The Ainu people reached a crossroads of destiny.
Andogawa, Ando Yum, Kumano Yamada, Ando Yu and others convened a meeting of tribal leaders to discuss how to deal with the "will" of the Mutsu Kingdom. Xue Geng listened as a guest.
One day of quarrel.
Two days of quarreling.
On the third day, there was still an argument.
Xue Geng was furious after hearing this, what the hell, people have bullied you to the point of asking your son to go to the battlefield and die, and yet you are still here discussing whether to send your son there!
Killing with a Thousand Swords, is there any need to discuss this?
Kumano Yamada stood on the wooden pier and shouted: "If you don't obey the orders of the Mutsu Daimyo, you are fighting against the Ashikaga shogunate. Fighting against the shogunate is making you an enemy of the entire Yamato nation. Won't the Ainu people be faced with military disasters by then? I think , if they want people, give them three thousand people.”
Xue Geng looked at Kumano Yamada. Needless to say, no matter how many people were given, there would never be anyone in his family. The philosophy of this kind of person is to muddle along, and if he can't survive, others will have to suffer. When there is nothing to trap, it depends on the situation. As long as the interests of his family are guaranteed, that will be fine. The life and death of others does not matter. Other things...
Yum Ando angrily scolded Kumano Yamada: "Don't forget, we Ainu originally lived in Mutsu, Rikugo, Ugo and other places, and we are Yamato people. They robbed our fields, burned our homes, and forced us to come to Ezo! The total number of young people in our tribe is only seven thousand. If we give them three thousand, how many young people do we have?"
Kumano Yamada hummed and said: "There are more than four thousand. Besides, these people are not sent out to die. They will make contributions to the shogunate by then. Maybe we can still get rewards and the Ainu people can live a better life." Good times. When we propose to return to Honshu Island, the shogunate may give us permission."
"Wild boar, wild boar!"
Andogawa pointed at Kumano Yamada and cursed, shouting angrily: "These people are the most fundamental strength of our tribe. Once they are damaged, we will not be able to defend this place. The shogunate will send people to take it away unscrupulously. We will No more home!"
Andoyu was unhappy and retorted: "Can we still refuse the summons from Mutsu Kingdom? Once we refuse, the shogunate will say that it has to attack North Korea, but instead concentrates its efforts to eliminate us first!"
Xue Geng looked at the people arguing and cleared his throat: "It's not an option to continue arguing like this. The messenger from Mutsu Kingdom will arrive tomorrow. You can't continue to argue when their people are here."
"Give him hands!"
"No!"
The quarrel resumes...
Xue Geng picked his ears and walked out of the tent.
This was also a tent aided by the Ming Dynasty and became a meeting place for the Ainu people.
Just when Xue Geng looked up at the sky, feeling extremely depressed, there was a sound of horse hooves from the north. Xue Geng quickly climbed up to check, and saw smoke and dust rising from the north, as if there were cavalry approaching.
The Ainu had no cavalry, and the only ones who had cavalry were Ming sergeants. Looking at this direction, they are not cavalry from a training camp, but more like people coming from the direction of Sakhalin Island.
Sergeant Sun Xiu ran over and shouted, "Commander Xue is one of ours."
Xue Geng saw the sun and moon flag rushing out of the smoke and dust!
"Let's go and greet you!"
Xue Geng led two sergeants there. Not even half a mile away, he saw a group of sergeants with bright armor. When he saw clearly who they were, Xue Geng almost cried. He stepped forward and shouted: "Wang Tongzhi, your mother finally Got it coming."
The person who came was none other than Wang Sui, the head of the Ministry of War who had caused trouble in the Joseon Palace, scared Li Fangyuan, and had made contributions to Tsushima and Iki Islands. Zhu Yunwen appointed him as Xue Geng's deputy general to serve as a commanding officer to assist in the defense of Ah. Innu people.
However, the Ainu tribe was not as strong and united as the court expected. Due to internal divisions, Xue Geng could only cooperate with Ando Chuan and Ando Yui to conduct some Ainu training and provided a batch of ordnance.
Although Wang Sui had participated in the war, he was a civilian official after all. When the imperial court moved to the Northeast, it needed the power of civilian officials to appease the people and handle government affairs. Wang Sui had nothing to do and was transferred back to the Northeast. It was not until recently that he received an emergency transfer order from the imperial court. Return to the Ezo area.
Xue Geng finally found someone who would come up with an idea. As a pure military general, he was really not good at using his brains. He was able to say a few mighty words because he was taught by the imperial governor, allowing him to make up his own mind, come up with strategies, and determine the overall situation. , which is a bit unreliable.
Wang Sui dismounted and led the sergeants to salute.
Xue Geng laughed loudly and pulled Wang Sui towards the training camp: "I've got you back. How about going to Guandong?"
Wang Sui smiled heartily and said: "Don't worry, this trip to Guandong is more successful than the Shanxi immigration. You don't know that those places in the Northeast are empty. How to plan it, how to plan it, straight roads, neat houses, orderly, even the land is connected, if it can't be connected, the trees will be cut down, there will be countless fertile fields, and the granary will be built."
Xue Geng was in a good mood: "In this way, the Northeast will be completely settled. In three years, we will be able to eat rice grown in black soil."
Wang Sui stopped and said seriously: "Three years? No, I'm here to tell you that the emperor has issued an order to prepare for war."
"Prepare, prepare for war, who to fight?"
Xue Geng was a little confused.
Wang Sui chuckled and pointed to the north: "Of course it's the shogunate, who else could it be?"
Surprise appeared on Xue Geng's face, and he pulled Wang Sui: "Seriously?"
Wang Sui patted his chest: "After I take off my armor, I will have a letter for you to read. How are the Ainu people doing here? The emperor said that the war may start this summer, in just a few months. , are the Ainu still arguing?"
Xue Geng had a headache when he heard about the Ainu people and lamented again and again.
Entering the training camp, the two sat down.
Wang Sui removed his armor.
Xue Geng complained on the side: "You also know that Kumano Yamada and the others are weak and spineless. As long as the knife is not placed on their necks, they will not take the initiative to fight against the shogunate. Now Mutsu sent people to spread the word and asked for three thousand Ainu in one go. He went to Korea with him, do you think Ashikaga Yoshimitsu has lost his mind? He actually wants to attack Korea!"
Wang Sui put his helmet on the table and said with a smile: "Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is dead. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is now in charge of the shogunate."
"What?"
Xue Geng was a little surprised.
Wang Sui took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Xue Geng: "Some time ago, the Japanese envoy entered the capital under the secret arrangement of North Korea and told the news that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was dead and hoped to sue for peace."
Xue Geng felt a little helpless. The Ezo area was very isolated. If he wanted to get information, he could only rely on the Ming army on Sakhalin Island. The Ainu people did not dare to go directly to Honshu Island to spy on the information. Xue Geng had to Let Sergeant Daming learn the dialect here.
"Conquering the Ming Dynasty in three years? Don't the people in the shogunate think that our Ming Dynasty is about the same age as their daimyo here?"
Xue Geng sneered.
Wang Sui thought for a moment and nodded seriously: "Maybe in the eyes of Ashikaga Yoshimochi, they are pretty much the same."
Xue Geng read the letter, frowned and said: "The emperor hopes that the Ainu can contain some of the shogunate's troops and lay the foundation for a faster end to the war. But now the Ainu can't even protect themselves. They are in disarray and divided internally. Now Facing the oppression of Mutsu Kingdom again, once we spare our strength to support the shogunate, the Ainu will not be able to go to war with just this small number of people!"
Wang Sui analyzed the situation in front of him.
The entire Ainu tribe is relatively scattered, surrounding Lake Toya and its surroundings for more than 300 miles. There are more than 30,000 Ainu in total. Excluding the old, weak, women and children, the number of young and strong people is only 6,000 or 7,000.
And these people can almost be said to be the last main force of the entire Ainu people. However, many of these young and strong people are afraid of war and resistance. They would rather be bullied and move away than participate in the war.
According to Wang Sui's opinion, before the Ming army arrived, it would be unparalleled to have a thousand soldiers who were truly qualified and brave enough to fight in the entire Ainu tribe.
】
"The Ainu cannot continue to be divided, and we don't have time to watch them make trouble."
Wang Sui said seriously.
Xue Geng's face became solemn, he stood up and said, "What do you mean?"
Wang Sui said softly: "Didn't Mutsu send someone here? Just lend their heads and tell all the Ainu there is no way out."
Xue Geng was a little worried: "But Kumano Yamada and Andoyu will not agree, and they may even turn their anger on us."
Wang Sui said solemnly: "If you don't even dare to take back your lost land and home, and don't even have the courage to take a look, what if you kill them? These people are weaklings. Instead of letting them kneel to the Ashikaga Shogunate, it's better to let them kneel to the Ming Dynasty!" Join forces with Ando Chuan, Ando Yum and others to completely control the entire Ainu tribe!"
Xue Geng was worried.
Wang Sui said confidently: "Ando Chuan wants to take back the land, and Ando Gong wants to own more land. Ming Dynasty can give them these, at least we can promise them this! It is not difficult to persuade them with benefits."
Xue Geng thought for a while and finally agreed.
The person who sent the message from Mutsu was a monk named Akichi, who brought twenty guards with him. He arrogantly asked for three thousand Ainu young men, and then asked for fifty women to serve as his entourage.
Kumano Yamada and Andoyu were still weak and nodded in agreement. They even directly transferred the three thousand tribesmen under the control of Andogawa and others to Akichi, and ordered Andogawa and others to donate beautiful women.
Ando River could no longer tolerate these people. Ando Zhi and Mao Ye directly led people into the big tent and neatly killed Kumano Yamada and Ando Uo, as well as the twenty guards who accompanied Akichi. Nose and ears, put them back and send a message to Mutsu and the shogunate:
Not only will the Ainu not attack others, they will also take back their homes and land!
Aki ran away, and the Ainu tribe began to undergo internal purges. Those who were weak to the bone were all killed. Naturally, these forces and tribesmen were annexed and rectified by Ando River, Ando Yum and others, and they all joined the Ming Dynasty for training. camp.
Logistical support from the Ming Dynasty has also been put in place. Weapons, armors, bows and arrows have been delivered in batches. Preparing for war, annihilating the Yamato people and retaking the homeland of the Ainu people has become the loudest clarion call...
