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Chapter 793 The Shogunate Needs Change (Eighth)

The candlelight was flickering, and the nearly 30-year-old shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu was sitting on the main seat. The lineage ministers of the Tokugawa shogunate sat kneeling in two rows below, including Tadakatsu Sakai, Tadaki Abe, and Nobuzuna Matsudaira who had dealt with the Kyushu Army. And others are among them.

"My gentlemen, after a period of silence, the Kyushu Army became active again in Edo Castle. What do you think of this matter?" Tokugawa Iemitsu asked heavily.

Many retainers were silent.Every time the words Kyushu Army were mentioned, they felt a mountain pressing on their chests, making them breathless.

Sakai Tadakatsu bowed slightly: "Your Excellency, General, I attended the opening ceremony of the Kyushu Bank's Tokyo branch and have been following their every move. Damn those comprador businessmen in Yokohama Port, they rely on the support of the Kyushu Army to deliberately curry favor The Kyushu Army, don't take our shogunate seriously. What's even more abominable is that it will impact our own local products. The things produced by our farmers and craftsmen can't be sold at all. Only samurai swords, fans and some minerals can still be affected by China. The intimacy of a merchant."

Tokugawa Iemitsu asked: "How do you plan to deal with those comprador merchants? How about beheading them all?"

At this time, Abe Tadaaki said: "No, the comprador merchants in Yokohama colluded with the Kyushu Army a few years ago. They have the support of the Kyushu Army behind them. The Kyushu Army needs an agent, so they can flourish. It would be a big mistake to become a comprador group with the ability to monopolize one side. Once you attack them, the Kyushu Army behind will definitely jump out, just like the previous Huaxia Society traitor incident."

The Huaxia Society traitor incident that Abe Tadaaki mentioned was the event of the shogunate’s large-scale suppression and arrest of members of the Huaxia Society.Because Tanaka Chengyi and other core members went into exile in the Central Plains and asked for help from the Kyushu Army, the shogunate took the initiative to release these members under pressure from the Kyushu Army.

Iemitsu Tokugawa squinted his eyes: "We sold a lot of privileges in exchange for the new army and finally drove the rebels to Kyoto and Osaka. There is a great tendency to reunify. How can we fail because of their affairs."

"Your Excellency, General, we can use 'terrorist tactics' to attack these comprador businessmen." Matsudaira Nobuzuna and other hardline representatives said.

"Details." Tokugawa Iemitsu said.

"We can intimidate them by means of assassination and other means to combat their arrogance. Even if they are hiding in the Yokohama Concession, we still have a way to find them." Nobuna Matsudaira said.

"Terrorist strategy?" Tokugawa Iemitsu was lost in thought.

"It's still not possible. The use of assassination is a last resort. If such a method is used, it will show the enemy that we have nothing to do. Maybe we will be counterattacked by them." Abe Zhongqiu objected again.

"However, we really have nothing else to do. If Abe Tadaaki has a good plan, you can say it in public." Matsudaira Nobuzuna reached out his hand to Abe Tadaaki.

Abe Tadaki looked around the crowd, took a breath, and said solemnly: "I propose to reform the shogunate, learn Chinese culture and technology in an all-round way, and catch up with the Kyushu Army before our shogunate is exhausted. .”

"absurd!"

As soon as Abe Tadaaki's proposal came out, many shogunate ministers present burst out, and they all felt that Abe Tadaaki's proposal was simply incredible!

"Abe Tadaaki, have you been bought by the Kyushu Army and want to disintegrate us internally!"

"We in Dongying naturally have our own culture, which has long been separated from the influence of the Tang Dynasty. In the era of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, we even dared to go to war with Ming Dynasty. There is no need to learn Chinese culture again!"

Some ministers sternly opposed Abe Tadaaki.

"There is a saying in Chinese. Chinese culture is not static at one time and another. They are leading now, so we have to learn with humility. If there were no Tang envoys in the Tang Dynasty, and there were no iron cannons from Tanegashima in the Warring States Period, how could we be in China? In Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s era, he had the power to fight against Ming Dynasty. The more fearful he is without fighting, the more passive he will be, so I propose a change!” Abe Tadaaki bowed deeply to Tokugawa Iemitsu, whose head was buried on the ground.

"It's ridiculous. We finally got our current status. Are we going to hand over power?"

"Change? How to change, what about the dignity of our warriors?"

There is still a large group of shogunate ministers clamoring.

Sakai Tadakatsu, on the other hand, had no expression on his face, and sat on the spot, calm and unmoved, not knowing what he was thinking in his heart.

"Idiot!" Tokugawa Iemitsu overturned the coffee table in front of him, and the things on it spilled all over the floor, making all the shogunate ministers quiet down, and they all looked at Tokugawa Iemitsu.

"Your proposal is really bold!" Tokugawa Iemitsu made Abe Tadaaki lower his head with an accusatory tone.

Most of the other shogunate ministers were sneering, this Abe Tadaaki is going to be unlucky.

"This is the end of tonight's temporary discussion. Abe Tadaaki will stay and be punished. Sakai Tadakatsu and you will stay too. The rest will retire." Tokugawa Iemitsu said sharply.

Before leaving, the ministers of the shogunate gloated a little.

"Idiot, what an idiot." Tokugawa Iemitsu said while drinking, "Abe Tadaaki, everyone is gone, you raise your head."

Tadaki Abe seemed to be acting, as if nothing had happened after getting up.

Sakai Tadakatsu said: "It seems that many people are still opposed to the change. Patriarch, you made Abe Tadaaki so tempting, and all the opponents jumped out eagerly."

"Is it so easy to change? We have not formed a strong centralized dynasty since ancient times in Japan, and the daimyos from all over the country have free and undisciplined power. How to deal with powerful enemies like this? A loose alliance will hinder us from becoming strong!" Tokugawa Iemitsu Said.

"If we can clean up the four islands by force, we may be able to establish a powerful centralized empire, just like the Kyushu Army, but the time left for us is decreasing. If we think that all the conditions are ripe before making changes, we will be wiped out So we have to change while sweeping away local forces." Sakai Tadakatsu said, "This is the conclusion I have come to after studying the history of the Kyushu Army for a year."

"Can it be solved technically? They are not only systems, but also far ahead of us in technology." Tokugawa Iemitsu asked.

"If it can be imitated, it can be imitated, and if it cannot be imitated, we can use silver mines to buy industrial products, talents, and design drawings. With our wisdom, we can definitely find a way to solve the difficulties we are facing!" Abe Tadaaki said.

(End of this chapter)