Chapter 1488: Thirty Million Taels

1488. Chapter 1488: Thirty Million Taels

The Chancellor's intent was quickly grasped by Zhou Pu: he hoped that by marching into Kyoto, Zhou Pu would bring the Japanese imperial house under his own control, then use its authority and nominal legitimacy to secure disposal rights over Japan's gold and silver deposits, as well as other powers.

"I understand!" Zhou Pu nodded at once.

"Good that you understand."

……………………

While the Chancellor was conferring privately with his own subordinates, the other major bloc in the Great Han court — the military — was not idle either. The three most important military men in attendance today — Marshal Shi Manqiang, Duke of Cai; Zhao Song, Count of Xingyang; and Liu Tao, Marquis of Jiujiang — had likewise met in another tea room.

After the three military titans had exchanged a few pleasantries over tea, Marshal Shi Manqiang dispensed with further courtesies and steered the topic directly to the upcoming agenda. He then laid out before Liu Tao the calculations he had just discussed with Zhao Song, hoping that during the coming proceedings, Liu Tao could represent the navy and second the army's proposal.

"You mean, after defeating the shogunate, Great Han should compel the Japanese to sign a treaty granting Great Han a monopoly on the operation rights of Japan's gold and silver mines, and then make those mines the private property of the imperial house? But the cabinet intends to place those operation rights under its own control?"

"Exactly." Marshal Shi Manqiang nodded, then gestured toward Zhao Song, who was beside him as the commanding general of the expeditionary force. "I've already discussed it with the Count of Xingyang. He agrees with my view and has promised to speak on it during the meeting. Our army has already unified its stance; as long as your navy voices the same position, we can build momentum, and His Majesty will not object!"

Liu Tao, Marquis of Jiujiang and Minister of Naval Military Affairs, did not answer the marshal immediately. Instead, he lowered his gaze and pondered slowly.

"Wouldn't openly expressing an opinion contrary to the cabinet's at the court conference be rather inappropriate?"

"As long as it benefits the state and His Majesty, what does it matter if it runs counter to the cabinet? The Chancellor is not a man who holds grudges." Marshal Shi Manqiang dismissed the concern. "Besides, we aren't doing anything to profit ourselves at the public's expense. We campaign against Japan, shedding blood and risking our lives — is it not to make our imperial might shine? That being the case, what is so strange about presenting the spoils of war to His Majesty? It is only right and proper! As for the cabinet… without shedding a single drop of blood, they want to effortlessly take all the fruits of victory. How can that convince the officers and men?"

As he spoke, the marshal fixed his bright, piercing gaze on the Marquis of Jiujiang, his towering frame exerting an unspoken pressure.

Under that pressure, the Marquis of Jiujiang found his heart slowly inclining toward agreement.

Though the army and navy were different branches, they were both part of the Great Han court's military establishment and shared a bond of common cause. To be honest, the navy was not particularly concerned with the postwar disposition of Japan's gold and silver mines, but Marshal Shi Manqiang's prestige within the military was so high that he did not wish to go against the marshal's wishes.

Besides, they were all members of the same military — what reason was there to let only the army curry favor with His Majesty?

"Fine. Since you've put it that way, I'll join in this worthy endeavor! In a moment I'll have the navy people endorse your proposal along with me." After a brief pause, Liu Tao, Marquis of Jiujiang, made up his mind. "Seeing such sincere, loyal devotion from us, His Majesty will surely be most gratified!"

"He certainly will." Marshal Shi Manqiang and Zhao Song exchanged a smile, and then the three men walked back out of the tea alcove.

And so, in the brief recess of the conference, the personal differences of opinion among several key ministers rapidly expanded, driven by their prestige and influence, into a full-blown opposing stance between the cabinet and the military — one that would be laid out openly at the state council.

This was not the first time in Great Han's short history, and it certainly would not be the last.

At the sound of a bell, the assembled ministers returned from their various resting places to the main conference hall. Once everyone had gathered, His Majesty, accompanied by the Crown Prince, resumed his seat on the imperial throne amid the ministers' salutes.

"Not bad — it seems you've all rested well." Observing the ministers' refreshed spirits, His Majesty smiled and waved a hand. "Good, let us continue the discussion!"

"The next item for discussion is the peace terms for Japan." The Chancellor took over the moment His Majesty finished speaking. "Since this is an expeditionary campaign, we will inevitably expend a great deal of military funds. This outlay cannot be a losing venture; we must recoup it from the Japanese. However, our objective is a swift war and a swift resolution, so we cannot make exorbitant demands — terms that the Japanese cannot fulfill in the short term — and thereby artificially prolong the conflict. Therefore, arriving at reasonable peace terms is of paramount importance: profitable enough, yet not beyond the Japanese capacity to pay. Everyone, please deliberate carefully. Let the army and navy first state their estimated military expenditures."

The army and navy staff officers in attendance then stated their previously estimated military costs — which totaled 2.17 million taels of silver. This was, of course, only an estimate; the actual figure would depend on circumstances.

Beyond direct military expenses, this expedition would also require the special requisition of warships and transport vessels from the northern and southern fleets, causing considerable losses elsewhere. That expense, naturally, would also have to be paid by the Japanese.

After the army and navy staff officers had finished speaking, an official from the Ministry of Commerce spoke in turn.

"Since we are waging war against Japan, trade with Japan will certainly be severed for a period of time. The Japanese must also compensate for these losses. Last year, our country's annual trade volume with Japan was 2.25 million taels of silver. Based on that figure, if trade is cut off for half a year, they should compensate our country 1.125 million taels of silver for the trade losses."

"Let's just make them pay a round three million. We've already won the war — why are we still nickel-and-diming them?" At this point, Marshal Shi Manqiang spoke directly. "One million taels can go to compensate our maritime merchants; any surplus can be placed in the court accounts to meet unforeseen needs."

The marshal's suggestion won the ministers' approval.

After further discussion, everyone agreed that beyond military costs and expenses, punitive reparations were absolutely necessary. Since Japan was rich in gold and silver, it must have accumulated considerable reserves over the years — this windfall could not be let slip.

After deliberating for a while, they arrived at a figure of at least 15 million taels of silver in reparations from Japan.

Of course, the Japanese could not possibly produce such a sum all at once, so the preliminary consensus was to have them repay it over fifteen years, secured against their customs revenues. Over those fifteen years, the common people of Japan, from top to bottom, would surely groan under crushing taxation — but none of the Great Han ministers in attendance cared much about that.

"That figure is far too low!" Yet His Majesty, who had remained silent all the while, rejected the result of their deliberations.

His Majesty's pronouncement sent another jolt of astonishment through the assembled ministers. Amid the stir, they exchanged glances, but for a moment no one spoke.

The figure of 15 million taels, repaid over fifteen years, had been earnestly discussed by the ministers. They had extrapolated the revenues of the Japanese shogunate and daimyos from the trade figures between Great Han and Japan, while also consulting the distribution of Japanese gold and silver mines put forward by Zhou Pu and others — only then had they reached this conclusion. One million taels a year, paid continuously for fifteen years, would not reduce Japan to utter destitution and leave its people without a livelihood, yet would still allow Great Han to reap ample benefits.

By any measure, this was an enormous sum. After all, the Great Han court — whose population and territory far exceeded Japan's — had an annual fiscal revenue that, converted, amounted to only 16 million taels of silver. This was, of course, partly because the dynasty was newly founded and agricultural and commercial taxes had been set relatively low to encourage the people to rest and recover.

If the reparation terms were truly realized as the ministers had envisioned, it would mean the Great Han court would receive an additional annual income of one million taels. This enormous sum would greatly alleviate the court's currently very strained financial situation.

Yet His Majesty, with a single sentence, had dismissed the ministers' deliberated conclusion as too little.

A single word from His Majesty indeed represented an irresistible will, and no one wished to defy him. But precisely because of this unquestionable authority, His Majesty in fact rarely made conclusive statements during meetings, for whatever conclusion he voiced, the ministers would cease their dissenting opinions and instead turn to pondering how to execute his will.

Today, however, His Majesty had, most unusually, directly overturned the conclusion the ministers had jointly reached.

This exceedingly rare direct negation left the ministers momentarily at a loss, each pondering what the imperial intent truly was.

Yet after stating his conclusion, His Majesty did not continue, as if intending to let the ministers fathom it for themselves.

This sudden silence cast a somewhat eerie atmosphere over the hall. The Crown Prince, too, was curiously stealing glances at the ministers and His Majesty, diligently absorbing the lessons of his first state council session.

After the silence had stretched on for a good while, Chancellor Wang Zhaojing felt it incumbent upon himself to probe His Majesty's true meaning.

Because his status and prestige were the highest, he possessed, at certain moments, the right to seek clarification.

"We, your subjects, are dull-witted; we beg His Majesty's forgiveness. May I venture to ask, if Your Majesty deems our demand too low, what figure should we take as the baseline?" He looked cautiously at His Majesty.

"Fifteen million seems like a lot, but for a country as rich in gold and silver as Japan, it is truly far too little. Japan has been producing gold and silver for several centuries. Over all those years, they have long since extracted vast quantities and hold enormous domestic reserves — so they can afford a much higher price." Now that the Chancellor had asked again, His Majesty finally spoke. "If we can compel the shogunate to sign a treaty, an appetite of only fifteen million is simply too small! In my view, it must be at least thirty million to make this expedition worthwhile. And it must be produced within fifteen years — twenty at the very most!"

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