On September 24, the seventh year of Tensho (1579), the Momiji Fleet arrived at the Amakusa Islands of Higo Province. This huge island was an area contested by various forces at the time, but the Shimazu family had too much to take care of themselves, and the other minor daimyo were even more powerless. Resisting the Hongye Fleet, the Amakusa Islands soon fell into the hands of the Yuqiu family. Yuqiuping identified the important geographical location of the Amakusa Islands and carried out extensive construction on the Amakusa Islands, building a series of castles, fortresses, and ports. and warehouses, leaving a large number of troops and workers stationed here, treating it as an important base for the Red Leaf Army in Kyushu.
At the same time, Yu Qiupei also ordered the fleet to forcefully invade the ports of the Sagara family, the Aso family, and the Arima family. Although the current situation of these three daimyo is better than that of the Ito family, they are also weak in strength. The overwhelming strength of the Momiji Fleet and the Momiji Army They were unable to resist in front of them. After the rumors spread that Yu Qiupei bombarded the inner city and left ruins everywhere, everyone was frightened. Except for the Aso family who tried to fight the Hongye Army, they were defeated by the Red Leaf Army and then came to Kumamoto Castle. In addition, the other two families signed unequal treaties without firing a single shot. The Aso family had no choice but to sign a peace treaty after being defeated.
The treaty signed between these three daimyo and the Uaki family is very similar to the "Treaty of Miyazaki" and is collectively known as the "Treaty of Amakusa". In addition to paying a large amount of indemnity, ceding the city near the port and allowing trade, the three families also accepted extraterritoriality and customs duties Negotiation rights. However, like Ito Yisuke, they quickly discovered that these treaties did not seem to cause them much real harm, but could instead provide considerable income. For these small daimyo who were unable to compete for Kyushu hegemony, It's not a bad thing.
Therefore, with the help of Yu Qiuping, the Arima family, the Aso family, the Ito family and the Sagara family secretly signed a "Central Kyushu Mutual Guarantee Agreement", agreeing that in the event of being attacked by a non-party country, they would watch and help each other and wait for the Yu Qiu family. reinforcements. In the face of the gunboat diplomacy of the Momiji Fleet, the Hyuga Country, Higo Country, Hizen Country, Shimabara Peninsula and other places in central Kyushu have all ended their embargoes and opened their doors to the merchant ships of the Yuqiu family again. Not only that, the Yuqiu family It also gained the power to negotiate tariffs and invest in factories.
The Shimadzu family was very dissatisfied with the small daimyo in the middle of the country who were having an affair with Amakihei, and threatened to attack their territory. However, before Amakihei could send reinforcements, Ashikaga Yoshinishi sent a letter to dissuade Shimadzu. Don't take action. Once the Shimadzu family goes to war, the Western Union that has finally been established with great difficulty will completely collapse, and the Kyushu region will also see war again. By then, how can the Mori family alone fight against a behemoth like the Oda family? At the request of Ashikaga Yoshinishi and the intimidation of the Momiji Fleet, the Shimadzu family reluctantly gave up their plan to use troops.
At this time, a large number of goods and merchant ships backlogged in Kinki also began sea trade again. They followed the route taken by the Momiji Fleet - directly down the Kii Channel, bypassing Shikoku Island, entering the Bungo Channel, and arriving at Hyuga Palace Saki Port. Then, the ships that are still willing to continue moving forward will go south around Kyushu Island, replenish at Yashiro Island, Tanegashima, Zengjima and other places at the southern end of Kyushu Island, and then go north to the Amakusa Islands. After repairing the Amakusa Islands, the cargo Sold to Shimabara Peninsula and Higo Country. After the Momiji Fleet opened the door to Kyushu, the Uqiu family's goods continued to flow into Kyushu again, easing the trade embargo in Sakai Town, Ishiyama Town, Kishiwada Port and other places. brought about by the economic crisis.
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And Yu Qiupei's commotion in Kyushu frightened the Otomo family, the Ryuzoji family, the Shimazu family and other Kyushu daimyo - in their eyes, Kyushu, which is separated from the Oda family by China and Shikoku, is an extremely safe country.
The rear. Therefore, they unscrupulously attacked the merchant ships of the Yuqiu family in their previous actions. In the eyes of people of that era, the ocean was undoubtedly a natural chasm, and places surrounded by seas were natural dangers. It was not that Japan did not have naval forces in ancient times.
It's just that those "coffin ships" in the eyes of Westerners simply don't have the ability to sail across oceans, transport large numbers of troops, deterrent with firepower, and cover the beach.
The emergence of the Hongye Fleet made fast ocean navigation and large-scale troop transportation possible, and the powerful firepower of the Hongye Fleet also made it easier to land on the beach. All common sense about the ocean was overturned. The Yuqiu family can
If you are willing to take the opportunity, you can launch the Red Leaf Army to Kyushu, Shikoku, and any place along the coast of China within five days. The ocean is simply a thoroughfare. The coastal fortresses that the Japanese samurai were once proud of have become naked cities, and in their eyes
The safe rear area may face a hail of bullets from the Hongye Army at any time.
The Otomo family and the Ryuzouji family hurriedly began to withdraw their troops from the front line, but the Momiji Fleet had no intention of stopping. They continued to go north and aimed at Hirado Castle at the northwest end of Kyushu, which is Kyushu's most important trade with the West.
One of the ports. The Matsuura family, the lord of Hirado Castle, is just a small daimyo family. Hirado Castle is also built on the sea, with a low city and a shallow pond. If the Red Leaf Army is willing, they can destroy the Matsuura family in an instant.
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The head of the Matsuura family, Matsuura Takanobu, had long heard about what happened in the south, so after the Momiji Fleet appeared in sight, he had already made preparations to sign an unequal treaty on the ships of the Momiji Fleet. However, the Momiji Fleet
They swaggered into Hirado Minato and started supply operations, but they ignored Hirado Castle for a long time, which made Matsuura Takanobu feel uneasy.
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"The Matsuura family is a subordinate of the Ryuzoji family, and their attitude towards the Ryuzoji family should be different from that of other small wealthy families." Yu Qiuping had already weighed it in advance, "The Ryuzoji family has the ambition to seize Kyushu and even dominate one side.
It is different from those small daimyo who live in a corner and are only satisfied with relying on the strong to survive the family. For those small daimyo, ceding ports and cities may not matter. Sufficient economic benefits and the promise of reinforcements from the Red Leaf Army are enough. But
For the Ryuzoji family, they will never accept the cession of ports and cities."
"The Ryuzoji family is very far-sighted. Even though they joined the Western Alliance to impose an embargo on us, they never attacked our merchant ships from beginning to end." Ame Qiupei of Suruga Maru curled his lips thoughtfully.
He looked in the direction of Hizen Country, "He could not have expected the current situation of the Red Leaf Fleet launching an attack. He may have done this just because he did not want to be manipulated by the Western Alliance. He did not want to surrender to the Otomo family and the Shimazu family. He put
I picked it very cleanly because I wanted to ensure freedom of decision-making to the maximum extent and did not want to become a grasshopper on a rope with the Western Union."
"Choose wisely." Yu Qiuping snapped his fingers towards the distant Hizen Kunimura Naka Castle, "Send an envoy to Ryuzoji Takanobu and tell him that I want to negotiate with him in Hirado Castle."
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On September 30, the seventh year of Tensho (1579), Yu Qiuping and Ryuzoji Takanobu negotiated in the Hirado Castle Castle. Without any introduction, Yu Qiuping recognized Ryuzoji Takanobu—his body was larger than those around him.
He is almost thicker, about the same height as Yu Qiuping, but his body is twice that of Yu Qiuping. The bear of Hizen is well-deserved.
"Your Highness, Ryuzouji, this is our first meeting." Yu Qiuping bowed to Ryuzouji Takanobu.
"Please take good care of me, His Highness Jibu." Although Ryuzoji Takanobu is tall and thick, he is unusually elegant and decent. Yu Qiuping raised his eyebrows, but Ryuzoji Takanobu keenly captured this moment.
"What? Your Highness, Jibu, comes from the elegant Suruga. Do you think I, Kyushu Hayato, can't talk like this?" Ryuzouji Takanobu laughed a few times, "Don't look down on people."
"I'm sorry." Yu Qiuping tolerated it generously, "I'm impressed."
"Your Highness, there are many things that need to be admired." Ryuzoji Takanobu's eyes suddenly became sharp, "Army in the world is not just the province's patent. Don't look down on others."
"If I really look down on you, the Red Leaf Fleet will sail directly into the Ariake Sea and aim its guns at the village city." Yuqiu Pingping replied without changing his expression.
"Those who smashed the treaties signed by the minions, don't even think about me." Ryuzoji Takanobu sneered and shook his head, and his language became vulgar and irritable, "There are tens of thousands of men in the Ryuzoji family, you can do whatever you want with the Red Leaf Army.
No matter how strong we are, there is nothing you can do if we stick to the inland."
"I had no intention of signing an unequal treaty with His Highness Longzao Temple. On the contrary, I wanted to sign an equal secret alliance treaty with you." Yu Qiuping took out the documents he had prepared from his arms.
"Oh? Isn't it embarrassing that the dignified Oda family formed an alliance with the people on Kyushu Island who have not even swallowed a whole country?" Ryuzoji Takanobu took the piece of paper, but he did not give Yu Qiuping any benefit.
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"Although the Red Leaf Fleet has convenient travel, it is still far away from the ocean. The Yuqiu family needs an ally on Kyushu Island to stabilize the situation for them." Yu Qiuping repeated the above content while reading Takanobu at Ryuzoji Temple, "Do not cede territory.
There is no compensation, no troops stationed, and no extraterritorial rights or tariff negotiation rights. We just engage in peaceful trade, send consuls to each other, and ensure the safety of merchants."
"The Ryuzoji family is not the agent of the Uqiu family in Kyushu." Ryuzoji Takanobu snorted angrily, "I have heard about what the Oda family did in Echigo. Do you want to do it again in Kyushu?"
"No, this treaty does not have any restrictions on the Ryuzouji family. You can do whatever you want, and you can even go against the Oda family's original intention and seize hegemony in Kyushu." Yu Qiuping showed a confident smile, "This
This alliance treaty is secret and no one else knows about it. You can nominally stay within the Western Alliance. You can choose to announce the treaty and betray the alliance at any time, or you can tear up the treaty and become the enemy of the Oda family at any time, it's up to you."
"Then why does Your Highness hold this treaty?" Ryuzoji Takanobu's face was full of ridicule, "How can such a good thing in the world be possible?"
"Because time will prove to Your Highness that following us is the most correct path."
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On September 30, the seventh year of Tensho (1579), Yu Qiupei and Ryuzoji Takanobu negotiated in Hirado Castle and signed the "Hirasto Secret Treaty". The Oda family and the Ryuzoji family reached a secret alliance, and the two sides sent consuls to each other to conduct business with each other.
Mutually ensure the safety of merchants. The Yuqiu family can invest and set up factories within the territory of the Ryuzoji family, and the Ryuzoji family can also customize arms and other materials from the Yuqiu family's chamber of commerce. The Ryuzoji family promises that if the Shimadzu family and the Otomo family invade
In order to meet the many minor lords who have signed trade treaties with Yu Qiuping, the Ryuzouji family will send troops to help and wait for reinforcements from the Yuqiu family. In return, the Yuqiu family must provide arms and financial support to the Ryuzouji family.
Chapter completed!