The sea and sky were clear, and Ningbo Port lay wide open, the usual press of civilian boats nowhere to be seen. Guided by several pilot boats, eight large tribute Wajin ships flying Shogunate banners slowly approached the harbor.
The Great Ming Water Fleet's sun-and-moon flags flew high, and nearly forty large patrol ships were arrayed on either side, faintly enclosing the Wajin tribute fleet at the center. At that moment, the crouching tiger cannons, ballistae, and fully armed garrison troops aboard the patrol ships all conveyed a silent vigilance and intimidation.
"Oh! The Ming Dynasty's rules are truly grand! They sent out so many Water Fleet ships to intercept us, made us anchor offshore for two days, then forced their way aboard to inspect us and confiscate our bows and blades... This is practically treating our Shogunate's tribute fleet like a band of pirates!"
"Ha! Officer Mitsuhide, the Ming Dynasty has always handled matters this way. The more official something is, the greater the rules, all because they fear even the slightest mishap! Wajin ships arriving at Ningbo are not like Tang ships coming to Sakai Port, able to dock wherever they please... Next, once the Ningbo guarding grand overseer—that is, the angel of the Great Ming emperor—arrives with the imperial edict and ceremonial guard, we will still have to disembark and kowtow three times to receive the decree as vassal envoys..."
The envoy to Ming, Yaofu Shouhuang, wore Shogunate official robes and a tall cap as he stood at the bow of the flagship, the "Tenryu-ji." He smiled amiably and looked toward the complaining Hosokawa retainer, the young fleet "officer" Miyoshi Mitsuhide.
According to the usual practice for tribute missions to Ming, every tribute fleet sent out would have one envoy to Ming and one deputy envoy to