Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 369 Thief
In the northern part of Ryukyu, at Yuntian Port, a fleet of more than ten ships lined up on the sea outside the port.
In the center of the fleet were five Kansen ships, and to the rear on both sides were ten smaller Kozasen ships. All of the ships were flying the Satsuma cross family crest flag. The sea breeze blew, and the flags on the bows fluttered.

Unten Port is located in the northern part of Ryukyu, only ten miles away from Nakijin Castle. After landing here, it only takes a short time to drive directly to Nakijin Castle.

In Yuntian Harbor, a small boat sailed out of the harbor and headed towards the fleet. When the boat approached the fleet, the soldiers in single clothes on the boat immediately shouted:

"The Ryukyu Pacification Office of the Ming Dynasty has issued an order that Satsuma ships must go directly to Naha and must not stop at other ports to cause trouble. You Satsuma fleet, leave immediately."

The soldier on the boat had just shouted twice when a nearby ship suddenly fired a hail of arrows. The iron arrows pierced the hull of the boat, and the tail feathers trembled continuously.
The soldiers on the boat seemed to be well prepared. When they saw the rain of arrows coming, they jumped into the sea without saying a word, and then swam towards the shore without looking back.
In the center of the fleet, the command flag on the main ship waved, and the five ten-meter-long small early morning boats at the rear quickly broke away from the fleet and headed towards Yuntian Port.
On the deck, a group of Satsuma soldiers were wearing belly armor, some holding swords, and some holding matchlock guns. The matchlocks on the guns were already lit, ready to shoot as soon as the ship approached.
At the Yuntian Port Fort, eight red cannons have been placed on the shore.
Captain Zheng Shixiong stood beside the cannon with a cold expression on his face. When the three Japanese ships approached three miles away, the flag in Zheng Shixiong's hand suddenly

bang
The artillery on the shore roared, and five iron bullets weighing more than ten pounds suddenly blasted out in the smoke.
Three iron bullets missed and hit the sea surface, causing a high splash. The remaining two directly hit the front Japanese ship, shattering the wooden boards on the hull and immediately creating two large holes.
The Japanese shipbuilding technology at that time was extremely backward. Whether it was the Kanbune or the Kobayashibune, these Japanese ships had no keel and were of very simple structure.

These Japanese ships were basically built by piling boxes on a sampan, like stacking blocks, to create a cabin on the deck.
These Japanese warships had no keel, so the hull strength was extremely poor. The box-shaped hull made the ship heavy at the top and light at the bottom, making it very easy to capsize. They were far from being comparable to the Fuzhou ships of the Ming Dynasty. The only advantage was probably that they were cheap.
The Ming court's artillery shells only shattered the upper cabin, and the Japanese ship's underwater hull was not damaged.
If it had been a Chinese-style Fuzhou ship, it could have continued to sail and fight back, but the small early ship that was hit was shaking for a while, and then it capsized directly to the right side on the water.
The ship capsized, and the Satsuma soldiers on board were in chaos. All the soldiers took off their armor in panic, and the sea was full of Satsuma soldiers struggling in the water.
At this time, there was another loud noise at Yuntian Port. Three more shells were fired forward and fell into the sea.
The Satsuma fleet had not expected to be bombarded. The remaining four small ships saw the whistling shells, paused for a moment, and fled directly to the rear.
On the main ship of Satsuma in the open sea, Kamata Sakyo looked at Ise Sadaki who was wearing a shoulder coat beside him and said in a deep voice
"Family elder, the fleet ahead reported that there are at least five artillery pieces on the shore, with incredible power. The thickened protective plates on the hull were actually shattered by the artillery pieces."

"I received intelligence in Naha that the three ships of the Ming Dynasty delegation were all equipped with gun ports. These cannons must be the naval guns on the Ming Dynasty ships."

Ise Sadaki looked at the smoke rising from the shore with an unpleasant expression on his face.
Although the Satsuma Domain heard the Ming people's proposal for trade, after some discussion, it still mobilized most of the domain's ships and a thousand samurai soldiers, led by the family elder Ise Sadaki, to attack Ryukyu.

Whether or not to trade with the Ming army is not the question for now, but even if they do, they must trade under the rules of the Satsuma domain.
Moreover, there are still hundreds of Satsuma samurai detained by the Ming army on the Ryukyu Islands. How can Satsuma sit idly by?
According to Kamata Sakyo's report, Naha has been controlled by the Ming army. Naha is close to the royal city of Shuri and is also a well-known port in Ryukyu. The Ming army will definitely heavily guard the port of Naha.
After Ise Sadaki led his men out to sea, he decided to land in the northern region first, enter Nakijin Castle to obtain supplies, and then attack Shuri Castle by land.
However, Ise Sadaki's plan was shattered before it even began. The Ming army had even transported artillery to the port, which meant that the Satsuma soldiers stationed in Nakijin Castle had been captured and killed by the Ming army.
On the sea outside the port, the Satsuma fleet dropped a small boat and was searching for the soldiers who fell into the water. The sea was filled with tables, chairs, fruits, vegetables, barrels and other debris.

The gunfire at the port stopped, and then two small boats sailed out of the port. When the soldiers on the boats approached the Satsuma fleet, they also shouted loudly, asking the Satsuma fleet to leave quickly.

However, the soldiers on the ship were much more cautious this time, and it was harder to shoot arrows at them.

Kamata Sakyo looked at the gloomy Ise Sadaki in front of him and said

"The Ryukyu coastline is long and narrow. The Ming army can defend Yuntian Port, but cannot defend other places. We can avoid this place and find another coast to land."

"Order your subordinates to rescue the fallen ashigaru as soon as possible and go directly to Naha Port."

Ise Sadaki looked at the figures surging on the coast and shook his head slightly. They could certainly find another place to land, but that would be meaningless.

When he came, he also checked the records of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Nakijin Castle was originally the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom of Kitayama, and was an important city in the Ryukyu Kingdom, as famous as Naha.
The main part of Nakijin Castle is built on a cliff 100 meters high. After being reinforced for generations, the city walls are tall and strong, making it an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack strategic location.

Even if they landed now, it would be meaningless. The Ming army had set up artillery at Yuntian Port, and there must be artillery at Guiren City.
The Satsuma clan sent only a thousand soldiers this time. With such a small number of people, it was impossible to break through the fortified city with artillery defenses.

If Ise Sadaki had attacked forcefully, he might have been attacked from both sides by the Ming people.

On the sea, the Satsuma fleet rescued the drowned soldiers, then set sail and headed for Naha Port.

Above the sea surface of Naha Harbor, the Satsuma fleet lined up in a circular formation with five Kan ships at the vanguard.

On the opposite sea, three Ming army sailboats were lined up in a row, with the gun ports on the sides of the hulls pointed at the Satsuma fleet on the sea. Behind the three warships were three smaller Ryukyu merchant ships, with several cannons mounted on gun carriages on the bow decks.
The two fleets were fifteen miles apart at this time, but at this moment, the Ming army on the opposite side was hitting a ship and suddenly fired a cannon.
Thunderous cannonballs roared across the sea, and more than a dozen shells blasted into the sea, splashing high water on the sea surface between the two fleets.

After the first round of cannon fire, almost immediately, the ship in the middle fired again, and more than ten shells were fired into the sea.

The largest ship in the Satsuma fleet was only about 20 meters long, while the three bird ships of the Ming army were nearly 40 meters long.

Ise Sadaki stood on the ship, looking at the tall two-masted sailing ship opposite, with an unpleasant look on his face.
The two sides were more than ten miles apart. Even those who were not familiar with military affairs knew that it was impossible to hit the target by firing at this distance, but the Ming army on the opposite side still fired.
Ise Sadaki knew that the Ming army was demonstrating, but he did not dare to take action at this time. From the previous round of shooting by the Ming army ships, it can be seen that the enemy's shipboard artillery is at least more than 30 guns.

The entire Satsuma fleet brought only about 30 guns, and this was only the firepower of one ship on the opposite side.

The Satsuma warships seemed to be several times larger than the Ming army, but if a war really broke out, the Ming army warships would only need to get close and fire a few rounds, and their fleet would be completely wiped out.

While Ise Sadaki was thinking about how to fight back, the Ming army on the other side finally sent out small boats to allow the Satsuma fleet to enter Naha Harbor.

Ise Sadaki ordered the admiral Shinna Tadaki to lead the fleet, and then he led a small early ship alone to Naha Port.
When Ise Sadaki decided to go to Naha Port, he had actually given up the idea of ​​using force. They couldn't even attack Unten Port without the protection of warships, let alone Naha at this time.
Ise Sadaki's small boat entered the harbor, while the three Ming warships remained at sea, confronting the Satsuma fleet.
The Satsuma ship entered the port. Ise Sadaki looked at the shore, but his expression suddenly changed.

On the two artillery forts of Yarazamori Castle and Michū Castle, ten cannons protruded from the city walls, with the thick black barrels facing the sea. The embankment behind the artillery forts was now full of soldiers.

In the front were hundreds of Ming soldiers wearing red iron armor, and behind them were thousands of soldiers wearing cloth clothes and holding long spears and swords.

At this time, everyone stood on the shore, looking coldly at the Satsuma ships entering the harbor.

"These traitorous Ryukyu people deserve to die"

Ise Sadaki had a gloomy look on his face. Those in armor in the front must be the Ming army, while those in the back holding swords and guns are all Ryukyu people.
The Satsuma Domain protected Ryukyu for decades, and the Ming people only came for a few days, and these damn Ryukyu people all rebelled. They should have killed all these foreign traitors at the beginning!

Although Ise Sadaki was furious, he was also feeling heavy-hearted. With dozens of cannons, hundreds of Ming soldiers, and thousands of armed Ryukyu people, it was basically impossible for Satsuma to take back Ryukyu by force. The Satsuma ship sailed into Naha Port, but did not dock. Instead, it was towed by a small boat and sailed to Obu Island in the middle of the river.

Ise Sadaki stepped off the boat and glanced at the dozens of soldiers in black armor on the shore, and then his eyes fell on the middle-aged man in red official robes in front of him.

Ise Sadaki knew that the person in front of him must be the culprit of the Ryukyu incident, Zhu Zhiyu, the Ryukyu pacification envoy of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhiyu and Ise Sadaki were sitting in the pavilion on Omu Island, and outside the pavilion were the soldiers they brought with them to protect them.
Although the Samurai warriors were all wearing belly armor, they looked nervous as they saw the Ming soldiers on the opposite side, who were wrapped in black iron armor with only a pair of eyes exposed, like iron men.

As soon as Ise Sadaki sat down, he immediately looked at Zhu Zhiyu opposite him and shouted

"Why did your Ming Empire invade my Satsuma territory for no reason?"

Zhu Zhiyu looked at Ise Sadaki who was glaring at him, but he looked calm and said

"Your Satsuma domain is in Kagoshima, and this is Ryukyu, a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. I am acting in a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and it has nothing to do with you, Satsuma."

Ise Sadaki did not give in at all and spoke again

"The Ryukyu royal family has been subservient to our shogunate and has been paying tribute every year. There is no Ryukyu in this world anymore. I, Satsuma, have ruled this place for decades. How can this place not be my Satsuma territory?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhiyu sneered and said

"The thief took advantage of the master's carelessness and broke into the house to steal things. Do you really think that the things belong to you?"

"Ryukyu no longer exists? You forgot about the defeat decades ago so quickly. Who gave you the courage to steal the vassal state of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Ryukyu is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty says it is there, Ryukyu is there!"

Ise Sadaki looked at Zhu Zhiyu's tough attitude and his expression changed slightly, but soon Ise Sadaki spoke again

"You Ming people won the battle several decades ago, but now your Ming Dynasty is in trouble. The Jin people from Liaodong have already invaded the Central Plains. How dare you come and provoke my country, Japan?"

"I have not yet reported this matter to the imperial court. If you retreat now, I will forgive you."

"If Satsuma reports this to the shogunate, you will all be dead when the shogunate's army arrives. How many people can you send when your country is in danger?"

Zhu Zhiyu nodded and said directly

"Yes, the biggest enemy of our Ming court is still the Qing invaders, so we really can't spare many people to come here at this time."

"If Japan really sends all its troops here, we will have no choice but to withdraw immediately."

Ise Sadaki was also stunned when he heard this, but the next moment, Zhu Zhiyu said in a cold voice
"But after we evacuate, we will immediately charge into the Yaeyama Mountains, kill all the Satsuma garrisons on the island, and occupy the Sakishima Island area."

"And from now on, Satsuma will never again be able to obtain a load of silk from our Central Plains through Ryukyu."

The Ryukyu Islands are closer to Satsuma, so it is easier for Satsuma and the shogunate to transport troops to the Ryukyu Islands, but the Sakishima Islands are closer to the Ming Dynasty.

The island of Sakishima is about 2,000 to 3,000 miles away from the mainland of Satsuma, and not far from Taiwan Island is Sakishima.

If the Ming army really sent troops to attack the island of Sakishima in the future, Satsuma would be unable to support it.
But for Satsuma, the more serious problem was the cessation of maritime trade. The domain now relied on the Ryukyu maritime trade as its only source of income.
Ise Sadaki looked at Zhu Zhiyu who looked calm in front of him and couldn't help but speak.

"Since you know you are powerless against our country, why do you still want to cause trouble in Ryukyu?"

"What do you mean by making trouble? Ryukyu was originally a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty can do whatever it wants in Ryukyu."

Ise Sadaki was also furious when he saw Zhu Zhiyu's domineering look, but he soon fell silent.

He also realized at this time that he had no way to threaten these Ming people.
These Ming people have already said that if a large army comes, they will retreat directly. These people have already prepared to flee and cannot threaten
The Satsuma family alone could not drive away the Ming army. If they asked the shogunate to send troops, regardless of whether the shogunate would agree to it, the Tokugawa family was not a kind person.

After the shogunate gathered its troops, the food and wages needed by the army would inevitably fall on the shoulders of the Satsuma clan. The money and food needed by the armies of the various feudal domains alone would be enough to overwhelm the Satsuma clan.
For the Satsuma clan, paying such a high price for the Ryukyu Islands was simply not worth it.

At this time, Ise Sadaki felt that the people in front of him were becoming more and more hateful. Didn't these Ming people always claim to be a country of etiquette and the Celestial Empire? How come they even said it was natural to abandon the land and flee? How did the Ming Dynasty become like this?

(End of this chapter)