Ming East India Company

"Announcing, the envoy from the East, Ankokuji Huiqiong, shall enter the palace."

Accompanied by a clear voice, a monk dressed in a plain-colored robe with a dark brown kasaya over it, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads, slowly walked into the room.

Ankokuji Ekei, the chief envoy under Mori Terumoto, was sent to Ryukyu at the behest of his master and Ishida Mitsunari.

Upon entering the room, Ankokuji Ekei saw a warrior in military uniform standing in the center of the main hall. The man was cramped, his helmet was slightly tilted, and his hands unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, his fingertips turning white. His eyes were shifty, occasionally avoiding the gazes of the people around him.

Ankokuji Huiqiong had already calmed down. He knew that the person in front of him was all bark and no bite and was definitely no match for him.

"Master," Ankokuji Huiqiong spoke first, her voice clear and bright, her smile growing increasingly earnest. She pointed westward, her tone full of certainty.

"In present-day Japan, in the east there is the traitor Tokugawa, who usurped power, disobeyed the late Emperor Taiko's will, murdered loyal officials, and oppressed the lord. He is truly an enemy of the world. Our Western Army, under the command of the young lord Hideyori, has raised an army to punish this traitor. In accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, the defeat of the traitor is just around the corner."

If Ryukyu is willing to ally with the Western Army and help our army stabilize the sea routes, once the Western Army has pacified the land, my lord, Ishida Harubu no Shōsuke, and Lord Mōri promise to immediately cede all eight provinces of Kanto under Tokugawa Ieyasu to the Ryukyu Kingdom. The wealthy lands of Suruga, Tōtōmi, Mikawa, and Shinano in Kanto, which Tokugawa occupied, will all belong to Ryukyu. This move will multiply Ryukyu's territory several times over, making it the dominant power in the East China Sea!

These words caused an uproar among the crowd. Ankokuji Huiqiong was truly generous, throwing away more than two million koku of land in one go.

Ankokuji Huiqiong remained expressionless, lightly flicking the prayer beads with his fingertips, a cold smile playing on his lips. Kanto was Tokugawa Ieyasu's stronghold, and he was merely using the territory of the opposing camp as a bargaining chip. Without sacrificing even a single inch of the Western Army's fiefdom, he could gain Ryukyu's support with nothing but empty words. This deal couldn't be more worthwhile.

Fearing that Bai Ye might not be moved, he raised the stakes again, his tone becoming increasingly sincere:

"Furthermore, once the Western Army has annihilated the Eastern Army, all sea routes to Japan will be opened, allowing Ryukyu merchant ships to travel freely without hindrance, tax-free trade, and lasting peace! I swear in the name of the Mori family and Lord Ishida that I will never break my promise!"

Kuroshimazu's eyes widened in fury. He immediately took a step forward, yelling at the top of his lungs, completely disregarding his samurai decorum, and urgently interrupted Huiqiong:

"Lord Tokugawa must not believe this wicked monk's lies! Lord Tokugawa is the chosen one, and his Eastern Army, with its million-strong force, will surely sweep away the Western Army. The Kanto region promised by this wicked monk is nothing but a mirage!"

Eager to claim credit, he immediately offered an even more tempting incentive, demanding the Western Army's territory:

"I, Lord Tokugawa of the Eastern Army, promise that if Ryukyu submits to the Kanto region, all the Mōri clan's million-koku territory, the Ukita clan's Kyushu fief, and the Ishida Mitsunari's Ōmi fief under the Western Army will be ceded to Ryukyu! All the Western Army's wealthy cities and lands will belong to the Ryukyu Kingdom, several times more than the Tokugawa territory promised by the Western Army!"

Kuroshimazu became increasingly anxious as he spoke, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He had finally come to his senses; since it was all about offering the other side's territory as tribute, he might as well offer as much as possible! As for whether he could actually get what he wanted after the war, he hadn't even considered it. He was only focused on completing his persuasion mission and saving his own life.

"Master."

Kuroshimazu bowed deeply, his voice trembling, yet he still vehemently advocated for it:

"Tokugawa's army is strong and well-equipped; the destruction of the Western Army is only a matter of time. As long as Ryukyu expresses its support for the Eastern Army, in addition to the entire territory of the Western Army, the fertile lands around Osaka controlled by the Toyotomi family will also be given to Ryukyu, ensuring Ryukyu's prosperity for generations to come, and that no one will dare to invade!"

Ankokuji Ekei couldn't help but shake his head upon hearing this. Osaka was Toyotomi Hideyori's stronghold, and now they were directly using it for trade. Were they no longer even pretending?

Thinking of this, Ankokuji Ekei chuckled softly, stepped forward slowly, faced Kuroshimazu directly, and spoke calmly yet with sharp words:

"Oh? The Eastern Army is certainly playing a clever game, casually giving away my Western Army's territory. Aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew? But whether the Tokugawa traitor can defeat the Western Army is still unknown. Your casual promises to the enemy are nothing but empty threats."

He turned to look at Bai Ye, his smile still gentle, and escalated the situation further, still using the Eastern Army's territory as a pretext:

"My lord, please look: the fiefdoms of Kato Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori, both under the command of the Eastern Army, are places of abundant resources. If Ryukyu assists our Western Army, these two territories will also be incorporated into the Ryukyu territory. After our Western Army destroys the Eastern Army, all enemy-held territories will be at Ryukyu's discretion, without any hesitation!"

In an instant, the two completely abandoned all pretense of decorum on the plaza, exchanging words and vying to promise Ryukyu the territory, cities, and resources of the other camp without any scruples.

"Alright, alright." Bai Ye hurriedly stopped their territorial auction.

"You're all making promises about the benefits after the war ends, but I don't ask for that much."

Then Shirane took out a map, pointed to the colored blocks on it, and said:

"The Western Army has four provinces, including Ōsumi Province, and the Eastern Army has four provinces, including Izu Province in Kanto. My request is not high, only about 200,000 to 300,000 koku. Whichever of the Western or Eastern armies hands over these territories immediately, I will immediately send troops to help them, and I will never break my promise."

Upon hearing this, Kuroshimazu and Ankokuji Ekei exchanged bewildered glances. They both knew that this was completely beyond their authority and they dared not make the decision.

"If you two are not capable of making your own decisions, then please leave!"

Seeing that the two had no sincerity in transferring the land, Shirono ruthlessly gave them the order to leave.

Ankokuji Ekei and Kuroshimazu had no choice but to take their leave.

After seeing the two off, Shirano immediately ordered the entire Ryukyu Kingdom to mobilize for war, sending out all its forces.

"You brat, isn't this a bit too hasty? Wouldn't it be better to wait until they're both severely weakened before sending troops?"

Baiye shook his head:

"There won't be that chance; this war will be over in a few months at most."

Having seen the Heavenly Eye, Hakuno knew that although the Battle of Sekigahara in history seemed evenly matched, the Western Army actually collapsed at the first touch.

As the nominal commander of the entire Western Army, Mori Terumoto, who had the most troops and the highest loot, lacked the courage to fight to the death and instead hesitated and tried to observe.

The entire Battle of Sekigahara, from its inception to its conclusion, took only one morning, yet it determined the fate of Japan for the next three hundred years.

Even Tokugawa Ieyasu's main force didn't have to exert its full strength; he won the battle by relying on Kato Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, and the inside man Kobayakawa Hideaki.

Even with the butterfly effect of its own actions, it's impossible to change this overwhelming situation.

Therefore, acting quickly is the right thing to do.

Inside the royal palace of Shuri Castle on Ryukyu Island, Shirano issued the order for the final battle:

"The entire army will march on Shikoku Island to seize the territory of the Shimazu clan."