The intelligence agency Xia Xun worked for was quite capable. The next morning, some information he urgently needed was delivered to his desk.【】
At the center of the Ashikaga Shogunate, there were three common families from the Ashikaga clan: the Hosokawa clan, the Shiba clan, and the Tayama clan. These three families took turns serving as the assistants of the shogunate, that is, the "leader", which is equivalent to the position of prime minister.
, mainly responsible for government affairs; in addition, there are four clans, Isshiki, Yamana, Kyogoku, and Akamatsu, who take turns serving as the "head of the shrine" of the shogunate, also known as the "shōji shōji". They are the officers who handle samurai affairs, and are called
As the "four positions", he is mainly responsible for military affairs.
This is the core public family and samurai family, headed by the "three leaders and four positions". These seven families protect the daimyo family and form the core of the rule of the Ashikaga Shogunate, and Shoba Yoshitsugu is the first leader under Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.
He made great efforts to dominate Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and accordingly the Shiba family also gained huge benefits. Echizen, Wakasa, Etsu, Yamashiro, Noto, Toe, Shinano, Owari, Kaga and other places are now owned by the Shiba family.
Protect the name.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu advocated originalization and hoped to establish a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty. For this reason, he opposed all opinions and would rather agree to the prerequisite of surrendering to the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, he was keen on nationalization and the collection of items, and established a large number of relations with the Ming Dynasty in the Kitayama Palace.
Nationalization-related industries, these are the corresponding policies that came about after he unified the country and turned his attention to foreign countries.
These ideas were strongly opposed by Sibo Yijiao. The most powerful general who followed him at the beginning became more and more divergent with him.
In view of the strong strength of the Ming Dynasty and the longing of many high-level officials for nationalization, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu would rather accept the humiliating condition of "professing vassalage" in order to interact with the Ming Dynasty. However, Shiba Yishou is obviously an extreme nationalist.
He strongly opposed this policy. However, although he expressed his attitude, he was unable to take specific opposition measures to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's decision.
Correspondingly, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had nothing to do with him. The political power at this time was actually a pattern of heroes competing for hegemony. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the general, was equivalent to the leader of the martial arts alliance. To a certain extent, he could represent the entire attitude.
, but these daimyo under him all have their own territories and armies. The Ashikaga family does not have the absolute strength like the Tokugawa family in the Edo period. He needs to maintain and balance the power of the powerful daimyo under him in order to implement his own
proposition.
Therefore, although General Shiba Yi has always been against Ashikaga Yoshimitsu over the years, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has nothing to do with him. Both sides have their own fears, so they have to go their own way. This is the current conflict between Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and his most powerful daimyo.
relation.
Next is the issue that Xia Xun is most concerned about, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's successor, Ashikaga Yoshimochi.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the concubine of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu decided to become a monk in order to control the power of the temple, he, his wife Hino Yasuko and his step-sibling Hino Yasuko did not have a son, so Ashikaga Yoshimochi was made his heir.
, and asked Hino Yasuko to adopt him as his adopted son and make him the general who conquered the barbarians. Unexpectedly, not long after Ashikaga Yoshimochi became the general, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's legitimate wife became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.
heir.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu doted on his youngest son Yoshitsugu very much. Sometimes he would bring his youngest son with him when he went to the palace to meet the emperor. The purpose was obviously to strengthen the close relationship between his youngest son and the imperial family. Although the emperor had no real power,
Obtaining the emperor's recognition will undoubtedly increase his son's political capital.
It is precisely because of these reasons that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has so far refused to delegate power to him as the son of the general who conquered the barbarians. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has always been called the general of the barbarians and has been a puppet general in name only in Kyoto. Kyoto has long been
There are rumors that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu intends to depose Yoshitoshi and let Yoshitsugu inherit his power.
However, Ashikaga Yoshitsugu is only in his early ten years now. Although he is very smart, he is still too young. Ashikaga Yoshitsugu has been a general for ten years. Although he has not yet grasped real power, he has made friends with a group of daimyo and gained their reputation.
Support. Ashikaga Yoshimochi knew that his position was in danger and that he would not be favored by his father, so he settled for the next best thing and sought the support of various daimyo.
The daimyo who supports his father will inevitably obey his father's decision. If he wants to win the support of various daimyo, he can only choose those ministers who are disappointed with his father's policies. These daimyo can get hope for the future from him, and he will gain these.
The support and support of the daimyo thus counteracted the pressure exerted by his father.
Among the daimyo who turned to support him, General Shiba Yoshitsune was the most important supporter and his most powerful supporter. Because of this relationship, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who had long wanted to abolish Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, had to throw his weight behind him.
Continue spending until you are not completely sure, so as not to cause political instability.
When Xia Xun saw this information, he vaguely seemed to have discovered the key to the problem. He thought for a while and asked: "So, this Ashikaga Yoshitsugu lives in this mansion now?"
He Tianyang said: "Yes! The lay family of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is here. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu loves his son very much and often takes him to live with him in Beishan Palace. Therefore, the relationship between Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and his brother has worsened.
In the royal palace, the two brothers almost never interacted with each other."
Xia Xun smiled and asked: "Although this Ashikaga Yoshitsugu is young, he is the legitimate son and is favored by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. So, does anyone in charge of the ministers support him?"
He Tianyang said: "Yes, there are three major governors under Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Shiba Yoshi will support Ashikaga Yoshimochi, while the Hosokawa governor will support Ashikaga Yoshitsugu. The head of the Hosokawa family's generation is called Hosokawa Mitsubishi, and Hosokawa
It’s because the Sibo family took over our family that the Sibo family became the first minister!”
Xia Xun said approvingly: "Okay, the news I want can be delivered so quickly. It's done very well."
He Tianyang couldn't help but laugh and said: "That's natural. Could it be that the Duke has forgotten that Dongfang Liang is now..."
Xia Xun couldn't help but burst out laughing after hearing this, and said, "Yeah! Help me make arrangements and find a chance... I have to meet this kid."
※※※※※※※※
The opportunity came soon. After breakfast, Xia Xun took a leisurely stroll in the Flower Palace. After walking around a bush of flowers and trees, he suddenly saw a woman in a kimono with her hair hanging down, wearing a "forehead comb" and three "
"Chai Zi", holding a boy of about ten years old in his hand, was playing in the garden. They bumped into each other. Just as Xia Xun was trying to find a topic, the boy suddenly said: "Excuse me, are you from the Ming Dynasty?"
Envoy?"
His original words were relatively fluent. Xia Xun glanced at him in surprise and said, "Yes, you are..."
The boy bowed to him respectfully and replied: "Your Excellency, Minister of the Ming Dynasty, I'm sorry. I am Ashikaga Yoshitsugu, the son of General Ashikaga. I heard my father mention your Excellency, the Minister of the Ming Dynasty."
Xia Xun was amused and said: "You're welcome, just call me Your Excellency. This person next to you is..."
The information Xia Xun received from He Tianyang has confirmed that a "fight for the right to the right" is taking place now, and Ashikaga Yoshitsugu is still a ten-year-old child. Since he has already fallen into the whirlpool of the battle for the right to the right of birth, his mother and concubine are not involved. , that is absolutely impossible. What can the same child talk about? The woman he tried his best to see was actually this woman, and he asked knowingly.
The woman next to Ashikaga Yoshiji is very delicate. She is dressed very formally, with a crimson "long span" exposed at the lower corner of her skirt. She is wearing a "single" and "five clothes", and the "five clothes" are "purple" The "thin" spring clothing style is followed by the "slender" style with two long trains trailing behind it, followed by the "dressing", with red-dyed rhombus fabrics glowing with a soft purple sheen. , above the "beating clothes" is the "outer clothes", the bright patterns are very gorgeous, and the outermost is the "Tang Yi", which is like a cloak, but without any clothes.
Seeing Xia Xun looking at her, she immediately put her hands on her knees, bowed deeply to him, and smiled shyly. Ashikaga Yoshitsugu immediately bowed and said: "This is my mother-in-law! Your Excellency, the Ming Dynasty Minister, oh! Sir, my father likes Chinese customs very much, and I am also very interested in them. Can I ask you some questions?"
Xia Xun raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "Of course."
Ashikaga Yoshiji's mother-in-law let go and said, "Go and ask the Ming Dynasty Minister for some more advice, which will increase your knowledge." Then she glanced at Xia Xun quickly, bowed to him and said, "Yoshiji is a curious person. My child, please excuse me." He turned around, stepped on a pair of wooden clogs, and walked away gracefully.
"Ah, pirates! I have heard of them too. Commander Hosokawa told me that those pirates are very powerful. Can your navy come from such a far away place and deal with them?"
The two chatted in the garden for a long time. Ashikaga Yoshitsugu was really a curious child and asked many questions. Finally, he asked about Xia Xun's purpose, and the two of them brought up pirates.
Xia Xun smiled and said: "Of course we can deal with it! Pirates are very powerful, but our Ming army is even more powerful! They are no match for us, we don't even need to fight, just touch with the ship, we can knock their ship to pieces .”
"Are Ming ships so strong?"
Xia Xun smiled and said: "It is not only strong, but also huge. Our largest warship is bigger than a manor, like a huge castle, and a rudder is more than ten feet long. We also have bows and arrows and giant crossbows. There are giant cannons that make a thunderous sound when fired and are incredibly lethal."
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu was fascinated by what he heard and said in disbelief: "Sir, if your army is so powerful, why do you ask my father for help and go so far to hunt down pirates?"
Xia Xun said: "Asking your father for help is out of respect for him. This is the territory under your father's rule. If we come without telling you, it will offend your father's dignity, right?"
"Yes!" Ashikaga Yoshitsugu nodded vigorously.
Xia Xun added: "The reason why we have to run such a long way is because the pirates couldn't defeat us and ran away. No matter how powerful the army is, if the enemy doesn't fight you at all, he will run away when you come."
He just goes to bully the old, weak, women and children in your family. Can you say that he is a very brave warrior just because he is very good at escaping?"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu said excitedly: "No! That's not what a samurai does! That's a rogue!"
Xia Xun smiled and said: "That's right! They are scoundrels. We are here to block them in the den, forcing them to act like a warrior and openly fight with us, and we will not allow them to escape again!"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu said with bright eyes: "Well, this time, if my father's army blocks their retreat and leaves them with no way to escape, and if your army forces them to fight decisively, they will definitely fail.
!”
Xia Xun raised his thumb and said, "Your Highness is very smart. What do you think the result will be?"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu thought for a while and asked: "Is the Ming Dynasty far away from here? I heard that when pirates land on the shore, they will blend in with ordinary people and cannot be found. No matter how powerful you are, you can't kill them all at once.
What should we do if all the pirates are wiped out and they gather together to go out to sea to rob?"
Xia Xun said: "We are not far apart. Among the overseas countries, we are the closest country to the Ming Dynasty. We have also established a fleet in Ryukyu, which is very close to you. Now your father has established a monarch-minister relationship with the Ming Dynasty.
Opening the sea for trade, if you want to maintain this relationship, it cannot be destroyed by pirates, so as long as the pirates appear again, we will come soon."
Xia Xun said seductively: "Your father is the king conferred by the Ming Emperor. You are my father's legitimate son and will become the king in the future. At that time, if you encounter difficulties, you can ask for help from the Ming Emperor.
Our powerful army can also help you deal with powerful enemies that you cannot face alone!"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu was a little surprised, and quickly waved his hand and said: "Your Excellency, you misunderstood! My father has passed the general of conquering barbarians to my brother, and it is impossible for me to become the king."
Xia Xun said in surprise: "Is that so? I don't know much about your country. I only heard that you are the only legitimate son of His Excellency the General. In our country, the legitimate son is the only son who has the right to inherit his father's inheritance, so...
,I’m so sorry!”
"It doesn't matter! In fact, we have the same rules, but...when my father wanted to become a monk, I was not born yet."
Ashikaga Yoshiji smiled a little reluctantly. No matter how smart the child was, he could not conceal his mood. He thought for a while and then asked uneasily: "Is it really as you said? If we encounter a powerful enemy, we can ask him
Ming Dynasty asked for military assistance?"
Xia Xun said sternly: "Of course, your father has already submitted to His Majesty the Ming Emperor. When he encounters a powerful enemy that he cannot solve, the monarch will of course support him. Just like North Korea, you can learn about their history.
They have asked the country for reinforcements many times, and every time we have helped them, and we have helped them win!"
"Is that so..." Ashikaga Yoshitsugu muttered to himself.
"My lord, it turns out you are here, the Ashikaga General and the ministers in charge are waiting to continue negotiations with you!" At some point, He Tianyang suddenly appeared.
Xia Xun stood up from the bamboo stool in the pavilion, smiled at Ashikaga Yoshitsugu and said, "Okay, I have to continue discussing the suppression of bandits with your father."
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu hurriedly bowed again and said, "Yes, it was a pleasure to talk to His Excellency, the Ming Dynasty Minister!"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu stood in the small pavilion, looking at Xia Xun's retreating back infatuatedly. His mother-in-law suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood beside him. Ashikaga Yoshitsugu turned his head and said excitedly: "Mother, I think...in addition to Captain Hosokawa, we can also find a powerful helper!"
"What did this Ming minister say?"
Ashikaga Yoshitsugu narrated his mother from beginning to end. Two excited blushes appeared on the young woman's face, like two charming peach blossoms: "Great! Your brother foolishly chose the path that is against Ming Dynasty. , I think...if Daming knew about this, we might really be able to gain a powerful friend! I will find an opportunity to visit him!"
: This chapter is 4,500. Although I didn’t say how many updates are required in a day, I promised everyone that there will be one more update on the first day of the new year. I will make up for it today. Now that I have made up for it as promised, I still have a severe headache and I am sweating. I took a break and finally lived up to my promise. People say you gain weight by breaking your promise. I didn’t break my promise. I will lose some weight this year. In fact, I’m not that fat in the first place_