"Ming...Does Ming want Japan to become its vassal?"

Tokugawa Iemitsu did not dare to be happy too early, because in his opinion, Japan's peace with the Ming Dynasty was not a problem, the problem was that Japan could not surrender to the Ming Dynasty.

Since the time of Emperor Suiko more than 1,000 years ago, the Japanese emperor has regarded himself as the emperor at the rising point of the sun, while the Chinese emperor has been called the emperor at the setting point in order to seek equal diplomatic status. From then on, Japan has gradually regarded itself as the emperor of the rising sun.

During the Song Dynasty, they even engaged in seclusion and tribute trade. Song Dynasty and North Korean merchants who went to Japan to do business often had to deal with Japan's Dazaifu in the name of tribute.

Moreover, Japan has always been unwilling to establish equal diplomatic relations with Goryeo and North Korea, because Japan regards itself as a superior country like China, and regards Goryeo and North Korea as tributary states.

Driven by this foreign policy that is unequal to national power, Japan has always been a very isolated existence in East Asia. This understanding of "the emperor rises from the sun" has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, so it cannot be changed by the Tokugawa shogunate.

Of course, if the Ming Dynasty and North Korea were as closed as Japan, then General Tokugawa could enter into diplomacy with Ming Dynasty and North Korea in the name of the King of Japan.

But now the Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Korea have all been founded. In the name of conquering Japan, the Ming Dynasty also took control of Jeolla Province and the southern part of Gyeongsang Province in Korea, which were originally occupied by Japan. In fact, they became separated from Japan by the sea.

Looking at the neighbors.

Therefore, the ambiguous space in the diplomacy of China, Japan, and North Korea no longer exists! Therefore, the Tokugawa generals cannot conduct diplomacy with Ming Dynasty and North Korea in the name of the Japanese king, but can only conduct diplomacy in the name of "the emperor's ministers."

Of course, the emperor's ministers cannot surrender to the Ming Emperor, which would make them one servant and two masters. And the emperor cannot surrender to the Ming Emperor... How could Iemitsu Tokugawa be the leader of Tokugawa Iemitsu after persisting for more than 1,000 years?

Broke the rules?

"Your Highness," Matsudaira Nobutsuna reported while handing over the autographed letter from Zhu Cixi that he had just obtained, "This is an autographed letter from His Imperial Highness the Great Nephew of the Ming Dynasty to you and His Majesty the Emperor. It was entrusted to Matsukura Shigetoshi and Kazuo who were living in the Ming Dynasty.

Sent by Tokisada Masuda..."

"Nani?" Tokugawa Iemitsu was stunned, "Didn't Matsukura Shigetoshi and Masuda Tokisada become gods? How come they are alive again?"

"Your Highness Gongfang, they did not become gods, they were just captured by the Ming Navy during the Battle of Pi Island."

"Baga..." Tokugawa Iemitsu cursed, "The noble samurai have been prisoners for so long, wouldn't they kill themselves?"

"Your Highness, please calm down," Matsudaira Nobutsuna hurriedly explained to the two of them, "A knife is needed to commit seppuku...the two of them did not have knives after they were captured, so they cannot commit seppuku."

"Without a knife..." Tokugawa Iemitsu snorted coldly, "Then they can hang themselves, jump into the sea, go on a hunger strike, or be bumped to death..."

"Your Highness, please calm down. You'd better read the autographed letter from the nephew of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty first."

As Matsudaira Nobutsuna spoke, he winked at Tokugawa Iemitsu and asked him to quickly take the letter out of the envelope and hand it to Iemitsu.

Iemitsu hummed twice, then took a piece of letter paper and unfolded it. It was written in Chinese characters, which he recognized, so he started reading: "Ms. Emperor Xingzi's Fangjian: The sea is full of waves, and the coming and going is far away. Although there is no chance.

I can see the beauty, but I also know that there is a Mingjun heroine in Japan, who is twenty-one years old and is waiting in the boudoir..."

After reading this, Tokugawa Iemitsu had already jumped up, staring at his eyes and opening his mouth. He looked at the letter for a while, and then at Matsudaira Nobutsuna for a while. It took him a while to react, and roared: "Baga! Emperor Ming Dynasty"

My great-nephew wants his younger brother to marry His Majesty the Emperor... It’s really unreasonable!”

When Matsudaira Nobutsuna saw Iemitsu getting angry, he could only stammer: "Your Highness, please calm down. I heard that there are many heroines in Western countries who can be married off. Even in our country, if a samurai family only has daughters and no sons,

You can also recruit a husband to inherit the family business. His Majesty the Emperor is already twenty-one years old this year, so he should have considered marriage long ago..."

"That, that's the emperor!" Tokugawa Iemitsu roared, "What should I do if she marries Prince Ning of the Ming Dynasty?"

"You..." Matsudaira Nobutsuna was shocked, "Do you also love His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Baga..." Tokugawa Iemitsu stroked his forehead and stamped his feet, "If the emperor marries the prince of Ming Dynasty, will the Tokugawa shogunate still exist? The nephew of the emperor of Ming Dynasty said in the letter

, His younger brother King Ning will have a total of 2 million stone seals in Choolla and Gyeongsang Province of Korea. And King Ning also has 18,000 samurai under his command! If His Majesty the Emperor has such a husband, he will still need the shogunate assistant.

Politics?"

"His Majesty Kōkō is worrying too much," Matsudaira Nobutsuna said with a smile. "His Majesty the Emperor has no interest in government affairs. He gave up his throne to Prince Sogomiya more than a year ago...but because of His Highness Kōkō's objection, he still refuses to do so.

Emperor."

In the original history, Emperor Meisho is now the emperor. But now, because the Tokugawa shogunate's Korean campaign is not going smoothly, an emperor with Tokugawa blood is needed to sit in the court in Kyoto. Therefore, the Tokugawa family

Mitsukai did not let his niece, Emperor Meisho, abdicate, but allowed her to continue to be emperor.

However, because Emperor Meisho was a female, and his father Gomizuo had a son with his concubine after abdicating the throne, he always wanted to pry off his daughter's throne and let his son, Prince Sogomiya, become emperor.

Matsudaira Nobutsuna said: "As long as His Majesty the Emperor is allowed to give way to Prince Sogomiya before getting married, His Highness Prince Ning of the Ming Dynasty will only marry an abdicated emperor."

Tokugawa Iemitsu frowned, "Is this really possible?"

"Your Highness," Matsudaira Nobutsuna said, "This is the only way to avoid the Ming invaders... If a marriage cannot be formed, then the shogunate must prepare for a decisive battle with the Ming troops who landed!"

Tokugawa Iemitsu snorted: "Kita Kyushu's defenses have been completed for a long time. If the Ming invaders dare to land, they will suffer the same disastrous defeat as the Yuan invaders!"

Matsudaira Nobutsuna whispered: "But where is the former Hojo clan now?"

Tokugawa Iemitsu was speechless. Although the Yuan invaders were defeated by Hojo Tokimune, the leader of the Kamakura shogunate, the war with the Yuan Dynasty also exhausted the financial resources of the Kamakura shogunate. After repelling the Yuan invaders twice, the Kamakura shogunate

The imperial family, who could not provide land to reward meritorious services, had to continue to guard against the third invasion of Yuan invaders. Therefore, their prosperity turned into decline, and they perished after less than 50 years. The former Hojo clan who was in charge of the Kamakura shogunate also

Followed by complete destruction!

"Moreover," Matsudaira Nobutsuna said, "and the current situation is more critical than when the Yuan invaders invaded... The Ming Dynasty's navy is more powerful than the Yuan invaders' navy, and cannot be destroyed by the Japanese kamikaze.

.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty's navy can also send the Ming Dynasty's land division to land outside Kitakyushu!"

"Outside Kitakyushu?" Tokugawa Iemitsu's heart twitched, "Where could it be?"

"For example...Sado Island!" Matsudaira Nobutsuna said slowly, "Without the gold and silver from Sado Island, the shogunate's financial resources will be greatly reduced!"

Tokugawa Iemitsu was silent. He was not afraid of the Ming army landing in Kitakyushu...Kita Kyushu was not the territory of the shogunate. The shogunate could let the southwestern vassals resist the Ming army while he hid behind and watched the situation.

But what if the Ming army landed on Sado Island? How much gold and silver would the shogunate lose in a year? Moreover, they would have to set up defenses along the Hokuriku coast, which would cost a lot of money!

"But the matter of the emperor's marriage..." Tokugawa Iemitsu still shook his head, "Can the shogunate make a decision?"

"Your Highness," Matsudaira Nobutsuna said, "you just used this as an excuse to leave Nagoya and go to Kyoto to report this matter to His Majesty the Emperor."

"Leave Kitakyushu..." Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes suddenly lit up. This is a good excuse! He is now trapped in Kitakyushu and cannot leave honorably. Once the Ming army lands, he may be killed.

Surrounded by Nagoya Castle.
Chapter completed!