Chapter 1665: A Jade-Shattering Resolve

"Use the siege cannons to strike?" Zhou Pu was momentarily taken aback, then immediately grasped the other party's meaning.

The Great Han's siege cannons possessed immense power, specially designed to strike enemy fortresses and strongholds. Previously in Kyushu, in order to flaunt military might, they had been demonstrated beneath the walls of Kurume Castle before the assembled daimyo, and even Zhou Pu had been awed and terrified by that overwhelming, sky-obscuring display.

However, the drawback brought by such formidable power was that these cannons were enormously heavy. To move them, they first had to be disassembled and then hauled by specialized cannon-transport wagons, making their movement extremely inconvenient. Moreover, these cannons held a position of great importance, falling directly under the personal command of Zhao Song, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force against Japan; no one else had the authority to deploy them.

When Zhou Pu led the main army to land in Honshu and advance toward Kyoto, in pursuit of speed of attack, they had deliberately refrained from bringing especially heavy firearms. Apart from muskets, they had only brought some easily maneuverable field cannons. Based on their prior combat experience in Kyushu, they held considerable contempt for the military strength of Japan's various domains and the shogunate. Moreover, since Kyoto's military forces were certainly inferior to the shogunate's old stronghold in Kanto, they felt that even without carrying such heavy firepower, they could still defeat the enemies along the way.

But now, Huang Changguo and the others no longer thought so. The shogunate side was clearly quite clear-headed about the situation; they refused to engage the Great Han army in the western provinces, instead seeking to rely on fortresses to delay their advance. And siege warfare was precisely this army's weak point.

So after much discussion, everyone decided to ask Zhou Pu to request reinforcements from Commander Zhao in Kyushu, asking him to order the navy to transport the siege cannons over and use this heavy firepower to slowly batter open Himeji Castle.

After Huang Changguo carefully explained the current predicament to Zhou Pu, Zhou Pu did not dare to be negligent. He immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the rear, requesting Zhao Song to have the siege cannons transported to him to assist in capturing Himeji Castle.

As for the transport destination, they had already selected it: Kojima District in Bizen Province, which bordered the Harima region and lay along the coast. Right after this letter was dispatched, Zhou Pu also detached a large force from the army, personally led by Huang Changguo, to go and occupy Kojima District and secure the seaside port.

Kojima District was the territory of the Okayama Domain, under the jurisdiction of the Ikeda family. The Ikeda family had already fled, so they likely would not encounter any resistance along the way.

As for the main force of the army, it would continue advancing into the territory of Harima Province, prepared to fight all the way to the walls of Himeji Castle.

And just after Zhou Pu made these deployments, a subordinate suddenly reported a piece of news to him — envoys from the shogunate sought an audience with him.

These envoys appeared to be extremely cautious, their movements very secretive. After discovering the main army's trail, they only sought contact with the vanguard troops in the evening and were nearly wiped out by the vanguard as enemies. After clarifying their purpose, the domain army officer of the vanguard did not dare to be negligent and immediately brought them to the main army's headquarters. He was also quite shrewd, maintaining strict secrecy the entire way, so the news did not spread.

Upon learning this news, Zhou Pu's first reaction was great delight.

Although his advance along the way had been very smooth, he knew the Great Han army inside and out and now also took the enemy very seriously, so he harbored little arrogance. Moreover, the Great Han had originally intended to use war to seek compromise; that the shogunate had so quickly begun seeking compromise with them was truly excellent news.

Yet, despite his great delight, he knew he should not reveal such emotion. He deliberately snubbed these envoys, having them detained, and only in the evening had them brought before him.

They were currently encamped in a village. To escape the Great Han's military edge, the villagers had long since fled, so it was directly requisitioned by Zhou Pu as a temporary camp for his headquarters. The best dwelling in the village naturally became his resting place.

However, this Japanese-style farmhouse wooden hut could not possibly be well furnished, and with the recent heavy summer humidity, it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable as well.

These envoys were soon brought before him by the soldiers. Upon meeting Zhou Pu, the shogunate's envoys — led by Takagi Kiyoshi — all knelt and sat on the floor to pay their respects to Zhou Pu, appearing respectful yet not obsequious. "I, Takagi Kiyoshi, serving under the shogunate's Chief Elder Doi Toshikatsu, have come to see Your Excellency."

However, in order to secure a position of advantage and demonstrate the Great Han's bearing as a superior state, Zhou Pu was far more arrogant. He sat upright in the main seat, cast a sidelong glance at these envoys, and then spoke coldly.

"I am Zhou Pu, envoy of the Great Han, this time accompanying the army of your nation's imperial court on its way to your nation's capital. May I ask what instruction you gentlemen have to offer?"

"I have come this time bearing the orders of the Chief Elder and the Shogun, seeking to achieve reconciliation between your noble nation and the shogunate." Takagi Kiyoshi was not discouraged by Zhou Pu's arrogant attitude and simply stated his purpose calmly.

Ever since the Great Han occupied Kyushu and issued proclamations everywhere announcing the punitive expedition against the shogunate, Zhou Pu's name had spread throughout Japan. Takagi Kiyoshi had naturally heard of him long ago. Having the chance to see him in person today, Takagi Kiyoshi had not expected him to be so young.

But thinking about it, it was quite natural. It was said that although the Great Han Emperor rose from humble beginnings, he had started building his career very early and his rise was extremely swift; he had already won the realm before the age of thirty, utterly incomparable to the Western Han's Gaozu, who only began his rise in his forties.

He was young, and the brothers around him were also very young, so naturally his subordinate ministers would not be too old either. Thus, the Great Han could now be said to be a court brimming with youthful vigor — no wonder it possessed such intense ambition for expansion.

It was a pity that this ambition had now brought such great calamity upon Japan.

"Reconciliation?" Zhou Pu furrowed his brow, as if he had not understood his words. "Has the envoy not seen the proclamations issued by our Great Han before? We have made it very clear: we have come this time to assist Japan in punishing the disloyal and restoring order and discipline. Now, Japan's traitorous ministers have not yet bowed their heads, and order has not yet been restored — how can we speak of reconciliation?"

"Your Excellency, our shogunate's Shogun holds his office by imperial decree of the Tenno and inherently bears the duty of rectifying the warrior houses and punishing the disloyal on behalf of the Tenno. How can he be called a traitor?" Takagi Kiyoshi suppressed the anger in his heart and carefully argued. "For several centuries now, in our country, the sovereign has presided over the state while the shogun has managed military and civil affairs on his behalf. The Tokugawa house has merely followed our country's customs — how can this be called corrupting order and discipline?"

"This is utter nonsense!" Zhou Pu immediately cut him off. "You speak with a silver tongue, but the facts are all there — can you deny them? Your shogunate's Shogun acts tyrannically and bullies the imperial court; his wolfish ambition is already known to every passerby in your country! How can such an arrogant and domineering shogun be spoken of as loyal to the sovereign? Your nation's shogunate holds the imperial court hostage, usurps the court's authority, and oppresses the daimyo and the court everywhere — these vile deeds are beyond counting. Who can deny them? If the envoy has come here today merely to speak these empty words and crafty sophistries, vainly attempting to deceive our nation's court, then please go back. Our nation's sagely Son of Heaven is endowed with heavenly wisdom — how could he be deceived by such glib words as yours!"

"Your Excellency, the shogunate's wielding of great authority has been so since ancient times. Compared to the successive shogunates of the past, our Edo Shogunate has instead been more respectful toward the Tenno and has provided the imperial court and the court nobles with better treatment. In this light, how can it be considered bullying the imperial court?" Takagi Kiyoshi still argued on the strength of reason. "Your Excellency is newly arrived and may have been deceived by some petty men, but I can swear before heaven that we men of Edo harbor absolutely no heart of disrespect toward the imperial court!"

"Swear before heaven? For wolfish wretches like you, what use is swearing before heaven?" Zhou Pu laughed loudly. "Now your nation's imperial court and sovereign are both in our hands and have long ago bitterly recounted the shogunate's countless vile deeds to our nation's court — truly every word is written in blood and tears... Even if you say these things, what use is it?"

"Both His Cloistered Majesty and His Majesty the Tenno have been deceived and held hostage by petty men. They are not their own masters — how much of what they say can be taken as true?" Takagi Kiyoshi's expression shifted slightly, but he still forced himself to answer. "There are some treacherous and crafty men in the imperial court who, occupying high positions, do not think of serving the country but instead seek to stir up chaos, to bring about war between our two nations and fulfill their own ambitions! These treacherous petty men — Your Excellency must absolutely not believe them."

"Who is loyal and who is treacherous, everyone can see clearly. No matter how pleasingly the envoy speaks, it cannot compare to seeing with one's own eyes." Zhou Pu still sneered. "Now the proclamations issued by your nation's imperial court to punish the shogunate have spread everywhere and stirred up unrest throughout Japan. Is this not proof that your nation has long suffered bitterly under the shogunate?"

This interrogation was so forceful that Takagi Kiyoshi was momentarily at a loss and could not immediately respond.

Although both men knew perfectly well that, against the backdrop of the two nations being at war, the shogunate's attitude toward the imperial court was absolutely not the most important factor, in order to gain an advantageous position in negotiations, they began their offensive and defensive maneuvers on this rather unimportant issue.

And in this first clash, Zhou Pu gained the upper hand. It was not that Takagi Kiyoshi lacked eloquence, but rather that, viewed objectively, the shogunate had indeed hollowed out the imperial court and bullied the Cloistered Emperor as well as the various daimyo. If the Great Han leveled accusations from the moral high ground of righteous cause, it was truly difficult to defend against.

"Our country's national circumstances are unique and cannot be lumped together with the Central Plain." After hesitating for a moment, Takagi Kiyoshi had no choice but to shift away from the contest over righteous cause and move closer to practical matters. "Your Excellency, now our two nations have begun hostilities due to some misunderstandings — it is deeply unfortunate for both state and people. Our shogunate's Shogun cannot bear to see the common people in such a wretched state, and so has sent me here to inquire whether your noble nation would be willing to cease hostilities, so that our two nations may return to amicable relations..."

"Our nation dispatched troops this time entirely because your nation has acted perversely at every turn and has also shown considerable disrespect toward our nation, to the point of angering the Son of Heaven of the sacred dynasty. If you wish to cease hostilities, it is actually simple. We have also made it very clear before: as long as the chief culprits who provoked the war between our two nations are punished and your nation's order and discipline are restored, then our nation will naturally have no further reason to raise arms." Zhou Pu answered immediately. "These words, presumably, were already conveyed to the shogunate by the people we sent back earlier?"

"That matters between our two nations have reached this point, there were indeed factors of improper handling by some ministers of the shogunate, which led to enmity between our two nations." Because his mood had begun to grow tense, tiny beads of sweat appeared on the tip of Takagi Kiyoshi's nose. "These people can certainly be considered guilty beyond pardon. Our Shogun also intends to punish them to apologize to the world."

"Now that things have come to this, does the envoy still think that merely tossing out a few scapegoats can settle everything?" The mockery in Zhou Pu's smile grew even more pronounced. "If that is the case, the envoy is mistaken. We made it very clear before: the chief culprit in the enmity between our two nations this time is the shogunate's Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Moreover, Tokugawa Iemitsu, as a subject, bullied his sovereign — this is even more a crime beyond pardon. Therefore, he must take the blame and resign, stepping down from the great office of Shogun and from the position of head of the Tokugawa house, and never again manipulate Japan's national governance!"

"Does Your Excellency not feel that this condition is too harsh?" Because of some anger, Takagi Kiyoshi's voice trembled slightly. "Our Shogun has already made the greatest resolution to restore amicable relations with your noble nation, yet conditions like Your Excellency's show not the slightest sincerity toward us... I beg to say that we truly find this difficult to accept."

One could not blame him for being so angry. This Great Han envoy was now so arrogant before him and had thrown out an unacceptable condition right from the start — it truly made him unable to suppress his anger. He also understood that acting obsequiously before the Great Han would only earn their contempt, so he preferred to display some posture of resistance.

"Now we already have a great army pressing down on the border, and all regions of your country have responded to us. Your shogunate is now already tottering on the brink of collapse. Even if you refuse, what can you do?" Zhou Pu still showed no intention of softening his stance and continued to apply high pressure on the other party. "If the envoy feels there is nothing left to discuss between our two sides, then go back. We will absolutely not detain the envoy. We shall meet again in Kyoto."

Seeing that if they continued arguing like this, the two sides would reach an impasse, Takagi Kiyoshi gritted his teeth and ultimately endured it. He had not come today with the intention of directly reaching an agreement with the Great Han; for now, he wanted to find a way to probe their true intentions.

If the Great Han was absolutely determined to eliminate the Shogun and bring about the total downfall of the Tokugawa house, then needless to say, there was nothing to discuss. But if the Great Han wanted wealth or land, then there would be room for bargaining.

"Your Excellency, do not be impatient. This matter is truly far too weighty, so we cannot make a decision in haste. Let us set it aside for the moment. Presumably, Your Excellency will not have only this one condition to present to the shogunate?"

"That is only natural." Zhou Pu immediately nodded. "The hostilities between our two nations this time all originated with the shogunate. It was precisely because the shogunate unilaterally disrupted trade between our two nations that this matter was provoked. Therefore, the shogunate must provide compensation for our nation's trade losses and military expenses."

"Because certain treacherous ministers caused trouble, some trade disputes arose between our two nations and stirred up chaos. For this, the Shogun does indeed feel some regret and is willing to provide compensation to the merchants who were affected. However... that your noble nation directly raised troops without negotiations and brought such severe losses upon our country — I beg to say that the shogunate cannot provide compensation for that." Takagi Kiyoshi immediately stated the shogunate's position. "Nevertheless... considering that your noble nation's great army is massed here and that both mobilization and withdrawal would be greatly inconvenient, some expenses for **** can be provided by our shogunate."

These words had already hinted clearly: for the sake of the shogunate's reputation, the shogunate was unwilling to pay reparations to the Great Han, but was willing to make payments to the Great Han under the name of compensation and **** rewards. In essence, there was not much difference.

"Then how exactly does the shogunate intend to pay these reward expenses?" Zhou Pu asked with keen interest. "As far as I know, the shogunate's finances are currently extremely strained, and I fear it cannot produce much money on short notice."

"The shogunate's accumulated reserves are abundant; even with enormous expenditures at present, it can fully sustain them." After singing this high tune, Takagi Kiyoshi immediately stated the shogunate's true intent. "However, in the opinion of the Chief Elder, these expenses would best be paid using the shogunate's gold and silver mines in the western provinces and Kyushu. The shogunate can transfer these gold and silver mines to your noble nation to operate for several decades, using the gold and silver extracted to offset the payments to your noble nation."

"The western provinces and Kyushu are no longer in the shogunate's hands now. You are simply handing over to our Great Han what you have already lost... Does this not cost you nothing at all?" Zhou Pu could not help but laugh loudly again. "Your Shogun and Chief Elder certainly know how to drive a good bargain!"

But although he was mocking them, he had no intention of rejecting this idea either. After all, when it came down to it, had not the Great Han come attacking precisely for these things?

"Now the western provinces and Kyushu have already been occupied by the anti-shogunate daimyo. If the shogunate is willing to recognize the daimyo who have now become independent in various regions and guarantee not to pursue them further, then we can discuss this point." Zhou Pu shifted tack. "If the shogunate still wishes to punish them, then we absolutely cannot agree to make peace with the shogunate."

"This point... our Shogun is also willing to guarantee. If the Great Han withdraws its troops, we are willing to maintain the status quo and recognize the territories held by the various daimyo of the western provinces." Takagi Kiyoshi nodded dejectedly, then looked at Zhou Pu again. "However, may I ask Your Excellency, how do you intend to treat the Tokugawa house?"

"The Tokugawa house is, after all, a prestigious clan of Japan and has rendered merit in exterminating the Toyotomi Hideyoshi line. To completely wipe it out would naturally be wrong." Zhou Pu spoke blandly, his attitude softening slightly in response to the other party's low posture. "The Tokugawa house's various vile deeds can also be said to stem from the swelling of ambition after ascending to the great office of Shogun. Therefore... as long as the Tokugawa house dissolves the shogunate and returns the office of Shogun, then continuing to retain its old domains would not be out of the question."

Because Toyotomi Hideyoshi had invaded Korea, in the Great Han's official discourse he was also considered a criminal, and the Tokugawa house had exterminated the Toyotomi clan, so this could be counted as a merit for the Tokugawa house.

However, Takagi Kiyoshi could not appreciate this. In an instant, he felt as if all the blood in his body was about to freeze.

Dissolve the shogunate, surrender the office of Shogun, return to the old domains... The Great Han's conditions were actually so harsh!

Before the establishment of the shogunate, the Tokugawa house's old domains had grown from small to large, from a corner of Mikawa into the vast Kanto, but at their greatest extent, they were the 2,550,000 koku of land granted when Toyotomi Hideyoshi transferred the Tokugawa house. That is to say, the Great Han would at most recognize this much as old domains — perhaps not even that much.

If they agreed, then the Tokugawa family's current four million koku of tenryō, and millions more koku of shinpan domains, would all be handed over directly...

"My lord, such harsh terms — we would rather die in battle than ever accept them!" Takagi Kiyo's blood surged, and he suddenly shouted out.