The candlelight flashed, and the nearly thirty-year-old shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu sat in the main seat. In the two rows of kneeling at the bottom were the genealogical ministers of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tadaoka Sakai, Tadao Abe, Nobutsu Matsuhira, etc., who had dealt with the Kyushu army, were also among them.

"You guys, after being silent for a while, the Kyushu Army became active in Edo Castle again. What do you think about this?" Tokugawa Iemitsu asked heavily.

Many retainers remained silent. Every time they mentioned the three words "Jiuzhou Army", they felt a mountain pressing on their chests, making them breathless.

Tadao Sakai bowed slightly: "Your Excellency General, I attended the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Branch of Kyushu Bank and have been paying attention to their every move. The comprador merchants in Yokohama Port deserve to die. They deliberately curry favor with the Kyushu Army and do not take our shogunate seriously. What's even more hateful is that they have impacted our own local goods. We farmers and handmade people cannot sell things, only samurai swords, fans and some minerals can still be ignored by Chinese merchants."

Tokugawa Iemitsu asked: "What are you going to deal with those comprador merchants? What about them all?"

At this time, Tadao Abe said: "No, Yokohama's comprador merchants colluded with the Kyushu army a few years ago. They had the support of the Kyushu army. The Kyushu army needed an agent, so they could be at their peak. If they thought that a group of fishermen became a comprador group that monopolized the party with their own abilities, it would be a big mistake. Once they attacked them, the Kyushu army behind would definitely jump out, just like the previous incident of traitors in China."

The incident of traitors in China that Abe Tadaki mentioned was the incident of the shogunate suppressing and arresting members of the Chinese community on a large scale. Because the core members of Tanaka Sei-yi and Tanaka went into exile to the Central Plains and asked for help from the Kyushu Army, the shogunate took the initiative to release these members under the pressure of the Kyushu Army.

Tokugawa Iegaki narrowed his eyes: "We sold a lot of privileges to exchange for the new army and finally drove the rebels to Kyoto and Osaka, and there was a trend of reunification. How could we fail because of their affairs?"

"His Excellency General, we can use 'terror strategies' to combat these comprador merchants." said hardliners such as Matsupita Nobutsu.

"In detail." Tokugawa Iemitsu said.

"We can use assassination of dead soldiers and other means to intimidate them, and then crack down on their arrogant arrogance. Even if they hide in the Yokohama Concession, we have a way to find them." Matsuhira Nobuzuka said.

"A terrifying strategy?" Tokugawa Iemitsu fell into thought.

"It's still impossible. Using assassination is a lasting task. If you use such a method, you will show the enemy that we have no choice but to do anything. Maybe we will be counterattacked by them." Tadao Abe spoke out again.

"However, we really have no choice but to do anything else. If Tadaki Abe, you have a good plan, you can tell it out in public." Nobuzu Matsuhira reached out to Tadaki Abe.

Tadaki Abe looked around everyone, took a breath, and said solemnly: "I propose to carry out the shogunate reform, learn Chinese culture and technology comprehensively, and catch up with the Kyushu Army before our shogunate's energy is over, and perhaps there may be a rescue."

"absurd!"

As soon as Abe Tadaki's proposal was released, many shogunate ministers present suddenly burst out, and they all felt that Abe Tadaki's proposal was simply incredible!

"Taki Abe, have you been bribed by the Kyushu Army? You want to dismantle us internally!"

"We in Japan naturally have our own culture, and have long been separated from the influence of the Tang Dynasty. During the Toyotomi Hideyoshi's era, we even dared to go to war with the Ming Dynasty. There was no need to learn Chinese culture again!"

Some ministers sternly opposed Tadaki Abe.

"There is a Chinese language, at this time, and at that time, Chinese culture is not unchanging. Now they are ahead, so we must learn humbly. If there were no Tang envoys sent during the Tang Dynasty and there were no iron cannons from Seed Island during the Warring States Period, how could we have the power to fight with the Ming Dynasty during the Toyotomi Hideyoshi era? The more we fear and do not fight, the more passive they will become. Therefore, I propose a change!" Abe Tadaki bowed deeply to the high-ranking Tokugawa Iemitsu, and his head was buried on the ground.

"It's ridiculous. We finally have the current status. Do we have to hand over the power?"

"Change? How to change, what about the dignity of our samurai?"

There were still a large group of shogunate ministers shouting.

Tadao Sakai looked expressionless and sat there without feeling, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Idiot!" Tokugawa Iemitsu overthrew the coffee table in front of him, and the things on it fell all over the ground, calming all the shogunate ministers and looking at Tokugawa Iemitsu together.

"Your proposal is really bold!" Tokugawa Iemitsu made Tadaki Abe's head lower.

Most of the other shogunate ministers were sneering that Tadaki Abe was going to be in trouble.

"The temporary discussion tonight is over. Abe Tadaki stayed and was punished. Sakai Tadashi, you stayed, and the rest of the people retreated." Tokugawa Iemitsu said sternly.

Before leaving, the shogunate ministers were gloating.

"Idiot, what a fool." Tokugawa Iemitsu said while drinking, "Abe Tadaki, everyone is gone, you look up."

Tadao Abe seemed to be acting, and after getting up, it seemed that nothing had happened.

Tadao Sakai said: "It seems that many people still oppose change. The head of the family, you made Tadao Abe so tempted, and all the opposing people couldn't wait to jump out."

"Is it so easy to change? We in Japan have not formed a powerful centralized dynasty since ancient times. Damen in various places have the power to be free and casual. How can we deal with powerful enemies like this? A loose alliance will hinder us from becoming stronger!" Tokugawa Iemitsu said.

"If we can clean the four islands with force, we may be able to establish a powerful centralized empire, just like the Kyushu Army, but the time left for us is decreasing. If we think that all the conditions are ripe and then change, we will be eliminated. Therefore, we must change and eliminate local forces at the same time." Sakai Tadaokazuki said, "This is the conclusion I have come to in the past year when I studied the history of the Kyushu Army."

"Can technology be solved? They are not only systems, but also far ahead of us in technology." Tokugawa Ieki asked.
Chapter completed!