I

Before Japan closed itself off to the country, its navy had a stronger superficial strength than the Ming Dynasty, and it was very likely to defeat the Ming Dynasty in a war far away from the coast.

Of course, the premise is that people like Zheng Zhilong are excluded.

The shogunate's battleship was called "Date Maru", with a displacement of 508 tons, and was a standard Spanish galleon (Gallen ship). There is also a Galen ship with a displacement of 120 tons, and most of the others are Zhuyin ships.

Datemaru also carried the Japanese envoys, first to Mexico, then to Europe to visit the Pope, then to France and Spain, and finally returned to Japan via the Philippines.

At that time, Japan was still relatively open, submitting letters of credence to the Pope and even requesting more missionaries to be sent to Japan. But a few years later, when the mission returned to Japan, the shogunate was already expelling the missionaries, and the pope in Rome was happy in vain.

"Japan also has huge warships?" Li Dingguo held up the telescope and sounded slightly surprised.

Hong Xu smiled and said: "The shogunate only has this big ship, which was built with the help of the Spanish. The guys from the bottom of the box have all come over to negotiate, just because they don't want to lose momentum."

The two sides met at the mouth of the bay and each put down their boats. The envoys from both sides took the boats to the shore for talks.

Liu Xiangke haughtily raised his hands and said: "Liu Xiangke, Shaoqing of Honglu Temple in Datong, China."

The messenger from the shogunate, who was about 30 years old, returned the favor and said, "Lin Efeng, the shogunate's litigator and lecturer on the Five Classics."

Lin Efeng was the son of the great Japanese scholar Luo Shan. In addition to serving as a litigator for the shogunate and teaching the Five Classics to Tokugawa Iemitsu, he was also a diplomatic advisor to the shogun. In addition, he also serves as the historian of Japan.

This fellow spoke very fluent Chinese. After exchanging names, he sternly rebuked: "Liu Shaoqing, the Shimazu family is the lord of Japan. Even if there is any offense to China, the emperor of your country should send a letter of credence, and the shogun will take care of it himself." Punishment. Your country uses troops without permission and goes to war without declaring it. Is this in line with Confucian etiquette? Being rude is unjust! If your country insists on going its own way and wants to fight this unjust war, even though our country is small, we should accompany you!"

Liu Xiangke was too lazy to chat with the other party and went straight to the point: "What is the shogunate? In the past thousands of years, the people of our country have been consecrated to Japanese rulers, and there has never been any act of canonizing Japanese generals. Even if the credentials are issued, they are still issued to the Japanese rulers. Lord, there is no shogunate! The Tokugawa clan, who used the country's lord to control the Japanese princes, is truly without a king, father, and unrighteousness. Don't send troops to conquer the Satsuma clan, even if China sends troops to conquer the Tokugawa clan The shogunate can be considered a reasonable and just battle!”

As soon as these words came out, Lin Efeng was speechless.

Yes, according to Confucian theory, the Tokugawa shogunate belonged to the country of theft. And Japan is a vassal state of China, which is equivalent to stealing China's vassal state.

China had good reason to directly send troops to kill the Tokugawa shogunate!

Liu Xiangke said disdainfully: "If you are here to talk nonsense, please come back. After the defeat of Satsuma Domain, I will lead my troops to Edo and have a good talk with you in Edo City."

Lin Efeng forcefully explained: "The leader of Japan has entrusted his power to the shogun, and he is not using the emperor to order the princes."

Liu Xiangke sneered: "We, Datong China, have sent troops here just to help the Japanese leader take charge of the country. Since he is not stealing the country, please ask the shogunate to return the government to the leader, so as not to be suspected of stealing the country and cause criticism."

Liu Xiangke firmly grasped the weakness of the shogunate to steal the country, and Lin Efeng could not continue the conversation. If he continued to entangle, it would only become more loopholes.

Lin Efeng coughed and changed the subject: "When the time is right, the shogunate will return power to the country. What we are talking about today is how can your country withdraw its troops?"

Liu Xiangke repeated his previous request.

However, the military compensation has doubled, because after a few more battles, the ships of the Datong Navy were damaged, and a lot of ammunition and food were consumed one after another.

Lin Efeng breathed a sigh of relief. China's withdrawal conditions were within the acceptable range of the shogunate. It was nothing more than compensation, and it was not paid by the shogunate anyway. As a result, the Satsuma clan was saddled with huge debts, which was conducive to the control of the shogunate.

As for China taking back Ryukyu, it doesn't matter.

The shogunate originally allowed the Satsuma clan to send troops to Ryukyu because the Ming Dynasty banned the sea and broke off diplomatic relations with Japan. Official trade could only use Ryukyu as a springboard.

Now that China has opened its sea, there are a large number of Chinese goods on the outer islands of Nagasaki, and the trade has been monopolized by the shogunate. So for the shogunate, the territory of Ryukyu was dispensable, and only the Satsuma clan really suffered huge losses.

Lin Efeng suddenly said: "The shogunate can cooperate with these requests. However, please ask the emperor of your country to grant the golden seal of the shogunate."

This proposal was beyond Liu Xiangke's expectation.

The shogunate actually planned to sell the Satsuma Domain in exchange for the sovereign's recognition of the shogunate. If this is the case, the shogunate will have actual legal authority, unlike today's diplomatic rhetoric, which is always in vain.

Liu Xiangke said: "This is a serious matter and I have no right to agree to it. I need to return to Beijing to ask for instructions from Your Majesty."

"This is what should be done." Lin Efeng expressed his understanding. As long as the other party did not reject him outright, his diplomatic mission would not be considered a failure.

Liu Xiangke added: "If the shogunate wants to obtain the Shogun's golden seal, it needs to show sincerity. To be honest, after our army has defeated Satsuma Domain, it will go north to defeat Hirado Domain."

Lin Efeng asked in confusion: "Why did the Matsuura family offend your country?"

Liu Xiangke said: "Our maritime merchants going to Korea were often harassed and plundered by the Hirado clan. The Matsuura clan must pay compensation and promise not to do it again in the future, and they are not allowed to plunder the coast of Korea again. In addition, the Matsuura clan must hand over the big pirates Li Dan’s son Li Guozhu!”

Zheng Chenggong was born in the Hirado Domain, which was a pirate nest.

When the Hirado Japanese pirates were most rampant, they mainly plundered Korea and the waters of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Many of the Japanese pirates who landed on the coasts of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to cause trouble came from the Hirado clan. As for the pirate Li Guoshu, he has been hiding there for these years, often going out to sea with the navy of the Hirado Domain to plunder Chinese and Korean merchant ships.

Since Zhao Han chose to send troops, not only did he have to take back Ryukyu, not only did he have to beat up the Satsuma Domain, but he also had to make the Hirado Domain be obedient.

Lin Efeng had a headache. The Satsuma clan was troublesome enough, but he also brought the Hirado clan along with him. Asking the two vassals to pay reparations to China in succession will really lead to the shogun's dignity being wiped out.

Lin Efeng said: "This matter needs to be reported to the Shogun."

Liu Xiangke smiled and said, "Just wait for the good news."

Tsurumaru Castle is still under siege. This ruined castle is built on a mountain 100 meters high. It is difficult for the Datong Army's army forts to be set up, so they have to be stretched out for long-distance upward shooting. Fortunately, it is not far from the sea, and the navy's artillery can also greet them, and there is no need to stand still and be bombarded by city defense artillery.

A forceful attack is impossible. Even if the city is captured, the casualties of the Datong Army are estimated to reach two to three thousand. If the battle ends like that, Li Dingguo will be waiting to be punished.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa was wasting away until the Chinese army ran out of food and retreated.

Li Dingguo called Miyazaki Shiro and Guitou Shiba, and said: "Go and find five hundred of the poorest people nearby, and ask these people to come and wash clothes for our soldiers. Not only can you get wages, but you can also eat with open stomachs. Remember to spread the word afterwards.”

After the two left, Li Dingguo ordered his men: "Move five hundred kilograms of rice ashore every day, set up porridge sheds, and help the local poor. Remember to publicize it."

A few days later, five hundred civilian women who were doing laundry for Datong soldiers were sent to the castle town for a holiday.

When they meet everyone, they tell everyone that the food in Datong Army is good and they can eat every meal, and sometimes they can see meat and fish. He also said that the Datong Army kept their word, paid their wages every day, and never defaulted on laundry fees.

The porridge shacks on the shore are also full every day, and there are even cases of people jumping in line and fighting.

It was agreed that five hundred kilograms of rice a day would be five hundred kilograms of rice. Not only beggars and poor people come to eat porridge, but city vendors also come to take advantage and queue up with beggars to eat.

The news quickly spread to Tsurumaru Castle.

Shimazu Hisamichi said anxiously: "Sir, the Tang soldiers are not short of food at all, and they even have surplus food to win over people's hearts. Reinforcements from various families in the domain have not come yet, and we are afraid that we will be surrounded until we run out of food!"

Shimazu Mitsuji was silent for a long time. He knew that he was going to be finished this time.

Shimazu Hisumi said: "How about accepting the Tang people's conditions and we surrender with compensation."

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer," Shimazu Mitsuhisa still had a sense of luck, "Maybe in a few days, the shogunate will send troops to rescue."

Shimazu Hisamichi knelt down and resigned, running to another mansion in the city.

The lord of Satsuma Domain, Mitsuhisa Shimazu, was the second son, and the third son, Tadayō Shimazu, lived in this house.

There are fourteen brothers in total, and the eldest brother has died long ago. The fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth were all assigned to serve as small lords in various places. The third child stayed in Kagoshima to be the family leader. This was actually to facilitate the control of the feudal lord and was afraid that he would go out and cause trouble. (Those not mentioned are all dead.)

"How?" Shimazu Tadayō asked.

Shimazu Hisumi said: "The governor is unwilling to surrender."

Shimazu Tadayaro asked: "What are your plans?"

Shimazu Hisamichi said: "The Tang soldiers have enough food and grass, and even the untouchables who are begging can use the remaining food to help them. If this consumption continues, the food in Tsurumaru City will only be used up. By then, the Tang soldiers will spend a lot of time If we consume more food, we will definitely have to pay more money. Maybe in anger, we set fire to Tsurumaru Castle. If the governor refuses to surrender, we should ask him to surrender. This is also for the sake of the Shimazu family."

Shimazu Tadayō asked: "What if he still doesn't surrender?"

Shimazu Hisamichi said: "The governor secretly occupied the eight Ryukyu Islands behind the shogunate's back, and monopolized the brown sugar of Amami Oshima. General Tokugawa must have known about this, and he will definitely be held accountable after the war. Sooner or later, the Shimazu family will have to change A house governor."

When the second child is replaced, it is natural for the third child to take over.

Shimazu Tadayaro smiled and nodded: "Your Excellency has a long-term vision. This is the blessing of the Shimazu family."

Shimazu Hisumi added: "The retainers and samurai in the city have different thoughts now. Some are clamoring to fight out of the city, and some are panicking after being besieged. We can win over some people secretly."

"I also have a few close friends in the city who are willing to help." Shimazu Tadaro said.

The two looked at each other and smiled.