Among the assembled daimyo and feudal lords, none had anticipated that Tokugawa Ienari would be so generous. Japan, though a small country, had numerous provinces that were being carved out. The number of envoys to the Great Ming was fixed, with each province originally receiving only one or two spots. Now, Tokugawa Ienari declared he would grant five spots to each province.
Shimazu Hisamitsu and Matsudaira Nobunobu found this increasingly suspicious. Tokugawa Ienari was known to be as slippery as oiled chicken gizzards. It was plausible that he might find ways to extort envoy spots from the various feudal lords, but for him to proactively offer them to the provinces seemed rather fantastical. After all, granting more spots to the provinces meant fewer for the Shogunate or the imperial court. If this were before Tokugawa Ienari planned to usurp the throne, it could be understood as spots snatched from the Japanese court. However, with Tokugawa Ienari already preparing for the usurpation, these spots represented a tangible loss if successful.
After much deliberation, Shimazu Hisamitsu directly asked, "May I ask, Shogun, are there any conditions for these spots?"
To the surprise of Shimazu Hisamitsu and all the daimyo and feudal lords, Tokugawa Ienari shook his head and sighed, "There are no conditions. Or rather, the only condition is that the selected individuals must have a talent for study."
Tokugawa Ienari spoke from personal experience. As early as An'ei 5 (the 40th year of Qianlong in the Great Qing), Hiraga Gennai, the teacher of Shiba Kōkan, had improved the Leyden jar and even created Japan's first frictional generator. However, Japan was in a state of self-imposed isolation at the time, and "Rangaku" scholars like Hiraga Gennai were naturally considered unconventional.
Hiraga Gennai had even written "On Farting," stating, "Sounds are divided into three grades. The sound 'pu' is of the highest grade, its shape is round; the sound 'po' is of the middle grade, its shape is flat; the sound 'si' is of the lowest grade, its shape is thin and long." After elaborating on the shapes of farting sounds, Hiraga Gennai cited the Edo fart-sound entertainers (who performed music using shamisen and cuckoo calls) as an example, praising, "Throughout history, East and West, there has been no one else who conceived such an idea and devoted effort to it."
Being unconventional, coupled with writing absurd essays like "On Farting," made Hiraga Gennai increasingly unfulfilled. Later, Hiraga Gennai lamented with a hint of self-deprecation, "I engage in matters not understood by the masses. Since the frictional generator, I have invented many things previously unknown in Japan. Some call me a swindler. I rack my brains and toil, yet I am criticized; I buy wine with good intentions, yet it is not to their liking. ... I might as well rename the 'Erekiteru' (frictional generator) to 'Herekiteru' (farting generator) and become a disciple of the farting man myself."
The primary reason for this situation was that Hiraga Gennai came from a lower samurai family in the Takamatsu domain. In An'ei 7 (the 43rd year of Qianlong in the Great Qing), Hiraga Gennai's method for creating a frictional generator was stolen by an artisan, and he himself developed severe paranoia and persecutory delusion, ultimately leading to a tragedy.
...In An'ei 8 (the 44th year of Qianlong in the Great Qing), Hiraga Gennai undertook a garden maintenance project for a daimyo. During this time, he drank all night with two carpenters who came to visit him. Gennai, waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, discovered that the important architectural designs he had kept in his怀 were missing. Hiraga Gennai suspected the carpenters of stealing his blueprints and interrogated them. The argument escalated, and in a fit of rage, Hiraga Gennai accidentally stabbed and killed the workers with a knife.
After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Gennai was filled with remorse. He wanted to commit seppuku as atonement but was stopped by his disciples. Ultimately, Gennai was imprisoned for this incident. A month after entering prison, Hiraga Gennai died in prison, with some saying he contracted tetanus, while others claimed he starved himself to atone for his crimes, eventually dying from weakness. He had ultimately killed two people. However, the architectural drawing was not in Gennai's怀 but had slipped out from a gap in his waistband. Gennai subsequently became mentally deranged and died of cold in the small Kodenmachō prison.
Hiraga Gennai's funeral was attended by his only good friend, Sugita Genpaku. Genpaku inscribed the following line on Gennai's tombstone: "Alas, an extraordinary man, who delighted in extraordinary things, his actions were also extraordinary, why did he meet such an extraordinary death?" The phrase "met such an extraordinary death" referred to the fact that Hiraga Gennai should not have died simply for killing two carpenters.
Shiba Kōkan, who studied under Hiraga Gennai, was also not accepted by the mainstream in Japan at the time. Even though Shiba Kōkan became an envoy to the Great Ming and successfully replicated a steam engine, it was of no use. The Japanese court still did not value Shiba Kōkan. Forced into a corner, Shiba Kōkan ultimately chose to pledge allegiance to the Shogunate. Tokugawa Ienari essentially gained a tremendous advantage for free.
Having personally visited the Great Ming, Tokugawa Ienari was well aware of the importance of steam engines. However, what was truly exasperating was that while Hiraga Gennai, from a lower samurai family, could create a farting generator, and Shiba Kōkan could replicate a steam engine, the elite nobles selected by the Japanese court and the Shogunate could not even produce a fart. They did nothing but compose poetry and frequent courtesans; their presence or absence made no difference whatsoever.
As the saying goes, one's position dictates one's thoughts. If Tokugawa Ienari had not intended to usurp the throne, the envoy spots would have been a tool to control the various feudal lords and daimyo. But now that Tokugawa Ienari had decided to usurp the throne and establish himself, the envoy spots were naturally not just a tool for winning over feudal lords and daimyo. However, Tokugawa Ienari also understood that the allocation of envoy spots could never be truly fair and just.
After silently reflecting, Tokugawa Ienari surveyed the assembled feudal lords and daimyo once more and said solemnly, "..."
To put it plainly, Japan, praised to the heavens by countless incurable optimists, was much like India. India had a caste system, and Japan also had class divisions.
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If, for example, you were to say, why would those Ronin samurai who lost their masters continue to be Ronin and not seek employment?
This also implies that for the Tokugawa Ienari to completely achieve his goal of isolation, he must first eliminate those Ronin.
The various daimyo and daimyo, such as Sadayori, Sanuki, Toyotomi, Toyotomi, Tomi, Ouma, and Nichin, all responded in unison. However, the other daimyo and daimyo could not help but frown.
These geographical differences naturally led to uneven development among the various domains. Some domains were relatively wealthy, while others were impoverished.
The difference in wealth directly reflected the number of ruffians within each domain. The poorer the domain, the more ruffians there were.
More importantly, Nijo domain and the domains of Sadayori, Sanuki, and others actually had a common name: the Nine Provinces.
These domains were originally located in the vicinity of the Nine Provinces. Nijo domain had even sent troops to capture the planet, forcing the King of the Planet to submit to the country of Ougoku and pay tribute.
It would be wrong not to consider it. The lords of Shimazu, Sanuki, and other domains also thought of resisting. At the very least, they should make a good showing.
Then Shimazu, and the lords of Sadayori and Sanuki, moved to the vicinity of Kii, leaving the Nine Provinces entirely.
More importantly, who were these samurai and the Kōshi really to obey?
If they obeyed the orders of the daimyo, how would the Tokugawa Shogunate think of it? They would be pushing each other's backsides, and what kind of ruffians would they be clearing up?
This was even more unbearable than directly handing over money to the various daimyo.
After Tokugawa Ienari finished speaking, the assembled daimyo and daimyo, while feeling relieved, could not help but feel some suspicion.
As everyone knows, apart from being benevolent, Tokugawa Ienari's biggest flaw was greed. The extravagance of his sons and daughters could be said to be inherited from the Tokugawa clan.
Now, this prodigal son, who was greedy and lustful, had not chosen to investigate the various domains, but instead declared that the Shogunate would send people directly. The various domains only needed to "roughly" prepare some food and a few guides.
While the daimyo and daimyo were secretly wondering, Shimazu Hisamitsu glared fiercely at the daimyo and daimyo, and roared: "Eight hundred! You dogs who deserve to die! Is this the time to count the number of samurai and Kōshi? If we do not cooperate to eliminate those ruffians like the military governor of the northern region, how can he spare us if he succeeds?"
Hearing Shimazu Hisamitsu's roar, Matsudaira Nobunori of the Matsudaira domain in Sekigahara, who was about to act, noticed Tokugawa Ienari glare fiercely at Shimazu Hisamitsu, and then he returned to his usual indifferent smile.
Matsudaira Nobunori's heart immediately became alert. Shimazu Hisamitsu, this Kii horse, was so poor that he was even poorer than a dog, yet he still sent samurai and Kōshi to help the Tokugawa clan. Now he was the first to jump out and roar at the daimyo, acting as if he were a loyal dog willing to shed his last drop of blood for the Shogunate. But Tokugawa Ienari seemed displeased?
Secretly, Matsudaira Nobunori's mind flashed with a brilliant idea. The Tokugawa clan might really want to eliminate those ruffians. Their current behavior, between Shimazu Hisamitsu and himself, was merely a play to lure the daimyo. If they were wrong, perhaps the Tokugawa clan's true intention was not to eliminate those ruffians at all, but to use them, these daimyo, to do it. Once the Shogunate's samurai and Kōshi entered the domains of various provinces in large numbers, what would happen next would be hard to say.
Thinking of this, Matsudaira Nobunori's expression became difficult to read. He glanced at Shimazu Hisamitsu again and said loudly: "What the Lord of Shimazu said is very true. Now is a crucial moment for all of us to unite and work together. We cannot afford to be short-sighted at this time!"
Following Shimazu Hisamitsu and Matsudaira Nobunori's statements, the other daimyo and daimyo had no way out. Whether they understood or misunderstood, they all had to follow Shimazu Hisamitsu and Matsudaira Nobunori in stating that they would each send samurai and Kōshi to help the Shogunate eliminate those ruffians.
Tokugawa Ienari, however, was secretly furious.
Just as Matsudaira Nobunori thought, Tokugawa Ienari proposed that the Shogunate send samurai and Kōshi to eliminate those ruffians for two reasons. On the one hand, it was truly to eliminate those ruffians, to prevent future complications when the isolation was implemented. On the other hand, Tokugawa Ienari was planning to use the excuse of inviting loyalists to lure the court. If the two scoundrels, Kōshitsu Yoriyoshi and Kōgū Shōgun, were sent to Tokugawa Ienari's territory, Tokugawa Ienari would first prepare a few small domains and daimyo of the capital to let the territory of Kōshitsu Yoriyoshi and Kōgū Shōgun also become chaotic. As for sending the weak or those suffering from ailments like the common cold to the territory of Kōshitsu Yoriyoshi and Kōgū Shōgun to cause trouble, Tokugawa Ienari did not really have this idea for the time being. This was because the current situation clearly favored Tokugawa Ienari. With a high probability of successfully ascending to the throne, Tokugawa Ienari, who had already begun to harbor dreams of becoming the national master, naturally did not want the capital to also begin to spread the common cold. After all, no matter how sick they were, the spread of the common cold was still powerful, and no one could guarantee that they could escape it.
Unfortunately, Tokugawa Ienari's original plan was disrupted by the two scoundrels, Shimazu Hisamitsu and Matsudaira Nobunori.
Tokugawa Ienari was secretly resentful, but he forced a smile on his face: "Then it's decided. For those ruffians who are detrimental to the local area, you must eliminate them with great effort. If you are unable to do so, you can send people to ask the Shogunate for help at any time. Do not force yourselves."
After the daimyo and daimyo said their farewells, whether willingly or unwillingly, Tokugawa Ienari changed the subject and talked about his previous visit to the Great Ming: "You all know that I have been to the Great Ming before, and I stayed there for a long time."
The daimyo and daimyo present were somewhat enlightened. They did not know what else this skinny scoundrel, Tokugawa Ienari, wanted to say.
Tokugawa Ienari said narcissistically, "When I was in the Great Ming, what I felt most deeply was the literacy of the Ming people. Even those with yellow mouths and beaks could recognize several characters, and even the elders of the Great Qing era could write their own names, let alone those who were young. "
The daimyo and daimyo gradually understood. The Great Ming was the superior country, the father of Ougoku. Was this not as it should be?
Shimazu Hisamitsu asked tentatively, "What does the General mean?"
Tokugawa Ienari did not directly answer Shimazu Hisamitsu's question. Instead, he clapped his hands and shouted towards the door, "Bring it!"
Tokugawa Ienari said narcissistically, "When I was in the Great Ming, what I felt most deeply was the literacy of the Ming people. Even those with yellow mouths and beaks could recognize several characters, and even the elders of the Great Qing era could write their own names, let alone those who were young."
The daimyo and daimyo gradually understood. The Great Ming was the superior country, the father of Ougoku. Was this not as it should be?
Shimazu Hisamitsu asked tentatively, "What does the General mean?"
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