Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 365: Traitor
In the hall, Shang Zhi and the Ryukyu officials all looked cold as they looked at Cai Jian, Jin Zhengchun and others.

After decades of deliberate and unintentional suppression by the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Kume clan had long since declined in the court.
Although Cai Jian still held the title of Second-Rank Purple Gold Doctor at this time, this title was actually inherited from the ancestors of the Kume Island people. In other words, it was an exclusive title for the Kume samurai. This title was in charge of the tribute and envoy reception between Ryukyu and the Ming Dynasty.

The real power in the court is the three judicial officials, the criminal justice officials, the spies, the Naha officials and the local powerful officials.

Cai Jian and other Kume scholars no longer had any real power in the court except for the tribute inherited from their ancestors.
Cai Jian looked at the angry ministers in the court and was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly stood up, looked at the regent Shang Sheng above him, and said

"I don't understand what the regent means. I, the Kume samurai, have been in the country for hundreds of years and have long been a citizen of Ryukyu. I don't know where the regent got this wise saying from."

"In terms of closeness, the regent has always been close to the Satsuma clan, but why have I never seen the regent find out the secrets of the Satsuma family and report them to the court?"

When the Ryukyu officials heard this, they were all shocked. Shang Sheng was not only good at being the regent, but also had the support of the Satsuma clan behind him. He was always the one who had the final say in the court. How dare Cai Jian contradict Shang Sheng in court today?
Shang Sheng's anger rose in his heart, but when he looked at the calm Cai Jian, a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes. Now was not the time to tangle with Cai Jian. The key now was to stop the Ming army from stationing.

As long as the Ming army left, these Kume people would not be worth mentioning at all. By then, he would have plenty of ways to deal with Cai Jian and other traitors.

Shang Sheng suddenly turned around, bowed to Shang Zhi above him, and said

"Your Majesty, Satsuma has been in our country for decades. If the Ming Dynasty stationed troops in Ryukyu, Satsuma and the shogunate would never give up. For the sake of our country's stability, we must not agree to the Ming Dynasty stationing troops."

Shang Zhi couldn't help but nod his head when he heard this. With the Japanese's rude nature, if they knew that the Ming army was going to station troops there, they would definitely not give up easily. What would happen if the war broke out?
Shang Zhi was about to respond, but Cai Jian also spoke up

"Tianshi Zhu has just made it clear that the garrison is an order from the Holy Emperor of the Upper Kingdom. If Ryukyu disobeys the order, I am afraid that the tribute from Ryukyu to the Ming Dynasty will be cut off immediately."

Before Shang Zhi could say anything, Wang's uncle Ma Zongyi had already stepped out.

Ma Zongyi glanced at Shang Sheng who was about to refute, and said in a deep voice

"Tribute is the foundation of our Ryukyu, and the right of Ryukyu to pay tribute must not be lost"

Shang Zhi heard this and reacted at this time and said

"Uncle Wang is right. The right to pay tribute must not be lost."

Ma Zongyi did not know whether the right to pay tribute was the foundation of the Ryukyu Kingdom, but he knew that the right to pay tribute must be the foundation of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Since the establishment of the Bugyosho, the appointment and dismissal of officials in the court, as well as taxation and grain taxes, have been controlled by Satsuma or ministers supported by Satsuma.
Now that the Ryukyu royal family has lost most of its real power in the country, if it loses the right to pay tribute, the Ryukyu royal family will no longer be of any use to Japan.
Shang Sheng looked at Shang Zhi who looked determined, and his heart sank slightly. Although he was the regent, Shang Zhi was the king after all.

The right to pay tribute involves the safety of Shang Zhi's throne, and Shang Zhi will never compromise.
Shang Sheng was still thinking about how to persuade Shang Zhi, but at this moment, the officer Xiang Xiangxian suddenly stepped out from the train below and said:

"Your Majesty, what you are worried about now is that the Japanese will take this opportunity to annex our Ryukyu, but I can guarantee that even if the court loses the right to pay tribute, Satsuma will not dare to annex Ryukyu."

"What is truly threatening the safety of Ryukyu now is the issue of the Ming garrison."

"Your Majesty, please do not forget that Satsuma has stationed troops in our country for many years. Once the Ming Dynasty stationed troops, the Ming Dynasty will definitely discover that Japan is stationed in the country."

"The Ming Dynasty has always been hostile to the Japanese. If the two sides start fighting, the situation will be difficult to handle and Ryukyu will be devastated immediately."

"For the sake of stability in Ryukyu, Your Majesty must not agree to station troops in the Ming Dynasty."

The surname Xiang is actually also the surname Wang. The royal family's direct descendants have the surname Shang, while the branch descendants have the surname Xiang.
When Xiang Xiangxian was over ten years old, he was sent to study in Satsuma Domain.

Xiang Xiangxian lived in Satsuma for more than ten years. After returning from his studies, he was directly promoted to the Naha official with the support of the Satsuma Bugyosho. He was the most staunch pro-Japanese faction in the Ryukyu court.
Everyone in the hall heard this and their expressions changed slightly. Ryukyu now has no power to protect itself. If the two sides fight in Ryukyu, the consequences will be disastrous.

As soon as Xiang Xiangxian finished speaking, Jin Yingyuan stepped out from the court and said

"Your Excellency is wrong. We cannot afford to provoke Japan, and we cannot afford to provoke the Ming Dynasty even more."

"You have all seen the soldiers from the upper country today. If we disobey the order and the hundreds of soldiers from the port rush into the city, how should we respond?"

"Don't forget that there are three large ships parked at the port. These ships are full of artillery. If the Ming Dynasty bombards the port, how can we stop them?"

"The Japanese army is stationed in the country, so we should agree to station troops there."

"The Satsuma clan has been controlling the government of Ryukyu for decades with its wolfish ambitions. Now that the superior kingdom intends to station troops there, the kingdom can use the superior kingdom's troops to check and balance the Japanese kingdom, allowing the king to take back the government."

Shang Zhi's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard this. Xiang Xiangxian saw the agitated look on Shang Zhi's face, and now he was angry. He suddenly looked at Jin Yingyuan opposite him and shouted angrily:
"Jin Yingyuan, you Kume people, for your own selfish desires, did not hesitate to bring them into the Ming court and disrupt our Ryukyu. You all deserve to die."

Jin Yingyuan looked at Xiang Xiangxian with a cold expression and shouted

"Xiang Xiangxian, you traitors have ceded most of my Ryukyu territory to Japan over the past few decades, first the Amami Islands, then the Yaeyama and Nishimoe Islands, what land of my Ryukyu will you cede next?"

"You Ryukyu traitors only know how to flatter the Japanese bandits and manipulate the government. How many loyal officials and righteous men in the court have been killed by you? Now you are even trying to incite the king to fight against the Celestial Empire. I think you deserve to die."

The Ryukyu officials below looked at the Kume samurai who was shouting angrily in the hall. They were shocked at first, and then all the officials suddenly fell silent.
They had already understood why the Kume people, who had always kept a low profile in the court, suddenly became so tough today. Considering the Ming army's proposal to station troops today, they had already concluded that these Kume people must have received the support of the Ming army.

When the Ryukyu officials thought of this, they dared not speak out. After Satsuma took control of the Ryukyu government, it banned the import and manufacture of all weapons. After decades of weakening, the Ryukyu Kingdom, from the royal family to the local nobles, had already been completely deprived of its military power.

Shang Sheng, Xiang Xiangxian and other pro-Japanese factions have Japanese soldiers behind them, while Cai Jian and other Kume people have Ming soldiers behind them. No matter which side they are on, they can't afford to offend them now. In order to protect themselves, everyone can only watch in silence.
In the hall, the two sides confronted each other, arguing and scolding each other.
King Shang Zhi of Zhongshan and the Ryukyu officials below remained silent, and tonight's meeting ended in a quarrel and silence.
Naha Castle, Shang Sheng Mansion. It was late at night, but the lights were still on.
In the hall, Shang Sheng sat at the top, and below him on the left were three judicial officials, Xiang Guoqi, Ma Jiamei, and Ma Fengxi, and on the right were several middle-level officials such as Naha official Xiang Xiangxian. These people were the core pro-Japanese faction in the Ryukyu court.
Shang Sheng looked tired. Seeing everyone sitting down, he spoke directly.

"What do you think about the Ming Dynasty's garrison?"

There was silence in the hall for a moment, and the judge said to Guo Qi in a deep voice:

"The soldiers in the delegation are fully equipped with armor, they must be elite soldiers."

"I heard from Envoy Zhu that these soldiers seem to be the imperial guards of the Ming Dynasty. Is it possible that the Ming Dynasty was defeated in the Central Plains and the Ming Emperor wanted to flee overseas, so he sent Zhu Zhiyu and others to garrison in Ryukyu first?" Everyone was stunned when they heard this, but soon the judicial officer Ma Jiamei also spoke up.

"But didn't Envoy Zhu say that after Gui Jianguo ascended the throne, he had killed hundreds of thousands of northern barbarians and stabilized the south?"

Xiang Xiangxian on the right sneered when he heard this.

"These Ming people always like to boast. Only three people returned from the last delegation. Whatever they want to say, it's not possible. Two of them are from Kume."

"These are two hundred fully armored elite soldiers. If we use these people as the leaders, we can instantly expand the army to three to four thousand. This kind of force is already considered powerful even in the shogunate."

"In my opinion, the situation of the Ming Dynasty in the Central Plains must be worrying. If the Ming court has really stabilized its position as they say, then the Ming court should be doing its best to prepare for the Northern Expedition. Why would it suddenly send so many elite soldiers to Ryukyu?"

Shang Sheng frowned when he saw the people arguing. He put down his teacup, stopped the argument, and said in a cold voice:
"No matter what the reason is, we must not allow the Ming army to station troops in Ryukyu."

The people below all nodded when they heard this. All of these people in the field relied on the support of the Satsuma Domain to rise to high positions.
If the Ming court stationed troops in Ryukyu, then Satsuma's influence in Ryukyu would inevitably be weakened, and they would be the first to suffer.
Xiang Guoqi below frowned slightly and spoke in a deep voice

"The Ming court threatened to stop paying tribute, and the king probably wouldn't dare to refuse easily. I'm afraid it would be difficult for us to persuade the king."

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, but he is not aware of the situation in the country. The Ming court's garrison in Ryukyu threatens the safety of all the people in the country. We are the ministers of the country, and we can no longer let the king do whatever he wants at this time."

Shang Sheng had a cold expression on his face. Losing the right to pay tribute would certainly damage the king's prestige and might even endanger Shang Zhi's throne.
But if they allowed the Ming court to station troops there, they would not only lose control of the court, but would also be likely to be purged by the court. Between the two evils, they could only choose the lesser of two evils.

Shang Sheng looked at Xiang Xiangxian below and said

"What is the current situation of the Ming Dynasty delegation?"

"Just received a report that in the evening, Ming soldiers broke into the Umori Castle and Sanchong Castle and forcibly occupied the two cities."

Shang Sheng also looked gloomy when he heard this, and couldn't help but shouted angrily
"These Ming people are really lawless. The two cities are our Ryukyu territory, but they sent troops to seize them. These Ming people are so arrogant and lawless, no wonder they were defeated by the Qing court."

"And Cai Jian, these people from Kume dared to collude with outsiders and invade our important places. They all deserve to be killed."

Although Yamori Ryoza and Mie are called castles, they are actually two forts. These two forts are located at the north and south ends of Naha Port. As long as cannons are mounted on the forts, the entire port sea surface can be immediately blocked.
Zheng Jiong relied on these two artillery batteries to sink seven warships of Satsuma in succession on the sea, which forced Satsuma to bypass the port and change the landing site.

The importance of these two forts was naturally known to everyone in the country, but Zhu Zhiyu and other outsiders had only arrived in Ryukyu for a few days. How could they know these important places? Cai Jian and his group of Kume people must have leaked the information of these two forts to the Ming Dynasty envoys.

Xiang Xiangxian said in a deep voice again

"The Satsuma clan has been protecting the country for a long time. Although the king wants to keep the right to pay tribute, he dare not easily agree to station troops. Now the most worrying thing is the hundreds of armored soldiers in the hands of the Ming court."

"Today was really dangerous. Fortunately, Zhu Zhiyu was not decisive enough. If Zhu Zhiyu had sent soldiers into the palace to intimidate the king, he might have really forced the king to agree to station troops there."

Shang Sheng also looked gloomy after hearing this. After thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice:
"These Ming people relied on their military might to commit violence at will. They are truly despicable."

"There are no soldiers in the country at this moment, and it is difficult for us to control the situation. Xiangxian, you should lead your men to Urasoe Castle immediately and report this matter to Lord Kamada. Ask him to return to the city immediately to take charge of the situation!"

On the second day of the enthronement ceremony, the Ming army still held the fort and refused the water sent by Ryukyu. In Shuri Royal Castle, Shang Sheng argued with Cai Jian and others for a day, but also did not reach any conclusion.

In the evening, a caravan of dozens of people suddenly stopped at the backyard of Shang Mansion. Dozens of people were wearing bamboo hats.
The three carts in the caravan were covered with black waterproof cloth, so it was impossible to tell what was on them.
The back door of the Shang Mansion opened, and the caravan entered the Mansion in a line.
Several servants from the Shang Mansion walked out of the mansion and quickly pushed the cart outside the door into the mansion. After the cart was pushed into the mansion, the back door of the Shang Mansion was immediately closed.

But the people in Shang Mansion did not notice that after the gate was closed, several vendors at the corner of the street also left quickly and disappeared into the dim night.
In the Naha building, Zhu Zhiyu was sitting in the room, checking the Japanese documents sent by Cai Jian and others.
Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and soon Lin Risheng walked into the room with a serious look and said in a deep voice
"Taiwan Governor Zhu, Jin Yingyuan sent a message that the Japanese magistrate Kamada Sakyo sneaked into the city in the evening and has now entered Shangsheng's residence."

Zhu Zhiyu heard this, but his face was calm, and he asked

"How many Japanese entered the city? Have you confirmed that it was the magistrate Kamada Sakyo himself?"

"Those Japanese were disguised as a merchant caravan, but they were quite arrogant. They entered the city wearing only a bamboo hat, without even concealing the swords on their waists."

"The people of Kume Village have already identified the leader as the so-called Kamada Bugyo. There should be 72 Japanese pirates entering the city."

Zhu Zhiyu thought for a moment and then said

"Notify General Lincha and prepare to take action."

"We are unfamiliar with Naha. If Kamada leaves Shang Mansion, it will be troublesome."

Lin Risheng responded respectfully, but then a hint of hesitation flashed across his face, and he said

"Cai Jian and others are still in Shuri Castle trying to persuade King Zhongshan. Don't they really need to inform Kume first?"

Zhu Zhiyu glanced at the information in his hand, but shook his head and said softly
"Satsuma has ruled the Ryukyu Islands for decades, and the people of the Ryukyu Islands have long been afraid of the Japanese. Cai Jian and his people are no exception."

"Cai Jian is still thinking about completing the garrison without resorting to violence. If we tell Kume now, they will surely stop us, which will only lead to complications."

"The Japanese have always been fearful of power and disrespectful of virtue. We have too few soldiers. If we want to suppress the Japanese arrogance, we can only tie Ryukyu to our warships."

When Zhu Zhiyu thought of this, a hint of sternness flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"Tell General Lincha that Kamada must be captured alive and must not be allowed to escape."

"The end will understand"

Lin Risheng looked serious, bowed to Zhu Zhiyu, and then turned around and walked out of the room.
The Ming court had a total of five ships. Although there were only 300 full-time soldiers on board, there were also 700 helmsmen and rowers on board.
These people all come from the navy and have also undergone basic military training. Although these sailors specialize in ship operation, they can also wear armor and go into battle when necessary.

In the darkness of night, three hundred soldiers filed down from the ship and quickly surrounded Shang Sheng's residence under the cover of darkness.
(End of this chapter)