prosperous age

After the cabinet made the decision, Zhang Ke, Xu Xuemo, and Zhang Xueyan returned to their respective regions to begin intensive preparations.

Escorting a large number of students and students northward required mobilization and roll call, which were the Ministry of Rites' responsibility. The transport wagons and escorting soldiers were the Ministry of War's job, while the Ministry of Revenue continued to replenish supplies to Miyun and Datong.

Although transportation is inconvenient in winter, these things must be done no matter how difficult it is.

Wei Guangde, accompanied by several members of the cabinet, went to the Qianqing Palace to report on the Datong matter.

The emperor may not concern himself with these matters, but he cannot be unaware of them. The operation of the court is entrusted to the cabinet, but it cannot conceal anything in important matters.

Meanwhile, in Japan, the military mobilization of the various daimyo was also proceeding intensively, with recruited infantry and promised artillery quickly being put into place.

Even though the actual progress was a few days behind schedule due to the weather, a large number of Japanese troops had already begun to assemble west of Kyoto.

Meanwhile, northeast of Kyushu and Shikoku, the daimyo of two remote islands also gathered almost all their forces, making it seem as if they were preparing to launch a naval attack, seemingly planning to launch a three-pronged attack on the Ming army stationed in western Honshu.

However, Qi Jiguang, as the commander-in-chief of this eastern expeditionary force, did not take the troops in these two places seriously at all.

It's less than 100,000 men, and the key is that the Seto Inland Sea separates them. These troops will only be useful if they can land on Honshu Island.

The main force of the Ming Dynasty's South China Sea navy, consisting of dozens of gunboats, has already blockaded the strait and the Seto Inland Sea. If the Japanese pirates are still allowed to land on Honshu Island after this, then they will be causing trouble for Yu Dayou.

The main force of the Ming army was still stationed on the eastern defense line of China, and a large number of Japanese were forcibly conscripted to build fortifications.

The city built by the Japanese themselves was considered somewhat lacking by the Ming army. Perhaps this was due to the height of the Japanese. While the average height of the Ming soldiers was 1.7 meters, the Japanese buildings were designed according to the average height of the Japanese, who were less than 1.5 meters tall. For example, the crenellations of the city walls had to be raised.

The moat outside the city also needs to be dug deeper.

During this period, the Iwami Silver Mine almost completely ceased production, and the miners were organized to build Ming army defense lines.

If there was a castle, they would rush to repair it and modify it according to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty. For important passes that did not require cost, they would directly mobilize Japanese workers to rush to repair the castle.

Qi Jiguang didn't engage in wars of attrition. He took advantage of the time when the Japanese were redeploying their troops to strengthen the Ming army's defensive fortifications, and he did his best.

He personally led people to inspect many places before confirming their locations.

This place will, after all, be the future boundary between the Ming Dynasty and Japan. When a boundary marker is erected here, it will be clearly stated that the area west of the boundary marker belongs to the Ming Dynasty, and the area east belongs to Japan.

He had paid attention to the Kansai region, where the plains were more fertile, but he didn't have enough troops. Unless the Ming Dynasty could send him 200,000 troops to sweep across Honshu Island and take over both the Kanto and Kansai plains, he could try.

The Ming army set up its defenses in an orderly manner because the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already sent a message that they would try their best to buy more time for the Ming army.

Qi Jiguang did not inquire about the specifics, but he imagined it would be nothing more than two things: provisions and gunpowder.

When he received the intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he guessed what they were planning to do.

It would be very difficult to destroy the provisions for an army of 400,000 in one go; there was simply too much.

However, if it were an important gunpowder depot for the Japanese pirates, the outcome would be different; just a tiny spark could send them all flying.

Just as Qi Jiguang had guessed, the Embroidered Uniform Guard did indeed plan to launch a surprise attack on the armory outside the capital of Japan, where gunpowder had been collected by various Japanese daimyo.

While it wasn't all of them, it's true that all the daimyo donated most of their stockpiles.

This time, Japan's force was not just limited to two hundred or so cannons; it consisted of over 400,000 troops, including 40,000 to 50,000 arquebuses and cannons, essentially deploying all of Japan's firearms to the Kinki region.

In an ordinary house in Kyoto, several people were talking quietly inside.

"Sir, the men have been planted, but once the operation begins, they'll likely have a hard time getting out."

A short man reported in a low voice.

"That's their fate. If they can't get out before the time-delay fuse is lit, they can only blame themselves for being too slow."

This is something you don't need to worry about for them. What we need to do is provide them with tools and outside support.

Have all those people been settled?

The old man lowered his eyes, not looking at the person in front of him, and simply asked in a low voice.

One of the men beside him clasped his hands and said, “Reporting to Your Excellency, everything is arranged. There are more than twenty people and thirty fast horses. As soon as they come out, they can head south and retreat west by waterway.”

The navy will have a fleet to meet them.

"Did you hear that? Their retreat route has been planned. They're not completely without options; they just need to get out before the explosion."

"With so many time-delay fuses, even if the Japanese pirates noticed something was wrong and searched the warehouse, do you think they could find all of them?"

The old man said dismissively.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had been planning this operation for quite some time. After learning that Japan intended to mobilize a large force to invade China, the Embroidered Uniform Guard secretly redeployed its personnel planted in Japan in order to destroy as much of Japan's gunpowder as possible in one fell swoop.

Gunpowder from Japan is very expensive.

This is also an important tactic in "modern" warfare. In China's two-thousand-year history of warfare, generals have long recognized the importance of food supplies to an army.

As the Ming army evolved from cold weapons to firearms, the value of gunpowder was greatly amplified, and it became an important factor influencing the Ming army's combat strength.

The Ming Dynasty had long been aware of the power of gunpowder; otherwise, the imperial family would not have valued it so much and insisted on keeping the gunpowder bureau under their very noses.

This directly led to the Tianqi Explosion, which destroyed a large part of the capital and affected the entire city.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard, the generals of the Ming Dynasty, naturally took gunpowder, a crucial resource no less important than provisions, into close consideration when planning battles.

"How much gunpowder is currently stored in that warehouse in Kyoto?"

The old man's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly asked a question.

"At the beginning of the month, 800,000 jin were already stored, and another 100,000 jin will be stored soon, bringing the total to around one million jin."

The man who had spoken earlier answered in a low voice.

"A million catties, very good. Once we detonate them, it should be very difficult for Japan to gather that much gunpowder again."

The old man's lips twitched, and he finally said viciously.

Even in the Ming Dynasty, detonating a million catties of gunpowder at once was a painful expense.

Another important point to note is that the gunpowder formula of this era was a basic formula, and the power of the gunpowder was limited, so it cannot be compared with gunpowder and TNT of later generations.

In fact, it was through the continuous efforts of Europeans over the next two hundred years that the gunpowder formula was constantly improved, its power was continuously enhanced, and modern weapons were developed.

Otherwise, even if Europe developed firearms, if they still used 16th-century gunpowder, their power would be greatly reduced, and such firearms would have many problems in use.

Therefore, while a million pounds of gunpowder may seem like a lot, its power, compared to later generations, is probably only equivalent to tens of thousands of pounds of modern gunpowder.

However, in this era of ignorance, the fear brought by the explosion of a million pounds of gunpowder is still of a world-destroying magnitude.

Yes, this wasn't just about the consumption of gunpowder. For a relatively ignorant country like Japan, their first thought would be divine retribution. Just like the typhoons encountered during the two Mongol invasions two hundred years ago, which left behind the legend of "divine wind" in Japan, leading them to believe they were a nation blessed by heaven.

Breaking the so-called "divine wind" protection is actually just a matter of conducting more surveys of meteorological data and changing the timing of troop deployment.

In fact, this phenomenon is common in both the East and the West during this era, and is called a "miracle" in the West.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards don't believe in this stuff, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter. But they are very good at manipulating people's hearts.

Ever since they learned that the "divine wind" was protecting the Japanese islands, the Imperial Guards had been looking for an opportunity to break the so-called divine protection.

Making the Japanese believe, at its core, that Heaven would not protect them when facing the Ming Dynasty was far more destructive than defeating hundreds of thousands or millions of Japanese soldiers.

They directly destroyed the Japanese faith, making them never dare to fight against the Ming Dynasty again.

In this way, the Chinese territories occupied by the Ming Dynasty were truly separated from Japan and incorporated into the Ming Dynasty's territory.

Because they no longer dared to covet the Ming Dynasty.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's plan to target the gunpowder depot in the capital was being carried out in secret, without needing to report to the capital. Wei Guangde was naturally unaware that the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Ming Dynasty had evolved to such an extent.

Once you find out, you'll just have to say, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard really has a lot of talented people."

In modern Japan, there are two places: Tokyo and Kyoto. People who are not familiar with the area may think they are the same place, but in reality, the two places are quite far apart.

Kyoto is located in the central part of Honshu Island, Japan, and belongs to Kyoto Prefecture. It is close to Osaka and Nara, while Tokyo is located in the eastern part of Honshu Island, Japan's capital, and the center of Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

Kyoto was once the ancient capital of Japan, serving as the capital and residence of the imperial family for over a thousand years until the capital was moved to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Kyoto is renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage, such as temples, shrines and traditional architecture, as well as traditional Japanese culture, such as the tea ceremony and flower arrangement.

Tokyo was originally named Edo, and it was renamed Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, meaning "Eastern Capital," and became the new capital of Japan.

Tokyo in later generations became Japan's political, economic, cultural, and transportation center, representing Japan's modernization and internationalization.

As for why the capital was moved after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, it wasn't because the rulers were crazy or had their brains caught in a door, but rather because the political situation at the time required it.

In 1864, Kyoto was ravaged by war, and the streets were filled with smoke and the city was in complete disarray.

The reformers looked at the old capital city, which was full of powerful and conservative families, and felt that reform would be extremely difficult. They believed that without relocating the city, reform could not take any steps.

People like Okubo Toshimichi and Itō Hirobumi pondered moving the capital to a different location to avoid these conservatives, and thus began considering relocating the capital.

Osaka was initially considered a suitable location for relocating the capital.

At that time, Osaka was a thriving commercial center with a full wallet, and relocating there for reforms would ensure sufficient financial security.

However, the conservatives were firmly opposed.

After repeated negotiations and compromises, the final relocation site was decided to be Edo.

Edo is a different place; it has a unique geographical advantage.

The Kanto Plain is vast, close to Tokyo Bay, with convenient transportation and thriving commerce.

Moreover, Tokugawa Ieyasu established the shogunate there, and more than two hundred years later, Edo has firmly established itself as the leading political and economic power in the country.

Although it is slightly farther than Osaka, the conservatives in Kyoto did not object this time because it was once the area most tightly controlled by the shogunate.

Moving the capital there would also help maintain stability in Edo and prevent the resurgence of the shogunate's power.

Therefore, after the successful overthrow of the shogunate, Edo Castle was renamed Tokyo Castle, and the emperor and reformist leaders flocked to Tokyo.

This is why Japan refers to the Edo period as the period of the shogunate, because Kyoto was the nominal capital at that time, but the political center of the country was in Edo.

It is worth mentioning that during the Edo period, the government withdrew from the policy of civil administration and established temple schools throughout the country, which were the predecessors of rural elementary schools in Japan.

After the policy was introduced, more than a thousand schools were built in Edo Castle and more than 20,000 schools were built throughout the country, enabling children from every household to attend school and learn to read, which greatly improved the cultural education of Japan.

During the Edo period, Japan had the highest overall literacy rate in the world, far exceeding that of European countries at the same time.

This may be one of the reasons why the Meiji Restoration was so successful.

This policy is actually similar to the many schools that Wei Guangde is currently funding in the Ming Dynasty by exchanging silver for loans from brokers. Both are aimed at popularizing basic education, improving the literacy rate of the entire population, and laying the groundwork for the promotion of the imperial decrees.

At the foot of Mount Takao in the northwest of Kyoto, there is a cluster of houses built along the foot of the mountain.

A large area nearby was cleared out and heavily guarded.

A wooden fence was erected around the house, and Japanese patrols patrolled the area day and night.

This is where the gunpowder donated by the various daimyo of Japan was stored.

The Japanese army's various units have already advanced westward from the official road north of Kyoto, approaching the Ming army's defense line. The accompanying firearms units also carried a large amount of gunpowder, but a large amount of supplies were still stuck in the rear and needed to be slowly transported to the front line.

Due to the properties of gunpowder, such materials are transported with extreme care, and are usually escorted by a large number of soldiers to ensure safety.

Japan lacked saltpeter, and making gunpowder was fraught with difficulties due to the availability of raw materials, so they naturally took great care in protecting this batch of gunpowder.

At this moment, several figures evaded the patrol team and met in one of the barracks.

"The fuses here have all been distributed. According to the plan, when the camp gates are in chaos at noon, put them into the assigned warehouses and set them on fire."

Once all the fuses are set, regardless of the outcome, immediately head south; someone will be waiting for us in the grove.

Let me remind everyone again, this is a limited-time offer, so good luck to everyone.

"clear."

"clear."

The group of masked men were all short in stature, but they were speaking in the official language of the Ming Dynasty, which immediately revealed their true identities.

In the Ming Dynasty, these people were indeed considered short, but upon arriving in Japan, they were surprisingly tall and strong men, making it easy for them to infiltrate the army.

For tall, strong men, joining the army is the best option, no matter which country they live in.

As planned, more than ten riders will raid the camp tonight, causing a riot.

They took this opportunity to break away from their respective teams, enter the warehouse, and detonate the gunpowder.

They knew it was dangerous, but it was a military order, and they had no choice but to obey.

As for the possibility of not being able to evacuate, well, that's just a matter of good luck to them. (End of Chapter)