Chapter 1651: Victory Is the Prevailing Trend

When the subject of the Mōri clan's persistent refusal to openly declare allegiance to Great Han came up, these highest-ranking civil and military officials of the Great Han expeditionary force in Japan all felt considerable displeasure in their hearts.

They knew the Mōri clan was watching how the situation developed, hoping to secure the greatest bargaining chips for themselves and wring as many concessions and benefits from their side as possible.

However, because the military campaigns in Kyushu had previously consumed the vast majority of everyone's energy, and the destruction across the various regions required some time to recover from, these civil and military officials had all chosen to swallow their resentment for the time being and settle matters on Kyushu Island first.

The Mōri clan still held the southernmost territory of Honshu Island, and any northward advance from Kyushu Island would have to pass through their lands.

If they cooperated, the Great Han army could easily set foot on Honshu Island, march north to attack Kyoto, and gain an additional combat-effective army as support; if the Mōri clan chose not to cooperate, the Great Han army would inevitably have to face one more enemy and would need to funnel more Han troops into Zhou Pu's forces.

Therefore, the Mōri clan could be considered an important target they needed to win over.

Yet the way the Mōri clan was acting had thoroughly disgusted them all.

"Barbarians care only for profit, have no regard for good faith, and submit only to strength. It seems we were far too lenient with them before, to the point that they still harbor wishful thinking and want to haggle with us." Yan Guang was still somewhat indignant. "If we let them get away with this, wouldn't we become a laughingstock! Now that no one else can tie us down anymore, it's time to use strength to intimidate them!"

"Advisor Yan speaks the truth. With people like this, intimidation is essential." Zhou Pu also strongly agreed, and then he petitioned Zhao Song for orders. "Commander Zhao, I will go to Kokura Castle to negotiate with the Mōri clan's people. I ask Commander Zhao to order the navy's warships to the open sea and show them a bit of color! With the intimidation of the naval guns, your subordinate will certainly be able to force them into submission and make them serve Great Han!"

"Then I leave everything in your hands, Sir Zhou." Zhao Song immediately approved Zhou Pu's request.

After the three men settled on this strategy, Zhou Pu traveled from Nagasaki to Kokura Castle, which faced the Chōshū Domain across the sea. Because the senior retainers of the Kokura Domain had killed their domain lord and surrendered the castle when Great Han was besieging it, the castle town had suffered no destruction. As soon as Zhou Pu arrived, he took up residence in the main keep where the original domain lord had lived.

He had not come alone; he had summoned all the domain lords of Kyushu Island who had submitted to Great Han. This was both to show the Mōri clan who was boss and to make these domain lords understand the might and prestige of Great Han.

Inside the main keep, he sat upright in the seat of honor, while the domain lords of Kyushu knelt in attendance on both sides. Having witnessed the military might of Great Han with their own eyes many times, they were now increasingly deferential toward Zhou Pu, practically as if they were having an audience with the Shogun back in Edo.

Once they were all assembled, Zhou Pu dispensed with pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"I have summoned you all here today because there are several important matters to inform you of." He looked coldly at these submissive and obsequious domain lords and continued speaking on his own. "The first is the matter of how Kyushu Island will be disposed of going forward…"

Because this matter concerned their very lives and fortunes, every domain lord listened with one hundred and twenty thousand percent focus, afraid of missing a single word.

"Previously, I came to Kyushu Island as an envoy of Great Han and made contact with Shimazu Tadatsune, the domain lord of the Satsuma Domain. We talked very pleasantly and reached an agreement. Later, when our Great Han army attacked, Lord Shimazu indeed kept his word, raised troops against the Shogunate, and gave us tremendous assistance." Zhou Pu spoke unhurriedly. "Therefore, we must honor our prior agreement and hand over the governing rights of the entire Kyushu Island to the Shimazu clan after the war, to serve as Shimazu territory. Apart from Nagasaki City, which Great Han intends to occupy, and the lands I granted to those temples and shrines, Kyushu Island will henceforth belong to the Shimazu clan."

Previously, in order to make these domain lords serve him diligently, Zhou Pu had kept his agreement with the Shimazu clan a secret. Now he felt the time was ripe, so he informed these domain lords.

Although his tone was utterly flat, these words inevitably caused a stir among the domain lords. Quite a few could not restrain themselves and turned their heads to stare in shock at Shimazu Tadatsune beside them, but Shimazu Tadatsune remained kneeling in place, as still as an old monk in deep meditation, not uttering a single word.

If the entire Kyushu Island goes to the Shimazu clan, then… then where is there any place left for us to stand? Apart from Tachibana Muneshige, who had already known about this, practically everyone thought this. Fortunately, they were all now terrified of Great Han, so no one dared to question Zhou Pu.

"I imagine you are all anxious right now, unsure how to handle yourselves, correct?" Zhou Pu sneered. "But do not forget, the Shimazu clan was the first daimyo to cooperate with us and raise the banner of righteousness. We of Great Han value friends above all. If we do not richly reward such a friend, how could we ever justify the Shimazu clan's efforts? In any case, the Great Han court has already reached its decision. This matter is irreversible. Today, I am merely informing you."

Seeing Zhou Pu speak so decisively, some people's faces turned ashen, clearly already deeply dejected.

"However, this absolutely does not mean you will have no place to stand in the future." After suppressing them, Zhou Pu softened his attitude again. "We of Great Han value friends above all, and you are now also our friends. As long as you perform well going forward, how could we possibly not reward you handsomely? The territory on Kyushu Island is gone, but Japan is still very large. There are vast, vast stretches of territory on Honshu and Shikoku Island. Are they not enough for Great Han to grant you as fiefs?"

Then, he extended his hand and pointed at the old general Tachibana Muneshige, who had remained silent the entire time. "After deep discussions with me, Lord Tachibana chose to join our side and, as my right-hand man, rendered considerable meritorious service… Therefore, to thank the domain lord, we of Great Han have already decided that later, once we defeat the Shogunate, we will grant Lord Tachibana a territory of five hundred thousand koku on Honshu Island! If he can render further meritorious service afterward, I may also petition the court, as circumstances permit, to grant him additional fiefs."

Five hundred thousand? Upon hearing this figure, the domain lords, whose hearts had been heavy just moments before, immediately stirred to life. Tachibana Muneshige had defected to Great Han and performed well, and he had received a reward of five hundred thousand—that was a full five times his original territory. They could not help but feel both envy and jealousy toward Shimazu Tadatsune and Tachibana Muneshige, deeply regretting that they themselves had not gotten the chance to be the first to pledge allegiance to Great Han.

"But you need not be anxious. There will be opportunities for you to render meritorious service in the future as well." Seeing the atmosphere in the hall begin to heat up, Zhou Pu continued to guide them along. "Great Han will soon advance its troops into Honshu Island. We will fight our way all the way to Kyoto and restore your country's Imperial Court to power! And in this campaign, you will all have the chance to earn merit. As long as you earn merit, we will grant rewards. Threefold or fivefold territory is entirely within reach!"

His words once again stirred a commotion. Although no one was surprised that Great Han would continue its northward advance, hearing Zhou Pu personally confirm that the advance was imminent still made them somewhat uneasy. Yet this unease was nothing in the face of Zhou Pu's promises.

"The territories you held before did not fall from the sky. They were all foundations built bit by bit through the struggles of your fathers and grandfathers, earned through meritorious service! If your ancestors could earn their foundations, can you not do the same? We of Great Han value good faith above all. As long as you fight hard, we will absolutely not treat you poorly!" Zhou Pu continued to rally them. "Moreover, this is a war to restore your country's national altars—a deed that will be renowned for a hundred generations!"

Zhou Pu had made it abundantly clear: the cession of Kyushu Island to the Shimazu clan was now irreversible. They could either lose their territories and become Shimazu retainers or even commoners, or they had to follow him to attack Kyoto. As long as they could earn merit, there would be rewards.

In this situation he had deliberately engineered, these domain lords had no way out. Indeed, they had no choice but to follow him all the way to the end. As for "renowned for a hundred generations" and the like, that was merely gilding their reputations.

"Alright, I have told you what needs to be said. Now it depends on how you perform." Zhou Pu gave them no further chance to discuss, directly waving his hand to confirm. "In the previous campaigns, our Great Han generals were extremely dissatisfied with your performance. Therefore, for this period, your domain armies will all remain here to undergo reorganization and training, and will submit to the unified command of Great Han. Anyone who dares to disobey Great Han's orders will be executed without mercy!"

For the Great Han army, the route attacking Kyoto was a secondary front; the main force would naturally be these Kyushu domain armies. However, the individual domain armies were weak. Although their numbers were not small, their combat effectiveness was unsatisfactory. Therefore, on Zhao Song's advice, Zhou Pu decided to continue their previous approach: break up the various domain armies, reorganize them, and turn them into a force under unified command.

This army would have Zhou Pu, his advisors, and the Great Han troops as its core, with Tachibana Muneshige and his subordinates assisting in command. With just a short period of training, it would presumably be able to exert far greater combat power.

However, the Shimazu clan's army was an exception. As the largest domain currently existing on Kyushu Island, the Shimazu army was sizable and its combat effectiveness was decent. At Shimazu Tadatsune's request, Zhou Pu decided to continue the previous arrangement, allowing the Shimazu clan to command its own forces and accept orders only from him. This, of course, also served the Shimazu clan's selfish interest in maintaining a degree of independence.

After issuing his orders, Zhou Pu dismissed these domain lords, keeping only Tachibana Muneshige and Shimazu Tadatsune behind.

"My lord, the greatest taboo for an army is receiving orders from multiple sources. Even a reckless advance is better than indecisive hesitation. Therefore, when the grand army marches north, you absolutely must not let these domain lords interfere." Once the others had left, Tachibana Muneshige immediately advised Zhou Pu. "These domain lords have no experience in warfare. Keeping them in the army would only be a burden to everyone. It would be better to leave them in Kyushu when the army advances."

Thanks to Zhou Pu's trust, Tachibana Muneshige had been appointed Deputy General of the northward grand army, assisting him in commanding these domain armies. However, he worried that if the other domain lords accompanied the army, they would interfere with his orders and jeopardize the overall situation.

"The original intent of bringing them north was merely to bolster our momentum and demonstrate that Great Han practices kingly governance. The generals never expected any real performance from them, and I will not let them interfere with command." Zhou Pu shook his head. "Rest assured, they are merely coming along as spectators. The true command lies with us. If anyone dares to disobey your orders, you may execute them on the spot to make an example."

"Thank you, my lord!" Tachibana Muneshige immediately accepted the order. For him, as long as he could command the domain armies in a unified manner, it did not matter whether these domain lords followed him or not. Zhou Pu had given him the authority to execute on the battlefield, so presumably no one would dare disobey. Moreover, he would also insert his own subordinates as officers into this army. Under the deterrence of the Great Han troops, that would be enough to drive this grand army forward.

After reassuring Tachibana Muneshige, Zhou Pu turned his gaze to Shimazu Tadatsune.

"Lord Shimazu, I must also trouble you going forward. I ask that your domain continue to strive vigorously and not slacken in the slightest."

"Please rest assured, my lord. Our humble domain will certainly exert its utmost and fight a decisive battle to the death against the Shogunate." Shimazu Tadatsune immediately responded. "Tokugawa Iemitsu killed my son Mitsuhisa. If I do not avenge this grudge, I swear I am not a man!"

As the war progressed, the news that Tokugawa Iemitsu had executed Shimazu Tadatsune's eldest son in Edo as punishment for the Shimazu clan had also reached here. However, when Shimazu Tadatsune raised the banner of rebellion, he had already anticipated that Tokugawa Iemitsu would do this, so he was actually not as grief-stricken as he appeared on the surface. His current aim in following Great Han north was merely to cooperate with Great Han in defeating the Shogunate and preserve his newly acquired territory, and he had no intention of fighting to the bitter end.

"With the assistance of you two, I can be at ease…" Zhou Pu let out a long breath. "Everyone, please rest assured. As long as the campaign goes smoothly, we will be able to celebrate our victory in Kyoto. At that time, I will certainly speak on behalf of you both. Neither official rank nor territory will be lacking."

"Has there still been no word from the Imperial Court?" Speaking of this, Shimazu Tadatsune suddenly remembered the Court. "If there continues to be no word, I fear there may be trouble."

"Your country's Imperial Court has sent word now." Zhou Pu's face hardened. "They have already begun cooperating with the Mōri clan. Just two days ago, they sent word that they have issued a proclamation to the realm to raise an army and overthrow the Shogunate."

"The Mōri clan?" Shimazu Tadatsune and Tachibana Muneshige were both greatly alarmed at the same time.

Shimazu Tadatsune in particular was shocked. Their clan and the Mōri were generational enemies. How could he be willing to see the Imperial Court fall into the Mōri clan's hands? "My lord, the Mōri clan is treacherous and cunning. You absolutely must not let the Imperial Court collude with the Mōri clan! Otherwise, when the time comes, both sides will be difficult to control!"

"I am naturally aware of this." Zhou Pu nodded with a smile. "The Mōri clan is wavering between two sides. I must teach them a lesson."

Then, he ordered the Mōri clan's envoy, Mōri Motonobu, to be brought in.

Because he had previously maintained friendly relations with Great Han, Mōri Motonobu had been dispatched once again by the clan head, Mōri Hidenari, to negotiate with Great Han. Since the current situation was extremely favorable for the Mōri clan, he was feeling rather smug and full of confidence.

"Greetings, my lord!" As soon as he saw Zhou Pu, he knelt down, his etiquette extremely respectful.

In his heart, he was speculating about what terms Great Han would use, under the current circumstances, to continue drawing the Mōri clan to their side.

"The envoy looks truly radiant today, as if bathed in a spring breeze…" Zhou Pu did not bid him to raise his head, merely sneering, his attitude quite hostile. "With the Mōri clan being courted by three sides simultaneously at present, I imagine you must be bursting with pride?"

His demeanor, a complete departure from his usual amiable manner, was icy cold, giving Mōri Motonobu a fright. His earlier smugness instantly vanished. "My lord, our humble domain has absolutely no such intention! Our domain shares a hatred as deep as the sea with the Shogunate. All we have ever yearned for is revenge. How could we possibly have dealings with them!"

"If your hatred for the Shogunate is as deep as the sea, then why have you still not raised troops? Do you truly think we of Great Han are so easy to deceive?" Zhou Pu remained utterly unsparing. "We befriended your domain out of **** benevolence and righteousness, to show consideration and leniency toward your domain, not because we had any need of you. Yet your domain has consistently failed to recognize the greater situation and continues to waver even now. Does your domain truly believe we can only come begging to you?"

Mōri Motonobu felt a chill run through his entire body. No longer daring to bring up his previous conditions, he merely remained kneeling on the ground. "Our humble domain has absolutely no such intention."

"Good. Since you have no such intention, then do not hesitate any further." Zhou Pu issued his order mercilessly. "The terms we gave before are the final terms. It would be best if your domain can accept them; if not, so be it! Let me tell you, our warships have already begun assembling off the coast of your domain. If your domain does not surrender, raise the banner, and welcome our army ashore within five days, the army of Great Han will regard your domain as an enemy. When that time comes, do not blame us for showing no mercy!"

"Five days…" The deadline was utterly unyielding. Mōri Motonobu felt a wave of dizziness. He had not expected this envoy to suddenly become so uncompromising.

"Yes, you have only five days, and the count begins today." A mocking smile appeared on Zhou Pu's face. "I am now in Kokura Castle, separated from your domain by a sliver of sea. Five days should be more than enough for your domain to consider, wouldn't you say? If your domain persists in its stubborn course and ignores our goodwill, then I shall command the great army from Kokura Castle to besiege your domain — which would be rather convenient for me!"

"My Lord! Please, not this!" Mōri Motonobu could no longer care about decorum and repeatedly begged Zhou Pu for mercy. "Please rest assured, my Lord, our domain's resolve is set from top to bottom; there will absolutely be no wavering. I beg you, my Lord, to wait patiently while I return to report."

"Then hurry back, and do not waste your domain's precious time." Zhou Pu waved his hand, motioning for him to leave. "I now have nothing more to say to your domain. If after five days your domain does not surrender, then do not blame the cannon fire for being blind. Go!"

Under his reprimand, Mōri Motonobu slunk dejectedly out of Kokura Castle, his earlier high spirits completely gone. And seeing him in such a crestfallen state, not only Zhou Pu, but even Shimazu Tadatsune and Tachibana Muneshige felt immense satisfaction.

"My Lord, you handled that perfectly! With a fickle lot like the Mōri clan, one must be tough, must force them until they have no road left to walk, until they can only submit to the Great Han and dare not raise any other conditions again." Shimazu Tadatsune could not help but praise Zhou Pu. "I dare predict that within three days, the Mōri clan will surely surrender!"

"Let us hope it is as the domain lord says." In his buoyant mood, Zhou Pu could not help but laugh again.