Chapter 88: The Cao Cao of Wa—There’s a Reason for His Foolishness!

"So you are the daimyo of this province of Iwami?"
Young Zhu Di frowned, regarding the kneeling man before him, who was dressed in Japanese attire.
"Honored General, I am Ōuchi Yoshihiro! My ancestor was the third prince of Seimei, King of Baekje. The Ōuchi clan are his descendants, and for generations we have been the guardians of Suō and Iwami provinces!"
At his knees lay a samurai sword. Ōuchi Yoshihiro looked at him with calm eyes, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed a tension beneath the surface.
So he was the ruler of two countries?
But what tiny domains—compared to the fiefdoms his father had granted him in Yan, these were pitifully small.
"Enough with the nonsense."
Young Zhu Di waved impatiently. "Out with it—where is your main force hiding?"
"What?"
Though Ōuchi Yoshihiro was well versed in Han culture, at this moment he was utterly bewildered.
Main force?
The main force had already been wiped out by them!
Thinking of this, grief welled up within him, and he cried out softly, "All my life, I have admired none more than Xiang Yu, the Conqueror of Chu. Now, with two hundred and seventy of my clan retainers fallen here, I have no face left to return to the elders of Suō!"
"Come then, Honored General! Let us settle this with a duel to the death, as befits samurai!"
He rose, cradled his sword with both hands, and solemnly took his stance.
As a top samurai of the Nanboku-chō period, he was clearly formidable—his muscular physique and, for his people, towering height of one and a half meters made him a match for ninety-nine percent of his countrymen.
Zhu Di, holding his spear, sneered, "A prisoner like you dares challenge the main commander to single combat? What absurd arrogance. Laughable."
"But!" His tone shifted, excitement flashing in his eyes. "You’re in luck today. I happen to have some time to spare—I'll play along. If you lose, you will tell me honestly where your remaining forces are hidden."
Still with the 'main force'!
Would they never let up?
Did they think numbers alone made them impressive?
"Very well!"
Ōuchi Yoshihiro, gnashing his teeth in resentment, a trace of venom flickering in his eyes.
Japan consisted of sixty-six domains, some ruled by daimyos who had only a few thousand subjects, a handful of samurai retainers, and perhaps a few dozen peasant soldiers. Their battles were nothing compared to those of the Ming—just village skirmishes over water rights during a drought would put them to shame.
Even if a domain was defeated, the self-assured daimyo would still challenge the enemy leader to a duel.
After all, with both sides fielding fewer than a hundred men, they’d be exhausted after the fight; it was not uncommon for a single energetic samurai to take on several foes and turn the tide.
A duel was simply more efficient—saving both time and effort.
There was an air of pettiness about it.
On the Ming side, however, thousands or tens of thousands might take the field, and even when one side was routed and captured, none would utter the brainless demand for a duel with the enemy commander.

"Come, Honored General!"
Ōuchi Yoshihiro, embodying the spirit of craftsmanship, bowed deeply before the match, then declared, "This blade is called Rinsei, named in honor of my ancestor, the third prince, Prince Rinsei!"
"I'll use this spear," Zhu Di replied, twirling his silver spear with fighting spirit.
At that moment—
"Your Highness, His Majesty is preparing to return. Do you wish to...?" a scout hurriedly whispered in Zhu Di’s ear.
Immediately, Zhu Di’s expression changed, a hint of panic flashing across his face. Suddenly he said, "Wait—I'm in a bit of a hurry. Let's change weapons."
"...As you wish."
Ōuchi Yoshihiro, feeling the opponent was violating the samurai code, was quite displeased, but suppressed his irritation with a cold snort.
"Ready."
At this, Ōuchi Yoshihiro drew a deep breath. "I use the blade, named Saint Lin!"
Zhu Di said, "I’ll use a gun—a rifled musket..."
With a sudden cry, Ōuchi Yoshihiro sprang up while Zhu Di was off guard, excitement in his eyes as he swung his gleaming sword in a surprise attack.
Bang!
Thud!
The gunshot rang out, and a body crashed heavily to the ground.
Without a glance, Zhu Di mounted his horse and sped away. "Hurry up! If Father finds out I snuck out, all of you will be punished!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Fifty cavalrymen rushed to follow, while over a thousand others herded the Ōuchi clan prisoners along slowly behind them.

In the central camp of the Hongwu army—
"My grandson, the Iwami Silver Mine yields three million taels a year for our Ming. After this campaign against the Japanese, we'll recoup our costs in half a year, and all after that is profit!" Zhu Yuanzhang beamed as he led a retinue of imperial heirs back to camp.
Zhu Di immediately left the main seat and obediently stood by his father’s side.
The old emperor took his seat, glanced sideways, and frowned. "Fourth, why are you blushing?"
"Just happy for Father—so spirited and vigorous," Zhu Di replied, uneasy.
The old emperor closed his eyes for a moment, saying nothing, then turned with a smile to Zhu Youjian.

"Great Ancestor, if we secure the silver and gold mines on the Japanese Goto Islands, we can cover all military expenses for this campaign in just over a month," Zhu Youjian added.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. "Then let the army march north. Capture their king and pacify the island. Fourth, that Japanese king who sent tribute during the Yongle era—Minamoto Yoshimitsu, was it? Why is there no mention of him in the Hongwu era?"
This question was beyond him!
Zhu Di shot a glance at the chubby Yongle Emperor, signaling frantically.
"Your Highness, your grandfather is asking you."
Huh!
Is he talking to me?
The plump Yongle Emperor, still catching his breath from the long walk, hurriedly bowed and replied,
"Replying to Grandfather—the man known as Minamoto Yoshimitsu is Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as Youjian mentioned. Without shedding a drop of blood, he unified the Northern and Southern Courts, established the Muromachi Shogunate, and ruled Japan. He considered himself akin to Cao Cao—indeed, much like Cao Cao in reality."
"He attempted to usurp the throne several times. Though at the height of his power, the Japanese people acknowledged only the imperial line. Even if the emperor was a puppet, they would not tolerate another usurping the throne. To quell public resentment, he became a monk, to show he had no intention to seize the throne."
"Minamoto Yoshimitsu was the name he took upon ordination. He died in the sixth year of Yongle, but Ashikaga Takauji was still in power then, so Yoshimitsu was posthumously named Retired Emperor."
Zhu Di wiped cold sweat from his brow. He remembered now—Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had unified the Northern and Southern Courts just as the Ming reign title had been extended for four years, and upon his own enthronement, he needed the Japanese ruler’s recognition.
That’s how he ended up dealing with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.
This man was easily manipulated—just call him 'King of Japan' in an official letter, and he’d do nearly anything for you, even kill his own parents without hesitation.
Back then, he had beheaded several coastal Japanese pirates and sent their heads as tribute; he paid tribute annually and was, in fact, quite obedient.
"Hmph!"
The old emperor hated powerful ministers most of all. "To unify Japan without bloodshed shows talent, but he needn’t have lived till the sixth year of Yongle. Such a treacherous villain deserves no pity!"
"Have compiled a record of how he unified Japan and bring it to me. He was unfit as a subject, but his strategy is worth a look."
Zhu Youjian thought for a moment, then smiled. "Great Ancestor, in fact, he unified the Northern and Southern Courts with just one sentence."
"Oh?" The old emperor raised his eyebrows.
"He told Emperor Go-Komatsu of the Northern Court to promise Emperor Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court that if Go-Kameyama handed over the Three Sacred Treasures, the two lines would alternate on the throne. The treasures went to the Northern Court, the Southern Court disbanded, and when it was their turn to ascend, the Northern Court reneged. Over the years, the Southern line’s influence and power dwindled to nothing, vanishing into history." Zhu Youjian shook his head.
"That Go-Kameyama was a fool!" The old emperor frowned deeper. He simply couldn’t comprehend how a sovereign could be so idiotic.
Zhu Youjian kept a straight face, his tone oddly dry,
"Mainly, his grandmother was his own aunt, and his mother was also his aunt. With that kind of family breeding, it's no wonder his mind was somewhat lacking."