"Master Chitose, His Royal Highness Prince Ning's army is now divided into three groups. One group is commanded by General Kusunoki Masayuki, who is responsible for besieging Osaka Castle, and sweeping the three kingdoms of Hanoi, Izumi, and Settsu. It is also responsible for the defense of these three kingdoms. A castle was built at a strategic location, thinking it would last. There were about 40,000 soldiers along the way.
The other route was commanded by Lieutenant General Sakonoe Todo Takago to attack Yamato, seize Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, and try to appease the local tycoons of Iga to open the passage to Isezin Domain. There are only 24,000 troops on this route.
The last road only refers to Heiankyo, the capital of Japan! It is led by His Royal Highness Prince Ning and Emperor Xingzi himself, with a strength of 40,000. After conquering Yamashiro Kingdom, they divided their forces into two groups, captured Yodo Castle (now incorporated into the Fushimi Domain) and surrounded Fushimi Castle; they went all the way to Heian-kyo and stormed Nijo Castle..."
The person who was reporting the domestic war situation in Japan to Zhu Cixiang in the Ten Gen Hall in Shanghai was Zheng Zongming. Zheng Zhilong's second son is now an official worshiper of the prince and washes horses, but he has never washed a horse (he has not done his job well). Instead, he follows Zhu Cixiang Run a bank and be in charge of Japanese business.
He originally went to Japan this time to invest in and control Osaka Bank, and to promote "five-year non-coupon bearer transferable bonds" in Japan - these bonds are actually banknotes, although the words "To "Pay now", but that is just to facilitate the recycling of old versions and the issuance of new ones. Because there are always some people who like to print their own money and spend it...
Zheng Zongming's errand to Japan went very well. He signed shareholding agreements with two major banks in Osaka Castle Town, and also signed a "five-year, non-coupon and bearer-free" contract with more than a hundred wealthy businessmen in Osaka. "Transfer Bonds" agreement to repay the debts of the Ryōdai Bank - these bonds are lent by the Daeming Salt Bank to various Ryōta Banks in Osaka, and they must be repaid and interest paid!
In addition, Zheng Zongming also received a 500-machi (about 7,500 acres) of land south of the Yamato River in Osaka from Emperor Kouko on behalf of the Salt Bank for the construction of the Japan Branch of the Salt Bank and other ancillary buildings - Zhu Cihong It is planned to develop and build a "Mingguo Town" on this land.
After signing several big orders, Zheng Zongming did not immediately return to Shanghai to return to Zhu Cixiang. Instead, he followed Zhu Cijiong and Emperor Xingmu's Shangluo army to the war-torn Heian Kyoto. He did not leave Japan until July of the 27th year of Chongzhen, and did not arrive in Shanghai until the fifth day of August. He was summoned to Shigendo Hall the next day.
"Has Nitiao Castle been defeated?" Zhu Cixiang was also very concerned about the battle of Nitiao Castle.
Osaka Castle can be besieged for several years, Fushimi Castle can be attacked slowly, not to mention mountain cities like Wakayama Castle and Kameyama Castle... we can only besiege and attack slowly.
But Nijo Castle must be captured as soon as possible!
Because if you don't take Nijo Castle, you don't have full control of Kyoto. If you don't even take Kyoto completely, how can you be the emperor?
"The battle was won, but it was a tragic victory!" Zheng Zongming shook his head as he spoke, "It was really miserable... After more than a month of fighting, the corpses were even on the city wall. At the end of the battle, the attacking emperor The soldiers might as well step on the corpses and rush up!"
"Just beat him down!" Zhu Cixiang breathed a sigh of relief.
"The losses are too great," Zheng Zongming said. "The Imperial Army suffered over 10,000 casualties, half of whom were soldiers from the Northern Army. Now we are afraid of a counterattack by the Shogunate Army..."
"There is no counterattack." Zhu Cixiang smiled, "The news arrived two days earlier than you. The shogunate army commanded by Tokugawa Yorifusa and Hoshina Masayuki was defeated by Uesugi Tsunakatsu and Takeda Shinji in the hilly area north of Iiyama Castle, and suffered heavy losses. Disastrous... Now if the Tokugawa shogunate still has some strength left, it will have to consider how to stop Uesugi Takeda from invading Shinano and Ueno."
There are two routes from Ueno to Echigo. One is directly from Ueno to Echigo, taking Numata, Sakato, and Biwa Island. It is very difficult to walk through mountains and ridges along the way. There is also a false route in the northern part of Shinano Province, taking the Azuma, Oxian, Nakano, and Iiyama roads. This road is relatively easy to walk and takes a relatively short time.
For Tokugawa Yorifusa, the lord of the 500,000-stone feudal lord of Ueno, not only was it difficult to go straight into Echigo, but he also could not join forces with Masayuki Hoshina and Nobumasa Sanada who were marching from Shinano, and could easily be defeated by Tsunakatsu Uesugi and Nobuji Takeda respectively. Break.
So Yorifusa chose to take the Shinano route, and after joining forces with Masayuki Hoshina and Nobumasa Sanada, he concentrated an army of 30,000 and marched north from Iiyama Castle. As a result, they were ambushed by more than 10,000 elite troops of Uesugi Tsusakusho in the mountains behind Iiyama Castle, and the Iiyama Castle behind them was attacked and fell by 500 death warriors led by Takeda Shinji.
After this battle, the eight states of Kanto, the home base of the Tokugawa shogunate, were a little unstable, and naturally there was no spare power to launch a counterattack in Kinei.
Zheng Zongming breathed a sigh of relief: "Although the shogunate is temporarily unable to counterattack, King Ning and Emperor Komu are also in extremely difficult times. It will probably take several years to conquer the five Kinai Kingdoms alone. And...this military expenditure I’m afraid the expenses will be greatly overrun!”
"Overspending?" Zhu Cixiang smiled, "How could it be?"
"Why not?" Zheng Zongming said, "Now King Ning and Emperor Komu have tens of thousands of northern troops, and they have to spend millions every year even if they don't fight. Once there is a war, they will need equipment, military rations, and rewards. , and you also have to spend money to hire ships and civilians. Moreover, for the daimyo, the lords of various regions who are subordinate to Emperor Komu, to send troops to fight, you also have to spend money for rewards and pensions!
With the current scale of the war, Prince Ning and Emperor Komu might have to spend 20 to 30 million a year! If this continues, I'm afraid Chitose, your Salt Bank won't be able to afford it! "
Zhu Cixi smiled and thought to himself: He is actually worried that Zhu Cixiang has no money... He is really a good minister who is very considerate of his lord!
"Really?" Zhu Cihong paused and asked Zheng Zongming, "What about the Tokugawa family? Where can the Tokugawa shogunate get so much money?"
Zheng Zongming smiled bitterly; "Of course the Tokugawa family has no land to get so much money...but the Tokugawa shogunate has land! Tokugawa Ieyasu left 6.8 million koku of land to his descendants. These lands They can all be used as rewards."
Japan is a land-based feudal society!
Land was worth far more than silver because silver could be earned, whereas land could only be granted by the lord. Theoretically, in Japan, no matter how much money you have, you cannot buy an inch of land!
Therefore, the effect of giving land to warriors as a reward is far greater than giving silver. It is precisely for this reason that the Tokugawa shogunate, which lost the two major gold and silver producing areas of Sado Island and Iwami Province, and lost the important industrial and commercial towns of Nagasaki, Hirado, Osaka, and Kyoto, can still maintain the war.
Because the Tokugawa shogunate can distribute the territory of heaven to the samurai below!
Another advantage of distributing land is that most of the samurai who receive the land will fight to the death to keep the territory, and they can do so regardless of reward... What kind of reward are there for fighting for their own land?
Even if there is no military pay, you have to prepare your own dry food, weapons, and armor to fight, and you have to fight with all your strength! Otherwise, the precious land will belong to others!
"Isn't that enough?" Zhu Cixiang said with a smile, "The third child and Xingzi already have Echichu, Sado, Kaga, Noto, Echizen, Wakasa, Izumo, Bungo, Iyo, Awaji and Half Stone. See, we are about to capture Yamashiro, Settsu, Hanoi, and Izumi again. This is fourteen and a half countries. Shi Gao has almost four million koku, right?
If we reward some of these lands, wouldn't we be able to conquer them? "
"Rewarding heaven and earth?" Zheng Zongming was stunned, "But with less land, the emperor's future income will be reduced, the authority of the court will also be reduced, and the difficulties will be greater in the future... This is drinking poison to quench thirst. ah!"
"Isn't there still Gu?" Zhu Cixiang said with a smile, "With Gu here, the third child has nothing to worry about. Gu will definitely help if there is any difficulty in the future... Zong Ming, next time you go to Japan, just Tell Lao San and Xingzi about Gu’s proposal. And tell them that Gu’s money has been tight recently and there isn’t much money left!”
