The 29th day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of Tianqi.
Korean envoy Ri Seung-zao and his party traveled from Sekihara to Edo to issue an ultimatum to the Tokugawa shogunate.
Edo must sign a friendship alliance with Ming Dynasty before the fifth day of the first month of the second year of Tianqi to end the hostility between the two sides.
Otherwise, a million troops (actually 150,000), including Catholics and surrendered vassals, would crush the shogunate and plunder Edo to make up for the Ming Dynasty's losses in this eastern expedition.
The messenger reminded the shogun that starting from the fifth day of the first lunar month, if there was one more day of delay, the shogunate would have to pay an additional 50,000 taels of silver in military expenses.
"The location of the covenant has also been chosen by Marquis Pingliao for you."
Edo, Honmaru Palace.
The tall Ri Chengzao stood opposite the shogunate veteran Tokawa Risei, rolled up the broad sleeves of his court uniform, and shouted as if there was no one else around.
The envoy assumed the unique posture of a young bully fighting among North Koreans.
Behind an ukiyo-e style screen, the shogun's wife frowned and listened carefully to the noise outside.
A group of Tokugawa clan elders gathered around Lord Tsuchikawa, clenching their fists and bowing their heads in silence.
The gray-haired old man, Tokawa Toshikawa, was smiling all over his face, and the folds on his face were like the cherry blossoms blooming in Ueno, blooming brilliantly in front of the domineering Koreans in front of him.
At least on the surface, it's not easy to miss the inner thoughts of this veteran shogunate.
Two ashigaru generals knelt down beside the entrance of the main hall, their backs straightened, their fingers holding the scabbards ready to move, looking back at this arrogant and unreasonable Korean barbarian with murderous expressions on their faces.
"Please come closer and look! Here, look here!"
Li Chengzao took out a map of Japan with fine details from his arms and waved it in front of Tuchuan Lisheng.
Tsuchikawa moved closer and his eyes fell on Nagatohan's position.
Li Chengzao was the younger brother of Li Tiran, and the two brothers were both Chaotian officials of Korea stationed in the capital of Ming Dynasty.
After the Kaiyuan Army entered Guan to quell the Jingnan War, the Koreans who stayed in the capital were taken under the command of Marquis Pingliao, and many of them were responsible for external affairs.
Since the Eastern Expedition, Koreans have been sent to several negotiations with the shogunate.
There is no deep hatred between Ping Liaohou and North Korea.
It's just that this ethnic group has a stubborn character and won't give in. It's best suited to appear in diplomatic situations, and it's often easy to gain an advantage in negotiations.
Of course, it is also easy to be beheaded.
Three of Li Chengzao's companions were beheaded by the shogunate during previous peace negotiations.
His colleagues died tragically, and he himself experienced the Imjin Japanese Rebellion, so he hated Tokugawa Hidetada deeply.
When Marquis Pingliao sent him to Edo to negotiate peace, this tough Korean civil servant not only showed no fear, but showed courage that is unimaginable to ordinary people.
In fact, Marquis Ping Liao's original intention was certainly not to send someone to die.
The Japanese fear power rather than virtue. They are naturally eager to be strong. If they send hard-liners to negotiate, they will be more likely to succeed.
"The Marquis of Pingliao has a kind heart and cannot bear to kill you all to save the face of the shogunate, so the location of the alliance is chosen at Niuguan Port! At that time, all the lords of the vassal will be present!"
Li Chengzao showed no trace of the reserve and stability of an envoy from a great power.
Rather than being a messenger, he is more like a profiteer hawker in a Seoul wet market.
The location of the covenant was set at Niuguan Port.
This place has high mountains, lush forests and bamboos, beautiful scenery, and gentle sea breeze. It is the most suitable place to discuss some refreshing things.
"Lord Tuchuan, you already know the content of the covenant, right? Marquis Pingliao is busy with military affairs, and the fifth day of the lunar month is the last day! We can't delay it any longer."
On the first day of the first lunar month, Li Chengzao led two special envoys and continued to threaten and blackmail the shogunate as a victor.
The North Koreans' demand for war reparations has risen to 10 million taels of silver.
Tsuchikawa hesitated.
"My elders saw that I was abbreviating this, but there were only two sentences: yes or no."
The Tsuchikawa family elder asked: "Isn't it allowed to argue?"
Li Chengzao smiled and said:
"Just debate, but don't reduce it. The longer you delay, the more you will pay!"
Although the Osaka coalition forces had been defeated at this time, the shogunate army still had strength in the Sekigahara and Edo areas.
Under the instruction of Marquis Pingliao, Deng Changxiong gathered a large number of Catholics in Osaka and recruited a large number of Catholics to gather 100,000 troops. With the Guards as the core, he quickly advanced eastward.
In Sekihara, Marquis Pingliao personally led the main force of the First Guards Army to march northward. The army was invincible along the way, defeating the elites of the Shimono and Hitachi vassals in succession, and beheading 15,000 Japanese pirates.
On the fourth day of the first lunar month, the army marched fifty miles south of Edo City.
At the same time, the joint fleet composed of Wu Aheng, Li Dan, and Portuguese merchant ships began to bombard Kamakura, Kashima, Tomita and other ports along the coast of Honshu. The shogunate ships along the coast either scuttled or were captured by the joint fleet.
With the successive victories of the Eastern Expedition, Catholics hiding in the Kanto vassals responded one after another. They killed the Daikan and burned the shogunate's food and grass. The Kanto vassals fell into unprecedented panic.
Since October last year, the price of rice in Edo Castle has skyrocketed, and the lives of the townspeople and samurai have been in trouble. On last year's Daihui Day (New Year's Eve), many families could not afford to eat soba every year.
In order to support the fight against the barbarians, the shogunate continued to raise rents for the townspeople, causing public resentment.
On the third day of the first lunar month, Shichiro Koshiohira, a middle-level samurai who settled in Edo, dispersed all his wealth and received eight hundred and thirty taels.
He distributed all the money to more than 10,000 citizens and poor people in the suburbs, signaling an uprising. At the same time, he issued a proclamation, listing the reasons for raising troops, calling on the citizens and nearby farmers to fight together, and at the same time, he invited Marquis Pingliao to attack Edo as soon as possible and rescue him. The people are hanging upside down.
Due to the traitor's informant, Shichiro Koshiodaira was arrested and executed.
However, the situation in the shogunate was extremely critical. It was rumored that the general who conquered the barbarians was unwilling to negotiate peace with the barbarians, and said that he would fight the barbarians to the end with "30 million pieces of jade".
On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Da Aodong Imperial Garden.
"Asshole! Get out of the way!!"
Tsuchikawa Toshikatsu, who was fully armored, pushed away the guard blocking the door. His katana suddenly slashed at the guard's neck. Several guards nearby swung their swords to fight back, but were immediately stabbed to death by Ashigaru General who followed Tsuchikawa-sama with a spear.
"Changmatsumaru! Nagasumaru!"
The Tsuchikawa family leader led four powerful men and slashed all the way, killing everyone in the way.
As the elder Tsuchikawa walked, he loudly called the shogun's nickname.
On the Imperial Bell Corridor, girls (similar to palace maids) were running and screaming, and from time to time someone was killed by spears thrust towards them.
Tuchuan, who was covered in blood, walked to the innermost attic, tidied up his bloody armor, and climbed up to the second floor.
There was a trail of fresh bloody footprints on the stairs.
Above the attic, the second-generation general Tokugawa Hidetada sat paralyzed on the tatami.
Asai Jiang, the most powerful woman in Daou, was sitting elegantly on the tatami. She looked at Tsuchikawa Laochu who had barged in. Regardless of the murderous intent of the other party, she bowed slightly and let out a sneer of laughter.
"Master Tsuchikawa is a little late."
Outside the palace, the shouts of killing were heard from the Ashigaru and the screams of the townsfolk were heard.
The firelight from the street turned the attic walls blood red.
She suddenly took out a cloth bag from behind and threw it in front of her.
"Let's see, hahaha."
Tsuchikawa looked shocked, picked up the bag with a knife, and dripping blood splashed along the bag and fell on the tatami.
"Whose head?!"
"You'll know when you open it and take a look."
Mr. Tsuchikawa glanced at the shogun, who was still staring at the floor in a daze.
The katana sliced open the bag.
The veteran who was over fifty years old exclaimed.
"ah!"
Rhee Seung-hao and Tuchuan looked at each other. The North Korean's eyes were wide open, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he still showed a scornful expression during negotiations.
"You! You witch! Trouble the shogunate! Damn it!"
Tsuchikawa dropped the head, raised his samurai sword and rushed towards Ajiang.
A Jiang looked unmoved and sneered loudly:
"Hahaha! The Tokugawa family is finished, the dog owner is dead, so should you, an old dog..."
The laughter stopped suddenly, there was a popping sound, and a column of blood more than three feet high sprayed out on the tatami.
Ajiang's blood flew high and splashed all over Tuchuan's body.
Tuchuan kicked over the headless female corpse, turned around and bowed to his lord:
"General, the townsfolk in the city are rioting, and the barbarians are persecuting outside the city. The situation has come to this, please accept your fate! I will fight to the death to repay you and Tosho Kami-lord (Tokugawa Ieyasu) for your kindness. Take care!"
After saying that, Tsuchikawa called to the accompanying samurai, got up and went downstairs.
They had just taken a few steps when they heard the shogun's calm voice coming from behind:
"Old Tsuchikawa, you don't have to die. Now go out of the city and agree to negotiate peace. I will go to Nagato immediately to explain the death of the North Korean envoy to Marquis Pingliao, and at the same time sign the "Treaty of Ushioseki" with the Ming Dynasty! Protect Japan."
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