Chapter 1662: The Confidence of Fewer than Ten Thousand Men

After Mu Yannian and the others departed, Hashimoto Sanemura requested an audience with Zhou Pu.

This Hashimoto Sanemura, it must be said, was an old acquaintance of Zhou Pu's — it was with Zhou Pu's help that he had been able to leave Japan, come to the Great Han, and present his nation's plea for military aid to the Great Han Emperor.

In the Great Han, he received unexpectedly gracious treatment; not only were the officials who received him extremely cordial, but even the Grand Chancellor of the Great Han granted him an audience, amicably inquiring about many matters concerning Japan.

What heartened him most of all was that, after spending some time in the Great Han's capital, he was actually granted an audience by the Son of Heaven of the Great Han. Having long since come to the realization that "should we obtain the Great Han's military aid, Japan shall become a vassal state of the Great Han," he deliberately showed the Great Han's Son of Heaven the utmost deference during the audience, one could even say he groveled.

It was precisely during this audience, as Hashimoto Sanemura detailed the shogunate's many misdeeds and denounced the shogunate's oppression of the imperial court, that the Great Han's Son of Heaven flew into a great rage, declaring that such treacherous rebels and villains must be punished.

Even though he already knew that the Great Han had long since resolved to attack the shogunate and that the other party was now putting on an act, since it was to his own advantage, Hashimoto Sanemura naturally played along — he even wept bitter tears as he implored the Great Han to send troops and help Japan restore the realm and sweep away the treacherous rebels who held the sovereign in thrall.

Seeing this envoy so impassioned, and the official letter of plea written so piteously, the Great Han's Son of Heaven was also deeply moved, declaring that he would help the Japanese imperial court sweep away the shogunate and restore proper order to Japan.

It was after this audience that the Great Han court formally issued an imperial edict, enumerating the shogunate's many unlawful and discourteous acts in past dealings with China, declaring that they had repeatedly shown disrespect to the Great Han court and its Son of Heaven, made trouble for Great Han officials, and wantonly erected barriers to trade between the two nations.

At the same time, the edict also stated that the Japanese shogunate had committed countless evils, held the monarch in thrall, and acted lawlessly with impunity, bringing great calamity and chaos to Japan. Therefore, in order to punish the shogunate and end the chaos it had wrought, the Great Han court had resolved to dispatch troops on a punitive expedition against the Japanese shogunate.

The edict had been prepared long in advance, serving as a means to publicly announce the formal outbreak of war to the entire realm. The preceding articles enumerating the shogunate's crimes were all meant to give the people an accounting, and incidentally to raise a banner of righteous intervention. Now, with the addition of the section about the Japanese imperial court, the Great Han's action appeared all the more fair and just — this was also a necessary propaganda measure.

After the Great Han issued the edict, the hostilities between the two nations entered an open phase. By this time, all the shogunate's representatives stationed in the Great Han had been arrested, and Hashimoto Sanemura became the sole representative of Japan recognized by the Great Han court. Though he lacked the formal title of envoy, he was already being treated with the courtesy due one, enjoying the favor of the court's various high ministers.

During this period, he also took the opportunity to properly see the Great Han for himself, and felt all the more keenly the nation's present wealth and military strength — that it could possess such power and prestige barely a decade after its founding truly took him by surprise, and further steeled his confidence in the Great Han's punitive expedition against the shogunate.

By this time, although he had already heard of some of the harsh conditions the Great Han was demanding of the Japanese imperial court, like Nijo Yasumichi and the others, he believed that so long as the court could escape its predicament of being shackled by the shogunate and gain a position from which to exercise real power, then paying a certain price was acceptable.

And when the news of the Great Han's victorious advance reached the capital, he could no longer contain his excitement and petitioned the Great Han court to return home and help the imperial court restore the realm. After several days of deliberation, his request was granted, and he was sent back toward Japan together with the shogunate's representatives in the Great Han, as well as the officials the Great Han had selected to dispatch to Japan.

Before he returned to Japan, Kyushu had already been conquered by the Great Han army, the Mori clan had surrendered to the Great Han, and the imperial court had already fled south from Kyoto and issued a decree branding the shogunate an enemy of the throne. He proceeded directly to Honshu Island and then had an audience with the imperial court, which had by then relocated south into the Mori clan's territory.

Upon returning to the imperial court, he was greatly commended for the meritorious service achieved through his perilous venture. Even His Majesty the Cloistered Emperor — though of course that title could no longer be used — personally offered him words of encouragement, stating that with such loyalty and courage, the court would surely entrust him with great responsibilities in the future.

These were not mere empty words, either. On the very day of his audience, the court issued a decree appointing him as Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, Middle Captain of the Left Inner Palace Guards. The Inner Palace Guards were the ancient Japanese department responsible for protecting the Tenno and guarding the inner precincts of the imperial palace, and also served as the sovereign's personal troops during imperial outings. Through the ages, it had evolved into a high-ranking official post for military commanders, with authority over the army.

The Tokugawa clan's shoguns had all once held the high post of Major Captain of the Right Inner Palace Guards, while the Major Captain of the Left had traditionally been held by court nobles. The Middle Captain of the Left was the deputy to the Major Captain of the Left, and this appointment in effect made Hashimoto Sanemura the actual manager of the imperial court's military forces.

Before this, he had been the lowest of the low among the court nobility, a person of utter insignificance. Yet now, through this upheaval, he had risen to the top in a single bound, becoming one of the imperial court's important figures — how could this not excite him?

Although the imperial court currently had no troops, and his post as Middle Captain of the Left Inner Palace Guards was an honorary title with neither soldiers nor funds at his disposal, considering the territories and resources the court would acquire in the future, his prospects were limitless.

There was a prerequisite, however — he had to survive until that time, and he had to maintain good relations with the Great Han.

From his experiences over these past months, he had already discerned that in the future, the Great Han would surely be the dominant power over Japan. Possessing the status of suzerain, it would certainly be able to exert enormous influence over the Japanese imperial court. He came from humble origins and was surely a minor figure among the high-ranking court nobles; even if he obtained high office, he might not hold it securely. But if he had good relations with the Great Han, the situation would be entirely different.

So long as the Great Han supported him, even if he had no foundation whatsoever within the court, he should be able to sit securely in his hard-won position. And since he had already been commended by the Great Han court and even granted an audience by the Great Han's Son of Heaven, his standing was surely different from that of others. In the future, so long as he continued to maintain good relations with the Great Han, there was absolutely no risk of being cast aside by the others at court.

Indeed, when he had braved such extraordinary danger before, was it not for himself as well as for the court? Now that the court had been saved, it was time to think of himself too.

Because he had previously met both the court and His Majesty, Zhou Pu was extremely courteous to Hashimoto Sanemura this time. The moment he saw Hashimoto Sanemura, he saluted him, showing none of the arrogance he ordinarily displayed before the various domain lords.

"My lord, I trust you have been well since we last parted?" Hashimoto Sanemura was also very deferential toward Zhou Pu. "Ever since our last separation, I have been deeply concerned for your lordship's safety. Hearing earlier that your lordship had achieved such great feats and was still exhausting heart and mind for our humble nation's realm at the head of a great army — I am truly filled with admiration!"

"You too braved extraordinary danger, making your way to our country with great difficulty and ultimately fulfilling your mission. I also rather admire that," Zhou Pu replied with a polite pleasantry of his own. "Our nation has poured so much effort, from beginning to end, into aiding your honorable country. What does the small risk I personally bore count for?"

"Your lordship's noble character is truly exemplary!" Hashimoto Sanemura bowed deeply to him once more.

Then he turned to the main topic. "My lord, we have been dispatched by the imperial court precisely to cooperate with your advance. As you fight your way forward, you will soon reach the vicinity of the Kinai region. Therefore, to pacify the localities and to facilitate the army's requisition of supplies along the way, the court has specially sent us to assist your lordship."

Zhou Pu knew these words were not entirely truthful. The idea of assisting him was certainly there, of course, but the primary intention was to begin establishing initial control over the territories the court was about to acquire in the Kinai region, facilitating the court's future governance.

Yet even knowing the other party's intentions, he had no thought of obstructing them — after all, having men from the imperial court serve as his figurehead would surely make his upcoming military operations go more smoothly.

Moreover, for the imperial court's Middle Captain of the Left Inner Palace Guards to join his army and play a role was perfectly legitimate.

"Very well, since you have come, I must of course give you something to do," Zhou Pu nodded. "Could you serve as General Tachibana's deputy, assisting him in overseeing the allied forces of the various domains? If my lord feels this is beneath your dignity, I will think of another arrangement..."

"My lord..." Hashimoto Sanemura had not expected Zhou Pu to be so generous, and was momentarily taken aback. But he reacted at once and immediately agreed. "General Tachibana is a famed commander of our nation, with a long record of illustrious battle achievements. In recent days, he has rendered no small amount of meritorious service to the court. To serve as his deputy would be my honor — how could I possibly object!"

If he could serve as Tachibana Muneshige's deputy, then he could work with

"My lord, as a high official of the court, if you serve as a deputy, might your honorable nation's court have any objections?" Zhou Pu still had some hesitation.

"The court will absolutely have no objections, my lord," Hashimoto Sanemura hastily shook his head. "Your lordship may not yet know, but to commend General Tachibana's meritorious service, the court has already promoted him. He is now Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, Minister of Military Affairs, overseeing all court military matters."

Tachibana Muneshige's previous court rank had been Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, Governor of Hida. Now he had become Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, Minister of Military Affairs — leaping several ranks at once, a meteoric rise indeed. Though in truth, court ranks meant little to him in practical terms.

In Japan's millennium-old statutory official system, the Minister of Military Affairs was the bureaucratic organ in charge of national military affairs, while the Inner Palace Guard Captains and the like were responsible for specific army command — it was of course a very important post. However, after many years of evolution, the imperial court no longer had any army or resources to speak of, and the Minister of Military Affairs had gradually become an empty title of little real function.

Even so, the Minister of Military Affairs was still nominally the highest military affairs officer. The Japanese court's bestowal of this title upon Tachibana Muneshige was surely intended to win him over, which was naturally not a pleasant matter for Zhou Pu.

But for now, the war effort was paramount. So long as no internal upheaval occurred, these matters could be let slide.

"Oh, is that so?" Zhou Pu responded calmly. "That is good, then. General Tachibana has earned so much merit alongside us; he does indeed deserve a proper reward."

Then he clapped Hashimoto Sanemura on the shoulder. "Lord Hashimoto, you have seen the situation of our army. Though its fighting spirit is high, it is after all a guest army, and its numbers are very small. This requires you to exert great effort to strengthen our forces and help our army requisition more provisions from the localities. Only in this way can our army more easily defeat the shogunate and allow your honorable nation's court to return to the capital! Of course, considering your lordship's difficulties, I will give priority in allocating the army's funds and valuables to you..."

The implication was that he had few troops to directly assign to Hashimoto Sanemura, and that Hashimoto Sanemura would need to recruit and raise forces himself. This naturally posed a difficult problem for Hashimoto Sanemura, but it was also an opportunity — at least he could develop military forces directly subordinate to the imperial court without hindrance. And Zhou Pu had also made it clear he would provide financial support.

In this world, no promises counted for anything; only troops and horses gave one a voice. Besides, because of this war, the area around the Kinai was now full of refugees. It would not be difficult to recruit destitute, homeless refugees into the army.

"My lord, please rest assured. I will exhaust every effort to expand our forces with all my might, so that our army can crush the shogunate as swiftly as possible," Hashimoto Sanemura gave his firm guarantee. "We have resided in Kyoto for many years and are well acquainted with the local customs and conditions everywhere. So long as your lordship provides support, it should not be difficult!"

"Then I shall quietly await your lordship's good tidings." Seeing that this hidden worry of his had also been resolved, Zhou Pu was naturally quite relieved. "I too look forward to the day when you, as a great general, ride into Kyoto with sword held crosswise before the battle lines!"

"That day will surely come," Hashimoto Sanemura replied, brimming with confidence.

Before coming here, he had seen a great host of our army's officers making their rounds of inspection — how awe-inspiring and majestic they looked! He too had come to envy such commanding dignity. Under Zhou Pu's flattery, he could not help but imagine the scene of himself riding on horseback into the capital amid the cheers of ten thousand people, utterly forgetting the fact that he had previously known only civil affairs and had never studied warfare.

Still, fanciful imaginings aside, practical problems had to be dealt with seriously. He immediately asked about the matter weighing most heavily on his mind. "My lord, on this journey north, I saw our army's formations — truly the armor was gleaming. Yet within... it seemed there were not very many soldiers belonging to the Great Han?"

For the sake of unified command, Zhou Pu had ordered that the allied forces marching north this time should standardize their attire as much as possible. He had chosen blue or black clothing; although the cut and style varied, it was generally uniform. The difference between these domain troops and the Great Han soldiers was of course easy to distinguish.

"Indeed, for this northward advance, Kyushu only allocated a thousand men to me," Zhou Pu nodded and answered honestly. "Because in General Zhao's view, our army's primary objective remains the decisive battle with the shogunate, and the shogunate's foundation lies in the Kanto region. Therefore, we must concentrate all our strength for a single all-out strike, heading to Kanto to crush the shogunate."

"That is an excellent strategy," Hashimoto Sanemura agreed with this reasoning, but immediately pressed further. "Then may I ask, how many Great Han troops will be heading directly to Kanto for the decisive battle with the shogunate?"

"Around five — that is also all the troops we have in Kyushu," Zhou Pu again spoke frankly with him — this was also the first time he had disclosed this confidential matter to a Japanese person.

"Five? The shogunate... the shogunate has many men at its disposal..."

"Few? How is that few?" Zhou Pu's expression changed, turning much more serious. "You have seen our army's combat strength in the campaigns up to now. To say one of our soldiers is a match for ten, for twenty of theirs, is no exaggeration at all, is it? The shogunate may appear to be a colossal entity, but it has long since decayed and rotted. Moreover, it must dispatch troops everywhere to quell unrest — how many men can it truly field against us? Besides, of their soldiers, not many can actually fight. They boast of several hundred thousand men, but those who can truly fight number no more than a few tens of thousands at best..."

"But... but..." Although Zhou Pu's words made sense, the disparity in numbers was still there, and Hashimoto Sanemura remained somewhat hesitant.

It was not that he feared the Great Han would suffer heavy losses; rather, he feared that if the shogunate clashed with the Great Han in this manner and still retained some strength, it would then bring catastrophic ruin upon the imperial court, which had not yet firmly established itself.

"My lord, you have been to the Great Han after all, and you have seen with your own eyes just how powerful our nation is, have you not? Our nation is rich and our soldiers strong — how could we possibly fear the shogunate? Even if this army does not crush the shogunate in one stroke, we can still send reinforcements later... Surely your lordship does not fear that we will shrink back midway and abandon your honorable nation's court? Since our dynasty's Son of Heaven has issued the edict, it is no empty jest. We will absolutely not withdraw our troops until total victory is achieved."

"Good... that's good..." Under Zhou Pu's coaxing and intimidation, Hashimoto Sanemura finally steadied himself. "Then I shall follow Your Excellency's arrangements in all matters."

After Mu Yannian, Hashimoto Sanemura, and the others came under Zhou Pu's command, Zhou Pu's great army continued its march north, sweeping forward with irresistible force. They soon reached Bizen Province, and the gateway to the capital region loomed clearly in sight. Such victories also gave Zhou Pu and his men even greater confidence. Along the way, Hashimoto Sanemura and the others used the imperial court's name to expand the army, and also began to establish a preliminary order in the various regions.

The officials of the shogunate who had been stationed in the Great Han and sent back to Japan were also dispatched directly to Edo by Zhou Pu.

They also relayed the peace terms set forth by the Great Han to the shogunate.

"Bastards! Bastards!" Upon learning that the Great Han had actually put forward such harsh terms, Tokugawa Iemitsu was so furious that smoke poured from his seven orifices, and he erupted in a torrent of curses. "If I agree to these terms, how could I ever face the Divine Lord in the future! No... absolutely not!"

Yet his trusted confidant, the Chief Elder and Head of the Council of Elders Doi Toshikatsu, was far more composed than he was — even though he too might be listed among the "chief culprits" the Great Han demanded be punished.

"My lord, regardless of whether we can accept their demands, at least they have now put forward an offer. That in itself can be considered a good thing."