"Gentlemen, Lord Chun Zhong is truly steadfast! I greatly admire him!"
Chen Dong, fearing further suspicion from the group and knowing the character of the Japanese samurai, lest he offend Harunobu and be struck down by a sword, quickly added, then continued:
"Zhu Mo has not attacked again for now, but the encirclement is watertight. The Ming forces blockading the port receive supplies from Zhenhai Wei once every ten days, while the island's provisions dwindle daily... Lord Chun Zhong says that everyone shares the same hatred for the enemy. Though it is arduous, they can hold on for another three to five months.
Uh, his meaning is, he still asks Lord Soza to think of a way to let those samurai of his homeland return home, otherwise, he would be letting down all his ancestral Daimyos."
The crowd had already guessed as much, but hearing him elaborate, they realized the island must be in dire straits. Those Japanese, in accordance with their usual temperament, would persist as long as they could, but if they truly reached a point where they could not, the situation would be entirely different. These people were wicked and would then resort to rampant plundering.
Soza sighed inwardly. He had been losing sleep for two or three months over this thorny issue.
This time, he had suffered a devastating loss—
Half of the one hundred and fifty Fanggji ships summoned from Nanyang had sunk, and the remainder were trapped in Likang. The five to six hundred Fanggji mercenaries, though not suffering heavy casualties, were also unable to break out of Likang. Furthermore, the most troublesome were the island's merchants, numbering several thousand, among whom were one to two thousand Fanggji, as well as some Nanyang merchants under their protection, for whom they were responsible.
He had tried several times to formally negotiate with the Ming Dynasty, but General Yu Dayou of the Ming navy had flatly refused, citing that the war had not yet ended.
The thought of Zhu Mo's ruthless methods gave him a severe headache. This was why he had gathered everyone from the Shuri Alliance. If the issue was not resolved within the next month or two, the Regent of Fanggji, Enrique, would hold him accountable. He reflected that he had not earned much money on this trip to the Far East, yet he had repeatedly suffered setbacks, making him the most disgraced among all the Fanggji governors stationed abroad.
At this moment,
His mood was impatient, and he did not wish to avoid the issue any longer. Since he could not escape it, he had to face it himself. Therefore, he patiently said,
"Mr. Chen Dong, thank you for your intelligence... Gentlemen, if you have any questions or remarks, please feel free to speak your minds..."
Seeing that no one spoke, he continued,
"Very well, that's all for the situation on the island for now... Mr. Chen Dong, please convey Lord Zhang Jing's message... Gentlemen, please listen carefully, this is the main point of today..."
Nodding,
Everyone immediately perked up.
Chen Dong pondered for a moment and then said calmly,
"Lord Zhang Jing's exact words were thus—
The Junior Grand Secretary said that the so-called Japanese pirates were originally only seeking trade. It was because of the treacherous officials in the court, such as Zhu Wan and Wang Jiao, who were solely focused on achieving military merits, that they killed innocent people and falsely claimed them as Japanese pirates, meaning they captured merchants from various countries and passed them off as Japanese pirates. The Junior Grand Secretary and Grand Secretary Yan both believe that it is not feasible for the merchants to be perpetually trapped in Likang. If other countries propose releasing the merchants and severely punishing the treacherous officials who fabricated achievements, it is not unreasonable, and it also presents a significant problem for the court. Furthermore, the Junior Grand Secretary also said that His Majesty is currently practicing cultivation and spells, so if one seeks the rule of a sage king, they must still look to the one surnamed Yan!
The above is Lord Zhang Jing's message, primarily relaying the words of the Grand Secretaries. These were spoken during daily discussions, unknown to others, and there is no intention of making them public. Lord Zhang Jing also specifically instructed me on this point."
Hiss!
Hiss!
. Everyone heard clearly at this point—
Grand Secretary Yan has declared his stance,
He wants everyone to act!
If martial means fail, then employ civil means,
In any case, action must be taken.
Soza admired this from the bottom of his heart, feeling immense respect for Yan Song's political acumen, which was no less than that of Cardinal Enrique of his own country.
He understood the words regarding Japanese pirates and merchants, but he did not understand what "practicing cultivation and spells" meant. Feeling a bit flustered, he asked,
"My allies, I am a Fanggji, and I do not quite understand the intricacies of the Ming court's political affairs. Can anyone explain it to me?"
Among those present, if anyone truly understood the Ming Dynasty, it was Kim Hyo-won of Joseon. He was a highly accomplished scholar of the Joseon civil service examinations and a renowned young Confucian scholar, advocating for the study of hierarchical order, equivalent to the system of sages in the Ming Dynasty.
Now that his expertise was invoked, he immediately stood up and said with a gentle smile,
"My allies, Lord Yan Song of the Ming Dynasty is indeed exceptionally wise... As you may not know, His Majesty of the Ming Dynasty initially supported Zhu Mo's reforms in secret. Now, however, he has openly declared his support.
In the Ming Dynasty, as well as in our Joseon and Japan, there is a fundamental principle in governance, which is the teachings of Confucius! The Ming Dynasty calls it Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind, while our country calls it Neo-Confucianism of Nature. Both speak of hierarchy and social status. However, in the Ming Dynasty, there is also an undercurrent that rejects such distinctions, known as Legalism. In our country, too, there are those who propagate this heresy, such as Xu Jing-de. As far as I know, Japan also has such a heresy, called 'Daiichi Dai Man,' which refers to the Emperor alone and the common masses...
Ultimately, all of these can be traced back to the Qin laws of the Ming Dynasty. These Qin laws were tyrannical and unrighteous, specifically opposing people like us who uphold propriety. They sought to make everyone into commoners, like 'black millet grains and common people.'
Lord Yan Song saying this is a formal declaration that he will break ties with the Ming Emperor and will not yield an inch on the teachings of Confucius and the sages! It is truly great, great! I, Kim Hyo-won, am merely a Confucian scholar, and besides admiration for Lord Yan Song's spirit, I have nothing more to say..."
This lengthy speech was something others initially did not wish to listen to, but they patiently endured it and indeed understood—
The meaning was: The Ming Emperor has violated Confucian principles?
How could this be tolerated?
All respectable people would stand with Yan Song. Did this not mean that this time it was a blessing in disguise? With the open confrontation, the right and wrong of the situation had been revealed to all!
At this moment,
Even Soza understood, but he was not entirely certain. He mumbled,
"Mr. Kim, are you implying that the Ming Emperor does not respect Confucius...? Can it be understood that the Ming Emperor not respecting Confucius is akin to our King of Fanggji not respecting the Roman Papacy?"
Nodding,
Kim Hyo-won thought to himself: You barbarian with red hair, you can indeed be taught...
But outwardly, he respectfully replied,
"General Soza, your understanding is correct."
Oh, oh,
Soza could not contain his immense joy.
It is known that,
If the kings of his homeland in Europe were to publicly disrespect the Papacy, they would surely face misfortune within three months. At best, they would have to repent, and at worst, they might even lose their thrones.