prosperous age

Although they only encountered an unsuccessful night raid, Liu Ting could still sense, given the location of Datianzhuang, that this might be the main target chosen by the Japanese pirates.

Suppressing his shock, he couldn't understand why the Japanese pirates would choose to launch an attack in such a winter. But since the enemy had already taken action, their subsequent actions should be even more significant.

As for tricks like feinting to the east while attacking in the west, or luring the tiger away from the mountain, Liu Ting disdained them.

It wasn't that he disregarded the Japanese pirates' schemes, but rather that the location of Ota Estate was too special.

Otherwise, the Mori clan wouldn't have chosen this place as an important supply depot for the eastern front, stockpiling massive amounts of supplies here.

Even the nearby Tsuda village became a small warehousing base as a result.

When the weather is good and traffic is smooth, it can take two days to transport the supplies here.

"It seems the Japanese pirates think we're easy targets."

Liu Ting whispered to the general beside him.

"Don't worry, sir. No matter how many Japanese pirates come, we can defend Daejeon City."

With so many supplies brought in by the commander-in-chief, even if the Japanese pirates fight for a year or two, we won't collapse; they'll perish on their own.

When the commander's reinforcements arrive, we might be able to pursue them all the way there and conquer the entire Japanese island.

That general was quite ambitious, completely disregarding the actual capabilities of the Ming Dynasty. He simply assumed that the Japanese pirates were weak and that the Ming army could completely annihilate them, so it seemed that completely occupying the Japanese islands was not an impossible task.

In fact, apart from a few high-ranking officers in charge, the lower-ranking officers were unaware of the secrets of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

However, Liu Ting knew this.

Even now, the Ming army is already stretched thin. If it continues to expand its territory, its defenses will likely be compromised.

In fact, occupying most of China is already the limit for the Ming army.

Although tens of thousands of Ming troops have landed, the Iwami Mine alone requires 20,000 to 30,000 Ming soldiers to guard it.

Those are hundreds of thousands of Japanese miners; a slight mishap could lead to a major incident.

With the outside battle against the Japanese invaders underway, the consequences of another attack in the middle are simply unimaginable.

"Report this to the commander-in-chief. Report the night raid last night and say that the Japanese pirates' main attack this time is very likely to be on Ota Village."

Liu Ting now understood why Qi Jiguang had sent him; the commander-in-chief had a keen eye for talent.

However, Liu Ting secretly felt a little smug.

Clearly, he was highly regarded by the commander-in-chief, which is why he was entrusted with such an important task.

Outside the city, Kobayakawa Takakage listened to the experiences of the retreating raiding party and remained silent for a long time.

"Lord Kobayashi, you are cunning. You must have hidden sentries on the city wall, which is why we haven't discovered you yet. It's all my fault for failing in my duty. I am willing to accept the punishment."

Harunobu Arima then bowed his head and admitted his mistake, indicating his willingness to accept punishment.

He had been leading his men to guard the outskirts of Datianzhuang. Previously, he had focused his energy on monitoring the movements of the Ming army and fighting for control of the Ming scouts. However, his main focus was actually on the entanglement with the Ming scouts, and he did neglect to monitor the movements on the city walls.

Kobayakawa Takakage simply waved his hand slightly before sighing, "Actually, we should have realized this sooner; it was my miscalculation."

"grown ups."

Harunobu Arima hurriedly called out.

"Many of our tactics actually come from Chinese military texts, and they should understand them better than we do."

After all, they are the true masters.

Kobayakawa Takakage sighed, "In the past, the Chinese never paid any attention to us, which is why we were able to thrive on this land."

Now that the people of the Ming Dynasty know there are mountains of gold and silver here, they have become greedy and come to plunder.

Kobayakawa Takakage was in a bad mood. He realized that it would be difficult to achieve the victory they hoped for in fighting the Ming army and drive them into the sea like the Mongol Yuan dynasty had.

"Why speak such discouraging words, sir? Amaterasu will protect her descendants."

Tachibana Muneshige said sharply.

"You don't understand, there are many things you don't know."

Kobayakawa Takakage waved his hand and said in a low voice, "Do you know where the first battle started?"

Before anyone else could speak, he continued, "It was Sado. The Ming army attacked Sado Island first and defeated the Kuki Navy there."

You've probably heard of that place; it's no less impressive than the Iwami mining area.

"So, the Ming people came here for the Sado gold mine and the Iwami silver mine?"

"Tachibana Muneshige exclaimed in surprise."

Previously, they had always believed that the arrival of the Ming army was retaliation, a retaliatory military action against those wandering warriors who had previously harassed the southeast of the Ming Dynasty.

This was the consistent propaganda of the Ming Dynasty to foreign countries, including when it came to Japan.

This is the reason why the Ming Dynasty was merely retaliating against the Japanese pirates' actions over the past century, not invading the country to destroy it.

Therefore, the samurai under the command of various daimyo looked down on those disgraced wandering samurai because of their status, and naturally they also looked down on the robbery crimes committed by them.

The resistance stemmed from their discontent that the Ming Dynasty had blamed the crimes of these inferior people on them.

Moreover, they considered themselves the true warriors.

When the lord is defeated, the samurai should fight for the lord even at the cost of his life.

If the master fails, the samurai should commit suicide, not become a wandering samurai and cause trouble everywhere.

Yes, the Ming Dynasty was deeply affected by the Wokou raids, and in fact, the coast of Japan was also harassed by pirates.

Of course, they wouldn't call these pirates "Wokou" (Japanese pirates); they were pirates.

Moreover, many of the criminals in Japan who commit crimes are of this type: they have the strength but no one to restrain them, and with their high skill and audacity, they often roam the territories of several daimyo to commit crimes.

Then, when they couldn't stay in China any longer, they fled overseas.

In truth, the Ming people vented their hatred for the Japanese pirates on them, even though the pirates considered themselves quite innocent.

But now they realize that the Ming people came to plunder money, not to retaliate against the Japanese pirates.

"This matter must be kept secret for now and cannot be leaked."

Takakage Kobayakawa immediately added.

"Sir, why is this?"

"Tachibana Muneshige said hastily."

This time, Kobayakawa Takakage shook his head and did not answer.

Ultimately, at Kiyosu Castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Mori Terumoto, and other key figures had already held numerous secret meetings to strategize the war and the eventual outcome.

Having won the victory, it goes without saying that the Oda clan will continue on the path of unifying Japan.

So far, although Toyotomi Hideyoshi has gained most of the power of the Oda clan, he still does not dare to overthrow the Oda clan directly and still has to act in the name of the Oda family.

In fact, it was only after Hideyoshi Hashiba, in the name of the Oda clan, suppressed most of the daimyo and received an official title and a name from the Emperor that he completely broke away from the Oda clan and established the Toyotomi family's rule over Japan.

Of course, they also learned the Chinese philosophy of considering defeat before victory, and secretly deduced the outcome of failure, which was ceding territory.

The Ming Dynasty has already taken over the Iwami Silver Mine and the Sado Gold Mine, and it certainly won't give them back; they will be used as compensation.

Is ceding territory feasible? If it truly fails, then of course we have to make it work, even if it's not feasible.

The outcome of war depends on strength, not anything else.

Moreover, the Japanese king was actually prepared for this. If he lost, he would naturally let his opponent take whatever he wanted, and he could only try to protect himself.

For years, the Imperial Family not only failed to gain the respect due to royalty, but was also frequently oppressed by daimyo. It wasn't until the time of Oda Nobunaga that powerful daimyo explicitly supported them, raising their status in Japan and showing signs of revival.

However, a royal family that has lost its territory is just like that.

Their legacy was not respected by the Ming Dynasty at all.

Even their self-proclaimed title of Emperor was an offense to the Ming emperor, and Emperor Yang of Sui had once expelled their delegation.

Therefore, the Emperor only resides within the Imperial Palace; outside the Imperial Palace, they are merely Japanese kings appointed by the Chinese.

Kobayakawa Takakage certainly couldn't bring himself to cede territory after defeat, especially since he already had the tacit approval of the King of Wa, which would be a huge blow to morale.

"The master has his own considerations."

He simply said, then looked at Tachibana Muneshige and Arima Haruno, "You two should now lead your troops to monitor the movements of the Ming army in Ota-sou."

Since the surprise attack failed, we can only wait for the main army to arrive before launching another attack. With artillery support, we believe Datian Village will be within our grasp.

After saying that, he looked at Takahashi Tomoaki and said, "Commander Takahashi, you will lead the troops to clear the snow along the way and pave the way for the main army to follow."

This matter must be handled promptly. My Mori clan's main army and the Inukai army will soon arrive at Tottori Castle, and then they will come here.

"Yes, my lord."

The three men stood up and accepted the order.

Arima Harunobu had previously been in charge of commanding the troops surrounding Ota-sou, while Tachibana Muneshige had a arquebus unit of nearly a thousand men, the most elite troops of the Japanese army. It was most appropriate for them to be in charge of the defense against the Ming army.

Meanwhile, at the Jeju Island dock, more than a dozen Fujian-style ships docked one after another. On the first Fujian-style ship, an official in a green robe quickly disembarked using a pre-laid gangway.

A sedan chair was already waiting here. Although they were overseas, Ming Dynasty officials still maintained the pomp and circumstance expected of them.

The official climbed into the sedan chair and immediately shouted outside, "To the governor's mansion."

"My lord, are you looking for the Grand Marshal?"

The official who came to greet them hurriedly stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"Of course, I have brought the imperial rewards for the officers and soldiers for the New Year, and I must hand them over to the Commander-in-Chief in person."

The official lifted the sedan curtain and said.

Seeing that the other party's attitude was not very good, guessing that they had been exhausted from going out to sea in winter, the welcoming official said with a fawning smile, "Sir, you are unaware that the governor is not on the island at the moment."

"What? Where did the master go?"

The official hurriedly pressed for more information.

"They went to Japan and should be in Shimane Castle now."

He greeted the officials with a forced smile.

"Troublesome, we still have to go to Japan."

Speaking of which, he was sent by the Ministry of War to escort the imperial rewards, so he was considered an imperial envoy and should have been in a grand and glorious manner along the way.

But this time we're traveling by boat, what kind of scenery is that on the open sea?

I thought that once I arrived in Jeju Island, my mission would be over and I could return to Daming immediately. Perhaps I would even have a chance to go home before the Lantern Festival and spend the holiday with my family.

Now that he hears that he has to go to Japan, he knows that he probably won't be able to go home for the Lantern Festival either.

"When did you go? Why didn't you report it to the Ministry of War?"

The official said angrily.

"It has been reported. It's possible that the delivery time and the adults' departure time were different."

The dock officials, adept at reading people's expressions, bowed even deeper and answered respectfully.

However, in his heart, he still cursed the officials in the sedan chair and their ancestors for eighteen generations.

They fight tooth and nail outside, and these officials from the capital just come out once and start throwing their weight around. It's enough already.

How many days will it take to get there?

Even the nominal imperial envoy didn't dare to give Wang Xijue a hard time. Putting aside Wang Xijue's official rank, he was the second-highest-ranking official in the cabinet that year, so it wasn't his place to give him attitude.

Even if he came from the capital, he wouldn't dare to presume to ask Wang Xijue to return to Jeju Island for the handover.

After his expression shifted between light and dark, he said, "It's getting late today. Arrange for the sailors on board to disembark and rest. We'll set sail for Japan early tomorrow morning."

He'd had enough of being on the ship; tonight he wanted to sleep in bed and never want to rock back and forth again.

"Is there a post station nearby? I'll rest here tonight."

Since Wang Xijue has already gone to Japan, there's no point in him going to the military governor's office. He can just find a place to rest nearby.

"Yes, yes, yes, there's a courtyard here where adults can rest."

That place, which seemed to have been the villa of the Jeju Island horse farm manager, was the residence of an official from the Joseon side, but it had been requisitioned by the Ming Dynasty.

Because of its proximity to the port, it was reserved separately as a resting place for officials.

"Okay, the people on the ship will make the arrangements. I'll go and rest for the night."

The official in the capital sighed and said.

He was rushing to get back as soon as possible, but he didn't expect things to turn out like this. Anyway, he's already made up his mind not to rush anymore, and it doesn't matter.

Meanwhile, at Guangzhou Port, Wu Dacheng's fleet of the South China Sea Navy had already arrived and docked directly at the pier.

After drifting in Qianwan for more than half a month, they finally received Liu Yaohui's order to dock and rest.

The conditions have already been given in the capital; the next step is to begin negotiations with the foreigner, Frank.

What I initially thought was a small matter has dragged on until now.

The conditions drafted by the cabinet have already been communicated to the Portuguese in the Gulf, indicating that war is not going to break out.

However, the people of Haojing still cannot return to Haojing. Their suffering will give the Ming Dynasty a greater negotiating advantage.

Yes, in Liu Yaohui's view, the paralysis of industry and commerce in Haojing was a major blow to the Portuguese in the city. They dared not delay negotiations with the Ming Dynasty and would only choose to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Therefore, it is even possible that some negotiations and treaties might be abandoned.

Moreover, they now control the grain supply, providing it to the city's residents on a regular and rationed basis, which means they control the lifeline of Haojing.

If negotiations fail to meet the Ming Dynasty's demands, they can cut off the food supply, and then besiege the Ming with their army. Perhaps they will surrender on their own without even having to fight.

During this time, Liu Yaohui did not wait in vain. He learned a lot about the customs of the Yi people, especially that when they knew they were no match for the enemy, the Yi people would not fight to the death, but would choose to surrender and try to end the war in a dignified manner.

A dignified end to the war would naturally mean either leaving Haojing or continuing to live there in accordance with the laws and regulations, as demanded by the Ming Dynasty.

Since the imperial court has already drawn the line, we can just negotiate within that range.

However, Liu Yaohui still couldn't understand why these red-haired people were allowed to join the Ming Dynasty.

In Liu Yaohui's view, the Ming Dynasty should be composed of Han people, or those ethnic groups that are deeply intertwined with the Han people, including nomadic peoples and native peoples of the southwest.

They have lived here for generations and have intermarried extensively with Han Chinese, which was acceptable to later generations after the land was incorporated into the Ming Dynasty's territory.

But what do the barbarians have?
Nothing at all.

Haojing is also land they rented from the Ming Dynasty, so how could they issue household allowances?

As for money, no matter how rich he is, a governor-general can still bring him down and wipe out his entire family. (End of Chapter)