Chapter 706: A Party Struggle Sparked by a Schoolchild

The Great Qing is going to ally with Japan against the Ming!

The Great Qing's transliteration of Spain differs from the Ming's — it is not "Xibanya," but "Risibaniya," abbreviated as the "Ri" state. So what was written in the palace gate bulletin was: "An envoy delegation from the Ri state has arrived at Incheon Port to present firearms and armor, seeking an alliance."

And the "Ri" state, of course, must surely be that nation of wild ambitions — Japan!

The third day of the third month of the third year of Hongxing of the Great Ming, Nanjing, the Imperial City.

When the news that the Great Qing was about to ally with Japan against the Ming was hurriedly brought into the Forbidden City by Zhu Chunjie, the imperial residence of the Great Ming was filled with a joyous atmosphere. It turned out that Empress Wu Sanmei had once again been diagnosed with a pregnancy — this was Wu Sanmei's third pregnancy! She had already given birth to two daughters in a row; surely this time it would be a son?

By the way, with the birth of "Tuhao'er," Zhu Cilang's streak of daughters seemed to have reversed. During the Zhu Emperor's northern campaign, the two consorts who had become pregnant — Ning Xiangyu and Fei Zhen'e — had also both given birth to princes. Ning Xiangyu bore the second prince, whom the Retired Emperor Chongzhen named "Shang" — Zhu Heshang, with the childhood name "Heshang'er." Fei Zhen'e bore the third prince, whom the Retired Emperor Chongzhen named "Shen" — Zhu Heshen. That sounds like "Heshen"!

Now the Zhu Emperor had three sons and three daughters in hand — quite a brood of children. If he could add a legitimate son, that would be perfect. If not, then he would just have to keep working at it!

Wu Sanmei, now pregnant for the third time, still looked as graceful as ever, her figure not too distorted — it seemed she could continue bearing children.

When Zhu Chunjie entered the palace, Zhu Cilang was in Qianqing Palace frolicking with a flock of children — oh, not just children, but also his younger brother Zhu Cixuan. This little fellow was born in the eighteenth year of Chongzhen, the same age as Zhu Cilang's eldest daughter Tianfeng — this year!

Although he had made up his mind to let his younger brother go enjoy life in the Prince of Fu's household, Zhu Cilang still cared deeply about the little chubby boy's education, because this was not just one person's affair — it concerned the education of countless future Ming imperial clansmen, noble offspring, and even commoner children.

Today the Zhu Emperor had originally planned to discuss this matter with Chongzhen, but Zhu Cixuan had come alone first. The Retired Emperor Chongzhen had gone with Empress Zhou and Consort Hu to the rear palace's back garden to view a newly completed Western-style building, and had not yet arrived.

So Zhu Cilang held his younger brother's hand and told him about all the delicious food and drink in the Prince of Fu's household — spicy soup, rolled noodles, pan-fried buns, soured noodles, sliced meat in broth, and all manner of Luoyang specialty dishes. He spoke until the little Prince of Fu was frowning — he seemed very eager indeed!

Just at that moment, Zhu Chunjie came hurrying in!

"Your subject Zhu Chunjie respectfully inquires after Your Sacred Majesty's health! Respectfully inquires after the health of the Retired Emperor's sixth son!"

Zhu Cilang waved his hand. "Enough, no need to greet everyone one by one. If you have something to report, say it."

Zhu Chunjie's gaze swept across the great hall of Qianqing Palace — there were a whole crowd of idle bystanders!

The Zhu Emperor smiled and said to Empress Wu Sanmei, who was chatting with their two daughters nearby: "Sanmei, We have some business. We'll sit in the Eastern Warm Pavilion for a while. Call Us when it's time for the meal."

"Understood, Imperial Lord." Wu Sanmei was in a good mood and answered with a smile, then beckoned to Zhu Cixuan and called him over. Wu Sanmei had watched Zhu Cixuan grow up and was especially fond of the child. Probably because back then she had longed for a son every day and could not produce one, she had come to regard Zhu Cixuan as her own son. In any case, she did not agree to having Zhu Cixuan adopted by the Prince of Fu. The Prince of Fu had fled Luoyang empty-handed, and later a steady stream of old friends and relatives had arrived, all living off the Prince of Fu's household — so the princely establishment was not at all wealthy.

Therefore Wu Sanmei wanted to enfeoff Zhu Cixuan separately as a Commandery Prince, and have him study properly and learn some skills. Nowadays the Great Ming's princes were no longer raised like pigs — as long as one had ability, one could enter government service or pursue scholarship in the future; there was no fear of lacking prospects.

Zhu Cilang had already strode quickly into the Eastern Warm Pavilion with Zhu Chunjie. Zhu Cilang kept a study here; when he was not working in the Fengtian Hall, he handled official business or received ministers here.

"Your Majesty, secret report from Beijing: a Japanese envoy delegation has secretly arrived in Joseon, presenting firearms and plate armor to the eastern barbarians, and seeking an alliance!"

"Japan?" Zhu Cilang frowned deeply. "Is the intelligence reliable?"

"Reliable," Zhu Chunjie said. "It was written in the eastern barbarians' Capital Gazette, so it should not be wrong. Moreover, Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the eastern barbarians' Inner Secretariat, personally went to Joseon to receive them — it seems beyond doubt."

"Could Japan truly have wild ambitions?" Zhu Cilang had always been extremely wary of Japan and had always paid close attention to developments within the country.

Before the second year of Hongxing, when the Great Ming allied with Annam to destroy Champa and forcibly seize the lands of Saigon and Ca Mau in eastern Lower Chenla, Japan had been relatively calm domestically. Although the Great Ming had opened the country on a grand scale several years earlier, in the eyes of the Japanese there had not seemed to be much change.

But the Great Ming's seizure of large tracts of territory from Champa and Lower Chenla was seen by a portion of Japanese samurai dissatisfied with the Tokugawa shogunate's seclusion policy as proof that the seclusion policy was wrong — even the Great Ming had completely abandoned seclusion and begun expanding and colonizing abroad. What reason did Japan still have to cling stubbornly to seclusion?

Although Japan had begun its closed-country seclusion at the end of the Tang dynasty in China — making it, by all accounts, the first East Asian country to seclude itself — in the eyes of the Japanese of the early Edo period, Japan's seclusion was still an imitation of China, the Celestial Empire.

Now the Celestial Empire itself no longer secluded itself — the Great Ming had gone out conquering and colonizing! The Great Qing had never practiced seclusion; they had merely been hemmed in by the Ming navy.

As for the Shun, being landlocked, the question of seclusion did not even arise.

Since none of the three states of Huaxia practiced seclusion, why should Japan still seclude itself?

"Is there any news from Japan?" Zhu Cilang asked again about Japan.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's Northern Provost Office not only had secret agents in the northern Qing, but had also dispatched operatives to Japan. Moreover, the Great Ming had established an embassy at the port of Uraga in Japan — originally it was to have been set up in Edo, but because the Tokugawa shogunate was unwilling, it was relocated to the port town of Uraga, not far from Edo. At the same time, the Zheng family had also established a trading house at Uraga.

The first ambassador to Japan was Zheng Zhilong's younger brother Zheng Zhibao. After Zheng Jiangong returned to China, Zheng Zhibao also took over as the Zheng family's chief agent in Japan. However, Zheng Zhibao had never reported anything about Japan sending envoys to the Qing or to Joseon.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Provost Office's secret agents stationed in Japan have not reported any Japanese mission to the eastern barbarians or Joseon," Zhu Chunjie said. "However, they have recently been reporting frequently that the domestic situation in Japan is unstable. The shogun Iemitsu is gravely ill and near death, the heir Ietsuna is young, and rumors of a Toyotomi restoration are everywhere. And a portion of the shogunate's senior councilors attribute this turmoil to there being too many masterless samurai, with no domains to support them, and therefore advocate opening the country — to divert the trouble outward."

Zhu Chunjie paused, as if something had occurred to him. He considered for a moment, then said to Zhu Cilang: "Your Majesty, this subject believes that Japan's opening of the country is only a matter of time. We might as well pull Japan to our side and let Japan go contend with Spain."

Zhu Cilang shook his head. "Do not underestimate Japan. Moreover, Japan is ultimately our neighbor, not Spain's neighbor! If we are to oppose Spain, we should pull in France — what reason is there to pull in Japan? This Qing-Japan alliance — something feels off about it. Chunjie, have people investigate it thoroughly.

Also, it is time to open the general store for business again!"

The "general store" was that Japanese pirate Zahe Pu, who last time had impersonated a Toyotomi loyalist and given Tokugawa Iemitsu a good long scare. But after the "Battle of Jeju Island," Zahe Pu and his band of "Toyotomi loyalists" had been arranged by Zheng Sen to hide on an island called Basco, between the north of Luzon and Taiwan.

Now it was time to let this group come out and stir up trouble again — at the very least, to give the Tokugawa shogunate something to do, so they would not sit around entertaining wild ideas about opening the country.