"The shogunate is full of strength, and the great man is also full of strength!" Zhou Pu didn't bother to tell them about the 'four victories' that Zhao Song had said at the State Council, and the more he exaggerated his strength at this time, the more he could convince the other party. "How can the territory and resources of the Han Dynasty be compared with the shogunate, the conquest of the shogunate is a war appointed by the Son of Heaven, and it is also a war with the strength of the whole country, which side is stronger, the two of them must know in their hearts, right?"

Zhou Pu suppressed the panic in his heart on the one hand, and on the other hand, he made his words as orderly and convincing as possible, his efforts were not in vain, and his words did sound a little credible, which made the two people who were originally a little shaken regain confidence.

He knew that what he said to these two people would soon reach the ears of the Shimazu Domain, so the more he could impress them, the better it would be for him.

"That makes sense...... Jiang Xia nodded lightly.

"By the way, there is another piece of news, I also received it recently, tell the two of you today, to reassure the two of you." Zhou Pu suddenly laughed again.

"What's the news?"

"This time, the person in charge of commanding the army in the rear in Goryeo is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of our dynasty. He was personally sent to Goryeo by the Son of Heaven in order to fight this battle. Zhou Pu told the other party the news with a smile, "You see, the Son of Heaven has already sent out His Royal Highness the Prince, will he still tolerate a mistake in this battle?" ”

When approaching the Shimazu family, Zhou Pu deliberately concealed the fact that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was in charge first, so as not to let these people look down on his status. Unexpectedly, this hidden secret can now be taken out to cheer up these people. The crown prince came to Goryeo in person, and in the name of inspection, so the momentum must be very big, and as long as the Shimazu family checks it a little, they will naturally know the authenticity, and he is not afraid of the other party's verification.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince......" The two Shimazu retainers looked at each other, and no one expected that there would be such a development.

Indeed, if the emperor of the Han Dynasty really sent his crown prince to be in charge of this battle, I think they must have done their best to carry out this battle.

"This is very important news, and we will report it to the feudal lord." Jiang Xia Mingxian gave Zhou Pu a deep look, "Lord Zhou has worked hard this time. ”

…………………………

The ship soon returned to Nagasaki, and the retainers, as usual, were arranged to rest in the residence they had purchased outside the merchant house, while Zhou Pu returned to his own room in the merchant hall to rest. In order to hide his eyes, the room arranged for him in the merchant hall was very simple, but he did not care about himself.

He didn't rest for long, and Liu Jing, the envoy of the Han Merchant Pavilion, immediately came to his room and reported a news to him.

Zhou Pu, who had already recovered from the previous surprise, was quickly shocked by this new news.

"The imperial court in Kyoto took the initiative to send someone to find us?" He looked at Liu Jing dumbfounded.

"That's right, we've verified, it's indeed from Kyoto, and it's the person of the minister, albeit with a lower status." Liu Jing nodded, but apparently had just recovered from the shock. "He came to Nagasaki posing as a merchant, and the journey was not comfortable, and now I have arranged for him to rest in the merchant house."

Then he took a letter from his bosom and handed it to him. "This is a secret letter from him to me, saying that His Majesty the Emperor of Japan has personally written it, and asks us to forward it to the capital and present it to the Holy Emperor."

It was actually the Emperor who wanted to write a letter to the Son of Heaven, and he did it so secretively...... Zhou Pu slowly had a point in his heart. "What does the letter say?"

Before Liu Jing could answer, he opened the letter by himself and took out the letter in it.

The letters are all written in Chinese characters, several pieces of letter paper, which are densely filled with characters, and the pen is very powerful, and it can be seen that the person who wrote the letter has a deep knowledge of Chinese.

The letter was long, but Zhou Pu read it quickly, and apart from the red tape and polite words, there was not much important information - His Majesty the Emperor of Japan asked the Emperor of the Han Dynasty to send troops to help fight the rebellion of the shogunate, in exchange for the willingness to hand over some of Japan's gold and silver mines to the Han to operate.

Finally, at the end of the letter, it was written, "The king of the border country, as a last resort, begs mercy to the Son of Heaven, if he can get the help of the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty, he is willing to be the Great Han Dynasty forever and be loyal and obedient from generation to generation", and then the private seal of the Emperor himself was stamped on the letter.

“…… There is such a thing......" After reading it, Zhou Pu put the letter back in the envelope, and then carefully handed it back to Liu Jing. "Is it possible that it was faked?"

"When I first saw it, Xia Guan couldn't believe it." Liu Jing smiled bitterly. "But I've tried this messenger a few times, and it doesn't look like he's being a fake, it should be true. Besides, who would have nothing to do with us to make such a joke? ”

"It seems that this emperor was really bullied and oppressed by the shogunate...... It's a bit pitiful to read. Zhou Pu let out a long sigh, and then suddenly he laughed, and then slapped the table hard, "Haha! That's great! That's great! I was worried that I had no way to contact Kyoto, but I didn't expect the court to take the initiative to send someone to ask for help! ”

"It can be seen that my big man is indeed blessed by heaven." Liu Jing made a joke at the right time.

"Yes, my great man is blessed by heaven. However, God's blessing alone is not enough, it is man-made. Zhou Puhuo stood up, his previously tired body was now full of energy again, "Ambassador Liu, quickly take me to meet that messenger!" ”

"Please come with me, my lord."

Liu Jing immediately led him out of the room and came to the room where the messenger had been arranged.

At this time, the messenger was sleeping on his couch, and he had been on the road for several days, and his body was very tired.

Zhou Pu took a closer look and found that this was a young man about thirty years old, with fair skin and looked younger than he actually was. Unlike ordinary samurai and peasants, he had long hair on his head and did not shave his hair.

After hearing their footsteps, the young man immediately woke up, he first glanced around vigilantly, and after discovering that one of the two people who came was the envoy of the Han in Nagasaki that he had just talked to, he immediately relaxed his vigilance, but still looked at Zhou Pu who had come in with him suspiciously.

"It's really hard for you......" Liu Jing's face was full of smiles, and then he said the words that the two of them had discussed just now, and at the same time pointed at Zhou Pu with his finger, "This is an official sent by our domestic imperial court to inspect the Nagasaki Merchant House, Lord Zhou." What a coincidence, he didn't come long before you came......"

"In Shimohashimoto Minoru, a descendant of the Fujiwara Kita tributary, I've seen an adult!" As soon as he heard Liu Jing's introduction, Minoru Hashimoto shook his spirit, and then suddenly struggled to sit up from his step.

At this meeting, he reported his family name and origin, and this style seems to be a bit like those Kyoto ministers. Zhou Pu and Liu Jing secretly glanced at each other, and they both felt a little funny in their hearts.

"In the next week, Pu is just a minor official of the Ministry of Commerce of Dahan, and he has seen the envoy." Zhou Pu couldn't hold back a smile and looked at the other party with a very gentle attitude, "I'm afraid the envoy is very tired on the way, do you want to eat something first or rest again?" ”

"My lord, after receiving the order, because the stakes are very high, I don't dare to slack off halfway, I am indeed very tired along the way, thanks to my concern." Minoru Hashimoto didn't know any terms like the Ministry of Commerce, but judging from the attitude of the Han envoy towards him so respectfully, he should not be a humble little person.

Because of this, he focused his attention on this young official, "However, now the important matter is important, and I ask your Excellency to do justice for our court." ”

"I have read the letter of the Emperor of your country, and it is indeed full of emotion and moving." Zhou Pu deliberately didn't seem to be very enthusiastic about this matter, "But...... Asking our Son of Heaven to send troops is indeed a bit unbelievable, and it is very difficult for us to do. ”

"Please also ask your lord to help the court of the country!" Minoru Hashimoto was a little anxious when he heard this, "If it weren't for admiring the Great Han and longing for the Great Han to uphold justice, the Imperial Court of the Bad Country would definitely not come out next time, it is really because of the admiration of the Central Plains that His Majesty the Emperor asked for the grace of heaven......"

"This is not as simple as doing justice...... "Zhou Pu still looked a little embarrassed." As you know, now that I have decided the world at the beginning, it is really not a good time to go out to fight. ”

"Please also ask the angel to convey it on your behalf! I have the responsibility to ensure that this letter is sent to ****, and I must not be entrusted with it. Minoru Hashimoto suddenly lowered his waist and knelt in front of Zhou Pu like this, "I also know that military affairs are not child's play, and they must not be acted upon easily, I just want to ask the Son of Heaven to consider the plea of the court of the country, if the Son of Heaven is unwilling to send troops to help, we will definitely not complain." ”

Such a resolute request made Zhou Pu and Liu Jing unable to react for a while.

Then, the envoy straightened up again, then took out a cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Pu, "My lord, this is a little bit of our heart, please accept it." ”

Zhou Pu didn't reach out to take it, he saw through the gap in the cloth bag that it was shining with gold, and it seemed that it was all small pieces of gold.

"How can this be done?" was regarded by him as asking for bribes, and Zhou Pu couldn't cry or laugh in his heart, "No merit, no need to do this." ”

"My lord has worked hard, and I have to forward letters for the bad country, we are tired of my lord, so it is natural to give some reward, and please don't shirk!" Hashimoto Minoru's tone was still very sincere, and he handed the small bag of gold grains directly to his chest, "My lord, this is just the reward given now, if the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty really sends troops to seek justice for the bad country, the bad country will definitely be grateful to the Son of Heaven and the adult, and there will be a hundredfold reward at that time!" ”

Zhou Pu looked at Liu Jing next to him, and Liu Jing nodded first, and then looked away, saying that he would never interfere in this matter.

"Since your court is so enthusiastic, then I have no choice but to be disrespectful." Zhou Pu smiled reluctantly, and then received the small bag of gold nuggets into his hands.

Zhou Pu and Liu Jing are both officials in the imperial court, and the salaries of officials are set very high by the Han Dynasty, so it stands to reason that there will be no difficulties in life, but since they are in the officialdom, the expenses will not be small, and all kinds of ushers and send-offs are needed, plus the Yamen of the Foreign Affairs Department has always been cold, so Zhou Pu has not accumulated much money in the past few years as an official in the Foreign Affairs Department, and his life is very tight, plus he is now contacting everywhere in a foreign country, and he needs the support of money even more - and Liu Jing is different, he is a special envoy in Nagasaki, He is responsible for the business exchanges between the two countries, and he is the emperor of Tiangao, and his annual income is very rich.

Taking advantage of the gap between receiving the money bag, Zhou Pu observed the fineness of these gold particles in a very short time, and secretly weighed them with his hands, with his years of experience in maritime business, he quickly saw that these gold were not pure, mixed with a lot of impurities.

In such an important matter, the envoys of the Japanese court would certainly not act recklessly, and the use of miscellaneous money as bribes to them can only show that their economic situation is indeed very embarrassing, and they cannot take out too much money.

The lives of these court ministers are really bleak...... He couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

"Thank you, sir!" Minoru Hashimoto was overjoyed, and suddenly knelt down, "If you can really wait for the Heavenly Soldiers, the Imperial Court of the Bad Country will never forget the great kindness of your lord!" ”

Whether the Emperor's letter can impress the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty is not known to anyone, but now as long as these people can convey the letter there, at least there is a hope.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's just a gesture......" Zhou Pu smiled and waved his hand, "It's just that recently, I also asked you to live in seclusion and don't leave the embassy easily, so as not to show your tracks." When there is a response in China, I will convey it to you, and then you will reply to the court of your country. ”

"My lord, if you can, can you let me follow you to Dahan and let me meet the Son of Heaven?" Minoru Hashimoto asked suddenly.

I was afraid that the stone would sink into the sea in the past, but if I could personally meet the Son of Heaven, or even his ministers, it would have been much more hopeful.

"I'm afraid it's a little embarrassing...... Zhou Pu hesitated, "I guess you also know, the shogunate forbade the Japanese to go to sea, and the merchant ships of the Han Dynasty also had to be checked when they left the port. If you are checked out by the shogunate, wouldn't it be a bad thing? ”

In fact, he rejected the other party, and he had other thoughts besides this consideration. Although this envoy does seem to be from the imperial court, now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in Goryeo, he wants to communicate with His Royal Highness first to see how to deal with it.

"Please help me again." Minoru Hashimoto continued to plead, "I know this will make it difficult for adults, but I don't dare to slack off with a big responsibility. I...... I know Chinese and Chinese, and my hairstyle is no different from that of the Han people, and there is no one in Nagasaki who knows me, so as long as I play it carefully, there should be no problem. ”

“…… Well, since you are so insistent, then I will promise you. After a moment of silence, Zhou Pu nodded and agreed to the other party's opinion, "However, I still ask you to stay here first and learn about the situation on the Han merchant ship, so as not to reveal flaws when you go to sea." ”

"Thank you, sir!" Minoru Hashimoto was so grateful to this magnanimous Han official that he couldn't stop thanking him.

"Okay, you can rest first, someone will bring the food later, please don't leave the room these days." Zhou Pu said a few more words, and then left the room with Liu Jing.

"Lord Zhou, it seems that we are getting closer and closer to the day when we are done." Liu Jing was overjoyed as soon as he left the room, "I have already made contact with many daimyo in Kyushu and the Japanese court so quickly, and the court sent an adult over, it was really the right person!" ”

"I was able to go so smoothly, and this is also due to the work of Lord Liu." Zhou Pu also praised the other party very interestingly, "If it weren't for Lord Liu's many years of business in Nagasaki, how could my trip be so smooth?" ”

After speaking, the two of them burst into laughter, as if they had become confidants for many years.

"My lord, what should this messenger do?" After laughing for a while, Liu Jing asked again, "Should I tell them my current intentions?" Should he really be brought to China? ”

"The stakes are high and must be handled carefully." Zhou Pu replied in a low voice, "Anyway, the letter needs to be submitted to the country, at least it can be used as an excuse for us to send troops, Lord Liu, please appoint a person who is absolutely trustworthy, and send him back to the country for some reason, let him bring the letter by the way." ”

"It's nature."

"As for the messenger...... I asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to talk about it, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that he would deal with it as he pleased. Zhou Pu replied in a low voice, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in charge of Goryeo, if we ask him from now on, I think he will be very happy." ”

Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, and then immediately understood Zhou Pu's intentions. "My lord's opinion, my lord's opinion! Just do what the adults say! ”

"If Lord Liu has no opinion, then let's start transferring people now...... There can be no delay in this matter. Zhou Pu smiled and said, "The crown prince is now in the capital of Goryeo, and he should be able to receive the news in a few days."

"I'll do it!"

…………………………

It's almost dawn.

The sky was gradually dawning, and the pale blue sky was studded with a few remnant stars, and the earth was hazy, like a light veil shrouded in silver-gray. A little white spot began to appear in the eastern sky, and finally a trace of light appeared in the dark sky in the middle of the night.

A new day is about to dawn in Seoul, and it doesn't look like it's any different, as if it's been dreary for thousands of years.

However, this dullness is only a façade, and the great commotion has been brewing in the shadows for a long time, and it is about to explode.