In the castle tower of Edo Castle, Doi Toshikatsu and Tokugawa Iemitsu sat at the top of the meeting hall, with very serious expressions on their faces.
This is a critical moment that determines the life and death of the Tokugawa family.
The relationship between the Tokugawa family and Li Zhi was not good. Li Zhi once went on an expedition to Japan and seized 10 million taels of silver and Osaka Castle from the Tokugawa family. Ten million taels of silver was a huge sum for the Tokugawa family.
The expenditure is equivalent to the total fiscal revenue of the Tokugawa family for four years. The fiscal revenue of the Tokugawa family is to pay salaries to the samurai and pay the ashigaru soldiers, so the annual surplus is only a few hundred thousand taels.
After the initial defeat to Li Zhi, Doi Toshikatsu borrowed money from big businessmen throughout Japan to collect 10 million taels and give it to Li Zhi.
However, what made the Tokugawa family feel even more humiliated was the loss of Osaka Castle.
In Japan, Osaka is a city with special significance. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan, he ruled the country with Osaka Castle as the center. After the Tokugawa family seized the rule of Japan from the Toyotomi family, they also took Osaka
The castle serves as the ruling center of western Japan.
As the general leader of the Japanese samurai, the Tokugawa Shogunate not only had the power to rule Japan, but also had the obligation to defend Japan. The ceding of a city like Osaka to Li Zhi meant that the Tokugawa family was powerless in defending Japan.
In the original history of Japan, in 1853, the American black ships came to the border with force. The Tokugawa shogunate only agreed to the American trade requirements, which aroused the anger of the Japanese people. The Japanese people shouted "Expel the foreigners" and shouted "Down with the curtain".
”, which ultimately led to the Meiji Restoration.
Just a trade treaty led to such a result, which shows the heavy responsibility of the Tokugawa Shogunate to defend Japan.
Of course, in this era, civilians, businessmen and emerging landowners have not yet risen, and the massive Meiji Restoration cannot be launched. But the Japanese mentality of defending the country is the same. After Li Zhi occupied Osaka, the dominant domestic samurai class
He also despised the Tokugawa shogunate.
Originally, in order to weaken the economic strength of local princes, the Tokugawa shogunate constantly asked local daimyo to "generally invite", that is, to undertake construction work dispatched by the Tokugawa family. These tasks were often the construction of cities, river embankments, roads and other major projects.
It can often destroy the finances of local princes.
However, now, after the loss of Osaka, the daimyo of the Western Kingdom no longer listen to the orders of the Tokugawa family. When encountering expensive general requests, the daimyo of the Western Kingdom often turn a deaf ear. Especially the four daimyo including Shimadzu and Mori who have taken refuge in Li Zhi,
He didn't take the shogunate seriously at all, and refused to participate in even the least costly general invitation.
The system of attendance and transfer, which was originally a restriction on the personal freedom of local princes, was increasingly ignored by the daimyo. Some outside daimyo even refused to come to Edo, and the Tokugawa family had nothing to do about it.
In short, the authority of the Tokugawa shogunate as the ruler of Japan was in jeopardy due to its defeat by Li Zhi. Except for the pro-vassal daimyo who continued to support the Tokugawa family, the other princes were already in a state of disintegration.
If the Tokugawa family does not make changes, within ten years, the Tokugawa family will completely lose control of Japan. Japan will either be annexed by Li Zhi's intervention, or it will enter the Warring States Period again.
At this critical moment, the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and the shogunate Doi Toshiki welcomed the envoys of the Ming Jiangbei Army and the Dutch.
The one who came on behalf of the Dutch was Kuyt. The one who came on behalf of the Jiangbei Army was a very important envoy, none other than Wu Sangui, one of the two generals of the Jiangbei Army.
Wu Sangui looked at the samurai sword hanging in the corner of the conference hall and pondered for a while.
Wu Sangui was deeply impressed by Japan's martial arts. In Edo City, Wu Sangui discovered that almost all the facilities in this country serve samurai and soldiers. The so-called city is nothing more than a castle.
Castle town.
The samurai collected taxes from farmers' fields to raise soldiers, and the consumption of soldiers and samurai fed merchants. This was the entire economy of this country.
The so-called tea ceremony, chess ceremony, and geisha all revolve around the samurai's war life needs.
Wu Sangui pondered the Japanese worldview and said: "Samurai survive because of war. If they fear war and surrender step by step, they will eventually perish."
The translator translated Wu Sangui's words to the two shogunate rulers.
Tokugawa Iemitsu's face suddenly changed. As a samurai, Wu Sangui's words obviously touched his dignity.
Doi Risheng's castle was deeper, he narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Wu Sangui observed Tokugawa Iemitsu's expression and said: "Li Zhi already knew about the Tokugawa shogunate's selling firecrackers to the Jiangbei Army. Li Zhi will take revenge on the Tokugawa family sooner or later. Could it be that His Highness the General just sat back and watched the Tokugawa family's demise?
?"
After hearing Wu Sangui's words, Dutchman Kuyt raised his chin and looked at Tokugawa Iemitsu arrogantly.
Doi Toshiki frowned, propped up his body on the tatami with both hands, and turned around in a samurai-specific way. He said to Wu Sangui: "Your Excellency, the Tokugawa family is no match for Li Zhi."
Wu Sangui smiled and said: "Li Zhi has an army of 100,000, and the shogunate army may not be able to defeat him alone." After a pause, Wu Sangui said: "But I assure you, the Jiangbei army can hold back more than 60,000 troops in Huai'an.
The Tiger and Ben Army. Japan needs to face only 40,000 Tiger and Ben troops at most."
After hearing Wu Sangui's words, Doi Toshi and Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at each other.
Dutchman Kuyt added: "The thirty-nine battleships of the United Provinces and Britain are also ready. As long as Japan participates in the war, the thirty-nine battleships will provide sea power for the Japanese army. Even if Japan's
Even if the army reaches North Korea and Tianjin, the supply line at sea will not be cut off by Li Zhi."
After hearing what the Dutch said, Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu was obviously moved. He tried to hide his excitement and moved uneasily.
The Dutch looked at Tokugawa Iemitsu and said with a smile: "Our combined fleet has 1,695 cannons, which cannot be matched by Li Zhi's twelve ironclads."
Doi Toshikatsu was silent, seeming to be making his final hesitation.
Wu Sangui said: "In fact, Li Zhi's 50,000 troops have already attacked Huai'an. Counting the 20,000 troops originally in Huai'an, Li Zhi only has 30,000 infantry left at his disposal."
"I heard that the Tokugawa shogunate was producing a large number of new rifles with scopes this year. In fact, our Jiangbei Army is also making such rifles. The equipment of the 160,000 Jiangbei Army is not worse than that of the Huben Army. If nothing happens,
If so, our Jiangbei Army can hold back all 70,000 Tiger and Ben Army infantrymen."
"I believe that the Tokugawa family is capable of fighting against 30,000 Tiger and Infantry infantry."
"If Li Zhi is defeated in the end, our Jiangbei Army will recognize Japan's rule in Korea on behalf of the Ming Dynasty."
Doi Tosheng was finally moved by Wu Sangui. He lowered his head and thought for a while through gritted teeth.
One side was gradually perishing under Li Zhi's bullying, and the other side was to restore the Tokugawa family's most glorious territory and even invade North Korea.
Looking up, Doi Toshiki had already made a decision.
"The Tokugawa family will bring all their relatives and daimyo to participate in the war."
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