Leprosy is called a disease of the poor, firstly because it typically spreads in areas with poor living and sanitary conditions, and secondly because it can drain all of a family's savings. Although the country of Wa has gold and silver mines that can be exploited for hundreds of years, the lives of commoners are as miserable as dogs. This not only creates conditions for the spread of leprosy but also makes more short, ugly people unable to live.
As the saying goes, even ants desire to live, so the short, ugly people of Wa naturally do not want to wait for death.
Relying on samurai and ashigaru to suppress them?
Don't be ridiculous. If most of the short, ugly people could barely survive, there would be no problem without relying on samurai suppression. Even if a large number of samurai and rōnin liked to test their swords on commoners, there would be no issue, because more short, ugly people would still want to live.
But if most of the short, ugly people cannot survive, then relying on samurai and ashigaru to suppress them is pure nonsense. This is because samurai have families, and ashigaru have families. Those samurai and ashigaru also do not want to see their own families die.
Therefore, a large number of samurai and ashigaru are not obeying orders, even when the shogunate and various daimyo and feudal lords are shouting themselves hoarse. The samurai and ashigaru still refuse to cooperate with the shogunate's blockade orders.
Tokugawa Ienari is also extremely troubled. If villages with leprosy patients are not thoroughly blockaded, it means that leprosy cannot be controlled and will soon spread throughout the entire country of Wa, and then rapidly spread outwards. To blockade those villages, it inevitably affects the families of a large number of samurai and ashigaru, and those samurai and ashigaru are unwilling to cooperate.
Isn't this a vicious cycle?
Tokugawa Ienari is no longer worried about whether he can solve the leprosy problem, nor does he even care if he can replace Kōkaku Tennō as the new Heavenly Emperor. Tokugawa Ienari is more concerned about what the Emperor of Ming will do to Wa if leprosy spreads to Da Ming due to the shogunate failing to completely implement the blockade.
Are the vassal states like Korea, Burma, and Southern Vietnam, which have completely disappeared from history, precedents for Wa?
The more he thought about it, the more troubled he became. Tokugawa Ienari simply looked at Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya and others and asked, "What are your thoughts on the issue of the samurai and ashigaru not cooperating?"
When asked by Tokugawa Ienari, Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya and others felt a bit of a headache.
As envoys to Ming who had studied in Da Ming, Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya knew the military system of Da Ming. They knew that Da Ming used soldiers from other regions, meaning that soldiers from Shandong would be replenished to any other Military Commissioner's office garrison, but never to the garrison in Shandong. Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya also knew that this was the best way to solve the problem.
Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya also knew clearly that although the answer from Da Ming was right in front of them, this homework could not be directly copied.
This is because the armies of Da Ming are controlled by the Five Military Commissions, not by any general or noble. The Provincial Administration Commissioners in various regions do not have the power to interfere with garrisons. However, the samurai of Wa belong to the daimyo, not to the court of Wa or the shogunate. The ashigaru also belong to the feudal lords, not to the court of Wa or the shogunate. If all samurai and ashigaru belonged to the court of Wa, the court of Wa would have likely eliminated the shogunate long ago.
Conversely, if all samurai and ashigaru belonged to the shogunate, the shogunate would have likely eliminated the court of Wa long ago.
Further deduction proves: If the shogunate wants to reclaim the samurai and military power from the local feudal lords and daimyo, it is likely that those feudal lords and daimyo will first turn to the court of Wa.
Therefore, this matter is also in a vicious cycle.
After a long period of silence, Watanabe Uemon said with a frown, "If the existing samurai and ashigaru cannot complete the blockade, why doesn't Your Excellency the Shogun recall the samurai from Tianzhu? Their families have already followed them to Tianzhu, which means they will have no concerns."
As soon as Watanabe Uemon finished speaking, Matsushita Ichiya could not help but retort, "To recall the samurai from Tianzhu, we must first conscript a group of samurai from Wa to go to Tianzhu. This will also greatly reduce the number of samurai and ashigaru that the shogunate can directly control, which will be even more disadvantageous to the shogunate, right?"
Matsushita Ichiya's analysis plunged Watanabe Uemon and Tokugawa Ienari into silence.
In Wa, being illiterate in Chinese characters and unable to speak fluent Da Ming official dialect would be collectively mocked by all nobles, feudal lords, and daimyo.
In other words, those feudal lords and daimyo are considered elite groups in Wa. How could they not see through the scams of Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin?
Yet, in reality, they were also fooled by Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin.
After carefully pondering for a while, Kōrin Keijin, who was full of anxiety, hesitantly replied, "The entry point they chose is truly excellent. The Emperor of Ming previously called on the people of Ming to eat eggs, duck eggs, and the like for Ming children. Inukai Bunhō also called on the commoners of Wa to give eggs and duck eggs to Wa children. The Emperor of Ming is vigorously promoting the 'Rural Doctor Plan' in Da Ming, insisting that every village in Da Ming should have a doctor. Inukai Bunhō also called for the popularization of doctors in Wa."
"With the reputation of the Emperor of Ming preceding him, no one in Wa now thinks Inukai Bunhō is wrong, so naturally no one will doubt the truthfulness of anything else he says."
"The situation withinojiri Nishijin is similar. On the surface, the two of them are completely considering Wa and the common people of Wa. Many feudal lords and daimyo have already been fooled by the two of them."
Kōkaku Tennō was dumbfounded and couldn't believe his ears.
This can work?
The Emperor of Da Ming can call on the people of Da Ming to eat more eggs for their children because Da Ming is currently sucking the blood of the entire planet, and with the supply of resources from the entire planet, they are not lacking in eggs.
The Emperor of Da Ming can promote the Rural Doctor Plan in Da Ming because Da Ming has enough scholars, and the Central Plains have always had the tradition of becoming either a good minister or a good doctor. Many scholars who cannot achieve fame in their studies do choose to practice medicine, so the Emperor of Da Ming can do this.
But what does Wa have?
Given Wa's poverty, why should commoners and lowly people be able to give eggs and duck eggs to their children? With what, air? The Rural Doctor Plan is the same. Wa has few scholars, and the inheritance of medical skills is like witchcraft. And they want to implement a rural doctor plan?
Go to hell!
The more he thought about it, the angrier Kōkaku Tennō became. He snorted coldly and said, "Send someone to tell those feudal lords and daimyo who are loyal to the court that all difficulties are temporary. As long as the threat of the shogunate is resolved, our Wa will one day be able to let children eat eggs and duck eggs, and let every village have a doctor, just like Da Ming."
...
While Kōkaku Tennō and Kōrin Keijin were troubled by Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin, Tokugawa Ienari and everyone in the shogunate were also troubled by Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin.
And just like Kōkaku Tennō's troubles, Tokugawa Ienari also knew very well that Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin were spokesmen promoted by Da Ming merchants, and he couldn't find a way to deal with them. After all, Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin could be called spokesmen in a good way, but in a bad way, they were dogs.
As the saying goes, when you hit a dog, you have to look at its owner. Tokugawa Ienari had a thousand and one ways to kill Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin, but he had absolutely no way to deal with the Da Ming merchants behind them.
Or, it can be said: Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin are dogs in front of Da Ming merchants, and those Da Ming merchants are like well-fed pigs raised by the Da Ming court?
When you hit a dog, you look at its owner, but do you not look at the owner when you kill a pig?
Don't be foolish, killing a pig is a greater sin!
Tokugawa Ienari knew very well that if he dared to touch those Da Ming merchants today, the Da Ming garrison in Wa would dare to overturn the entire shogunate tomorrow to avenge those "pigs."
At that time, perhaps his head and Kōkaku Tennō's heads would both be displayed on a "Jingguan" (a pile of enemy heads) to dry in the wind.
The thought of the terrifying existence of Jingguan made Tokugawa Ienari sigh, "Ambassador Chen, Ambassador Chen, you have given me a difficult problem!"
Of course, Chen Yan, the Da Ming envoy to Wa, was currently sleeping with a Wa geisha and was not in the shogunate. Therefore, Tokugawa Ienari was only venting his anger to Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya and others.
Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya and the other envoys to Ming also had extremely grim expressions, because they couldn't understand why the Emperor of Da Ming could do whatever he wanted and achieve whatever he wanted, while the shogunate had to be constrained everywhere?
To get those feudal lords and daimyo to cooperate with the shogunate in the blockade of leprosy, those feudal lords and daimyo pretended to be deaf and mute, and only agreed to cooperate after Tokugawa Ienari, the dignified Shogun, offered terms.
Just as they were about to successfully blockade leprosy with the cooperation of those feudal lords and daimyo, Inukai Bunhō andinojiri Nishijin jumped out again!
Thinking of the countless difficulties they would face next, Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiya exchanged a silent glance, then bowed to Tokugawa Ienari and said, "Your Excellency the Shogun, Wa is constrained by others everywhere, and the shogunate is also constrained by those feudal lords and daimyo everywhere. It is time for a change!"
When he heard the words "the shogunate is constrained by those feudal lords and daimyo everywhere," Tokugawa Ienari was furious. However, after hearing the words "it is time for a change," Tokugawa Ienari's anger completely dissipated.
As the saying goes, one's position determines one's perspective.
If Tokugawa Ienari only wanted to be the Shogun, then Watanabe Uemon's words would be very taboo. To say that the shogunate is constrained by feudal lords and daimyo everywhere is to say that the shogunate is incompetent? Isn't this indirectly saying that I, Tokugawa Ienari, as the Shogun, am incompetent?
But Tokugawa Ienari is no longer satisfied with merely being the Shogun. His sights are now set on the throne of King of Wa.
For Tokugawa Ienari, who wants to become the King of Wa and feels he is about to become the King of Wa, Watanabe Uemon's words are worth pondering.
The Emperor of Da Ming can make his words carry weight and restore what is lost. Do I, Tokugawa Ienari, not want to truly control Wa and become the sole ruler of Wa, above all others?
Faintly guessing some of Watanabe Uemon's thoughts, Tokugawa Ienari suppressed his excitement and asked in a deep voice, "Watanabe-kun, what do you mean by that?"
Upon hearing the words "Watanabe-kun," Watanabe Uemon's somewhat anxious heart stabilized.
He won the gamble!
As an envoy to Ming who had studied in Da Ming, Watanabe Uemon naturally knew that these words were taboo. However, the fundamental reason why Watanabe Uemon said such taboo words was that Watanabe Uemon was gambling, gambling that Tokugawa Ienari wanted to become the true ruler of Wa!
Suppressing his excitement, Watanabe Uemon bowed his head and said, "Your Excellency the Shogun is well-read. You must know about the enfeoffment system that was implemented in the history of the Central Plains."
Tokugawa Ienari grunted and looked at Watanabe Uemon with curiosity, asking, "Enfeoffment system? Isn't that what my Wa is currently using?"
Watanabe Uemon said "hai" and bowed his head, "Yes, what my Wa is currently using is indeed the enfeoffment system that was used in the history of the Central Plains, but it is not entirely so."
"Compared to the enfeoffment system used in the history of the Central Plains, what my Wa is currently using actually incorporates the military governorship system of the Great Tang period, the military governor system of the Song Dynasty, and even some of the Wei Suo system of the Ming Dynasty."
"However, whether it is the enfeoffment system, the military governorship system, the military governor system, or the Wei Suo system, they have all become history. What the current Da Ming uses is completely different from all previous dynasties."
"Your Excellency the Shogun, times have changed. Since Da Ming can make changes, my Wa should naturally also make changes."
Tokugawa Ienari became increasingly certain of his guess. The main reason Watanabe Uemon said these things was that he was displeased with those feudal lords and daimyo and intended to push Wa into a true prefecture and county system or a centralized system. Under a centralized system, who would benefit the most?
It is neither those feudal lords and daimyo, nor those samurai, rōnin, commoners, or lowly people, but the King of Wa, or the future King of Wa, Tokugawa Ienari!
Tokugawa Ienari had to take a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said, "The power of Da Ming is evident to all. How dare my small land of Wa compare itself to Da Ming?"
After glancing at Tokugawa Ienari, Watanabe Uemon performed a kowtow, bowing deeply, and said, "For the sake of the nation of Wa, for the sake of all people of Wa, please Your Excellency the Shogun make a decision soon and establish the national polity!"
.
Heavenly Emperor's Noble Lineage reminds you: Remember to collect after reading.