April 28, 1658, Kyushu, Kagoshima.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

After three days of constant bombardment, the city wall was riddled with holes. Through several huge cracks, one could even see the situation on the other side of the city wall. Everyone knew that the fall of Kagoshima Castle was not far away.

The coalition officers and soldiers below the city were fully armed and ready to attack the city the moment the city wall collapsed.

The faces of the soldiers and civilians in the city were pale, with a bit of despair and helplessness in their eyes. Yesterday, more than 2,000 Satsuma troops came out of the city to launch a surprise attack on the coalition forces, trying to destroy the coalition's heavy siege artillery. However, under the dense musketry of the coalition forces,

The platoon shot them, causing more than 400 casualties, and they fled back to the city in embarrassment.

The Satsuma army sadly discovered that even if the opponent did not have ferocious firearms, their huge army numerical advantage and sophisticated equipment were enough to defeat them. Although, the Shimazu family promised various benefits to samurai at all levels in the army, and increased their

Some lumi, and even a large amount of gold and silver were taken out of the treasury. However, the morale of the army was still not very high, and everyone was pessimistic about the fate of Kagoshima Castle.

The Battle of Ryukyu caused the Satsuma Army to lose nearly half of its elite troops, which were mainly samurai at all levels. A dozen days ago, the Battle of Aira caused the few samurai classes in the Satsuma Army to suffer heavy losses again. Although the entire Kagoshima City

Nearly 5,000 more troops were gathered, but most of them were farmers and untouchables. The training time was only more than two months at most, so the combat effectiveness was really difficult to guarantee.

"Rumble!..."

A section of the Kagoshima Castle wall that was more than 30 meters long finally collapsed under the heavy impact of a cannonball. Countless rammed earth and gravel fell down, creating a puff of smoke and dust.

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!"

The coalition officers and soldiers burst into warm cheers, and everyone's eyes showed joy and enthusiasm.

"Boom! Boom!"

The two heavy artillery pieces continued to fire fiercely at the gap in the city wall for three rounds, trying to clear a clear passage for the attacking troops.

"The Zhongyi Army is ready!" Lv Fucun, the commander-in-chief of the Zhongyi Army and Lieutenant Renyong, shouted loudly.

"Prepare!"

"Prepare!"

"..."

As the order was issued, a dozen loyalist army captains raised their swords high and shouted loudly at their subordinates.

More than 500 loyal soldiers wearing gray military uniforms each wore a simple half-plate armor to cover their chest and back. Their weapons were mainly long knives and spears, supplemented by a small number of muskets. The loyal soldiers always

As the vanguard troops (cannon fodder) of the Qi army, they served Qi in the Ming Dynasty and overseas territories, and fought in all directions.

"That's almost it, let's... fight in!" He Yunfeng, the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, ordered calmly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." Dozens of tall grenadiers quickly approached the city wall, ignited bombs, threw them towards the gap in the city wall, and then turned around and ran back to the military formation.

"Kill!" Lu Fucun, the commander-in-chief of the Zhongyi Army, swung his sword forward fiercely.

More than five hundred loyal troops shouted and rushed towards the gap in the city wall. After a short battle, they quickly eliminated the defenders and then rushed into the city.

Immediately afterwards, Zheng Jun's Gan Hui Division, Chaozhou Hao Yongzhong Division, Qiongzhou Gu Rong Division, the 1st Battalion of Weiguo, Han Xingdao Rural Soldiers, and the 3rd Marine Battalion... rushed into Kagoshima City along the gap in the city wall.

"Shimazu Mitsuhisa ran away?"

By three o'clock in the afternoon, the fighting at Kagoshima Castle had gradually ceased, and the coalition forces completely controlled the most important castle of the Satsuma Domain. When the coalition forces entered the city, the Satsuma troops defending the city had begun to collapse, and those who had been temporarily organized

The farmers and untouchables who got up threw away the bamboo and wooden spears in their hands and hid in the streets and houses one after another. Those who could not escape meekly knelt down and asked to surrender in order to survive.

Some samurai loyal to the Shimazu clan relied on the complex streets and alleys of Kagoshima City to resist and attack and kill the Allied officers and soldiers who entered the city. In view of the experience and lessons of the Ryukyu Shuri Royal Castle, the Allied officers and soldiers followed suit.

All streets and houses where Satsuma warriors were hiding and resisting were set on fire. This caused the whole city of Kagoshima to burst into flames. Nearly half of the houses were burned down, and thousands of residents in the city were affected and massacred.

.

However, when a group of Marine officers and soldiers invaded the inner city where the Shimazu family lived - Tofukuji Castle (today's Shimizu Town, Kagoshima City), in addition to capturing an old man staying here, led by Shimazu Mitsuhisa

The main leaders of the Satsuma clan have disappeared. After searching the whole city to no avail, the Marine Corps officers and soldiers severely tortured the family elder who stayed behind, but the other party showed enough "integrity" and kept silent.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, General Guangwei (Major General) Luo Rucheng, entered Kagoshima Castle and listened to He Yunfeng's battle report. When he learned that the leader of the Satsuma Domain, Shimazu Mitsuhisa, had actually escaped from Kagoshima, he was greatly surprised.

"Damn it, he ran away, how can we end this war?" Luo Rucheng smiled bitterly, "We can't take over all the Satsuma domain, right? Who knows, the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo will see this situation

, will you jump out and interfere at any time?"

"With our troops of less than 10,000, I'm afraid we won't be able to completely occupy the Satsuma domain." He Yunfeng was also troubled by Shimazu Mitsuhisa's escape. "But if we occupy Kagoshima for such a long time, the Tokugawa shogunate will definitely interfere.

.After all, as Japan’s general who conquered barbarians, the Tokugawa shogunate had the responsibility to ensure the security of Japan’s territory and would not allow a foreign force to blatantly seize the territory of a vassal daimyo.”

"Although we have absolute sea control and can blockade the entire Kyushu and prevent the shogunate army from attacking the island, after all, we are risking an all-out war with a big country with a population of tens of millions. If so, we will

Falling into infinity here

During the consumption, nothing can be done." Luo Rucheng shook his head and said: "As a last resort, it is better not to have an all-out war with Japan. But if the Shimazu family is not defeated and allowed to kowtow to our country of Qi to apologize, it will be a disaster.

It doesn’t make me great Qi’s prestige.”

"I suggest that we occupy Kagoshima first and limit it to one month." He Yunfeng said: "If during this period, Shimazu bows his head and comes to admit his mistake, then we can make a truce and negotiate with him to end this war. If Shimazu

If the clan insists on resisting, then we will completely smash the Satsuma Domain, destroy its foundation, and make it beyond redemption."

Luo Rucheng nodded and agreed to He Yunfeng's suggestion. In a month, the Tokugawa shogunate should have responded. If he remained silent and allowed Qi to occupy the Satsuma domain, it would probably chill the hearts of many famous people in Japan and breed

Dissatisfied.

On the second day after occupying Kagoshima Castle, the Qi army dispatched military police in the city and began to maintain order in the city, stop large-scale burning, killing and looting, and organized residents in the city to put out fires and provide relief to refugees. The coalition command headquarters issued an order that all

The city has a round-the-clock curfew and no residents are allowed to go out at will.

At the same time, in order to reduce the pressure on public security in the city and disrupt residents' resistance, in the following days, the coalition forces opened the official warehouse of the Satsuma Domain and stipulated that everyone, regardless of class, gender, old or young, would receive a ration of rice (ancient Japanese weight unit, metric rice).

(about 3000 to 4000 grams), which can be used for ten days.

Unexpectedly, even this meager supply of rice was enthusiastically supported by the residents of the city. When they received a batch of rice from the coalition officers and soldiers, they all bowed their heads in gratitude and showed their respect and obedience to the coalition forces.

You know, in this era, rice was nothing more than a luxury product in the eyes of Japanese civilians and untouchables. Only nobles and high-ranking samurai could enjoy it, especially in places like Satsuma that were not rich in rice. Commoners and untouchables, as well as some poor people,

For lower-level warriors, their staple food is generally barnyard grass, millet and oats. Even this coarse food must be eaten sparingly every day, and it must be mixed with a large amount of wild vegetables and grass roots, steamed and eaten before eating.

Even though the food of the samurai class is slightly better, they still eat rice cooked with brown rice and vegetables. The most luxurious meals are made of white rice, vegetables, fish, shellfish, chicken (this needs to be eaten secretly), etc.

But only feudal lords or high-ranking samurai could eat it occasionally.

During the Japanese shogunate era, rice was equivalent to money and goods. The main source of income for Japanese samurai at all levels was rice. The status of the daimyo was also determined by the height of the rice produced.

The coalition forces did not pay attention to how grateful the residents of the city were for receiving the rice. Apart from sending two troops of more than a thousand people to sweep the towns, towns and villages around Kagoshima Castle, the remaining coalition officers and soldiers began to attack the Satsuma domain.

An organized robbery was carried out in the city. The treasury, government offices, workshops, trading companies, as well as the mansions of escaped family elders and high-ranking samurai... were all delimited one by one, and were searched and transported by the heads of the various branches of the coalition forces.

Tian Jiaqi, a young drum and trumpet player, happily picked up an exquisite folding fan discarded on the ground, opened it and looked at it. It was a white sandalwood fan, a board fan made of white sandalwood chips, with hollows carved on the wood chips.

The carving patterns are also decorated, and a faint fragrance can be smelled.

"Tian Yaozi, what are you doing with a broken fan? It's not worth much! It's better to search for some scattered gold and silver, it's really worth it!"

In a luxurious mansion, a group of Marine officers and soldiers were searching for various ornaments and hidden material wealth. When a Marine sergeant saw Tian Jiaqi holding a folding fan, he couldn't help laughing.

"This fan is beautiful. I will take it back to my sister at home." Tian Jiaqi closed the folding fan and stuffed it into his shoulder bag.

"Does your sister have a family? Do you want to introduce me to my brother?" Another Marine Corps veteran couldn't help but said with a smile after hearing this.

"Don't say that my sister is married to someone. Even if she doesn't have someone to marry, she won't introduce her to you." Tian Jiaqi rolled his eyes at the veteran, "Every time I go on vacation, I drink like a drunk! On weekdays, I keep drinking.

He keeps smoking a pipe and his mouth is always dirty. Which woman will marry you?"

"Hahaha..." The surrounding Marine officers and soldiers suddenly burst into laughter, "Tietou, not only do women despise you, but even children despise you!"

"Bah! You know nothing!" The Marine Corps veteran named Tietou didn't worry. He straightened up and said, "When we join the army, we have to tie our heads to our trousers at all times. We don't know when we will lose them.

Damn it! When I’m not on duty, my spirit relaxes.

After coming down, I couldn't fall asleep for a while. Then I had to get myself drunk and have a good sleep! Besides, I am not the only one in the army who likes tobacco. I need to take a few puffs of this stuff and take a gun.

My hands need to be a little more steady... I feel energetic!"

"The Japanese have entered the city!...The peace negotiation representatives of the Satsuma Domain are here!" Suddenly there was a shouting noise outside the house.

Everyone looked at each other, walked out of the house and looked towards the street.

Satsuma clan elder Tsuda Toshitaka and others saw more and more coalition officers and soldiers gathering on both sides of the road. They couldn't help but straighten their backs a little, held their heads high, and followed an officer calmly.

Marching.

The entire city of Kagoshima seems to be very peaceful. Except for groups of allied officers and soldiers, no residents can be seen walking in the streets, squares, and marketplaces. Some streets, alleys, and houses have obviously been burned by fire, and some roads and doorways are still faintly visible.

There is a beach

A large pool of blood. This feudal city that the Satsuma Domain is proud of has now fallen into the hands of the Qi army. The residents of Hecheng must have been ruthlessly massacred by them. Carriages carrying the wealth plundered from the city,

Slowly drive out of the city and head towards the seaside.

"Tell me, what conditions do you Qi people need before you agree to a truce and withdraw from our Satsuma domain?" After meeting the coalition commander Luo Rucheng and several major officers, Tsuda Toshitaka did not exchange too many greetings, but asked bluntly.

road.

"You, Lord of the Satsuma Domain, must solemnly apologize to our country, Qi, and go to Hanzhou in person to meet our king to express your apology."

"My lord is the lord of the Satsuma Domain. He cannot leave Japan without authorization and come to the mainland of Hanzhou. However, I, the Satsuma Domain, can send a noble family elder to serve as an apology and go to your country to express... admit my mistake."

"It's a confession!" Luo Rucheng said seriously: "You, the Lord of Satsuma, do not need to go to our Hanzhou mainland, but you must go to the city in person to express your guilt to our Qi State, and send important personnel as formal apologies to our Hanzhou."
To be continued...