Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 237 The Tragedy of Lake Ikeda

After the Naha Incident, the Ryukyu Kingdom was purged from government to government, and those court officials who openly colluded with the Fuso people were liquidated, dismissed from office and imprisoned.

In just two or three days

In the court of the Ryukyu Kingdom, 87 officials were purged, accounting for one-third of the entire court officials, and the whole country was shocked.

The purple-turbaned official Xiang Dehong presided over this unprecedented purge of the court. With the help of the power of the Chu fleet, it is said that so many heads were killed in the city that it was amazing.

Never underestimate any role, including Xiang Dehong.

He was cruel to himself and even crueler to those court parasites who were eating away at the Ryukyu Kingdom. He completely disregarded his reputation during his lifetime and after his death, and was dubbed the "Ryukyu Butcher".

In any case, this has nothing to do with the Chu fleet.

When the Chu fleet set sail again and headed for Fuso, its words and deeds in the Ryukyu Kingdom in the past few days caused a huge shock in Fuso and attracted the attention of all forces in Fuso.

There is fear, worry, anger, and unwillingness. All kinds of complex emotions are intertwined together, brewing undercurrents.

At this time, Fuso was in the throes of a fierce civil war, plagued by internal and external troubles. It was already a pressing matter, and there was no time to pay attention to the various incidents happening in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

As early as four years ago, in 4, the anti-shogunate faction shouted the slogan of "Respect the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians", and the first to bear the brunt of it was the Choshu domain lord Takasugi Shinsaku.

This was a new-style feudal lord who was deeply influenced by Western ideas. He was determined to make the Yamato nation bigger and stronger and was ambitious. He was a powerful figure who changed the modern history of Japan.

During the reign of Takasugi Shinsaku, the Choshu clan vigorously introduced Western learning, reformed the army, and established factories, which led to a rapid growth in strength.

The Choshu clan carried out reforms under the leadership of Katsura Kogoro, which achieved remarkable results, and the anti-shogunate movement flourished.

The four powerful southwestern feudal domains that were the core of the armed overthrow of the shogunate, namely Choshu, Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen, were the first to shout out the slogan of "Respect the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians", and they gathered many followers.

The slogan "Respect the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" is easy to understand. "Respect the Emperor" means to respect the emperor who is the heir of the imperial dynasty for all eternity, and "expel the barbarians" means to fight against and eliminate foreign forces, including the Qing Dynasty, Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands and other powers. This undoubtedly touched the sensitive nerves of the powers.

You can make trouble in your own country, but why involve us?
Since you want to attack us, let me show you what the world powers look like. Are they easy to talk to?

In June 1863, under strong xenophobic pressure at home, the shogunate was forced to declare "expel the barbarians".

The great powers such as the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and France acted quickly and formed a fleet to intervene in the Fuso Civil War. The Shimonoseki War and the British fleet's attack on Satsuma (Satsuma-British War) occurred one after another. These events poured cold water on the Fuso Kobenzi, which was at its peak, and calmed down these fanatical anti-shogunate factions.

Spring 1865
Takasugi Shinsaku, the leader of the "Sonify the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" faction of the Choshu clan, which was hit hard, proposed the strategy of "opening the port and overthrowing the shogunate". He decided to stop talking about "expelling the barbarians" and turn to "armed overthrow of the shogunate" and formed a secret military alliance with the Satsuma clan.

It was really impossible to "expel the barbarians". The powerful ships and guns of the West were not something that the current Fuso could contend with. After being slapped twice, Takasugi Shinsaku wisely chose to compromise.

At the same time, after weighing the pros and cons, the British changed their strategy and began to assist the anti-Qing forces.

The shogunate turned to France and launched the second war against the Choshu clan in July 1866.

At this time, uprisings were surging in Fuso, civil wars were frequent, and flames of war were everywhere. These civil wars dealt a heavy blow to the foundation of the shogunate's rule, making it shaky.

Faced with the shogunate's overwhelming force, the Choshu clan united with anti-shogunate forces to fight bravely, forcing the shogunate to withdraw in September of the same year.

In early 1867, Emperor Komei died of illness and Crown Prince Mutsuhito ascended the throne as Emperor Meiji. The anti-shogunate forces actively prepared to form an alliance and raise an army, planning to destroy the conservative forces of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in one fell swoop and initiate a new pro-Western policy.

At this moment

The mighty Chu State sailing fleet sailed into Tokyo Bay and sent representatives to request peace talks, demanding that the precedent of the great powers of China, the United States, Britain, France and the Netherlands be followed and that an unequal trade treaty with extra-national treatment be signed.

This move
This caused all kinds of discussions in Tokyo and Kobe, which were in turmoil, and put great pressure on the shogunate in trouble.

Inside the Tokugawa Shogunate

A gloomy atmosphere enveloped the council hall. Several powerful figures of the shogunate, wearing kimonos, sat on the tatami. At the head of the table was the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who had a sad face. In front of him was a letter of negotiation with the Chu fleet.

The demands for extra-national trade treatment, the opening of the Nagasaki trading port, and the establishment of concessions were another shackle placed on the neck of the Fuso Kingdom by the Chu State.

But so what?
Count them down
In addition to the initial Chinese trade privileges in Nagasaki, this situation has occurred again and again since the American fleet arrived in Fuso Island in 1853 and forced the shogunate to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa the following year.

In 1858, the United States forced it to sign an unequal trade treaty. The great powers such as the Netherlands, Russia, Britain and France came one after another and signed treaties based on the precedent, and the shogunate lost its authority.

In recent years, the lower-ranking samurai of the southwestern feudal domains launched the "Respect the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" movement, which soon developed into the "Overthrow the Shogunate and Restoration" movement, which has caused the shogunate to be in a state of panic.

"This is already the sixth time. I really hope it's the last time. I really don't want to endure this kind of pain anymore. It feels like I'm being raped again and again." Shogunate general Tokugawa Yoshinobu said quietly.

There was no joy or sadness in his words, only endless melancholy.

Chief Elder Mizuno Tadakuni's face was as wrinkled as a gourd. After Tokugawa Yoshinobu showed his intention to sign the agreement, he finally spoke up.

"It doesn't seem particularly difficult to accept now. After all, the Chu State defeated the Frankish white people and occupied the foundation they had built over 300 years ago. From this perspective, it can be seen as revenge for us."

Mizuno Nakakuni's words attracted the support of others, and most of them expressed their agreement to sign the contract.

"Yes, after all, this is the Celestial Empire. The rebels who broke away are so powerful, so it's better not to make too many enemies."

"I agree with the elder minister's wise opinion. In this critical moment, we should not create a powerful enemy. We should show the goodwill of the shogunate and sign a trade treaty based on the old practice."

"Chu has brought its fleet here solely for the purpose of establishing trade, without any intention of interfering in our internal affairs or attempting to seize our Yamato territory. This is a minor issue, and we can address it through a treaty."

"Yes, this is a very difficult situation. I really don't want to cause any more trouble. Let's just focus on dealing with those traitors. They are the most despicable ones."

Seeing that everyone looked like they had endured it five times and didn't mind doing it again, Tokugawa Yoshinobu felt a sense of comfort in his heart and ordered;
"We have reached an agreement. Then, please ask Senior Councillor Mizuno-san to make another trip. While we follow the precedent and sign a treaty, we can also see if we can purchase some advanced muskets from the Chu army and obtain military assistance."

"Hi, it's my honor to relieve the general's worries." Chief Elder Mizuno Tadakuni respectfully knelt on the tatami and kowtowed.

General Tokugawa Yoshinobu also nodded slightly and said, "Please."

None of these leading figures in the shogunate mentioned the Ryukyu Kingdom during the negotiations.

Actually

Everything that happened in the Ryukyu Kingdom was reported back to Fuso Island immediately, causing strong dissatisfaction among the powerful vassal states in the southwest. They sharpened their knives and guns and shouted for war.

The powerful southwestern vassal states close to the Chu Kingdom felt the same way about the invasion of Ryukyu. It was like having a sharp knife on their backs, and the threat was self-evident.

On the contrary, the shogunate in Edo was much slower to react.

It's not that the shogunate is unaware of the threat, but that such a threat is not on the agenda for the time being. The rebellion and anti-shogunate movement that is breaking out all over the country is the most real concern, and the priority of the Ryukyu Kingdom has to be ranked behind.

In just a few days

The Tokugawa shogunate signed the Tokyo Treaty of Commerce with Zheng Yulan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chu State, citing old precedents to grant the Chu State the same extra-national treatment. It also allocated a piece of land in Nagasaki to establish a concession commercial port and enjoy consular jurisdiction.

Anyway, six concessions have already been allocated, and the one for Chu State is not much more.

Why is it called the 6-yuan concession?

It turns out that before the great powers of the United States, Britain, France, Russia and the Netherlands, the Chinese court already had a Chinese Concession in Nagasaki. This is a long story to explain in detail, but it is enough to just know this.

As a result, the Chu State's northbound fleet successfully completed its established trade goals. The fleet sailed into Nagasaki Port for supplies and prepared to return on another day.

However, after the news came out, it triggered unprecedented protests in the southwestern vassal states.

Many citizens and wandering samurai took to the streets, brandishing their swords and chanting slogans like "Kill the traitors of the shogunate," "Swear to eliminate the traitors," "Oppose the unequal trade treaties," and "Totally overthrow the shogunate," creating a commotion. In Kagoshima Prefecture, part of the Satsuma domain, enthusiastic samurai unleashed the Chu state's eight-diagram flag, trampled on it, and burned it, committing the most insulting and provocative acts.

The news spread like wildfire and soon reached the Chu fleet visiting Nagasaki, causing an instant uproar.

The fact that such news was able to reach the Chu fleet in the first place was probably related to the shogunate, which was quite like "killing with a borrowed knife".

It so happened that the Chu fleet also wanted to establish its authority, so it immediately recalled officers and soldiers on leave. The fleet was fully equipped and manned, and it marched towards the Satsuma domain with great momentum.

As one of the four most powerful feudal domains in the southwest, the core of Satsuma Domain was located in Kagoshima Prefecture, the most southwestern location of the Fuso Islands. Continuing southwest was the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The Satsuma Domain was the main force in invading and humiliating the Ryukyu Kingdom. During the more than 200 years of continuous invasion, it successively seized Amami Oshima, Hyuga Island and other places from the Ryukyu Kingdom. It also captured Shuri Castle several times and looted countless gold and silver treasures.

In response to the Chu State's blatant interference in the interests of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the concession of Naha Port, the Satsuma Domain reacted most violently and took the toughest stance, clamoring to "return to Ryukyu and take back all the glory that once belonged to the Yamato nation."

At about ten o'clock in the morning on May 1867, 5,

Kagoshima

It was a sunny day. Under the blue sky and blue sea, the mountains in the distance were towering, the sea was calm, and a fleet of sailing warships was coming from the distant skyline.

When the tall masts of sailing ships appeared on the sea one after another, the Satsuma domain sounded the alarm bells urgently. The urgent bells echoed in the sky, making the peaceful atmosphere suddenly tense.

Many Satsuma soldiers rushed out of their homes and quickly gathered in the town. Warships of all sizes in the harbor also gathered and cast off.

It can be seen that the Satsuma clan had been prepared for the invasion of the Chu fleet and was not prepared to surrender, but planned to fight a bloody battle.

Not long
The sailing warships that were speeding along revealed their murderous true faces. The gun ports on both sides of all the warships were opened, ready for shelling.

A blood-red battle flag was raised on top of the warship, and the seven warships moved in sequence, leaving white trails on the azure sea and heading straight for the entrance of Lake Ikeda.

There are more than 10 towns in the entire Kagoshima Prefecture, all located in the surrounding areas of Lake Ikeda, built by the lake or the sea. The closer to the sea, the denser the municipal buildings.

This gave the invading naval fleet the opportunity to launch a fierce fire attack, and it was also the soft underbelly of the Satsuma domain, its biggest weakness.

So in the harbor of Lake Ikeda, hundreds of warships weighed anchor and set sail, heading towards the oncoming Western warships without fear.

Most of these Fuso warships were small boats that could only carry more than 10 warriors. They held swords and guns in their hands, and held explosives in their arms, all of them with a fanatical look of being ready to die.

There were only a dozen or so slightly larger warships, similar in size to the Qianboku Fukushi ships, with 4 to 5 cannons mounted on the deck, many of which were 12-pound British cannons for land warfare.

When the Chu fleet rushed to the entrance of Lake Ikeda and the Inland Sea with great momentum, the ship's commander, Major General Huo Haisheng, observed the densely packed Satsuma warships through a monocular copper telescope, and a fierce murderous intent flashed across his calm face.

He coldly ordered, "Hmph, you are stubborn and recalcitrant. Pass on my command. The warships must form a single line and meet the enemy with all our might. Kill all ghosts and monsters you see without mercy. Kill..."

A command flag was raised on the mast of the command ship, conveying a strong order to kill, and the fleet quickly changed its formation while speeding.

The entire fleet expanded from the rear like a goose spreading its wings, forming a horizontal line and charging forward with absolute crushing momentum without slowing down at all.

The huge sails were filled with sea breeze, dragging the warship at a speed of 15 knots, like seven giant beasts running wildly on the sea, crashing into it with unstoppable ferocity.

At this time, the warriors who were riding on the small boat began to shout in fear.

With such a ferocious force, the small boats they were riding on would be torn into pieces in an instant, and they would not even have a chance to get close to fight.

However, it was too late, and only a few "bang bang" sounds were heard.

Several small boats were pressed to the bottom of the sea by the fierce speeding ship and were torn into pieces like pieces of paper, without any chance to fight back.

The cannon did not fire, but it was the fierce collision that was the first to do the trick.

These four thousand-ton sailing warships took the lead, rushing around in places where there were many ships. Then the artillery on both sides opened fire one after another, tearing the Satsuma warships into pieces at close range.

Even a brigantine of three or two hundred tons could show its power in this one-sided naval battle, and flexibly turn and crush the enemy's warships one after another.

The sound of cannons roared and the naval battle was in full swing.

Standing high on the mountain, Yoshino Nagashi looked through a monocular telescope and watched the naval ships in the bay being slaughtered one-sidedly. Brave warriors fell into the water one after another, and one warship after another was blown to pieces.

His heart ached so much that he couldn't breathe. His eyes were bloodshot and he howled like a wounded beast, "Oh Amaterasu! Why, why is this happening? Damn Chu people, I will kill you all."

His roar had no effect on the battle situation on the sea. After breaking through the encirclement, the seven sailing warships of Chu turned around in front like cavalry on the sea, drawing seven clear circular tracks.

Then he turned around and attacked, carrying out a one-sided and bloody massacre on the warships of the Samo clan, showing no mercy.

This was a bloody and severe punishment for the Satsuma clan. Any behavior that offended the majesty of the Chu royal family would be ruthlessly retaliated. Such a heavy price was something the Satsuma clan could never afford.

Behind Yoshino Nagayoshi, there were as many as five or six thousand feudal lords with flags on their backs. Most of them were holding muskets and lined up in neat rows on the side.

The British-made muskets equipped by the Satsuma Domain were flintlock smoothbore muskets of the previous generation, provided by the British, who also kept a hand in the sale of weapons.

Instead of selling the most advanced Minié rifles, the British sold the old smoothbore rifles they found in the warehouse to the Satsuma Domain and charged a high price of three pounds and four shillings for each rifle.

This price is equivalent to 18 US dollars per gun, which is twice the price of Minie's new gun. He is truly a black-hearted businessman.

As can be seen
The infantry of Satsuma Domain who received British training were of very good quality, lined up in neat formations, and had a strong desire to fight. The morale of the entire army was good.

It can be said that the Satsuma clan was also unlucky. They had a fight with the British and became acquainted with them. After being beaten, their relationship became closer, and they received support from the British.

The Anglo-Saharan War originated when several British people collided with Shimazu Shigehisa's troops while on an outing.

The samurai of the Shimazu family had always been rude and brutal. They immediately beheaded one of them for the crime of rudeness and seriously injured two others. Only one British lady did not make things difficult for them.

After learning about this, the British were furious and demanded in harsh words that the Shimazu lord apologize and pay an additional 2 pounds in compensation.

The Satsuma Domain refused to pay any attention, which made Britain lose face. The British was a pirate leader who was rampant all over the world. How could they tolerate him?

This was obviously impossible, so the British side sent seven warships to Kagoshima, ready to fight.

The entire Satsuma clan did not take it seriously. Instead, they were full of confidence and waited to use the new artillery and steamships to drive the British back home.

He had just learned a little skill and had already put his ancestors aside.

At 1863 p.m. on August 8, 15, British warships engaged in an artillery battle with Satsuma. After this battle, all the steamships and factories that Satsuma had painstakingly accumulated were destroyed and completely damaged by the war.

The British fleet also suffered damage in the bombardment with the artillery, with one ship seriously damaged and two ships moderately damaged. The two sides later found a way to resolve their grievances, and their relationship became closer.

The British destroyed the Satsuma Domain's artillery forts. Now that the Chu warships are attacking, the Satsuma Domain is left with its doors wide open and no longer has the power to contain them.

As a result, the Chu fleet did not show any mercy and just beat up the Satsuma fleet that was coming to attack them. The fleet was so exhausted that corpses were scattered all over the ground, which was really terrifying.

This one-sided massacre at sea lasted for more than two hours.

When the rumbling of cannons completely stopped and the smoke on the sea dissipated, only seven sailing warships were left, showing their majestic figures in the smoke, and the sea was littered with broken ships, rotten wood, torn sails, and floating corpses. It was simply a scene of the end of the world.

The sea water was dyed red. The tragedy of Lake Ikeda was the eternal pain of the Satsuma Domain. In later generations, it was also called the "Lake of Blood and Tears" and the "Lake of Sadness", and its original origin came from this.

(End of this chapter)