Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5200 Invincible Battleship
Since the rise of the Tang Dynasty's royal navy, it has exerted tremendous influence by creating a deterrent effect on foreign lands with its powerful combat capabilities.

It was under the tacit approval or even support of the Tang Dynasty that the Ainu people, who had lived on Ezo Island for generations and had been enslaved by the Japanese, finally broke out. They sailed across the strait in a grand manner and rushed straight to the Japanese island. After landing, they relied on the military equipment provided by the Tang Dynasty to sweep across the Japanese island with the force of a whirlwind, advancing from north to south with unstoppable momentum.

Against this backdrop, the country of Wa was also embroiled in internal strife. After several coups, not only was the succession of the Wa kings broken, but Asuka-kyō was also severely damaged. After Soga no Iruka's death, Soga no Akane ascended the throne with the support of the Tang Dynasty. His first decree was to rebuild Asuka-kyō and to build the "Soga Palace" on the ruins of the original palace as a symbol of his rule over Wa.

Although Japan has dense forests and many large trees, which can be felled to make palace beams and pillars, its construction techniques are backward and it cannot build spacious palaces. Furthermore, due to the scarcity of pigments and brick kilns, it is not possible to make exquisite decorations. Therefore, not only can the palaces not be built too spacious, but they are also rough and simple.

Even when Soga no Akagi sat in the main hall, looking at the "crudely made" palace before him, he was quite disappointed.

In Japan, where architectural skills were severely lacking, it was not easy to build a grand palace. Even this simple palace was hastily built with the help of many craftsmen from Baekje and Goguryeo.

It wasn't that he didn't want to hire skilled Tang Dynasty craftsmen with extensive experience in building palaces, but their prices were too high; he couldn't afford them...

Although he ascended to the throne of Wa and achieved the highest accomplishment that the Soga clan had dreamed of for generations but had never attained, Soga Akage knew in his heart that the Soga clan was now at its weakest point in history, and that he was able to become the king of Wa because of the support of the Tang people.

The Soga clan's wealth should be used to educate their children and send those with exceptional talent to study in the Tang Dynasty, rather than being wasted on a palace.

After all, the Tang people cannot be relied upon for long; improving our own strength is the only long-term solution.

……

Seeing Ōtomo and Ashikaga arrive together, Soga no Akagi was very wary.

The former had failed in his struggle against his own family and had completely withdrawn from the center of power, living a life of vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers on Mount Xiangjiu. The latter had long since faded from the core of power in Japan and was struggling to make ends meet by relying on the family business accumulated by his ancestors. Now that these two had come uninvited, it must be for no good reason.

Even though he suspected these two had malicious intentions, he still couldn't believe that these top nobles of Japan could sell out Japan so completely...

Upon hearing Mononobe Ashikaga's lengthy theory of "enduring hardship to achieve one's goal," Soga Akane was shocked, turned pale, and flew into a rage.

"How can we abandon our Japanese heritage and fawn over the Tang Dynasty?"

Mononobe Ashikaga showed little respect for the King of Wa, retorting, "If you hadn't betrayed the interests of Wa, how could you have ascended to the throne?"

Looking at Soga no Akagi, who was both furious and very guilty, Mononobe Ashikaga continued, "The Soga clan of today is no longer the Soga clan of the past. The reason why they can still occupy a place in Wa and even usurp the throne is entirely due to the support of Tang Dynasty. But what Tang Dynasty wants from the Soga clan is nothing more than the interests of Wa. What the Mononobe clan can give to Tang Dynasty is what the Ōtomo clan can give, what the Nakatomi clan can give, and even double what the Soga clan can give."

Soga no Akashi's anger subsided temporarily, but fear welled up in his heart.

The reason why the Soga clan gained the support of the Tang Dynasty was simply because they had made contact with the Tang Dynasty very early and were wholeheartedly devoted to it.

Today, the value of the Soga clan to the Tang Dynasty has been reduced to its lowest point. The so-called King of Wa is nothing more than a figurehead or a name. The Tang Dynasty can dismiss the Soga clan at any time, or even abolish the title of "King of Wa".

Once the Soga clan is replaced, their fate will be to be devoured and completely destroyed by the newly rising nobles.

Putting aside other matters, the Mononobe and Ōtomo clans, two noble families with deep-seated grudges and entanglements with the Soga clan, would absolutely not allow the Soga clan to live a peaceful life...

After a long silence, Soga no Akane finally spoke, word by word: "What do you intend to do?"

Mononobe Ashikaga chuckled: "Although our two families have different ideologies and have long had disagreements, both of us must acknowledge the contributions of the Soga clan to Japan. Now, their willingness to step down and yield their position for the sake of all Japanese people striving for a brighter future is all the more admirable. So please rest assured that during the negotiations, we will do our best to take care of the Soga clan's interests."

Soga no Aka's face was ashen. Only now did he realize that the abolition of the Wa king and the submission to the Tang Dynasty were already a foregone conclusion, given the alliance between the Mononobe and Ōtomo clans. The only variable was whether the Soga clan would obediently relinquish the Wa kingship or be forcefully destroyed by the two clans' combined forces in Asuka-kyō.

As for trying to gain benefits during the negotiation process, that's wishful thinking.

If the Soga clan dared to utter a single word of "no," they would face attacks from the Mononobe and Ōtomo clans.

We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board.

I couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Soga no Umako, Soga no Emishi, and Soga no Iruka were three outstanding figures who propelled the Soga clan to the pinnacle of power, only to see it fall completely under their rule.

A century from now, his reputation will surely be scorned by his descendants...

Even so, he had no choice but to endure humiliation and accept the coercion of the Mononobe and Ōtomo clans.

*****
In the fifth year of Renhe, in the golden autumn of October.

The waters between Wajima and Iyojima are calm, with scattered islets dotting the azure sea where the sea meets the sky. Seagulls soar and waves crash, creating a delightful scene.

At the dock outside Songshan Castle, a group of high-ranking Japanese officials, including Soga no Akagi, Mononobe no Ashikaga, and Ōtomo no Sakai, who had come to greet the arrival of the Tang naval commander, stared in disbelief at the enormous, imposing super warship that was slowly making its way onto the dock, cutting through the waves.

The massive ship, ten zhang high, had five layers of portholes, each containing a cannon. Four enormous masts stood tall at the bow, creating a heavy sense of oppression. A golden dragon flag fluttered in the wind at the bow, exuding power and majesty.

When this enormous warship docked at the pier, the previously spacious pier suddenly seemed so narrow and cramped...

Da Ban opened his old eyes wide, took two shaky steps forward, looked up at the towering and majestic "Royal Princess" with disbelief on his face: "This...this...even in the world of demons, such a warship could not exist. How did the Tang people build it?"

Compared to Ōtomo no Sako, who had been living in seclusion at the Kōkyūzan Temple and had been detached from the world for too long, Mononobe Ashikaga could be considered one of the most knowledgeable people in Japan today. Upon hearing this, he said in a deep voice, "The shipbuilding technology of the Tang Dynasty is unparalleled in the world. It has five such invincible warships! To this day, the Tang Navy has been able to roam the oceans and is invincible at sea, yet such warships have never participated in a single naval battle."

Everyone looked solemn and amazed, once again feeling the power of the Tang Dynasty.

Even if there were only one such invincible warship, Japan would not be able to build it even with the entire nation's resources. Yet the Tang Dynasty built a full five of them, but did not use them in battle... It is hard to say whether this should be called a waste of resources or extravagance and tyranny.

Thinking on a deeper level, even without such warships, the Tang navy was still invincible. With such warships, even if all the navies of the world were to unite, they would still be no match for the Tang navy...

Da Ban sighed for a long time: "I have also seen the Sui army's five-toothed warships. I thought they were the most powerful and magnificent naval weapons in the world. Who would have thought that just a few decades later, the Tang people would be able to build warships that far surpass the five-toothed warships? Who in the world can become the enemy of the Tang Dynasty?"

These were all core figures in the Japanese power structure, all talented in governing the country. Naturally, they understood that building such a super warship involved not only enormous wealth but also extremely sophisticated craftsmanship, something Japan could hardly match.

Mononobe Ashikaga was somewhat excited: "Perhaps our choice today will be the biggest turning point for Japan. We are willing to endure humiliation and be infamous. Once we submit to the Tang Dynasty, we can learn such advanced technology. When the Japanese also have such super warships in the future, they will surely understand our good intentions."

Soga no Aka and Ōtomo glanced at them sideways, their faces showing disdain.

To portray treason in such a refined and elegant way is utterly shameless...

The Royal Princess was so tall and imposing that its gunwales were much higher than the dock. Therefore, dozens of ropes were first lowered from the ship to lower small boats into the sea. Hundreds of elite soldiers then descended the ropes and boarded the small boats to reach the dock, where they completed the deployment. Only then did important figures disembark and board the dock.

The Japanese soldiers looked at the naval troops disembarking from the "Royal Princess." Their formation was disciplined, their bodies were strong, and their armor gleamed, clearly maintained with grease. Some held firearms, some brandished swords, and some raised shields. The elite and powerful display of these few hundred men alone was enough to crush all of Japan's troops.

This elite force can no longer be described as "one against ten," it would be no exaggeration to say that they can "fight a hundred against one."

When the last small boat arrived at the dock, the dignitaries on board disembarked via the gangplank. Mononobe Ashikaga's eyes widened in astonishment.

Aside from Li Jinxing and Li Yifu, whom I had met during the previous negotiations, there was another young man wearing mountain-patterned armor, with a robust physique and handsome features. This was…

Behind him, Mononobe Maro, who had been keeping a low profile, suddenly lit up and rushed forward. He was stopped by Li Jinxing, who drew his sword. He immediately bowed deeply and respectfully said, "I am Mononobe Maro, a student of the Imperial Academy. I greet the Grand Commandant and the Duke of Yue!"

The other Japanese were instinctively jolted; the most powerful figure from the Tang Dynasty had actually arrived?!