Chapter 5199 Japan's "Great Virtue"

Chapter 5199 Japan's "Great Virtue"

As dawn broke and the clouds and mist receded, Mononobe Ashikaga stood with his hands behind his back on the slope of Mount Kaguya, gazing at the palace in the distance. The narrow, slippery cobblestone path beneath his feet was covered in moss and glistening with dew. Behind him, the temple bells rang out, and a gentle breeze rustled through the pines. A spring flowed slowly in a ditch beside him, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere.

However, the sight of the palace made Mononobe Ashikaga frown for a long time, and he let out a soft sigh.

Behind him, a thin, sharp-eyed old man walked up and stood side by side with Mononobe Ashikaga. Following his gaze, he said with slight surprise, "You haven't been back to Asuka-kyō for a long time. That's where the King of Wa built the 'Soga Palace' on the ruins of the royal palace. He employed a great many Baekje and Silla craftsmen and it was very luxurious and magnificent."

The original palace had long been in ruins due to repeated internal strife. With the support of the Tang people, Soga no Akayoshi ascended to the throne of Wa. His first decree was to rebuild the palace and name it after his clan, symbolizing the Soga clan's rule over Wa.

"Luxurious? Magnificent?"

Mononobe Ashikaga said in a low voice: "Perhaps in the eyes of the Japanese, this palace is indeed magnificent and grand, unprecedented in its extravagance and splendor. But if you have been to the Tang Dynasty and Chang'an, you will know that the Japanese are confined to the islands, and their vision is as narrow and cramped as the land where they have lived."

He had been to Chang'an, and even stood on Zhuque Avenue looking up at Chengtian Gate. To this day, he still finds it unforgettable how imposing and awe-inspiring the nine-tiered palace was.

Compared to the palaces in Chang'an, the Soga Palace in front of us looks so simple, plain and poor, just like Japan under the might of the Tang Dynasty.

On one side is the light of fireflies, and on the other side is the radiance of the bright moon.

"Tang Dynasty..."

The old man clicked his tongue at his toothless mouth, his eyes revealing envy and resentment.

Who wouldn't feel awe and long to be a part of such a wealthy, powerful, and all-conquering nation?
However, it was precisely this unparalleled power that dragged Japan into chaos, even causing the interruption of the centuries-long reign of the Japanese kings.

Mononobe Ashikaga turned around, looked at the old man, and said in a deep voice, "Daideku, it is time to make a decision for the future of Wa. The Wa people have been born and raised on the Wa island for generations, fighting against the sea and struggling against volcanoes. They will continue to multiply for generations to come. How can we allow our people to forever sink into ignorance and backwardness, suffering the ravages of war generation after generation? It is the responsibility of our generation of Wa people to lead our people out of darkness, poverty, and ignorance, and to the glory and civilization under the sun."

"Daide" is the highest rank in the twelve ranks of officialdom in Japan, nominally the highest position of a subject, second only to the emperor and above all others.

However, the "Great Virtue" Ōtomo in front of us, after betraying the Mononobe clan and driving them out of Asuka-kyō along with the Soga clan, has been living in seclusion in this Kōkyū-zan Buddhist temple, no longer concerning himself with politics.

Thus, the Ōtomo clan seized the throne of Wa (Japan) from the intervention of the Tang dynasty and preserved their strength.

Ōtomo's gaze turned brooding as he retorted, "So what you call glory and civilization is surrendering to the Tang Dynasty and completely severing the lineage of the Japanese kings?"

Ignoring the sarcasm in the other's words, Mononobe Ashikaga said with a serious expression: "Under the whole world, the Great Tang is invincible. A mere navy can destroy Japan. What we need to do is not to resist to the end and drag Japan into an abyss, but to learn from the Great Tang to build Japan and lead the Japanese out of ignorance and towards civilization."

"If we can't beat them, then we'll join them! We'll honestly submit to the Tang Dynasty and become loyal ministers and generals who admire the Celestial Empire. Then, we'll spend generations, even dozens of generations, learning the Tang Dynasty's culture, military, calendar, and systems... One day, the Japanese will become strong, stand tall, and turn against the Tang Dynasty!"

Standing on the slope of Mount Xiangjiu, with his back to the rising sun and looking down at Asuka-kyo, he exuded an air of commanding the world, as if his current humiliation and subservience to the Tang Dynasty were for the purpose of accumulating strength and restoring the legacy of Wa in the future.

Ōtomo squinted, ignoring Mononobe Ashikaga's claim of "enduring hardship for the sake of Wa," dismissing it as nothing more than high-sounding rhetoric and slogans. He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

As a "great virtuous man" in Japan, second only to the emperor, he was truly indifferent to fame and fortune, and content to live in this Xiangjiu Mountain Temple, reciting Buddhist scriptures, eating vegetarian food, and seeking enlightenment.
However, he suffered a crushing defeat in the struggle against Soga no Umako back then, and had to gracefully withdraw from the central government of Japan and stay away from the core of power in order to preserve his family's influence. Soga no Umako and Soga no Iruka died one after another, the succession of the Japanese king was cut off, and the Tang Dynasty forces strongly intervened in the Japanese military and politics. Ōtomo no Umako really could not see a bright future, so he had no choice but to live in seclusion in Kōkyūyama.

This allows them to avoid chaotic situations and preserve their strength, while also cultivating their ambitions and waiting for the right opportunity.

Now, fortune has indeed come.

He didn't care whether the Japanese royal lineage was broken or whether the current Japanese king, Soga no Aka, could sit securely on the throne. He only cared about what benefits he and his family could seize in this unprecedented upheaval.

If the profits are enough, what's wrong with selling the entire country of Japan?

When the time comes, he will lead the Japanese to submit to the Tang Dynasty, and his entire family will become Tang people. The Ōtomo clan will transform into a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty, and he will be a hero for generations to come!

He is a great man whom all Japanese people admire and worship!

He looked at Mononobe Ashikaga and asked, "What are your plans?"

Mononobe Ashikaga knew he had convinced Ōtomo, and the remaining issue was how to distribute the benefits: "The Mononobe, Ōtomo, and Soga clans will mobilize all the Wa people to jointly sign a document to abolish the 'Wa King's' succession, rename Iyo Island 'Wu Island' and lease it to the Tang Dynasty for 999 years. Previous contracts with the Tang Dynasty regarding ports, mines, etc., will remain unchanged. We will welcome a Tang Dynasty prince to establish a feudal state in Wa, and all the islands of Wa will be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty!"

Daban doesn't quite understand. If the whole country is to be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty, why mention those past contracts and the fact that Iyo Island was leased to the Tang Dynasty after it was renamed?

However, he didn't care about that.

"What about us? What will happen to us after we are incorporated into the Tang Dynasty?"

"In addition, they will assist the Tang Dynasty in ruling Japan and will also receive a 'maritime trade license' issued by the Tang Dynasty, which will allow them to trade with all countries through the Tang Dynasty's sea routes."

Da Ban's heart skipped a beat.

Whether one harbors lofty ambitions or a grand imperial ambition, the primary prerequisite for achieving anything is having money. However, Japan is currently embroiled in war, and even the succession of the Japanese king has been interrupted. The Emishi people are sweeping in from the north to the south, while the Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo people are rampaging along the coast, burning, killing, and looting. The mines on the islands have been either forcefully occupied or leased by the Tang people through contracts. The land is scorched, and the people are suffering. Even survival is a problem, so where can they go to make money?
Moreover, Japan had no special products. The island was filled with Tang Dynasty silk, porcelain, glass, bamboo paper, etc. The Japanese had no way to participate and could only unilaterally accept the dumping of goods from the Tang Dynasty, exchanging real gold, silver and brass for Tang goods.

All the Wa clans now face the same dilemma: they cannot make ends meet and are struggling to survive.

If they could use the Tang Dynasty's maritime routes to purchase goods from the Tang Dynasty and trade them with coastal countries, it would not only extend the life of their family, but also allow them to make substantial profits.

But that alone is not enough.

“When the Tang prince comes to establish the feudal state, the Ōtomo clan may be able to seek the position of Chief Secretary, which will be hereditary.”

Since the Tang people were unwilling to bear the infamy of conquering and destroying a country, and needed to use the deceptive means of "popular election" to achieve their goal of annexing Japan, Ōtomo believed that his Japanese clans were still of great use and could make demands.

While assisting the Tang dynasty in ruling Japan and trading overseas through Tang dynasty shipping routes could certainly help the family escape its predicament and maintain its strength, a long-term vision required an official position at the center of power.

That way, they won't be kicked out by the Tang people at will...

Mononobe Ashikaga laughed out loud: "Daideku is usually calm and wise, so why is he daydreaming now? Nominally, Japan is still the master of the island, but in fact, it has long been divided up by the Emishi. After Iyo Island was leased out, Tsukushi Province was invaded by the Goguryeo and Baekje people. The only land left that can be controlled is south of Asuka-kyō... With such a small amount of land, how dare we ask the Tang people for more?"

Ōtomo's face darkened, and he said with some dissatisfaction, "But the Tang people do need our help in governing Japan."

Mononobe Ashikaga smiled and turned to look at Asuka-kyo under the bright morning sun: "But there are many people who are eager to help the Tang people govern Wa (Japan)."

He was mocking Ōtomo for not being able to see the situation clearly. No wonder he couldn't defeat Soga no Umako back then, and even after Soga no Umako and Soga no Iruka died, he had already retired to this Kaguyama instead of taking advantage of the situation to forcefully intervene in the succession of the Yamato kings. He could only watch helplessly as the already declining Soga clan put Soga no Akane on the throne.

The Tang dynasty did not need the support of the Japanese to rule Japan; they only wanted obedient dogs.

Not everyone can become a "great virtue" in Japan, but there are countless people who can be "good dogs"...

Ōtomo's face was grim, as if he were unwilling, but he ultimately refrained from saying anything outrageous and asked, "Will Soga no Aka agree?"

Mononobe Ashikaga asked curiously, "Why wouldn't he agree?"

The Soga clan has long since declined. Soga Akane was able to ascend to the throne of Wa entirely thanks to the support of the Tang people. Now that the Tang people intend to lease Iyo Island and annex Wa Island, how dare Soga Akane refuse?
If he intervened or refused, Mononobe Ashikaga would lead his family soldiers, equipped with Tang armor and swords, into Asuka-kyo and slaughter the entire Soga clan.

Ōtomo finally understood the current situation. It wasn't that the Tang people needed anything from these Japanese clans, but rather that the Tang people wanted a grand and righteous cause, something that would happen naturally, and didn't want to bear the infamy of conquering a country.

However, if the Japanese clans do not cooperate, they do not mind replacing them with a new group of Japanese, or even supporting the Ainu people to march south and destroy Japan.

Ōtomo sighed deeply, "Then let's go and talk to Soga no Aka."