Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

King Shoho of the Ryukyu Kingdom ascended to the throne as a member of the lower branch of the family, and was formally enfeoffed by the Qing Dynasty.

Since his elder brother, King Shoun's son, King Shosei, died young, Prince Gushitou had no choice but to ascend the throne as the King of Ryukyu, a cash cow for Satsuma, a puppet of the shogunate, and a vassal of the Qing Dynasty.

Whether he can govern the country well is hard to say.

However, this is the first time we have ever seen a Western ship bearing the Qing Dynasty flag.

King Shoho repeatedly sought confirmation of this matter, and summoned the three officials of the Ryukyu Kingdom to Shuri Castle to discuss countermeasures.

When the Qing Dynasty came to Ryukyu, it was usually just to bestow an official title.

The interactions between Ryukyu and the Qing Dynasty consisted of two main aspects: sending students to study in the Qing Dynasty according to established practice, and conducting tribute trade. These were the usual practices.

The Qing Dynasty had always offered preferential treatment to Ryukyu in its tribute missions.

As for the Ryukyu Kingdom sometimes sending tribute of precious items, the Ming and Qing dynasties treated them well, knowing that Ryukyu was a small country that relied on maritime trade to earn a little money. Since these products were not produced there, they allowed them to send local specialties as tribute.

It's no wonder that when Ryukyuans mention the Celestial Empire, they feel they can never repay the emperor's kindness. Moreover, there were thirty-six families of Fujianese people within Ryukyu, who brought technology and culture to Ryukyu.

However, there were also troublesome issues. When Qing Dynasty envoys came to Ryukyu after the maritime ban was lifted, they often had to engage in barter trade with Ryukyu.

Although it was a forced sale, and sometimes when there was a shortage of goods in Ryukyu, they had to plunder wealthy households to make ends meet, it was still much better than what the Satsuma Domain did.

The shogunate would at least help Ryukyu vent its anger, deducting money from Zheng Jing's account to compensate the princes. The shogunate would also usually entertain Ryukyu envoys when they visited the city.

The Satsuma Domain, later the Meiji government, and for the first twenty years of its rule, treated the Ryukyu people as less than human.

During this period, Japanese officials, specifically the lord of the Nabeshima clan, helped the people of Ryukyu develop the sugar industry when they came to Ryukyu, and they made some contributions.

Other methods are either unsustainable exploitation or forcing the Ryukyu people to their deaths.

Compared to that, the exploitation by the Satsuma Domain at this time was at least just about money. Moreover, when Cai Wen of the Cai family served as the Sanshi Guan (official in charge of the three departments), he even favored the Ryukyu native faction rather than the pro-Japanese faction.

They were all from Fujian. Although more members of the Cai clan in Ryukyu claimed to be descendants of Cai Xiang than Cai Jing, Cai Wen's methods were very much like Cai Jing's. He physically eliminated a group of opponents, which was much more ruthless than the Grand Tutor's creation of the Yuanyou Party Monument.

Unlike some native Ryukyuans who try to align their own mythological lineage with Japanese mythology and thus become traitors to Ryukyu.

During the subsequent Japanese rule over Ryukyu, they were even worse than the Satsuma Domain before them.

Moreover, when the Qing Dynasty envoys came to bestow titles, the Satsuma Domain knew to hide and run away to Kume Village or some other village.

When they arrived in 1609, the Ming Dynasty itself was in decline. Originally, Ryukyu only had the Ming Dynasty as its ruler, and the Ming Dynasty took good care of its younger brother's economic difficulties, requiring them to lower the grade of tribute when paying tribute.

The same thing happened during the Qing Dynasty, but when the Shimazu family came, the Ryukyu people didn't have a good time.

Before sweet potatoes were available, the Ryukyuans sometimes ate cycad seeds, which often led to famine.

Only the wealthy could afford rice, even those living by the sea; it still depended on the location.

The Russian fleet is still at sea and shows no intention of landing directly, which has left the Ryukyu Kingdom officials somewhat bewildered.

In fact, Ryukyuans are more familiar with Westerners than Japanese people.

Ryukyu was a transit point for maritime trade, with routes to China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, allowing merchants from all over to come here to trade.

Although there aren't many local specialties, they can still make some profit as middlemen.

But when the Satsuma Domain came, it didn't work.

Even now, King Shoho's Ryukyu also has officials sent by the Satsuma Domain.

If the Qing Dynasty were to bestow titles upon them, they would have to go to the countryside to hide.

But this time the situation is a little different.

The officials dispatched by the Satsuma Domain were often retainers of the Kabayama family.

The three officials were also puzzled. When did the Celestial Empire acquire foreign warships?

They were baffled, as was King Shanghao.

Although the Qing Dynasty had large ships, they were not of the same design as those of foreigners, and such large ships must have been foreign ships.

The Ryukyuans had never seen Russians before. The Satsuma Domain was not one of the domains in Mutsu, nor was it the Matsumae Domain, which bordered Hokkaido and Ezo. As for the Russians, it was only eleven years ago when the shogunate magistrate in Hirado tried to seize their ships, which led to a dispute.

That's all I know.

The situation in Ryukyu is also perplexing.

So they dispatched a small boat, along with an official familiar with the official language of the Celestial Empire, to approach the "Grace".

"Your Highness, another messenger has arrived."

"That's natural. Ryukyu is a small country, so it naturally has to be respectful to the Celestial Empire. But to make them vassals on both sides would be too much of a burden for them."

Zhaolian had never experienced such an envoy before. He was also the first prince of the Qing Dynasty to go to sea abroad. When he arrived in Ryukyu, he inevitably felt some pity for King Shang and his people.

What were Solovyov's impressions of Ryukyu?
Speaking of which, there are quite a few Japanese entertainers who are from Ryukyu, and they were quite active in performing in dramas with Ryukyu backgrounds in their early years.

No matter how you look at it, they aren't exactly honest in the Japanese environment.

What remains are the Japanese soldiers charging in from Shuri Castle, just like in the Call of Duty game.

That's all.

As for the Ryukyu issue, it was merely a strategic move by him to intervene in maritime trade routes.

Under his management, Ryukyu was likely able to sever its tributary ties with Japan.

But what they ultimately achieve depends on the efforts of the Ryukyuans themselves.

If some traitors within the Xiang family manage to make any moves, he doesn't have a good solution.

As for the fact that the Qing Dynasty already knew about the Japanese within Ryukyu, such as the existence of Yamato no Mokufu and Zaiban Bugyō, it was also a great trouble for the shogunate.

Solovyov was unaware that in the 22nd year of the Jiaqing Emperor's reign, which was also the 14th year of the Bunka era in Japan, there were some personnel changes among the old shoguns of the shogunate.

His timing was perfect, as the Satsuma Domain was recently facing financial difficulties and was intensifying its exploitation of Ryukyu.

At such times, there would naturally be no Satsuma Domain magistrate hiding on the island.

He was somewhat surprised when the Ryukyu magistrate arrived.

Although the people standing in front were Qing Dynasty officials, the color of the rank badge on this person's robe actually indicated that he was a prince.

As for the others, there were quite a few officials from the Celestial Empire, many of whom wore red hats, but there were also a lot of blue ones.

What followed was even more bizarre: they were all southern barbarians.

Especially the one in the lead, wearing a green uniform, whose eyes were even greener than his uniform, and whose hair was golden and had a braid.

Wasn't it only in a celestial empire like the Qing Dynasty that people wore queues?
They had never seen this style of braid, which was popular in European courts in the mid-to-late 18th century.

When Prince Li introduced himself, the official was so shocked that he immediately knelt down.

It wasn't fear, but rather an understanding of the rules.

"Your humble servant Cai Min was unaware of the arrival of a prince from the Celestial Empire. I beg your forgiveness for my disrespect." "Are you a member of the Cai family?"

"I am of the same clan as Cai Wen, the official in charge of the affairs of the state. However, Duke Qi of Lu is his adopted son, while I am a member of the Cai clan."

Yes, that's quite convenient.

However, after asking a few questions, it was discovered that he was just a local official.

The official system in Ryukyu is somewhat different from that elsewhere.

Under the King, there was usually one person who served as regent, as well as three officials and various local officials. Locally, these were the village heads. The Ryukyu gentry were based on these people.

"Get up, you have not offended me. But are there any Japanese people in the country now?"

Zhao Lian's words were clearly meant to provoke a fight. Given Solovyov's previous reminder and Emperor Jiaqing's instructions before his departure, as the chief envoy with the title of a prince, he naturally had to ask for clarification.

"Is it available now?"

"Did it exist before or not?"

"If the angels come, the officials and the Yamato Yokome will disperse to their respective villages and will not remain in Shuri Castle."

"That was on ordinary days. Now that I am on a mission to the West with a Russian envoy, if there are any grievances in Ryukyu, they can naturally submit petitions. His Majesty has also issued an edict that you have been oppressed by the Satsuma pirates for two hundred years, and he will do justice for you."

Cai Min, a minor official with no real title, burst into tears after hearing this and prostrated himself in admiration.

"I never imagined that the Celestial Empire could uphold justice for foreign vassals!"

"If you had said it earlier, there would have been more justice. It's not too late now, and it's a hundred times better than surrendering our land."

Zhaolian did indeed play the role of a prophet. Solovyov knew that apart from Li Hongzhang's plan to preserve the Ryukyu Kingdom's Yaeyama and Miyako Islands when the Ryukyu Kingdom fell, the Qing Dynasty would be unable to manage it by then.

The Shang family themselves would not accept this outcome, and many Ryukyuans simply came to the Celestial Empire, unwilling to be slaves of a conquered nation.

But Solovyov also learned that Zhaolian had some political acumen.

Cai Min quickly explained the current situation in Ryukyu. The regent of King Shang Hao was his former adoptive father, Shang Rong. The three officials were: the Yi Fang (用意方), who managed national property and the governance of mountains and rivers; the Gei Di Fang (给地方), who was responsible for managing the distribution of salaries and travel expenses to officials; and the Suo Dai Fang (所带方), who managed taxes and the disbursement of the national treasury.

These three official positions were also known as Chou Ri Fan, Si Ri Fan, and You Ri Fan, respectively.

The current Sanshikan are the tools used by the Satsuma Domain to control Ryukyu.

Unlike the time when Cai and Wen had some degree of autonomy, they didn't have that much autonomy.

The current relationship between the "Ox-day-born" and "Horse-born" individuals is rather subtle: "Ox-day-born" is "Horse-born" and "Snake-day-born" is "Horse-born" and "Rooster-day-born" is "Horse-born" and "Horse ...

The Ma Yingchang family later participated in the restoration movement of Ryukyu. Although they tried to curry favor with the Satsuma Domain, it wasn't entirely like that, since they had a deep connection with the King of Ryukyu.

The Xiang family behind Xiang Chengxun doesn't have a good reputation in Ryukyu, although they do have loyal retainers.

However, the biggest traitor among the Ryukyu was the Xiang family, who were far inferior to the other four of the "Five Great Men of Ryukyu".

Although Zheng Jiong, who was beheaded by the Satsuma Domain, was regarded as a treacherous official in Ryukyu, he was still much more courageous than King Shang Ning.

(In the NHK Taiga drama Ryukyu no Kaze, the role of Zheng Jiong was played by Emori Toru. It's a bit strange to think that he was cast as Ishida Mitsunari a few years later and then his role was cancelled.)

Ryukyu is now Satsuma Domain's ATM. After Cai Min said this, Zhao Lian's face became even more unpleasant.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. If we don't go to the island to see for ourselves, we won't know their true nature. What will we do if the Japanese escape?"

"What the general said makes some sense."

Delin and Ancheng were also present; Jiaqing had permitted them to use force.

If we take action, we'll also gain some military merit.

Compared to the previous cautious approach to border issues, Emperor Jiaqing was more open-minded on the Ryukyu Islands, which were just small islands.

The most important off-field factor was Solovyov.

If Ryukyu had a Qing dynasty official in charge, like the border regions, things would be much easier.

During the Qing Dynasty, the tax rate in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities was extremely low.

In places like Xinjiang, if it weren't for those abstract officials and local lords, the exploitation by the Bai lords alone wouldn't be a big deal.

After all, the tax collected was just some white cloth.

Naturally, there were some preferential treatments given to Ryukyu.

They can make a fortune as middlemen, but tribute missions don't require rare and exotic items. If they invest all their energy in trade, getting rich is not an easy thing.
It's not like when the Japanese were here, their lives weren't as good as in other prefectures.

As for European merchants, opening trading posts here, especially Russian trading posts, would also benefit the Solovyov family.

However, Solovyov was not exactly friendly to the Japanese.

Their main targets were people like Satsuma, Choshu, and Baka; Japanese people elsewhere might not be as wicked as they were.

Now, Zhaolian looked at Solovyov, whose gesture was a hand chop.

The hereditary prince then understood: "Delin, Ancheng."

"The slave is here."

They were military officers, and since the Qing Dynasty was still in its infancy, this was the natural way to address them.

"You two each take a captain with you and go ashore."

"Whoo!"

"What arrangements does General Suo intend to make?"

"I will naturally bring my troops to the island as well, Your Highness need not worry."

Solovyov will land himself, bringing with him a battalion of Imperial Guards, an artillery battery, and even his cavalry for a stroll.

Otherwise, these horses would be so bored and restless on the boat, unable to run freely.

As for Cai Min, he only sent a subordinate scholar to Shuri Castle to report.

King Shanghao was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this.

Regent Shang Rong and the three officials were also very surprised.

However, at this time, the Ryukyu Kingdom, having been exploited by the Satsuma Domain, was temporarily united in its ruler and subjects. They were actually planning to take advantage of the sudden arrival of the heavenly army to pull off something big.

After all, Ryukyu's fighting strength was so weak that it could only muster a thousand or so soldiers.

The Satsuma Domain is so weak now, and it's heavily in debt, yet it still managed to send three or four thousand men on an expedition to Ryukyu.

They're not on the same level; the gap is too big.

But for 600 elite Eight Banners troops and 2,000 even stronger Russian soldiers on a small island like Okinawa, it was a case of overwhelming superiority. (End of Chapter)