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That must be one major civil war or rebellion going on in China! :eek:

But as you note, that's good news for you.

Well they survived and took a bite out of Mongolia, however they also rivaled Korea so it wasn't a total loss
 
declare war on Ming when rebels are close to getting 50% provinces of Ming occupied.

Sit on their capital, and siege down the forts of the BIGGEST nations inside Ming, or ALL coastal forts, AFTER rebels took them down.

Let rebels occupy entire coastline and let them OCCUPY *all* their cores.


Wu is likely the biggest one, and also go for something around Bejing.



Don't need load of warscore for this trick. After you declared war, let rebels occupy all coastal forts. Then siege them down yourself, and do NOT fight the rebels when they try to recapture your occupied forts. Just retreat.

Ask for ONE port province from WU and other nations inside Ming, and release 4 vassals from the port provinces you took. The next month, Ming will collapse to rebels, and BEHOLD!

The rebels will flip ALL the occupied cores from your vassal to YOUR VASSALS, 100% FREE, and without the crazy liberty desire from provinces defected.

Great way to gobble up half of rebel occupied Ming, with little effort.

1.19 made it lot harder to keep that kind of big vazssals combined in CHECK though.

But the trick still works.
 
That's a pretty sick plan! If I get another chance I'll try to take advantage of it, this time I was dealing with my rebellious vassals and didn't have the forces or cash to handle a Ming war, even when they were weakened. Japan is doing alright now, albeit a little behind in admin and diplo tech due to bad leaders. I'll try to post an update tonight
 
Part 5: Speed 4


The year is 1499, and the Japanese empire has just defeated the Koreans in their first match-up. Things back home are not looking good, however, as the extended war has cost the Shogun much of his legitimacy as he used favors from the Estates to continue to fund his war machine. There are murmurs of a mass uprising, but for the moment there is still peace internally.
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To save funds, the Shogun rashly decided to dismiss all mercenary regiments while they were stationed in Siberia. This proved to be one of the Shogun's biggest mistakes, as almost immediately rebels arose in Ainu. The vassal had been trusted with the province's well-being, although clearly they were not up to the task. The previously disbanded mercenaries were asked to come back, which was pretty easy because most hadn't left yet.
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The previous Emperor's plans to be the birthplace of a new era had failed, as travelers spoke of nations exploring and settling new lands, just as Emperor Hosokawa had hoped Japan would. Japan's first colony to the north of Ainu had barley been settled, meaning Japan was apparently very far from being at the forefront of this new age.
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News from the mainland brought joy to the royal court, as news of a civil war in China reached Japan. Preoccupied with their own rebel concerns, the Emperor decided against taking advantage of this turmoil on the mainland, favoring to stabilize Japan first.
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Already the Shu have freed themselves from their overlords, with hopefully more following suit.
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Meanwhile the situation in northern Ainu was being corrected, the rebels had been cornered and all that the general needed was to wait for more reinforcements to arrive to ensure a swift victory.
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Ainu, however, did not get this memo and charged headfirst into a force that vastly outnumbered their own...

...they did not do very well.
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The Shogun was steadfast in spreading Japanese influence to new lands, and recruited new generals who were well versed in exploration to settle beyond the boundaries of the known world. These generals would be called Conquistadors, for some reason.
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Following in the footsteps of his father, Emperor Yoshiyoki made sure his army was one of the best and most disciplined armies in Asia.
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Meanwhile his heir, being the rebellious scamp that he is, decided that maybe we shouldn't be mean to our vassals, which to Yoshiyoki seemed preposterous.
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What followed was a 7-year period of time called "the dull years" in which nothing of note really happened. These years ended when the colony established decades ago finally reached maturity.
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The Japanese colonizer was then sent south to settle a strategic trade area in an island chain dubbed "The Yoshiyokippines" after the Emperor.
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Japan's first vassal was finally annexed, as the Emperor had insisted on managing the annexation process personally, even though he was really really bad at it. This had the benefit of keeping Jianzhou in line, as they were now the only vassal of Japan.

Additionally it seemed that much to everyone's dismay, the Ming dynasty had reasserted their rule with only a few successful breakaway states. The Emperor wished the Shu dynasty good luck.
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Emperor Yoshiyoki passed away, with his son Toshiko taking the throne. Toshiko is the first Emperor to be born post-unification, which allowed his succession to be undisputed. The throne was now secure, and the threat of civil war was gone.
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Toshiko decided that all this sitting around was boring AF, and decided a quick war would help get his army's blood pumping again. The Korchin horde had only one ally on the other side of the Ming, and was a quick and easy victory.
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Toshiko celebrated the victory with a little baby-making, and the next year his heir was born. The Royal historian then realized Toshiko was a girl, and wished he hadn't written in pen.
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Anyways, the Empress learned that the colony started in the Yoshiyokippines was proving to be very fruitful, with shipfuls of spices being sent back to the mainland.
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Bored, Toshiko declared war on the simple tribes to the north.
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Toshiko was somewhat of a reckless Empress, and decided to back the Japanese pirates, because it angered the Ming and Koreans. This would result in a much-needed economic boost for Japan, as it's expenses were soon to add up from future conquest and colonization. But for now Japan is in a good place, and the nobility class definitely isn't ready to stage a coup, nope not at all.
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*Not much happened during this time, I was a little behind in military tech which kept me from attacking Korea again. The next section will be more exciting, if aristocratic coups are your thing

 
Hiring pirates to blind your enemies, how clever! Plausible deniability aye?

The future looks bright, the sun is rising on the land of the rising sun no? ;)
 
The Imperial family seems a little disconnected :D

But I am sure they can manage Ming.
 
The Imperial family seems a little disconnected :D


But I am sure they can manage Ming.
Hiring pirates to blind your enemies, how clever! Plausible deniability aye?

The future looks bright, the sun is rising on the land of the rising sun no? ;)

Ming is going to be much more manageable in the future for Japan, hint hint

...that is if Japan can ever get rulers with more than 1/2 in admin tech so I can actually advance in military tech without corruption being a pain in the ass
 
Part 6: It's not much of a coup if the ruler isn't...couped



The Empress, having issued a decree of support for the pirates plaguing Korea and Ming, has shown herself to be a shrewd negotiator, and has convinced the army to take a pay cut. For some reason they seem okay with it.
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The first Japanese colony outside of Japans sphere of prosperity™ has finished in the province known now as Manila. This delighted the Empress, as it showed that the Japanese colonists were more than able to establish themselves outside the safety of the Empire. A new, more daring expedition was put in the works.
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But in the meantime, the Empress realized that Korea hadn't been beaten up recently. The Ming, in their great wisdom, broke their alliance with Korea, allowing the opportunistic Empress to declare war without worry about a strong opposition.
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The Jianzhou general, hearing that it was open season on the Korean army, rushed to attack without coordinating with the Japanese army. The Jianzhou army proved themselves in the battlefield, and were able to hold off the Koreans until the Japanese reinforcements arrived.
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The reinforcements arrived and quickly overwhelmed the Koreans. The Japanese general commended the Jianzhou army; they were pretty good...for a horde at least.
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As the army marched into Korea, things were heating up in Kyoto. The nobility estates, who had provided numerous favors to the Empire, seized power in a bloody coup. The Empress was recorded as saying
"Oh no the nobility, please don't take over and give my armies a big morale boost, that would be terrrrible."
Clearly she was distraught over the events that had just occurred. In their mercy, the nobles allowed the Empress to continue on as the head of state.
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Meanwhile news from abroad lifted everyone's spirits, as word of the impressive Japanese victories over the Koreans reached the island.
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As she was no more than a figurehead now, the Empress had a lot more free time, and had another baby. Babymania swept over the populace, who temporarily forgot about all the war they weren't experiencing because it was all taking place in Korea.
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The court demanded that the Koreans give the new baby a present, and they graciously ceded two provinces to Japan and one to Jianzhou.
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The son of the Empress returned to the ways of previous monarchs in being a dick to his vassals. Luckily for Japan and Jianzhou the Empress was young and healthy, and there would not be any trouble for quite some time.
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Years ago, the Empress had sent out navigators and explorers to search for the new lands that were supposedly found in the East. The came back with tales of forests that stretched beyond the horizon, mountains that grew taller than Mt. Fuji, and a climate that was "really really damn cold." The Empress ignored the last part and sent her prized colonist to settle the area.
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The colonist however decided that this new land was "too far" and set camp on a desolate chain of islands.
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The Empress had no chance to write to the colonist to tell him to get his ass to Alaska, as she was killed by Oda Nobunaga, or something. The historians are a little puzzled as to how there was this much infighting when Japan had been unified for almost 100 years.
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Regardless, the Empress was now dead and her son, Yoshide took the throne. The nobles, who had a really good opportunity to eliminate the royal family once and for all, decided it was too much trouble and let the heir take the crown.
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It appears that malevolence is a male-inherited trait in the Hosokawa family.
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However malevolent he was, Yoshide was able to wrest control of the government back from the nobles, who went off to cry in their fabulous mansions with hundreds of servants and geishas.
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With his power finally asserted, Yoshide declared war on Mongolia, who long ago threatened and nearly conquered Japan, had it not been for a Divine Wind to protect them. The army rode unopposed into Mongolia, who offered no resistance whatsoever to their conquerors.
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The Emperor took the northern states of Mongolia, favoring to keep a distance between himself and the Ming empire.
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The explorers returned home with news that there were people living in the new land already. These people were tribesmen who worshiped totems and nature. Because of this, they were known as "Indians"
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The known world has expanded rather quickly, and with a whole, almost untouched continent so close to Japan, it is obvious that they were destined to conquer it!
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This news continent proffers much in the way of opportunity.

Mmm. Though I don't trust the men in this family I must say.
 
hmm, that flipping to noble republic with noble estate disatser seems OP to use early on. +10 states? +1 diplomat? +tolerance?

I don't get it; you are a noble republic but the heir still takes throne?
 
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Reactions:
Japan will rule the new Land of the East and use its strength to spread Japanese superiority across China and Asia! Long live the new Emperor!
 
hmm, that flipping to noble republic with noble estate disaster seems OP to use early on. +10 states? +1 diplomat? +tolerance?

I don't get it; you are a noble republic but the heir still takes throne?

Yeah I was really confused when nothing really changed. Didn't mind the buffs in the middle of my war though :D
I thought maybe it had something to do with being a Shogunate or something.


Also I am getting SO MANY EVENTS THAT DROP STABILITY, it's so annoying because I'm already way behind in admin tech and the peasants keep wanting to revolt when my stab gets negative because my manpower is usually lower than 50%. Even crazier a certain Oda Nobunaga comes back from the f***ing dead in 50 years, I don't need that!
 
This is a really awesome first aar

Thanks! I think everyone wants to see Japan become the dominant military force in Asia, what could go wrong with that?
 
Part 7: Enough talky-talk I wanna fight some Asians


The Ming, clearly off their bipolar medication, once again decided that the Japanese were not rival material. The Shogun didn't bother opening diplomatic talks, as he figured they'd change their mind again soon.
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Instead, more effort was put into increasing colonization efforts. The desolate islands the colonist had decided to settle was actually beginning to become worthwhile, as droves of people flocked to the new world.
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Reports on the Ming showed that once again they were dealing with internal rebellions, which may explain why they didn't consider us a rival any more.
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The Shogun proved time and again his skills in the art of diplomacy, and other nations were beginning to be drawn to his words.
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To nobody's surprise, it turns out the Ming had decended into total chaos, as factions from all over rose up against the government. The Shogun waited on the sidelines to take advantage of the situation when the time came.
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Meanwhile the Aleut islands had finally established themselves, and the colonist was finally ready to go to better, warmer parts of the new world. The colonist took a team of conquistadors down the coast to a land known as "California"
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Word came that the Yeren horde had descended into the plains of Jianzhou, intending to unite the Jurchen tribes. The Shogun, antsy for a good fight, readied his troops and attacked the hordes.
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While confident, the Shogun was realistic about the war. It had not begun on his terms, and his army while mighty, lacked some of the technical advances that had been made on the Korean peninsula. His goal therefore was to merely destroy the Yeren army and arrange favorable peace terms.
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The royal cartographer killed himself after hearing the news about the collapse of the Ming empire. All of Asia was celebrating, aside from the Ming and the map guy.
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Back north, a quick siege of the so-called capital of Yeren ended the war before it could really begin. The Shogun isolated the tribesmen by breaking their only alliance, dooming them to eventual conquer by Japan.
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A few years of peace followed, as the Shogun rebuilt his navy and manpower. The peace was disrupted as the promising heir to the throne was found dead after a hunting trip. Cool.
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After the death of his heir, the Shogun was being pressured to name a new replacement. Refusing to pollute the royal bloodline, he refused to adopt a new heir.
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Instead, he opened up channels with one of the new Chinese breakaway states and secured a royal marriage.
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The Koreans, in all their wisdom, issued a proclamation that they would guarantee the independence of the Haixi tribes to their north. The Shogun decided they should have to put their money where their mouth is, and attacked Haixi.
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The Koreans attempted to move their forces through the mountainous northern provinces, only to be met by a fully armed Japanese army. The terrain demolished the Korean Calvary units, but the Japanese army also sustained considerable infantry losses.
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Right on their heels, the Japanese pounced on the recuperating Koreans, routing them even further south.
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Again the Japanese hit them hard, taking advantage of the natural defenses in the province. The Koreans, while equal to and possibly superior to the Japanese army, was now 0-3 against the Japanese army.
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The Koreans were not one to give up, and rather than corner themselves to the south, retreated north into hostile territory to siege down the Jianzhou capital. Finishing its own siege, the Japanese army moved north.
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And utterly destroyed the Koreans, who unconditionally surrendered to the Shogun's army. The country was now open to unopposed conquest.
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The peace agreement saw the trade cities of north Korea falling under Japanese rule. The Haixi, who the Koreans had so valiantly failed to protect, were annexed completely.
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The victory, while total, was not the absolute victory that the Shogun had hoped for. He decided therefore to invest in the quality of his army.
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Proving his virility and fertility, the Shogun produced a legitimate heir!
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To celebrate, he declared war on the once-mighty Ming, whose only ally was an island nation to the south.
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The Jainzhou general, seemingly having more intel than the Japanese, pushed for his forces to attack the Ming who were stationed to the north. The Japanese general, fearing the general had lost his mind, also moved his forces to support the Jianzhou army.
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It turns out the Jianzhou general know what he was doing, and the Ming laid down their arms at just the sight of the approaching army. Victory was assured!
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The mighty Japanese army marched through the forbidden city, forcing the Chinese Emperor to submit rule of his capital to Japan. The Ming would never recover.
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In California, the first non-frozen colony was now a thriving town.
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Japan now has no equal in Asia, long live the Empire! Long live the Shogun!
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Ahh, I do feel a bit for the cartographer. But it is very pretty all the same :D
 
Sweet. A Japanese colony in California.