I

  Chapter 637 634【Decision of the shogunate】

  Edo, Shogunate.

  The six ministers under Tokugawa Iemitsu, those who are still alive, have gathered together.

After listening to Lin Efeng's diplomatic report, the general of the shogunate, Matsudaira Nobuzuna, clamored: "The Tang Dynasty is too deceitful. If only the Satsuma clan pays an apology, it can be tolerated for the time being. But they punish the Hirado clan! Two powerful clans in a row were killed. If the shogunate doesn't send troops yet, what is the majesty of Your Excellency the General? We should summon all the soldiers and horses of the whole country to fight to the death with those Tang soldiers!"

Masamori Horita came from a relatively humble background, and he had a clearer view of the middle and lower classes in Japan. He remonstrated: "Master General, our country has suffered natural disasters for many years, and a large army is forcibly conscripted to fight. I am afraid that common people will appear in various places. At least I, the Sakura Clan, did not Enough food to fight the war."

  When the common people quarrel, it is the peasant uprising.

   Years of floods, droughts and snowstorms have not only caused headaches for Zhao Han, but the generals and feudal lords in Japan have also been devastated.

  The Tokugawa shogunate reformed agricultural policies, encouraged farmers to open up wasteland, restrained land mergers, and unified the cultivation, marketing, and purchase of agricultural products, which was a response to natural disasters.

   Tadaaki Abe's personality was more tactful, and he didn't express his attitude. Instead, he said: "You can contact the Dutch first to see if the Netherlands is willing to send troops together."

Ota Zizong is a man of culture, familiar with Confucian classics. He echoed: "China is like a strong Qin Dynasty. Although Japan is also strong, it is only similar to Qi. If this is the case, it should be combined vertically and horizontally. The Netherlands There are many disputes with Chinese merchants when trading in Nagasaki, maybe the Netherlands is really willing to fight together."

Abe also said again: "If the Netherlands sends troops, its ships are strong and its guns are strong, and it will definitely defeat Tang soldiers at sea. Japan and Tang are separated by sea. As long as they can defeat Tang's navy, no matter how powerful Tang's army is, it will have no roots in Japan." Wood."

  Several important ministers, you say, I say, it seems that they all agree to form an alliance with the Netherlands.

  Tokugawa Iemitsu is also tempted, but has not yet made a decision. He looked at Lin Luoshan and asked, "You hesitated to speak several times, what exactly do you want to say?"

Lin Luoshan bowed his hands to the crowd: "Your Majesty once went to Nanjing as an envoy. Today's China is different from the past. The Chinese Emperor Zhao Han was born at the end of the rivers and lakes. He was originally just a slave. He not only defeated the Ming Dynasty, rebels and barbarians, The property of the big landlords is evenly distributed to the poor people. In China now, the people have enough food and clothing, and even beggars can’t be found in big cities. Even farmers in remote mountain villages are willing to die for the Chinese emperor.”

"The Chinese army that separates soldiers from peasants has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It is said that the Chinese army that combines soldiers from peasants has millions of people. Once a war starts with China, even if its navy is wiped out, China has enough money to build warships. At that time, not 10,000 people will come to Japan, but 100,000 or 200,000 people!"

  Ota Zizong has a very good relationship with Lin Luoshan. The two have also collaborated in compiling the genealogy of the Wu family. He smiled and said: "Your Excellency is alarmist. How can the Chinese emperor afford to support millions of troops?"

   Tokugawa Iemitsu turned his head and asked the guards behind him: "You have also been to the Tang Dynasty, tell me about it."

  Yagyu Juhei has succeeded his father and is the intelligence leader of the Tokugawa shogunate. He replied: "China is indeed rich and powerful, and there may not be millions of soldiers, but hundreds of thousands of troops are possible."

   Nobuzuna Matsudaira disdainfully said: "Even if there are ten million Tang soldiers, as long as their navy is destroyed, they can still swim to Japan to fight?"

   Tokugawa Iemitsu thinks this statement is reasonable. The Mongols were so powerful back then, wouldn’t they be wiped out by a gust of wind when they attacked Japan?

   After thinking for a long time, Tokugawa Iemitsu said: "Test the attitude of the Dutch first."

  …

  Nagasaki, Dejima.

   "What? Go to war with Tang?" Hasegawa Gonroku was inexplicably horrified.

  Lin Efeng sighed: "I haven't decided whether to go to war yet, let's test the Dutch people's thinking first."

  Hasegawa Gonroku said: "You don't need to try to know that the Netherlands dare not fight with Tang, but they will lie to us that they are willing to send troops."

   "Why?" Lin Efeng asked.

Gonroku Hasegawa explained: "The director of the Dutch merchants came to see me again and again and urged me to cut off the trade with China. However, they only dared to rob Chinese merchant ships secretly, and did not dare to fight openly at all. They only dare not let them go if they are sure. Only under the premise of any ship, will we attack Chinese merchant ships."

  Hasegawa Gonroku's position is called "Nagasaki Magi".

   This is not a local official position, but the head of foreign trade for the entire Japan. He only obeys the orders of Tokugawa Iemitsu, and also has some diplomatic powers.

  Hasegawa Gonroku has been dealing with the Dutch for more than ten years. When a Dutchman pokes his ass, he knows what **** to do.

  Hasegawa Gonroku said: "In the war with Tang, I am afraid that before the shogunate sends troops, all merchants in the three capitals (Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto) will make trouble."

  Lin Efeng wondered: "What's the matter with merchants?"

  Hasegawa Gonroku explained: "Many of those maritime merchants from the Tang Dynasty are agents of Sandu merchants!"

  Lin Efeng suddenly realized and was dumbfounded at the same time.

  Tokugawa Iemitsu closed the country and could only lock up the local feudal lords, which made it easier for the big Japanese businessmen.

  China and the Netherlands shipped goods, seemingly trading with the shogunate. But the ones who actually dealt with it were the wealthy Japanese merchants in Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Only they could turn foreign goods into silver. In addition, the tax in kind collected by the shogunate and feudal lords was also converted into money through merchants.

  Luxurious businessmen are also competing among themselves, and the wild ones directly pay the Chinese to act as agents.

  A small Chinese businessman, as long as there are ways on both sides. Then he can be empty-handed, take money from wealthy Japanese merchants, rent ships from Chinese coastal shipowners, hire sailors, and then find Chinese suppliers to get the goods and ship them to Nagasaki for sale. And don't worry about sales, whichever Japanese wealthy businessman invests, this wealthy businessman will eat all of it.

  Even, even the content of the traded goods is given a list in advance by the Japanese luxury businessman, and the Chinese businessman takes the list to purchase the goods.

  The two countries went to war, and foreign trade was cut off. Japan’s Sandu Hao Chamber of Commerce was the fryer!

  All the feudal lords in Japan, including the shogunate, are debtors of the rich merchants in Sandu. Once the capital chain of Japanese luxury businessmen is broken, they will definitely try to collect debts. They would not dare to ask for it forcibly, but it is completely possible to stop lending to the feudal lord—and the reason is very good, I have no money in my hand.

   At that time, no matter how the war is won or lost, the rich and powerful in Japan will have to drink the northwest wind.

  Drinking the northwest wind is an adjective, and eating is definitely no problem. But there is no money to buy luxury goods, no money to build mansions, and the good old days are gone forever, which is worse than killing them.

  How keen is the Japanese elite on money?

  Under successive years of disasters, many Japanese people starved to death, and they are still exporting food to China. Last year alone, 5,100 bales of rice, 3,050 bales of wheat, and 2,850 bales of small beans were exported to China. Although the quantity is not large, adding up to more than 1,000 tons, Japan itself is short of food.

  Lin Efeng approached Hendrik, director of the Dutch business curator, and after chatting for a while, he asked, "Does the curator know the news about China's dispatch of troops to Kagoshima?"

  Hendrick nodded: "I heard."

   "If China and Japan go to war, what will the Netherlands do?" Lin Efeng asked bluntly.

   Hendrick said: "I will send someone to Batavia immediately, and His Excellency the Governor will definitely help Japan."

  Lin Efeng asked again: "How many warships can the Netherlands produce?"

  Hendrick said ambiguously: "This is not certain, it all depends on how the governor arranges. Of course, if Japan cuts off trade with China, I think the governor will do his best to support Japan."

   Saying it is tantamount to not saying it, but it is instigating China and Japan to go to war.

  Even if the Netherlands sends troops, it will take at least three to five months for the fleet to arrive in Japan. During this period, has Japan been exhausted?

Lin Efeng returned to Edo, reported the situation truthfully, and said: "The Netherlands wants to monopolize the trade between China and Japan, and is eager for a war between China and Japan. However, the Netherlands probably will not send troops, or wait until the war is almost over, and then wait and see the situation to make a decision. "

   "Not one of these Xifan red-haired ghosts can be trusted!" Tokugawa Iemitsu was very angry.

  Lin Efeng also said: "Many Chinese maritime merchants are agents of wealthy merchants in Sandu, and I hope that the general will proceed with caution."

  Tokugawa Iemitsu said: "The attitude of the merchants doesn't matter. If you find an opportunity to kill a few, you can not only steal the property and get the goods, but also scare the rest of the wealthy merchants. Throw a few more bones out, and the merchants will fight themselves."

   "Yes." Lin Efeng did not refute.

  Tokugawa Iemitsu is having a hard time making a decision at the moment, and the ones causing the trouble are the Satsuma and Hirado domains. If he forcibly gathers troops to fight, he will offend merchants and other feudal lords. After all, Satsuma and Hirado feudal lords have been monopolizing the profits of sea trade, and have not distributed them to other feudal lords.

  Oh, the profits are monopolized by the two of you, so if something goes wrong, let us help? We can't get a penny of benefits, and we have to pay for food and money to work hard.

But if Tokugawa Iemitsu just sit idly by and allow Satsuma and Hirado to be attacked, the other feudal lords will think again: This shogun is so useless, he dare not send troops to rescue him after being beaten up, he is simply a samurai. shame!

   Fighting or not fighting is not good for Tokugawa Iemitsu, and will cause a lot of trouble.

   "Call the samurai from all over the country to discuss!" Tokugawa Iemitsu was going to kick the ball.

  Calling feudal lords from all over the world to discuss matters, this is simple.

  Because the feudal lords all over the country lived in Edo for one year, and then returned to the territory for another year. When the feudal lord returns to the territory, the eldest son must be in Edo, and the eldest son can also hold meetings.

   A group of feudal lords or eldest sons soon gathered in the shogunate.

Tokugawa Iemitsu explained the cause and effect clearly, and then said: "It is war or peace, and the relationship is important. I respect everyone's opinions. Come, bring paper and pen! Those who are willing to send troops, draw circles on the paper; those who do not want to send troops, Just put a cross on the paper."

   Soon, the result will be announced.

   Except for Satsuma and Hirado, only three other clans are willing to send troops, and the rest of the feudal lords all plan to watch the excitement.

  Whoever helps is a fool, who is willing to do things that are not beneficial?

Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded and said: "This is a decision made by all the samurai families. Since this is the case, I respect everyone. The Hirado and Satsuma feudal clans provoked Tang without authorization and did not obey the orders of the shogunate. The governors of these two families should be replaced. Do it alone, and let them apologize."

  (end of this chapter)