Chapter 1517: Yagyu Motoaki

"No need to think it over. If Your Highness the Crown Prince can endure such hardship, what can't I endure?" Zheng Sen still held his head high. "Your Highness said this is serving the nation. Once the mission is done, the state will grant rewards, won't it? Then I can go home in glory. When Father sent me to the capital, he told me to study with the Crown Prince and learn how to be a hero. If I... if I can render meritorious service to the nation, then I'll be a hero, right? Then Father... Father will surely be very happy too."

"You... you truly are a filial son. Good. Since that's the case, it's settled." The Crown Prince smiled. "For now, act as if nothing has happened. Don't tell anyone about this. When it's time to depart, I'll notify you, and we'll go together. Also... during this time, you can properly brush up on your Japanese again. After all, you haven't used it for many years — it's probably gotten a bit rusty."

"Mm! Mm! Your Highness, rest assured, I'll review it as soon as I get back! And I absolutely won't tell a soul about this!" Zheng Sen nodded incessantly, his youthful enthusiasm on full display.

Having his wish granted, the Crown Prince's mood greatly improved. He raised his head again to gaze at the layered emerald peaks in the distance, but his thoughts had already drifted beyond the clouds.

"Zheng Sen, your father is a great hero, a great champion." After a long silence, the Crown Prince suddenly let out a deep breath. "Do you ever feel that your father is too formidable, and fear... fear that you won't measure up, that you're unworthy of him, unworthy of inheriting the family legacy?"

Zheng Zhilong roamed the four seas unchallenged, forcing all manner of maritime merchants — Westerners included — to steer clear of his edge. He was indeed a remarkable hero and champion. The Emperor's conferral of a marquisate upon him was well deserved.

Then... does his son, in his heart, also carry the same pressure as I do?

This was the first time the Crown Prince had ever confided his innermost thoughts to anyone. He longed for an answer, because he was ordinarily far too lonely, and everything he had to bear was far too heavy.

Zheng Sen was startled at first, then slowly lowered his head as well.

"Yes... Your Highness, yes. I... I fear I can't accomplish the deeds my father did. I fear disgracing his name. I fear it terribly. So I want to become a great hero just like Father — to expand the realm for our dynasty, to establish merit and a career, and let all under heaven know that Father has a fine son like me!"

Though the Marquis of Kuaiji had a lifetime of achievements, they might not be impossible to surpass. But to become a hero like his father and win a career as brilliant as his — that seemed impossible. Even if he pushed himself to the limit in this life, he would probably only just manage to carry on his Imperial Father's legacy, keeping everything he left behind running smoothly and putting his ideals into practice.

"I am the Crown Prince. You all surely think I can have whatever I want and do whatever I please. But how could it be that easy... I'm just as afraid as you are — afraid I can't live up to my father's expectations. Terribly afraid." The Crown Prince's voice trembled slightly.

But soon, he regained his composure, then gently grasped Zheng Sen's arm.

"You will surpass your father. Do your work well, strive to render meritorious service for the nation. I will see that you make a name for yourself, that you become a general, a marshal. No one will ever bully you or look down on you again!"

I cannot surpass my own father, but I can watch another man surpass his. That is good enough, the Crown Prince thought.

Another fine, sunny day.

At the New Year season, the capital was always a few degrees livelier than usual. From early morning on, people viewing the festive lanterns, watching variety shows, and buying goods all took to the streets. The bustling thoroughfares of the capital were thronged with people, everywhere brimming with noise and excitement — a scene of peace and prosperity in its own right. Along the streets, shops and wine houses stood row upon row. Some, in excellent spirits, spent a few small coins to reserve a seat upstairs, drinking alone and gazing out at the distant street scene, occasionally humming softly along with the strains of string and flute music.

Yet within this joyous and flourishing atmosphere, there were always some discordant notes. Some people, dragged down by worldly affairs, were utterly unable to feel the festive cheer of the season.

"Has the homeland gone mad?" With ceaseless muttering to himself, Yagyu Motoaki strode through the streets. His steps were so large that all the attendants behind him, even exerting their full strength, could only barely keep up.

He was a middle-aged man with a full beard, rough-hewn features, and a short stature. His stride was powerful and his steps steady. Even in a foul mood, his eyes remained alert — clearly a highly capable man.

However, though he wore Han Chinese clothing, he was not Han, nor even Chinese. He was Japanese. Specifically, he was a member of the Yagyu clan of Yamato Province (a regional name within Japan, equivalent to a commandery in ancient China).

He had been formally appointed by the shogunate and was stationed in the capital of the Great Han as an envoy of Japan.

The Yagyu clan had long been a renowned swordsmanship lineage in Japan. His grandfather, Yagyu Muneyoshi, in his youth studied swordsmanship first under Toda Ikkosai of the Toda school and Kanzume Shinjuro of the Shinto school, and later became a disciple of the swordmaster Kamiizumi Nobutsuna of the Shinkage school, ultimately succeeding to the Shinkage school and becoming a great and famous swordmaster of Japan.

Around forty years ago, in the third year of Bunroku, Yagyu Muneyoshi encountered Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had not yet become shogun, and earned Ieyasu's immense admiration. Later, after Ieyasu unified Japan and established the shogunate, he requested that Muneyoshi become the shogunate's sword instructor (kenjutsu shinan-yaku). However, Muneyoshi declined on grounds of advanced age and recommended his fifth son, Yagyu Munenori, to serve in his stead. From then on, the Yagyu clan became retainers of the Tokugawa shogunate and were granted the house rank of hatamoto.

Yagyu Motoaki's uncle, Yagyu Munenori, after assuming the post of the shogunate's sword instructor, earned the deep trust of successive shoguns through his swordsmanship and renown. From Ieyasu to Hidetada and on to Iemitsu, he was consistently highly favored. Now he had been appointed by Tokugawa Iemitsu as Ometsuke, specifically responsible for domestic intelligence and surveillance, bearing the heavy responsibility of monitoring anti-shogunate forces within the country and the Tokugawa family's collateral domains. It could be said he was already a key minister, not merely a sword instructor.

For Japan, maintaining trade with China was of vital importance. In the era of the former Ming dynasty, the two domestic factions' struggle over trade rights had led to open fighting on Chinese soil, stirring up catastrophic trouble. Therefore, although the shogunate implemented a policy of national seclusion after coming to power, it still regarded the maintenance of trade with China as extremely important.

In the former Ming era, the Ming court had always paid little attention to foreign relations. Moreover, due to the rampant pirate incursions between the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns, and the war fought over Joseon during the Wanli years, official contact with Japan was even more strictly prohibited. After the Great Han was established, however, the situation changed. Because the dynasty had operated commercial enterprises from its very founding, the Great Han court, from top to bottom, paid close attention to commercial interests and likewise had a desire to maintain Sino-Japanese trade. Thus, at the Great Han's initiative, the two nations decided to station representatives in each other's territory — the Chinese representative was stationed in Nagasaki, while the Japanese representative was stationed in Tianjin.

The reason they did not station envoys in each other's capitals was that the shogunate was, after all, not the imperial court of Japan, and the Great Han court dispatching an envoy to be stationed in either Kyoto or Edo was deemed somewhat inappropriate by the Japanese shogunate. So, after deliberation, the shogunate ultimately decided to simply station representatives in each other's ports — since these missions were established precisely to handle trade matters in the first place.

Within Japan, fear and admiration for the colossal China had always coexisted. Coupled with the immense significance of Sino-Japanese trade to the shogunate, once the matter of exchanging representatives was settled, multiple factions within the shogunate vied for the selection of the representative. After intense competition, Yagyu Motoaki, hailing from the Yagyu clan, obtained this post due to the shogun's trust in the Yagyu family.

Yagyu Motoaki regarded this appointment as a singular honor. He therefore resolved to repay the shogun's favor with his utmost effort. From the moment he arrived in China, he diligently studied Chinese and devoted himself single-mindedly to his work, always meticulous in the extreme. And by the grace of the Buddha, his work over these past few years had proceeded without major issues, and trade between the Great Han and Japan had remained reasonably smooth.

But good times do not last. Not long ago, a major disruption occurred in Sino-Japanese trade — and it was a disruption for which the shogunate bore responsibility.

In response to an urgent request from their ally Holland, the shogunate diverted all exportable copper to Dutch merchant ships. As for China, both finalized and pending agreements could only be deferred, with normal supply not expected to resume until after the following year.

The matter arose suddenly. Do your utmost to negotiate and win the understanding of the Chinese court, so as to avoid damaging diplomatic relations between the two nations — when Yagyu Motoaki saw this brief directive from the shogunate, he nearly choked with rage.

Copper was a staple of Sino-Japanese trade and an extremely vital resource. China could not do without copper for minting coins, forging cannons, building ships, and manufacturing machinery. Such an abrupt cutoff of copper exports to China was certain to provoke a very serious reaction from the Chinese court. How could it possibly be that a few words from him would suffice to "win understanding"?

He immediately replied to the homeland, urging that before the Great Han court grew angry, they swiftly restore copper exports and repair the damage caused by this sudden decision. But because communications back and forth took far too long, he received a reply from home stating that the copper had already been largely loaded onto Dutch merchant ships and could no longer be suddenly altered.

Had he not known that the shogunate, due to short-sightedness and internal strife, often issued very strange and blind policies, Yagyu Muneaki would almost have suspected that the shogunate was deliberately seeking to harm China.

But just because he did not think so did not mean others would not. If the Chinese court consequently believed the shogunate was intentionally making things difficult for China, this issue would not remain a mere trade problem, and the consequences would be extremely severe.

Yes, Yagyu Muneaki greatly feared the Great Han. He feared that this sudden move would anger the Great Han and trigger unforeseeable consequences.