Chapter 1630: The Han Army and the Han Auxiliary Army

"The Imperial Envoy is truly a man of exceptional bearing, worthy of a figure from the Central Plains." A faint smile suddenly appeared on Tachibana Muneshige's face. "Will the Imperial Envoy remain in Japan after the war?"

This was both a gesture of goodwill and a probe. Zhou Pu had now promised the Tachibana clan a territory of five hundred thousand koku, but if he were transferred back to the imperial court after the war, then no matter how many terms he agreed to, his successor would very likely renege on those promises. So he needed to confirm this.

And Zhou Pu, of course, understood the other party's intent perfectly.

"If nothing unexpected occurs, I should remain in Japan, attending to some trivial minor matters, continuing to consolidate the diplomatic ties between our two nations." A faint smile also appeared on Zhou Pu's face. "After all, within our imperial court, there are actually not many people who understand the affairs of Japan."

"In that case, I humbly request the Imperial Envoy's kind guidance in the future." The old man gently cupped his hands and then nodded slightly, which counted as a salute.

"Think nothing of it." Zhou Pu likewise cupped his hands. "So long as it benefits the diplomatic relations between our two nations and the welfare of your esteemed country, I am happy to do it..."

The Tachibana clan needed to find a backer for themselves in the future, to safeguard their position and territory; and Zhou Pu also needed some helpers in Japan, in order to strengthen control over the country.

This subtle alliance, within the smiles of the two men, was understood completely without a word.

Tachibana Muneshige slowly moved his hand toward the sword at his right hip. His expression had now become extremely solemn; the fatigue and tension from earlier were nowhere to be seen.

Then, with incredible speed, he suddenly drew the blade.

With a sharp "Clang!", a dazzling, cold gleam flashed across everyone's eyes.

"Then... let us fight the Tokugawa clan to the death once more!"

"Hai!" Following Tachibana Muneshige's great shout, the assembled senior elders and chief retainers of the Tachibana clan roared their assent in unison.

Like Tachibana Muneshige, they too felt a sense of relief at having narrowly escaped death. Originally, they had all worried that once they were regarded as enemies by the Great Han, they would ultimately have to perish together with their domain. They had never imagined that after meeting the Great Han envoy, and following their domain lord's negotiations, the Great Han envoy would not only agree to preserve their domain but also promise to grant them five hundred thousand koku of land as compensation afterward.

Although this compensation would have to be carved out from other parts of Japan, and they would likely face the prospect of being relocated from their native Yanagawa Domain, as long as their territory could be expanded fivefold, everyone would certainly enjoy higher status and better treatment. In that case, what harm was there in migrating out of Kyushu?

Besides, these men had long harbored grievances against the shogunate. Now that they had a chance to take revenge on the shogunate, it gave them a moment of heartfelt satisfaction.

Under Tachibana Muneshige's orders, these senior retainers rushed out of the domain castle one after another, heading to various parts of the domain to muster the assembled domain soldiers. This was partly to make preparations, and partly to avoid clashes with the Great Han soldiers — after all, with the Great Han forces advancing deeper into the interior of Kyushu day by day, the two sides were very likely to run into each other.

This concern was not divorced from reality.

Under the blazing midday sun, a group of Great Han soldiers in red uniforms fought their way to the border of Yanagawa Domain. Their faces were covered in grime and soot, which, mixed with the sweat streaming down continuously, had blended into a strange, mottled color. Moreover, their steps were somewhat disordered, and they looked utterly exhausted. Their red uniforms were extremely disheveled, some parts caked with dust and dirt, other parts turned a dark brown from congealed blood clots, making them look like bizarre, terrifying death-gods.

Ahead of them, another group of people was also running forward. However, though it was called running, their speed was not fast; they were moving forward listlessly. Compared to the red-coated soldiers behind them, they looked far more wretched, their clothes in tatters, their eyes bloodshot, appearing to be in great agony.

These men were the remnant defeated troops of the former Fukuoka Domain. They had been routed after their first engagement with the Great Han army and had then chosen to flee. The fleeing crowd that had originally gathered was very large, but under the relentless pursuit of the Great Han army, their numbers had grown increasingly scattered.

They had lost all courage to resist. Although the number of pursuers behind them had always been far smaller than their own, they simply had no courage to turn back and fight, nor did they have any semblance of unit organization left. They just desperately ran forward.

Driven by hunger and exhaustion, even their courage to flee slowly faded. Along the way, from time to time, people stopped because they simply could not walk any further, sitting on the ground in a daze. They offered no resistance even when the pursuers behind them drew their swords and hacked down at them.

The red-coated soldiers, though equally exhausted, were far more spirited. The thrill of victory and the desire to seize more military merits drove them to continue the pursuit relentlessly, to the point that they had become separated from their own main force. Unknowingly, they had been pursuing the enemy for several days and had fought their way across half of Kyushu.

They were now about to reach Yanagawa Domain, but these soldiers were, of course, completely ignorant of this fact, and they did not really care which domain this was anyway. In their eyes, the enemy before them collapsed at the first touch, and everywhere was an open path. They could fight wherever they went; whoever stood in their way, they would simply defeat.

To conserve their strength, they followed the defeated soldiers ahead at a leisurely pace, casually reaping the lives of the enemy stragglers, as if a cat were toying with mice. This enemy force, in their eyes, was already a prize in the bag, ready to be harvested at any time.

However, just as they were preparing to launch another charge and completely annihilate this enemy force, a group of people suddenly came running from the distance, weapons in hand. They looked like a contingent of domain soldiers.

"On guard!" The commanding officer, Company Commander He Gui, immediately ordered his men to form up and stand ready.

He was an officer of the Great Han Expeditionary Army's Provisional First Regiment, and previously a member of the Liaodong Army. He had originally been a common soldier in the Zhao Battalion. Because of his diligence and bravery in battle, after the Great Han expanded its army several times, he became a company commander in the Liaodong Army, and then followed Marshal Zhao and Regiment Commander Bi to Kyushu.

After the Liaodong Army pacified the Jianzhou Jurchens, large-scale military campaigns had begun to decrease with each passing day. This was something the officers and soldiers of the Liaodong Army, long accustomed to war, found rather hard to get used to.

Therefore, he was not really interested in why this war was being fought; he was merely happy that after being idle for so long, there was finally a battle to fight. For him, he had only the duty to obey. Wherever His Majesty and the generals above pointed, he would fight his way there.

After setting foot on the land of Kyushu, he and the other officers had originally been very skeptical of the fighting ability of the Japanese shogunate troops. The resounding victory in their very first engagement further boosted his confidence. After receiving Regiment Commander Bi's order to pursue with full force and expand the fruits of victory, he led his men in a continuous forward pursuit. Because the speed of the pursuit was simply too fast, even about half of his own men had now fallen behind; only a few dozen remained at his side.

Upon hearing his order, his men immediately began to form up according to the Great Han army's drill manual, preparing to engage the enemy. Although the pursuit over many days with almost no rest had left them utterly exhausted, relying on the experience accumulated through constant rigorous training, they still quickly assembled a battle formation, waiting to engage the enemy troops.

The incoming domain soldiers, combined with the defeated troops they had been pursuing, far outnumbered them. But these Great Han officers and soldiers showed no trace of fear. Years of campaigning and an unbroken string of victories had long since built up boundless confidence in them; they dared to meet any enemy head-on.

The Great Han officers and soldiers were on high alert as if facing a formidable foe, but the shogunate domain soldiers who were being pursued, living in constant terror, were overjoyed. They shouted loudly for help, and then, finding strength from somewhere, accelerated their run toward these newly arrived reinforcing domain soldiers. In their eyes, although they did not know which domain these reinforcements belonged to, their appearance meant they themselves had escaped from the jaws of death. Even if these men could not hold off the Han invaders, they could at least buy them time to flee.

However, what greeted them, unexpectedly, were merciless butcher's blades. As the two sides drew near, these charging domain soldiers suddenly drew their own weapons and then mercilessly stabbed at this group. The Fukuoka domain soldiers, already exhausted, hungry, and having lost almost all their will to fight, had no strength left to resist under these circumstances.

Amidst the flashing blades and shadows of swords, muffled screams rang out one after another. Some men tried to flee in another direction, but how could they outrun these domain soldiers? They were soon killed one by one, until not a single one remained.

The Great Han officers and soldiers, arrayed in formation, watched this strange drama unfold before them, all greatly astonished. They did not understand why these domain soldiers would slaughter each other, but they certainly would not relax their vigilance because of it. They remained in formation, watching the remaining domain soldiers before them, ready to fight them at any moment.

These domain soldiers, however, showed absolutely no intention of fighting the Great Han officers and soldiers. They stood at a distance off to the side, and then one of them shouted toward the Great Han side in halting, imperfect Han speech: "My lords, do not misunderstand! We are men of Yanagawa Domain, allies of the Great Han!"

They continued shouting this repeatedly, and the sound reached the ears of the Great Han officers and soldiers, prompting skeptical glances among them. Although the Han speech from the other side was not proficient, they could barely make out the meaning.

"Company Commander, are they saying they're on our side?" One officer cautiously asked He Gui. "Are they bluffing us? I've never heard of us having any allies in Kyushu."

"Don't talk nonsense!" He Gui rebuked him. "Who says we have no helpers here?"

As an officer, he knew a bit more than the others. Before they had come over to fight, the officers of the Great Han Expeditionary Army had been assembled many times, and specialized personnel had conveyed to them certain things the higher-ups wished them to pay attention to. Apart from the usual lectures on military discipline and Japanese customs and geography, one item was an analysis of Japan's situation.

The staff officers told them that Japan was not a country where the shogunate alone held all the land; across the territory of Japan were scattered many domains. Some domains might lean toward the Great Han, and His Majesty the Son of Heaven had specially dispatched envoys to win over some domain lords who might be inclined toward the Great Han. Therefore, they had to be careful not to attack these domains upon receiving word, so as not to disrupt the court's strategy.

However, although he had heard of this matter, he could not be certain whether the domain soldiers before him belonged to that group. Even though they had just slaughtered those fleeing domain soldiers in large numbers to demonstrate their sincerity, how could one know it was not a deliberate ruse to lure the enemy in? It was still better to be cautious; he dared not gamble with his men's lives.

"Drop your weapons first!" he shouted loudly. "Send someone who can speak Han over here! The rest of you, don't move recklessly, or you'll be killed without exception!"

After he gave this order, the other side did not dare to delay. They immediately threw down their weapons, and then two or three men walked out from the formation of domain soldiers.

When he saw that the other side had actually obeyed his order, He Gui believed their words a bit more.

Very soon, those few men walked up before him.

"I am Asakura Masahiko, a retainer of Yanagawa Domain. Greetings, my lord." A young man dressed as a samurai knelt and saluted He Gui with the utmost deference.

"Yanagawa Domain? The Yanagawa Domain in Bungo Province?"

He Gui was himself a low-ranking officer, and ordinarily in the army, he always had to be the one bowing and scraping. Today, seeing someone grovel before him like this, he was, to be honest, somewhat pleased, and his tone of voice became considerably gentler.

As he spoke, he pulled a simple map of Kyushu from the pocket inside his coat, while simultaneously trying to determine his own position — they had run too fast during the pursuit and could no longer pinpoint their location.

"It is indeed the Yanagawa Domain in Bungo Province." Asakura Masahiko quickly nodded, while inwardly shocked at the quality of the Great Han officers and the thoroughness of their preparations.

Even this man, who was clearly a minor officer, understood the situation in Kyushu so well; how could the shogunate not be defeated? Then he glanced again at the Great Han officers and soldiers nearby. These soldiers all had grave expressions, and the bloodstains all over their bodies made him feel a chilling, terrifying pressure.

He dared not look any longer and remained kneeling on the ground, awaiting the other party's questions.

"When did your domain form an alliance with our Great Han? How come I don't know about it?" He Gui asked again.

"We formed the alliance with the Great Han just today. The Great Han envoy is still inside our domain castle right now!" Asakura Masahiko hastily replied.

"Alright, get up, all of you. Don't keep kneeling on the ground; it's inconvenient to talk." He Gui waved the military saber in his hand. "You say the envoy is inside your domain castle right now, correct? Very well, then have the envoy come to see me. Only after I see the envoy can I believe your words."

"The domain lord is currently in talks with the envoy…" Asakura Masahiko hesitated.

"Enough — did you not hear my order?!" He Gui barked at him impatiently. "If you keep stalling and making excuses, who can see any sincerity from your side? Are you trying to deceive us?"

Although he had only a few dozen men at the moment, he was still utterly arrogant, not taking the Willow River Domain soldiers before him seriously at all. Asakura Masahiko's face turned ashen. After hesitating a moment, he knelt and prostrated himself on the ground. "Please, my lord, wait here a short while. We will send someone back immediately to report and return with orders."

"Hurry up!" He Gui brandished his saber again, urging him impatiently.

Very soon, Asakura Masahiko returned to the Willow River Domain troops' formation, then rode a fast horse back toward Willow River Domain Castle.

Watching them leave, He Gui, ignoring the domain soldiers still watching from the opposite side, plopped himself down carelessly on the ground and called out to his subordinates. "Seventh row, stand watch! Third and ninth rows, rest! Rotate every quarter-hour. Everyone take a break here for now and wait for the brothers behind to catch up!"

Once the order was given, apart from those who continued standing guard, the Great Han officers and soldiers all immediately sat down on the ground. Some began lighting fires on the spot, while others simply lay down on the ground and started dozing off.

After several days of continuous pursuit, he and his subordinates were utterly exhausted. Before, they had kept their nerves taut because they were still chasing the enemy; now that they had relaxed, the weariness and drowsiness were almost impossible to hold back.

"We really charged in too recklessly." He Gui cursed under his breath. "Wonder what kind of medal I'll get exchanged for this when we get back."

Soon, a soldier brought him some prepared food. He took the bowl and poured it straight down his throat. After finishing, he let out a satisfied "Ah—", as if it were some rare delicacy.

To facilitate operations, the Great Han combat units were all provided with specialized food supplies — both dry rations and cookable rations. The dry rations were baked wheat cakes; though plain-tasting, they were very filling and could be eaten at any time. The cookable rations were fried flour mixed with minced meat, salt, and spices, which could be quickly prepared to stave off hunger when making camp.

Before, because they had been busy pursuing the enemy, these Great Han officers and soldiers had rarely made camp. When hungry, they had just eaten some wheat cakes, and their palates had long grown utterly bland. Now that they finally had a chance to camp, the moment they tasted these flavorful fried-flour rations, He Gui and his subordinates all felt it was a rare pleasure on earth.

Very soon, Great Han officers and soldiers — whether under his command or not — also came charging up from behind. Amid He Gui's joking curses, they likewise made camp beside them. For a time, this temporary encampment became quite lively, the large numbers of red-coated soldiers dotting the green fields with brilliant splendor.

Seeing the Japanese domain soldiers across from them, these newly arrived Great Han troops had originally wanted to continue the attack, but He Gui told them about the situation he had just encountered, which managed to hold them back for the time being — and besides, they truly needed to rest as well, so everyone likewise made camp on the spot.

Just as they had rested a while, recovered their spirits, and were beginning to grow impatient with the domain soldiers across from them, a large group of men and horses finally came rushing over from the direction of Willow River Domain Castle. The one leading them was none other than that Willow River Domain retainer from earlier who could speak some Han language — Asakura Masahiko.

However, he was clearly not the most important person in this group. Under the wary gazes of the Great Han officers and soldiers, a young man approached the front line unhurriedly.

"I am the Great Han envoy Zhou Pu. I have now persuaded Willow River Domain to surrender and pledge allegiance to our nation. All you soldiers — you have worked hard!"

The initial cooperation between the Great Han army and a Japanese daimyo was thus realized.