Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 366 Send Troops
In the study room of Shang Mansion, the dim light in the room flickered. Kamata Sakyo took off his bamboo hat and looked at Shang Sheng below with a gloomy expression on his face. He said in a cold voice:

"Shang Jun, what is going on? Why did the Ming court suddenly station troops in Ryukyu?"

"I don't know either. After the enthronement ceremony ended today, the Ming envoy suddenly proposed to station troops in Ryukyu. The Ming court said that they wanted to intercept the Qing warships at sea."

"We all discussed privately and thought that this must be an excuse. The Ming court just wanted to use the war as a righteousness to force the court to agree to station troops. As for the real reason, we are also puzzled."

Kamata Sakyo had an unpleasant look on his face. The Satsuma Ryukyu governor changed his governor every three years. After decades of weakening and control by Satsuma, the Ryukyu had basically no power to resist.
In the Satsuma Domain, being appointed as the Ryukyu Magistrate was basically equivalent to being sent to Ryukyu to be a local emperor, which was a rare and lucrative position.

But who would have thought that Ryukyu had been peaceful for decades, and the Ming army would come to station troops just after he took office and had not started to make money.
Shang Sheng saw Kamata Sakyo remained silent, and couldn't help but speak up.

"Lord Kamada, the Ming army is very aggressive. We need a response from the national university within three days."

"Cai Jian and his people are constantly trying to deceive the king. The king is quite shaken. Tomorrow is the third day. Please come to the palace quickly and calm the king down."

Kamata Sakyo was furious when he heard this and shouted:

"Idiot, use your brain. How can I show up in Ryukyu now?"

Although Japan controlled Ryukyu, the shogunate did not make Ryukyu a direct territory of the shogunate, but placed Ryukyu under the name of Satsuma.
It is the Ming Dynasty that is stationing troops now, not some other cats and dogs. If he reveals his identity in Ryukyu now, he will inevitably clash with the Ming army.

At that time, the conflict between Ming Dynasty and Ryukyu will turn into a conflict between Ming Dynasty and the shogunate.

Now the shogunate has been in a state of humiliation for decades. Even the fighting between the daimyo of the domains in the country is strictly prohibited by the shogunate, not to mention provoking foreign wars.
Who can bear the charge of provoking a conflict between the Ming Dynasty and the shogunate without authorization?
If he came out and had a conflict with the Ming army at this time, once the matter got out of hand in the future, the shogunate would investigate layer by layer, and the first to be punished would be the Satsuma domain, and the next would be him, Kamata Sakyo.
Even if Kamada Sakyo committed suicide by seppuku, he might not be able to atone for his crime.

Shang Sheng, this idiot, actually wants him to show up. What is he going to do? Is he going to get himself killed?

Kamata Sakyo must not show up at this time, but Kamata Sakyo also cannot ignore it.

Ryukyu is now in fact a vassal state of Satsuma. Most of the tax revenue of Ryukyu is transferred to Satsuma Domain every year, which has become an important source of revenue for the Domain.
After the Ming army was stationed in Ryukyu, it would certainly weaken or even overturn Satsuma's control over Ryukyu.
If Kamata Sakyo, the Ryukyu magistrate, fails to stop the Ming army from stationing troops at this time, he will also have to commit seppuku to apologize after returning to Satsuma.
Kamata Sakyo thought of this and looked down at Shang Sheng, asking

"How many soldiers did the Ming court send this time?"

"There are three large ships, all of which are double-masted large ships. There are two hundred soldiers disembarking, all wearing red armor, helmets and iron arms. The Ming army is very cautious about ships. We cannot detect whether there are still soldiers on board for the time being."

"These Ming people are so arrogant that they openly gathered troops in the palace yesterday to intimidate our Ryukyu court. This is really hateful."

Kamata Sakyo heard this and snorted coldly, then said

"They brought two hundred fully armored soldiers with them. This is no longer an ordinary delegation. We must strike hard!"

Kamada Sakyo looked at Shang Sheng below and said in a cold voice
"Shang Sheng, go and kill all these Ming troops"

Shang Sheng was stunned for a long time after hearing this, and then he came to his senses and pointed at himself with a dull look.

"I?"

The Ming army had 200 soldiers. Although Shang Sheng was the Prime Minister of the Ryukyu Kingdom, there was no soldier in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The organization of the Ryukyu Shuri Army is still maintained. When welcoming the envoy today, more than a thousand Shuri troops also went out to maintain order.

But these people were all temporary recruits from the country, and they were really just there to hold up the show.
After the Ming Dynasty envoys set out on their return journey, these so-called Shuri troops would be disbanded and return home to continue farming.
The Japanese even required the Ryukyu Kingdom's sabres to be registered, so how could the Ryukyu Kingdom really form an army?

If Shang Sheng had the military power to defeat two hundred soldiers, he would have ceded land to the Ryukyu Kingdom and become a king. Why would he stay in the country and be ordered around by these Japanese?
Kamata Sakyo represented the Satsuma clan and the shogunate at this time, and he could not come out to clash with the Ming army, but he could not allow the Ming army to station troops in Ryukyu, so what should he do?

The natural thing is to let Ryukyu refuse to station troops, so that the matter will become a conflict between Ryukyu and Ming, and Satsuma can also hide safely behind the scenes.

A fierce look flashed in Kamata Sakyo's eyes. This was the only way to save himself now. The Ryukyu court did not dare to offend the Ming court, so he would leave the Ryukyu court with no way out.
Kamata looked at Shang Sheng who was shocked, his face darkened, and he said

"The new king, Shang Zhi, is too young. As the regent, Shang Jun needs to be aware of this and take up his responsibilities."

"Although there are many Ming army warriors, Ryukyu is our territory. You put drugs in the food of these Ming people. After they take the drugs, I will disguise myself as the Ryukyu army and capture all these Ming people!"

Seeing Shang Sheng's frightened expression, Kamada Sakyo spoke to comfort him.
"Don't be afraid, Shangjun. You work for the Satsuma Domain, and the Satsuma Domain will never mistreat its loyal subjects."

"If things change in the future, you can follow me back to Satsuma, and I will protect you."

Shang Sheng looked at Kamada Sakyo with a sincere expression, but he didn't believe a word in his heart. Did this Japanese pirate really think he was a fool?

The Ming Dynasty had been a powerful force for hundreds of years. Even when the two countries fought in Korea, Japan did not dare to kill the Ming envoys.

Capturing and killing the Ming envoys, this is such a serious crime that even Satsuma itself cannot bear it. What can Satsuma use to protect itself?
This Kamada Sakyo, clearly just wants to use me as a scapegoat at this time

Shang Sheng has now captured the Ming envoy, so he can stop the Ming court from stationing troops. After Kamata Sakyo reports to the Satsuma family, Kamata himself will be able to get out of it. But if the Ming court gets angry and comes to question him, he will be the first to die.

Shang Sheng shook his head repeatedly, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face, and he said

"Mr. Kamata, you don't know that the Ming people are extremely cautious. After they retreated to Naha, they did not take any water sent by the court. All the supplies were transported from the Ming people's ships, so there was no place to poison them."

Kamata Sakyoori naturally saw that Shangsheng was shirking his responsibilities, but Kamata was not moved at all.

The Samo family supported Shang Sheng and others just to use them. Now it is time for Shang Sheng and others to repay the Samo family's kindness.
"How difficult is that? How much can a few large ships hold?" "Shang Jun just needs to find a way to delay for a few days in the country. When the supplies on the ship are exhausted, these Ming people will naturally have to ask the Ryukyu Kingdom for water. That will be Shang Jun's chance."

Seeing that Shang Sheng was about to retreat again, Kamada Sakyo's face darkened and he shouted
"Shang Jun, this matter not only concerns the future of Ryukyu, but also concerns our safety."

"Once the Ming people are allowed to station troops there officially, the Satsuma Domain will be furious. I will be punished, and Shangjun, the Ryukyu Regent, will also have to commit seppuku to apologize."

"Shang Jun, do you want to disobey the orders of my Satsuma family? My Satsuma family will never tolerate rebellion."

Kamata suddenly put his right hand on the katana at his waist. Shang Sheng looked at Kamata with a cold expression, and a trace of fear flashed across his face.

Kamata Sakyo was about to open his mouth to press again, but before he could say anything, a loud roar suddenly came from outside the door.
At the main gate of the Shang Mansion, on top of the wall, red flames exploded in the darkness, bullets gushed out from the muzzles of the guns, and shot at the soldiers outside the gate. A Ming army soldier who rushed to the front immediately fell to the ground.

"The Japanese have guns, hide yourselves, don't attack head-on"

A loud shout was heard in the darkness, and the sound of gunfire on the wall became more and more frequent. The Ming soldiers who were carrying logs outside the Shang Mansion and preparing to knock down the door immediately scattered and hid.
A group of Ming soldiers hid under the walls of the streets and soon launched a counterattack. Iron arrows pierced through the darkness and continued to splash into the walls. Screams were heard from time to time inside and outside the palace, and soon disappeared.
It was already midnight, and the sky was pitch black. Neither the Japanese on the wall nor the Ming army outside the palace could see the target clearly. They just shot randomly to keep the other side under control.
After Lin Cha received Zhu Zhiyu's order, he quietly led two hundred people off the boat and sneaked into the city.

But who would have thought that the Japanese in Shangfu were quite alert. They arrived in the city in the evening, but after entering the city, they immediately set up lookouts outside the city.

Lin Cha and his companions were discovered by the Japanese as soon as they reached Shang Mansion under the guidance of the guide, and a surprise attack turned into a violent attack.

In the dark night, bullets and arrows were flying, and the sound of gunfire was constantly echoing in Naha City. Shangsheng Mansion was in Wakasa Town, the most prosperous part of the city. At this time, gunfire was heard everywhere, and the people in the city could naturally hear the gunfire.
But Ryukyu remained peaceful. No gunshots had been heard in the city for decades. The people in the city were all hiding in their homes with terrified expressions. No one dared to go out to check.
Lin Risheng walked quickly to the corner of the courtyard, his face solemn, and whispered to Lin Cha
"General, there are dozens of Japanese pirates with muskets in the mansion. There are guns at the front gate and the back gate as well."

"The Japanese pirates have extremely dense firepower. If we force an attack, the soldiers in the army may suffer heavy casualties. I have asked the soldiers at the back door to give up the attack and asked the guide to find another location and prepare to climb over the wall to enter the palace."

Lin Cha heard this, but shook his head and said

"We don't have the time. We are not familiar with the terrain of Naha. If Kamada escapes from the palace, it will be difficult to catch him. Bring the French troops over and use the cannon to blow open the gate."

Lin Risheng was hesitant when he heard this.

"This Shang Sheng is the Regent of Ryukyu. We can arrest him, but is it okay to use artillery..."

A hint of sternness flashed in Lin Cha's eyes, and he interrupted Lin Risheng and said

"Naha Port has been controlled by us. These Japanese have returned in a hurry and they certainly haven't had time to spread the news yet."

"We can't let Kamata get away at this moment. Kamata is the key now. No matter what happens, he is still popular."

Lin Cha shouted coldly to the guard beside him.
"Pass my military order, push the Portuguese up and smash them to pieces!"

The guards hurried away after receiving the order. Soon, a cannon cart was pushed to the front of the main gate of Shang Mansion. In the dark night, a streak of fire flashed from the fuse. The next moment, a huge flame suddenly erupted in the darkness.
bang
The iron bullet blasted down with huge kinetic energy, and the gate of Shang Mansion was instantly shattered into pieces.

The sharp wooden spikes flew out like arrows. The Satsuma foot soldier who was guarding the wooden door opened his eyes wide and fell to the ground in an instant, with blood gushing out from his neck.
There was silence on the wall for a moment, and then suddenly a terrified cry was heard.

"It's a big cannon. The Ming people are using it to attack. Go and report it quickly..."

The voice on the wall was interrupted halfway through the shout, and the thunderous sound of cannons rang out again in the darkness.
An iron bullet hit the courtyard from the gate. A Japanese warrior was unable to dodge and was pierced by the iron bullet. Half of his figure was thrown into the air in the darkness, and a blood mist suddenly rose in the courtyard.
The Shang Mansion was in chaos. The Satsuma chief, Matsumoto Saburo, who was in command, heard the roar outside the door and his expression changed drastically. He immediately shouted to the samurai beside him:
"Quickly inform Kamada Bugyo that the Ming people used large iron cannons to attack and the main gate has been breached. Tell the Bugyo to evacuate quickly."

At this time, the sound of cannons outside the door stopped, and the front yard was quiet for a while, and then suddenly there was a shout of killing. After breaking through the door, Lin Cha had already rushed into the mansion with his soldiers.
"Satsuma warriors, follow me to kill the enemy"

When Matsumoto Saburo saw the Ming army rushing into the gate, he shouted and led the samurai beside him to the front yard.

In the courtyard, there were shouts of killing everywhere. The other soldiers were all wearing red armor, but Lin Cha was wearing black iron armor. It was obvious that he was not an ordinary person.
Two Satsuma warriors came towards Lin Cha one after the other. The bright sword light in front of Lin Cha was about to cut off his head, but Lin Cha was unmoved. He just turned his body to avoid his head and swung his sword forward to chop.
铿咔
The Satsuma soldier had a ferocious look on his face. The man in front of him must be a great general of the Ming Dynasty. If he killed this man, he would be promoted to a samurai in the domain and enjoy the family name of "Mingzi".

The long sword hit the armor heavily, but the next moment the long sword in the foot soldier's hand snapped and broke into two pieces.
The Satsuma soldier looked at the broken blade in his hand with a dull expression on his face. But before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. The long sword actually cut through the Satsuma soldier's abdominal armor and entered his body.
Lin Cha looked at the Japanese soldier's armor that was cut open by a sword, and was stunned for a moment, but the next moment the sharp blade chopped down again, and the Satsuma soldier was covered in blood and was chopped to the ground in an instant.

When Lin Cha killed the enemy in front, the Satsuma soldiers who surrounded him from behind did not stop.

When Lin Cha was slashing at the soldiers in front of him, he suddenly felt a huge force coming from behind him. Lin Cha stumbled forward two steps, but then ignored it and bent his knees, twisting his body, and suddenly slashed behind him with the long sword in his hand.
The Japanese soldier behind him roared, raised his sword high and chopped off Lin Cha's right shoulder, but the armor on Lin Cha's shoulder was only slightly dented, and the blade could not go any further.
In the dark night, a bright knife flashed across the sky, and blood splattered from the neck of the Japanese soldier. The Japanese soldier held the long knife in his hand with an unwilling look, and fell forward to the ground.

At this time, there were more than 30 Satsuma soldiers in the courtyard. In order to block the courtyard, the Ming army only had 30 or 40 soldiers entering the mansion. However, the Satsuma soldiers in the front yard were constantly being chopped down by the Ming army.

Kamata Sakyo led his men back to Naha with the intention of capturing the Ming army, so he was well prepared.
Most of the Satsuma soldiers in the palace wore belly armor and leather skirts around their waists, but the armor on these people was too thin.
The standard belly armor worn by the Japanese foot soldiers weighed only eight pounds. It looked like it had protection on the front and back, but in fact it was just a layer of iron that could be easily cut open by a sword.
The cloth armor worn by the Ming army had large armor plates embedded inside, and the lightest one weighed more than 20 kilograms. Not to mention the iron armor worn by Lin Cha, which weighed nearly 50 kilograms. The protective capabilities of the armor of both sides were completely different.
The Satsuma soldiers attacked and hacked at the Ming soldiers with their swords, but they could only drive the Ming soldiers back. They could not cut through the armor, and were eventually hacked to death by the Ming soldiers.
In the front yard, almost no one of the Ming army was injured since they entered the courtyard, but nearly half of the Satsuma soldiers had been chopped down. The ground was full of Satsuma soldiers lying on the ground in a ferocious state. At this time, Lin Risheng also shouted in Japanese:

"Kneel down and don't kill, kneel down and don't kill"

In the courtyard, the morale of the Satsuma soldiers had already collapsed. As the first soldier dropped his sword and knelt on the ground, the remaining Satsuma soldiers in the courtyard also dropped their swords and wakizashi, and knelt on the ground in dejection.

The shouts and cries of killing in the Shang Mansion rose and fell, but soon died down. The Shang Mansion was soon surrounded by the Ming army.

In the backyard study, Lin Cha pushed the door open and walked into the room. Shang Sheng looked at the dark red armor on Lin Cha, his face filled with fear, and he collapsed on the chair.

Lin Cha glanced at Shang Sheng, and then looked at the man wearing a feathered hat beside the table. Lin Cha looked at the cross family crest on Kamata Sakyo's robe and smiled softly.

"Kamata Bugyo, we have been waiting for you in Naha for a long time."

Kamata Sakyo looked at the smiling man in front of him with a look of shock and anger on his face. He glared fiercely at the front, but the man opposite him was still smiling.
Kamada Sakyo looked at the bloody red long knife in Lin Cha's hand, and was silent for a while. Finally, a trace of fear flashed across his face. He loosened his right hand that was pressing on the wakizashi and sat down on the chair dejectedly.
The Ming army invaded the Shangfu and successfully captured the Ryukyu magistrate Kamada Sakyo. While the Ming army was detaining the Japanese prisoners, a figure took advantage of the moonlight to run out of Naha and fled hastily towards the Shuri Palace.
(End of this chapter)