NCCnovel Chapter 196 Ambitious
Chapter 196 Ambitious
In everyone's perception, Japan is an extremely weak and insignificant existence.
Its population is shockingly small, just over 300,000 people, which is a drop in the ocean compared to those populous countries.
This country, like a child trying hard to imitate adults, has just begun to learn from the Tang Dynasty and try to build a centralized system.
However, they only learned the basics, and the implementation of their political system was terrible, like a pile of loose sand, with no order or organization at all.
The power boundaries between different classes are unclear, the administrative system operates in a bumpy manner, and often falls into chaos and inefficiency.
The economic foundation of Japan as a whole is currently rooted in the agricultural sector.
The scenes of working in the fields are mostly still filled with primitive and backward atmosphere. Iron farm tools have not been fully popularized in this land. Many Japanese farmers are still using crude wooden or stone farm tools to dig in the land with great effort.
However, handicrafts and commerce have begun to emerge on this barren soil.
In some corners of Japan, you can see simple workshops where craftsmen are concentrating on making simple pottery, wooden products and other products.
In the market, there were also small vendors in groups of three or four, displaying their few goods and bartering with passers-by or trading for a small amount of copper coins.
The current military strength of Japan is mainly composed of infantry and sailors.
The equipment of these soldiers was in extremely shabby condition, so crude that it was shocking.
The so-called "weapons" held tightly in the hands of many soldiers were actually farm tools used for farming on a daily basis. Those worn-out hoes and sickles were often easily broken because they were not forged well.
But batch after batch of envoys to the Tang Dynasty returned to their homeland tirelessly, and Japan also ushered in the dawn of cultural and institutional changes.
They introduced complete and systematic rules and regulations from the Tang Dynasty, which gradually spread among the aristocracy and literati in Japan, becoming an important tool for recording history, inheriting culture and exchanging ideas.
Majestic temples sprang up everywhere, bringing spiritual sustenance to this still relatively ignorant small country.
If judged by the standards of a port, Japan's Satsuma Port is really not worthy of its name.
The facilities at the dock are dilapidated, the wooden planks are rotten, and some places are even crumbling.
The warehouses and houses on the shore were also riddled with holes, and the thatched roofs were so sparse that they looked like they could be blown down by a gust of wind.
Compared with the prosperous, bustling, well-equipped, and merchant-ship-filled Mingzhou Port in the Tang Dynasty, the gap between the two is like an insurmountable chasm.
In the waters near Satsuma Port, a group of Japanese navy are carrying out patrol missions day after day.
Every day they sit lazily on the small and simple boat, drifting slowly on the sea, looking around casually to see if anyone attempts to invade their small island country.
Speaking of which, this job is really an easy and comfortable one.
Slaves who were not looked up to by their superiors had no such opportunity at all.
After all, for many years, almost no country would covet such an isolated island country with scarce resources and chaotic management.
For those powerful neighboring countries, even if they could successfully capture Japan, the subsequent management costs and energy required would be huge, while the benefits they could obtain would be very few. It was really a deal that was not worth the loss.
Therefore, Japan was able to live in peace in this relatively peaceful environment and has not been invaded by foreign enemies for many years.
The gears of fate began to turn quietly after Li Chengqian's words, and everything in Japan's past would be completely broken.
On the distant sea surface, the hazy figures of ships gradually emerged.
At first, they were just faint black dots, but as time passed, the shadows of the ships gradually became clear.
It rushed towards Japan with great momentum.
The Japanese soldiers on patrol were mumbling their unique and difficult-to-understand language, their eyes wide open with expressions of disbelief on their faces, staring at the huge fleet on the sea level.
They knew clearly that those ships were far beyond the reach of their Japanese small boats in terms of size, grandeur and equipment level.
The gap between the two is not even on the same level.
During this period, the Japanese soldiers were always shrouded in anxiety.
They heard a terrifying news at the beginning of the year.
During their mission to the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese envoys had the audacity to challenge the dignity of the Tang Emperor.
At the beginning, the entire Japanese country fell into extreme panic. Everyone was worried every day whether the Tang army would attack them.
Time passed quietly, and more than half a year had passed, but there was still no sign of any invasion by foreign enemies, so their tense nerves gradually relaxed.
After all, they knew in their hearts that even if they were always in a state of high tension, what would be the point?
If the Tang Dynasty really made up its mind to attack Japan, how could Japan dare to resist in the slightest?
Like a moth flying into a flame, it is only seeking its own destruction.
Although Emperor Shumei of Japan also knew the ins and outs of this matter, he actually did not take it too seriously.
In his narrow and short-sighted understanding, although the Tang Dynasty was powerful and famous, it would not go to war with Japan over such a trivial matter.
Even if the coalition forces of the Tang Dynasty's subordinate countries really invaded Japan, what would happen?
The worst that could happen would be to respectfully present this land to the Tang Dynasty. By then, these Japanese people would suddenly become the subjects of the Tang Dynasty.
In his opinion, becoming a citizen of the Tang Dynasty might not be a bad thing. On the contrary, under the protection and support of the powerful national strength of the Tang Dynasty, one can live a richer and better life. What is there to be afraid of?
What's more, even if they come, they are not regular troops sent by the Tang Dynasty itself, so they will not cause too serious consequences.
The Tang Dynasty's army is still fighting foreign wars, so how can it have the time to withdraw troops to fight Japan?
On the bow of the main ship of the fleet that was gradually approaching the coast of Japan, Wu Tianyan stared closely at the Satsuma Port of Japan that was already clearly visible not far away.
There was a murderous intent in those eyes.
Your official position is right in front of you!
Glory and wealth are all in this battle
"Brother Gou, what should we do when we get to Japan?"
Lai Fu's honest voice sounded behind Wu Tianyan.
He frowned slightly, scratched his thick hair, and looked at Wu Tianyan with a blank expression.
Wu Tianyan slowly turned his head and glanced at Lai Fu.
"The Japanese have offended Your Majesty and even cut off the Prime Minister Fang's finger. Such a serious crime cannot be easily forgiven!"
"After arriving on the island, all males will be killed, regardless of good or evil, loyalty or treachery."
"Keep the girls. If you guys like any of them, do whatever you want."
"What they have committed is the crime of destroying the nation, and they must be severely punished!"
There was no trace of pity or sympathy on Wu Tianyan's face.
"Killing all the males completely is the only way to be considered the destruction of a nation and its people."
"From now on, all children born to Japanese women will have the blood of the Tang Dynasty flowing through their veins and become citizens of the Tang Dynasty."
"Raise the flag and pass the order down. Have the brothers carefully check their knives. If any are dull, sharpen them carefully."
Wu Tianyan suddenly raised his voice and shouted loudly to the brothers behind him.
"We have come here this time and will not stop until we achieve our goal. When all the men in Japan are killed, we can return to the Tang Dynasty."
He once again turned his gaze towards the distant Japanese port, with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Although we are not the regular army of the Tang Dynasty, we are here holding high the banner of the Tang Dynasty."
"Besides, if we can successfully destroy Japan this time, it's hard to say whether we can become your Majesty's official army in the future."
At this moment, Wu Tianyan was extremely excited.
He was only one step away from becoming a fifth-rank official!