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Volume 1 Chapter 1673 Give you a chance

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    After some weighing, Inaba Masatoshi decided to agree to the harsh conditions proposed by the Han envoys in exchange for their support for his master Tokugawa Tadanagi to become the governor of the Tokugawa family after the war.  Although he is only here to negotiate on behalf of Tokugawa Tadenaga, and he has no authority to make a statement, based on his understanding of the master, he knows that it is only a matter of time before Tokugawa Tadenaga agrees to the proposal.  "Besides, there is no choice between living in seclusion in the mountains and becoming the governor of the Tokugawa family.  During this period of time, Kobe suddenly became the focus of attention throughout Japan. Envoys came and went from everywhere, negotiating with the Han based on their own interests.  After seeing off the envoys sent by Tokugawa Tadanagi, Zhou Pu did not stop, but continued to receive envoys sent to him by various forces from other places. Depending on the needs of the Han Dynasty's interests, he either gave gentle words of encouragement, or  Speak harshly and use various means to win over or intimidate them so that they can act according to their own will.  After a period of negotiation, he had roughly figured out the intentions and trends of the various forces, and also figured out what they wanted from him. He knew that all parties had been convinced by the Han's continuous victory.  They were shocked. Except for the shogunate, basically no one wanted to fight to the death with the Han Dynasty. On the contrary, they were worried that the Han Dynasty would regard them as enemies, so they did not dare to express their stance at all.  Therefore, in order to calm the hearts of these people, Zhou Pu emphasized again and again that the Han war against the shogunate was just to punish the shogunate and Tokugawa Iemitsu, and to support the discipline of the Japanese court. As long as they did not support the shogunate or oppose the court,  If you accept the security of the court with peace of mind, you will not be attacked by the Han Dynasty.  Nowadays, his promise has become even more powerful. Although Nijo Yasudou, the right minister representing the imperial court, was also in Kobe, not many people came to show their courtesy to Nijo Yasudou. Instead, they dedicated all kinds of gifts and flattery to Zhou Pu - although  On the surface, Zhou Pu respects the imperial court very much, but of course these people know who has the final say in Japan now and in the future.  And after he coordinated the relationship with all the forces, the rest of the entire army was almost over, and it was time to continue marching.  In recent days, Zhou Pu has summoned his counselors and generals of the Japanese vassal army to discuss the future march plan.  At the beginning, the main task assigned by Zhao Song to their army was to march as hard as possible, contain more shogunate troops, and create conditions for the main force of the Han army to move later. However, Zhou Pu and his chief counselor Huang Changguo did not see it that way.  In order to achieve more meritorious deeds, they want to expand the momentum of their own army and strive to achieve greater results.  However, even they did not expect that their march would achieve such great achievements. They marched north from the Maori territory at the southernmost tip of Honshu Island, relying on the appeal of the court and the Japanese vassal troops under them along the way.  In the battle, they actually fought and won consecutively, advancing the front line bit by bit towards the Kinki area.  Encouraged by this series of victories, Zhou Pu and Huang Changguo's appetite grew bigger and bigger, and they were determined to penetrate further into the heart of Honshu Island, preferably directly into Kyoto.  When they obtained heavy artillery from Zhao Song and won the battle of Himeji Castle with great determination, they suddenly discovered that Kyoto was really close in front of them.  During this period, they had been deliberately collecting information about the shogunate army in the Kinki area. Relying on the help of wealthy merchants and wealthy families who had defected to the Han Dynasty, they quickly got a rough idea of ??the situation of the enemy forces opposite.  ¡°Obviously, the shogunate army has not yet recovered from the shadow of the tragic defeat at Himeji Castle. Not only were their troops damaged and a large number of experienced troops were annihilated, but their morale was also flagged due to the tragic defeat.  Although the shogunate has been working hard to reinforce the army in the direction of Kyoto, and although itakura Shigemune, the governor of Kyoto, has returned to Kyoto to reorganize the army, their vitality has still not been restored.  The situation on Zhou Pu's side is very different. Although they also suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Himeji, most of their losses were only newly recruited troops. The Han officers and soldiers and Tachibana Shimazu Mori who were the backbone of the army  The vassal army of the other vassals did not suffer much losses, and it can be said that their vitality is still there.  ¡°And after arriving in the wealthy Kinki region, the troops were well-supplied, and the morale of the troops was soon high again.  Coupled with the great righteousness of the imperial court as a call, their army's recruitment of new soldiers was very smooth, and there were even many wealthy families who directly joined their families because they felt that the situation was determined.  So after just half a month's rest, Zhou Pu's troops have returned to their previous strength, even better than before. They are gearing up and waiting for greater rewards after conquering Kyoto.  In this case, then Zhou Pu and Huang ChangguoOf course I won¡¯t miss this God-given opportunity.  They set their primary goal for this march on Kyoto. All they were thinking about was how to capture Kyoto as soon as possible and drive the shogunate's troops completely out of the Kinai area, which also made the court's call more justified.  However, although they wanted to attack Kyoto, there were many mountains and rugged terrain between Kobe and Kyoto, which was not a convenient route for the army to advance. Therefore, after discussion, they decided to take a more circuitous route.  The army first marched along the coast, passing through Nishinomiya, Amagasaki and other cities towards Osaka. After taking Osaka, they divided their forces. Several small armies marched from the south and east respectively to attack Sakai City, Nara and other places. On the one hand, they contained the shogunate.  The defenders expanded their army's momentum. On the one hand, attacking these commercially prosperous places could also put greater economic pressure on the shogunate.  The main force followed the Yodogawa, a river that originated from Lake Biwa, flowed through Kyoto and finally entered the sea in Osaka, upstream to the north, headed towards Kyoto, and headed straight for Fushimi Castle in the southern suburbs of Kyoto.  Fushimi Castle is located in an important location, just at the gateway to the south of Kyoto. Water transportation between Osaka and Kyoto must also pass through here, and it is surrounded by mountains, so its location is very advantageous.  During the era of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Lord Taiko, who once controlled the entire Japan, placed his home town here for a time, built a large castle here, and then placed his residence here for a time.  , it also became the political center of Japan for a time.  After his death, according to his will, his son Toyotomi Hideyori moved the city to Osaka Castle, which was also carefully managed by him. It was left to the five elders and other ministers of the Toyotomi regime to manage government affairs.  ¡ª¡ªAs one of the elders, Tokugawa Ieyasu once handled government affairs here.  Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu's ambition to seize the Toyotomi family became obvious, and the Toyotomi ministers were divided into two groups to attack each other. Fushimi Castle was guarded by Tokugawa Ieyasu's trusted general Torii Motada.  Down.  In order to pull out the nail buried by the Tokugawa family in the Western country, Ishida Mitsunari and other Western generals ordered an attack on the city, and captured the city thirteen days later. Torii Motochu also died in the battle.  Tokugawa Ieyasu was greatly admired and moved by Torii Motada's loyalty. He called his beloved a role model for the "Mikawa Samurai". During the brutal castle attack, most of the originally tall and magnificent Fushimi Castle was destroyed by the war.  .  After the war, in order to strengthen their control over the Western Kingdom and to erase the last traces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Tokugawa family destroyed all the last remains of Fushimi Castle, and the original building materials in the castle were transferred to other castles.  Although there is no Fushimi Castle on the ground, the importance of Fushimi's geographical location will not change. As long as Fushimi is captured, Kyoto will be close at hand, and the connection between Kyoto and Kanto can even be cut off.  Let Kyoto truly become a lonely city.  After agreeing on the marching strategy, Zhou Pu no longer wasted time. After leaving the necessary guard troops behind, Zhou Pu led the entire army towards Osaka.  Before Zhou Pu's march, Zhou Pu had already reached a tacit understanding with Osaka's wealthy businessmen. They had no intention of dying for the shogunate. Therefore, on the eve of Zhou Pu's march, they had already started an uprising in the city and expelled the shogunate from Osaka Castle.  The local magistrate Osaka Town appointed Masatoshi Hisami and his henchmen took control of Osaka Castle.  When Zhou Pu¡¯s army finally pressed under Osaka City after several days of marching, Osaka City immediately chose to surrender and fell into the hands of the Han army with almost no bloodshed.  Although the status of Osaka Castle cannot be compared with that of the Toyotomi Hideyoshi era, the fall of this city into the hands of the Han army will undoubtedly bring greater shock to all forces in Japan.  At the foot of Osaka Castle, the proud Zhou Pu rode into Osaka Castle surrounded by guards and generals.  At this time, there were many citizens and businessmen surrounding him on both sides, looking at him curiously, as if they wanted to take this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the envoy of the Celestial Dynasty.  Because Tokugawa Ieyasu besieged Osaka twice, causing tragic casualties, the residents and wealthy businessmen of Osaka had no feelings for the Tokugawa shogunate. Moreover, most Osaka people were business people and did not pay attention to the differences between nationalities.  It was too heavy, so their attitude towards the big man was not as fearful or disgusting as other places.  After the Han invaded, the shogunate wanted to implement the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the country in the Western Kingdom, but the implementation in Osaka was very unsuccessful. Businessmen and citizens tried their best to stay. On the one hand, they did not want their family property and  The property was taken away by the shogunate; on the other hand, he felt that there was nothing to be afraid of even if the big man attacked him, and he still had to do business when it was time to do business.  Among these people, there is also a rumor secretly circulating - the reason why the Tokugawa family angered the big man and even attractedIncurring such a disaster is a divine punishment from Lord Taige's spirit in heaven.  Under the early morning sun, with eyes full of awe and curiosity, the red uniforms of the Han infantry passed by piece by piece, eclipsing the original wilderness outside the city.  Although there were not many Han officers and soldiers, they moved in unison, moving forward with the flag fluttering in the wind, obeying the officer's whispered instructions or stopping, turning, or lining up at a distance from other soldiers in the unit.  An infantry phalanx bypassing another formation.  Behind them, groups of Japanese vassal troops wearing various costumes also surged forward in a neat military formation. Their queue could hardly see the end under the city.  Zhou Pu rode a horse and slowly walked into Osaka City surrounded by this group of Han troops.  Because he deliberately wanted to show off the might of the Han Dynasty and his own power among these Osaka merchants, he deliberately ordered his troops to pass through the city in the most orderly manner.  The guards around him are all honor guards carefully selected by him. They all ride solid-colored horses and are tall. Their uniform movements and clothing and armor make them look even more heroic.  Zhou Pu¡¯s goal was achieved. When Zhou Pu came to the city, the merchants and people in the city cheered him, as if they were welcoming a triumphant army.  But amidst the cheers of the crowd, his expression was solemn, his words were serious, and his movements were just like those of the Toyota Pavilion back then.  Because the local officials and sheriffs of the shogunate in the city had already fled, a group of wealthy businessmen greeted Zhou Pu today, and among these wealthy businessmen was Mitsui Takamatsu, whom Zhou Pu knew.  This member of the Mitsui family, since the meeting and negotiation with Zhou Pu, has turned to the Han Dynasty and is determined to help the Han Dynasty attack the shogunate, so that his family can avoid this unexpected disaster, and at the same time, the Mitsui family can  Home moves to a higher level.  And he did make a contribution. Not only did he secretly send people to sell grain and Zhou Pu's army, but he also played an important role in the chaos in Osaka City, allowing Osaka to fall smoothly into the hands of the Han army.  Zhou Pu will certainly reward such active collaborators.  After arriving in Osaka City, Zhou Pu summoned these wealthy merchants who had contributed, and then, as he had promised before, issued charters to these merchants, announcing that they would be the Japanese merchants designated by the Han Dynasty.  The goods are exported only through them, and the Japanese goods imported by Dahan are only handled through them.  This is of course not Zhou Pu¡¯s temporary arbitrary behavior. In fact, when he contacted these wealthy businessmen, he had already communicated with the domestic court, and the Ministry of Commerce also agreed to this method of rewarding merit after weighing the pros and cons.  The merchants who had obtained this kind of exclusive trade rights were naturally very satisfied. They showed their courtesy to Zhou Pu one after another and expressed their gratitude in various ways. However, Zhou Pu had important things to do now, so he just accepted their offer politely.  The gifts sent them away.  Although Osaka fell quickly, it was not the end of Zhou Pu's plan, so he immediately regrouped his troops and prepared for the next stage of attack.  With the help of Huang Changguo and others, he made arrangements one by one in Osaka Castle, preparing to divide the army to attack.  On the second day after he arrived in Osaka, Togo Shigekata was summoned by Zhou Pu to sit in front of him.  When Togo Shigekata came to Zhou Pu's residence, he was a little embarrassed, because although he was a samurai in the Shimazu clan, he commanded a small army and had established a position in the previous Battle of Himeji.  Although he has great merits, he is just a retainer after all, and he usually does not have the opportunity to meet the envoys of the Han Dynasty.  Like everyone else, he took class very seriously, and subconsciously felt that he was not qualified to be on par with this gentleman. Moreover, he was not a smooth person, so he was not too excited when he got such an opportunity.  , but rather at a loss.  However, perhaps in order to relieve his nervousness, Zhou Pu received him very cordially. Compared with his usual bossy attitude in front of various daimyo, this humble gesture simply flattered Togo Shigekata.  "Sir, what are your orders?" After chatting for a while, Togo Shigekata decided to get to the point early in order to end this uncomfortable meeting as soon as possible, "I will fight to the death!" "I don't need you to fight to the death.  , I just asked you to do something small." Zhou Pu smiled, "Dongxiang, do you remember what I promised you before?" Dongxiang Shigefang was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered.  In the previous reward for Himeji Castle, this lord had promised to make him a daimyo in the future.  But he didn't mention this matter after that. Togo Shigekata thought he was just talking casually.Unexpectedly, this adult actually remembered and really planned to fulfill this promise.  This sudden good news made his mind suddenly warm.  "Please let me know!" "It seems that you have already remembered it?" Zhou Pu still smiled, "Yes, I am going to give you the opportunity to make great achievements and become famous. Do you know that what we will do next is  "Divide the troops and attack?" "I've heard a little bit about it." As an officer, he certainly knows something about the army's next movements, but due to his level, he certainly can't know everything.  "Next, our army will mainly attack Kyoto, and at the same time launch small-scale attacks on other routes so that the shogunate army cannot take care of both." "You are right. Next, we will not only attack Kyoto, but also contain the east.  And the south." Zhou Pu nodded, "This requires our army to send out several containment troops, and you, I think, can lead one of them and make a contribution to our army. Can youif you can lead an army on your own?  If you can do it, I will fight against all opinions and allocate a partial army to you. "If you want to be a daimyo, you cannot do it without enough merit. You should at least have the experience of commanding an army on your own, so Zhou Pu decided.  Give him such an opportunity - of course, this army is only used to contain the enemy, and the number is definitely not large.  When the opportunity he had longed for suddenly came to him so quickly, Togo Shigekata felt a little dry for a moment, but he quickly came to his senses.  The opportunity to make a name for yourself finally came.  "I will risk my life to complete the mission and never let down the Lord's expectations!" In the midst of excitement, he suddenly felt extremely grateful that he had had the opportunity to get to know this Lord.  
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