In September of the fifth year of Hongzhi, history seemed to go through a process of quantitative change to qualitative change.

When Japan entered the Warring States Period, the Ming Dynasty, the most powerful dynasty in the world, also extended its hand to the East China Sea, as if it wanted to use the whole of Japan as a chessboard.

In terms of strength, Japan is now in the most chaotic period, and there are simply not many that can fight.

The Japanese emperor is a hypocrisy, which is similar to the family in Shandong, mainly acting as a mascot.

As for the shogunate, which held military power, the power was now scattered into the hands of various local daimyos, but there were serious disputes within the shogunate.

At this time, the Ming Dynasty intervened by co-opting and encircling a hard-working daimyo like Ise Shinkuro, and the entire Japanese society would be difficult to meet opponents.

Some people rejoice, others are sad.

Masahiro Ouchi returned to his territory after more than half a year, and after dealing with some important affairs of the Ouchi family, he led a team to patrol his territory.

After leaving Yamaguchi Castle, this cavalry team headed in the direction of Iwami Province, and Masahiro Ouchi actually wanted to go and see the Iwami Silver Mine.

He rode slowly along the path of a village, and as he entered the village, a heartbreaking despair filled the air around him.

What he looked at was a tragic picture of hungry and skinny villagers.

An old woman's skin was close to her bones, and the wrinkles on her face were like a parched riverbed, deeply carved into her face, whose eyes were sunken into their sockets revealed endless sadness and helplessness. She stretched out her trembling hand and tried to pull a few dry grass roots from a barren field in front of the village, which was the only food she could get.

A little boy in ragged clothes was rummaging through the rubble with his dirty little hands on the edge of the barnyard, his legs as thin as two thin bamboo poles. His eyes were full of longing and despair, and even the desire to find edible bugs in the rubble pile seemed to be a luxury now.

A woman walks down the village path with a small baby on her back, her steps heavy and slow, while the baby behind her is covered in dried blood.

Seeing such a tragic situation, Masahiro Ouchi couldn't believe his eyes, and immediately asked the village chief in disbelief: "What's going on?" ”

"The head of the family, our village's harvest this year is not good, and it has been repeatedly looted by ronins in recent months, please make the decision for us!" The village chief was a little old man, so he knelt on the ground and cried.

Originally, their lives were okay, but now the sturdy men in the family have been recruited to fight wars or build roads and mine, and as a result, the fields in the village have been reduced by natural disasters.

However, due to the strife in Japan, there are now more and more ronins in the territory, resulting in their village being ransacked by rounds of Dongying ronin.

Even if they report what has happened to them, the people above simply ignore them, or they are no longer able to protect their safety.

It is under the influence of these multiple unfavorable factors that their village has not only lost the ability to protect itself, but also cannot guarantee even basic production capacity.

It was originally a village of hundreds of people, but now it is less than thirty percent, and most of the people who stay are old, weak, sick and disabled, or people who have gone crazy.

"The head of the family, now Iwami Country is short of food everywhere, some small lords can't support so many ronins, and many ronins outside have flowed to Iwami Country, so now everything is in chaos!" The retainer Tao Hongquan was responsible for assisting the Ouchi family in governing Iwami Province, and he also sighed softly.

Masahiro Ouchi raised his hand and motioned for everyone to settle down in the village for a while, realizing that the food problem was more serious than he thought.

Since Kyushu's food was cut off by the Ming Navy, their food was solved by themselves.

Whether it was the front rations of the army he led, or the mining rations of his son and the Jiangnan merchants, a large part of them came from the people of his territory.

Although he knew that the food supply was already insufficient, he did not expect that the food problem was so bad, and the heavens favored him when there was no turmoil in the territory under his rule.

On this night, although they were at the village chief's house, they had the illusion that they were still in the wilderness. It was as if all the houses in the village had died in the night, and there was not a single sound.

"The head of the family, in fact, the crux of everything is still in the food! We don't have food now, and the Self-Defense Forces are unwilling to go to the countryside, after all, they also need food support to go to the countryside! The retainer Tao Hongquan also saw the situation in the village, and he also felt compassion.

Masahiro Ouchi knew that this was a disobedience, and couldn't help but look at the west and said: "If everything is planned by the Ming Emperor, it will be too terrifying!" ”

The more he learned about his actual situation, the more he felt how terrifying the Ming Dynasty was, which had not yet moved a single soldier.

Even if their Ouchi family and Jiangnan Group jointly dug up silver, the grain was stuck by Daming, and the current situation can be said to have become precarious.

It was the first time in many years that he had seen such a grim survival situation in his territory, and it was also the first time that he felt that the Ouchi family was too busy to take care of himself.

"The head of the family, Daming bought our dried seafood on a large scale at the beginning, and deliberately sold grain at a low price to destroy our production enthusiasm, I'm afraid it has been planned for a long time!" The retainer Tao Hongquan sighed lightly, looking bitter and authentic.

Da Nei Masahiro knew that everything was probably the layout of the Ming Emperor, so he looked at the advisor in front of him and said, "Do you think we are capable of defeating the Ming Dynasty?" ”

"Family master, if our Ouchi family insists on going against Da Ming all the time, I'm not optimistic!" The retainer Tao Hongquan expressed his opinion implicitly.

Not only is he not optimistic, he is afraid that he can predict the future of the Ouchi family, and it really tastes like hitting a stone with an egg.

Masahiro Ouchi had his own opinions, and his eyes suddenly became sharp: "I don't know that Da Ming is powerful, they have huge ships and cannons, and they are already invincible!" It's just that the geometry of the Ming Dynasty, no one can tell now, can't he say that he wants the territory in the north of Kyushu, and I want to give them too, right? ”

Although their docks and ships were destroyed, they also maintained some intelligence networks, but they knew that the Ming Dynasty was sending troops to eyeing Kyushu Island.

It's just that the northern part of Kyushu is an important granary of his Ouchi family, and it is also the territory they have worked so hard to capture, so it is naturally impossible to give it to Daming.

Although he was ready to negotiate with the Ming Dynasty, only the territory could not be ceded.

"The head of the family, the food situation on Kyushu Island is far worse than that of Iwami, if Daming wants it, I'm afraid we really can't keep it!" The retainer Tao Hongquan hesitated for a moment, but finally expressed his judgment.

In fact, the most serious food is Kyushu Island, which was originally the most disputed area, but this year it also suffered a major earthquake, and it was even blocked by the Ming Dynasty's grain.

Now that the grain on Honshu Island cannot be transported, the garrison in the northern part of Kyushu Island is afraid that it will be swallowed alive by the displaced people.

The Ming Dynasty has done so much work over the years, and it is said that the Ming Dynasty has a high call for saving the female weavers trapped on Kyushu Island, so there must be a fierce battle on Kyushu Island.

Although he knew that it would be difficult for Masahiro Ouchi to make concessions in territory, the current situation no longer depended on the attitude of their Ouchi family.

Da Nei Masahiro thought he knew something about the Ming Dynasty, but he shook his head gently: "The Ming Dynasty rules the world with benevolence and filial piety, and they have always preached to the outside world that they share the blessings of the world, so I'm afraid you're too worried!" ”

Tao Hongquan's mouth moved, and finally let out a long sigh.

Maybe something needs to happen in order for everyone to really see the strength of the Ming Dynasty now, and they can also see the bloodthirsty side of the Ming Dynasty, and he always thinks that Kyushu Island will be hit by a big storm.

What they didn't know was that while they were chatting here, a village on the island of Kyushu was hit by a catastrophe.

Six ronins burst into the village like hungry wolves, their faces full of hideousness and ferocity.

With each kick open the door, they rushed in like wild beasts, paying no attention to the inhabitants of the house, and even letting out a rattling laugh.

In a humble hut, an old woman is hiding in a corner trembling with her grandson in her arms.

When a ronin breaks down the door, she screams in horror and tries to protect her grandson with her body. However, the ronin slashed at her with a knife without any humanity, and blood instantly stained her clothes red.

A ronin broke into one of the largest houses in the village, and when he saw a middle-aged man trying to escape with his belongings, he kicked the man to the ground and then slashed at the middle-aged man with a knife.

The middle-aged man was holding his accumulated belongings with one hand and protecting his body with the other, but there was a heart-piercing pain in his arm, and then he was stabbed in the abdomen.

He clutched his wounds, his eyes filled with despair as he watched helplessly as the ronin snatched his belongings.

A young woman jumped through the window and fled, but was soon overtaken by a ronin, who grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her into a room.

Six ronins not only robbed the villagers of their belongings, but also brutally injured them, leaving blood stains on the village's land and a suffocating smell of blood in the air.

A few days later, Hiroharu Ouchi passed through a bloodied village, and the blood of the village had not yet dried up.

After learning that the seven ronins were gone, Masahiro Ouchi led his men to chase after them, and when he learned that the seven evil-doers were resting by the river, he quietly surrounded them.

Apparently unaware of the impending danger, the seven ronins were resting leisurely by the river, talking about their previous raids and arrogant "anecdotes".

Their laughter echoed by the empty river, but they didn't know that death had crept in.

"Kill!"

Masahiro Ouchi gave an order, and his subordinates quickly flocked to the seven ronins from all directions.

They don't talk nonsense, they are like cheetahs, swift and agile, and don't give the ronins any chance to react. The six ronins panicked and tried to escape, but it was too late.

Masahiro Ouchi's men had already killed him, and his sword was unsheathed, and the cold light was shining.

A fierce battle of encirclement began. Masahiro Ouchi's subordinates have experienced the baptism of the battlefield, and they cooperate tacitly, attacking and defending in an orderly manner, so that the seven ronins are overwhelmed.

Although the seven ronins are fierce, they are gradually overwhelmed by the siege of Masahiro Ouchi's men. Wounds were torn open on their bodies, and blood stained their clothes red.

In the end, all seven ronins were killed in the encirclement, and their bodies fell in pools of blood, no longer with their previous arrogance and arrogance.

There was no joy of victory on Masahiro Ouchi's face, and this time they met by chance, but how many villages were ransacked by ronin and helpless?

In fact, the reason for the looting of the ronin, in addition to the intensification of the turmoil in Japan, the biggest problem is their own lack of food.

If their food is no longer enough to feed them, the chaos will continue.

On the contrary, it is not that fewer people can solve the problem of food, but that if there are fewer people, the number of people engaged in production will also decrease.

When Da Nei Masahiro thought of food, he couldn't help but think of Da Ming, who seemed to have everything, so he said to Tao Hong: "Do you say that Tao Qiandao can successfully persuade Da Ming to reconcile with our Da Nei family?" Will we be able to buy food from Daming smoothly? ”

"I'm afraid it won't work out!" Tao Hongquan didn't expect that Masahiro Ouchi still had such unrealistic fantasies, and shook his head with certainty.

Masahiro Ouchi's brows furrowed, and he suddenly said in confusion: "Why? ”

"I know that you sent Tao Qiandao over and have agreed to buy grain from Daming at a high price, but I'm afraid we won't be able to impress Daming if we give reconciliation conditions!" Tao Hongquan knew the thoughts of the great inner Masahiro, but he shook his head directly.

While a million taels of silver is indeed tempting, for a super dynasty, it may not change the entire plan for the sake of a mere transaction of a million silver?

What's more, that batch of silver all came from the Iwami Silver Mine, and the Iwami Silver Mine originally belonged to the imperial mine of the Ming Dynasty, and people may not really recognize that this million taels of silver belonged to the Ouchi family.

The most important thing is that after the last bloody wash of the Ishimi silver mine, they did not go to the Iwami silver mine to mine silver, and this attitude also proves that the Ming Dynasty did not attach importance to silver.

Silver is a treasure in the eyes of Jiangnan merchants, but it is likely to be grass in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty.

Ouchi Masahiro also silently accepted this cruel reality, but said hatefully: "If you don't want that million taels of silver, then what does Daming want?" ”

"The head of the family, I'm afraid Daming wants Kyushu Island!" Tao Hongquan hesitated, but still said his judgment.

Having said that, he can be regarded as dutiful.

Whether it is the silver in their hands, or the eldest lady who is the first beauty in Dongying, I am afraid that they will no longer be able to satisfy the appetite of the talented emperor.

Now that people are so laid out, all the points are to Kyushu Island, which is across the sea from Honshu Island, so it must be something that the Ming Emperor really wants to plot.

In essence, if there is something that can surpass the value of Iwami silver mine, it is also the closest island to Daming.

Although Da Nei Masahiro has been shaken, he still can't believe that the Ming Dynasty has this plan, which is completely inconsistent with his impression of the humble and gentleman-like Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, a fast horse galloped away from the direction of Yamaguchi Castle, but it was an urgent delivery.

Masahiro Ouchi opened the letter, and his face suddenly became solemn.

"Head of the house, what's going on?" Tao Hongquan sighed in his heart, but he knew that something big had happened.

Da Nei Masahiro handed the urgent letter to Tao Hongquan, and said bitterly: "Tao Qiandao is back, Da Ming sent us an ultimatum, asking us to hand over the territory in the north of Kyushu Island, otherwise our Kyushu garrison will be bloodied in three days!" (End of chapter)