The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 568 Why do we still need to cross the seed?
August 1783, 8. This was the 20rd day of the seventh lunar month, the th year of the Guangzhong reign of the Great Yu Emperor of China (formerly the th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty).

When the Tenmei eruption caused panic among the people of Kanto, the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieharu, finally chose to send a large army to the west to resist the so-called invasion of the Tang invaders.

The expeditionary force was very large, with a total of ninety-three daimyo, including relatives, hereditary daimyo, and outer daimyo.

There were also the Tokugawa family's own Gosanke, Gosankei and a large number of hatamoto samurai, a mighty force of tens of thousands of people, stretching for more than ten miles.

After tens of thousands of people left Edo, the samurai from the nearly one hundred feudal states who followed their lords to the Edo-Kanto region were allowed to join the shogunate's army as feudal soldiers.

Therefore, when they came out of Edo, there were only more than 20,000 people, and most of them were various groups and teams of the shogunate.

But after more than a month of marching, when they arrived at Nagoya, the headquarters of the Owari Tokugawa clan on the Nobi Plain, there were already nearly 100,000 people.

This is the largest military expedition by Japan since the Battle of Sekigahara almost two hundred years ago. The vanguard has reached Nagoya, and the logistics and supplies are still in the Kanto region and even in Edo Castle.

The Shogun, Tokugawa Ieharu, was surrounded by his trusted petty officials and retainers in the inner circle. Outside him were the relatives and hereditary daimyo, outside of them were the outer daimyo, and the outermost were the senior hatamoto of the shogunate and the Tokugawa Gosanke and Gosanke.

As for the even more numerous feudal lords and their soldiers, they were all on the outermost edge, and their connection with the feudal lords was artificially cut off by the shogunate.

The daimyo of each domain could only indirectly command their own domain troops through their retainers passing through the shogunate's human isolation zone.

This is a bit like something, very much like a mobile court, a mobile mandala system, rather than a military organization, not like it is sending troops to fight.

What's even more outrageous is that the power to march, station, supply and even distribute more than 100,000 people was in the hands of General Tokugawa Ieharu, and the rest, even the generals in various fields, had little power.

However, Tokugawa Ieharu did not have a qualified team of staff officers, such as Mo Zibu's Inner Court Staff Officers Department and the Five Military Governor's Office Grand Marshal's Office.

Therefore, Tokugawa Ieharu had no idea how to manage these 100,000 people. Many times, the orders he issued were even contradictory or incomprehensible.

However, we cannot fail to mention one of the benefits of Tokugawa Ieyasu's complete transformation of Japan into a military empire, which is that the ability to fight was indeed passed down from generation to generation among most people.

Especially for many low-level samurai and some hatamoto families with more stringent requirements, their ancestors for seven or eight generations were professional soldiers, and the inheritance is still very orderly.

You can say that he is a poor guy, but you can never say that he is a useless person abandoned by the times.

Most of these people are capable of reading classics and fighting with swords, and they have almost become accustomed to marching and fighting.

So under the chaotic command of Tokugawa Ieharu, more than 100,000 people walked hundreds of kilometers. Except for the fact that they consumed all the food along the way like a swarm of locusts, they still persisted in the basic march spontaneously.

At the same time, these warriors harassed the countryside much less than ordinary feudal armies. At least the frequency of burning, killing, looting, raping and plundering was not high.

The samurai formed their own hierarchical management model based on their status in the fiefdom and their level of knowledge and ability. They managed themselves and actually managed it in a decent manner.

As expected, any force that wants to achieve something does not emerge suddenly in a short period of time, but has accumulated over a long period of time.

On the 27th day of the eighth lunar month, Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu arrived in Nagoya and settled down in the Owari Tokugawa family's residence.

Tokugawa Ieharu said to Tokugawa Munemichi, the head of the Owari Tokugawa clan, with some emotion: "Today I realize how glorious it is to lead a large army. Back then, Lord Ieyasu led the heroes and defeated the Western Army in the Battle of Sekigahara. What a hero he was!"

Tokugawa Munemitsu was the ninth generation head of the Owari Tokugawa family. He was a capable person and made considerable achievements in history.

Thanks to his diligence, the financial situation of the Owari Tokugawa family, that is, the Owari domain, was finally reversed to a certain extent, and it was one of the few daimyo who did not have many debts at that time.

Therefore, he was not at all welcome to the arrival of Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu.

Because of the army's military supplies, half of them were required to be provided by the Mino Plain where the Owari Tokugawa family was located and the Osaka Plain where Osaka was located.

The financial situation of the Owari domain was so good. Well, it didn't owe much money, which was indeed good at that time, so the materials that the Owari domain was required to hand out were equivalent to 150,000 stones.

Although the Owari domain had a koku of 610,000 koku, the thought of giving out so much at once still made Tokugawa Munemitsu feel extremely heavy-hearted. He expected that next year would be difficult.

"Look, the Tang invaders are so powerful that they are definitely not comparable to Ishida Mitsunari of the former Western Army. We also don't have an insider like Kobayakawa Hideaki."

Therefore, the Owari domain lord Tokugawa Munemitsu, who felt a little uncomfortable, immediately confronted Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu in a tough and unyielding manner.

Tokugawa Ieharu never expected that Tokugawa Munemitsu would dare to contradict him. It seems that the Owari clan has not been hit hard enough in recent years!
Your grandfather Tokugawa Muneharu didn't finish writing the guarantee letter after he was arrested, so you want to continue writing, right?
As one of the three great families of the Tokugawa clan, the Owari domain at this time was actually no different from a daimyo.

Because the current shogun, Tokugawa Ieharu, is not actually a descendant of the Tokugawa main family, and the Tokugawa main family has died out in the seventh generation.

At that time, Tokugawa Muneharu of Owari Domain and Tokugawa Yoshimune of Kishu Domain were competing fiercely for the right to succeed the shogun, and in the end, Kishu Domain won.

Tokugawa Yoshimune of Kishu Domain was the grandfather of the current Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu.

His rival, Tokugawa Muneharu of Owari Domain, was the grandfather of the current Owari Domain lord, Tokugawa Munemichi.

These are not brothers from different clans, but two concubines fighting for the inheritance of the main family, and their brains are so fierce that they are almost as stupid as dogs.

When the shogun's close ministers heard that Tokugawa Munemitsu contradicted the shogun, they all glared at him, and some were even ready to yell.

The retainers of Owari Domain were quite nervous, fearing that the incident that happened to their former lord Tokugawa Muneharu, who was severely punished, would happen again.

Fortunately, just when the atmosphere was extremely cold, muffled thunder-like sounds came from the horizon, attracting everyone's attention.

Over the past month, a series of volcanic eruptions, including Mount Asama in Kanto, have been so large that the dull rumble of thunder can be heard in Nagoya and even further west in Osaka and Kyoto.

Tokugawa Munemitsu was actually much gentler than his grandfather, Tokugawa Muneharu, who failed in the competition for the shogunate. Although he still inherited his resentment towards the shogunate, he also knew how to be sensible.

He looked at General Tokugawa Ieharu with some concern. "The strong eruption of Mount Asama is not a good sign. It also coincides with the invasion of Tang invaders. The world is truly in turmoil!"

Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu nodded, and his worries about Edo grew even greater. He also knew that at this moment, it was not appropriate to start any more internal strife.

So he relaxed his tone and said to Tokugawa Munemitsu, "It's okay. Mount Asama will always erupt. The Land of the Rising Sun has been a wooden ship sailing on the waves since ancient times. Even if it sinks one day, it won't be surprising.

I heard that life in Owari Domain has gotten better in recent years, otherwise I would not have asked to collect supplies in the Ono Plain.

Don't worry, once the Tang invaders are driven away, the shogunate will reward those who are loyal and brave. But right now, we must first protect the Tokugawa family's empire."

"Hayi, please rest assured that the Owari clan will fully support the shogunate's fight against the Tang invaders!"

Tokugawa Munemitsu had no hope for any reward. Given the relationship between the Shogunate and the Owari clan, even if he was given a reward, it would only be an additional few hundred or a thousand koku.

But Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu was right in one thing: we must first preserve the Tokugawa family's empire.

. . . .

At the same time, in Kagoshima, the headquarters of the Satsuma clan, the scene was completely different. The entire castle town was extremely lively, with samurai wearing coarse gray linen robes walking around and talking loudly.

These warriors, who originally had pale faces, have recently become rosy-faced.

Because the Liwei Army of the Jingying stationed in Kagoshima, Dayu, was selecting vassal soldiers. Anyone who could read a few words, understand simple commands written in Chinese characters, and dared to draw a sword and kill people could become a vassal soldier.

Of course, the people of Satsuma did not call themselves a vassal army, but rather a volunteer force.

Becoming a member of the Self-Defense Forces immediately afforded them the most basic treatment of the Great Yujing Army, meaning their meals were provided by the army. It wasn't anything fancy, just some cooked fish and shrimp with some sauce, rolled into brown rice balls.

The Liwei Army usually only eats this kind of food when it is inconvenient to perform a mission. If the soldiers are allowed to eat only rice balls instead of boxed meals on weekdays, the quartermaster and the cook will be punished.

But for the lower-ranking samurai, ronin, and town samurai of the Satsuma domain, this kind of rice ball was simply the ultimate delicacy.

Each meal consists of three fist-sized rice balls and a bowl of soybean paste soup cooked with a little tofu and lard. This is what a god's life would be like.

That's what Yamajiro thought. After becoming a member of the Liwei Army, he not only had enough to eat, but he could even support his half-blind old mother.

Yamajiro's mother held a rice ball that looked a little strange and ate it happily. The reason why it looked strange was that the rice ball was wet and looked like it had a lot of saliva in it.

Of course there was a lot of drooling, because the rice balls of the Liwei Army were for the Vanguard Team, because they would have to do the hard work in the subsequent battles, and they couldn't do it if they were not in good health.

So after the rice balls were distributed, the officers would require the soldiers to finish eating them on the spot, and even drink the soybean paste soup and were not allowed to take it away.

But as the supervision is not so strict, some volunteer team members will find ways to bring rice balls out.

Yamajiro has this unique skill. He can hold a rice ball in his mouth and talk to people as usual without being discovered.

"These are delicious rice balls. Taro, would you like to have some too?" Suddenly, the half-blind mother shouted at the door.

Although the old lady had poor eyesight, her ears were very good and she heard the footsteps of her eldest son Taro.

Yamataro, who was about to enter the house and was as short as the shabby house, swallowed his saliva when he heard this, but quickly shook his head.

He knew that his mother's daily rations were the rice balls secretly brought out by his younger brother Yamajiro.

"I'm not hungry. Today, the heavenly soldiers brought a lot of iron cannons from Ningbo Prefecture. Everyone on the dock has work to do, and they also provide a meal. Three large pancakes and a portion of natto, which is very filling."

The big pancake that Yamataro mentioned was not a flatbread, but a compacted pancake made of dried sweet potatoes mixed with a small amount of cornmeal and other things.

Because the survival pressure was much greater than on the mainland, relatively high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes and corn were more widely planted than on the mainland and were very important staple foods for the Japanese at that time.

When the old lady heard that her eldest son had also eaten today, she felt relieved and continued to eat her rice balls happily.

In today's world, being able to eat half full every day is already a very good life, and she is very satisfied.

At this moment, the sound of brisk footsteps was heard again, and a girl wearing a small jacket made of rough Matsusaka cotton appeared at the door.

The girl was very thin, but had a rosy complexion, big eyes, and looked very well-behaved. He handed a real pancake to Yamataro.

"Brother Taro, that Tang man came to see me again. This is the pancake he gave me. I can't finish it today. Can you help me eat it?"

Shantaro shook his head. "I won't eat, but you do. You're too thin. If you get pregnant in the future, your body won't be able to support it. We're all counting on this child."

After saying that, Yamataro looked at his fiancée Anzi lovingly, and slowly ate the bread that he had exchanged his body for from a Tang soldier with full happiness.

And the conversation between the two of them was even more explosive because they were planning to make Xingzi pregnant with the Tang soldier's child.

If future generations heard this conversation, they would be completely shocked, but at that time, this was a way of survival for the lower-class people in Japan.

The young couple, who were about to get married, were carrying out a breeding plan that seemed very normal to the lower-class Japanese people at that time, which was to let the wife get pregnant with a child of the Chinese (Tang people).

After the child is born, he will be treated as the head of the family, and then he will become a member of the Chinese clan through bloodline and obtain a Chinese surname, so that the whole family can escape from the lowly semi-serf status.

"Brother, Sister Xingzi, I suggest you let that Tangren know what you think.

Because the Tang people care a lot about the inheritance of their bloodline, and they are also very wealthy. If he knew about this, he might be willing to leave some of his belongings to this child."

Yamajiro reminded in a low voice that he had joined the volunteer team and had some understanding of the Tang people's style and traditions.

As samurai, well, in the eyes of the Japanese, the soldiers of Dayu’s Jingying were samurai, and they were high-level samurai with high knowledge and ability.

Being a warrior still has certain risks. If those Tang people knew that they could leave behind a progeny, they would definitely be happy and would certainly not mind leaving a little of their generous salary for this bloodline.

Tsurumaru Castle in Kagoshima.

When the common people were so deeply influenced by China, the feudal lord Shimazu Shigehiro was naturally no exception.

He had just received news from the delegation on the mainland that the emperor would send him a large number of Dutch studies books, agreed that the lord of Satsuma would enjoy the treatment of a marquis, and that his son Shimazu Yoshinori could study in Yingtian Prefecture.

More importantly, the Shimazu clan was allowed to use their ancestor Qin as their surname, which seemed to indicate that they were to be directly incorporated into the Chinese clan.

"Ji Gong, since this is the will of the Great Emperor, the Satsuma Domain is now in your hands. Cooperate well with the Heavenly Army of the Upper Kingdom in their advance."

Shimazu Shigehiro told his trusted family elder, Karayama Hisayoshi, that the news that Mo Zibu was planning to appoint Karayama Hisayoshi as the Prime Minister of Satsuma naturally spread.

"I will not wait for the Dutch studies books bestowed by His Majesty the Great Emperor to arrive in Kagoshima, but will go directly to Yingtian Prefecture to live.

Being a little more obedient can save you a lot of trouble, and maybe one day you’ll return to Kagoshima.”

Shimazu Shigehiro sighed and said, although he was very reluctant, his attitude was very firm, "Compared to the direct elimination of the Choshu Mori clan, the future of the Satsuma Shimazu clan is much better."

"Yes." Kabayama Hisayoshi nodded, "Major General Sho will become a Chinese marquis in the future, and Satsuma is also the first Sunrise daimyo to surrender to the emperor.

The future of the Shimazu clan, no, the Satsuma clan, will surely be very bright."

Shimazu Shigehiro shook his head. He had a very good brain. "It's impossible to be a marquis. I'd be satisfied with just an earl. There are so many daimyos in the Land of the Rising Sun. Only a few will eventually achieve the title of marquis."

Kabayama Hisayoshi was stunned for a moment. "The Ryukyu Sho clan only has a few hundred thousand koku of officialdom, yet they can obtain the title of prince. My Satsuma clan was the first to initiate the uprising, so why can't we obtain the title of marquis?"

Shimazu Shigehiro gave a bitter laugh, "Since ancient times, titles have been bestowed upon the superiors. Whether one's merits are sufficient to be conferred a title is a matter for the subordinates, but how high a title to confer, or whether to confer a title at all, is the matter of the superiors.

Ryukyu was originally a county king, and now it has basically donated its territory. In fact, it has changed from a powerful vassal state to a nobleman who can only receive an annual pension, and it does not even have a royal title.

Whether this in and out is cost-effective or not depends on personal choice.

Moreover, this was done intentionally by the emperor. He elevated Ryukyu to the position of a close vassal state and gave it the surname of the emperor in order to continuously aggravate the sins of the Satsuma domain.

Invading a foreign vassal state is completely different from invading a vassal state that is closely related to the country.

According to the law, not only is the Satsuma clan guilty of a serious crime, but the shogunate, which knew about the incident but did not report it, is also guilty of a serious crime. Even the other Sunrise daimyo in the southwest are guilty of sitting idly by.

"I understand." Kabayama Hisayoshi nodded, "This Emperor Guangzhong really pays attention to legal principles!
Every step he took was in accordance with the rules of Confucianism, and there was nothing wrong with it.

If we Japanese had not accepted Confucianism, it would have been fine. But after accepting Confucianism, looking at China's every move, it seems that there is indeed a hint of the kingly way."

(End of this chapter)