Chapter 2733
"So we have been busy for a long time, but the shogunate has become the beneficiary?"
After finally clarifying the stakes, Tao Hongfang couldn't help but sigh: "Had we known this, we shouldn't have raised this matter with the shogunate at all. That would still have left some room for maneuver."
Shi Chengwu also nodded solemnly and said: "This matter should have been handled in a better way, but we were careless."
Ma Boran said: "Although I knew that the Satsuma Domain and the shogunate were at odds, I did not expect that there would be such a deep conflict... It was my fault that I did not do enough preparations in advance, which led to a misjudgment of the relationship between the Satsuma Domain and the shogunate."
Although Ma Boran took the initiative to plead guilty, no one really wanted to blame him. This matter of the Satsuma Domain was originally a temporary task assigned to the mission by the Executive Committee. Although Ma Boran was notified by telegram in advance, there was not much preparation time left for him, and the Satsuma Domain also had manpower stationed in Edo. If he was right If a public investigation is launched, there may be the possibility of leaks, so we can only make our own judgments based on limited information, and the preliminary investigation work is therefore not comprehensive enough.
If enough comprehensive information could be collected in advance to make an accurate judgment on the relationship between the Satsuma Domain and the shogunate, the mission would be able to formulate a better solution.
The mission did not have to raise the matter with the shogunate, but communicated with Satsuma Domain first, which could make things develop in a completely different direction. The purpose of Satsuma Domain's control of Ryukyu is mainly to make money through borrowing money and conduct trade activities with foreign countries. Haihan does not mind maintaining trade relations with it. He can promise some better trade conditions to Satsuma Domain in exchange for the restoration of Ryukyu. As long as Satsuma Domain can get actual benefits, the possibility of success is extremely high.
Furthermore, Kaihan could also make full use of the contradiction between the Satsuma Domain and the shogunate to provide military assistance in exchange for Ryukyu's restoration. For the Satsuma Domain to confront the shogunate, military strength is a necessary condition, and Kaihan's military strength is obvious to all. Whether it is providing personnel training or selling arms and equipment, it will definitely be very attractive to the Satsuma Domain.
As long as the Satsuma clan is willing to cooperate, the next step is to gradually support it into a pro-Kaihan force. It is not impossible to fight against the shogunate in the future.
But now that the mission has raised the matter with the shogunate first, no matter what the shogunate's attitude is, after the news spreads, it will be difficult to win the trust of the Satsuma Domain. The shogunate will definitely pay attention to the next movements of the mission and the Satsuma Domain, and it will become more difficult for the mission to change its strategy.
"Let's all work together to see if there are any other solutions to this problem."
Shi Chengwu knew that this matter was not handled well, but the current situation could not be blamed on any one person, and now he could only try to remedy it. In fact, speaking of it, it was also because they, the young people, had gone so smoothly in the previous trip, no matter how difficult the task was, that they relaxed their vigilance this time and did not make solid preparations. made such a mistake.
"Now that the matter has come to this, we might as well make it clear and contact the Satsuma Domain directly, bypassing the shogunate. Even if the Satsuma Domain learns the news, as long as we can come up with meaningful conditions, we should have a great chance. Convince the Satsuma Domain to accept our plan." The method proposed by Tao Hongfang feels like burning the boat, but it is still a feasible method. Bai Letong said: "I think Hongfang's approach is too radical. Our error in judgment was caused by rushing in. I think we should be a little more cautious this time. Report the situation first and ask the executive committee for the next action."< br>
Even if the plan proposed by Tao Hongfang has a certain degree of feasibility, the resulting risks need to be borne by the mission. Making a mistake once is not a big deal, but if you make a mistake one after another, it may be difficult to explain it after you go back. The achievements that everyone has accumulated during this mission may also be greatly affected by mistakes at the last stop, and Bai Letong's caution is not unreasonable.
Shi Chengwu's attitude is more inclined to Tao Hongfang's solution. He believes that although the matter is risky, it is generally controllable. The worst situation is that the Satsuma clan is unwilling to cooperate, and Haihan needs to take further measures to solve it. question. The relationship between Haihan and the shogunate is a state of superficial cooperation and small actions in private. No matter how the problem of Satsuma Domain is solved, it will not have much impact on it.
Shi Chengwu asked Ma Boran: "Do you have any way to contact the Satsuma clan's agency in Edo?"
Ma Boran understood what he meant and responded with a wry smile: "The personnel stationed in Edo from such a remote vassal state are nominally envoys, but in fact they are hostages. They have no real power. In extraordinary times, they may even become victims. Even if Our contact with them will not have much practical effect. The most they can do is send the news back through letters as soon as possible. Instead of struggling in Edo, it is better to contact Sasebo by telegram and let General Amakusa try to negotiate terms with Satsuma Domain." br>
Sasebo is thousands of miles away from Edo, but the Haihan official who usually has the most contact with Ma Boran is probably Amakusa Shiro who is far away in Sasebo. Ma Boran knew very well what it meant to have a mission composed entirely of young officials. If the mission had not been pushed too hard, how could he have made low-level mistakes in intelligence work. Compared with these peers who need political achievements, Ma Boran trusts Amakusa Shiro who is far away in Sasebo.
Moreover, Sasebo is close to the Satsuma Domain, so it is more timely to take action now. Otherwise, the mission will have to wait until the mission returns home after completing its business in Edo before going to the Satsuma Domain. By then, the other party will probably have already received the news and it will be time to negotiate terms. You will become passive.
Of course, if this matter is left to Amakusa Shiro, it will not be the best arrangement for the mission. If Amakusa Shiro could persuade the Satsuma clan to cooperate in the restoration of Ryukyu, then the mission would not be able to account for the bulk of the rewards after the fact. If the people in the mission were more selfish, they probably wouldn't agree to Ma Boran's suggestion.
However, Ma Boran was obviously overly worried. This group of young people were not so eager for political achievements. They were more concerned about completing the mission of this trip as soon as possible and returning home as soon as possible. As the saying goes, it is better to stay at home than to go out. The freshness when I first set off from Zhoushan has long been gone, replaced by the exhaustion after running around for dozens of days.
This group of people just want to return home as soon as possible, and they don't care if Amakusa Shiro will take away the credit. If Amakusa Shiro can really take down the Satsuma Domain and help Ryukyu regain its independence as soon as possible, then they will be grateful to Amakusa Shiro for saving them a lot of time and energy.
(End of chapter)