If it had been the filial sons of England and France, and the wise grandsons of the Showa era, the Qing emperors, they would have immediately sought peace after being beaten by the short and stubby ones. They would have ceded a few pieces of land and paid tens of millions or hundreds of millions of taels in military expenses, then turned around to continue being wise and enlightened rulers.
After all, there were plenty of bond servants and ahaha to cover for them.
For example, Emperor Qianlong's Great Qing army couldn't defeat the Burmese army, but Burma, fearing that continued fighting would exhaust its national strength, negotiated peace with Emperor Qianlong. Yet, the bond servants and ahaha still praised Qianlong as a fierce warrior who had conquered Burma.
Again, Empress Dowager Cixi and Guangxu fled the capital, but they still dared to call it a "Western Tour"?
However, Emperor Qianlong was somewhat better than the Qing emperors who came after him.
Emperor Qianlong wasn't thinking of peace.
On the contrary, Emperor Qianlong was determined to eliminate Japan, even if it meant sacrificing all of the Joseon Banner forces.
Coincidentally, Tokugawa Ienari at this time was also determined to fight Joseon and had no intention of negotiating peace.
Then the two sides continued to fight.
Fortunately, the Great Qing still had talented individuals.
Seeing that the Joseon people were no match for the short and stubby ones, and that the Gurkha Banner forces were dispersed in Gurkha, Chakhtu, Yaksa, and other places, and could not be dispatched to Joseon for some time, while the Manchurian Banner forces were the foundation of the nation and could not be easily moved, and even if moved, they couldn't win anyway, He Shen, the Chief Minister, was truly worried.
This worry, unexpectedly, led Chief Minister He Shen to come up with a good idea.
The Joseon Banner forces couldn't defeat the short and stubby ones? Then, they would form the captured Russian soldiers into a Bear Banner and have them deal with the short and stubby ones.
Then the tide of the war turned.
Just as the newly formed Gurkha Banner forces fought fearlessly, these Bear Banner soldiers were also quite brave in battle, at least much stronger than the Joseon Banner and Manchurian Banner forces.
Of course, if they were just brave in battle, the short and stubby ones might not be afraid, as they also valued the spirit of Bushido.
The problem was that these Bear Banner soldiers were all tall and strong. Fighting the short and stubby ones, who were at the level of third-class cripples, was like adults fighting children. Therefore, the short and stubby ones were always at a disadvantage, and they even lost much of the territory they had originally captured.
In response to this situation, Tokugawa Ienari, the head of the Tokugawa Shogunate at the time, directly summoned his trusted subordinates and said, "Even if it costs ten samurai to replace one Bear Banner soldier, it is extremely worthwhile, because we have the entire nation of Japan behind us, while the Bear Banner soldiers are lost one by one."
"As for the remaining Manchurian Banner and Joseon Banner forces, they are no match for Great Japan."
"Furthermore, the Great Ming has been gone for over a hundred years. The newly established Great Ming will definitely not help them, and they can no longer use the unbeatable skill of 'Father, save me.'"
"Therefore, this time, not only will we eliminate those detestable Joseon people, but if possible, we will also eliminate those trash who drag their queue-tails!"
The trusted subordinates of Tokugawa Ienari immediately bowed and agreed.
Only Matsudaira Sadanobu, the current Rōjū of Japan, bowed and said, "Your Excellency the Shogun is wise. However, since the Central Plains have rebuilt the Great Ming, our Great Japan cannot show no sign of reciprocation. Therefore, should we send envoys to the Ming country?"
At this time, Japan had not yet experienced the "Great Retired Emperor's Honorary Title Incident" similar to the "Great Rituals Controversy of Jiajing." Although Tokugawa Ienari was already very dissatisfied with Matsudaira Sadanobu, out of consideration for face, Tokugawa Ienari still looked at Matsudaira Sadanobu and asked, "Then, according to the Rōjū's opinion?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu bowed and said, "In my opinion, the Great Ming is a superior country in the Central Plains, and our Japan is just a small country in the East Sea. We should send people to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming to gain the status of a vassal state."
Upon hearing Matsudaira Sadanobu's words, Tokugawa Ienari's face immediately turned dark.
Matsudaira Sadanobu had recently promulgated the "Ban on Heterodox Learning," ordering Neo-Confucianism to be reaffirmed as "orthodox learning," and all "heterodox learning" other than Neo-Confucianism to be strictly prohibited. Even Hayashi Shihei's "Discourse on Military Affairs of Maritime Nations" was listed as a banned book by him, and he desperately prohibited the spread of Dutch learning.
The problem was that Great Japan could close its doors and be the Heavenly Son of the East Sea. Why must you insist on paying tribute to the Ming country? Even if you, Matsudaira Sadanobu, were a staunch believer in Neo-Confucianism, you shouldn't joke with Japan's international status!
As he thought about it more and more unhappily, Tokugawa Ienari simply said with a dark face, "Then, according to the Rōjū's opinion, should I, the Sei-i Taishōgun, personally go to the Ming country? Should I also pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming with the great礼 of kowtowing three times and nine times?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu's face also became gloomy.
He had seen people without brains, but he had never seen anyone so brainless.
Matsudaira Sadanobu said with a dark face, "If the Shogun is unwilling to be a vassal state, it's nothing. At most, when the Emperor of the Great Ming remembers Japan, he will send an army to conquer us. Let's see if Japan is stronger than Annam or Burma."
Upon hearing Matsudaira Sadanobu's words, the assembled Shogunate elders fell silent.
Although Japan had always followed the policy of national isolation left by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the areas directly under the Shogunate's jurisdiction, such as Nagasaki, still had ports open for foreign trade. The main trading partners were Chinese and Joseon merchants, as well as ships from the Dutch East India Company.
Therefore, the Tokugawa Shogunate was not ignorant of matters in the Central Plains.
For example, the Tokugawa Shogunate knew very well that the Great Qing was doomed, and it also knew very well that the Great Ming had been established and Joseon's attempt to recognize a father had failed. It even knew that Annam had been beaten, and Burma and Siam had submitted.
What troubled the Tokugawa Shogunate was that although the Zhu Jinsong version of the Great Ming had replaced the Great Qing in the Central Plains, its trade with Japan was not as good as during the Great Qing period, which directly led to a sharp decrease in the Shogunate's revenue.
The consequence of the sharp decrease in revenue was that the Kansei Reforms, which had already shown some results, became more troublesome, and the pressure on the Tokugawa Shogunate suddenly increased.
If not for this reason, Tokugawa Ienari would not have wanted to eliminate Joseon. As long as Joseon couldn't use the great summoning technique "Father, save me," Japan would have enough confidence to eliminate Joseon and transfer all domestic pressure to Joseon.
The problem was that before Joseon was even eliminated, Matsudaira Sadanobu insisted on talking about the Great Ming. And even if he talked about the Great Ming, this old coffin-bound man insisted on using Annam, Burma, and Siam as examples.
This was too terrifying for Japan!
After a long silence, Tokugawa Ienari took a deep breath and said, "A country in the East Sea does not necessarily have to bow to a country in the West Sea."
Matsudaira Sadanobu retorted without hesitation, "If this Great Ming were like the Great Ming of 150 years ago, or like that Great Qing, then it would be nothing. It wouldn't matter if they didn't bow."
"However, did Jiaozhi provoke the Great Ming? Did Joseon provoke the Great Ming? Both countries sought to become vassal states but were denied. Now, Jiaozhi has perished and its people exterminated, and Joseon's time is near. How shortsighted is the Shogun!"
After mocking Tokugawa Ienari, Matsudaira Sadanobu then mocked Japan, "A tiny territory, how dare you compete with the Central Plains? To call yourself a country of the East Sea is merely to invite ridicule!"
Tokugawa Ienari's face immediately darkened, "Matsudaira-san, you are also a Japanese!"
Matsudaira Sadanobu sneered and said, "Of course I am Japanese. If I were not Japanese, how would I consider Japan's survival!"
Tokugawa Ienari was so choked that he didn't know how to retort, his expression shifting between green and white.
Matsudaira Sadanobu continued, "Does Your Excellency the Shogun know that there is a trend of unhealthy wind spreading among the common people of Japan? Many who are ignorant of death shout slogans every day, saying that Japan belongs to all Japanese, not to the Emperor, and certainly not to the Shogunate."
Tokugawa Ienari's face became even more unpleasant. He grunted, "I have heard a little."
Matsudaira Sadanobu said, "That's right. These slogans that disrespect the Emperor and do not respect the Shogunate were originally spread from the Ming country, saying that the world belongs to the people of the Great Ming, not to the world of Emperor Qianlong of the Great Qing."
"Although no one shouted them after the Emperor of the Great Ming ascended the throne, these slogans have spread to Japan and have now become a scourge. Countless ignorant villagers have been misled by them."
"If Your Excellency the Shogun continues to turn a blind eye, aren't you afraid that someone will imitate the Emperor of the Great Ming?"
Tokugawa Ienari snorted, "What does that have to do with whether or not envoys are sent to pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu grunted, then looked at the assembled Shogunate elders and said, "I beg to dismiss the attendants."
After all the Shogunate elders had withdrawn, Matsudaira Sadanobu looked at Tokugawa Ienari and said, "Does the Shogun wish for the Tokugawa family to be Shoguns for ten thousand generations? Or does he wish to advance further?"
Tokugawa Ienari's heart moved, and he frowned, "I do not know what you are talking about."
Matsudaira Sadanobu chuckled and said, "Today's matter, only you know, I know, heaven knows, earth knows. Besides that, no one else knows. Why is the Shogun so cautious?"
Tokugawa Ienari said, "What exactly do you want to say?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu said, "What I want to say is that today's Jiaozhi is tomorrow's Japan. Do you agree, Your Excellency the Shogun?"
Tokugawa Ienari coldly snorted and asked, "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu chuckled and said, "It's nothing. It all depends on whether the Shogun wants to protect Japan, or even advance further."
"If the Shogun only wishes for the Tokugawa family to remain Shoguns forever, then the Shogun only needs to send people to pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming, and seek the status of a vassal state for Japan. Japan will remain the same Japan, and the Shogunate will remain the same Shogunate."
"If the Shogun wishes to advance further, then not only will he need to send people to pay homage to the Great Ming, but he will also need to send envoys to the Great Ming, or even hostages, to make plans for the future."
"If the Shogun does nothing, I fear the precedent of Jiaozhi is not far off."
Tokugawa Ienari stared fixedly at Matsudaira Sadanobu. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Even if I am willing to send people to the Ming country, when the Zheng clan previously asked Japan for troops, Japan..."
Matsudaira Sadanobu said, "The Shogun must have read the Ming country's 'Great Ming Newspaper' and should have some understanding of the current Emperor of the Great Ming."
"If Japan is defeated by the Great Qing and Joseon, the Emperor of the Great Ming may not attack Japan. If Japan wins, the Emperor of the Great Ming will likely use the pretext of 'comforting the people and punishing the guilty' and 'recovering lost territory' to send troops against us."
"Jiaozhi is like this. The Shogun must not fail to notice."
"And Japan's greatest advantage now is that Shogun Ietsuna (the fourth Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate) had already agreed to the Zheng clan's request. Although they encountered strong winds at sea and had to return to Japan, with this connection, Japan has three points more advantage than Joseon and Jiaozhi."
"Therefore, if the Shogun wishes to protect Japan, he must send Zheng Jiangfu (the seventh-generation descendant of Tagawa Shichizaemon, brother of Zheng Chenggong, birth and death dates unknown) as an envoy to the Ming country."
Although what Matsudaira Sadanobu said was somewhat chaotic, and many places were vague, Tokugawa Ienari understood very well.
When the Us-Tsang Military Commissioner of Gurkha advanced, the Emperor of the Great Ming voluntarily withdrew thirty li, allowing the Great Qing army to go all out against Gurkha.
When Bai Ziqi massacred in Jiaozhi, the Emperor of the Great Ming didn't say a word. When Bai Ziqi was about to collapse, the Emperor of the Great Ming immediately issued a decree to comfort the people and punish the guilty, and the entire Annam became the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration of the Great Ming.
From this, one can infer the character of the Emperor of the Great Ming.
After a long silence, Tokugawa Ienari looked at Matsudaira Sadanobu and said, "Then, why didn't you offer this advice when the decision was made to send troops to Joseon?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu said, "If we do not actively send troops to Joseon, are we waiting for the Qing country and Joseon to send troops against Japan again? You must know that there are a thousand days for a thief, but not a thousand days for a guard."
"If I had persuaded the Shogun at that time, and Japan had not sent troops against the Qing country and Joseon, how many times could Japan have defended against the Qing country and Joseon? For Japan to proactively seek allegiance from the Great Ming, and for Japan to surrender to the Great Ming after being defeated by Joseon and the Qing country, these are two different matters."
Tokugawa Ienari grunted thoughtfully and said, "You may withdraw now. I will consider it further."
Tokugawa Ienari knew very well that if he did nothing and allowed Joseon and the Great Qing to continue attacking Japan, Japan would eventually be unable to withstand them. If he was determined to continue fighting Joseon, the final outcome would likely be as Matsudaira Sadanobu said, with the entire Japan being coveted by the Emperor of the Great Ming.
And what Matsudaira Sadanobu proposed was almost the only correct course of action at this moment.
If the Emperor of the Great Ming had no intentions towards Japan, that would be the best, and Japan could continue as usual. If the Emperor of the Great Ming had intentions towards Japan, with Zheng Jiangfu mediating, it might be possible to secure a three-point chance of survival for Japan.
After a long silence, Tokugawa Ienari let out a long sigh and ordered the guards outside the door, "Come, send someone to invite Zheng Jiangfu. Remember, it's an invitation."
The key was that Tokugawa Ienari was not confident that he could persuade Zheng Jiangfu.