Ming East India Company

In Sueyoshi Village, in southern Kyushu, Yushan and Suzheng are eating brown rice with pickled vegetables in the fields.

As a distant branch of the Shimazu family, Yushan and Su managed to gain their current position in the village thanks to their meager ancestral bloodline.

Besides him, there were two other people in the house.

"What happened to your annual tribute this year, you commoners? It's already overdue."

"My lord... the drought has lasted too long, and the rice in the fields has withered. We, the common people, are truly ashamed before you..."

The two masters knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"Does shame alone generate more rice? To act like this in Lord Shimazu's territory is utterly disloyal."

"There's really no other way... The poor farmers in the village are so poor they can barely afford to eat bran."

The two masters kept begging for mercy.

"Shut up, you poor peasants. Send the rest by tomorrow. If you can't, tie yourself up and take you to the garrison in Lu."

"Yes, I understand... We will do everything we can..."

Seeing that Yushan and Su had already issued their final ultimatum, the two masters had no choice but to kowtow, confess their sins, and obediently leave.

After seeing off the two masters, Yushan and Su couldn't help but feel worried.

Since Lord Taiko launched his so-called Eastern Expedition, Lord Shimazu Yoshihiro has led the main force of the Shimazu clan to Korea.

The number of samurai in the entire Shimazu clan territory has dwindled to less than one-tenth. Moreover, the Shimazu clan is required to provide their own rations for those fighting outside the territory. With these additional demands, there is now no food left to be requisitioned from the village.

If this fighting continues, it won't be long before an uprising is forced out.

Hopefully, Lord Taegeuk's eastern expedition will yield results soon! According to previous rumors, conquering the entire Korea would bring at least ten million koku of land, enough for everyone in the entire East to make a fortune.

Thinking of this, Yushan and Su silently took out the cross from their chests and began to pray. Christianity had been introduced to Shimazu decades ago, and their family had converted to Christianity at that time.

"Dong dong dong," the sound of a giant drum beating in the distance broke Yushan and Su's meditation.

When he went outside to check, the two officials who had just reported to him rushed over anxiously:

"Lord, the pirates are attacking?"

"Pirates?"

"That's right. I just went to collect rent on the south side of the village and saw a large ship anchored on the beach in the distance. Then a dozen or so people carrying long swords, wearing helmets and full armor rushed over. It looks like pirates have arrived."

"How is this possible?"

Yushan and Su couldn't believe their ears. They had seen pirates before, but they were usually a group of farmers who couldn't make a living and ran away to nearby islands to become outlaws. They were lucky if they had any decent clothes, let alone a big ship and armor.

And they even came fully dressed, so this must be a fallen martial artist!

In any case, the most urgent task is to organize a defense, otherwise, if the news of the loss of territory reaches Kagoshima, he will lose his head.

Yushan and Su gathered a group of people by beating drums and gongs to fight back, and formed a defensive formation at the village entrance with hoes and harpoons in hand.

Soon the "pirates" arrived at the village entrance. Yushan and Su stood at the front, encouraging the farmers behind them who had never been in battle.

However, the pirates did not charge immediately. Instead, they took their "hammers" and lined up in front of Yushan and Su's group.

At this moment, Yushan and Su realized that the hammer in the opponent's hand was a type of iron cannon that they had never seen before.

"Boom, boom, boom!" The pirates' "iron cannons" spewed out thick smoke. The disorganized villagers scattered and fled after just one volley of fire. Yushan and Su, who were standing at the front, met Jesus in the thick smoke of the breech.

Seeing that the opposing formation had already collapsed, Zhang Chun said to the people behind him:

"Charge into the village, kill all the men, capture all the women and children and put them on the boats, and burn the grain and other things that can be taken on the spot."

Zhang Chun then lit a candle on the ground:

"Using this candle as the limit, everyone must return to the beach before the candle burns out, at which time the large ship will evacuate on time. No exceptions will be made for those who are late."

Everyone around him rushed into the village like madmen. Zhang Chun said to his younger brother, Zhang Zheng:

"Go ahead and keep an eye on them. Remember, they might capture quite a few daughters this time. Keep an eye on them and make sure they control things down there. We can discuss your thoughts when we get back to the ship."

"Big brother, isn't it a bit too strict?"

"What do you know? This kind of thing never ends, and if it delays the retreat, we'll be in big trouble. You know the boss's methods."

Zhang Zheng readily agreed and then went to catch up with the group.

Since arriving in Kyushu, Hakuno ordered a dispersed looting operation, with each ship serving as a combat unit, to carry out a scorched-earth campaign in southern Kyushu.

For Hakuno, he had no intention of developing his power in the Shimazu territory. Moreover, considering the Shimazu's historical hostility towards Ryukyu, only a bloody war to eradicate the root of the problem could completely weaken the enemy's organizational and mobilization capabilities.

To ensure the team's obedience was trained as quickly as possible, Shirano ordered that each raid be conducted on a daily basis, departing in the morning and gathering at the designated sea area in the evening. If any ship failed to complete the task, the army sergeant in charge would be beheaded on the spot according to the degree of responsibility.

In Baiye's view, this kind of battle has no technical difficulty; what needs to be tested is the officers' obedience. Currently, the garrison troops on the island are a mixed bag, and he needs to quickly sift out the core group that is loyal to him.

Yesterday, Zhang Chun and Zhang Zheng's ship captain took a woman to "enjoy" himself, and as a result, he was a quarter of an hour late when he returned to the fleet that night. His head is still hanging on the mast.

Zhang Chun didn't want to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors.

……

"Where did these pirates come from? How are they so powerful?"

Inside Kagoshima Castle, Shimazu Yoshihisa, the head of the Shimazu family who was in charge of guarding the castle, was worried about the battle reports. For the past two weeks, the Shimazu family's territory had been frequently attacked by mysterious "pirates." These "pirates" were extremely ferocious, leaving no survivors wherever they went.

In every village they set foot in, all the men were turned into headless corpses, women and children were abducted, and all real estate, including grain, houses, and temples, was burned to the ground.

It should be noted that the main force of the Shimazu clan has been taken to Korea by Shimazu Yoshihiro, leaving only some farmers and samurai in the villages. The defense of the entire territory is basically empty.

"Was any physical evidence left behind?"

Hirata Masamune, the chief retainer beside him, calmly questioned the servants.

"I found a suit of armor, but I don't know whose it is."

"Bring it up quickly."

Upon seeing the armor before him, Shimazu Yoshimasa felt an immediate surge of anger.

"This must be a raiding party sent by some daimyo from the east, coming here specifically to plunder. My Shimazu family has worked hard and risked our lives on the Korean front, but they are stabbing us in the back."