Great Ming Dynasty Wen Chao Gong

Chapter 166 Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s last efforts
"Liu Yuanhai, a new Huns, after Maodun. His name violated the taboo of Emperor Gaozu's temple, so he named him Yan...Liu Yuanhai, how come I haven't heard of this name? Offended the taboo of Emperor Gaozu's temple? Which word is this taboo for?" Nurhaci When I opened the first chapter of the record, I was a little confused.

"Amma, history books naturally avoid the emperor's taboos. "Book of Jin" was compiled during the Tang Dynasty, so it naturally avoids the taboos of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, so Liu Yuanhai is Liu Yuan." Chu Ying said.

"Oh? No wonder my father became more and more familiar with this person's deeds, but he couldn't remember this person. Isn't this Liu Yuan who captured the Western Jin Dynasty? There are so many rules in the Central Plains." Nurhachi said with emotion.

"Otherwise, how can we show the majesty of the emperor? Even the names of the ancients have to be changed."

"But why did Mr. Zhang want me to read the records? That's all. I don't know when I will be able to meet the Holy One. I'll read these chapters first." Nurhachi held the book and read it.

In the royal study room of the palace, the emperor, whom Nurhachi missed so much, was holding a memorial in his hand, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood.

"Chen Ju, go and summon the chief assistant...forget it, there is no need to call the chief assistant. Just call Wang Cifu."

In Wuying Hall, Wang Xijue looked at Wang Jiaping, the chief assistant, who was packing things, and was a little at a loss.

"Chief Assistant, why are you doing this? Your Majesty already refused to allow you to resign before. Now that you have submitted your resignation again, isn't this embarrassing to His Majesty?" Wang Xijue said to Wang Jiaping.

"Mencius said that the way for a gentleman to seek an official position is to greet him with courtesy and pay him respects. If his words are about to be followed, then he will do it; if his politeness has not faded and his words cannot be followed, then he will leave. Secondly, even if he does not do what he said, he should greet him with courtesy. If the salute is polite, then accept it; if the politeness fails, then leave it. I have already made His Majesty Long Yan very angry because of my response to protect Li Xianke. The reason why His Majesty rejected my resignation was just to be polite. Since my words are no longer pleasing to your majesty, I have no choice but to abdicate my position as chief minister. I will retire and return to my hometown, and I will spend my remaining years living in the countryside. The heavy burdens of these two capitals and thirteen provinces are It's tied to your shoulders, Yuan Yu." Wang Jiaping said.

"Your Excellency, please don't think too much. This is all a alienation plan by the people of the Ming Dynasty. Most of the Japanese princes are still firmly on your side. Even the princes under Tokugawa Ieyasu, many of them were also hijacked by Tokugawa Ieyasu. These are Rebellion will be captured sooner or later."

At this time in Japan, the various warlords who started fighting were quickly divided into two camps, and fierce battles began near Osaka Castle and Kyoto Castle.

"At present, it can be basically concluded that it was passed down from the Ming Dynasty. It is very likely that these books were passed down by Zhang Xiao, because these books only appeared after Zhang Xiao went to North Korea as a mission."

In this way, not long after the end of the Korean War, the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty was changed again. The original chief assistant Wang Jiaping resigned and returned to his hometown. He received the emperor's approval. Although there were many regrets in the government and the public, no one dared to Say something more in front of the emperor. Wang Xijue, the original second assistant, assumed the position of first assistant.

"That's all. In the Warring States Period, the strong were respected. Even without these books, the army in Korea was so defeated. Wouldn't Tokugawa Ieyasu have other ideas? Tokugawa Ieyasu was always good at changing the situation. , when Imakawa Yoshimoto launched an army to attack Lord Nobunaga, Imakawa Yoshimoto was crowned the leader in the Battle of Okehazama, but Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately turned to Lord Nobunaga and followed the Oda family. Later, Lord Nobunaga was killed in Honnoji Temple, but Tokugawa Ieyasu was Traveled four hundred miles day and night to sneak back to the fiefdom. Now that you have failed in Korea, he took advantage of the emptiness in Japan and raised troops to go to Luo, kidnapped the emperor and beat me as an enemy. If your army had not rushed back in time, now the source I'm afraid the shogunate of my family has been built again."

But soon, Tokugawa Ieyasu's army quickly left and returned. This was not only because the Tokugawa army received reinforcements from Kanto and regained its military strength. It was also because Tokugawa Ieyasu's only worry was that Taikaku fell seriously ill. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu obviously learned his lesson and did not engage in close encirclement anymore. Instead, he just set up his camp at the foot of Osaka Castle to make an advance.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi fell ill all of a sudden, and Toyotomi Hideji disappeared. The major affairs of Osaka Castle were left in the hands of Ishida Mitsunari, who was also very busy every day. However, when he heard the summons from his mistress Ning Ning, Ishida Mitsunari hurried back from the top of the city.

"No, no, no, Mitsunari, don't say that. Tokugawa Ieyasu wants to rebel on his own and has nothing to do with Ming Dynasty. I just looked at the set of clothes you brought back and I'm very satisfied with it. I'll wear it soon." . It’s a pity that there are only imperial edicts and ceremonial clothes given by the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, but no envoys from Ming Dynasty came.”

"Have you found out who passed these books on? Was it passed down by people from the Ming Dynasty, Koreans, or our own people?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked.

"I woke up, and I realized that I had slept for so long. I heard that you have been taking care of this important matter these days. It seems that this "Sekigahara Battle" was not written randomly." Toyotomi Hideyoshi held it. The book "Sekigahara Battle" gave a bitter smile.

"Sancheng led his army and rushed back day and night. It's just a shame that Tokugawa Ieyasu betrayed Taikaku's trust and secretly defected to the Ming people, cutting off our army's retreat."

Originally, the troops of the Kanto princes headed by Tokugawa Ieyasu were advancing steadily, and even the Toyotomi army originally stationed in Kyoto City was forced to withdraw hastily. However, when Tokugawa Ieyasu arrived at Osaka Castle, he was blocked by the extremely solid Osaka Castle. Even after this delay, the main forces that invaded Korea have returned to Japan. Except for a few princes such as Kato Kiyomasa who defected to Tokugawa Ieyasu, most of the princes still sided with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. As a result, Tokugawa Ieyasu could only temporarily withdraw. The siege at Osaka Castle.

"Tai Ge, these are demon books, you must not read them again."

"What are your orders from the mistress summoning me? Taikaku? Are you awake?" Ishida Mitsunari looked at Toyotomi Hideyoshi in surprise.

"Tai Ge, regarding this matter, we also negotiated with the Ming Dynasty at that time. The person in charge of the peace negotiations with Japan at that time was Zhang Xiao. He said this, saying that the Ming Dynasty originally wanted to recruit 300,000 troops and wipe out Japan in one fell swoop. However, I still want to give you Taige a chance later, so I sent over this imperial edict of canonization and the royal robes."

"Sure enough, he is a genius who can write "Fifty Years in the World". He can even deduce the history of Japan. When I read these books, I doubted whether I really said what was said in them. Pass."

"This is a difficult burden to bear. You, the Chief Assistant, have a high official title. I don't know how many times you have been criticized. I really don't know how I will live in the future." Wang Xijue said with emotion.

"Yuan Yu, you are also an old man in this cabinet. Is there anything you can't handle? When Shen Xiang retired, he recommended me, a good old man, to be the chief minister. It was not because of my Wang's special abilities. , but Prime Minister Shen thinks that I can talk about other things, and I will not give in on matters concerning the foundation of the country. It is a pity that I have disappointed Prime Minister Shen. Your Majesty has neither resumed the early dynasty nor decided on the foundation of the country. In the future, I will assist and advise His Majesty. The important responsibility will be left to you Yuan Yu."

"That's all. Whatever else Zhang Xiao said, no matter whether it's good or bad, tell me exactly. What Zhang Xiao said represents the attitude of the Ming Dynasty. No matter how good Zhang Xiao's eloquence is, he will not It’s easy to talk nonsense at a time like this.”

"There is indeed something Zhang Xiao said, but it just doesn't sound right. Zhang Xiao said that the Ming court had already listed you Taige as the leader of the Dongyi thieves, but it was because the Ming Taizu listed Japan as a country that cannot be conquered. Forget it for now. Zhang Xiao finally said that if the Toyotomi regime can survive this wave, it means that the Toyotomi family still has some popular support in Japan. Only in this way will Ming Dynasty reconsider continuing to contact Toyotomi Hideyoshi, otherwise You can directly contact the next Japanese ruler." Ishida Mitsunari struggled for a moment and finally explained his words clearly.

"Zhang Xiao really said these words directly? That's a bit interesting. Sancheng, if that's true, then we still have a chance. I, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was originally just a small untouchable, and I followed Lord Nobunaga for many years. , to reach where we are today. A few years ago, I had a Komaki long-hand battle with Tokugawa Ieyasu, but I couldn't win. It seems that he has been unconvinced and wants to compete with me for the position of the world's people again. . It doesn’t matter, I’m going to meet him in person.” Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked like he had regained his calm and confident posture as he moved his hands and feet. "Taiko, the Kanto samurai have always bullied the weak and feared the strong. As long as Taiko comes out in person, Tokugawa Ieyasu will definitely be panicked. When the time comes to unify the sixty-six countries of Japan again, although the Ming court currently prohibits Japan from sea, it will eventually agree to give us Switching on and off the mutual market."

"Okay, 30%. Since the envoy of the Ming Dynasty is not coming, during the ceremony, you can help read the imperial edict issued by the Ming Emperor."

At the following ceremony, Ishida Mitsunari had no choice but to find a robe of a Ming Dynasty civil servant from nowhere, took the imperial edict and recited:

"The Emperor issued an order to King Taira Hideyoshi of Japan: I respectfully accept the mandate of Heaven and rule over all nations. I am the only one who can bring peace to China. I will make the land where the sun and moon shine on both the sea and the sea, so that I will not be happy to live and then my heart will start to break." Your Majesty, Hideyoshi Nippon, The army was in Korea. My husband, Korea, is a country that has adhered to its duties and tributes for two hundred years. When it came to me, I was furious and sent out troops to save it. It was not my intention to use Zhang for the killing... Feng Erhei Hideyoshi He is the king of Japan, with a gold seal and a crown."

Ishida Mitsunari finished reading the manuscript, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi bowed respectfully to the imperial edict and the imperial robe.

When Ishida Mitsunari saw Toyotomi Hideyoshi again, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had already put on the imperial uniform given by Ming Dynasty.

"Taiko's outfit fits perfectly and looks so good." Ishida Mitsunari praised.

"Sancheng, have you seen with your own eyes what the imperial robes worn by the Ming Emperor looked like?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked.

"I've never seen this with my own eyes."

"Sancheng, come with me to Osaka Castle. The people of Osaka Castle must be worried these days."

"As ordered."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon took Ning Ning, who had also changed into the imperial uniform given by the Ming Dynasty, and together they sat in a cage and patrolled the city. After just a few rounds, the originally agitated streets of Osaka suddenly became quiet.

At the same time, Tokugawa Ieyasu outside the city also received news of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's recovery, and also received Toyotomi Hideyoshi's request to see him before the battle.

In the Eastern Army commander's tent, several generals and retainers were admonishing Tokugawa Ieyasu.

"Your Excellency, the Toyotomi family is currently trapped in the isolated city of Osaka. Even if Toyotomi Hideyoshi wakes up, it will not help the overall situation. Why should you pay attention to the invitation of the enemy? Now you should recruit soldiers from Kanto and besiege Osaka Castle. This That’s the most important thing right now,” Honda Masanobu said.

"Sir, the Toyotomi family has always been scheming. If Toyotomi Hideyoshi sets any trap, it will be troublesome." Torii Motochu said.

"I understand your concerns. It's just that Taiko has always been a man of the world. If he wants to deal with me, he won't use such methods. Since he has something to talk about, he has to go." Tokugawa Ieyasu was determined. said.

"If you really want to meet in front of the battle, I, Masashige Hattori, will protect you to the death." Ninja leader Hanzo also came out to speak.

"It doesn't matter, just prepare yourselves. Just ask Hattori Masashige to follow me tomorrow. If something happens to me tomorrow, I'll ask you to assist my unlucky son Hidetada," Tokugawa Ieyasu said.

The next day, when Tokugawa Ieyasu came to Osaka Castle fully armed, he saw Toyotomi Hideyoshi sitting alone in front of the tea table. There were only two cushions next to the table. The empty cushion was naturally left to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tokugawa Ieyasu looked around and saw that there was no one around, then he bravely walked up.

"Brother Ieyasu, you were not afraid when you saw me alone in the past. Now that you have tens of thousands of troops behind you, are you still afraid that I, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, will harm you?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi said with a smile.

"Taiko, I heard that you fell into a coma a few days ago. Did you only wake up in the past two days? It seems that you should pay more attention to rest." Tokugawa Ieyasu sat on another cushion.

"Brother Ieyasu, you are also feeling quite haggard. I heard that you received two books and raised an army in Nagoya Castle on the same day. Why were you so quick and unwilling to discuss it with me first?"

"The matter is really urgent, and there is a secret edict from the Emperor, so I have to send it."

"Brother Ieyasu, your eloquence is getting better and better. A few years ago, you were willing to go to Osaka Castle and said that you would respect me and salute me. I was so happy at that time that I even wanted to do it to you. It's a great gift. I'm also very happy that you can come here today. Because you don't regard me as that monkey in the mountains and fields, but treat me as a human being."

"Taikou's words are serious. Tokugawa Ieyasu is also forced to do so. Taiko, you insist on raising troops to attack the Ming Dynasty, which has caused turmoil in Japan. His Majesty the Emperor is also worried. He ordered me to go to King Luoqin. Anyway, since I have the name of the emperor, that's it. We have to send it." Tokugawa Ieyasu said without changing his expression.

(End of this chapter)