Chapter 3626
Tokugawa Ietsuna couldn't help but narrowed his eyes when he heard this and looked carefully at Amakusa Hayabusa's expression.
Compared to local forces like Kyushu, which are already openly rebellious and must have been involved in the chaos in Kyoto, Tokugawa Ietsuna is actually more reluctant to see Kaihan intervene, which will undoubtedly make the situation more complicated.
Of course Tokugawa Ietsuna knew that Kaihan's position in this civil war was not pure. It was not a secret that the Kyushu vassals and the Sasebo base had been flirting with each other and secretly cooperating for a long time. It was just that the shogunate needed to maintain the superficial harmony with Kaihan. It's not good to break your skin over something like this.
According to the situation reported by Zengshan Masari, during the Zhoushan Forum activities, Haihan blatantly sold a large amount of military equipment to the Kyushu vassals.
It can be said that without the military assistance provided by Haihan, the shogunate army would have defeated the Kyushu rebels long ago, and the new daimyo who would replace the five major families in Kyushu would probably have taken office.
If the civil war had not ended, there would not have been so many refugees seeking refuge in Kyoto, and there would have been no subsequent bloody incidents. Now, officials from Haihan actually asked the shogunate to put an end to the chaos in Kyoto as soon as possible. In Tokugawa Ietsuna's view, it was really a thief's cry to catch a thief.
Of course, if he had known that the person opposite him was one of the direct instigators of the chaos in Kyoto, he probably would not have continued this conversation. It would have been considered a good temper not to kill Amakusa Hayabusa immediately.
Tokugawa Ietsuna suppressed his anger, shook his head and said: "It is not the shogunate that is causing chaos in Kyoto. All the measures we have taken are to end this chaos, but some people don't want Kyoto to settle down!"
"We must first dig out all the troublemaking rats before Kyoto can regain stability. This is also the task the shogunate army is currently performing."
Amakusa Hayabusa said: "Lord Tokugawa, I must remind you that now, except for you and your cronies, and the shogunate army under your command, everyone hopes that the shogunate will immediately terminate its military operations in the Kyoto area."
"The emperor in the imperial garden, the abbots of major temples, the ministers of various shrines, and the great names of the various vassal states around Kyoto all have the same attitude as me. I really don't think about it. The situation of the shogunate? ”
Amakusa's pressure method made Tokugawa Ietsuna very unhappy, but he was still wary of Amakusa's identity and did not dare to fall out on the spot. He could only forcefully state that he had received a petition from the royal family, but that was still This was not enough reason for the shogunate to stop the manhunt.
"His Majesty the Emperor does not understand the situation in the outside world. If everything is done according to his wishes, it will only plunge the domestic situation into greater chaos! As for other people, who have the right to dictate to the shogunate?"
Tokugawa Ietsuna's reply was a veiled scolding of Amakusa Hayabusa.
But Amakusa Hayabusa didn't care much about this. Provoking Tokugawa Tsuna was one of the purposes of his trip.
If Tokugawa Ietsuna loses the ability to think calmly in his rage, it may cause the shogunate to lose its footing and make more foolish moves when dealing with the current chaos in Kyoto. This is exactly what Kaihan needs to achieve. Target.
Amakusa Hayabusa smiled and took the initiative to change the subject: "As far as I know, the shogunate army suffered a big defeat in Kyushu a few days ago, losing control of the Kanmon Strait, and 20,000 troops were trapped in Kitakyushu. No. Lord Tokugawa, are you so worried about the situation on the front line? Why don’t you go back and take charge personally?”
Tokugawa Ietsuna was once again told something important by Amakusa Hayabusa, and his face couldn't help but look even uglier. The sudden defeat on the Kyushu battlefield was beyond his expectation, and what made him more uneasy than losing the Kanmon Strait was not the troops stationed in Kitakyushu who were cut off from their retreat, but the consequences that would arise because he was not on the front line at this time. All kinds of rumors.
With the existing maritime armed forces of the shogunate army, Tokugawa Ietsuna believed that it would not be difficult to seize the Kanmon Strait again, and there was no need to worry that the people in Kitakyushu would be trapped and die on the other side of the strait.
But those rumors that are not conducive to the shogunate will inevitably spread, and if he is unable to show up on the front line at this time, then all clarifications will appear powerless, which will affect the fighting will of the shogunate army.
Of course, no matter how difficult the situation is, one cannot show cowardice in front of the Kaihan people. Tokugawa Ietsuna immediately said that the shogunate army had only suffered a temporary defeat and would soon regroup to retake the strait, and the Kyushu rebels would not be able to do so because of such an accident. A lucky break can change the situation of the battle.
Amakusa Hayabusa just smiled and said nothing in response to his boast. According to the latest telegram received by the store, the Kyushu Allied Forces had repelled two waves of hastily organized counterattacks by the shogunate army and destroyed several ships trying to deliver supplies to the Kitakyushu garrison. cargo ship.
According to time calculation, it has been the seventh day since the shogunate army stationed in Kitakyushu was cut off from supplies. Although it is not clear how much food is left in the camp, but as time goes by, the number of these troops who cannot get supplies will definitely increase. The more panicked.
The longer Tokugawa Ietsuna delays in Kyoto, the more unfavorable the situation on the Kyushu front will be. However, if he abandons Kyoto and rushes back to the front, the situation in Kyoto will continue to slide into the abyss of getting out of control.
For Tokugawa Ietsuna, no matter which side he chooses, it will eventually worsen the situation on the other side, thereby weakening the shogunate's war strength and giving the Kyushu Allied Forces an opportunity to counterattack.
Although Tokugawa Ietsuna refused to give in, Amakusa Hayabusa could basically confirm from his words that the shogunate had no better solution to the current situation.
Tokugawa Ietsuna wanted to cut through the chaos quickly and settle the chaos in Kyoto, but this would only lead to more bloodshed and wider public opinion about collapse.
Coming to Nijo Castle to make a request was just a formality. Amakusa Hayabusa's real purpose was to understand the shogunate's plans. At this point in the situation, the effect has even exceeded Amakusa Hayabusa's original idea, so there is no need to waste any more saliva with the other party.
Amakusa Hayabusa immediately stood up and left. After Tokugawa Ietsuna waited for him to leave, his anger calmed down a bit, and then he began to carefully reflect on the conversation just now. He soon realized that the other party's real intention was not to make those demands, but to test himself. attitude.
He was not surprised that the other party was in Kyoto but controlled the war situation in Kyushu, but Amakusa Hayabusa reminded himself to return to the front line to supervise the battle. Is this out of good intentions or a plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain?
Or maybe he came secretly from the front line because of the unstable situation in Kyoto, which in itself was already a plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain?
Tokugawa Ietsuna couldn't help but feel confused at this time. He was not afraid of trouble, but at his current age, it was really difficult to decide which end should be saved first.
He only hated that he was incapable of splitting his time. It would be great if he could take care of both the Kyushu front line and Kyoto at the same time.
Um? Clone technique? An idea suddenly popped into Tokugawa Ietsuna's mind...