"Nagasaki?" Shi Diwen repeated meaningfully. Seeing the determined look on the other person's face, he couldn't help but start to re-examine the young man in front of him.
Nagasaki is not only the only area directly under the jurisdiction of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Kyushu region, but it is also an important window for the entire Japanese foreign trade. Whether politically or economically, Nagasaki has a very special status, symbolizing the authority and interests of the shogunate.
Of course, many people have thought about Nagasaki over the years, but basically they just thought about it, and almost no one could actually take action.
From a military point of view, the armed forces stationed by the shogunate in Nagasaki were not very strong, and attacking Nagasaki was not a very difficult goal for the powerful vassals in Kyushu.
But for a long time, no one dared to take action against this place. First, they were frightened by the authority of the shogunate and worried that the shogunate would send troops to attack it later. Second, doing so will arouse the covetousness of other powerful neighbors, which may make oneself the target of public criticism.
To put it bluntly, whoever wants to take Nagasaki as his own must take corresponding risks. The moment he captures Nagasaki, he will become the common goal of all parties. By then, I'm afraid that before we can enjoy the benefits brought by Nagasaki, we will have to deal with successive wars first.
It is precisely based on this situation that all parties have maintained a delicate balance, and no one dares to attack Nagasaki rashly.
Although the daimyo of Kyushu all believed that Nagasaki hindered their ability to obtain profits from foreign trade, at the same time, it was a strange consensus that the daimyo agreed that Nagasaki should remain in the hands of the shogunate instead of being taken over by a local daimyo. .
Shi Diwen always believed that as long as the Kyushu vassals finally declared war on the shogunate, someone would be unable to restrain themselves and take the lead in attacking Nagasaki. But he never expected that the first person to take the initiative to take advantage of the situation would be the Kumamoto clan who had missed a series of performance opportunities before.
What's more, the leader of the Kumamoto clan is not a scheming politician, but the underage young man in front of him.
Shi Diwen was afraid that he was impulsive, so he asked one more question: "Lord Hosokawa, have you ever carefully considered the consequences of attacking Nagasaki?"
Hosokawa Tsunato was obviously very calm: "Master Shi, the idea of capturing Nagasaki has actually been planned since my father was in power. We have also carefully considered the reactions from all aspects and formulated a response. policy.”
"The key to capturing Nagasaki lies in the right time. The Kumamoto clan has been waiting for this for many years. I think our preparations are sufficient."
Shi Diwen nodded and said: "So you think now is the best time for the Kumamoto clan to wait for many years?"
Hosokawa Tsunato responded: "When Nagasaki opened as a port, the Kumamoto clan was one of the main participants in the construction. So far, many industries and personnel belonging to the Kumamoto clan have been stationed in Nagasaki, and they are very familiar with the local situation. If something happens, Being able to work together internally and externally can save a lot of trouble, and the normal operation of Nagasaki Port can be restored in a very short time afterwards. This is called harmony. ”
"Kyushu has the strength to attack Nagasaki among the five powerful vassals. Only Saga Domain's territory is adjacent to Nagasaki, but there are many mountains in between. If Saga Domain wants to launch an attack on Nagasaki, it is more convenient and faster to take the sea route. "The other ones have to travel by sea to reach Nagasaki." "Among these five, the Kumamoto clan is the closest to Nagasaki port, which can be reached within one day." Arriving there, we won’t pass through the territory of other feudal lords on the way, so we don’t need to worry about anyone interfering with us. This is called a favorable location.”
"Tsushima, Fukuoka, Saga, and Satsuma, these four families have recently been conquering neighboring small domains. I heard that they robbed the shogunate's arms two days ago. They must be busy distributing weapons and training new armies at this time. There is no time to take care of Nagasaki. The Nagasaki minister Yuta Kosaki is missing at this time, and there is no one to manage the Nagasaki port. At this time, in the name of upholding justice, maintaining order, and protecting the domain's industry, we, the Kumamoto clan, send troops to Nagasaki to take over local affairs. , it is also considered just and right, the truth is in hand, this is called the right time! ”
"The weather, the right place, the right people, and the people are all under our control. If God does not take what he wants, he will suffer the consequences. This is a good opportunity that cannot be missed!"
Shi Diwen did not expect that Hosokawa Tsunato could explain such a set of reasons in an orderly manner. In the end, he quoted the statement in the historical records. It seemed that in addition to ambition, this young daimyo did have some talents.
Although the other daimyo Shi Diwen had met before had their own strengths in terms of knowledge, decision-making, strategy, etc., in terms of speaking and temperament, they seemed not to be as good as the junior Hosokawa Tsunato.
Shi Diwen couldn't help but have some love for talents in his heart, but whether the other party is a leatherworker who only talks and boasts, or a strong young man with real ability to do things, the results of actions are yet to be used as circumstantial evidence, and Shi Diwen doesn't know. Eager to express your appreciation for him.
Shi Diwen asked noncommittally: "If it goes according to your plan, when will you take action?"
Hosokawa Tsunato said: "My troops have made all preparations in Kumamoto Domain. If Mr. Shi can allow the use of your country's telegram to convey the message, the troops will be sent on the day they receive the order...the next day at the latest." You can go straight to Nagasaki Port.”
"As for the attack on Nagasaki Port, the battle should be resolved within two days and order restored within five days. By the time other vassals react, the situation will have been under control."
Hosokawa Tsunato's tone was firm and his face was calm. It seemed that he had full confidence in the Kumamoto clan's years of preparations. However, he applied to use Haihan's telegraph to issue an attack order. The purpose was obviously to test Shi Diwen's attitude and see whether he had successfully won Shi Diwen's recognition and support.
Shi Diwen also responded readily: "Okay, then as you wish, give Kumamoto a chance to prove his strength! But remember, the time limit I gave is before the end of the year. If Nagasaki comes by then, If the port fails to restore normal order, or if the Kumamoto clan fails to sort out the disputes over interests with other clans, then you have to spit out the Nagasaki Port and hand it over to capable people to manage it, do you understand?"
A smile finally appeared on Hosokawa Tsunato's immature face: "Thank you Mr. Shi for your support, the Kumamoto clan will not let you down!"
When Yuta Ozaki came to visit before, he had used the real estate in the southern harbor of Nagasaki Port as a condition, hoping to introduce Haihan to station in order to ensure local peace. However, Shi Diwen was not interested in taking control of Nagasaki. He hoped to cultivate local representatives of interests to control a trading port like Nagasaki, rather than doing everything personally.
The young and mature Hosokawa Tsunato just meets Shi Diwen's requirements for this position. This person is young and ambitious. If he is properly trained and supported, he may be of great use in Japan in the future.