Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 178 Ming-Japan Friendship Agreement! The New Twenty-One Demands!
Zhu Yunhuan led the Ming navy to land from the Japanese port.

Not a single shot was fired the whole time.

Japanese civil and military officials, led by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, expressed warm welcome to the arrival of the Ming navy.

As for the fact that the Japanese army was completely wiped out as soon as it set out, these people seemed to have forgotten it completely in an instant.

The Ming Navy is the messenger of peace and the most distinguished guest of Japan. How could Japan be an enemy of the Ming and fight against the Ming Navy?
Those warriors who have died at the bottom of the sea and sacrificed their lives for Japan are, of course, evil traitors and shameful bandits.

They wantonly destroyed the friendship between Ming and Japan, and they should be nailed to the pillar of shame forever.

In order to show his firm attitude of drawing a clear line between himself and the bandits who destroyed the friendship between Ming and Japan, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu ordered the Japanese people not to collect the bodies of the bandits who were buried at the bottom of the sea.

Their bodies were left floating on the sea until they rotted and were eaten by fish.

You must know that at this time, Japan was deeply influenced by the Central Plains culture and burial was still the main method.

Naturally, many family members were heartbroken because they could not collect the bodies.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu also ordered that people should not cry, but should welcome the arrival of the Ming Dynasty army with bright smiles.

Zhu Yunhuan was still very satisfied with this.

This is what the robber deserves.

Since they wanted to go to the Central Plains to burn, kill and loot, then being buried in the sea would be a good ending for them.

"Your Majesty, our country is willing to live in friendship with the Ming Dynasty for generations and will always pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty."

In the general's mansion, Zhu Yunhuan sat in the upper seat, while Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bowed his head and knelt on the ground.

"Since we have been friendly for generations, why did you send a large army to Ming to burn, kill and loot?"

Zhu Yunxun asked coldly.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu hurriedly said, "This matter was all caused by the Ming rebel Huang Zicheng, who instigated discord among us, making us think that the Ming Dynasty was in turmoil and wanted to send troops to purge the Ming Dynasty's rulers. This misunderstanding has occurred. I hope His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will understand!"

After saying that, the kneeling figure turned around and waved his hand, ordering someone to bring up the bound Huang Zicheng:

"Your Highness, it was this man who requested our Japanese army to invade the Ming Dynasty. We have no intention of offending the Ming Dynasty!"

"There is also an agreement!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu frantically took out the agreement he had signed with Huang Zicheng from his arms:

"Your Highness, please look, this Ming traitor signed an agreement with our country in the name of the Ming court. This is enough to prove that our army went to the Ming Dynasty because we were deceived by him. We thought we were going to support the Ming court."

Huang Zicheng actually signed an agreement with Japan?

Although Zhu Yunhuan had already discovered the despicable dealings between Huang Zicheng and Japan.

But the news received by the public were naturally just rumors, without any specific details.

With a wink, Ma He immediately stepped forward and took the agreement from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Zhu Yunhuan opened it and took a look.

I was immediately shocked by the content of the agreement.

Although he had already expected this, he knew that if Huang Zicheng wanted Japan to send troops, he would definitely sign a traitorous treaty.

But I never expected that he would sell it out so thoroughly.

In addition to agreeing to allow the Japanese pirates to plunder the wealth and people of the Ming Dynasty at will, there were a total of twenty-one demands.

If these treaties were really implemented, not only would the people of the Ming Dynasty suffer unprecedented burning, killing and looting, but the Ming Dynasty court would also be completely controlled by Japan, and the country would inevitably be destroyed within a few decades.

This is a treaty that even Qin Hui and Zhao Gou did not dare to sign!

How dare Huang Zicheng?

Zhu Yunhuan raised his eyelids, stared at Huang Zicheng, and said, "You have read so many sage books in vain, but you dare to sign such a humiliating treaty with Japan? What else do you have to say?"

From seeing the appearance of the Ming navy, to the annihilation of the Japanese army, to himself being captured by the Japanese general, Huang Zicheng's mood had already fallen into the abyss.

At this moment, it became calm.

"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit!" Huang Zicheng said, "You deliberately sent me to Japan as an envoy, didn't you want to see this outcome?"

"Everything is within your calculations. What else can I say?"

He finally figured it out.

Why did Zhu Yunhuan let himself go on a diplomatic mission to Japan?

Why did the Ming Navy come directly instead of waiting for the delegation he led to return home?

This is all Zhu Yunhuan’s conspiracy.

He had long anticipated that he would collude with Japan, but he deliberately let it happen.

In this way, it would seem that Japan had taken the initiative to attack the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty's conquest would have the most legitimate reason.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty could use its strong ships and powerful cannons to completely annihilate the Japanese army at sea.

With the strength of the Ming Navy, even if the Japanese army was not stopped in the harbor but encountered on the sea, the outcome of the battle between the two sides would not be much different.

At most, part of the Japanese pirate army could escape in the chaos, but unlike in the harbor, not even a single ship could escape.

Luring the Japanese army to the sea and annihilating it was the strategy that Zhu Yunhuan had planned long ago.

Only in this way can the power of the Ming warships be fully unleashed.

After all, a battleship's cannons were too heavy and bulky to be moved to land.

Without cannons, the Ming expeditionary force would not be able to exert such terrifying and powerful combat power.

Japan has a complex terrain, with mountains everywhere.

Even if the Ming expeditionary force could easily defeat the Japanese army on land, what if the enemy fled to the mountains and used their familiarity with the terrain and environment to fight to the death with the Ming expeditionary force?

After all, the Ming Dynasty had to embark on a long expedition.

After a long time, the soldiers will miss their hometown and will not want to continue wasting time in a foreign country.

Once the morale of the army is weakened, no matter how strong the combat capability is, it will be difficult to perform well.

Conquering Japan is not an easy task.

But if the Japanese army could be lured to the sea, things would immediately become simple.

Huang Zicheng didn't figure this out until now.

It turns out that I am just a pawn being used by others.

Zhu Yunhuan sent him as an envoy to Japan in order to lure the Japanese army out to sea.

"My plan?" Zhu Yunhuan sneered, "If you didn't have the intention of treason, how could you have fallen into it?"

"Now we have the traitorous treaty you signed with Japan as evidence, written in black and white, clearly stated, do you still want to deny it?"

"Come here, arrest Huang Zicheng and execute him after we return to Ming Dynasty."

At the command, the soldiers immediately took him away.

This person still has one last bit of value, which is to let the people of the Ming Dynasty see the fate of traitors.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu smiled and said, "Your Highness, the Respected Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, this is all a misunderstanding. Just explain it clearly. Our country was deceived by Huang Zicheng before, so we signed a friendly agreement with him. We sent troops for the sake of our deep friendship with the Ming Dynasty."

"Well said!" Zhu Yunhuan praised.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was overjoyed.

It would be best if this matter could end here.

He quickly asked someone to bring the wine glass over and said, "I offer a toast to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May the friendship between our two countries last forever and never change."

Zhu Yunhuan did not refuse and also picked up the wine glass, but said: "We have a saying in the Ming Dynasty, 'Brothers should settle accounts clearly'. Although it was a misunderstanding that Japan sent a large army to attack the Ming Dynasty, the artillery shells consumed by the Ming Dynasty navy were quite a lot." "Those artillery shells cost money."

"This amount of money shouldn't be borne by the Ming Dynasty, right?"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was shocked and said hurriedly: "Our country is willing to take full responsibility for this matter."

He reached up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Fortunately, none of the Ming Dynasty's warships were damaged. It's just a matter of paying for the shells. That shouldn't be too expensive, right?

Zhu Yunxun laughed and said, "That's good! Don't worry, I will settle the bill carefully. I will pay you exactly how much money you deserve. I won't ask you for more money than you deserve."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu almost doubted his own ears after hearing what he heard.

The Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is so easy to talk to?
Never ask for a penny more?

"The kindness of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty will never be forgotten by our country."

He bowed his head, raised his glass again and drank it all.

Zhu Yunhuan also took a sip of wine, picked up the agreement signed by Huang Zicheng and Japan, and said, "You just said that you signed this agreement with Huang Zicheng and sent troops to our country for the sake of the deep friendship between us and the Ming Dynasty."

"In fact, this is also the case when I lead the troops here."

"This agreement is a testimony to the friendship between our two countries."

"Therefore, I believe that this agreement should be signed and must be signed!"

"What do you think?"

All the Japanese civil and military officials in the room were silent.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was even more stunned.

What did the Ming Dynasty Crown Prince mean when he said this?
But soon.

They get it.

"All we have to do is swap the names of the two countries on the agreement!"

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said: "Instead of ceding Zhejiang, we will cede the five major ports of Japan. The Ming Dynasty will send troops to station there to ensure friendly trade between the Ming Dynasty and Japan for generations."

"As for the other terms, all we need to do is swap names!"

He was worried about what kind of treaty to sign with Japan.

With this agreement from Japan, he didn't have to think about it anymore.

As the saying goes, "It is impolite not to reciprocate."

Japan wanted to impose this agreement on the Ming Dynasty, but it ended up trapping itself. The agreement was imposed on itself, so who could it blame?
Zhu Yunhuan did not propose to cede large tracts of Japanese territory, mainly because he considered the high cost of ruling and it would be better to only garrison a few ports.

Direct rule is expensive.

Colonization is the most profitable business.

After a little more inquiry, Zhu Yunhuan added: "Also, Japan must allow our Ming Dynasty to open banks and start newspapers."

This was not in the original treaty.

After all, there were no banks or newspapers in Japan yet.

But in Zhu Yunhuan's view, these two items are indispensable.

Only in this way can we control Japan's finance and public opinion and keep Japan firmly under our control forever.

Upon hearing Zhu Yunhuan's words, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and the Japanese civil and military officials present felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Everyone was stunned and no one dared to speak.

They don't understand banks and newspapers.

It doesn't matter.

But the rest of the treaty content is crystal clear.

He never imagined that the unequal treaty he and others had drafted for the Ming Dynasty would eventually be used on his own country.

Once those treaties are signed, the consequences will be disastrous...

When Zhu Yunhuan saw that they were silent, his face darkened.

"What? Don't you want to sign and be friends with the Ming Dynasty forever?"

"I..." Ashikaga Yoshimitsu opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but because his body was shaking violently, he couldn't say anything for a long time.

"Our country is poor, and I'm afraid we can't hand over the cloth and grain here."

After a long while, he finally said this sentence.

"It doesn't matter!" Zhu Yunxun said with a smile: "Then use silver to offset it."

"As far as I know, your country is rich in silver. The Iwami Silver Mine alone can produce a million taels of silver a year."

"There shouldn't be any problem paying a little silver tribute to the Ming Dynasty, right?"

Now that the Ming Bank is printing more and more treasure notes, it also needs more silver as an anchor.

There are not many silver mines in the Ming Dynasty, but there are many in Japan.

"No...no...no...problem!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu stuttered.

The Japanese army was completely wiped out and the Ming expeditionary force had already landed. If we refused at this time, the consequences could be imagined.

At this time, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu no longer had the courage to reject the Ming Dynasty.

What's more, the power of the Ming Dynasty's naval guns is simply beyond the reach of Japan.

"Okay, then sign it!"

Zhu Yunhuan immediately sent someone to come forward and rewrite the treaty.

The content remains basically the same, only the name has been changed.

It changed from "Ming Dynasty's promise" to "Japan's promise".

The tribute of cloth and grain was changed into tribute of silver, and the Iwami Silver Mine was used as collateral.

The five largest ports were permanently open to the Ming Dynasty and defended by Ming garrisons.

The Ming Dynasty can come to Japan to open banks and publish newspapers.

……

The new Twenty-One Demands were officially released.

Afterwards, Zhu Yunhuan and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu signed and exchanged treaties separately.

"Come, let's toast to the friendship between Ming and Japan!"

This time, Zhu Yunhuan poured himself a full glass.

"Cheers to the Ming-Japanese friendship agreement!"

"Cheers to the signing of the new Twenty-One Demands!"

"Cheers to the great friendship between Ming and Japan!"

……

(End of this chapter)