Just when the last Japanese pirate who attacked Taiwan was trampled to death by a horse, Zeng Qian died of heavy bleeding caused by dystocia.
Poor Zeng Qian was injured and had fetal pressure. She was born prematurely one month before the due date. She lost too much blood due to the injury. In addition, the difficult labor exhausted her physical strength. After desperately giving birth to a baby girl. Ask Wen Po to call Yin Feng in.
Madam Zhang, who was over fifty years old, tremblingly held a little baby girl in her left hand. She gently said to Yin Feng, who was standing dumbly at the door: "My lord, please give birth to a baby girl. Madam has given birth to a girl. A beautiful baby." Tim... Madam, let you in..."
(Note that the Sheng Niang Niang is the goddess of midwifery and nursing who is prayed to by the Wen women in Fujian. Tiantou is the professional lingo of the Wen women in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It refers to a baby girl. Childbirth is called "birth sister")
This midwife was injured when the Japanese pirates entered her house and robbed her. However, as a stable mother, although she is famous in the world, her status is not respectable. However, no midwife in the world dares to take on such an important task without excellent hands and a Bodhisattva heart. She listened. He told the captain's wife that she needed to deliver a baby. She rushed to help with all her life and delivered Zeng Qian's baby with one hand. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to save the baby. She could not save the adult.
At that time, women gave birth. There were originally sayings about "going to hell" and "going through the gate of hell". It should be noted that there was not much medical knowledge and only relying on experience. Wenpo was almost bare-handed. She had to deal with many difficulties with only one pair of hands. The situation is in danger. Even if Hua Tuo is reincarnated and the gods descend to earth, nothing will happen.
Yin Feng took a look at the baby girl. He saw that her head was pointed and her face was full of wrinkles. She was sleeping with her little eyes closed. She could vaguely see her mother's eyebrows. Her heart felt like a knife.
Arriving at the temporary delivery room, Yin Feng sat motionless in front of the desk that was used as a temporary bed. Looking at his wife who still had a beautiful face, his mind went blank.
He felt deeply guilty towards Zeng Qian. At this moment, he had so many words to say that he didn't know what to say.
Originally, there was no relationship between the two. Yin Feng only married Zeng Qian to find an official background for his business. He was also greedy for Zeng Qian's beauty. The Zeng family only wanted to win over Yin Feng, who could provide support for her. They developed talents in the overseas trade market, so they married Zeng Qian to this unknown boy. This marriage, which was full of economic interests and copper coins, did not go smoothly at the beginning. But Yin Feng and Zeng Qian were both kindhearted in nature. A kind person. Their long-term relationship made the two really develop feelings for each other. However, Yin Feng spent most of his time running around outside these years. When he was at home, he had to allocate his time to Li Lihua and Mai Wan'er. In fact, Yin Feng spent most of his time outside. Shang and Zeng Qian spend very little time together.
Yin Feng could feel Zeng Qian's inner dissatisfaction, as well as her tolerance and accommodation. This made him feel even more heart-wrenching pain at this moment. Seeing the pale Zeng Qian leaving this world step by step, he was helpless. This made him miserable.
…
When the Japanese pirates launched a sneak attack on Taiwan Port, the Satsuma clan's army was overwhelming in the Ryukyu Islands and occupied several important islands in succession. The resistance they encountered was very light. The day after the Chinese cleared all the Japanese pirates from Taiwan Island. It was April 4th of the lunar calendar. Shimadzu's army occupied Okinagabu Island. The fleet worked non-stop and quickly arrived at Kouri Island in the sea opposite Nakijin Castle on the main island of Ryukyu on April 5th.
Chen Zhongji is still unaware of the disaster in Taiwan at this moment. He is going all out to prepare for war. However, the upper class of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still dreaming of peace talks. When they learn that Amami Oshima has fallen, the Shuri Palace will still hope Putting their trust in the peace talks, they sent envoys to Oshima. As soon as the peace envoys left Ryukyu Island, they discovered the Satsuma military fleet in the northern waters. The envoys were not able to talk to the leader of the Satsuma army at all and were driven back directly.
After a few days of rest, the Shimazu army, which had already arrived on Ryukyu Island, rested. On April 8, all soldiers landed at Unten Port under Nakijin Castle. The Japanese army of Satsuma Domain officially landed on Ryukyu Island.
Two days ago, the homing pigeons released by Chen Zhongji arrived at the headquarters of the Taiwan-Hong Kong-China United Company and conveyed the news that the Ryukyu War had begun to the company headquarters.
This information is actually meaningless. The Satsuma Domain, Sendai Domain, and the Tokugawa Shogunate have directly attacked Taiwan Island. The situation in Ryukyu can be imagined.
In the past few days, the hall of the company's headquarters has become a mourning hall. It is white from top to bottom, inside and outside. Zeng Qian exhausted all her strength to save her child. But her life fire went out at noon on April 1st...
Yin Feng has been sitting silently in front of the coffin, burning paper money in handfuls. On the coffin is placed a portrait of Zeng Qian that he drew with charcoal by himself. He doesn't pay attention to anyone or anything. Fortunately, Mr. Zeng
He can still stay awake. Together with the Han family, Li Yue, and Huang Qian, he is in charge of the daily affairs of the company. Only the military side. Since he has always only listened to the orders of Yin Feng, now in addition to constantly sweeping the surrounding areas, deterring the rebels, and suppressing the
Japanese pirate collaborators and other matters aside, all preparations for sending troops to Ryukyu came to a halt.
For three days in a row, Yin Feng did not eat or drink. Li Lihua, Zeng Qi, and other close subordinates such as Lin Xiao and Mai Dahai could not stop talking. He looked at the portrait of Zeng Qian with empty eyes. He could not hear anything.
.
Li Lihua and Zeng Qi were almost going crazy with anxiety. Everyone suspected that Yin Feng would not be like this forever.
On the morning of the fourth day, Yin Feng finally stood up. He staggered a bit and said to Lin Xiao, who hurriedly stepped forward to support him: "I'm hungry..."
In the next few days, until Zeng Qian passed away, Yin Feng stayed in the study and did not come out. He stayed up all night writing.
April 8th was the day Zeng Qian was buried. Yin Feng was speechless all the way and silently followed the funeral procession of the Zeng family. In the evening, Yin Feng suddenly said to Zeng Qi: "Father-in-law, please call all the board members.
Let’s have a meeting.”
Zeng Qi looked suspiciously at Yin Feng, who had thin cheeks and dark hair with red eyes. Yin Feng smiled bitterly: "I'm fine. There are still a lot of things to do. Go call someone. We'll have a meeting in the study."
"
Zeng Jingshan, the governor of the Luzon Prefecture, has rushed back from Manila. Xu Xinsu and others have also rushed from Fujian. Therefore, this time all the board members were present.
Yin Feng handed them documents one after another. He said in a hoarse voice: "These are documents related to military spending plans. There are also reports on the establishment of Taiwan City wall defense system. There are also military reforms and the establishment of security forces and urban management.
The team’s plan…the most important thing is the cost plan for fighting the Japanese pirates.”
Zhao Tie, Mai De, Li Xing, Mai Dahai and other military officers who were authorized to observe looked at each other and couldn't help but get excited.
Although everyone does not understand the importance of Yin Feng's plans, everyone is very pleased: the original Yin Feng who likes to formulate various plans, systems, and laws is back.
…
The Ryukyu War is in full swing.
Nakijin Castle, the northern gateway to the main island of Ryukyu, has a strong fortress. Kitayama Guards, Katsuji, led 500 troops to defend Nakijin Castle. If Nakijin Castle can be defended, it will form a horn with Yaraza Mori Castle and Mie Castle in the south. Satsuma's iron hoof.
They would have some scruples; they would not dare to easily bypass Nakijin Castle and encircle Shuri Royal Castle, otherwise they would be in danger of being attacked from both ends.
Nakijin Castle is a city that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. After the Shimazu army landed at Yuntian Port, they did not take any violent attack. They just set fire to and looted everywhere under Nakijin Castle. When the Ryukyu people under the city heard that Shimazu warships were coming, they packed up one after another. People and vehicles scrambled to avoid the mountains and temples, and the roads were blocked. The Shimazu army samurai, iron gunners, and Ashigaru took this opportunity to massacre these people unscrupulously. Only corpses littered the fields.
Xiang Keji, who witnessed this scene at the top of the city, could not restrain himself. On the afternoon of April 8, he abandoned the fortified city with high and deep wall trenches and led 500 of his men out to attack the Shimazu army who set fire to and looted the city.
This suited Satsuma's ambitions. The Kitayama garrison was weak in number and insufficient for a strong attack, but more than enough to defend the city. The Satsuma warriors who were trained by Dasmarinas and were good at field combat therefore avoided a protracted offensive and were able to use new weapons on the plains outside the city. Flintlock muskets and Ryukyu Army field battle.
As a result, Mang Katsuki's bravery alone could not restore the disadvantage. Compared to the Shimazu Army, the Ryukyu Army's weapons were very backward. In addition, the Kitayama Prison Department had not used troops for a long time and was weak. After the war, the Satsuma Army's iron gunners fired three rounds of muskets. After that, the Ryukyu Army was defeated in a minute. The whole army was completely defeated. Xiang Katsuki was seriously injured and died soon after.
In fact, the irony is that the Kitayama Guards, known as the elite of the Ryukyu Army, were only killed by flintlock guns in front of a powerful enemy. More than 20 people were killed. Dozens of people were injured. The rest were killed. Lost their whereabouts and fled in all directions.
At this time, Ma Liangbi, the third officer stationed in Kunigami not far from Nakijin, led more than 1,000 troops by sea and went to Nakijin Castle to support the Kitayama garrison. However, they saw a Satsuma ship with flags covering the sky near Kouri Island. . Too timid to advance. Ma Liangbi originally belonged to the pro-Japanese faction. Soon he surrendered to the Shimazu Army without fighting. Ma Liangbi became a hostage in Satsuma.
On the day of the fall of Nakijin Castle, Sergeant Shimazu entered the city and set fire to it. Then he marched away and gathered his troops at Unten Port. The fire in the city burned for three days before it was extinguished. The smoke was so thick that it could be seen from the northern part of Ryukyu Island. Since the Sanzan period, A famous city of a generation was burned to the ground.
The Shimadzu army quickly invaded the main island of Ryukyu. The Shanbei fortress that had been painstakingly managed was easily captured by the Shimadzu army in one day. One member of the royal family (Miyako Katsuki) was killed in the battle, and one of the three commanders was captured. The Ryukyu army's The fighting spirit tended to collapse. The Shimazu army was like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Without encountering fierce resistance, it arrived at the mouth of the large bay outside Urasoe Castle on April 12, and then divided into two groups. The land army was led by General Hisaka Kayama. He led the attack on Urasoe Castle and approached Naha Port by waterway. He attempted to encircle Shuri Castle from the north to the south.