Chapter 1581: The Crown Prince in a Vassal State

"The shogunate is throwing everything in, and so is the Great Han!" Zhou Pu couldn't be bothered to tell them about the 'Four Certain Victories' Zhao Song had laid out at the state council meeting. At a time like this, the more he exaggerated his own strength, the more convincing he would be. "The Great Han's territory and resources are hardly something a mere shogunate can compare with. The campaign against the shogunate is a war decreed by the Son of Heaven himself, a war that will draw upon the entire nation's strength. Which side truly holds the greater power — surely you two gentlemen have a fair idea in your hearts?"

While suppressing the panic in his heart, Zhou Pu did his best to make his words as coherent and persuasive as possible. His efforts were not in vain; these words did indeed sound somewhat credible, restoring a measure of confidence to the two men who had been wavering.

He knew that what he told these two men would soon reach the ears of that Lord Shimazu, so the deeper the impression he could make on them, the more advantageous it would be for him.

"Put that way, it does make a good deal of sense..." Emyo Koei nodded gently.

"Ah, yes, there is one more piece of news. I only just received it recently myself. I share it with you two today to set your minds at ease." Zhou Pu suddenly smiled again.

"What news?"

"The one commanding the rear and overseeing the entire army here in Goryeo is none other than our dynasty's Crown Prince. He was personally dispatched to Goryeo by the Son of Heaven for the express purpose of winning this battle." Zhou Pu beamed as he imparted this information to them. "You see, the Son of Heaven has even sent the Crown Prince out. Would he possibly tolerate any mishap in this war?"

When he first made contact with the Shimazu clan, Zhou Pu had deliberately withheld the matter of the Crown Prince's personal presence, lest it cause these people to look down on his own standing. He hadn't expected that this secret he'd kept hidden could now be brought out to bolster their spirits. The Crown Prince's presence in Goryeo was under the pretext of an inspection tour, so it was bound to be a grand affair. The Shimazu clan only needed to verify it a little, and they would naturally know its truth. He wasn't afraid of them checking.

"The Crown Prince..." The two Shimazu retainers looked at each other, neither having expected such a development.

Indeed, if the Great Han's emperor had truly sent his own Crown Prince to take charge of this war, then presumably they must be throwing their full strength into this fight.

"This news is of immense importance. We will report it to our domain lord." Emyo Koei bowed deeply to Zhou Pu. "Sir Zhou, you have labored hard these days."

The ship soon returned to Nagasaki. As usual, these retainers were arranged to rest in the residences purchased outside the trading post, while Zhou Pu returned to his own room within the trading post to rest. To avoid drawing attention, the room arranged for him inside the trading post was quite crude, but he didn't mind it much.

He hadn't rested long before Liu Jing, the special envoy of the Great Han trading post, immediately came to his room and reported a piece of news to him.

Zhou Pu, who had just recovered from his earlier shock, was quickly shaken anew by this latest news.

"The court in Kyoto took the initiative to send someone to find us?" He stared at Liu Jing, dumbfounded.

"That's right. We've already verified it. It is indeed someone from Kyoto, and a court noble at that, albeit of lower rank." Liu Jing nodded, though he too had clearly just recovered from his shock. "He came to Nagasaki disguised as a merchant. The journey was hardly comfortable for him. I've now arranged for him to rest inside the trading post."

Then, he took a letter from inside his robes and handed it to him. "This is the secret letter he gave me. He says it was personally written by the current Cloistered Emperor of Japan, requesting that we forward it to the capital to be presented for His Majesty's perusal."

The Cloistered Emperor actually wants to write to the Son of Heaven, and he's doing it so secretly... Zhou Pu slowly began to form an idea in his mind. "What does the letter say?"

Without waiting for Liu Jing to answer, he opened the letter on his own and took out the paper inside.

The letter was written entirely in Chinese characters, several sheets of paper densely packed with writing. The brushstrokes were powerful and well-turned; one could see the writer possessed a deep foundation in Chinese literary studies.

The letter was very long, but Zhou Pu quickly skimmed through it once. Apart from all the elaborate formalities and pleasantries, the important information wasn't much — the Cloistered Emperor of Japan was requesting that the Great Han's Son of Heaven dispatch troops to help suppress the shogunate's rebellion, and the price offered was a willingness to hand over some of Japan's gold and silver mines for the Great Han to operate.

At the very end, the letter concluded with: "A sovereign of a remote borderland, driven to the utmost extremity, begs for pity from the Son of Heaven. Should I obtain the aid of the Great Han's Son of Heaven, I vow to serve forever as a protective bulwark for the Great Han, loyal and obedient through all generations." The signature was stamped with the Cloistered Emperor's personal seal.

"... For something like this to happen..." After reading it, Zhou Pu placed the letter back into its envelope, then carefully handed it back to Liu Jing. "Could it be a forgery?"

"When I first saw it, I too found it hard to believe." Liu Jing gave a wry smile. "But I tested this envoy several times. He doesn't seem to be faking it; it should be genuine. Besides, who would go out of their way to play such a joke on us?"

"It seems this Cloistered Emperor has truly been bullied and oppressed harshly by the shogunate... Reading these words, line by line, one can't help but feel some pity." Zhou Pu let out a long sigh, then suddenly burst into loud laughter and heavily slapped the table. "Ha! Wonderful! Truly wonderful! I was just fretting over having no channel to contact Kyoto, and I never imagined the court would take the initiative to send someone begging for help!"

"It shows that our Great Han is indeed blessed by Heaven." Liu Jing chimed in with a timely flattering remark.

"Yes, our Great Han is blessed by Heaven. But Heaven's blessing alone is not enough; it all depends on human effort." Zhou Pu abruptly stood up, his previously weary body now brimming with energy once more. "Envoy Liu, quickly take me to see that emissary!"

"Please follow me, sir."

Liu Jing immediately led him out of the room and into the room where the emissary had been arranged to stay.

At that moment, the emissary was lying on the couch, sleeping. He had been traveling nonstop for days and was utterly exhausted.

Zhou Pu drew closer to take a look and found that this was a young man around thirty years of age. His skin was quite fair and clean, making him look somewhat younger than his actual age. Unlike ordinary samurai and peasants, he wore his hair long on his head and had not shaved it.

Upon hearing their footsteps, the young man immediately woke up. He first swept his gaze around alertly in all directions. When he realized that one of the two men who had come in was the Great Han's special envoy stationed in Nagasaki, whom he had just spoken with, he immediately relaxed his guard, though he still looked at Zhou Pu, who had entered with him, with some puzzlement.

"You have truly worked hard..." Liu Jing put on a beaming smile, then spoke the words the two of them had agreed upon earlier, while pointing a finger at Zhou Pu. "This gentleman is an official sent by our domestic court to inspect the Nagasaki trading post, Sir Zhou. What a coincidence — he hasn't been here long, and then you arrived..."

"I am Hashimoto Sanemura, a descendant of a cadet branch of the Northern House of the Fujiwara. I am honored to meet you, sir!" Upon hearing Liu Jing's introduction, Hashimoto Sanemura gave a start, then abruptly struggled to sit up from the couch.

Announcing his family name and lineage right upon meeting — this mannerism truly did seem somewhat like those Kyoto court nobles. Zhou Pu and Liu Jing exchanged a covert glance, both inwardly finding it somewhat amusing.

"I am Zhou Pu, a mere minor official of the Great Han's Ministry of Commerce. Greetings to you, emissary." Zhou Pu suppressed his laughter and looked at the other man with a very gentle attitude. "Emissary, you must be very tired from your journey. Would you like to eat something first or rest a bit more?"

"Sir, after receiving my orders, because the matter was of such grave importance, I dared not slacken in the slightest along the way. The journey was indeed very exhausting. I am grateful for your concern, sir." Hashimoto Sanemura didn't understand terms like 'Ministry of Commerce,' but judging by how the Great Han special envoy treated him with such extreme deference, he was certainly no minor figure as he humbly claimed to be.

And precisely because of this, he focused all his attention on this young official. "However, the great matter at hand is urgent. I beseech you, sir, to uphold justice for our country's court."

"I have already read your country's Cloistered Emperor's letter. It is indeed both emotionally stirring and eloquently written, quite moving." Zhou Pu deliberately made himself appear not particularly enthusiastic about the matter. "However... requesting our Son of Heaven to dispatch troops is indeed somewhat preposterous and puts us in a very difficult position."

"Please, sir, you must help our country's court!" Hashimoto Sanemura grew anxious upon hearing this. "Were it not for our admiration of the Great Han and our ardent hope that the Great Han would uphold justice, our country's court would absolutely never stoop to such a measure. It is truly because our hearts yearn for the splendor of the Central Plain that His Majesty the Cloistered Emperor beseeches the Heavenly Grace..."

"This is not as simple a matter as merely upholding justice..." Zhou Pu still appeared somewhat troubled. "As you know, our dynasty has only recently settled the realm. Everything is still in ruins awaiting reconstruction. This is truly not a good time to send troops abroad."

"I implore you, Heavenly Envoy, to forward this on our behalf! I bear the responsibility of ensuring this letter is delivered to the Celestial Court. I absolutely cannot fail in my charge." Hashimoto Sanemura suddenly bent his waist down, kneeling before Zhou Pu in this manner. "I also understand that matters of war and state are no child's play and absolutely cannot be undertaken lightly. I am merely asking that the Son of Heaven consider our country's court's pitiful plea. If the Son of Heaven is unwilling to send troops to assist us, we will absolutely bear no resentment."

Such a resolute plea left both Zhou Pu and Liu Jing momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Then, the emissary straightened his back again and took a cloth pouch from a pocket on his person, handing it to Zhou Pu. "Sir, this is a small token of our regard. Please accept it."

Zhou Pu did not reach out to take it. Through the gaps in the cloth pouch, he could see a golden gleam inside; they appeared to be small nuggets of gold.

"How could this be acceptable?" To think he was being treated as if he were soliciting a bribe — Zhou Pu inwardly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "One should not receive rewards without merit. There is no need for this."

"Sir, you have toiled and rushed about, and you must forward the letter on behalf of our country. It is we who have imposed upon you, so offering some recompense is only right and proper. Please, sir, do not refuse!" Hashimoto Sanemura's tone remained extremely earnest as he directly held the small pouch of gold nuggets up to Zhou Pu's chest. "Sir, this is merely the reward given now. If the Great Han's Son of Heaven truly dispatches troops to uphold justice for our country, our country will be overwhelmed with gratitude towards the Son of Heaven and towards you, sir. When that time comes, there will be a reward a hundred, a thousand times greater!"

Zhou Pu looked at Liu Jing beside him. Liu Jing first nodded, then averted his gaze, indicating that he would absolutely not interfere in this matter.

"Since your country's court is so warm-hearted, I can only accept with reluctance." Zhou Pu forced a smile and then took the small pouch of gold nuggets into his own hand.

Both Zhou Pu and Liu Jing were men serving as officials in the imperial court. The Great Han set official salaries quite high, so logically there shouldn't be any difficulties in their livelihood. However, once in officialdom, expenses were never small — all kinds of social engagements and gift-giving were necessary. Moreover, the Foreign Affairs Department had always been a poor office, so during his years as an official there, Zhou Pu hadn't saved much money and lived quite frugally. On top of that, now he was traveling around making contacts in a foreign country, which required even more financial support. Liu Jing, however, was different. He was the special envoy stationed in Nagasaki, specifically responsible for commercial exchanges between the two countries, and with the emperor being far away, his annual income beyond his official salary was very substantial.

Taking advantage of the moment when he accepted the money pouch, Zhou Pu very quickly examined the quality of these gold nuggets, even weighing them covertly in his hand. Drawing on his many years of experience as a maritime merchant, he quickly discerned that this gold was not pure and contained quite a few impurities.

In a matter of such importance, the envoy of the Japanese court certainly wouldn't act carelessly. Using impure gold as a bribe to give him could only mean that their economic situation was indeed extremely dire and they couldn't produce much wealth.

These court nobles truly live a miserable existence... he couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

"Thank you, sir!" Hashimoto Sanemura was overjoyed and suddenly prostrated himself on his knees again. "If we can truly await the arrival of the heavenly troops, our country's court will never forget your great kindness, sir!"

Whether the Cloistered Emperor's letter could move the Great Han's Son of Heaven — no one could say for sure right now. But as long as they could get these people to forward the letter there, at least a sliver of hope was preserved.

"It's nothing, nothing, merely the effort of lifting a hand..." Zhou Pu waved his hand with a smile. "Only, for the near future, I must ask you to remain secluded and not easily leave the embassy, so as to avoid revealing your presence. Once there is a reply from the homeland, I will relay it to you, and then you can report back to your country's court."

"Sir, if it is possible, could you allow me to accompany you on your journey to the Great Han, so that I may have an audience with the Great Han's Son of Heaven?" Hashimoto Sanemura suddenly asked.

Sending a letter, he feared it might vanish like a stone sinking into the sea. If he could go in person to have an audience with the Son of Heaven, or even with his ministers, then presumably there would be much greater hope.

"That may be somewhat difficult…" Zhou Pu hesitated a moment. "Surely you know as well — the shogunate forbids Japanese from sailing abroad. Great Han merchant ships are also inspected when leaving port. Cargo is one thing, but a living person is far trickier. If the shogunate's men were to discover you, would that not ruin the entire undertaking?"

In truth, his refusal was not solely out of that consideration — he had other thoughts as well. Though this envoy did indeed appear to be from the court, the Crown Prince was currently in Goryeo, and he wished to first communicate with His Highness's side and see how to handle the matter.

"I must ask you, my lord, to help once more." Hashimoto Sanemura continued his entreaty. "I know this puts Your Excellency in a difficult position, but with so great a charge upon me, I dare not be remiss. I… I can read and speak Han language, and my hairstyle is no different from a Han man's. No one in Nagasaki knows me. So long as I play the part carefully, there should be no problem."

"…Very well. Since you are so insistent, I shall grant your request." After a moment's silence, Zhou Pu nodded and agreed. "However, I must still ask you to remain here for now and learn the ways of a Great Han merchant ship, lest any flaws be exposed when we put to sea."

"Thank you, my lord!" Hashimoto Sanemura was overwhelmed with gratitude toward this magnanimous Great Han official, and he could not stop thanking him.

"Enough. Rest for now. Someone will bring food shortly. For these next few days, please do not leave the room lightly." Zhou Pu gave a few more instructions, then left the room together with Liu Jing.

"Lord Zhou, it seems the day of our great accomplishment draws ever nearer." The moment Liu Jing stepped out the door, delight colored his face. "To have so swiftly established contact with multiple Kyushu daimyō as well as the Japanese court — the court truly chose the right man in sending you, my lord!"

"That I have been able to proceed so smoothly is also thanks to your masterful planning, Lord Liu." Zhou Pu tactfully flattered him in return. "Without your many years of groundwork in Nagasaki, how could my journey here have gone so well?"

With that, the two burst into laughter, as though they had been bosom friends for many years.

"My lord, how exactly should we handle this envoy?" After laughing a while, Liu Jing asked again. "Ought we to reveal our court's present intentions to them? And should we truly bring him back to our homeland?"

"This matter is of grave importance and must be handled with the utmost care." Zhou Pu answered in a low voice. "In any case, the letter must be delivered back home — it can at least serve as a pretext for us to dispatch troops. Lord Liu, I must trouble you to designate a man of absolute trustworthiness, send him back to our homeland on some pretext, and have him carry the letter along."

"That goes without saying."

"As for the envoy… we shall ask the Crown Prince first. Whatever His Highness the Crown Prince decides, we shall do." Zhou Pu answered quietly. "The Crown Prince holds overall command in Goryeo. If we begin consulting him now, I imagine he will be most pleased."

Liu Jing paused, then immediately grasped Zhou Pu's intent. "A brilliant insight, my lord, a brilliant insight! We shall do exactly as you say!"

"If Lord Liu has no objection, then let us begin moving men at once… this matter brooks no delay." Zhou Pu said with a smile. "The Crown Prince is now in the Goryeo capital. Word should reach him within a few days."

"I shall see to it at once!"

…………………………

Daybreak was already near.

The sky slowly began to lighten. A few lingering stars were inlaid upon the pale-cyan heavens; the earth lay hazy and indistinct, as though veiled in a silver-gray gossamer. Tiny specks of white began to appear in the eastern sky, and at last, faint threads of light emerged from the pitch-black curtain of deep night.

Hanseong was about to greet a new day. On the surface, this day seemed no different, as dull and heavy as it had been for a thousand years.

Yet that dullness was merely a facade. An immense disturbance had long been brewing in the shadows, and the moment of eruption was nearly at hand.