New Shun 1730

Being a comprador is shameful.

However, in Japan, where there are many feudal domains and the form is unified, it is still a situation of "wanting to be a comprador but not being able to".

In order to protect the shogunate, the customs duties were directly handed over to the shogunate by Dashun, and the feudal domains were not selected as agents.

If the treaty of Dashun chose the opening of ports in domains such as Choshu, Kumamoto, or even Kagoshima, then these feudal domains would be crazy.

In a few years, they may have the financial strength to challenge the shogunate.

Tokugawa Munetake believed that this matter could be regarded as a good thing. As long as it was used well, it could achieve the result of "weakening the feudal domains and increasing financial strength" with one stone.

It was not that the shogunate did not trust the feudal domains, but the performance of the southwestern feudal domains in this war was really suspicious. Although it did not say that they really turned to Dashun, it was because Dashun did not want them, not because they did not want to.

Moreover, the performance of the feudal soldiers of each feudal domain in this war also made Tokugawa Munetake realize that the feudal soldier system could not fight a war at all.

It's OK to suppress the uprisings at home, but suppressing them all day long will completely lose the ability to fight in the field.

When the Dashun Dynasty was founded, a group of northwestern frontier troops often fought low-intensity wars with the Mongols, and they were confused when facing the heavy infantry and artillery of the Later Jin Dynasty.

After the founding of the Dashun Dynasty, the southwest was changed to a state of flow, and the experience gained from it was: the firepower of the matchlock gun was insufficient, and it was supplemented by a large number of light cannons, and the cannons were used to crush the chieftains. As a result, the field tactics almost went in the wrong direction. In the end, if it weren't for Liu Yu, it would definitely go in the direction of matchlock guns plus a large number of tiger-like cannons and a large number of similar leather cannons to fill the lack of firepower, rather than the direction of field cannons plus flintlock bayonets.

It's similar here in Japan. They haven't fought high-intensity wars. They either rushed into the people of the uprising to fight, or they clung to the experience of the Warring States Period.

People's correct thinking must be obtained from practice. Now that he had put it into practice, Tokugawa Munetake knew that he could not win by relying on martial arts and swords, even if he did not understand the difference in organizational methods.

Since the feudal soldiers could not fight, the shogunate needed to reorganize the hatamoto, at least to have a new type of firearms unit.

This required money.

The shogunate had to pay compensation, and it had already exploited the people too much, so it had no money.

Without money, it had to find a way to get money from the feudal domains.

If they were asked to pay directly, the feudal domains would definitely not be happy.

But if we change the method and sell goods to the feudal domains and suck blood from the goods? Emperor Wu of Han could monopolize salt and iron, and the shogunate monopolized compradors. Is it feasible?

Having money does not necessarily mean you can get things done.

Without money, you definitely can't get things done.

In this regard, Tokugawa Munetake was still more pragmatic.

If Japan really achieved true unification, Tokugawa Munetake might stand from the perspective of Arai Hakuseki and consider the overall situation of gold and silver outflow.

But now from the perspective of the shogunate, this is another story.

After this battle, although Tokugawa Yoshimune relied on power and intrigue to regain the initiative of public opinion, the crisis of the shogunate had already been planted.

It was just temporarily suppressed under the banner of resisting the war to the end, forcing the feudal lords to take the blame.

The shogunate, which originally seemed extremely powerful, turned out to be vulnerable, which would definitely make the feudal lords ready to move.

Most people would think, isn't it just firearms? As long as he formed a firearms unit, he, the Tokugawa family, could be the shogun, so why can't I?

Before guarding against foreign enemies, the feudal lords naturally had to guard against "their own people" first, and the shogunate was the same.

Paying tribute to Dashun, as long as he was obedient, the position of shogun could be done for a long time. As long as it is not like what Ichijo Kenka said, the Central Plains was in chaos and the navy went it alone to claim the throne, it seems that Dashun has no interest in completely conquering Japan at present.

If there is really a frugality order or a ban on Tang goods, Dashun will see that they have fought a war and opened a commercial port, but there is no effect. They may fight again until they are completely subdued.

Rather than this, it is better to measure the gold and silver of Japan and win the favor of Dashun.

Of course, this cannot be said in front of outsiders, but there are no outsiders in Nijo Castle.

Tokugawa Munetake knew clearly that his father's choice of successor had been shaken at this time, and what he had to do was to take a gamble.

The words were shocking and a new way was found.

Otherwise, if it was just following the rules, why didn't his father continue to let his eldest brother be the successor and himself and his younger brother be the "two ministers" to protect him for stability?

The Kyoho reform has been going on for so long, and it has been effective. If there was no accident of the Sino-Japanese War, there would be no need for a very smart successor.

Sure enough, Tokugawa Munetake's idea made Tokugawa Yoshimune take a deep breath, ponder for a while, and remain silent.

Tokugawa Munetake only felt that he had cast the dice, but was waiting for the dice cup to open.

After waiting for a long time, Tokugawa Yoshimune neither said yes nor no, but seemed to have forgotten this question and asked another question.

"Liu Yu said privately that as long as tribute is paid, some warships and firearms can be sold."

"Some people say: We should build a navy, follow the example of Dashun, defend the enemy outside the country, and fight on the blue waves in the future."

"The director of the Dutch National Trade Center also said privately that if the country builds ships, the Netherlands can help hire shipbuilders. Since Date Masamune could build Western ships, I can too."

"What do you think, my son?"

The previous answer did not get a clear answer of approval or opposition, but Tokugawa Munetake was ecstatic. Not opposing it means tacit approval. After all, the policy of exhausting the feudal domains and strengthening the shogunate is really not easy for a shogun to say directly.

When Tokugawa Munetake heard about the navy, he shouted, "Absolutely not! This is the Dutch's plan to play both sides."

"Liu Yu quoted a price of 700,000 taels for a battleship. Matsudaira Terusada is also a mature man, and it must be different from what he saw in Edo in the past. Even if it is not worth 700,000 taels, it is still around 500,000 to 600,000 taels."

"The people of the Tang Dynasty have a lot of money. How can they compete with each other in building a ship?"

"Decisive battles at sea are no longer what they used to be. Warriors cannot be carried on board ships to fight in hand-to-hand combat. The only competition is the size of the ship and the number of cannons. The country will build one ship, while the Tang Dynasty will build ten. Rather than relying on the blue waves for a decisive battle, it is better to place hope on the divine wind. Come again."

"Spend millions of gold and destroy them all in one battle. Besides, Liu Yu is cunning, how can he let his country build ships and ignore them? The Dutch just want their country to build ships and make a big show of it so that the Tang Dynasty will pay attention, which saves them from the crisis."

"According to the Dutch storybook, there are many Tang people in Nanyang. I am afraid that the Dutch want to use their country as a weapon to slow down the Tang people's invasion of the south."

"Liu Yu is thirsty for wealth. How can he not be tempted by the wealth of the Dutch? This is why he is a snipe and a clam."

"When paying tribute, you should tell the truth truthfully, or add jealousy and say that the Dutch instigated our country to build ships to resist Tianwei, which in turn caused a rift between the Tang people and the Dutch. This should be done."

Tokugawa Yoshimune asked: "What will happen if the Netherlands turns against itself?"

"Father, what if the Dutch turn against each other? If they attack, wouldn't it just allow China to send troops and make the snipe and the clam fight, and make the Tang people unable to covet Japan anymore? If they don't attack, the Tang people want their country to stop trading with Japan anyway. What’s the difference?”

Tokugawa Yoshimune smiled bitterly and said: "So, I have no choice but to be a loyal minister of China? Liu Yu is extremely cunning. Among the books he imported from Nagasaki, in ten years, except for sweet potato rescue and the evil deeds of Western countries, there is no one with any miraculous skills. Books. Firearms and the like, he sells them today, but he doesn’t need to sell them tomorrow.”

"Father, in the past, when the Southern Barbarians sank their ships, our country first acquired firearms. We also have skilled craftsmen, so why can't we imitate iron cannons? As for the Netherlands...Father, I thought, if the Netherlands really has the power to fight against Dashun alone, why not send troops? ? If they send troops to expand trade tenfold in the future, will my father not allow it? The Dutch are so profit-seeking and do not send troops, which shows that they have no chance of winning. "

"Secondly, since the Dutch want to fight with each other, how can they give up because of a few words from their own country? Even if they instigate conflicts between the Tang people and the Dutch, why do the Dutch care for their own sake? Besides, as long as they give money, why not worry about it? Got the book you asked for?"

"Thirdly, in the past, the Anglo-Guili people asked for trade again, but the country refused on the grounds that the British king married a Portuguese princess of the Chechidan religion. Among the southern barbarian countries, the Netherlands is not the only one? The British-Guili country also does not believe in the Chechidan religion, and has been in Hirado for many years "

"Father needs to know that it is the Dutch who are asking for their country and trying to contain the Tang people. It is not the country that is begging the Netherlands to contain the Tang people."

"Since the Dutch seek help from their country, the more the country instigates conflicts between the Tang people and the Netherlands, the more the Dutch should support their country."

"The harder the instigation is, the more Dutch people will support it. Instead of trying hard to make friends with the Dutch people, the Dutch people will support it."

"Not only should we inform the Tang people about the Dutch proposal to build ships, but we should also dig out the Dutch folk tales over the years and find out all the disrespectful, hostile, and dissatisfying words against the Tang Dynasty in the Dutch folk tales in the past and enshrine them together. superior."

Tokugawa Yoshimune frowned, then relaxed.

In just a moment, he had made up his mind to abolish the eldest son and establish the second son.

He could take advantage of the end of the Sino-Japanese War to resign from his position as General of the Conquest of Yi, follow the example of Lord Dongzhao and abdicate in seclusion, and then take control of the Imperial Palace.

One can avoid some rumors, but no matter what, the battle is defeated, the emperor is captured, and Kyoto is captured, so he has to go out of his way to avoid the limelight.

Secondly, you can also control and assist from behind to let the second son sit firmly in his position. Although many important ministers actually supported Tokugawa Munetake, after all, Tokugawa Ieshige was the eldest son. If he really passes the throne before his death, there may be some twists and turns.

Regardless of whether the method Tokugawa Munetake said is effective or not, whether the Dutch really have such thoughts, or whether the Dutch are just more dependent on Dashun for trade...

But Tokugawa Munetake's thoughts and ideas were at least somewhat intelligent, and his thinking was quite active. He could look beyond the traditional relationship between vassals and shogunate to look at issues between countries.

The Battle of Yiling destroyed the brains of Wu and Shu. Didn't Marquis Zhuge Wu quickly send someone to repair it?

Maybe this kind of provocation is of no use, at least the idea is not so rigid.

No one has ever seen the current situation or the future. A person who sticks to the rules cannot afford the future of the shogunate.

It may be an inappropriate metaphor to use the relationship in later generations. Dashun is like a goddess. You have to kneel down to lick it. If you lick it to the extreme, maybe you can really get some benefits from it.

The Netherlands can be compared to a boss during a labor shortage. When there is an urgent need for tool workers, even though he knows that the tool workers are mumbling behind his back and even trying to show off, he still has to smile and just do the work. No matter how much the tool man licks, he won't get an extra penny.

Japan is very suitable as a tool to contain Dashun. There is no more suitable tool. Anyway, we can't go to North Korea.

Therefore, even if the Netherlands is cheated again, the Netherlands will help Japan in order to resist compliance; conversely, Dashun is so close, and if it fails to lick it well, it may be beaten again.

If you go to lick the Netherlands and lick it for a long time, the Netherlands will not send troops to fight Dashun. It will be a waste of time. After all, if there was to be a fight, the Netherlands should have sent warships as early as when Dashun sent troops to Busan; licking the Dutch would also cause Dashun to be extremely dissatisfied. He was worried that the three thousand Yuejia could swallow Wu's lesson and fight against the shogunate at all costs. downfall.

The key is what Tokugawa Munetake said: the Dutch privately supported Japan's shipbuilding, not because they loved Japan, but because they wanted to use Japan. Since they were using Japan, it was in the Netherlands' own interests, and had nothing to do with how Japan treated the Netherlands.

The Dutch did not send troops because of their own interests, not because Japan did not flatter them enough.

During the Shimabara Rebellion, they did not flatter the Dutch at all, and the Dutch hurriedly sent warships to help.

When the religion was banned, they did not flatter the Dutch, but instead gave the Dutch a cold shoulder. The Dutch took the initiative to send warships to sail on the route from Luzon to Nagasaki, catching Catholic missionaries who secretly went to Japan everywhere, and they were more active than the Ometsuki who supervised the Christians. They did not ask for a penny and single-handedly fabricated the Hirayama Tsunemori incident.