Chapter 1684: Blood Feud with the Shogunate

Rescuing Tachibana Muneshige would not only block the offensive of the large army the Shogunate had dispatched from Kanto, consolidating the land the Japanese Court had already occupied, but would also firmly pin Ii Naotaka and the great army under his command in the Kinai region, thereby achieving the previous strategic objective and allowing the Great Han army to advance on Kanto unhindered and deliver a fatal blow to the Shogunate.

Nijo Yasumichi grasped Zhou Pu's deployment perfectly. He also knew that although the Court now occupied vast tracts of land in Kinai, its foundation was still quite unstable, so it still needed the Great Han's help, and at the very least needed to find a way to overwhelm the Shogunate so that it could never again threaten the Kinai region.

Therefore, he cooperated fully with Zhou Pu's demands and immediately ordered the army to reassemble. Apart from the small detachments necessary to garrison Kyoto and other locations, the entire main force once again began to follow at Zhou Pu's side, and then advanced with his orders toward the direction of Nara.

At the same time, to further expand their momentum, Nijo Yasumichi and Zhou Pu also deliberately issued another call to arms, proclaiming to all of Japan the fact that the Court had retaken Kyoto, and then used this fact to argue that the Court held the Mandate of Heaven and that the Shogunate's days were numbered. They also sent an envoy specifically to the Maeda family of Kaga Domain, demanding that the Maeda family switch sides as soon as possible.

The Maeda family was the largest daimyo in Japan besides the Shogunate. If they could switch sides, it would be no different from dealing the Shogunate yet another heavy blow. As for the territorial issue that the Maeda family was so concerned about, Zhou Pu also had the envoy bring them a guarantee — as long as the Maeda family quickly raised their banner and assisted the Court against the Shogunate, their existing territory would be recognized after the war, allowing the Maeda family to continue ruling in Kaga Domain.

The implication was that if the Maeda family still vacillated and continued to waver, their territory might be reduced after the war. With the Court and the Great Han army having retaken Kyoto, such a threat no longer needed to be stated explicitly.

And while Zhou Pu and Nijo Yasumichi were advancing with the main army toward the Nara line, Zhao Song and Yan Guang, far away in Kyushu, also received the message he had sent.

During this period, they had remained in Kyushu, holding their troops back and closely watching the shifting situation on Honshu, waiting for the moment to strike and decide the outcome. And now they both felt that this moment was drawing ever closer.

When Zhou Pu had led his army to land on Honshu and then advanced all the way north, they had worried about the prospects of this army, fearing they would encounter danger and be unable to defeat the Shogunate's forces, and had even made plans to change their strategy and land directly on Honshu to rescue them if things went wrong. The result, however, greatly exceeded their expectations. Not only had Zhou Pu and the others not suffered major setbacks, but things had gone even better than planned.

The original plan had only been for them to threaten Kinai as much as possible, forcing the Shogunate to draw large forces to rescue the Kinai region, thereby pinning down a large portion of their main strength. Yet Zhou Pu had won victory after victory, smashed the Shogunate's army, and even broken directly into Kyoto.

"I never imagined Lord Zhou would be so formidable!" When he received Zhou Pu's news, Zhao Song could not help but exclaim.

"Lord Zhou's wisdom and courage, and his ability to leverage external forces, are certainly the main reasons, but this also shows that the Shogunate's army is even weaker than we imagined." Yan Guang was quite composed. "From the time our army began landing until we fought our way into Kinai, the Shogunate forces collapsed at the first encounter in every field battle against us. Only when defending cities could they fight to a stalemate, but in the end they still fell to our army's artillery fire... So, my lord, the Shogunate's military strength and morale are both severely weakened. We should seize the moment and give them no room to catch their breath!"

"Yes, you are quite right." Zhao Song gently rubbed his own neck, then said in a very calm tone, "Lord Zhou has already created such a fine opportunity for us. It is time for us to go and display our skills. Otherwise, if it looks like Lord Zhou alone can defeat the Shogunate, would we not lose face?"

As he spoke these casual words, an order was issued from the Great Han general's garrison in Nagasaki and directly relayed to all Great Han forces on Kyushu.

During this period, the Great Han army originally assembled in Goryeo had been entirely transported to Kyushu. Because they had not received any marching orders and the Shimazu clan's domain army was maintaining public order, they had recently had no missions, spending every day training at their encampments and preparing for battle. This long wait had made every officer eager for merit and achievement anxious; during this time, people constantly asked their regimental commanders when they could finally march out and fight a great battle with the Shogunate.

And now, the moment had finally arrived.

After receiving the order, the previously relaxed and leisurely atmosphere within the Great Han army immediately ended, and tension suddenly tightened. Large numbers of soldiers assembled at the ports, then gathered according to the sequence prearranged beforehand. Every one of them was rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, looking forward to achieving merit and glory in the coming great battle.

Under Zhao Song's command, the transport ships originally concentrated at various ports began to assemble in Nagasaki. Although Nagasaki Castle had been destroyed by the fires of war during the initial conflict between the two nations, after this period of repairs by conscripted Japanese laborers, the port's basic facilities had all been restored, so these transport ships were finally able to gather at Nagasaki Castle.

Because Nagasaki Castle had already been designated as Great Han's postwar territory in Japan, Great Han was also determined to properly develop this city. Restoring the port was only the first phase of the project; after the war ended, more buildings would be constructed here, making it Great Han's hub for all of Japan.

In the gentle autumn breezes, these Great Han officers and soldiers once again boarded the seagoing ships in sequence and set out on the journey north. And this time, they would seize the greatest glory of this expedition on Honshu.

The people on Honshu did not yet know that such a great change had occurred on Kyushu. For now, they still had to struggle bitterly against the predicaments before them. Tachibana Muneshige was one such person.

After leading his troops to capture Nara, he had originally intended to follow the original plan and advance further toward Kanto, attacking Iga. But his offensive was soon checked, because he discovered that the Shogunate had suddenly mobilized a large army from Kanto and was pressing toward him.

This army was vast in number, well-equipped, and fought very fiercely — clearly an elite force of the Shogunate. After several probing engagements, Tachibana Muneshige could gain no advantage, and even several attempted sneak attacks were all detected and thoroughly thwarted by the enemy. Only then did Tachibana Muneshige set aside the arrogance born from his string of victories, turn to consolidating his forces, abandon his original offensive, and cautiously retreat back to Nara.

It was then that he learned from prisoners that the commander of this Shogunate army was none other than the Shogunate Tairō Ii Naotaka himself. He had met Ii Naotaka before; the man was a dozen or two dozen years his junior, merely a junior to him, and in previous commands his ability had not been particularly outstanding — his performance when Tokugawa Ieyasu attacked Osaka had not been very good.

However, his temperament was extremely steady; he would not easily engage in reckless battle, and he was resourceful and cunning, rarely swayed by stratagems. Such a man, regardless of how he might fare at a disadvantage, at least would make no mistakes when holding the advantage. Moreover, with his exalted status as Tairō, he could ensure strict discipline and absolute obedience; the Shogunate generals and officials below him would certainly obey his commands, and his control over his subordinates would be very strong.

And most unfortunately, the Shogunate currently held the advantage over the large army under Tachibana Muneshige's command. Under Ii Naotaka's orders, his subordinates struck everywhere, attacking and intercepting Tachibana Muneshige, seeking a decisive battle to smash and annihilate his entire force. Under these circumstances, Tachibana Muneshige had to respond with extreme caution, constantly shrinking his lines and striving to avoid a decisive battle with Ii Naotaka, lest his weaker army be destroyed.

Under Ii Naotaka's relentless pressure, Tachibana Muneshige's retreating army was pushed back into Nara Castle and was close to being surrounded by Ii Naotaka.

In this critical situation, Tachibana Muneshige did not panic. On one hand, he organized the city's defense, striving to prevent his troops from collapsing and to keep the Shogunate's great army outside Kinai; on the other hand, he continuously sent messengers to Zhou Pu in the rear, begging him to quickly lead troops to the rescue and relieve the immediate crisis.

And at this time, he also received the news that Zhou Pu had recovered Kyoto, which further boosted his spirits. He knew that as long as he held on a while longer, reinforcements would soon arrive. For now, he remained in Nara Castle, awaiting the arrival of relief forces.

Likewise, perhaps because he knew deeply that he could not afford to drag things out, Ii Naotaka also began to grow somewhat anxious. In recent days, he had increased the frequency of his attacks, launching several offensives against Nara and even reaching the city walls. Fortunately, Tachibana Muneshige had been commanding his subordinates in defense with all his strength, repelling the enemy's assaults time and again. But the army's casualties were growing larger and larger, and morale was beginning to wane.

These past days, Tachibana Muneshige's energy had been drained far too much. Because he often went entirely without sleep, his eyes were now filled with bloodshot veins. He was already a man past seventy, and now he appeared even more aged. Yet he still forced himself on, displaying a composed exterior to encourage his subordinates.

However, the others under his command did not possess his level of endurance.

"My lord, the situation is critical now. The Shogunate forces are simply too powerful. Why must we remain in this perilous place, Nara?" In the official hall of Nara, one of Tachibana Muneshige's subordinate commanders, Shimazu Michihisa, offered his counsel. "In my humble opinion, we would be better off retreating now, drawing closer to His Excellency the Imperial Envoy, and then seeking a decisive battle with Ii Naotaka!"

As a territory directly under the Shogunate, the Shogunate had established the Nara Bugyō in Nara Castle to govern the surrounding lands. The official hall of the Nara Bugyō, after Nara was taken by Tachibana Muneshige's army, had become Tachibana Muneshige's residence, and it was from here that he commanded his great army against the Shogunate forces.

Upon hearing Shimazu Michihisa's counsel, Tachibana Muneshige shifted his footing slightly, his pale hair and beard quivering faintly with the movement.

Shimazu Michihisa was a trusted aide of Shimazu Tadatsune, the lord of Satsuma Domain, and also the commander of the Satsuma domain army currently under his command. The Satsuma army was one of the main forces of the great army under him. At the same time, due to the Shimazu family's extraordinary status, this domain army also possessed a great degree of independence. Although on the surface they generally followed Tachibana Muneshige's commands, it could not be said that they were entirely without their own agendas.

And now, faced with this difficult predicament, Shimazu Michihisa's mind had begun to grow restless. During this period, because of the successive fierce battles with Ii Naotaka's army, their subordinates had suffered considerable losses, and he was unwilling to continue enduring such losses now.

Through their dealings with the Great Han envoys, the Shimazu family had now become the daimyo that dominated the entire island of Kyushu. They had no further demands — and they also knew that even if they made more demands, neither Great Han nor the Court would agree. Thus, they did not have much will to fight to the bitter end.

When they had previously followed Zhou Pu's advance, firstly, the Shimazu family had to clear the threat from the north, so they fought with great vigor, and secondly, Zhou Pu's advance had been very smooth and had not caused their forces to suffer excessive losses. But now, the army had fought its way into the Kinai region, and the Shimazu family had secretly begun to feel that this war no longer had much to do with them — win or lose, their territory was now beyond threat, so their enthusiasm for fighting had become very low.

Under such circumstances, it was entirely natural for Shimazu Michihisa to counsel Tachibana Muneshige to retreat.

Natural as it was, however, Tachibana Muneshige had no intention of adopting this subordinate's suggestion.

"Now is not the time to withdraw." He shook his head slightly, then swept his gaze over the other man. "The Shogunate has sent such a large army here, and with Ii Naotaka personally in command — this shows they intend to fight us in full force. The Kinai region has only just fallen into our hands, and the people's hearts are not yet settled. If we retreat, the Shogunate's great army will inevitably penetrate deep into Kinai, throwing the region back into turmoil, and the scattered remnants of the Shogunate will inevitably rise in rebellion once more... Therefore, it is best that we continue to hold here. This way, Ii Naotaka cannot turn his attention elsewhere, and the Court can quickly reorganize Kinai."

"What you say is all well and good, my lord, but our army's situation now can be described as perilous as a pile of eggs. If we remain nailed here, there is no guarantee we will not be crushed by the Shogunate's great army... If our army is routed, would the situation not be even more..."

Just as Shimazu Michihisa reached this point, he noticed Tachibana Muneshige glaring at him. Although the man before him looked like an elder on the verge of death, that glare still made his scalp prickle, and the words in his mouth had to stop.

"On what grounds do you say this?" Tachibana Muneshige interrupted him without the slightest courtesy. "The enemy's arrogance is indeed rampant at present, but it is nothing more than a momentary surge of reckless courage. These past days, though they have attacked repeatedly, have they not been repelled by our army time and again, forced to withdraw without success? Our army is by no means in a situation as perilous as a pile of eggs."

"Although they are repelled each time, our army has suffered heavy damage." Shimazu Michihisa gathered his courage and replied. "The enemy is clearly intent on wearing us down continuously, weakening our army's strength... If we continue to be ground down here, I fear we will be unable to hold out."

"As a man of the Shimazu family, do you still fear the battlefield?" Tachibana Muneshige continued to retort. "I am the commander-in-chief, and you should obey my orders. Since we can still hold out, we absolutely must not withdraw from Nara, and must continue to remain here!"

"My lord wishes to gamble for a vast foundation, and I fully understand that. But our Shimazu family cannot suffer such losses for my lord's private enterprise!" Seeing that Tachibana Muneshige was completely ignoring his opinion, Shimazu Michihisa also grew somewhat angered. "To be frank with you, my lord, our domain lord previously reached a tacit understanding with His Excellency the Imperial Envoy. We would assist Great Han in taking Kyushu, and then help Great Han continue north to strike the Shogunate... but only as far as Kinai. Once we reached Kinai, our Shimazu family could withdraw from further involvement! We have now reached Nara and have fought strenuously for you, my lord, for so long. We have already done more than enough by you..."

Because he had never heard of any such tacit understanding between the Shimazu family and the Great Han envoys, Tachibana Muneshige could not help but be taken aback. After the surprise, what followed was fury.

"Do you intend to desert in the face of battle?!" He berated the other man angrily. "I do not care what misgivings you have now, nor do I care what understanding you previously had with His Excellency. In short, you are now my subordinate and are duty-bound to obey my commands and assignments. No dissent is permitted! If you dare to disobey, that is insubordination. If you dare to lead your troops and flee on your own, that is shameless cowardice, and I will absolutely deal with you according to military law!"

Just at that moment, a series of booming roars came from the distance, followed by overwhelming shouts and howls surging toward them.

Tachibana Muneshige immediately ceased his rebuke of Shimazu Michihisa and hurried out of the residence. The residence was situated on the high ground of the city walls, so as soon as he stepped out, he could see the scene outside the city. He found that the enemy had indeed launched a new round of attacks — a dark, dense mass of troops was pressing toward him.

Judging by the scale visible to the eye, this offensive was even larger than the previous ones. It seemed Ii Naotaka was also growing anxious at heart.

He made a decision at once, then ran back before Shimazu Michihisa.

"The enemy has now launched an attack on our army. Every one of us bears the responsibility to resist the enemy. Further quarreling among ourselves will only weaken us and place the entire army in peril! You must continue to follow my orders. Otherwise, I will report this matter directly to His Excellency and your domain lord together, and let them pass judgment!"

Shimazu Michihisa said nothing for now, merely lowering his head. It was not that he feared Tachibana Muneshige's threat, but rather that, with the enemy launching another attack, further quarreling or even internal strife would only cause the army to collapse faster. He could not even flee — if he fled, Ii Naotaka would surely pursue him to the death. Yet in his heart, he remained unconvinced.

"In any case, I am aware that your forces have previously fought with all their might and suffered enormous losses. So this time, you will remain within the city to assist in the defense. Recover your strength early and await my orders." At this moment, Tachibana Muneshige suddenly shifted his tone. "Rest assured, Ii Naotaka is a man of excessive caution. He fears me even more, so if I personally lead the counterattack, he will hesitate and will by no means fight to the death."