Chapter 1632: A Conquest Filled with Swaggering Confidence

Although he had no idea what the other party was actually saying, Tachibana Muneshige could tell just by looking that the man was showing him goodwill, so he hurriedly bowed in return. At that moment, a retainer beside him translated Bi Su's words.

"General, there is no need to apologize. Since ancient times, warfare has always been a perilous affair. Your esteemed forces previously had no knowledge that I had already pledged allegiance — where is the crime in that?" Tachibana Muneshige said with great deference. "Ever since I heard of the General's battle record, I have held admiration for you in my heart. Meeting you today, you are indeed every inch the hero — such a tiger of a general is a rare sight in my lifetime!"

Because he was not very clear on the structure of the Great Han army, Tachibana Muneshige simply addressed Bi Su as General. In any case, erring on the side of a higher title could never be wrong.

Bi Su could not understand his words and turned his head to look at Zhou Pu.

"He says that your subordinates did not know about his surrender, so you cannot be blamed for it." Zhou Pu smiled as he explained for Tachibana Muneshige. "Additionally, he also said that you are a great hero."

Then, he added a remark, seemingly offhand, "This old domain lord followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the campaign against Goryeo back in the day, and crossed swords with Li Rusong, Li Rumei, and Yang Yuan."

When he heard Zhou Pu's explanation, a surge of excitement that was difficult to conceal welled up in Bi Su's heart. As an officer of the Liaodong Army, he had of course heard of all the former Liaodong generals of the Great Ming's Wanli era. The old-timers in Liaodong still grew animated and delighted when speaking of the grand style of Li Chengliang and his son Li Rusong. People always have a bit of vanity, and upon hearing that he was considered to surpass even the Li family — especially when the person saying this was someone who had truly fought Li Rusong and the others — he was naturally extremely pleased.

"The Domain Lord flatters me, flatters me!" He laughed heartily as he spoke to Tachibana Muneshige. "The Domain Lord is the true hero. I shall be relying on your efforts from here on!"

"In the past, I followed the Taikō's orders on the western expedition against Goryeo and fought the Middle Kingdom's army. I can be called a sinner... how could I be worthy of the title hero?" Tachibana Muneshige gave a bitter smile. "Now, I merely wish to contribute my meager strength and restore order to the nation and its altars as soon as possible. As for other matters, I dare not speak of them any further."

His words were peculiar. After listening to Zhou Pu's translation, Bi Su looked at Zhou Pu curiously, not understanding what the old man truly meant.

"He is afraid we will dredge up old scores from Goryeo!" Zhou Pu explained to him in a low voice. "The Japanese like to speak only in half-meanings; no wonder the Regiment Commander could not make sense of it."

"So that's how it is..." Bi Su suddenly saw the light.

Then he looked at Tachibana Muneshige again, his expression turning serious. "Domain Lord, please set your mind at ease. Our dynasty rose in place of the Ming. The conflicts between the Ming state and your esteemed country and domain are matters our nation will uniformly not pursue. Besides, the old affairs of Goryeo are already forty-year-old bygones; no one will bring them up again."

After pausing a moment and waiting for the bystanders to translate for Tachibana Muneshige, he emphasized once more, "Furthermore, the Domain Lord was following orders back then. As a military commander, what crime is there in following orders? I ask the Domain Lord not to harbor any misgivings. We absolutely will not pursue the matters of those years and will only reward based on merit according to present conduct!"

Zhou Pu had already assured Tachibana Muneshige of these words, and now Bi Su, as a military officer, guaranteed them once more, which finally allowed Tachibana Muneshige to set his heart at ease. He bowed once again to Bi Su and Zhou Pu. "The Great Han's heavenly grace fills me with boundless gratitude! I will certainly give my full strength and cooperate with the Great Han in the punitive expedition against the Shogunate!"

"Domain Lord, so long as you are loyal to the Great Han going forward, nothing from the past will affect the Great Han's opinion of you," Zhou Pu said with a smile as he helped him up. "The 500,000 koku territory I promised you before is only a base figure. As long as the Domain Lord continues to render meritorious service, it can absolutely be increased."

Although Tachibana Muneshige remained very composed on the surface, the old man's hands were already trembling slightly; he was clearly very excited. He had evidently realized that this Great Han Imperial Envoy held him in high regard.

"Alright, I won't say much else. The only thing we need to consider now is how to win this battle as quickly as possible." Bi Su walked beside an earthen mound and looked at the map spread out on top of it. "Domain Lord, let us first consider how to proceed next. The Domain Lord has lived in Kyushu for many years and is surely far more familiar with it than we are. I wonder if the Domain Lord has any guidance to offer us?"

"It hardly qualifies as guidance; I am merely offering some ideas for the General." Tachibana Muneshige smiled faintly.

Bi Su immediately waved his hand and brought several of his staff officers, along with Zhou Pu and Tachibana Muneshige, over to the map. These staff officers had already been studying the map for a long time. Based on the intelligence they had now obtained, they had drawn many markings on the map, prepared for their commander's reference.

This map posed no obstacle for Tachibana Muneshige either — he recognized every single kanji written on it; it was merely that the Japanese reading was different, which did not affect his perusal in the slightest.

"The red circles are the current assembly points of our army." After asking the people beside him, Zhou Pu explained to Tachibana Muneshige, then placed his hand on a red circle in the middle of the map. "This here is Yanagawa Domain, the place where we are now."

"I have already noted it." Tachibana Muneshige nodded, then carefully examined the map.

Under his gaze, the western part of this map of Kyushu was already a vast expanse of red circles, densely packed, with numerous lines already moving toward the east and north — a sight that shocked the eye. As far as the eye could see, the Great Han army was now unstoppable in Kyushu.

Even though, from his current standpoint, he ought to be glad for this, he could not feel happy no matter what. With the Shogunate beaten so wretchedly by the Great Han, he naturally felt a sense of sympathy for his own kind.

After a moment of silence, he put away these meaningless thoughts, then stretched out his hand and drew a heavy stroke to the left, stopping at Kurume Castle. "If nothing unexpected happens, the Shogunate army's remnants should have already retreated to Kurume Castle to set up defenses by now. The Arima family of Kurume Domain are trusted confidants of the Shogunate and have always enjoyed the Shogunate's deep trust. They were also the most active in mobilizing to reinforce the Shogunate this time. Moreover... after the defeat at Nagasaki, the Shogunate army certainly cannot have withdrawn very far. Their best option is to fall back to Kurume Castle and rely on the castle for a stubborn defense."

"Kurume Castle?" After hearing Zhou Pu's translation, Bi Su grew serious and studied the map carefully. "Then, in the Domain Lord's opinion, what will the Shogunate side plan to do next?"

In his view, since this Tachibana Muneshige was an old and famous general of Japan, he could at least serve as an advisor, gauging the Shogunate army's possible movements so that his own side could better know the enemy and know themselves.

"The Great Han landed in the west, and the Shimazu family rose up in the south and east. Now the Shogunate has already been routed and is completely unable to respond. Direct pitched battles should no longer occur... all of Kyushu should be swept clean very soon." Tachibana Muneshige spoke thoughtfully. "Right now, the Shogunate side should no longer be planning to fight in the open field. They will retreat into the Kurume Domain castle, hold the fortifications, and wait for reinforcements from the Shogunate... or at least delay the Great Han's time to pacify the entirety of Kyushu."

Then, he smiled bitterly. "This is a measure born of having no other choice. In my view, they should not be able to hold out for very long."

"They certainly won't be getting any reinforcements. Our army will not give the Shogunate forces another chance to set foot on Kyushu. These men can only wait to die." After listening to Zhou Pu's translation, Bi Su laughed heartily, then asked again, "So, in the Domain Lord's view, how should we continue to prosecute this campaign?"

"Since the situation is already very favorable, we should pursue the victory." Tachibana Muneshige answered immediately. "Although I do not know how far the Great Han forces near Nagasaki have advanced, I imagine they must be progressing very smoothly. Therefore, I believe the General should divide his forces into two routes. One route should head south to sweep away the Shogunate remnants and take the opportunity to link up with the Great Han forces near Nagasaki. The other route should advance north to attack Kokura."

"Why should we do this?" Bi Su asked again.

"Linking up with the Great Han forces near Nagasaki to the south can further split the Shogunate army. Now that our Tachibana family, the Shimazu family, and the General have joined forces, we have already cut in from the east and west, dividing Kyushu Island into two parts. Advancing troops further south can carve up Kyushu even more, splitting the remaining Shogunate forces into small, isolated pockets that cannot support one another. This way, we can annihilate them as quickly as possible."

As he spoke, Tachibana Muneshige gestured on the map, illustrating his point for Bi Su. "And the other route is to take advantage of the fact that other places are still in shock and seize Kokura Domain as quickly as possible with minimal casualties. The lord of Kokura Domain, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, is a trusted confidant of the Shogunate, and they are also enemies of the Great Han. Moreover, Kokura's position is extremely important; it faces Honshu Island across the sea. Occupying Kokura as early as possible can sever all contact between Kyushu and the Shogunate... and can also make early preparations for the Great Han's next step of attacking Honshu."

After hearing his words, Bi Su furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then turned his head and discussed it in low voices with several staff officers.

After their discussion, they felt that Tachibana Muneshige's plan had no flaws and fit their current needs and the situation very well. They indeed should continue to pursue the victory now, sweep away all Shogunate forces as soon as possible, take Kyushu Island, and severing the connection between Kyushu and Honshu was also an imperative.

However, there was one point: the Great Han army's original plan was to cross the sea directly and advance into the Kanto region after taking Kyushu to seek an early decisive battle with the Shogunate army. The force advancing north from Kyushu to Shimonoseki and then on to Kyoto was only a small-scale unit — but Bi Su did not intend to make this clear to the other party for now.

"What is the strength of Kokura Domain like?" After discussing for a moment, Bi Su asked again.

"Kokura Domain is a large domain of over 300,000 koku. In a rush, the domain might be able to muster a few thousand men," Tachibana Muneshige answered honestly. "However, even if they muster a few thousand, they would be nothing more than a rabble and could not withstand the Great Han army's military edge. Since the General could swiftly crush Fukuoka Domain, they certainly will not be able to cause the General much trouble either."

"Very well, then we shall adopt the Domain Lord's suggestion." After discussing it further with his staff officers for a moment, Bi Su finally made up his mind.

Thanks to the Great Han navy's transport over the past few days, his regiment had now basically been entirely ferried onto Hakata Bay.

However, because of the prior pursuit of the Fukuoka Domain forces, these troops were now very dispersed, spread out along a line from Hakata Bay to Yanagawa Domain in Bungo, and needed to be reassembled.

He now planned to assemble his forces here and then split them into two routes. The main force would attack north toward Kokura, striving to take Kokura Domain as quickly as possible, while a portion of the troops would head south to link up with the Great Han forces at Nagasaki, further splitting the Shogunate army and assisting Commander Zhao and the others in encircling the Shogunate remnants.

In addition, he had another plan — he wanted to make use of Tachibana Muneshige's newly submitted auxiliary force.

Since Tachibana Muneshige had now submitted to him and was behaving so diligently, not using his troops to share some of the burden would be almost impolite to refuse. Although the Tachibana family's army might not have much combat strength, they could at least provide him with some cover.

"The Domain Lord has spent many years in military service. Now that you have the chance to don armor and take the field again, you must be quite delighted... I wonder if the Domain Lord still has the ambition to fight a decisive battle to the death with the enemy?" He smiled as he asked Tachibana Muneshige. "If the Domain Lord feels physically unwell at present, then I will not insist."

"I am only sixty-four years old now; my spirit is still vigorous. How could I be unable to take the field?" Spurred by Bi Su's words, Tachibana Muneshige answered immediately. "Since I have already led my troops here to follow the General, I do not intend to return before the campaign is over. I only regret that I cannot go into battle and slay the enemy right now to restore order and discipline for the court."

"Good, very good!" Bi Su laughed heartily in approval. "Then let's do it this way. The Domain Lord should also split his forces into two routes. The main force will follow me to attack Kokura Domain together. The Domain Lord himself, leading the remaining domain soldiers, will accompany Vice Commander Zhou and head south. Our Commander Zhao is still over there; the Domain Lord can go and meet him. I imagine he is also very eager to meet the Domain Lord."

After understanding the other party's arrangement, Tachibana Muneshige hesitated slightly. He of course understood that this arrangement was not merely for the convenience of paying respects to the Great Han army's commander-in-chief; it also concealed a more sinister intent.

This Great Han general clearly did not trust his surrender, and so was determined to split his army, taking the main force into his own hands while sending him off southward first, to be placed under the surveillance and control of the Great Han's main army corps.

It seemed this general, despite his rough and bold appearance, was actually very meticulous at heart... Such an arrangement was indeed very appropriate, Tachibana Muneshige thought with a bitter inward smile.

Although somewhat displeased, now that he had already walked this far down the path, he indeed had no room to refuse.

"As you command!" He bowed once more, accepting Bi Su's order.

Thus, on the morning of the second day, under the watch of the Great Han army, the domain troops of Yanagawa Domain were divided into two parts. One part, as the main force, followed Bi Su and his subordinates northward. The other part, led by the domain lord Tachibana Muneshige, followed Zhou Pu and the two companies dispatched by Bi Su southward, preparing to link up with the army at Nagasaki.

"Regiment Commander, a thousand gold to buy horse bones — remember this!" As they were parting, Zhou Pu specifically admonished Bi Su. "Although the Shimazu family cooperates with us, their selfish motives are too strong. Yanagawa Domain is currently the domain we can control the most. The fate that befalls them is also under close scrutiny and will directly affect our later recruitment of other powerful clans. Regiment Commander Bi, you must treat these domain troops well, so as not to chill the heart of Yanagawa Domain, nor the hearts of others!"

He was afraid that Bi Su, because these men were surrendered troops and auxiliaries, would use them as cannon fodder, causing excessive casualties. It was not that he worried about these people's lives, but rather that doing so would affect his later efforts to win over the powerful clans of Kyushu and Honshu.

"Sir Zhou, please rest assured. I, Bi Su, am not someone who fails to grasp the bigger picture!" Bi Su laughed heartily. "Taking them along is merely to bolster our army's imposing momentum. I have no thought of relying on them to clear the path!"

"Then I am at ease." Zhou Pu nodded with a smile. "I wish the Regiment Commander a smooth journey!"

"You take care too, my lord." With that, the two men waved goodbye and parted ways.

Just as Zhou Pu was leaving, the envoys of the Tachibana and Shimazu families began circulating the Kyushu Reward and Punishment Edict he had personally brushed, carrying the call to arms in all directions.

The Kyushu Reward and Punishment Edict was written for the various domain lords across Kyushu. Imitating the format of an imperial decree, it clearly informed these men of Great Han's intentions and commands.

It opened with a clear statement of purpose, explaining that the Great Han army had come to Japan to punish the shogunate and uphold the imperial court, then proceeded to enumerate a list of the shogunate's crimes — essentially draping Great Han's invasion of Japan in the halo of "assisting a friendly court."

Next, the proclamation explicitly designated the Arima, Sō, and Kuroda families, as well as the Hosokawa of Kokura Domain and other daimyo who had already fought or were about to fight Great Han, as "false rebels and coerced followers," declaring that under the blade of Great Han's army, they would be ground to dust alongside the shogunate's officials, and their entire clans exterminated on charges of treason.

After opening by stating his purpose and delivering these threats, Zhou Pu demanded that the domain lords receiving the proclamation make their decision within the following two days. If they surrendered, raised their troops to join Great Han, and came in person to Nagasaki Castle to pay homage to the Great Han envoy and commander, their families and domains would be preserved (though for now he had no intention of revealing the deal made with the Shimazu family). If they did not surrender, they would be regarded as enemies, and the Great Han army would march upon them, grinding them to dust as well.

Now that the Great Han army had already routed the shogunate's forces and was sweeping the land in all directions, this threat carried exceptional weight.

After issuing the Kyushu Reward and Punishment Edict, Zhou Pu believed that the domain lords of Kyushu who were still wavering and watching from the sidelines would make a clear choice within the two-day deadline — just as Tachibana Muneshige had done.

And with the proclamation issued, his preliminary work had been completed with remarkable smoothness.

As the army marched southward, although fleeing civilians and scattered routed soldiers were everywhere, none of it affected Zhou Pu's mood in the slightest. Riding his horse and gazing at the spring scenery around him, he was already perfectly at ease. He was deeply convinced that after accomplishing these deeds, he would surely become a capable minister in the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and an official the court would rely upon.

In other words, his future prospects were boundless.

And Great Han… would thereby bring this island nation under its own control.

"The sun shines on the eastern seas, Heaven's troops appear; the island barbarians bow their heads before the steps. The sixty-six provinces tremble with thunder and storm — yet all is but within Great Han's palm and fingers." At the height of his satisfaction and pride, the words slipped from his lips unbidden.