The Xia Kingdom's declaration of war shook the land of Japan and made people panic.
After all, just over a year ago, Japan suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Xia Kingdom.
The power of the Xia Kingdom is unforgettable to the Japanese people.
Every Japanese is full of worries about what will happen next.
On the contrary, Tokugawa Iemitsu was calmer.
As a hero, the matter has come to this, and apart from dealing with it properly, he no longer has any illusions.
Even though Sakai Tadakatsu came back with very bad news.
None of the western daimyo obeyed the shogunate's order and came to Edo Kamiro to have an audience. Instead, they all looked for excuses and sat idly by.
Obviously, these are people who are at both ends of the spectrum.
Not only did they hope that the Xia Kingdom could severely damage the shogunate, allowing them to break free from their shackles and make a comeback, but they also did not want to follow the shogunate and cause disaster to Chiyu and be attacked by the Xia Kingdom.
"They have forgotten their identity and abandoned their country and nation. After they have dealt with Xia's attack, the most severe punishment will surely be waiting for them."
In front of the shogunate, Tokugawa Iemitsu sentenced those daimyo to death.
This approach makes many people very satisfied and have begun to plan how to get benefits from it.
Once those famous names in the west are wiped out, how the spare rich land should be distributed will inevitably make everyone extremely jealous.
"Send the order, gather troops, horses, weapons, and food and grass must be properly prepared, and strictly order all places to guard the checkpoints, and must not give the Xia Kingdom an opportunity."
Even though the Western Daimyos stood by and watched, Tokugawa Iemitsu was still confident.
Because in addition to foreign daimyo, there are also clan daimyo and clan daimyo who are firmly on the side of the shogunate.
These famous names alone can dispatch enough soldiers and horses to assist in the battle.
Tokugawa Iemitsu's only worry was that Japan's maritime power was seriously insufficient and it would be difficult to restrict the movement of the Xia Kingdom's navy.
As an island country, Japan has flaws everywhere, and it is afraid that the Xia Navy will find an opportunity.
If one point is broken, the whole game will be lost.
"General, do you want the general to withdraw?"
Doi Toshikatsu was a very conscientious military advisor, and he thought of what Tokugawa Iemitsu had ignored.
Matsudaira Nobutsuna was dispatched by the shogunate to Kyushu Island to suppress the Shimabara uprising.
And around Matsudaira Nobutsuna were all the troops of the Western Daimyos.
Since the positions of these western daimyo are unstable, it is very likely that Matsudaira Nobutsuna will encounter misfortune.
At this time, letting Matsudaira Nobutsuna retreat is the best strategy.
Tokugawa Iemitsu suddenly understood and said hurriedly: "Then I will send the order."
He made up for the omission very well, and Toi Toi took the opportunity to strengthen his voice.
"The Xia Kingdom is separated from Japan by an ocean. Even if they have troops stationed in North Korea, it is still complicated to attack across the sea. As expected, it will take at least three months to prepare. In this way, the shogunate can calmly make arrangements and step up war preparations.
Increase your chances of winning."
His prediction was recognized by everyone.
After all, just a few decades ago, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had just completed his invasion of Korea.
All the preparations before the war were well known to everyone present.
Judging from this, the Xia army's attack must be the same.
It's a pity that the Tokugawa shogunate didn't understand the Xia army's fighting methods at all, so they were destined to suffer a big loss.
"Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from the governor of Fujian. The Zheng family has decided to go to war with the Xia bandits. Now they are all moving, and the outcome is close at hand. Zheng family implores the imperial court to take action, support each other, and wipe out the Xia bandits in one fell swoop.
"
Zhang Zhifa, the chief assistant of the cabinet, was a little flustered and frightened in the face of major events.
The Human Emperor at the top is not easy to serve. I don’t know how many ministers he has changed in the past eleven years.
Zhang Zhi thinks that his talents are limited and he may not be able to stay in this position for a long time. He just wants to go about his life and don't make any mistakes.
Therefore, Yang Sichang, a rising star, dominated the court and enjoyed great glory, but he didn't care.
But now he had to stand up and report Fujian Zheng's actions to Chongzhen.
"Oh, did Zheng really take action?"
Hearing that Zheng was going to war with Xia, Chongzhen was both surprised and happy.
When Zheng Zhilong was canonized as Marquis of Jingnan, he had the intention of driving the tiger to devour the wolf. Now that the day has finally come, Chongzhen couldn't help but gear up.
"Your Majesty, if the situation is true, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The imperial court should take advantage of this opportunity to march overland and wipe out the Xia thieves in one fell swoop. Clear the air and make the north and south unimpeded."
Yang Sichang jumped out and quickly made suggestions.
And his thoughts just hit Chongzhen's heart.
"That's how it should be."
But Chongzhen immediately thought of something.
"However, the imperial army is far away in the northwest and Huguang. They are busy exterminating the bandits and it is hard to distract themselves!"
Chongzhen felt very regretful that he had no soldiers to use in front of the God-given opportunity.
Since Yang Sichang made the suggestion, how could there be no follow-up?
"Your Majesty is aware that Li Zicheng, the leader of the bandits, has disappeared and is in ruins. His demise is just around the corner. Zhang Xianzhong of Huguang is also afraid of Wang Shi's power and has long been willing to surrender. How can he appease him and order him to serve in the army to increase his momentum? So.
As soon as this happened, hundreds of thousands of troops took advantage of the situation and marched eastward to attack the Zheng family by land and water. It was easy to annihilate the Xia thieves."
Yang Sichang is different from the original history.
In the original history, he strongly opposed the recruitment of Zhang Xianzhong.
He felt that these bandits had surrendered and rebelled again, and they had no intention of repenting. It was better to eliminate them completely to avoid future troubles.
As a result, Xiong Wencan and the eunuch Liu Wenbin persuaded Chongzhen to bypass him and recruit Zhang Xianzhong.
As expected, Zhang Xianzhong rebelled again not long after, and in cooperation with Li Zicheng, who had returned to power, he was out of control and completely destroyed the Ming Dynasty.
But now, compared to Zhang Xianzhong, Xia State, which was a greater threat to the Ming Dynasty, had the opportunity to be eliminated. Yang Sichang immediately changed his view.
Chongzhen greatly appreciated his strategy and immediately ordered the frontline officials to follow it.
The surprising result is that this time it was the frontline officials' turn to oppose the recruitment.
The governors of the three sides, Hong Chengchou, the governor of Xuanda, Lu Xiangsheng, and the governor of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting, spoke the most vehemently. They were all worried that their appeasement would lead to endless troubles.
Even Xiong Wencan, the prime minister of the five provinces, spoke eloquently, thinking that the recruitment should be done slowly rather than urgently.
Chongzhen and Yang Sichang saw that the people below were opposed so fiercely that they had no choice but to inform the court of their plans one by one.
It would be okay not to mention this, but once it was mentioned, the objections of Hong Chengchou and others became even greater.
Hong Chengchou spoke categorically and believed that war with the Xia State was absolutely not allowed, otherwise there would be defeat but no victory.
Lu Xiangsheng even stated in his memorial that the Xia army was far more powerful than the official army. After a battle, the Ming Dynasty might not be protected.
"Your Majesty, Hong Bingxian, Lu Bingxian and others have always been closely connected with the Xia thieves, and they have repeatedly achieved outstanding achievements with the help of the Xia thieves. I'm afraid that if people's hearts are not ancient, disaster will arise."
Yang Sichang was self-willed, reserved and complacent. When he saw that his plan was opposed, he immediately held a grudge against Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangsheng and others, and began to stir up trouble in front of Chongzhen.
Chongzhen was no good at anything else. When he talked about political intrigue, he was immediately scratched.
"I have made up my mind and immediately issue an order to let all armies march eastward quickly. Anyone who dares to delay will be severely punished."
Chongzhen, encouraged by Yang Sichang, put all objections behind him.
At this time, all he could think about was the fantasy of annihilating the Xia Kingdom, completing the unification, and reviving the Ming Dynasty.