Chapter 291 Fortunately Nanjing (Twenty-one) New Choice
In the Qianqing Palace, Gao Pingshi shook his head slightly when faced with Zhu Yijun's inquiry and said: "It is Mr. Shen Ge who is writing today, so I have not learned about the Japanese envoy's appearance."
"Oh?" Zhu Yijun was obviously a little surprised: "Then what is this... Yuan Xiuzhong, he didn't discuss the matter with you in advance?"
The "Minamoto Ieyasu" in Zhu Yijun's mouth is Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the "Minamoto Hidetada" is Tokugawa Hidetada. This is a customary name in the Ming Dynasty, just like the historical title of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Ming Dynasty's "Heiwa Zhao". Hideyoshi" is probably because China does not have a word for "Miao", so only the surname is recognized.
I have previously explained the meaning of the specific words in Tokugawa Ieyasu's full name "Tokugawa Jiro Saburo Minamoto Choomi Ieyasu", so I will not repeat them here. In short, "Minamoto Choomi" means that his surname is "Minamoto". Although the major names in Japan are There are many Miao characters, but when it comes to "surnames", there are only two surnames: Minamoto and Taira. Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not a "Minamoto courtier" at the beginning, the Ming Dynasty's Taira-wa imperial edict naturally classified him as a "Taira courtier" and called him "Hideyoshi Hideyoshi".
Gao pragmatic continued to shake his head and said: "I have been busy with official duties these days, and secondly I am staying in the palace, so I asked my family to turn down all kinds of visits. De... Minamoto Hidetada may have paid a visit, or maybe he has not." , In short, I will have to wait until I ask the people below to find out."
Zhu Yijun immediately said: "That's probably because he couldn't ask for permission... Rixin, you've really worked hard these days."
"This minister is responsible for his duties, and I dare not mention the hard work."
Zhu Yijun nodded and said thoughtfully: "Since the end of the Korean War, you have full authority to deal with Japan's affairs. Yuan Xiuzhong is naturally aware of this, but even so, he still did not clearly obtain your consent. He couldn't help but ask me for help, which shows that he has an urgent need for this... Do you think so?"
Gao Pingshi pondered for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I'll be honest, this matter is quite strange."
"What's so strange?" Zhu Yijun asked.
Gao pragmatically said: "If there are still some people in Japan who are unwilling to settle down, I agree. It is reasonable that Minamoto Ieyasu, the father of Minamoto Hidetada, needs to consider these things.
However, as far as I know, even if those feudal towns that are still rebellious join forces, Minamoto Ieyasu still has enough power to suppress the rebellion. To say the least, even if Minamoto Ieyasu overturns his boat in the gutter, he somehow loses the fight against the rebellion. The battle is actually not that important, I have other preparations for this..."
"The other preparation you are talking about is the tens of thousands of servants you arranged in Japan?" Zhu Yijun suddenly took over the conversation and looked at him with a half-smile and asked.
"The emperor said 'tens of thousands of servants', which really shocked me." Gao Pragmatic really laughed, but immediately denied the emperor's "accusation" and said: "Your Majesty, the servants usually referred to in the imperial court, They are all the elite troops who surround the commanders and generals. The so-called servants that Kechen has deployed in Japan are far less than tens of thousands."
Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows slightly and said: "Really? But I heard that you have deployed 30,000 elite troops in Japan. Among them, there are about 13,000 troops stationed near Misaki City and Yusheng City in Kanto; in the direction of Qingshui City on Kyushu Island, There are about 9,000 troops garrisoned; there are about 8,000 troops garrisoned in the direction of Osaka and Sakai Town in Kinki, and the total of the three parties is exactly 30,000. How come... my information is wrong? "
Gao Pangshi was secretly surprised when he heard this, and thought to himself: This time I, the emperor, have really underestimated me. I thought he was too lazy to care about a small country like Japan, but unexpectedly, he not only cared about me, but even arranged for me to be there.
Japan's power has been clearly explored...
But, was this something he took the initiative to ask Jin Yiwei to go to Japan to investigate, or was it someone in Jin Yiwei who wanted to use this as a way to get ahead, and first went to find out more about it and then reported it to him?
Gao Pragmatic, who had already started brainstorming in private, still maintained his usual performance level and said with a surprised smile: "Ah, the emperor actually still cares about these details? Then please give Rong Chen a few words of praise:
First, everyone in Japan really believed that I had put 30,000 elite soldiers in Japan, so all parties were afraid and did not dare to question the various requests that I made to them on behalf of the Ming Dynasty; second, the so-called 30,000 elite soldiers were actually only Sakai.
The 8,000 people in Machi and Osaka are considered to be 80-90% of the strength of our Ming Dynasty frontier army, while the remaining 20,000-odd people are just at the level of factory and mine protection teams in various places in Beijing, that is, they are militiamen."
When Zhu Yijun heard what he said, he was really surprised and said in amazement: "Is this so? But I heard that these 30,000 people are well-armed, especially equipped with artillery and muskets, and even some elite cavalry, all riding on them are
A good horse..."
Gao Pragmatic laughed loudly and said: "Does your Majesty know the story of Dong Zhuo's entry into Luoyang?"
"Of course I know about this." Zhu Yijun said, paused and shook his head: "But I don't know what you want to say."
Gao Pragmatic said: "When Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he first ordered his soldiers to enter the city during the day, sneak out of the city at night, and then enter the city with great fanfare the next day. He did this for several days in a row. People in Luoyang didn't know
Insider information, thinking that Dong Zhuo's military strength was constantly increasing, and thus became afraid of Dong Zhuo.
At the same time, Dong Zhuo also further consolidated his position by bribing and wooing the army in Luoyang City. He bought the remnants of He Jin, such as the tribes controlled by his brother He Miao, and used Lu Bu to kill Jin Wu Ding Yuan,
He annexed Ding Yuan's tribe, thereby greatly increasing his own military strength.
What I did in Japan was somewhat similar to that of Dong Zhuo, but it was not entirely the same. First of all, I had already mobilized thousands of elites to station in Misaki Castle, and had asked Minamoto Ieyasu and Minamoto Hidetada to visit their martial arts exercises and let them
I know that my subordinates are elite in military force.
Then the minister began to allocate average-strength factory protection teams, and the mine protection teams were stationed in Japan, and equipped these troops with weapons and equipment that were very different from the previous elites, making Minamoto Ieyasu and other Japanese feudal towns think that these people were elites.
At the same time, I used the methods used by the Ming Dynasty to deal with Tumote and other tribes, and bought and subdued several powerful vassal towns in Japan, such as the Kyushu Shimazu family, to build up their power.
Finally, I encouraged both sides of the Japanese Civil War to start a war, and at the same time provided weapons, ammunition, food, grass, and cloth to both sides. I controlled the battlefield situation by allocating these materials to them in sequence and quantity. When they exhausted their own potential, I would give enough to one side.
The overwhelming advantage of materials allowed the civil war to end smoothly.
With the emperor's sage, it is natural to see that after this, no matter the winner or the loser, they will take advantage of the power possessed by the minister - in their opinion, the minister has both powerful force and unlimited material resources. How can they dare to disobey?
?
However, in fact, the real force I have is only those eight thousand elite soldiers. As for material resources... Haha, every penny I spent in Japan was naturally paid for by the Japanese themselves."
Zhu Yijun was dumbfounded after hearing this. After being stunned for a long time, he had to sigh: "The soldiers are deceitful, the soldiers are deceitful! Today I know the true meaning of this!" After a pause, he added: "Like this,
It can be said that 'four taels can move a thousand catties'!"
Gao Pragmatic raised his hands and said with a smile: "I thank you for your compliments."
Zhu Yijun waved his hand. It seemed that the conversation just now made him really interested in the situation in Japan. He simply said: "I didn't pay much attention to Japan before. Since I have something to do this time, it's better for Nixin to share the situation with Japan."
I said it all together, so that I would not be confused when facing Minamoto Hidetada’s report.”
Gao Pragmatic pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Your Majesty, although the Japanese Civil War has ended, its domestic situation is still turbulent. Since the Japanese Civil War, our Ming Dynasty's strategy has always been to focus on stability. Through appropriate intervention,
Ensure that the situation in Japan does not pose a threat to our Ming Dynasty’s security in Eastern Xinjiang.”
"Before the Japanese Civil War, due to the death of Toyo...Taira Hideyoshi, the central government was weak, the vassal towns were divided, and war was about to break out. As the minister in charge of Japan at that time, I first adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude, and at the same time, through economic and other intrusions,
Gradually enhance its influence on Japan. As the civil war progressed, Minamoto Ieyasu gradually emerged and his power gradually grew. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, the minister expressed his support for Minamoto Ieyasu in a timely manner. This strategy effectively promoted the unification process of Japan."
"After the civil war, although Japan was nominally unified, in fact there were still many deep-rooted daimyo forces in various places. Among them were daimyo such as Mori Terumoto and Uesugi Kagekatsu, who were dissatisfied because of the damage to their interests after the war.
But their strength is no longer enough to pose a substantial threat to Minamoto Ieyasu.
Although Minamoto Ieyasu persists in his local thoughts, I can see that he actually understands that it is not a wise move for Japan to become an enemy of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he will still try his best to act
Stay consistent with my Ming Dynasty.
As for Minamoto Hidetada's appearance today... I believe that although the conservative forces in Japan are strong today, they already have a full understanding of the strength of the Ming Dynasty, especially for various technologies related to economy, culture and military. I also have a certain desire.
We believe that through appropriate cultural exchanges and technical teaching, we can gradually influence and change their ideas, making them more inclined to accept Ming's orders."
"Do you think Japan can be allowed to send students to study in the Ming Dynasty, or even enter the Ming Dynasty Military Academy?" Zhu Yijun asked.
Gao pragmatically said: "The end of the Japanese Civil War also means that Japan has entered a new period. During this period, Japan needs stability and reconstruction, which provides our Ming Dynasty with an excellent opportunity. Through economic assistance, technology
Through exchanges and cultural influence, we can further consolidate our influence on Japan and make it our bridgehead to the eastern ocean of the Ming Dynasty."
"Bridgehead?" Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "What does Rixin mean by this?"
Gao pragmatically said: "Your Majesty, although Japan is small, its geographical location is quite important. It is the gateway to the Pacific for our Ming Dynasty... What I mean is that if Japan is in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will not only have no worries about its maritime borders, but also
We can advance and retreat freely. If on the contrary, if Japan becomes our enemy of the Ming Dynasty, or is controlled by another powerful foreign enemy, then our eastern coast will face threats.
Our eastern seaboard is no more than ten thousand miles long (now including the outer Northeast and the Korean Peninsula), so is it reasonable to build defenses everywhere? However, if we can properly handle Japanese affairs and make them a barrier to our Ming Dynasty's maritime borders, it will be of immeasurable importance to the long-term interests of our Ming Dynasty.
value.
Therefore, Wei Chen suggested that we should adopt a prudent strategy regarding the situation in Japan. We should not only show the tolerance and generosity of Ming Dynasty, but also not force it to annex like North Korea at the beginning, but at the same time, we should maintain the necessary vigilance and
Control, ensure that the situation in Japan is under control, and add strength to the prosperity and stability of our Ming Dynasty."
After hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly, with a hint of admiration in his eyes, and said in a deep voice: "What Rixin said is true. Is there any reason to fortify the sea territory thousands of miles away? In the past, when the emperor's grandfather Jiajing was in the Jiajing Dynasty, the Japanese pirates caused so much damage to our Ming Dynasty.
The destruction is still fresh in my mind, and I will never let it happen again."
Gao pragmatic deeply agreed with Zhu Yijun's next words and nodded repeatedly. During the Jiajing period, the harassment of Japanese pirates indeed brought huge challenges to the coastal defense of the Ming Dynasty.
The Japanese pirates were mainly composed of Japanese warriors, pirates, and some Chinese pirates and smugglers. They took advantage of the complex terrain and vast coastline of the coastal areas to frequently plunder and attack the Ming Dynasty. This history indeed shows that "fortifications are everywhere"
"Great disadvantage:
The coastline of the Ming Dynasty is extremely long. If you want to fortify everywhere, you need to invest a huge amount of troops, financial and material resources. Moreover, because the coastline is too vast, even if a lot of resources are invested, it is difficult to ensure that every place can be effectively protected.
defense.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! With limited resources, if you try to set up defenses everywhere, it will inevitably lead to the dispersion of resources, making it difficult to form sufficient defense force at each defense point. In this way
Not only is it inefficient, but it also makes it easy for Japanese pirates to find weak links in the defense and break through.
At the same time, long-term fortification everywhere requires a large amount of military expenditures, including soldiers' salaries, maintenance and renewal of weapons and equipment, construction of fortifications, etc. These expenditures are undoubtedly a heavy burden on the national finance, and it is difficult to cover them in a short period of time.
See obvious results.
Due to the long coastline, even if defenses are set up at certain key points, when Japanese pirates attack a certain area, it will be difficult for defense forces in other areas to quickly mobilize for support. This makes the response speed of defense forces slower and difficult to respond effectively.
Sudden attack.
However, Japanese pirates' attacks are often sudden and rapid. They may choose locations with weak defenses or unexpected locations to attack. Although fortification everywhere seems comprehensive, it is actually difficult to predict and guard against all possible attack locations.
As a result, long-term military tensions and high military expenditures are bound to affect the economic development of coastal areas. Economic activities such as commerce, fishery and even handicrafts may be restricted due to security concerns, thus affecting the economic prosperity of the entire region.
.
Therefore, from the history of the Jiajing Dynasty being harassed by Japanese pirates, it can be clearly seen that "setting up defenses everywhere" is not only costly, but also has limited effects.
In contrast, adopting a more flexible and targeted defense strategy, such as strengthening intelligence collection, improving rapid response capabilities, and strengthening joint defense and control in coastal areas, may be relatively more effective and economical, but it is still "treating the symptoms."
Under the situation of not treating the root cause.
But now, the Ming Dynasty has a new strategic choice. Eliminating the threat of Japanese pirates by controlling Japan is a more proactive and long-term strategy.
As for what Gao Pangshi said, "(Japan) may be controlled by another powerful foreign enemy", Zhu Yijun didn't feel anything about it. After all, he didn't know anything about "the great voyage", "the great geographical discovery", "the industrial revolution" and so on.
, it is difficult to imagine any force that could cross the ocean to control Japan and thus threaten the Ming Dynasty.
However, he would not deny Gao pragmatism's statement because of this. After all, Gao pragmatism is only talking about some kind of long-term possibility... Since it is a long-term possibility, then it is possible if you say it is possible, and there is no need for me to refute your face for this.
"I still leave Japan's affairs to you to handle properly. We must ensure the peace of our Ming Dynasty's Eastern Xinjiang, and at the same time, let Japan truly become a help to our Ming Dynasty, rather than a hidden danger."
"I obey the decree." Gao Pragmatic solemnly held his hands.
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