Chapter 1608: Edo and Kyoto

"Strengthening means reinforcing the defenses of the Kyushu region, increasing troops at Nagasaki, and simultaneously constructing new-style artillery batteries. In short, we must use a series of measures to tell Great Han that even if they continue to blackmail us in the future, we will not offer further concessions, and force them to view the issue realistically and prudently."

As he voiced his opinion, Tokugawa Iemitsu kept a sullen face and withheld comment, merely pondering in silence.

Finally, he turned his gaze to another Elder, Doi Toshikatsu. "What is your view?"

"This servant believes the previous Elders all spoke with reason." Doi Toshikatsu, who had remained silent until now, finally offered his own opinion. "I believe, first, we must clarify our own bottom line and make Great Han understand that we are by no means easy targets to bully. Therefore, whether to demonstrate resolve or to guard against a Great Han invasion, we must urgently revive our military preparedness, especially strengthening the defenses of Kyushu."

This was the first time among the Elders that someone explicitly mentioned the possibility of a Great Han invasion, and the faces of the other Elders instantly changed color. Since its founding, Great Han's national power had flourished; it had campaigned in all directions, its martial achievements resplendent. If they truly intended to invade Japan, that would be a nightmare. Because Naitō Tadashige had provided no direct evidence in his letter, only writing a few words of concern, the assembled senior ministers had previously tacitly skirted this worry before the Shogun, lest they incur his punishment and the ridicule of others should the matter prove groundless, and be seen as cowardly souls fretting over imaginary dangers.

Only someone in Doi Toshikatsu's position—neither of Tokugawa collateral lineage nor a hereditary fudai senior minister, but merely a trusted confidant of two generations of Shoguns—would dare speak so bluntly to the Shogun.

"Invasion…" Tokugawa Iemitsu repeated the word coldly, then his tone abruptly turned severe. "How great do you think the likelihood of invasion is?"

"The information we have now is too scant; this servant cannot make an accurate judgment. However, judging from the information already obtained and Naitō Tadashige's description, Great Han's troop movements are not frequent, nor does it appear they are massing a large army in preparation to invade our realm." Doi Toshikatsu voiced his innermost thoughts. "Nevertheless… it is always wise to be prepared. Regardless of whether Great Han intends to invade, since the situation has grown so tense, it is only proper that we make some defensive preparations. My lord—I believe that whether to display strength or guard against invasion, strengthening the defenses of Kyushu is imperative."

His words were reasonable and fair, so the others raised no objections; instead, they all nodded in silent agreement.

"However, since it is not yet certain that they will invade, we had best avoid actions that might overly provoke them. Toward the Great Han merchants in Nagasaki, we must still accord them due respect and cannot arrest them arbitrarily." Seeing that everyone agreed with his view, he obliquely expressed his opposition to Sakai Tadakatsu's earlier remarks. "We can pursue both strengthening defenses and seeking compromise simultaneously, and in my view, these two efforts are mutually reinforcing. The more we strengthen our defenses, the more Great Han will be inclined to heed our opinions."

After a brief pause, he added one more sentence. "That said, I also agree with the Great Elder's view: on trade issues, we can make some concessions and put forward proposals more acceptable to Great Han. This way, both sides have a way to step down gracefully, and a calamity can be dissolved before it takes shape."

Seeing that Doi Toshikatsu ultimately leaned toward his own position, Great Elder Ii Naotaka could not help but nod in approval toward him.

"Prudent and steady—this is how a minister who plans for the state should be. Truly worthy of being the chief of the Elders."

"This is merely my personal view. Everything must be decided by His Excellency the Shogun himself." Doi Toshikatsu merely smiled faintly and said no more.

It had to be said, this demeanor was precisely what Tokugawa Iemitsu liked most. As a subject, one should discuss matters on their merits when the lord inquires, and refrain from expressing unsolicited opinions before the lord has spoken. Ii and Sakai truly made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

This was precisely why he preferred to use those low-born close attendants.

"Well then, does anyone else have other opinions?" He nodded slightly, then turned to look at the other senior ministers.

Although some still felt these measures were insufficient, now that the Shogun had made his stance clear, no one dared voice a differing opinion.

"Since we are to display our strength to Great Han, why not simply have Great Han's special envoy come to Edo to pay respects to the Shogun, and then accompany us on our journey to Kyoto next year?" Another Elder, the young Matsudaira Nobutsuna, suddenly spoke up. "The Shogun summoning and comforting him in Edo would express our goodwill; observing the military formations during our journey to Kyoto would also allow them to witness the Shogunate's military power. In this way, without angering Great Han, we can make them feel our strength, which should also achieve a deterrent effect."

The previous year, Tokugawa Iemitsu had already decided to journey to Kyoto the following year. Because he intended to flaunt military might before the Imperial Court, he had already ordered the Shogun's domains and collateral houses across the land to begin assembling troops and preparing supplies and provisions, readying a great army to march on Kyoto the next year. This would be an unprecedentedly vast host, sufficient to show the realm the Shogunate's irresistibility and to silence all those court nobles who still harbored resentment against the Tokugawa Shogunate.

And if, during his own journey to Kyoto, Great Han's special envoy were also in attendance and witnessed this immense military force up close… The moment he imagined this scene, a sudden excitement surged in Tokugawa Iemitsu's heart.

It had to be said, Matsudaira Nobutsuna truly was someone who had been at Tokugawa Iemitsu's side since childhood; he knew this would greatly satisfy Tokugawa Iemitsu's vanity—and indeed, it was necessary.

"Indeed, we must display the Shogunate's military might to them." Before the others could speak again, Tokugawa Iemitsu immediately approved Matsudaira Nobutsuna's proposal. "Whether for deterrence or to resist a potential invasion, the massing of troops must be accelerated. Send orders down: let all regions speedily conscript soldiers and assemble them toward Edo. The hatamoto of the Kanto region must, within the next month, fully re-equip themselves and the retainers within their fiefs, and then await orders to proceed to Edo. Furthermore, send men to Nagasaki with a summons: call Great Han's special envoy stationed in Nagasaki to Edo. I want him to witness the Shogunate's great army with his own eyes!"

Then, he threw the folding fan he had snapped on the desk earlier directly onto the floor. "As for the remaining matters, handle them as you see fit, according to today's resolutions."

With that, he rose directly from the floor and strode forward with head held high.

A group of attendants around the Shogun immediately clustered to his side, escorting their lord Shogun out of the outer hall and back into the secluded depths of the Ōoku.

The remaining Elders and Great Elders exchanged glances, each harboring different thoughts, then departed the outer hall one by one. The entirety of Edo Castle sank once more into silence.

While the envoys dispatched by the Tokugawa Shogunate departed Edo one after another, Zhou Pu, who had participated in the Crown Prince's military council, soon returned to Kyushu Island via ships provided by the Shimazu family.

This time, however, his landing point was not Nagasaki, but Kagoshima in the Satsuma Domain.

As soon as he arrived on the island, he directly requested an audience with the domain lord, Shimazu Yoshihiro, and Shimazu Yoshihiro granted his wish, traveling from the Shimazu domain's main castle to Kagoshima to receive Zhou Pu.

Over half a month had passed since he last shaved his head to go to Kyoto, so the shaved hair on his crown had grown back a thin layer, making him look somewhat incongruous. But of course, Shimazu Yoshihiro and the trusted attendants he brought with him would not find this strange.

"Sir Zhou, you have endured a weary journey." In a small room, Shimazu Yoshihiro greeted him calmly. "On this trip back, you have met with your esteemed nation's Crown Prince, I presume?"

"Yes, Domain Lord. I have already had an audience with the Crown Prince in Goryeo." Zhou Pu bowed to Shimazu Yoshihiro, then drew a letter from his bosom and handed it to him. "And I delivered the letter you wrote to His Highness to him. His Highness was greatly pleased and has written a reply to you, and entrusted me to convey his regards."

"Oh? Please, give it to me quickly!" Shimazu Yoshihiro, somewhat delighted, beckoned to Zhou Pu.

For the Crown Prince of the Central Plains dynasty to write a letter to him, a domain lord—this was an unprecedented honor. Although he also knew what price he would have to pay for this, he still could not help feeling immensely pleased. In this era, the Son of Heaven and the imperial house of the Central Plains still held an extremely exalted status in the hearts of the Japanese.

Zhou Pu then respectfully handed the letter to him, and Shimazu Yoshihiro took it and read it carefully.

The letter's content was quite simple: some words of encouragement, along with thanks for his act of stepping forward in his nation's court's hour of peril, and a request that he actively cooperate with the Great Han army's operations thereafter. These words were not what Shimazu Yoshihiro cared about most; what concerned him more was the final short section.

In this section, the Crown Prince explicitly confirmed the terms Zhou Pu had negotiated with him, stating that after the war, apart from Nagasaki, the entire island of Kyushu would be granted to him. These words were more effective than any encouragement or pleasantries, instantly setting the blood in his entire body boiling.

Unlike Zhou Pu, as the Crown Prince of Great Han, he could not speak in jest, nor would the Great Han court renege on his promise. Therefore, since he had now explicitly committed to this in writing, there was no longer any need to worry about Great Han going back on its word after the war.

"Good. Very good." His expression quickly returned to calm, and he put the letter away. "Then may I ask, Sir, when will Great Han advance its troops? Surely the Crown Prince has also given you verbal instructions on this point?"

"Yes, the time has already been set. In ten days." Zhou Pu answered casually, as if it were a trivial matter.

"In ten days?" Shimazu Yoshihiro's reaction, however, was far greater. "So soon?"

"Was it not the Domain Lord who had been urging us to advance our troops as quickly as possible? Now we are responding to the Domain Lord's call—is this not a good thing?" Zhou Pu countered with a smile. "The sooner we advance, the less prepared the Shogunate will be, and the easier it will be for the Domain Lord to rise in response, no?"

"Sir, you speak reason, but if there are only ten days, I fear our preparations will be somewhat rushed… Ah, if only you had told us earlier." Shimazu Yoshihiro gave a wry smile. "Now we shall be ceaselessly busy."

"We only decided recently ourselves. Some had been advising the Crown Prince to prepare further and advance next month, but ultimately, at my urging, the decision was made to advance as early as possible… In my view, advancing early is always better than delaying, is it not? The Shogunate is already on alert against us now, and I imagine things are not too easy for the Domain Lord's side either."

"That is true." Shimazu Yoshihiro nodded.

Recently, the purges he had carried out within his domain against dissident elements, though conducted with utmost secrecy, had ultimately leaked word. Not only had Nagasaki sent people to investigate, but even the Kyoto Shoshidai seemed to have taken notice. If time dragged on, the Shogunate would inevitably discover his covert actions, and then he would face even greater pressure.

"Very well, then as you say, I shall begin making full preparations in these coming days, and rise up before your noble nation dispatches its troops, throwing Kyushu into complete chaos."

"Everything depends on the Domain Lord." Zhou Pu bowed to him once more. "We shall return to prepare in these next few days, and then directly flee Nagasaki. I hope the Domain Lord can send men to meet us then and help us escape Nagasaki quickly. As long as we can flee into the Kyushu countryside, we will always find a way to slowly make our way here to your domain."

"No trouble at all; I will certainly do this." Shimazu Yoshihiro immediately agreed. "Next, I will dispatch some subordinates familiar with the situation in Nagasaki to infiltrate the city and await your orders, Sir. With their assistance, escaping Nagasaki should not be difficult. Is there anything else you need us to do?"

"There is only one other matter… Please send a few men to Kyoto, Domain Lord. Have them take my letter and the Crown Prince's letter to meet with the people of the Imperial Court, and then reveal to them the news that we are about to advance our troops. Tell them to rise up immediately and assist your nation's sovereign in escaping Kyoto. If possible, have them flee to Kyushu; if that cannot be achieved, then have them hide in the rural countryside and quietly await our good news."

"What?" This time, Shimazu Yoshihiro was truly somewhat surprised. "When did you negotiate this?"

Although he knew this young envoy from Great Han had already visited Kyoto once before, he had not expected him to reach a tacit understanding so quickly with the court nobles and the Cloistered Emperor there. As far as he knew, these people were laughably rigid and pedantic figures, never quick-witted. How could they have turned around so fast and joined hands with Great Han?

"The Shogunate is greedy and tyrannical; Kyoto has long gnashed its teeth in hatred. The moment they heard we intend to teach the Shogunate a lesson, they naturally rose up in response like gathering clouds." Zhou Pu had no intention of explaining the twists and turns in detail to Shimazu Yoshihiro, so he simply glossed over it vaguely. "I imagine this is also a great boon for the Domain Lord, is it not? As long as your nation's Imperial Court issues a decree, proclaiming it throughout the land and calling upon powerful houses to rise en masse against the Shogunate, the public opinion pressure your domain bears will be greatly reduced."

"Hmm… I suppose so." Shimazu Yoshihiro was not particularly delighted, merely nodding slightly with a stiff face.

As a daimyo who had been active since the Warring States era, he was, like other ambitious lords, utterly unburdened by public opinion or psychological baggage. As long as he could gain real territory and tangible benefits, he cared not if he was condemned by thousands. Having the Imperial Court's righteous mandate was certainly a good thing, but if the Court re-emerged after the war and, under Great Han's support, possessed immense power, then the Shimazu family, occupying Kyushu Island, would face great pressure in turn. The Shogunate in the Kanto region might turn a blind eye to the Satsuma Domain, but the Court in the Kansai region would not overlook the Shimazu clan, which held the entirety of Kyushu.

"May I ask what kind of agreement your noble nation reached with the Imperial Court?" He asked casually, feigning nonchalance. "What status will the Imperial Court hold after the war?"

"Domain Lord, we came precisely to uphold justice and punish the disloyal. Since your nation's Imperial Court is so cooperative and willing to take risks to provide us with aid, we naturally ought to reciprocate. After the war, if all goes smoothly, at the very least, your nation's Kinki region should be placed under the direct jurisdiction of your nation's Imperial Court." Zhou Pu answered unhurriedly, as if this truly were just idle chat.

"The Kinki region… is it?" Shimazu Yoshihiro mused. If the Court's direct domain was limited to the Kinki region, then although it would be a colossus, its threat to Kyushu would not be particularly great. "What of the San'yōdō region?"

"The Shanyang Circuit problem can only be left for later resolution — it is your country's internal affair, and it would be improper for us to interfere." Zhou Pu deftly sidestepped the issue, unwilling to give the Shimazu clan any promises. "Presumably, your country can resolve these matters on its own afterward. When the time comes, as a powerful daimyo, the domain lord should also play an important role in your nation's governance, rather than retreating from the world into seclusion."

Shimazu Yoshihiro fell silent again for a moment. Although this arrangement was not the best possible outcome, it was already acceptable to him. As long as the imperial court did not reach its hand into his territory after the war, everything was negotiable. And judging by Great Han's posture, they likely intended to divide and rule after the war, with no plan to let the court extend its dominion over the whole of Japan.

While this was hardly good news for Japan — it meant Great Han wanted the various parties to check one another, balancing them from the center and reaping the fisherman's profit — for the Shimazu clan it was a good thing, because it meant Great Han would not stand by and watch the balance be broken, nor would it allow the court to reach into Shimazu territory. In effect, the Great Han crown prince's letter actually contained a double guarantee for the Shimazu clan.

"In that case… I will send Tōgō Shigekata to Kyoto at once. Since he has already been there once before, he naturally knows how to carry out the task even better now." After a moment, Shimazu Yoshihiro finally agreed. "The shogunate has run rampant for many years and has long stirred resentment across the entire country. If the court calls on everyone to act together, I believe it can rally a great number of people, which would also be a help to us. However… our countrymen have always been the most pragmatic. Righteous cause alone cannot move hearts; we must still gain the advantage on the battlefield to resolve the issue."

"We are, of course, perfectly clear on that point. My lord need only wait and see when the time comes." Zhou Pu laughed heartily. "Well then, Domain Lord, I shall take my leave now."