Chapter 71: Why Not Go and Witness the Seizure of the Gate First!
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderbolts struck one after another, and Hong Chengchou’s body, already half-charred, was utterly reduced to ashes!
The emperors and officials present watched, their eyelids twitching, hearts trembling in fear.
Heavenly thunder!
Since ancient times, it has always represented the will of heaven!
If the Grandson could wield thunder at will, how could he still be a mere Son of Heaven? This was practically the Almighty himself!
Zhu Yuanzhang was astounded. If he were to claim the title of Son of Heaven, wouldn’t that upset the entire hierarchy?
“Look, he was indeed deceiving me. He deserved to die.”
Zhu Youjian shook his head, feeling quite satisfied with his successful trap, and turned to say,
“Grandfather, the Manchu capital Shengjing no longer poses a threat. I can now return the soldiers of each dynasty in turn.”
“Good, good,”
Zhu Yuanzhang recovered from his shock, pondered for a moment, and nodded, analyzing, “This battle only depleted gunpowder from the Divine Machine Battalion with the use of cannons and firearms. Everything else remained unused, and morale is soaring. Each dynasty should seize this opportunity and march their armies to campaign against the Japanese!”
“Father, our dynasty’s military supplies and routes are all in place. We can set out at any time!” Zhu Lao Si immediately chimed in.
Old Zhu Di nodded, saying, “Same here!”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then suddenly said, “Grandson, why not take this chance to help your Chongzhen dynasty eradicate Japan? It would save you much effort.”
Good heavens!
The ancestors of Ming were so indulgent!
Shi Kefa and the ministers of Chongzhen were overjoyed. If the Japanese threat were resolved, the Ming’s national strength would rise even further.
Shi Kefa, especially, understood the devastation caused by the Japanese in the south. Since the reign of Emperor Jiajing, Japan had repeatedly harassed Ming’s coastline, leading to vast wealth being plundered from the prosperous south and a weakening of national power.
If this calamity could be eliminated, it would be a remarkable achievement, worthy of the annals of history, and the ministers would share in the honor!
Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment and shook his head, saying, “It’s unfeasible. Japan and the surrounding nations in this era are not what they once were. A rash campaign would result in heavy losses. This matter must be considered carefully.”
Japan’s Tokugawa Shogunate had fully seized control forty years ago, ushering in the Edo period at the height of feudal centralization!
They enacted a policy of national isolation, making Japan a tough nut to crack. Even if temporarily conquered, once the dynastic troops withdrew, the old troubles would resurface.
They might even shout slogans like ‘Restore Ming, overthrow Qing,’ and after a century of mining, much of Japan’s silver had flowed abroad, greatly reducing its output.
For this reason, the powerful maritime nations of the West recognized the importance of silver and began restricting its export—one of the main causes of Chongzhen’s silver crisis.
Attacking Japan now would invite Western powers with mighty fleets to join the fray. Even if they gained no benefit, they’d bite a chunk out of Ming.
Because their own nations were rife with internal conflict, and the best way to resolve it was through external war, so if Chongzhen acted as the vanguard, vultures would descend.
If the Tokugawa Shogunate collapsed under Ming’s offensive, those unresolved foreign powers would surely target Ming next.
National fortune would suffer, making it a losing proposition!
Until rifled guns were fully adopted in the army, Zhu Youjian had no intention of invading Japan.
Otherwise, how could he keep all the Western nations at bay?
If their nations had internal strife, let them all join Ming, become Ming’s tributary states, and the strife would vanish.
At most, they’d be provinces.
Smaller ones would be mere counties.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: “Very well. We’ll first eliminate Japan for the other three dynasties. If Grandson needs silver, he can borrow from Jianwen or Yongle.”
The two Zhu Dis quietly listened. Suddenly, under old Zhu’s fierce gaze, they forced a nervous laugh:
“Yes, yes, Father is right.”
Zhu Youjian, touched, said, “Thank you, Grandfather, and the two ancestors. With Jianzhou resolved, most problems are already solved. It’s enough for a long period of recovery.”
“Besides, if the dynasty is short on silver, we can make the officials suffer… cough, or rather, the wealthy gentry of Jiangnan. If they’re purged thoroughly, there’ll be no infamy.”
The Chongzhen ministers felt a chill on their necks, secretly casting a resentful glance at the emperor.
You mean chopping officials yields gold coins, right?
Under the sharp gaze of Wu Mengming, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they all acted as if nothing had happened.
“Hahaha.”
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, “Good, you have my style. Those local tycoons who manipulate politics behind the scenes deserve death! All of them!”
Old Zhu’s smiling gaze swept over the Chongzhen officials, frightening several corrupt civil servants into trembling.
Wu Mengming quietly noted them down.
Zhu Youjian smiled shyly: “Please, Grandfather.”
“Let’s go!”
Old Zhu’s voice lingered in the air, but all the emperors vanished, and swathes of their soldiers disappeared from the battlefield.
“A true miracle,”
Shi Kefa exclaimed in awe.
The seasoned cabinet members—San Yang, Xia Yuanji, Gong Yonggu, and others—exchanged helpless glances, saying, “Well, the emperor has dropped the ball. Let’s get to work.”
Zhu Youjian moved across the skies, but because the troops were scattered, he could only gather less than ten thousand at a time, carefully sorting them by dynasty to avoid confusion.
Just collecting these million elite soldiers forced him to shuttle back and forth hundreds of times, leaving him exhausted like a dog.
Behind the miracle was a humble troupe.
In the micro-world,
Zhu Youjian swallowed several enhanced imperial pills to barely suppress his weakening state.
On the Hongwu throne: Zhu Yuanzhang and the newly arrived young Zhu Di.
On the Jianwen throne: Zhu Lao Si and Zhu Gaochi.
On the Yongle throne: old Zhu Di and the Han and Zhao kings, ready to charge without guards.
Occasionally, the rotund Hongxi and his son, as well as the Xuande Emperor, popped in to watch the drama.
The six ministries of each dynasty had received orders. In Hongwu, General Xu Da and the more subdued Lan Yu led one route by land from Korea, another by sea.
In Jianwen and Yongle, Admiral Zheng He alone commanded the fleet.
In this era, sea voyages took a long time. Though the emperors led personally, there was no need to stay aboard day and night. Spending the sea journey in the micro-world was safer, avoiding accidents.
As for why not deploy the troops directly onto the Japanese islands…
Did they think immortals were mere tools?
It was manageable to accommodate tens of thousands for a day or two in the micro-world, but ten days or half a month would overload it.
This time, hosting a million soldiers for half a day made the micro-world show signs of crumbling.
So far, only seven timelines had been opened, up to the seventh year of Jingtai (the first year of Tianshun), allowing about seventy thousand to reside long-term.
Even if Zhu Youjian could do more, the ancestors would refuse.
The hardships and frustrations of the journey provided essential motivation for war.
Moreover, the logistics forces were few; all routes combined had less than two hundred thousand men.
Normally, a forty-thousand-strong army required at least as many in support, since the three dynasties fought to sustain themselves.
If the armies grew complacent, losses would be greater.
After a long day of work, Zhu Youjian finally found time to rest, invited the emperors to a hearty meal, chatted and recuperated, then said,
“Grandfather, it’s early. Shall we visit the seventh year of Jingtai?”
“Right, the eighth year of Jingtai is the first year of Tianshun, the time of the Gate Incident and the restoration of the legitimate emperor!”
…