With the mass distribution of guns and artillery, the Bakufu forces’ equipment had become very light. The conical iron battle hat[1] was almost their only protection.
In contrast, the rebel forces wore all traditional armor.
Consequently, during the three-li pursuit, the rebel forces had to endure far greater physical exertion than the Bakufu forces.
The rebel commanders, panting heavily like their soldiers while pursuing the Bakufu forces, hesitated momentarily upon seeing the palisade before them, but quickly raised their voices:
“Charge! It’s just a flimsy palisade! Destroy it!”
“Charge! You’ll be rewarded for each Bakufu head you take!”
“The Bakufu forces have only been running! Don’t fear them!”
“Uwaaaa!”
Under their commanders’ encouragement, the rebel soldiers charged toward the palisade with battle cries.
Then the Bakufu commanders shouted from beyond the palisade:
“Fire!”
Ratatata! Ratatata!
Amid thunderous gunfire, rebel soldiers began falling in droves.
“Charge! Their reload time…”
Ratatata!
Contrary to the vanguard’s expectations, the Bakufu soldiers’ gunfire from beyond the palisade was rapid.
“How…”
The rebel commanders, confused by the suddenly intensified Bakufu gunfire, quickly grasped the situation.
“It was a trap!”
As they realized, the Bakufu forces had indeed set a trap here.
The unit that initially faced the rebel vanguard had been equipped with old flintlock muskets from their battles with the Muromachi Bakufu, Ming-made artillery captured from Ming, and old black powder.
Naturally, due to slow firing speed, short range, weak firepower, and excessive smoke, the rebel vanguard suffered fewer casualties than expected, raising their morale.
Then, at the right moment, the Bakufu forces withdrew, leading the rebel forces to rush headlong into pursuit, chasing the Bakufu troops.
And here, about three li away, the Bakufu’s main force had been crouching in wait for the rebel army.
Not only were there siege weapons already loaded with anti-personnel rockets, but Eulshik fire vehicles imported in mass from the Empire formed firing lines along the palisades and trenches, while Bakufu elite troops armed with Eulshik muskets waited for the rebel forces.
When the Bakufu forces’ first volley ended, the rebel vanguard commanders all thought the same thing:
We’re finished!
Realizing the trap, the rebel vanguard desperately tried to halt their charge and withdraw, but momentum kept pushing them toward the palisade.
The rebel vanguard thus pushed forward began melting away under the crossfire of anti-personnel rockets and Eulshik fire vehicles.
“R-Run away!”
“Retreat!”
The vanguard’s survivors who made it through the anti-personnel rockets and Eulshik fire vehicles’ crossfire desperately tried to turn back. But at that moment, the disorganized rebel main force came surging forward.
As the retreating vanguard and advancing main force became entangled, they created a situation where no one could move forward or back.
Seeing this, the Bakufu commanders raised their Japanese swords high and shouted:
“Sweep them away!”
“Don’t spare the ammunition!”
Even without their commanders’ orders, the Bakufu soldiers were already launching merciless attacks at the entangled rebel forces before them.
“It’s do or die! Kill them before they kill me!”
“Kill the traitors!”
“Suppress the rebels!”
Amid shouts of “Suppress the traitors!” from all directions, the soldiers attacked the rebel forces with burning eyes.
They had their reasons for such fervor.
-Soon, a national army organization would be created, integrating the soldiers and samurai of both the Bakufu and daimyo. -Military achievements now could lead to better treatment in the new national army. -We can’t remain common soldiers forever! This is a chance for social advancement!
Hoping for a life-changing opportunity, the Bakufu soldiers pulled their triggers like madmen. The rebel soldiers falling bleeding before their eyes weren’t people but tokens promising a better future.
Numerical superiority offered no advantage against the Bakufu’s crossfire.
Watching rebel forces fall to the Eulshik fire vehicles’ firing pattern, Mochiyo turned to Norihiro.
“Didn’t the Empire’s instructors say it? That overcoming properly positioned Eulshik fire vehicles requires at least five times the forces.”
“Yes, my lord! They did!”
“It wasn’t an exaggeration.”
Nodding his head, Mochiyo sighed.
“Whew~ We still have a long way to go. But to walk that path properly, we must first deal with these specters.”
“Yes, my lord! A wise decision!”
After about two double-hours of battle, the rebel army’s main force was annihilated.
The surviving nobles, including the Go-Sekke clan heads, and their soldiers desperately tried to retreat the way they had come, but that path too was a death trap.
The rebel forces’ route had the sea to the south and a wall of hills large and small lined up to the north. Thus, the rebel forces had no other path.
And as they retraced their steps in retreat, Bakufu forces lying in ambush in the hilly terrain attacked them.
In the end, the rebel army that had set out proudly raising banners of “Down with the Bakufu” was completely destroyed.
During this process, the surviving nobles, especially the Go-Sekke clan heads, ended their lives through ritual suicide to avoid humiliation.
Though the war ended with the clan heads’ suicide, the true ending was just beginning.
Bounty hunting of fleeing soldiers broke out everywhere, and Bakufu forces descended upon Kuge domains that had participated in the uprising, beginning to massacre the nobles.
“They’re the families of traitors! Kill them all!”
Amid the bloody massacres occurring everywhere, some begged for mercy. But the Bakufu’s response was firm:
“The Empire exterminates three generations, China nine generations! There is no mercy for traitors!”
Thus the noble families who had participated in the uprising were wiped out, and all their domains became Bakufu property.
Once the situation had somewhat settled, Mochiyo sought an audience with the Emperor.
“We have successfully dealt with all the treasonous rebels.”
“Y-You have done well.”
The Emperor, face pale, praised Mochiyo with a trembling voice.
“To quickly calm the chaos and maintain stable governance, we must fill the empty court positions.”
“Do as you see fit, Shogun.”
“Then, please grant me the position of Kampaku that I previously requested.”
“Th-That…”
As the Emperor hesitated, Mochiyo raised his voice:
“It is absolutely necessary to resolve this chaotic realm and ensure peace for ten thousand generations! Please make your decision!”
The Emperor immediately yielded to Mochiyo’s pressure.
“V-Very well! If it’s for the realm’s peace, let it be so!”
Thus, Mochiyo became the supreme authority in both military and civil affairs.
He had become Japan’s de facto ruler in both name and reality.
As a side note, in the far future, a famous Japanese SF writer would write a novel about the Kuge nobles’, including the Go-Sekke’s, reactionary uprising. The portrayal of the Go-Sekke and nobles in that novel was far from positive.
News of Japan’s situation was being delivered to the Empire almost in real-time. This was possible because the study-abroad faction working in the Bakufu’s core was sending news almost daily by ship.
“This must surely be happening with the Shogun’s permission?” At Hyang’s question, Heo Hu immediately answered.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. There has never been a precedent for receiving such detailed information about events at Japan’s core.”
Following Heo Hu’s response, Hwang Hui continued:
“The Shogun’s intentions are clear in doing this. He’s gauging our Empire’s reaction.”
“Gauging our Empire’s reaction?”
At Hyang’s question, Hwang Hui explained why the Bakufu was watching the Empire’s response.
“Narrowly speaking, they’ll need to make requests of our Empire to replenish the ammunition and artillery shells expended in this war. Broadly speaking, they need our Empire’s recognition of the Bakufu’s legitimacy to secure their regime’s safety.”
“Hmm…”
After analyzing the situation while humming thoughtfully at Hwang Hui’s words, Hyang asked him:
“Prime Minister, does this mean our Empire becomes Japan’s suzerain state?”
Hwang Hui immediately answered Hyang’s question:
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm…”
At Hwang Hui’s answer, Hyang considered the situation again.
So it’s for regime stability after all? We had the same reason when we served Ming as our suzerain.
Thinking thus far, Hyang asked Hwang Hui again:
“Why do you think Japan seeks to serve us rather than Ming as their suzerain?”
“While Ming is traditionally powerful, their governing power has greatly weakened. But our Empire continues to advance daily, so anyone who can read the times even slightly would choose our Empire over Ming as suzerain.”
“Is this good for us?”
“It is both good and bad, Your Majesty. That small countries like Japan and Ryukyu volunteer to serve our Empire as suzerain shows how strong we’ve become, which is good. However, a suzerain must be generous to countries declaring vassalage, which isn’t so good.”
All ministers nodded at Hwang Hui’s words.
This was because Joseon had previously conducted tributary diplomacy with Ming. Many people had shed tears trying to meet Ming’s tribute demands and the bribes demanded by Ming envoys, though they had also extracted considerable benefits from Ming in return. Most of the senior ministers present in the hall had experience dutifully extracting such benefits while traveling to and from Ming as envoys.
Kim Jeom continued after Hwang Hui’s words:
“Fortunately, our Empire has already declared we won’t conduct tributary diplomacy. This has greatly reduced that burden.”
Hyang and all the ministers nodded at Kim Jeom’s words.
Having sorted out the situation thus far, Hyang asked about the Bakufu’s possible future choices.
“Will the Shogun be satisfied after obtaining the Kampaku position?”
Hwang Hui answered Hyang’s question again:
“As we discussed before, it’s fifty-fifty, Your Majesty. Since Japan’s Emperor is a figurehead, there’s a significant possibility that the Shogun, holding all military and civil authority, might push him aside. However, in my opinion, not right now. Although a figurehead, the imperial line has continued for over a thousand years. Public sentiment could waver. Wouldn’t it take at least 20-30 years?”
Following Hwang Hui, Heo Hu continued:
“Like Cao Cao above, the current Shogun will stop at Kampaku. However, his successor is likely to make the same choice as Cao Pi.”
“The same choice as Cao Pi?”
“Abdication[2].”
Cao Pi, Cao Cao’s son, had succeeded him as Chancellor of Later Han and received the throne from Emperor Xian to become emperor himself.
At Heo Hu’s words, Hyang asked with a slightly mischievous smile:
“What should we do? Should we stir things up a bit?”
Heo Hu immediately expressed opposition to Hyang’s question:
“We finally have a regime that will listen well to our Empire, is there any need for that? Moreover, the Japanese are by nature two-faced, quick to forget favors but remembering grudges for generations. They will bare their teeth at us someday, but we shouldn’t provide the cause ourselves.”
“The Foreign Minister’s words are sound.”
“Indeed they are.”
At Heo Hu’s words, Hyang stepped back.
“Then let’s proceed in a mutually beneficial direction for now.”