"Praise the Chief Divine! Only the descendants of Your Majesty’s Divine Blood have the right to govern the various tribes of the Western Sea and confer the title of Prince. This noble lady, a Divine Descendant of the Japanese, indeed ought to be offered to Your Majesty!"

As Loshanda inquired, the Warrior Captain Tamicao was the first to speak, his expression extremely solemn. The Vanguard Captain Fu Shan nodded repeatedly, speaking seriously.

"Indeed, just as it should be! The Legion Commander of the Divine Monkey Corps ordered me to join the support fleet, to dedicate everything to Your Majesty and the Chief Divine! All the Kingdom’s Warriors aboard our ship share the same thought!"

Since Loshanda mentioned being a "Priest and nobility of the Kingdom," neither the Jurchen Priest Ali nor the Beiyu Hebin Chieftain had the qualification to speak. Meanwhile, the Japanese Priest Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong, observing the subtle situation, silently closed his mouth. Everyone’s gaze turned to Zuwaro, causing this ever-loyal Exploration Captain to pause in surprise. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Witness by the Chief Divine! Naturally, it should be this way! Your Majesty’s Divine Revelation in the Western Sea sent us westwards. The maintenance of the West Sea Route relies entirely on the support from the Kingdom’s rear... The noble lady, a Japanese Divine Descendant, should rightfully be offered to Your Majesty! Well... indeed, only the descendants of Your Majesty’s Divine Blood can confer the title of Prince of the Western Sea."

Upon hearing Zuwaro’s clear political stance, everyone relaxed, easing the tense atmosphere instantly. Over the past few years, Zuwaro, relying on his status as Exploration Captain and "Tribe Chief," has established numerous tribal marriages, expanding his influence too rapidly, even garnering control over the warriors of the Jurchen and Shandan tribes. Consequently, the crucial personnel of the Kingdom in the Western Sea coincidentally hoped to exert some balance over Zuwaro!

After all, risking their lives and dangers to sail westwards, they did so partly for the Chief Divine and Your Majesty, and partly for their own achievements. Ultimately, all the Kingdom’s leaders were "colleagues" with Zuwaro and not truly in a "chief and tribe" relationship. If he continues to expand unchecked, it’s likely that one day something severe might happen.

"In the cold snow, take the two Divine Descendants to a wooden cabin to warm themselves by the fire and rest! Yes, also send two maids to attend to Yue Ji well. Give her three meals a day, with the best conditions for her diet!"

"Yes! Chieftains!"

Soon, two descendants of the Shiba Clan, along with more than ten of Shiba’s retainers, were arranged properly. Among them, Yue Ji’s treatment was equivalent to the leaders, and Rongdong’s treatment was the same as Juehui the Great Monk. As for Shiba’s retainers, they were treated just like ordinary warriors, living and working together without any special privileges.

"Please, young noble lady..."

The "fierce" Shandan Samurai spoke words that the young lady Yue Ji couldn’t understand, intending to take her to an unknown distant place. Before leaving, the young lady reluctantly turned back to glance at the harbor’s Japanese Ship, then looked towards her elder Mori no Kiyoshi. From her gentle eyes emanated indescribable sorrow, transforming into a warm tear that left a clear mark on the snowy Ezo land.

At that moment, she didn’t know what kind of words could serve as farewell, only biting her lip in silence.

After all, it would be one hundred eighty years before Matsuo Basho wrote the eternally enduring farewell haiku in "Ao’s narrow path." This moment matched that moment.

"In this departing spring, birds cry and fish eyes shed tears... Spring departs, fish gaze at flying birds singing, clear tears drip~~"

"Alas!..."

Mori no Kiyoshi once again sighed, suppressing his soft emotions inside. His eyes slightly flickered, although he didn’t quite understand the Shandan Chieftains’ previous words, he could taste some intricacies.

It seemed really like what "Watanabe Masumi" vaguely revealed, behind these Shandan Chieftains, there was an even more powerful "Great Shaman Khan" who ruled the so-called "East Sea Gummy People Descendants" on the "Eastern Islands," or even a powerful Kingdom established by the Yin Shang Remnants! And the Shandan tribes currently emerging in Ezo are merely a finger of this strong power from the East Sea...

"Sen, come now! It’s time to have a good drink! Also invite that ’Great Monk’ over, to share the Divine Smoke together..."

"Ah! Zu, not in a hurry! With this visit, I have another matter to discuss with you. Yes, it’s about the future of the Kaozaki Family... You know, I am after all the house elder of the Kaozaki Family. Although we headed north this time, keeping it from the Kaozaki Family, once the Shogunate Court confers Shiba Rongdong as Ezo Guardian, this event will be proclaimed! And by then, the Kaozaki Family will move from being Anton Family’s vassal to becoming Shiba Clan’s vassal. Their relationship with your division will suddenly change... We should negotiate it in advance!"

"Oh? Vassal transfer? ...Sen, do you have any suggestions? Should we deploy troops southwards, to annex the Kaozaki Cliff Vassal in the name of Shiba Clan, and then engage with Anton Family?"

"No, no! Such military resolution is not needed, nor should it be done this way... The court’s prestige is still present, there are loyalists of the court watching over Anton Family on the side, Uesugi Governor included. Moreover, Anton Family is already in open and covert strife with Nanbu clan, preoccupied with their own matters, forced to swallow this muted suffering. What really needs precaution are the tens of thousands stones of the Nanbu clan. They very well might actively connect with the Kaozaki Family, secretly scheming for Ezo land..."

Upon saying this, Mori no Kiyoshi bowed his head and once again bowed deeply to Zuwaro.

"With Buddha as witness! The Kaozaki Family has always been friendly with the Golden Clan, and the Family Head Kaozaki Mitsuhiro even regards you as a brother!... The Kaozaki Family has been in Ezo land for a hundred or two hundred years, seeking only self-preservation. Please grant us, in the name of the Shiba Clan, the ’Peaceful State’ to clarify Kaozaki Family’s fief rights in Japanese Land, thus calming the hearts of Kaozaki’s people... And if your esteemed group could choose someone to arrange a marriage with the Kaozaki, that would be ideal!..."

"In this way, even if I journey to the Yellow Springs, I could report to my old friend Takeda Nobuhiro without regrets!... Zuwaro, I beseech you!..."

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Mori, let us discuss this for a moment..."

Seeing Mori no Kiyoshi so earnest, Zuwaro pondered for a moment and then discussed with the Kingdom’s group for a long time.

At present, for the Kingdom, remaining static is better than moving. As long as this "Japan Trade Route" can be maintained and we can cloak ourselves in the "Japanese Shiba Clan" mantle, obtaining the title from the "Japanese Great Tlatoani" is completely sufficient! As for the Southern Japanese lands, at least for now, the Kingdom has no interest at all. It is pointless to fight and lose lives for these narrow lands with the Southern Japanese clans, which would only decrease the Kingdom’s Western Sea headquarters’ lives. What can be bought with "Gold" need not be "taken" by force.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine, we agree with you! Once we receive the Shogunate’s title, we shall forge a blood alliance with the Kaozaki Family, clearly defining the land boundaries of the Kaozaki Family and the Ezo tribes! Regarding the marriage alliance, both Tamicao and Fu Shan can take the noble daughters of the Kaozaki as wives..."

"Blessed by Buddha! Excellent, excellent!... Zuwaro, now we can drink freely! And Juehui Monk, I haven’t seen him for a long time, I sincerely wish to meet him!..."

This long open-air discussion finally clarified the beginning and end of the "title planning." As everyone joked and entered the house, raised the fire pit, brewed spicy sake, and roasted a deer leg. The originator of this shocking "title planning," the Great Monk Juehui, finally walked in with mercy in his eyes, wide-hearted, and with a fat body, smiling.

"Amitabha! Friends drink and eat meat, having great fun! Yet you forgot about me, the Great Monk... Huh! Junior Brother Sen? You’re here! Wonderful, wonderful! After months of not seeing you, you seem to have tired significantly!..." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Ha! Senior Brother Juehui, I can’t compare to you! In one battle, you buried ten customs ships and five hundred Monk Soldiers, in one scheme you sold the Sect, Shiba Clan, and the Shogunate, yet you remain content, without abstaining from meat or vegetables!..."

Though it was a reunion of senior and junior brothers, seeing the plump Great Monk Juehui, Mori no Kiyoshi showed no good face. He had a cold demeanor, even somewhat angry, coldly mocking.

"Buddha below, Heavenly Demon above! I see you drink and eat meat, my senior brother, you have indeed cultivated Buddhist Law profoundly! Probably you are not much different from the Heavenly Demon, Ba Syun of Mahayana?..."

"Oh! The Sixth Ancestor Hui Neng said, ’When the mind is at peace, why keep the precepts; when conduct is straight, what use is meditation?’... In this change, I too have failed in diligent but unsteady contemplation, failed in dispelling unclean dust. Yet misfortune turned to fortune, my Buddhist Law has ascended another level. ’When the mind is unstained, adapt freely; if the natural state is recognized, liberation is achieved’..."

Though scolded by Mori no Kiyoshi, the Great Monk Juehui was not angry, instead cheerful, his face glowing red. He knew that the appearance of the counterpart meant his strategy had succeeded halfway. Bringing gold back to the Sect and regaining control over all the temples in Omi was just around the corner! Thus, he smiled, taking Mori no Kiyoshi’s cup and drinking it all, praising.

"Ah! Spicy, spicy! Good taste, good taste!..."

Then Juehui reached out to Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong, who was roasting meat, accepted a piece of roasted venison seasoned with American spices, bit into it several times, and praised again.

"Not bad, not bad! Very fragrant, very fragrant!..."

Finally, he turned to look at Priest Loshanda, grinning cheekily, somewhat obsequiously asked.

"Hey! Mr. Luo... your Divine Smoke, could I have another stick?..."

"..."

Loshanda’s mouth twitched, was silent for a moment, then pulled out the last handful of tobacco leaves from his bosom and directly threw it into the fire pit. Hence, outside was icy and snowy, inside was warm as spring. The fire pit smoked, bellies filled with wine and meat. A truly cheerful banquet! And the future of Ezo land was thus settled amidst the wind and snow of the Divine Smoke~~