Chapter 3510
Yue Shizong waited and watched for a long time, and finally signed up.
Like applicants from other countries, Yue Shizong was not very interested in the life and death of the Japanese. After all, whether the Japanese Civil War breaks out and to what extent it can be fought, it seems that it will not have much direct impact on the Ming Dynasty.
But he knew that putting on airs at this time and deliberately making a gesture that was not in the same camp as Haihan would not do Daming any good.
That would only alienate other countries from Ming Dynasty and close the few channels for communication with the outside world.
The purpose of signing up to participate in this inspection trip is actually the same as that of his coming to Zhoushan to attend this forum event. They are both to maintain the presence of Ming Dynasty and to use this occasion to understand the development and changes of the external international situation.
Fortunately, Haihan has promised to bear all the expenses, otherwise Yue Shizong may have to reconsider it - going across the sea to Japan, just taking a boat back and forth is a big expense.
After its defeat last year, Ming Dynasty once again ceded territory and paid compensation in the armistice agreement. Its financial situation has become very bad, and the funding of its overseas institutions has also been significantly reduced. The embassy in Hangzhou is currently also under financial pressure and has reduced its staff by more than half.
When Yue Shizong signed up, Haihan officials asked about the number of people traveling. He held back for a long time, and finally only reported four people.
This is not to save Haihan money, but the current staffing of the embassy has been simplified to the extreme and can only maintain the most basic daily operations.
The three people he wanted to bring with him were: one was an old servant who had been with him for many years and was responsible for taking care of his daily life; one was his confidant and advisor, who was both a master and a clerk; and the other was a military officer. After all, this trip was to observe the war. There must be someone in the team who understands military matters.
As for the ceremonial guards, the embassy no longer has this staff due to funding issues. He can't hire a group of people to do this temporarily. The honor guards all need to undergo professional training. If these temporary recruits fail to do a good job, it will not be Yue Shizong's face that will be lost, but the face of Ming Dynasty.
Instead of spending money to make a fool of yourself, it is better to travel lightly and try to avoid unnecessary trouble. He knew very well that Ming's current international reputation could no longer withstand random manipulations.
Compared with the slightly shabby Ming Dynasty mission, former vassal states such as Annan and Korea did not have such troubles. They didn't even need to rely on Haihan. They just brought a huge fleet to Zhoushan. It was not difficult to go to Japan next. It was just a matter of making supplies at Dinghai Port.
Both Li Zhen and Zheng Zha were eager to have such an opportunity. After all, the fleet was not impressive when parked in the port. Only after they went to sea could they have the opportunity to let other small countries see their strength.
Although Yan Chujie has not yet given clear instructions, Li Xie judged based on experience that once Haihan starts to attack Japan, it means that North Korea is likely to receive related benefits.
Li Zhi has even begun to consider whether to send a message back to the country first and let the naval fleet assemble in advance. If Japan has no time to take care of the outside world after the civil war breaks out, North Korea can also take advantage of it and get some benefits there.
The Dutch and Portuguese chose to sign up in unison, which was closely related to their vital interests in Japan.
If Kyushu forces can really overthrow the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, then the closed-door policy that has restricted local cross-border trade for a long time may be abolished. This is definitely good news for Western countries like the Netherlands and Portugal that are based on maritime trade.
It's just that they are not very optimistic about the prospect of whether the Kyushu forces can successfully defeat the shogunate.
Historically, the Kyushu forces have not tried to get rid of the rule of the shogunate, but due to the huge disparity in strength, once the dispute is turned into a war, there will be no suspense about the outcome. The Port of Nagasaki in Kyushu is a foreign trade port designated by the shogunate. Such a piece of fat is under the direct jurisdiction of the shogunate all year round. The local forces can only look at it and drool, which shows the deterrence of the shogunate.
Whether the Kyushu vassals can cope with the shogunate's conquest may ultimately depend on Haihan's support. If Haihan is willing to give his full support, then the local forces are naturally expected to be invincible.
But if Haihan's support is only verbal or insufficient, then the good days of the Kyushu vassals may have come to an end.
No matter which direction the situation in Japan will develop, they do not want to miss this opportunity to witness. No matter who wins or loses, taking a stand at a critical moment is likely to have an impact on the country's local trade status in the future.
At the end of the second day of the forum, the registration statistics compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haihan were reported to the Executive Committee. Ninety percent of the countries attending the forum had signed up, leaving only two or three countries. I am still struggling with the itinerary, rather than the question of whether to go or not.
Shi Diwen said with emotion: "The registration situation is much better than we expected. Even Daming has already signed up. There are really many people who want to see this excitement!"
Schneider wondered: "But why did the Ming Dynasty only report four people? Are you planning to go to Japan to learn Buddhist scriptures?"
Shi Diwen explained: "Yue Shizong didn't bring many people with him when he came to Zhoushan... With the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, it probably can't afford to put on a show."
Tao Donglai said: "No matter how many people there are, we will still arrange a separate boat for Daming when the time comes, and we will still give him the treatment he deserves."
Shi Diwen understood and agreed, just arranging one more boat. It was not a big deal to him, he could just give the order in one sentence.
At the same time, he could completely understand why Tao Donglai gave such instructions. Although the Ming Dynasty has lost power, this is the dynasty change of the Han Dynasty. The only one who can bear the pressure on the Ming Dynasty is Haihan. Others want to take the opportunity to humiliate the Ming Dynasty, but that is absolutely impossible.
When the Manchu Qing invaded the Ming Dynasty, Haihan took the initiative to send troops to repel the enemy for the Ming Dynasty. This is actually the same reason.
Before the meeting ended, Tao Donglai mentioned another thing to Shi Diwen: "We have announced the arrangements for the inspection trip to Japan. It is estimated that the Japanese will get the news soon. You should pay close attention and don't make any mistakes at this juncture." .”
Shi Diwen responded: "Don't worry, the places where the Japanese settle down have been controlled, and they will basically not be given the chance to meet on the island."
The Japanese investment in intelligence was not in vain. Later that day, news about Haihan organizing various countries to visit Japan had reached their ears through certain special channels.
However, the reactions of the shogunate and the Kyushu vassals were quite different.
Shimazu Hisumi and others celebrated the event, believing that this was Kaihan fulfilling his promise to provide international status to the Kyushu vassals that had broken away from the shogunate. As long as Haihan recognizes the validity of their independent nation-building in the future, the countries following Haihan will naturally follow Haihan's example.
Masato Masuyama felt deeply frightened. He seemed to see a large dark cloud slowly moving above the shogunate.