Chương 596: Let the dragon flag of the Han Dynasty forever fly over this land of the rising sun!

Qi Jiguang pointed heavily to the location in the southern part of Kyushu: "This dog slave country is the only one among the thirty-odd countries that does not buy Himiko's tent."

They are male-ruling clans who have no belief in ghosts, gods, or witchcraft. They have been fighting the Yamatai Kingdom for over a decade and are still at odds with it. They have approximately 30, 000 to 40, 000 households, a population of 150, 000 to 200, 000, and an army of 15, 000 to 30, 000.

Despite their small population, they are extremely fierce and are the most formidable fighting force in Japan; even Himiko couldn't handle them.

Gan Ning took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"To hell with Himiko, Yamatai, and the Dog Slave Kingdom, let's wipe them out in one fell swoop! Stop wasting time and talking nonsense!"

Sun Jian shook his head slightly and said, "Xingba, don't be in a hurry. Let General Qi finish speaking first. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Japan has more than just these three large countries; there are many smaller ones as well. Let's deal with them one by one."

"Wen Tai is right." Qi Jiguang smiled and pointed to the northernmost part of Kyushu, closest to the Korean Peninsula.

"This is the Nu Kingdom. In the second year of Emperor Guangwu's reign (1294), they sent envoys to our court. The late emperor bestowed upon them a golden seal that read 'King of Han-Wei Nu,' which is still in the hands of their king. Today, the Nu Kingdom has more than 20, 000 households, 100, 000 people, and an army of 10, 000 to 20, 000. They have joined the Yamatai Alliance, but their connection with our Han Dynasty is the deepest; they are an old friend."

Han Dang exclaimed "Oh!" and suddenly realized, "So that golden seal was bestowed upon them! I heard the old boatman mention it before, but I thought it was just a rumor. I didn't expect it to be true. They say they treasure that golden seal like a precious gem."

"The rest are all small countries." Qi Jiguang's finger traced across Tsushima Island and Iki Island.

"Tsushima Province has a little over a thousand households; Ichi Province, also known as Iki Island, has a little over three thousand households; Sue-ro Province has a little over four thousand households, who make a living by fishing and are very poor; there are also Ito Province and Fumi Province, which together make up more than twenty households, most of which have only a few hundred households and a few thousand people, and they don't even have decent city walls."

Cai Mao finally spoke, his voice carrying the calmness and precision characteristic of a naval commander:

"General Qi, these small islands may seem insignificant, but they are the choke points controlling the East China Sea shipping lanes. Especially Tsushima and Iki, our fleet must pass through these two islands to reach Japan. If we control these islands, we can advance to attack Kyushu or retreat to defend the East China Sea. Their strategic significance is immense."

"De Gui's analysis is spot on." Qi Jiguang nodded approvingly.

"This is precisely why I have gathered you all here today. Now let's do the math: the entire Japanese nation, which comprises more than thirty countries, has a total population of just over one million and a total military strength of at most 120, 000. In contrast, our navy and army together number over 70, 000, and we also have General Li Wenzhong's 10, 000 cavalry."

The tent was quiet, and the generals all had relaxed expressions on their faces; some had even started to laugh.

"Their economy is mainly based on rice cultivation, and they have already learned to use iron farm tools and weapons," Qi Jiguang continued.

"They could smelt iron, weave cloth, and make pottery. They had private trade with us and the Korean Peninsula, mainly selling slaves, pearls, and tortoiseshell in exchange for our ironware and silk. They were dirt poor."

Taishi Ci stepped forward and asked, "Commander Qi, what is their combat strength like? What is their equipment like? Don't come crying and making a fuss when they can't beat us."

"Not worth mentioning." Qi Jiguang's tone was flat, as if he were commenting on a pile of scrap metal.

"They were all infantry, no cavalry, and no siege equipment. Their weapons were iron swords, iron spears, wooden bows and bamboo arrows, with arrowheads made of bone."

"There are no regular troops, only farmers temporarily conscripted during the war. They've put down their hoes and picked up knives; what fighting power could they possibly have? Their only slight advantage is their familiarity with the water and their skill in launching surprise attacks from small boats—they're incredibly fast. But against our warships, they're like paper, crumbling at the first impact."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sun Ce couldn't contain himself; his young face was full of fighting spirit.

"General Qi, give me ten thousand elite troops. In three months, I'll raze Yamatai to the ground, capture Himiko, and bring her to serve you wine! I'll make her dance for you!"

"Bo Fu, please calm down." Qi Jiguang raised his hand to stop him and gestured for him to sit down.

Then, Qi Jiguang took out a rusty Japanese sword and slammed it hard onto the general's desk in front of everyone.

The knife snapped in two with a sharp crack, the broken edges revealing a cheap iron core filled with sand and gravel, resembling tofu dregs.

"Watch closely, everyone." Qi Jiguang lifted his foot and crushed the broken sword, iron filings falling like dust from a clod of dry mud.

"These are the best weapons the Japanese have. Their iron is scrap iron that we've discarded, with a terrifying amount of impurities. Their bows are made from bamboo shoots, breaking with the slightest pull. Their arrow shafts are made from reeds, so light and flimsy. Their arrowheads are either bone or scrap copper; they won't even use iron. Our weapons..."

He pointed outside the tent and said in a loud voice:

"We have an army of 70, 000, all elite soldiers, and over a thousand cannons. On the other hand, the total number of men capable of wielding weapons on the entire Japanese island is only 120, 000. The so-called 'countries,' the largest being Yamatai, has a royal city that is nothing more than a wooden palisade two zhang high, not even a proper city wall. Our cannons can destroy it with a single shot."

Zhou Yu pointed his finger at the core of Yamatai on the map and asked:

"Does Commander Qi mean a full-scale, ruthless push forward, leaving no room for retreat?"

"That's right." Qi Jiguang's tone was resolute and brooked no argument.

"To deal with these barbarians who don't even have a written language, there's no need for any schemes. We'll sweep them away completely, overwhelming them with sheer force. His Majesty has decreed: the Japanese islands will not be vassal states or chieftains; they will be established as provinces, just like the mainland. Today we land on the islands, and tomorrow Han flags will be planted all over this place. From then on, this will be the territory of the Great Han."

"It should have been done long ago!" Gan Ning slapped his thigh.

"Why waste words with these savages? Let's just charge in and show them what a Celestial Empire is all about!"

Sun Ce stood with his hand on his sword, his eyes blazing with fury: "I am willing to be the vanguard! To crush this slave kingdom! If I fail to conquer it, I will offer my head!"

Sun Jian stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "I am willing to lead an army to pacify the southern part of the Nine Provinces, and I will not allow a single fugitive to escape into the deep mountains. We must nip this in the bud!"

Cheng Pu and Han Dang echoed in unison, and Cai Mao pointed to Tsushima Island and said:

"The navy is ready and can set sail immediately. We will first take Tsushima and Iki to open up the waterway and pave the way for the main force."

Qi Jiguang surveyed his generals, his voice deep and resonant, and issued the order:

"All troops, weigh anchor and cross the sea!"

Qi Jiguang laughed loudly, pressing his finger heavily on the location of the Yamatai Kingdom, his voice resolute:

"Let the dragon flag of the Han Dynasty forever fly over this land of the rising sun!"

Outside the tent, the sea breeze howled and a thousand sails fluttered in the wind.

The waves of the East China Sea await conquerors from the Central Plains.

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