Before Japan closed itself off to the country, its navy had a stronger superficial strength than the Ming Dynasty, and it was very possible for Japan to defeat the Ming Dynasty in three battles far from the coast.
Of course, the premise is that people like Zheng Zhilong are excluded.
The main battleship of the shogunate is called "Date Maru", with a displacement of 508 tons, and is a standard Spanish galleon (Galen ship). There is also a Galen ship with a displacement of 120 tons, and most of the others are Zhuin 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 relatively open. It submitted credentials to the Pope and even requested that more missionaries be sent to Japan to preach. But a few years later, when the mission returned to Japan, the shogunate was already expelling missionaries. The Pope in Rome was not happy.
One game.
"Japan also has huge warships?" Li Dingguo held up the telescope and sounded slightly surprised.
Hong Xu said with a smile: "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 envoy 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 prosecutor for the shogunate and teaching the Five Classics to Tokugawa Iemitsu, he was also the diplomatic advisor to the shogun. In addition, he also served 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? I have been in heaven for thousands of years.
Those who were canonized were all Japanese lords, and there was no such thing as a Japanese general. Even if credentials were issued, they were issued to the lord of Japan, so there was no shogunate! The Tokugawa clan used the lord of the country to command Japan.
The princes are truly without kings and fathers, and are unjust and unjust. Let alone send troops to conquer the Satsuma Domain, even if China sends troops to attack the Tokugawa Shogunate, it can be considered a reasonable and just war!"
As soon as these words came out, Lin Efeng was speechless.
Yes, according to Confucian theory, the Tokugawa shogunate was a vassal state. And Japan was a vassal state of China, which was equivalent to stealing a vassal state from China.
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 the 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 command the princes."
Liu Xiangke sneered: "We, Datong China, have sent troops here just to help the Japanese ruler take charge of the country. Since he is not stealing the country, we should ask the shogunate to return the power to the country's leader, so as not to be suspected of stealing the country and attract 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.
It's just that the military compensation has doubled, because after a few more battles, the Datong Navy's ships were damaged, and a lot of ammunition and food were consumed one after another.
Lin Efeng immediately breathed a sigh of relief. China's withdrawal conditions were within the acceptable range of the shogunate. It was nothing more than compensation. Anyway, it was not paid by the shogunate. 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 is dispensable, and only the Satsuma clan has 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 expectations.
The shogunate actually plans to sell the Satsuma Domain in exchange for the suzerain'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 matter is so big that no one has the right to agree to it. I need to go back to Beijing to ask for His Majesty's instructions."
"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 still needs to show sincerity. To be honest, after our army has defeated the Satsuma Domain, it will go north to defeat the Hirado Domain."
Lin Efeng wondered: "Why did the Matsuura family offend your country?"
Liu Xiangke said: "my country's 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 Guozhu, son of Li Dan!"
Zheng Chenggong was born in the Hirado Domain, which was a pirate nest. When the Hirado Japanese pirates were at their most rampant, they mainly robbed 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 Domain. As for the pirate Li Guozhu, in recent years
He has been hiding there, 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 it actually brought the Hirado clan along with it. Asking the two feudal clans to pay compensation to China to apologize would really lead to the shogunate's majesty being wiped out.
Lin Efeng said: "This matter needs to be reported to the shogunate."
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 to set up the army fort of the Datong Army, so it has to be moved far away for long-distance shooting. Fortunately, it is not far from the sea, and the navy's artillery
You can also say hello,
And there is no need to stand still and be bombarded by city defense artillery.
It is impossible to attack by force. Even if the city is captured, the Datong Army's casualties are estimated to be two to three thousand. If the battle goes like that, Li Dingguo will be waiting to be punished.
Shimazu Mitsuhisa was wasting it 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 they get paid, but they can also eat freely.
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 the Datong Army is good, and they can eat every meal, and sometimes they can see meat. They also say that the Datong Army is true to their word, and their wages are paid every day, and they never default on laundry fees.
The porridge shacks on the shore were also full every day, and there were even fights among people jumping in line.
It was agreed that five hundred kilograms of rice a day would be five hundred kilograms of rice. Not only the beggars and poor people came to drink porridge, but also the city vendors came to take advantage and queued up with the 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 there is even 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 are out of food!"
Shimazu Mitsuji remained silent for a long time, knowing that he was going to be finished this time.
Shimazu Hisumi said: "How about accepting the conditions of the Tang Dynasty, and we surrender with compensation."
"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer," Shimazu Mitsuhisa still had a chance, "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 the Satsuma Domain, Mitsuhisa Shimazu, was the second son, and the third son, Tadayō Shimazu, lived in this house.
There were fourteen brothers in total, and the eldest brother died a long time ago. The fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth brothers all went out to serve as minor lords in various places. The third brother stayed.
Being a family leader in Kagoshima is actually to make it easier for the feudal lord to control and to be afraid that he will go out and cause trouble. (Those who are not mentioned are all dead.)
"How?" Shimazu Tadayō asked.
Shimazu Hisumi said: "The governor is unwilling to surrender."
Shimazu Tadaro 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 their surplus food to help them. If this consumption continues, the food in Tsurumaru City will be used up. By that time, the Tang soldiers will spend a lot of time
The food consumption will be even greater, and the money will definitely have to be compensated. Maybe in anger, Tsurumaru Castle was set on fire. If the governor refuses to surrender, we should ask him to surrender. This is also for the sake of the Shimazu family. "
Shimazu asked: "What if he still doesn't surrender?"
Shimazu Hisamichi said: "The family governor secretly occupied the eight Ryukyu Islands behind the shogunate's back, and monopolized the brown sugar of Amami Oshima. After this incident, General Tokugawa must have known about it, 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, the third child will naturally 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.
Some people are panicked after being besieged. We can win over some people secretly."
"I have a few close friends in the city who are willing to help," Shimazu Tadayō said.