Chapter 1041 1037 [The female emperor and the monk Taishanghuang]
This shogunate meeting was attended not only by senior ministers and councilors, but also by daimyo from the major vassal states.
Sakai Tadaki expressed his opinions point by point: "First, some compensation can be given for the military expenses of the Tang soldiers' expedition, but it cannot be given too much, and it must not exceed 600,000 guan (150,000 taels of silver)."
"600,000 gen is too much." Tokugawa Ietsuna didn't want to pay.
The fiscal revenue of the shogunate all comes from the directly-governed territories, which can be divided into annual tribute, oral rice, three-year service, transportation and small general petitions, etc. The annual income is floating, and it can be about 500,000 to 800,000 stone rice.
300,000 to 600,000 taels of gold and 20,000 taels (5,000 taels) of silver.
The amount seems to be quite a lot, and gold is the most abundant, but money is needed to support retainers and warriors!
The wealth accumulated by previous generations of shoguns was long gone when the Edo fire was rebuilt. In another time and space, twenty or thirty years later, the shogunate found it difficult to pay salaries to retainers and samurai, so they had to make money by casting low-quality gold, silver, and copper coins.
.
Sakai Tadaki said: "Then 500,000 gu."
Tokugawa Ietsuna was rarely tough and said: "The maximum compensation is 400,000 gu. If the Tang envoy does not agree, then we will defend Edo to the end!"
Sakai Tadakiyoshi added: "The second item is to return the confiscated Tang people's property, which can be agreed. The third item is that Japan must be founded as a country, which is absolutely impossible. The prices of Tang people's cotton cloth and iron pots are much cheaper than ours. 1.
With the arrival of ships one by one, many weavers and potsmiths lost their jobs. In the castle towns of Edo, people bought Tang cloth and Tang pots. If this continues for five years, Japan will no longer have weavers, and Japan will
There will be no more pot-forging craftsmen. And those craftsmen who have lost their jobs will conspire with the ronin to riot."
Abe Tadaki finally couldn't help but speak: "Why are Tang cloth and Tang pots so much cheaper than Japanese goods? I asked the merchants of the Tang Dynasty and they all used steam engines for weaving and smelting iron. I think that no matter what the emperor of the Tang Dynasty requested,
You can agree temporarily. Then send more envoys to the Tang Dynasty to learn steam engine technology and let Japanese craftsmen also use steam engines for production."
"absurd!"
Sakai Tadaki said angrily: "In the past twenty years, the shogunate has sent many envoys to the Tang Dynasty. What have they learned? I have learned the unfaithful and unjust "Datong Collection", and I have learned the pseudo-study of the Nanman (Dutch). I
The eldest son of a retainer was sent to Nanjing to study. Six years later, when he returned to China, he kept saying that the earth was round..."
"The earth is indeed round," Abe Tadaki interrupted, "You have forgotten that the shogunate also imitated the Nanman ship (Galen ship) and sailed it to visit America and Europe, sailing westward, and finally came back. This
Can’t you prove that the earth is round?”
Sakai Tadaki became even more angry: "That bastard, not only did he claim that the earth is round, but he also dared to observe the celestial phenomena privately. He also said that the earth is a planet, and like Venus, it revolves around the sun!"
Xiong Zefanshan was wanted by the shogunate for spreading Yangming's philosophy, which shows how serious the ideological confinement was in Japan at this time.
In order to prevent the Japanese from admiring China, even "History of the West Lake" was listed as a banned book.
What is "History of the West Lake"?
It’s just a book about Hangzhou’s culture and attractions!
Also banned is "Scenery of the Imperial Capital", which is a book introducing Beijing's culture and scenic spots. In recent years, "Jinling Scenery" has been listed as a banned book, fearing that Japanese readers will know about the prosperity of Nanjing.
The Chinese translation of Aristotle's "Cosmology", "Huan You Quan", was also banned by the shogunate last year, and Japanese readers were not allowed to study astronomy.
Abe Tadaki asked: "With so many books, can we really ban them? It would be better to send Tang envoys to study and make Japan stronger. During the Tang Dynasty in China, a large number of Tang envoys were sent to bring back knowledge, which made Japan as glorious as it is today. The Datong Dynasty
As powerful as the Tang Dynasty, it is time for us to learn comprehensively!"
Sakai Tadaki was too lazy to argue anymore and angrily said: "You are no longer a senior middle school student. You are not even a counselor now. You have no place to speak here!"
Abe Tadaki saluted the shogun, then stood up and walked out of the palace, saying as he walked: "Since I have no right to speak, there is no need for me to stay here!"
Everyone continued the meeting and then sent Lin Efeng out of the city to negotiate.
Lin Efeng said to Dai Sheng: "First, Japan can compensate 600,000 yuan for military expenses."
Dai Sheng knowingly asked: "How much silver is 600,000 coins?"
Lin Efeng explained: "1 tael is equal to 4 points, which is equal to 16 Zhu, which is equal to 4,000 Wen. 1,000 Wen is 1 Guan, and 4 Guan is 1 tael. Sixteen thousand Guan, that is, 150,000 taels of silver."
The hoopoe sneered, and the lion opened his mouth: "Is the shogunate sending beggars away? 6 million guan, no less, let's continue with the second point."
Lin Efeng said: "Second, our country is willing to return the property of Tang merchants and provide certain compensation. Third, it is impossible for Japan to become a country, but it can add two trading ports."
"Just two more ports?" Hoopoe shook his head, "Japan must have at least ten ports open to the sea!"
Lin Efeng continued: "Article 4, Tang's gold, silver and copper coins can be used in Japan, but Japanese merchants can refuse them. The specific transaction depends entirely on the voluntariness of the merchants on both sides. Article 5, our country recognizes Ezo Island as the Tang Kingdom's
territory."
The last two are a big surprise for the hoopoe.
He actually allowed merchants to use Chinese currency, and actually agreed to cede Ezo Island. Hoopoe originally thought that these contents would be the most difficult to negotiate, but unexpectedly they became the easiest.
Lin Efeng could only run back to the city to report.
"What? You have to pay 6 million yuan?"
The weak shogun suddenly became strong and strong. He drew his sword and shouted: "Defend Edo to the death, defend Edo to the end. I swear to live and die with Edo!"
There is no more talk, we have to fight again.
As the siege lasted for more than ten days, more and more Japanese people were unable to buy food due to the cessation of commercial activities in the castle towns.
They covered their faces with linen, accepted the employment of the Datong Army, and carried artillery shells to fill the moat, just to earn daily rations for their families. The Datong Army has always been an innocent child, and as long as they work honestly, they will be paid on time. Even if they are beaten,
The families of those Japanese people who were killed by artillery shells would also receive a small bag of rice as a pension.
Thanks to the hard work of the Japanese people, Edo's moat was filled in little by little.
Sakai Tadakiyo personally went to the city and looked out with a telescope. His lungs suddenly exploded with anger. Judging from his clothes, the people filling the moat were all Japanese. They even covered their faces with linen for fear of being recognized by acquaintances. He roared: "
After the war, we will strictly investigate those who collaborate with the enemy, and no one will be spared!"
After filling in the moat, the Japanese people were not unemployed and were sent to dig siege tunnels.
From the castle town to the outside of the city wall, you can see Z-shaped tunnels all over the place. At every corner of the tunnels, fortifications were built with earth mounds. Datong soldiers hid behind the fortifications to prevent enemies in the city from coming out to destroy the tunnels.
"We can't sit back and wait for death, we must fight out!" Sakai Tadakiyoshi said.
Inaba Masanori, who served as the general, could only obey the order and let the muskets and artillery fire on the city to cover the two thousand soldiers rushing out from the city gate. Their attack targets were the Japanese people who were digging holes.
When the Japanese people heard the shouts of killing, they were so frightened that they immediately ran away and fled along the tunnels to the castle town.
Seeing this, the morale of the two thousand shogunate troops was high. Some pursued them in the tunnels, while others ran on the ground.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
A series of gunshots rang out, the shogunate troops continued to fall, and the Datong troops hiding behind the tunnel fortifications fought back.
The shogunate's army was originally fighting a defensive battle, but now it turned into an offensive battle.
After a battle, the shogunate army left hundreds of corpses behind and fled back to the city gate in embarrassment. The Datong army did not pursue them, because even if they broke through the city gate, they would become targets after entering. The enemy's castle had four walls.
The Japanese people were called back to continue tunneling operations.
Datong Military Camp.
"There is news from friendly forces that Shimonoseki and Osaka have been captured. Are you coming to help, or are you going to attack Kyoto?"
"You don't have to come to help, just control Osaka. If he has nothing to do, he can just want to capture Kyoto."
Huang Fei was originally a little worried about the lack of soldiers, but judging from the previous battles, the Japanese soldiers were already useless, and they were all useless losers who had not been in battle.
Edo is the political center, Kyoto is the cultural center, and Osaka is the commercial center. These three cities are home to one-tenth of Japan's population.
Osaka, garrisoned by a thousand shogunate troops, was easily captured by Han Shouxin.
This guy was eager to achieve great results and had nothing to do. Anyway, Kyoto was very close, so he led his army towards Kyoto.
The defenders there were even weaker. A cannon blast and a hot air balloon explosion made the defenders escape faster than rabbits.
Han Shouxin led his troops into the city, came to the Japanese Imperial Palace, and asked a palace attendant: "Where is the King of Japan?"
The translator automatically translated the king into the emperor.
The palace man replied: "The emperor is inside. General, please wait a moment. I will go in and report."
Not long after, a short, middle-aged woman came out surrounded by palace officials and warriors.
Han Shouxin was surprised: "Is the King of Japan a woman?"
Emperor Meisho at this time was the granddaughter of the second-generation shogun Tokugawa Hidetada. Under the political game, the previous emperor suddenly abdicated and the five-year-old Emperor Meisho ascended the throne. This happened when Chongzhen succeeded to the throne.
the second year.
A Japanese ronin who defected to the Datong Army said: "Sir General, the Emperor is still alive and holds power in Kyoto."
"Find the Supreme King of Japan!" Han Shouxin immediately ordered.
Not long after, his soldiers brought a monk, who was Emperor Gomizuo of Japan.
The emperor was not a puppet who could be manipulated by others. He was forced to marry the daughter of the shogun. Although he also had a son, he was born to a female official in the palace and had no legal right to inherit.
The shogunate at that time, Tokugawa Iemitsu, coveted the throne of the emperor. He certainly did not want to be the emperor himself. Instead, he allowed the Tokugawa family and the emperor's descendants to succeed him on the grounds that the emperor had no children. He also suppressed Emperor Gomizuo through the purple robe incident.
Emperor Gomizuo took the initiative to abdicate and gave up the throne to his wife (Tokugawa Iemitsu's sister). This move was so brilliant that Tokugawa Iemitsu himself did not dare to agree, so he passed the throne to the emperor.
Five-year-old daughter. But after passing the throne, Emperor Gomizuo became a monk on the surface, but still controlled the power of the palace.
"Masahito pays homage to the Celestial General!" Emperor Gomizuo actually spoke Chinese.
Han Shouxin said happily: "Japan is really weird. The king is a woman and the Supreme King is a monk. I think you are quite pitiful. You were forced to become a monk by the shogunate. How about this, the Datong Army helps you kill the Tokugawa clan and general
How about returning the power of Japan to you?"
There was joy in Emperor Gomizuo's eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and said, "I don't dare, I have already abdicated."
Han Shouxin laughed and said: "In this country of Japan, the king is not the king, and the ministers are not the ministers. It is too shameful. In my opinion, it is best for you to be the king. I will send someone to send a message to Edo immediately!"
If Han Shouxin can become a teacher, he must not be stupid.
He said these words purely to put pressure on the Tokugawa shogunate and make the defenders of Edo Castle panic.
