prosperous age

Today is the darkest moment for the Zhang family in Jingzhou.

The once high-ranking Lady Zhang, her daughters, and even their maids were all "escorted" by soldiers to move to a different residence.

Meanwhile, the people of Jingzhou City stood on both sides of the road, pointing and whispering, their laughter, anger, and curses filling the air.

The Zhang family did many truly good things for the people of Jingzhou.

Not to mention the hundred-mile-long dike along the Yangtze River, which directly protects Jingzhou from floods, there are many other invisible and intangible benefits.

However, at this moment, the people seemed to have completely forgotten, only knowing how to watch the excitement.

Of course, this is not surprising.

Although the Zhang family did indeed bring many benefits to everyone, they were ultimately an official family, and their oppression of the surrounding people was still quite common in places unseen.

Ordinary people may not necessarily want to see their family doing well.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhang residence, Zhang Jingxiu, Zhang Sixiu, and others led government officials to seal off the Zhang residence's internal and external accounting offices and treasury one by one.

All the locks that the Zhang family used to hang were replaced by new locks from the government.

Due to the weather, there was no overnight inspection today.

The main hall of the Zhang family, a place where countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries used to wait in homage, has now been replaced by a few exquisitely crafted trunks.

The lid of the box still had the inner lacquer sealant affixed to it.

That was the ledger containing the items that had been seized by the Liao Prince's Palace, with a detailed list on it.

Taking inventory of valuables is no easy task. First, the valuables in the Zhang residence must be inventoried to check if they bear any royal markings.

After that, regardless of whether there are any markings or not, each item must be compared with the contents of the ledger.

However, Zhang Jingxiu already knew what was truly deadly: the gold, silver, and treasure chests in the storeroom.

This wealth far exceeded his father's normal official salary during his decades in office.

Even if none of the items in his home matched those in the Liao Prince's mansion, just reporting these valuables would almost ruin Zhang Juzheng's lifelong reputation.

Just as the Zhang family was facing a devastating situation, in the Japanese military camp, Hideyoshi Hashiba and a group of daimyo and military commanders were also sitting together with their brows furrowed.

No one spoke; the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Today, after another meeting with Qi Jiguang, the Ming general, Japan finally confirmed the Ming's intentions.

It wasn't, as they claimed, about punishing the Japanese pirates for their incursions; their real aim was to seize territory and establish their own domain.

During today's talks, Qi Jiguang directly demanded the Chinese territories already occupied by the Ming army and Sado Island, claiming that the Ming army would be stationed in the two places for a long time to monitor the activities of the Japanese pirates.

In the waters outside Japan, the Ming Dynasty's East and North Sea Fleets would also conduct patrols to prevent Japanese pirates from crossing the sea to invade again.

Well, these two places happen to be the most important gold and silver mines that Japan has discovered so far.

"Gentlemen, the Ming people's attitude is clear: they have come for our country's gold and silver mines."

So, what do you all think? Let's hear your opinions.

Finally, Hideyoshi Hashiba spoke up and asked.

He won't make a decision directly. Although this matter is out of necessity, it will certainly not leave a good impression on Japanese history.

They had to get someone else to accept the Ming Dynasty's demands first, and then they had to make the Japanese king take the blame and have Japan sign this humiliating agreement that traded land for peace.

As they looked at each person, no one was willing to speak.

For most people here, the attitude is one of indifference, not concern for others.

The people truly affected, Terumoto Mōri and his retainers, had already given up hope and were naturally unwilling to speak.

No one wants to become a criminal against the state and leave a bad name in history.

In terms of historical record-keeping, Japan adopted the traditions of China, with families of officials in Kyoto specifically responsible for this task.

The history I write about doesn't just affect one person, but an entire family, generation after generation.

Just as the Japanese nobles were agonizing over who should make the decision, in the garrison headquarters of Ota Castle, Qi Jiguang broke with tradition and had ten jars of fine wine opened, and slaughtered cattle and sheep to prepare for a grand celebration.

In the afternoon, during the meeting with Hideyoshi Hashiba and other key Japanese officials, the Ming Dynasty clearly demanded land. The fearful and unwilling expressions on the faces of the Japanese nobles delighted Qi Jiguang and other Ming generals.

There was a time when they were all indignant about the Japanese pirates, and now they finally have a chance to vent their anger.

This is an eye for an eye.

"Haha, I saw that Hideyoshi-san this afternoon, his face was turning pale and then red, and I found it funny."

"Indeed, not a single Japanese dared to utter a sound; they were all terrified."

"Actually, I don't think the Japanese pirates are anything to be afraid of."

Why bother with a ceasefire? Just sweep through, annihilate them, capture that Japanese king and bring him back to the capital as a prisoner of war. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

The Ming army officers were now drinking and eating meat, laughing and talking unrestrainedly.

They certainly had reason to say that, because after landing in Japan, the Ming army's campaign went very smoothly.

Thanks to Qi Jiguang's research on firearms, Ming generals learned how to defeat the enemy with firepower.

Meanwhile, when Li Chengliang's troops were conquering Burma, the Ministry of War meticulously copied down the war history of the process of using firearms against soldiers and transmitted it to all armies.

At that time, Qi Jiguang organized the Liaodong generals to study it.

Many Liaodong generals had never seen an elephant before; they only knew that it was several times larger than a horse, with thick skin and flesh, so tough that it could not be harmed by muskets and could only be effectively bombarded by cannons.

Therefore, concentrating artillery fire to bombard the enemy formation, breaking through their defenses before engaging in battle, became the most basic tactic used by the Ming army in Liaodong.

This tactic is not only effective against enemy troops, but also shows significant results against other tribes such as the Jurchen and Tuman.

"The Japanese firepower was indeed inferior to that of the government troops."

Qi Jiguang, seated at the head of the table, picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it all in one gulp. He then glanced at a Japanese woman beside him. The Japanese woman was petite and, although she did not understand what these Ming people were saying, she immediately picked up a delicate little wine pot and refilled his cup after seeing that Qi Jiguang had finished his wine.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang finally showed a satisfied expression and continued, "But it would be too naive to think that we can defeat the Japanese army with our limited forces."

I have repeatedly warned you that war is unpredictable and never static.

The Japanese were simply outmatched by the government troops in terms of firearms, which led to them being repeatedly bombarded and thrown into disarray whenever they encountered them.

However, if they encounter unfavorable terrain or weather, the Japanese could very well defeat our army by relying on their military strength and fighting skills.

Firearms, ultimately, have too many limitations; they cannot be used at will like swords and spears.

As soon as Qi Jiguang spoke, the officers below immediately put down their wine cups and quickly withdrew their hands that were reaching for meat.

At this time, what seemed like a celebration was actually an opportunity for Qi Jiguang to explain to them the things to pay attention to in battle, so that they could learn from it.

It can be said that anyone who served under Qi Jiguang would benefit greatly from his later experiences, whether leading troops in battle or managing logistics and supplies.

After all, Qi Jiguang was quite accomplished in military affairs, except for his unfamiliarity with naval warfare.

Of course, this lack of familiarity simply means not being as proficient as Yu Dayou. After all, when Yu Dayou was suppressing Japanese pirates in Zhejiang, he frequently mobilized the navy to cut off the pirates' communication with their ships, maximizing the chances of killing them on land.

Qi Jiguang learned some things from what he saw and heard.

However, Qi Jiguang's greatest contribution to the Qi Family Army was his love of learning.

Make full use of the weapons that the Ming army is familiar with to deliver the most fatal blow to the enemy.

When suppressing Japanese pirates in the south, in response to the pirates' small groups venturing out everywhere, his subordinates were instructed to familiarize themselves with the Mandarin Duck Formation and to go out in small teams to confront the enemy.

Upon arriving in the north, he faced hordes of Mongol cavalry that moved swiftly and fiercely. He combined the chariots and infantry formations that the Ming army had already developed, maximizing the protective and firepower capabilities of the chariot formations to destroy the enemy's offensive.

The changes he brought to the Ming army were actually the most important.

Ma Fang was also skilled in using firearms, but he preferred to use elite cavalry equipped with a large number of firearms to launch surprise attacks on the central army and directly attack the royal tent.

Li Chengliang was also adept at using well-equipped household cavalry, and he was accustomed to launching surprise attacks on the rear guard of the Mongol army.

By defeating the Mongol rear guard, the vanguard's morale will be shaken due to the disruption of their rear, allowing for a large-scale attack.

When it came to Qi Jiguang, he tried to use a well-trained regular army with sharp firearms to defeat the enemy in front of him, while supplementing it with cavalry to expand the results of the battle.

In fact, Qi Jiguang had already evolved from the small-scale battle mode of suppressing Japanese pirates in the south to the large-scale battle mode in the north, and carried forward the tactics he was most familiar with. He was able to deal not only with small and scattered enemy forces, but also with large-scale enemy forces in the front.

In terms of the ability to engage in large-scale battles, Qi Jiguang was actually a step ahead of Yu Dayou.

Yu Dayou was more accustomed to using his personal charisma to boost the morale of his soldiers and defeat the enemy.

Yu Dayou's greatest strength lies in his ability to unleash the full combat power of both strong and weak troops, a skill cultivated through long-term military leadership.

In this Ming Dynasty's cross-sea invasion of Japanese pirates, the commander was required to be skilled in strategy, and Wei Guangde's choice of Qi Jiguang as commander-in-chief was exactly what he needed.

Whether it was the Mandarin Duck Formation used by Qi Jiguang to deal with Japanese pirates or the Chariot Formation on the northern grasslands, it was all the result of calculation.

Qi Jiguang was skilled in scheming, not only against enemies but also against the imperial court.

Historically, there are many records of Qi Jiguang's corruption and bribery. He even presented Zhang Juzheng with beautiful women to curry favor with him.

However, this is Japan now. Although Qi Jiguang has begun searching for beautiful Japanese women in the areas occupied by the Ming army, intending to present them as local specialties to the powerful and wealthy in the capital when he returns to the capital, the battlefield is ultimately where he will make his mark.

After repeated calculations, Qi Jiguang had long since given up the idea of ​​further expanding his territory.

The Ming army might still be able to continue eastward, or move south or west under the cover of the navy to seize Shikoku or Kyushu, but its troop strength would be even more stretched.

If troop strength is calculated to its maximum, a single mishap could potentially lead to the collapse of the entire situation.

The current situation is just right.

The Ming army still possessed considerable strength and was ready to respond to any counterattacks from the Japanese.

At the same time, and most importantly, he has fulfilled Grand Secretary Wei's request by seizing two mines.

That's enough to explain to the emperor and the court.

Therefore, even if Wang Xijue sent a message saying that there were gold mines in Kyushu, but the imperial court was unaware of them and had not mentioned them, he would naturally not take the initiative to send troops to seize that place.

Unless the imperial court voluntarily allocates 30,000 to 50,000 troops, we can still consider going to Kyushu Island.

As for continuing eastward to occupy the entire Honshu Island, Qi Jiguang had even less intention of doing so.

To the east, the population of Japan was even more dense, especially in the Kansai region, which, under Oda Nobunaga's long-term management, had become the most prosperous area in Japan.

Although tempting, taking it would mean facing an even fiercer counterattack from Japan.

At present, since the fundamental interests of the Oda clan and Toyotomi Hideyoshi have not been touched, and only the Mori clan has been sacrificed, they can still negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty with equanimity.

If we actually fight there, we'll be directly bordering their sphere of influence, and the consequences will naturally be different from what we're seeing now.

"The intention to advance eastward shall be halted here."

At present, stabilizing the situation is the most important thing.

You shouldn't apply the same tactics you used with the border troops here.

"Anyone who dares to go out and raid will be sent out alone, and I don't expect them to come back."

Qi Jiguang gave his arrogant and fierce subordinates a slight threat, fearing that they might send their men out of the city and do something drastic that would provoke a backlash from the Japanese.

Having discerned the threatening intent in Qi Jiguang's words, the generals below naturally fell silent, daring not to disobey.

Even Liu Ting, who is usually fearless, was very well-behaved at this moment.

He may be fierce, but he's not stupid.

We've already earned enough credit; there's no need to create unnecessary trouble.

Returning home safely and receiving rewards from the imperial court seems better than continuing the war.

With the war nearing its end, and the Ming Dynasty having occupied such a large area, it's unclear who will be left to govern it.

Without a doubt, Sado Island will fall under the control of the Hokuriku Navy, and a general will definitely be left to manage the Chugoku region.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Ting decided to eat meat and drink wine obediently. He had his own future to look forward to and there was no need for him to stay in Japan.

Whether he goes to Liaodong, Xuanfu, or Sichuan upon returning to the capital, it shouldn't be a problem for him, as a deputy general, to be promoted to deputy commander-in-chief.

With a bit of luck, getting a general's rank isn't out of the question; it just depends on whether there's an open position.

Let's forget about Japan, which is isolated overseas.

Among the Ming generals surrounding him, some were as astute as Liu Ting, and others shared his scheming.

Some people wanted to stay, but they had no connections in the court and could only gamble on whether they could get promoted in Japanese government.

Then, by using the output of the Iwami Silver Mine to send local specialties to the capital, they sought to have the silver transferred back.

As for those with some connection, they naturally wouldn't want to stay.

Meanwhile, Ava, Myanmar, was the core city chosen by Li Chengliang. It was also the former capital of the Konbaung Dynasty. The royal palace had been renovated and became Li Chengliang's residence in Myanmar.

He sent his son Li Rusong to Toungoo, the former capital of Burma, while he himself was stationed in Ava, in order to ensure the communication between the Ming army in the north and south, especially the passage to the Yunnan Province of the Ming Dynasty.

Meanwhile, in the vast hall, Li Chengliang stared blankly at a large pile of bright red gemstones in front of him.

These were collected by my subordinates from Mogok a few days ago. According to them, there is a huge mine in the area that produces this thing that the Yi people call "ruby".

In the Ming Dynasty, this red stone was also called Burmese jade, and well-polished rubies were also very valuable jewels.

"Someone come here."

Li Chengliang finally came to his senses and summoned his personal guards, instructing them: "Immediately send an order to General Pang to conscript five thousand laborers to mine that gemstone mountain."

In present-day Myanmar, Li Chengliang is practically a local tyrant.

If valuable treasures are discovered here, one should naturally seize the opportunity and grab them for oneself. (End of Chapter)