Kyoto, Katsura Imperial Palace, Moonlight Building.

Zheng Hong, the bigwig of the Ming Empire who visited Japan, is now sitting cross-legged in a room that seems to be a thatched house in the countryside, accompanied by a few short men who don't know whether he is a eunuch or a drama with powdered faces. There were some food and tableware made like works of art on a Japanese-style low table, but after seeing it, Lord Zheng frowned, it turned out that there was no meat in the food on the table! There really isn't...... Most of them are vegetarian, and the only meat is a very small salted fish.

When Prince Zheng was farming in the countryside of Fujian in his early years, he probably ate the same meal as now, right? That was many years ago. sighed for a while, Zheng Hong picked up a plate full of wine and took a sip, his brows furrowed even tighter, and he almost didn't spit out the rice wine that he didn't know how much water he had mixed with. There was a cry of bitterness in my heart, I knew that Lu Dao's visit to Japan was such a chore, and I couldn't come if I said anything.

But this Japan is also too poor to be true, right? Such a dilapidated thatched house is actually said to be a palace, and there is not even a chair in it, so it can only be used on the floor. Look at the wood used to build this house is not a good wood, and this house is not very old, and I don't know how many years it has not been repaired properly. Well, if you live a little bit, you should always want to wear a little bit to eat, right? No matter how you entertain VIPs, there is no good wine and meat, and when I was mixed with the underworld, I also paid attention to a large piece of meat and a big bowl of wine...... I don't know how the life of the Japanese emperor was lived? The emperor who rushed to meet them had to ask carefully. Alas, the name sounds quite big, Emperor. It is one level bigger than Hong Xiuquan's Heavenly King. But this life is also miserable. No wonder he always wants to give his sister to Emperor Zhu as a concubine. If there is a broad sister-in-law like Emperor Zhu, what emperor can live a good life for a few days, right?

But the problem is that the Emperor of the Zhu family has always only looked at the appearance of women and does not ask about their background, if the emperor's daughter is not beautiful, even if it is forced to Emperor Zhu, he will be left out in the cold.

"His Royal Highness King Yanping, do you think it is possible to promote the marriage of the Chinese and Japanese royal families?"

A minister wearing a red purple court dress named Iwakura Gushi said to Zheng Hong expressionlessly at this time. He spoke Chinese, and sat behind a desk closest to Zheng Hong, in charge of communicating with the Chinese prince who looked like a junior samurai.

Zheng Hong scratched his big bald head. smiled and said: "Mr. Iwakura, this matter is not easy to say, we have to make up my own mind with the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and I, a courtier, can only give your kindness to the emperor." Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered that Japan did not seem to be in charge of the emperor, so he frowned and asked, "Mr. Iwakura, I wonder if the shogunate supports this matter?" ”

Hearing this question, Iwakura Gushi stood up lightly: "His Royal Highness King Yanping, I wonder if Lu Dao can have such an opportunity to talk to you alone?" ”

Zheng Hong was stunned. With a roll of his eyes, he smiled: "I'm a little full." Just go out to see the scenery. Iwakura looked at the other ministers in the room and bowed, "Excuse me." ”

No matter how down-and-out these Japanese ministers are, etiquette has never been left behind.

Zheng Hong also nodded to Zhu Mo, Zheng Yongyi, and Sasama Xiangshan, who accompanied him to the Katsura Palace, and then stood up and walked out of the room with Iwakura. Outside the house is a small pool, surrounded by various plants, which is quite elegant. The Japanese imperial family has been poor for almost a thousand years (it seems that it has never been wide), so naturally it is not possible to pursue luxurious style, but only elegance.

The two of them stood by a bamboo railing at the edge of the pond, and there was no one around. Iwakura looked up at Zheng Hong, who was two heads taller than him, and lowered his voice: "The Ryukyu royal family is about to be severed, and His Majesty the Emperor intends to let Prince Shukonai inherit the Ryukyu throne. ”

"What?" When Zheng Hong heard this condition, his face immediately became solemn. Prince Shuzinai is the sister of the emperor today, and he is 21 years old this year and still has not married, it is said that it is because he witnessed the demeanor of Emperor Zhu when he was visiting Edo and fell for it, so he did not marry if he was not married - it sounds a bit fake, but then again, Zhu Jishi's appearance does have the capital to play the politics of getting laid. And China and Japan are close neighbors of each other, and the royal marriage seems to be normal, so the marriage between this lady and Zhu Jishi is still possible.

But it is unusual for Prince Shukonai to become the queen of the Ryukyus Kingdom...... This is tantamount to taking the throne of the Ryukyu Kingdom as a dowry for Prince Shukonai! Although the land and people of the Ryukyu Kingdom are in the hands of Lao Maozi. But Zheng Hong still knows the value of this title very well, and he also knows that the Japanese court can't do such a thing!

"Lord Iwakura, what exactly are you trying to achieve?" Zheng Hong looked down at the short Japanese minister, his brows already twisted.

Iwakura Gushi smiled slightly, bowed to King Yanping, and said: "Now that Japan is in danger of collapse, and the only one who can save Japan from fire and water is the Great Tomorrow." And the Ryukyu country has always been a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, and Japan now has a request for the Ming Dynasty, how dare it monopolize its interests? Isn't it a good thing that His Majesty the Emperor will now have Prince Shukochi as the queen of the Ryukyus, the queen of the Ryukyus, Xu Dameizi, as his concubine, and the queen of the Ryukyus as the king of the Ryukyus in the future. ”

Zheng Hong was a little puzzled: "Although Japan has external troubles, the shogunate has 20,000 Western-style strong troops, which is enough to keep the country safe, so why is it in danger of collapse?" ”

Iwakura Gushi smiled bitterly and said, "The danger of Japan's demise lies in the state system, not in the invasion of foreign enemies...... Now that your country has expelled the Tatars and restored China, the great emperor can be called the first emperor of the ages, and the domestic politics are refreshed and improved from top to bottom, and no effort is spared. All education, economy, military, and legal institutions are all based on strengthening the country and enriching the people, and the national strength is already thriving, dominating the east, proud of the world, and just around the corner. Looking at Japan, the imperial court is empty and above, the feudal lords are divided and subordinate, the shogunate is really nameless, the new policy is difficult, and there is no way for people with lofty ideals to serve the country. If we don't follow the law of combining public and military forces, and combine the strength of the whole country in Japan to cheer up, even if there are 20,000 strong soldiers, how many days can we keep the country peaceful? Ten years later, twenty years later, the Ming Dynasty is afraid that it has already reached the top of the world, and my Japan is still the same as today, can the country of the beginning of the day still exist in the world for a long time? Therefore, the danger of Japan's demise is not today, but 20 years from now. ”

……

"Shaoyan, Yongyi, you all tell me, what is going on with this combination of public and martial arts? Why don't I see the atmosphere in Japan quite right? ”

Still in the Guili Palace, there was really nothing delicious The banquet had ended, and King Yanping, who was hungry and in a bad mood, summoned Zhu Mo and Zheng Yongyi to his room and asked about the affairs in Japan. Zhu Mo now has the identity of the Ming royal family and has been made a marquis, but his errand is still the chief Taipan of the four major banks in Japan. Zheng Yongyi was transferred to Jinyiwei, who was the head of the spy in Japan, responsible for collecting intelligence.

Hearing Zheng Hong's question, Zhu Mo and Zheng Yongyi glanced at each other, and Zhu Mo first said: "Lord, this theory of the combination of public and military forces existed long before I came to Japan, and it was first put forward by the Mito School, advocating the integration of the imperial court and the shogunate in order to transform Japanese politics. ”

Zheng Yongyi took over the topic and said: "In the past two years, some people have proposed to refer to our Ming political system for reform, and the main people who put forward this opinion are samurai who have close contacts with the Ming Dynasty or have returned to Japan from the Ming Dynasty. Among them, the three most well-known are Iwakura Gushi, who is in charge of entertaining us today, Tokugawa Saiaki, the emperor's abbot, and Sasama Kozan, the old Sasama of the Matsushiro clan who served as a professor at Jeseki University. ”

"According to our political system reform, what does it have to do with the marriage of the royal families of the two countries? What does it have to do with the Ryukyu Kingdom? ”

Zhu Mo frowned and replied: "The Japanese imperial family has always wanted to marry the emperor, probably to use the power of the Ming Dynasty to improve the authority of the emperor. As for the ownership of the Ryukyu Kingdom, I don't know what happened to the Ryukyu Kingdom, but it may be that the emperor thinks that Japan is not capable of recovering the Ryukyus, so he will do it ...... favor."

Zheng Yongyi shook his head when he heard this: "No, no, Iwakura Gushi put forward this condition in order to win the support of the Ming Dynasty for the Japanese court...... It is possible that the combination of public and military forces will improve the status of the Japanese court, but it is also possible that the shogunate will swallow the court! (To be continued......)