Chapter 945: Tokugawa Mitsukuni Has Also Gone Mad (Seeking Subscriptions)

The congratulatory envoy sent to Nanjing by the Tokugawa shogunate was Tokugawa Mitsukuni, heir of the Mito Tokugawa house, one of the Three Noble Houses. This choice had taken a group of the shogunate's senior councilors a full half-month to settle on.

First, Mitsukuni was an old China hand, thoroughly versed in Chinese learning, deeply read in the Confucian classics, and moreover an expert on the "Zilun Gewu Pian," as well as proficient in mathematics and French. Basically, he was a top scholar! Scholar Mitsukuni's dream was to study in China, to enter the supreme holy land of East Asian scholarship — the Imperial Academy!

So he was extremely willing to go and see China.

Second, Mito Mitsukuni's status was also suitable. As heir of one of the Three Noble Houses and grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he was a core figure of the shogunate, and his seniority was high enough. At the same time, he had not yet succeeded to his position, and had not received high office from the imperial court.

Sending him to visit China both showed the Great Japanese Empire's regard for the Great Ming, and did not lower its dignity too much.

After all, the Great Ming had not earlier sent anyone to congratulate Emperor Gosai on his enthronement, and the Great Ming had also unilaterally lowered Japan's "national status," demoting Japan from an emperor-country on equal footing with the Great Ming to an independent great power. This move seemed only natural in China's eyes, but from the shogunate's perspective it was secretly a delight — the shogunate did not wish the Celestial Empire to attach importance to the emperor at all!

If the Celestial Empire were to elevate the emperor, that would be a real problem! Because within Japan, those villains plotting to overthrow the shogunate generally flew the banner of revering the emperor! And the Celestial Empire now stood as the undisputed big brother of East Asia, with a host of underlings. This matter had little to do with Japan, but there was no stopping a pack of die-hard outside lords and ronin from treating the Celestial Empire's attitude toward the emperor as a weathervane — see, even the Celestial Empire values the emperor, yet you Tokugawa dare bully him; you are internationally recognized traitors and rebels!

So the senior councilors were fairly satisfied with the Celestial Empire's policy of ignoring the emperor. Of course, this satisfaction could only be kept in their hearts, never shown on their faces! Otherwise they would be called traitors and rebels!

Therefore the shogunate could not send too important a person to congratulate the Great Ming on its victory, in order to display their displeasure.

Besides, Mito Mitsukuni was famously brilliant! The smartest man in Japan, that was him. So sending him to the Great Ming carried another mission: to probe the relationship between the Celestial Empire and the Satsuma Domain!

What exactly was the relationship between the Celestial Empire and Satsuma? This had racked the senior councilors' brains!

Given the Celestial Empire's naval and land strength, driving Satsuma out of the Ryukyu Kingdom should be effortless, should it not? And the Ryukyuans had always been pro-Ming and anti-Japanese; they should have long since begged the Celestial Empire to send troops.

Yet the Celestial Empire had accepted joint administration of the Ryukyu Kingdom with Satsuma — this was simply inconceivable!

How could the mighty Celestial Empire possibly tolerate a tributary state that had submitted to it for over two hundred years being half-occupied by an inner domain of Japan?

How was this possible? How could there not be a scheme behind it?

"Marquis of Xiamen, how does the Celestial Emperor intend to dispose of the Ryukyu Kingdom?"

In the Japanese legation outside the inner city of Nanjing, near the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Tokugawa Mitsukuni caught the scent of intrigue the moment he heard the visiting Zheng Jiangong raise the question of formal joint administration of Ryukyu.

This was a scheme!

Zheng Jiangong smiled: "Joint administration by the two countries, of course. Our dynasty's Son of Heaven is willing to be on good terms with Japan. Because our dynasty and Japan now have a common enemy, our two countries are already allies. What is half of Ryukyu to begrudge?"

Do you take me for a fool? The instant Tokugawa Mitsukuni heard Zheng Jiangong's words, he knew something was wrong.

Half of Ryukyu given to whom? To Japan? Sorry, Japan is only a geographical name!

This half of Ryukyu could only go to the Shimazu house! The Tokugawa shogunate could not reach it at all! And you still keep half — doesn't that amount to maintaining a window for dealings with the Shimazu house?

If the Shimazu house lost its half of Ryukyu, or gained all of Ryukyu, collusion between your Great Ming and the Shimazu would be difficult. That is why you give half and keep half.

Tokugawa Mitsukuni was clear as a mirror in his heart, but on the surface he remained perfectly respectful, and asked: "The common enemy the Marquis of Xiamen speaks of is—"

"Spain, of course!" Zheng Jiangong said. "Spain has the ambition of a wolf, bent on spreading their Catholic faith throughout the world, and wants to use Catholicism to disturb the hearts of our Buddhist and Daoist countries, to make us fall into chaos without a fight. If our Celestial Empire were defeated in war with Spain, could Japan still resist a Spanish invasion?

Your Japan has three hundred domain lords — are all of them loyal to the Shogun? Are there not a few schemers who would like to use Catholicism and Spanish support to overthrow the shogunate?"

Tokugawa Mitsukuni thought to himself: Great Japan may have three hundred domains, but the one the shogunate truly worries about is Satsuma alone! And this Satsuma is not colluding with Spain now — it is growing very close to your Great Ming.

Mitsukuni fixed his gaze on Zheng Jiangong and suddenly asked: "Marquis of Xiamen, have you by any chance met Ukita Hideie?"

"Ukita—" Zheng Jiangong's expression shifted slightly. How could he not have met him — that rice-loving glutton of an old grandpa! Ah, lately he had fallen gravely ill with wasting sickness, grown thin as a bag of bones, and did not have long to live. Still, before he died he had at last eaten his fill of rice, so it was worth it!

"Never met him, never met him!" Zheng Jiangong hastily shook his head, but how could the change in his expression escape Mitsukuni's observation?

Tokugawa Mitsukuni simply looked at Zheng Jiangong, silent.

Zheng Jiangong felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. Tokugawa Mitsukuni's eyes were piercing; when he stared at a person, it seemed as if he would see right through them, which was deeply unsettling.

So Zheng Jiangong wanted to end the meeting early, and said: "Our dynasty's Son of Heaven also said that as long as Japan is willing to support the Great Ming, the Great Ming can elevate Japan's national status, recognize Japan as an emperor-country equal to the Great Ming, and henceforth the emperor may style himself 'Emperor of Japan' in dealings with foreign countries!"

What!

Tokugawa Mitsukuni was badly startled!

The Celestial Empire recognizes the emperor as Emperor of Japan — this would enormously enhance the emperor's prestige!

And in the present Celestial Emperor's state letter to Japan, the Tokugawa Shogun was addressed as Shogun, not as King of Japan or Great Lord of Japan. Historically, the Yongle Emperor had enfeoffed Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as King of Japan, so in Ming-Japan diplomatic exchanges, the shogun was always addressed as King. And the Tokugawa shogun's self-designation in foreign diplomacy was Great Lord.

But Zhu Cilang insisted on calling the head of the Tokugawa shogunate the Shogun of Japan. Though this was the most accurate title, a shogun was lower than a king, and the Emperor of Japan was the shogun's sovereign!

Now that the Great Ming was about to formally recognize the Emperor of Japan, and at the same time address the head of the Tokugawa shogunate as Shogun, this amounted to placing the emperor above the shogun!

And this was not merely the view of the Great Ming Son of Heaven, but the view of the entire East Asian world — and this view would certainly influence the powerful lords and ronin within Japan!

Tokugawa Mitsukuni, now almost certain that Zhu Cilang intended to stir up Japan's domestic situation, still kept his composure, and said to Zheng Jiangong: "Marquis of Xiamen, this humble official understands. This humble official will accompany Marquis Wei on his mission to Japan, and arrange for him to meet His Excellency the Shogun and His Majesty the Emperor. But before this humble official leaves Nanjing, he hopes to have one more audience with the Son of Heaven."

"Very well, this marquis will certainly do his utmost to arrange it!"

When Tokugawa Mitsukuni next saw Zhu Cilang, the venue had shifted to the horse grounds of Laoshan Palace. The Zhu Emperor did not formally receive him, but invited him to ride ocean horses together at the grounds.

The two rode side by side, discussing the future of friendly relations between Ming and Japan.

In his previous life, the Zhu Emperor had heard of this Japanese scholar's reputation, so when he learned that Scholar Mitsukuni had come to visit, he had summoned him many times. The two were already fairly familiar with each other, so their conversation was now rather casual.

"Mitsukuni, We have heard that the current Shogun is somewhat dull-witted, known as the Foolish Lord. Is this true?"

Mitsukuni frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, the Lord is not dull — he is a great wisdom that appears foolish!"

Zhu Cilang shook his head: "The ruler of a country must be intelligent! For governing a country is an exceedingly difficult matter, requiring one to face all manner of internal and external difficulties, and to answer them correctly and carefully. And the internal and external situation your country now faces is complicated to the extreme — absolutely, absolutely no mistakes can be made! Do you understand? If the Lord is dull-witted, then those of you who make decisions on his behalf must be sure to be clever!"