Volume 1: Birth! Seven time travelers Chapter 158 This is definitely not a provocation
The Takechiyo of Japan was not yet a shogun. Although he was young, he already had a fief of 200,000 koku, but his power was still limited. Moreover, the current shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, had no intention of invading Korea or the Ming Dynasty again. Therefore, if the Takechiyo wanted to support the Jianzhou Jurchens to cause trouble for the Ming Dynasty, he could only do it secretly.
However, since Korea was extremely hostile to the Japanese at that time, his people could not land in Korea. So his plan was to board a ship from Hirado, cross the Sea of Japan directly, land near Vladivostok, and then go inland to look for the Jianzhou Jurchens.
In order to achieve this goal, Takechiyo sacrificed about ninety lives in three batches. Although most of them were ninjas who valued human life as cheap as dogs, the sudden disappearance of the leading retainers also made him very embarrassed.
He did not hide this from Tokugawa Ieyasu. After learning about this, although Ieyasu was dissatisfied, he still acquiesced: First, this was his successor, and he had to give him a chance to do things. Second, although Ieyasu had no intention of invading the Ming Dynasty, he was still happy to see it happen if he could cause trouble for the Ming Dynasty - as a hero who had struggled for many years in the Warring States period, Ieyasu never took alliances and oaths seriously. Even if the two countries signed a peace treaty tomorrow, the chaos of the Ming Dynasty itself would be the best guarantee for this treaty.
After finally contacting the Jianzhou Jurchens, Nurhaci was very fond of the new flintlock rifles and was very grateful to the international friends who came from afar to send him warmth. So the Jianzhou Jurchens sent troops to wipe out some of the weak Donghai Jurchen tribes near Vladivostok, and opened a straight line from Hetuala to Vladivostok.
Nurhaci, who deeply understood the essence of the four words "sloppy development", did not show the flintlock rifle on the battlefield after getting it: Lao Li is still there, what if he is targeted? Therefore, the Jianzhou Jurchens only quietly formed a flintlock rifle unit without making it public. In Nurhaci's mind, this unit would be used as a surprise force in the future when the flag was raised to face the Ming Dynasty's army that was about to attack.
The only regret is that Vladivostok is not an ice-free port all year round. It is only open to navigation from April to October every year. In addition, Takechiyo's own strength on the Japanese side is still very limited. Therefore, after two years of cooperation between the two sides, Jianzhou only got 2,000 flintlock rifles and a certain amount of Minié bullets. As a result, it is difficult to guarantee the daily training of Jianzhou's troops.
But it doesn't matter. In Nurhaci's plan, he would never raise the flag unless Lao Li left. Even if Lao Li left, he would wait and see.
As for Zhu Youdong, as a time traveler who is not an expert in history, it was good enough for him to figure out the names of the four tribes in Haixi. Of course, he could not remember when Wula was destroyed. It was Xiong Tingbi and others who made the strategy of supporting Wula, and he agreed. Then Yan Siqi's fleet, under the guidance of Mao Wenlong, bypassed the Korean Peninsula and planned to land in Vladivostok, and then send things to Wula via the Wusuri River .
In the winter of 1610, Mao Wenlong and Yan Siqi first came here to survey the terrain and prepare for next year's shipping. As a result, they found that there was a ready-made dock in this place!
Although there was no one on duty here because the port was frozen and the outdoor temperature dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius, the fact that there was such a large-scale dock in such a remote place aroused the two men's vigilance.
With this vigilance, the two men disembarked far from Vladivostok - the people of the Ming Dynasty could walk sideways in Korea. Then they led a small number of elite troops, wearing white winter clothes provided by Fangshan Materials Laboratory, and sneaked all the way. Finally, they found a large area of houses built by the Jianzhou Jurchens under a leeward mountain behind the Vladivostok port, and the Jianzhou Jurchen flintlock team training here.
The two who confirmed the news quickly retreated and passed the news to Xiong Tingbi in Kuandian. Later, Xiong came forward and borrowed a port on the east side of Korea to station Yan Siqi's fleet there. When the weather warmed up in April and the port of Vladivostok thawed, Yan Siqi led his team to patrol day and night, and finally caught the Japanese fleet that was transporting supplies here at the end of April.
"I, Xiong Tingbi, the military governor of Kuandian, reported that in November of the 38th year of the Wanli reign, our Kuandian Guard heard that there was a connection between the Japanese pirates and the Jianzhou Jurchens, so I sent out a team of elite officers to investigate... On April 20th of the 39th year of the Wanli reign, we seized 500 bird guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition that the Japanese pirates had transported to the Jianzhou Jurchens in Vladivostok. These bird guns are much better than the equipment used by the various guards in Liaodong Town. When combined with the ammunition captured, the distance between them and the wounded is three times that of our Liaodong firearms. "The Japanese pirates have been colluded for more than two times. After severely interrogating the Japanese pirates who transported the supplies, we learned that the two pirates had been in collusion since the 37th year of Wanli, and have been in cahoots with each other for more than two years. I should accept the blame for my negligence. I only humbly report to the emperor and severely rebuke the Japanese pirates. In addition, Jianzhou has been respectful to me for many years, but I didn't know that it is so insidious. Such a cunning person must have a wolfish ambition. Therefore, I report to the emperor again, send troops to the border and wipe out Jianzhou!"
On May 20, Xiong Tingbi's urgent report was delivered to the Beijing Tongzhengsi, along with the captured Jianzhou Jurchens who came to pick up the ship and the Japanese crew, plus the confiscated muskets. All these were displayed in the Beijing court, and the entire Ming court and Liaodong Town were greatly shocked.
Zhu Youdong in the south naturally got the news earlier. When the court report reached Nanjing, the well-prepared Jinling Daily immediately published a special edition, firing at the Jianzhou Jurchens. In terms of public opinion, they tried their best to cite the Jin Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty five hundred years ago.
Who in the entire Ming officialdom doesn't know that the special issue of the Jinling Daily is actually the embodiment of the will of the Grand Crown Prince? Not to mention that everyone is trying to curry favor with the Grand Crown Prince and get a place in the column of the famous Ming officials. Just for this matter, both civil and military officials are eager to express their attitudes: the small Jianzhou, which is so weak, dares to collude with the Japanese pirates. Isn't this rebellious? No, it must be severely punished!
When everyone's opinions are unified, the Ming government will naturally operate very efficiently.
At the end of May, the imperial court sent an imperial edict, instructing the crown prince in Nanjing to send an envoy to Japan to hold him accountable. After receiving the imperial edict, Zhu Youdong ordered Inukai Touji, who was already prepared, to go to Japan again to bring his handwritten letter to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In this letter, Zhu Youdong severely questioned the Tokugawa Shogunate: On the one hand, you want to sign a business contract with us, and on the other hand, you do arms business with Jianzhou Guard, a subordinate of the Ming Dynasty. Your behavior is a serious provocation to the Ming Dynasty. No! This is not a provocation, it is a declaration of war! The treaty signed between you, the Tokugawa Shogunate and me has not been completed yet, do you want to break the contract now?
Tokugawa Ieyasu was also extremely annoyed after being scolded by Zhu Youdong. After calling Takechiyo over and scolding her severely, he could only explain to Inukai Touji with a flattering face that he was completely unaware of these things. Because of the Japanese system, the shogunate had no direct jurisdiction over the internal affairs of the local daimyo. The envoy was a Japanese before, so he must be very familiar with this. So... hehe...
Of course, Zhu Youdong did not want to and was unable to go to war with the Tokugawa shogunate at this time, so Inukai Touji, who followed his will, did not make any further demands after Tokugawa Ieyasu handed over the heads of the magistrate of Hirado Port and a small daimyo nearby.
But Jianzhou won’t be able to get through this easily.
At first, Nurhaci, who got the news, quickly sent people to Beijing again, hoping that the censors who were on good terms with him could speak for them. But at this moment, the censors did not dare to speak out: What a joke, I usually accept your benefits, and I can impeach those soldiers who bullied you. Now the public opinion has risen to the history of the Northern Song Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty. How can I, as a Han Chinese, dare to speak for you? No, absolutely not!
While the people in Jianzhou were still trying to figure out a solution, Li Sancai, the second assistant minister, who had received a hint from Zhu Youdong, had already instructed the Ministry of War to submit his suggestions for handling the matter.
Also at the end of May, the Ming court issued an imperial edict to the Jianzhou Jurchens, finalizing the punishment:
1. Nurhaci, the commander of Jianzhou Guard, went to Beijing in person to explain and apologize to the Ministry of War.
2. After apologizing, Nurhaci handed over his two sons, Chu Ying and Huang Taiji, and sent them to Beijing as hostages.
3. Shuerhaqi, the commander of Jianzhou Right Guard, is an official appointed by the Ming Dynasty. What qualifications do you, Nurhaci, have to imprison him? I order you to release him immediately and transfer his children, wives, concubines, subordinates, etc. to the Tieling Guard of Liaodong Town.
4. The Jianzhou Guard was redivided. Except for Shurhaci's Jianzhou Right Guard, Daishan, Manggurtai, Amin and others were in charge of Jianzhou Front, Rear and Left Guard. After Nurhaci, he only led Jianzhou Central Guard.
Jianzhou Wei must execute all the above punishments before June this year, otherwise Liaodong Town will send a large army to supervise the execution!
