At this point, Soza had the leverage—
The Ming Dynasty's Prime Minister and the Emperor were already at loggerheads. It was at this juncture that the Franks officially intervened, explicitly demanding the Ming Dynasty release the merchants on the island. This was, naturally, achievable.
Furthermore, if the situation were very optimistic, for instance, if the Prime Minister gained the upper hand, then protests could be lodged, demanding compensation from the Ming Dynasty for war losses. This was because the war was illegal, a personal, unlawful, and predatory war launched by a small clique of treacherous officials within the Ming Dynasty...
Of course,
To achieve this, relying solely on the Franks would not suffice, nor would diplomacy alone. A bit of military force would also be necessary...
It should be noted that,
Although this man hailed from a privileged background, his years of experience in the East had gradually transformed him into a capable individual. From India to Southeast Asia, and then to Ryukyu and Joseon, he had witnessed diplomatic and military struggles firsthand.
At this moment,
He conceived a plan. Clearing his throat, he gestured with his hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Fellow allies, after compiling intelligence from all fronts, I believe that rifts have emerged within the Ming Dynasty, and their internal contradictions have become public... This presents an excellent opportunity for our alliance—
Gentlemen, I have decided, in my capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Fleet of the Frankish East India Company and Representative for Eastern Commerce, to formally lodge a diplomatic protest with the Ming Dynasty on behalf of my sacred Frankish Royal House, demanding that the Ming Dynasty comply with the following two points:
First, the unconditional release of all Frankish and affiliated nation merchants and subjects stranded in Zhoushan; and second, full and immediate compensation for all losses incurred during the war at Great Port, which was established by our Frankish merchants and subjects!
Should the Ming Dynasty fail to meet these two demands, I, on behalf of my sacred Frankish Royal House, will formally declare war on the Ming Dynasty! This is because their attack on Great Port is illegal, a frenzied act by a small faction of warmongers within the Ming Dynasty to achieve their personal ambitions! Such actions must be severely punished!"
Good!
This is exceptionally good!
Clap, clap, clap, clap,
Everyone burst into applause.
Kim Hyo-won of Joseon also expressed his stance:
"Fellow allies, on behalf of our State Councilor Mr. Yun Won-hyeong, I too present formal demands to the Ming Dynasty: First, as a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, our country will request that the superior nation, following the precedents of Zhu Wan and Wang Yu, severely punish the treacherous officials Zhu Mo and Yu Dayou; second, the Ming Dynasty must immediately release the merchants and innocent people trapped at Great Port; and third, our country will follow the lead of the Franks. Should the Ming Dynasty fail to meet these two demands, we will formally sever tributary relations and deliver a declaration of war to the Ming Dynasty."
Mm-hmm,
Soza, puffing on a Brazilian cigar, his face filled with approval, said:
"Mr. Kim, you are a learned man. I personally appoint you as the International Law Advisor to the Shuri Alliance."
Kim Hyo-won bowed gratefully, "Thank you, General Soza. I will not fail in my mission."
Following this, the Le Dynasty and Ryukyu also made their statements. However, since no one from Burma was trapped at Great Port, they were unsure what to do at first. But the rise of the Mang clan was entirely due to the support of the Franks, so they could not refuse. Mang Yingli then stood up, bowed, and said:
"General Soza, your dispatched general, General Torres, is a specially enfeoffed King in our country. He is now stranded at Great Port, so our country is also willing to protest to the Ming Dynasty, demanding the immediate release of our specially enfeoffed lord, Mr. Torres. Furthermore, our traitor has fled to Tengyue in the Ming Dynasty, and we also demand his repatriation."
Good!
Good!
Everyone knew that his father, Mang Yinglong, was a formidable fighter. Although Omura Sumitada had been defeated, Mang Yinglong had advanced unimpeded, overwhelming the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, they placed particular importance on him, and the applause continued for quite some time before subsiding.
But ultimately,
The difficulty arose.
Japan was represented by a mere exiled lord, who did not represent the Emperor or the Shogunate. Moreover, the number of ronin samurai stranded from Japan was the largest, making it difficult to find a reason to ask the Ming Dynasty to release them.
Arima Harunobu suddenly stood up and, with a thud, knelt before Soza, his voice hoarse as he pleaded,
"General Soza! Our country has produced a great traitor, Oda Nobunaga, whom many daimyo deeply detest. However... that Ming Dynasty Grand Academician Zhu Mo sent many firearms to Oda through merchants... We daimyo cannot defeat him! General Soza, I beg you to lend your assistance, to give us some firearms as well. Then, while you protest, we will be responsible for fighting!
Fellow allies! Just as Zhu Mo can use Great Port as a pretext, we can also drag Oda out and beat him! While you protest, we will beat Zhu Mo and the Emperor's allies! Will that not yield results? Fellow allies, the Japanese are distinct in their gratitude and place great importance on loyalty. I, Harunobu, kneel here to beg for your assistance in my restoration. When I return to Hizen Province, I will surely open wide the gates of our country for everyone to benefit!"
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
Indeed, Japan was the primary instigator of this operation. Originally, everyone believed it was foolproof, but Omura Sumitada was beaten so severely that his army was nearly annihilated. Then, Zhu Mo and the Ming Emperor's ally Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack from the rear. Otomo Sorin, a generation's hero, had his head sent to the Ming Dynasty. Arima Harunobu, now a man without a country, was truly pitiable...
But as they say, and as sympathetic as they felt, could he truly defeat Oda if he were given firearms? None present were blind—
That Oda Nobunaga was extremely formidable!
They heard that Zhu Mo only gave him a few hundred guns, and his forces were less than ten thousand, yet in less than half a month, he had occupied all six provinces of Kyushu. To attribute this solely to firearms would be difficult to convince anyone. If this man were in Oda's position, could he defeat forty to fifty thousand troops from the six provinces of Kyushu?
Thinking of these matters, everyone naturally dared not agree easily.
Soza was in a quandary and quickly stepped forward to help him up, comforting him, "Lord Harunobu, we are extremely grateful for the contributions you and your nephew have made to the alliance... Please rise, the matter of restoring your country will take time..."
Unexpectedly,
Arima Harunobu knelt down again with a thud, his voice choked with sobs,
"General Soza! Please, I beg you! Woo woo woo..."
This?
Alas...
Soza also felt a pang of sympathy, thinking: You have no land now, nor subjects. Even if I give you firearms, what good will they do?
At this moment,
Mao Longxuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, saying:
"General Soza, Japan and our Ryukyu are separated by only a narrow strip of water. I perhaps understand Japan better than any of you... Well, among the current daimyo of Japan, the only ones who can contend with Oda might be Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto of Suruga, and another is Takeda Shingen, also a skilled warrior... If General Soza intends to provide assistance, I believe it would be best to align with these two as leaders for a battle..."
Mao Longxuan was the Prime Minister of Ryukyu. He had controlled his country for over twenty years. Although his strength was weak, this man was resourceful and decisive, truly an extraordinary figure.
As his words fell,
Everyone felt that this might be a viable option, and they turned their gazes towards Soza.