Chapter 1652: Tokugawa, That Traitor

Toward the Mōri clan, Zhou Pu used both carrot and stick — coercion and inducement — all to force the Mōri into submission as quickly as possible; the situation demanded nothing less.

By now, the upheaval on Kyushu had gradually been pacified. Whether the shogunate, pro-shogunate daimyo, or the rioting Catholic converts, all had been crushed without distinction by the Great Han army. Their core figures had all perished by the sword, while the soldiers and commoners had their formations broken up by Great Han and were forcibly conscripted into labor camps.

Since the Kyushu matter was settled, the next step naturally surfaced. These days, Zhao Song and his staff officers had been closeted away, studying the problem of the next offensive against Kyushu.

Although minor disagreements remained on certain specific details, a consensus had been reached on the grand strategy: they would thoroughly carry out the campaign keynote set by the Son of Heaven for the conquest of Japan — a two-pronged advance, one army pushing north to attack Kyoto, the other landing directly on the Kantō Plain.

The Kantō Plain was the shogunate's fundamental heartland. Striking directly at Kantō would certainly deliver a tremendous shock to the shogunate and truly wound its foundations. However, the Tokugawa shogunate had operated there for many years, and the strength and roots it possessed there could hardly be compared to Kyushu and the western provinces. Therefore, attacking Kyoto first would not only allow them to quickly seize the moral authority of the Japanese court, but also draw the shogunate into rushing to Kyoto's aid, depleting their strength in Kantō and making Great Han's direct strike there all the easier.

Thus, despite being the main force and planners of the Kantō landing, Zhao Song and his staff officers placed enormous importance on the Kyoto offensive. According to the court's earlier decision, the Kyoto prong would be led by Envoy Zhou Pu, to embody the righteousness of Great Han upholding the order of a vassal state and punishing insubordination. However, Zhou Pu had never led troops, so he would certainly need staff officers to assist him.

Furthermore, how many troops to allocate him was a matter that gave everyone considerable pause, because none of them had much confidence in the combat effectiveness of the domain armies on Kyushu. Apart from Satsuma Domain and Yanagawa Domain, which had some depth because they were led by Warring States generals, the military strength of the other domains that had surrendered to them was utterly feeble and not even worth a glance in the eyes of Zhao Song and his men.

And the Great Han army's own numbers were too few. Neither Zhao Song nor his officers wanted to divert too many troops to Zhou Pu, lest it weaken the forces they could deploy for the decisive battle against the shogunate on the Kantō Plain.

Under these circumstances, the Mōri clan's value became apparent. The Mōri were also a powerful house from the Warring States era. Although their territory had been greatly whittled down by the shogunate through various means, they still retained the foundations of those years. Many of their men had even participated in wars multiple times and accumulated rich experience.

This was precisely why Zhou Pu had deliberately treated the Mōri with favor and sought to win them over from the very start.

But as events proved, the Mōri were simply too cunning. Treating them with nothing but leniency and conciliation not only failed to draw them into their grasp, but instead gave them false hope, making them want to use the opportunity to demand even higher terms.

Since that was the case, it was better to simply respond with toughness and force them to make a choice immediately.

Zhou Pu had now made it abundantly clear to them: they must surrender within the stipulated deadline. If they did not, the Mōri clan would be regarded as an enemy and attacked directly. He wanted the Mōri to understand that they now had very few choices left.

That very day, Mōri Motonobu, already terrified out of his wits by Zhou Pu, dared delay no longer. He rushed back into Chōshū Domain and relayed Zhou Pu's harsh terms to the daimyo, Mōri Hidenari.

Mōri Hidenari was likewise thrown into great alarm by Great Han's sudden hardline stance. He immediately summoned the domain's senior ministers once more to discuss the matter. Just then, they also received word that Great Han's gunboats had already appeared off the coast of Shimonoseki, ready to open fire and advance at any moment.

Although they harbored some resentment at Great Han's overbearing and merciless approach, under the present circumstances everyone was at their wits' end and could think of no alternative but submission. The Mōri clan had waited so many years for an opportunity like this; they were truly unwilling to let it slip and continue submitting to the shogunate.

Moreover, they were now the first in the line of fire. If they still refused to surrender, they feared they would become the first sacrificial offering to Great Han's advance. Thus, everyone felt that, at this moment, there was no path forward other than accepting Great Han's terms.

Quite a few people, without quite meaning to, recalled the story of Kobayakawa Hideaki from years past.

Kobayakawa Hideaki was a famed general of the Warring States period, the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He had once been Toyotomi Hideyoshi's adopted son and later became the adopted son of Kobayakawa Takakage, inheriting the headship of the Kobayakawa clan.

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, he outwardly followed the Mōri clan but had long since gone over to Tokugawa Ieyasu. On the battlefield of Sekigahara, he hesitated for a time, but Tokugawa Ieyasu decisively ordered his troops to bombard their formation, pressing him to make his final decision to defect.

It was under this coercion from Tokugawa Ieyasu that he made his final choice, turning his coat within the Western Army. The result was catastrophic losses for the Western Army and, in the end, the Tokugawa clan's realm was secured.

Kobayakawa Hideaki's act naturally earned the undying hatred of the entire Mōri clan. Yet times had changed. They never imagined that now, they too would experience the feeling of having blades held to their necks and being forced to decide.

Because time was pressing, Mōri Hidenari could not afford to consult further with Nijō Yasumichi and the court. He merely sent word to Nijō Yasumichi, asking him to understand and sympathize with the predicament his clan now faced.

When Nijō Yasumichi heard how abruptly the situation had shifted, he was of course greatly astonished, but he was powerless to do anything except watch events continue to unfold.

Just as their old rival Shimazu Tadahiro had predicted, within three days the Mōri clan fully accepted all the terms Zhou Pu had proposed, surrendered to Great Han, and issued proclamations everywhere, declaring they would uphold the court, wash away their clan's vendetta, crush the brutal and tyrannical shogunate, and calling upon all the daimyo of the realm to rise against the shogunate.

As a daimyo house on Honshu, the Mōri clan had been illustrious even during the Warring States era, so their proclamation, combined with the edicts issued by the court, quickly caused a sensation across Honshu. People were stunned that the shogunate now faced not only Great Han as an enemy, but also mortal foes at home — the court and powerful domains.

This precarious, storm-tossed situation further shook the confidence of daimyo everywhere in the shogunate, dealing another blow to its prestige. Fortunately, the shogunate had already taken precautions against a Mōri rebellion, so Hiroshima Domain, north of Mōri territory, had long since deployed troops on the border, intending to block any Mōri incursion.

However, despite raising the banner of revolt, the Mōri clan did not immediately advance like the Shimazu clan had. Instead, they held their forces in place. This was partly to assemble the domain's military strength and resources, and partly to wait for the Great Han army to land.

Indeed, with the Mōri clan's submission, Great Han's advance onto Honshu was now a clear, open road, and the shogunate's rule over the western provinces was already hanging by a thread.

And in these very days, with the fact of the Mōri clan's surrender, the disagreements within the Great Han army's high command over the troop numbers and emphasis for the two-pronged advance were finally resolved. The Mōri's smooth surrender allowed them to set aside many concerns.

Under Zhao Song's orders, one battalion was drawn from the Liaodong Regiment of the Japan Expeditionary Army and assigned to Zhou Pu's command. This force of nearly a thousand men was the entirety of the troops Great Han committed to the northern army. At the same time, Huang Changguo, formerly a staff officer of the Liaodong Regiment, was ordered to accompany Zhou Pu and assist him in commanding the army.

Of course, this was by no means the entire force that would march north from Kyushu to attack Kyoto. Under the Great Han army's orders, all the daimyo across Kyushu who had submitted to Great Han were mobilized. They were to send out their domain armies and follow under the command of Zhou Pu and Huang Changguo.

These domain troops had already been assembled during the earlier campaigns to suppress rioters across the land, and had been reorganized by the Great Han army, numbering roughly ten thousand. The remainder would stay in Kyushu to assist the Great Han army in suppressing the commoners everywhere, to prevent further outbreaks of unrest.

Because the Great Han navy's transport ships were tasked with carrying supplies, and the main force of the Great Han army remaining in Kyushu had other assignments, only a small portion of the transports could be allocated to this northbound army. There was no way to ship all these troops at once, so Zhou Pu had no choice but to first assemble them outside Kokura Castle, then ferry them across the strait to Chōshū Domain's territory in successive waves.

To stabilize the situation and simultaneously demonstrate Great Han's might, Zhou Pu, leading the Great Han troops directly under his command and escorted by warships, was the first to set foot on the soil of Honshu.

The Mōri clan had long been waiting on the opposite shore. When they saw Great Han's towering warships appear on the open sea in battle formation, all gun ports open, they were awed into submission, exactly as Zhou Pu had hoped. The impression of Great Han's gunboats and their ship-borne artillery had long since taken root in their hearts since the landings at Fukuoka and Nagasaki, yet when they saw the formidable visage of these warships with their own eyes, they still could not help but feel awe and dread.

They understood that if Great Han so wished, these warships could turn the entire coastal region of Chōshū Domain into a barren wasteland, just as had befallen Nagasaki. The fate of Nagasaki Castle and its inhabitants had already reached their ears. That tragic fate did not stir any shared righteous indignation; instead, it made the entire Chōshū Domain even more fearful and submissive toward Great Han.

Under their awe-filled gaze, Zhou Pu and Huang Changguo emerged from the warship's cabin, descended the gangway, and stepped onto the pier. Both wore stern expressions. Huang Changguo was in full military uniform, his medals pinned to his chest, looking exceedingly arrogant.

Upon seeing the arrival of Great Han's imperial envoy, everyone from the daimyo Mōri Hidenari down to domain officials like Mōri Motonobu stood in respectful silence. When Zhou Pu reached them, his face was impassive. Without so much as a glance at the people kneeling on either side, he walked straight ahead.

Yet, though his surface betrayed nothing, inside his heart was surging with emotion.

He had been to Honshu not long before, but back then he was on a critical mission, traveling in haste, and constantly on edge for fear of discovery. How could that compare to the glory of this moment, arriving with a great army and being received on bended knee by the daimyo of Chōshū?

Unbidden, a realization struck him — he was the first Han man to set foot on Japan's Honshu at the head of an army. He was participating in an unprecedented feat of arms. How could that not stir the heart?

Just a few years ago, he could never have imagined he would see such a day.

Behind him, one transport ship after another docked at the pier. Great Han soldiers, led by their officers, disembarked and, in orderly ranks, followed behind Zhou Pu and Huang Changguo onto the soil of Honshu, becoming the first foreign army in history to set foot on the island.

Though the officers and men of the Great Han army remained silent, their calm bearing and disciplined ranks still exerted immense pressure on the people opposite them. Everyone felt flustered and uneasy in that somber, lethal atmosphere, and it was all they could do to avoid causing a disturbance.

Zhou Pu forcefully suppressed the jumbled thoughts flooding his mind. He walked to where the Mōri daimyo and senior ministers were gathered. Though he had never met Mōri Hidenari, he knew the man kneeling at the very front must be the daimyo himself.

"The daimyo, I presume?"

"This humble one is indeed Mōri Hidenari, daimyo of Chōshū, here to greet the Heavenly Envoy!" Mōri Hidenari immediately touched his forehead to the ground and answered with the utmost deference. "Previously, this humble one failed to see the greater picture and gave much offense to the Heavenly Envoy. I beg the Heavenly Envoy's forgiveness!"

"The daimyo is loyal to the public good and mindful of the state, taking the initiative to abandon darkness and turn to the light, aiding the Great Han in its punitive campaign against the shogunate. What crime is there in that? Please rise, please rise!" Zhou Pu's tone grew considerably warmer. "There were some disputes earlier over minor matters, but those were merely small misunderstandings. Now that the daimyo has rectified his stance, all that is past need not be mentioned again. I ask the daimyo to continue serving the state, and to serve the altars of your own country!"

"Our humble domain has long held a blood feud with the Tokugawa house. It was only because the shogunate was so powerful that we were forced to feign compliance and shamelessly submit to them. At the time, we thought that with the shogunate acting so perversely and tyrannically, it could not last long. To think that we ended up remaining their vassals for thirty years — shameful, shameful…" Mōri Hidenari raised his head and looked at Zhou Pu, his face full of mortification. "Fortunately, the Great Han has raised its heavenly troops to uphold justice for our country and punish the brutal and tyrannical shogunate. Only thus can we escape the miserable fate of continued submission to the shogunate… Our entire domain, for generations to come, will be grateful for the Great Han's grace!"

He spoke with such impassioned fervor, as if tears might stream down his face at any moment. Even knowing in his heart that this was all an act, Zhou Pu still felt rather pleased.

The Mōri clan was skilled at reading the situation and submitting to the strong — their reputation was truly well-deserved.

"Our dynasty's Son of Heaven, ordained by Heaven to found a new era, is more brilliant and martial than the First Emperor of Qin or Emperor Wu of Han, and naturally embraces the whole world in his heart. His Majesty has said with his own lips that although Japan is isolated beyond the sea, it is still a corner of the world and cannot be ignored." Zhou Pu smiled calmly, looking thoroughly satisfied. "When the Son of Heaven heard that the shogunate was running amok, holding its lord hostage and bullying its vassals, he was already beside himself with rage. Recently, the shogunate has repeatedly provoked our nation, so the Son of Heaven, in his wrath, resolved to raise a great army to chastise them and restore your country's order. This is a virtuous act carried out by our dynasty's Son of Heaven on Heaven's behalf, and it is also your country's good fortune."

"Yes, yes…" Though inwardly he thought little of Zhou Pu's words, Mōri Hidenari still nodded repeatedly without the slightest hesitation.

Now, circumstances dictated everything. Great Han had already struck and routed the shogunate, so naturally whatever they said carried weight. Besides, the Mōri clan had already thrown in its lot with them, so the more righteous they made Great Han sound, the less responsibility they themselves bore.

In just a few exchanges, Zhou Pu and Mōri Hidenari smoothed over the temporary discord that had arisen from their earlier haggling, reuniting for the common goal of chastising the shogunate. As long as the campaign went smoothly, this unity could be maintained.

However, Mōri Hidenari was not entirely optimistic about the situation. He knew that despite suffering unprecedented setbacks on Kyushu, the shogunate's foundations and strength were still immense. It still held vast amounts of land, population, and other resources, and would not be easily defeated.

Not to mention their home base of Kantō — even in Kyoto, according to the intelligence they had gathered, a large number of troops from the shogunate and various domains had been assembled. Even if their combat strength was not high, their numbers alone were substantial, likely amounting to tens of thousands.

Therefore, how many men Great Han would send north to attack Kyoto was a matter of critical importance to him, because it directly represented the pressure his own domain's army would have to face.

He wanted to ask Zhou Pu directly, but didn't dare. So while he kept up the pleasantries with Zhou Pu, he was, like the other domain officials, carefully eyeing the transport ships behind them, trying to gauge just how many men the Great Han had sent up here.

With him looking like that, Zhou Pu naturally understood exactly what was on his mind.

"The Shogunate, persisting in evil and reaping what it sowed, has nonetheless entrenched itself in Japan for so many years that the strength in its hands is not to be underestimated. Therefore, to crush the Shogunate, our Great Han has made all manner of preparations." Zhou Pu spoke unhurriedly. "Those coming ashore with us today are only the first wave of the Great Han's forces. The follow-up troops will flow in endlessly, all making their way here to assist your domain in advancing together toward Kyoto, and to deliver your country's Imperial Court from its abyss of suffering at the earliest moment!"

"Then may I ask how many troops the Great Han intends to send to advance on Kyoto?" After holding back for a long time, Mōri Hidenari could finally restrain himself no longer and cautiously asked the question.

"Since it is a matter of restoring your country's order and safeguarding your country's Imperial Court, it is naturally best done by your country's own men." Zhou Pu answered coolly. "Therefore, our forces marching north this time will be composed mainly of the domain armies on Kyushu that have returned to the righteous cause of the Great Han, numbering no less than ten thousand. At the same time, to support your domain and these domain armies, the Great Han forces have also specially detached a thousand men to advance on Kyoto together with everyone!"

"A thousand men?!" When he heard that number, Mōri Hidenari couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded. He looked at Zhou Pu, trembling slightly, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Though only a thousand men, they are an elite force carefully selected by our army, more than capable of holding their own against ten times their number or even more when fighting the Shogunate. What has the domain lord to fear?" Zhou Pu glanced sideways at the other man, as if mocking his courage. "Advancing on Kyoto and restoring the Imperial Court is, in the first place, a matter internal to your country. It is perfectly reasonable for your country's domain lords to handle it themselves. Why should the domain lord be so astonished? As for our Great Han's army, it will naturally head straight for the Kantō Plain to fight the decisive battle with the Shogunate! That traitor Tokugawa Iemitsu will surely be captured without a fight before the Great Han's mighty army! What has the domain lord to fear?!"