Chapter 1676: Even the Tokugawa Family Has Sent Someone

Even the Sendai Domain has come knocking on our door? This news greatly astonished the domain officials in attendance.

The Date family of the Sendai Domain could be considered a rising star in the Warring States era, but their rise was by no means slow. Through the efforts of several generations, they became a major powerful force. In the chaotic world of the Warring States, such a force naturally became the focus of attention and courtship from all sides. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, the ambitions of the various great daimyo under him began to stir once more, with Tokugawa Ieyasu being the most aggressive. In his struggle for power, he was domineering in suppressing his rivals on one hand, while desperately trying to win over powerful daimyo to his side on the other.

To win over the Date family, he promised to increase the Sendai Domain's territory to at least one million koku after the war, and also had his son Matsudaira Tadateru marry Date Masamune's eldest daughter. The Date family, after careful deliberation, also decided to join the camp supporting the Tokugawa family.

After the Tokugawa shogunate was established, the Date family's rule within their domain received the shogunate's recognition and guarantee, securing a territory of six hundred thousand koku. Furthermore, because the Sendai Domain had a superior geographical environment and a suitable climate, its agriculture and fisheries were highly developed. The actual koku yield within its territory was even higher than it appeared on the surface, likely exceeding one million koku, and was no smaller than that of the Maeda family of the Kaga Domain.

Such a wealthy and powerful domain naturally aroused the shogunate's suspicion. Moreover, under the rule of domain lord Date Masamune, the Date clan's Sendai Domain had always made hegemony over the realm its goal. Therefore, after establishing its rule over Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate had always regarded the Sendai Domain as a grave internal threat.

From the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, to the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and now to the current shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, three generations of shoguns had continuously worked to establish marriage ties with the Date clan, employing a policy of conciliation. While conciliating them, the Tokugawa shogunate had always remained vigilant against the Sendai Domain, viewing it as a hypothetical enemy and establishing various precautionary systems.

During the Battle of Sekigahara, although the Date family became an ally of the Tokugawa due to Ieyasu's promises, after the war ended, Date Masamune was forcibly detained in Edo by Tokugawa Ieyasu under the pretext of constructing Edo Castle and other reasons. He was only able to return to his own territory several years later. At the same time, the promise of a one-million-koku territory made to him before the war also vanished into thin air.

A man as patient as Tokugawa Ieyasu might have been able to endure such a predicament and humiliation, but the Date family head, Date Masamune, was not that kind of person. He had always harbored the desire to sweep across the realm like Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and had often lamented that he regretted not being born twenty years earlier so he could contend with them for the realm.

With such a personality, he was naturally always resentful towards the shogunate, and his ambition to rise again and contend for Japan had never been extinguished.

There had always been rumors that he colluded with his son-in-law Matsudaira Tadateru and other figures within the shogunate to create turmoil inside it. Although there might not have been direct evidence, the shogunate's precautions against them were extremely strict. Even though Matsudaira Tadateru was Ieyasu's son, the shogunate treated him very harshly. After Ieyasu's death, his elder brother, Tokugawa Hidetada, who inherited the shogun's position, had him transferred and exiled several times, and he was ultimately confined to Takashima Castle in Shinano Province.

Since the discord between Date Masamune and the shogunate was so well-known, his sending an envoy to the Maeda family at this delicate moment was clearly something that warranted deep reflection.

Amid the silence, all the uninformed domain officials were privately pondering what exactly the Date family intended to have the Maeda family do.

Fortunately, the domain lord, Maeda Toshitsune, had no intention of keeping it from them.

"This envoy brought a letter, written personally by the Gon-Chūnagon himself."

The Gon-Chūnagon referred to Date Masamune himself; this was his current official rank within the Imperial Court.

"The letter spoke of some past friendly history between our two families, offered me encouragement, and urged me to muster my courage in these difficult times to preserve the Maeda family's foundation... Additionally, in the letter, he proposed that while the Great Han and the shogunate are locked in fierce battle, our two families should join hands for mutual protection!"

Although his words were calm, they caused a huge uproar here, and everyone's face showed astonishment.

The preceding words were mere pleasantries that no one would take seriously, but the latter part carried immense weight—Date Masamune actually wanted the two families to advance and retreat together! This was tantamount to proposing that the two families unite and disregard the shogunate's orders.

Everyone knew that Date Masamune would make some moves under such circumstances, but the fact that he acted so quickly and so undisguisedly left them deeply shaken.

And for the exceedingly cunning Date Masamune to make such a move was also tantamount to indicating that he had already made a judgment—the shogunate could no longer win this war; it would either be greatly weakened or simply vanish, and thus would be unable to impose any substantive punishment on the two families after the war.

This both greatly comforted the hearts of these men, but also made them extremely nervous—because whether they agreed to the other party's conditions or not, it meant that the Maeda family had now arrived at its most critical juncture.

"Does the Chūnagon mean for both our families to retain our troops and watch, aiding neither side?" Maeda Toshitaka asked in a low voice.

"The Chūnagon wrote very earnestly in his letter, stating plainly that our two families are now in a relationship where if one falls, the other is in danger, and we must render mutual assistance." Amid the silence, Maeda Toshitsune continued. "Although our two families are large domains, compared to the shogunate and the Great Han, we are still weak and isolated after all. Japan is now in utter chaos; if we do not unite... I fear that no matter who wins or loses, we will be placed in a very difficult position after the war."

"The Chūnagon has his own selfish motives." After pondering for a moment, Maeda Toshitaka suddenly spoke. "He himself is situated behind the shogunate's rear and cannot move freely, so he instead wants to tie our hands and feet!"

His words were met with the agreement of many.

It was obvious that the Sendai Domain, located in the Tōhoku region behind the shogunate's Kantō power base, was under the greatest pressure from the shogunate and had the least freedom to act. Therefore, for the Sendai Domain, keeping its troops in place and watching from the sidelines was best; they had no way to interact with the Great Han anyway.

But for the Kaga Domain, the situation was different. The Kaga Domain was located in the central region, and with the Great Han army having fought its way into the Kinki region, it was clearly bearing the brunt, under immense pressure from the Great Han, and needed freedom of action even more.

The Kaga Domain had already decided to send envoys to the Kinki region to negotiate with the Great Han, and might even follow the Mōri family's example by surrendering to the Great Han to preserve its foundation. If they really were to engage in some mutual assistance with the Sendai Domain, wouldn't that be tying their own hands?

"My lord, the Date family has always been cunning, and the Chūnagon is even more of a crafty old schemer. If we heed his honeyed words, it will be greatly detrimental to us, and we might very well fall into their trap." Maeda Toshitoyo also spoke up to express his opinion. "Our Kaga Domain must act freely, and we absolutely cannot follow the orders of their Sendai Domain."

After these two expressed their opinions, others also began to speak up one after another. Although opinions varied, their general consensus was the same: they all believed they should not get too close to the Sendai Domain and should act freely.

As the discussion went on, some even began to mock Date Masamune, considering him all talk, a man of great ambition but little talent. Although he styled himself as capable of contending for the realm, his military victories were few and unremarkable; instead, he suffered repeated defeats. If he had truly been born twenty years earlier as he boasted, he would have been wiped out by Nobunaga and Hideyoshi long ago.

"Everyone makes very valid points. We indeed cannot get too close to the Date family, nor can we place our hopes on them. However... the Sendai Domain is a large domain after all, and there are many aspects we can exploit." At this moment, a highly respected domain official suddenly bowed his head and spoke. "If we advance and retreat jointly with the Sendai Domain, our strength and influence will greatly increase, and when the time comes, not only the Imperial Court but even those Great Han envoys will regard us more highly. Besides... although we are currently negotiating with the Great Han, the future is uncertain, and talks might break down on both sides. Therefore, we should seek a fallback path for our domain. Furthermore, negotiating with the Great Han and allying with the Sendai Domain can be pursued in parallel without conflict."

"That is sound reasoning." After pondering for a moment, Maeda Toshitsune nodded, agreeing with this elder's opinion. "The current situation is difficult; we should win over everyone we can to bolster our own momentum. Expanding our own strength is the only way to preserve our foundation. So, regardless of the Sendai Domain's intentions, we can make use of them."

Then, amid their discussions, the Kaga Domain finally established its overall policy: "Win over the Sendai Domain to bolster momentum, then seek negotiations with the Great Han to strive for the best negotiation terms." And the domain lord Maeda Toshitsune's younger brother, Maeda Toshitaka, also became the Kaga Domain's secret envoy, who would personally go to the Kinki region to seek out the Great Han for negotiations.

If everything went smoothly and the Maeda family secured a guarantee from the Great Han to preserve their family estate or even expand their territory, then the Sendai Domain could be abandoned without a second thought. If negotiations did not go well, this temporary alliance could serve as a fallback for the Maeda family, at least reducing some of their concerns.

During their discussions, they also set the bottom line for these negotiations. The best-case scenario was naturally that their fief could be maintained or even expanded, but they dared not imagine things so perfectly. Thus, they decided that as long as their foundation could be preserved, they could accept even a slight reduction in territory.

The Kaga Domain's territory was vast, but the most fertile lands and the areas under the strictest domain control were some territories in Noto Province, Kaga Province, and Etchū. The koku yield of these territories was roughly seven to eight hundred thousand. They decided that if the Maeda family truly could not retain all its territory, then appropriately handing over some territory in exchange for preserving their core base was acceptable.

"Tomorrow, I will leave the city to seek an opportunity to negotiate with the Great Han. Even if it means sacrificing my own life, I must preserve the Maeda family." After the discussions concluded, Maeda Toshitaka looked at the domain lord with fervent determination. "I also ask the domain lord to prioritize our domain and must not let personal feelings ruin our great undertaking!"

His words carried a pointed implication.

Regardless of the strategy formulated, if the Maeda family disobeyed the orders of the shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, then their relationship with the shogun would undoubtedly plummet to a freezing point, and one could even say it was nearing a complete break. At this time, the domain lord Maeda Toshitsune needed to set aside all personal considerations and make decisions based on the domain's interests.

Maeda Toshitsune had married the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, and his eldest son was also born of this wife, currently held as a hostage in Edo. If the two families broke off, there would certainly be no way to explain things to his wife, and his eldest son remaining in Edo would very likely meet with misfortune. At this moment, he had to display resolute determination and absolutely must not be swayed by this.

As soon as Maeda Toshitaka finished speaking, the others also averted their gazes, clearly hoping that the domain lord would make a public statement to reassure the hearts of the domain's people.

Under such pressure, Maeda Toshitsune furrowed his brow slightly.

He understood that his usual hesitant manner and reluctance to make firm decisions had caused everyone in the domain, from top to bottom, to harbor doubts about him, fearing that he would still waver when the critical moment arrived. Under these circumstances, he had to demonstrate a kind of resolve, lest his subordinates doubt his leadership position and ability.

"As a descendant of the Maeda family, as the domain lord of the Kaga Domain, I will naturally only consider the future of this domain. Would I possibly consider anything else?" He spoke loudly in the hall in a rare tone that was almost a rebuke. "Indeed, my wife is a daughter of the Tokugawa family, but compared to this domain, she is absolutely insignificant. My eldest son is in the Tokugawa family's hands, but I have many other sons! Shimazu Tadatsune was able to abandon a son to raise troops against the shogunate. As a descendant of the Maeda family, can I possibly be inferior to the Shimazu family?!"

During the Warring States era, the various daimyo frequently exchanged hostages with one another to signify that they would absolutely not attack each other. These hostages were generally the close relatives of each domain's lord, such as children, wives, or mothers. But even when hostages were given, when vital interests were at stake, the daimyo would generally still act according to their established policies and rarely had any scruples—before the foundation of their domain, familial affection could only take a back seat.

To reassure the hearts of his domain's senior officials, Maeda Toshitsune deliberately spoke with extreme resolution. But in essence, since he had already made the decision earlier to watch from the sidelines, he had already resolved to abandon his wife and child. In any case, he had other wives, concubines, and children.

Hadn't that His Holiness the Dharma Emperor also resolutely abandoned his Empress to turn against the shogunate?

"My lord is wise!" Seeing Maeda Toshitsune express his stance this way, everyone felt relieved, then knelt on the ground to pay homage to their domain lord.

The next day, Maeda Toshitaka, following the domain's arrangements, took a few trusted aides, traveled light with a small retinue, and set out for the Kinki region to search for traces of the Great Han army.

And the Great Han army, just as they had predicted, was now rampaging within the Kinki region.

After winning the Battle of Himeji, the Great Han envoy Zhou Pu had dispatched his deputy commander, Tachibana Muneshige, who commanded the allied forces of the various domains, to pursue the enemy. Tachibana Muneshige did not disappoint. Despite his advanced age and declining energy, he led the army in relentlessly pursuing the enemy forces, fighting his way into the Kinki region and plunging all of Japan into terror.

Meanwhile, the main army led by Zhou Pu, after resting and reorganizing within Himeji Castle for a period to recover from the massive damage sustained in the previous brutal siege battle, once again led the great army to advance on the Kinai region.

Because Tachibana Muneshige had cleared the path ahead, their advance was very smooth. They encountered no resistance along the way; instead, many people surrendered upon hearing of their approach. To facilitate logistics, they had been advancing along the coastline the entire time.

Before long, they had already fought their way into the borders of Settsu Province.

Settsu Province, like many other areas in the Kinki region, was a territory directly governed by magistrates dispatched by the shogunate. In times of peace, these fertile lands provided the shogunate with abundant produce and allowed them to control great wealth. But under the current circumstances, there were no local lords to resist the Great Han.

After the great army gradually stepped into the borders of Settsu Province, it quickly penetrated deep into the various villages and districts, nearly sweeping across the entire province. Zhou Pu, along with his staff officers, also arrived at Kobe Castle in Arima District, making it his new station.

Kobe was a port city with a long history. As far back as ancient times, the envoys Japan sent to Tang China had departed from this port. Although the city had somewhat declined due to the isolationist policies implemented after the Tokugawa shogunate's establishment, it was still a bustling commercial port.

Kobe's geographical position was also highly advantageous. Advancing to the northeast would allow one to peer covetously at Kyoto, located within Yamashiro Province; and not far to the east, the flourishing and prosperous Osaka Castle and Sakai City were already within sight, seemingly within easy reach.

Zhou Pu made this place his headquarters precisely because he wanted to use the port to sustain the army's supply lines, rest and refit the entire force, and prepare for the final advance on the capital. At the same time, he could make contact with the various Japanese factions from here and further weaken the shogunate's political and economic power.

Those most sensitive to his movements were, naturally, the wealthy merchants of nearby Osaka and Sakai. Because of the shogunate army's crushing defeat, their cities were now in complete chaos — the shogunate's orders could no longer be enforced. And these wealthy merchants, who had long since reached a tacit understanding with Great Han, now cast aside all restraint. They scoured the land for grain to supply this army that had invaded the Kinai region, reaping enormous profits in the process.

Zhou Pu deliberately cultivated them, pouring vast amounts of gold and silver into trade with them. On the one hand, this was naturally to ease the logistical pressure from the rear; on the other, it was to strangle the shogunate's economic foundation. Although the shogunate despised merchants, its economy relied on these wealthy merchants to sustain and operate. As long as these merchants ceased cooperating with the shogunate, its economy and finances would suffer a devastating blow, making it ever harder to maintain stability within its territory.

After he arrived in Kobe, he drew even greater attention from every faction across Japan. Envoys from all sides streamed ceaselessly toward the Kinai region, seeking to cooperate with Great Han, or at the very least, to beg for Great Han's clemency.

Among these envoys, one was, astonishingly, a trusted retainer sent by Tokugawa Tadanaga — the younger brother of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and the current Dainagon. The retainer's name was Inaba Masatoshi.