Chapter 1450: Japan

The map was enormous, nearly covering the entire wall. The Emperor had ordered a group of missionaries to draw it for him, and according to one of those missionaries, it was currently one of the most accurate world maps on Earth.

Earth — that word had only recently become fashionable. No one knew which missionary had said it first, but it had spread regardless. These Westerners believed the ground was an immensely huge solid sphere, and that all things, including humans, lived upon its surface, just like moss on a great boulder. This novel doctrine had violently shaken Zhao Song's originally ingrained worldview, though the Emperor, it seemed, did not particularly dislike the idea.

If the Emperor said the ground was flat, then it was flat. If the Emperor said the ground was a sphere, then it was absolutely a sphere. So Zhao Song had never agonized over this question.

The Emperor's gaze was currently fixed on the north, but Zhao Song did not feel there was anything in the north that required special attention.

Ever since he had assisted the then-Ming Dongjiang Garrison on Pi Island in resisting Hong Taiji's Jurchen army several years ago, he had been fighting in Liaodong all these years. First directly under the Emperor, then under the command of Duke of Ji, Chen Sheng. Over the years, he had led his troops from Pi Island and Jinzhou, thrusting deep into Jurchen territory. They had routed the Jianzhou Jurchens, who had already established their own state, ruled for two generations, and were famed as "ten thousand strong, invincible," sending them fleeing at the mere rumor of his approach. Their entire state had been shattered, leaving only remnant forces to flee north into the snowstorm-ridden deep mountains and old forests, living in constant terror under the unending mopping-up campaigns.

Now Liaodong was largely pacified, so a great number of troops had been withdrawn from there. The Duke of Ji was now stationed in Shenyang, but he did not have much military work left and was currently handling more civil administration. Zhao Song and his troops had also been garrisoned outside Shenyang recently, having gone many days without a battle, giving off a distinct air of sheathing the swords and letting the horses graze.

There was actually no need to worry too much about the Mongols either. Ever since Esen had routed the former Ming army at the Battle of Tumu Fortress and pressed on to the walls of Beijing, shaking the entire realm, Mongolia had been fractured for two hundred years. They had split into countless tribes, warring and slaughtering one another. Although a few strongmen had emerged in between, none had managed to unify the whole of Mongolia.

Recently, a Ligdan Khan had arisen in Mongolia. He campaigned everywhere, swallowing up many Mongol tribes, and his power had been steadily expanding, giving him the air of a Mongol overlord. But after he entered Beijing and destroyed the Ming dynasty, the Emperor dispatched a great army northward. The army penetrated deep into the Mongol heartland, routed Ligdan Khan's great army, and captured and killed countless Mongol soldiers. Even Ligdan Khan himself died in the battle. After that battle, the Mongol tribes were utterly terrified of the Great Han, and very few dared to show disrespect anymore.

Now, Duke of Cao, Ji Xiang, was stationed with a large army at Ligdan Khan's former capital, Guihua City, keeping watch over the movements of the Mongol tribes at all times. No border unrest had been reported.

The Jurchens and the Mongols — these two external threats that had caused the Ming dynasty untold headaches for who knows how many years, costing so much money and effort — had, shortly after the founding of the Great Han, been utterly routed and crushed by the invincible Great Han army. The two dukes were now stationed east and west respectively, suppressing and grinding down the remnants of these two foreign races, ensuring they could never rise again.

This outcome, more persuasively than any evidence, proved that the Great Han truly possessed the aura of a dynasty ordained by Heaven, and that the Emperor was indeed a sage sent by Heaven, destined to lead the Han people through thorns and brambles to sweep across the realm.

That being the case, Zhao Song did not quite understand why the Emperor still harbored misgivings about northern affairs, to the point of constantly staring at the map.

"Zhao Song, do you still remember that battle on Pi Island all those years ago?" After a long while, the Emperor, his back to Zhao Song, asked in a low voice.

"Your subject dares not forget a single day," Zhao Song answered respectfully.

Indeed, he could not forget. That time, he had brought a fleet to Pi Island, originally only intending to establish a foothold there and conduct some trade with the people on the island. Who could have imagined they would run right into a Jurchen army attack?

The Jurchen commander said that if he handed over Pi Island, they would let him go, that they did not wish to offend the Zhao Family Army. But he refused. He could not bear to watch the lives on the island be destroyed at the hands of the brutally savage Jurchens. So he chose to join the island's garrison — no, it would be more accurate to say he led the island's garrison and stubbornly resisted the Jurchen army's siege for over twenty days, holding Pi Island.

Many of the brothers beside him died there, some of them his most intimate brothers. What was more, if reinforcements had arrived just one or two days later, he himself might have been buried there. The layers of hardship, the myriad sufferings, those near-death experiences — in all these years, had he ever dared to forget them for even a moment?

"Good that you haven't forgotten. Only those who haven't forgotten danger can fight wars," the Emperor said with a touch of emotion. "It's been about ten years, hasn't it?"

"Yes, about ten years," Zhao Song answered quietly, inwardly guessing at the Emperor's intention in bringing this up.

"Ten years... how fast it seems, thinking back." The Emperor smiled faintly, then raised his head again to look at the map on the wall. "Since you haven't forgotten the hardships of that time, you must naturally still remember how to fight along the coast relying on a fleet, right?"

This question truly startled Zhao Song.

Could it be that the Emperor wanted to send him to fight in some coastal place?

"Your subject has a habit. After every battle, I recall the various scenarios of that battle, then summarize the experiences and lessons, and keep these firmly in mind for future contingencies. That battle at Pi Island was the hardest fight your subject has ever experienced in my life, so I have also recalled and summarized it many times, and I believe I have gained some insights." Zhao Song first displayed a bit of boldness, then began to show some caution. "However, your subject also knows that the battlefield is ever-changing, and the experience of one place absolutely cannot be wholly applied to another. One can only borrow some lessons. Therefore, your subject dares not claim to have a thorough understanding of coastal land warfare."

"That answer... truly well-rounded and watertight. It seems, Zhao Song, you not only possess courage but are also quite resourceful." The Emperor turned his head and smiled slightly at Zhao Song. "Good. Only thus can I truly entrust you with great matters with peace of mind."

"Great matters?" Now Zhao Song was even more astonished inwardly. Could the Emperor want him to lead an army alone on an external campaign?

If that were the case, it would be truly wonderful...

"Zhao Song, do you know anything about Japan?" Before Zhao Song could recover his wits, the Emperor's pressing question followed right on its heels.

"Japan!" Zhao Song was startled again, but quickly composed himself. "I have heard some things."

He had spent time both at sea and in Liaodong, so he naturally knew a few things about Japan, but not enough to claim deep understanding, so he could only speak vaguely.

"Oh? You know some things? Then speak. Tell me what you know." The Emperor immediately pressed him.

"Your subject only knows from hearsay and is not particularly knowledgeable. If anything is incorrect, I beg the Emperor not to mind..." Zhao Song first carefully laid some groundwork for himself, then continued. "Japan is an island nation suspended in the outer seas. In the past, they were called the Wa Country, but later, because they resented this name, they changed it themselves to Japan. Their country produces gold, silver, and copper, and has had frequent contact with the mainland for many years. They are still trading with our nation now. In addition, I have heard that their monarch is called the Tenno, but has been sidelined by the military-commanding Shogun. The Japanese Shogun established his own Bakufu and holds the governing power of the entire country, forcing the Tenno into a mere puppet. Furthermore, your subject has also heard that there are many feudal lords across Japan who also hold feudal power within their domains. Thus, their country's orders come from many different sources, with much variation."

"You do know quite a bit. Not bad." The Emperor nodded gently, then picked up a thin wooden stick from the table beside him and pointed it at the map on the wall. The stick glided softly across the map, moving bit by bit toward the upper right, passing the Capital, passing Liaodong and Goryeo, passing a vast expanse of ocean, and finally resting on a few islands in the sea.

"That's right, Japan. If I ordered you to lead troops to conquer Japan, would you go?"

When he heard this question, Zhao Song's heart felt as if thunderclaps were roaring. The Emperor really did want him to lead troops to conquer a foreign land! As long as one led troops into battle, one could seize military merit, and the greatest military merit, naturally, was none other than serving as the commanding general leading an army to subdue the enemy.

"With but a single word from Your Majesty, your subject would go through fire and water, not refusing even ten thousand deaths!" Without any hesitation, Zhao Song shouted out loudly.

"Very good. That's the spirit I want." The Emperor's stern expression slowly eased. "But rest assured, Japan is no dragon's pool or tiger's den. There's no need for you to refuse ten thousand deaths. I'm still waiting for you to finish the war quickly and come back to receive your reward from me."

Receive his reward... A slight warmth stirred in Zhao Song's heart.

The Emperor had already promised earlier that he intended to grant him a marquisate. That meant that leading troops to attack Japan this time, as long as he won, he would certainly be enfeoffed as a marquis. That being the case, what was there left to hesitate about?

He did not want to ask the Emperor why he wanted to attack Japan. That was not a question he should be concerned with.

"How does the Emperor wish to conquer Japan? By mustering a great army to launch a campaign?" he asked earnestly. "What preparations would you have your subject make?"

"Now you're asking me?" The Emperor smiled calmly. "I intend to make you the commander-in-chief, so this time, I want you to analyze it. How should we best attack Japan?"

Zhao Song lowered his head in difficulty and began to ponder, while the Emperor, unhurried, watched him calmly, awaiting his answer.

Zhao Song dared not make the Emperor wait long, so he spurred his mind desperately, beginning to think it through.