Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 107 An unexpected discovery

In the sixty-seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, ten thousand Jinyi Men slaughtered their way through the ruling class of Korea. Amid the Korean civilians' excited cries of "loyalty" and "gratitude," the Jinyi Men began to cross the sea, and contact with them was temporarily cut off...

[After all, this was an era without radio. If it was a land war, you might still be able to receive battle reports from the front, but it would be impossible to transmit battle reports from the front in a timely manner during a cross-sea expedition like this!]

So, you don’t know what’s happening on the front lines.

[But this is not important. You are convinced that your side will not lose. Even if they encounter a storm like the one the Yuan army experienced, you believe it will not cause too much damage to the Astartes. As long as they can reach Japan, victory is already secured!]

[So, you put all your energy into governing the country...]

After all, the Ming Dynasty had only just recovered from its chaotic political situation. While the people were barely prosperous, their foundation was still too weak... Now that they had annexed Korea, they would inevitably have to provide a lot of manpower and material resources to Korea. This would inevitably put considerable economic pressure on the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

Therefore, you must do your utmost to develop water conservancy projects and provide disaster relief. Only in this way can the Ming Dynasty safely absorb Korea.

[After the digestion is complete, the Ming Dynasty will no longer have only the two capitals and thirteen provinces, but will have fourteen provinces. After Japan is conquered in the future, I am afraid that the fifteenth, sixteenth, or even more provinces will be established...]

【And this also reflects the change in your policy on governing the country! 】

[In your previous life, during your thirty years in power, you never initiated a war. While this was certainly due to your busy internal strife with the Divine Emperor, it also reflects your philosophy of governing.]

Your philosophy of governing a country is pacifistic and conservative. You don't like to launch aggressive wars at will like a warmongerer.

Because you deeply understand that wantonly launching a war of aggression harms both others and yourself. As a time traveler from the future, you do not want the Ming Dynasty to destroy anyone else's country, nor do you want the Ming Dynasty to turn foreign civilians into pariahs or second-class people, let alone colonies!

The true sun once told you: All people in the world are equally oppressed. No one is nobler than anyone else, and no one should enslave others. Everyone should unite and join forces to declare war on the ruling class that oppresses the world!

Opposing hegemonism does not mean you will become a hegemon yourself, and opposing others invading your country does not mean you will invade others' countries.

Those who hate foreign invasions of their own country, yet want to invade and enslave other countries under the banner of "justice" are completely ridiculous and despicable...

[So, you have never liked foreign aggression. In the past thirty years of your previous life, you never took the initiative to invade other countries.]

But why is this life different? Why did you initiate foreign aggression in this life?

Reason one: The war you intend to launch is not one that turns foreigners into slaves or second-class citizens. Instead, you intend only to destroy the ruling class of foreigners and then classify them as members of the Ming people, treating them equally, without any special discrimination or oppression.

[Plus, the targets you choose to attack are countries like Korea and Japan, which are already within the cultural influence of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, their civilians are not very hostile to the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, this war should be called "punishing the criminals to comfort the people" rather than a war of aggression.]

[You believe that under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, they will definitely live better than before! ]

[The second reason is that you want to use this as a large-scale experiment regarding divine power...]

You've already tried this before. The people of Korea and the Ming Dynasty are all capable of generating divine power, while the people of Japan and other countries cannot. After ruling out the concept of "bloodline," the only remaining questionable factor is "nationality."

[But your previous small-scale experiment has gone wrong again. The "nationality" seems to be correct, but it also seems to be wrong: Ming people living in foreign countries can still generate divine power, while foreigners who recently obtained Ming nationality have no divine power reaction, but all Koreans can generate divine power...]

[Nationality sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. What kind of bizarre logic is this?]

After much doubt, you finally come to a concept similar to nationality, but not identical: "culture!"

[The Sinicized Xianbei, Khitan, Mongolian, and even Korean people who used Ming culture were able to generate supernatural powers, but the Japanese, Annan, and Westerners who did not use Ming culture could not.]

Does this mean that divine power originates from "culture"?

[So after much deliberation, you decided to conduct a large-scale cultural assimilation experiment, hence your declaration of war against Japan. Once you defeat the Japanese shogunate, you will spread Ming culture there and attempt to assimilate it...] [...]

[In the sixty-seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, the Ming Dynasty sent troops to Japan, intending to take over all of its territory!]

In the sixty-eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, Ning Bufan, the governor of Korea, reported victory to the imperial court: the army that had crossed the sea to attack Japan had captured every important city in Japan. Under the divine power of the Jinyiwei, the Japanese army had no chance of resistance, and in just one year, they had conquered almost the entire country!

[When the imperial court heard this, they were greatly delighted!]

In the sixty-ninth year of the Chongzhen reign, Ning Bufan once again reported victory to the imperial court: the army had captured Edo, the seat of the Japanese shogunate, and had captured the Tokugawa Shogun, his family, and his close ministers. They would soon return to the Ming Dynasty to report their victory!

In that year, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese invasion, Yu Anmin, entrusted the bulk of his troops to his deputy, Lu Zhongcheng, ordering him to remain in Japan to maintain stability. Yu Anmin himself, along with his deputy, Gao Yiming, returned to Ming with the captured Japanese dignitaries.

[That year, they passed through Korea, crossed the Yalu River, and then went through Liaodong... and finally entered the capital through Shanhaiguan.]

[You were so happy that you held a grand welcoming ceremony for them! ]

[From then on, the Japanese nation that had provoked the Wanli Aid Korea War was officially declared destroyed, and became the second foreign nation to be destroyed by you after Korea...]

【…】

In the sixty-ninth year of Chongzhen's reign, you hosted a banquet in the Prime Minister's residence, entertaining not only the heroes who had contributed to the war against Japan, but also the Tokugawa Shogun of Japan, his family, and his ministers. Even the King of Korea was invited to join you...

During the banquet, Yu Anmin happily introduces each captive to you, from the Tokugawa family's retainers to the general's wife, children, and grandchildren... and finally, the all-important general!

“This is the Shogun of Japan, his name is Tokugawa… What’s his name? I forgot…”

[Shogun Tokugawa: ...Just assume that I don't understand Chinese.]

You smiled and said nothing more, just asking everyone to start eating.

The guests breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness it wasn't all about fighting and killing..."

However, while eating, you suddenly remembered something, so you curiously asked Yu Anmin: "Why do we only see the Shogun and not their Emperor?"

【"Emperor?"】

Yu Anmin was stunned for a moment, then turned to his already drunken deputy, Gao Yiming, and asked, "Old Gao! What is the Emperor?"

"What emperor?"

Gao Yiming shook his head, holding his wine glass. He then asked General Tokugawa: "My Prime Minister asks you, where is your Emperor?"

The general was stunned and asked his attendants cautiously...

“What is the Emperor?”

【you:?】