how tortuous the road was, the final result would definitely be so.

Facing the five deductions of *Class Theory*, Gao Qiyu, as a minister, felt a bit powerless. A minister unable to share the worries and solve the difficulties for His Majesty was derelict in his duty.

Gao Qiyu had some ways to deal with class and distribution, but regarding the three topics of the Ming Dynasty must perish, imperial rule must perish, and continued struggle, he was truly helpless. This sense of powerlessness made Gao Qiyu feel very powerless.

But it didn't matter. His teacher, the genius Zhang Juzheng, was also very powerless when facing these.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's cause of death was somewhat complex. Toyotomi Hideyoshi died by Torii Mototada's long spear, and also died of internal strife.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's heir was his adopted son Toyotomi Hidetsugu, while Toyotomi Hideyoshi had his own biological son, Toyotomi Hideyori, who was still young, only two years old this year.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi designated his adopted son as the Kampaku, that is, the heir, to unite the daimyo under his command. But with the birth of Toyotomi Hideyori, everything changed. Toyotomi Hideyoshi wanted to leave everything to his own biological son, not his adopted son.

But this adopted son, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, was no easy character. He was a daimyo who conquered Shikoku, was enfeoffed in Omi, and had a stipend of 430,000 koku.

A stipend of 430,000 koku was truly very high. Uesugi Kenshin, the Dragon of Echigo, only had 400,000 koku, and Takeda Shingen, the Lord of Kai, only had 240,000 koku.

A stipend of 430,000 koku belonged to the top daimyo in Japan and was a super-large force with considerable influence.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi wanted to leave the position of Shogun to his two-year-old child. Toyotomi Hidetsugu naturally refused. Coupled with the Shogunate's failure to attack Odawara Castle, the Momoyama Shogunate failed to enter the Kanto Plain, and the daimyo didn't get to eat meat, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

And Toyotomi Hideyoshi was also very wary that his adopted son Hidetsugu would rebel, because Hidetsugu had the strength to rebel.

Soon, friction began to occur between the two sides. This friction escalated into conflict. This adopted son united with many daimyo and signed a pledge of loyalty. Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon sensed his adopted son's intention to rebel and united with the Three Commissioners (three daimyo) to arrest and interrogate his adopted son.

Friction, conflict, suspicion, and gaps spiraled upward and intensified. In the end, a fire fight broke out in Fushimi Castle.

Toyotomi Hidetsugu did not choose to endure, but rose up in resistance. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had no choice but to let the Three Commissioners suppress him.

After the fire fight occurred, Torii Mototada, one of the Sixteen Divine Generals of Tokugawa Ieyasu, seized the opportunity of the Toyotomi family's internal strife and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's weak defenses. He led a surprise force of more than 300 soldiers, all with drawn swords, and rushed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Torii Mototada killed Hideyoshi, he shouted: "My lord shall rule the world," and committed seppuku facing east.

Torii Mototada did not shift the blame to Tokugawa Ieyasu. He committed suicide and took all the blame upon himself, allowing Tokugawa Ieyasu to ascend.

"The situation in Japan is becoming more chaotic and turbulent. I intend to strictly order Nagasaki, Tsushima, Iwami, and other places to guard strictly and prevent the risks caused by Japan's internal strife from spilling over." Zhu Yijun simply asked for Gao Qiyu's opinion.

"It is the proper meaning." Gao Qiyu thought about it, swallowed his words, sang praises, and left the Tonghe Palace.

Gao Qiyu actually wanted to say that this was an opportunity, a good opportunity to destroy Japan. But as soon as Gao Qiyu thought that the Ming Dynasty was fighting in Annam, he suppressed his thoughts. It was indeed a good opportunity, but the result of fighting on two fronts might be that they wouldn't be able to eat either side.

No matter how much Japan jumps, under the Ming Dynasty's strict defense, its complete decline was only a matter of time. Even for this kind of usurper politics of the Shogunate, such opportunities would still exist in the future.

Regarding Annam, the war had already begun. Fighting one side first and then looking at the situation on the other side was the rational choice.

Zhu Yijun certainly thought about starting the second war to destroy Japan immediately, but he still held back. The timing was indeed a good timing, but fighting on two fronts was a taboo in military strategy. The Ming Dynasty was indeed very strong, but not yet to that extent. 【111】 The situation in Kyoto, Japan, seemed very complex, but the Nagasaki Governor Xu Wei analyzed the situation for the Ming Emperor in great detail. In fact, there were only two major groups in Kyoto: one was Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the other was Mori Terumoto. 【112】 The Mori family fought Oda, fought Toyotomi, and now fought Tokugawa, which could be said to have fought the whole field. 【113】 Although the Mori family had the Iwami Bai Yin Mine taken away by the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty gave them Japanese Precious Banknotes. The Mori family did not become too weak to contend with Tokugawa Ieyasu because of losing the silver mine. 【114】 Civil war in Japan was on the verge of breaking out. The Ming Dynasty could wait a while, wait for Japan to truly fight, fight until people were exhausted and horses were tired, and then it wouldn't be too late to take action. 【115】 It was just that something that surprised Zhu Yijun and the court very much happened. In early November, the Ming Dynasty received a military report from Xiong Tingbi. Japan had undergone a huge change. Tokugawa Ieyasu ascended, Mori Terumoto was unconvinced, and while both sides were preparing for battle, they also tried to win over Xiong Tingbi. 【116】 The conditions promised by both sides were very generous, recognizing Xiong Tingbi's rule in Edogawa. If they won, they would give Xiong Tingbi an annual stipend of 500,000 koku. The force Xiong Tingbi was in would be officially recognized by Japan as a Japanese daimyo, and even the status of Edo Castle would be equal to Kyoto, etc. 【117】 The promises of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Mori Terumoto were roughly equivalent to a Prince of the Blood. 【118】 Facing such generous conditions, Xiong Tingbi did not choose to agree. While sternly refusing, he also scolded the messengers. He would have to be sick to be a running dog for the Japanese! He wouldn't be afraid of his ancestors' graves being dug up if he were to be a running dog for the Japanese. 【119】 Xiong Tingbi not only did not agree, but his plan was instead to attack, attack, and attack! 【120】 "General Qi, is Xiong Da a bit too radical?" Zhu Yijun felt that Xiong Tingbi's plan could be called crazy. 【121】 Xiong Tingbi judged that whoever won would plot for the Kanto Plain again. 【122】 This big granary was a piece of fat meat. Toyotomi Hideyoshi needed the benefits of Kanto to appease the daimyo under his command. Did Mori Terumoto and Tokugawa Ieyasu not need it? 【123】 And Xiong Tingbi formulated a three-pronged attack plan. This plan could be called crazy. 【124】 "I think Xiong Tingbi's purpose is not to win, but to fight." Qi Jiguang looked at the Japanese map and pointed to several locations, shaking his head and saying, "Whoever wins, Xiong Tingbi is the weak side. But taking the initiative to attack, whether winning or losing, is actually winning." 【125】 "The reason Xiong Tingbi is attacking on three fronts is only for political victory, not military victory. He wants Tokugawa Ieyasu to know that seeking the Kanto Plain requires paying a huge price and casualties. In this way, he can instead protect the peace of the Kanto Plain." 【126】 Xiong Tingbi's radical attack plan didn't think about military victory, but in a crazy posture, let Tokugawa Ieyasu and others know that he was not Japanese, he didn't eat that set of Japanese, and if they wanted to die, come! 【127】 "Your Majesty, Xiong Tingbi probably harbors the idea of consuming Japanese samurai." Qi Jiguang analyzed Xiong Tingbi's motivation. 【128】 Xiong Tingbi had military talent. How could he not know the disadvantages of being the weak side and still attacking on separate fronts? But he did it anyway. Obviously, Xiong Tingbi was a bit intolerable of the samurai in Edo Castle. 【129】 Xiong Tingbi had expressed his anger toward these samurai in memorials more than once. 【130】 For example, in June last year, Xiong Tingbi referred to the experience of the Zhejiang Nine Camps and gave these samurai something to do. He sent these samurai out of the camp to prevent floods and dredge canals. 【131】 As a result, when they returned from the patrol, this group of samurai robbed a bunch of Japanese women and brought them back to Edo Castle! Part of the village settlements that had been equalized were robbed clean by these samurai! 【132】 Xiong Tingbi beheaded more than 300 samurai, but after that, he was too lazy to send them out of the camp. 【133】 Using war to eliminate these old samurai was a good way. ===== CHAPTER 1068 =====

Zhu Yijun had certainly thought about starting the second war to annihilate the Japanese immediately, but he held back. The timing was truly excellent, but fighting on two fronts is a great taboo in military strategy. The Great Ming was indeed strong, but not yet strong enough to reach that point.

The situation in the Japanese capital of Kyoto seemed extremely complex, but the Governor of Nagasaki, Xu Wei, had analyzed the situation there in great detail for the Emperor of the Great Ming. In reality, Kyoto was dominated by two major factions: one was Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the other was Mōri Terumoto.

The Mōri clan had fought the Oda, fought the Toyotomi, and was now fighting the Tokugawa; one could say they had been fighting the entire time.

Although the Great Ming had taken the Iwami Bai Yin Mine from the Mōri clan, the Great Ming had given them Great Ming precious banknotes in return. The Mōri clan had not become so excessively weakened by the loss of the silver mine that they were unable to contend with Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Civil war in Japan was on the verge of breaking out. The Great Ming could afford to wait a while; it would not be too late to act once the Japanese were truly fighting and had exhausted their men and horses.

However, something happened that took both Zhu Yijun and the imperial court by great surprise. In early November, the Great Ming received a memorial from Xiong Tingbi: a massive upheaval had occurred in Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu had ascended to power, and Mōri Terumoto refused to submit. While both sides were preparing for battle, they were also attempting to win Xiong Tingbi over to their side.

The conditions promised by both sides were extremely generous: they would recognize Xiong Tingbi's rule in Edogawa. If victorious, they would grant Xiong Tingbi an annual stipend of 500,000 koku of rice. The territory under Xiong Tingbi's control would be formally recognized by Japan as a Japanese daimyō, and even the status of Edo Castle would be made equivalent to that of Kyoto, and so on.

The promises made by Tokugawa Ieyasu and Mōri Terumoto were roughly equivalent to making him a prince of equal rank.

Faced with such generous conditions, Xiong Tingbi did not choose to accept. While sternly refusing, he also cursed the envoys. He would have to be sick to become a running dog for the Japanese! Only someone who didn't fear having their ancestors' graves dug up by future generations would become a running dog for the Japanese.

Not only did Xiong Tingbi refuse, but his plan was instead to attack, attack, and attack!

"General Qi, isn't Xiong Da being a bit too aggressive?" Zhu Yijun felt that Xiong Tingbi's plan could be described as insane.

Xiong Tingbi judged that whoever won would inevitably plot to take the Kanto Plain again.

This great granary was a piece of fatty meat. Toyotomi Hideyoshi needed the benefits of Kanto to appease his subordinate daimyō, so wouldn't Mōri Terumoto and Tokugawa Ieyasu need them too?

And Xiong Tingbi had formulated a three-pronged attack plan; this plan could be described as insane.

"In my humble opinion, Xiong Tingbi's goal is not to win, but to fight." Qi Jiguang looked at the map of Japan and pointed to several locations, shaking his head as he said, "No matter who wins, Xiong Tingbi is the weaker party. But by taking the initiative to attack, regardless of whether he wins or loses, he is actually winning."

"The reason Xiong Tingbi is attacking on three fronts is purely for a political victory, not a military one. He wants to let Tokugawa Ieyasu know that seeking the Kanto Plain will require paying a huge price in casualties. In this way, he can actually preserve the peace of the Kanto Plain."

Xiong Tingbi's aggressive attack plan was never intended to achieve a military victory; rather, it was a crazy posture meant to let Tokugawa Ieyasu and the others know that he was not Japanese, that he would not fall for their tricks, and that if they wanted to die, they should come!

"Your Majesty, Xiong Tingbi is likely harboring the idea of exhausting the Japanese samurai. He has promulgated a sword-hunting edict, forbidding samurai from leaving Edo Castle, but also forbidding the common people from possessing weapons, armor, and the like. This policy of separating samurai from farmers has left these samurai living in the city with nothing to do."

"Xiong Tingbi's move must also have this purpose." Qi Jiguang analyzed Xiong Tingbi's motives.

Xiong Tingbi had great military talent; how could he not know the drawbacks of attacking on multiple fronts when he was already the weaker party? But he did it anyway. Clearly, Xiong Tingbi had reached the end of his patience with the samurai in Edo Castle.

Xiong Tingbi had expressed his anger toward these samurai in his memorials more than once.

For example, last June, Xiong Tingbi drew on the experience of the Nine Camps of Zhejiang to find some work for these samurai; he sent them out of camp to prevent flooding and dredge canals.

As a result, when they returned from their patrol, this gang of samurai had snatched a whole pile of Japanese women and brought them back to Edo Castle! Some of the villages of farmers who had been granted land were looted clean by these samurai!

Xiong Tingbi had beheaded more than three hundred samurai, but after that, he couldn't be bothered to send them out of camp anymore.

Using war to eliminate these old samurai was a pretty good method.