Immediately, the two talked about the situation in Japan. In fact, since Tokugawa Ieyasu established the shogunate, the situation in Japan has not changed much. At present, the actual ruler of Japan is called Tokugawa Ieki. He is the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the son of Tokugawa Hidetachi, and the third generation general of Tokugawa Shogunate.

At that time, the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate was relatively stable. The Tokugawa family controlled most of the population and territory in Japan. Only a very small number of people were unwilling to obey the rule of the Tokugawa family. In the eyes of the Emperor, the strength of the Tokugawa family was so strong that it was unshakable. Even if the Emperor was dissatisfied with the Tokugawa family, he could only swallow his anger.

The Tokugawa family had a huge advantage, which was its wealth. Due to various reasons, the Tokugawa family basically monopolized Japan's foreign trade. At that time, Japan's main fiscal revenue was foreign trade. In other words, most of the finances fell into the hands of the Tokugawa family. This was also the main reason why the Tokugawa family stood out.

Although the emperor has some power, the finances are severely short of finance. Japan, which has just ended the war, the emperor's power has even shrunk. Power is usually linked to money, and the shrinking power naturally leads to a decrease in money income. No matter what age, if you don't have money in your hands, you will be bullied, even the emperor.

This situation is somewhat similar to the embarrassing situation of Chongzhen. Chongzhen also had no money in his hand, which led to today's dilemma. Of course, the situation of the Japanese Emperor was much worse than that of Chongzhen. Chongzhen still had an army in his hand. The Japanese Emperor had no army in his hand. The army was in the hands of the Tokugawa family.

At that time, all Japanese firearms relied on imports and had mastered the lifeline of the economy. The Tokugawa family, which naturally bought a large number of firearms and expanded their army desperately. The army loyal to the emperor, under the oppression of the Tokugawa family's army, could only stroll around Heian Kyo at most, and dared not say anything.

In terms of economy, the Tokugawa family completely monopolized Nagasaki's trade profits. Everyone knows that Nagasaki is Japan's largest trading port, and all foreign trade is carried out here. In particular, the goods sold by the Zheng Zhilong Pirate Group are delivered here. In other words, the relationship between Tokugawa Iemitsu and Zheng Zhilong is very close.

At the beginning, Zheng Zhilong started his business in Nagasaki, Japan. He relied on being a second-hand dealer between the Japanese and Western powers to make his first pot of gold. Later, the domestic situation gradually became chaotic. With the day when he was a hero like him in troubled times, he finally returned to the country and became a local snake on the southeast coast.

Zhang Zhun's purpose is to first explore the water between Tokugawa family and Zheng Zhilong and test the reactions of the two. If the relationship between the two is very close and the needle cannot be inserted, the Hu Ben Army will change its strategy. If the two are just business relationships and there are gaps to drill, the Hu Ben Army's strategy can be unfolded step by step.

"If we want to interfere in the maritime trade between the Tokugawa family and Zheng Zhilong, we must start with the emperor. I believe that the Japanese emperor will definitely welcome foreign assistance."

Shen Lingfei said thoughtfully.

"Um."

Zhang Zhun nodded.

Zhang Zhun completely entrusted Shen Lingfei to deal with the matter in Japan, and he was only responsible for remote control. After exploring the relationship between Tokugawa family and Zheng Zhilong, Shen Lingfei's next move was to contact the emperor of Japan and see if the two sides had any intention of cooperation.

In fact, the Japanese emperor had never had a very strong power, especially after the turmoil in the Warring States Period, people such as Takeda Shingen, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi emerged in succession, constantly impacting the emperor's authority. The Japanese emperor at that time felt worse than Emperor Xian of Han, and could not even save his own life at any time.

After the Warring States turmoil ended, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took over most of the power as Guan Bai. The Chinese people only knew Guan Bai, but not the Emperor. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi finally died, Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged again. Speaking of war, Tokugawa Ieyasu must not be as powerful as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but his control of the regime was better than Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tokugawa shogunate was established by him.

During the Tokugawa Shogunate period, the emperor's status fell further. The shogunate nominally surrendered to the emperor. The emperor was the supreme existence in Japan, but the emperor was not allowed to interfere in politics. In 1615 AD, the shogunate explicitly stipulated that the emperor should be the first in knowledge and could only engage in academic research or literary creation. The emperor had no right to appoint state officials and title monks, etc. The emperor's only function was to decide the year number.

The appointment of senior court officials, the emperor, the emperor's clothing, the emperor's outing inspections, travel, etc. must be approved by the shogunate before it can be implemented. If the emperor's order is not approved by the shogunate, it must be invalidated. Even private matters such as marrying a wife and having children must be investigated.

At the same time, the Tokugawa shogunate set up the "Soji Dai" in Kyoto, whose name was to protect the court, but in fact it was to strictly monitor the emperor around the clock. The shogunate also installed the so-called "Wu Family Message" among the ministers, which was actually a liaison officer who reported the court's movements to the shogunate at any time, so that the shogunate knew everything about the imperial court's actions.

Although the Tokugawa family strictly restricted the power of the emperor, they tried their best to win over the royal family. This method was just a replay of the Fujiwara clan and generals of all dynasties, that is, to control the royal family by marriage. In 1620 AD, Tokugawa Hidetachi sent his daughter and son to the palace and became the queen of Emperor Gomizuo, and had two men and three women with the emperor. The Tokugawa shogunate only allowed the children born by Kazuko to inherit the throne, and the children born by other concubines were often killed by him.

In 1627 AD, the "Purple-clothing incident" occurred in which the queen and the emperor argued. Emperor Gomizuo appointed dozens of monks as monks and entrusted them to be given purple-clothing - this was originally the emperor's privilege. However, the shogunate canceled the emperor's permission on the grounds that it did not comply with the regulations and arrested and exiled monks who were dissatisfied with it. Emperor Gomizuo felt deeply humiliated and planned to abdicate his dissatisfaction with the shogunate.

In 1629 AD, a wet nurse of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the shogun, named Kasuhiko (who had watched the Japanese TV series "Oo" and should know this woman) came to Kyoto and actually made a request to meet with the emperor. Emperor Gomizuo felt that this request to ignore his identity was simply unreasonable, but because of the power of the shogunate, he had to receive it. Later, Emperor Gomizuo became more and more angry as he thought about it, so he threw off his hat and abdicated in anger.

But some people believe that there is another hidden secret in Emperor Houmizuki's abdication. Some people found that Emperor Houmizuki liked to play with flowers and plants. Not only did he summon prostitutes into the palace, but he also went on private vacations and wandered around the streets and willows, causing him to suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. In order to treat the unspeakable hidden secret, he had to abdicate.

No matter what the reason was, in short, Emperor Gomizuo eventually abdicated. Under the arrangement of the Tokugawa shogunate, Emperor Gomizuo's seven-year-old daughter, Hiroko, succeeded to the throne, namely Empress Akimasa. This was the first empress who suddenly appeared in more than 900 years after she claimed to be Empress Tokugawa. Empress Akimasa was the granddaughter of Hidetachi Tokugawa, and the Tokugawa family regarded the court as their backyard.

"Master, this Japanese Emperor is a woman."

Chen Lingfei stroked the little guy under Zhang Zhun's crotch and said maliciously.

"Female Emperor? Oh!"

After intense exercise, Zhang Zhun just wanted to sleep. However, Chen Lingfei's hand made him unable to sleep. Her methods were too powerful, and the occasional stimulation of her nails was indeed a bit strong. He responded to Chen Lingfei's words without hesitation. In fact, he did not take it to heart at all.

"Hey, master, I tell you that the emperor of Japan is a woman!"

When Chen Lingfei saw that Zhang Zhun had no reaction, she pinched her gently and said dissatisfiedly.

"Ah! Be gentle!"

Zhang Zhun immediately reacted and screamed in pain.

"See you ignore me!"

Chen Lingfei said proudly.

She reached out and stroked the overly tired little guy for a while, as a comfort for a slap in the face. In order to show her apology, she bent down and put the little guy in her mouth, whispered his tongue, and licked it gently, making Zhang Zhun extremely comfortable.

Zhang Zhun said lately: "What did you say? The Emperor of Japan? The Female?"

Chen Lingfei said coquettishly: "Well, she is a woman, she is about the same age as Xiaoying. Do you want that? Even if you don't want it now, it will be good in a few years."

Zhang Zhun said angrily: "You really treat me as a beast!"

Chen Lingfei said maliciously: "This is a serious matter. You must know that the power of the Japanese Emperor is in the weakest era. If you intervene, you have to intervene from this Akimatsu Emperor. Although she is from the Tokugawa family, the people around her and some hidden forces are eager to revive the emperor's majesty."

Zhang Zhun turned over and sat up, subconsciously touched his chin, and began to think carefully.

Zhang Zhun didn't want to take it to heart with the Japanese female emperor. He was not a beast, he only knew how to make spring. He was trying hard to recall what happened to this female emperor. He seemed to know that in Japanese history, there were eight female emperors, and the one Chen Lingfei mentioned seemed to be the seventh. Yes, it was her, the Japanese Emperor Akimasa, a poor woman who never married for life. Well, all Japanese men should be killed, and Japanese women... can be forgiven for their sins with other alchemists!

Emperor Akimasa's father was Emperor Gomizuo, and his mother was Genakako. Don't be fooled by the name of "Genakako". She was actually the daughter of Hidetachi Tokugawa (the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu). Emperor Akimasa's name was Hikoko in his young age, so he was also called Prince Hikonai before he ascended the throne. When Kyoko was born, the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate was already very stable, and the "Bankan's Laws" was formulated and promulgated in 1615 AD.

In this law, from a clear perspective, the Emperor should put the practice of knowledge and Waka's proficiency first, which is actually to limit the Emperor's intervention in politics. The only power that recognizes the Emperor in the 17th article is Article 8 - the Emperor has the right to decide the year name according to the "principal rules of this dynasty". Apart from this, all other matters have nothing to do with the Emperor.

When Xingko was born, his father, Emperor Gomizuo, was twenty-eight years old, and his mother and son were seventeen years old. Generally speaking, Xingko was not likely to ascend the throne in a short period of time. Not to mention that the emperor had a high possibility of giving birth to male heirs, even if not, he would have to wait for the death of the emperor, who was only twenty-eight years old, to die.

From the surface, Emperor Gomizuo had a good relationship with Empress Kazuko (canoned in 1624 AD). In 1625 AD, Prince Akiko Nai was born, and in 1626 AD, his brother Prince Gao Ren was born and was appointed crown prince. However, it is regrettable that in 1628 AD, Prince Gao Ren died and his brother Wakamyomiya died, but he died of illness shortly after his birth.

List the birth date of the sons of the Gomizuo Emperor, and I want to explain the problem that the following is that Emperor Houmizuo had two sons born after Xingzi, but he did not grow up, Xingzi had the opportunity to ascend the throne. This was also a scheming person. Originally, Xingzi could live his life as a princess, but soon the famous "Purple-clothed incident" occurred, and as a result, her fate was changed.

"Purple robe" is a symbol of honor and status for monks. In "The Laws of the Public and Public Domains", it is clearly stipulated that the court cannot grant purple robe privately. Giving purple robe to monks was a major source of economic resources for the court. At that time, the richest Japanese people in Japan were the monks from various temples. In order to alleviate the financial crisis, Emperor Houmizuo awarded purple robe to more than 70 monks at one time.

Of course, such actions are not only for economic reasons, but also attempt to challenge the authority of the shogunate. Therefore, the Tokugawa Shogunate's reaction was also very fast. In 1627 AD, Tokugawa Iemitsu instructed Kyoto Ichiko Shigezo to announce that in the future, anyone who violated the provisions on the Purple-coated Regulations of the Public Laws will be dismissed and punished. The court said helplessly: "In the future, this kind of invalid thing will not be done again."

The incident came to an end temporarily. The Tokugawa shogunate achieved a complete victory, and the emperor's prestige was once again severely hit. However, this could not have a direct relationship with Hikoko. The subsequent "Kakukan worship incident" completely changed Prince Hikoko's life.

[Author's note: Kasugaku is the daughter of Saito Rizo Saito and the nanny of the third-generation general Tokugawa Ieki. This fact will be mentioned in the "Nobunaga's Ambition" series of games. As long as Saito Rizo Saito is introduced, I wondered at that time, wasn't it the general's old mother? Which general has a lot of? Later, after a deeper understanding, I realized that this old woman is not simple. The matter about Kasugaku is enough to write a special article to introduce it.]

Shortly after the "Purple-coat incident" occurred, Kasugakuro came to visit Emperor Gomizuo at the instructor of the shogunate, but the traditional rule was that only those with an official position of "five ranks" or above can enter the palace to visit Emperor. Of course, Kasugakuro could not have an official position of more than five ranks, just a nurse. What kind of status can he have? But under the pressure of the shogunate, Emperor Gomizuo had to meet her.

Later, many eminent monks who accepted the imperial court's purple robe were exiled for refusing the orders of the shogunate, which had a very bad impact. After the "Purple robe incident" and the "Shuragakushimaki worship incident", Emperor Gomizuo felt extremely insulted, but he was unable to carry out other resistance activities, so he announced his abdication. Prince Yoshikonai, who was related to the Tokugawa family, was able to ascend the throne and became the 109th emperor in Japanese history - Emperor Akimasa. This year was 1630 AD, and Prince Yoshikonai was only seven or seven years old.

If the rules of history have not changed, this woman, Emperor Mingzheng, should have been in power for thirteen years. By 1643 AD (the sixteenth year of Chongzhen), when Emperor Mingzheng's half-brother Prince Suegu was eleven years old, Emperor Mingzheng decided to give way to him, as the 110th generation of Emperor Guangming. Mingzheng became the Supreme Emperor and obtained tribute from the shogunate 5,000 s of tribute rice every year.

Surprisingly, the lifespan of this female emperor was very long, and she did not die until 1696 AD, at the age of 76. For people at that time, this lifespan was quite long. Emperor Mingzheng never married for life and of course he had no children. If she had let her choose herself, she would probably rather be born in the home of ordinary people and live the life of ordinary people.

"This Japanese female emperor seems to be about the same age as Xue Ningying..."

Zhang Zhun said to himself.

It is indeed a good time for foreign forces to interfere in Japan. Although this female emperor was arranged by the Tokugawa family, those who support the female emperor have no big relationship with the Tokugawa family. The forces behind the emperor have always been the opponent of the Tokugawa family. The confrontation between the Emperor and the Tokugawa shogunate destined that the Japanese could not always unite with the outside world. The sudden appearance of the Tiger Army at this time will definitely lead to the development of history and certain variables.

In fact, in Japan, the battle against the Tokugawa shogunate rule had never been quelled. The most famous battle was the Shimahara Uprising. Amakura Island, south of the Shimahara Peninsula, was originally a missionary center under the protection of the southwestern princes. There were many peasants who believed in religion. The shogunate transferred the original daimyo and sent Matsukura Shimamasaki to rule. Shimahara land was barren and suffered continuous famine since 1634 AD. The Matsukura clan brutal exploitation and brutal persecution of religious farmers, arousing strong resistance from the locals.

In 1637 AD, the peasants of Shimahara, centered on believers and ronin, elected the 16-year-old Shiro Shiro Toshita as the main general and launched an uprising. The uprisingers seized the lord's granary and prepared to attack Nagasaki. The shogunate mobilized more than 100,000 troops to suppress it. The peasant army held the base of Shimahara Castle for five months, and suffered heavy blows to the official army. Later, the shogunate colluded with Dutch merchant ships to bombard the peasants. In February of the following year, the uprising army failed due to the extinction of food and assistance, and the leader Shimahara and more than 10,000 peasant men and women died heroically. However, the scattered resistance continued for a long time.

After the Shimahara Uprising, the Tokugawa Shogunate stepped up its implementation of the policy of banning churches, massacred religious believers, and at the same time decided to implement a seclusion blockade. As early as before the uprising, the general Tokugawa Ieki began to expel merchants from Portuguese, Western countries, and other countries. Except for China and the Netherlands, foreign ships were prohibited from anchoring outside Nagasaki and Hirado. In 1633 AD, the Tokugawa Shogunate decided to expel Europeans and at the same time prohibited their own people from going abroad. Those who have been abroad are not allowed to return to their country, and those who are violators are sentenced to death.

In 1639 AD, the shogunate issued the last "country lockdown order" to prohibit trade with foreign countries. Merchants and priests from various countries were expelled, and only China and the Netherlands were allowed to trade in Nagasaki. Japan maintained its country lockdown policy for more than 200 years, and it was not opened again until 1853 under pressure from the United States. Note that this so-called China is actually the Zheng Zhilong Pirate Group, and no one else is included.

However, it was quite difficult to support the Japanese Emperor against the Tokugawa Shogunate. At that time, the number of Japanese troops was still quite large, and it was not difficult to gather 200,000 regular troops. During Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the number of Japanese troops entering North Korea exceeded 150,000. Most of these troops are currently in the hands of the Tokugawa family.

In the 17th century, Japan had a population of about several million, and its population was much larger than that of the Tartars. Therefore, the number of soldiers was much larger than that of the Tartars. If the population was reduced, it would definitely not work.

The Japanese army has always been relatively advanced in terms of equipment. The weapons of the shogunate army have always been sold from the West and are basically in line with the world. The so-called large guns, iron cannons, etc. were sold by Portuguese merchants, and were used in large quantities during the Warring States Period in Japan. The Ming army at that time was still using primitive mesh rope guns! In real history, the Minnie gun was first used in Japan.

The Tiger Ben Army plus the Japanese Emperor, and against the Tokugawa Shogunate, Zheng Zhilong and the Western Powers, the war will definitely last for a long time, and it is impossible to decide the winner in a short period of time. The profits of the Japanese market are quite considerable, and Zheng Zhilong will not give up easily. Therefore, he will definitely vigorously assist the Tokugawa Shogunate in order to continue to monopolize the Japanese market. Similarly, the Tokugawa Shogunate will also desperately seek external help, or even seek help from the Western powers to fight against the Emperor and consolidate the rule of the Tokugawa family.

War, any miracle can happen, and any accident can happen. The Hu Ben Army can win every battle and be invincible on the territory of Shandong. However, in Japan, thousands of miles away, we must be careful. Intervening in Japan's internal affairs and the development of the navy is very critical. Back then, the Americans used heavy artillery ships to knock on the Japanese national gates. At present, the Hu Ben Army's navy cannot bear such a heavy responsibility for the time being.

To interfere in Japan for a long time, you must build the logistics base of Jeju Island. Jeju Island is less than a thousand miles away from Nagasaki. The Hu Ben Navy stationed here can pose a huge threat to the Japanese. It is impossible to build the Jeju Island Navy base in less than two years. The Hu Ben Navy also takes a certain amount of time to accumulate a sufficient number of warships.

In fact, the key to interfering in Japanese government affairs is Zheng Zhilong's pirate military group, followed by the Dutch. The Japanese navy is nothing great. As long as the Tiger Ben Navy defeats Zheng Zhilong, it can take advantage of the navy's advantages and put huge pressure on the Japanese. However, Zheng Zhilong and the Western powers are definitely unwilling to see the Tiger Ben Army control Japan, so their interference is inevitable. It's okay for Zheng Zhilong, but the Dutch are really not easy to mess with.

At that time, the Dutch had more than 15,000 large merchant ships and more than 1,000 large warships around the world. They were veritable fully armed coachmen at sea. Before the rise of the British, the Netherlands was a veritable maritime overlord. In East Asia and South Asia, the strongest were the Dutch navy and armed fleets.
Chapter completed!