When Chen Yan and Qian Chuan leisurely arrived at the Imperial Palace of Wa, the assembled populace outside had already split into two distinct factions. One faction was led by Tokugawa Ienari and the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming, while the other was led by Kōkaku Emperor, Prince Kan'in, and the anti-shogunate envoys to Ming. Even the common people of Wa had arrayed themselves behind the pro-shogunate or anti-shogunate envoys.
What was particularly interesting was the relationship between the shogunate officials behind Tokugawa Ienari and the imperial officials behind Kōkaku Emperor. They did not glare at each other as fiercely as their leaders, nor were they as confrontational as the pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate envoys. They were also not as clueless as the commoners behind their respective factions.
The shogunate officials behind Tokugawa Ienari would occasionally exchange glances with the imperial officials. Similarly, the imperial officials might subtly nod or shake their heads at the shogunate officials from time to time. It was as if they had mastered the skills of ventriloquism or telepathy, engaging in silent yet exceptionally tacit communication.
This continued until the arrival of Chen Yan and Qian Chuan's carriage at the Imperial Palace of Wa.
As the ambassadors of the Great Ming to Wa and a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Chen Yan and Qian Chuan were attending Wa's Aoi Festival together. Their entourage and the stir they created were naturally significant. When envoys from Wa traveled to the Forbidden City in the capital of the Great Ming to attend court, they couldn't even ride donkeys, let alone carriages; they could only make their way on their own two short legs. Yet, Chen Yan's delegation not only brought ample guards but also a carriage pulled by four magnificent horses, and the roads were even sprinkled with clean water and covered with yellow earth!
Strictly speaking, Chen Yan's approach was somewhat excessive. Although Chen Yan represented the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming as the ambassador to Wa, he was merely a representative. The scale of his ceremonial escort was limited. Furthermore, according to the official hierarchy of the Great Ming, Chen Yan was an ambassador stationed abroad with a rank of the fourth grade, while Kōkaku Emperor was of the princely rank. Kōkaku Emperor could have the roads sprinkled with clean water and covered with yellow earth when he traveled, but Chen Yan doing so was akin to disregarding Kōkaku Emperor entirely.
To put it another way: would Chen Yan dare to display such ceremonial grandeur and bearing within the Great Ming? If he dared, the only outcome would be an impeachment in the afternoon and dismissal from office the next day, coupled with an investigation into his background by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot. The Great Ming Statutes explicitly stipulated that officials were not permitted to ride in palanquins within the territory of the Great Ming, and carriages were limited to being pulled by two or one horse, along with a plethora of other obscure regulations. As a result, even officials of the Great Ming had long since ceased to flaunt such ostentatious displays.
However, outside the borders of the Great Ming, the Great Ming Statutes no longer imposed restrictions on ceremonial matters. For instance, Chen Yan could indeed present a more impressive ceremonial display than Kōkaku Emperor.
None of the assembled Wa officials, whether Kōkaku Emperor or Tokugawa Ienari, perceived anything amiss. It seemed as though any ceremonial escort Chen Yan employed was perfectly natural.
After all, he was an envoy from the Great Ming, the superior state. It was only natural that his ceremonial escort would be grander than that of the minor king of the subordinate state, Kōkaku Emperor. They considered it a great honor that Ambassador Chen was gracing the Imperial Palace of Wa with his presence.
Kōkaku Emperor did not dare to hesitate. The moment he saw Chen Yan alight from his carriage, he quickly led Prince Kan'in to greet him, kneeling and bowing, "Your humble servant from the subordinate state, Ienari, respectfully inquires about the Great Ming Emperor's well-being!"
Chen Yan inclined his body slightly, cupped his hands towards the direction of the Great Ming capital, and declared, "His Majesty is well. King Ienari, please dispense with the ceremony."
Only then did Kōkaku Emperor rise in full compliance with the formalities and bow slightly towards Chen Yan, "Ambassador Chen's attendance at our subordinate state's Aoi Festival brings great luster to Wa, and we are deeply honored."
Chen Yan turned his body, feigning to support Kōkaku Emperor, and said with a smile, "King Ienari, you are too kind. We are old acquaintances, so why adhere to such empty formalities?"
Seeing Kōkaku Emperor and Chen Yan conversing amicably, Tokugawa Ienari, who was trailing behind, almost gnashed his teeth in frustration. "Why him? Just because he is the ruler of Wa, he gets to be the first to greet Ambassador Chen and inquire about His Majesty's well-being, while I, the Shogun, have to trail behind!"
As Tokugawa Ienari's resentment grew, he quietly instructed Watanabe Saemon and Matsushita Ichiban, "Initiate immediately, without delay!"
Coincidentally, Kōkaku Emperor also subtly signaled to Prince Kan'in and Gen Masayoshi, among other anti-shogunate envoys to Ming. Consequently, the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming, led by Watanabe Saemon and Matsushita Ichiban, and the anti-shogunate envoys to Ming, led by Gen Masayoshi, all rushed to a spot not far from Chen Yan and knelt in unison, crying out, "We implore the envoy of the superior state to dispense justice for the humble people of our subordinate state!"
Chen Yan's expression immediately darkened. He turned to Kōkaku Emperor and asked, "May I inquire, King Ienari, what is the meaning of this?"
Kōkaku Emperor thought to himself, "Don't you already know what's going on? Why are you playing dumb now?"
However, upon turning his head, Kōkaku Emperor was stunned into silence. The envoys to Ming, both pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate, along with the Kyoto commoners and outcasts they had bribed, followed closely behind. The officials of the court and the shogunate were at the rear. It seemed as though all the officials, Kyoto commoners and outcasts, and envoys to Ming who had come to attend the Aoi Festival had gathered around. The envoys to Ming led the cries of injustice, and the commoners and outcasts echoed them, while the officials of the shogunate and the court stood there bewildered.
The Aoi Festival?
What kind of festival was this anymore?
Yet, Kōkaku Emperor felt that this was not entirely bad. After all, with the idiots like Tokugawa Ienari and those traitorous pro-shogunate faction members, they would all face misfortune together.
Chen Yan subtly signaled to Qian Chuan and then walked towards Watanabe Saemon, Gen Masayoshi, and the other envoys to Ming. He said sternly, "You have all studied abroad. This is the time to serve your country. Why are you leading the populace here to lament?"
Watanabe Saemon and the other pro-shogunate envoys to Ming all knelt and bowed, saying, "Envoy, the ruler of our subordinate state, Kōkaku Emperor, is without virtue, causing social unrest and public anxiety. In the court, beasts gorge themselves on stipends, and in the halls, tigers and leopards roam. Since Kōkaku ascended the throne, the population of our Wa has drastically decreased, and the people live worse than death. Therefore, we are compelled to request that the ruler of our subordinate state abdicate in favor of Shogun Tokugawa Ienari!"
Before Kōkaku Emperor could react, the commoners and outcasts, the short and stout individuals behind the pro-shogunate faction, also knelt and bowed, "The King is without virtue, we implore him to abdicate in favor of Shogun Tokugawa Ienari!"
Kōkaku Emperor, both shocked and enraged, pointed at Tokugawa Ienari and exclaimed, "Traitor! Are you trying to force me to abdicate?!"
Tokugawa Ienari, while secretly exulting, feigned an expression of shock and bewilderment, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Since I assumed the position of Shogun, I have not been idle for a single day... I truly know nothing of today's events. If Your Majesty does not believe your humble servant, then I can only offer my life to prove my innocence!"
With that, Tokugawa Ienari drew the samurai sword at his waist and placed it against his neck, as if to say, "If you, Kōkaku Emperor, do not believe me, I will slit my throat right here!"
Kōkaku Emperor became even more furious. Just as he was about to speak, Prince Kan'in stared intently at Tokugawa Ienari and said, "Since Shogun Tokugawa Ienari wishes to prove his innocence with his death, I, Kan'in, cannot stop him. I can only offer to perform kaishakunin for the Shogun after his passing!"
Prince Kan'in's words pushed Tokugawa Ienari into a corner.
If he died, he would be innocent, and Prince Kan'in, the Crown Prince of Wa, would personally perform kaishakunin. If he didn't die, it would mean he was guilty!
Tokugawa Ienari was also thrown into disarray.
The term "kaishakunin" referred to Prince Kan'in beheading Tokugawa Ienari after Tokugawa Ienari committed seppuku.
In other words, Tokugawa Ienari had originally placed the samurai sword against his neck to put on a show, but Prince Kan'in wanted Tokugawa Ienari to commit seppuku directly!
Tokugawa Ienari paused slightly, then dropped the samurai sword, knelt with a thud before Chen Yan, and cried out, "Ambassador Chen, Ienari is wronged! My death is insignificant, but I am unwilling to die with such infamy. I implore Ambassador to dispense justice for me!"
As Tokugawa Ienari's words fell, one of the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming kneeling behind Tokugawa Ienari stepped forward. He crawled on his knees to Tokugawa Ienari's side and bowed, saying, "General Tokugawa works tirelessly for our Wa, yet now he must bear this unjust name without cause. I deeply regret this for the General. However, Kōkaku Ienari is the ruler of Wa enfeoffed by His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor, and I dare not disrespect him. Therefore, I can only die first to repay the General!"
Having said that, this envoy who had stepped forward first drew the samurai sword at his waist and forcefully plunged it into his abdomen. He then moved it left and right, spilling his intestines, and filling the air with a putrid stench.
However, before Chen Yan could react, one of the anti-shogunate envoys to Ming behind Kōkaku Emperor also stepped forward. He crawled on his knees to a spot not far from Chen Yan and bowed his head to the ground, saying, "When I studied in the Great Ming, I read in books about the principles of the ruler and the minister. However, Wa is ultimately a subordinate and small nation where the social order is inverted. Currently, all the power of the nation is held by the shogunate. The ruler of our subordinate state, personally enfeoffed by His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor, is not allowed to participate in politics and can only reside in the inner palace to study. Is this the way of a subject? Tokugawa Ienari has gone to such extremes. I only wish to awaken the shame of all the people of Wa with my death. I implore the envoy of the superior state to discern this!"
After this lengthy speech, this anti-shogunate envoy to Ming, just like the pro-shogunate envoy who had committed seppuku earlier, drew his sword and committed seppuku!
Yet, even more absurd events were to follow.
As everyone knows, the short and stout people of Wa have always tended towards extremes and, upon slight provocation, would often clamor to commit seppuku. Now that both pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate envoys to Ming had directly committed seppuku to declare their intentions, the remaining short and stout individuals became agitated. In the blink of an eye, three to five envoys from each faction committed seppuku and died.
Chen Yan looked at the several envoys who had committed seppuku with a face full of sorrow and roared, "What are you doing! You all studied abroad in the Great Ming and were meant to be pillars of Wa. Now you commit seppuku and die. Are you not ashamed of the skills you possess? Are you not ashamed of the nation of Wa, its society, and its people?"
However, no matter how angry or how much he scolded, Chen Yan had no intention of intervening. He had seen many executions and many who slit their throats, and he had also seen suicides by hanging. But individuals who, like these envoys, directly committed seppuku and then moved the sword left and right was something Chen Yan had rarely encountered.
Tokugawa Ienari and Kōkaku Emperor were also dumbfounded.
While these envoys who committed seppuku might exert some pressure on the opposing faction, these people were dead!
These were their subordinates, their power bases!
If the remaining envoys to Ming followed these fools and committed seppuku, then the envoys to Ming, whom Wa had spent countless money and resources cultivating over the years, would be completely ruined!
The more Tokugawa Ienari thought about it, the more fearful he became. For the moment, he could no longer maintain his pretense of feigned sorrow. He directly turned his head and shouted at the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming, "How dare you so lightly disregard your bodies! You are all talents painstakingly selected by our Wa, and you have even studied abroad in the Great Ming. To die so easily, would this not ruin the future of our Wa? Forget it, forget it. Ienari can only die before you, so as not to grieve for you!"
With that, Tokugawa Ienari firmly grasped his samurai sword and moved it towards his neck.
Qian Chuan, who was standing beside Chen Yan, kicked the samurai sword out of Tokugawa Ienari's hand and angrily exclaimed, "You all have such audacity! Ambassador Chen has come to attend the Aoi Festival, hoping for favorable weather and peace for the people of Wa. Yet, what are you doing? This is utter chaos!"
Seeing that Chen Yan and Qian Chuan had both expressed their stances, Tokugawa Ienari had successfully completed his performance. Kōkaku Emperor immediately became anxious.
Kōkaku Emperor also knelt with a thud and wailed, "I, Ienari, have been blessed with the favor of His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor, and though I am the ruler of Wa, I have achieved no merit to repay the Son of Heaven, nor have I devised any strategy to pacify the people. Now, because of this matter of the throne, so many envoys to Ming have committed seppuku. This is all my fault!"
After weeping, Kōkaku Emperor turned his head decisively and said to the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming, "Since this is the case, it would be better for me, Ienari, to directly yield the throne to Shogun Tokugawa Ienari. I hope you will all assist him well in the future."
Immediately afterward, Kōkaku Emperor turned his body again and, with tearful eyes, looked at the anti-shogunate envoys to Ming, saying, "You too must not allow disputes of will to arise due to the matter of the throne. I am willingly yielding the throne to Shogun Tokugawa Ienari, and I hope you will all diligently assist Shogun Tokugawa Ienari!"
After Kōkaku Emperor finished his elaborate speech, both the anti-shogunate envoys to Ming kneeling behind Kōkaku Emperor and the pro-shogunate envoys to Ming kneeling behind Tokugawa Ienari immediately began to clamor.
"His Majesty's abdication in favor of the Shogun is truly an act for the nation!"
"Traitor Tokugawa, you have pressured His Majesty to this extent, yet you do not remember where the Tokugawa in your family name comes from!"
"The King has long been without virtue. It is not too late to rein in now!"
"Traitor Tokugawa, I wish I could eat your flesh!"
"..."
The pro-shogunate faction, the anti-shogunate faction, one side hoping Kōkaku Emperor would quickly abdicate, the other hoping Tokugawa Ienari would quickly die, argued so fiercely that both Chen Yan and Qian Chuan felt a headache.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yan signaled to Qian Chuan.
(End of Chapter)