Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 285 Keep the Island, But Not the People, The Sixth Heavenly Demon King!
Over the next month, similar scenes unfolded throughout northern Kyushu. Villages and towns suspected of harboring deserters or fleeing nobles became targets of indiscriminate massacres by the Han army.

Those who informed on others received a generous reward. The village they informed on received a tenth of all its wealth.

Of course, this money wasn't easy to get.

They would be appointed as village chiefs in other villages to help the Han army collect labor and grain.

Apart from the necessary rations, all the grain was transported to Dazai City. All able-bodied men were conscripted into the army, received basic military training, and helped the Han army continue its conquests.

The villagers were naturally very dissatisfied.

But so what? Killing these village chiefs would only result in the Han army's retaliation of massacring the villages.

If they are not killed, these "traitorous" village chiefs have sacrificed the entire village and have no way out. They will inevitably drain every last bit of the village's potential.

For other villages without "Japanese traitor" village chiefs, the grain and conscripted men required to be paid are the same as those in villages with "Japanese traitors," with no room for exceptions.

A month later, all the able-bodied men from Fusang in the northern Kyushu region were organized into a conscripted army of 50,000.

At the same time, China's terrifying transportation capacity was fully unleashed.

Zhao Shuo had long ago decreed that maritime merchants did not necessarily have to contribute large ships with a carrying capacity of over 100,000 jin; small ships with a carrying capacity of tens of thousands of jin could also participate in transportation.

Actually, in this calm season, what's so difficult about the sea route from Korea to Japan?
More than 700 years ago, Fusang was able to send an army of 30,000 to conquer Silla.

Six hundred years ago, in the battle at the entrance of Baijiang Village of the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese even mobilized an army of 50,000.

Let alone China today?
The navy's three 10,000-household units, along with more than 10,000 civilian ships, continuously transported soldiers, warhorses, and various logistical supplies between Goryeo and Fusang.

To this day, the 120,000-strong army that Zhao Shuo prepared to use to conquer Japan has arrived in Kyushu, and even the local militia prepared to suppress the local areas number 50,000.

Including the conscripted troops in northern Kyushu, the total strength exceeded 200,000.

Then, Zhao Shuo gave the order to launch a simultaneous attack in three directions: East Kyushu, South Kyushu, and West Kyushu, with 40,000 troops in each direction!

Wherever the army went, only towns and villages that offered no resistance were spared. Any town that put up any resistance was utterly destroyed.

Those conscripted soldiers from northern Kyushu, as well as the able-bodied men from the towns that surrendered, became the vanguard in destroying these stubborn towns. No matter how many died, Zhao Shuo didn't care.

Thus, the defenders of the city were the Japanese, and the attackers were the Japanese, and the largest-scale infighting in the history of the Japanese began.

The Han army only provided support from the rear, including catapults and long-range weapons such as triple-bow crossbows.

It must be noted that the castles of Fusang in this era, while occupying a strategically important location, were far less fortified than those on the mainland.

These cities were primarily constructed of earth and wood, with very few built of brick and stone. The magnificent castles made of a mixture of stone and wood that later generations saw were called "modern castles" by the Japanese, and their construction began in the 16th century.

That was more than three hundred years ago!

The Japanese of that era had neither catapults nor triple-bow crossbows, so when they built these castles, they didn't even have the concept of defending against these ranged weapons, let alone the terrifying gunpowder weapon, the thunderbolt.

Therefore, this place became a hunting ground for the Han army's long-range weapons.

Later, after the Han army besieged the city, they were unwilling to wait even seven days and directly ordered the conscripted soldiers to launch a fierce attack, while the Han army provided long-range weapon support from behind using triple-bow crossbows.

In any case, China's terrifying maritime transport capabilities have already been brought into play.

Both the three-bow crossbow and the livestock used to transport them were plentiful.

In less than a month, towns and cities in the Kyushu region were razed to the ground, and the entire Kyushu island had been occupied by the Han army.

More than 200,000 young Japanese women were enslaved by the Han army.

The number of conscripts under the Han army did not decrease but increased, reaching 130,000.

Zhao Shuo still felt that 130,000 men were too many. He intended to use these 130,000 conscripts to conquer Honshu and Shikoku in Japan.

May every man in Japan be reduced to less than one in ten in this war!

Of course, as the Han army continued to conquer cities and seize territories, some of the Fusang people fled to Shikoku Island, and some fled to Honshu Island.

Envoys from various countries in Kyushu also traveled to Honshu Island in waves to seek help from the Kamakura Shogunate and the Emperor!
It was at this time that Adachi Kagemori, an envoy from Japan, came to Dazaifu and requested an audience with Zhao Shuo.

In fact, when Zhang Shijie led his army to capture Dazaifu, both Hojo Yasutoki, the true ruler of Fusang, and the Emperor of Fusang and the Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate had already received the news.

But what can they do?
The battle reports from the front lines are truly terrifying.

The Han army was fully armored, and even the sharpest katana could hardly harm them.

The Han army's warhorses were tall and magnificent; even the largest warhorses in Japan looked like donkeys in front of the Han army.

The armor of the Han army was not only incredibly sturdy, but also much lighter and more flexible than that of the Fusang army.

The Han army's skillful advances and retreats, coupled with their expertise in group charges, made it difficult for the Fusang army, accustomed to one-on-one duels, to adapt.

And there are also gunpowder weapons as powerful as thunder!
The main force of 100,000 troops on Kyushu Island was completely annihilated in less than a day when facing 30,000 Han troops!
Under these circumstances, organizing a large army to engage the Han army in open battle would only be suicidal. Therefore, they pinned their hopes on the Japanese people's fearless spirit and the complex terrain of Kyushu Island to wear down the Han army's strength and force them to retreat.

However, they never dreamed that the Han army would be so ruthless and cruel!
All those who fought against the Han army were killed. Fusang people who surrendered to the Han army were also required to enlist as soldiers to help the Han army attack other cities.

The entire Kyushu islands not only did not deplete the Han army's strength, but also greatly increased the number of Han soldiers.

The grain supplies of the Nine Provinces also became spoils of war for the Han army!
The gap in strength between the Japanese and Han armies is not narrowing, but widening!
With no other option, the Japanese court finally compromised at Hojo Yasutoki's suggestion, requesting peace talks with the Han army.

Dazaifu, in the official hall.

"So you are the Fusang envoy, Adachi Kagemori?" Zhao Shuo looked at the Fusang envoy with amusement.

Zhao Shuo was not familiar with the history of Japan, but he had indeed heard of Adachi Kagemori.

This person wore a green hat, a color that is famously associated with Japan in its history.

In 1199, the newly appointed Shogun Minamoto no Yoriie ordered Nakano Yoshinari, Wada Tomomori, Hiki Munekazu, Ogasawara Nagatsune, and others to forcibly seize Adachi Kagemori's concubine.

After that, Adachi Kagemori endured it, finally holding out until four years later when the Hiki Yoshikazu Rebellion occurred, and Minamoto no Yoriie was stripped of his shogunate. The following year, Minamoto no Yoriie was assassinated, and rumors circulated that Adachi Kagemori was behind it. Afterwards, Adachi Kagemori served Minamoto no Sanetomo.

A year later, during the Tayama Shigetada Rebellion, Adachi Kagemori led the vanguard into battle. After the Maki incident, he went to the residence of Hojo Yoshitoki and killed Hiraga Tomomasa.

Later, Adachi Kagemori participated in the Jokyu Rebellion, marrying his daughter Matsushita Zenni to Hojo Tokiuji, who gave birth to his grandson, Hojo Tokiyori. Hojo Tokiyori was the fifth "regent" of the shogunate, the de facto ruler of Japan.

If history had unfolded normally, Adachi Kagemori would have executed the Miura clan, who had always opposed him, seven years later, and died the following year.

This person is a typical Japanese hero.

When out of power, they are adept at enduring hardship; when in power, they are ruthless and cunning, taking back everything they lost a hundredfold and laughing last.

Of course, Adachi Kagemori had no idea that Zhao Shuo already knew his background.

Boom boom boom!
Adachi Kagemori, with the utmost humility, kowtowed three times to Zhao Shuo and said, "Yes, I am Adachi Kagemori. My country, Fusang, is a small and insignificant nation, ignorant and arrogant, and has offended Your Majesty. This is a grave offense. Now I have repented and beg Your Majesty to grant us your supreme grace and allow us to surrender."

"Oh? Can you represent Japan?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have received authorization from the Emperor, the Shogun, and the Regent of the Shogunate, and I can fully represent the entire country of Japan."

Zhao Shuo's expression remained unreadable as he said, "Then tell me, how do you Japanese plan to surrender?"

Adachi Kagemori said, “First, we are willing to offer the entire islands of Kyushu and Shikoku to Your Majesty to appease your wrath. Second, we are willing to offer 500,000 taels of gold and 1 million taels of silver to reward Your Majesty’s army. Third, from now on, Japan will offer Your Majesty 100,000 taels of gold and 300,000 taels of silver annually to show our submission.”

Of the three islands of Japan, Honshu is the largest, while Shikoku and Kyushu combined only account for one-third of Honshu.

On the surface, the Japanese surrendered two islands, but in reality, they preserved the land to the greatest extent possible.

Jin and Yin didn't dare to play any tricks.

They understood the public opinion within Zhao Shuo's Khanate and knew that the Han army was after gold and silver. However, while Fusang was indeed a land of gold and silver, its productivity was too low to contribute more.

However, Zhao Shuo remained noncommittal, looking at the generals and asking, "What do you think?"

"Are they trying to fob us off like beggars? The Japanese are so stingy, they have absolutely no sincerity!" "Yes! As long as we conquer Japan, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu will all be ours. Why would we need to cede them?"

"All the wealth, women, and gold and silver mines of Japan belong to us! How can we take our things to do favors?"

"Let's storm Honshu Island and cut down the Japanese Emperor!"

……

The generals talked at length, showing disdain for the conditions offered by the Japanese.

Ours!
They're all ours!
It's a pipe dream for the Japanese to expect to get what they can't get on the battlefield through negotiation!

As the generals' voices gradually subsided, Zhao Shuo said, "Anda Jingsheng, did you hear that clearly? I'm really puzzled. How could you be so delusional as to expect to make the heavenly army retreat with such stingy terms?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Your Majesty is right."

The conditions that Anda Kagemori just mentioned were just exorbitant demands, hoping that Zhao Shuo would agree to pay them later.

Seeing that his attempt to steal the chicken had failed, he could only reveal the true conditions of the Japanese: "As long as Your Majesty is merciful and preserves the title of the Emperor of Japan, all conditions are negotiable, and we can agree to them."

To say that those Japanese nobles were truly loyal to the Emperor is pure nonsense.

However, the Emperor is the shared spiritual belief of the Japanese people.

As long as the Emperor exists, the spirit of resistance against foreign invaders will remain in Japan. They believe that just as the sun waxes and wanes, so too will China eventually decline.

When that time comes, it will be the time for Japan to rise again!
However, how could Zhao Shuo be deceived by such a small trick?

In later generations, after Japan was hit by two powerful weapons, it surrendered unconditionally and retained its emperor. But in the end, didn't it still continue to be an enemy of China?

First, endure and accumulate strength, preparing to retaliate after China has declined.

Zhao Shuo won't give them that chance!

He shook his head and said, "No."

"Huh? You're not allowed?"

Adachi Kagekatsu looked utterly disappointed and had no choice but to compromise, saying, "My Emperor of Fusang is willing to lower his title to King of Wa and submit to Your Majesty. What does Your Majesty think?"

The Emperor of Fusang was called the King of Wa when speaking to outsiders, but he could also be called the Emperor when speaking to his own people.

Although the cohesion is somewhat weaker, it's not unacceptable.

However, Zhao Shuo still shook his head and said, "Alright, stop wasting your breath. If your so-called emperor comes to Dazaifu and kneels down to surrender to me, I might consider sparing his life and demoting him to a commoner. As for anything else, don't even dream about it."

"So, we have no other choice but to surrender unconditionally?"

"You could think so."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Adachi Kagemori, a coward, could no longer contain himself and threatened, "The Emperor is a descendant of a god whose lineage has lasted for eternity, and he enjoys the loyalty and faith of all the people of Japan. We, the people of Japan, are willing to fight to the last man to protect the Emperor! Your Majesty should think carefully about whether you can afford to pay that price!"

Zhao Shuo sneered, "Then fight to the last man. All I want are the four islands of Fusang. Whether there are Fusang people on them or not is irrelevant. Guards!"

"exist!"

"Take Adachi Kagemori out and cut him in half at the waist! Have his attendants take my terms back to the Japanese court."

"Yes."

Naturally, guards came and dragged Adachi Kagemori away.

What is there about an envoy that cannot be killed?
Historically, the Japanese killed two envoys sent by Kublai Khan to persuade them to surrender, demonstrating their resolute refusal to submit. This included Du Shizhong, the Vice Minister of Rites, who was already a high-ranking official in the Yuan Dynasty.

Zhao Shuo's purpose today is to kill the Fusang envoy and demonstrate his firm stance on occupying Fusang!

Besides, Adachi Kagemori was one of the most outstanding generals in Japan. Why not kill him and let him lead the Japanese people to resist the Han army?
Of course, in Adachi Kagemori's view, it was perfectly reasonable for the Japanese to kill the envoy. But for the Han Chinese to kill the envoy was utterly inconceivable.

"Zhao Shuo, how dare you?! You actually defy the world and want to kill the envoy!"

“Killing prisoners of war has always been considered an omen of misfortune, let alone an envoy! You will be punished! Your whole family will be punished!”

"You and your whole family will fall into the eighteenth level of hell... Waaah!"

Knowing he was doomed, Adachi Kagemori kept cursing Zhao Shuo. But the guards wouldn't let him curse so indiscriminately, so they simply gagged him with a rag.

Anda Kagemori usually doesn't believe in gods or Buddhas, but now he desperately hopes that gods and Buddhas exist and can inflict the most cruel punishment on Zhao Shuo and the Han army, thus protecting Fusang.

But what if gods and Buddhas don't exist?
Adachi Kagemori understood that Zhao Shuo was unyielding to both soft and hard tactics, and his will was as hard as iron. It seemed that Japan had no chance left!

……

……

Ten days later, in Heian-kyo, inside the Imperial Palace.

"Our envoy to sue for peace, Anda Kagemori, has been killed by Zhao Shuo. He will not accept any conditional surrender from us, not even allowing me to retain my title and position. What do you think Japan should do in response?"

The twenty-year-old Emperor Go-Saga slowly looked at the leaders of various circles in Japan.

To this day, the Han army has been invading Japan for more than four months. Not only have countless envoys been sent from the Kyushu region to request aid, but daimyo, prominent figures from Buddhism and Shintoism, and wealthy merchants from various regions have also come to Kyoto or Kamakura to discuss how to deal with this unprecedented crisis in Japan.

In order to concentrate all of Japan's resources, Hojo Yasutoki even decided to hold this conference in Kyoto and have the Emperor preside over it.

After all, the Japanese Emperor is the greatest common denominator for the Japanese people right now.

"Let's fight to the death! Let's fight Zhao Shuo to the bitter end!"
"Look at what Zhao Shuo has done in Kyushu! Even if we surrender, we won't have a good ending! He wants to exterminate all the Japanese! Leave the islands but not the people!"

"Yes! Let's fight Zhao Shuo to the death! Fortify our city, learn the Han people's tactics, and fight them to the bitter end!"

"Six million people will die for the sake of the emperor! We Japanese would rather die than live as worthless wretch!"

"If Japan is destined to perish, Zhao Shuo will be splattered with its blood!"

……

The Japanese nobles were filled with excitement and shouted their support.

Zhao Shuo's malice towards the Japanese was obvious even to a blind man.

Most importantly, they naturally had their pride. They believed that although they were no match for the Han army now, they could learn from the Han army's strengths, and in time, they might not be no match for the Han army, or at least make the Han army pay a heavy price.

The highly respected Master Shinran even proclaimed, "Zhao Shuo not only destroyed daimyo, but also Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. He is the enemy of all Japanese people! He is the Sixth Heaven Demon King, who was specially reincarnated to destroy Japan! We should gather all the forces of Japan to fight against him!"

This Shinran Daishi was the founder of the famous Honganji Temple. Although the temple has not yet been built, Shinran is now nearly seventy years old and widely spreads his teachings, enjoying great prestige among the Japanese.

According to Buddhist teachings, the highest heaven in the Desire Realm is the sixth heaven.

The Sixth Heaven Demon King is the most terrifying world-destroying demon king in Buddhist teachings.

The Han army didn't care about Buddhist temples or shrines; all Japanese were treated equally, and labor and grain were conscripted. Anyone who dared to harbor defeated Japanese soldiers or nobles was slaughtered. These charlatans were sworn enemies of Zhao Shuo.

In fact, to further intensify the Japanese people's hatred of Zhao Shuo, they gave him the title of "Sixth Heaven Demon King".

"Master Shinran is right!"

Hojo Yasutoki stood up and said loudly, "Zhao Shuo is not human. He is the Sixth Heaven Demon King who was born into the world to destroy Japan. There is no possibility of us compromising with him! However, we don't need to worry too much. We have Amaterasu Omikami's protection and Buddha's protection. We will definitely defeat this Sixth Heaven Demon King! However, we will have to pay a sufficient price!"

"I hereby declare that, from this day forward, the entire territory of Fusang will be fortified with a scorched-earth policy, and all its population will be concentrated in the Great City, vowing to fight Zhao Shuo to the death. Let us see whether the blood and courage of Fusang can make the army of the Sixth Heaven Demon King retreat, or whether Zhao Shuo can leave the island but not its people, and completely conquer Fusang!"

(End of this chapter)