Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said with a somewhat speculative tone.

"Could it be that General Li Jinglong wanted to be kind to the Muromachi shogunate and let the shogunate remember his kindness, so he gave a hint in advance to prevent me from losing my temper at the dinner and ruining the event?"

Thinking of this, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was not only a little moved.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was already prepared to fall out with Mingguo.

After all, the Ming Dynasty's mission came without warning and was so mysterious.

Moreover, high-level officials from the Ming Dynasty such as General Li Jinglong were dispatched to personally lead the team.

It’s hard to believe there’s nothing said in it.

But now, all the mysteries have been unveiled.

General Li Jinglong had already used Chinese allusions to tell him that all this happened only because the new Ming Emperor was more concerned about face, and after he ascended the throne, he was eager to show off his power to the other barbarians.

General Li Jinglong is a mature and stable temple master. If he does not read the potentially insulting edict in public, he may not be able to explain to the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

And if an insulting edict is read out in public without him getting a hint in advance, it is likely to destroy the exchange between the Ming Dynasty and Japan and ruin the mission of General Li Jinglong.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu put himself in his shoes and thought about it. He was also a general, and he was under one person. If the emperor had the authority and military power of the Ming Emperor, would he be as fearful as General Li Jinglong?

Definitely!

Therefore, General Li Jinglong could only use this euphemistic, clever, and temple-wisdom way to tell himself that the Ming Dynasty had no intention of using force against Japan.

Similarly, if Ashikaga Yoshimitsu can endure the temporary insult like Wei's powerful official Sima Yi, and then send an envoy to follow the Ming envoy back to the Ming Dynasty, it will give Ashikaga the face of the new Ming emperor.

Then Ashikaga Yoshimitsu will be like Sima Yi and get the two things he dreams of.

"Shu Brocade" and "Wei".

That is to say, Kanhe trade and the emperor's throne for future generations.

Look, this is the skill of the top temple masters in the Ming Dynasty!

In this way, he informed Ashikaga Yoshimitsu of his attitude without leaving any clues, and at the same time promised enough benefits, so that the exchanges between the two parties had an extremely favorable foundation, and he also successfully completed the tasks assigned to him by the Ming Emperor. Tough task.

And all this was just a few boxes of women's clothing and Shu brocade.

"High! It's really high!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu not only sighed repeatedly.

Gu Jian Miao Kuai suggested: "General Li Jinglong has good intentions. Whether he did it intentionally or unintentionally, he has actually helped you. I suggest that we should give him the highest courtesy, otherwise it will not be enough to express our gratitude."

"good!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said happily: "I will receive this great general of the Ming Dynasty with the etiquette of receiving the emperor. He will become my most distinguished guest!"

Residence of the mission.

"Can you say that again?!"

Li Jinglong's furious and frightened voice made the servants and Ding family members fall into silence.

They are said to be Jia Ding Jia Jiang, but in fact they are the second generation children of the old soldiers of Duke Cao who grew up with Li Jinglong. They played together when they were young, and when they grew up, they went to the battlefield together to protect Li Jinglong.

Just like the most capable soldiers in the late Ming Dynasty were the servants of each general, this tradition was passed down from the families of the military officials in the early Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, not only is the distinction between master and servant not very particular, but the treatment is also superior to others. In name, they are "servants", which is the kind that even hundreds of officials from outside would not change.

It had been many years since they had seen the Duke, who was usually either calm or laughing, so furious.

Cao Ada trembled and said, "The monks from Xiangguo Temple came to convey the words of the master of Luyuan Yuan."

"The master of Luyuan said: He likes the 'women's clothing' and 'Sichuan brocade' you gave him very much, and he completely understands your intention."

When Li Jinglong heard this, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

His hands and feet instantly became cold and he pointed at Cao Afu who was huddled in the corner.

"you you"

I kept saying "屼" for a long time, but I was speechless.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jinglong's lips began to tremble, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fainted from anger.

Upon seeing this, all the servants and generals hurriedly gathered around him and carried the unconscious Li Jinglong back to the room. After returning to the room and settling him down, they immediately sent for a doctor from the mission to come over for treatment.

At the same time, during the period when the doctor did not arrive.

They followed the usual method of treating coma.

Li Jinglong was pinched and poured with gold juice.

When the mission's doctor hurriedly arrived, they found that Li Jinglong had regained consciousness, but his face was extremely pale and his lips looked more like frost.

The spittoon on the floor was full of yellow vomit.

When Li Jinglong looked at the servants and generals standing beside the bed, his eyes were as sharp as sharp blades.

The generals of the Ding family, the servants of Duke Cao Guo who fed him manure, were frightened and fell to their knees one after another.

The doctor didn't know why, so he knelt down and asked cautiously: "May I ask, Mr. Guo, do you feel any discomfort?"

Li Jinglong glanced at these people coldly before looking back.

Li Jinglong uttered a few words slowly but heavily: "Get the coffins ready according to the number of people."

The doctor and the Ding family generals were shocked by this sudden order.

However, before they could react, Li Jinglong continued to give instructions: "Also, no one is allowed to reveal what happened today to people in the foreign missions. Do you understand me clearly?"

The generals of the Ding family in Duke Cao's mansion kowtowed in agreement.

The doctor who was severely warned left the room in fear, leaving Li Jinglong alone, sitting alone on the floor.

"Hehe. Hehehe. Hahahahahahahahaha"

Li Jinglong laughed crazily, laughing, tears falling from his eyes.

Finally burst into tears.

"Father, mother, my son is unfilial and will die in a foreign country!"

The next day.

The Palace of Flowers.

As a dinner to welcome the Ming Dynasty's envoys, almost all the prominent Japanese people who could make it after receiving the news came.

Including the "three leaders" of Shiba, Hosokawa, and Hatakeyama, whose status is only under the shogun, and the "four posts" of Yamana, Isshiki, Kyogoku, and Akamatsu who are in charge of the palace.

There are also powerful daimyo from various places, such as Ouchi, Shimazu, Kono, Hosokawa, Ogasawara, Uesugi, etc., who also sent representatives.

Before the Ming Dynasty mission arrived, these Japanese dignitaries were taking advantage of this rare opportunity to communicate with each other in order to obtain some practical temple benefits.

At the same time, some Japanese dignitaries noticed that the shogunate Ashikaga Yoshimochi and the owner of Luen Garden, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who were present and sitting at the top, seemed to be very relaxed.

This relaxed performance also set the overall tone for the dinner.

That is, although the Ming Dynasty mission came in a hurry and mysteriously, Japan's actual rulers were confident and capable of handling it.

When Li Jinglong, who looked a little pale, led the Ming Dynasty's delegation into the banquet hall of the Flower Palace, all the whispers suddenly stopped.

The Japanese dignitaries looked up at the great general who was under one person in the Ming Dynasty.

The first impression Li Jinglong gave them was that he was tall.

Li Jinglong, who was dressed in a big red robe, was eight feet tall and looked very majestic.

"Si Guoyi!"

"He is indeed a great general of the Ming Dynasty. He can easily command thousands of soldiers and horses at first glance!"

These Japanese dignitaries had no idea that Li Jinglong's suicide note had already been written.

Li Jinglong came to the banquet with the feeling of mourning himself.

if not?

To the actual ruler of Japan, women's clothing and Shu brocade were given.

He gritted his teeth and told himself that he understood what he meant.

He also said in a weird way that he liked it very much.

What else could this mean?

Of course it means eating yourself alive!

However, what should come will always come, and what should be faced must be faced.

Li Jinglong took a deep breath and calmly took the lead in sitting in the Ming Dynasty mission area.

Li Jinglong could clearly see that the shogunate Ashikaga Yoshimochi and the master of Deer Garden, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, were staring at him eagerly.

Li Jinglong lowered his head and looked at the food on the table.

He always felt that the look between the two of them was like looking at a roast chicken and wondering whether to eat the chicken legs or the chicken wings.

It’s over!

It's all over!

You're going to die today!

The Fertilizer Immortal can’t save himself!

what to do?

Do you want to speak righteously before you die?

Li Jinglong felt that every muscle in his body was so tight that it was about to break.

At this moment, Li Jinglong suddenly felt——

The surrounding air became suddenly quiet.

He suddenly raised his head and saw a scene that surprised him.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the master of Deer Garden who was sitting in the top position, his cheeks turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, and then he came to him with a wine glass in his hand.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bent down and bowed, and said with a smile in less than standard Chinese: "Your Excellency, General Li Jinglong, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Li Jinglong was stunned.

According to normal procedures, shouldn't you get angry at this time and then scold yourself?

What does it mean?

Could it be that……

Is this guy going to have a cup-breaking show?

Seeing that Li Jinglong didn't pick a fight and pretended to be aloof, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu felt relieved.

It was just as I expected!

General Li Jinglong of the Ming Dynasty did not want to show that he had anything to do with him in front of the Ming Dynasty's envoys.

Moreover, as the official envoy of the Celestial Kingdom, it is normal for him to be a little indifferent to the "foreigners" in the eyes of the people of the Ming Dynasty.

If you act too eager, it will make people suspicious.

Thinking of this, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu not only sighed, General Li Jinglong was indeed a master of the temple, with clear boundaries between public and private.

As for the Japanese dignitaries who were watching nervously, seeing how disrespectful the Ming Dynasty's envoy was, some of them couldn't help but want to show off in front of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Some people held down the samurai swords at their waists, and some people blurted out "Haga" in their mouths. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's trusted samurai even planned to humiliate the minister to death and give some to the Ming Dynasty envoy. The little caesarean section was a shock.

But what no one expected was that at this critical moment.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu laughed loudly, drank all the wine in his glass, and then refilled Li Jinglong's and his own wine glasses with his own hands.

"According to the words of the Ming Dynasty, I have done my best to serve as a landlord, so General Li Jinglong can do whatever he wants!"

Li Jinglong also came to his senses at this time.

Although it is not clear why Ashikaga Yoshimitsu did not get angry, it may be that he has good self-control, or it may be that he does not want to offend Ming.

But no matter what the possibility is, I can no longer deny face at this time.

As soon as Li Jinglong stood up and raised his glass, he saw the little rickety old man in front of him drinking it down happily again.

This actually made Li Jinglong a little embarrassed, and he drank all the wine in his glass.

At this time, the Japanese dignitaries saw that the tense atmosphere had dissipated, and they all came forward to propose a toast. Li Jinglong even drank until his glass was dry, winning the praise of the Japanese dignitaries.

This scene fell into the eyes of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimachi, and he whispered a few words to the samurai around him.

The samurai immediately left the banquet hall of the Flower Palace to do something.

After a while, the samurai returned and walked towards Ashikaga Yoshimichi carrying a box.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who returned to his seat, narrowed his eyes slightly, seeming to guess what his eldest son was going to do.

Ashikaga Yoshimochi took the box from the samurai's hand, stood up, and came to Li Jinglong.

"This is my little respect for you, please accept it."

Although Li Jinglong was panicking at this time, he also knew that no matter whether the shogun received porcelain or calligraphy and painting, there should be no malicious intent, so he took it and opened it on the spot.

A samurai sword appeared in the box.

When everyone saw the knife, they started talking and looked very excited.

"Onimaru!"

"What a knife!"

"This is a truly famous sword! It was forged by the blacksmith Kunizuna after three years of fasting!"

"It is said that Hojo Tokimasa, the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, cut off the head of a ghost with this sword in his dream!"

"The heirloom of the Hojo family, I didn't expect that the general would give it to the general of Ming Dynasty today!"

Everyone started discussing it, and even Li Jinglong couldn't help but pick up the knife and look at it carefully.

This sword is different from other samurai swords because it is not made of ordinary metal, but is made of special steel. The scabbard is black and the handle is silver-white.

Li Jinglong tightened his grip on the handle of the knife, which suddenly felt heavy.

Ashikaga Yoshimochi smiled and explained: "This is a famous sword made by a blacksmith who fasted for three years. It is said that the first leader of the Kamakura shogunate, Hojo Tokimasa, was harassed by imps every night after he pacified the world. Because he could not He was sleeping, so he asked mages and onmyoji to do things, but it didn't work. Shizheng finally fell ill, and he was very distressed. One night Shizheng dreamed of a sword that turned into the image of an old man and appeared in front of him and said, "My body is too dirty." I can't save you, let a clean person clean my body.' After saying that, it changed back to its original tachi shape.

Shizheng believed in this dream so much that he immediately cleaned up the sword the next day. Shizheng lit a pot of fire charcoal in the house. At this time, he found the shadow of a ghost on the brazier, which was very similar to the ghost that appeared in his dream every night... At this time, the sword guarding Shizheng poured into the brazier. Next, cut off the imp’s head. After that, Shizheng's condition gradually improved and he recovered. For this reason, Tokimasa named the sword 'Onimaru', and it became an heirloom of the Hojo family. "

Hearing Ashikaga Yoshinori's words, Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, and then immediately understood the allusion in Ashikaga Yoshinori's words. Then he looked at Ashikaga Yoshinori who looked at him with a smile, and suddenly became vigilant.

The atmosphere became weird again.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has just dealt with it. What does Ashikaga Yoshimitsu use his status as the envoy of the Ming Dynasty to announce to Japan's powerful people?

Who does the kid refer to?

Who could make the young shogun feel troubled all the time and unable to sleep peacefully?

Could it be his brother, the younger Ashikaga Yoshitsugu?

If this sword is taken away, does it mean that the young shogun Ashikaga Yoshitsugu will use the "Onimaru" of the Ming Dynasty to kill his younger brother Ashikaga Yoshitsugu, the "little devil" who competes with him for the position of shogun?

It's not the case if Li Jinglong accepts it, it's not the case if he doesn't accept it.

Just when Li Jinglong was in a dilemma, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu suddenly spoke.

"Your Excellency, General, please accept my child's gift. I have another big gift for you."

After saying that, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu clapped his hands.

Several warriors carried the heavy box to the banquet hall of the Flower Palace, and then put it down gently.

Li Jinglong was suddenly shocked!

Because the look of that box was very familiar to him, it was the one he gave to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Could it be that this is courtesy first and then fighting? !