Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen "The King of Japan"

In Fushimi Castle, women recruited from Yanagi Town's Firework Alley are working hard. Due to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's preference, not to mention Hideyori's biological mother, the other concubines are also covered in silk and satin, which is extremely dignified.The earthquake caused the maids' hands to be tense, and also brought unprecedented attention to the women in the city.After the Xiuci incident, women with unknown origins were afraid to hire them because they were worried that something might happen to the young Xiu Lai.Hideyoshi ordered Hara Saburo Zaemon and Hayashi Mataichiro, who opened a brothel in Liubaba, to select some clever prostitutes to serve in the mansion.

Hara Saburozaemon once worked as a groom for Hideyoshi. After the world was settled, he told Hideyoshi that brothels were needed in the peaceful and prosperous age. So with Hideyoshi's permission, he quickly took off his samurai outfit and transformed himself into a brothel owner. .He gathered the prostitutes who had been scattered in the capital before, and opened a brothel in Liumachang.Those who went to Hideyoshi's mansion this time were naturally these women.In addition to Baibaizi, Kaga girls, and Gui girls who were originally active in Beijing, these prostitutes also included famous prostitutes recruited from the fireworks alleys of Minamirumori, Eguchi, Kanzaki, Kanishima, and Kajiri in Sakai Port.In the brothel, they all use male names, and they are affixed with the word "Shou" in a high-sounding manner. For example, Izumo Akuni later was called "Kitano Tsushima Shou".However, after entering the mansion, these names can no longer be called, so they became Kitano, Matsuyama, Sado, Jidao, etc., or place names, or surnames, or baby names, and so on, innumerable.They were assigned to Hideyoshi or under their own names.A strange new wind blows into the courtyard of the deep house in the city.

In addition to taking care of their masters, these women occasionally taught the master some flirting techniques, and sometimes they played too much, and they would be reprimanded by the young servants.At this time, they always patted their master on the shoulder and smiled. "It's outrageous. You actually treat the city as a brothel. If you don't drive them away quickly, something big will happen sooner or later." Sometimes angry voices would reach Ieyasu's ears, but since Hideyoshi personally ordered, no one could do anything about it.Aftershocks continued, sometimes reaching more than 60 times a day.Whenever an earthquake strikes, people will always think of the execution of Hideji and his family, so the presence of prostitutes has become a panacea to drive away the haze.

On this day, Hideyoshi rubbed the shoulders of a prostitute named Mrs. Ono while coaxing Hideyoshi to play.Hideyoshi was not in a good mood, because Maeda Genyi had just come to report that the damaged temple needed huge repair costs.At this time, the servant boy also came to report that Jiakang came to the city to greet him.Hideyoshi just nodded and didn't speak.Recently, every time I met with Ieyasu, Hideyoshi always felt oppressed and out of breath—he was indeed old. "Are you alright, sir?" Ieyasu came in and gave a salute. "This woman's skills are good." Hideyoshi was speechless for a while, and pouted behind her back, chatting about prostitutes, "It would be great if the inner government used women from brothels from the beginning, not only winking, but also never talking too much." Ieyasu Hehe smiled, a little ambiguous.Whether he approves or ridicules, no one knows.

"Try it too, it feels very good." "My lord, I have some important news." "Okay, let me listen. Let's talk about it here. Hey, I finally finished rubbing my shoulders." "My lord, please let the left and right back down." "No need. Apart from women, there is only Xuan Yi here... My waist still hurts." Ieyasu lowered his voice and said: "The matter is a bit complicated, and I need to be instructed by the adults. Regarding the arrival of the Ming envoy..." "Thirty percent of this matter is very clear, it is best to discuss it with him."

"Yes." Ieyasu couldn't go against Hideyoshi's intention.However, it seemed that Hideyoshi had no intention of shooing everyone away even if Sancheng was called, and he still squinted at Hideyoshi.Hideyori stood at one end of the cushion, playing with a small puppet. "Neifu, do you have to let the idlers back down?" "It's better to be able to do this." "Okay, take the young master away. Xuanyi, you should also step back. The arrival of the envoy is really not a trivial matter." After speaking, Hideyoshi said to the prostitute behind him, "I will call you later. You go down first .”

Everyone retreated.Ieyasu remained silent.How much Hideyoshi knows about the truth of the negotiations, he has no idea.If Hideyoshi already knows the truth, are there any countermeasures?Just as Ieyasu thought about this, he heard Hideyoshi spouting suo: "There is no one in the Neifu now." "Yes. Actually..." "Tell me, what's going on?" "According to the boatman who came back from Busan, the envoys of the Ming Dynasty and Korea have set off from Busan, but they did not bring Princess Daming with them." Ieyasu finished his sentence, quietly waiting for Hideyoshi's response.

Hideyoshi showed a complex look on his face, both surprised and expected, and seemed to blame Ieyasu for his unnecessary actions. "What's going on, Neifu?" Because Hideyoshi's voice was unexpectedly calm, Ieyasu paused a little, he thought, does Hideyoshi know nothing about the truth?Sui said: "I don't know if my lord understands this matter, but it would be great if my lord already knows." "I don't know. But I've thought about it for a long time. This kind of thing is very likely to happen." Hideyoshi said calmly again, with a frightening look in his eyes. Made up my mind."

"Ieyasu is all ears." "When the Ming envoys were about to arrive, there was a big earthquake. I planned to build a majestic city to destroy their prestige, but now it is difficult to repair it for a while. If the negotiation fails, people's hearts will be shaken." "My lord Mingjian... I am also worried about this." "However, if we are furious before the arrival of the envoy and reprimand at every turn, it will only cause greater riots." "Since my lord has already thought of this step, it is inconvenient for me to say more." "Let's welcome the envoys calmly. If they violate the agreement, it's not too late to reprimand them. After all, we are not the ones who broke the peace."

"My lord's lesson!" "Then, we will work together to fight the battle and make the opponent submit... This is an out-and-out competition against the will of the Ming Emperor." Ieyasu couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, Hideyoshi had already had a premonition that the peace talks would not go as smoothly as imagined. "Does the Inner Palace have any good ideas?" Hideyoshi asked again. Ieyasu is well aware of the danger of continuing the talks, and if he continues to deepen, he will inevitably mention Xiaoxi Ru'an and his son who are in charge of the negotiation, as well as Sancheng and others. Of course, Ieyasu does not want to mention them.Things are exactly as Hideyoshi said, even if the inside story is uncovered now, it will be meaningless.All we can do now is to create an atmosphere of sincere peace talks. If the envoys are not even welcomed, it will cause even greater shame.

"Ieyasu is relieved after listening to your lord's words. There are no objections." As he said that, Ieyasu smiled heartily, "The envoy is coming soon, my lord should concentrate on taking care of him. Ieyasu will go and call the servants here immediately." The servant boy came in, Hideyoshi ordered them to call the prostitutes, and continued rubbing his shoulders.He seemed to want to say something else, although he immediately blocked Ieyasu because of his aggressiveness, he still didn't fully see through the truth of the peace talks. "Forget it, or don't let them come." Hideyoshi said.Ieyasu pretended not to hear, and after returning, he devoted himself to repairing Fushimi Castle.With a little blowing in Hideyoshi's ear, he wouldn't make a big mistake. As long as he puts a little effort into it, Hideyoshi's mind will immediately become clear and sensitive... Ieyasu quietly observed Hideyoshi's reaction. Afterwards, Hideyoshi called Kiyomasa and asked in detail about the affairs of North Korea.Ching Zheng may also not know much about the process of the negotiation.But Ieyasu felt that enough was enough, Hideyoshi was by no means an ordinary general, as long as he put his mind to it, he could see the truth clearly. Sure enough, from that day on, Hideyoshi's attitude changed drastically.The irritable temper characteristic of the old man disappeared, and he stopped swearing at the people around him, and his health seemed to be recovering gradually.Ieyasu thought, it was hard for him, how much did Taige know the truth of the matter?Is it depression that made him rejuvenate? What's interesting is that Hideyoshi's spirit has risen, and the restoration of Fushimi Castle has also made great progress.Originally, building Fushimi Castle was not just for seclusion, but also to make the envoys of the Ming Dynasty dumbfounded.According to Hideyoshi's plan, the envoy's ships sailed to Sakai Port first, and then came to Osaka by water. It will make Ming feel terrified.In order to show off to the envoys of the Ming Dynasty, he deliberately demolished the unsightly Diancheng.Once Hideyoshi finds out that the negotiations with the Ming Dynasty are full of deceit, all the efforts on peace talks will turn into great distress. Should we continue to cover up, or start a meaningless war again, so that future generations will laugh at us?Hideyoshi was standing at a crossroads.Ieyasu was also watching him the whole time.If Hideyoshi took the initiative to ask him something, he would of course have to tell the truth, but at this critical moment, he must not intervene casually, because once Hideyoshi with strong self-esteem becomes self-willed, no matter how good the idea is, he will refuse it all. On the fourth day of August in the fifth year of Wenlu, the news came that the North Korean envoy Huang Shen, deputy envoy Park Hongchang, and Zong Yizhi's family elder Yanagawa Tuoxin had set off from Busan together.They rushed to Tsushima first, met with the Ming envoy, and then went to Sakai Port together. Upon receiving the news, Hideyoshi showed a sullen expression, and whispered to Ieyasu, "The North Korean envoy came with the intention of dying." "Why do you think so, sir?" "If they think that this trip is safe and sound, the two princes and ministers we put back will come here. However, they are all low-level officials. They know that once the trick is revealed, we will come. You will be furious, and you can only send some dispensable people." Jia Kang breathed a sigh of relief.Now that Hideyoshi has seen even this step, he feels at ease. In order to meet the envoy, President Xiaonishi rushed back first.As soon as he returned to China, he caused Ieyasu's uneasiness.Not only Ieyasu, but also anti-war people such as Ishida, Masuda, and Otani were uneasy.Hideyoshi has already met with the honest and honest Qingzheng. Once he finds out the trick, the thunderbolt will definitely fall on the head of the governor first.But Hideyoshi didn't get angry, instead he expressed his condolences: "It's hard work. All the soldiers are suffering from the plague in a foreign country. It's really hard work." "Don't dare. It's not just our officers and soldiers who suffer, the strength of the Ming army is also greatly weakened." "Oh, good." Hideyoshi calmed down as if nothing had happened, and continued, "After the peace envoys arrive, we can catch up on the past. When they arrive, everyone must welcome them well." At this time, Ieyasu was also on the side.To him, it was all the calm before the storm.Whether President Xiaonishi really understands Hideyoshi's thoughts is difficult to know; it is also purely rumored that Emperor Ming entertained Ru'an thoughtfully because he was afraid of Hideyoshi.Hideyoshi has made up his mind, but how he will explode is hard to imagine.This will be the swan song of this hero's life.Although Hideyoshi recovered his health, his body was withered, and only two eyes were faintly shining. Ming envoys Yang Fangheng and Shen Weijing, and Korean envoys Huang Shen and Park Hongchang arrived in Sakai Port together on August 18th.Before that, Shen Weijing came to Japan once a long time ago, and gave gifts all over Fushimi Castle.Hideyoshi did not meet them immediately, but let them stay in Sakai Port, and he leisurely supervised the restoration of Fushimi Castle, teasing Hideyoshi whenever he had time.The so-called tribute to the so-called bright envoy of Universiade in Fushimi City was undoubtedly raised by him and Shen Weijing on the way. On August 29, the Korean envoys came to Fushimi tremblingly under the pretext of paying respects to Hideyoshi. They wanted to find out the truth. "No audience." Hideyoshi immediately rejected the North Korean envoy's request, "We let your prince go. If you know how to repay your kindness, the prince will come to thank you in person. But now you actually let a few unknown officials as envoys... Drive them away to Sakai Port!" Ieyasu didn't interrupt and let Hideyoshi handle it. After the Joseon envoys returned dejectedly, the Ming envoys came to meet Hideyoshi with gold seals, crowns, and imperial edicts.Hideyoshi agreed to meet.On the first day of September, two envoys entered Osaka City, and Hideyoshi accepted the gift from the Ming Emperor.On the second day of junior high school, Hideyoshi held a grand banquet in Fushimi Castle, and invited two envoys to watch Sarugi.All of these give people a sense of sincerely welcoming the envoy. On that day, led by Hideyoshi, Ieyasu and other five elders and the seven members of the governor's party all wore the crowns presented by the Ming emperor, and put on the crowns.After watching the monkey music, the grand banquet begins.I don't know what Hideyoshi was thinking, he seemed to be in a good mood, but in fact he was secretly observing every move of Mingshi and the ministers who brought them here, headed by the governor.Of course, Ieyasu followed Hideyoshi's example and never took his eyes off Mingshi.At the beginning, Yang Fangheng was very panicked, but Shen Weijing, the deputy envoy, was quite calm. From the very beginning, he seemed to see that Hideyoshi was not difficult to deal with, so he kept cheering Yang Fangheng up, which seemed to be more tricky than the envoy. During the banquet, the two envoys whispered to each other from time to time. Although they couldn't understand the content of the conversation because of the language barrier, Ieyasu seemed to see through their thoughts.They thought they were about to do it.Whenever Shen Weijing whispered to Yang Fangheng for a while, Yang Fangheng's expression relaxed a little.By the time the party was over, he had completely let go and was drinking to his heart's content. In fact, Hideyoshi was burning with raging anger behind his forced laughter.On the morning of the third day, he ordered: "In front of the two envoys today, listen to the credentials they brought. Call the acceptance and let him read it out. All the ministers will attend." According to Hideyoshi's instructions, Ieyasu asked Maeda Genichi to hold a banquet in the Osaka Castle Hall.The arrangement of seats is very different from the previous day.Hideyoshi's chair is set high in the center, with Ieyasu and seven people sitting on the chairs on the left and right, and two envoys of the Ming Dynasty kneeling in front of Hideyoshi.Hideyoshi was still wearing the crown presented by Ming Dynasty that day, and he was wearing a crimson Tang robe to attend the banquet, and the seven important officials were also very solemn.The national letter was presented to Hideyoshi, and Hideyoshi ordered the monks to read it out. When Hideyoshi led the important officials to the table, the two Ming envoys respectfully greeted them. They were about to complete their envoys this time, and their faces were full of joy.When Acceptance was called, President Xiaoxi walked up to him quietly, and said in a low voice, "I don't think I need to remind you again, you have to read it with your heart so that the agreement will start well and end well. Do you understand?" ?” Acceptance glanced at the president and walked to the place.The president probably told Sancheng and the others about the intention of not letting the acceptance go according to the script. After whispering among themselves, they returned to their seats leisurely.But they didn't expect that Acceptance had already been severely warned by Hideyoshi-if he mispronounced a word, he would never forgive him lightly. Acceptance tremblingly held up the credentials, saluted respectfully, and then carefully untied the rope that bound the credentials.Ieyasu couldn't bear to see Hideyoshi's expression, so he closed his eyes slightly, pretending to be listening attentively.Hideyoshi didn't say a word about the fact that the emperor of Ming Dynasty didn't send the princess.How exactly would he reprimand Daming for not keeping the agreement today?Ieyasu was worried. At this time, Acceptance read the Ming Dynasty Book tremblingly, of course translating Chinese into Japanese and reading it sentence by sentence.The tone was rough from the beginning, which is also reasonable.Naturally, the Emperor Ming would not look at Hideyoshi head-on, so all the words and sentences were sympathy for the new master of the small island country.For the Ming Dynasty, there was an example of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's tameness in the past, and the battle report also said that the Ming army had won a big victory, so it was naturally not polite to speak.The tone of acceptance became more and more serious, and finally it came to the section of canonization. "... Make Er the king of Japan." As soon as the words fell, Hideyoshi was already furious: "Shut up!" "yes." "Give it to me! Give me this arrogant and rude credential... Take it here!" The crowd immediately raised their heads together.Hideyoshi snatched the letter of credence from the accepting hand, his face was pale, and his emaciated body couldn't help trembling. "President! How dare you lie to me?" "No...no...the villain dare not..." "Shut up! You actually brought such an impolite envoy to me. Are you impatient?" The voice seemed to come from the young Hideyoshi rather than from the emaciated body. Hearing, throwing a voice, "Toyotomi Hideyoshi has unified Japan, if you want to be king, I will take it at any time. Tell the messenger!" "yes." "Why do I want to be canonized by a foreigner? Japan has already had an emperor passed down from generation to generation, don't you know? How dare you come to make me king, it is extremely rude! The peace negotiation ends here!" "yes." "If I had known this, I wouldn't wear such shabby things for a moment. Take them all off!" Hideyoshi roared, threw the credentials to the ground on the spot, tore off his clothes, and threw them in front of the envoy.Ieyasu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Hideyoshi was still very majestic after taking off his Tang clothes.Then he took off his crown and court clothes calmly.Looking at Ming Envoy again, Yang Fangheng was so frightened that he lost all blood and trembled all over, while Shen Weijing still had no fear on his face, with a smile on his face.Seeing this, Hideyoshi yelled angrily: "Bring the knife! I will never forgive the president today! Kill this bastard! Bring the knife!" Seeing that Hideyoshi was really going to kill the president, Shen Weijing's face turned pale.He probably felt that President Konishi, Ishida Mitsunari and others had already made up their minds and arranged everything.A moment ago, he thought Hideyoshi was just talking in a fit of anger. "Bring the knife! You are a treacherous villain who deceived the Supreme Court and insulted the prestige of our country. If you don't end up with you, it will be difficult to relieve the hatred in my heart!" "Please...please wait a moment." Acceptance hurriedly grabbed Hideyoshi's sleeve, "The poor monk thinks that Lord Xiaoxi may not know about this. Please calm down." "The president doesn't know about this?" "Yes. This is the letter of credence given to you by the Emperor of Ming Dynasty. Of course, Lord Xiaoxi has no way of knowing the content, and he was also deceived. What do you think, Lord Xiaoxi?" "Yes... yes, yes. The villain never expected that they would be so rude..." The leader spoke incoherently, desperately grasping the life-saving straw of acceptance.Ieyasu waved to Tian Xuan, and ordered sharply: "Let Ming envoys retreat soon! Don't let them stay in the city, drive them back to Sakai Port, so that they can reflect on themselves." "Yes. Two envoys, please." After the envoy went out, Hideyoshi shouted loudly: "Everyone has seen it. The peace talks broke down, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi will send troops to North Korea immediately." "Of course, of course." Acceptance agreed solemnly, "Master Taige, please give Lord Xiaoxi another chance, so that he can wash away the shame you have suffered today..." Hideyoshi had an extremely complicated expression on his face, and he glanced at Ieyasu and Toshiie.Both of them were speechless.If Hideyoshi didn't know the truth beforehand, he might have killed Konishi Yukio in front of Mingshi.But Hideyoshi seemed to have expected this a long time ago, so he had no intention of killing people from the very beginning.Once the president is beheaded, Ishida Mitsunari, Otani Yoshitsugu, Masuda Nagamori and others may not be able to escape the blame. "You bastard, I will spare your life today, but I haven't promised to spare you yet." After saying that, Hideyoshi walked away. Ieyasu and Toshika winked at each other and followed. Back indoors, Hideyoshi was leaning over the desk, his shoulders still shaking. Not knowing how many secrets Maeda Toshiie knew about Hideyoshi, he glanced at Ieyasu, and said to Hideyoshi, "Toshiie understands what your lord is feeling right now." "Oh?" Hideyoshi immediately stared at the two of them with widened eyes, "Send troops! This time I want to conquer myself! None of you can stop me!" Ieyasu lay down on the ground calmly, his eyes suddenly became hot, this is a tragic swan song in life...