Chapter 108 Transaction

It has to be admitted that although Mu Qi had no intention of alluding to the Japanese, the Japanese were definitely not worthy of his allusion. But the fact is that there are so many subtle coincidences. Perhaps it is the mutual sympathy between the island countries. Some things are always so similar in their intentions when planning bad things, and even the bad water cannot come up with anything new. It is no wonder that Nanye Xinin was frightened and suddenly decided to do such a cruel thing - everyone likes to judge others by themselves, and considering the viciousness and cruelty of the Japanese pirates, the imaginary enemies must be even more vicious, vicious and cruel. The imagined horror is so specific and intimidating that Nanye Xinin can make up his mind so quickly and risk being skinned to do such a big thing.

According to Kusunobu Nishi's knowledge, once China gains power, it will definitely treat Japan in the same way the Japanese pirates treated the civilians along the coast. Think about the methods the Japanese pirates used to treat the civilians back then - they would be better off dead!

Fear inspires despair, and despair inspires resentment, which is why this hasty assassination was carried out at all costs. Even if both parties died, it was the best possible outcome. Actually speaking, there was probably nothing wrong with Kusunoki Nishi's choice... because the prince had no intention of letting them go from the beginning.

However, no matter how subtle the similarities are, the Japanese actually compare themselves to the various operations of Dai Ying in private, which is still a bit too common and too confident. Britain was of course greatly lacking in wealth and greed, but after the Industrial Revolution, its power soared and it was unrivaled. It truly swept the world and had no rivals, profoundly changing the course of world history. It can be said that capital had an advantage over feudalism, and the title of "global empire" was well deserved. It was one of the most vivid and terrifying symbols of imperialism. And what about Japan, especially Japan which had no chance to take advantage of globalization during its agricultural era? What kind of a chicken feather vegetable is that?

The key under the overpass is five dollars a piece. Do you have one?

If the grand journey of mankind's resistance against colonialism and imperialism is summarized as a legendary drama, then Daiying and his good eldest son must be the nightmare-level boss at the end of the level, the ultimate demon king in history who shares the throne of terror, all the evil in this world; a big filter that can only be barely passed by gathering all the wisdom and courage of mankind. As for the Japanese slime that is so damp and disgusting that it sticks to your hands and cannot be shaken off, perhaps only the Prince of Mu is willing to go to great lengths to deal with it. Moreover, his main purpose is not out of any grand strategy, but simply because of historical sentiment, or he has a clear mind, that's all.

Therefore, Mu Qi never thought that the Japanese could have such confidence, and even would be so terrified by this vague hint. Historical legacies are legacies, and considering the current comparison of national strength, he really didn't take Japan seriously. But now it seems that the toad does not bite but disgusts people. No matter how huge the disparity in national strength is, the Japanese have always known how to disgust the Central Plains, and they are constantly innovating in their insidious methods, which is particularly disgusting.

The Japanese envoy Kusunoki Nishinin's hostility towards the prince was not based on just a single copy of "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume 6"; in fact, what was found in the secret room included a complete set of "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality", from the initial draft version put out for trial use to the special revised edition that was reprinted three times. It basically included all the "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality" published on the market in the past six months, and it is enough to do a textual research on the circulation and evolution of Da'an's street novels; and apart from "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality", all the memorials and petitions submitted by the prince, the scattered records about the Duke Mu's Mansion in the court bulletins and literati's notes, the secret reports and speculations of the spies were carefully collected, sorted and stored in different categories, with a large number of annotations.

——To be honest, even if Mu Qi himself recalled his behavior over the past few years, it would not be possible to be more detailed and accurate than this database.

This kind of information, when passed down to later generations, may be very helpful for historical research; but for those who have not yet become part of history, standing in a pile of old papers and watching themselves being spied on, inquired about, and studied in this way, they will probably only have a feeling.

"...This is too perverted." Mu Qi murmured.

Although there were no outsiders here, he still wrapped his coat tightly and looked around suspiciously.

"It's really perverted, and it fits my general impression of the Japanese." Liu Li also lingered in front of this amazing data storage, and said in amazement: "But you have to admit that this kind of dirty and vulgar method is indeed very effective."

He pulled a piece of paper from the bookshelf. The note contained excerpts from the notes of a certain scholar, complaining about the extremely bad atmosphere in the capital, recording all kinds of chaos in the central government, and lamenting that the emperor was obsessed with meritorious service and was rebellious, and that the rules and regulations were relaxed, which seemed to be a sign of the country's destruction. The notes were written in rich and colorful strokes, and contained numerous comments by Kusunoha Nishishi and the spies.

For example, after "The emperor practices mystical cultivation and does not care about worldly affairs," a sentence was added: "Not necessarily, not necessarily!" ], and added the sentence [It's hard to say] after "The actions of the prince of Duke Mu are crazy and the world is shocked." At the end of the entire note, there is the summary speech of Kusunoki Nishi:

[The Chinese emperor pretends to be a mysterious cultivator on the outside, but he is full of desires on the inside. He is obsessed with fame and fortune all the time. The reason why he has not acted yet is that the country's national strength is still lacking. If Mu's "rocket" succeeds and China's national power grows greatly, it will certainly plot overseas expansion, and our country will be left without a rival. Preemptive strike is urgent! 】

[It’s important, it’s important!] 】

Liu Li finished reading the note and was quite moved:

"Very insightful, isn't it? A bystander sees more clearly. As long as you collect more information, you will be able to figure out something. That's why my father once warned me that in the art of war, the one who makes more calculations will win; if you collect all the intelligence completely and properly, you will be able to use the troops well no matter how you do it."

It’s really not that different. Although everyone knew that the imperial court was a big leak, no one expected that the news would leak to such a shocking extent. And this information is obviously just the tip of the iceberg. After digging open the walls of the secret room and the secret passage, the three also saw a large amount of black ash. Long before breaking into the villa, Kusunoki Nishi had ordered his men to destroy all the most important and critical intelligence, leaving not a single remnant. If Mu Qi had not acted quickly after the assassination was resolved, I'm afraid not a single bit of information would have been found.

Ruthless, decisive, leaving no room for maneuver, dirty and disgusting as they may be, such people are indeed a serious threat to the highly skilled, and they cannot afford to let down their guard at all.

Such a ruthless and resolute person would certainly not leak any information. Mu Qi wanted to use his old trick to force Zhao Fei to reveal the source of some key information, but Nanye Xinin, who was slumped on the ground, just smiled lightly and was not afraid at all:

"Your Highness thinks too highly of yourself. Of course, I know that Your Highness is very capable and has many secrets that are enough to reverse fate. But with Your Highness's abilities, I'm afraid there are things that are beyond his ability..."

"It's beyond your ability, and it's not your turn to say..." The prince said halfway, and suddenly frowned: "What did you eat?"

During the conversation just now, Kusunoki Nishi was still able to speak freely, but now, in just half a quarter of an hour, his face turned pale, he was sweating profusely, his lips turned black and purple, and he no longer looked like a human.

"It's just half a pound of medicinal wine soaked in Aconitum." Nanye Xi said with difficulty: "I don't think you can bring the dead back to life..."

The prince was speechless for a moment, and could only look at each other with the other two fools: after drinking half a liang of Wutou wine, even a god would be helpless; besides, □□ would seriously disrupt the heart rhythm and blood circulation. If he was tortured with electric shock, he would die immediately, without even time to speak -

"It seems that I have finally found your weakness." Kusunoki Nishi forced a ferocious smile: "... Of course, I am still willing to make a deal with you."

"Are you still qualified to talk to me?"

"Of course I am qualified." Nanye Xi Shinobi said slowly, "Your Excellency should know that how could I, an outsider with no foundation, stir up such a big storm along the coast, assassination and ambush? Of course, of course, there are Chinese who help me. These people have already set sail with their valuables, and you can't catch up with them. But it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter... I can tell you about their accomplices, traces, and all the remnants left in the mainland."

"You want to sell them out." Mu Qi said slowly, "Why? Aren't you afraid that they will resent you?"

"Of course we're not afraid." Nanye Xi Shinobi said, "Your Highness is right. These people are worse than dogs. They don't even know how to write the word 'loyalty'. They can betray your country for the sake of profit, and of course they can betray our country for the sake of profit in the future. This is - this is a huge risk. Therefore, we need to cut off the roots of these people in China, so that they will be determined and can never turn back, and can only follow Japan..."

He paused, then spoke with difficulty:

"In the words of the prince in his memorial, this is a 'win-win' situation."

It is indeed a win-win situation. After receiving the list, the Chinese side can wipe out all the spies and feel relieved; while the Japanese also take the opportunity to cut off the escape routes of these cunning guys and force them to become the most loyal, reliable and least rebellious dogs - China wins, Japan wins, everyone wins, and they are all numb from winning. As for traitors? Who would consider the thoughts of a traitor?

This is an offer that is simply impossible to refuse, and its appeal is even greater than ordinary intelligence. But the prince thought for a moment and shook his head.

Kusunoki Nishi was so shocked that he almost forgot the pain: "Sir, don't you want to know about the spy?"

"Of course I want to know." The prince answered sincerely, "But the situation now is this: I really want the information about the spy, but I am not willing to agree to any conditions you put forward. Do you understand?"

Kusunobu Nishi: …………

No, is there something wrong with you? Is there anyone who negotiates like you?

"Are you kidding me, my prince?!" He was so furious that he almost lost his temper. "If you think you can torture me to open my mouth, then go ahead!"

"Of course I can't use torture now, but I can offer you another condition, a condition that cannot be refused." The prince was calm and composed: "If you are willing to tell me the news, I can make a break for you and write a letter to persuade the emperor. When the court invades Japan in the future, it can choose not to recruit soldiers from Ryukyu."

"That's none of my business—"

At this point, Nanye Nishi shuddered suddenly. Although he was confused by the poison, he still realized the key point belatedly: Ryukyu was adjacent to Japan in the north and south, but its national strength was extremely weak; most of the powerful lords in Japan coveted this piece of fat meat that they had picked up for free, so they harassed it year after year without end. Given the Japanese people's behavior, the cruelty of this kind of war and harassment can certainly be imagined.

A country that had been insulted, destroyed and tortured for decades finally received the grace of the Central Plains court and had the opportunity to take revenge. What do you think they will do?

Kusunobu Nishi's teeth were chattering - it was precisely because he knew how horrific and brutal his crimes were that he felt an endless fear of the future reckoning. He forced himself to calm down and could only manage to utter one sentence:

"——This is not up to you. You have the final say! Besides, even if they are soldiers from the Central Plains court, how good can they be..."

"That's wrong." The prince said, "Of course I can assure you that I will never say a good word for Japan. But a war of this level is definitely a national war, and it will be recorded in history in the future. You also know the current emperor's style. Even for the glorious image of a saintly monarch, he has to restrain himself a little... Those who write history books can't be too shameless!"

In the theories of Confucian scholars in the Central Plains, civilization is also divided into levels. It is said that it is better for the barbarians to have a king than for the Chinese to have none. Barbarians outside the Chinese civilization are generally not treated as human beings. But in this hierarchical order, Wakoku's position was rather special: it was a vassal state personally ennobled by Emperor Gaozu, and could at least be counted as half a person - although only half a person, it would still be very embarrassing if the imperial army went too far on the island.

Let's put it this way, back then the Han envoys traveled across the Western Regions without restraint; and because what they did was really beyond common sense, Ban Gu and Ban Dajia were so helpless that they had to record in the Biographies of the Western Regions that "the Han envoys were tyrannical" - the ones who presided over the development of the Western Regions were their own flesh and blood brothers, so there was no way to cover it up; then, by analogy, even if the Crown Prince had a good relationship with Zhang Taiyue, could he still suppress the pens of the Hanlin Academy and the literati? If he cannot hold it back, even if you are the Emperor Wanshou, you cannot help but be wary of the historical criticism that will be passed down through the ages.

But on the other hand, as long as Ryukyu is introduced to Japan, the historical responsibility of the people in charge will be much smaller... If the Ryukyu army disobeys orders and insists on making trouble, what can the court do?

Having been trained in the mountains of literature and the sea of ​​meetings, Kusunoha Nishinin would understand this routine of shirking responsibility, so his face suddenly changed drastically, he could hardly breathe, and shouted with a gasp:

"You, you, how dare you——"

"Please don't get excited." Mu Qi looked calm and ignored him. "The aconite poison takes effect very quickly. If you can't catch your breath and die, our deal will be void. I can write a letter to the King of Ryukyu right away. Okay, now slow down your breathing, calm down, don't be anxious... Come on, tell me slowly, where is the list of traitors?"

·

It was called a list, but in fact it was seven or eight extremely thick volumes, which were built into the ground along with the blue bricks. When they opened the list and compared it one by one, in addition to the simple names, code names, and contact information, there were actually extremely detailed records of correspondence, letter summaries, and even gifts and secret words. Everything was seamless and could be verified one by one - the Jinyiwei didn't need to do anything else, as long as they collected all the information on the list, it would be irrefutable evidence.

Judging from the evidence, the reason why some people along the coast were willing to cooperate with this Kusunoha Nishi Ninja and assassinate the imperial envoy at all costs is actually quite obvious. Judging from just a few letters exchanged, these people were guilty of treason, rebellion, smuggling and stealing. I'm afraid each of them has a criminal record of high treason. They treated the extermination of their entire clan and skinning and strawing them as a gaming achievement. They acted recklessly and wantonly for decades, and directly broke the bottom line of Da'an law - the provisions of the criminal law are limited, but the imagination of human crime is endless. As the saying goes, if you have too many lice, you don't mind the itch. The crimes of exterminating your entire clan are too many, so they may not care.

To put it another way, in the original plan, these main culprits did not intend to cover up anything by murdering the imperial envoy. They simply wanted to muddy the waters and delay time in preparation for transferring their power. Unfortunately, the situation collapsed before the great task was accomplished, the tide of victory suddenly reversed, the main criminals were caught off guard and fled in panic, and could only take a little gold and silk assets with them to quickly go out to sea, leaving most of their forces behind on the shore - the assassination was extremely confidential, and I'm afraid that even now, quite a few accomplices are still in a daze.

As for how much this "considerable portion" is... Mu Qi counted the pages of the list and took a breath.

"…It's a complete collapse!" He whispered, "The old Taoist priest has only neglected government affairs for more than ten years, and the country has come to this point!"

"If you don't advance, you will retreat." Zhao Fei said calmly: "Tolerating weakness is always the most indulgent to treacherous people. In fact, this is nothing. You don't know the situation on my side - after being indulged and perfunctorily treated by successive emperors of the Zhao family for hundreds of years, the bones of the scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty are simply..."

She shook her head, not wanting to recall the situation again. Emperor Zhao and the literati had shared the country for more than a hundred years, but when the Jurchen army was at the gates of the city, the Confucian scholars and civil officials surrendered without any hesitation. The surrender rate was so high and their positions were so high that it was rare in ancient and modern times. You could compile a list of spies in Da'an, but there was no need to compile a list of spies in the Northern Song Dynasty. You could just read out the list of officials.

The Confucian scholars of Da'an may not be able to hold up the scene in other ways, but when it comes to character and integrity, they can spit on the heads of the great Confucian scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty and humiliate a group of celebrities, and never allow anyone to talk back - "In normal times, they sit idly by and talk about their character, and in times of crisis, they will die for the king." No matter what, they are willing to die!

So it is still what Confucius said most: loving someone can only harm him; excessive indulgence will only breed weakness, which will inevitably lead to defeat in the attacks of foreign enemies; on the contrary, a wise, strict and ruthless monarch like Emperor Gaozu Zhu Yuanzhang, although he could behead and skin people and send them into exile at will, actually made the civil officials tremble in fear and fulfill their duties, thus avoiding the chaos and defeat of a landslide. How many people did Emperor Gaozu kill in his lifetime, and how many people would the Jurchens kill when they moved south? The saying goes, killing one man can save ten thousand people. Only by comparing the two can we understand the painstaking efforts of our predecessors!

Killing is to protect life, and killing karma does not mean killing people; Emperor Gaozu is well versed in Buddhism and is a true monk!