Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2175 - 1571: When the Stars Shine Bright, the Shogunate, and the Selling of Official Posts! (Part 2)

Yet facing those simple, fearless, and fervently believing Gummy People Warriors, Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong dared not say much, only harboring silent resentment in his heart. If he felt this way, then for Juehui the Great Monk, deeply versed in Buddhism, reading the Book of Ama Colley would certainly be "I can do this too," rather than "Let me write it instead." After assessing the "cultural level" of the East Sea Priest, Juehui indeed had other ideas, such as laying down escape routes like a cunning rabbit..."Ahem! Juehui Monk Master, your arrival this time, I assume, is not for sharing tea and discussing Zen with me. Seeing your radiant countenance, it seems the matters in Kansai are almost settled? And what of Shiba Rongdong’s Shogunate post?..."

"Haha! The Avatamsaka Sutra says, ’The mind is like a painter, capable of painting the world’s myriad things; all five aggregates arise, nothing is uncreated.’... With my cultivation, though I still cannot create laws from thin air, I can paint according to people’s minds."

"The myriad intricacies of the Shogunate, the fame and fortune fought over in Temples and Shrines, all clearly reflected within my monk’s heart! Alas! I am not foolish or mad; this position of Monk Master at our great temple, apart from me, none of my other brothers can sit stably. They don’t have my abilities, do you understand? Their skills are inadequate, their cultivation lacking!..."

"Therefore, with the testimony of Buddha! For me, balancing accounts is but a trivial task, while procuring an official position is a weary endeavor. As long as there are gold and silver Buddha treasures, used on the right people with destiny, to leverage the most subtle intricacies... It is the conjunction of fate, predestined, as ’If one understands the heart’s actions, universally creating the world’!"

Juehui the Great Monk spoke with great compassion about the sleights of hand within the Shogunate and Temples and Shrines, as if expounding on the most profound Buddhist law. Meanwhile, Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong listened intently, unwilling to miss a single word. These highest-echelon Shogunate interpersonal relations are not something someone from a Hizen Martial Family could normally overhear or indeed leverage. Only those high monks from Kansai with great temple backgrounds, almost entwined in the Shogunate’s top echelon, could wield "Buddhist law and golden light" to manipulate affairs up and down.

"You ask about specific Buddhist law? Cannot be spoken, cannot be spoken!... Haha! Seeing your sincerity, I will say a little. As for the position of Ezo Governor of the Shiba Clan, General Yi Cheng pays it little mind, nor does he know much. The one truly in charge is ’Miaoshan Temple Great Meditation Nun’... Oh! You haven’t heard? Haha! She’s actually the Imperial Palace’s ’Fuzi Hall,’ yes, Lady Hino Yuki’s decree! In the whole Shogunate, apart from the newly empowered Hosokawa Masamoto, it is this ’Fuzi Hall’ whose power is greatest! As for General Yi Cheng, he has yet to come into personal governance..."

"Buddha! To procure this decree, I practiced three months of intricate ’Buddhist law,’ scattering much ’golden light’ in Miaoshan Temple. And to ’Fuzi Hall,’ the Shiba Clan’s status was already sufficient, the reputation and legal principle, all were delivered into her hands by our Tiantai Sect. She need only open her Buddha mouth, and with this decree issued, General Yi Cheng then used the seal... After circulating through the Shogunate, not a month had passed, and the matter was indisputably settled! Haha! It’s done!!..."

Juehui the Great Monk laughed out loud, his face of compassion transforming into one of pride. The Shandan Golden Tribe had provided seven hundred jin of gold; he allocated over two hundred jin to settle the customs ship’s account, spent two hundred jin to buy saltpetre from Chuyun, used over a hundred jin to operate within the Shogunate for official buying, and still had one to two hundred jin left over!

That’s much faster than robbing, truly living by skillful ’Buddhist law’! Truth be told, he was a highly cultivated monk of Buddhist law; compared to the act of moving lips and manipulating hearts, fighting and killing were surely not his forte. And now it was time for the final payment! The subsequent three hundred jin of gold was the genuine profit, all intended to fall into his pouch...

"Mizhu! Bring the Shogunate’s document!"

Juehui the Great Monk called out, stretching out his hand. The Mizhu monk immediately bowed his head, presenting a volume tied with golden thread of Shogunate’s Imperial Teaching Book. This kind of enfeoffment document was of the highest level almost within the Muromachi shogunate, far surpassing the letter and Peaceful State. Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong eagerly opened it to see the dragon and phoenix dancing characters, the formal format of the Shogunate enfeoffment of guardianship:

"In regard to this matter, Shiba Rongdong is to be appointed as Ezo Guardian: This position is hereby appointed to you..."

"The Shiba Clan has been loyal to the Shogunate for generations, since the time of Yi Cheng, their merits are notable. Now Rongdong inherits his family business, his prowess is direct and military strategy ample, renowned for his ability to pacify borders. Recently, the Ezo land’s border troubles have been unquenched, bandits occasionally arise, and maritime paths are unstable. Thus, Rongdong is specially appointed to pacify one side, to settle Yi affairs, as ’Ezo Guardian,’ overseeing everything north of Tsugaru Strait and all mansions in Ezo land..."

"To command the troop and horse subordinates of the territories, to expel the traitorous, to judge military and civil litigations, and to collect old tax duties..."

"Should there be defiance or rebellion, he is authorized to enforce Guardian law accordingly. Henceforth, no one shall dare interfere..."

"This decree is henceforth, respectfully follow..."

"September 1, 1495."

"General of the Expedition Yi Cheng (seal)"

"Chief Divine! Ezo Guardian’s Shogunate official position! A genuine enfeoffment document!..."

Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong swiftly read through, his face unable to hide the jubilant expression. As a Martial Family direct descendant, none understood better than him the significance of this document’s representation of Martial Family’s prestige and legal principle!

With such an enfeoffment document present, the Kingdom finally had the authority to dispatch troops to the Ezo land’s Japanese various mansions, as well as to the southern Kaozaki Clan. There was now justification for the "command of troops and horses, adjudication of complaints, and collection of duties," military, judicial, and tax authority, essentially unassailable sovereignty over the whole of Ezo land!