Chen Yan smiled and said, "If you were Kōkaku Tennō, how would you win against Tokugawa Ienari without stooping to his level?"
Qian Chuan answered without hesitation, "What's so difficult about that? One simply needs to have Tokugawa Ienari and his son Tokugawa Ieyoshi assassinated. With the shogunate leaderless, it would descend into chaos. Then, dispatch a few envoys skilled in diplomacy to persuade the shogunate officials to surrender, and the remaining problems would naturally resolve themselves."
As Qian Chuan finished speaking, Chen Yan was stunned.
Was there anything wrong with Qian Chuan's method?
Not at all. Japan's greatest problem was the struggle for power between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. The Japanese Imperial Court, led by Kōkaku Tennō and his son Prince Kan'in, desired control over the nation, while the Shogunate, headed by Tokugawa Ienari and his son Tokugawa Ieyoshi, was unwilling to relinquish its power. This conflict had plunged Japan into political turmoil and internal strife. If the Tokugawa father and son were eliminated, the remaining issues would hardly be significant.
But by what means could Kōkaku Tennō and his son Prince Kan'in eliminate Tokugawa Ienari and his son Tokugawa Ieyoshi?
If they relied on the military, the ultimate authority in Japan rested with Tokugawa Ienari, and Kōkaku Tennō had no control over the forces.
If they relied on assassins, Kōkaku Tennō commanded far fewer ninjas, and their strength paled in comparison to Tokugawa Ienari's. Should Tokugawa Ienari detect any unusual activity, Kōkaku Tennō and Prince Kan'in would likely face dire consequences.
Chen Yan chuckled and shook his head, saying, "No, that's incorrect. You are a commander of the Imperial Guard, and assassinating Tokugawa Ienari would be as easy as lifting a finger for you. However, Kōkaku Tennō does not have ten junior officers under his command to deploy, nor can he mobilize the army to encircle the Shogunate. Therefore, he cannot directly eliminate Tokugawa Ienari and his son."
Hearing this, Qian Chuan couldn't help but frown.
Analyzing these preconditions presented by Chen Yan, did Kōkaku Tennō have any chance of winning?
After pondering for a moment, Qian Chuan could only shake his head in resignation and sigh, "If I were Kōkaku Tennō, without military power or the Imperial Guard at my disposal, perhaps the best course of action would be to abdicate the throne, gather a few trustworthy followers, and start anew following His Majesty's path from when he first raised his army."
However, to Qian Chuan's surprise, Chen Yan once again shook his head in negation, "This is similar to the problem Tokugawa Ienari is currently grappling with. Even if Kōkaku Tennō were willing to abandon the throne and start anew, he would be unable to gain the support of the common folk of Japan, or rather, he wouldn't know which faction to approach."
Qian Chuan was immediately dumbfounded. After a long pause, he asked with a bewildered expression, "So, there's no solution at all?"
Chen Yan smiled and nodded, "Precisely, there is no solution. Unless His Majesty himself intervenes, there is no way. It would be the same even if Elder Zeng or Grand Commandant Liu were here."
"Therefore, the only option for Kōkaku Tennō and his son Prince Kan'in is to engage in a contest of degradation with Tokugawa Ienari. They must first bring Tokugawa Ienari down to their own level, and then suppress him under the guise of righteousness."
Qian Chuan asked foolishly, "Then why did you tell Tokugawa Ienari to enlist the help of those daimyo?"
Chen Yan chuckled and, instead of directly answering Qian Chuan's question, he inexplicably asked, "Can your Imperial Guard imitate the methods of Japanese ninjas to eliminate Kōkaku Tennō?"
Qian Chuan blinked slightly, then readily nodded, "Imitate their methods? You intend to frame Tokugawa Ienari?"
Chen Yan, carefully weighing his words, grunted in affirmation, "Indeed. First, let Tokugawa Ienari gain the upper hand, then eliminate Kōkaku Tennō, leaving Tokugawa Ienari with the stigma of regicide. Afterward, we can simply support any daimyo we choose. This is the most profitable strategy."
Qian Chuan was completely bewildered, and the way he looked at Chen Yan was now filled with unfamiliarity and disbelief. "Were what you told Tokugawa Ienari earlier just to deceive him?"
Chen Yan let out a cold laugh, full of disdain, "Of course, it was to deceive him. Do you think I would truly support him in becoming the ruler of Japan? Do not forget, he is the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate and already holds de facto power in Japan. If he were to receive the official title of ruler of Japan as well, how could Japan possibly descend into chaos?"
Was it difficult for Tokugawa Ienari to gain the upper hand?
Actually, it wasn't difficult.
If Chen Yan were truly determined to support Tokugawa Ienari, no matter what methods Kōkaku Tennō employed to disrupt Tokugawa Ienari's plans, they would be futile, because Chen Yan was the arbiter.
Even if Chen Yan did not intend to play favorites as the arbiter, he could have quietly instructed Qian Chuan to assist Tokugawa Ienari in dealing with those sent by Kōkaku Tennō to cause trouble.
However, the crux of the matter was this: would a ruler who firmly controlled Japan in both title and substance willingly serve the Great Ming?
Therefore, Chen Yan never intended for Tokugawa Ienari to become the ruler of Japan from the outset.
The reason Chen Yan hinted at supporting Tokugawa Ienari was primarily due to the Iwami Ginzan silver mine that Tokugawa Ienari had promised.
How did Tokugawa Ienari make his promise?
Tokugawa Ienari promised that once he became the ruler of Japan, he would sell the profits of the Iwami Ginzan silver mine to the Great Ming. Before he officially became the ruler of Japan, Tokugawa Ienari would never relinquish the profits of the Iwami Ginzan silver mine. At best, he would keep Chen Yan dangling with the prospect of joint exploration.
This was because the Iwami Ginzan silver mine at this juncture was not merely a bargaining chip for him to seize the throne of Japan, but also his shield.
However, despite Tokugawa Ienari's meticulous calculations, he was ultimately no match for Chen Yan. As the saying goes, what one can do, another can do. If Tokugawa Ienari could sell the profits of the Iwami Ginzan silver mine, others could do the same.
The only issue was that the Iwami Ginzan silver mine was still under the control of the Edo Shogunate. Even if others wished to sell the silver mine, they could not bypass Tokugawa Ienari.
It was precisely because of this that Chen Yan went to such lengths to orchestrate this elaborate scheme.
First, he would express his support for Tokugawa Ienari, prompting Tokugawa Ienari to openly break ties with Kōkaku Tennō, and then let them compete. As the competition neared its end, he would strike at Tokugawa Ienari, allowing Kōkaku Tennō to emerge as the ultimate victor.
As for the numerous encouragements and teachings he imparted to Tokugawa Ienari in between... they were essentially a way to fool fools.
As long as these maneuvers did not backfire, the eventual outcome would be evident.
Kōkaku Tennō, still the ruler of Japan, would undoubtedly leverage his significant victory to undermine the prestige of the Edo Shogunate, and might even reclaim the reins of power in Japan. Tokugawa Ienari, naturally, would not willingly accept defeat and would inevitably seek ways to counterattack.
During this process, the Imperial Guard could send agents to impersonate Edo Shogunate ninjas and assassinate Kōkaku Tennō.
Chen Yan smiled and said, "Tokugawa Ienari has rallied a large number of daimyo. He has no retreat. Once Kōkaku Tennō is dead, he will have no choice but to rebel. At that point, it will be an opportune time for us to support Prince Kan'in's ascension. We can then support a new Shogunate or let Tokugawa Ieyoshi take over the Shogunate. Won't the Iwami Ginzan silver mine then fall into our Great Ming's hands?"
Qian Chuan foolishly gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Brilliant, truly brilliant. To think you are a scholar of the School of Diplomacy; your heart is truly blackened to the core!"
Chen Yan's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort, "You still haven't told me whether your Imperial Guard can impersonate Edo Shogunate ninjas to assassinate Kōkaku Tennō?"
Qian Chuan chuckled and said, "Rest assured, when you need it, I will directly arrange for some Edo Shogunate ninjas to discuss the assassination of Kōkaku Tennō with Watanabe Uemon and Matsushita Ichiban. I guarantee that the final act will be carried out by Edo Shogunate loyalists, and even Tokugawa Ienari will not be aware of it."
This time, it was Chen Yan's turn to be dumbfounded. "Your Imperial Guard can control Edo Shogunate loyalists?"
Qian Chuan chuckled and said, "What difficulty is there in the Imperial Guard controlling a few loyalists? Let alone Edo Shogunate loyalists, even if you wanted Kōkaku Tennō's family loyalists, I can arrange them for you."
...
As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction. While Chen Yan and Qian Chuan were strategizing how to deal with Kōkaku Tennō, Kōkaku Tennō was also contemplating how to handle Chen Yan.
However, Chen Yan intended to arrange for Kōkaku Tennō's head, while Kōkaku Tennō planned to deal with Chen Yan's younger siblings.
Kōkaku Tennō frowned and sighed, "Not a single one is promising. I don't even have an Imperial Princess!"
Prince Kan'in, sitting opposite Kōkaku Tennō, fell into silence.
Did Kōkaku Tennō have Imperial Princesses?
In fact, he did, and quite a few of them.
The problem was that Kōkaku Tennō's fate was rather cruel. He had fathered over a dozen Imperial Princesses, yet not a single one had reached adulthood. The shortest-lived died in the year of their birth, while the longer-lived ones survived for a few years before perishing. In any case, they all died, thereby dashing Kōkaku Tennō's hope of presenting a daughter to the Emperor of Zhu.
Then, unable to become a father-in-law to the Emperor of Zhu, Kōkaku Tennō began to ponder how to win over Chen Yan.
Especially with Chen Yan's obvious partiality, Kōkaku Tennō grew increasingly anxious.
He didn't expect Chen Yan to directly eliminate Tokugawa Ienari, but at the very least, he hoped Chen Yan would stop playing favorites.
Unfortunately, Kōkaku Tennō thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution.
Directly presenting Japanese women? Japanese women were somewhat underwhelming, considering that the Great Ming's embassy in Japan was located in the most prosperous area of Kyoto, and any kind of Japanese woman could be found there.
Should he present daughters from the Imperial family's relatives? That was even more out of the question. If by chance one of those conniving girls caught Chen Yan's eye, it would be even more disastrous!
After a prolonged period of vexation, Prince Kan'in could only sigh in resignation, "Perhaps we should select a few women from the Minamoto clan. At the very least, it would be better than him continuing to favor Tokugawa Ienari."
After another long silence, Kōkaku Tennō finally nodded in resignation, then steered the conversation back to the issue of leprosy, "Have the dispatched personnel sent back any replies? How many daimyo are willing to follow the Imperial Court?"
Prince Kan'in shook his head slightly and sighed deeply, "Currently, those daimyo are all waiting to see the price. None are willing to express their stance easily. As for those daimyo who were originally inclined towards the Imperial Court... they are also somewhat wavering due to the recent Aoi Festival incident."
Kōkaku Tennō's face immediately turned ashen. "Baka! Baka! These damnable fools! It was I and the Imperial Court who bestowed honor upon them, yet they! Baka!"
Prince Kan'in sighed, "This is why I suggested selecting a few women from the Minamoto clan. If we don't find a way to win over Chen Yan soon, I fear Chen Yan will completely side with Tokugawa Ienari, and the subsequent situation will become even more disadvantageous for us."
"Additionally, I have contacted personnel from the Yagyu and Kōga clans. However, at most, they can dispatch loyalists to cause trouble for Tokugawa Ienari, but they lack the ability to directly eliminate Tokugawa Ienari, nor can they quickly spread the leprosy among Tokugawa Ienari's retinue."
Upon hearing this, Kōkaku Tennō let out a furious roar, sweeping everything on the table before him to the ground. He raged like a mad dog, "Baka yarō! It's one thing for those damned fools to disobey my commands, but now even the Yagyu and Kōga personnel have become disobedient!"
After venting his anger, Kōkaku Tennō slumped back onto his mat and muttered foolishly, "Why? Why has it come to this? Everything was going well... Could it be that the Ming people are not even willing to give me a last way out..."
Looking at Kōkaku Tennō, who seemed to have had his bones removed, Prince Kan'in felt a sudden surge of helplessness.
Prince Kan'in sighed, "It's not that the Yagyu and Kōga personnel are disobedient, but rather that the Edo Shogunate also has ninjas serving them. The Yagyu and Kōga lack absolute certainty in breaking through their defenses to kill Tokugawa Ienari. They are more concerned about failing in their attempt and suffering losses, which might force Tokugawa Ienari to take desperate measures."
"The inability to spread the leprosy faster among Tokugawa Ienari's ranks is for the same reason. Furthermore, each ninja requires a significant investment to train, making it impractical to send them to Tokugawa Ienari."
After weakly comforting Kōkaku Tennō, Prince Kan'in continued, "However, there is some good news."
Kōkaku Tennō's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What good news?"
Prince Kan'in said, "Minamoto Masayoshi mentioned that there are a few women in the Minamoto clan who have visited the Great Ming. They can all speak the official language of the Great Ming and possess some knowledge. Regardless of their physique, appearance, or personality, they are all first-rate. Chen Yan will surely be satisfied."
The light in Kōkaku Tennō's eyes gradually faded – the good news was that there were a few women in the Minamoto clan who could satisfy Ambassador Chen?
This was utterly absurd!
However, just as Kōkaku Tennō was filled with disappointment, Prince Kan'in delivered truly good news, "Minamoto Masayoshi also said that although the daimyo of Japan are unwilling to state their positions, and the Shogunate is pressing them step by step, we still have a chance to win."
(End of Chapter)