The 7th generation lord Mori Shigetari (reigned 1751-1782) launched a series of reforms in order to save the finances.

Establish a "nurturing party" department to be responsible for reform work. All profitable businesses will be handed over to the nurturing party.

Since the nurturing party was directly subordinate to the feudal lord and the account books were not disclosed to the public, there was no way to know the nurturing party's profits and losses. This independent account was still in operation until the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and was the source of funds for the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Financial pressure was eased through measures such as reducing costs, inspecting land, developing salt fields in Mitajiri, and building a new port in Izaki.

In addition to salt production, rice, paper, and wax industries, the three industries have also developed rapidly under the management of the nursery. These four products are of high quality and are all white, so they are collectively called the "Fang Chang Four Whites."

In addition, the education industry of the Choshu Domain was further developed.

In addition to Meironkan, many feudal schools were opened in various places. The number of temple houses is as high as 1,304. In Western Japan alone, Choshu Domain has the most schools.

Although the fostering party has accumulated a considerable amount of funds, this is allocated from the fostering party (general income and expenditure account), treasure bank (reserve account) and other assets to support operations.

In other words, the prosperity of the guardians meant that the amount of money brought and treasures decreased, and the debt of the feudal government also increased day by day.

By the early years of the Tenpo period (1830-1843), the Choshu domain's debts had reached as high as 90,000 guan.

With the outbreak of the Tenpo Great Famine, the financial situation further deteriorated and the feudal rule was on the verge of collapse.

Faced with this severe situation, the 13th generation lord and current lord Yoshiuchi Mori began new reforms.

He promoted a person named Murata Qingfeng.

His reform measures mainly include the following:

frugal.

Expand business in Vietnam and the Netherlands.

[Note on the Overland: the domain's financial and warehouse industry. The western gateway to the Seto Inland Sea: Shimonoseki Strait is located in the Choshu Domain's sphere of influence, so the Choshu Domain established the feudal institution "Overland" in Shimonoseki.

Specializes in managing the loading, unloading and storage of returned cargo and providing loans.】

Strive to repay half of your debt interest-free.

The samurai were exempted from borrowing from the feudal government. As for the samurai's private loans from merchants, the feudal government would repay them.

The feudal government repaid the interest to the merchants every year, and the principal was amortized in thirty-seven years. It also took the initiative to disclose the debts of the feudal government.

Promote talented lower-level warriors.

Reform the military system and establish foreign schools.

On April 1, the 14th year of Tenpo (1843), under the leadership of Murata Seifu, the feudal government held a military drill at the broad Hagadai on the eastern outskirts of Hagi Castle (the capital of Choshu Domain) to practice the "Sacred Weapon Formation".

It is a new formation created by Seifu Murata with reference to the content about musket tactics contained in Zhao Shizhen's "Artifact Book" of the Ming Dynasty.

This formation is centered on the artillery carriage, with a foreign gun team surrounding the cannon, and an ashigaru at the outermost periphery. The artillery fires first, then the gun team fires, and finally the ashigaru charge.

This almost deadbeat "Thirty-seven years of taxation all contributed to official duties" offended a large business group.

Therefore, soon after, Murata was opposed by businessmen and stepped down.

Tsuboi Kyuemon, who later took over the reform work, held the opposite views to Murata Seikagaze.

Not only did he cancel the "Thirty-Seven Years of Taxes", he also gave preferential treatment to businessmen and did not hesitate to borrow money to repay businessmen's debts. However, he was impeached and resigned because the reforms had little effect.

Murata Qingfeng represents progressive forces.

Tsuboi Kyūemon represents conservative forces.

Wherever there is politics, there will be party strife.

There was a dispute between the "Nanki Sect" and the "Ichitsubashi Sect" in the shogunate.

Choshu Domain is no exception.

After that, two important ministers - Mikiri Tota and Shubu Masanosuke - successively entered the government center of the Choshu Domain. The former's ideas were similar to those of Tsuboi Kyūemon, while the latter continued Murata Kiyone's line.

The two factions that have been fighting endlessly and dominating the politics of the Choshu Domain to this day have entered the stage of history.

At the beginning, the reform policies of the two groups were not clearly defined.

After the Ansei Five Kingdoms Treaty was signed, the Maori team in Edo did not want to offend the shogunate. However, Shubumasanosuke, who stayed in Hagi, issued the "Three Outline of the Domain", not only serving the shogunate, but also seeking a way for Choshu to become independent.

[Note: Ansei Five-Nation Treaty: In the fifth year of Ansei (1858), Japan was forced to sign five unequal treaties with the United States, the Netherlands, Russia, Britain, and France]

Therefore, Zhou Buzhengnosuke called the Shogunate faction such as Mikiri Tota and others the "Serumon faction" and called himself the "Justice faction". This is how the confrontation between the two factions started.

The "Selkon School" led by Makuri Tota is generally similar to the "conservatives". It opposes any words and deeds that attack the imperial court and the shogunate.

As for the "Justice Faction" headed by Zhou Fushengnosuke, they can be understood as the "Revolutionary Faction". Their idea is: "The shogunate? How many cannons does it have?".

No wonder they are so arrogant.

The caregiver provided ample funds.

Murata Seifu's powerful reforms greatly improved the financial situation of the Choshu Domain, promoted production, and enhanced the domain's economic income and military strength.

Since the fifth generation of the feudal lord Mori Yoshimoto came to power, he has consistently attached great importance to the basic national policy of education.

Long-term accumulation and precipitation laid the foundation for the rise of the Changshu clan.

Today, the Choshu Domain seems to be the leading powerful domain in Western Japan with strong military strength and numerous talents! Although it is not enough to compete with the shogunate, it can be said to make the shogunate extremely jealous.

The current governor of the Choshu Domain is the 13th generation feudal lord: Mori Qiuchin, who has ruled the Choshu Domain since he came to power in the 7th year of Tenpo (1836).

The original name of Maori Qingqin was Maori Jingqin, but it was renamed Maori Qingqin due to "taboo".

"Panta" means that the superior in samurai society gives the character of their own name to the subordinates to establish a master-slave relationship. The word "kei" in Mouri Keichika comes from the 12th generation shogun Tokugawa Ieyei.

How to evaluate Maori wedding ceremony?

In a word: notorious iron waste!

Although he single-handedly promoted Murata Seifu, and he strongly supported Murata Seifu's series of drastic reforms, this was not because of his foresight and talent.

The only thing he can do is sit high on the throne and watch the discussions among his ministers below without saying a word.

After the ministers discussed and came up with a solution, he said lightly, "Okay, then let's do this!"

Because he has no independent opinions and has never made up his own mind, he does not have a systematic ideological concept at all. He can only say "Okay, then let's do it!", so he is despised by the world as "Let's do it like this".

When Murata Seikau's reform ideas are widely welcomed, he will be re-appointed, and when he is impeached, he will be allowed to step down - this is Mori Keichika's ruling style, which focuses on casualness!

The reason why the political opinions of the Choshu Domain have been repeated so frequently is because Mori Qingqin's "ruling by doing nothing" can be said to have taken the greatest credit.

In the first year of Bunkyu (1861), the Choshu clan gave birth to a wise man who "opened his eyes to see the world", Nagai Gagaku, who was known as "Ogijo's best talent". He submitted a long-term document to Mori Qingqin.

The 4,800-word proposal is the famous "Navigation Strategy".

Its main content can be roughly summarized as follows: Abandoning the treaty and fighting the barbarians are child's play. It is better to actively accept the treaty, the imperial court and the shogunate have the same military force, learn from the barbarians and learn skills to control the barbarians.

After reading "Navigation Strategy", Qingqi Mori said, not surprisingly, "Okay, then let's do this!"

In this way, the Choshu Domain became a supporter of the "combination of public and military forces" - naturally the "respecting the king and rejecting the barbarians" faction within the domain could not accept this.

As a result, it didn't take long for the lofty ideals of the Choshu Domain to raise the flag of rebellion, causing a large-scale commotion within the domain.

It was also at this time that the leader of the "Justice Faction", Shu Fusanosuke, changed his mind and completely turned to "respecting the king and resisting the barbarians", and began to make friends with people with lofty ideals in the domain.

The "Justice Faction" of the Choshu Domain and those with lofty ideals merged into one another.

After the voice of "honoring the king and rejecting the barbarians" in the Choshu domain gained the upper hand, Mouri Qingqin said "Okay, so be it!" without any surprise. This was a 180-degree jump, which not only completely abolished "

"Navigation strategy", and he also followed the advice of Zhou Fumasei and others and ordered the "treacherous villain" Nagai Gaara to commit hara-kiri.

A generation of heroes lost their lives in such a ridiculous way.

How can an insect like Mori Keichika do good politics?

Amidst the repeated "Okay, so be it!", Mouri Qingqin was completely ignored and became an emperor-like mascot.

The vacuum of power will naturally lead to competition - the "secular faction" and the "justice faction" have launched a fierce overt and covert struggle.

In the end, the "justice faction", whose strength was greatly increased by joining forces with those with lofty ideals, won the right to speak.

The power of the Seolun Sect was weak, and the military and political power of the feudal state fell into the hands of the Justice Sect.

Although compared with the "Song Lun School" whose ideological realm is still stuck in the feudal era, the political views of the "Justice School" are much more advanced - but not by much.

How to describe the "righteous faction"?

To put it simply: they are a bunch of crazy dogs!

The reason for this must start with a guy named Yoshida Shoin (1830-1859).

Yoshida Shoin was born in the first year of Tenpo (1830). He was a rather complicated person.

He is a thinker of the Yangming School, proficient in Sinology, Mito Studies, Chinese Studies, Military Studies and many other subjects. He has been famous as a child prodigy since he was a child.

While he strongly advocated respecting the king and resisting foreigners and defending against foreign humiliation, he did not hold any pedantic thoughts of blind xenophobia.

After the "Black Ship Incident" broke out, in order to better understand the barbarians, Yoshida Shoin, who happened to be studying near Edo at the time, took his disciple Kaneko Shigesuke. The two rowed a small boat and secretly boarded the American Black Ship at night.

ship and wanted to go to the United States with the fleet.

According to the "Lockdown Order" which had not been abolished at that time, the shogunate strictly prohibited citizens from leaving the country, otherwise they would be sentenced to death.

Therefore, although Yoshida Shoin's courage to disregard personal safety greatly admired U.S. Fleet Admiral Perry, it also made him feel quite embarrassed. The United States had just signed a treaty with Japan, and if it wanted to help Yoshida Shoin and others, they had to negotiate again.

Finally, Yoshida Shoin and his disciples were sent back to the shore.
To be continued...