Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 219: Tsushima Storm, Emperor Hongwu is also looking for the elixir of immortality?! [Subscription Request]

Ushi Island.

It is considered the middle island of Tamra Island.

There is also a water fort built by the Goryeo navy here.

Because the handover had not yet been completed, Choi Jin stationed his Goryeo troops on the island.

In recent days, he has been keeping track of Zhu Di's movements and news through his spies among the civilians on the island, in order to be the first to know the results of Seremo's attack on Zhu Di.

On this day, a local fisherman entered the water fort.

Soon, Cui Zhen's shocked and angry voice was heard from the best house in the water fort.

"What? The Mongols actually failed?!" Cui Zhen refused to believe it. "What's Seremo doing? I provided them with so many weapons and armor, they were familiar with the terrain, and someone even informed them of Zhu Di's marching route. With so many advantages, they still failed?!"

The "fisherman" who came to report the news said, "I heard that Seremo was unable to break out of the Ming army's encirclement, and his life or death is unknown."

"Do you mean that Seremo might have been captured by the Ming army?" Cui Zhen looked frightened.

The fisherman shook his head, "I don't know either."

Cui Zhen paced back and forth, looking nervous. "No, I can't gamble—if Zhu Di finds me based on the clues provided by Selemo, I'm finished, and even the Cui family will suffer!"

Thinking of this, Cui Zhen first waved his hand to let the "fishermen" leave, then called several of his generals and said, "Hurry and prepare, we must leave Jeju as quickly as possible!"

These mid- and low-ranking generals didn't understand why, but they immediately carried out Cui Zhen's order...

Jeju City, the prefectural government office.

Zhu Di was discussing the island's ranch with Daoyan and Qi Xiang when Zhu Liang, deputy commander of the Guard, came in to report, "Your Highness, the Guangming Guard has reported that Cui Zhenzhen is preparing to evacuate Niu Island."

Zhu Di nodded, "I understand."

Zhu Liang retreated.

Qi Xiang asked curiously, "Since Your Highness has inferred Cui Zhen's involvement based on the clues provided by Seremo and others, why didn't you arrest him for questioning? Instead, why did you allow him to return to Goryeo?"

Zhu Di laughed and said, "Even if he is the mastermind of the attack, what difference does it make if I capture him? Not only does Goryeo not dare to go to war with the Ming Dynasty, but the imperial court has no intention of doing so either."

"Even if I can prove Cui Zhen's guilt, Goryeo will simply hand him over to the Ming Dynasty for disposal. And what good will killing Cui Zhen bring to me or the Ming Dynasty?"

"If we keep him, things will be different—this will become a loaded but unfired musket. If needed, even if it doesn't deal a fatal blow to Goryeo, it can at least cause further damage."

After hearing what Zhu Di said, Qi Xiang looked enlightened.

Originally, he had vaguely sensed from the documents and imperial edicts appointing him as the commander of the Yingzhou Guard that the court might plot against Goryeo in the future.

Now, after hearing what Zhu Di said, he became even more certain of this matter.

This made Qi Xiang excited and delighted. Yingzhouwei was so close to Goryeo. If the imperial court really wanted to conquer Goryeo, he would have no shortage of opportunities to make meritorious contributions. If he could seize the opportunity, he might even be granted a title in the future!

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It was also a certain day in October of the 16th year of Hongwu.

Tsushima Island, the royal fortress.

The current head of the Zong family, Zong Jingmao, is meeting with a businessman from the Ming Dynasty.

The So clan had been the lord of Tsushima for just over a hundred years, and Muneshige was the fifth-generation lord, known for his shrewdness and cunning.

After he became the head, in order to increase income, he sent envoys to present gifts to the King of Goryeo, thereby strengthening the trade relationship between Tsushima and Goryeo and obtaining more profits from trade between Goryeo and Japan.

He opened many trading houses on the island, attracting merchants from Goryeo, Japan's Oshima and China to trade and earning the difference.

After gaining control of Tsushima, the So clan experienced the Bun'ei War (the first Mongol invasion of Japan) and the Kōan War (the second Mongol invasion of Japan), which severely damaged their vitality and made them extremely poor.

But more than ten years after Sonojimo succeeded as head of the family, the So family became many times richer than before.

Zong Jingmao treated ordinary Ming merchants with great respect, not to mention the visitor who seemed to have a background in the Ming court. Therefore, he met this person with high etiquette, even appearing a little humble.

"I wonder what Mr. Wu wants to see me about?" After a few pleasantries, Zong Jingmao asked in not very fluent Chinese.

Wu Kun said calmly, "I am here to bring great wealth to the Patriarch."

Hearing this, Zong Jingmao's heart tightened, and he asked calmly, "I wonder what this great wealth is?"

Wu Kun said, "Since this spring, our Ming navy ships have been sailing through the strait many times. I'm sure the clan leader has noticed this."

"That's right." Zong Jingmao nodded.

When the weather is good, you can even see Dongnae (Pusan) of Goryeo from Tsushima Island. The Ming navy that passes through the strait is always large, so it is difficult for the people of the Zong family not to notice it.

In fact, when the Zong family saw more than a dozen Ming navy ships appear on the sea for the first time, they were all in a panic, thinking that the newly established Ming Dynasty would also invade Japan like the Mongols did in the past.

At that time, Japan was still under the rule of the Kamakura shogunate. Although the Kamakura shogunate was already in decline, it could still mobilize most of Japan's forces to fight against the Mongols.

Even so, the first head of the Zong family was killed in the first Mongol invasion of Japan, and the Zong family was almost destroyed.

As for the second Mongol invasion of Japan, if it were not for the divine wind, the Tsushima clan would probably have been wiped out.

However, Japan is now in a state of confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Although the Northern Dynasty controlled by the Ashikaga clan's Muromachi shogunate has obvious advantages and has the potential to unify the north and the south, Tsushima Province is in the southwest of Japan after all. Even if the So clan defected to the Northern Dynasty, the Northern Dynasty would be unable to reach it.

As for the Southern Dynasty, its national strength was declining and it was possible that it would be destroyed by the Northern Dynasty one day, so it was even less likely to help the Zong family.

In other words, if the Ming Dynasty sent troops to attack Tsushima at this time, the So family could only rely on themselves.

The Zong clan now has only a few thousand people and two or three hundred soldiers. The Ming army only needs to send out a thousand people, and there is no chance that the Zong clan will survive.

This was the reason why the Zong family was frightened when they discovered the Ming navy.

Fortunately, the Ming navy only replenished fresh water on Tsushima Island and did not send troops to seize the island. It stayed for one night and then set sail.

After that, the Ming Dynasty fleets, both large and small, passed by several times, and all of them were like this. This finally put Zong Jingmao's heart at ease, and he thought to himself: The Ming Dynasty is indeed worthy of being the Han Dynasty court, and it is truly a country of etiquette.

Despite this, Zong Jingmao remained wary of the Ming Dynasty, wondering when to send an envoy to meet the Ming Emperor and obtain some promises so that he could feel at ease.

However, Zong Jingmao did not expect that before he sent anyone to the Ming Dynasty, people from the Ming Dynasty court had arrived first.

Wu Kun asked, "Master Zong, do you know why our Ming navy has traveled to the north of the ocean so many times?"

Zong Jingmao was really curious about this, so he asked, "What's going on?"

Wu Kun seemed to glance around subconsciously before lowering his voice and saying, "Looking for the elixir of immortality."

"Looking for the elixir of immortality?!" Zong Jingmao was shocked and almost said this in Japanese.

Since Japan sent envoys to China during the Han Dynasty, it has known the legend that Qin Shihuang sent Xu Fu to the East China Sea to search for the elixir of life. There are even many people in Japan who believe that they are the descendants of the 3,000 boys and girls that Xu Fu brought with him.

Although the So clan had been the lord of Tsushima for only over a hundred years, they were descended from the So clan of the Heian period. In fact, they were also an old-fashioned Japanese aristocracy with a family cultural heritage. Sotsune Shigeru naturally knew the story of "Xu Fu searching for the elixir of immortality for Qin Shihuang."

It was because he knew this story that he was particularly surprised.

In fact, since Qin Shi Huang, China has experienced many unified dynasties. It seems that only Emperor Wu of Han sent people to sea to search for the elixir of life. Other emperors sought immortality and asked alchemists and Taoists to make elixirs to prolong their lives.

In his opinion, the Hongwu Emperor who founded the Ming Dynasty was able to drive out the Mongols and revive the Han Dynasty. He should be a monarch with great ambitions and strategies. Why would he send people to look for the elixir of immortality?
But then again, when it comes to grand ambitions and strategies, Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi are among the top emperors in Chinese history.

These thoughts flashed through Zong Jingmao's mind, and he believed most of Wu Kun's words.

Then he became happy.

"The Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was going to emulate the Qin and Han emperors in seeking the elixir of immortality, and he certainly wouldn't have the same ambitions as the Mongols did, targeting Japan."

"If the Ming Dynasty doesn't plan to attack Japan, then my clan will be safe from the Ma Kingdom."

Just as Zong Jingmao was thinking this, Wu Kun said again: "This matter is a secret of the Ming Dynasty. Please don't spread it to others, Master Zong."

"Yes, yes, I will never tell anyone else a word." Zong Jingmao nodded hurriedly, then asked curiously, "What do you mean by overwhelming wealth and honor?"

Wu Kun smiled and said, "Your Majesty has heard rumors that the elixir of immortality is likely to be in the far north of the ocean, or even in the east of the ocean."

"No matter which direction we go, it will be a long process for our Ming navy to find the elixir of immortality. I don't know how many times we will pass by Tsushima Island in the next ten or twenty years."

"The navy searching for the elixir of immortality might also carry some overseas secrets with them on their journeys. Therefore, Tsushima Island is extremely important to our Ming Dynasty."

Hearing this, Zong Jing Maocai's heart, which had been at ease, suddenly began to hang in his stomach again, and he felt even more uneasy than before.

Wu Kun continued, "Therefore, Your Majesty hopes that the head of the clan can lead the entire nation of Tsushima to submit to the Ming Dynasty and make this island ours."

"This way, our Ming navy can not only more comfortably replenish supplies and rest on this island, but also keep the secrets related to the Immortal Seeking safe and sound."

"Although I'm not the official envoy, I'm here to communicate with the head of the Zong family. As long as the Zong family voluntarily submits, they will undoubtedly be granted a hereditary military position, and even a knighthood is possible in the future."

Zong Jingmao felt bitter and had no mood to listen to what Wu Kun said next.

Although the So clan was under the control of the emperor and the shogunate in Japan, as a feudal lord, they had great autonomy, equivalent to a local emperor.

If he surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, let alone being granted a hereditary military position, even if he was granted a title, he probably wouldn't be able to become the local emperor of Tsushima Island.

How would Zong Jingmao be happy?
The question is, since the Ming Dynasty has set its sights on Tsushima Island, can the Zong family refuse?
Unless the Muromachi shogunate unified the north and the south before the Ming Dynasty sent troops to invade, and then unified the strength of the entire country of Japan to fight against the Ming army, just like the Kamakura shogunate fought against the Mongols.

The chances of this happening are too small.

According to Sonomoto's assessment of the situation in Japan, it would take Ashikaga Yoshimitsu at least five or six years to clear all obstacles if he wanted to unify the north and the south.

"Counting the founder of the Zong family, Wei Zong Chongshang, our Zong family has fought for six generations to manage Tsushima to such a prosperous state today. Do we really want to give it up so easily in exchange for a hereditary military position in the Ming Dynasty?"

"I won't give up!"

Zong Jingmao gritted his teeth, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and he had made up his mind.

He immediately smiled at Wu Kun and said, "This matter is truly too serious. Could you allow me some time to think about it before giving me a reply?"

Wu Kun seemed not to notice his strange expression and said with a smile, "Of course you can, but His Majesty is keeping a close eye on this matter. I can only wait for you for a month."

Zong Jingmao looked grim, "How can such a big thing be decided in one month?"

Wu Kun said, "One month is already very long. Your clan has only a few thousand people. Even if you want to call everyone for a meeting, it will only take a few days. The clan leader thinks one month is not enough. Does he have other intentions?"

Zong Jingmao hurriedly said, "I dare not, I dare not."

This secret talk ended here.

Zong Jingmao respectfully escorted Wu Kun out of the fort. After returning, he spent an entire afternoon writing a letter.

He then sealed the letter with a bamboo tube and sealing wax and handed it to a capable and trusted family member.

"You take my token and deliver this secret letter to Muromachi. The letter is with me, but I am dead if I lose it!"

The family bowed solemnly, "Ha Yi!"

That night, the moon was high in the sky above the sea.

Wu Kun was reading at night on a Ming merchant ship docked at the northern port of Tsushima.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. After getting Wu Kun's permission, he came in, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Highness, the Zong clan has sent people to the big island (main island, Kyushu)."

Wu Kun smiled when he heard this, "Very good."

He then stood up and walked to the cabin window, looking at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, muttering, "Now it all depends on how Ashikaga Yoshimitsu reacts."

　Second update.

　　Good night~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)