Chapter 1661: Envoys of the Son of Heaven

With Mizuno Katsunari's death, his entire domain's army was annihilated. After the domain's military strength was destroyed, resistance in Fukuyama Domain was quickly pacified. Although a small number of samurai scattered among the common folk and caused some minor disturbances, they no longer had any influence on the overall situation.

Because many people had already fled their native lands, the surrounding villages had become much more sparsely populated. However, those who remained posed no obstacle to the Great Han army. They cautiously hid themselves, and after the passing troops had finished their looting, they returned to the land they had once lived on and farmed, resuming their original lives as if nothing had happened.

For a long time, these peasants had endured harsh oppression generation after generation, so they held no affection for their lords or the shogunate. The only reason they fled was fear of being killed by the Great Han army. They did not feel that the affairs of the Great Han, the imperial court, or the shogunate had anything to do with them.

When the Great Han army showed it had no interest in massacring civilians and only occasionally engaged in "normal" looting, these peasants set aside their original fear and hesitation and returned to the land. Some refugees who had previously fled even came back to the domain to farm their own land—after all, to these peasants, the land was the root of everything, and the anxiety of the approaching harvest season could overcome all fear.

After occupying the territory of Fukuyama Domain, the Great Han army also chose to temporarily halt its advance, planning to rest and regroup for a few days before setting out again. They stopped, of course, because the army had been marching for days on end and had just fought a battle, needing rest to recover their strength, but also out of consideration for stabilizing their rear supply lines.

During this time, their advance had been smooth, but it had also lengthened the distance from their base in Chōshū Domain, so logistical supply problems began to emerge, with provisions becoming intermittent. At the same time, because ronin and former domain soldiers had fled into the mountains, the army's logistics were also being disrupted—these men lacked food and clothing, and whether out of hatred for the Great Han or out of their own needs, they would raid the supply convoys trailing behind the army.

It was for these reasons that, at Huang Changguo's suggestion, Zhou Pu ordered the army to halt temporarily and then dispatched troops in all directions to clear out the bandits in the mountains and wilderness.

During these days, he also received a continuous stream of reports from the rear. Most of this information was good news—while they had advanced northward from the border of Suō Province, the Mōri clan's domain army had also set out from the border of Nagato Province and invaded Iwami Province.

Iwami Province was a direct territory of the shogunate, but due to insufficient defensive strength, the Mōri army's offensive was extremely smooth, quickly penetrating the province and seizing the Iwami Silver Mine. At the same time, the imperial court dignitaries who had been hiding in the mountains of Iwami seized this opportunity one after another to join the Mōri domain army, finally putting an end to their anxious, fearful flight.

With the imperial court formally falling into the hands of the Great Han and the Mōri clan, this further bolstered the Great Han's rallying power. Recently, a large number of proclamations continued to be printed and distributed, calling upon the great lords of the realm to rise up against the shogunate.

And just as he was resting his army, a special group of people arrived at his military camp.

This group had just rushed over from the Great Han capital. Some were officials from the Foreign Affairs Department, and another was Hashimoto Sanemura, the envoy the Japanese court had previously sent to the Great Han.

Hashimoto Sanemura had previously been sent to the Great Han by Zhou Pu and had conducted negotiations with the Great Han court. After the Great Han declared war on the Japanese shogunate, Hashimoto Sanemura was sent back by the Great Han, accompanied by Great Han officials.

The leading official was named Mu Yannian. He was around the same age as Zhou Pu, and the two had previously been on fairly good terms as colleagues. However, because both were rising stars, there was also a sense of unspoken competition between them.

But now, the situation was completely different. Zhou Pu had received His Majesty's favor and been entrusted with a heavy responsibility, and he had truly, single-handedly, achieved such great merit. Now Mu Yannian could no longer compete with Zhou Pu. In fact, one of his important tasks in coming here was to report the meritorious deeds of this colleague.

The Great Han had always been extremely generous to those who rendered meritorious service, always rewarding them handsomely. Zhou Pu, having achieved such great merit, would naturally not be overlooked. The court had already promoted him, making him the Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Department. With this promotion in rank, Zhou Pu was now, for Mu Yannian, effectively a superior—the youngest Deputy Director in the bureau, with boundless future prospects. He could no longer treat him the way he had before.

Moreover, he had heard some rumors circulating among the bureaus: as long as the war concluded smoothly and he committed no major errors, the court would also grant him a noble title, making him a member of the Great Han's titled aristocracy.

According to the tacit understanding reached between Zhou Pu and the Japanese court, after the war ended, the Great Han needed to send some officials to assist the Japanese court in stabilizing the territories they had acquired. The Great Han also indeed had a need to stabilize the occupied areas to facilitate army movements, so they agreed to this request.

Mu Yannian and the others were the first batch of these officials. They were all personnel from the Foreign Affairs Department who had previously handled Japan-related affairs and had some understanding of Japan. They would assist Zhou Pu in stabilizing the localities during the army's advance.

"Sir Zhou, after so many days apart, your bearing is even more impressive than before!" Upon meeting, he respectfully bowed to Zhou Pu in salute. "These past months, you have braved extraordinary danger and rendered such great service to the nation. Your colleagues all admire you immensely!"

"Not at all, not at all. I merely exerted myself for the country; how is that any different from anyone else?" Zhou Pu merely shook his head gently, smiling in denial. He appeared both modest and fully dignified as a high-ranking regional official. "You have also worked hard, rushing here from a thousand li away. The conditions here are crude, and I am unable to properly entertain you. I truly feel apologetic!"

"Sir, please don't say such things!" Mu Yannian quickly said. "You previously braved such great danger and endured so much hardship without a single complaint. I have come here to good food and drink—what is there to complain about? Sir, this time we are here to assist you in handling affairs. We can take care of ourselves; you need not worry about us. Just focus at ease on the tasks assigned by our superiors..."

"Your words make us sound like strangers. We have all come to a foreign land; we are fellow travelers. If we do not look after and support each other, who else will help us?" Zhou Pu naturally would not fail to make some gesture. "Though I have no fine tea or meals here, we have seized quite a lot of supplies during our advance. I will allocate some to you later, to make it easier for you to carry out your duties."

"Sir... this... is this really appropriate?" They were both officials of the same court and understood each other fairly well. Mu Yannian naturally understood very well the implicit meaning behind this allocation of supplies.

"What's appropriate or not? This is what needs to be done now; how can we worry about so many things?" Zhou Pu said with a smile. "You are newly arrived and will certainly have a multitude of affairs to handle, needing to attend to matters on all fronts. There will always be occasions that require money, so what does taking a sum matter?"

During this period of his advance, his subordinates had also been looting everywhere. The army naturally had its own rules; without him needing to say a word, the best things would mostly be sent up to him from below. Thus, his military tent now held a considerable stockpile of gold, silver, and goods.

He was a generous man by nature, and now in these special times, he was not stingy at all, spending all this money freely. Part of it went to those around him, rewarding their hard work; part of it was distributed as prize money to units that had distinguished themselves in battle. As a result, everyone from top to bottom was very satisfied with him, feeling that this envoy was indeed very generous.

And now that Mu Yannian's group had arrived, he naturally would not be stingy either, still following his previous practice to build good relations with these colleagues.

He knew that as long as the war went smoothly, he would be the overlord of Japan in the future. By then, mountains of gold and seas of silver would flow beneath his feet—why care about such a small amount of money now?

Mu Yannian and the others had also long known of Japan's abundance in gold and silver. Before coming, they had already harbored thoughts of making a profit. Seeing Zhou Pu so generous, they were naturally immensely grateful to him.

At this point, the atmosphere between the two sides grew even more harmonious, and the topic naturally turned back to domestic affairs.

"Sir Zhou, the court is extremely satisfied with all the achievements you have made so far. When I came this time, Minister Kong specifically told me that as long as you continue your efforts, he guarantees you will sit in his seat in the future." As he spoke, Mu Yannian looked at him with unconcealed envy. "Minister Kong asked me to tell you that although things have gone very smoothly so far, what comes next is also extremely important and must be carried out with caution..."

This was no empty flattery. Zhou Pu, so young and yet so favored, with such great merit, was bound to rise through the ranks in the future. It would not be surprising if he took over the entire Foreign Affairs Department in ten or twenty years—perhaps by then the Foreign Affairs Department would have become a full ministry, and he could become a minister.

"Please elaborate?" Zhou Pu dared not be negligent and immediately asked.

"Sir Zhou, the court's intention is also very clear: we must ensure that after the war, all parties in Japan have misgivings about each other, are mutually restrained, and are forced to rely on us to mediate and maintain balance. Therefore, we should also work in this direction going forward..." He turned his head to glance outside the tent, and only continued after confirming no one could eavesdrop.

"The Japanese court wants to use us to cultivate a group of local officials so they can directly control territories. We should turn their own scheme against them, using this opportunity to gather information on Japan's geography and cultivate some people who will listen to us. If we can find a few who are willing to obey, we must promote them and let them control the central government of Japan..."

"Mm, that is naturally what should be done." Zhou Pu immediately nodded.

"Additionally, regarding the various domains, Sir Zhou's previous actions were on a grand scale, and the court has heard of them... These arrangements did indeed somewhat startle the court..." Suddenly, Mu Yannian smiled again.

"Previously, in order to set these domain lords' minds at ease and make them side with us, I made some promises... Some of those promises were indeed rather generous and might have displeased the court somewhat..." Zhou Pu immediately grew somewhat uneasy. "However, once the war is over, all of Japan will be in our grasp. How we arrange things then will be just a matter of a few words from us. Previous promises can be altered or retracted..."

"No need... no need... Sir, do not misunderstand. The court has no intention of overturning your promises. You are an envoy of the Celestial Dynasty, speaking on behalf of His Majesty. How can promises made be lightly retracted? Would that not make the Sage Son of Heaven lose faith before others? Besides, the various arrangements you made were originally out of public-spiritedness, so there is no need to change them. The court acknowledges the promises you have made." Mu Yannian quickly explained. "The court has merely decided that in the future, these domain lords should not be enfeoffed excessively, and when selecting their fiefs, they should be placed as buffers between major powers. For example, between the Japanese court and the Mōri clan, a group of small domains can be placed, so that they check and balance each other and do not cause chaos."

Seeing that the court had no intention of reprimanding him, Zhou Pu finally breathed a sigh of relief. "That is excellent. So far, I have only promised fiefs to a few houses; the rest have yet to be decided. Now that you have arrived, you can consult with me when the time comes to jointly determine the disposition of these domain lords..."

"Regarding the Japanese court and those powerful domains, these are all easy to handle. But with the shogunate, we must act with extreme prudence." Mu Yannian's expression remained entirely serious. "You already know the court's previous intention. The court does not plan to use this opportunity to completely crush the shogunate. Firstly, it would consume too many resources; secondly, it is unnecessary and would only benefit other powers for nothing, and would also keep Japan in a state of chaos..."

"I am aware of this." Zhou Pu replied. He had previously received personal instructions from the Prime Minister, so he naturally understood the court's intent.

"The shogunate previously stood supreme in Japan, with extremely great strength. If we do not severely defeat them this time, they will still retain powerful forces. Then, once we end the war, they could still sway Japan. That, of course, will not do and does not align with the court's original intent. Yet if we beat them too badly, or directly eliminate them, leaving aside our own casualties, even if we succeeded, it would be of no real benefit to us... So, regarding the subtle balance in this matter, I ask you, sir, to grasp it well." Mu Yannian patiently explained to Zhou Pu. "Therefore, the court believes that preserving the shogunate is proper, and they should also be made to participate in the peace talks to jointly maintain the post-war situation."

Zhou Pu immediately perked up. He knew that what Mu Yannian was now conveying were direct instructions to him from the court.

"The court believes that Japan is isolated across the sea, making communication difficult, so it will not attempt to micromanage from afar. It will let you, sir, adapt to local conditions and grasp the proper measure, requiring only that a few most basic requirements be met."

"Which requirements?" Zhou Pu asked.

"First, the shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, having caused such great calamity during his tenure, bringing the two nations to armed conflict, and having been habitually arrogant and rude, insulting the sovereign and bullying the imperial court, is truly guilty of heinous crimes. Therefore, he must resign, ceding the position of shogun to another member of the Tokugawa family. At the same time, he must hand over the shogunate senior officials who provoked the previous calamities; absolutely no leniency is permitted. Second, the territories previously seized by the shogunate must be returned to those great lords and noble families who were innocently harmed by the shogunate. Third, the shogunate must confirm reparations and thereafter continue to submit as a vassal to the Great Han." Under Zhou Pu's gaze, Mu Yannian carefully stated the court's conditions for the shogunate. "Sir, these conditions are somewhat rough, but also very clear. Please arrange the disposition of the shogunate based on this foundation."

"So it is these three conditions..." Zhou Pu furrowed his brow slightly and fell into deep thought.

These conditions seemed simple, but in reality, they were extremely harsh and troublesome to handle. For example, Tokugawa Iemitsu was currently the shogun, holding great power in his hands. How easy would it be to make him take the blame and resign? Even more so to make those shogunate senior officials stretch out their necks for execution—presumably, they would fight to the death to save their lives.

"Sir, the court naturally understands the difficulties involved. Therefore, the court does not intend to hinder you but rather to let you act freely. You must also understand that the Great Han army is your most reliable backing—and His Majesty also has two phrases to be relayed to you." Mu Yannian remained entirely serious. "I ask you, sir, to keep them in your heart."

Upon hearing that His Majesty had words for him, even knowing these were merely private words and not an imperial edict, Zhou Pu still shivered and immediately rose from his seat, listening with the utmost respect.

"The first phrase is: Only by being able to fight can one speak of peace. Only by winning, by finding ways to win, and forcing the enemy army to exhaustion and despair, will the enemy become disheartened, fall into internal chaos, and then be compelled to submit to our disposition. The second phrase is: Once war begins, one must consider at what point to speak of peace. One must not wage war recklessly; achieving the objective must be the priority." Mu Yannian relayed His Majesty's words with a solemn expression. "His Majesty also said that Sir Zhou is a clever man and should know what to do."

Zhou Pu carefully pondered His Majesty's words, then bowed and accepted the command. "This minister understands. My Emperor is sagely and wise."

His Majesty was letting him act freely, yet also telling him to prepare to negotiate peace with the shogunate. His meaning was also very clear—the shogunate's system was one where orders came from multiple heads and was unstable from top to bottom. If it faced immense pressure, internal chaos might erupt; that was where he should direct his efforts.

And the prerequisite for all this was that he and the Great Han army must strive hard, advancing step by step, to push the shogunate into such a predicament.

"This time when we came, we also brought a few Japanese. They are all people from the shogunate's former trading house in the Great Han. Their leader, Yagyū Motosai, is still being detained for roaring in the ministry hall and assaulting a court-appointed official. We are merely sending the rest back." Mu Yannian continued. "The court released them, ostensibly because of the principle that warring states do not execute envoys, but primarily to allow communication between the two sides. If you, sir, have any words you wish to convey to the shogunate, you can do so through them..."

"I understand... I understand..." Zhou Pu now fully grasped the court's deployment and nodded repeatedly. "I will act according to the court's deployment. First, let the shogunate know that we do not intend to destroy them! This can also be considered a psychological tactic; at the very least, it can sow discord between their ruler and ministers."

Then, he could not help but sigh in admiration, "His Majesty calculates from a thousand li away—truly beyond the reach of the likes of us!"

"His Majesty also had a message he wanted me to relay to you, my lord." Mu Yannian couldn't help but laugh. "Less flattery, more work!"