Chapter 90 Prince Huailiang: Something’s Not Right!

Muromachi.

The Ashikaga shogunate.

"Yamana, that bastard!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu took a deep breath, crushing the intelligence report in his hand into a ball as he spoke through gritted teeth, "He claims to be the Lord of One-Sixth, yet he fled in terror from the Ming Emperor. Disgraceful! Shameful!"

Hosokawa Tanoshita of the shogunate’s samurai office knelt respectfully and bowed his head, saying, "Your Excellency, the defeat and flight of Yamana has left our rear vulnerable. Should we send the vassals to oppose the Ming army, rallying the five provinces of San’in and eight provinces of Sanyō, and establish a barrier between Muromachi and the Ming forces?"

"Absolutely not!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu refused without hesitation, speaking solemnly, "Lord Hosokawa, the imperial letter from His Majesty the Ming Emperor made it very clear: the two thousand direct vassals under the shogunate cannot withstand the celestial troops of Ming. Such actions would harm future relations. I hope you will not mention this again."

"Understood!" Cold sweat broke out on Hosokawa Tanoshita’s brow.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s gaze flickered, countless schemes swirling in his mind. The northern capital, Kyoto Muromachi, and the southern capital, Kyoto Yoshino, were but a hundred li apart, while the Ming army was far away in Iwami Province, nearly a thousand li distant. There was ample time for covert maneuvers.

Yet, with such a disparity in numbers and strength, even if all of Japan united, they would only be trounced by the Ming army.

Moreover, recently, the Northern Emperor Go-Komatsu and the Southern Emperor Go-Kameyama had grown restless, eager to jump into the fray.

"Then let’s fight!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu suddenly roared, his eyes blazing with ambition.

What? Wasn’t this detrimental to future peace?

Hosokawa Tanoshita paused, then bowed respectfully. "Yes! I will notify the vassals at once. We shall guard our lord to the death and fight the Ming army to the end!"

"Fool! Which lord? That is the enemy of Ming!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s eyes locked onto him as he issued his command: "Take the retainers of the Ashikaga Takauji family and deliver the criminal, Emperor Go-Komatsu, before His Majesty of Ming!"

"Relay this order to the samurai office: command one thousand shogunate vassals to march on Yoshino, declaring that the false Southern Emperor has forsaken Japan and submitted to Ming, unworthy of the divine lineage!"

The retainers were loyal only to the Ashikaga Takauji clan; the vassals were official samurai, yet they still held the Emperor as a spiritual figure. This subtle reverence explained why the two emperors’ Kyoto residences were so close, yet little conflict occurred.

Because the samurai were unwilling to act.

But if Go-Kameyama were branded a traitor to Japan, these samurai, who revered bushido, would surely wish to tear him apart.

"Understood, understood!" Hosokawa Tanoshita nodded repeatedly, obeying with utmost respect.

The Hosokawa clan was a branch of Ashikaga Takauji’s bloodline, so naturally they dared not question Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s orders. The Emperor was regarded as a member of the divine lineage by the common people and as a spiritual anchor by the samurai class.

Yet, in the eyes of these true beneficiaries, the Emperor had always been just a puppet to fool the masses.

Only, this puppet sometimes forgot its place.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu knelt in the dim hall, his expression shifting constantly.

"Unexpected!" he muttered.

The minister of the administration office hid in the shadows, speaking respectfully, "But submitting to the Ming Emperor is not a bad thing. Once the Ming soldiers remove the silver mountain, they will depart!"

"In the meantime, Your Excellency, let the women bear the Ming soldiers’ offspring, so that Japan may grow tall and strong like the Ming people. The national hatred can be repaid in the future!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu nodded, "The officials stationed by the Ming Emperor are yours to handle. Do not disappoint me, Lord Aota."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency. I am well acquainted with the greed of Ming officials; it will be accomplished easily." Aota Nobuishi bowed, laughing softly. "Surely the Ming Emperor will not send his own son to govern distant Japan."

…

Splash!

Zhu Gaoxu stared blankly at the boundless ocean before him. His steed snorted and paced restlessly.

"You little bastard, where have you dragged me? Is this even home territory?" Zhu Gaosui gripped the collar of a local’s robe, snarling fiercely.

"Indeed, Prince Huai, he is in hiding here! That manor ahead belongs to him. General, I have fulfilled your request. May I be released now?" The Japanese, dressed in fine samurai attire, glared with hatred, his tone stiff and cold.

"Hey, why does your politeness come with such a sour face?" Zhu Gaosui grumbled, his eyes rolling with ill intent.

Cutting the grass without removing the roots only invites future trouble.

Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand. "Enough, Third Brother, let him go."

Really?

Zhu Gaosui eyed him suspiciously, then waved dismissively, "Get lost, then."

"Hmph!" The samurai snorted coldly and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Zhu Gaoxu raised an eyebrow, "Who told you to step with your left foot first? Don’t you know I despise anyone who leads with their left? Take him away and behead him!"

"As you command!"

A flash of the blade!

The samurai fell in a pool of regret. In his final second, he glared fiercely at his own left foot, as though it had betrayed him.

"Third Brother, have you noticed? The ones wearing these outfits always seem a bit dim," Zhu Gaoxu clicked his tongue, baffled by the samurai’s behavior.

"How could they not be?"

"What do you mean?"

Zhu Gaosui pursed his lips. "This is the work of his father and aunt. Five were born, only this one survived. Apparently, the Japanese royal family loves such practices, and now the whole island follows suit."

"Oh, damn!"

Zhu Gaoxu bared his teeth, mimicking Zhu Youjian’s habitual phrase, then summoned a cavalryman to ask, "I recall there’s a young one from his family still hiding at home, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness. You said your blade would not slay the old or young, so you spared him," replied the cavalryman. "Do you wish me to return and finish him?"

"Foolish!"

Zhu Gaoxu scolded, then ordered, "Leave him some rations, let him go, and watch him for a few days. If he has any other relatives to fall back on, eliminate them all."

"…Understood!" The cavalryman wiped his cold sweat and rode off.

Following the coastline for about five li, a magnificent Japanese manor came into view. Within, the fifty-four-year-old Prince Huai was being attended by maids, indulging in role-playing games.

As the son of Emperor Go-Daigo, brother to Emperor Go-Murakami, and uncle to Emperor Go-Kameyama, he had once wielded power and was recognized by Old Zhu as the King of Japan.

Yet, as Ashikaga Takauji’s influence grew, his nephew Go-Kameyama’s mind faltered, and he always had his own ideas.

After several rounds of political struggle, his spirit was shattered. He requested retirement, spending his days enjoying role-playing, carefree as a god.

"Heh heh, heh heh!"

"Sister-in-law, don’t run, don’t look back, I am my brother…"

"Ah!" The maid shrieked in terror.

What a lively sound today!

Blinded and wrapped in a black sash, Prince Huai groped around, his withered face wearing a classic Japanese lecherous grin as he said, "Scream all you want, even if you tear your throat, no one will save you!"

Suddenly.

He finally grabbed hold, then paused.

"Sister-in-law, why are your pectorals so extravagant?"