Chapter 327: Wild Boars Do Not Surrender, But Men Do

Chen Lin did not arrange for the Sea Flyers to assassinate them; whether by poison or storming the guesthouse to kill them, it would be no difficulty for the Sea Flyers—but a real assassination would expose that the Ming navy had already landed in Nagasaki.

Both Ōtomo Sōrin and Shimazu Yoshihisa had already shown clear inclinations toward peace; should either be assassinated, all would naturally suspect the party unwilling to see peace, and among the powers of Kyushu, Ming would undoubtedly become the obvious target.

And then a question arises: why?

The Ming navy had landed two infantry battalions, hidden among rows of large houses; no matter how well they concealed themselves, careful reconnaissance would uncover them.

The movements of six thousand soldiers were not easily hidden.

Chen Lin had a better plan: stoke the flames on both sides.

The victor seeks peace to consolidate gains; the defeated seeks peace to minimize losses—this is the fundamental purpose. All that was needed was to spoil the victor's consolidation and magnify the loser's losses, and the smoke of war would blaze again.

Pour oil on the fire.

Chen Lin dispatched two hundred-man squads to Nichirin-ya and Takachiho Castle; the squad sent to Nichirin-ya harassed Ōtomo Sōrin's troops near Mifune River, while the squad sent to Takachiho harassed the allied forces of Ryōshin Sōrin and Shimazu Yoshihisa.

This dual incitement sought not to kill enemies, but to unsettle them, thereby escalating tensions further.

The defeated alliance fled like stray dogs; the victorious retainers of Ōtomo Sōrin, flushed with triumph. This provocation turned their newly stabilized frontlines back into chaos—from peaceful coexistence to minor skirmishes, then to large-scale battles—this transformation took only seven days, and the battlefield grew fierce once more.

Like tossing a match into a barrel of gunpowder, the two Ming hundred-man squads, having harassed only twice, reignited the barrel; the peace-seeking sides began accusing each other of who struck first—it no longer mattered.

As peace negotiations grew murky due to spreading frontline clashes, Xu Wei and Sun Sun Kehong began their scholarly performance: they leaked intelligence revealing secret contacts between Ōtomo Sōrin's retainers, Tachibana Dōsetsu and Taira Chikahide, and Shimazu Yoshihisa.

This placed Ōtomo Sōrin in a bind: if he did not punish these two retainers who had grown close to the enemy, his clan's morale would fracture, and in future battles, more men would secretly collude.

But if he punished them, peace would collapse entirely—these two retainers had handled all negotiations with Shimazu Yoshihisa; removing them would make Shimazu Yoshihisa distrust Ōtomo Sōrin entirely, and peace could not continue.

This was war: no matter how wise a statesman or how brilliant a general, all could only decide the war's beginning, never its end. Within war's course lay too many uncertainties, too many forces shaping its progress.

Under the dual pressure of inciting both sides and sowing discord at the center, Ōtomo Sōrin finally punished the two retainers: Tachibana Dōsetsu was exiled to a remote island in southern Kyushu, while Taira Chikahide returned his lands and retired to Usuki Castle.

Tachibana Dōsetsu had joined the army at fourteen, crushed the Ōuchi forces, and earned the merit of supporting Ōtomo Sōrin as clan head; he fought hundreds of battles against the rising Mōri clan, pacified northern Kyushu, and was wounded in both legs during combat, rendering him unable to walk—hence his nickname "Demon Dōsetsu." This exile to a remote island meant little chance of survival.

Taira Chikahide, famed for his loyalty, had contacted Shimazu Yoshihisa and pursued peace not to surrender, but to buy time. For years, Ōtomo forces had suffered from plummeting morale and combat effectiveness due to Ōtomo Sōrin's promotion of Christianity; now that Ōtomo Sōrin was no longer a fanatical foreign believer, Taira Chikahide hoped to delay the final battle by several years.

With the two retainers either exiled or in retirement, Shimazu Yoshihisa's envoys departed Bungo Province; peace in Kyushu collapsed entirely.

"Brilliant, brilliant—Viceroy Xu's move took immediate effect." Chen Lin stood atop a high slope, lowering his telescope as he watched Shimazu Yoshihisa's envoys depart—he was certain peace had failed.

Xu Wei spoke solemnly: "It is General Chen who is truly formidable. Our scholarly tactics are merely embellishments. Had the two sides truly laid down arms on the frontline, Tachibana Dōsetsu and Taira Chikahide would have been heroes, not traitors."

All schemes rely on the frontline armies still fighting; otherwise, exposing the two retainers' affection would be useless—peace could still proceed, yielding greater gains without a single soldier lost. In that case, those two retainers were truly heroes.

"The frontline is chaotic, but if peace progresses smoothly, frontline commanders will naturally restrain their troops. If they truly seek peace, our plan fails." Chen Lin again affirmed Xu Wei's merit—these literati's cunning schemes were truly impossible to guard against.

After their mutual flattery ended, Xu Wei said with concern: "Ōtomo has thirty thousand men; Shimazu and Ryōshin Sōrin together have twenty thousand. With fifty thousand on the battlefield, I am truly worried."

Chen Lin laughed: "If these were fifty thousand wild boars, Viceroy Xu might have cause for concern—but these are fifty thousand Japanese. No need to worry."

"Huh?" Xu Wei was deeply puzzled.

Chen Lin mounted his horse and said: "Wild boars don't surrender—but men do."

"Viceroy Xu, please proceed slowly—I'll go ahead to Mifune River."

Chen Lin spurred his horse and led the infantry battalions toward the Mifune River. On the battlefield of the impending decisive battle, a hidden elite force lay concealed like a venomous snake in the grass, waiting to strike at the critical moment—neither Ōtomo Sōrin nor Shimazu Yoshihisa could withstand it, not even the Saint of War, Zhen Guan Yu.

Jingzhou, commanding the Han River to the north, reaping benefits from the South China Sea, linked to Wu and Hui in the east, connected to Ba and Shu in the west, it held heaven's timing and earth's advantage—a decisive strategic location. When Zhen Guan Yu and Cao Cao fought desperately at Xiangyang, Sun Quan, following Lü Meng and Lu Xun's advice, launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou—resulting in the Saint of War Zhen Guan Yu's defeat and flight from Maicheng.

At that time, Sun Quan and Liu Bei were allies; such betrayal was clearly treacherous, hence Sun Quan was mocked as "Little Sun Wu."

Chen Lin's six thousand men, dispersed into squads of hundreds, marched toward Mifune River. The journey spanned over four hundred li; Chen Lin's army reached Mifune River in ten days. The frontline war had reached near-white-hot intensity: Ōtomo's forces, leveraging numerical superiority, encircled Takachiho Castle from two directions. The skilled defender, Shimazu's general Yamada Arinobu, held the city, barely holding on.

Yamada Arinobu begged his lord, Shimazu Yoshihisa, for aid; but Shimazu Yoshihisa was himself locked in fierce combat, as another ten-thousand-strong force attacked his main base at Sadowara.

Chen Lin arrived on the battlefield and deployed scouts again. The more he investigated, the more suspicious it became—he discovered Ōtomo Sōrin did not have thirty thousand men, but fifty thousand: over thirty thousand besieged Takachiho, over twenty thousand attacked Sadowara—fifty thousand total deployed.

Chen Lin stared at the crude map, his hand gliding over it. He said, puzzled: "Ōtomo Sōrin knows nothing of military affairs, yet his surprise attack on Sadowara prevented Shimazu Yoshihisa from reinforcing Takachiho—this move was brilliant."

Ōtomo Sōrin understood nothing of warfare, yet this single maneuver struck Shimazu Yoshihisa's vital point. Shimazu's forces were limited and poorly mobile; besieging Takachiho while attacking Sadowara trapped him in stalemate at his two most critical fronts.

Dividing forces was the only sure method when holding absolute superiority.

"General Chen, this plan was devised by the retired Taira Chikahide." Assistant Regional Commander Hu Ze placed a courier report on the table. "The great victory at Mifune River was Taira Chikahide's strategy as overall commander. Though he retired, before leaving, he still instructed Ōtomo Sōrin on how to win."

Taira Chikahide was Ōtomo's loyal hound; even forced into retirement, he still advised Ōtomo Sōrin on victory. Once this storm passed, Taira Chikahide might yet be recalled to service.

Hu Ze asked, puzzled: "General Chen, how do we fight?"

"Not yet." Chen Lin raised a hand. "We hold our ground and wait. Ōtomo Sōrin has no great generals. This battle, he may not win."

After his great victory, Ōtomo Sōrin again found himself in advantage—and men in such positions easily grow arrogant and eager for quick success.

Especially a ruler ignorant of battlefield dangers, driven by impatience, often makes strange decisions.

Chen Lin chose to hold his ground. If the Shimazu clan fell without his intervention, he would simply return to Nagasaki—he still had confidence he could retreat before the Japanese noticed, despite the four-hundred-li journey.

Ōtomo Sōrin did not disappoint Chen Lin. The next day, his troops launched fierce assaults—but these attacks achieved nothing. The Bungo army (Ōtomo Sōrin) had no cannons; their most advanced firearms were only matchlocks, inferior even to Ming arquebuses. Without sufficient siege equipment, frontal assaults exacted bloody costs—similar scenes unfolded at Sadowara.

The allied forces of Satsuma (Shimazu Yoshihisa) and Hizen (Ryōshin Sōrin), though seemingly on the brink, still held their lines with great difficulty. Especially Takachiho Castle became a meat grinder: Bungo troops charged the walls in waves, yet gained no ground.

"Ōtomo Sōrin has lost." Chen Lin made this judgment on the first day of the general assault. Taira Chikahide, that loyal hound, would never have suggested such folly—this was Ōtomo Sōrin's own doing.

To storm a fortress, one needs ten times the enemy's strength. The correct approach is to besiege until the enemy is starved and desperate—only then attack. No matter how formidable an army, siege warfare must follow this basic principle. Frontal assaults cost too dearly and easily drain morale.

Rising death tolls, the constant loss of comrades, unyielding walls, and merciless defensive weapons all rapidly erode the attackers' morale. When morale drops below a threshold, deserters appear, and rout begins.

Thus, Chen Lin immediately judged that Ōtomo Sōrin, despite absolute superiority, would lose.

When deserters appeared, Ōtomo Sōrin finally abandoned the siege of Sadowara, concentrating all forces on Takachiho, attempting to capture it. Yamada Arinobu still led fierce resistance; Ōtomo troops scaled the walls several times, yet were repelled by the stubborn Satsuma defenders.

As Shimazu Yoshihisa marched to reinforce Takachiho, Ōtomo Sōrin found himself trapped between advance and retreat: advancing meant failing to crack the hard nut; retreating meant accepting the horrific cost of this offensive—unbearable.

Under Chen Lin's command, the Ming army finally emerged from concealment and neared the battlefield.

After three days of stalemate, Ōtomo Sōrin retreated toward Mifune River. Shimazu Yoshihisa seized the chance to pursue relentlessly, inflicting heavy losses on the fleeing Bungo forces. Yet even so, Ōtomo Sōrin still retained over forty thousand troops, regrouping at Mifune River.

The decisive battle began. Chen Lin, silent and unseen, crept within ten li of the battlefield, waiting to deliver a devastating surprise.

Ōtomo Sōrin was utterly defeated at Mifune River.

He dispatched veteran generals to flank the enemy, but Shimazu Yoshihisa detected the maneuver. Shimazu Yoshihiro, Yoshihisa, and Yamada Arinobu encircled the Bungo flank from three sides, annihilating it entirely, while Ryōshin Sōrin held the front.

News of the defeat at Mifune River reached Ōtomo Sōrin—he fled in panic. The Satsuma and Hizen allied forces began relentless pursuit.

"Ōtomo Sōrin is laughable," said Shimazu Yoshihiro, watching the fleeing enemy with satisfaction. "First he became a fanatical foreign believer, peddling nonsense everywhere. He didn't just believe himself—he forced his ashigaru to convert. Look at those fools making the sign of the cross on the battlefield—they're lambs awaiting slaughter."

Shimazu Yoshihisa said, with a touch of relief: "It wasn't his strength—it was Taira Chikahide, that loyal hound. He never understood this. Had he followed Taira Chikahide's advice, we'd likely be fish food by now."

Yamada Arinobu, one hand on his hip, the other holding his horse, stared into the distance and laughed long and loud before sneering: "Why worship a foreign Christian faith? It shattered your soldiers' courage, drove a wedge between you and your generals—what's the point?"

The Ōtomo clan's foundation was destroyed in Ōtomo Sōrin's hands.

"What was that noise?" Shimazu Yoshihisa frowned, his ears twitching—he heard drums and horns. He thought he imagined it—then, hearing cannon fire, his face turned pale!

"Ming troops?!" Shimazu Yoshihisa knew that cannon sound too well! It was unmistakably the Ming navy's nine-pound ship cannon—the very cannon that, when denied landing, had bombarded his home castle of Kagoshima for a full day before departing!

Shimazu Yoshihiro's face darkened: "How could Ming troops be here?!"

"We're doomed!" Yamada Arinobu leapt onto his horse and shouted to the Shimazu lord: "I'll go see what's happening!"

Yamada Arinobu spurred his horse uphill, saw the Seven-Star banner and the towering Chen banner, then turned and fled. He fled with utter decisiveness—before Shimazu Yoshihisa and others could react, Yamada Arinobu vanished.

Yamada Arinobu knew Ming combat strength—he had witnessed it in Ryukyu. This time, he fled without hesitation: if the Ming navy had landed, there was no point fighting.

The Ming could not land because their five-masted ocean-going ships were too massive, while landing vessels were unsuitable for crossing seas—hence the Shimazu had blocked their landing. But now that the Ming navy appeared on land, Yamada Arinobu fled without a second thought!

The Ming army surged like a flood toward the warring Japanese.

The sudden appearance of troops caught both sides off guard—a hunting feast began.

Ten days later, Yamada Arinobu was captured at sea by the Sea Flyers. He had immediately fled seaward, but the Sea Flyers were faster—Japanese ships lacked square sails and could not sail well against the wind, while the Sea Flyers' hydrofoil ships moved at great speed.

On the twelfth day of the tenth month of Emperor Wanli Sixth Year, Chen Lin's army stormed the inner city of Bungo's Oita District, captured Ōtomo Sōrin, and the Bungo Province officially fell.

The Ming army now dominated Kyushu alone.

On the fifteenth day of the tenth month of Emperor Wanli Sixth Year, Taira Chikahide, retired in Usuki Castle of Kaitō District, installed Ōtomo Yoshitsuna as clan head, seeking to revive the Ōtomo clan—only to be defeated again by the Ming army. Taira Chikahide fled with Ōtomo Yoshitsuna, their whereabouts unknown.

On the twelfth day of the eleventh month of Emperor Wanli Sixth Year, Chen Lin returned his forces to the inner city of Oita District, where Xu Wei finally arrived in haste.

"This damned road in Japan is impossible to travel!" Xu Wei stepped from his carriage, clutched a roadside tree, and vomited violently—until only water came out, still nauseated. He had never been this seasick even on a ship.

For nearly three months, Xu Wei had chased after the Ming army. He moved slowly; the Ming army advanced while conquering, far faster than his carriage.

"I'm taking a ship back to Nagasaki!" Xu Wei finally finished vomiting, sat on a large rock, gasping for breath. He hadn't even seen the enemy, yet he was exhausted. Let the soldiers handle the fighting.

Xu Wei had no intention of building military power—he lacked the ability and it was too sensitive. The Ming navy was close enough to Nagasaki; its garrison was sufficient.

He vowed: if he could travel by sea, he'd never ride a carriage again—the roads were unbearably bumpy.

"The Nagasaki Viceroyalty has expanded from a single corner of Nagasaki to the entire island of Kyushu," Chen Lin said, sitting beside him on a cannon, gazing at the sea.

Beyond the sea still lay the Japanese.

"What's this thing?" Xu Wei frowned, staring at the cannon beneath Chen Lin's buttocks. He'd never seen such a thing: a barrel the size of a bowl, nearly two feet long, mounted on a wooden carriage—this cannon rivaled Ming artillery.

Could Ōtomo Sōrin have made this?

This device shouldn't be here. Yet its design clearly wasn't Ming-made—if it were, Xu Wei would suspect some unscrupulous merchants had smuggled it into Japan.

"It was a gift from Western missionaries to Ōtomo Sōrin. Three were delivered, called 'Kuni-kuzure.' When they appeared, they startled me too. Later, I found they were all show and no substance." Chen Lin patted the cannon beneath him. "The noise is tremendous, but the power is weak. I suspect Ōtomo Sōrin's fanaticism stems largely from this device."

Ōtomo Sōrin's fanatic devotion to Christianity arose from fear of unknown power. The missionaries were cunning—they presented these ceremonial cannons, which made enormous noise. Ōtomo Sōrin immediately bowed before them.

"Enough rest. Prepare the victory report," Chen Lin rose and said to his men. "Send this thing back to court—let His Majesty see this novelty."

In mid-November of Emperor Wanli Sixth Year, Zhu Zhu Yijun received the victory report from Chen Lin, Xu Wei, and Sun Sun Kehong. The Nagasaki Viceroyalty requested a garrison of three thousand troops, and its jurisdiction expanded from Nagasaki to the entire island of Kyushu. Thus, the sea route for Japanese raids on Ming was blocked—so long as the Nagasaki Viceroyalty stood, the Ming southeast would remain secure one day more.

The Five-Star Critic, Emperor Zhu Zhu Yijun, commented: "Even if Ōtomo Sōrin had worshipped Buddha, he wouldn't have been this pathetic."

The next day, Zhu Zhu Yijun received court ministers at the Meridian Gate, displayed the "Kuni-kuzure ceremonial cannon," announced the Ming Nagasaki Viceroyalty's progress in Japan, and granted three days of holiday to celebrate.

Suppressing the Japanese was a widely accepted goal of the Ming state. For over twenty years, Japanese piracy had plagued the southeast, inflicting great harm. Even the capital's northern populace empathized with the southern Japanese threat—when pirates raided, prices in the capital soared to unbearable levels: rice, firewood, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea—all rose in tandem.

The great victory against the Japanese filled everyone with joy. That night, some violated the ban and set off fireworks—stopped by firemen, not due to pollution fears, but because most of Beijing's buildings were wooden, and fireworks risked fire.

The joyful air in the Beijing region could last three days, but the emperor's court deliberations, unless suspended, proceeded as scheduled.

"What's this?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked, staring at two baskets before him.

In the center of the Zhao Wenhua Hall stood two baskets, covered with red silk. The Ming ministers stood behind them, also staring curiously. These baskets had arrived with the "Kuni-kuzure ceremonial cannon."

Feng Bao pulled back the red silk and said, slightly exasperated: "One hundred catties of gold, sent from the Nagasaki Viceroyalty."

"What's this?" Zhu Zhu Yijun gestured for Feng Bao to bring a gold ingot. The emperor weighed it slightly, confirmed it was real gold—pure gold. He had an innate sensitivity to gold and silver; even the counterfeit coins meticulously crafted by Grand Secretary Wang Wang Guoguang could not deceive his instinct.

"Why send this here?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said in surprise. If this were the sea tax from Nagasaki Port, it shouldn't be stored in the Zhao Wenhua Hall, but in the Transport Treasury—after the state and imperial treasuries were accounted for, it would go to the Transport and Imperial Transport Treasury.

Feng Bao glanced left and right, then carefully explained the matter: this was Xu Wei's tribute.

Zhu Zhu Yijun spread his hands helplessly. "The Imperial Clan sends gold, and now even Xu Wei sends gold? Do I really like gold and silver so much?"

"Your Majesty, there are only two overseas governorates. One sends gold, the other doesn't—it makes the Nagasaki Governorate look disloyal and disrespectful."

The overseas governorates were in fact de facto feudal appointments, and sending gold was indeed a matter of ritual.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled. "Xu Xu Wen Zhang sees people truly well—I do indeed love gold and silver. The left basket is mine; the right basket is for rewarding my ministers and court officials."

The Great Ming's military rewards came from the imperial treasury; Zhu Zhu Yijun's gold rewards were to honor his auxiliary ministers and court officials.

"Your subjects thank Your Majesty for this great grace," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a strange expression, leading the ministers in thanks. The Great Ming emperor could be miserly when he wanted to be, but when generous, truly generous—he gave out fifty catties of gold at once, and every court official in the Zhao Wenhua Hall received a share.

Clearly, His Majesty was in excellent spirits. He had always been eager to suppress the Japanese pirates, and he never withheld rewards for good news from the Nagasaki Governorate—each victory report brought him days of joy.

Zhu Zhu Yijun spoke to Feng Bao: "Has Chen Zhu arrived? Summon him for an audience."

This was something Zhu Zhu Yijun had specifically ordered. Chen Zhu was indeed the White Stripe of the Waves—this very capture of Yamada Arinobu's sea raiders was his own doing.

"Summon Sea Defense Patrol Inspector Chen Zhu for audience," Feng Bao cried, flicking his fly whisk.

The young eunuchs passed the emperor's edict down layer by layer to the entrance of the Zhao Wenhua Hall. Chen Zhu ascended the steps, entered the hall, and performed the full kowtow.

"Your servant bows before Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years," Chen Zhu said, head bowed.

Zhu Zhu Yijun waved his hand with a smile. "Rise, rise. Chen Dazhuang, you've worked hard—come closer."

Chen Dazhuang was Chen Zhu's childhood name; his son's nickname was Tie Dan—but that son had been killed by Confucius's henchmen.

"You've grown much darker in the past year. The sea winds and sun have truly worn you down."

"You've done well in capturing the enemy. You brought Yamada Arinobu, the man who slaughtered innocents in Ryukyu, to the capital. Now I can properly answer to Shō Kyū, for I promised to comfort the Ryukyuan people and punish the guilty."

Yamada Arinobu was the scoundrel dispatched by Shimazu Yoshihisa to invade Ryukyu and commit countless atrocities—his crimes were too numerous to record. If he had escaped, Zhu Zhu Yijun feared he'd lie awake in rage.

Since Zhu Zhu Yijun had promised Shō Kyū, he would keep his word—and Chen Zhu had helped the emperor fulfill that promise.

"I have not disgraced Your Majesty's orders!" Chen Zhu bowed again, head lowered.

The emperor had decreed: Yamada Arinobu must be brought alive or dead. Chen Zhu, under orders, could not let him escape—he was the chief culprit.

"I have three rewards. Choose one," Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled Zhang Hong to bring the rewards into the hall.

Three young eunuchs carried three trays. Zhang Hong stepped to the first, lifted the red silk, revealing three silk headbands. "Three beauties from foreign lands."

Prince Zhu Zhu Zaiyu was obsessed with science; the foreign beauties had gone unsold.

"The second is ten thousand taels of silver," Zhang Hong lifted the second silk cloth. On the tray lay a note—a voucher redeemable for ten thousand taels from the imperial treasury.

Zhang Hong stepped to the third tray. "The third—this one is extraordinary: a Qi family waist knife used by His Majesty."

The waist knife Zhu Zhu Yijun used was simply a waist knife—no special meaning of "slaying corrupt ministers above, tyrants below." It was merely the emperor's personal blade.

"I choose the blade!" Chen Zhu said without hesitation.

Xu Wei instantly recognized it wasn't a Great Ming cannon—it was the design. This isn't hard to understand: if I say "middle part, suspenders, basketball," who do you think I mean? Please vote for monthly tickets, Aowu ！！！！！！！！

(End of Chapter)