nucmednet Chapter 345 Eat and leave
Chapter 345 Eat and leave
Having heard of Liu Ye's "glorious deeds" in forcing the shogunate to submit, the Shimazu father and son became even more eager to befriend him. In his haste, Shimazu Mitsuhisa preemptively offered his assistance before his father could: "If you wish to recruit Japanese samurai, why not do so in the Satsuma Domain? In the entire Kyushu region, in terms of martial prowess, no other domain's samurai surpasses those of the Satsuma Domain."
Shimazu Tadatsune didn't take his son's rudeness to heart. Instead, he went along with his words, saying, "That's right. Our Satsuma Domain has always valued martial prowess, which is incomparable to those like Hirado and Hizen in the north." Father and son were of one mind. Although they hadn't communicated beforehand, they both wanted to send Satsuma Domain samurai to such a powerful army to hone their skills and learn firearms. As long as they didn't die and could return to Kagoshima alive, they could raise the overall level of the Satsuma Domain's army to a higher level.
Liu Ye pondered for a moment and said, "This is something we can consider. We'll discuss it further when the time is right. Let's first call out the samurai trained by Shimazu Chiyo and bring them aboard." He had originally wanted to recruit Japanese samurai as cannon fodder in the cold weapon force, and the other party's suggestion was exactly what he wanted. The samurai of the Satsuma Domain were known for their fierceness and bravery, making them a suitable choice. However, considering that the two sides had been mortal enemies just an hour ago, it was best to proceed slowly before establishing mutual trust.
Shimazu Tadatsune nodded repeatedly: "Yes, sir, do it right away."
The father and son disembarked with their accompanying samurai, leaving Shimazu Chiyo standing alone on the deck.
She wore a white samurai outfit with red trim, her sword planted firmly on the ground. The sea breeze blew, causing her clothes to flutter in the wind, and her tied-up hair danced in the breeze. Combined with her fair complexion and red lips, she was a sight to behold.
However, considering her bravery during the Nagasaki assassination attempt and her ghostly skills during the one-on-one rehearsal, everyone who saw her cold and stern face instinctively felt a sense of retreat and dared not approach her.
Looking at Shimazu Chiyo from afar, Liang Xiaoming asked in a low voice, "Are you really planning to keep her here? Do you dare let her protect your safety?"
Liu Ye replied uncertainly, "Why not give it a try? I do lack someone like that. However, it seems a bit risky to keep her by my side right away. Let's take her back to the Ming Dynasty first and observe her..."
"Why did you agree to the old man's suggestion? Aren't you worried that he might be playing a real-life Trojan horse?"
Liu Ye was quite certain about this: "Didn't you notice? Everyone says this madwoman is a candidate for head of the Satsuma Domain, but the old man from the Shimazu family didn't mention it at all in his words just now. It seems that the biggest purpose of this negotiation was to push his daughter out. Moreover, that Shimazu boy didn't hide his joy at his sister's impending exile to Ming China. Their behavior is enough to show that the madwoman's qualification as head of the domain is in jeopardy, and the old man wants to pass the position to a son, not a daughter. And the madwoman looks like she has no will to live, seemingly disheartened and resigned to her fate. If this is all a charade staged to play Troy, then they are all Oscar-worthy actors and actresses. I admit defeat!" Although he didn't understand the ins and outs, Liu Ye had basically guessed their mentality correctly, and his guess was very close to the truth.
Liang Xiaoming nodded: "Now that you analyze it, it seems to make sense. I didn't expect that bombing Kagoshima would bring you a bodyguard captain, and a beautiful one at that. You've hit the jackpot."
Liu Ye shuddered: "I advise you not to treat her like a woman. This girl is steady, accurate, and ruthless when she kills people, even more so than most men. I don't know how her family raised such a freak."
Liang Xiaoming shuddered as he recalled the ruthless look in Shimazu Chiyo's eyes when she captured her prey in Nagasaki, and then his calm and collected demeanor when he killed his subordinates. He dared not discuss the topic any further.
About an hour later, Shimazu Mitsuhisa returned to the "Guangdong" with twenty or thirty samurai and respectfully informed Xia Tiannan: "These are the samurai that my sister personally trained. They are proficient in 'drawing sword technique' and are top-notch in the entire Satsuma Domain and even in Japan."
Liu Ye didn't bother to delve into whether his words were exaggerated. As long as these people possessed half the skill that Shimazu Chiyo had displayed in killing an enemy with a single strike, they would be able to handle most assassins. He nodded, indicating that he understood. "Thank you for your hard work. Now that everything is resolved, we won't stay in Kagoshima any longer. We'll head straight back to Ming China via Nagasaki. Farewell."
Shimazu Mitsuhisa asked solicitously, "If you find the sea voyage arduous, why not stay at Tsurumaru Castle for a few days to rest, so that my father and I can do our best to be your hosts?"
Liu Ye looked over his head and saw the thick smoke rising above Tsurumaru Castle. The fire inside the castle was still not completely extinguished. He politely declined the invitation, saying, "No need. I'll visit you again next time I have the chance to come to Japan!"
He had just bombed the city into a scene of utter devastation, leaving countless dead and wounded, and countless houses collapsed and burned. The people were seething with resentment. Even if the city's ruler wanted to curry favor, he wouldn't be so heartless as to choose this moment to visit. Wasn't that just foolish? What if some people on the street decided to commit suicide by attacking him with knives? Anyway, he had achieved his goals; the best course of action was to make his move quickly and leave.
Shimazu Mitsuhisa felt a pang of regret that he couldn't strike while the iron was hot and further cultivate the relationship. However, with his sister as a connection, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, so he didn't insist. He simply smiled and said, "Very well, Mitsuhisa looks forward to your next visit to Kagoshima. The Shimazu family will welcome you with open arms." Then, turning to Shimazu Chiyo, he said earnestly, "Sister, you are about to depart for Meiji. Please take good care of yourself. Father and I will miss you."
Shimazu Chiyo was speaking quietly with the samurai. Seeing them safely leave the city, she felt quite relieved. These were her most trusted subordinates; if they stayed in Kagoshima, they would inevitably face suppression, persecution, or even execution by her younger brother. It was better to let them leave with her. Although their future in Ming China was uncertain, it was still better than waiting to die in Kagoshima.
Hearing her brother's seemingly sincere words, she snorted, "Thank you for your concern, little brother. I will definitely live well and will not let you down."
Mitsuhisa Shimazu sensed the sarcasm in his sister's words and felt somewhat embarrassed. He didn't continue the conversation, bid farewell to Liu Ye, and hurriedly disembarked.
Liu Ye observed coldly; it was indeed a melodramatic saga of vying for the family headship. However, when it came to palace intrigue dramas, the Japanese couldn't compare to the Celestial Empire. Throughout history, there had never been a shortage of grand palace dramas about vying for the throne, such as the Xuanwu Gate Incident and the Nine Princes' Succession Struggle—the list goes on and on. In this respect, the Japanese could be considered the progenitors of the genre.