An old man in his sixties, dressed in a wide robe and big sleeves, stopped in front of the window, looking at the clusters of cherry blossoms in the garden, frowning silently. After a long time, he turned to look at a monk in his forties who was sitting on one side with a solemn face, and asked in Japanese, "Do you mean to send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty?" ”

When the monk heard the old man's question, his face showed a little humility, and he said in a deep voice: "I heard that the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty has ascended the throne, if the general can take the opportunity of tribute to reopen the trade between the two countries, so that the goods of the Ming Dynasty will continue to come to Japan, so that those princes and princes who are ready to move in various places can take advantage of this trade to get a piece of the pie, then they will support you and the Ashikaga shogunate even more." ”

It turned out that this old man in a gorgeous costume was in 1392 (the 25th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty and the 3rd year of the Ming Dynasty) to end the chaos in Japan and unify the north and south. And this middle-aged monk is the monk of Tianlong Temple whom he regards as his confidant.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu couldn't help but be moved when he heard this, and after more than 60 years of war in Japan, for him, the number one figure in the shogunate, how to restore the economy and maintain stability became the top priority. At present, the princes and wealthy landlords of Japan are proud to use the silk, porcelain, pen, ink, paper and inkstone of the Ming Dynasty. If, as the monk said, he took the opportunity to reopen official trade between the two countries by paying tribute to the Ming Emperor and took it firmly in his own hands and that of the shogunate, he would undoubtedly bring untold wealth. ”“

"However, the monarchs and ministers of the Ming Dynasty have always despised us as overseas barbarians, and I am afraid that this newly enthroned Ming Emperor may not be so easy to speak." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sighed softly and slowly sat down. It turned out that during the period of the Northern War in Japan, the samurai under the large and small princes broke their troops and went into exile at sea, forming a Japanese army to plague Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Angered Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, he sent Zhao Zhi, the governor of Laizhou Prefecture, to Japan in the third year of Hongwu, and sent an edict to Prince Huailiang. At first, Huailiang mistakenly believed that the envoys of the Ming Dynasty were sent by the Yuan Dynasty, but after Zhao Zhi repeatedly explained, he agreed to send the monk Zulai to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, and returned more than 70 captives to Mingzhou and Taizhou. Although Prince Huailiang contributed horses and returned them to the people of the Ming Dynasty, he wrote a letter with an arrogant attitude to Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, in which he said: "Shunzhi (Ming Court) may not be his life, and if he is against it, he may not die." Meet in front of Helan Mountain, talk about Bo play, why be afraid! If the king wins and loses, and the will of the kingdom is full; Set up a minister to win and lose, but it is a shame for a small state. ”

Only because of the frequent wars between the north and the south of Japan, the trouble of the Ming coastal pirates has become more and more intense, and finally completely angered the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, not only immediately ordered Xinguo Gongtang and led the army to build fortresses and guards in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Fujian coastal areas, garrisoning to guard against the Japanese invaders, and also strictly implemented the policy of forbidding the sea, completely interrupting the maritime trade between Japan and the Ming Dynasty.

Kenaka Keitami took the clay pot on the charcoal stove for boiling tea, slowly poured a full cup for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and said with a smile: "Since the general sent an envoy to worship Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty two years ago, and the above table is called a minister, why not pay a tribute to this Yongle Emperor again?" Seeing that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu frowned and was silent, and after a little thought, he already knew that the shogun was worried that the unruly princes under his command were dissatisfied with the Japanese leader's behavior of being such a minister of the Ming Dynasty, and immediately explained: "There is an old saying in China, people die for money, birds die for food, and when those who are short-sighted get some benefits from trade, they will naturally obediently close their mouths." ”

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu couldn't help but smile when he heard this, and immediately stretched out his hand to pat the table and said: "This general has made up his mind, and he should send an envoy to Daming, but this envoy is ......."

Jianzhong Guimi heard the string song and knew the elegant meaning, and immediately slowly stood up and saluted: "The poor monk is willing to be a general." ”

Two months later, in the newly built Fengtian Hall in the Forbidden City of Nanjing, Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor wearing a dragon robe, looked at more than 30 Japanese envoys led by Kenaka Keimi, and slowly walked into the hall under the guidance of officials of the Ministry of Rites, and couldn't help but feel happy. After all, this is the first time since he ascended the throne that a small foreign state has sent an envoy to Nanjing to meet him.

According to the etiquette taught by the officials of the Ministry of Rites in advance, Keitmi Kenaka led the delegation to see Zhu Di who was perched on the dragon chair with the ceremony of three kneels and nine bows, and said that the envoys of the small states of Japan came to see His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty on the orders of the emperor and the shogunate general Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Zhu Quan saw that the head of the mission who represented the Japanese emperor and the shogun came to meet Zhu Di was actually a monk over forty years old and wearing a moon-white monk's robe, and his mood couldn't help but be very complicated and contradictory. On the one hand, he wanted to take advantage of the Japanese envoy's tribute to make the Ming Dynasty gradually abolish the policy of banning the sea implemented by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, and follow the example of the Song Dynasty when he set up a city to collect commercial taxes, so as to benefit the Ming Dynasty. On the other hand, recalling the great disasters brought to China by this small overseas country in the future, a deep hostility involuntarily swelled up in my heart.

Jianzhong Guimi was aware of it, and when he turned his head, he saw a young man in a python robe not far away, a pair of sharp and sword-like eyes continued to sweep around his body, and those civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty in the distance looked at him with implied hostility, and after a little thought, he already understood that it was because of the ravages of the Japanese in the coastal areas of China for more than 100 years, so that the Ming Dynasty officials were hostile to him, and immediately smiled and saluted, and said loudly: "Our country is isolated overseas, and I have long admired the profound culture and Buddhism of Middle Earth. During the Tang Dynasty, Master Jianzhen crossed to the east six times, and after a lot of hardships, he was blind before he got his wish, and founded the Vinaya sect that has been passed down to this day. Not only brought the Eastern Jin Dynasty book sage Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi's original book and facsimile to Japan, making the book popular in Japan, but also the Eastern Han Dynasty medical saint Zhang Zhongjing's "Treatise on Typhoid Fever and Miscellaneous Diseases" vigorously promoted, so that ephedra, fine pungent, peony and other 36 herbs were widely used in Japan in later generations, and it can really be said that there are countless living people and immeasurable merits. Although he knew that the Ming Dynasty was quite hostile to Japan, he still crossed the sea and came here, and he had already planned to start with culture and Buddhism. Thinking about it, the Ming monarchs and ministers have always regarded themselves as the state of etiquette, and they are always embarrassed to cut off their monk's bald head, right? (The medicinal value of 36 kinds of herbs, such as ephedra, asaroxin, and peony, was spread by Jianzhen's eastward journey to Japan, and came from the statement of Yasuhiro Nozaki, chairman of the Japanese Kampo Nozaki Pharmacy.) Seeing that this Japanese monk not only spoke fluent Chinese, but also mentioned the calligraphy of Wang Xi's father and son in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing's "Treatise on Typhoid Fever and Miscellaneous Diseases" couldn't help but feel a little less hostile and a slightly more pale.

Zhu Quan snorted lightly, turned his head to Jianzhong Guimi and asked, "Our Huaxia state pays attention to coming and not being rude, and reciprocating with peach." ”

Zhu Di pointed at Zhu Quan and said to Jianzhong Guimi: "This is my seventeenth brother, Zhu Quan, King Ning." ”

"Vote for me with a peach, and repay it with a plum. Uttering the "Book of Songs, Daya". Kenaka Guimi turned to Zhu Quan and saluted, and said with his head bowed.

Zhu Quan heard the words of this Japanese monk, and couldn't help but admire his understanding of Han culture in his heart, and asked with a smile: "According to what the master said, Master Jianzhen's eastward trip to Japan is not only conducive to Buddhism, calligraphy is promoted in your country, but also makes the Eastern Han Dynasty medical saint Zhang Zhongjing's "Treatise on Typhoid Fever and Miscellaneous Diseases" countless people, but for more than 100 years, the Japanese have ravaged all parts of the coast of Middle Earth, killing people and setting fires, ** plundering, and doing all kinds of evil, but there is no meaning of returning the peach at all, and it is more like a poisonous snake that eats the farmer. ”

"A poisonous snake that eats a farmer?" Kenaka Keimi couldn't help but look strange when he heard this. He has a deep understanding of Han culture, knows many idioms, and has allusions to common sayings, but he really can't remember where the story in Zhu Quan's mouth came from?

Zhu Quan also regretted it very much as he spoke, and secretly thought to himself: In a moment's time, he actually pulled out the story in "Aesop's Fables", and there was no excuse in this situation, so he had to briefly tell the story of the farmer and the snake.

When Kenzhong Keimi heard Zhu Quan's easy-to-understand but allegorical story, which clearly compared Japan to a poisonous snake that devoured his benefactor, he couldn't help but smile wryly, and hurriedly explained: "After more than 60 years of war between the north and the south of our country, it is inevitable that some of the most vicious people will flee overseas after the defeat and cause trouble to the state. ”

When Zhu Di heard Zhu Quan mention the Japanese who caused trouble to China, he couldn't help but look slightly gloomy, and said to Jianzhong Guimi: "When Emperor Taizu Gao, all the countries sent envoys to the court, and they all met with sincerity. Those who come to the market with native goods will listen to their convenience; Or there are people who do not know how to avoid taboos and mistakenly interfere with the constitution, and they are all forgiven to cherish the distant people. Now the four seas are one family, just to show that there is no outside, and all countries have those who have come to pay tribute. Erqi told it, so that he knew what he meant. Since the war in Japan is over, we should work together to exterminate the Japanese pirates on the sea, so as to show the sincerity of the ministers belonging to the Ming Dynasty and the ministers belonging to me. ”

"After the poor monk returns to China, he should convey the intention of His Majesty the Emperor to His Excellency the general, and dispatch a capable sailor to exterminate it, so as to appease the maritime trade routes between the two countries." Kenaka Keitami had been instructed by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to vigorously exterminate the Japanese who had entrenched themselves on the islands around Japan and had refused to submit to the Ashikaga shogunate as long as the Ming Dynasty was willing to allow Japan to gradually open up maritime trade routes between the two countries in the name of tribute.

When a group of ministers heard that Emperor Zhai's intention was to reopen the sea ban and Japan's sea trade, they couldn't help but come out to advise Zhu Di. In their opinion, it is harmless for overseas barbarians to come to small states with tribute, but if the sea ban is reopened, wouldn't it break the national policy of the sea ban imposed by His Majesty Emperor Hongwu?

Zhu Quan saw that there was a lot of resistance to breaking the sea ban, and he couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart: Old Man Zhu set up guards along the coast to guard against the Japanese invaders, which is naturally a proper move, but it is inevitable that the national policy of strictly banning the sea will be overkill.

Zhu Di saw that the ministers were opposed to breaking the sea ban, so he had no choice but to say in a deep voice: "The matter of reopening the maritime trade between the two countries will be postponed later, since you and other small states are willing to submit to my Ming Dynasty, I am determined to allow Japan to pay tribute." As soon as he spoke, he sent down an edict and ordered the officials of the Ministry of Rites to hold a banquet in the Fengtian Hall to entertain the Japanese envoys such as Kenaka Keiti.

The night was hazy, in the imperial study of the Wuying Palace, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Quan, the king of Ning, who was standing not far away, and asked in a deep voice: "That Japanese monk in addition to the national letter, there is still a letter from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, saying that he is willing to exchange two taels of silver for a thousand copper coins to buy my Ming copper coins, it seems that this Japanese emperor is just a puppet, and Ashikaga Yoshimanitsu is the one who holds the power at the moment." ”

After Zhu Quan sat down on the brocade pier brought by Zheng He, he bowed his head slightly and said: "Your Majesty has seen no bad, according to the estimation of Weichen, the so-called shogunate is the real power faction that has mastered military power and taxes, and the head of the shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimankata, is the one who is really in charge of the house in Japan." At present, one or two taels of silver in my Ming Dynasty are worth about 1,000 copper coins, and we will mint a large number of copper coins and sell them to Japan, and the profits are not abundant. What's more important is that as long as they use our Ming copper coins for a long time, they will inevitably form dependence in the long run, even if the shogun changes his day, he is bound to vigorously exterminate the Japanese in order to drive for the sake of interests, and it is more effective to blindly defend against the Japanese than if we set up guards in the coastal provinces.

Zhu Di recalled that when Japan met with the Japanese envoy, the Japanese monk named Kenaka Keimi not only spoke fluent Mandarin, but also knew a lot about Middle-earth culture during conversation, and couldn't help laughing: "This Japanese monk knows a lot about our Middle-earth culture. ”

When Zhu Quan heard the meaning of Zhu Di's words, he admired the monk who was ordered to cross the sea, and couldn't help but say with some emotion: "Although a small island country is isolated overseas, it cannot be taken lightly. In the eyes of the younger brothers, this group of guys has a special specialty, that is, they can humbly learn from other countries and other peoples, and turn them into their own. When he said this, he couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart: Japan learned our culture and medicine during the Tang Dynasty. The reason why they were able to bring great disasters to China in later generations was that after the Meiji Restoration, they learned a lot of advanced culture and technology from Western countries, and then developed themselves into an industrial country. After being poisoned by the Manchu barbarian chieftains for a long time, we not only fell into the abyss of ignorance, but were also divided into a mess by a group of warlords who only knew how to fight for territory.

At this time, Zheng He, the head of the imperial study, reported inside, saying that it was Pingjiang Bo, and Chen Xuan, the commander of the Yangtze River Navy, was waiting for the decree outside the palace.

After a while, Chen Xuan, who was wearing a red official uniform and walked vigorously, walked into the imperial study, and said after seeing Zhu Di according to the courtesy of the monarch and ministers: "The fleet of the sailors to which Weichen belongs is already full of grain, and only needs His Majesty's will to set off for the coast to the north." "Originally from Zhu Di's decision to move the capital to Beijing, after moving the big households in the south to Beijing, what needs to be solved urgently is the matter of transporting grain from the south to the north. Because the dredging of the North-South Grand Canal has not yet been completed, Chen Xuan's Yangtze River Sailor Grain Fleet was specially ordered to go north by sea, and after months of preparation, it was finally ready, and was summoned to the study by Zhu Di tonight.

Zhu Di stood up, pointed to Zheng He who was standing on the side, and said with a smile: "Zheng He has been searching for ancient books to check the navigation all these days, and what he never forgets is that one day he can lead our Ming fleet to sail on the vast sea." If you lead the sailor north this time, you will take him with you. ”

Zheng He was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately bowed down to receive the order. After he learned about "Across the Stars" from the monk Daoyan, he searched for Song people's notes everywhere for several months, and he had already found a little, and at this time he heard that Zhu Di let him follow Chen Xuan to the north along the coast, and he was very excited.