Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2089 - 1527: Shi Wende Turns Over a New Leaf, Unexpected Encounter with Mori no Kiyoshi

The position where the Japanese envoy stayed was the Guest House in Ningbo City, not far from the scenic Moon Lake. The so-called "Guest" naturally referred to the faraway "Officials," or the distant "Barbarian Ambassadors," having nothing to do with ordinary people.In fact, around this area of the Guest House, one could hardly see any ordinary citizens or neighborhoods, and seldom were there any civilian activities. Arranging the Japanese envoy in such a distant location was to the maximum extent to reduce contact between the Japanese and local Ningbo inhabitants, showing a clear intention of precaution!

Of course, this time, the size of the Japanese tribute fleet’s scale was far beyond the expectations of the Ningbo Shipping Bureau. In fact, this was also the butterfly effect brought by the Kingdom’s gold trade with Japan.

Originally, relying solely on the Hosokawa family and the Shogunate wouldn’t produce so many goods for trade with the Ming Dynasty. However, Mori no Kiyoshi brought a large amount of currency gold, which allowed the tribute fleet to purchase more valuable Ming goods and thereby increased the number of ships for transporting goods on the return voyage. Therefore, there were as many as eight large ships, five belonging to the Hosokawa family, two to the Shogunate, and one to the Tiantai Sect, swelling the envoy to eight ships, seven to eight hundred people!

With so many members of the Japanese envoy pouring in, it gave the local government in Ningbo a headache. Those more than four hundred strong Japanese warriors, even if stripped of their weapons, still exuded a barbarian ferocity. If they were to cause any trouble, the bow soldiers in the county, who were used to catching tax-evading farmers, wouldn’t be able to suppress them. In the past two days, the governor’s office urgently issued documents and mobilized more than two thousand unarmed garrison soldiers, supplemented the food allowance owed for a year, and issued spears and leather armor overnight, all stationed outside Ningbo Port.

Once everything was arranged, the governor’s office ordered the Inspection Bureau to allow the Japanese tribute fleet to enter the port. The warriors of the fleet were ordered not to enter the city, only to operate near the harbor. As for those now staying in the city Guest House, having some degree of activity freedom were just around a hundred people who would go to the Capital City, the upper echelon of the Japanese envoy.

"The inscriptions on the west gate of the Guest House read ’Embrace the Distant with Virtue’? East gate reads ’Observe the Nation’s Light’?... Inside the hall, there are two plaques, ’Submit Letters,’ ’Post Announcements’?... Outside the hall, there are four plaques, ’Day Caution Fire,’ ’Night Caution Fire,’ ’Day Guard Theft,’ ’Night Guard Theft’?..."

Mori no Kiyoshi, draped in a monk robe, with his hands behind his back, wandered inside and outside the Guest House with great interest. In the hall of the building, a faint dispute could be heard. Among these disputes, some were anxious in Japanese, and some assertive in Tang people language, sometimes loud, sometimes silent.

"Oh Buddha, they’ve been arguing from morning till now, that’s two hours, still in dispute! These great merchants of Ningbo indeed have confidence; they wouldn’t even budge a bit. It seems, the merchants of Sakai Port might suffer a hidden loss this time..."

Mori no Kiyoshi listened closely, they were trade disputes, likely over high and low prices. He paid little attention, merely smiled indifferently. This tribute trade is mainly led by the merchants of Sakai Port. The reason everyone elevated him to the envoy’s high position of ’Juzuo,’ the underlying implication is merely to have him be a financier and distributor, not meddling in the specific trade affairs.

"Sen Juzuo, you surely have refined taste! Appreciating the house and scenery here, quite leisurely and at ease."

"Ah! Mr. Yao Fu, restless already? The houses in the Ming Dynasty are truly impressive, constructed intricately and solid... I’m just seeing how they were built, taking the opportunity to read the inscriptions on the walls; exquisite calligraphy, indeed filled with charm..."

"Haha! From morning till night, disputes in the hall, Ningbo grand merchants insisting on the price, Sakai Port traders completely rejecting it... truly hard to sit still."

Envoy to Ming, Yao Fu Shouhuang, smiled wryly, shaking his head in helplessness, escaping from the Guest House. He now also changed into a Linji Sect monk robe, standing side by side with Mori no Kiyoshi from the Tiantai Sect, revealing their bald heads, yet it was quite amusing. Hearing Mori no Kiyoshi’s words, he looked up at the inscription on the east gate of the Guest House, pondered for a while, and smilingly said.

"’Observe the Nation’s Light’? This should derive from the Xiang Ci of the Yi book, ’The Fourth Line of the Observing Hexagram, the words: Six-four: Observe the Nation’s Light, beneficial to become guest to the Monarch.’... Chengzi once said, ’In ancient times, there were virtuous and moral people, the monarch would invite them as guests; therefore, those who made a career at the royal court were considered guests.’... The ancient meaning of the words is to follow a wise monarch, behaving like invited guests. But when used at the ’Guest House’ hosting the envoy, it implies observing ’the politics and customs of other nations’ to consider and learn from."

"Uh? Observe the Nation’s Light, beneficial to become guest to the Monarch?... Mr. Yao Fu is absolutely right! The Yi book is truly an immortal classic passed down through the ages!... This time in Ningbo, I have only two wishes: one is to visit the famous temples and ancient monasteries, and the other is to purchase more Ming Dynasty classics to take back, as family treasures!"

Hearing Yao Fu Shouhuang’s deep understanding of Han studies, Mori no Kiyoshi broke out in sweat, stammered a couple of sentences, awkwardly changed the topic. Letting him debate on Buddhist scripture was manageable, but truly discussing Tang people’s Four Books and Five Classics was as if six of his seven apertures were connected, leaving one completely blocked.

And now in Japan, only those destitute readers in the Capital City would exert great effort in this impractical Tang land study. However, such Tang Book classics can indeed make a fine set for the Shandan Chieftains. Regardless of whether they could understand it, at least it is the official study of the Ming Dynasty, ’extremely precious,’ bound to fetch a good price!