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State of the Nation, 1399 to 1499

I'm slowly feeling my way around this AAR business. I started off in a very gameplay-orientated style, but seem to have slipped into more of a history-book format. Nothing wrong with that, but I thought I'd take some time out to see how far Japan's come in the first 100 years of the game and maybe get some feedback on my choices as a player.

As you'll have noticed by now I've taken the first century pretty slowly, but it seems to have paid off. I was lucky in the extreme that Ming decided to fall apart when it did and although I funded a few rebellions it was no more than two or three.

Had that not worked the plan had been to swallow Korea and probably all of Manchu, whose capital province Hinggan is base tax 10. Then it would have been a case of using scorched earth tactics to wear Ming down. I would probably needed a bigger navy too and to wait until they had declared war on someone else.

The plan now is to keep taking chunks out of Wu, but I'm not going to get a casus belli as we only share a border across straits and I'm not sure that's good enough for a boundary dispute (which makes sense, but is no help). I'm currently allied with Ming, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but makes it tricky to pursue my claim on Liaodong.


Economy

Number of provinces: 31 (19 in 1399)

Annual Census Tax: 146.86 (69.69 in 1399)
Per province: 4.74 (3.67 in 1399)​

I'm obviously making a lot more money now than I was in 1399, but crucially the take from each province has gone up to. Of course, some of that's due to being at +3 stability and more centralised, but it all helps. This is what has let me sustain a larger army - I had something like 22,000 troops at the time I invaded Korea and that's now up to 32,000.

My real reason for paying close attention to the per province income is I'm still deathly afraid of falling too far behind in the tech race.

Technology

tech1499.jpg


Monthly investment: 40.00 (20.6 in 1399)
Per province: 1.29 (1.08 in 1399)​

Well this isn't looking good. I've pushed up the per province income, but these numbers are dire. Just approaching Land tech 6, which the wiki informs me is a 1430 technology. We're already 70 years off the pace! I think I should be devoting more to Production and Trade as these have a compound effect on research, but I wanted to get an edge in case a big war with Ming broke out. Don't ask me why I pushed for Gov 6 and then left it at that.


Military

Army size: 32/45 (6/28 in 1399)
Army upkeep: 9.1 ducats/month (1.3 ducats/month in 1399)​

Manpower: 33,498 (15,274 in 1399)

This is looking much better. I'm not at my force limit yet, but manpower has doubled over the century which means that if I get into a serious war I can at least last a bit longer.

Navy size: 45/52 (37/44 in 1399)
Navy upkeep: 2.4 ducats/month (1.5 ducats/month in 1399)​

Navy size hasn't changed all that much. I added nine extra carracks and now have 18 big ships, 17 galleys and 10 cogs. Ming has a 57 galley fleet and although I'm told that my carracks should have the edge a naval defeat would leave my forces stranded and my island provinces (including Japan) vulnerable.

Armed forces comparison: 1399
forces1399.jpg


Armed forces comparison: 1499
forces1499.jpg


As the comparison shows the disintegration of Ming has really closed the gap. I have complete confidence that if a war came with either of the two Chinese powers I'd be able to win. My only concern is that I don't want to go to war with one just to weaken it and have the other state come in and make huge gains. This is a particular concern with my strategy to attack Wu as Ming has cores on all their provinces.


Home affairs
overview1499.jpg


Japan is still a feudal monarchy and not likely to change out of that for some time. I can't even switch to empire as that's not an option for the Chinese tech group. Wu and Ming are now seen as natural rivals as well as threats, so that's progress. I'm still getting these godawful 'Colonise the Islands to the North' missions, but I keep ignoring them as I hardly need more dirt-poor provinces dragging my research rate down.

Note the high relations with our ally Ming. At present I feel pretty secure and will be happy as long as I get a chance to beat up on Wu.

The Court
court1499.jpg

Emperor Itoku II has been kicking around since the mid-15th century and even his heir is getting on. The 8* diplomacy rating and 6* admin is pretty nice and he's been a very successful ruler all told. His son looks less stellar, but not the worst leader I've seen. As one of my goals is to keep the Yamato line going the presence of an heir is always a good thing, whoever they are.

At present I'm trying to rebuild my advisers after deaths. I don't need Keitai Imagawa at the moment, but since Oogimachi's claim is only average and Itoku is very old I'm keeping him around. My cultural tradition isn't high enough to guarantee a five-star adviser right now, so I'm waiting for it to rebuild to 100% before I hire anyone else.

sliders1499.jpg


Japan is now as Free Subject-y as it can get without annoying people, so the next moves will be towards Innovative, which will have the nice effect of cutting tech costs, but will eventually cause the missionary pool to dry up. I'll try and convert as much as I can before that point. This is looking a lot more acceptable than 1399, but the -4 Mercantilism means that I still only send merchants to Settsu, my CoT.

son1499.jpg


Here's how Japan looks internally. Mostly cored, mostly Japanese, mostly Shinto. Another product of my softly-softly approach is that I'm not going to have problems with overextension any time soon.


World affairs

Japan in 1499
japan1499.jpg


World in 1499
world1499.jpg


Nothing too remarkable here. France the UK and Castille all doing well. Portugal's gone, so that's one nation with historic links to Japan that we just won't be seeing. I'm in no desperate rush to westernise (well I am, but want it to feel natural when it happens).

Bohemia doing very well in central Europe, Russia's already formed and India's looking a lot more tidy.


Well that's it for the current state of play. In my next update Japan will push deeper into China in a bid to sieze the Mandate of Heaven from the current corrupt rulers and realise the Yamato destiny!
 
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Looks like your Japan is doing rather well.

Poor Chinese, they got off under the Mongol yoke for just a little over century, and now they're about to get conquered by those nasty Japanese pirates. :D
 
FinnishFish - The Empire of Japan does not stoop so low as to ass-kick! We are merely concerned for the security of the region and taking a firm stand where less capable states have failed. :D

DarthJF - As I said above, with China in anarchy and civil war it is incumbent on the Emperor to intervene to protect the security of His merchant adventurers wheresoever they may choose to do business. :rolleyes:

Enewald - They're on a fact-finding mission in North America. I hear those Iroquois are really tough.


Shorter update today as I just got back from a weekend in Devon.
 
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The Great Realignment: Part I, 1499 to 1519

Emperor Oogimachi, Oct 1499 -

Itoku II died in October 1499 and is remembered as the Emperor who laid much of the groundwork for the momentous events of the following century. He was succeeded by his son, Oogimachi, who inherited a large and prosperous realm whose gains were recognised and guaranteed by Japan's neighbour, Ming. Although the Chinese dynasty had fallen on hard times the alliance with Ming provided the stability that the new emperor needed.

oogimachi.jpg


Tension persisted over the unresolved status of Liaodong. The province was claimed by a number of states including Japan, Manchu and Ming, its present occupiers. Japanese diplomats had been trying to persuade the Chinese to cede the province as a demonstration of the strength of the two powers' alliance, but their efforts had been fruitless.

Oogimachi was to take a different tack. While continuing with the diplomatic efforts he covertly funded revolts in the province, hoping to detatch it from Ming's orbit. In 1518, after almost two decades of patient manoeuvring this paid off and Liaodong announced it now considered itself a part of Manchukuo.


Conquest of Liaodong, 1518-19

Seizing the opportunity, Oogimachi at once declared war. The emperor claimed that Manchu separatists threatened not only the stability of Liaodong, but Japan's rightful claims in neighbouring provinces. The decision to go to war was not taken lightly - Manchu forces were no match for Japan, but they enjoyed the protection of Wu and their territorial integrity guaranteed by Ming. Oogimachi was confident that the Ming's promise of protection would mean little when the alternative meant attacking an ally of two decades' standing.

war1518.jpg


The forces arrayed against Japan looked formidable, but the court believed that some of the figures were more significant than others. The strength of Japan's navy far outweighted that of the opposing alliance and command of the seas made Japan immune from attack. At the outbreak of war the fleet was sent to blockade Wu's navy in port, denying Manchu help from its most powerful partner.

opposingforce.jpg


The opening days of the war did not all go Japan's way. Ambassadors from the Ming court brought the news that their masters could not continue to make common cause with Japan when the latter aimed at taking possession of a province that was rightfully Chinese. This surprised Oogimachi, who had believed that Ming would content itself with a formal protest but tacitly acquiesce to Japan's occupation of a province it had proved incapable of holding.

mingalliance.jpg


Others in the Japanese court argued that the news was better than could be expected - part of Ming's refusal to wage war was brought on by internal weakness, while the alliance had prevented Japan from making gains at her old partner and older rival's expense. These voices were made louder by this new turn of events, with the boldest arguing that Ming's decision to dishonour the alliance was justification for war.

However, before any such enterprise could be entertained Japan had first to win the war it had already embarked upon. The general's predictions that the war in Manchukuo would be short was borne out by the defeat of the forces guarding the Manchu capital, Hinggan.

hinggan.jpg


Oogimachi personally led his forces to victory, and although later historians would criticise him for waging a costly battle against a numerically inferior opponent no-one could deny that the Japanese had successfully cleared the way to Hinggan itself.

hinggansiege.jpg


In the south, Japanese forces completed the occupation of Liaodong and returned to Oogimachi's army in time to storm the Manchu capital.

With their armies beaten and their capital in Japanese hands the Manchu were forced to make a humiliating peace. Not only did they cede the disputed province of Liaodong, but they were made to renounce their alliance with Wu and release the Mongols from the subjugation in which they had held them. Oogimachi also took reparations from the Manchu treasury to defray the costs of a war he had willingly started.

manchupeace.jpg


Victory in the North had been achieved in a manner which matched the most optimistic predictions of the previous October. Now all eyes turned to the south. The opinion at court held that Japan should now deliver a knock-out blow to Wu, punishing her for the interference in matters so far beyond her borders.

Oogimachi announced that he would settle for nothing less than the conquest of the isolated provinces of Handan and Jinan.

targets1519.jpg


Some of his ministers noted that these provinces were also isolated from Japanese territory on the mainland. Others in the court darkly noted that this was only the case for now.
 
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The Empire is expanding. Clever play with the rebels.
 
Enewald - Indeed they be. A quick check on Wiki informs me that the name Manchu didn't exist until the 17th-century. Ah well, you learn something new everyday. As this is a history book format I'll blame poor proof-reading on the part of the editors.

DarthJF - Thanks, but to be honest I painted myself into a corner with the Ming alliance and didn't know how else to get out of it. The last picture above hints that rebellions aren't hard to come by with Ming.
 
No update as I'm out tonight, but thought I might try something a little different here. I've been playing around with a POV piece following one of the soliders during the current war:

Interlude - The Battle of Hinggan
[I]Rikugun Taisa[/i] Tamotsu Teramachi said:
We began our advance up the Taoer river valley towards Hinggan in good spirits despite the chill winds that whipped across the plain. Marching to war in late October instead of waiting for spring was not my choice, but the emperor commands and as a dutiful subject I obey.

My regiment headed the long column that stretched back for what seemed like miles. I remember cresting a ridge an looking behind me to see a mass of bodies, human and animal, making their way slowly from the border up towards my position, the rearward edge of the army lost amid the clutter of camp followers, traders and those parts of the supply train that could not be easily ferried upriver.

I caught sight of one of the expedition's commanders riding out on our left with a cavalry regiment. He was surrounded by a his guards mounted on horses almost as large as his own, but his richly-ornamented armour marked him out as a member of the high nobility - perhaps even Emperor Oogimachi himself. The horses soon disappeared from view behind a fold in the land and I turned myself back to the needs of my unit, who by now had almost passed by my position.

For the rest of the day, as my troops trudged onward, I mulled over the different fortunes that had brought the Emperor and I to this cold country so far from home. Unlike him, my armour was not trimmed with gold, nor am I wearing most of it at the moment, prefering instead a stout coat to keep out the worst of the wind. My superiors would not think me worthy of guarding the imperial palace: the horse I ride is an old mare - my best being too valuable to risk injuring on the march - and instead of a fine ancestral sword a Chinese liuyedao hangs by my side. Unlike Emperor Oogimachi I am far from the picture of martial prowess, but I am a Japanese soldier and will fight as well as any in this war.

The Manchu army met us in battle as we approached Hinggan. Their force looked half the size of our own and we anticipated an easy victory, despite the fact that we would be attacking positions they had had weeks to prepare. I still remember the queasy excitement of that cold November morning as I said what words I had to lift the troops' spirits before leading them up the slight rise towards the enemy.

The battle was a disaster. That we won is testament to the staying power of the ordinary soldiers, fully half of whom we left lying in that hateful place. If there is no greater honour than dying for the empire then I am happy to be reckoned a scoundrel. At first we had only to contend with the arrows from the enemy's bowmen - at first too far away for any chance of accuracy. Despite this I had dismounted and walked alongside my infantry, my aide, Tsutomu, following at a safe distance with my horse.

As we crested the rise we could see that the Manchu had raised a crude earthen wall across the ridge. The enemy archery became more threatening and several men in my unit fell to the ground, either crying out in pain or lying silent - dead or unconscious. My officers and sergeants forced the regiment to continue the advance until we were within 30 - close enough for the charge.

I signalled my men forward and with a shout they leapt towards the enemy. I felt a surge of adrenalin as the fear which had gripped me on the climb mingled with elation at the thought that the battle would soon be over. I turned to signal for my horse to be brought up, but as I did so I noticed a cloud of dust behind our advancing forces: at its base mounted figures were riding hard towards our positions.

Any thought that this could be our cavalry was dispelled by the panic I could make out further beneath me. The men who had been held back from this morning's assault were running about without any sense of order, small groups coming together but failing to form a coherent line against the oncoming cavalry.

I ran the rest of the distance to my horse, mounting it as quickly as I could manage, my armour lending strangeness to a familiar action. I spurred my horse in the direction my men had charged, calling Tsutomu to follow as I went.

Though scant minutes had passed since the battle proper had begun I found the fortifications already in our hands. The enemy, despite knowing their horseman were near had evidently not expected to face disciplined Japanese troops and had melted away. Their cowardice saved both my life and that of many of my men. Tsutomu and I were able to rally the bulk of the regiment, calling them away from the pursuit and looting they were engaged in. At first the men resented the interuption of their plundering, but soon realised the danger they were in.

We held the earthen pallisade for the rest of the day, holding off three attacks from Manchu cavalry all the while harried from afar by their horse archers. Our remaining bowmen running short of arrows were reduced to what they could scavenge from the ground, although the fear of attack kept them from straying far.

As dusk approached we saw the first Japanese cavalry of the day. An hour or so after this a messenger arrived at our position to bring us to the army's new camp. He informed us that the Manchu had melted away before Oogimachi and our own cavalry regiments and were now retreating to the west. The road to Hinggan was open and tomorrow we would march on to put the Manchu capital under siege.

On meeting my commander I was told that the battle had been a glorious Japanese victory, but as we bandied platitudes it was clear we both thought it unworthy of the cost. My regiment had lost over 300 men, and while some would trickle back over the coming days it was still high price. More disturbing still was that my command had suffered much less than some.

In my tent that night I thought of battles that still faced us. Hinggan would no doubt fall after a hard winter's siege, but victory here would mean the army would head south to oppose Wu.

After what we had just faced - after what we still had to do to defeat Manchu - setting out against a larger foe was the last thing we deserved, but the emperor commands and as a dutiful subject I obey.

I'm new to this, so let me know what you think.
 
Good enough, but tell me how much losing a small village that they call their capital would hurt a tribal federation that those Manchus at those times were? :p
They are disorganized barbarians, remember that.
 
Enewald - [ BLUFF ] The established pattern of Jurchen life has been in flux ever since the Japanese invasion of Korea and doubly so now given Ming's preoccupation with its internal problems. Previously both Ming and Korea had sought to bring the Jurchen into their respective spheres of influence by giving them gifts and titles, but this practice has fallen into abeyance.

Yinti Tianfu's defeat at the battle of Hinggan seriously damaged his prestige, particularly since in the eyes of his fellow chiefs the Japanese had been beaten. The capture of Hinggan itself, a fortified town that formed the basis of Yinti's power, further endangered his claim to overall leadership of the confederation..

In light of the need to protect himself against challenges from within, Yinti cut a deal with the Japanese. By ceding Liaodong - a province that did not traditionally form part of his confederation's territory - he was allowed to reclaim Hinggan and was recognised as Khan by Emperor Oogimachi. Whether or not this will be sufficient to keep him in power is another question, but for now Japan has got what it wanted from the war. [ /BLUFF ]
 
The Great Realignment: Part II, 1519 to 1522

Emperor Oogimachi, Oct 1499 - Aug 1522

As the war dragged on Oogimachi benefitted from the increasing prosperity of the Empire on the home front. Farmers in Yamashiro adapted to more efficient agricultural methods with some hesitation as it only resulted in still higher taxes to pay for the war.

homefront.jpg


Even as the home islands enjoyed peace and safety, the armies of Japan were embarking to face a foe much greater than the recently-defeated Manchu.


Striking South, 1519-22

The small size of Wu's navy meant that the Japanese fleet had been able to blockade it in port. This allowed Japanese armies to sweep aside the small forces protecting the isolated Wu enclave of Jinan and Handan. With no possibility of help from their compatriots further south, the provinces were swiftly brought under Japanese control.

handan.jpg


Despite these victories Japan was still far from winning the war. Wu knew that as long as her armies remained undefeated the struggle could continue indefinitely. While some Japanese commanders counselled Oogimachi to wait out the war until Wu would accept terms the Emperor, buoyed by the ease of the conflict so far, insisted that the troops re-embark and take the fight to the enemy.

Dividing his forces into two armies of occupation Oogimachi was able to quickly overrun Wu's northern provinces. The battle of Anhui was a victory in which a smaller Japanese force overcame the defences of a larger army and secured the province.

occupation.jpg


Eventually Wu recovered from their losses and sent an army in to Nanchang to reclaim the province. Oogimachi responded by recalling all his men, determined to force the war to a conclusion in a single engagement. The resultant battle of Nanchang was a clear victory for Japan, but it was far from the decisive victory Oogimachi had hoped for and Wu still refused to offer concessions at the peace table.

battlesh.jpg


The emperor ordered that the beaten enemy be pursued into Ganzhou where they were put to flight once again, this time heading to the coastal province of Guangzhou. Sensing that the breakthrough he needed was almost his, Oogimachi overrode his commanders' pleas to let the army rest.

Unbeknownst to the Emperor Wu was able to bring fresh forces into Guangzhou before the battle began. Instead of facing a beaten enemy Japanese soliders found themselves attacking eager troops in prepared positions. The battle of Guangzhou was a disaster for the Japanese army, which lost 5,000 troops. Not only that, but Oogimachi himself was among the dead.


Emperor Sakuramachi II, Aug 1522 -

sakii.jpg


Unlike his great-grandfather and namesake, Sakuramachi II was a diplomat rather than a fighter. Unlike his own father he did not seek to address this failing by proving his courage on the battle lines.

Instead, the new Emperor decided to play to his talents and weaken Ming by words rather than deeds. Diplomats were dispatched to Wu's remaining ally, Tibet, and managed to persuade the distant mountain kingdom to withdraw from the war.

tibetout.jpg


In the south the situation still looked dire. After the defeat at Guangzhou the demoralised Japanese armies had managed to retreat to Hainan, where the navy protected them from further attack.

Mercifully the magnitude of the defeat was unknown to the Wu court. In the weeks that followed the battle their forces liberated Fujian and the remaining Japanese-occupied provinces lay open to attack.

Fortunately, Sakuramachi II's belief that Wu's will to fight had been sapped by their losses proved to be correct. Japanese diplomats pointed out that Wu's temporary ascendancy was just that. As long as Japan controlled the seas none of Wu's coastal provinces would be safe. Wu could win as many battles as it liked, but one crushing defeat would spell the end. Japan had been routed, but was already rebuilding and would be able to return to the field in a few months.

Sakuramachi II did not get everything he wanted from the peace, but a victory was a victory and Japan emerged from the war strengthened.

wupeace1522.jpg


Some said that the Emperor should have held out for both Jinan and Handan, but Sakuramachi's eyes had already turned elsewhere. Influential voices in court had observed that Jinan was isolated from the rest of the empire and too difficult to defend. This circle had the ear of Sakuramachi, who began to consider his options.

bankrupt1519.jpg


In the light of the news from Ming, Japan's next course of action became clear.
 
your conquest of China is going smoothly :D
well , your Japan is surely more powerful but less advanced than mine at this point ^^ i'll see where that leads
 
Minor setback in not getting Handan, but given the weakness of both Wu and Ming, it's only a matter of time.

Seems like nothing can stand on your way to dominating Asia.
 
sprites - Not sure how powerful we are. Just lucky that Wu was willing to cut a favourable peace deal after my armies were unable to win a decisive battle. Technology is a concern too - we're holding our own in Asia, but the Europeans are coming!

FinnishFish - They'd benefit more from being shown how to budget, but I'd rather leave them bankrupt.

dsb3232 - That's the plan. One of the reasons I like your Korea AAR is that it shows that the road to East Asian dominance is over the broken carcass of Ming.

DarthJF - Wu provinces were so expensive I was lucky to get Jinan. Handan would have been great, but we hadn't beat their armies. In the original playthrough (which is different from the one you'll see below) I broke off the war with Wu because Ming declared war. After panicking and peacing out I then found out that they were bankrupt! :confused:
 
The Great Realignment: Part III, 1522 to 1524

Emperor Sakuramachi II, Aug 1522 -

The war with Wu had ended on a less than satisfactory note for the Japanese. By all rights Sakuramachi should have been delighted. Liaodong had been 'regained' and the rich province of Jinan added to the growing empire. But defeats at the hands of Wu had shown that the Japanese were not invincible, and the death of the Emperor's father was a further shameful blow.

To Sakuramachi the course of action was clear - Japan must be strenghtened so that the next confrontation would go much more to her advantage.


The Jinan Corridor conflict, 1522-1524

Courtiers close to Sakuramachi urged the emperor to press the Ming to give Japan direct access to the newly acquired province of Jinan. Negotiations began, but the Ming court was not interested in ceding territory that Japan had no legitimate claim to - their participation in the talks was merely a delaying tactic until they could gather their strength.

Unfortunately for the Ming ruler the very fact that he was prepared to countenance talks proved his undoing - a palace coup deposed him bringing a junior branch of the family to power, who immediately broke off contact with Japan. All might have been well, but in addition to expelling the Japanese diplomats he also ordered Japanese merchants to leave Ming territory.

That the number of Japanese merchants affected by this decree could fit into a small room was not a concern to Sakuramachi and the 'Jinan corridor' faction at court. Seizing the trade dispute as a pretext they declared war.

Japanese forces, already on high alert, set sail for Jiangsu, the Ming dynasty's capital.

jiangsu1522.jpg


Ming's financial problems and the turmoil that followed the coup meant that her soldiers' morale was practically nonexistent and they retreated before the oncoming Japanese with minimal resistance. Foregoing a long siege the Japanese army stormed the defences of Nanking and the demoralised defenders surrendered en masse.

jiangsusiege.jpg


With the Ming capital in Japanese hands, Sakuramachi's troops fanned out across a countryside that appeared ripe for the picking. As the battle of Henan proved, even when the Chinese were in full retreat they could still inflict significant casualties on the agressor.

battles1522.jpg


The same could not be said of the Ming navy. The battle of Korea Bay put an end to any slim hopes the Chinese may have had of opening a second front on the home islands. The Japanese command of the coast was unchallenged.

The still-formidable size of the Ming armies continued to cause problems for the advancing Japanese forces, but the same could not be said for the garrison troops.

datong1522.jpg


The speed with which provinces fell under Japanese occupation was only limited by the time it took to march there. Soon nearly all of the western Ming state had fallen.

warofoccupation.jpg


Though Japan had not come through the war unscathed, Ming was certainly bearing the brunt of the cost.

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Sakuramachi pushed his men further into Chinese territory, but was mindful that there was only so much he could achieve in one go. The morale of Japan's troops would hold for the foreseeable future, but Ming would be unwilling to cede too much territory, nor would international opinion permit that its empire be dismembered entirely.

peace1524.jpg


A peace deal was negotiated that allowed Japan to claim its sought after land access to Jinan and indeed extend the border further south to border the greater part of Wu. That Ming consented to a peace deal that separated the capital at Nanking from the rest of its territory only underlined the completeness of Japan's victory.

jinancorridor.jpg


At the war's end Japan had not only achieved the unification of its coninental possessions, but had also humbled both Wu and Ming in quick succession.

However, Sakuramachi was mindful of the fact that Wu were responsible for the death of his father. It was not the Yamato destiny to allow such slights to go unavenged.
 
Nice, taking Mings coastal provinces allows you to annex Jiangsu in the next war, and now you have a land path to Wu.

Time to teach those southern dogs that there's no messing with the true Sons of Heaven!