Chapter 1107: The One Who Destroys the Shimazu Is the College Entrance Exam

"Hu-hu-ha! Hu-hu-ha! Hu-hu-ha!"

The soldiers of the Toyotomi army, standing in layer upon layer outside Fukuyama Castle, the main castle of the Fukuyama Domain in Bingo Province, raised a resounding cheer. The banner bearing the paulownia crest of the Toyotomi clan had already appeared atop the tall, majestic walls of Fukuyama Castle.

After months of siege and two bitter battles beneath the walls of Fukuyama, a major victory had finally been won for the Toyotomi clan — no, rather for the Shimazu clan. The lord of the Fukuyama Domain, Mizuno Katsusada, who had led his retainers and domain troops in stubborn defense for months, and his heir Mizuno Katsutane, had walked out of the castle gate an hour earlier dressed in white mourning robes, heads hanging low, and had both committed seppuku inside a white curtained enclosure. This was the Shimazu clan's condition for sparing the remaining members of the Mizuno family and the lives of the garrison inside Fukuyama Castle!

Standing on high ground on a hillside outside the castle, Shimazu Mitsuhisa — head of the Shimazu clan and concurrently Chief Elder of the Toyotomi clan — finally revealed a satisfied smile.

This Fukuyama Domain was a nail driven into the Chūgoku region by the Tokugawa shogunate!

The previous lord of the Fukuyama Domain, Mizuno Katsunari, had been a famous general of his generation. At the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka, he had served as overall commander of the vanguard, leading a total of 3,800 men drawn from the various domain armies of Yamato Province as the Tokugawa army's spearhead. In the subsequent Battle of Komatsuyama, Mizuno Katsunari led his troops in fierce combat against a force of 2,800 men under Gotō Matabei, who had come to launch a surprise attack. Fighting from dawn until noon, he finally routed them and killed Gotō Matabei himself. Mizuno Katsunari then led his troops in pursuit and again encountered a force of over a thousand men under Susukida Kanesuke, routed them once more, and killed Susukida himself.

For these two victories, Mizuno Katsunari received a fief of 60,000 koku in Yamato Province, and during the Genna era he was transferred to Bingo in the Chūgoku region to keep watch over the Mōri, Kikkawa, Asano, and other tozama daimyō. Moreover, with the shogunate's support, he used the surviving structures of Fushimi Castle to build the tall and majestic Fukuyama Castle — a castle that a daimyō of a mere 110,000 koku could never have possessed. That the tight-fisted shogunate was willing to spend its own money to support the Fukuyama Domain in building such a castle shows how great were the hopes it placed in the Mizuno family.

Unfortunately, Mizuno Katsusada was no Mizuno Katsunari. He had no idea how to break an enemy in open battle. As a result, in the First Battle of Fukuyama, his troops were first scattered by the artillery battery commanded by Basa, then fell apart under the charge of the Shimazu clan's pikemen — and in the process dragged down the main shogunate army commanded by Hoshina Masayuki. After that battle, Mizuno Katsusada shrank back into Fukuyama Castle and holed up, hoping to use the strong fortress left by his father to wear the Shimazu clan down.

In the end, the Shimazu clan brought up 24-pounder cannon salvaged from a sunken Spanish warship. After just a few shots, Mizuno Katsusada was so terrified that he sent envoys to Hoshina Masayuki, who had withdrawn to Himeji Castle, begging for aid.

And Hoshina Masayuki dared not abandon a critical stronghold like Fukuyama Castle — if Fukuyama Castle could not be used to bottle the Toyotomi clan up in the Chūgoku region, then the flames of this war of Toyotomi restoration would spread into the Kinai! So Hoshina Masayuki had no choice but to grit his teeth and lead out the shogunate army, which had not yet completed its training — and was defeated again beneath the walls of Fukuyama.

After witnessing the shogunate army's second crushing defeat with his own eyes, Mizuno Katsusada was scared out of his wits and actually sent men to the besieging Shimazu army to sue for surrender.

And once word of the surrender offer spread inside Fukuyama Castle, it caused the collapse of the Fukuyama Domain's army. The castle, which could have held out a while longer, crumbled in an instant. As a result, Mizuno Katsusada and his son Mizuno Katsutane lost all bargaining power and had no choice but to commit seppuku together to preserve their family's bloodline — forcing the Mizuno father and son to their deaths was not Shimazu Mitsuhisa's demand, but the Mōri clan's. For the Mizuno family bore the responsibility of keeping watch over the Mōri clan, and over the past thirty or forty years they had bullied the Mōri clan plenty.

With the Mizuno father and son driven to their deaths and Fukuyama Castle seized, the Toyotomi army — with the Shimazu, Mōri, and Asano (Hiroshima Domain) clans as its main force — had now sealed off the passage from the San'yō road into the Chūgoku region.

One could not say victory was in sight, but at the very least they could now stand on undefeatable ground!

In excellent spirits, Shimazu Mitsuhisa turned around, just about to say a few encouraging words to the generals who had followed him on campaigns east and west, when he saw his younger brother Kabayama Hisataka running up from the foot of the hill, panting heavily, a letter in his hand and a very grave expression on his face.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa's heart gave a thump. Kabayama Hisataka was the magistrate in charge of subversion — in other words, a spymaster. Seeing him like this, could it be bad news?

The greatest difference between this civil war in Japan and the earlier Warring States era was that external interventionist powers now played a decisive role!

The reason the Shimazu clan had been able to conquer Bizen Province was that more than 2,000 Spanish sailors had joined the Shimazu army after the Battle of Kagoshima Bay. As a result, the Shimazu clan's arquebusier units and artillery batteries held an overwhelming advantage over the Tokugawa shogunate's forces.

But the Tokugawa shogunate also had a great power behind it — and one so great it could crush the Shimazu clan: the Celestial Empire!

Over the past year and more, Shimazu Mitsuhisa had been searching for a way to submit to the Great Ming, but the problem was that the Shimazu clan could not break away from the Spanish! And so there was no way to pry open the door to submitting to the Great Ming.

"My lord, the Ming state has made its move!" The moment Kabayama Hisataka spoke, a chorus of sharp intakes of breath rose from all around.

It was Shimazu Mitsuhisa who kept his composure, snorting coldly: "What is there to panic about? The advantage is on our side now, and the Toyotomi clan already commands an army of a hundred thousand. Even if the Ming state sends troops, we still have the strength to fight! I refuse to believe the Ming state can commit an equally large army on Japanese soil."

His judgment was correct. Zhu Cilang always did the arithmetic before going to war — not that he refused to fight unprofitable wars; strategic losses were acceptable, but only within bearable limits!

And sending a hundred thousand — or even fifty thousand — land troops to directly intervene in Japan's civil war would be a loss with no value. The Nagasaki that the Zhu Emperor wanted was already in hand. What more could be gained by continuing to pour resources into Japan's civil war? Sado's gold? Iwami's silver? Right now the Tokugawa shogunate, just like the Shimazu clan, was already buying Great Ming arms with vast sums of gold and silver!

"It is not a deployment of troops!" Kabayama Hisataka hastily added.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa laughed. "If not troops, then what? Empty words won't frighten the warriors of the Shimazu clan!"

"Ha ha ha!"

The Shimazu samurai all around laughed too — as long as no troops were being sent, there was nothing to fear.

But Kabayama Hisataka still wore the look of a man facing imminent catastrophe. "My lord, the Ming court is going to take part in our country of Japan's civil service examinations!"

"Nani?" Shimazu Mitsuhisa was utterly baffled.

What kind of move was this?

"Japan has civil service examinations?"

"What are civil service examinations?"

"Magistrate Kabayama, speak clearly!"

The Shimazu generals all around urged on this spymaster who was dragging out his words.

"My lord," Kabayama Hisataka presented the letter with both hands, "you had best read it yourself!"

Read it himself? What news could be so terrifying? Shimazu Mitsuhisa said nothing more, took the envelope, drew out the letter inside, unfolded it, and began to read.

The moment he read it, his face changed drastically!

"Baka... the Ming Emperor's conscience is greatly, greatly bad!" Shimazu Mitsuhisa cursed through gritted teeth. "To think of such a viciously underhanded scheme!"

"My lord, what exactly has happened?" One of the Shimazu generals present immediately asked.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa's face was ashen. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "The Ming state is going to jointly hold Japan's civil service examinations with the Tokugawa shogunate. Any samurai without a hereditary stipend may sit the examinations. Those who pass will be granted official posts or military places according to their performance in the civil and military examinations.

The three hundred who score highest may become gokenin.

In addition, there are military places for 20,000 men in the shogunate army and 80,000 in the Ming state's Southern Ocean Expeditionary Army. All who are accepted into the Ming Southern Ocean Expeditionary Army will receive an annual salary of 26 taels of silver, and need not provide any of their own equipment, armor, or weapons. Those who distinguish themselves in battle may also receive fiefs in the Southern Ocean and become warriors of the Great Ming Emperor!"

At this point, Shimazu Mitsuhisa swayed, and the two page boys beside him hurriedly steadied him.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "This is the greatest crisis our Shimazu clan has ever faced. Only by uniting as one, with all hearts and all wills joined, can we overcome this difficulty and preserve our house. I ask you all to stand united and fight to the very end!"

Fine words — but everyone knew that the Shimazu clan would find it very hard to survive this trial.

(End of Chapter)