Contrary to what Dorgon knew, the winner of the first Qing conflict on Sakhalin Island was actually the Qing Dynasty!
Although more than a hundred "sable cavalry" sent by Nurgan Mele Zhangjing Mulima (mainly Sauron people, but also a small number of Laoba Banners) were defeated in an encounter by more than 120 of the Japanese Matsumae clan. The soldiers (there were more than 20 mounted samurai, the rest were Ashigaru) were repulsed, and eight people were killed and six were wounded. In fact, the Matsumae feudal army suffered similar casualties, but the Qing army retreated first, so the number of casualties in this battle was The winner was the Matsumae Domain of Japan.
However, the Qing army's "marten cavalry" was not a vegetarian. Although they were defeated by Matsumae Fan's gun array and iron cannon fire in the encounter (the marten cavalry did not carry muskets), there was a group of cavalry when the main forces of the two sides were fighting. , under the leadership of the indigenous guides, they found several small wooden boats used by the Matsumae clan to transport supplies, and set them on fire.
What was burned was not only the wooden boats and supplies, but also the fishing gear carried by the Matsumae Domain Ashigaru - this Matsumae Domain was a "non-stone high domain" because the territory of this domain did not produce rice and relied entirely on commerce and fishing to maintain its economy. The twelve noble clans that formed the basis of Matsumae Domain's rule were actually a group of low-level samurai engaged in commerce and fishing. During Japan's Warring States Period, I went to Ezo Island close to Honshu Island and occupied a piece of land. By trading furs with the Anui people, I could get some seafood for myself. I could trade with merchants from Honshu, earn some food and drink, and live on my own. little days.
Therefore, the samurai of Matsumae Domain were all "merchant samurai", while most of Ashigaru were fishermen. As long as they bring fishing gear, they can catch fish on Sakhalin Island.
After all the food and fishing gear they carried were destroyed, the Matsumae clan's army could no longer stay on Sakhalin Island. There was no food to eat! Without fishing gear, they could only hunt, but the fishermen and samurai of Matsumae Domain were not good at hunting, and they were also afraid of being attacked by the Qing army and the natives of Sakhalin Island, so they had to retreat.
Who told them to be Matsumae Domain? They were not powerful vassals like the Satsuma Domain, Choshu Domain, and Hizen Domain. These are all cut from real swords and guns in the troubled times of the Warring States Period. Samurai are very powerful in combat, there are many people with samurai status, and their equipment is relatively sophisticated, which is very difficult to deal with.
But Matsumae Fan couldn't do it. Matsumae Fan was just a soy sauce name during the Warring States Period and had never fought a tough battle at all. Encountering such a powerful enemy as the Qing army on Sakhalin Island, Matsumae Nohiro, who was leading the troops, panicked. How dare you stop on the island without supplies? Hurry up and "open the way and die"!
As for his "opening of the way", the cavalry sent by the Qing army to collect minks on the island were the only armed forces that could symbolize a country's sovereignty.
In other words, Sakhalin Island has been returned to the Qing Dynasty without the Qing Dynasty’s knowledge!
Matsumae Takahiro, the lord of the Matsumae domain who lived in the Edo domain and sold salted fish part-time, was frightened to death when he received the report from his son. This is because his dead father, Matsumae Hiroshi, proposed to draw a map for the whole of Japan in 1644 in order to flatter Tokugawa Iemitsu. It was for the "Mapping of Shoho Gokuni" and included the entire Sakhalin Island (called Kata in Japanese). Islands) were drawn in and treated as Japanese territory.
Moreover, Matsumae Ujihiro did not seriously measure the size of Sakhalin Island. As a result, Sakhalin Island was drawn so big that it almost caught up with the Japanese mainland!
Now that the big island of Sakhalin has been lost to the Matsumae clan, how can we explain this? This is a grave sin of losing the country! It means seppuku! To commit seppuku...
It hurts to commit seppuku! Matsumae Takahiro was afraid of both death and pain, so of course he refused.
So we have to find excuses for the Matsumae family's failure. It's not that the Matsumae family didn't work hard, but that the Qing army was too powerful!
But I dare not say that there are only more than a hundred people, and if more than a hundred people took over such a large Huatai Island, Matsumae Takahiro was not the only one who wanted to commit seppuku!
Therefore, Matsumae Takahiro reported false accounts and expanded the number of Qing troops 30 times, saying that there were more than 3,000 people, and they were all powerful Eight Banners troops.
But the problem is that neither Tokugawa Iemitsu nor Matsudaira Nobutsuna is easily deceived. They will not listen to the Matsumae family's words and will find ways to investigate and verify.
The easiest way to investigate is to check with the Ming Dynasty Embassy in Uraga Town. And there is news recently that the Ming Emperor has sent a senior envoy to visit, and he will be arriving soon.
The General will definitely ask in person when the time comes!
So Matsumae Takahiro immediately found his royal merchant, Omiya Kojiro came forward to communicate with Zheng Zhibao - Omiya and several other merchants from Omi Kingdom formed the "Ryohama Group Chamber of Commerce" in 1600 and became the Matsumae Domain. royal merchant.
The business of Matsumae Domain is, of course, the salted fish specialty store...
When Grand Duke Luo and Zheng Zhibao arrived, the central hall of the Ming Dynasty Embassy in Uraga Town was exuding a strong smell of salted fish!
The smell of salted fish comes from the baskets of pickled fish, shrimp and seafood piled in the central hall!
It doesn't smell bad at all, and the pickled fish, shrimp and abalone are quite big, so they are obviously good things.
Grand Duke Luo, who grew up by the sea, also likes seafood, but he just fainted on the boat for a month, and now he wants to vomit when he sees the word "sea"!
"Ambassador Zheng, what's going on?" Grand Duke Luo asked Zheng Zhibao, holding his nose.
Zheng Zhibao also looked surprised, as if he didn't know anything.
One of Zheng Zhibao's butlers immediately explained: "Sir, this is a gift from the merchants of the Ryohama Group. It is said to be a gift from Lord Matsumae to the Great Angel."
"Lord Matsumae? Who is he?" Grand Duke Luo suppressed his nausea, "Why do you want to send seafood to me?"
"I don't know about this young one. Perhaps Lord Matsumae wanted to ask Prefect Luo for help?" The Zheng family's housekeeper clearly knew about it, but he didn't say anything.
Grand Duke Luo turned to look at Zheng Zhibao. Zheng Zhibao just smiled, then dismissed his butler with a wave of his hand, and then led Grand Duke Luo to his study.
After the guests and the host were seated and the embassy servants served tea, Zheng Zhibao said straight to the point: "Prefect Luo came at the right time. No one in Japan cares about what we threatened a while ago... Because everything People’s attention was attracted by the fact that Huatai Island, what we call Kuwu Island, was occupied by 3,000 Qing army cavalry.”
"What? Kuwu Island? Where is it?"
Zheng Zhibao said: "On a piece of land below the original Nuergandusi, we also set up Nanghaerwei, Wuliehewei and Polohewei on the island in the early years. Later Nuergandusi withdrew, and these guards Gradually I can’t control it anymore.”
"We can't control it, so the Donglu and Japan are taking over it?" Grand Duke Luo was a little puzzled. "Why do we need to send 3,000 troops to rob a place that has nothing to do with? What good things are there on the island?"
"I heard there are minks."
"How many martens are there on the island?" Grand Duke Luo was stunned. "Do we need to send 3,000 troops? In such a barbaric place, if we send 3,000 troops, what will the logistics be like? Is there food on the island?"
Grand Duke Luo knew something about military affairs, so he felt wrong when he heard Zheng Zhibao's words.
Zheng Zhibao laughed, "That's why I'm giving you seafood!"
"What does this have to do with seafood?"
Zheng Zhibao chuckled: "Brother, please don't pretend to be confused because you understand!"
What does this mean? Grand Duke Luo was unhappy after hearing this - he was an upright official! He will never take bribes, and the entire Shanghai shopping mall knows that.
He is the selfless Grand Duke Luo!
Moreover, Duke Thaluo has a fortune of millions, would he care about this bit of seafood? If you want to give it as a gift, give me something nice...
Zheng Zhibao looked at Grand Duke Luo with his iron-clad appearance, smiled and said: "I know that Grand Duke Luo is an upright official and cannot accept other people's seafood... Then I will accept it for you, but this Even if you are busy, you still have to help!”
Zheng Zhibao knew that the seafood was just for show, and there was gold underneath! As for bribery, he is good at it! But Grand Duke Luo didn't know this rule. He was obviously a truly upright official, and he didn't know why his official reputation was so bad? So much money...
Zheng Zhibao said again: "If you don't help, the Edo government may abandon Kuwu Island and form an alliance with Donglu! If you help, Japan and Donglu may go to war over Kuwu Island! Our Ming Dynasty won't Did you gain the advantage of being a fisherman?"
"Well..." Duke Luo narrowed his eyes, "Then what should I say?"
"Just say that there are not only minks on Kuwu Island, but also huge gold mines, so Donglu sent 3,000 troops to fight for it!"
