Chapter 1690: Preventing Any One House from Dominating Alone

Such blunt and merciless words from the Great Han envoy would naturally provoke Ii Naotaka's towering rage, but he also knew this was no time to lose his temper, and what the other party said was indeed the truth — now that the Han invaders knew he was secretly preparing to retreat, they would certainly think of pursuing, and then the shogunate army would likely suffer devastating losses.

So he forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart and looked at the other party with as calm a manner as he could muster. "I still have a great army in hand, and our shogunate still holds the Kantō lands. If you think you can act with impunity because you have nothing to fear, then go ahead and try! We will keep you company to the very end!"

Yet though he put on a tough front, it was plainly obvious that his confidence was already severely lacking.

"Indeed, you still have a great army, and the shogunate still has Kantō, but your great army is now caught between advance and retreat, finding every step difficult, and Kantō is reduced to a mere corner, battered by wind and rain. Do you still think you can contend against our Great Han?" This envoy still did not relent in his assault. "Do not forget, it is now you who are using a single corner of Kantō to oppose the Great Han and the whole of Japan. Do you truly believe you still have any chance of victory?"

Seeing the look of shock and suspicion on Ii Naotaka's face, the envoy suddenly gave a cold laugh. "Let me tell you some news. The Maeda house of Kaga Domain has now also raised troops to aid the imperial court and chastise the shogunate... Now, among the great domains of the realm, the majority have already rallied to your nation's imperial court to stand against the shogunate. Is the shogunate not using a single corner to oppose the entire realm?!"

The Maeda house has already revolted!

For an instant, Ii Naotaka was practically dumbstruck.

The Maeda house was the largest of the shogunate's tozama daimyō in terms of territory, holding a domain of a million koku. Their every move was surely watched by all under heaven. If they had switched sides... then it would certainly make the shogunate's situation even more passive, one could even say it would be the final hammer blow, leaving the already perilously endangered shogunate with no further chance to turn the tables.

Previously, Ii Naotaka had strongly advocated before the Shōgun to raise a great army to relieve the Kinki region, one major objective being to steady the hearts of men everywhere, to make the Maeda house, already showing signs of disloyalty, abandon their ambitions of betrayal and at least remain neutral. He had never expected that now they would directly rise up and switch sides... That is to say, this military expedition had already failed strategically, yielding nothing at all.

The Maeda house had always been sinister and cunning, hedging their bets. With the shogunate suffering one retreat after another before the Han invaders and the situation deteriorating step by step, it was only natural for the Maeda house to now jump out and rebel, Ii Naotaka thought with a bitter laugh in his heart.

Now, the imperial court had already resurged with the support of the Han invaders, retaken Kyōto, and clearly issued an edict to all under heaven calling for the overthrow of the shogunate. And the Maeda house, the Mōri house, the Shimazu house — these greatest surviving domains from the Warring States period — had all risen against the shogunate. As for the remaining few houses, would they not follow the example of these houses? The Date house was probably already making preparations.

So this envoy was not wrong. Now the shogunate truly was using a single corner to oppose the entire realm, and the Great Han backing the imperial court.

It was already hopeless.

Even with the will and temperament Ii Naotaka had forged over many years, he could not help but feel utterly disheartened now. He knew that, at this stage, the shogunate had already lost this war. Even if he could now turn his army back, could drive back the Great Han army that had landed in Kantō, there was still no way to reverse the situation. The shogunate, its vitality already grievously wounded, was doomed to be unable to change the outcome.

The realm of the Tokugawa house was about to crumble before his very eyes. In this instant, Ii Naotaka, whose house had served the Tokugawa loyally for generations, felt a sting in his nose, and tears nearly streamed down his face.

Yet the willpower cultivated over many years still allowed him to preserve his dignity in the end.

With the proud bearing of a shogunate Tairō, he cast a cold glance at this envoy. "The Maeda house's rebellion and insurrection were originally within our expectations. Your honored country and the imperial court do indeed hold the upper hand now, but we still have so many samurai loyal to the Shōgun. We will certainly fight to the death for the shogunate. Even if we die in battle, we will never disgrace the good name of samurai. If you came here to flaunt your superiority and mock us, then please leave now. We will fight to the bitter death!"

"'Fight to the bitter death' sounds admirable, but would Your Excellency truly rather have an empty reputation than care for the lives of tens of thousands of your subordinates, or even care for the continued survival of the Tokugawa house?" This envoy remained unhurried. "If you insist on fighting us to the bloody end, squandering the lives of your subordinates and leaving the Tokugawa house with no blood and bone remaining, then I shall return forthwith!"

"What do you mean by that?" When he grasped the meaning within the other party's words, Ii Naotaka stared at him, shocked and uncertain.

Although this envoy's words were still full of sarcasm, he seemed to be faintly revealing, on the contrary, that the Great Han was willing to give the Tokugawa house a way to survive!?

"Is my meaning not clear enough? I am an envoy dispatched by the Great Han Envoy, Lord Zhou. His Excellency sent me specifically to find you, and naturally it was not merely to amuse himself with a few taunts..." The envoy still wore a cold smile. "His Excellency sent me to ask you: do you, in the end, want the Tokugawa house to continue after the war, and not be annihilated at the hands of your nation's imperial court and great clans?"

Ii Naotaka stared grimly at the other party. After a long while, he finally spoke again to ask.

"If I do, what must be done?"

Since ancient times, when a shogunate fell, the families that controlled it did not fare particularly well. When the Kamakura shogunate fell, the entire Hōjō family that actually controlled the shogunate was forced to commit suicide, their family line completely extinguished. And when the Muromachi shogunate fell, the last Shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, also suffered a troubled fate, exiled multiple times by Oda Nobunaga, and finally, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, barely listed among the daimyō with a mere ten thousand koku domain before taking Buddhist vows and retiring. His son, Ashikaga Yoshizane, was also forced to take Buddhist vows at the age of one and later died without issue, thus formally extinguishing the entire Ashikaga shōgunal family line.

If the Edo shogunate truly perished now, what kind of predicament would the Tokugawa house face? Ii Naotaka had pondered this question many times and been terrified by it.

Under such circumstances, if the Great Han envoy who now controlled the situation was truly willing to spare the Tokugawa house... then the Tokugawa house could be considered blessed by heaven.

Previously, the Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu and his Rōjū Head Doi Toshikatsu had repeatedly sent envoys seeking peace negotiations with the Han invaders. Although Ii Naotaka was aware of this, he did not interfere in any way so as not to affect them. However, the Great Han envoy had put forward many extremely harsh conditions that the shogunate found difficult to accept, so the negotiations had been interrupted for a time.

Now that the Great Han envoy was proactively proposing peace terms to the shogunate, he feared... he feared the conditions would be even more humiliating. At the very least, the Shōgun would certainly find them hard to accept.

But with the shogunate's situation so dire, and with no art to reverse the heavens, all he could pursue now was to strive for a relatively dignified outcome for the Tokugawa house. So even though he held little hope in his heart, he still wanted to press the other party for answers.

"We have already negotiated with the shogunate before. You, sir, are probably already aware of our negotiation terms?" This envoy remained composed. "We still hold to those previous terms. As long as the shogunate agrees to these terms, we can also make peace with the shogunate and allow the Tokugawa house to be preserved."

Previously, before the shogunate's envoys, the Great Han envoy had proposed various conditions including the abolition of the shogunate and the position of Shōgun, the replacement of the Tokugawa house head and the punishment of the ministers responsible for the calamity, as well as agreed-upon reparations. Because they were simply too harsh, Tokugawa Iemitsu personally rejected these conditions — the reason being quite obvious: if he agreed, he would have to step down from the great office of Shōgun, and then how would he manage his own situation?

Ii Naotaka felt another stab of pain in his heart.

Although the other party had not added any further conditions, these conditions were already harsh enough.

Even a few days ago, he would not have considered these conditions. But today was truly different from the past. The survival and safety of the shogunate, the Tokugawa house, and even the Ii house compelled him to act with the utmost prudence.

"The matter of agreed reparations we can discuss. The shogunate previously also proposed handing over the gold mines to the Great Han for management; it is not that we are unwilling to pay. The punishment of the chief culprits, and... and the abolition of the shogunate, we can also agree to. But the matter of the Shōgun stepping down, we truly find difficult to accept." After pondering for a long time, Ii Naotaka finally spoke. "The Shōgun was merely deceived by some treacherous ministers, and compounded by our own incompetence and muddled folly, thus a great error was forged. As for his original intent, he has always wished for friendship with the Great Han, so he bears no great fault... If your honored country wishes to punish the chief culprits, then punish us ministers. From myself on down, every shogunate senior councilor may be dealt with as you please."

"Your single-minded loyalty, I deeply admire. However... this condition we cannot agree to." The envoy gave a cold laugh. "Tokugawa Iemitsu is the Shōgun. If the shogunate's affairs are not decided by him, then by whom? Since he decided them, he should bear the responsibility... So is it not proper that he take the blame and step down? Furthermore, when our Great Han dispatched troops and your nation's imperial court issued its edict, both explicitly named Tokugawa Iemitsu as the enemy. If Tokugawa Iemitsu can emerge safe and sound after the war, then what face do we, these Great Han officers and soldiers, have to return and face all under heaven?"

"Since that is the case... then I have nothing more to say. You may go back." Ii Naotaka furrowed his brow tightly, then waved his hand decisively. "We will fight to the bloody end."

As a hereditary samurai retainer of the Tokugawa house and the shogunate's Tairō, Ii Naotaka felt it was his duty to exhaust every means to preserve the blood and lineage of the Tokugawa house. To achieve this goal, he was willing to endure some humiliation. But the conditions proposed by the other party were simply too harsh. Ii Naotaka knew the Shōgun could not possibly agree, so he was unwilling to contemplate peace any further.

"Hahahaha! I had heard people say that you, sir, hold high rank and great prestige, a major figure in the shogunate whose word is law. It turns out you are nothing more than this!" Seeing that Ii Naotaka was unwilling to talk further, this envoy could not help but burst into loud laughter, then looked at Ii Naotaka with a face full of mockery. "You claim to be loyal to the Tokugawa house, but in truth you are merely loyal to that enemy of the people, Tokugawa Iemitsu! Can it be that even now, you still want to watch the entire Tokugawa house be buried alongside Tokugawa Iemitsu himself? Our Excellency originally intended to give the Tokugawa house a way to survive, yet you, for the sake of Tokugawa Iemitsu alone, reject this opportunity. You are unworthy of the name loyal minister, and you have betrayed the solemn trust placed in you by the successive heads of the Tokugawa house!"

When he heard the other party speak thus, Ii Naotaka could finally bear it no longer. He raised his hand and slammed it heavily onto the low table before him, producing a loud bang. The guards outside also rushed straight in with their swords drawn, looking as if they were about to cut this envoy down on the spot.

Yet even facing a threat to his life, this envoy stood fearless, showing not the slightest sign of yielding, and continued to laugh loudly. "How laughable that our Excellency actually still held expectations of you, prepared to let you preserve the blood and bone of the Tokugawa house, to let the Tokugawa house survive this storm... Yet our Excellency's goodwill is so wantonly squandered by someone like you, and the fortunes of the Tokugawa house are ended because of you. Can a person like you truly be called a loyal minister?!"

Ii Naotaka's face had turned pale with rage. He glared furiously at this envoy, as if about to give the order to have him dragged out and executed at any moment. But in the end, he gently raised his hand and signaled for these guards to withdraw once more.

"Why must the envoy of the Celestial Dynasty insist on pressing so relentlessly? Our Shōgun has always deeply admired your honored country. After this lesson, he would certainly be willing to be obedient and submissive to your honored country. Why must your honored country force things to this extent, leaving the Shōgun with no place to show his face?" A note of deep pain had entered his voice. "Do not forget, since the Great Han desires reparations, it should want the various regional powers to be as stable as possible. Now, the Shōgun has no heir, and the collateral branch lines have no outstanding talents. If the Shōgun is forced to abdicate, who can stabilize Kantō? This, I fear... I fear does not align with your honored country's interests."

Imperceptibly, his attitude had softened, even carrying a hint of pleading.

Yet his words still did not move this envoy. The envoy would not yield an inch, not even bothering to conceal that air of mockery.

"I have already made it perfectly clear. Our Great Han insists that Tokugawa Iemitsu must abdicate. This is an unalterable outcome. If you wish to preserve the Tokugawa house, this must be done. Otherwise, we will simply have to comply with your wish and fight resolutely to the end. Furthermore... do not try to deceive us. Tokugawa Iemitsu may have no son, but does he not have a brother? A younger brother, born of the same legitimate mother at that. If Tokugawa Iemitsu abdicates, would it not be perfectly legitimate and proper for him to become Shōgun?"

"What?!" Ii Naotaka was once again so shocked by this sudden news that he could not speak.

He had not imagined that the Great Han was secretly harboring such an idea, planning to have Tokugawa Tadanaga replace Tokugawa Iemitsu! And... what he had imagined even less was that Tokugawa Tadanaga, after escaping from Takasaki Castle, had gone directly to make contact with the Great Han.

Should he be cursed as a traitor who betrayed the Tokugawa house? Or should he be secretly praised for his foresight? Ii Naotaka laughed bitterly in his heart. "You wish to have the Dainagon take over the entire Tokugawa house?"

"Indeed. The Dainagon acts with prudence and is deeply respectful toward both your nation's imperial court and our Great Han, earning him the great favor of our Excellency. It is precisely because of our Excellency's earnest request that your nation's imperial court has also specifically refrained from stripping him of his court rank, allowing him to continue as the imperial court's Dainagon..." The envoy immediately nodded in confirmation. "Moreover, he has also agreed to all the conditions we have proposed."

Tokugawa Tadanaga has now fallen into your hands. Even if he didn't want to agree, he would have to... Ii Naotaka thought to himself.

However, if Tokugawa Tadanaga were to take over the entire Tokugawa house, then... it was not entirely unacceptable. At least it was far better than the complete annihilation of the Tokugawa house. Tokugawa Tadanaga was also a legitimate son of the previous Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada, and moreover, he was the one the previous Shōgun had thought of incessantly on his deathbed, wanting Ii Naotaka to help protect. If he were to become Shōgun...

No matter what, it would be better than the destruction of the Tokugawa house!

"You... how do you plan to deal with the Tokugawa house?" After a long silence, Ii Naotaka asked in a low voice.

"If you heed our Excellency's advice and honor Tokugawa Tadanaga as your lord, then we can allow your Dainagon to inherit the Tokugawa house. Naturally, you will no longer have to endure the current perilous situation. Although the title of Shōgun must be removed and the shogunate dissolved, he can retain the Tokugawa house's former domains." Seeing that Ii Naotaka was already wavering, this envoy immediately explained to him. "Although compared to the shogunate's position a few months ago, recovering the former domains is indeed very painful, under the current circumstances, being able to recover the former domains should be satisfactory to you, should it not?"

Ii Naotaka remained silent.

On the surface, compared to the current situation, this condition was indeed already considered generous, but he still found it somewhat hard to believe that the Great Han would be so magnanimous.

"Why... has your Excellency made such a decision? Presumably, many people now wish to put the Tokugawa house to death."

"Our Great Han came to restore the order and discipline of the nation of Japan, and to punish the previous disrespect shown to our country by Tokugawa Iemitsu and his sycophantic ministers. We did not come specifically to annihilate the Tokugawa house. At the very least, we do not wish to put the Tokugawa house to death..." This envoy remained as composed as ever. "So you need not be afraid. Past events cannot be changed, but as long as you act according to our Great Han's pace and show respect to our Great Han... then in the future, we will also protect the Tokugawa house."

This was no empty claim — in truth, Zhou Pu did indeed wish to preserve the Tokugawa house. For one, the Tokugawa could be used to overawe the western daimyos and the Japanese court. For another, even if the Tokugawa house, which had already become the target of universal hostility, were preserved, it would surely still face enmity from all sides, and they would therefore desperately crave the Great Han's support, and could also become a pawn of the Great Han.

Zhou Pu precisely wanted to create a situation where the various Japanese parties checked one another and had no choice but to rely on the Great Han for arbitration and remote control. Otherwise, if he had come all this way only to destroy the Tokugawa house, would that not have been doing good for nothing? The Great Han would not engage in such a losing business.

And after the envoy plainly stated the Great Han's intentions, Ii Naotaka sank once more into silence.

Finally, he suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Go back."