Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 328

Once Yida Village heard that there were 2 people, he said to Zhao Xin: "The enemy army is more than [-], maybe [-]."

The reason why he has this judgment is based on the military service system in the Edo period.

In the so-called battle, we must first judge the scale of the battle and the terrain along the road in order to mobilize troops flexibly.To have to mobilize 500 men for a battle that requires only 2000 men is a waste of time and money.

However, since the ancient island nation separated soldiers and peasants, and the samurai lived together in castle towns, the shogunate and daimyo could only use the military service system to make rigid regulations in order to ensure military strength.

It is said that before Tokugawa II came to power, there was no military service requirement, but because of the tense relationship between the Tokugawa family and the foreign daimyo and Toyotomi Hideyori's Osaka at that time, military service regulations were formulated.

The earliest military service was set up on the banner of Zhixing Wubaishi ~ Wuqianshi. Nine years later, in the 19th year of Keicho (1614), in order to deal with the Osaka Winter Battle, the samurai of Zhixing Yiqianshi was equipped with five spearmen Change to ten.

At the time of the Osaka Summer Battle (1615), the military service requirement of Zhixing [-] stone was added again.

During this period, the requirements for the number of spearmen, archers, cavalry, and flag bearers remained unchanged, but the number of spearmen was reduced by nearly half in consideration of operational flexibility.

In the tenth year of Kanei, when the third generation of the Tokugawa family was in power, the military service standards for the flag book, genealogical generation and foreign daimyo were stipulated.The military service regulations also determined the requirements from [-] shi to [-] shi (in fact, the "Qing'an Military Service Order" is basically the same as the [-]th year of Kanei, but the regulations are more detailed.)
After the "Shimabara Rebellion", the island country began to enter the era of peace, so the military service standards were directly reflected in the attendance and general requests.Regardless of whether it is an account of attendance or a general request (for engineering), whether the number of military service dispatched by the daimyo is compliant will be directly linked to whether they are loyal to the shogunate.

If the standard is not met, the head of the family will step down and take the crime, and the title will be reduced; in history, there are many vassals who committed suicide because they could not complete the task.

The reason why Date Village often said that there would be [-] enemy troops is because according to the requirements of the military service system, ten spearmen are not just ten people, but also have the same number of followers; the same is true for other arms.

Zhao Xin nodded after hearing this, thinking how nice he is, and how easy he is to do things, so he did it all at once.Right now, there are only [-] foreign daimyos with a table height of more than [-] shi, and it is only a matter of time to kill one.

"I don't know if Edo will thank me?" Zhao Xinru thought.

Beating the island country is different from beating the Qing Dynasty. After the beating of the island country, you can slap your ass and leave, but you have to send someone to manage it after the beating is over.The system of Beihai Town does not use the method of scholars, so it has not occupied Ninggu Tower until now.Zhao Xin will send troops only when the number of administrative cadres is gathered.

After sending away the spies, the first problem now is to choose a battlefield.

The place Zhao Xin chose was the Kokubun Plain in Kuwabara County. It is six kilometers wide from east to west and seven kilometers long from north to south.

As a result, the coalition forces that had advanced to the foot of Yokogawa began to withdraw southward, and returned to the foot of Ridang Mountain in the east of the Kokubun Plain three days later.When he captured this place before, Zhao Xin set up a military depot here, and the hut and surrounding yards were converted into warehouses to store grain.

The next step is to dig fortifications, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements from all over Southern Kyushu.

There is a large area of ​​cultivated land on the Kokubun Plain, and the coalition forces will occupy the cultivated land to dig trenches. The news made all the farmers dumbfounded.Just as these people were in a turbulent mood and were about to make a collective appeal and beg for mercy from the coalition forces, Zhao Xin asked people to issue notices in the surrounding villages.

Who will help dig the ditch and give a bucket of rice every day!Take care of the meal!

On the first day after the notice was issued, only a dozen farmers came to the construction site, and they all came with the attitude of giving it a try.As a result, at noon, they were not only given a large bowl full of rice to eat, but each of them actually got a cloth bag containing a bucket of rice in the afternoon.When I opened it, I found that it was full of polished rice.

The farmers in the surrounding ten miles and eight townships heard about it the next day, and everyone was dumbfounded.

Usually, when they go to work in the town, they are given a five-pack rice ration every day; now these outsiders actually give one bucket plus an eight-pack ration!Are they out of their minds?
Two days later, there were only thirty or so farmers who came to work, and the others were still watching. Many people thought that Bei Haijun was using dozens of people as a pretense, and that when there were more people, they would not give food like this.

Don't blame the peasants for their insensitivity and disbelief in the announcement of the Beihai Navy, it is really because they have been squeezed too hard.

Although the Tianming famine disaster did not spread to Kyushu, the annual tribute collected by the Satsuma clan was too high, and [-]% of the land rent kept the farmers struggling with hunger.Not to die of hunger and not to be full, and always giving hope like a castle in the air, it always makes people feel that it is not the annual tribute received by the feudal hall, but the farmers who are not working hard enough.As long as you work hard, and work hard again, life will get better.

On the fourth day, someone finally couldn't help it, and came to the construction site from home with a hoe; the number of workers increased to one hundred.

Isn't it just digging a ditch!Although these foreigners have strict regulations on the width and depth of the ditch, this task is really not a problem for the farmers who can only work hard.

When these people returned home happily with the food, all the others who didn't go believed it now.In the early morning of the next day, almost all the men and women from the surrounding villages came, and the speed of trench digging became much faster.

"Digging trenches on the Kokufen Plain? Are they planning to obstruct the cavalry?" At the coalition command post in Ma Yuelu, Lingjia County, everyone present laughed when they heard the movement of the Beihai Navy.

The Hosokawa family of the Kumamoto clan came from the first member of the family, Hosokawa Tadatora. The seventh generation of the family, Hosokawa Haruen, was seriously ill, and he was dying.

The one who came from the Saga Clan was Yadaime Nabeshima Haruhige, who was wounded in the arm by a shell from the North Navy when he was in Nagasaki. This time he brought a large army to avenge him.

"Don't take it lightly, I've never seen that Zhao Wangdian's fighting style in my life." In just a dozen days, Shigeho Shimadzu's hair changed from black to gray at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The current Patriarch of the Fukuoka Clan, Harayuki Kuroda, said: "Why should the Chief Shou build up the ambition of others."

Shigeho Shimadzu said solemnly, "Marquis Fukuoka, if you were given 3000 men to attack this place, how many days would it take you?"

"This..." Kuroda Haruyuki thought for a moment and said: "If there is no reinforcements, it can always be taken in three to five days."

"That Zhao Wangdian only needs one day!"

As soon as these words came out, the smiles of everyone in the room froze.

one day?
Shigeho Shimadzu said: "I collected information from all parties. When they attacked the outer counties and mountain cities in various parts of the domain, they only took one day."

At this time, needles could be heard in the room, and after a while, Kuroda Haruyuki said, "Shoushou, when will the rations and salaries you promised arrive?"

After hearing this, other people in the room looked at Shigeho Shimadzu.

No one is stupid these days, don't look at the four families here are all foreign names with more than [-] shi in the world, in fact, the poor of each family can't wait to buckle the wall.

Shigego Shimadzu played tricks, and the Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Saga domains did not see rabbits or hawks.It is not enough to use the 36 islands of Ryukyu that have not been eaten as carrots. Half of the military rations sent by each family this time have to be provided by the Satsuma clan, and each family has to give military funds ranging from 25 to [-] taels of gold.

Shigeo Shimadzu swallowed a mouthful of bitter water, and said in a deep voice: "The food will arrive tomorrow, and the military resources of each family have also been prepared. You can send someone to Osaka to pick it up with the seal. When will your troops be dispatched?"

Haruyuki Kuroda and the other two looked at each other, touched their knees and smiled and said, "After the delivery of military supplies and food, set off immediately!"

October [-]th in the seventh year of Tianming, an auspicious day.

The crescent moon has set before dawn, and the sky of Kyushu Island is full of stars.Shigego Shimadzu, who was in full military uniform, walked out of Ma Yuelu's local house under the escort of a group of Satsuma warriors and attendants.

Can I come back?
Shigego Shimadzu thought about it suddenly in the dark, and then he made up his mind not to look back.Even if the Shimadzu family fails, the history of the 77 stone daimyo will be remembered forever.Shigeho Shimadzu quickened his pace, and got on his horse when he got out of the yard.More than a hundred vassals around him held up big torches, dispelling the darkness in Ma Yuelu.

All the houses in Lunei were silent, but in fact, everyone was awake, and they could only stand in the yard and pray for those who were about to go to war.When a group of people rode out of Ma Yuelu, the conch horns for the expedition began to sound in the barracks of the various feudal clans.Amidst the continuous roar of the conch, Shigego Shimadzu took the lead.

Not long after, the sun rose.The [-] troops converged into a long snake, winding on the road from Ma Yuelu to the foot of the city.Shigeho Shimadzu looked back and saw that this was already the limit of the four major vassals of Kyushu Island sending troops.

When the sun rose, the army crossed Lingjia County.When the sun set to the west, they arrived at the foot of Hengchuan in Kuwahara County, and the troops were stationed in various places nearby.The princes of the four families went to rest inside the foothills, while the soldiers camped outside.

The next morning, a fast horse galloped into the foothills of Ridang Mountain. The knight on the horse reined desperately in front of a house, dismounted and ran into the yard.

The headquarters of the coalition forces of the Northern Navy and the Sendai Domain is located here, and the knight reported loudly: "The enemy's vanguard has been dispatched from the foot of the Yokogawa and is heading towards the foot of the ditch!"

Date Village often said loudly: "Understood! Go down."

He turned around and walked into the house, and said to Zhao Xin: "Do you want to beat this striker?"

"No. It's meaningless to hit lightly. If they hit hard, they will retreat." After Zhao Xin finished speaking, his opponent's next staff officer said: "Pass my order! Let the third regiment send out a battalion to implement a five-mile range of the battlefield. Cover, do not allow the enemy to approach!"

On the evening of October [-], the vanguard of the Allied Forces of the Four Families arrived at the foot of the ditch and confronted the Northern Navy's position at a distance.Because it was a plain area, the sentries of the Allied Forces of the Four Feudal Clans had no way of relying on them. Several times they tried to get closer to observe, but they were beaten back by the cavalry sent by the Northern Navy and the Sendai Flan.

With the seizures along the way, the Sendai Fan now has more than 500 war horses.Date Village, already regarded as a "veteran", often organized a cavalry team and sent his confidant as the general to be responsible for the task of covering the battlefield.

On October [-], all the [-] troops of the Allied Forces of the Four Domains arrived.In the north, the line from Odori-roku to Mido-roku is the [-]-strong army of the Saga Domain, and from Mizo-Daolu to the Kajiki-roku is the [-] troops of the Kumamoto and Fukuoka Domains. It is completely surrounded from the north, west and southwest.

It's one thing to hear about it, but it's another thing to see the [-] army with your own eyes.Date Cunchang and Tamura Cunzi are already nervous to death at this moment. Whether the Sendai Fan can defeat the Satsuma Fan depends on this battle.

On October [-]th, early in the morning on the Kokubun Plain, mist surged and flowed westward.The military flag of the Northern Navy fluttered in the wind, as if cruising in the fog.

In the rushing sea of ​​fog, several anti-aircraft guns covered with camouflage nets appeared and disappeared; the positions of the Northern Navy were silent, but the soldiers were vaguely sitting in the trenches and eating breakfast.

On the four-fan coalition army's position three miles away, the generals of each family were shouting loudly to encourage the soldiers.

"Chop off Tang Yi's head, and reward five taels for each head!"

"Cut off the heads of the Sendai rebels Date Village Changhe Tiancun, and each head will be rewarded with 100 taels!"

When the soldiers of the Allied Forces of the Four Domains heard the reward, their fighting spirit immediately rose.

"Move the cannon!" Tadatora Hosokawa of the Kumamoto Clan ordered loudly on the western front.The neighbors rushed to the rear immediately, and the ashiqings came carrying twenty cannons.

This is a bronze cannon imitated by the Tanegashima family of the Satsuma clan. It was originally installed on the royal ship of the Shimadzu family, mainly to deal with pirates from Ryukyu to the Satsuma clan.Now it has been unloaded and transported from Kagoshima Castle.These guns have no wheels, and the barrels are all fixed on wooden platforms. In terms of performance, they are much stronger than those hugging large barrels.

Island countries usually do not use cannons in field battles, and only occasionally use them in sieges or naval battles.At this time, Shigeho Shimadzu couldn't take care of so much. He moved all the guns from his own royal ship and deployed them on the battlefield in three directions.

"go ahead!"

According to the previous agreement in the military meeting, at the right time of day, the conch horns on several fronts sounded almost simultaneously.Under the cover of the Iron Artillery Team, Archer Team and Pikemen, various artillery teams followed closely behind.

"I'm coming!"

In the first trench, the soldiers of the two regiments of the Beihai Navy were ready to fight.In the two trenches behind them were the troops of the Sendai Domain.The reason why the Sendai Army was not allowed to enter the first trench was because they were afraid that they would not be able to hold back and cause commotion, and if they ran away like headless chickens, the battle would be impossible to fight.

"Don't worry, fight when you get closer. Or they will run away as soon as you hit them!" As soon as the company commander's words came out, there was a burst of snickering in the trench.

"Don't worry, company commander, we will never shoot until you blow the whistle."

The Allied Forces of the Four Families arrived one mile away from the first trench, and the Ashgaru began to load gunpowder.

First put about two liters of gunpowder into the gunpowder, and use a long stick to tamp it to the bottom of the gunpowder.Then the other ashigaru put the shells weighing about four kilograms into the subguns, and then loaded the shotguns.It is said to be shot, but it is actually small stones, lead, etc. put into a paper bag, and the number must be fifty or sixty.

Hosokawa Tadatora ordered: "Starting from the left, fire in sequence! After the last one is fired, the Iron Cannon Team will shoot at nearly [-] paces, and the Spear Team will move forward!"

Two minutes later, the fuse hole of the first cannon was ignited, and the ashigaru covered their ears and lay on the ground.

"Boom!"

The huge cannon sounded, blowing up dust, grass roots spraying into the sky, and the sound of the cannon echoed in the world of the battlefield.

Shells weighing about four kilograms tore through the air and flew in the air; the rain of bullets was like sprayed water, and slammed towards the positions of the Northern Navy.In an instant, the second cannon fired again, and the lineup of the Kumamoto Domain army was densely shrouded in thick smoke from the cannon fire.

Twenty cannons fired continuously, and after the last cannon roared, the iron artillery team in charge of the assault came out with white smoke, and the front team held their scull shields and walked towards the Beihai Navy.

(End of this chapter)