Wild North America 1846

Chapter 456 Send envoys to court

more than a month later

Inside the Ming Dynasty Palace

Emperor Richard received a memorial from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that the Fusang Kingdom sent envoys to celebrate the great prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. It can be regarded as an example for all countries. The majesty of the great country has convinced all the foreigners to obey, and it can be called a kingdom of heaven!

The envoy sent by Fusang State spoke sincerely and had a humble attitude, and asked for the title to be sealed...

This time

But Richard was completely stunned. After a brief hesitation, he immediately became ecstatic, expressing a strong sense of superiority and achievement from his heart, which was so dizzy that it was intoxicating.

at this moment

Richard was able to deeply understand the lofty sentiments of the emperors of the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties during the heyday of China's continent in the past: "There is nothing in the world but the king's land." This was the ultimate satisfaction of the desire for power.

No wonder all the unified emperors in the past dynasties like to form vassals of small countries around them. This is the most influential way to express imperial power, and it has a sense of ritual that "the world is in my hands".

Don’t you see me?

The British Empire also likes to engage in this kind of tune. Since the era of Queen Victoria entered its heyday, Her Majesty the Queen will hold a grand medal awarding ceremony every spring at Buckingham Palace.

In addition to British nationals who have made great contributions to the rule of the British Empire and overseas colonization, they also include, but are not limited to, members and subjects of royal families throughout Europe, as well as subordinate ethnic groups in the colonies.

The significance of the congratulations and tribute sent by the Fuso Kingdom is particularly different and important. It is far from comparable to a small country like Ryukyu. Although it is unexpected, it is reasonable.

It's easy to do things if you have money.

The Fusang Kingdom sent envoys to the court to offer congratulations. This was a suzerain-vassal relationship with oriental characteristics. It meant that the Fusang Kingdom would regard the Tang Empire as the supreme kingdom of the Celestial Dynasty and become a vassal. What an honor this is?

At that time, when a Yamato samurai named Kousui-san (the legendary Fuso Taken, the son of the twelfth emperor Keiyuki) sent troops to conquer "Ezo", he entered Mutsu Kingdom by sea and attacked Hidakami Kingdom of Togi.

Then passing through the headquarters of Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), this was the first time Yamato and the Ainu fought, and it has been a thousand years ago.

They relied on fishing and hunting for their livelihood. The ancient Ainu people used feathers, animal skins, and fish skins to make their own clothes. Their food was mainly meat, so they were stronger and more agile than the average Fuso people. They were good at making and

Driving a canoe, there is a unique wooden frame house.

Come to the Imperial Study Room

It would be good for the Fuso Kingdom to maintain the current shogunate rule, and it would be good to be poor and backward. Anyway, eating braised vegetables is not a matter of a day or two. Is it difficult to persist for a few more decades?

To this day, the entire Ezo Land is basically in a primitive state, with a population of no more than 60,000, of which more than 60% are Ainu and the rest are Wazu.

There was always a joyful atmosphere in the hall, and after discussing government affairs for a while, Prime Minister Ryu Hyun-jun led a group of courtiers to retreat, returning to silence.

"Congratulations to your majesty, congratulations to your majesty. The Fusang Kingdom sent envoys to express their congratulations. When the Lanfang Kingdom in Southeast Asia heard about this, they also sent envoys all the way to the court. This is a sign of the prosperity of our Tang Empire!"

The angry Ainu rushed to the Odate Castle. They set fire to houses and a large number of residences under the city, killed innocent Kazuto civilians, and cut off their heads.

At this time, he had a bold idea in his mind, but he did not understand the relevant historical evolution and needed further confirmation.

King Leopold I of Belgium received the Order of the Garter, the highest level. In addition, the royal families of France, the Netherlands, Prussia, and even Spain all received British orders of varying levels.

During the last Ice Age, the first humans from Sakhalin arrived at the Fuso Islands through the huge glacial land bridge. They started the Jomon Age, and they are the ancestors of the Ainu people.

News of the war was quickly reported to the Hakodate government, and the head of the country's shogunate, Uyizaki Nosushige, immediately ordered all subordinate counties to mobilize troops for reinforcements.

mid-April

The direct control of the Ezo Territory by the shogunate has continued to this day. Also due to the weakness and corruption of the shogunate, the Ezo Territory has been left to its own devices most of the time, without the funds or the will to improve the backwardness of the area.

The four big islands of Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Ezo and many other small islands, eh...etc.

All added up, millions of huge sums of money are spent like water.

The Ezo lived in a vast area from the center of present-day Miyagi Prefecture to the Tohoku region north of Yamagata Prefecture and most of Hokkaido. During peacetime, they traded with the Kazu people and obtained rice, cloth, ironware, and handicrafts in exchange for kelp. , horses, furs, feathers and other specialties.

"Your Majesty, Fusang's envoy to the Tang Dynasty has arrived. He hopes to see your Majesty and ask for the king's title. I don't know when it is appropriate to call him. I still ask for your permission."

For example, after the Ming Dynasty established its capital in Jinling, the following year, King Zhuan of Goryeo sent an envoy to congratulate the founding of the Ming Dynasty and ask for a title.

Developed over the course of history

The Yamato tribe successively sent envoys to the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty to study civilization in China, allowing their political, economic and social systems to develop faster and faster, gradually surpassing the Ainu tribe, which was still organized as a tribe and made a living by hunting, and its power expanded very rapidly .

The hundreds of princely kings of the Indian subcontinent all need to be conferred by Her Majesty the Queen of the British Empire in order to have the legitimate title of rule.

"Hahahaha... ok, ok, ok, we are so relieved..."

Richard suddenly fixed his eyes on a large island at the top of the Fuso Islands. On it were written the three characters "Ezo Island" instead of the familiar Hokkaido.

Think about it carefully, what does Fuso Country have today?

Today is at the end of the Fuso Kingdom's shogunate rule in history. If nothing changes, a civil war will break out between the reformists and the conservative shogunate in the second half of this year.

"Since I have made countless contributions, I have sent envoys to pay my respects on New Year's Day and Holy Days, and I have taken it as a normal thing every year."

Nowadays, history has completely changed. After acquiring Amami Oshima and taking over the younger brother of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Fuso Kingdom's future southward expansion channel has been blocked.

The Tang Empire was so prosperous and rich, did it still need three melons and two dates?

Based on the reputation of the imperial family, some related books need to be fully prepared, which is another big expense.

In the Ainu tribe, grand "Bear Festival" and "Salmon Festival" are held every year. Ainu women tattoo around their mouths, forearms and backs of hands, believing that doing so will gain blessings from the gods.

In order to prevent the local Ainu from rebelling again, in 1807, the shogunate converted the "Donan Ezo Land" into a directly governed territory and established the so-called "Ezo Provincial Government" in an attempt to introduce the advanced Yamato Japanese social system and improve the local Ainu Human economy.

Lubu is the general name for ancient emperors' travel ceremonial guards, chariots, horses, and attendant shields and armor. It has the function of clarifying the system, indicating hierarchy, and ensuring safety.

Some neighboring countries in the East that were deeply influenced by Chinese etiquette came to pay tribute, such as Fusang, North Korea, Vietnam, Ryukyu and other countries, which cherished these ancient rituals. Especially countries like North Korea and Vietnam were dogmatic.

The question before Richard was not a multiple-choice question, but a must-answer question.

After thousands of years of grievances and wars, the barbaric Ainu people were gradually driven out of Honshu Island and lived in the cold and resource-poor Ezo land.

Is there something going on?

In today's Ezo area, the influence of Tsarist Russia approached the Fuso Islands in the late 18th century, prompting the Edo shogunate to continuously strengthen its control over the northern border.

In North America, countries in Central and South America were once ruled by Spain or Portugal, and they didn’t even know what vassal relations were?

You can't blame them, it takes thousands of years to form a habit.

"The humble minister obeys the decree."

Richard picked up the warm tea cup and took a sip, thinking carefully in his heart.

At that time, the powerful force active in southern Ezo was the Uyizaki clan. The ancestor of the Uyizaki clan was originally a daikan of the Mutsu Ando clan and was active in southern Ezo. At first, the power was weak, but it developed rapidly after the Battle of Hushemayin.

.

"In accordance with the decree of the League, we should immediately sort out and report the situation related to the Ezo land in the northern part of the Fuso Islands, and do it as soon as possible!"

It was probably located at the location of Hakodate City, later Hokkaido, where many Yamato villages lived at that time.

Prime Minister Ryu Hyun-jun and other courtiers heard His Majesty's hearty laughter outside the palace, and hurriedly came to congratulate him with smiles on their faces, bringing another piece of exciting good news.

"Wei Chen accepts the decree."

The determination of Fuso State's "Meiji Restoration" to eradicate the old dynasties was far more thorough and resolute than the Qing Dynasty's "utilization of foreign affairs for China", and the actual results were also better.

With a wave of his wealthy Emperor Richard's hand, all this expenditure was funded by the royal family's internal affairs, and the government did not need to bear this cost.

As the Yamato government expanded its territory to the north, the Ezo people often fought for defense, rebelled, and attacked castle fences built by the Japanese. Fuso history contains many records of Ezo raids and conquests by the Yamato court.

After Kamakura (1185-1333) and the early Muromachi period (1385-1481), Ezo in the northeastern part of Honshu Island was almost completely transformed into barbarians, and only the island called "Ezo Land" (today's Hokkaido) was left.

The final homeland of the Yi people.

The earliest legend;

"Wei Chen accepts the order." Zheng Yuan, the head of the Royal Secretariat, received the order with a respectful expression.

In that year, the Ming Dynasty began to recruit scholars, and issued an edict to Korea and other countries to "send scholars who practice scriptures and practice Ming Dynasty... to attend the imperial examination in the capital, and they will be selected regardless of the amount."

7,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Ainu came to Fuso from Southeast Asia. There is also a theory that they came from the Arabs in western Asia.

Later, Uyizaki Yoshitaka sent Takeda Nobuhiro to lead an army to fight the Ainu army in a decisive battle. In the chaotic battle, Hu Shemayin and his son were killed, ending the war.

These residences are collectively called "State Guesthouses" and are under the jurisdiction of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Daily expenses are allocated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' administrative affairs, etc., and it is basically determined.

The five chariots are the five types of vehicles used by ancient emperors to travel. They are named after the materials of the decorations. In order of level, they are: jade chariot, gold chariot, elephant chariot, leather chariot and wooden chariot. The jade chariot is used for sacrifices; the golden chariot is used for sacrifices.

Concierge; Xiangluo uses hands to look at the court; leather chariots are used for fighting or patrolling the country; wooden chariots are used for hunting.

The parliament should allocate a special fund and follow the old rules of the former Tang Dynasty.

Transportation is extremely inconvenient and the cost of goods circulation is high. Every time you pass through a feudal lord's territory, you have to pay transit taxes and various other taxes. The standards are not uniform and it all depends on the preference of the feudal lord.

…

Only from this point of view

It's nothing more than etiquette, hospitality standards, location, who is in charge, and other corresponding matters. These are all established rules and regulations, but they lack some things and places.

From now on, foreign tributary envoys will all be received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will add a special protocol department, and the parliament will pass a temporary bill to allocate a sum of money to purchase several quiet houses in Chang'an City for the daily accommodation of the vassal envoys and tribute groups.

required.

The surprise came so suddenly that Richard could not suppress the surge of ecstasy in his heart. He looked up to the sky and burst into laughter, which shook the hall.

"Ezo Land" was the name given to the northern barbarian Ainu people in the Edo period, and the corresponding places such as Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu were called "Wajin Land".

Lanfang State sent envoys to the DPRK?

Richard reacted with only a slight shock, and then nodded and said with a smile: "Hahahaha... Okay, okay, these happy events are coming one after another, which is really a sign of the prosperity of the empire. Zheng Aiqing, please choose a good day in the near future.

It is only right to lead all officials, both civil and military, to burn incense and worship ancestors and tell the truth to God."

After the 15th century, Kazuto began to enter the "Ezo Land", which is now the Toshima Peninsula in southern Hokkaido. At that time, Kazuto established a base area called "Donan Twelve Halls" here.

The Battle of Hushemayin was a battle that took place on the Toshima Peninsula in present-day Hokkaido in 1457. It was also the first war between the Yamato and Ainu that took place in the "Ezo Land".

Just like the continuous attacks on the northern nomads in Chinese history, the grievances between the two sides have lasted for thousands of years.

The outcome of the civil war will end with the conservative faction of the shogunate bowing out. Emperor Meiji will formally assume power the next year, that is, in 1866. From then on, the vigorous "Meiji Restoration" will begin, which will affect the entire East and Southeast Asia and even the Pacific. The situation has been turbulent for more than a hundred years.

.

The Fusang kid was an unfamiliar white-eyed wolf, fearful of power but not moral. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, he was submissive and obedient. However, during the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese pirates rebelled and wreaked havoc on almost half of the Ming Dynasty.

This is true for one cavalryman, but what about thousands of cavalrymen?

The Imperial Guards of the Tang Dynasty are not without foundation. The cavalry, horses, armor and saddles are all ready-made. They just need to make up for some deficiencies, such as the bright fiery red feathers on the helmets, the beautiful gilded decorations on the breastplates, and the gold-plated decorations on the breastplates.

Yellow tassels, velvet horse clothes, etc.

They believed that dead creatures would become gods and worship their ancestors.

The jade chariot is a carriage decorated with precious jade used by ancient emperors during sacrifices. Each chariot is priceless, and the purchase cost alone will cost more than 100,000 Tang Yuan. It is also called the jade chariot and is the first of the five chariots, symbolizing imperial power.

Respectful and aloof.

In Ainu culture, they believe that all creatures in the world have souls, worship all creatures, respect and believe in all creatures.

The Ainu originally lived in Honshu, but were later expelled all the way to Hokkaido by the Yamato regime. They also tried to expand their territory to Sakhalin, but failed.

Since the beginning of the history of the Yamato tribe, it has been filled with conquests and constant attacks by the Ainu barbarians in the north.

Standing in front of a huge hand-drawn world map that was as tall as a person, Richard glanced across the Pacific Ocean to the location of the Fuso Islands in East Asia...

There is no doubt that accepting the Fuso State's congratulatory form is something that should be vigorously promoted by the whole society. This is a major event that demonstrates the glory of the empire and enhances national self-confidence and cohesion. It deserves a special mention.

The leader of the Ainu at that time, Hu Shemayin, used the incident of the killing of an Ainu man to gather the Ainu people of his tribe and launch a war to attack the "Donan Twelve Halls" where the Yamato tribe lived.

The "Order of Distributing Swordsmanship" advocates that scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants (called the Four People at the time) should not wear their hair in buns (monthly hair), samurai should not carry swords (note, shogunate officials must carry swords in formal attire), and recommend wearing suits. Break old habits and advocate "enlightenment and civilization" throughout society.

The "Meiji Restoration" of the Fuso Kingdom was a comprehensive Westernization. Starting with the "Distribution of the Order to Take Off the Sword", the entire Fuso society tried its best to integrate into Western culture from education, military politics, living customs to etiquette, and achieved subversive changes.

The Tang Empire did not have any of these things and needed to purchase them all.

The word "Lu" also means "橹", which is a large shield made of armor. They are arranged in a certain order and are recorded in books. When the emperor travels, the ceremonial guard must strictly follow the order of armor and shields recorded in the books, so it is called "Brother book".

At this time, His Majesty the Emperor was in a good mood and decided the matter while talking and laughing.

Around the Asuka Period (7th century)

a moment later

A brief summary of the history of Ezo Land has been placed on the royal desk, waiting for His Majesty's inspection.

It is quite interesting to say that the Tang Empire had only one vassal state before, namely the Ryukyu Kingdom.

At the same time, the living areas of the Yamato and Ainu were separated to reduce civil conflicts. This also meant that the Ainu gradually lived under the social system of the Yamato and were assimilated unconsciously.

The Ainu people live mainly in the northeastern region of the Fuso Islands, as well as in the "Ezo Land", which is later known as "Hokkaido". They have a completely different culture from Fuso and make a living by fishing and hunting.

Now, nothing has happened. Fuso Kingdom is still in the period of shogunate rule where corruption was rampant and full of abuses. There are more than 230 vassals in the country doing their own affairs, dividing the entire Fuso Kingdom into a piece of scattered sand.

A complete set of armored Royal Guards cavalry, from helmet to breastplate to leg armor, standard clothes, saddle, leather horse bag, weapons, water bottles, and exquisite armor decoration, plus the riding horse, the whole set Worth thousands of dollars.

This has resulted in the entire Fusang country being completely in a state of fragmented small-scale peasant economy. It is impossible to develop commerce and industry at all, and there is no hope of getting rid of poverty and backwardness to become rich and powerful.

In 1799, the Eastern Ezo Territory was directly controlled by the shogunate, thus starting the process of the shogunate directly controlling the Ezo Territory.

A civilization and a barbarian are two completely different worlds.

Subsequently, Uyizaki Yishige mobilized elite troops from the national government and Iwamatsu Castle to the North Road to suppress the rebellion. However, the barbarian rebels gathered more and more, and the official army lost their fighting spirit due to the disaster and was actually outnumbered.

The name "Lu Bu" was first used in the Qin and Han Dynasties. It initially served as a police guard. Later, ceremonial guards holding gold melons, treasure items, flags and music and dance were added. This is an extremely complicated imperial procession. It takes 1 hour to officially go on patrol. Tens of thousands of people followed the city.

"Hmm... let's have a big court meeting next month and summon Fusang to send envoys from Tang Dynasty to have an audience."

Throughout the dynasties, the etiquette of the relationship between the central dynasty and the surrounding small countries' vassals and vassals, and pilgrimage have become a routine. It not only demonstrates the majesty of the heavenly kingdom, but also takes care of the face of the small countries. For relevant matters, you only need to follow the diagram.

If it cannot smash such feudal shackles and reshape the new world, how can the Fuso Kingdom usher in the hope of the "Meiji Restoration"?

This approach is undoubtedly superior to the European royal families and colonial princes. It can be regarded as the European version of the vassal model, which is relatively more equal and easier to accept.

After receiving the reply from the DPRK, Uyizaki Yoshihiro ordered the soldiers from Odate to go south to the Nodai camp more than 50 miles away from the city to garrison the key points, forming a powerful force with the southern government troops.

His Majesty the Emperor was in a good mood. Liu Xianjun and other important ministers joined in with some happy words, making the atmosphere in the palace festive and warm, and settled several important matters while talking and laughing.

In response to his request, Zhu Yuanzhang sent an envoy with a gold seal in the third year of Hongwu to confer Wang Zhuan the title of King of Goryeo, thus establishing the suzerain-vassal relationship between the two countries.

The best way is to put a cage on this white-eyed wolf.

In the end, the Yamato clan, which had a large number of people, won the victory and expelled the Ainu from the northeastern part of Honshu Island and lived in the Ezo land.

The secretariat official on duty immediately handed over his hands to accept the order, and then left in a hurry.

Before the Tang Empire, the method of blending Eastern and Western etiquette was implemented. There was no systematic purchase of "Lubo". Among other things, there were no five chariots used by ancient emperors when they went on tour. Everything was kept simple.

On March 17, Uyizaki Yoshitaka sent another envoy to report the news of the barbarian rebellion to the court in Heian Kyo.

After looking at it for a long time

After covering up his paper, Richard rubbed his confused head. The history of the Fuso people and the Ainu people for more than a thousand years is a chronicle of war between the same clan, full of wars and chaos.

In the past, it was not necessary. Western etiquette did not pay attention to these things. It would be nice if the Queen of England had a golden carriage to ride in when she travels. I have no idea about these complicated and different names of "rabo", and I don't know what their use is.

?

It's different now.

The sectarian-vassal relationship in the Eastern world has a long history. It originated in the Han Dynasty and reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. The Ming and Qing dynasties re-established the noble status of the Celestial Kingdom and attracted foreigners from all over the world to worship.

The barbarians attacked to the north of the city and to the south of the county, burned down the public and private houses there, and massacred the people below the city. The situation in the North Road became critical.

Richard felt;

What if we saw that the majestic Tang Empire couldn't even provide the emperor with "rabo" for traveling, the etiquette system was incomplete, and he didn't know how to arrange it privately?

"Lu Bo", a costly imperial guard of honor, may not be used, but it must be there.

The measure to strengthen the shogunate's control over the north was for the shogunate to directly control the Ezo Territory, which did not belong to any external lord.

Nowadays, the Tang Kingdom has neither a Ministry of Rites that specially receives tribute from envoys from the vassal states, nor a residence for them to live in, nor does it have any arrangements for relevant reception personnel, so there is almost nothing.

After the ministers left, Richard still felt unquenchable excitement, and the joy in his chest seemed to surge like a wave. He walked back and forth in the hall a few times, and suddenly took a step towards the imperial study room on the side of the hall.

If the Ezo Territory (Hokkaido) can be harvested, it will not only allow mainland immigrants to go to multiple destinations, but also firmly limit the space for Fuso Kingdom to develop northward, pushing the power of the Tang Empire directly westward from Midway Island by 2600.

More than 100 kilometers away, it directly reaches the edge of Fuso Islands.

It is only a few hundred kilometers away from mainland China, and hundreds of kilometers northwest to reach Vladivostok Port. If the Royal Navy's armored fleet were stationed here, it would directly block the sea access to the Far East Fleet that Tsarist Russia hopes to establish, which is of great strategic significance.

As a large island with an area of ​​more than 83,000 square kilometers, not to mention the large Ezo land, it can still accommodate a million people, and it is far more important than the Amami Islands.

It seems that some careful planning is needed.

(End of chapter)