Seeing that a host of prominent figures had fallen into his trap, Tokugawa Ienari smiled and said, "I am deeply honored and grateful that everyone is willing to support Ienari. As you all know, this competition is about controlling leprosy, and the Shogunate alone is truly insufficient."
However, just as Tokugawa Ienari was waiting for these daimyo to voluntarily offer their assistance to the Shogunate, Shimazu Hisamitsu, the head of the Satsuma domain, who was barely related to Tokugawa Ienari, jumped out first. Frowning, he said, "I have already said that we will respond to the General's call and do our best to help the General control leprosy, but does the General also need to give us a promise?"
Tokugawa Ienari was furious and wished he could draw his sword and kill Shimazu Hisamitsu on the spot.
As the saying goes, one sings according to the mountain they stand on. From the perspective of the Shogun, Tokugawa Ienari certainly did not want Emperor Kōkaku and Prince Kan'in to plot against the Shogunate, nor would he support them in reclaiming the power of the daimyo. If it had to be reclaimed, it should be reclaimed by the Shogunate.
However, from the perspective of a "quasi-Japanese Emperor" about to ascend the throne, Tokugawa Ienari naturally wished to reclaim the power of the daimyo immediately and without delay, preferably even reclaiming the power of the Japanese imperial court into his own hands as this "quasi-Japanese Emperor."
Now, for Shimazu Hisamitsu to ask Tokugawa Ienari to make a promise to all the lords and daimyo present was undoubtedly hitting Tokugawa Ienari's sore spot.
Suppressing the urge to draw his sword and kill Shimazu Hisamitsu, Tokugawa Ienari said with a forced smile, "The Tokugawa family has been in charge of the Shogunate for so many years. I believe everyone knows how we have treated the lords and daimyo."
"However, since everyone wants a promise from Ienari, Ienari hereby promises all the lords and daimyo: as long as the imperial court abandons its ideas of overthrowing the Shogunate, abolishing domains, and establishing prefectures, Ienari will guarantee all the interests of the lords and daimyo. If I break this promise, may I, Tokugawa Ienari, be pierced through the heart by arrows and never return to the embrace of Amaterasu Ōmikami!"
"But," after making the promise, Tokugawa Ienari coldly scanned the lords and daimyo present and said sternly, "if I find out that any lord who agreed to do their best to help the Shogunate today turns out to be slacking off, do not blame me, Tokugawa Ienari, for turning against you!"
"At the very least, I can guarantee that even if this endeavor completely fails, Ienari can deal with those treacherous villains before the Emperor completely abolishes the Shogunate."
The lords and daimyo present were all startled and responded with casual laughter, saying, "What are you saying, General? We have come here in response to the Shogunate's call, so naturally, we stand with you. How could we possibly be slacking off?"
"General, please rest assured. If we were to slack off, it would be harming ourselves. We understand this simple logic and no one would be so short-sighted."
Shimazu Hisamitsu also said with a smile, "Our Satsuma domain has always been on good terms with the Shogunate, and we are also in-laws of many years. Naturally, we will do our best to help you, General. The reason I asked for a promise just now was simply to put everyone at ease. I hope the General will not misunderstand."
Tokugawa Ienari let out a cold laugh and ignored Shimazu Hisamitsu's nonsensical words. Instead, he directly began to issue orders to all the lords and daimyo: "I have consulted with Chen Yan, the ambassador of the Great Ming to Japan. Ambassador Chen said that to solve leprosy, the first key is to completely cut off its transmission. Otherwise, no matter how many physicians and medicines are invested, it will be useless."
"And to completely cut off the transmission of leprosy, we need the joint efforts of all the lords and daimyo present. Send out your samurai and ashigaru to seal off the areas where there are leprosy patients. Entry is permitted, but exit is not."
As soon as Tokugawa Ienari finished speaking, the lords and daimyo present were in disarray.
Were there any fools among them?
Yes, but not many.
Many lords and daimyo had already understood the unspoken meaning behind Tokugawa Ienari's words.
Tokugawa Ienari's mention of consulting with Chen Yan, the ambassador of the Great Ming to Japan, was not just to express that he had learned the method of controlling leprosy, but also to convey that he had gained Chen Yan's support and had sufficient confidence to deal with Emperor Kōkaku and Prince Kan'in, which served as a reassurance to the lords and daimyo present.
In fact, when the lords and daimyo present learned that Tokugawa Ienari had Chen Yan's support behind him, they did feel a lot more relieved. During the Aoi Festival, Chen Yan had indeed proposed that Tokugawa Ienari and Emperor Kōkaku compete, and there was a slight indication of support for Tokugawa Ienari. However, were the situations then and now the same?
Let's not forget that during the Aoi Festival, several envoys to the Ming committed seppuku to demonstrate their resolve, some supporting Tokugawa Ienari and others supporting Emperor Kōkaku. Therefore, Chen Yan's proposal for Tokugawa Ienari and Emperor Kōkaku to compete in controlling leprosy might not necessarily have been a show of support for Tokugawa Ienari, but rather a move for the sake of Japan and those envoys, with a degree of ambiguity. However, providing Tokugawa Ienari with methods to control leprosy was no longer ambiguous; it was a concrete expression of support.
But while feeling relieved, these lords and daimyo couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.
The lords and daimyo present did not doubt the solution proposed by Tokugawa Ienari.
In fact, the lords and daimyo present also knew very well that the most effective way to completely cut off the transmission of leprosy was thorough quarantine.
Countless plagues like smallpox throughout history had proven this. The only consequence of not completely quarantining was endless spread, which would then lead to more infections, more deaths, and greater losses.
But was leprosy the same?
This disease does not kill people!
Although it couldn't be said to be a common cold, its lethality was indeed questionable. It primarily affected commoners and low-born people. Not to mention the lords and daimyo present, even samurai were rarely affected.
Tokugawa Ienari's proposal to quarantine villages with patients and completely cut off the transmission of leprosy would directly affect the income of the various lords and daimyo!
More importantly, such a quarantine would cause discontent among the good citizens and low-born people in the quarantined villages, thereby affecting the rule of these lords and daimyo!
As the saying goes, one sings according to the mountain they stand on. One's position determines one's thoughts.
For the lords and daimyo present, contributing some money to support the Shogunate was not a problem. Even sending out samurai and ashigaru to directly help the Shogunate in a rebellion was not an issue. But to affect their income and rule...
At this thought, the lords and daimyo present turned their gaze to Shimazu Hisamitsu, hoping that Shimazu Hisamitsu would once again jump out and be the first to speak.
However, to the disappointment of these lords and daimyo, Shimazu Hisamitsu did not step forward to object this time. Instead, he chose to feign deafness and blindness.
Tokugawa Ienari naturally saw the conflicted gazes of the lords and daimyo present and understood their concerns.
Suppressing his anger and his desire to draw his sword and kill them, Tokugawa Ienari said with a forced smile, "Ienari knows that this request is indeed a bit difficult, but Ienari is not an unreasonable person and understands everyone's difficulties."
"How about this? As long as everyone cooperates well with the Shogunate to complete the quarantine this time, the positions for dispatching envoys to the Great Ming will be distributed among everyone. The taxes to be collected next year will also be reduced by another ten percent as compensation. What do you say?"
Upon receiving the promised benefits from Tokugawa Ienari, the lords and daimyo present breathed a sigh of relief and patted their chests, pledging their loyalty to Tokugawa Ienari: "General, please rest assured, we will send people to carry out the quarantine and ensure that it does not affect your plan, General."
"Let alone General giving us compensation, even if General didn't, we would still cooperate well with General. After all, it is for ourselves too."
"It is truly touching that General is so dedicated to the commoners and low-born people!"
"..."
Tokugawa Ienari, of course, did not care about the flattery from these lords and daimyo.
Silently noting this down, Tokugawa Ienari continued, "The second key is to mobilize physicians and medicines from various places and have them go all out to treat those who have contracted leprosy."
"Regarding this point, the Shogunate will mobilize all available physicians and medicines. Ienari will also seek assistance from Ambassador Chen. This time, we will not only invite more famous physicians from the Great Ming to Japan to help treat those suffering from leprosy, but also import a batch of medicines from the Great Ming as reserves."
"Ienari also hopes that the lords and daimyo can send out their own physicians to treat patients with leprosy before the famous physicians from the Great Ming arrive, and even learn from them when they do arrive."
"In addition, I need the lords and daimyo to take out some of the medicines they have in reserve and sell them to those who have contracted leprosy, and also allow those good citizens who have not yet contracted leprosy to stock up on some medicines."
This was the beginning of the actual distribution of benefits.
First, they would seal off the villages with people infected with leprosy, and then these lords and daimyo would sell the medicines to the infected patients. Would these medicines be sold cheaply?
As for whether the good citizens who had not yet contracted leprosy would buy from these lords and daimyo, and at what price, there were naturally many considerations.
To put it plainly, it was quite simple. The blockade jointly implemented by Tokugawa Ienari and the lords and daimyo would make it impossible for everyone to buy. Then, the lords and daimyo would send their trusted subordinates to sell them.
There were also some operational procedures involved, such as fabricating rumors, creating a climate of fear, and profiteering. With various complex strategies employed, there was no fear that the good citizens and low-born people would not fall into the trap.
The lords and daimyo present naturally understood the benefits, but these benefits were not enough to impress them. These benefits were merely visible on the surface and were only temporary. What truly touched these lords and daimyo were the two real, long-term benefits hidden beneath.
The first real, long-term benefit was Tokugawa Ienari's promise to allow the physicians under the lords and daimyo to learn from the famous and excellent physicians from the Great Ming. This was invisible but the most important benefit, because no matter who it was, they couldn't go through life without getting sick, and getting sick meant needing a doctor.
The existing physicians in Japan could not be said to have very poor medical skills, but rather to be of little use. In fact, the lords and daimyo no longer relied on the original Japanese physicians for medical treatment. Instead, they preferred to find doctors from the Great Ming. If they couldn't find doctors from the Great Ming in their own territories, they were even willing to travel to Kyoto, Edo, or even Kyushu Island to find doctors from the Great Ming.
In the eyes of these lords and daimyo in Japan, if the medical skills of doctors were ranked from lowest to highest, it would be their own territories, then Edo and Kyoto, then Kyushu Island, then the Great Ming, and the most top-tier would certainly be the capital of the Great Ming.
These lords and daimyo in Japan also knew very well that with their social status, let alone the most top-tier doctors in the capital of the Great Ming, they would probably not even be able to get the famous and excellent physicians from various prefectures and counties of the Great Ming. Being able to see a doctor in Kyushu Island was already the highest treatment they could enjoy.
Now that Tokugawa Ienari said he would invite some famous and excellent physicians from the Great Ming, these lords and daimyo naturally had to seize this opportunity. Even if they couldn't keep a few famous and excellent physicians, at least their incompetent doctors should learn a few more skills, which could serve as a means of self-preservation.
As for the second equally invisible and intangible benefit, it was even more important.
Reputation.
By cooperating with Tokugawa Ienari to complete the quarantine and the treatment of leprosy patients, although Tokugawa Ienari would gain the most reputation, these lords and daimyo would also gain some.
The importance of good reputation might not have been understood by these lords and daimyo before, but as books from the Great Ming gradually flowed into Japan, these lords and daimyo gradually realized the benefits of reputation.
With a good reputation, even if a family declined, their descendants, even if they became beggars, could still beg for two more bowls of rice than beggars with a bad reputation!
With these two benefits, the lords and daimyo present immediately patted their chests and declared: This time, to cooperate with the Shogunate, they would definitely bring out all their family wealth and ensure that they would complete the quarantine in cooperation with Tokugawa Ienari in the shortest possible time and help Tokugawa Ienari solve the problem of leprosy.
(End of Chapter)