"You want to use siege cannons?" Zhou Pu was stunned for a moment, and then immediately understood what the other party meant. The Han Dynasty's siege artillery was extremely powerful and was specially used to attack enemy fortresses and fortresses. Previously in Kyushu, in order to show off its force, it was demonstrated under Kurume Castle in front of various daimyo. Even Zhou Pu was also moved by that. I was frightened by the overwhelming momentum. But the disadvantage of its powerful power is that this kind of cannon is very heavy. If you want to move it, you must first disassemble it and then use a special gun truck to haul it, so it is very inconvenient to move. Moreover, the status of this kind of cannon is also very important. It is directly under the personal command of Zhao Song, the commander of the Japanese army, and others have no right to mobilize it. When Zhou Pu led the army to land on Honshu and marched towards Kyoto, in order to pursue the speed of the attack, they deliberately did not carry particularly heavy firearms. In addition to muskets, they only brought some field artillery for easy movement, because they had been in Kyushu before. With their combat experience, they despised the military power of Japan's feudal lords and shogunates. In addition, Kyoto's military strength was definitely not as good as the shogunate's home base in Kanto, so they felt that even without such heavy firepower, it was enough to defeat the enemies along the way. But now, Huang Changguo and others no longer think so. The shogunate is obviously very aware of the situation. They refuse to fight the Han army in the Western Kingdom. Instead, they want to rely on the fortress to delay their advance. And attacking fortresses is the weakness of this army. So after a long discussion, everyone decided to ask Zhou Pu to ask Marshal Zhao from Kyushu for help, and asked him to order the navy to transport siege artillery, and use this heavy firepower to knock open Himeji Castle bit by bit. After Huang Changguo carefully explained the current situation to Zhou Pu, Zhou Pu did not dare to neglect and quickly wrote a letter to the rear, asking Zhao Song to transport siege artillery to him to help him capture Jiji. city. As for the transportation location, they have already chosen it, and it is in Bizen Kunojima County, which is close to the Harima area and is close to the sea. Just after this letter was sent, Zhou Pu also sent a large army from the army, led by Huang Changguo himself, preparing to occupy Kojima County and obtain the seaside port. Kojima County is the territory of Okayama Domain and is under the leadership of the Ikeda family. Now that the Ikeda family has fled, they should not encounter any resistance along the way. /p> As for the main force of the army, they will continue to march into Harima Kingdom and prepare to fight until they reach the gates of Himeji Castle. And just after Zhou Pu made such an arrangement, his subordinates suddenly reported news to him¡ªan envoy from the shogunate asked to see him. These envoys seemed to be very careful and their whereabouts were very secretive. After discovering the traces of the army, they only sought contact with the forward troops at night, and were almost eliminated directly by the forward troops as enemies. After expressing his intention to come, the vassal officer of the vanguard force did not dare to neglect and immediately led them to the main army formation. Moreover, he was also quite obedient and kept very confidential along the way, so the news did not spread. After hearing the news, Zhou Pu¡¯s first reaction was overjoyed. Although he marched very smoothly along the way, he knew the Han army well and paid great attention to the enemy, so he didn't have much arrogance. Moreover, the Han originally planned to use war to seek compromise, but the shogunate so quickly began to follow It's a good thing that they are seeking compromise. However, even though he was overjoyed, he knew he shouldn't show this emotion. He deliberately ignored these envoys and had them detained until night before they were brought to him. They are currently stationed in a village. In order to avoid the Han army, the villagers have already fled, so they were directly requisitioned by Zhou Pu as a temporary camp for his own formation. The best residential house in the village naturally became his resting place. However, the furnishings of this Japanese-style farmhouse are unlikely to be very good, and the humidity in the recent summer has made him feel a little uncomfortable. These messengers were quickly brought to him by the soldiers. After meeting Zhou Pu, the envoys of the shogunate, headed by Takagi Qing, knelt down on the floor to salute Zhou Pu, appearing respectful but not groveling. "I, Takagi Qing, am a subordinate of Toi Toi, the veteran shogunate, and I have met you." However, in order to gain a superior position and reflect the man's noble bearing, Zhou Pu was much more arrogant. He sat on the main seat. , then glanced at these messengers sideways, and then said coldly. "I am Zhou Pu, the envoy of the Han Dynasty. I am following the army of your country to your capital this time. May I ask if you have any advice?" "I came here under the orders of Lao Zhong and General. I want to seek reconciliation between your country and the shogunate." Gao Muqing was not discouraged by Zhou Pu's arrogant attitude, but calmly stated his purpose. Since the Han Dynasty occupied Kyushu and issued proclamations everywhere announcing the crusade against the shogunate, Zhou Pu¡¯s reputationThe word has spread all over Japan, and Gao Muqing has naturally heard about it for a long time. Today, when he got the opportunity to see him in person, Gao Muqing didn't expect that he was so young. But it¡¯s natural to think about it. I heard that although the emperor of Han Dynasty started from a humble beginning, he started to make a fortune at a very early stage, and he rose very quickly. He conquered the world before he was thirty years old, and he only started to make a fortune when he was in his forties. The great ancestors of the Western Han Dynasty are not the same. He is young, and the brothers around him are also very young, and the ministers below are naturally not too old. Therefore, the Han Dynasty can now be said to be a vigorous court. No wonder he has such a strong enterprising spirit. It¡¯s a pity that this aggressiveness has now brought such a big disaster to Japan. "Reconciliation?" Zhou Pu frowned, as if he didn't understand what he said, "Hasn't the envoy seen the message issued by our big man before? We have made it very clear. This time we are here just to help Japan. The rebels in Japan have not surrendered to those who crippled the treacherous ministers and supported the rule of law, and the rule of law has not been restored. How can we reconcile? " "Sir, our position of shogun was given by the emperor, and we have the purpose of rectifying it for the emperor. How can the Wu family be called traitors when they have the duty to conquer unsubordinates?" Gao Muqing suppressed the anger in his heart and defended cautiously, "Since hundreds of years ago, our country has always been a country ruled by a general. In terms of military and civil affairs, the Tokugawa family only conforms to the customs of our country, so how can they corrupt the discipline?" "This is nonsense!" Zhou Pu immediately interrupted him, "You say this so eloquently, but the facts are there. Can you deny it? Your shogunate is domineering and bullying the imperial court, and everyone in your country has already known his ambition! How can such an arrogant and domineering general be loyal to the emperor? The famous imperial court is full of misdeeds, and who can deny it? If the envoy came here today just to make these false claims in an attempt to deceive our imperial court, then please go back. How could the Holy Emperor of our country be chosen by you? I was deceived by such rhetoric! " "My lord, the shogunate has been in charge of power since ancient times. Compared with the previous shogunates, our Edo shogunate respected the emperor more and gave better treatment to the court and ministers. In this way, how can it be regarded as bullying the imperial court?" Takagi Qing still argued, "My lord is new here and may have been deceived by some villains, but I swear to God, I and the people of Edo will not be afraid of you. The court has no intention of being disrespectful!" "Swear to God? What's the point of swearing to God, you jackals?" Zhou Pu laughed, "Now the court and the king of your country are in our hands. I have already told the imperial court of our country the evil deeds of the shogunate, and I am weeping every word Even if you say these words, what is the use?" "His Majesty the Emperor and the Emperor were deceived and held hostage by villains. They are incompetent. How much can you take what you say seriously?" Gao Muqing's expression changed slightly, but he still reluctantly answered, "There are some treacherous people in the court who hold high positions and do not want to serve the country. Instead, they want to stir up trouble and cause trouble between the two countries. Fight to fulfill their ambitions! Don't believe these treacherous villains." "It's obvious to everyone who is loyal and who is traitorous. No matter how nice the messenger's words are, it's not as good as seeing them." Zhou Pu still sneered. "Now that your country's imperial court has issued a campaign against the shogunate, it has spread all over the country and caused a commotion throughout Japan. Doesn't this prove that your country has been suffering from the shogunate for a long time?" This question was so powerful that Takagi Qing gave a slight sigh. He was sluggish and didn't answer the question for a while. Although both of them knew very well that in the context of the current war between the two countries, the shogunate's attitude towards the court was definitely not the most important factor, but in order to gain a favorable position in the negotiations, they started to discuss this unimportant issue. own offense and defense. In this first confrontation, Zhou Pu had the upper hand. This was not because Takagi Qing's eloquence was not good, but from an objective point of view, the shogunate had indeed neglected the imperial court and bullied the emperor and various daimyo. If the Han Dynasty were to accuse from the high ground of righteousness, There is really no excuse. "Our country's national conditions are special and cannot be generalized to those of the Central Plains." After hesitating for a moment, Gao Muqing had to turn away from the dispute over justice and move closer to reality, "My lord, now the two countries have begun to fight over some misunderstandings. It's all very unfortunate. Our shogunate general couldn't bear to see the people in such miserable conditions, so he sent me here to ask if your country can stop its troops and let the two countries reconcile" "This time our country sent troops because of your country's perverse behavior. , and was quite disrespectful to our country, so much so that it angered the emperor of the Holy Dynasty. If you want to stop the troops, it is easy. We have made it very clear before - as long as the culprit who caused the war between the two countries is punished, your country will If our country's laws and discipline are restored, then our country will naturally have no reason to raise more troops." Zhou ??He immediately replied, "These words must have been brought to the shogunate by the people we sent back before, right?" "It is true that some ministers of the shogunate did not operate properly when the two countries have reached this point, which caused the two countries to be at odds with each other. "Because he was already feeling a little nervous, some beads of sweat appeared on the tip of Gao Muqing's nose, "Of course these people are unpardonable, and our Lord General also plans to punish them to thank the world." "Now that it has happened. , does the envoy still think that just throwing out a few scapegoats can settle the matter?" Zhou Pu's smile became more sarcastic, "If that's the case, the envoy will give up. We said before. It is very clear that the culprit of this conflict between the two countries is the shogunate's shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Moreover, as a subordinate, Tokugawa Iemitsu has committed an unforgivable crime by bullying the monarch. Therefore, he must take the blame and step down from the position of shogun. He left his position as the head of the Tokugawa family and can no longer control Japan's national affairs! " "Don't you think this condition is too harsh, sir?" Because of his anger, Takagi Qing's voice trembled, "Our general, for the sake of We have made the utmost determination to reconcile with your country, but your Lord's conditions do not show your sincerity towards us at all I am sorry that it is really difficult for us to accept." "It's not surprising that he is so angry, this big Han envoy. Being so arrogant in front of him now, and having thrown out an unacceptable condition from the beginning, really made him angry. Moreover, he also understood that showing groveling in front of a big man would only lead to being looked down upon, so he would rather show it. Some gesture of defiance. "Now we have a large army on the border, and all parts of your country have responded to us. Your shogunate is now on the verge of collapse. Even if you don't agree, what can you do?" Zhou Pu still had no intention of softening his stance and continued to attack the other party. High pressure, "If the envoy feels that there is nothing left to talk about between the two sides, then go back. We will never embarrass the envoy. See you all in Kyoto then." Seeing that the two sides are about to collapse if this argument continues, Gao Muqing He gritted his teeth and finally endured it. When he came here today, he originally had no intention of reaching an agreement with the big man directly. Now he was trying to figure out their true intentions. " If the big man is determined to get rid of the shogun and let the Tokugawa family fall, then of course there is no need to talk about it. But if the big man wants money or land, then there is room for bargaining. "My lord, don't be anxious. It is too important at this time, so we cannot make a decision in a hurry. Let's put it aside for the time being. Your lord will not only put forward this condition to the shogunate, right?" "That is natural. "Zhou Pu nodded immediately. "The cause of this war between the two countries is the shogunate. It was the shogunate's unilateral interference with the trade between the two countries that caused this incident. Therefore, the shogunate must compensate our country for its trade losses and military expenditure losses." "Because of some treacherous officials. As a result, there were some trade disputes between the two countries and caused chaos. The general did apologize for this and was willing to compensate the affected merchants. However your country directly raised troops without negotiation and gave them. Our country has caused such heavy losses, and the shogunate cannot provide compensation." Takagi Qing immediately stated the shogunate's plan. "However considering that your country's large army has gathered, it will be inconvenient to mobilize and withdraw, so our shogunate can provide some **** expenses." This sentence has made it clear. For the sake of the reputation of the shogunate, the shogunate There is not much difference between being unwilling to compensate the big man, but being willing to compensate the big man in the name of compensation and sexual reward. "Then how exactly does the shogunate plan to pay for this kind of reward?" Zhou Pu asked with interest. "As far as I know, the shogunate's current financial situation is very difficult. I'm afraid it won't be able to come up with much money in a hurry." "The shogunate has strong reserves. Even if the current expenditure is huge, it can be fully supported." After singing a high-profile speech, Takagi Qing immediately told the true meaning of the shogunate, "However, according to the opinion of Mr. Laozhong, it is best to use the shogunate's gold and silver mountains in the West and Kyushu to repay these expenses. The shogunate can transfer these gold and silver mountains to you." The country has been operating for decades, and the gold and silver mined are used to compensate your country. "Now that the Western Kingdom and Kyushu are no longer in the hands of the shogunate, you just threw it to us Han Doesn't this mean that nothing has been lost?" Pu couldn't help laughing again, "You generals and Lao Zhong are doing good business!" But even though he was laughing, he didn't mean to reject this opinion. After all, in the final analysis, the big man came here just for these things. "Now that the Western Kingdom and Kyushu have been occupied by the fallen daimyo, if the shogunate is willing to recognize the independent daimyo in various places and promise not to pursue them anymore, then we can talk about this." Zhou Pu changed the direction, " ???If the shogunate still wants to attack them again, then we absolutely cannot agree to negotiate peace with the shogunate. " "This our general is also willing to guarantee it. If the Han Dynasty withdraws its troops, we are willing to maintain the status quo and recognize the territories owned by the various daimyo of the Western Kingdom. "Gao Muqing nodded sadly, and then looked at Zhou Pu again, "However, I dare to ask, sir, how do you plan to treat the Tokugawa family? " "After all, the Tokugawa family is a famous family in Japan, and it has contributed to the eradication of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's family. It would be wrong to completely wipe them out. " Zhou Pu said lightly, his attitude softened slightly because of the other party's low profile, "All the misdeeds of the Tokugawa family are probably due to the expansion of ambitions after ascending to the position of general, so as long as the Tokugawa family The Kawa family dismissed the shogunate and returned the position of shogun, so it would not be a bad idea to continue to maintain the old territory. " Toyotomi Hideyoshi was considered a sinner in the official context of the Han Dynasty because he invaded Goryeo, and the Tokugawa family destroyed the Toyotomi clan, so it can be regarded as a credit to the Tokugawa family. But Takagi Qing could not appreciate it. , and for a moment he felt that the blood in his body was freezing. Disbanding the shogunate, handing over the position of general, and returning to the old leader The conditions for the Han Dynasty were so harsh! Before the opening, the old leader of the Tokugawa family grew up. Three rivers and a corner became the huge Kanto, but at its peak, Toyotomi Hideyoshi transferred the land of 2.55 million koku to the Tokugawa family. In other words, the Han Dynasty could only recognize so many old territories. ¡ª¡ªmaybe not even that many. If we agree, then the Tokugawa family¡¯s current four million heavenly territories and millions of vassal territories will be handed over directly "Sir, under such harsh conditions, we I would rather die in battle than accept it! "Gao Muqing's blood surged and he suddenly shouted.