The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Chapter 276 Tokugawa Ietsuna Submits

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With Tokugawa Ietsuna taking the lead, Doi Toshifusa bowed slightly and said, "Shogun, the senior officers have discussed military matters repeatedly, and the conclusion remains the same: it's not that we can't win, it's just that we can't capture them."

"Those men run like the wind, disappearing into the forest like fish into water. By the time the army arrives, they've already retreated. As soon as the army leaves, they come down from the mountain again. This isn't war; it's cat and mouse."

"What's more troublesome is that the daimyo in various regions have suffered considerable losses in this campaign. The Yamaguchi lord is paying for his own military rations, and the Hiroshima lord sent out troops, but less than half of them have returned. If the fighting continues, the resources of each domain will be depleted."

"Once all the feudal lords are dissatisfied, the shogunate's authority will be completely swept away!"

Hiroyuki Kuze also spoke up, pushing a bill onto the table: "Money and provisions are also a major problem. The tribute rice from the Yamaguchi and Hiroshima domains this year has already been withheld and used as military rations. The grain reserves in Osaka Castle were originally enough to feed the hatamoto of the shogunate chieftain for half a year, but nearly half of it has been used up in the past month."

"General, if this battle doesn't end before the autumn harvest, the soldiers' stipends will be in trouble."

The elder, Tadakiyo Sakai, had his eyes closed, but upon hearing this, he suddenly opened them and tapped his cane lightly on the floor. The sound was not loud, but the entire large room fell silent instantly.

"What you all say is true. We can't capture anyone, we can't afford to waste our supplies, and the feudal lords are on the verge of collapse." Sakai Tadakiyo slowly scanned the people present. "But that's not what I'm worried about. What I'm worried about is—if we fight for another three months, will the shogunate still exist?"

As he spoke, he placed his cane across his knees and pulled a secret letter from his pocket: "Is this intelligence from various places? The Yamaguchi Domain and the Hiroshima Domain are already recruiting soldiers, and even that small domain in Tottori is sending people to Osaka to buy arquebuses."

"They reported to the general that they were short of food supplies, but had money and provisions to buy weapons and equipment. If this isn't resolved, will these soldiers be disbanded after the war?"

"They won't. They'll keep it in their hands. At that time, the shogunate's hatamoto (military commanders) would still number eight thousand, but the Mori clan's army might have already doubled. How did the Tokugawa clan gain control? It was Sekigahara. Before Sekigahara, local daimyo also took advantage of the war in Korea to frantically expand their armies. What's the difference between today and back then?"

After Sakai Tadakiyo finished explaining the implications, the large room became so quiet that even the flickering of the candlelight could be heard.

After waiting for a while, Sakai Tadakiyo said, "Besides this path, there is another one that you all know in your hearts, but no one is willing to speak first: to submit to the Emperor of the Great Han."

Everyone present lowered their heads in unison. No one objected. Seeing this, Sakai Tadakiyo continued, "By submitting to the Great Han, the Shogunate remains the Shogunate, and the Tokugawa family remains the Tokugawa family. All the Great Han wants is trade, the opening of ports, and recognition of their vassalage rights. At most, they might add a few more conditions: suppressing piracy, protecting Han merchants, and allowing Han troops to be stationed in a few ports."

"Compared to Kyushu being occupied and refusing to leave, compared to the whole country being dragged into famine, compared to the daimyo of various regions taking advantage of the chaos to grow stronger, which is more worthwhile? You all know the answer in your hearts."

Once power is tasted, it is not easily relinquished. After listening to Sakai Tadakiyo's words, Tokugawa Ietsuna had made up his mind. He gritted his teeth, put the teacup back on the table, and the bottom of the teacup made a slight crisp sound as it hit the lacquer tray.

"Negotiations were made, and envoys were sent to Beijing to inform the Emperor of the Great Han that the Tokugawa Shogunate was willing to submit to the Great Han and become its vassal for generations."

"As for the conditions, it is that the Great Han withdraws all Jurchens and Hokkaido barbarians from Japan, recognizes the Tokugawa family's rule over Japan, and preserves the existing territories of the shogunate and local daimyo. Trade, opening ports, and stationing troops are all negotiable."

……

In June of 1677, which is the same month as 1878 in the Han Dynasty, Beijing was as hot as a steamer.

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City, three large bronze vats were placed, filled with ice blocks, and salt was sprinkled on the ice to slow down the melting process.

Several palace maids took turns fanning the mouth of the vat with palm-leaf fans. The cool air overflowed from the mouth of the vat, but before it could reach the center of the hall, most of it was swallowed up by the heat wave.

Liu Mu lay sprawled on the soft couch, one leg draped over the armrest, the other bent and resting on the edge of the couch. He wore only a bright yellow gauze robe with a dark floral pattern, the collar open and the sleeves rolled up above his elbows. He held a palm-leaf fan in his hand and waved it idly.

On the small table next to him was half a bowl of chilled plum juice, with a layer of water droplets condensing on the inside of the bowl. It had already cooled down to lukewarm, but he didn't bother to drink it.

If this scene were witnessed by a Confucian orthodoxy, the memorials would probably pile up to the ceiling. However, there was no one else in the hall except for three close ministers: Li Guangdi, Zhou Peigong, and Xie Bo'an.

The three of them were in similar situations, wearing only thin gauze. If it weren't for the issue of saving face, they would have loved to go shirtless.

Before them each stood a long table, piled high with memorials sent from all over the country. The tallest stacks wobbled precariously, only held up by two copper paperweights on either side.

Xie Bo'an was holding a memorial from the Governor of Guangdong, his brow furrowed slightly. "Your Majesty, I'll distribute this memorial for you. The Governor of Guangdong wrote a full three pages of it, the first two pages entirely in parallel prose. He even used the phrase 'Your Majesty's virtue is majestic' multiple times. He also asked if your lychees were sweet this year?"

"Send it out. Just five words: 'Understood, hot, sweet.'" Liu Mu said, switching the palm-leaf fan to his left hand. He picked up the bowl of chilled plum juice with his right, took a sip, and sighed. "I know perfectly well how hot it is in Guangdong right now. And he still has the mind to write parallel prose! Deduct a month's salary from his salary!"

Xie Bo'an pursed his lips, picked up his vermilion pen and wrote five words at the end of the folded document, then put down the pen and moved on to the next one.

He and Zhou Peigong were each in charge of a large task. He first drafted preliminary opinions on personnel appointments and removals in the Ministry of Personnel, performance evaluations of officials in various regions, and changes in the imperial court's organizational structure, and then presented them to Liu Mu for review and approval.

Li Guangdi suddenly stopped writing, switched a folded paper from his right hand to his left hand, and then back to his right hand, his brow furrowed.

"Li Guangdi, is your folded paper too hot to handle?" Liu Mu asked, tilting his head to look at him.

"Your Majesty, this is from King Liu Weiqing of India, sent by messenger with the utmost urgency." Li Guangdi closed the folding book, stood up and handed it over with both hands. Before the eunuch could pass it on, he took it first and presented it to the soft couch. "The King of India reports two things. First, the 20,000 Annamese soldiers under his command have now been trained, and the assistant commander sent by the Ministry of War has also arrived."

"These soldiers are stationed in Africa. According to the previously agreed-upon charter, they will first be stationed in India for six months to adapt to the maritime climate, and then travel north via Goa and the Cape of Good Hope to be stationed in Mombasa, Zanzibar, Mozambique, and the Gold Coast West Territory."

"Now, all the supply stations along the way are ready, and the supplies needed along the way are being allocated by the Goa Governor's Office. The King of India has asked for instructions on when to set off."

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The stack in front of Li Guangdi was the tallest, because the Ministry of Revenue needed to allocate grain, silver, and reconcile accounts; all the nation's money and grain were piled up on his desk.