The Nanchang Incident: 1591-1605
Emperor Momozono, May 1576 - Aug 1604
Japan's empire was stronger than ever, but Momozono found the pressure for even greater conquests hard to withstand. His lack of experience with matters military translated into a fear that his authority at court was dependent upon continually proving himself a warrior.
The end of the last war had seen Japan hated by her neighbours, but the court kept pressing the Emperor to claim fresh territory from an obviously-ailing Wu.
The military faction demanded the conquest of Nanchang as this would allow Japan to dominate the Yangtze valley, further strangling the economic life of Wu.
For several years the Emperor was able to balance the military's demands with those of the more cautious members of the court who counselled consolidation. Wu's decision to go to war to its south made the military even more determined to take the opportunity that presented itself.
Japanese forces had been moved up to the border in anticipation of the declaration of war. As soon as the conflict had been started they began marching towards their targets.
With Wu's forces deployed to the south the country was quickly overrun. Japan's troops were well experienced in the art of siegecraft and brought many provinces under control before they met serious opposition.
One of the major achievements of the war came with the fall of Guangzhou. Wu's navy was forced out of port where they were quickly destroyed by Japanese forces.
Emperor Yukikatsu, Aug 1604 -
Emperor Momozono had insisted on leading the drive south in person. However, the Emperor was no longer in the bloom of his youth and the campaign proved too much for his dwindling stamina.
In August 1604 Momozono died amid the heat and humidity of the Wu campaign. All Japanese mourned the passing of a most unlikely warrior-emperor. Despite Momozono's fears that the military despised him as unmanly he was in fact held up as a paragon of warrior-statesmanship for centuries to come.
The coronation of Emperor Yukikatsu was a perfunctory affair, taking place as it did in wartime. Yukikatsu had longed been groomed for the throne and was already an experienced politician on his accession.
The new Emperor inherited a war that had practically been won. Japanese troops had fanned out across Wu and reduced the principal towns to submission.
Although Wu still had significant armies in the field they could not long withstand the loss of their most prosperous regions.
Wu had had enough of the war and was willing to concede to anything Japan demanded. Before the peace had even been agreed news came from Bozhou that the province had defected to Japan. Now even more anxious for a swift settlement Wu agreed to abandon the north bank of the Yangtze the coastal province of Fujian.
The war ended a complete success for Japan, but the new Emperor was ambitious to live up to and perhaps surpass his father. Yukikatsu vowed to see the borders of the Empire extended still further, and Bozhou's situation as a non-connected province was the first problem he would seek to address.