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Hmm... Bringing the government to a screeching halt is a theme in Japanese history.

That was a very well crafted argument, FJ44! I always enjoy it when the dialogue is believable. It also seemed to fit in a Japanese setting -- again, your talent showing through!

Rensslaer
 
A little feedback:

coz1: Indeed. :)

FlorisDeVijfde said:
You talk about more than half of all Daimyo present walking out, yet the event says Takeda's rebellion united the Daimyo

I wonder what the reward will be. World domination...or maybe even a cookie

floriswins7kz.jpg


FlorisDeVijfde: Congratulations! That event was a holdover from Takeda's rebellion, and I didn't fix it before it fired. This story is changing faster than I thought it would.

prussiablue: Reform never goes easy. There are always those who support the status quo, even when it is unadvantageous.

Rensslaer: Ha. Screeching halt indeed. ;)

Unfortunately that is a trend-one I will try to eventually eliminate. :)

Yep, I had to rewrite that one a couple times, as it never seemed to flow until that final version, and even then, I wasn't completely satisfied. Still missed the mistake in the event text, though. :eek:o

Dhimmi: As coz1 says:
coz1 said:
Perhaps not good for Japan, but great for the reader.

Problems will keep coming. I have a couple nasty event chains coming up, in which we will see if Ieyoshi can stay in the saddle.

All: Thanks for reading. Update will come soon->tomorrow, perhaps later. But it will come. Eventually. I just have to convince myself that it's good enough. :)
 
floriswins7kz.jpg


Thank you. My total prestige should now be....50 :D

As a token of my appreciation here you have a picture I took of the castle in Osaka 10 days ago (Yeah, it s*cks being in Japan, all those ugly buildings ;) ). I hope you can use it:

 
Excerpted from History of the Imperial Guard, by Tenryu Asabe, Chapter 4

Owing to Nemuro’s close ties to the Daimyo Date, he was relieved from command by Prince Osahito in early May of that year. Sub-commander Kinoshita took command on May 8, and attempted to form an elite regiment, dedicated to ceremonial functions for the Emperor and His family. This function was unpopular with the soldiers and many of the underofficers. Kinoshita soon lost effective control of the Guard, leaving many companies to their own devices. This was the only recorded instance of looting attributed to the Guard.

Until May 19, Osahito was unaware of what was transpiring outside of Kyoto. The prince assumed that any complaints were merely the difficulties of changing commanders. Underofficer Riku Yamata, a veteran of the Hiroshima campaign, brought the lawlessness amongst the Guard to Osahito’s attention.

The Hiroshima campaign was launched by Ieyoshi in August of 1838 to deal with rebel sympathizers who had taken control of the city. The official orders describing the campaign listed the rebels as disorganized, possessing incompetent leadership, and lacking the support of the citizenry. None of these proved true. The campaign consisted of two battles. The first was the rout of Sendai Force after a mere forty minutes of fighting. The second was a pitched battle outside of Hiroshima’s walls.

At the time, Osahito was an underofficer, and Yamata, a soldier in the same company. In the course of the fighting, their company vaporized, and they found themselves fighting alongside the other eight survivors more than 500 meters behind rebel lines. For this reason, Osahito and Yamata became close friends after the rebellion, even though Osahito was a Prince of the Realm and Yamata a mere peasant.

Yamata’s warning to Osahito prompted action. By May 21, Kinoshita was removed from command, and later tried by tribunal for gross incompetence. Osahito took personal command of the Guard, and named Yamata second-in-command of the Guard. The Guard began to recover its discipline almost overnight. That was good, as the town of Kanagawa, where the Guard had been temporarily stationed, exploded into revolt two days later, on May 23. It was one of five rebellions planned by the renegade Daimyo Date to simultaneously rip Japan apart. The other four were easily put down by the Shogun’s other detachments.

This rebellion, however, was reinforced by the defection of no less than seven nearby towns in addition to the city itself. In total, more than eighteen thousand rebels attacked the twelve thousand Guardsmen. Despite the superior numbers, Osahito managed to delay the rebels from concentrating their forces until the rebels only had a five hundred-man advantage. He then engaged in a four-day battle resulting in the complete destruction of the rebel force. Osahito’s losses were six hundred twenty-four soldiers.

june139rebeldefeat5sf.jpg
 
Well, after a long (for me, at least) break, I finally beat out an update. I had one done, and then realized that it was too early for it. Spring Break starts Thursday afternoon, so I should have more time to write. Or...I could use it as a vacation, like it's supposed to. :p

FlorisDeVijfde: Thanks. I'll make sure to use that picture eventually.
 
Don't you just hate those rebels popping out likes annoying flies... rebels must be crushed at all cost.
 
Ahh, an update! :D

I am glad to see it, though I don't have time to read it until later in the day (we have a major grant proposal due today!).

But I had come prepared with another Haiku.

I'm glad I didn't have to employ it! :rofl:

Renss
 
Well done defeating the rebels. However, I doubt this is the last you will see of them.
 
A prince having a good friend across class lines could be very valuable!

Interesting.

Rensslaer
 
Very interesting AAR, a shame I hadn't stumbled upon it sooner. Very engaging story, though it seems to give me more of an urge to play Shogun: Total War than Victoria :D
 
August 3, 1839—The Shogun’s palace

Mizuno caught Ieyoshi’s grim gaze, and threw it back at the shogun. “Ieyoshi, my friend, the realm has survived Date. You are viewed as a great statesman by the people.”

Ieyoshi looked at him. “If only these great men had supported me and my father. Takeda and Date. And who knows how many others who still actively work to bring me down.”

“Ieyoshi, you must accept what cannot be changed. Do not worry about them. Without Date’s patronage, they will be unable to do much. In fact, they likely cower, fearing exposure.”

“They may be afraid for their lives in the court, but my concerns lie elsewhere. You are my spymaster, Mizuno. What of the unrest around Sapporo? Do you have any news?”

“Ieyoshi, just that your pledge to treat Ainu as Japanese under the law has caused unrest amongst the peasants. Peasants enjoy few privileges, and superiority over Ainu is one of them. It is natural that your edict would provoke unrest.”

“Mizuno, I suspect something quite unnatural with this unrest.” Ieyoshi’s head snapped around as a knock sounded on the door behind him. “Come!”

The door opened, a courier running forward to bow to both Mizuno and Ieyoshi. An envelope was obvious in his hand. “A dispatch, my Lord Shogun.” The courier handed the envelope to Ieyoshi, and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him. “Well, Mizuno? What does it say?” The envelope lay still unopened in Ieyoshi’s lap.

“Ieyoshi, how am I to know, if I have not read the dispatch?”

“You are my spymaster. You are supposed to know the contents of every message entering and leaving the palace. This is the way you will catch Date’s sympathizers.”

“But Ieyoshi, I have been here since the courier arrived. How am I supposed to execute my duties while advising you?”

“You will need to figure it out. My father’s spymaster could advise him, defeat Ienari in igo, and crush court intrigues…all at the same time. Is it irrational for me to expect you to be able to do two of these three?”

“The revered Marukomo was a teacher at Honinbo. That in itself makes him twice the man I am.” Mizuno stood. “I try, Ieyoshi, I try as hard as I can. I put everything I have into your service. I have failed you. If I could prevail upon you to accept my resignation, my Lord Shogun?”

Ieyoshi stood, stepped close to Mizuno, and embraced him. “Mizuno, I apologize for taking my frustrations out on you. You have done well. My failure is evident. Please do not resign, my friend. I have no idea how to survive without you.”

Mizuno stared at Ieyoshi in shock. This was not done. “My Lord Shogun, I stand ready.”

“Cut the ‘My Lord Shogun’. Mizuno, I would be honored if you would refer to me as Ieyoshi, and would return to being my friend and confidante.”
 
After a 2 week hiatus, I have returned. Rensslaer, you can turn off your Haiku machine. :D

Morpheus506: Welcome. I know it seems feudal, but that's because, well, because it is. :p

Rensslaer: Indeed it could. But it might not either. Just something for you to think about.

coz1: Unfortunately, yes.

prussiablue: That's what I've been doing. I've been successful thus far, but there is a point where there are more rebels than flyswatters. And that isn't good. ;)

FlorisDeVijfde: For now. Unfortunately, he'll be back. :)

Thanks for reading, all. Thanks also to you lurkers out there. There are many more views per update than commenters. Feel free to drop in and harass me into pumping out more updates. Hang with me, as from now until mid-May, updates will be a little erratic, with finals coming up. I'll do what I can, if only to keep Rensslaer at bay. :p
 
Great to see another update. I really like the little flourishes of Japanese mood you give the dialogue. Makes it seem real.
 
That line about "I have been standing here since the courier came..." was hilarious!

Indeed, what do all our employers expect of us? The impossible?!

Interesting update, my friend!

Rensslaer
 
Well, bosses always take out on their employees. Continue this attitude and the Lord Shogun may have an angry spymaster and that is never a good thing!!
 
September 17, 1839 - outside Sapporo

The Daimyo Date stood on the hill overlooking Sapporo. He had been reduced to running like a rat. How could Ieyoshi have survived the near-simultaneous uprisings and political turmoil? The man was lucky, of that there was no doubt. Even the lucky could die, and Date would rather sooner than later.

“My lord Daimyo?”

He turned to his bodyguard. “Yes, I am ready. We shall see if he can handle two large-scale rebellions in two years.”


Takase Matabe stood with Deiri Aichi on the slope, slightly apart from the crowd summoned to hear the Daimyo speak. The rest of the servants had been very quiet after that night not so long ago, when Takase finally had gotten Deiri to consent to his holding her hand. Since then, Deiri’s suspicions of Takase had grown. No servant could possibly be so dense as to not notice it at all! Takase was evidently not what he seemed.

“People of Sapporo! The current Shogun has forsaken the trust of the Emperor with his destructive liberal policies! He has sold out to the foreigners in Nagasaki. He harbors Christians, who are, as you good people know, uncultured baby-eating savages. We cannot accept this happening to Nippon.”

Cries of outrage exploded from the assembled crowd. “He has abused the power he has been granted by the Emperor!” “The Emperor must hear of this!”

“Citizens of Sapporo!” The crowd quieted down. “I have personally spoken with the Emperor. He cannot denounce Ieyoshi publicly, as the Shogun controls his palace. He spoke with me in private, and told me that I must use all means in my power to unseat Ieyoshi. Only then will Japan return to stability and enter a Golden Age of prosperity!”

The crowd cheered the Daimyo. “Down with Ieyoshi!” “Kill the traitor!” “The Emperor wills it!”

Takase looked at the crowd calmly. The fools. Date had manufactured everything, he was certain. The fools trusted Date with only his word to go on. A sneer crept onto his features.

Deiri looked at Takase’s expression curiously. Though Date could be populist at times, none could fault him that much. His schism with Ieyoshi had deprived him of his faith in the daimyo of Japan. Takase was odd indeed. Perhaps a spy? No. Takase was an honorable man, despite any oddness.

Still, she had the feeling that Takase was hiding something. Perhaps fleeing his past? He said he worked for a foreigner. Was that foreigner hunting him? Perhaps he was fearful that someone would declare him contaminated? She did not know enough. She was the Daimyo Date’s spymaster for a reason. She would find out.
 
coz1: I'm glad you're still here. I was afraid I had lost readership after my long absence.

The Japanese mood actually comes naturally now. At the beginning, I had to concentrate on creating it. Now it seems second nature.

Rensslaer: Yes, they do. There was a saying I ran into last summer while working in a warehouse. "Those who can, do. Those who can't, become supervisors." The troubling thing was, that two days after hearing that phrase, I got promoted to supervisor. :D

I guess it's just the pressure from above to meet a certain quota. These quotas are, of course, based on the ideal, not what is realistic. However, this may be another way to view Ieyoshi. His entire rule has required him to perform at superhuman levels. Naturally, he expects everyone else to do so as well.

prussiablue: Yes, that is a distinct possibility, however, Mizuno hasn't reached the breaking point yet.

FlorisDeVijfde: It is? I don't speak Japanese, myself, but one would think that one word is easier to say than three. ;)

It's more of a familiarity thing, a mechanism to reestablish close relations between the two men.

Thank you all for reading and commenting.