A thought crossed Yan Shanong's mind, and despair washed over him.
Tan Lun was the governor of Zhejiang and Zhili, and Liu Shiyan was the descendant of a renowned minister. For them to target a mere scholar like himself meant the situation had indeed taken a turn. The news of Zhu Mo's return had likely spread. They dared not kill civilians but were compelled to escalate the matter to an irretrievable point, thus choosing to kill scholars instead…
Killing a few scholars would only garner sympathy from the populace for a few days before they forgot. This was truly a venomous tactic…
He instantly regretted not fleeing immediately after receiving the letter, preferably by water… But it was too late. He was over fifty, while his disciples were barely in their twenties…
It must be understood that in the Great Ming, the common people's perception of scholars was complex. On one hand, they envied their ability to become officials, or at least to know many officials. But on the other hand, they were weaker than officials and not necessarily inviolable. Thus, poor scholars were not well-received, and those who were heretical and rebellious, clearly unable to attain officialdom, could be bullied and ridiculed even more.
Thinking of this, Yan Shanong felt his heart being sliced by a knife. His single step of delay had actually implicated these young men, turning them into sacrificial lambs for this change…
He immediately straightened his robes, knelt slowly before Liu Shiyan, touched his forehead to the ground, and choked out,
“Lord Liu, I, Yan Shanong, take full responsibility for my actions. These few are merely helpers at the academy, poor folk seeking a livelihood, and they understand nothing of the Heart Nourishment studies… I implore your Lordship, in the spirit of shared scholarly heritage with the Earl of Sincerity, to show mercy and spare these young men…”
This?!
You?
Alas…
Liu Shiyan had always considered these people to be monstrous, each a wild scholar. Seeing that these few were all refined and did not seem rebellious, and that Yan Shanong himself appeared virtuous and upright, how could he be a man of rebellion? His actions were originally out of helplessness, done with a heavy heart. But now, seeing a renowned scholar like this kneeling before him, he was utterly at a loss.
It must be known that he, Liu Shiyan, was not an unreasonable person. Furthermore, with his family's deep scholarship, he often read and prided himself on his scholarly disposition. However, over the years, the political arena had become akin to a battlefield, with countless meritorious officials and princes extinguished. Though his family were the most renowned descendants of Liu Bowen, they were also the most conspicuous. Outsiders were largely unaware, but his family members understood clearly—
Liu Bowen had strongly advised the founding emperor to implement severe punishments back then, offending those from Huaixi. The official records clearly stated that Liu Bowen was the prime culprit! There was no way to gloss over it!
For generations, factions had been extremely hostile to the Liu family. From Li Dongyang and Yang Tinghe to Yan Song, all sought to vindicate Liu Bowen and had sent many spies watching the Liu family. As long as there was the slightest misstep, these officials would seize upon it. If not for the Zhu family's sentimentality, the Liu family would have been wiped out long ago…
If not for this,
Why would he have submitted a student’s petition to Yan Song?
But questioning himself in the dead of night, he often found it absurd: the descendants of Liu Bowen having to fawn over Yan Shifan just to survive, wasn't that preposterous?
At this very moment,
He was in utter conflict. These righteous warriors before him were recruited family retainers of the influential clans in Nanjing, and most of those clans were Yan family allies. If he went back on his word and refused, these warriors would immediately report him. Who would protect him in the imperial court then? The current governor of Zhejiang and Zhili was Tan Lun, a former grand master of the Crown Prince. Even he was helpless; what could Liu Shiyan do?
Moreover, this matter was originally instigated by those influential Nanjing clans, who forced him to confront Tan Lun. If he switched sides now, could he ever return?
He pondered for a moment and suddenly made up his mind—
Self-preservation was paramount!
He cared not for the accusation of harming the virtuous!
Ahem,
He immediately hardened his heart and said coldly,
“I am not a Lord now, merely a Qianhu of the Nanjing Righteous Volunteers, acting under orders… Uh, rest assured, you, Yan Shanong, are a renowned scholar, and I will not let you be humiliated!”
You?!
Yan Shanong stood up abruptly and shouted,
“These few have only been here for a few months and know nothing! How can you implicate the innocent?!”
Liu Shiyan’s heart was wrung, he closed his eyes, and shouted,
“Take them away!”
With that,
He immediately turned, mounted his horse, and rode away alone…
…
Qifu City,
Sunset.
Oda Nobunaga wiped his "Tenka Fubu" seal, gazing at the residual, blood-red sunset on the mountains, and felt his palms begin to sweat…
He had just installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as Seii Taishogun, fulfilling a lifelong aspiration—
Ascending to Kyoto.
However, after conquering the six provinces of Kyushu, befriending the Ming Dynasty, prohibiting ronin from raiding the seas, and extensively hoarding grain, he had incurred criticism from the lords of the land. These, arguably, were not problems, not even minor issues. He was confident that no lord in present-day Japan was his match. But the problem was that the Ming Dynasty had undergone a massive upheaval…
From his observation, the Ming Dynasty's emperor had likely wavered. Because Zhu Mo was beyond reproach; from what he had personally witnessed in Hangzhou, that young man possessed an indomitable will and would never abandon his great undertaking. The current reversal was due to the emperor's lack of steadfastness.
This news quickly spread among the Japanese lords. Now, besides his own Owari, the western lands and Kyushu under his control were all rife with rumors. The puppet Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki had secretly colluded with the lords, launching what they called the "Nobunaga encirclement," with as many as seven or eight clans involved: Asakura, Azai, Takeda, Mori, the Sanmyō Sanjūnin, Mount Hiei’s Enryaku-ji Temple, Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple…
And these were merely the overt threats. Because these clans were not like the Western barbarians who served the Ōtomo family; they had no major political disputes with him, only power struggles. The hidden danger still lay in Kyushu…
For one reason—
The Ming Dynasty's reversal might once again trigger a change in maritime trade. The ronin, fallen lords, and pirates of Kyushu were now hoping for the Yan family to regain power in the Ming Dynasty and restore the former situation. If that indeed happened, they might even be able to persuade the central lords. Then, if Korea's Yun Won-hyeong were to be restored, followed by the Ryukyu Islands, and the Mạc dynasty of Annam, the situation could be considered to have collapsed…
How likely was this possibility?
It existed, certainly,
But it wouldn't be very high…
Oda Nobunaga had a hunch—
Zhu Mo and the Ming emperor had a tacit understanding. This was likely a plan, perhaps due to insurmountable factors within the Ming Dynasty, or for some other reason, leading Zhu Mo to temporarily retreat to advance. His retreat, however, placed an unprecedentedly huge pressure on himself…
Thinking of this,
He placed the great seal back into its brocade box and sighed leisurely.
Hashiba Hideyoshi had been standing by his side, and now he said,
“Lord Nobunaga, how should this battle be fought? The vassal lords are all waiting…”
Nobunaga stared at him for a moment, then retorted,
“What do you think, Monkey?”
“The enemy numbers over seventy thousand, and we only have twenty thousand. It is said they also possess some Franjin firearms, while ours are insufficient! My Lord, I believe we can negotiate for peace first… The Ming Dynasty has reversed its course, and their original promises can be voided! We can negotiate for peace, share the profits of maritime trade, and thus, Kyushu will have no cause for rebellion, and the central lords will have no reason to fight desperately.”
Oh?
Oda Nobunaga casually said "oh," as if to himself,
“Do you truly think so?”
Hashiba Hideyoshi knelt and said,
“My Lord! The situation is critical! Within a month, the enemy will have us surrounded, and we will have no retreat… Although we might not be defeated in a major battle, the great cause of unification will be ruined!”
Hmph!
Oda Nobunaga snorted lightly, but showed no anger.
He paced back and forth, thinking for a moment, then said calmly,
“Monkey, you have always been very intelligent, why are you foolish now? Talk with so many of them? How can you talk? Can you talk to so many? Moreover, who says the Ming Dynasty is finished? You have seen Zhu Mo; do you truly believe the Yan family has won?”
Hashiba Hideyoshi was instantly speechless. Recalling the situation he had witnessed in the Ming Dynasty, it seemed it had indeed not reached that point? He had also met the Emperor; that was an unfathomable figure, truly unlikely to be subdued by Yan Song…
At this moment,
Nobunaga had paced to the veranda, looking at the myriad mountains behind the mountain city, and continued, “Monkey, you go to Mikawa tonight… If we are to talk, we will talk to only one person!”
Hashiba Hideyoshi seemed to understand and said,
“Subversion?”
Oda Nobunaga said mockingly,
“When you see Ieyasu, tell him that the profits of maritime trade are shared by many; it’s better to share them between two… The great cause of unification can also be completed by two… East of Sekigahara, my Oda family will not interfere…”
Hashiba Hideyoshi, being incredibly astute, immediately understood—
If the ports of Kyushu were reopened for maritime trade and the Mikawa Province could share in the profits, Ieyasu would naturally be willing to defect. As for not interfering east of Sekigahara, the cunning Ieyasu would certainly not believe it, but the tangible profits of opening the ports were clearly visible. This proposal, any ambitious figure would agree to it…
Hashiba Hideyoshi said joyfully,
“Yes! I understand!”