Dominate the Country

"Puff..."

The knife-like bow of the clipper ship split the waves, and endless water splashed. The sails were blown up, and the warship was like a fairy fish, zigzagging on the sea and approaching the north rapidly.

This is a medium-sized clipper ship under the Southeast Navy. Behind this warship, there are two warships of the same specifications. These three clipper ships are arranged in a triangle. Behind them, five thousand-ton medium-sized Western sailing ships and more than ten transport ships of similar size are arranged in two neat teams, advancing towards Tanegashima in the north.

Tanegashima, as the southern end of the Osumi Strait, is one of the naval bases of Satsuma. After losing Amami Oshima, Satsuma's maritime defense line only has the Osumi Islands.

Among the Osumi Islands, Tanegashima's geographical location is more important than Yakushima.

Satsuma not only deployed naval warships on Tanegashima, but also stationed troops on it, but did not build artillery batteries. Because Satsuma's large cannons were limited, all the large cannons were concentrated in Kagoshima Bay.

"Boom boom boom..."

When the sun was setting, bright cannon sounds rang out at the northern end of the Osumi Strait.

The sound of guns and cannons echoed on Tanegashima, and the shells flew in the air like raindrops, forming a continuous whistling sound.

Zhang Qiu held a monocular telescope. He was now on the west coast of the northern end of Tanegashima. On the shore was the home of the Tanegashima clan, which originally ruled Tanegashima. Later, the Tanegashima clan was transferred, and Tanegashima became the direct territory of the Shimazu family. It is still the largest gathering place for Japanese on Tanegashima.

In the past two years, the Shimazu family built a small city here, and the castle town also has an official name - Nishinomote Town. The population is about a thousand people.

The Southeast Navy's attack here was unusually smooth. Compared with the forces dispatched by the Southeast Navy, Satsuma's defense in the Osumi Islands can be described as nothing. Take the Satsuma Navy at the Nishinomote-cho Pier as an example. Ten small and pitiful boats were directly sent to the bottom of the sea by the Southeast Navy's artillery fire.

The port was captured by the Southeast Navy without any effort. Then came the attack on the city. The Southeast Navy brought out the fire dragon bomb. Although the Japanese had worked hard to build this small city, everything was as vulnerable as thin paper under the rocket.

…

Five days ago, the nobles in Kyoto announced their investigation to the public. They said that what they found was the truth. This murder case was because the arrogance and unreasonableness of the Chinese delegation in Japan angered the self-esteem of a Japanese samurai, and then the Japanese samurai sneaked into the residence of the Chinese delegation and killed three members of the delegation with a knife.

The Japanese took out a corpse because the latter committed suicide after turning himself in. The identity of the samurai was a very ordinary lower-level samurai in Kyoto City.

The Chinese side expressed objections to this investigation, and Wang Jun asked the Chinese side to fully intervene in the investigation. Then, the second generation of Prince Kan'in Naohito of Kyoto, on behalf of his eight-year-old sixth son, Emperor Kokaku of Japan, and on behalf of the Japanese royal family, formally announced that he rejected China's request to intervene in the investigation and China's request that the Japanese emperor apologize to China. Then the contradiction between China and Japan was officially exposed.

The royal family and nobles of Kyoto brought a huge disaster to Japan. And now China's punishment on Japan has come.

During the entire negotiation period, China's spearhead was always directed at the Japanese emperor, not the actual ruler of Japan-the Tokugawa shogunate. Because the legitimacy of the Tokugawa shogunate was formally authorized by the emperor, and the Japanese emperor was the nominal supreme ruler of Japan. Although the Shogun, as the ruler of Japan, has the obligation to protect Japan's rights from being harmed. Although Chen Han's actions have affected the authority of the Tokugawa shogunate to a certain extent. But doing so has also thrown part of the responsibility on the heads of the royal family and nobles.

And the most important thing is that the current Tokugawa Shogunate is not the original Kamakura Shogunate. After hundreds of years of shogunate rule and hundreds of years of samurai rule, the Japanese emperor and the court have long become puppets like tablets. And now these weak puppets, like paper towels, have caused huge troubles and caused huge losses to the samurai class.

The status and influence of the Tokugawa Shogunate will be affected to a certain extent, but when many outer daimyo saw the tragedy of Satsuma, would they have more of a tendency to "respect the king and expel the barbarians" in their hearts, or would they hate the emperor more for causing trouble with this rubber stamp?

Many people may not know that the views of the second generation of Prince Kanin Naohito were not recognized by Tokugawa Ieharu at all. And Tokugawa Ieharu was also very clear about what the royal family and the nobles were planning. When he got the news, he quickly ordered Kyoto Soshidai Doi Risato to control the entire Kyoto city. But the news has been spread. Even if Tokugawa Ieharu chopped the second generation Prince Kanin Naohito into a pile of meat paste, the words spoken could not be taken back.

Once the Sino-Japanese war broke out, it would be exactly what the royal family and the nobles wanted. I don't know how many people would clamor to defend Japan by force, but if China really used force against Japan, how could Japan's rights be preserved? Whether it was the warships in the North Sea or the fleet in Ryukyu, the Chinese had already blocked Japan's sea routes.

The war could not be won. Even though more and more samurai in the Tokugawa shogunate's army had picked up muskets in the past two years, and the Westerners had also reinforced Japan with a batch of muskets and cannons, this little bit of strength was far behind China.

If the war fails, Japan will definitely suffer heavy losses. It will cede territory, pay compensation, and open ports. Any crime at any point is enough to make Tokugawa Ieharu drink a pot. And if he surrenders to China, the Tokugawa shogunate will become a traitorous Japanese traitor who seeks glory! So Tokugawa Ieji was in a dilemma. But at that time, if Tokugawa Ieharu still gritted his teeth and refused to let go, the Edo shogunate would probably be demolished by Chinese naval battleships, right?

Tokugawa Ieharu's biggest blessing now is his private contact with China. China's Chen-Han Dynasty still takes good care of the Tokugawa shogunate. They challenged these problems directly to the emperor in Kyoto and the papery court, instead of forcing the Tokugawa shogunate to make a decision. Otherwise, Tokugawa Ieharu would really be roasted on the fire.

…

Kagoshima Bay is a bay wrapped by two protruding peninsulas, the Satsuma Peninsula in the west and the Osumi Peninsula in the east, like a pair of fangs of the fat insect of Kyushu Island stretching out to the south.

That is the foundation of Satsuma Domain.

The sea at its entrance and exit is more than twenty miles wide, and the Satsuma Domain did not waste their efforts in placing precious cannons on both sides.

Thirty-two-year-old Shimazu Shigehao concentrated 90% of his cannons on Kagoshima Castle and Sakurajima opposite. The latter is an inner island in Kagoshima Bay, seven or eight miles away from the Kagoshima Fort, and already has certain defensive value. The waters behind Sakurajima are the deepest part of Kagoshima Bay, where the Satsuma navy is anchored.

The news of the invasion of the Chinese Navy and the fall of Tanegashima reached Kagoshima Castle on one day. Shimazu Shigehao knew the huge disparity in strength between the two sides. Although because of the name change of Kyushu Island, the Dutch and the British, who were more powerful than the Netherlands, secretly approached the Satsuma Domain and demanded money, guns and cannons from the Satsuma Domain. He held his breath firmly and held back the Chinese. But if the two sides really come to war, Shimazu Shigehao knows very well how slim the chances of Satsuma Domain are.

The battle has begun.

The Chinese broke into Kagoshima Bay yesterday and successively bombarded important coastal towns such as Sado, Nezan, Ibusuki, and Tarumizu. Now they appeared in Kagoshima Castle.

The roar of the cannon was heard clearly by Shimazu Shigehao.

Although it is sad that the Chinese really attacked Japan, and the Satsuma Domain became the first target of the Ryukyu Fleet, the Satsuma Domain is not hopeless at all.

The fort outside Kagoshima City has more than thirty cannons. In order to meet the challenge, the entire Satsuma clan's samurai gathered under the banner of the Shimazu family, and reinforcements from the Hizen clan were also on the way.

Shimazu Shigehao is not tall, but he is very courageous. Rubbing the handle of the katana in his hand, Shimazu Shigehao's eyes glowed with hope.

If God bless the Satsuma Domain and allow it to withstand China's attack, what huge benefits will this bring to the entire Satsuma Domain? As soon as Shimazu Shigehao thinks of this, all the pressure turns into endless expectations.

Gambling?

Although Shimazu Shigehao put down a lot of chips on the gambling table, his opponents also paid him a corresponding price. As long as they can win, the benefits Shimazu Shigehao and the Satsuma Domain can gain will be far more than what they pay.

But Shimazu Shigehao didn't have much confidence in winning. Otherwise, his hand would not be touching the knife.

The Satsuma Domain, which nominally has a height of 770,000 koku, has an actual income of only about 400,000 koku. After being deprived of the 40,000 koku Amami Oshima, it was left with a comatose man like Shimadzu Shigehao who was naturally luxurious. Lord, if it weren't for the secret support of the Dutch and British, the huge feudal debt crisis would have broken out long ago.

If this gamble wins, everything is easy to say. If it fails, it is hard to imagine what kind of disaster it will bring to the Satsuma Domain.

Even if the entire Satsuma clan collapsed because of this, it would not be unusual.

As one of the thorns in the side of the Tokugawa shogunate, the latter would definitely be happy to see the collapse of the Satsuma Domain.

Ichida Moritsune, the elder of the family, ran in quickly from outside, not even caring about etiquette, "My lord, my lord, Takahashi Taneo has received news that the Chinese fleet carries three thousand marines..."

Takahashi is a veteran power family of the Satsuma Domain. Takahashi Taneo is two years younger than Shimazu Shigehao and is Shimazu Shigehao's confidant. After the Satsuma clan was knocked out of Ryukyu by the Chinese navy, he was sent to Ryukyu as a spy as an Osaka merchant.

"Nani!" Shigehao Shimazu was about to faint when he heard this, and the knife in his hand fell to the ground. Moritane Ichida quickly went up to support his cheap son-in-law. His position as the patriarch of the Satsuma clan rested entirely on his daughter being Shimazu Shigego's concubine.

Shimazu Shigego seemed to have been hit hard by a heavy hammer, "It's over, it's over, the Satsuma clan is really going to perish. I, Shimazu Shigego, have now become a sinner of the Shimadzu family and Japan!"

What is the concept of three thousand Marines? The Chinese had enough troops to capture Kagoshima Castle.

During the Ryukyu War, the soldiers of the Satsuma Domain experienced the power of Chinese soldiers. Three thousand people, this is already a number beyond Shimazu Shigehao's psychological endurance.

"Lord, this war is not something that the Satsuma Domain can handle alone. What the Chinese have to deal with is not just our small part of the Satsuma Domain, but the whole world, the whole of Japan! All the power of Japan must be concentrated to resist. , It is absolutely impossible to rely solely on the power of the Satsuma clan! Please ask the shogunate for help immediately!"

Ichida Moritsune lay on the ground.

Three thousand Chinese marines, he was scared to death, right? This was not something the Shimazu family could contend with.

In the past two years, the Satsuma Domain, which had received secret support from the Dutch and the British, had formed a new army of three thousand people, including an artillery unit and some sailors. The real new land army had only one thousand five hundred people.

It seemed that the difference in personnel was not great, but the actual difference in combat effectiveness was so huge that the entire Satsuma Domain could not tell.

"How could the shogunate rescue Satsuma?"

"Distant water cannot save nearby fire. By the time the news was sent to Edo, the entire Kagoshima was razed to the ground."

"Yes, the Chinese are right in front of us, and even if the shogunate sent troops, it would be too late. In this battle, the samurai of Kagoshima must defend their homeland with their own strength!"

...

In the port of Kagoshima City, smoke was flying everywhere on the stage. The artillery battle was still in full swing.

Many Kagoshima samurai, who only had a samurai sword, watched this Western-style artillery battle from a close distance. However, when the warships of the Southeast Navy began to fire their guns and incendiary bombs at the castle town of Kagoshima, the whole of Kagoshima became lively.

At this time, Japanese cities were almost all wooden buildings. The damage caused by the hot incendiary bombs was far less serious than the damage to Kagoshima Castle caused by the subsequent fire.

For those Kagoshima samurai gathered around the dock area, hand-to-hand combat was their favorite way of fighting. Even if they fell on the way to the Chinese, it was glorious.

They were not afraid of Chinese bullets and bayonets, but they had to be afraid when facing the fire.

Brave samurai were not afraid of sacrifice, but being burned to death by the fire was not worth it.

Screams, scolding, crying...

The Japanese civilians suffered the most. You have to know that according to Japanese tradition, war rarely affects the castle town. Although many Japanese civilians knew that the war was coming, many of them stayed in their homes instead of fleeing to the countryside.

Now the entire castle town was in chaos, and the residents of Kagoshima, who had been relatively calm in the sound of artillery fire, suddenly fell into panic. They cried in front of the houses that were set on fire by the shells, they wailed helplessly, and countless people screamed and fled inland without taking any property. The whole city was instantly in chaos!