Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Kyoto, Shiwa Teahouse.

Li Jinglong, led by a tea waiter in kimono, walked into the depths of the courtyard.

It's more like an academy than a teahouse. You can see calligraphy and paintings on the screens everywhere, and Li Jinglong can completely understand them. No dyslexia at all.

Because they are all written in Chinese characters.

Under the eaves on the top of the mountain, there hung the sweeping lady. Its somewhat exaggerated eyes were staring at Li Jinglong, making Li Jinglong quicken his pace uncomfortably.

As the shoji door was opened, Li Jinglong took off his boots and put on wooden clogs.

The elite generals of Cao Guogong's mansion, wearing black armor and holding Thousand Ox Swords, were left outside the tea room.

Inside, Gu Jian Miao Kuai, who looked much younger than his actual age, was waiting attentively.

"Hello, Your Excellency, General."

Li Jinglong, who speaks Fengyang Mandarin with a smooth accent, would not be able to deal with it once he meets him.

But our Mr. Cao Guogong has seen the world after all. He knelt down calmly and asked: "Has Master been to the Ming Dynasty? Or is he a native of the Ming Dynasty and came to Japan?"

"I am Japanese and have been traveling to your country for many years."

Gu Jian Miao Kuai casually reported the names of several Zen monks, including Dao Yan, obviously to show that he had the skills.

Li Jinglong also knew in his heart that the shogunate sent a Mingguotong to talk to him to avoid miscommunication.

In this way, the poor interpreter in the mission can save effort in informal situations.

Of course, even in formal occasions, both parties must be talking in Chinese. The so-called interpretation is just to use Japanese to better explain some Chinese words that are subtle, profound and difficult to understand to the Japanese side.

Li Jinglong chose an unmistakable opening line: "Japanese customary utensils are somewhat similar to those of the Ming Dynasty."

"The General made me laugh." Gu Jian Miao quickly smiled and said, "According to the words of the Ming Dynasty, it is the imitation of others."

Li Jinglong smiled reservedly, but did not continue to make incomprehensible comments.

In fact, from what he has seen since entering the teahouse, he can see that Japanese cultural etiquette is indeed, as Jiang Xinghuo said, almost completely derived from China, but with a little bit of his own added.

For example, the Sao Qing Niang (Sunny Day Doll) hanging under the eaves is not much different from the one hanging in the countryside during the Ming Dynasty.

It's just that Chinese sweeping girls are often made into dolls with cloth heads or paper-cuts, with a broom in one hand and a lotus-shaped head; Japan's sunny dolls are wrapped in a square handkerchief with a bamboo cage ball or cotton ball, and then in a round shape. The group painted facial features.

Another example is the shoji gate, which was introduced to Japan from the Song Dynasty and has the same shape.

Gu Jian Miao Kuai took on the mission given by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu: to test the Ming Dynasty's envoy, the general and Cao Guogong Li Jinglong.

But after he exchanged words with Li Jinglong, he couldn't help but sigh.

——Japan has never had such a magnificent person!

This great general of the Ming Dynasty was tall, with handsome features and graceful demeanor, and his conversational style was extraordinary. No matter what he was talking about, he could pick up the conversation calmly and speak clearly and logically.

The important thing is that the general's words were very polite and he didn't seem to have any prejudice against Japan.

What's even more paradoxical is that this general seems to have a very good understanding of the customs, people, and spiritual traits of the Japanese.

This made Gu Jian Miao Kuai beat a drum in his heart.

The Ming Dynasty came prepared!

And this general is so difficult to deal with and so polite. Obviously, there must be something fishy in this.

Otherwise, how can we explain that a powerful man under one person in the Ming Dynasty, even if he is not as majestic as the shogun and the emperor, is still a commander who can command hundreds of thousands of troops and make decisions with a single word, why would he treat Japan, a country in the Ming Dynasty, in the eyes of the people? Why is this small country so understanding and so polite?

You must know that when Gu Jian Miao Kuai was traveling in the Ming Dynasty, when others knew his Japanese identity, even if he didn't say anything, there would be a subtle look of disdain in his eyes.

In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, especially the eyes of the Ming Dynasty's powerful people, Japan was a land of alienation.

Who would go out of their way to study the history, folk customs, and human nature of foreign lands?

There is only one answer, Ming Dynasty is going to attack Japan!

This is not unfounded concern in Japan. This kind of thing was done more than once in the Yuan Dynasty more than a hundred years ago.

The Japanese know very well that they are not far away from China as they imagined.

If the Ming Dynasty passed through North Korea, it would be only one strait away from Japan by land.

If the Ming Dynasty's navy set out from ports such as Ningbo, it would take up to three days to reach Hirado Port.

And the shadow of a war of national annihilation such as "Yuan Kou attacks" has always hung over the Japanese.

Therefore, Gu Jian Miao Kuai, who has finished thinking, has invisibly added a lot of psychological pressure.

Li Jinglong asked curiously as he looked at the couplets and poems held on bamboo poles all over the room.

"Did the master write Japanese literature, or did he study it during the Ming Dynasty?"

"It's Wushan Sinology."

Gu Jianmiao quickly explained it to Li Jinglong, and only then did Li Jinglong understand.

Japanese culture, since the decline of Confucianism centered on Gongqi during the Heian period, has been replaced by Zen Forest Confucianism centered on Gozan Zen monks.

The so-called "Five Mountains" refer to the Zen temple system established in Japan by imitating the official temple system of the Southern Song Dynasty. It includes the Kamakura Five Mountains, the Kyoto Five Mountains and the Kyoto Nanzen Temple. There are a total of eleven Zen temples, forming the "Five Mountains and Ten Temples."

Well, there are eleven out of ten temples, very reasonable, right?

Since Buddhist scriptures are all written in Chinese, Sinology has become a required course for monks. However, the Sinology of this period was dominated by Song studies that explored the study of human nature. Daily documents in the Zen forest mostly use parallel Chinese characters. The forty-six essays in this parallel style often quote scriptures. In addition to quotations from Zen Buddhism, they also quote a large number of Confucian classics, various schools of thought, and even Chinese literary works.

To cope with daily life in Wushan, Zen monks must not only learn to write four or six parallel prose, but also memorize many Chinese classics.

Therefore, Sinology in Wushan flourished unprecedentedly. At that time, Wushan Zen Forest was quite similar to China, especially advocating a luxurious life, and some of the poems and essays it wrote were on par with those of Yuan and Ming literati.

Li Jinglong looked at the think tank of the shogunate in his intelligence and smiled heartily.

"I still have a few authentic paintings by my predecessors here. I will ask my servant to take them to the master's Zen temple later."

Gu Jian Miao quickly hesitated for a moment and said, "Then thank you, General, for your kindness."

The nonsense talk was almost over, and both parties finally got down to business.

"I wonder what the purpose of your Excellency, the General, is to send an envoy to Japan on the orders of the Ming Emperor?" Gu Jian Miao Kuai stared at Li Jinglong's expression through the rising tea smoke.

Li Jinglong remained calm and said: "It is to announce the enthronement of the new emperor of Ming Dynasty to the king of Japan."

Gu Jian Miao Kuai nodded slightly and asked again: "Then, the General, can you tell me in private whether the new Ming Emperor has any intentions regarding the prospecting trade?"

Hearing this, Li Jinglong frowned, his face serious and his aura impressive.

"Is this what the mage asked?"

"Or did Ashikaga General ask?"

"Or is it King Gokomatsu who asked?!"

Gu Jianmiao was startled and quickly apologized: "General, don't get me wrong, I'm just asking out of curiosity."

After that, I never dared to mention this topic again.

Seeing that he had frightened the other party, Li Jinglong slowly let go of his heart.

Scared to death.

Zhu Di had no intention of negotiating trade exploration and cooperation with Japan at all. Even if he did, it would only be possible if Japan ceded territory.

If Li Jinglong were to negotiate with this condition now, he might be so angry that the shogun would draw his sword.

As an official envoy of the Ming Dynasty, only Li Jinglong knew Zhu Di's bottom line and conditions, so Li Jinglong would never dare to let go of his words.

Apart from this little commotion, the two talked for another half an hour and tasted the matcha method, which has long been eliminated in China, and then Li Jinglong was sent out by Gu Jian Miao Kuai.

Cao Afu has been waiting on the carriage outside Jihe Tea House for a long time.

Smelling the smell of alcohol on the butler's body, Li Jinglong asked casually: "What are you doing?"

Cao Afu smiled flatteringly and said: "Master Guo, the young people went to the izakaya opposite and sat for a while."

Li Jinglong himself is not a serious person, and he is not very strict with the servants who have grown up with him. As long as they don't go out of line, he will not get angry and punish them.

Therefore, he just nodded and didn't mention it again.

"Then don't go."

"Ah Da, Ah Er."

Li Jinglong said hello, and the two armored generals responded.

"Go and bring the gift to the ancient sword mage Miao Kuai in the tea room just now."

"yes!"

The two artists will leave with the paintings and calligraphy in the boxes.

Li Jinglong was in the carriage and waited for the two men.

After all, this is Japan. Let these two people go alone. If these two people are harassed on the street and forced to kill people, that will not be good.

As for the attitude of the Japanese, he had basically understood it. As expected, the Japanese knew nothing about the apparent and true purpose of the Ming mission.

The spies in the mission who came from different systems but were generally short in stature had been scattered along the way. What they did and how they returned home was none of Li Jinglong's business.

"Ji Gang's Jinyi Guards, Zhu Gaosui's Jinwu Guards, Dao Yan's spies haha."

Li Jinglong shook his head and explored the Iwami Silver Mine and Sado Gold Mine in Japan. These groups of people should be able to handle it.

Especially the veteran spies under Dao Yan.

Having been hanging out in the North all year round, there are quite a few people who understand Korean and Japanese, and the people chosen are short in stature. After shaving the weird Japanese hair style, there is no obvious difference in appearance.

These spies will automatically investigate the names, cities, villages, garrisons, economic conditions, etc. along the way.

Therefore, Li Jinglong has only one task now, which is to deal with the shogun and return home safely.

As for the economic situation in Kyoto, Japan, he only needs to walk around to get a general idea, and then he can discuss it more and make a job for Zhu Di.

As for the temple situation in Kyoto, Japan, it is not that difficult to deal with. As an official envoy of the Ming Dynasty, there will definitely be a welcome dinner, and all the famous people in Kyoto, Japan will come.

Li Jinglong himself has an excellent memory, and with the help of his subordinates, when these Japanese dignitaries introduce them, he can record them one by one, which is enough to fool Zhu Di.

Well, there is only one thing that is very important right now.

Li Jinglong's expression was a little serious. He looked at the housekeeper Cao Afu and asked.

"Are you ready for the gifts for the Japanese shogun?"

"Ready!" Cao Afu nodded like he was pecking rice.

This is an important matter for the Duke of Guo. Even if you give him a hundred courages, he would not dare to delay it.

According to the intelligence obtained by Li Jinglong, the shogunate has no shortage of gold and silver, but Sinology is very popular in Japan now, so high-end luxury goods are very popular.

Such luxury goods include famous Chinese calligraphy and paintings, exquisite porcelain, high-end silks, and antiques from the Tang and Song Dynasties.

It just so happened that these things were generally small in appearance, and Cao Guogong's mansion was not short of these things. Therefore, Li Jinglong quietly asked his cronies to pack a lot and take them on the ship.

Li Jinglong believed that in order to return to the Ming Dynasty safely now, the shogunate must not be offended.

Spending money is not important at all, what is important is saving your life.

"As long as the shogun can be coaxed over, there is absolutely no way he can detain me!"

Li Jinglong thought secretly in his heart.

Ah Da and Ah Er had already returned from delivering gifts to Gu Jian Miao Kuai, and the team began to return to their residence.

Because he really paid too much attention to it, Li Jinglong returned to his residence and checked the boxes of gifts. Only after confirming that they were correct did he really feel relieved.

"That's good, it must be stable!"

Li Jinglong was very happy. In Japan at this time, this was already the most valuable gift. He believed that even the shogun would be overjoyed when he saw these calligraphy and painting antiques from the Tang and Song Dynasties that were very in line with the current Japanese aesthetics. Crazy.

Seeing his master happy, Cao Afu was also happy.

Cao Afu asked: "Master Guo, shall we send him there today?"

"What are you going to give today?" Li Jinglong asked in slight surprise, "Be clear-headed and wait until Gu Jian Miao Kuai comes to find out what's going on before he goes back and reports to the shogunate. Otherwise, if we send it over in a hurry, wouldn't it be in vain? Giving a gift is also a waste. You have to pay attention to a scale.”

Cao Afu naturally did not dare to say anything and nodded in agreement.

"When will it be sent over?"

"Tomorrow, send it over quietly tomorrow morning, don't let anyone in the mission know!"

Li Jinglong repeatedly urged: "Remember, the current shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi is just a teenage boy, a puppet without real power. The one who truly holds the real power in Japan is the previous generation shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu who lives in Daishouguo Temple. .In addition, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's Godaisho (the title of the Shogun's wife) Hino is also a person who has great influence on the Shogun. Therefore, the gifts given by these three people are different. Don't get confused. Understand. ?"

"Retell it again."

"Send porcelain and books to Ashikaga Yoshimochi, calligraphy, paintings and antiques to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and send horse-face pleated skirts and Shu brocade to the Hino clan of the Imperial Palace." Cao Afu said quickly.

"right."

Li Jinglong nodded with satisfaction.

In this way, everything will be fine!

Looking at the leaving figure of housekeeper Cao Afu, Li Jinglong leaned on his seat and tapped the armrest, humming a tune comfortably.

"The water surged over the mountains, where was the young Zhou Lang? He was wiped out without realizing it! Poor Huang Gai turned to his wounds and groaned. The cannons and oars that broke the cao were extinct for a while. The river where the soldiers were fighting was still hot, which made me feel miserable. This is not a river either. , twenty years of endless heroic blood!"

There is a lot of emphasis on giving gifts, and the emphasis is on seeing the person ordering the food.

I have already inquired about the preferences of several powerful Japanese people in advance, and prepared corresponding precious gifts. I think I will be able to escape smoothly.

Just like Jiang Xinghuo said, the gift is thrown into place and the king shouts long live.

When the time comes, if you continue to pretend to read the edict, the shogun's anger will not become unbearable. If you continue to give gifts, you can escape and return home smoothly.

"As expected of the Fertilizer Immortal!"

"What a perfect plan!"