In Japan, under the politics of the feudal shogunate, there has always been a problem of strong soldiers and weak countries!

This is because the core of the politics of the feudal shogunate is actually the monks! Most of Japan's manpower and material resources were used to raise warriors, and countless samurai were raised, not only to feed, but also to teach and train, and strive to train them into feudal warriors with all-round development of morality, intellect and body.

It should be emphasized that the system of the Tokugawa shogunate was not actually a shogun dictatorship recognized by later generations. There was no dictatorship at all, there was no shogun Tokugawa at the central level, and there was no dictatorship of feudal lords at the local level. Because the general's family is amazing, the power of the old middle school is getting bigger and bigger.

The local feudal lords and the heirs of the feudal lords all became Edo because of the Hajj system, and there were no telegraphs or telephones in those days, and there was not even a 600-mile rush on the Japanese side. How can a group of Edo people cut their own homes? Therefore, the feudal states in various regions usually adopted the method of collegial ministers to govern.

And those important ministers of the vassal state are actually not heavy, and they are hundreds or thousands of stones, and they are just a larger landlord in China.

The real power of Japan is in the hands of this group of people! Therefore, Japan is a country that raises this group of samurai who are not engaged in production and specialize in cutting techniques.

The individual combat effectiveness of these samurai is undoubtedly very strong, and they are generally well-written and martial, and their minds are also washed to the point that they are not afraid of death, and they are very good warriors, and they can also act as low-ranking officers.

But whoever thinks that Japan's state-owned group of professional slashers is a military power, that is nonsense!

Because Japan is a place name, and this group of professional households are divided into about 300 domains, and there are a group of poor people who have simply become headaches. At the top of Japan, the shoguns were wary of the daimyos, and the daimyo suppressed the suffocating and solidified feudal system. Although the people in the upper echelons have to raise soldiers, they only do not raise them, and they must do their best to guard against rebellion by those below.

Therefore, as long as Japan's feudal shogunate system existed, there was no way to transform the combat power of the samurai into the combat power of the state.

Moreover, there is still a problem in Japan that separates the righteous name from the actual power!

The emperor who has the name of righteousness has no real power, and the shogunate has real power but no real power, so there is a relationship between the name and the real power.

Now that the external situation in East Asia has changed dramatically, the shogunate in power must choose between joining the Celestial Empire and opposing the Celestial Empire.

However, the lack of prestige and the mutual restraint between the feudal shogunate put the shogunate in a dilemma. If he joined the Celestial Empire, the shogunate would have to be a rebellious thief, depose the emperor, and turn the shogun into the king of Japan - the current Tokugawa shogunate is still very strong, and with the support of the Celestial Empire, this kind of rebellion may not be unsuccessful.

But the question is...... The Tokugawa family must have a lord in order to succeed in plotting to usurp the throne!

For example, the clever lieutenant general of the Mito Domain, Tokugawa Mitsukuni, was the minister, and if he went to seek a usurpation of the throne, there was hope that things would succeed. But now the shogunate has a stupid prince...... How did the stupid prince usurp the throne?

If we want to fight against the Celestial Empire, we must completely change the feudal system and establish a centralized power for the emperor...... This means the end of the shogunate!

But the problem was that the Tokugawa family was too strong, and His Majesty the Emperor's prestige was too low...... In this case, the shogunate will be terminated and the government will be returned, and the relatives and genealogies of the Tokugawa side can agree?

And the stupid public party can't make decisions on his own, who can do such a thing in a group of old people?

Therefore, in the face of Tokugawa Mitsukoku's proposed choice, the shogunate elders present fell silent.

I don't know how long I was silent before I heard Masayuki Baoshina sigh: "It would be nice if Daming was defeated by the Spaniards!" Such...... Maybe everything will stay the same! ”

Tokugawa Mitsukuni said, "It is impossible for the Spaniards to defeat the Ming Dynasty, Spain only has a population of more than 5 million, and the maximum number of people that can be sent to China is 5,000, how can 5,000 people defeat the Ming Dynasty?"

He paused and looked at Masayuki Hoshina: "His Royal Highness Aizu! Do you want to be a loyal servant of the emperor? ”

Baoke Masayuki hurriedly shook his head: "No, no, this is not good...... The Aizu Domain exists to protect the Shogun's family! Even if he is scolded by the people of the world as a chaotic minister and thief, he will not hesitate! ”

Yes, Aizu Izu's 530,000 stone seal! How can it be handed over for a loyal minister? How many stones and rice are a pound of loyal ministers!

"Mamoru Izu, are you a loyal servant of the emperor?" Masayuki Hoshina then kicked the ball to Nobutsuna Matsudaira.

"The Emperor?" Matsudaira Nobutsuna snorted, "I don't know!" My family has been a country warrior for generations, and I have my status today because I followed the god king, and I don't know the emperor! ”

Sixty thousand stone of Musashikawa-goe Domain! It is to be passed on to his son and grandson, and if he wants to hand it over for a loyal minister, then there will be no filial sons and grandsons in the family!

"My Sakai family has been loyal to the Tokugawa family for generations!" Sakai Tadakiyo, the lord of the Ueno Stablebridge Domain, also took a stand.

There's nothing to say, because his surname is Sakai, he also has to help the Tokugawa family cut people! It's 1656 in the Western calendar, not 1856! Sakai Tadashi hasn't forgotten how to cut people!

Of course, his territory is not much, only 33,000...... Need to cut more people to make meritorious contributions! The territory of the "Emperor's loyal ministers" in the west looks very large!

Abe Tadaaki, who is considered to be the most proficient among the elders, frowned, and said in a low voice: "Could it be that the troubled times of the Warring States are coming again?" Once the world is in chaos, it will be ruined...... This mess is obviously from the Ming Dynasty, why did it spread to Japan? We in Japan have not had much to do with them since the end of the Tang Dynasty! ”

"Abe-kun!" Matsudaira Nobutsuna looked at the nagging Tadaaki, "What's the use of talking about this now?" Let's talk about something useful! ”

Abu Zhongqiu sighed: "I, the Tokugawa retainers, only know the Tokugawa, not the emperor!" ”

Seeing that all the elders had expressed their attitudes, Tokugawa Mitsukuni nodded, and his tone was calm: "Since everyone only knows the general, not the emperor...... Then, let's be a rebel and a thief together! ”

"How?" Masayuki Baoshina has a straight face, looking very scary - this is going to Kyoto to cut the emperor?

"First of all," said Tokugawa Mitsukuni, "of course, it is a grand welcome to the envoy of the Celestial Empire, the American Duke Wei Zaode!" Although the Emperor of the Celestial Empire gave us two bitter fruits, we should also swallow them with a smile! ”

"And then?" Baoke asked again.

"Then sign a secret treaty with the envoys of the Celestial Empire......"

"The secret covenant of the courtiers?" Baoke asked.

"It's not." Tokugawa Mitsukuni replied, "Unless the Celestial Empire defeats Spain and becomes the hegemon of the Pacific, we cannot submit to the Celestial Empire." Because that would invite a Spanish attack...... If Spain supported the powerful feudal clans that tried to bring down the shogunate with arms, the shogunate could be defeated, and the shogunate could not take such a risk! ”

"So what kind of pact are we going to sign?"

"Of course, they were nominally neutral, but in fact they secretly aided the secret ...... of the Celestial Empire," said Tokugawa Mitsukuni, "and the Celestial Empire's sailors could be allowed to secretly use the ports of Mito, Aizu, Kishu, and Ezo, on the condition that the Celestial Empire provided us with naval artillery, field artillery, and siege artillery, as well as artillery officers." I have studied many examples of wars in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and found that field artillery played a decisive role in the formation of battles. The shogunate must build up artillery as soon as possible before it can launch a crusade against the southwestern domains! As long as he defeats the sinister southwestern feudal domains, the shogun will be able to go one step further and become the king of Japan! ”

"How did the Spanish envoys deal with it?" "Do you want to expel them?" ”

"Of course you can't be evicted!" Tokugawa Mitsukuni said with a smile, "Spain is a world empire, a power that Japan is powerless to resist...... Therefore, Japan had to adhere to the principle of neutrality and allow the Spanish sailors to stay in the ports of Nagasaki and Uraga for a short time to replenish food and fresh water.

Of course, our Tokugawa shogunate admired the Daimei Dynasty, but it was forced to do so, and once the shogunate strengthened its armament and eliminated the powerful feudal clans with ill intentions, it would definitely follow the Celestial Empire and fight against Spain! ”