Chapter 255: Carving a Japanese King

In Nagasaki, the Great Ming had two forces. One force was the Tang Hall, which was Xu Wei, Sun Keyi, Ma Jin, and 600 "White Stripes in the Waves" as the backbone, backed by the merchants of the Great Ming Southern Yamen who went to sea in the Great Ming's opening of the sea, supporting the Great Ming's opening of the sea with real silver and gold in the form of tax payment;

The other force was the Fujian Fellow Townsmen Hall, which was mainly composed of smuggling merchants and desperate people led by Zhao Zhanglin, supported by old sea merchants, advocating opposition to tax payment and opposition to the Great Ming's opening of the sea.

These two forces could be seen as the new and old sea merchant groups. The Tang Hall was the new sea merchant group, and the Fujian Fellow Townsmen Hall was the old sea merchant group. The main conflict of interest was still Japanese silver.

Under the continuous regulation of the opening of the sea policy, and the exemplary power of the Sun brothers of Songjiang eating until they were full, more and more gentry set their eyes on the sea, and then continuously integrated into the "Songjiang Far-Voyage Merchant Firm."

Sun Keyi was previously the Merchant Chief of Songjiang. This Merchant Chief was not a title, but designated by the imperial court for those with solid family wealth and strong capital, and the Merchant Chief was the leader of the Far-Voyage Merchant Firm. In this loose alliance of merchants, there were also various merchants such as fields, transport, nests, and runners.

These merchants had various different functions according to their different divisions of labor.

For example, runners and peddlers were everywhere to sell and acquire raw materials; nest merchants were like making a nest, specifically building warehouses to be responsible for hoarding, or engaged in production activities; and transport merchants were traveling merchants, specifically responsible for transporting goods from one place to another, mainly responsible for transportation and the security of the dart bureau.

And field merchants were the powerful and powerful who could go to sea with the Merchant Chief, and they had to have at least one three-masted clipper ship to become a field merchant.

The Merchant Chief was chosen from the field merchants.

The Songjiang Far-Trade Merchant Firm was a loose alliance of merchants, and everyone's common interest was opening the sea. And Sun Keyi was previously the leader of the merchants, appointed by the imperial court. After Sun Keyi went to Japan, the imperial court appointed Sun Kehong to continue to serve as the Merchant Chief.

Even if Sun Kehong had his knees smashed by Xu Jie and couldn't stand, the Songjiang Yamen still thought that this crucial position of Merchant Chief should not be handed over to other families. Not being able to stand was not a big deal, just have people carry him.

Therefore, Xu Wei, Sun Keyi, and the Songjiang Far-Trade Merchant Firm were an interest collection that appeared under the opening of the sea policy, and formed an interest conflict with the existing smuggling merchants.

The Tang Hall where Xu Wei sat had an overwhelming advantage because he had 600 regular water division soldiers of the imperial court, and he had the Great Ming behind him, while Zhao Zhanglin only had some old merchants who hadn't seen the general trend and were stubborn.

Coming out to mix, you must have power and background.

Only half a day later, Ma Jin captured Zhao Zhanglin and brought him to Xu Wei without bloodshed. Ma Jin went directly to the Fujian Fellow Townsmen Hall to take the person and did not encounter resistance.

After all, outside the terraced houses of the Fujian Fellow Townsmen Hall, Ma Jin pushed two nine-jin gunpowder cannons. Before taking the person, he had already filled the medicine.

These nine-jin gunpowder cannons were removed from the war-seat ships and installed with Qi-family gun carriages, which were wooden gunpowder cannon carts made by Qi Jiguang.

Facing the gunpowder cannons, everyone inside and outside the Fujian Fellow Townsmen Hall put down

In the previous attack on the parish, these two nine-jin gunpowder cannons demonstrated their power. A single shot blew open the church gate; the second shot blasted the statue of that god into smithereens; the third shot was loaded with shrapnel, and one blast shattered the resistance of everyone in the parish. After all, under the shrapnel, bodies were mangled and bloody.

Everyone had witnessed the power of this thing; it was better not to challenge the power of cannons with flesh and blood.

In any case, only Zhao Zhanglin was captured, not everyone from the Fujian Guild Hall.

"I told you to come, you didn't come, and you even told me to go. Are you teaching me how to do things?" Xu Wei looked at the hog-tied Zhao Zhanglin and said with great dissatisfaction.

Giving face but refusing it—although the time Xu Wei gave was mostly to let the merchants of the Fujian Guild Hall recognize the situation and see Zhao Zhanglin's true colors and face, Zhao Zhanglin wanted to step on Xu Wei not for the interests of the Fujian Guild Hall, but for his own private gain.

"The court's lackey! Xu Wen Zhang, have you forgotten how Minister Hu died? Since you've forgotten how Minister Hu died, have you forgotten Wang Zhi? When the time comes, you, Xu Wei, will also be a pirate! A pirate!" Zhao Zhanglin struggled incessantly, still being stubborn.

The naval soldiers were skilled in binding techniques; how could he possibly break free?

Xu Wei did not immediately refute him. The Fujian Guild Hall and the Tang Hall both recommended Xu Wei as the Nagasaki Viceroy, but the reason was actually very simple: they did not want Xu Wei to be the Viceroy.

This logic was actually quite normal. The imperial court would not listen to local authorities. If the court were willing to listen, the Duke of Zheng, Yin Zhengmao, would have already returned to Liangguang, rather than the murderous Ling Yunyi continuing to act tyrannically.

But this time, the court unexpectedly appointed Xu Wei, catching everyone off guard.

Wang Zhi had always been under the command of Hu Zongxian. Wang Bengu, then the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Zhejiang, arrested Wang Zhi without notice and finally sentenced him to beheading as a pirate. The resulting negative impact was far more profound than the court had imagined.

Fujian merchants and desperate outlaws in Japan would all involuntarily recall Wang Zhi's fate and subsequently oppose the court.

"It really is infinitely harmful." Xu Wei rubbed his face, looking very helpless. Talking to someone like Zhao Zhanglin, who came from a grassroots background, about Wang Bengu, Xu Jie, and the infighting in the court was a waste of breath. In Zhao Zhanglin's eyes, these were all the will of the court and the evil of the court.

The court is a whole; this is a stereotypical perception. When Xu Wei was a staff member under Hu Zongxian, he had also perceived it this way.

But after spending a few years in prison—with some wanting to kill him, some wanting to save him, some wanting him to stay in prison forever, and some wanting to use him to clear Hu Zongxian's name—he realized that the court is also a place of fame and fortune, with all kinds of cliques due to different interests.

"Xu Wei, if you have the ability, just kill me!" Zhao Zhanglin shouted furiously.

Xu Wei smiled, shook his head, and said, "Everyone is out and about, how can we kill people? I just called you over to talk. Whether you submit or not, it doesn't matter. As long as you have entered this door, once you go out, you will be the same as me."

"Release him."

Xu Wei leaned forward slightly and said, "Listen carefully. Other matters, I won't bother with you; you can do as you please. But if you get mixed up with the Japanese and harm the Great Ming, then your death date has arrived."

There was only one intention in calling Zhao Zhanglin over: to tell him the standard for colluding with the Japanese. Colluding with the Japanese to damage the interests of the Great Ming is colluding with the Japanese. This was the ironclad rule proven by Wang Xijue with his own head in the Wang Xijue case. In the long process of eliminating the Japanese pirates, this is the only criterion.

Whether it is opposition or fighting for profit, these are internal struggles. Brothers may quarrel within the walls, but they still resist insults from outside. If even this line is violated, then he, Xu Wei, cannot be blamed for being ruthless and merciless.

Xu Wei's warning was not without purpose. In fact, which of these merchants smuggling in Japan was not flirting with the daimyo of the various domains? But in the process of flirting, if the purpose was to damage the interests of the Great Ming and enrich their own private pockets, then they would be guilty of a capital crime.

Ma Jin curled his lips. The viciousness of scholars lies right here. When they kill, they use soft knives. Ma Jin was never afraid of these civil service scholars, but scholars never use real swords and guns; they manipulate politics and end up playing the warriors around. This script has been performed for over six hundred years.

Zhao Zhanglin entered the door of the Tang Hall and walked out completely intact. There was no difference between him and Xu Wei. After all, no one knew what was said. Zhao Zhanglin walked out unscathed, so he was the court's lackey and a traitor to the greenwood.

This was enough; there was no need to do too much.

In the conflict of interests between the new and old sea merchants, because of the support of the Great Ming court, the newcomers had an absolute advantage. It only required time for these old-timers to be eliminated by the waves of the era.

For example, ships: the new sea merchants of the Great Ming all had three-masted galleons, which had larger cargo capacity, faster speed, and better watertight integrity, giving them a huge advantage among sea merchants. These advantages would gradually defeat these old smuggling merchants in competition.

For example, navigation: the sailors from the Songjiang Maritime Academy had a more complete knowledge system for celestial navigation, and the instruments in their hands, such as sextants, compasses, and clocks, were more precise and accurate. When piloting, they could find sea routes and ports more quickly, thereby realizing the exchange of goods more rapidly.

For example, the inspections by the maritime defense inspectors: these old smuggling merchants had no ship certificates, or their ships were simply two-masted sailboats, so they had to avoid the inspections of the maritime defense inspectors, invisibly increasing more costs.

These were the advantages of the newcomers. It only required a period of time for the old-timers to be slapped to death on the beach.

Xu Wei did not need to deal a fatal blow. Intensifying this contradiction at this time was not conducive to the Viceroy's Office's development in Japan. It was enough to let the remnants of the old era suspect each other and be unable to work together.

"Have you made contact with our Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki?" After dealing with Zhao Zhanglin's problem, Xu Wei began to dispose of the promise made to the court: to unite with the Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and continue to stir up trouble.

"He is now in the Mori domain, at Tomo Castle in Numakuma District, Bingo Province, not far from Nagasaki." Sun Keyi smiled and said, "Ashikaga Yoshiaki ran to the Mori domain to beg for food from the Mori family head, which made the Mori family head very embarrassed. He was just thinking of ways to send away this plague god. It just so happens that we are in contact with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, so the Mori domain head, Mori Terumoto, intends to send him out of the territory and send Ashikaga Yoshiaki over."

"Then go and pick him up." Xu Wei nodded upon hearing this and said, "After all, he is our Great Ming's dog. Begging for food everywhere like this is not the way."

The life of the Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, can be summed up in two words: begging for food.

His older brother was the previous Shogun. After his brother was killed by a rebellious minister, Ashikaga Yoshiaki returned to secular life and began begging for food, or rather, revitalizing the Muromachi Shogunate.

Japan has a custom that the sons of the Shogun who fail to obtain the status of heir must become monks. Ashikaga Yoshiaki's brother obtained the status of Shogun, so Ashikaga Yoshiaki himself could only become a monk.

His brother died, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki returned to secular life. But to inherit the position of Shogun, he had to "raise his sword and march on Kyoto"—that is, defeat all opponents, enter Kyoto with his sword, obtain the Emperor's appointment, and argue the pros and cons with the Emperor.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki begged for food and earned the titles of "Begging Shogun" and "Poverty Shogun." He begged for a few years without achieving anything until he begged to Oda Nobunaga in Owari Province. Oda Nobunaga happened to want to march on Kyoto and lacked a legitimate name, so he hit it off with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and the two sides began to cooperate.

More and more people from Fujian were crossing the sea to Jilong Island. The development of this large island of Jilong had been put on the agenda. There was arable land, rivers, and mountains and forests. These were all urgently needed by the Great Ming Dynasty, so crossing the sea to Jilong Island via the Penghu Police Inspectorate became a stable route.

But Ashikaga Yoshiaki soon fell out with Oda Nobunaga.

The reason for the falling out was simple: power.

Oda Nobunaga wanted to be the "Tenka-bito"—the person who held all the power in Japan, the most powerful person under Heaven. Relying on his formidable military force, Oda Nobunaga continuously increased his constraints on the Muromachi Shogunate, hollowing out the foundation of its rule.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki refused to let Oda Nobunaga be the Tenka-bito. He began to unite with many daimyo and monk soldiers who were enemies of Oda Nobunaga, launching a siege against Oda Nobunaga—the establishment of the second Oda Nobunaga encirclement network.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki had a legitimate name; the Muromachi Shogunate was the King of Japan enfeoffed by the Great Ming, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki was also enfeoffed by the Emperor.

As a representative of the warrior class, Ashikaga Yoshiaki still had strong influence.

The warrior class originated from the Taira and Minamoto clans, relative to the court nobles. The court nobles generally refer to the Emperor, the imperial court, and aristocrats. With the establishment of the Shogunate, the court nobles had been completely sidelined by the warrior class.

If the Great Ming were to enfeoff Ashikaga Yoshiaki, they would call him "Minamoto no Yoshiaki," and Ashikaga Yoshiaki would have to call himself "King of Japan, Minamoto no Yoshiaki" to show respect.

The second Oda Nobunaga encirclement network collapsed, and the begging King Ashikaga Yoshiaki was exiled.

The Begging Shogun began his begging journey again, wandering in Kawachi, Izumi, Kii, and other places. In the second month of the fourth year of Wanli, Ashikaga Yoshiaki began to wander to Tomo Castle. This was the territory of the Mori domain, and the family head was Mori Terumoto.

Mori Terumoto was also very embarrassed when facing Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

First, he feared Oda Nobunaga. This "Great Fool of Owari," Oda Nobunaga, had repeatedly proven himself in military force. Whoever accepted Ashikaga Yoshiaki was an enemy of Oda Nobunaga.

Second, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had secretly arrived at Tomo Castle without any notice and had ordered his close ministers to keep silent.

Third, the Choshu domain, or Mori domain, was still not fully prepared.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki came to the Mori domain without any notice, a behavior that forced Mori Terumoto to tear up his alliance with Oda Nobunaga.

Mori Terumoto was forced to protect Ashikaga Yoshiaki. After all, Ashikaga Yoshiaki still had strong appeal among the warrior class, that is, the various daimyo. Just like in the Three Kingdoms period, no matter which force Emperor Xian of Han ran to, that warlord had to ensure the safety of Emperor Xian of Han.

Once something happened to Ashikaga Yoshiaki on Mori family territory, it would inevitably lead to a collective attack by the daimyo.

Under these circumstances, Nagasaki said it would take this hot potato, and Mori Terumoto wished he could throw it away immediately.

The ship of the Begging Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki soon arrived in Nagasaki. Mori Terumoto prepared everything at the first opportunity and sent Ashikaga Yoshiaki and his close ministers away at the fastest speed, as if sending away a plague god.

From Nagasaki to Tomo Castle, it took about ten to fifteen days. Because of the "two-way rush," the Mori family was sending him, and Nagasaki was going to pick him up. In ten days, Ashikaga Yoshiaki disembarked at the Nagasaki pier.

The Nagasaki Viceroy Xu Wei and the Nagasaki Company Commander Ma Jin did not appear. Omura Sumitada went to welcome the Begging Shogun, and then found a row of houses for Ashikaga Yoshiaki to live in, which was considered settled.

The next day, Xu Wei summoned Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

According to the etiquette recorded in the "Ceremonial Procedures for Vassal States" compiled by the Minister of Rites Hu Ying during the Xuande to Jingtai years, the king of a vassal state had to kneel and welcome the imperial envoy at the pier. The entire ritual was extremely cumbersome, and throughout the process, the king of the vassal state had to kneel and speak the whole time.

During the Jingtai years, King Li Hongwei of Joseon refused to perform the kneeling ritual, causing the court's ceremony to enfeoff the king to be delayed for more than a year. Later, Li Hongwei's fourth uncle, Li Ti, launched a coup and obtained the throne of Joseon.

The Ceremonial Procedures for Vassal States had rarely been changed since they were formulated.

As the King of Japan enfeoffed by the Great Ming and the legitimate successor to the Muromachi Shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki had to come to pay homage to the Great Ming envoy, rather than the Great Ming envoy going to pay homage to him.

Moreover, the current Ashikaga Yoshiaki was a loser in internal strife, so the Great Ming had even less reason to show him too much respect.

"King of Japan, Shogun Minamoto no Yoshiaki pays homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years." Ashikaga Yoshiaki performed the ritual in rather stiff Chinese. He was not bowing to the envoy, but to the Emperor of the Great Ming.

Xu Wei waited until Ashikaga Yoshiaki had knelt facing west to perform the ritual before sitting down facing north and asking, "Your Chinese is not even as good as Omura Sumitada's."

The official written language of Japan is Chinese, and the spoken language is also Chinese. Communication is actually not that difficult, but Ashikaga Yoshiaki's Chinese was not even as good as the Omura family head, Omura Sumitada, who gave Nagasaki to the Great Ming.

"The envoy is right to teach me." Ashikaga Yoshiaki did not dare to refute and could only say yes. He was now a stray dog, begging for food everywhere, with nowhere to go.

Xu Wei looked at Ashikaga Yoshiaki and asked calmly, "Do you want to organize the third Oda Nobunaga encirclement network?"

Ashikaga Yoshiaki participated in the second Oda Nobunaga encirclement network. The reason there was a second one was because there was a first one.

The main forces of the first Oda Nobunaga encirclement network were the Asai, Asakura, Miyoshi, and Ikkō-ikki clans. Although the first chaotic battle against Oda Nobunaga ended with Oda Nobunaga's victory, Oda Nobunaga also paid an extremely painful price. For example, Oda Nobunaga's own younger brother, Oda Nobuharu, died in the Battle of Mt. Usa, and he made many promises to stop the war.

The second Oda Nobunaga encirclement network was not entirely organized by Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki jumped out to backstab Oda Nobunaga after this encirclement network was formed.

But Oda Nobunaga used the contradictions between the various daimyo to repeatedly incite them, keeping the various daimyo who went to war in internal strife, while Oda Nobunaga rushed toward the Asai family, finally winning a great victory in the second Oda Nobunaga encirclement network.

And Ashikaga Yoshiaki had always wanted to organize the third Oda Nobunaga encirclement network to kill Oda Nobunaga, march on Kyoto again, and revitalize the Muromachi Shogunate.

But the Mori family, which occupied the western part of Honshu, was not very willing.

"Yes!" Ashikaga Yoshiaki clenched his fists. He wanted to march on Kyoto again, but the result of begging for food everywhere was not what he wished. No one was willing to help him, and even the Mori family was hesitating. On Honshu, the only ones who still posed a threat to Oda were the Mori and Takeda families.

"Do you know why the Mori family is unwilling?" Xu Wei looked at Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He had failed; had he summarized the reasons?

"Oda Nobunaga's bravery is truly worrying." Ashikaga Yoshiaki chose to answer this question.

And Xu Wei shook his head and said, "Sigh, as expected, there is no reflection. There is a reason why a loser is a loser."

"You have never reflected on your own mistakes, which is why you have made mistake after mistake."

"Your biggest mistake was that when Oda Nobunaga was facing enemies several times his own strength, you chose to stab him in the back."

"Oda Nobunaga helped you march on Kyoto and restored your position as Shogun. Even if there was some slight mistreatment, you should not have backstabbed him. How does this make the many daimyo of Japan view you?"

"Mori Terumoto must be thinking: if he helps you march on Kyoto again, not to mention whether he can deal with Oda Nobunaga, who has 'Tenka Fubu' (rule the world by military force), even if you really succeed in returning to the capital region, if you backstab the Mori family again, how will the Mori family handle it?"

"So, you shouldn't have backstabbed Nobunaga at that time."

"If I hadn't done that at the time, he would have killed me." Ashikaga Yoshiaki did not think that his current situation was his own problem; it was Oda Nobunaga who was not loyal enough!

Xu Wei looked at Ashikaga Yoshiaki and shook his head again, saying, "You are still alive now, so he could only expel you. How could he kill you? Even if he hated you so much that he ground his back teeth, he still couldn't kill you, because if he killed you, he would have to bear too much criticism, so he could only exile you."

Regarding Ashikaga Yoshiaki's betrayal, Oda Nobunaga must have had deep hatred in his heart, but with the big picture unsettled, he could only end it hastily.

The third Oda Nobunaga encirclement network was slow to be organized entirely because Ashikaga Yoshiaki had lost his personal appeal. This Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate had already been politically dead from the day he left Kyoto.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki did not dare to refute the Great Ming envoy, and he finally understood why the Mori family was so hesitant. Although it was a struggle for survival with the Oda family, the Mori family still did not want to completely tear off the mask.

The Mori family was not begging for Oda Nobunaga's mercy, but simply did not want to cooperate with Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

This Begging King Ashikaga Yoshiaki was also a treacherous villain.

"Then what should I do?" Ashikaga Yoshiaki knelt on the ground and was silent for a long time before asking loudly.

"From today on, don't ask anything, don't say anything, and live well in the Tang Hall. Leave the rest to me. Give me your King of Japan seal." Xu Wei revealed his true intention, setting his sights on the gold seal in Ashikaga Yoshiaki's hand.

That was the seal bestowed upon the Muromachi Shogunate by the Emperor of the Great Ming, used to this day.

Since the Han Dynasty, the Great Ming began to enfeoff the King of Japan. Up until the Ming Dynasty, in the 20th year of Wanli, the Emperor of the Great Ming issued an edict to the King of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, while simultaneously enfeoffing eight Assistant Regional Commanders and one Zen master of Japan, as well as one Regional Military Commissioner.

Legally, Japan had always been a vassal state of the Central Plains dynasty, at least during the Wanli years of the Great Ming Dynasty, it had always been so.

And the gold seal of the King of Japan was the main reason why Xu Wei brought him over.

"You won't know how to use this thing; give it to me." Xu Wei saw that Ashikaga Yoshiaki still refused to agree and sneered, "Are you really unwilling to give it to me? Then I'll just ask the Great Ming court for another one."

Xu Wei took out a copper seal. This seal was the one bestowed upon him by the Emperor of the Great Ming as the Nagasaki Viceroy. If Ashikaga Yoshiaki refused to give it, Xu Wei would really have the nerve to ask the court for one, and the little Emperor would very likely give him one.

Because the Emperor of the Great Ming did not care much about the suffering of Japan; the Emperor of the Great Ming only needed silver. The Great Ming court launched the pacification of Japan just for a more stable input of silver. As for the life and death of the Japanese, the Great Ming did not care at all, because the Emperor did not care.

That gold seal of the King of Japan was not as good as the official seal in Xu Wei's hand. With this copper seal, Xu Wei could mobilize the maritime post to send reports and memorials to the court, but holding that gold seal, he could only send envoys to the Great Ming, and after a long time, he could see the officials of the Ministry of Rites, but the probability of seeing the Emperor was minimal.

Xu Wei asked for that gold seal just to make things easier.

Xu Wei saw that Ashikaga Yoshiaki still insisted, so he gave up asking and said to Sun Keyi, "Forget it, carve one out of a radish."

"Ah? Carve one out of a radish?" Sun Keyi's eyes widened sharply as he looked at his teacher, shocked beyond words.

"A radish is indeed not easy to preserve. Carve one out of a stone; it will do." After careful consideration, Xu Wei decided to change the material. Using stone would last longer.

Sun Keyi said blankly, "Is this a question of what to carve it with?"

Private carving is a capital offense.

Xu Wei said as a matter of course, "Do you think His Majesty will blame us for privately carving a seal? Anyway, this King of Japan is already a title without substance."

"That wouldn't happen." Sun Keyi still believed in the flexibility of the Great Ming court.

Especially the flexibility of His Majesty. In order to accumulate wealth, His Majesty even kept Wang Chonggu, who had committed the crime of usurpation, by his side to work. Privately carving a seal overseas is just a small matter.

"That's it, send the Shogun to rest." Xu Wei waved his hand, signaling Ma Jin to send him out.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki looked at Xu Wei blankly. He never imagined that the Great Ming envoy from the Celestial Empire could be so shameless! Asking for the seal, and when refused, directly carving one privately. Is this an envoy from the Great Ming Dynasty, which values morality above all else?

From the moment Xu Wei was thrown into the prison, he had abandoned all morality, because having morality would only lead to dying in prison like Hu Zongxian.

Shameless? Just no morality.

Being an official in the court requires looking at moral standards, but if you still look at moral standards when being an official overseas, wouldn't Xu Wei have gone overseas in vain?

Sun Keyi once again witnessed Xu Wei's shamelessness and his calculations.

Xu Wei's private carving of the seal was also a false message, releasing a signal that he did not care about Ashikaga Yoshiaki, and the ones who accepted the signal were not the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, but the close ministers and attendants who followed him.

Ashikaga Yoshiaki himself did not want to hand over the seal, but his close ministers, Hosokawa Terutsune, Ueno Hidemasa, Hatakeyama Akikata, and others, still sent the gold seal to Xu Wei the next day.

If Ashikaga Yoshiaki were completely abandoned, these close ministers would lose their last chance.

Husband and wife are birds of the same forest, flying away when disaster strikes; how much more so for those who are not husband and wife?

The gold seal was very small, about the size of a thumb, but with this, things could be done.

"In the name of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, order the Otomo, Ito, Sagara, Shimazu, and Ryuzoji clans of Kyushu to send envoys to Nagasaki to discuss major matters." Xu Wei did not care much about this gold seal and handed it to Sun Keyi, asking Sun Keyi to summon the daimyo of Kyushu.

"What about the Mori family? Should they be invited?" Sun Keyi wrote down these names. These were all daimyo on Kyushu, while the Mori domain was on Honshu, separated by a narrow strait.

"I will write to Mori Terumoto personally." Xu Wei thought about it and made a decision. He did not intend to invite the Mori family in the name of the Muromachi Shogunate, but as the Nagasaki Viceroy, so that the Mori family could avoid an immediate conflict with the Oda family, even if the two sides were already at odds.

In the letter, Xu Wei warmly invited the Mori family to send envoys to Nagasaki to participate in the establishment of the Nagasaki Shogunate, and also explained his own views. The Mori family was worth sending an envoy over.

In the letter, Xu Wei looked forward to the war between the Mori family and the Oda family, and the final result was not pleasant.

Oda Nobunaga's warfare was never without means. There were also traitors in the Mori family's territory, such as the Uragami clan.

The Mori family, which was already slightly inferior to Oda Nobunaga in military force, was in even more difficulty with internal traitors. If Oda Nobunaga sent envoys to Kyushu to persuade the daimyo of Kyushu to stab the Mori family in the back, the Mori family, caught in a pincer attack, would surely be defeated.

Oda Nobunaga from east to west, and the daimyo of Kyushu from south to north—this is a pincer attack. No matter how well the Mori family can fight, there is only one way left: jump into the sea.

After Mori Terumoto received Xu Wei's letter, he indeed sent an envoy, letting his adopted son, Mori Hidemoto, come to participate in the establishment of this Nagasaki Shogunate.

After two months of preparation, the alliance for the establishment of the Nagasaki Shogunate finally began as scheduled.

"Alliance of losers." Sun Keyi looked at the visitors and shook his head.

Those who came to participate in this alliance were all losers to Oda Nobunaga. This group of people could not defeat Oda Nobunaga head-on, so they naturally resorted to conspiracies and tricks.

Carving a King of Japan seal out of a radish is also valid, as long as the Great Ming court recognizes it, because the seal in the hands of the Muromachi Shogunate was bestowed by the Great Ming. Seeking monthly votes, Awoo!!!!!!

(End of chapter)