This was the era when the Tokugawa family was rising to power in Japan. Lu Xuan clearly remembered that it was around this time that the Tokugawa family rose to prominence, establishing the shogunate, which lasted for over two hundred years. And the nobleman's son that Lu Xuan had detained back then happened to be a descendant of the Tokugawa family.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a ruthless man. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's defeat in the Korean War, the Toyotomi family was severely weakened and eventually wiped out by the Tokugawa clan. The Japanese don't care about leaving a way out for others. Their genocidal mentality is consistent both internally and externally; it's ingrained in their very being. Of course, Lu Xuan also had a bit of that...
Tokugawa Ieyasu was essentially a founding emperor. After all, during the shogunate era, the Tokugawa family was the true imperial family. As for the Japanese imperial family, they barely survived starvation. And historically, such founding emperors have always been exceptionally powerful. Therefore, the delegation he sent was also quite powerful.
According to Lu Xuan's men, they hadn't just sent an envoy; dozens of warships were also lingering in Dongyingkou. It was clear they would use force if the people weren't released. Even the port's garrison had come to request reinforcements.
"Notify the port garrison to evacuate the civilians first. If we lose, so be it; ensure the safety of the people. The port can be lost, but people cannot die."
Lu Xuan always kept the Taizu's tactics firmly in mind: "To preserve land but lose people is to lose both; to preserve people but lose land is to gain both." He had only just begun to manage Liaodong. The foundation wasn't solid enough, and he simply couldn't attend to every nook and cranny. As for the various fortresses and garrisons along the border, they had always simply waited in their castles for invasions by Japanese pirates and the like, waiting for them to loot before leaving...
After detaining the man for over half a month, Lu Xuan learned for the first time that the boy's name was Tokugawa Hidetada. Having virtually no knowledge of Japanese history, he naturally had no idea that this guy was the future second shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate—the man who would elevate the shogunate's rule to a new level.
The Japanese delegation carried a chest of gold. They understood the basic rules, after all, Lu Xuan held the upper hand. However, their attitude made Lu Xuan feel extremely displeased.
He casually tossed the box of gold behind him before speaking.
"I'll accept the gold. Is there anything else?"
"Once you've taken the money, release our young master," said a man who appeared to be the leader. Lu Xuan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.
"Lu Wenzhao, these shorty don't know any manners. Teach them a lesson." Lu Wenzhao had been with Lu Xuan the longest and knew his temperament. He immediately understood.
"The General said that since your young master is of such high status, this little bit of gold is only enough for one meeting with him. Men, bring that boy out so that his family can meet him."
The envoys naturally refused to agree to a meeting in exchange for a chest of gold.
"General, you've gone too far. Aren't you afraid that the dozens of warships in the port will attack your harbor?"
"As far as I know, even before I captured this kid, you still came to plunder my Great Ming from time to time, didn't you? If the port can't be defended, I'll let you take a little advantage for now. But remember, I will take it back from you tenfold or a hundredfold in the future."
The delegation leader paused for a moment. In reality, the Tokugawa family had only recently gained power, and the situation in Japan was far from stable. So far, the shogunate had no intention of waging a full-scale war against the Ming Dynasty. No matter how corrupt the Ming Dynasty had become, a sliver of its millennia-old deterrent still lingered in Japan's eyes, and they dared not act rashly.
“Since you are unwilling to exchange the young master, sir, I shall humbly make a bet with you, General.” This Japanese soldier’s Chinese was quite good, with precise word choice. Lu Xuan became somewhat interested.
"Let's make a bet. I don't gamble, but I'll give you a chance because of that chest of gold."
"Very well, General. The battle at sea that took place nearly a month ago has spread throughout Japan. Everyone knows that General's martial arts are superb and unparalleled. He has even earned the title of 'Manslayer' in Japan."
"..." Lu Xuan knew that the Japanese liked to give celebrities ridiculously dramatic nicknames. "Man-slayer" was one of them. It was usually given to criminals who had killed a large number of people. Lu Xuan didn't care about his nickname in Japan, which was that of a criminal. He had even guessed what this little devil was up to.
Behind him, a tall samurai, only half a head shorter than Lu Xuan, stepped forward. He was nearly 1.8 meters tall, towering over the Japanese soldiers around him. Three swords hung at his waist: a tachi, a katana, and a wakizashi. His arms were long and slender, and his eyes were sharp. His gaze remained fixed on Lu Xuan.
"This is Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of our time in Japan. (I did the math, and this era happens to be the period when Miyamoto Musashi was active.) He is also the young master's swordsmanship teacher. General Lu is a martial arts master of the Ming Dynasty, and Mr. Miyamoto is also the number one swordsman in Japan. Now, Mr. Miyamoto wishes to challenge General Lu. If we win, we will return the young master to us. If we lose, we will offer you ten chests of gold."
"Hahahaha..." A burst of laughter erupted in the hall.
"How dare you! The General is a second-rank official of the Ming Dynasty, a position of immense power. How can you, a mere mountain swordsman, challenge him? If you wish to fight, I, Lu Wenzhao, am ready to oblige."
Lu Wenzhao stood beside Lu Xuan, his body slightly hunched over—the typical image of a follower. But regardless, he was from a prestigious family and a seasoned veteran who had survived countless battles. Seeing someone provoke Lu Xuan, he immediately stepped forward to shield him. And what he said wasn't entirely wrong. Lu Xuan, as the General of Liaoyang, controlled territory nearly equal to the entirety of Japan. Miyamoto Musashi's status was far inferior.
The team leader was about to say something, but Miyamoto Musashi stepped in and stopped him.
“Alright, I accept your challenge. Anyone can. I accept the challenge from anyone here. But if none of you can defeat me, then I hope General Lu will fight me next.” He spoke in Japanese, with the team leader beside him providing real-time translation.
Miyamoto Musashi's words were filled with intense confidence and undisguised contempt. A possible translation is: "You bunch of noobs, come at me! Once I've completely crushed you, your leader will naturally step in."
“Interesting. Ding Baiying, why don’t you give it a try?”
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Chapter 133 Secret Technique: Reflection
Lu Xuan didn't let Lu Wenzhao go. Firstly, he had been busy with various trivial matters lately and had neglected his practice. Secondly, their opponent was Miyamoto Musashi. Even though the various legends about Miyamoto Musashi later on are largely exaggerated, one shouldn't forget that this world does indeed have a systematic set of martial arts.
Even if Miyamoto Musashi's status as a great swordsman in Japan was somewhat exaggerated, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Of course, there was also the same reason why Lu Xuan didn't intervene. Lu Wenzhao was also the commander of the Liaoyang Eastern Guard, a position of extremely high rank. Miyamoto Musashi's status was insufficient.
Ding Baiying stepped forward. Her style seemed to be a modified and integrated sword technique passed down from Qi Jiguang's army. Generally speaking, it was considered quite effective against Japanese swordsmanship. At the same time, she herself was also highly proficient in Japanese swordsmanship, making her the best choice.
Miyamoto Musashi did not underestimate Ding Baiying because she was a woman. He bent his body slightly, his posture contorted. His right hand slowly rested on the katana on his left side. This was the starting stance for a draw slash.
The draw-and-slash technique is arguably the most famous in Japanese swordsmanship. However, this technique was not originally created for direct confrontation. Rather, it was a counter-attack method used while seated to defend against a surprise attack.
The original name for the sword technique called "Iaido" (or "Izakaya") was "Kata-do" (or "Izakaya"). It originated in Japan during a period of war and turmoil, stemming from Japanese tradition. Insubordination and acts of betrayal were rampant. The nobility, besides needing to guard against enemies, also needed to be constantly wary of assassinations from those around them. This led to the development of the sword technique of drawing the sword while seated to counter surprise attacks.
Later, through continuous evolution in actual combat, it became an indispensable technique in various sword styles. Basically, every sword style has its own drawing technique, but they are not entirely the same. Miyamoto Musashi's drawing stance looks quite relaxed, lacking the tense, focused power seen in movies. However, Ding Baiying still treated it as if facing a formidable enemy.
The Japanese pirates' swordsmanship emphasized the harmony between man and momentum. Shouting and yelling before striking was a way of overwhelming the opponent with sheer force. Ding Baiying could sense that her opponent's momentum had already coalesced in an instant, and she had lost the initiative. To strike now would mean facing a powerful, pre-emptive blow, but if she didn't act now, her momentum would weaken further, and she would become increasingly uncertain of her chances.
Lu Xuan, watching from the sidelines, gently shook his head. This little Japanese soldier was indeed skilled. In a life-or-death battle on the battlefield, Ding Baiying could easily win 40/60. But in this kind of face-to-face combat, this guy was far too experienced. Just that initial draw-and-slash move alone was enough to kill more than half of his opponents. No wonder the Japanese later generations so revered the draw-and-slash, even developing nine different variations and various levels of iaido exams. This swordsmanship certainly had its merits.
Ding Baiying also possessed some knowledge of iaido (traditional Japanese swordsmanship). In the original story, she used a quick-draw slash to break Shen Lian's sword, demonstrating a considerable level of skill. However, compared to a master like Miyamoto Musashi who specialized in this art, she was still somewhat lacking.
The best way to break this kind of charged attack is actually to play dirty. If Lu Xuan were Ding Baiying, he would keep his distance and circle around his opponent. Neither of them would move. They would absolutely not enter the range of the sword-drawing slash, and they could simply wear each other down.
However, Ding Baiying was ultimately a woman and couldn't resort to such underhanded tactics. So she forced a strike with her sword. And that strike meant she had lost.
With a clang, the spinning blade pierced the nearby pillar. Ding Baiying retreated, her face deathly pale. Her knife was broken.
"grown ups……"
"Don't worry about it. It's just a duel. If you lose, you lose. This Miyamoto Musashi is going to challenge all of you. This has only just begun. It's alright. Step down."
"Yes." Ding Baiying silently stepped back. Lu Xuan turned around and looked at the group of subordinates he had recruited. He pointed to one of the young men and said.
"Your name is Ding Xiu, right?"
Ding Xiu, courtesy name Henrun, pen name Jiaqian Jushi.