Chapter 1680: Is This the Decisive Battle?

Ii Naotaka's sudden statement caught both Doi Toshikatsu and Tokugawa Iemitsu off guard; they stared at the Great Elder in astonishment.

It was not that his opinion was shocking, but rather that during recent discussions on strategies to resist the Han invaders, perhaps because he had no settled plan in mind, or perhaps because he did not wish to interfere with Tokugawa Iemitsu and Doi Toshikatsu's thinking, Ii Naotaka had basically never spoken up, nor had he commented on their policies, and his tacit silence had given Doi Toshikatsu great convenience.

But now, he had suddenly and rarely voiced an opinion, and moreover openly opposed Doi Toshikatsu, which truly surprised everyone.

Doi Toshikatsu felt especially shocked and embarrassed, because as the Chief Head of the Council of Elders, and with the deep trust of Tokugawa Iemitsu, his word had always been law; to be so publicly opposed and rebuked was something he had not seen in a very long time, and it truly made him feel somewhat humiliated.

What was more, Ii Naotaka had directly thrown a huge accusation at his head — Mikawa Province was the place where the Tokugawa family had risen to power, and it had been the Tokugawa family's base before Toyotomi Hideyoshi transferred them to the Kanto region; it could be said to carry the significance of a "land where the dragon arose," and held an extraordinary status within the shogunate.

Furthermore, the geographical position of Mikawa Province, located in the middle of Honshu Island, was also extremely important; it could be called the gateway to Kanto, and if someone truly fought their way to Mikawa Province, then Kanto would directly face the enemy's military edge as well.

Doi Toshikatsu naturally could not bear such a harsh accusation, and he immediately defended himself.

"My lord, I absolutely have no intention of making the Shogun abandon the ancestral land of Mikawa. On the contrary, I believe that in order to firmly defend Kanto, Mikawa must be defended with every ounce of strength, fighting to the death no matter how great the casualties, to show the Han invaders our courage to defend the shogunate to the death!"

"What you imply, then, is to abandon Kyoto, is that correct?" His defense, however, did not satisfy Ii Naotaka, who looked at him coldly and retorted, "I ask you, if we abandon Kyoto just like that, how will the people of the realm believe that we can hold other places? If we lose the hearts of the people of the realm, can we still stop the Han invaders at Mikawa? If we cannot hold them at Kyoto, we cannot hold them at Mikawa; the two are one and the same!"

As he made this resolute assertion, the other shogunate senior ministers also nodded in agreement, whispering among themselves; clearly, others shared this view.

"I do not agree with Lord Naotaka's opinion!" Doi Toshikatsu grew anxious at this and quickly raised his voice. "Kyoto is Kyoto, and Mikawa is Mikawa. How can the two be one and the same? Kyoto is isolated in Kansai, its surrounding areas already in turmoil, and with the slightest carelessness, it will be surrounded by enemies on all sides; whereas Mikawa has its back to Kanto, its people have deeply received the Tokugawa family's favor for generations, and it has the full support of the shogunate. The difference between the two is far too great!"

Ii Naotaka merely gave a cold laugh, clearly unmoved.

"What you say sounds very reasonable, but if we abandon Kyoto, will the powerful domains and great clans in other regions believe your rhetoric? We have already seen that the Maeda family and the Date family are already stirring restlessly. The only reason they have not yet committed treasonous acts is simply that they still harbor a last shred of awe for the shogunate. If we abandon Kyoto and the western provinces without a bitter fight, they will undoubtedly believe the shogunate has reached its end. When that time comes, will they not directly rebel?"

This interrogation was so forceful that Doi Toshikatsu was suddenly at a loss for words.

He also knew that after a series of defeats, the shogunate's prestige had been greatly damaged, and the powerful domains everywhere were already privately spying on the shogunate's true strength, ready to switch sides at any moment. For now, they were merely standing by and refusing to obey the shogunate's orders, but if the shogunate truly abandoned Kyoto and even the entire western provinces, whether they would take even more excessive actions was something even Doi Toshikatsu himself could not guarantee.

Kyoto's status was far too special; if it was lost, it would certainly be a heavy political and prestige blow to the shogunate. Moreover, once the western provinces were lost, the Maeda family would be directly connected to the Great Han, and whether they would still fear the shogunate would be very hard to say. Ii Naotaka's political doubts were indeed very reasonable.

Yet even knowing the great risks of losing Kyoto, Doi Toshikatsu still insisted on his original view.

"My lord, what you say is very reasonable. If the western provinces are lost, the various daimyo and powerful domains will likely be disheartened, and there may even be some treacherous villains who will take advantage of the chaos to raise troops against the shogunate... But even so, I still believe that right now, we must abandon the western provinces and hold fast to Kanto!"

His stubborn demand made Ii Naotaka widen his eyes, and finally he shook his head. "You hold the post of Chief of the Council of Elders and bear great responsibility, yet you fear the Han invaders like a tiger. It is truly chilling."

"If empty high-sounding words could expel the Han invaders and defeat them, I could shout ten thousand high-sounding words right now! Do you think I do not wish for our army to win victory after victory and drive the Han invaders straight into the sea?" Doi Toshikatsu was also growing angry, his face even turning somewhat red. "I too wish to fight the Han invaders to the death and drive them out, but given the current situation, should we not face reality and adopt practical strategies?"

Then, he swept his gaze around at the whispering shogunate senior ministers, his pressuring stare forcing them all into silence. "Since the two nations began hostilities, our army has clashed with the Han invaders so many times, and it can be said we have suffered defeat after defeat, retreating all the way, allowing the Han invaders to fight from the southern island of Kyushu all the way into the Kinai region! The matter is already very clear: fighting a decisive battle against the Han invaders in the western provinces is absolutely unwise and will only needlessly expose the shogunate to risk... Therefore, we can only focus on holding fast to Kanto to wear down the Han invaders. If anyone believes that leading troops to the western provinces will surely defeat the Han invaders, then please step forward and tell the Shogun!"

As expected, his question stumped the others, and for a moment, no one spoke.

After several major battles with the Han invaders' great army, many within the shogunate army had retreated in defeat, and they were all still haunted by the sharpness of the Han invaders' gunfire and their battle proficiency, unanimously describing to those around them the difficulty and terror of fighting the Han invaders. Under their influence, the military officials throughout the shogunate all harbored some fear of the Han invaders' military might.

Besides, the shogunate had been retreating step by step like this, but earlier, Itakura Shigemune had led his men in what could be called desperate resistance at Himeji Castle. If even they could not hold out despite such disregard for their own lives, who had the confidence to say they could definitely hold out?

As long as no one could step forward and say they could withstand the Han invaders, then Doi Toshikatsu's words were fully justified — since no one had the confidence to go to the western provinces and crush the Han invaders, why insist on stubbornly defending the western provinces and plunge the shogunate's great army into danger?

However, Doi Toshikatsu's calculation was quickly shattered by Ii Naotaka. He suddenly prostrated his body and kowtowed directly to Tokugawa Iemitsu.

"Shogun, in this time of peril, as a Great Elder of the shogunate, I am unable to turn the tide, and I am truly ashamed before you, and ashamed before the divine spirit of the Divine Lord in heaven. Now, at this critical juncture, the western provinces are truly of utmost importance to the shogunate; we have no path of retreat left... Although your servant is incompetent, I once followed the Divine Lord on his campaigns in all directions and more or less learned some of the Divine Lord's experience in leading troops and fighting wars... Therefore, your servant feels that at this moment, I should serve the Shogun with utmost devotion, sparing no effort until my death."

Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes widened in an instant, and the others were also greatly shaken.

As a Great Elder, Ii Naotaka's status within the shogunate was extremely exalted; he could be said to be the foremost person under the Shogun. With such a status, he could have originally enjoyed wealth and glory in peace, but at such a critical juncture, he stepped forward and requested that the Shogun allow him to lead troops to fight a great battle against the Han invaders and save the precarious situation in the western provinces. This was truly moving.

One must know that given his status, even if he won, the shogunate could not offer much reward, at most thanking him for his merit in supporting the shogunate; but if he lost, a lifetime of illustrious reputation would be utterly destroyed — and judging from the current situation, there was a very high probability of such an outcome.

The Great Elder was certainly aware of this reality, yet even knowing it, he still chose to do so. This was truly utter loyalty.

For many years, Tokugawa Iemitsu had been somewhat dissatisfied with Ii Naotaka because his prestige and power were simply too great, but today he was deeply moved by this Great Elder's actions.

In particular, what Ii Naotaka said and did coincided perfectly with his own thoughts.

"Shogun, although the Great Han army has won victory after victory since the start of hostilities with the shogunate, they have not faced us in a full-scale confrontation. What they fought before were the domain armies of various regions and the army hastily assembled by Itakura Shigemune. These armies were inherently lacking in combat strength, so it is perfectly normal even if they were defeated." Under Tokugawa Iemitsu's encouraging gaze, Ii Naotaka continued to speak eloquently. "But if we lead the shogunate's best-equipped and most numerous Kanto warriors to fight them, we will certainly be able to turn the situation from peril to safety! It was precisely because we acted too conservatively before that they were allowed to be so unrestrained, leading the situation to its current state."

"Previously, the Han invaders' military edge was at its sharpest, and we were caught unprepared in haste, so it was only natural to yield slightly. No one can be blamed for that."

Ii Naotaka was subtly mocking Doi Toshikatsu for being too fearful of the Great Han before and voluntarily yielding too many places. Tokugawa Iemitsu could certainly hear it, and to protect his number one confidant, he naturally had to say a few words in Doi Toshikatsu's defense. However, he was already inclined to follow Ii Naotaka's strategy — after all, as a young man, he also felt extremely frustrated by the current situation and was even more unwilling to keep yielding to the Han invaders.

Of course, he still had one concern.

"If we raise our troops and march west, do you truly have the confidence to hold back the Han invaders?"

Now, not only had great daimyo like the Shimazu and the Mori already defected to the Han invaders, but even the Imperial Court, under the Han invaders' support, had already possessed a powerful military force. Therefore, he no longer thought of completely defeating or expelling the Han invaders; he only wanted to defend the shogunate's current territory, and then find a way to seek peace talks with the Great Han, which had consumed vast resources and troops.

"The Han invaders' firearms are fierce, and their operations are proficient. Since the founding of their nation, they have campaigned in all directions; they can be called a strong army. Therefore... I am not confident that I can definitely expel them. Also, because of our step-by-step retreats before, the situation in Kyoto is now as precarious as a pile of eggs, and I fear even if we go to its aid now, we may not be able to save it." Ii Naotaka first very frankly admitted the predicament he faced and stated clearly that he might not necessarily be able to turn the tide.

"But... your servant will certainly demonstrate the resolve and courage of us Mikawa warriors, and make the Han invaders shed rivers of blood. As long as we fight the Han invaders to the death with reckless abandon, we will certainly be able to make the Han invaders suffer considerable losses. When that time comes, they will shrink back, and the other domains will also see the shogunate's strength... Only in this way can the Divine Lord's foundation be preserved!"

His voice grew louder and louder, uncharacteristically impassioned. "Please, Shogun, give the order! Let our army go and fight the decisive battle against the Han invaders!"

Stirred by his agitation, the others were slowly infected as well, and then joined him in petitioning Tokugawa Iemitsu. For a moment, the entire audience hall was filled with righteous fervor, as if they were all ready to go into battle together and utterly rout the Han invaders.

And Tokugawa Iemitsu was also infected by this impassioned spirit. In these stormy and precarious times, no one could be more eager than him for someone to step forward and support the entire crumbling situation, so that the foundation passed down to him by his grandfather and father could survive this storm.

It was precisely because of this that Ii Naotaka's declaration moved him so deeply.

Moreover, Ii Naotaka was not merely singing high-sounding tunes; what he said was very pragmatic — under the current circumstances, Kyoto might not be able to be held. The most important thing now was to defend the gateway to Kanto, while fighting the Han invaders to the death, protecting Mikawa, and also letting them see the shogunate's resolve.

When others said such things, they might not have much persuasive power, but when Ii Naotaka personally declared it, it was completely different. In the current environment, Tokugawa Iemitsu would rather trust this shogunate Great Elder left to him by his grandfather and father.

"Shogun..." Seeing that Tokugawa Iemitsu was already wavering somewhat, Doi Toshikatsu felt very anxious and hurriedly wanted to offer further counsel, but Tokugawa Iemitsu stopped him with a single glance.

"Very well, then let it be as you wish." Tokugawa Iemitsu looked back at Ii Naotaka. "Take troops from Kanto and go fight the Han invaders... I hope your fortunes of war will be prosperous, and that you will keep the Han invaders outside Kanto. From tomorrow onward, all shogunate officers and soldiers in the western provinces will be under your unified command!"

Once Tokugawa Iemitsu spoke, it was like the final word that settled the matter. Those who had still been hesitating and inwardly supported Doi Toshikatsu also began to echo the Shogun's words one after another. It seemed that Ii Naotaka's strategy had become the consensus of the shogunate.

Having gained his approval, Ii Naotaka would go from Kanto to the Kinai region and become the hope of the entire shogunate.

Under these circumstances, Doi Toshikatsu could only bow his head and no longer raise objections.

"How many more troops do you need to take from Kanto?" After outwardly unifying their opinions, Tokugawa Iemitsu asked Ii Naotaka again.

Now, through the shogunate's desperate efforts, recruiting samurai and foot soldiers everywhere, they had already assembled a great army of over two hundred thousand men within Kanto.

However, although the number appeared very large, everyone present knew that there was actually a great deal of exaggeration in it — the majority of this great army were just soldiers hastily conscripted, who had never experienced battle before, and their equipment was even more shoddy and inadequate; they were of little real use in combat.

What could truly be relied upon were probably those hatamoto under the shogunate system and their attendant soldiers.

These hatamoto possessed fiefs, practiced martial arts as their profession for generations, and because they had family estates and properties, they could arm themselves and some attendants, learn the techniques and skills of warfare, and maintain some equipment. These men were the foundation of the shogunate's military strength.

And these men were also the lifeblood of the shogunate army; if they collapsed, the shogunate would have no combat strength left to speak of.

"My lord, give me an army of fifty thousand." Ii Naotaka pondered for a moment before speaking to Tokugawa Iemitsu. "There are still many troops loyal to the shogunate remaining in the western provinces. If the army I bring is too large, it will also be difficult for Kanto to supply. So fifty thousand men should be sufficient — but they must be an elite force, capable of fighting the Han invaders in the field."

"Fifty thousand men…" Tokugawa Iemitsu also mused for a moment. This was, after all, no small number — and Ii Naotaka was clearly demanding that he give him his elite hatamoto troops.

Doi Toshikatsu could hold back no longer. He suddenly spoke up in a low voice. "Shogun, the Han pirates' navy is sharp and can land anywhere, while the Kanto region is surrounded by sea on three sides, greatly favoring the Han pirates' mobility. If our army moves toward the Kinai region on a large scale, I fear it will leave the Kanto region empty… At that point, the defense of the Kanto region would become quite strained…"

"According to the intelligence we have now, the Han pirates' main force is in the western provinces and is currently advancing toward Kyoto." Before Tokugawa Iemitsu could reply, Ii Naotaka spoke directly. "If we go and engage the Han pirates in battle, tying down their main force, that would be the best support and assistance for the Kanto region's defense. As long as they are fighting us, the Han pirates' main force cannot be redeployed, and only then will the Kanto region be completely secure, becoming our army's rear base. Should the Han pirates dare to transfer their main force while engaged with our army… then we shall drive straight for Kyoto, pacify the realm, and then turn our army back to strike the Han pirates in a pincer!"

These words once again drew repeated nods from Tokugawa Iemitsu. Because Ii Naotaka's words deeply resonated with him, he was also willing to believe Ii Naotaka's judgment.

For him, if the enemy could be resisted beyond the Kanto region, that would be the best outcome.

Seeing that Doi Toshikatsu still wanted to say something, he slightly raised his hand, stopping the other man.

"We shall proceed as the Great Elder suggests."

After hesitating for a long while, Doi Toshikatsu finally let out a faint sigh and bowed his head to acknowledge the order.

And so, after the shogunate's deliberations, Tokugawa Iemitsu decided to dispatch the Great Elder Ii Naotaka to personally lead an army to the Kinai region to confront the Han pirates and stabilize the situation. He would send fifty thousand troops, proclaimed as a grand army of one hundred thousand.