A few days after the incense ceremony at Tianfei Palace, in addition to Wu Xiangxian coming to ask for advice on various aspects of Australia, Monk Xi'an also came several times.
As a "communication policy" between the Senate and the Satsuma Domain, Xi'an spread the news that the Lord of the Satsuma Domain, Tadashi Shimazu, in response to the needs of the Senate, had begun to organize people to go to Iwo Jima, one of the three upper islands in the Tokara Islands, to start a major
Sulfur was mined on a large scale. King Shotoyo of the Ryukyus also sent a lot of laborers to the northernmost Ryukyu Island, Iohama Island (today's Iwomon Island), to assist local residents in mining sulfur. Unfortunately, the volcano on the island had just erupted a few years ago.
Once, forty households on the island suffered heavy casualties, resulting in a significant drop in sulfur production. Based on past workloads, Mount Sulfur can only produce about ten tons of sulfur per year - which obviously cannot fully meet Lingao's demand.
"The next time you come to Ryukyu, you should apply to the executive committee to bring equipment for large-scale sulfur mining." Zhao Yanhao casually recorded this in his essay. Then he added: "Can't we send more laborers to mine?
"
"Xia Bang is a small country with few people, so we really can't send too many manpower to mine." Xi'an said helplessly.
What he dare not say is all thanks to Satsuma's "good governance".
During the Ryukyu Kingdom era, the population has always hovered around the number of more than 100,000. Firstly, the island country has scarce land and lack of resources to support a large population; secondly, it is also related to the cruel oppression after the conquest of Satsuma. In order to pay the Satsuma Domain,
As tribute, Ryukyu has implemented a poll tax system for a long time, which is very cruel to the people. Under the poll tax system, some islanders were displaced and abandoned their homes and fled; those who were left behind used very cruel and extreme methods, such as running a bell race, killing those who could not escape.
In order to avoid increasing the tax amount, the islanders of Yonaguni Island have long-term rigidly controlled the population of the island to about 10,000. In order to reduce the number of births, women who are pregnant to a certain age are required to
They were forced to jump over a seven-meter-deep stone crevice on a natural boulder called the "Head Tax Stone." They lost their footing and fell, killing countless people.
Under such a compulsory population control situation, Ryukyu cannot be said to be overpopulated, and of course there is no way to send out more labor. As for the whole story of this matter, Zhao Yanhao would not know it even if he tried hard.
"It is still necessary to recruit more people." Zhao Yanhao continued, "The more people we can work with, the greater the output will be. I want sulfur in the Song Dynasty, so the more the better. If you sell sulfur, the country and the people will benefit, so what's wrong with it?"
Xi'an had no choice but to think about how this benefit would benefit the people! As the sulfur business grew, Satsuma would probably squeeze it again.
But he didn't dare to say this. This was not because he was a Japanese, but because Satsuma was pervasive in the local area and had spies everywhere. Talking casually would really get people killed.
After the report, Xi'an asked again: "I wonder when the envoy from the Song Dynasty will go to Chongyuan Temple to perform the ritual of sacrifice?"
Zhao Yanhao thought for a while, "How about Qingming Festival?"
"Very good, I hope the envoy will wait patiently." Xi'an responded.
On the day of the Tomb Sweeping Day, when the sky was dark, Ma Shenglian, Mao Taiyun and Xiang Heling, the three legal officials of the Ryukyu Kingdom, led the civil and military officials of Ryukyu and the red-turbaned officers with golden drums and ceremonial guards to the sky.
Waiting in front of the embassy.
Zhao Yanhao took out the canonization document signed by the executive committee and placed it in the Dragon Pavilion placed in the atrium of the Angel Pavilion. He also arranged for the Ryukyu people who worked at the Angel Pavilion to put various gifts such as money and silk used for sacrifices into the Cai Pavilion.
Among them, the three officials saw that Zhao Yanhao had put the posthumous documents and gifts properly, so they quickly led the Ryukyu officials to perform five bows and three kowtows to Longting.
After getting on the sedan chair, surrounded by Ryukyu officials and Fubo Army soldiers, he walked along the street and walked past Tianfei Palace and Fangzuma Pond. After walking less than a mile to the northeast, Zhao Yanhao saw
Across the Anli River in the north, there is a seawall more than two miles long, which connects the virtual and the real. It looks like a rainbow from a distance. This is probably the "Changhong Causeway" named by Du Sance, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty. Changhong Causeway
It had been called a floating road before. It was built by King Shang Jinfu of the Ryukyus during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty in order to welcome the envoys of the Ming Dynasty to connect the floating island where Kume Village is located and the dam of Shuri Castle. For the Ryukyu people
It is an unprecedented and huge project.
After passing the Changhong Embankment, Zhao Yanhao saw a group of Ryukyu officials waiting here for a long time. He saw a man in his forties, with a long face and short beard, wearing a black gauze hat with a horn on his head, a python robe, and a white jade belt with rhinoceros horn around his waist.
The middle-aged man led the remaining Ryukyu officials to greet Zhao Yanhao and his party - it was King Shangfeng. Under the strong praise of Prince Shangwen of Zhongcheng, Wu Xiangxian of Yuxiu Palace and other civil and military officials who had seen the Australians,
, Shang Feng did not dare to continue pretending to be sick, so he had to obediently participate in the ritual of sacrifice.
Seeing the officers put down the sedan chair, the general officer Cai Jian quickly shouted "Scheduling", and King Shangfeng led all the civil and military officials to pay five bows and three kowtows to Zhao Yanhao and his party.
Zhao Yanhao chuckled. This old boy also knew the importance of offering sacrifices to ancestors. He asked, "I heard that King Zhongshan is in poor health. Are you okay now?"
"Thank you, envoy... I am concerned about Yuan, Lao, Yuan's great blessing. I... have recovered."
King Shang Feng quickly apologized and replied in stumbling and extremely awkward Mandarin. Then he bowed and said: "Thank you, envoy...move over."
King Shangfeng led the civil and military officials to lead the way, followed by Zhao Yanhao and the naturalized civilian cadres and soldiers, following the stone road, passing through the wooden fence, and arrived in front of Chongyuan Temple. Chongyuan Temple is a Shingon sect (esoteric sect)
The temple has a history of more than a hundred years since King Shangyuan built the temple. The plaques dedicated to the past kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom are located here, so it is also called the "Zhongshan Temple of the Ancient Kings". Its status is like the Taimiao Temple in China. Therefore, the architecture is very elegant, and the temple walls are all
It is built of stone, with three circle gates in the middle, and corner gates on the east and west sides to facilitate people's entry and exit.
The Ryukyu officers first carried the Dragon Pavilion and the Color Pavilion into the nave of the temple and placed them in front of the deceased king's tomb. Zhao Yanhao also followed the officers into the nave of Chongyuan Temple. Two incense ministers carried out the incense case and placed it in front of the Dragon Pavilion.
Yan Hao took out the red-headed document for the posthumous title from the Long Pavilion, and then walked up to the reading desk. Several naturalized civilian cadres also temporarily came in as officials and other positions. Then they walked in through the East Corner Gate, and then King Shang Feng also led a hundred people.
When the officials entered, they all bowed to their seats.
Cai Jian quickly shouted at the top of his lungs: "Start reading!"
King Shangfeng and the Ryukyu civil and military officials quickly bowed to the north. Li Renjun quickly opened the brown paper bag and handed the red-headed document into Zhao Yanhao's hand.
"The decision of the Senate of the Song Dynasty on the posthumous titles of successive kings of the Ryukyu Zhongshan Kingdom:
Naokao, male, a native of Moromi Village, Ienoshima, Ryukyu. He was born in 1415 AD. He has served as the head of the Iheira House since 1439. He has successively served as the lord of Nishihara Makiri Uchima, the official of the imperial locks of Mikmon Castle, etc. In 1469, he became the King of Ryukyu Nakayama
After Shotoku's death, he was elected as the king of Ryukyu Nakayama Kingdom by the officials of Ryukyu Kingdom. He died on August 17, 1476 at the age of 61.
Shang Yuan's life was a life of constant struggle for Ryukyu. During his tenure as minister, he was loyal to the successive kings of Zhongshan, had firm beliefs, and had the courage to give direct advice. He always kept in mind the purpose of wholeheartedly dedicating himself to the people of Ryukyu, and led the people of Ryukyu to fight against drought and floods.
He survived famine after famine; during his tenure as King of Nakayama, he never forgot the mission and responsibility of the Ryukyu King. He was brave in pioneering and innovative, built Tennoji Temple, Ryufuji Temple, Chongyuan Temple and other outstanding cultural treasures, and further improved them.
The tributary system to China and the dedication of his life to Amo Miku and the Celestial Kingdom embodies the beautiful qualities of the Ryukyu king.
Based on Shang Yuan's outstanding performance during his lifetime, the Senate of the Song Dynasty decided to posthumously confer Shang Yuan, his younger brothers Shang Xuanwei, Zi Shangzhen, Sun Shangqing, and their descendants Shang Yuan, Shang Yong, Shang Ning, etc. as kings of Ryukyu Zhongshan Kingdom. They also called for future generations.
The monarch of Zhongshan Kingdom learned from Shang Yuan, based on his own duties, learned from the Song Dynasty, played a pioneering and leading role, and made greater contributions to the rapid development of Ryukyu.
The Senate of the Song Dynasty
April 5, 1635
After Zhao Yanhao finished reading, King Shangfeng and all the Ryukyu civil and military ministers were stunned for a moment. Even Cai Jian, who was the most proficient in Mandarin, was stunned for a while, "What does this mean?"
The meaning is actually spoken in plain English, but I have never heard of such sentence structure and grammar. I couldn’t fully understand it for a while, but I probably knew it was all praise.
When Cai Jian saw that he had finished reading the memorial text, he quickly shouted "Burn the silk". King Shangfeng and the Ryukyu officials were freed. They obtained paper money, gold, silver, silk, and a copy of the memorial text from the servants, walked to the silk burning place, and threw them into the brazier.
Burning. Then King Shangfeng walked back to the opening stage and led the civil and military officials to perform five bows and three kowtows to express gratitude.
After the ceremony, Cai Jian quickly bowed to Zhao Yanhao and said, "Please ask the envoy of the Song Dynasty to move to the Angel Hall."
Zhao Yanhao nodded, got on the sedan chair, and returned to the Angel Hall with King Shang Feng who was riding ahead to clear the way. King Shang Feng led the way and walked into the main hall. King Shang Feng bowed three times to Zhao Yanhao again.
. Then he arranged for Zhao Yanhao and several naturalized cadres to face south and sit to the west of the table in the middle of the hall, while he and the regent Shang Sheng and the three officials sat facing the northeast.
King Shang Feng saw that the envoy of the Song Dynasty was only in his twenties. He had fair skin, moved his hands and feet, and was full of confidence in his words and deeds. He was neither humble nor arrogant, and always had a smile on his face. He couldn't help but secretly sighed that the Australian character was really extraordinary. Shang Feng, a maid
Taking the swelling tea in his hand, he said to Zhao Yanhao: "The envoy of the Song Dynasty, please."
"No need to be polite." Zhao Yanhao waved his hand modestly.
King Shangfeng took another Awamori jug from the maid and poured a glass for Zhao Yanhao. "Please."
"Your Highness, you're welcome." Zhao Yanhao took the wine glass, took a sip, and then ordered Zhao Kui to get the "Guo Shi Wushuang", and poured a glass for King Shang Feng. King Shang Feng also took the wine glass with both hands politely, and also said
He took a sip, and according to Ryukyu custom, he passed it to the regent Naomori and the three chief ministers, each taking a small sip.