Chapter 631 Occupation
(Thanks to reader 20170203160501419 for casting 4 monthly tickets.)
The news of the destruction of the fleet led by Nobuhiro Matsuura swept across the west coast of Honshu Island, Japan, like a sudden tsunami, and spread to other islands of Japan at an alarming speed.
This was not only a military defeat for Japan, but also a huge psychological shock.
The Matsuura family, who had been invincible in the East China Sea, were almost completely annihilated at their doorstep by an army from Da Long, led by a woman!
However, this massive shockwave failed to immediately unite the various factions in Japan in their shared hatred of the enemy.
On the contrary, it is like a boulder thrown into already murky water, stirring up even more chaotic and selfish ripples.
The bloody assassination of the upper-class Japanese nobles, which was carried out simultaneously by Li Shiyue's "Xuanjia Dark Blade," now revealed its profound and vicious strategic effects.
The noble mansions of Heian-kyo, the wealthy merchant courtyards on Kyushu Island, the castles along the Seto Inland Sea coast... the families of the great nobles and wealthy merchants who perished in the previous assassination storm are now in chaos.
The sudden death of the patriarch created a power vacuum, leaving behind not only grief but also a greedy covetousness for that supreme position and vast wealth.
Greed is the most natural thing in human nature!
Biological offspring, biological brothers, and even retainers... all these forces began their open and covert struggles, alliances and betrayals, and even armed conflict in the mourning hall.
Their concern was who would emerge victorious in the ensuing family feud and who would have the power and qualifications to take over those tempting territories and trade routes.
As for the female general named Li Shiyue, who lived far in western Honshu, and the "Shimane Prefecture" that she occupied, which they considered to be a poor and remote place.
"What can a foreign woman accomplish by occupying a barren piece of land?"
"The Matsuura family is incompetent and has lost face; what does that have to do with us?"
"The most urgent task is to stabilize the family internally, and we must not allow collateral branches or other families to take advantage of the situation!"
"Ohara District, Shimane Prefecture?"
Hmph, they say there's a silver mine there, but who knows?
To risk a direct confrontation with a madman capable of annihilating Matsuura's main force for a mine whose value is unknown is a losing proposition!
Various opinions circulated among the major powers on Japan's four main islands.
Fear, contempt, internal strife, scheming... all these factors intertwine to form a peculiar attitude of "laissez-faire".
No family would willingly provoke an enemy who has just demonstrated ruthless methods and formidable strength when its own internal situation is unstable.
Even the Emperor in Heian-kyo maintained a "laissez-faire" attitude.
The Emperor does want to do something, but no one is willing to provide him with money or effort!
These people in Japan tacitly chose to wait and see, even secretly hoping that other families would take the lead so that they could reap the benefits.
Because those brave and resourceful decision-makers have all been killed by the Xuanjia Dark Blades sent by Li Shiyue!
This collective shortsightedness and selfishness within the upper echelons of Japanese power undoubtedly provided Li Shiyue with the most precious opportunity to breathe and develop.
Shimane Prefecture, around the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.
Li Shiyue was standing on a high ground, looking down at the gradually becoming orderly camp and the newly opened mine.
The victory in the naval battle and the sacrifice of Anren were like a sword that had been tempered, making her more composed and reserved.
She knew that military victory was only the beginning; to truly establish herself in this foreign land, she needed to build a solid foundation of rule and economy.
"Pass down the order," Li Shiyue instructed Dana and Sun Xiaoliu beside him, "First, construct defensive fortifications and establish a large camp centered on Shijian Yinshan, extending the area outwards by thirty li."
Add another 30% profit, continue recruiting local Japanese, organize them, prioritize the repair and reinforcement of existing mine shafts, and explore for new mineral veins.
"Second, post notices to reassure the people."
Inform the local Japanese civilians that our naval force has come here only to suppress Japanese pirates and has nothing to do with the civilians.
Anyone who wishes to leave can leave the naval control area of our town within one month by paying enough silver.
One month from now, all Japanese civilians who have not left must submit to the jurisdiction of my naval forces!
If anyone still objects, just kill them.
Dana kept writing down everything Li Shiyue said in charcoal pencil.
Sun Xiaoliu, standing to the side, nodded solemnly to Li Shiyue and said, "Yes, General!"
"Furthermore, half a month has passed, and since no more Japanese pirates have come to attack us, then..."
Li Shiyue looked at Sun Xiaoliu and said, "Xiaoliu, find some obedient Japanese people in the area and send a message outwards—Shimane Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, Okayama Prefecture, as well as the western parts of Tottori Prefecture and Hyogo Prefecture are now under the jurisdiction of our naval force!"
(I found another picture; this one is clearer.)
We welcome trade and commerce, but any provocateurs will be considered an invasion by our Zhenhai Navy!
“Third,” Li Shiyue turned his gaze south, “find a few suitable people from the Dark Blade and contact powerful local merchants.”
Tell them that we are willing to use silver to buy food, cloth, ironware, timber... and all the supplies we need.
The price can be 50% higher than the market price.
Li Shiyue's orders were carried out swiftly.
The Zhenhai Navy demonstrated extremely high efficiency.
A camp, built to take advantage of the terrain and serving both defensive and residential functions, rose up at a visible speed.
It was complete with watchtowers, fences, and trenches, and even the formidable "Thor cannons" were erected in key locations.
Li Shiyue thought that the public notice that had been posted would take another ten days or half a month before it would make any waves.
To everyone's surprise, just three days after the posting was made, the local civilians, who had suffered from the ravages of war, not only came to apply themselves, but also sent representatives to ask if they could go to their relatives' homes outside Shimane Prefecture to ask them to come and work together.
Li Shiyue naturally wouldn't refuse, after all, it was just a matter of paying some grain and copper coins.
It should be noted that the grain found in the Mori clan's granary was enough to sustain them for a period of time.
As more and more miners actually received their full wages, the news that "Dalong people recruit workers with grain and copper coins" spread like wildfire to places outside Shimane Prefecture.
As a result, more and more people came to apply for the job in Li Shiyue's territory, and the mining work at Iwami Silver Mine began to get on track.
Contact with local businessmen, however, requires a more strategic approach.
Li Shiyue knew that pure military conquest was unsustainable and that he had to align his own interests with those of local factions.
She dispatched her spies, who could speak Japanese, carrying gifts of silk from Jiangnan and pure white sea salt from the salt fields of Jian'an, brought by the Zhenhai Army from Jian'an, and they sought out many wealthy merchants.
At first, the local big merchants were naturally hesitant, worried that Li Shiyue and his group were foreigners and invaders, and feared that trading with them would be like inviting wolves into the house, or offending the local forces of Japan.
However, the generous prices offered by Li Shiyue, as well as the high-quality goods she possessed, were an irresistible temptation for these local business tycoons.
For businessmen, profit is the fundamental goal.
Especially when she secretly indicated that she was willing to provide a certain degree of armed protection to the merchants she was cooperating with, to ensure the safety of their trade routes, how could some small and medium-sized merchants who were already on the cusp of the Matsuura family or who were being ostracized by other local powerful families not be tempted?
Thus, the first person to eat crab appeared.
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