At the banquet of the Grand Imperial Palace, Xu Xinsu carefully observed, sitting in the Grand Imperial Palace Tokugawa Hidetada, who was sitting in the Grand Imperial Palace and talking cordially with Lu Jiude, and the three generations of generals Tokugawa Iemitsu, who was sitting next to the Grand Imperial Palace and drinking silently.

When they set off from Tianjin, Xu Xinsu thought the trip was just a simple task. After all, the shogun was quite friendly to Chinese merchants before.

The second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, had decreed that all foreign ships were not allowed to trade in the daimyo domain, and could only trade in Nagasaki and Hirado, but Chinese ships were not subject to this regulation.

Moreover, the shogunate had been seeking to normalize relations with the Ming dynasty and change the hostility between the two countries after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest.

When Lu Jiudeok, Xu Xinsu and others arrived in Edo and explained their intentions to the shogunate officials at the port, they were immediately treated with caution.

The shogunate elder Sakai Tadakatsu personally received them, but when he learned that they had arrived with the Dutch, hoping to mediate the conflict between the Japanese shogunate and the Dutchman Peternat, Sakai Tadakatsu, who was still full of enthusiasm, immediately became cold to the two.

Subsequently, Lu Jiude, Xu Xinsu and other envoys of the Ming Kingdom were thrown in the hotel by the shogunate. The shogun neither met with them nor restricted their freedom of movement in Edo.

When the Ming mission was puzzled by this practice of the Japanese shogunate, the shogunate sent a middle-level official to privately convey the shogun's meaning to Lu Jiude and Xu Xinsu.

The shogunate basically accepted the conditions brought by the Ming envoys, but there was only one unacceptable point, that is, the Ming could not interfere in the contradictions between Japan and the Dutch, nor could they interfere in the issue of Catholic missions in Japan.

Although Lu Jiude and Xu Xinsu repeatedly explained that they did not want to interfere in the issue between Japan and the Dutch, they only hoped to resolve the contradiction between Peternac and the Japanese merchant Hamada Yabei.

But apparently the shogunate official who communicated with the two was not a flexible politician, but a stubborn samurai who rigidly carried out shogunate orders, and the explanations of Lu Jiude and Xu Xinsu did not convince him.

Seeing that the simple task was about to be messed up, the anger in Xu Xinsu's heart suddenly rose.

As a Ming man, he subconsciously believed that Japan was just a group of barbarians who did not obey the king. As the Ming Dynasty of the Celestial Empire is willing to establish an equal relationship with Japan, the Japanese should accept the goodwill of the Ming Dynasty with sincerity and fear.

Now this kind of small state dares to be so snub to the messenger who represents the Ming Dynasty, which is simply a naked humiliation. Just as Xu Xinsu was scolding in his heart, "Yidi, beasts, afraid of power but not virtue", a Chinese living in Japan came to visit the Ming mission.

Chen Yuanzan, a Chinese living in Japan, was born in Hangzhou from Henan. Because of the disadvantage of the imperial examination, he abandoned literature and martial arts, and then followed others to Japan to do business, but he was unable to return to China because of illness, and finally ended up in Japan.

At this time, not long after the turmoil in Japan ended, the practice of martial arts among samurai had not yet declined. However, the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate began to gradually establish order in Japanese society, and the punishment for samurai killing people for no reason began to be severe.

Under such circumstances, the martial arts training of Japanese samurai no longer aimed at killing, but began to focus on self-cultivation and maintaining the honor of the samurai.

Chen Yuanzan combined his experience of practicing martial arts at the Shaolin Temple and the methods used by the Ming government officials to arrest criminals, and founded the "Qi Reverse Jiu-Jitsu", which made a living by practicing medicine and teaching boxing at the Kunisshoji Temple in Edo Castle.

In addition, Chen Yuanzan was also a literati who advocated practical learning and advocated literary innovation.

From Nagasaki to Nagoya to Edo, Chen Yuanzan has been in contact with all walks of life in Japanese society, and has made friends with people ranging from feudal lords and scribes to monks, helpers, and ronin.

When he heard that the country had sent an envoy to Japan, he took the initiative to visit him, hoping to do something for his mother country.

With such a Ming person who was familiar with Edo Castle appearing, of course Xu Xinsu would not let it go, and he immediately respectfully asked Chen Yuanzan for advice, what did the attitude of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu mean.

Chen Yuanzan lowered his head and thought for a while, then raised his head and asked Xu Xinsu: "I don't know what Lord Xu's attitude is towards the Dutchman Peternats?" Do you want to keep him no matter what the circumstances, or can you abandon him for the sake of normalizing relations between the Ming Dynasty and Japan? ”

Xu Xinsu pondered for a while, and then said honestly: "I must keep Peternat, and the normalization of relations between the Ming Dynasty and Japan is also a task that I must complete on this trip." ”

Chen Yuanzan looked at Xu Xinsu and said, "In this case, the adults must bypass His Royal Highness Jiaguang, the third generation general, and go directly to His Royal Highness Xiuzhong." ”

Xu Xinsu couldn't help but repeat in surprise, "The Great Palace? ”

Chen Yuanzan immediately explained: "It is the father of His Royal Highness Iemitsu, His Royal Highness Tokugawa Hidetada, the second-generation general who abdicated. ”

Xu Xinsu, who didn't know much about Japanese politics, couldn't help but say blankly: "The abdicated Imperial Palace, can you still persuade the current general to change his mind?" ”

Chen Yuanzan continued: "The customs of Japan are different from those of the Ming Dynasty, and although there is an emperor in that country, it is the shogun system that is in charge of the government.

In Japan, from generals and ministers to ordinary people, they are all devout to Buddha. Therefore, when they reach a certain age, most of them will choose to become monks in order to cultivate the next life.

But they are not like me who are enlightened, giving up everything and never asking about the world. Instead, they remain in the world and have control over the family business.

In the thirty-first year of Wanli, Ieyasu publicly created the Edo shogunate, but two years later, Ieyasu gave up the position of general to His Royal Highness Hidetada, and appointed himself as the imperial palace, and served as the emperor for 11 years.

And now His Royal Highness Hidetada is just following the example of Ieyasu, although the general is His Royal Highness Iemitsu, but it is His Royal Highness Hidetada who actually decides the shogunate. ”

Xu Xinsu finally understood some of the situation of the shogunate, and when he was about to make a decision, he suddenly remembered Chen Yuanzan's hesitant expression before, so he couldn't help but ask: "Since the Great Imperial Office is in charge of the shogunate, why did you show an embarrassed expression when you made your proposal just now, is it possible that on this issue, the Great Imperial Office and the shogun have the same idea?" ”

Chen Yuanzan shook his head and said, "I thought that the Great Imperial Office would definitely accept Da Ming's request. The Great Imperial Palace lived in the shadow of Ieyasu all his life, and the etiquette of the shogunate and the auxiliary ministers of the second shogun were all appointed by Ieyasu. Even the heirs of the Great Imperial Palace, the current three generations of shoguns, were appointed by Ieyasu.

After His Royal Highness Hidetada came to power, there were many rumors circulating in Edo that His Royal Highness Hidetada was compared with Ieyasu.

For example, at a party, when his subordinates mentioned Ieyasu, Xiuzhong couldn't help but say: The lies told by the Great Palace, even if others know that they may not be true, they will still believe it, but no matter how hard I try to tell the lies, no one will believe me.

Another time when Xiuzhong punished his retainers for making mistakes, Xiuzhong said with emotion: Everyone is shocked by the majesty of the Quanxian Palace, but no one is afraid of my orders.

Another time, when Hidetada heard the sound of taiko drums in Edo Castle, he said with emotion: I really want to stand on the castle tower and play the taiko drums to my heart's content.

But His Majesty immediately persuaded: His Royal Highness the General should work hard in the shogunate like the power of the palace, otherwise the upper beam is not right and the lower beam is crooked! The spirit of the right hall in the sky will not be happy!

It is rumored that Xiuzhong fell silent when he heard it.

From these rumors, it can be known that although His Royal Highness Hidetada is called a shogun, he is essentially just a puppet under the rules set by Ieyasu.

It is not for nothing that His Royal Highness Xiuzhong quickly passed the position of general to three generations of generals after seven years of personal rule.

If normal relations can be restored with the Ming Dynasty and a treaty of equal status between the two countries can be signed, the Imperial Palace will reach the Ieyasu Gong... No, it should be a great cause that no one in the world, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, can accomplish.

I don't think that the Great Imperial Palace will be able to resist this temptation to surpass the prestige of my father. I'm just worried about the longevity of His Highness Xiuzhong.

I have been in Japan for many years, and I have found that the life expectancy of Japanese people is generally not high, and very few of them live past the age of 50. Ieyasu lived to be 74 years old, and that was already a miracle.

His Royal Highness Xiuzhong is 49 years old, and I really don't know how long he will live. If a treaty is reached with the Great Imperial Palace, bypassing the three generations of generals, then when His Royal Highness Iemitsu is in power, I am afraid that this treaty will be difficult to maintain. ”

Xu Xinsu did not take Chen Yuanzan's worries to heart, but he became interested in Chen Yuanzan's understanding of Japanese society.

"All I need is that the treaty can be signed as soon as possible and that Peternac's troubles can be resolved. As for what action will be taken by the current shogun on the treaty after he takes office, that is a matter for the future, and there is no need to consider it for the time being.

Mr. Hakuyama is so familiar with the history of the shogunate, I wonder if he can temporarily serve as the staff of the main envoy? I would like to ask him to tell us how to get in touch with the close ministers around the Grand Imperial Palace, so that the Grand Imperial Office can know what we are here for. ”

Xu Xinsu's short-sightedness made Chen Yuanzan slightly disappointed. But as a subject of the Ming Dynasty, he still chose to accept Xu Xinsu's request for the messenger representing the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Yuanzan communicated with the close ministers around the Great Imperial Palace through his friends, and passed the news of the Ming envoy to Tokugawa Hidetada.

As Chen Yuanzan expected, Tokugawa Hidetada was very interested in the envoy of the Ming Kingdom, and things soon changed.

Tokugawa Iemitsu had to formally meet with the envoy of the Ming Kingdom, and then the old Nakakakae Masa, a close confidant of the Great Imperial Palace, came forward to negotiate with Lu Jiude and Xu Xinsu.

Inoue just gave a few casual orders to the shogunate, and Bill was made a scapegoat for Peternatz and imprisoned in Edo Castle, and he promised not to mention Peternats's name in the Taiwan Raw Silk Incident.

With such a pleasant beginning, the two sides soon reached an agreement: the establishment of an equal state-to-state relationship between Japan and the Ming Dynasty; The shogunate promised that Chinese merchant ships could trade freely throughout Japan, regardless of the type or quantity of trade.

Similarly, the Ming Dynasty also allowed Japanese ships to trade in China, and considering the relationship between the Japanese and the Japanese in history, the trade port was temporarily set as two places in Fujian, Zhongzuo, Guangzhou, etc.