Chapter 1609: The Necessary Precautions

The next day, Zhou Pu set off for Nagasaki under the escort of Shimazu Yoshihiro's guards.

By the time he returned to the trading post, it was already the following morning. He evaded the shogunate's hidden spies and carefully slipped back inside through a concealed rear door.

"My lord, you've finally returned!" As soon as he was back, Liu Jing immediately sought him out. "These past few days, you've kept this humble official waiting in agony!"

"What's the matter?" Zhou Pu asked hurriedly. "Has something else happened?"

"Nothing major has occurred. The trading post has been calm these past few days. Even the surveillance and guards around the post have been reduced considerably — likely a deliberate gesture of goodwill toward us," Liu Jing replied in a low voice. "However... just yesterday, that Elder of the shogunate summoned me again, saying it was to attend a welcoming banquet for the new Nagasaki Magistrate..."

"A new Nagasaki Magistrate? Who?" Zhou Pu asked offhandedly.

"His name seems to be something like Soga Koyū. He's a hatamoto and a trusted retainer of the shogun," Liu Jing quickly answered.

Before Takenaka Shigeyoshi, the post of Nagasaki Magistrate had always been held by hatamoto — minor lords directly under the shogunate. But because Takenaka Shigeyoshi had greatly won the favor of the previous shogun, Hidetada, he became the first person to assume the Nagasaki post while holding daimyō status. After he stirred up all these troubles, Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada reflected on the painful lesson and resolved to restore the old system established by Lord Ieyasu, placing hatamoto in charge of Nagasaki's affairs once more.

The Soga clan had once served as retainers to the Ashikaga clan, the head family of the Muromachi shogunate, assisting them for generations. When the Tokugawa shogunate rose, they shifted their allegiance to Edo and were granted a hereditary stipend of five thousand koku, making them one of the shogunate's senior hatamoto. Dispatching Soga Koyū here also demonstrated the determination of the reigning shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, to sweep away his father's lingering influence and bring all of Japan firmly under his own control.

But that was not the only matter Liu Jing wished to discuss. "This Nagasaki Magistrate is of no real consequence — after all, we won't have to deal with them much longer. What matters is that, during the banquet, that new magistrate relayed a demand from the shogunate to me..."

"What demand?"

"They said that, in order to ease the current tensions between our two nations, the shogun wishes to summon me to Edo, to receive the special envoy of our Great Han, and then accompany him to the capital next year, so as to demonstrate the close friendship between our two nations..." Liu Jing answered with a grim expression. "They want me to prepare immediately and will send me to Edo within days to pay my respects to Tokugawa Iemitsu."

No wonder he looked so distressed. Great Han was on the verge of launching a major military campaign. If he were sent to Edo, wouldn't he become the target of the Japanese shogunate's fury once war broke out? Even if Great Han ultimately prevailed, he would likely die without a burial place.

"Lord Zhou... what do you think we should do?" After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Pu with eyes full of hope.

To his astonishment, Zhou Pu showed no sign of anxiety. Instead, he smiled with relief.

"Thankfully, I managed to persuade His Highness the Crown Prince on this matter. Otherwise, you would have been in grave danger, my lord!"

"What do you mean by that, my lord?" Liu Jing was startled. "Do you think I should go with their people to Edo?"

"Of course that's not what I mean, Lord Liu... I am rejoicing on your behalf — you won't have to go to Edo." Zhou Pu answered with a smile. "Our dynasty is about to advance its troops. We must no longer feign compliance with the shogunate."

He then recounted to him all the results he had obtained from his recent trip to Goryeo.

"Truly? That's wonderful!" A sense of relief at having narrowly escaped death washed over Liu Jing, and he let out a long breath. "Then how does my lord plan to handle the current situation? The shogunate will likely send someone to summon me very soon."

"In that case, let's simply flee right now," Zhou Pu made the decision at once. "Quickly take stock of everything in our trading post. Take whatever must be taken, and gather together whatever can't be carried. Over the next couple of days, find excuses to stall for time. Then, a few days from now, set a fire and burn the trading post and everything left behind to ashes."

"Burn it all?" Liu Jing was somewhat taken aback.

"Yes, burn it all. Not a single thing must remain. This trading post conceals too many secrets. Some things would be inconvenient if discovered — even if we later occupy Kyushu, it would damage our reputation... Better to consign it all to the flames," Zhou Pu confirmed with a nod. "Lord Liu, there's no need to grieve. What is a mere trading post? After the war, the entire city of Nagasaki will be ours. Rebuilding the trading post then will be a trivial effort, and we can build it even better than it is now."

Liu Jing reflected and realized this reasoning was sound, so he ultimately agreed. "Very well, my lord. I will begin preparations now. I won't leave behind a single ledger, document, or letter that needs to be sorted. After the war, I... I want to seize the shogunate's official residence in Nagasaki and use it as our trading post!"

"That's an excellent idea. We'll do exactly that when the time comes!" Zhou Pu burst into laughter.

Having made up his mind, Liu Jing's spirits rallied, and he immediately began secretly directing his men to clear out the documents within the trading post.

Because they had been in Nagasaki for many years and had always been responsible for trade between the two nations, the trading post had accumulated a vast number of documents and ledgers. After several days of sorting, Liu Jing carefully selected the important papers and stowed them cautiously into several bundles.

During these days, the shogunate sent people several times to urge Liu Jing to depart for Edo as soon as possible. Liu Jing stalled each time by claiming he was arranging affairs in preparation for his departure. Using this excuse, these activities within the trading post did not arouse much suspicion.

Yet the increasingly heavy atmosphere between the two nations still inevitably sent chills through the shogunate officials in Nagasaki. Although Elder Naitō Tadashige had reprimanded the Great Han officials several times, trade volume still failed to recover. The Great Han officials claimed that their country was now lifting its bans, but the shogunate officials in Nagasaki still saw no significant improvement.

This grim reality naturally filled the newly arrived Nagasaki Magistrate, Soga Koyū, with deep anxiety. Ever since receiving this appointment, he had been full of ambition, eager to accomplish great things here and earn the recognition of the shogun and the Elders. But upon arrival, he found the situation far more severe than he had imagined.

Under Naitō Tadashige's deliberate purges, Takenaka Shigeyoshi's remaining faction had been largely driven out, and those who remained had long since been silenced into terrified submission, offering no further hindrance. The account books and other documents had also been sorted out and could now be gradually taken over. Only the trade issue remained utterly unresolved, continuing its alarming decline.

Moreover, he sensed an even more dreadful prospect awaiting him. That evening, heavy with worry, he made his way to the residence where the Elder was staying.

Guided by an attendant, he ascended to the upper floor to have an audience with the Elder.

Although Naitō Tadashige had already handed over Nagasaki's affairs to him in recent days, Soga still frequently came to see the Elder to receive his instruction — whether out of practical necessity or a desire to curry favor.

Today, as usual, Elder Naitō Tadashige was in his study on the upper floor, reading letters and reports sent from Edo and other places. Soga Koyū waited patiently for quite some time before Naitō Tadashige finally summoned him into the room.

"Soga, have you gotten a handle on Nagasaki's affairs by now?" Naitō Tadashige asked casually once Soga had respectfully knelt and seated himself.

"Yes, my lord. Thanks to the patient groundwork you laid earlier, I have taken over Nagasaki's affairs very smoothly and now largely have the officials in the government office under control. It's just..." A look of worry appeared on Soga Koyū's face. "There are certain matters that cannot but cause concern..."

"What are you concerned about?" Naitō Tadashige asked directly.

"It's still the problem with Great Han. The trade issues between our two nations persist without any sign of recovery. These past few days, not a single Great Han merchant ship has come... Furthermore, the Dutch merchant ships are still being harassed and obstructed." Soga Koyū's expression was deeply grave. "A Dutch merchant ship arrived today. They said they were chased by pirates for a long time and nearly failed to make it to Nagasaki."

"... It seems Great Han still has no intention of changing course," Naitō Tadashige said, furrowing his brow.

He, too, had been worrying about this constantly. He had summoned the Great Han envoys several times, but it now appeared the effect was still insufficient. Great Han, at least for the present, showed no inclination to change its stance. Even regarding his proposed visit to Great Han, no further word had yet come from within that country.

Though he was burning with impatience and had urged Special Envoy Liu Jing several times, there had been no progress. He also knew that merely pressing a single envoy was useless, so he had no choice but to restrain his anxiety and continue waiting.

"My lord, this cannot be allowed to continue! Nagasaki's revenue is of vital importance to the shogunate. If this dispute between our two nations drags on, we... we cannot bear the consequences. What's more, the truly terrifying thing is that Great Han may not be content to stop there... The Dutch who came today said that Great Han's warships in our outer waters have only increased, not decreased, and their military strength appears to have grown. Some signs are truly unsettling, my lord!" Soga Koyū suddenly let out a long sigh. "This atmosphere — like the calm before a coming storm — is truly unbearable. I... I fear the worst may happen."

"What use is panic? Panic is useless!" Naitō Tadashige frowned and rebuked Soga Koyū. "Do not speak of such things aloud now. It is enough to understand them in your heart. Raising a clamor now will only needlessly disturb people's minds."

Although he had scolded the other man, his own heart was in fact deeply uneasy. Despite his extreme reluctance for the two nations to come to blows, he could not completely deceive himself or ignore the signs — which were growing ever more numerous and ever more obvious.

He was already extremely tense, worrying about this all day long, and had even suffered nightmares several times. Yet precisely because of this, he made a point of appearing all the more composed before others, as if he did not care in the slightest.

"My lord, there are only the two of us here, and I would absolutely never speak recklessly once I leave... But in your presence, can I truly pretend to know nothing and muddle along in ignorance?" Soga Koyū replied in a low voice. "My lord, if Great Han truly intends to wage war against our country, the two of us will be the first to bear the brunt, and Kyushu will become a land of danger. As ministers of the shogunate, we must exert every effort to preserve the shogun and the territory of Japan. We can no longer afford to act negligently!"

The remark about acting negligently made Naitō Tadashige's expression turn even more unsightly. Though Soga Koyū had spoken without intent to offend, it sounded almost like an accusation directed at him.

"I have not been entirely idle before now," he replied coldly. "Nagasaki's defenses have already been reorganized under my direction and are now under strict guard. They will not easily fall into trouble."

"My lord, if Great Han truly launches an invasion, the current level of preparation alone will likely be insufficient. We must further strengthen our measures," Soga Koyū shook his head. "At the very least, we should first have the various domains of Kyushu ready themselves, to guard against any contingency."

"That is something that can only be done on the shogun's direct order. How can we act rashly on our own?" Naitō Tadashige countered. "Besides, among the various domains of Kyushu, how many would genuinely and wholeheartedly support the shogunate? If we have them prepare and Great Han does not attack, wouldn't such hasty action on our part sow the seeds of unrest throughout Kyushu? And even if Kyushu does not descend into chaos... we would likely be unable to withstand the shogun's censure."

"My lord... the situation is pressing. At a time like this, there's no need to worry so much about all that!" Soga Koyū grew somewhat agitated. "When the shogun dispatched me here, he already entrusted me with the task of guarding against Great Han. Even mobilizing the various daimyō of Kyushu would be an act carried out under the shogun's orders. Even if we are held accountable afterward, the punishment would not be excessively severe... But if Great Han truly goes to war and we have done nothing, that would be utter catastrophe!"

Under Soga's vigorous persuasion, Naitō Tadashige considered for a moment and finally made his decision — for him, at least there would now be two people to share the responsibility.

"Very well, what you say has merit. We should indeed take some actions to prepare... I will write to the shogun to explain the specific details. You may proceed with all due effort."

"Thank you, my lord!" Soga Koyū finally breathed a sigh of relief. "My lord is loyal in his service to the nation. The shogun will surely understand your lordship's painstaking efforts!"

"However... we cannot fully mobilize all the domains of Kyushu," Naitō Tadashige immediately voiced his own opinion. "Among the Kyushu domains, too many harbor disloyal intentions. Even if we had them prepare, they might not be of much help to us. It would be better to have only those domain lords who are close to the shogunate begin preparations first. Notify the lords of Fukuoka Domain, Izuhara Domain, Usuki Domain, and Kurume Domain first — they should be able to render us assistance."

Fukuoka Domain was a major domain on Kyushu, with a territory yielding as much as four hundred thirty thousand koku. Its lord was the Kuroda family, descendants of the Sengoku-era daimyō Kuroda Nagamasa. Kuroda Nagamasa had earned illustrious battle merits and was extremely shrewd in his political alignments. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, he had pledged allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu and played a crucial role as a commander on the Eastern Army's side at the Battle of Sekigahara, achieving distinguished service. After the war, Tokugawa Ieyasu, in gratitude, enfeoffed him in Fukuoka on Kyushu, granting him an immense territory and making him and his descendants trusted retainers of the shogunate in Kyushu and western Japan.

Kuroda Nagamasa had already passed away. The current domain lord was Kuroda Tadayuki, whose reputation was poor and whose governance within his domain was careless. For this reason, Naitō Tadashige had never liked him.

Izuhara Domain was also a major domain on Kyushu, its territory encompassing Tsushima, Tashiro, Hamasaki, and other areas, with a kokudaka of around three hundred thousand koku. Izuhara Domain was held by the Sō clan, a traditional powerful family of Kyushu. Their ancestor, Sō Morikuni, had served as the Deputy Governor of Tsushima during the Muromachi shogunate era and, over many years, had carved out an independent fiefdom, becoming a significant power in the Sengoku period.

After the Warring States period began, amid the chaos that engulfed the realm, they spent many years attempting to seize the entire island of Kyushu, fighting fierce battles against major daimyo clans such as the Mōri, Shimazu, and Ōtomo.

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose to power and launched the Kyushu Campaign, the Sō clan submitted to the Toyotomi and became their vassals. After Hideyoshi's death, the Sō clan initially opposed the Tokugawa and sent troops to join the Western Army at the Battle of Sekigahara, but they quickly reversed course, defected to the Tokugawa, and were reappointed by the Tokugawa as the daimyo of Izuhara Domain, ruling their current territory. Due to these historical reasons, they were deeply loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate and became a foothold for shogunate power in Kyushu. Their current daimyo is Sō Yoshinari.

Usuki Domain was established by the Tokugawa Shogunate when it rewarded meritorious officials after the founding of the shogunate. Its daimyo is the Inaba clan. This clan originally belonged to the Western Army at the Battle of Sekigahara but immediately defected to the Eastern Army. They received rewards after the battle, and they were also related to Kasuga no Tsubone, the wet nurse of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and thus received considerable favor from the shogunate. The domain is not large, with a kokudaka of around fifty thousand koku. Its current daimyo is Inaba Sadamichi.

Kurume Domain was likewise established by the Tokugawa Shogunate when it rewarded meritorious officials after the founding of the shogunate. Its daimyo is the Arima clan. This clan also rendered meritorious service in following the Tokugawa and achieved tremendous military merit during Tokugawa Iemitsu's attack on Osaka. After the war, they were enfeoffed here, and their kokudaka was increased to two hundred ten thousand koku, making it also a major domain in Kyushu.

These four domains were the most trusted and favored by the shogunate among all the domains in Kyushu, and were regarded as the shogunate's footholds for controlling Kyushu. Now that trouble had arisen, Naitō Tadashige also thought to first make use of them to arm themselves and defend Kyushu, while quietly awaiting how the situation would develop.

As for the other domains — such as the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Domain, the Tachibana clan of Yanagawa Domain, the Mōri clan of Saiki Domain (this Mōri clan has no direct blood relation to the Mōri clan of Chōshū Domain; their ancestor's original surname was Mori, and because they rendered meritorious service for the Mōri clan during the Warring States period, Mōri Terumoto granted them the surname Mōri) — none of these domains were trustworthy. If war truly broke out, it would already be a good thing if they did not cause trouble. Why let them mobilize their armies and needlessly bring vexation upon oneself?

"Understood, my lord!" Soga Koyū naturally understood the intricacies as well. He immediately bowed his head and accepted the order. "I will send men at once to notify the daimyo of these domains. I also ask that my lord summon the daimyo when the time comes, so that they all obey the shogunate's commands."

"You are the Nagasaki Magistrate. These matters are naturally for you to decide." Naitō Tadashige waved his hand. "I need not interfere. It is enough that I lend you support from behind. Otherwise, you would instead be constrained by others."