June 3rd,
Noon.
Before the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
This was originally the Hall of Fengtian, the last of the three halls, and had always been the formal location for receiving tributary states. However, Jiajing, who most enjoyed renaming things, had changed its grade. The name Huangji, meaning "Establishing the Ultimate," hinted at his ambition to revitalize the Great Ming.
On this day, almost all officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital were present. The Ministry of Rites had also notified all foreign envoys in the capital, including the Japanese envoy Hashiba Hideyoshi, making a total of twenty-three foreign guests.
Jiajing did not wish to show himself for the moment, so Prince Yu was to preside. Prince Yu, not wanting to court trouble, tried to pass the duty to Yan Song. Yan Song, however, repeatedly pushed it onto Xu Jie, who steadfastly refused to accept it.
After much deliberation, Yan Song gave a signal to Yan Ne, the Minister of Personnel, and said,
"Minqing, you take the lead..."
Yan Ne was not originally a member of the Yan family, but he had long feared Yan Song and thus reluctantly agreed.
It should be known that
In the Ming Dynasty, a Shangshu (Minister) was sometimes merely a title. Only a Shangshu who also held the title of Grand Academician was a true Shangshu. Those without the title of Grand Academician often held only an official rank. Therefore, it was not uncommon for multiple Shangshu to hold positions. During the Gao Gong affair, after Guo Pu was dismissed and Zhu Mo voluntarily stepped down, Xu Jie recommended Yan Ne, who was first appointed Grand Academician of the Wuying Hall before formally taking charge of the Ministry of Rites.
At this moment,
Yan Ne cleared his throat and announced in a clear voice:
"By imperial edict:
The founder Hongwu established our dynasty, and peace reigned across the seas. However, the ruffians who lived by piracy along the coast of the Nine Provinces would seize our borders with fleets of five or ten ships. The first and third emperors repeatedly admonished them to no avail, thus they were first called Wokou (Japanese pirates). As the Great Ming is the suzerain and Japan is a vassal state, the Son of Heaven cannot refrain from educating and punishing them; therefore, in the early Yongle period, when the Shogunate could not call itself a vassal, they were appeased with *kanhe* (indentures). Unexpectedly, during the Jingtai era, the *kanhe* were lost, and the Wokou menace resurged, continuing for two hundred years. Upon examining the facts, it is not that they were unwilling to restrain them, but that their circumstances made it impossible.
Now, the sagacious Emperor reigns, his imperial path is lofty and grand. There is an righteous warrior from an outer vassal state, Oda Nobunaga, who heard the call of righteousness and acted. During our navy's campaign against Zhoushan, he dispatched elite forces, slew the chief perpetrator of chaos, Otomo Sorin, presented his head at the palace, and requested the restoration of the *kanhe* system as in the Yongle and Jingtai periods. His righteousness and broad-mindedness are evident, and We are greatly pleased. You, Prince Yu, are commanded to entertain this righteous warrior from the outer vassal state on Our behalf, demonstrating to the world the principle of using righteousness to quell tyranny and punishing the wicked to aid the people. Respect this edict."
Upon the recitation of this edict,
All the officials were convinced. Even the few sharp-tongued censors from the Yan faction found no fault with it. Immediately thereafter, celebratory music played, the tunes soaring and melodious, evoking a sense of peace and tranquility.
Prince Yu stepped forward, raised his cup to Hashiba Hideyoshi, and said with a smile,
"Your envoy presents the head of the arch-villain not for the Great Ming, but for the people of all nations... Indeed, your lord's righteous execution of the tyrant is greatly praised by our sagacious Emperor, and he shall soon receive imperial rewards. May Your envoy drink this cup to the full?"
Hashiba Hideyoshi,
who was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, nicknamed "Monkey," was originally a mere servant of Oda. Due to his loyalty and intelligence, he was able to serve by his lord's side. This time, Oda sent him to the Ming Dynasty, firstly because Hideyoshi was exceptionally shrewd, and secondly, to express his utmost sincerity. He had initially worried about potential issues with the nominal status, and that upon his return, figures like Imagawa Yoshimoto would unite against him. Having heard the imperial edict, his worries were dispelled.
He immediately stood up, bowed respectfully to Prince Yu, accepted the wine goblet with both hands, and declared in a loud voice,
"This envoy, on behalf of his lord, bows to express gratitude for the Great Ming Emperor's profound grace!"
"We thank Your Highness Prince Yu for this benevolent bestowal!"
He was well-versed in etiquette. He then turned with the wine cup and addressed the assembled officials:
"Our Japan also suffers from the Wokou menace. The Shogunate and our righteous lords have repeatedly forbidden it in vain! These ruffians are accustomed to murder and plunder, harming countless innocent people. Since Otomo Sorin converted to Christianity and used them as his pawns, the Wokou threat has escalated tenfold! Our lord, Lord Nobunaga, has long wished to eradicate this great evil for the world. Now that the great task is accomplished, he specially reports it to the Great Ming Emperor and all the wise officials. Our vassal state is humble, and our etiquette may be lacking. We beg your forgiveness!"
Xu Jie and Li Chunfang, upon hearing this, could not help but admire the man, to be able to compose such a speech in just two or three days. It showed that despite his short stature, he possessed the demeanor of Yanzi. The other officials, however, assumed he had it memorized, believing that a mere Japanese man could not possess such talent, and thus paid him little mind.
The three to four hundred followers present were merely going through the motions, with no real interest in listening. Seeing this man with his sharp features and simian-like face, and recalling how his lord, Oda, had undermined the situation, causing the collapse of the grand strategy, they felt even greater aversion towards him.
Yan Shifan paid no attention, his eyes darting intermittently towards the rear hall, wondering if Jiajing was truly there. This emperor's severe actions against his Yan family this time were truly soul-crushing and unbearable. He let out a hum, deliberately closing his eyes and raising his head.
Yan Song sighed inwardly, thinking: "His Majesty's actions this time are truly a violation of the rites between ruler and subject. Later, I shall subtly satirize him in my poem and see how he intends to treat all the Yan faction officials and gentry in the empire..."
Prince Yu, seeing that Hashiba Hideyoshi had finished his drink, said with delight,
"Please be seated, Your envoy. Our Great Ming's sagacious Emperor, seeing that the common people suffer greatly from the Wokou menace, has now extended his righteous influence and commanded his officials to present poems in praise of the joy of peace for all the people..."
Hashiba Hideyoshi bowed again and said loudly, "The esteemed upper kingdom, a civilized land, celebrates this grand occasion, which shall be remembered forever. Hideyoshi, on behalf of his lord, thanks all the wise officials!"
Prince Yu nodded and turned to Yan Song, saying,
"Lord Yan, shall we... begin?"
Yan Song stepped forward, stood in the center, unfurled the memorial in his hand, and recited with a modulated voice:
"Your subject Yan Song, by imperial decree, presents this poem, the words are as follows:
The Han Emperor's imperial dominion, with hands clasped in regalia, brings forth clarity to the four seas, and the mind finds peace.
A wise general unites with the Eastern Purple, a rare talent transforms through the Yellow River's flow.
The recluse once permitted the Green-Robe Guest, who understands the King of Hanzhong in discussing rites?
The seas are subjected to the might of many fierce warriors, the Emperor's path, Gao Long, lasts like the sun and moon."
As soon as he finished reciting, the entire hall fell silent as sparrows.
The officials were momentarily unable to fathom the poem's layered meanings, so they dared not relax their expressions. Everyone stood solemnly and still, appearing to be fully attentive, but in reality, their hearts were pounding—
This poem seems a bit off...
Yet, they couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
The important figures present today were all Jinshi graduates, having read and written countless poems. However, upon repeated contemplation and savoring, they all vaguely sensed a hidden sentiment.
Xu Jie, with his keen insight, immediately perceived—
This poem does indeed praise the recent Battle of Zhoushan and the presentation of the Wokou chieftain's head. It mentions "wise general" and "rare talent." The wise general naturally refers to Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, while the rare talent can only be Zhu Mo... This means Yan Song has explicitly acknowledged Zhu Mo's contribution.
But then,
In the third couplet, he outwardly praises the Emperor, stating that Jiajing's cultivation of Daoism makes him a Taoist adept, and as emperor, he is like Emperor Gao of Han, all of whom are the most sagacious!
But in secret, these two lines are a lament.
In plain terms, the meaning is—
Your Majesty, you once regarded me, Yan Song, as a rare talent. In your moments of crisis, I always supported you. But now, new leeks are harvested one after another, your imperial majesty grows ever higher, while I, Yan Song, am nothing...