Ch.218Return (4)

I received the Song Dynasty’s diplomatic document stating they would not interfere with the Mongol Pirates’ activities elsewhere after their withdrawal from Japan due to threats against Song.

“They have no idea this will eventually strangle Song’s neck.”

I sneered while looking at the document.

It was just a document, so Song could still protest.

But creating such a diplomatic document itself was a way of building justification.

Therefore, it didn’t matter if Song denied the document, claiming it was created under unreasonable circumstances.

“The justification is on our side.”

Power and justification.

Power without justification is unreasonable.

Justification without power is weak.

So we needed both.

Now that we had justification, with our power, we could take Song whenever we wanted.

“We’ll keep raiding them until the Crusade ends.”

Song Dynasty was a goose that laid golden eggs.

I planned to squeeze them until they could no longer lay eggs.

“For that, the sea needs to be stabilized.”

I said this while looking at the map.

Currently, the East Asian seas were under the influence of the Ulus, Song Dynasty, Goryeo, and Japan.

Since Goryeo was our ally, if we dealt with Japan, the East Asian seas would essentially belong to the Ulus.

“I need to occupy Japan while I’m in the Great Capital.”

Tamra Island alone wasn’t enough to continuously plunder the golden eggs laid by Song.

We needed something much larger—the entire archipelago.

While I was thinking this, Munglig approached me.

After bowing, he spoke.

“A Japanese envoy has arrived.”

“I see.”

As I was about to get up, Munglig looked at me with an expression suggesting he had more to say.

“What is it?”

“Well… another envoy from Japan has arrived.”

“Another one?”

“Yes. According to him, he’s an envoy sent by the Japanese sovereign.”

“An envoy sent by the Tenno…”

It seemed Minamoto Yoritomo and Emperor Gotoba were in opposition.

Perhaps because it was the early days before the shogunate system was established, Emperor Gotoba was fiercely resisting.

But things would likely flow as they did in the original history.

Additionally, I planned to appoint Kashir as king of Japan after conquering it.

So I wondered if I really needed to meet the envoy sent by the Tenno.

“I’m wondering if I should bother meeting him. What do you think, Munglig?”

“I recommend meeting him.”

“Why?”

“If you pretend to help the Tenno, it will be easier to land on the archipelago.”

“That’s certainly true.”

Landing a large force in Japan was quite difficult.

Even though the Ulus had greatly expanded its naval power using the Mongol Pirates, facing the Japanese who were born on islands and lived by the sea was challenging.

If they led their navy and fiercely resisted along the coast, we could suffer significant losses.

But by pretending to help the Tenno, we could create division within the enemy, reducing the damage we might take during landing.

“Very well. Let’s meet him.”

“I’ll make the preparations.”

Munglig bowed and withdrew.

Afterward, I headed to the court hall with my Kheshig escort.

Upon arrival, officials were lined up, and in front of them stood the envoy sent by General Minamoto.

“I greet the great Khan.”

The Japanese envoy responded in fluent Mongolian.

I nodded to acknowledge his greeting and then spoke.

“I finished my conversation with the Song envoy yesterday. The envoy sent by General Minamoto may withdraw.”

“By ‘conversation is over,’ you mean…”

“The Mongol Pirates will withdraw from the archipelago. Remember that.”

“Japan has heard nothing of this.”

The Japanese envoy couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

From his expression, it seemed that Japan, the actual party involved, had received no news from Song.

“Get the details from the Song envoy.”

“…I… I understand.”

At my words, the envoy sent by General Minamoto had no choice but to leave with a disgruntled expression.

After he disappeared, I gave orders to Elunka, who was standing in line.

“Have the Japanese envoy meet me separately after he meets with the Song envoy.”

“Separately, you say?”

“Yes. I will declare war on them.”

Elunka bowed in response.

Having been by my side when I met the Song envoy, he understood better than anyone why I intended to declare war.

“I will request transport ships from Goryeo and Liaodong.”

I nodded at Elunka’s words.

Then I turned and gestured to Munglig.

Munglig bowed and brought in the envoy sent by the Tenno.

“I hear you’re an envoy sent by the Japanese sovereign.”

“Thank you so much for meeting me, Great Khan. I was sent by the Tenno, descendant of heaven…”

He tried to deploy elaborate diplomatic rhetoric.

I raised my hand with an annoyed expression, cutting him off.

“Get straight to the point.”

The envoy looked flustered.

But being a seasoned diplomat, he quickly composed himself, bowed, and spoke.

“The Tenno requests Mongolia’s help.”

“The archipelago has no connection to us. What reason do you have to seek our help?”

“If you help the Tenno, we will submit to Mongolia.”

The envoy answered as if offering something grand.

At their absurd attitude, I asked in a cold voice.

“How does the archipelago’s submission benefit us?”

“What do you mean by that…”

“The Tenno overestimates his value. We don’t need you.”

“…”

This was an obvious statement.

The Ulus was a great empire spanning east and west.

From the perspective of such an empire, the submission of a backward island nation on the periphery was hardly important.

Of course, Japan would eventually expand into a maritime empire in the future.

But that was a future story—medieval Japan was just a rural village detached from the central plains.

Moreover, it was a village divided, fragmented, with war as its daily reality.

From my position, it was absurd that the Tenno, essentially just a village headman, would hold his head high and ask for help while offering to submit.

“Go back.”

“I… I’m sorry. P-please help the Tenno.”

The envoy, coming to his senses, immediately bowed and began to plead.

I responded with apparent loss of interest in his behavior.

“There’s no benefit for the Ulus.”

“Wh-what do you want? If there’s anything you desire, I’ll inform my country.”

“We want nothing from the archipelago.”

“P-perhaps you need territory? Or…”

“The Ulus territory extends from the east to the west. It’s fertile land flowing with milk and honey, where cattle and sheep grow quickly when raised, and crops grow as tall as a person when seeds are planted.”

This was, of course, an exaggeration.

Though mixed with exaggeration, it was somewhat true.

“Then we will offer tribute every year.”

“We overflow with gold and treasures and lack nothing.”

“Th-then… what must we offer for you to help the Tenno?”

The envoy questioned me with an attitude suggesting he would offer anything.

At his behavior, I pretended to consider for a moment before casually answering.

“Hand over Kyoto.”

“Miyako… you mean?”

The envoy couldn’t help but be shocked at the demand to hand over Kyoto.

Surrendering the thousand-year-old capital was unthinkable.

“If you hand over Kyoto, I’ll consider it.”

“Th-this is impossible… N-no… I-I’ll inform my country.”

“Come find me again when you have an answer from the archipelago.”

After saying this, I dismissed him.

Once he was gone, Elunka spoke to me with a worried expression.

“I think that might be an excessive demand. They will surely refuse.”

“It doesn’t matter if they refuse. The reason I made such an excessive demand was precisely that.”

From Japan’s perspective, surrendering their capital was impossible.

But the Tenno, backed into a corner, had no choice.

So he had to agree to hand over Kyoto.

Of course, only superficially.

“They will outwardly agree to hand over Kyoto and request our help. And after we help the Tenno deal with Yoritomo, they’ll change their tune as if it never happened.”

“Ah!”

“And they’ll ask Song for help, just as Yoritomo did.”

But Song couldn’t help Japan.

They had promised not to interfere in conflicts between the Ulus and Japan in exchange for the withdrawal of the Mongol Pirates.

Of course, Song might try to break this promise and help Japan.

But whether they could save Japan by breaking through the Mongol Pirates planning to raid Song’s coast was uncertain.

Elunka nodded as if understanding.

Making them break their promise was the core of this tactic.

“It’s unlikely, but what if Japan actually hands over Kyoto?”

“That’s fine too. Then we’ll use Kyoto as a foothold to make Kashir the new Tenno.”

With the capital in our possession, making Kashir the new Tenno would be simple.

As Tenno, Kashir would then push out the fake Tenno, Gotoba.

* * *

“Do you really intend to hand over Miyako?”

Left General nodded in response to Emperor Gotoba’s question.

“Left General!”

The Right Minister admonished Minamoto Yorinori.

Yorinori raised his hand as if to calm him.

“Don’t worry. We’ll only pretend to hand over Miyako.”

“Pretend…? Do you think that’s possible?”

“Yes. The Mongols are barbarians from the steppes, weak in naval battles. Even if they enter the archipelago, without proper support, they will eventually be defeated.”

“You mean… you’ll betray the Mongols after receiving their help?”

“Exactly.”

The Right Minister looked incredulous at Yorinori’s words.

Japan had suffered greatly due to the Mongol Pirates.

“The Mongol Pirates might intervene!”

“According to the envoy, Mongolia withdrew the Mongol Pirates under pressure from Song. And they promised that the Mongol Pirates would never invade the archipelago again.”

“As expected of Song Dynasty.”

The young Emperor Gotoba clenched his fist.

He thought Mongolia had submitted to Song out of fear of its power as the hegemon of the central plains.

Of course, this was purely the Tenno’s misunderstanding.

But it was impossible for him, being in the archipelago, to know the detailed circumstances.

“But driving out a tiger that has already entered is difficult. Doesn’t the Left General know this well?”

To this, Yorinori spoke to the Right Minister as if telling him not to worry.

“Even if Mongolia really demands Miyako, if we ask Song for help again as we did this time, Mongolia will eventually have to withdraw.”

Emperor Gotoba nodded at Yorinori’s words.

“For now, driving out General Minamoto is most important.”

“The Left General is right.”

The two men smiled as if all problems had been resolved.

But the Right Minister couldn’t erase his disgruntled expression.

He knew better than anyone that things don’t always go as planned.