Chapter 189 Attack and Defensive Battle in front of Matsumoto I
Chapter 189 Matsumae Attack and Defense Battle (1)
On May 19, Deng Fei piloted the Thor and arrived at Sagawa in Ezo.
Tuka, who had known Zhao Xin's intention as early as the end of last year, had been preparing for a long time. At this time, Ainu warriors from various tribes in Ezo gathered in the Pingyuan Town area, numbering more than 3,000.
The two hundred Shachuan warriors who returned with the ship caused a great sensation among the Ainu people in Pingyuan Town. These two hundred people had been training in Beihai Town for more than four months, and their temperament had been completely transformed. They were no longer that kind of warriors.
He had a big beard, messy hair, and looked like an aborigine wearing birch bark clothes.
These people have now become Tuka's personal bodyguards, wearing the blue-black spring long-sleeved uniforms issued by Beihai Town (that is, security uniforms) and training hats.
No. On the armed belts around the waists of these people, there is a "Type 84" revolver produced by Beihai Town on each side. The leader of the team is named Sea Dog, and his crazy nostrils can catch rainwater.
"Seal, what is that hanging on your waist? Is it iron? I see there is wood on it." An Ainu warrior who knew Seal stood a few meters away and asked curiously, pointing to the revolver on Seal's belt.
road.
The seal gave the other party a sidelong glance and ignored him at all.
"Seal, how come you've become mute after not seeing each other for a few months?" A group of Ainu people burst into laughter.
These Ainu warriors from other tribes wore colorful clothes, including dark-dyed birch leather jackets, animal skin jackets, and Qing army cotton armor that Zhao Xin had given before. Some tribal leaders even wore loose clothes.
Long-sleeved python pattern robe.
(Ezo Nishiki was obtained by the Ainu people by rowing to Kuye Island and exchanged it with the Kuphyaka people; and the Kuphyaka people's python robes were exchanged at the Urin Appreciation Festival.)
The weapons in the hands of these people are also miscellaneous. Except for the seals and the others, everyone in the Shachuan tribe has a Qing waist knife or a long spear, and they also carry the Qing army's standard hard bow; some other tribesmen carry a hunting soft bow.
The bows held a wooden spear with a sharpened head; some held large wooden sticks; and some held a steel rod, which looked like they were obtained from the Shachuan people.
In the military depot in Pingyuan Town, the soldiers were packing their bags, gathering their teams, and preparing to return to Shachuan Town to board the ship. Meanwhile, Deng Fei was taking Li Ji to explain things to Denzo Katsuyama.
"We will be back in ten days at most. This time we will completely solve the problem of Matsumae Domain. Please tell us about the situation there first."
"Sir, you won't go on a killing spree this time, will you?" Katsuyama Denzo may be on the same boat as Beihai, but he is still an island countryman, so he naturally has to consider his compatriots.
"No, our goal is to expel the shogunate's influence in Ezo. As for other ordinary people and businessmen, if they are willing to live locally and obey the management, we will not harm them wantonly. On this point, Mr. Zhao and Tuka previously discussed
The patriarch explained it very clearly."
When Katsuyama Densanyi heard this, his expression relaxed slightly, and he quickly said: "That's good, that's good." Then he talked about the situation at Matsumae Clan.
Since Zhao Xin bombarded Matsumae Castle in April last year, the eighth generation head of the Matsumae family, Matsumae Michhiro, was killed in the bombardment, and eight of his important ministers died and two were seriously injured. The Matsumae family's vitality was seriously damaged.
More than half a month later, the news reached Edo, and the shogunate was shocked. Senior Nakatanuma Yoshiji held an emergency meeting, and sent an incident investigation team headed by Soujiro Doyama, the leader of the designation team and leader of the designation team, Matsumoto Izu Morijurobei, to go north to investigate Matsumae Castle.
shelling incident.
Although the Matsumae family suffered heavy losses from a sneak attack by unknown forces, no matter who the attacker was, the investigation to the north opened the way for Tanuma Yiji to intervene in Ezo affairs. So when he received a petition from the retainers of Matsumae Domain,
He ignored the fact that Matsumae Michhiro's eldest son returned to Matsumae Castle to succeed the family governor, and kept saying that he would not make a decision until the investigation was completed.
When Hokkai Town launched a cross-sea operation before the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, the Matsumae clan's retainers were struggling with the investigation team over the heir, and were moving up and down Edo Castle at the same time, unable to go north at all.
"I heard that in February this year, the investigation team from Edo finally came to a conclusion. It was believed that Aka-haired Ezo was responsible for last year's unidentified attack. This gave Tanuma-dono even more reason to intervene in Matsumae Domain affairs.
.Now there are rumors from Edo that in view of Matsumae Domain’s inability to defend the Ezo territory, the shogun plans to confiscate the Matsumae Domain’s territory and transfer the five thousand koku of Saitama County in Musashi Province as a proxy territory.”
Deng Fei asked curiously: "What about the heir to the Matsumae clan?"
Katsuyama Denzo explained: "Hisashi Shikihiro is only nine years old this year and cannot make decisions at all. Since the death of his legitimate son, Shogun, I heard that he has been in poor health and has no intention of handling government affairs; Sagara Hou (Tanuma Yoshiji) last year
After the death of his son, his energy was not as good as before, so this matter has been put on hold. Now the person in charge of Matsumae Castle is Matsumoto Izu Mamoru. He is from Sagarahou. He has always wanted to go north to develop the colony. However, in order to retain the territory, the Matsumae clan decided to
They are all trying their best to create obstacles, and now the two sides are in a tense situation."
After talking about the matter, his guards came to report that the troops had been assembled and were ready to set off. According to Zhao Xin's instructions, Deng Fei handed over the general camp to Katsuyama Denzo's men to garrison it on his behalf.
Boss Katsuyama is different now. He is no longer the small winery boss he used to be. Since the coal mine development began, there has been no shortage of food, tools, weapons, and manpower. He and the boss of Murataya have recruited many from home.
Ronin samurai, working as a supervisor in the coal mine and as a bodyguard in the warehouse.
Now is the time of famine, when food is expensive and money is cheap, so for three shi of grain as a living allowance and a monthly salary of two shi of grain, a lot of ronin will rush over.
When he thinks about the bright future that the Hokkai trading company established by himself, Zhao Xin, and Murataya's boss will dominate Ezo trade, Denzo Katsuyama will laugh out of his dreams.
When Deng Fei led Li Ji and Pan Xiucheng's two companies out of the military camp, he found that the outside had become bustling, as lively as a rural fair. The Ainu people waiting here to set off together had actually set up stalls
!
"Come and take a look at this bear skin. The fur is so shiny. If you want it, I can exchange it for an iron knife."
"If you don't give me the iron knife, I'll give you five pieces of sealskin in exchange for the bundle of arrows."
"Seal Dog, do you want to change your clothes?"
The only people who did not get involved in setting up stalls and selling goods were the Shachuan people. At this moment, Tuka was in high spirits, with two hundred gun-wielding warriors led by Sea Dog standing beside him. He looked at the other tribes with no hope with contempt, and said to himself, that's it, I
I'm a man who wants to be a king. Why are you fighting with me?
But the only thing that makes Tuka dissatisfied now is that Zhao Xin has not married his sister until now. Although he gave the person away, it is Zhao Xin's business how to treat it, but you have married someone!
On May 22nd, all 3,000 Ainu warriors from all tribes finally boarded the Thor. Many people who saw the big ship for the first time were too frightened to get on the ship. They knelt on the shore and prayed. How about waiting?
After boarding the boat easily, these Ainu people were surprised to find that there was iron everywhere on the boat!
Now we’re in trouble! Li Ji, Pan Xiucheng, and Sea Dog and their men had nothing else to do on the ship. They had been maintaining order and preventing these Ainu from secretly removing various parts and tools on the deck. What about pliers and wrenches?
, plastic buckets, plastic brooms, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, etc., there is nothing they don’t want.
After being caught, these Ainu people would not become angry. Instead, they would generously take out sand gold or leather goods from their bodies and stuff them into the hands of the soldiers, while constantly saying, "I'll give you something in exchange."
Tuka took the chiefs of various ministries to the canteen on the second floor to drink and brag. As a result, the kitchen next to the wall suffered a disaster. All kinds of pots and pans were divided up by the group, and even the door handle of the freezer was broken off.
Fortunately, it only took one day to drive from Sagawa to Matsumae Castle. When they were approaching their destination, the group of people had already begun to figure out how to use tools to remove the cargo hatch cover on the deck.
Deng Fei led a team on a mission alone for the first time, and was troubled by the various weird behaviors of the Ainu people.
In Matsumae Castle, Matsumoto Izu Morimasa, a former junior accountant, looked furious. The exploration team he sent failed again and returned.
Since he came here last year, the entire Matsumae clan has ostensibly cooperated with the shogunate investigation team wholeheartedly, showing everything they could. However, the Matsumae family who guarded the Ezo area had ulterior motives for the investigation team. In addition to carefully investigating the attack,
, everyone in the domain tacitly prevented the shogunate from exploring the Ezo land.
In fact, everyone knows the reason here, no one says it directly.
Although the Matsumae Domain belongs to the ten thousand stone level in the Tokugawa clan system, there is no rice grain produced in the domain, and it is actually not as high as the actual stone. Since the feudal ancestor Takeda (Uyizaki) Nobuhiro fled here from Wakasa and founded his family, Matsumae's
Prosperity was maintained mainly through trade with the Ezo people and domestic vassals, which led to an increase in tax revenue.
The source of tax revenue in Ezo is mainly from the taxes and fees collected from the trading ships entering the port, the goods loaded, and even the passengers passing by. Almost all the heads of the Matsumae family in the past dynasties were good at flattering the shogunate in both directions, and they successively obtained the favors of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.
With tax permission, generations of people can enjoy the rich benefits of Ezo land.
It can be said that Matsumae's prosperity is built on the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes on the Ezo Land. For this reason, the Matsumae Domain does not want the shogunate to control the Ezo Land, but hopes to monopolize the rights and interests of the Ezo Land as always. In this way, Matsumae
It is not difficult to imagine the role of the domain's "guide" in the shogunate's exploration team. It would be strange not to interfere with it!
This time, the team heading north for exploration was led by Qingdao Shunsou, and they were exploring the coastal areas from Shankoshinai to the Eruption Bay, and from Cape Enchang to Cape Shiretoko. As a result, as soon as they reached Shankoshinai, the people of the Matsumae Domain began to slow down the survey process. I will talk about it later.
The south wind is approaching and the weather may be abnormal, so Qingdao Junzang is encouraged to return as soon as possible.
Aoshima Shunzou knew nothing about the local geography and climate before coming to Ezo. Under the intimidation of the mischievous consultants sent by the Matsumae clan, he had to end the exploration and return to Matsumae Castle.
"These bastards! No, we have to continue sending out exploration teams, otherwise we will not be able to complete the mission assigned by Tanuma-sama." After listening to Qingdao Shunzou's report, Matsumoto Jurobei said angrily.
Soujiro Doyama, the leader of the survey team who was sitting at the bottom, said nothing. The news coming from Edo recently is not good. The general's health has become very poor and he has fainted several times since the beginning of spring. Matsumoto Izu Mamoru is now with
If the relationship between Matsumae Clan is so bad, it would be bad if it delays Tanuma Yiji's plan.
The two of them were each thinking about their own things, when the sound of rapid footsteps came from the corridor outside the door.
With a "crash", the barrier door was opened by someone, and it was his subordinate Sato Yukinobu.
"Lord Izumori, it's bad! A huge barbarian ship is coming from the sea!"
Matsumoto Jurobei was surprised and asked quickly: "Where did the ship come from?"
Soujiro Tsuchyama also quickly asked: "Is it Akaka Ezo's ship?"
Sato Yukinobu looked anxious and said: "My subordinates can't tell. Even the soldiers at the seaside post said they have never seen it!"
"Quickly, take me to Tengo and take a look at the oar wall." Jurobe Matsumoto subconsciously wanted to go to the castle, but then he remembered that the castle keep of Matsumae Castle had collapsed, so he had no choice but to go to the oar wall.
The group of people reached the oar wall and looked south, only to see a huge blue and white ship approaching the harbor. The fishing boats and merchant ships outside the harbor were all hurriedly getting out of the way. Everyone looked at the approaching giant boat and were surprised.
I found that the giant boat was so big that I had never seen it before. Compared with this boat, the 3,000-koku Anzha boat moored in Edo Bay was just like a small sampan.
"Quick, send a ship to stop the barbarian ships from entering the harbor!"
"A ship has been sent."
On the main deck of the Thor, the Ainu who were preparing to serve as the vanguard raised their weapons and shouted. After being oppressed by the Matsumae clan for so many years, they could finally take revenge!
At the bow of the ship, a platoon of soldiers had raised their rifles, aiming at the approaching small morning boat.
On the morning boat, a Matsumae clan warrior put his hands to his mouth and shouted loudly: "Stop! Stop the barbarian ship ahead! This is the territory of the shogunate, and no one is allowed to trespass!"
Pan Xiucheng looked at the samurai on the morning boat with disdain. When the opponent came within a hundred meters, he waved his arm fiercely and shouted: "Aim! Fire!"
"Bang bang." In the sound of shooting as dense as exploding beans, the two samurai on the morning boat were shot several times and fell into the sea with a "pop". Several sailors rowing were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they couldn't even save them.
He couldn't care less, threw away the oar and huddled up.
"Woo~~" As the whistle sounded, the Thor split the waves and passed by the morning boat.
On the oar wall of Matsumae Castle, Matsumoto Jurobei and others were frightened by the sudden sound of shooting and did not know what to do. The castle town was already in chaos, and the townspeople were frightened when they heard the whistle.
They ran away in all directions. Those who were able to do so took away their belongings and dragged their families and families away to the mountains. Those who were unable to do so hid in their homes, closed the door, and shivered.
"Anchor and let them prepare to land." In the cab, Deng Fei gave the order to Li Ji.
More than half an hour later, as the Thor anchored and came to a stop, Sea Dog and others as the vanguard boarded the assault boat wearing life jackets. The sailors on the Thor would drive them ashore in the assault boat.
In the second year of Yuanhe, the shogunate stipulated that any daimyo with a territory of more than 10,000 koku should be equipped with fourteen horses, three flags, ten bows, fifty spears, and twenty foreign guns. In fact, in addition to samurai, plus guns
The total number of civilian husbands of the holder can reach more than 200 people. Specifically, the Matsumae Domain has a total of 350 troops because it controls the Ezo Territory overseas and is responsible for guarding the northern waters of the island country.
.
Because the incident happened suddenly, many samurai and soldiers of Matsumae Domain rushed into battle without even wearing armor. These people were armed with samurai swords, spears, bows and arrows, and tied bowl scrolls on their heads (to prevent their helmets from falling off, and to prevent sweat from flowing during the battle)
into the eyes); divided into several groups, hiding under the back walls of various houses in the port, preparing to launch a surprise attack on the landing enemies.
When Sea Dog's feet stepped on the land at the port, the revolver hammer in his hand had already been opened. They had practiced similar landing training many times in Beihai Town. Sea Dog and others followed the steps taught by Wang Yuanfang and others, first looking for
and occupy favorable terrain.
A group of Matsumae clan troops hiding behind the house saw that there were only ten people who came ashore first, and their confidence greatly increased. Especially when they saw that the other party only had a musket in their hands and no swords or guns, they immediately roared,
He killed them with swords and guns.
Seeing the twenty or so warriors who suddenly rushed out, Sea Dog and the others, who had participated in many drills, were still a little panicked. They all pulled the triggers in their hands and flipped the hammer with their left hand, firing out all six bullets in one go.
.
"Boom boom~~!!!" Along with the white smoke rising when the black gunpowder burned, dozens of .36-caliber lead bullets immediately hit a group of warriors like chickens and dogs.
The raiding warriors didn't expect that the short muskets in the opponent's hands could be fired continuously, but everyone rushed out. Wouldn't it be too embarrassing to go back? So they were just stunned for a moment, and then continued to rush forward to fight with shouts.
.
The casualties on the seals' side soon appeared. The heavy arrows fired by several warriors severely shot two Ainu warriors down under the eaves.
The seal shouted: "Speed, slow down! Don't use up all the bullets!"
After saying that, he took out another revolver, cocked the hammer, and fired a shot at a warrior who was unfurling his bow and unloading an arrow.
After a round of random shooting, the warriors dragged their injured companions and retreated. Sea Dog counted the number of casualties and found that the opponent had only killed seven or eight people in total, and two on his side died. He was so angry that he screamed.