The fourth year of natural selection (the twenty-fifth year of Qianlong), the end of February.
When Shimazu Tsutoyo died of illness, the Lord Palace of the Satsuma Domain announced the funeral news to the public after quickly handing over relevant matters, and then used a fast horse to deliver the funeral of Shimazu Tsutoyo to the Edo shogunate.
Shortly after receiving the funeral news from the Satsuma Domain, the Edo shogunate also announced the contents. In the next few days, the whole of Japan seemed to have dropped a bombshell on the calm lake, causing millions of waves.
For a time, the daimyo, both in Edo and returning to the domain, wrote to the shogunate to inquire about the authenticity of the news.
Of course, it was not the news of Shimazu Tsuyoshi's death that shocked the whole of Japan.
Although Shimazu Tsutoyo is somewhat famous among the many daimyo in Japan, his influence is limited to letting some daimyo know that he exists. This is not much like knowing that one has such a neighbor. the difference.
Under the high-pressure control of the shogunate, it is difficult for even the feudal daimyo and generation daimyo who have a close relationship with the shogunate to have too much cooperation and contact, let alone the Satsuma clan, which has a poor relationship with the shogunate. Since the name of the feudal lord was given, it was basically limited to just saying hello when meeting.
Therefore, Shimazu Tsuyoshi's death did not affect the mood of other daimyo at all when they should eat and drink. And they did not show any intention of "celebrating" Shimazu Tsuyuyo's death, which was considered respect for the Satsuma Domain, let alone mourning for him.
What really made the daimyo of the entire Mishima region of Japan very nervous was the shocking news contained in the news of the Satsuma clan’s death:
"Defeated the Manchu Qing Dynasty in one fell swoop and occupied half of the Central Plains; the emerging power of the entire southeastern China, the Yi Dynasty, was about to invade and annex Japan under the pretext of sending troops to support Ryukyu."
Since the letter of challenge from Yi Chao had not yet been received, the shogunate did not want to announce the news so hastily at first. But the matter was so big that even if the Edo shogunate, which had real power in control of Japan, wanted to conceal it, it would be difficult to conceal it.
The officials of the shogunate did not dare to be careless after receiving inquiries from various daimyo. Ooka Tadamitsu, who had always been highly valued by the shogunate Tokugawa Iedage and his confidant, quickly held a meeting with the shogunate officials to discuss countermeasures.
Although Japan has implemented a policy of isolation since the first generation of Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Ieyasu also understood that it was completely impossible to achieve self-sufficiency by relying solely on the resources of Japan's three islands. Especially with the presence of China, North Korea, etc., it is unrealistic for Japan to implement a complete maritime ban.
Japan is an island country, and it is not easy to control the entire coastline. Driven by the lucrative maritime trade benefits, smuggling must be impossible to control.
Instead of doing this, the shogunate might as well leave a special opening to facilitate the shogunate's management of maritime trade.
As a result, Nagasaki Domain Dejima, which is geographically close to China and North Korea, was favored by the shogunate and became Japan's only maritime trade port. It only trades with China, North Korea and the Netherlands. .
With the existence of the trading port, the Edo Shogunate's "Seclusion Order" was not a true seclusion in the strict sense. After all, when there are big changes in the surrounding countries, the shogunate can gain a certain understanding through the trading ports.
For example, when the Yi Dynasty rose, even though Japan would be far away from China and there would be a lag in news, for those Japanese who were interested in paying attention to changes in China, they could still get a rough idea through the mouths of merchants on merchant ships.
However, regarding the news that Etomo wanted to send troops to support Ryukyu, due to the delay caused by the long distance, even the shogunate, which controlled the actual power in Japan, was not able to receive the news in advance, so that the shogunate Tokugawa Ieshige got the first-hand information. The news came to light only after a letter was quickly delivered from the Manchu and Qing Dynasties.
This time was only a few days away from the news delivered by Satsuma Domain.
As for Tanigao's statement in the funeral news from the Satsuma Domain that the Eto Dynasty was going to send troops to support the Ryukyu Kingdom, most of the officials in the shogunate understood what was going on.
When the Satsuma Domain sent troops to annex the islands of the Ryukyu Kingdom, it was later approved by the shogunate. The shogunate even divided the islands that the Satsuma Domain had annexed into the Ryukyu Kingdom and returned them to the Satsuma Domain.
Because of this, Etomo sent troops to support the Ryukyu Kingdom to attack the Satsuma Domain. From a certain level, it makes sense to start a war with Japan.
But the officials of the shogunate have never really contacted the Yi Dynasty's strength, so they have no real data to refer to.
The most recent war between Japan and China was when Toyojo Hideyoshi sent troops to invade Korea a hundred years ago. Later, Japan suffered heavy casualties. After being defeated and escaping, the Edo shogunate was born.
After this battle, the entire Japan was severely damaged.
Until the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the establishment of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Japan never had the slightest idea of invading China. Because in their impression, China is so big that they feel powerless. Even if the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which they despise, enters the country, they dare not think about it anymore. After all, they really cannot afford to lose.
At present, the shogunate officials' understanding of the limitations of the Yi Dynasty is still obtained from the information provided by the Manchu and Satsuma clans. From these aspects, Yi Chao's strength is really very strong, and this strength is not ordinary. At least in the eyes of the Japanese, the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which is already very strong, seems not enough in front of Yi Chao.
Based on this calculation, Japan does need to face a formidable enemy.
But can Japan be cowardly?
cannot
Why?
Because even in the face of the Mongols sweeping across Eurasia, and in the face of the Ming Dynasty that regained the entire Central Plains dynasty, Japan did not openly give in. What's more, the Yi Dynasty was just an emerging force that had just regained half of the Central Plains?
So where is Japan's confidence?
This starts with the Japanese kamikaze, which everyone in Japan knows everything about. At that time, the powerful Mongols wanted to cross eastward and invade Japan. Japan relied on the blessing of the divine wind from the Sea of Japan to avoid being invaded by the Mongols.
By the Ming Dynasty, even when faced with the powerful Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese, separated by the ocean, were still very tough.
Even after Japan was defeated in Korea and returned, the fleeing troops felt at ease after escaping across the Sea of Japan. It was because the Japanese had deep confidence in the divine wind that had always "blessed" Japan.
It is precisely because of this that the Japanese "rely on" the "Japanese Kamikaze" protection mechanism, which makes them fearless from the outside world. They feel that no country can penetrate their homeland, no matter how many bad things they do outside, You'll be safe if you stay at home.
