May 22, 2014

Poseidon of the East (20)

In the days leading up to the Boshin War, Tokugawa Yoshinobu (the last shogun) was persuaded to yield sovereign authority to the emperor ("like the European powers"). As soon as the rebel forces revealed their true intentions, the emperor issued an edict abolishing the shogunate.

During the first major battle of the Boshin War, the rebel army appeared on the field bearing Imperial banners. They had also scrounged around and found a young Imperial prince to "lead" the troops. Despite holding a three-to-one advantage, the shogunate forces scattered in disarray.

Shouryuu seems intent on waging a similar kind of psychological warfare, appealing to deeply-held royalist beliefs and a large dollop of sympathy to cement the legitimacy of his rule among the people.

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Comments
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous
5/24/2014 4:20 PM   
Thank you ever so much for another fantastic chapter! The notes that accompany it are of great help. They add a lot of depth to the story I would otherwise probably miss.

Just to mention I noticed one typing mistake in the second to last sentence:

"They day we give Atsuyu what he wants is the day this kingdom loses whatever legitimacy it had.”

Should be "The day..."
# posted by Blogger Eugene
5/25/2014 9:32 AM   
Thanks. Fixed.