Chapter five hundred and seventy-fourth gathering troops
"Elder brother" Sakai Tadakatsu frowned and said: "Your Majesty the General, although the fire damage to the citizens in the city is heavy, it does not harm our foundation. The most important thing now is to drive Li Zhi's troops out of Osaka. As long as they take them back
In Osaka, those big names with different intentions will be frightened. No one will jump out to follow Li Zhi to cause chaos again."
"As for the three daimyo who have rebelled, as long as we defeat Osaka's Li Zhi, it won't be a problem. If our Tokugawa army goes all out to attack, the tens of thousands of troops of these three daimyo will not be able to withstand a single blow."
Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded and asked: "How many troops have been assembled in Edo now?"
Sakai Tadakatsu said loudly: "We have mobilized 200,000 troops from all over the country. Now 180,000 have arrived outside Edo Castle. In just five days, all 200,000 troops will be gathered.
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Doi Toshikatsu said worriedly: "Now Li Zhi's fleet is blocking the sea and transporting troops much faster than us. What if Li Zhi attacks Edo secretly when our army leaves Edo?"
Sakai Tadakatsu said: "We will leave some soldiers and horses to guard Edo Castle. We will leave 80,000 soldiers and horses to guard the city, and send an army of 120,000 to attack Osaka. Li Zhi only has 20,000 people in Osaka, and 120,000 people can't trample them."
It can trample Li Zhi's soldiers and horses to death."
Everyone was silent when they heard what Sakai said. At present, it seems that they can only respond to the enemy as Sakai said.
Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at the fire in the Edo Castle Town, nodded and said: "That's it! When all the troops and horses are gathered, I will personally lead an army of 120,000 to march westward and recover Osaka Castle."
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On December 20, Li Zhi was in Osaka Castle, looking carefully at the map of Japan.
The frontline sentinel reported that Tokugawa Iemitsu's 120,000-strong army to attack Li Zhi had left Edo and should now be in the Sagami area of Japan. With the Tokugawa family's marching speed of thirty miles a day, the 120,000-strong army arrived at
We still have more than 20 days to go to Osaka.
In fact, Li Zhi led his fleet back to Osaka Castle on December 10th. Li Zhi's fleet had far greater maneuverability than the army. Starting from Osaka, the ironclads could reach any city in Japan within five days.
Seventy-three steamships can transport 20,000 troops and horses at one time. In other words, Li Zhi can deploy his troops at will throughout Japan.
Li Zhi originally hoped to use the bombing of Edo to make the Tokugawa shogunate compromise and accept his not-harsh peace terms. In fact, what Li Zhi wanted was just to let the Tokugawa shogunate re-develop the fine cloth trade and give up Osaka Castle. Instead, he wanted the Satsuma domain and the
The addition of a seal to the Choshu clan did not harm the foundation of the Tokugawa family.
The reason why Li Zhi gave the Tokugawa shogunate such favorable peace negotiation conditions was because Li Zhi found that he could not rule Japan. Li Zhi occupied Osaka Castle for a month and a half, and the Japanese residents of Osaka Castle were still fleeing. Almost no Japanese people returned to Osaka.
The family accepts its own rule.
According to Zheng Kaida, there are poor Osaka refugees gathering everywhere in the cities outside Osaka. While these refugees are living a hard life in other places, they are spreading various rumors about Li Zhi. These refugees say that Li Zhi had disemboweled the Japanese and dug out their hearts.
To say that Li Zhisheng ate Japanese thigh meat is as if Li Zhi was an uncivilized beast.
These rumors made nearby Japanese residents even more hostile to Li Zhi.
Li Zhi knew that this was because the Japanese were hostile to the invaders, so he spontaneously fabricated such rumors. These rumors made Li Zhi understand that as an invader, he could not simply rule Japan. He wanted to let the Japanese
Complete surrender would probably mean a bloodbath in Japan with absolutely superior force.
But Li Zhi only has 20,000 people, and it is impossible for Li Zhi to confront the entire Japanese nation for the time being.
Therefore, Li Zhi is not prepared to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate is sluggish and if he is allowed to rule Japan, Japan will only decay a little bit. If energetic warlords like the Satsuma clan or the Choshu clan are allowed to rule Japan, I am afraid it will not last long.
Over time, Japan will become a powerful country. In that case, maybe Li Zhi will be kicked out by powerful Japan.
Therefore, after considering the pros and cons, Li Zhi gave the Tokugawa family favorable negotiating conditions.
However, the Tokugawa shogunate was still intoxicated by their superiority in the number of troops and horses, and dreamed of completely expelling Li Zhi. In Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes, if an army of 120,000 surrounded Osaka, Li Zhi would surrender immediately.
The Tokugawa shogunate had not yet adapted to the battlefield innovations brought about by Li Zhi's technical methods.
Li Zhi stood on the highest floor of the castle tower, looking at the circles of walls and moats of Osaka Castle, thinking about how to fight against the 120,000 troops of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
After watching for a while, Li Zhi saw a group of samurai wearing gorgeous silk feathers walking from outside the city wall. They handed their sabers to Li Zhi's personal guards, and then entered the castle tower of Osaka Castle.
Li Zhi welcomed his guests Shimazu Mitsuhisa, Mouri Hidesunari, and two new subordinates with strange faces in the castle tower.
The four of them knelt in front of Li Zhi. One of the two new subordinates, a bearded warrior, suddenly burst into tears. He knelt on the ground and shouted: "Chang Zong, my subordinate, personally kowtows to the Duke of Jin in the Ming Dynasty. It all depends on the Duke of Jin."
Soldiers and horses, my clan, the Chief Sect, has regained Tosa's territory again!"
The Chosogabe family was a powerful prince during the Warring States Period in Japan. It once controlled the entire Shikoku Island and was deeply rooted in Japan's Tosa Kingdom. However, due to hostility with the Tokugawa shogunate, the Chosogabe family was deprived of its territory and became a subordinate in the local area.
warrior.
However, the Chosōgabu clan has a deep-rooted tree, and almost all local samurai are retainers of the Chosōgabu clan. Foreign feudal lords do not dare to destroy this samurai group, and can only coexist with it and slowly try to conquer it.
Under such circumstances, Li Zhi, with the help of Shimazu Mitsuhisa, sent two thousand troops to land in Tosa Country, helping the local lower-level samurai drive away the feudal lord appointed by the Tokugawa family, and restore the power of the Chosonggabu family.
local rule.
The local lower-level warriors rejoiced and quickly took control of the area and joined Li Zhi's overthrowing army. As a result, Li Zhi sent 4,000 more Japanese soldiers and horses.
Chosogabu Okinori shouted loudly: "Chosogabu clan is willing to be smashed to pieces for the Tsuguo Palace! All four thousand Tosa soldiers and horses have arrived in Osaka with me and are now stationed on the east side of the pier."
Li Zhi nodded and asked: "Where are the soldiers and horses of the other three families?"
The "new" head of the Nabeshima family, who was sitting next to Chosou Gabu's marriage ceremony, said loudly: "The Nabeshima family's five thousand soldiers and horses are already waiting at the port. As soon as Tsukuni's fleet arrives, they will immediately sail to Osaka with the fleet.
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"The Shimazu family left two thousand soldiers and horses to defend the city and will support Duke Jin's war with 10,000 soldiers and horses!"
"The Maori family will send 7,000 soldiers and horses to accompany Duke Jin to fight!"
