Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5202 Cultural Extinction
"The Japanese islands are barren, with towering mountains and numerous volcanoes. Their coastal location is also subjected to annual hurricanes, making the living environment extremely harsh. Therefore, in ancient times, they were sparsely populated and desolate. Until the Qin Dynasty, the alchemist Xu Fu was commissioned by the First Emperor to sail out to find immortal mountains and search for divine medicines. However, a storm swept him off course, and he arrived at the Japanese islands. His ships were damaged, and his crew was injured and sick, making it impossible to complete the mission entrusted to him by the First Emperor. Xu Fu dared not return to Qin for fear of punishment, so he took the young boys and girls he had taken on board and settled down in the Japanese islands, where they multiplied and thrived..."

"It's just that because so few people survived, they had to intermarry in order to reproduce. After several generations, their bloodlines became so close that the people became short, weak, and even deformed... But in any case, the blood of the Chinese people flows in the bodies of the Japanese, which is an indisputable fact."

Listening to Fang Jun's eloquent speech, Li Jinxing and Li Yifu stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered.

They had heard the legend of the alchemist Xu Fu, but it was said that he disappeared without a trace after setting sail, probably because his ship capsized in a storm and he was swallowed by fish... But has anyone ever said that he crossed the sea to Japan and multiplied there to this day?

The three Japanese people present were even more bewildered than they were.

How can this be related?
However, the three of them exchanged glances and all felt very excited.

Without a doubt, the bloodline of the Tang people was the purest and noblest in the world. Countless barbarians from foreign lands aspired to become Tang people, but all they achieved was a Tang person's household registration.

If the Japanese and the Tang people truly share the same lineage, and are descendants of the Qin people who crossed the sea during the pre-Qin period... wouldn't that mean all Japanese have the same bloodline as the Tang people?
This is far more prestigious than a mere household registration!

Soga no Aka hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "But such a statement is just empty talk; how can it be believed by people?"

Fang Jun confidently declared, "Do you think I'm talking nonsense? You should send people to the coast of Naniwa to search carefully, and you will surely find the ancient sites where Xu Fu landed and lived."

Soga no Aka: "This...is it really possible?"

He could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood, and actually felt that since Fang Jun spoke with such certainty, there must be some basis for his claims, and perhaps it was true after all...

Fang Jun nodded, his face serious: "There definitely will be!"

Soga no Aka: "..."

Beside him, Mononobe Ashikaga could no longer tolerate this fool. He quietly tugged at Soga no Akashi's sleeve and solemnly nodded: "Grand Commandant is the most famous scholar in the Tang Dynasty. His poetry is unparalleled and renowned throughout the world. He must have read extensively in ancient books and is a scholar of both heaven and man. How can the knowledge he possesses be compared to that of us uncivilized people? If he says it exists, then it must exist."

Since it was possible to give the Japanese people Chinese blood, then regardless of whether Xu Fu's relics actually exist, they must eventually exist.

What difficulty is there in digging up some Tang Dynasty porcelain and bamboo slips after burying them in the ground?
Fang Jun smiled and expressed his approval.

Encouraged, Mononobe Ashikaga was overjoyed: "I wonder if the Grand Commandant has any other specific conditions?"

Fang Jun said solemnly, “I will not participate in the detailed terms. You can discuss them with the Ministry of Rites of the Tang Dynasty yourselves. I only ask for some key points... First, since all the Japanese have decided to submit to the Tang Dynasty and welcome a Tang prince to rule Japan, words are not enough. It must be put in writing so that no one can criticize it. Moreover, it should be engraved on a stone to record this matter and pass it on to future generations.”

Soga nods: "No problem!"

Fang Jun added, "Secondly, once Japan submits to the Tang Dynasty, Chinese will become the official language and Chinese characters will become the official script. Japanese people will not be allowed to speak their local dialect in private, let alone create their own script."

Da Ban exclaimed with delight, "I couldn't be happier!"

"Thirdly, Japan's culture is barren and its history is chaotic. It doesn't even have a proper history book. All its historical origins rely on oral traditions, and it even takes some messy myths and legends as truth. How can this be acceptable? Since Japan has submitted to the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty has the responsibility to rectify the history of Japan and ensure that Japan's history is passed down in an orderly manner. Therefore, a proper history of Japan must be compiled under the supervision of the Ministry of Rites of the Tang Dynasty. How about naming it 'Kojiki'?"

Soga no Akagi looked troubled: "In theory, the Grand Commandant's words are extremely beneficial to the preservation of Japanese history, and we would be very happy to have them. However, Japan is currently in a state of extreme poverty, and compiling such a history book would inevitably consume countless manpower, material resources, and financial resources. Japan simply cannot sustain this."

Japan has never done anything like "compiling books and compiling history".

For a country that doesn't even have its own written language, compiling a history book is simply a pipe dream. That's something only a great empire like the Tang Dynasty could do. As long as their history is mentioned in some texts in Chinese history books, they are proud enough.

Did he "edit and compile history" himself?
Not to mention that we can't afford the money, we don't even have enough people who can write...

Fang Jun didn't take it to heart: "In that case, I can personally provide the funding free of charge, and I will also organize manpower to help Japan compile this book."

To destroy a nation, first destroy its descendants.

To destroy a nation's descendants, first destroy its culture.

History is the root of culture; if we cut off history, we cannot talk about culture.

Apart from the long-standing and unbroken Chinese civilization, all other civilizations, whether in the East or the West, are desperately fabricating and rewriting history. Why? It is to prove the existence of their own historical heritage. Only with this heritage can we have the civilization we have today.

Flowers don't just bloom in the desert out of nowhere; without roots or origin, where do they come from?

In order to avoid the fact that their so-called civilization is ultimately proven to be a branch of Chinese civilization, or even that their ancestors' various "civilizations" were stolen from China, they must perfect their history.

Even if you know it's counterfeit, altered, or even stolen, you have to do it.

In any case, a lie repeated a thousand or ten thousand times will become the truth. In the past fifty or one hundred years, who has continued to distinguish between truth and falsehood today?

Japan's history is already a mess and fabricated at will. Since they will create it themselves in the future, why can't we create it for them now?

The Kusanagi sword, the Yasakani no Magatama, and the Yata no Kagami have never appeared in the royal palace of Wa. There are some folk legends about them, but no one takes them seriously. It was not until the Kojiki and the Genpei Rissui Ki were compiled that they went from mythology to history.

In any culturally impoverished nation in the world, due to the scarcity of history and the obscurity of its origins, it is forced to treat myths and legends as true historical facts, using them to deceive others and itself, and to fabricate a false image of a brilliant and ancient civilization...

Where do modern Japanese people have such advanced knowledge?

Upon hearing that Fang Jun was willing to personally fund the project and organize talented scholars from the Tang Dynasty to help compile the history book, the Japanese present were overjoyed, and flattery and fawning words arose one after another.

It's already difficult to have a history book about Japan, but to be able to associate it with the Tang Dynasty and claim that the Japanese and the Chinese are "of the same origin" is a pleasant surprise.

Fang Jun smiled and continued, "Fourth, all books compiled in Japan thereafter, whether for public distribution or private collection, must be guided, regulated and supervised by the Ministry of Rites and approved. Otherwise, they will be considered illegal, and at worst, they may even be considered 'treason,' with the property of the compilers confiscated and their entire family exterminated."

"This one……"

Several Japanese men hesitated.

Although they lacked the awareness that history was controlled by others, they instinctively sensed danger.

How can culture be carried on and passed down?
The answer lies in books.

Why has China repeatedly fallen and risen during the dynastic changes?
It is because China has countless books that carry the wisdom of our ancestors that future generations can learn from their knowledge and experience. Even if the country is reduced to ruins, it can quickly rebuild through this knowledge and experience.

But what if the books of the Japanese were completely controlled by the Tang Dynasty? Would that be a good thing?

Fang Jun smiled and said, “Gentlemen, there’s no need to worry. This is not a negotiation, but a notification. Japan must accept these conditions I have listed unconditionally, otherwise there is no point in talking. We will immediately board a ship and return to the Tang Dynasty. Japan will then face the most severe sanctions from the Royal Navy.”

The real issue is to completely sever the Japanese people's heritage; as for things like trade and political systems, those are insignificant.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites came to negotiate with the Japanese.

However, no matter what conditions the Tang Dynasty offered, the Japanese had no power to negotiate or refuse. From this day forward, the entire Japanese archipelago would inevitably fall under the rule of the Tang Dynasty...

Mononobe Ashikaga and the others were helpless; faced with Fushun's domineering nature, they were powerless and had no chance to resist.

"We can only comply with the Grand Commandant's conditions, but we also request that the Great Tang send troops to help Japan expel the Emishi and restore the integrity of the Japanese islands."

The Japanese were able to accept the rule of the Tang Dynasty, even if it meant sacrificing their own royal lineage and becoming vassals of the Tang, because the Tang was powerful enough that the strong deserved respect. But the Emishi (Japanese) were different. As slaves who had been driven and enslaved by the Japanese for generations, how could they possibly occupy half of Japan?
Fang Jun resolutely refused: "This is absolutely unacceptable. The Great Tang is a celestial empire, and it bears the responsibility of ensuring the harmonious development and coexistence of all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups in the world, whether strong or weak, are treated equally, demonstrating the responsibility of a great power! The Emishi people have lived on this land with the Japanese for generations, yet they were driven to the cold and barren Emishi Island by the Japanese, where they are still killed, enslaved, and their bloodline is being exterminated and cut off... This is something the Great Tang will absolutely not allow. In order to protect the interests of weaker ethnic groups, Japan will coexist peacefully under the rule of the Great Tang."

Creating and inciting conflict is the only way for those in power to exert their rule. Where there is conflict, there will be struggle; where there is struggle, there will be a distinction between the strong and the weak. By supporting the weak, striking down the strong, and maintaining a balance, they can rest easy.

Mononobe, Soga, and Ōtomo looked at each other, feeling utterly defeated and frustrated.

They had come with great enthusiasm to negotiate with the Tang people, hoping to gain more benefits for themselves, their families, and Japan. They had even prepared a plan on how to betray their country and how to exchange it for benefits. However, they did not expect to encounter Fang Jun, who was so powerful, that there was no room for bargaining at all.

It was less of a negotiation and more of a one-sided visit to receive orders...