Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 350: Kameikan Coup

Liu Rengui sat behind his desk, carefully reading the intelligence sent by the Yingzhou government, as well as some intelligence sent by Baekje.

All this information is related to Japan.

Liu Rengui has been studying Japan recently, and he found that the Tang Dynasty was too dismissive of this island country.

If we only look at strength, Japan can actually rank second among all the countries in Liaodong, second only to Goguryeo.

Taking into account its special geographical location, in a sense, this opponent is more difficult to deal with than Goguryeo.

After Liu Rengui finished reading it all, he instructed a clerk, "Go and invite General Liu Renyuan over. Oh, and invite General Jiang Ke as well."

Jiang Ke was just transferred from Chang'an by Li Zhi.

Gao Kan was sent to the Hanhai Protectorate by Li Zhi, so he sent another assistant to Liu Rengui.

After a while, Liu Renyuan and Jiang Ke arrived.

Liu Rengui looked at Liu Renyuan without saying a word.

"Governor, what's wrong?" Liu Renyuan touched the back of his head and said with a smile.

Liu Rengui said in a deep voice: "Do you still remember that I sent you to investigate the situation of the Japanese army?"

Liu Renyuan said, "Of course I remember. Didn't I report it to you?"

Liu Rengui said in a deep voice: "Then say it again."

Liu Renyuan frowned and said, "The commander of the Japanese navy is named Abehirafu, the governor of Yuezhou. He has no special abilities and only gained the qualification to lead the army because he was a concubine of Queen Bao."

Liu Rengui picked up a secret letter in his hand and handed it to him.

"Pick it up and have a look."

Liu Renyuan took it and looked at it, and was stunned.

It is recorded here that Abehirov had led troops to conquer Ezo, Hayato, Sushen and other countries many times, and won most of them.

"Governor, where does this information come from?" Liu Renyuan asked.

Liu Rengui: "It was sent by the Internal Affairs Office. They risked their lives to sneak into Japan and get this important information."

Liu Renyuan rubbed his head and said, "That's strange. What kind of ability could a concubine who only pleases Queen Bao have? Could it be that the small country he's conquering is too weak?"

Liu Rengui said: "Don't speculate. There are power struggles within Japan. The rumors about this man may not be true. But the victories he won are all genuine. Don't slack off!"

Liu Renyuan said, "Yes."

Liu Rengui looked at Jiang Ke and said, "General Jiang, how many days have you been in Yingzhou?"

Jiang Ke bowed and said, "I have been here for eight days."

Liu Rengui: "Have you been to Linyu?"

Linyu is an important naval port in Yingzhou. Due to its western location, it is also the naval training base of Yingzhou.

After Liu Rengui realized that he was going to go to war with Japan, he ordered those generals who had never been in the water to go to Yingzhou to familiarize themselves with naval warfare so as to avoid seasickness during the battle.

Jiang Ke hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, I did not go."

"Reason?" Liu Rengui raised his eyebrows.

Jiang Ke said, "Although I am from Tianshui, I grew up in Luoyang. I think I am a decent swimmer, so I didn't go."

Liu Rengui remained silent and asked, "So what have you been doing these days?"

Jiang Ke said: "I have been trying to understand the intelligence of Japan."

Liu Rengui: "Oh, then what did you gain?"

Jiang Ke said sternly, "I do have a discovery that is related to the Japanese prince Nakano Oe."

"Go on."

Jiang Ke said slowly, "I once heard General Pan Long say that Brother Zhong is a man of great skill and power in Japan. Half of the army is loyal to him, and he is fully capable of competing with the Queen of Japan."

"However, since the two arrived at the Chikushi Asakura Palace, all major matters have been decided by the Queen of Japan. Even the appointment of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese navy was decided by the Queen of Japan. Nakano Oe seemed to be marginalized, but he did not resist. This is not normal."

Liu Renyuan interrupted, "That's perfectly normal. Brother Zhong understood the strength of the Tang Dynasty, so he opposed helping Baekje and went against the Tang Dynasty. As a result, he was seen as weak by the Japanese, and thus lost his power."

Jiang Ke frowned and said, "I still think it's abnormal for him to lose power because of such a thing."

Liu Renguidao: "Is that all you want to say?"

Jiang Ke said: "Yes."

Liu Rengui said calmly, "Well, you can go to Linyu and stay there for at least a month before coming back."

"Captain..."

"This is a military order!" Liu Rengui said in a deep voice.

Jiang Ke was stunned for a moment, then bowed and said, "I will obey your orders."

Liu Rengui waved his hand and said, "All of you, please leave."

After Jiang Ke left Liu Rengui's house, he prepared to go back to the house to pack up his things and go to Linyu County.

Liu Renyuan caught up with him from behind and said with a smile, "Brother Jiang, are you dissatisfied with Commander Liu's decision?"

Jiang Ke hesitated and said, "I'm not dissatisfied, I'm just a little confused."

Liu Renyuan laughed and put his hand on his shoulder.

"You're not the only general sent to Linyu by Commander-in-Chief Liu because you think you're a good swimmer! I was sent there too. Later, I realized Commander-in-Chief Liu was right."

Jiang Ke asked: "Why?"

Liu Renyuan patted his shoulder and said, "Because the sea and inland rivers are two different things. Once you see the sea with your own eyes, you will understand!"

Liu Rengui ordered the door to be closed, then sat on a chair, staring at another secret letter sent from Baekje, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty has sent me another treasure."

This secret letter was sent by Jin Yan, and it recorded the news that Zhong Daxiong was preparing for a coup.

Jiang Ke had only been in Yingzhou for a few days when he could keenly notice that something was wrong with Zhong Daxiong.

This insight will surely shine on the battlefield in the future.

However, Liu Rengui was at a loss as to what to do with this secret report.

Since Zhong Daxiong sent people to hunt down the guard, it means that he already knew that the news had been leaked and may have started planning in advance.

If we wait for the emperor to make a decision, it may be too late.

The emperor gave him the power to make his own decisions on military affairs, and now he needs to make an immediate decision and make the most favorable choice for the Tang Dynasty.

He pondered for a long time, then directed outside the door, "Send someone to invite Captain Huang of the Internal Affairs Office over."

……

The setting sun slowly descended below the sea level, the tide was receding, and the bottoms of the two dragon-shaped capes gradually emerged.

From a distance, it looks like a dragon holding an emerald dragon ball in its mouth.

This bead is the Chikushi Asakura Palace.

Chikushi Asakura Palace was the imperial palace of the King of Wa, located at the northernmost coast of Chikushi Province.

The palace is built against the mountain and facing the sea.

There is a high platform facing the sea to the west of the palace. Standing here, you can clearly see the water fort twenty miles east of the palace.

There are thousands of ships in the water fort, all of which are large and small. To be precise, this water fort is composed of countless ships connected end to end to form a square formation.

Every night, Brother Zhong would stand on the high platform and watch the soldiers' training in the water fort.

The Japanese are experts in naval warfare. Among the dozens of island nations in the East, large and small, they are the absolute kings.

No matter what kind of enemy you face in normal times, there is no need to train, just send troops to fight.

However, this time they were facing the powerful Tang Dynasty, which was not comparable to the Eastern countries, so the Japanese were very cautious.

This battle is crucial.

If they can win, their influence can be exerted on land again and they can gain the respect of the major powers on land.

They could also use the power of victory to negotiate and send envoys again to learn about the culture and technology of the Tang people.

If they fail, they may become marginalized in the world for the next few hundred years.

Of course, before dealing with the enemy of Datang, Zhong Daxiong still had another enemy to deal with first. That was his mother, Queen Bao.

A sound of footsteps was heard behind him, and Brother Zhong knew who was coming just by listening to the sound.

"Kamata, I hope you bring me good news." Nakada-nii said without turning his head.

Nakatomi Kamatari came up to him, lowered his head, and said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry, but we still haven't caught the escaped guard."

After a long silence, the elder brother said resolutely, "If that's the case, then we have no choice but to act in advance."

Nakatomi Kamatari said, "There are still many people in the palace who are loyal to Queen Bao. In addition, Abehirafu is hindering us. If we act now, the chances of success are not great."

The elder brother Zhong said, "If the news leaks out, there will be no chance at all."

Nakatomi Kamatari said, "According to the news sent back, the guard fled to Ungjin Port and may have fallen into the hands of Buyeo Fuxin."

"so what?"

Nakatomi Kamatari said, "Based on my understanding of Fuyu Fuxin, even if he captures the guard, he will just sit back and wait and see what happens. He would be happy to see us fighting among ourselves and won't react in any way."

Zhong Daxiong raised his hand and said, "You have overlooked the counselors around Fuyu Fuxin. This matter is of great importance. We cannot pin our hopes on the enemy."

Nakatomi Kamatari said, "I understand. I will make the arrangements right away."

The middle brother narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you know when I'm going to take action?"

Nakatomi Kamatari whispered, "If we want to advance the time, then tomorrow when the Silla envoys come to pay their respects to the Queen will be the best opportunity."

Zhongdaxiong smiled and said, "Kamatari, you are indeed my best advisor. Mother wants to use the Silla people as a surprise attack and doesn't want too many people to know about her meeting with the Silla envoys. She will definitely choose to meet outside the palace. This is our best opportunity."

Nakatomi Kamatari laughed and said, "I guess it's not just the Queen who wants to keep it a secret. The Silla envoy probably doesn't want anyone to know about it either."

Zhong Daxiong smiled slightly.
The Silla people have always looked down on the Japanese. This time, they were only moving closer to Japan because they were humiliated so badly by the Tang Dynasty and had no choice but to do so.

In Zhong Daxiong's opinion, the Silla people are not trustworthy at all. As long as the Tang Dynasty beckons, they may get rid of Japan at any time.

However, in the current situation, it is not a bad idea to make a false move with the Silla envoy.

"Kamata, where do you think mother will choose to meet with the Silla envoy?" he asked.

"Kameikan." Nakatomi Kamatari said without hesitation.

Zhongdaxiong nodded.

Kameikan is located in an open area, making it difficult to ambush troops around it. It is also very close to Chikushi Asakura Palace, so if any problems arise, troops can be dispatched to rescue at any time.

"Well, you can arrange the rest. I allow you to mobilize the Shenzhao Army."

"Also, be careful of Abebirov. Although he climbed up the ladder by serving his mother, he does have some real skills and should not be underestimated."

Nakatomi Kamatari said, "Don't worry, I have made all the necessary preparations. Abehirov will not appear at Kameikan tomorrow."

Japan has abundant hot springs and many hotels are built on hot springs. Resting here allows you to soak in the hot springs for recuperation and also to rest and relax.

Kameikan is the largest hot spring hotel in Chikushi Province.

For many sea merchants, the greatest enjoyment during a voyage is to take a bath in Kameijukan.

However, early this morning, all the guests at Kameikan were kicked out, and no one knew the reason.

This was a common occurrence. Whenever an important noble needed to take a bath at Kameikan, the common people would have to take the initiative to avoid them.

Japan has a strict hierarchy, and each branch of the nobility has been passed down for hundreds of years. There is an unbreakable wall between them and the common people.

No matter how politically turbulent or how the court changes, the nobles will always be nobles, and the common people will not be able to ascend to the nobility.

Therefore, the common people of Japan have a heartfelt awe for the nobles and would never dare to act rashly.

Kameikan has three floors. On weekdays, the top floor is closed and not open to the public. It is only for serving the nobility.

This floor is open and extremely spacious, luxuriously decorated, and the entire floor is covered with shaggy carpets.

The entrance consists of four lattice doors and there are no windows except for ventilation holes.

There are not many lights in the house, but it is as bright as daylight, because there are pearls hanging on all four walls. The pearl light is soft and warm, which makes the guests in the house happy.

Jin Renwen was kneeling in the room at this moment, but he was not in a happy mood.

He had been waiting for more than two hours and his feet were numb from kneeling.

Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and Wa.

The geographical location and relationship between these four countries are very strange.

Among the four countries, Wakoku and Goguryeo were strong, while Silla and Baekje were weak.

The two powerful countries, Goguryeo and Wa, happened to sandwich Silla and Baekje.

Baekje's choice was to make friends with Goguryeo and Japan at the same time and deal with Silla first.

Silla broke out of its small circle, submitted to the foreign power Tang, and became hostile to the other three countries.

Now, Silla was forced by the situation to show goodwill to Japan, but was ignored by the Japanese, and there was nothing it could do.

Of course, Jin Renwen knew that the Japanese were just pretending to be indifferent.

Faced with an enemy like the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese could not refuse Silla's goodwill.

Silla and Japan had been at loggerheads in Chang'an for a long time, and Jin Renwen even beat up Japanese envoys.

The other party obviously just wanted to curb his arrogance and make him understand the current relationship between superiors and subordinates.

There are four mats in the room, three in the north, one in the middle, and the other two on the left and right. These are the host's mats.

Jin Renwen's mat was on the south side, and he was kneeling in front of three empty mats, which was simply a humiliation.

Not only that, the three mats on the north side are thicker and taller, as if several mats were sewn together, so when kneeling on them, people will appear taller.

Jin Renwen's mat was very thin, like a layer of tree bark.

Jin Renwen closed his eyes and knelt quietly on the tree bark-like mat, waiting.

After an unknown amount of time, footsteps were suddenly heard and Jin Renwen quickly stood up.

Queen Bao walked into the house surrounded by a group of people.

Although Queen Bao is over 50 years old, she looks only in her 40s and still has her charm.

She walked into the room without looking around, only looking at Jin Renwen out of the corner of her eye.

Jin Renwen bowed his head and saluted, "Messenger Jin Renwen, I pay my respects to the King!"

Queen Bao did not say anything until she walked to the mat and sat down, placing her well-maintained hands on her knees before she spoke.

"The foreign envoy has come a long way and has worked hard. I forgot the time while taking a bath and kept him waiting for so long. Please don't blame me."

Jin Renwen hurriedly said, "I dare not."

Queen Bao extended her hand and said, "Please sit down and talk."

Jin Ren asked and thanked her before sitting down. Looking up, he saw two people sitting next to Queen Bao, one of whom was Abianmalu, whom he had met in the Tang Dynasty.

Abianmaro said with a smile, "Prince Jin, it's been many years since we last met, but you're still as charming as ever."

Jin Renwen whispered, "You too."

Abianmaro laughed and said, "I thought it would be the Prince Jin who came, but I didn't expect it to be the Prince Jin."

Jin Renwen's heart sank.

The reason why the King of Silla sent him instead of Kim Beom-min was very simple.

If this matter were to be exposed and the Tang Dynasty were to hold him responsible, the King of Silla would not hesitate to hand him over to the Tang Emperor for punishment.

Abenmaro obviously saw this and deliberately attacked him.

The person sitting on the left of Queen Treasure was obviously of higher status. He was about forty years old, with a dignified face. His name was Soga no Akae, and he was in charge of the Chikushi leader.

When Jin Renwen saluted him, he crossed his arms and just nodded as a return of the greeting.

After the ceremony, Queen Bao asked Jin Ren, "The foreign envoy has come to visit. What do you want to discuss with our country?"

Jin Ren asked, "Our country hopes to form an alliance with yours and provide mutual assistance. We also hope to purchase your horses..."

Before he finished speaking, the faces of the people in the room suddenly changed.

Because there was a sound of weapons clashing outside.

(End of this chapter)