The sun never sets in America

Chapter 71 Travel to Japan
"Smith Marseille..."

After Hu Junding and Wan Fang finished washing, put on the bathrobes prepared by the Japanese, and opened the wooden door of the hot spring to leave, they saw several Japanese beauties in gorgeous kimonos standing outside the door, treating them respectfully. Both bowed.

Hu Junding and Wan Fang were both at a loss what to do.

It wasn't until he was pulled into the room by several beauties that Wan Fang uttered:
"Master Hu, isn't it too much for us to do this?"

"It's too much. I think it's okay. After all, didn't you say that these Japanese people are very polite and their etiquette is really thoughtful!!"

In another house, Hu Junding's voice came out.

Then there was no sound...

Early the next morning, when Wan Fang and Hu Junding got up, they looked at each other and could tell what they meant.

"Master Hu, how was your rest last night?" Wan Fang was a little embarrassed and casually found a topic of rest. Unexpectedly, he regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.

"Rest..." After hearing this, Hu Junding suddenly blushed, "It's really not bad. It's you, Mr. Wan, who made a lot of noise. I heard it from across the room." Hu Junding smiled at Wan Fang in a teasing tone. He said with a teasing look in his eyes, which made Wan Fang blush immediately.

"Haha, the soundproofing of the room is not very good. The soundproofing is not very good." Wan Fang put all the blame on the soundproofing with an embarrassed expression, "After all, these Japanese people like to use wood for everything, and Japanese wood is not good either. The sound insulation effect can be imagined..." Wan Fang then explained to Hu Junding again, who was looking at him, but the more he explained, the more he showed his guilty conscience.

"Two adults, the food is ready. Please follow me."

Just as the two were teasing each other about what happened last night, a servant in kimono walked up to the two of them, bowed first, and then greeted them in fluent Chinese.

"Please……"

The servant walked in front, and the two walked behind, one behind the other, and entered the restaurant that had been prepared.

"Two adults, please use it as much as you can..."

After the servant finished saying this, he left the restaurant and closed the Japanese sliding wooden door.

"Master Hu, why do these Japanese people like to eat raw food? Isn't this raw food eaten by savages?" Wan Fang looked at the large plate of sashimi on the table with a struggling expression on his face. .

"Eat it, I think it tastes good." Hu Junding picked up a delicate-looking sashimi wrapped in rice with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and then stuffed it into his mouth without a trace. Chewing scrupulously.

"Why don't you just eat this..." Looking at Wan Fang's still uneasy expression, Hu Junding pushed the sushi wrapped in vegetables and beef in front of Wan Fang, "Eat more, there are still many things to do today!" Hu Junding While drinking the soup from the bowl, he said to Wan Fang.

Wan Fang then took a big bite of the sushi that was pushed in front of him.

Seeing this urgent situation, Hu Junding smiled, said nothing, and continued to eat the sashimi on the plate. For him, a descendant of Fujian immigrants who grew up in Nanyang, eating raw fish was actually nothing...

.............................................

Shogunate...

squeak……

A Japanese-style carriage stopped in front of the shogunate. The young man in the carriage immediately got out of the carriage and handed the name card to the guard standing guard in front of the shogunate. After seeing the chief guard, he immediately let him go...

Tread...Tap...

From the carriage, two young men dressed in improved Confucian uniforms walked out, followed by several tall and muscular followers.

When the chief guard of the shogunate saw those tall followers, his face immediately changed, and his expression became a little stiff. In fact, comparing the two groups of people, one was like a child who would never grow up, and the other was a real adult.

This comparison even gave the captain of the guard and the guards in front of the shogunate a sense of humiliation.

But soon the humiliation turned to adoration.

He even regards the other party as a strong person worthy of learning from him! !

This is the national character of the Japanese. They are afraid of power but not moral, and know small etiquette but no great righteousness! !
The kind and friendly side of the Japanese only faces the strong. As for the weak, they will only raise the butcher's knife.

"You two please..."

Inside the shogunate, a man wearing Japanese priest attire led Hu Junding and Wan Fang inside.

The servants and maids they met along the way bowed to them after seeing them, which made Hu Junding and Wan Fang a little flattered.

When passing through a Tang-style attic, Hu Junding looked at the attic in front of him with great interest, especially the several paragraphs of Tang poems written in Chinese characters above.

After taking a few glances, he followed the Japanese and continued walking forward.

Finally, after passing several Japanese-style courtyards, we finally came to a Japanese-style tile-roofed house. Outside the tile-roofed house, there were several samurai wearing kimonos, samurai swords around their waists, and Tsukiyo haircuts.

The Japanese man dressed as a priest stepped forward and took out a token engraved with three leaves. When one of the leading warriors saw it, he immediately moved out of the way.

The Japanese who led the way turned around and signaled to the two of them, then continued walking inside. After Hu Junding and Wan Fang looked at each other for a few times, they also followed in tandem.

After walking around the tile-roofed house, he came to the door of a Japanese-style wing. A Japanese man dressed as a priest stopped and stood in front of the door. He bowed slightly and said, "General, the guest has been brought. "Even though they were separated by a wooden door, there was still a respectful expression on their faces.

"Come in……"

A slightly cold voice came from inside the wooden door. After saying the two words, there were no more words. It can be said that words are cherished like gold...

squeak……

"Please, you two, the General is waiting inside."

The man dressed as a priest turned around and greeted Hu Junding and Wan Fang.

Hu Junding and Wan Fang glanced at each other, and then walked into the side room.

In the side room, there were several low tables with some Japanese fruits on them. On the top, there was a middle-aged man wearing a kimono and a tiara. After seeing the two of them, his mouth was filled with smiles. After speaking softly, the attendant standing next to him said: "Please take a seat, the two guests who have come from afar." The attendant's Chinese was much better than the one he saw in the post house this morning, which made Hu Junding and Wan Fang A little surprised.After the two sat down, Hu Junding clasped his fists and said to the shogunate Tokugawa Ieki above: "Thank you, General, for your hospitality. It's such an honor..." Hu Junding showed a trace of gratitude on his face, as if he was really touched by the other person's closeness. Thoughtful hospitality.

"You're welcome..." At this time, Tokugawa Ieki spoke up, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"The two of you came to Japan from America. It must have been a long and arduous journey, right?" Tokugawa Ieki asked the two of them, "Were those ships yesterday for trading in the East?" Tokugawa Ieki continued to ask, Although it is deeply hidden, you can still see a trace of curiosity. After all, even a nominal ruler of Japan like Tokugawa Ieki is very curious about America and the world.

"It is indeed far enough, General." Hu Junding answered Tokugawa Ieki's question in a neither humble nor condescending manner, "In addition to doing business this time, what is more important is to establish friendly relations with your side, or the shogunate." Hu Junding then looked at Tokugawa. Jiaqing said, his tone was quite sincere.

"Friendly relationship." Hearing this, Tokugawa Ieki was a little confused. Why did it sound like establishing diplomatic relations? "What is your origin?" Tokugawa Ieki said what he had been hiding since yesterday. The question in his heart, or rather the question of all shogunate officials, was where these people came from, especially since they wore Confucian clothes and spoke Chinese, which made the Japanese even more suspicious.

Even the survivors of the Ming Dynasty were suspected.

"General, have you ever heard of Mexico?" Hu Junding was not surprised at the question Tokugawa Ieki asked, as if it was a matter of course. After all, if these Japanese didn't ask about their origins, they would be evil! !
"Mexico?" Tokugawa Iakichi was a little confused when he heard Hu Junding talking about Mexico, but he quickly thought of something, "Is it Mexico that has something to do with the Spanish?" Tokugawa Iaki suddenly remembered that he got it from the Spaniards. news, that is the story of Mexican independence.

"Yes, General, you are right." Hu Junding nodded in agreement, "We are indeed from America and Mexico, but we do not completely belong to Mexico." Hu Junding continued to say to Tokugawa Ieki.

"It doesn't belong to Mexico, but it's from Mexico??" Hearing this, Tokugawa Ieki was completely confused. "What does it mean?" Tokugawa Ieki asked Hu Junding with a puzzled look on his face. He really couldn't think about it. Understand, what does it mean to belong to Mexico, but not completely belong to Mexico? Isn’t this a contradiction?

Tokugawa Ieki secretly thought.

"We were originally a local force in Mexico, which is also the name of your country. Later, because of the brutality of the Mexicans, we became independent..." Hu Junding replied to Tokugawa Ieki, comparing Liujiabao to a place in Japan. Daiming, of course, the Mexican Republic is not a shogunate. In Hu Junding's narrative, it became a government as brutal as Shang Zhou. Liu Jiabao also raised troops to resist because he could not stand the oppression of the Mexican Republic...

As Hu Junding's half-true and half-false story unfolded, even Wan Fang was a little surprised by Hu Junding's shamelessness and ability to make up stories, not to mention the uninformed Tokugawa Ieyei.

"I see..." After hearing this, Tokugawa Iaki nodded to Hu Junding and Wan Fang and said, "It turns out that you became independent because you resisted tyranny..." Tokugawa Iaki felt about Hu Junding and Wan Fang. He said, there was even a hint of admiration in his tone. After all, being able to defeat Westerners with powerful firearms and huge warships is a legendary story in itself. What's more, this story actually happened in America, and the protagonist of the story is still an Easterner. …

It adds a touch of legend! !

"Then why did your envoy come to Japan this time?" Before they knew it, Hu Junding and Wan Fang had become the diplomatic envoys in Tokugawa Ieki's mouth. This shows that Hu Junding had just boasted about the Liujiapu legend. How much influence did the story have on Tokugawa Ieyei himself.

"General, are we here mainly for three things?" Hu Junding clasped his fists and replied to Tokugawa Ieki above.

"Oh, what three things?" Tokugawa Ieki asked with interest.

"Establishing diplomatic relations, trade, immigration..." Hu Junding looked at Tokugawa Ieki and replied.

"I understand the establishment of diplomatic relations and trade, but what does immigration mean?" Tokugawa Iekei understood the other two, but the last item of immigration was a little unclear. After all, it is possible for these Americans to want to Can the Japanese immigrate to America? ?
"Sir General, judging by our faces, dress, and language, you should know where we are from, right?" Hu Junding did not answer hastily, but asked Tokugawa Ieki, while speaking, pointing to the Confucian uniforms worn by him and Wan Fang. .

"I know where you two are from, but what does this have to do with immigration?" Tokugawa Ieki certainly knew the origins of Hu Junding and Wan Fang. They were nothing more than what Hu Junding just said, Han Chinese going to America. "Could it be, Immigrate to China and then transfer to Japan??" Tokugawa Ieki thought about the origin of the other party in his mind, and suddenly connected America with China, and even the Han people, and asked Hu Junding with some surprise.

"Yes, that's exactly it." Hu Junding smiled and nodded in agreement to Tokugawa Ieki, "We occupy a vast land in America, but the population is sparse, so we hope to immigrate from China to enrich the population, but the journey to America is It is far away, so it needs to be stopped in Japan for repairs. General Wanwang approves..." Hu Junding said to Tokugawa Ieki with a serious expression on his face.

Even Wan Fang on the side looked at Tokugawa Iaki with the same expression.

"This..." Tokugawa Ieki hesitated, "Japan provides a place for immigrants to transit. What can you provide me with Japan?" Tokugawa Ieki asked Hu Junding in return.

"We can provide Western firearms and even Western products to the General..." Hu Junding understood Tokugawa Ieki's purpose and simply said it publicly.

"How do your firearms compare to those of the Dutch?" Tokugawa Ieki asked Hu Junding with some excitement.

"Both the price and quality are better than those of Dutch foreigners." Hu Junding replied to Tokugawa Ieki very confidently, with a look of pride on his face.

"So, I wish our two families the best!" Tokugawa Iaki picked up a glass of wine on the table and toasted to Hu Junding and Wan Fang.

"people of the same taste……"

Hu Junding and Wan Fang also picked up their wine glasses and responded to Tokugawa Iaki.

A few days later, a treaty called the Edo Agreement was signed by Tokugawa Ieki and Hu Junding.

The agreement stipulated that the Japanese shogunate established diplomatic relations with Liujiabao in America, or the forces that emerged after Liujiabao, and the two sides conducted friendly trade. Liujiabao's goods could enter Japan in accordance with the shogunate's regulations, and the tariffs were negotiated by the two parties, while Liujiabao's You need to purchase raw silk or Japanese specialties worth at least 50 yuan every year.

In addition, Liujiabao sold items worth hundreds of thousands of dollars within six months, enough to arm an army of [-] people with advanced Western firearms.

The money was advanced by Liujiabao and deducted from the purchase price of raw silk specialties in the coming year.

Liu Jiabao, the future force, can set up a diplomatic residence in Edo, Japan. The location is provided free of charge by the shogunate, and it can recruit or dispatch no more than 50 residence guards on its own.

If a government official commits a crime in Japan, it shall be negotiated jointly by both parties.

And the last one, the most favored by Liu Jiabao in this treaty, is...

The shogunate provided accommodation and meals for immigrants in Edo and Japanese ports controlled by the shogunate. The required expenses were paid by Liujiabao, but the price could not be higher than the local average.

Of course, there is an inconspicuous agreement at the end, that is, Liujiabao can recruit local wandering warriors to go to North America on his own, and he only needs to report to the shogunate.

This provision was suddenly proposed by Hu Junding. Tokugawa Ieki did not agree with it at first, but he agreed after a period of persuasion by shogunate officials.

Nothing else, because there were so many samurai in Japan during this period that one sentence is too numerous to describe them.

It is impossible to feed all the huge samurai groups. Those who cannot feed naturally become a factor of instability in Japan. Every year, the shogunate has to worry about the troubles caused by wandering samurai.

Now someone wanted this group of people. When the shogunate officials learned about it, they immediately thanked God. After all, this group of samurai masters were really difficult to serve, and they were also very brave and fierce. It was okay if the number of people was small, but once the number of people became overwhelming, that would be A scourge.

It can be said that Liujiabao recruited those wandering samurai and gave them to the shogunate in disguise, reducing the social burden on Japan.

I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing! !
This can only be left to future generations to judge.

After Hu Junding, Wan Fang, Haring and others repaired in Japan for a few days, they set sail again and headed towards Macau where the Portuguese were.

(End of this chapter)