Chapter 1527: The Matsuura Family

As soon as he entered, Zhou Pu discovered that wine and dishes had indeed already been laid out on the table. Since his stomach had long been empty, he stood on no ceremony, sat straight down, and began eating ravenously.

Liu Jing also took a seat alongside him, but he did not pick up his chopsticks; he merely watched, lost in deep thought.

"Ah, Sir Zhou, I'll be honest with you — we've been longing for this day as if gazing at the stars and moon. At last, the imperial court has made its resolve!" After a moment, he suddenly let out a long sigh. "We've wanted the court to teach Japan a lesson for ages!"

Because he served as trade representative, Liu Jing had to handle many disputes between Chinese and Japanese merchants. He also had to socialize and deal with Japanese officials regularly. Both of these duties required careful management, and at times he even had to put up with dirty looks from the Japanese. As an official of the Great Han, how could he willingly swallow such indignity? Yet with heavy responsibilities on his shoulders, he had no choice but to endure it.

Truth be told, he had long been thoroughly fed up with these Japanese. Several times he had advised the homeland to adopt stern measures against them. He never imagined that now, the court had truly decided to do just that — how could this not make him cheer and leap for joy?

"Sir Liu has been in Japan a long time and is intimately familiar with conditions high and low. This matter will still require your efforts." Zhou Pu picked up a few more pieces of meat for himself and, seizing a gap, said, "His Majesty wishes to launch a campaign against Japan. The preparatory work absolutely cannot be handled carelessly. If we do it well, there will be rewards; if we do it poorly, we'll have a hard time answering to the homeland."

"Sir Zhou, please set your mind at ease. I naturally understand this!" Liu Jing said repeatedly. "In the coming days, I will personally lead men, under various pretexts, to survey the terrain of Kyushu and report back on the defensive dispositions of each region."

"That would be excellent." Zhou Pu nodded. "Additionally, on my side, I still need to make contact with the daimyo who are at odds with the shogunate, and I will require your assistance in this, sir."

"I will naturally assist with this, but may I ask which individuals you have in mind to contact?" Liu Jing inquired.

"I had previously decided on contacting the Shimazu family. However, if you have other reliable candidates, you may also tell me about them. After all, the more people we can contact, the better." Zhou Pu replied. "Do you have any suggestions, sir?"

Liu Jing pondered for a moment.

"Among the powerful clans of Kyushu, some rose to prominence by clinging to the shogunate — these are not worth relying on. Some, though harboring discontent toward the shogunate, are either weak in power or weak in courage — these too are not worth relying on. Your choice of the Shimazu was indeed correct. Shimazu Tadatsune has seen battle, possesses courage, and because his family's estate was repeatedly encroached upon and seized by the shogunate, he bears a great grudge against them… He is truly a fine candidate. It is clear that you have indeed studied this in great detail."

After first placing this flattering hat on Zhou Pu's head, he voiced the conclusion he had reached. "I also gave it some thought earlier. Apart from the Shimazu, I have thought of one other family — the Matsuura family."

"Matsuura?" Zhou Pu furrowed his brow slightly, searching through his memory. "Would that be the Matsuura family, the lords of Hirado Domain?"

"Precisely." Liu Jing nodded. "Because of the earlier opening of maritime trade, the Matsuura family's estate is vast. If they could participate in our great undertaking, it would certainly be of immense help. Furthermore, due to repeated suppression by the Tokugawa shogunate, they are also deeply dissatisfied with the shogunate — one might even call it a bitter, irreconcilable hatred…"

He then proceeded to brief Zhou Pu on some details regarding the Matsuura family, the lords of Hirado Domain.

The Matsuura were for generations the daimyo of Hizen Province in Kyushu. The current lord of Hirado Domain was named Matsuura Takanobu. His great-grandfather was also named Matsuura Takanobu, and it was under the rule of this great-grandfather that Hirado Domain opened its port.

At that time, Hirado Port was also the first to be settled by Portuguese merchants. However, later on, disputes arose between Japanese merchants and the Catholic missionaries, and moreover, that generation's Matsuura Takanobu intensely detested Catholicism. Thus, Hirado Port expelled these Portuguese and switched to trading with the Dutch instead. The Dutch also established a trading post in Hirado Domain, and the Matsuura family and Hirado Domain thereby acquired immense financial resources.

However, the good times did not last long. In the era of Takanobu's son, Matsuura Shigenobu, after the Tokugawa shogunate unified Japan, they suppressed the powerful daimyo of various regions and planned to monopolize all foreign trade in the hands of the shogunate, denying other daimyo the opportunity to use maritime trade to strengthen themselves. Hirado Port quickly became a target of their suppression. Despite Matsuura Shigenobu's manifold efforts, Hirado Domain barely managed to retain the Dutch trading post and a limited degree of trading rights, but the trade revenues were diverted into the shogunate's hands. After the shogunate's multifaceted suppression, Matsuura Shigenobu became disheartened, passed the position of domain lord to his son Matsuura Hisanobu, and himself took Buddhist vows, taking the Dharma name Hoin.

Therefore, the current lord of Hirado Domain, Matsuura Takanobu, could be said to harbor a wealth-seizing hatred toward the shogunate. Not only that, he also bore a father-killing hatred toward them — his father, Matsuura Hisanobu, after the shogunate unified Japan, was forcibly detained in Kyoto by the shogunate and never permitted to return to his domain. After years of accumulated resentment, he one day could endure it no longer and chose to commit seppuku. He was only 32 years old at the time, and his 12-year-old son, Matsuura Takanobu, inherited the position of family head, becoming the current domain lord.

Shigenobu and Hisanobu were both dead now, but the hatred they left behind had surely been passed down into Matsuura Takanobu's heart. It was merely fear of the shogunate's prestige that prevented him from showing it. If he could obtain powerful support, however, this hatred would have a place to be vented.

"This man can be used!" After hearing the story of Matsuura Takanobu's family, Zhou Pu immediately made his judgment. "Sir, you are truly well-versed in the internal affairs of Japan!"

Previously, when he had worked as a maritime merchant, his understanding of Japan's domestic political situation had been superficial at best, and he was largely unclear on most of it. Thus, he had only learned a bit more about the famous Shimazu family. But now, with Liu Jing's help, things had become much more convenient.

"Not at all, not at all. I merely know a thing or two… It would be best if I could be of help to you." Liu Jing waved his hands repeatedly in a show of modesty. "Sir, how about we do this: we first go and contact the Shimazu family, and then, on my side, I will first go and discreetly sound out the Matsuura family's situation. As soon as there is an opportunity, we will go contact them as well!"

"Fine, let us proceed that way." Zhou Pu immediately agreed to his strategy. "However… for contacting the Shimazu family now, do you have any reliable channels, sir?"

"The Shimazu family was previously a great enemy of the shogunate, and the shogunate can be said to guard against them with the strictest vigilance. As for a completely reliable channel, I do not have one either." Liu Jing shook his head, indicating that he too could not accomplish everything. "This matter is of tremendous importance. Our dynasty cannot explain the situation to an intermediary; we can only explain it clearly to Shimazu Tadatsune face to face."

"That is true." Zhou Pu furrowed his brow slightly, clearly also troubled by this matter.

"What is Shimazu Tadatsune's current situation?"

"Because he was disciplined by the shogunate and also had no choice but to bow his head and declare himself a vassal to the Tokugawa family, his mood is very gloomy and despondent. His health has not been good these past years either. He has been living in deep seclusion within the territory of Satsuma Domain, rarely seeing anyone." Liu Jing related what he knew. "Moreover, his son is also being kept in Edo by the shogunate. This matter must also be taken into consideration…"

Satsuma Domain was the Shimazu family's fundamental stronghold. After the shogunate unified Japan, it still acknowledged the established fact and enfeoffed this domain to Shimazu Tadatsune, allowing his family to serve as its lords for generations.

However, the shogunate naturally did not leave the Shimazu family completely unguarded against. Under the shogunate's regulations, Shimazu Tadatsune had placed his heir, Shimazu Tadamoto, in Edo Castle as a hostage. There, he was granted a character from the name of the shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and renamed Shimazu Mitsuhisa. When he went to Edo, he was only 8 years old, and now nearly ten years had passed.

Drawing lessons from its own rise to power, the shogunate was extremely strict in its precautions against the tozama daimyo of various regions, frequently issuing various disciplinary measures and scheming intently to weaken them, casually stripping them of their territories at the slightest provocation. Moreover, the shogunate also required the daimyo of various regions to place their sons or relatives in Edo as hostages, in order to further quell any thoughts of rebellion.

There were even rumors that the shogun was planning to soon promulgate a policy requiring the domain lords of various regions to periodically come to Edo Castle and reside there in rotation. Although this policy had not yet been formally promulgated, it had already caused a great stir everywhere, and it seemed it was not baseless hearsay.

"With such high-handed oppression and such outrageous arrogance, no wonder the daimyo of various lands harbor thoughts of rebellion… This shogunate truly acts with harsh severity!" After listening to Liu Jing's account, Zhou Pu could not help but sigh. "In my view, that Shimazu Tadatsune is also a man who has been on the battlefield and served as family head. Since he has accomplished great deeds, he probably does not regard one son as more important than his family estate and revenge, does he?"

"Your words are indeed reasonable. Shimazu Tadatsune has over a dozen sons. His heir is a hostage in Edo Castle, but he still has quite a few sons remaining by his side. Presumably, he would not be particularly deterred by concern for one." Liu Jing also nodded in agreement with Zhou Pu's view. "However, the love of parental affection under heaven is, after all, profound. This matter must still be taken into consideration…"

"I understand your point, Sir Liu. I will carefully observe Shimazu Tadatsune, and only when I am confident will I lay everything out to him, so as not to ruin the great undertaking instead." Zhou Pu immediately agreed with his opinion.

As he spoke, he ate, and very soon he had finished most of his meal.

"Sir, the place for you to rest has already been prepared. Would you like to go and rest a while?" Seeing that he had finished eating, Liu Jing asked again.

"No, there are still many matters to attend to. I cannot afford to rest!" Zhou Pu shook his head, then rose to his full height. "Sir Liu, you have toiled and labored in Japan for many years. It has truly been taxing. Rest assured, I must report back to the homeland at any time, and in my reports, I will truthfully inform the homeland of your contributions. The imperial court has always been generous and will never treat meritorious officials shabbily. Now that the situation has reached a critical juncture, I must ask you, sir, to continue sharing the court's burdens!"