Many friends know that before the Americans knocked on the door of the country, the emperor of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate had no status.
Let's take an example.
Harris, the first consul of the United States, wrote in his diary that —
When the shogunate officials spoke of the emperor, they almost spoke in a contemptuous tone. When I heard me quote the Honorifics of the Japanese, I laughed. They say that this man has neither money nor political power nor anything else to be respected, and is a puppet.
However, after signing a series of treaties with the great powers, the Edo shogunate fell into internal and external troubles.
On the one hand, the great powers demanded more trade opportunities, and on the other hand, the daimyo and samurai were angry that the shogunate could not resist the enemy outside the gates of the country.
The Zunwang Yi eventually developed into a vigorous curtain-down movement. The shoguns in the storm had to turn to the imperial court.
In 1863, the fourteenth shogun, Tokugawa Iemigamiro – nicknamed Luoyang in Kyoto – asked the emperor for blessings on him. This was the first time in more than two hundred years that the last time a general came to the capital was when the three generations of generals Tokugawa Iemitsu were still in place.
(Tokugawa Ieshige stills)
From then on, from Edo to Kyoto, it became a daily act of Tokugawa Ieshige.
As the shogun continued to seek the court, the position of the emperor became more and more important.
On November 16, 1865, the combined British, French, American, and Dutch fleets departed from Yokohama for Hyogo. The shogunate was asked to approve the opening of ports in Hyogo and other places.
In exchange, the compensation for the shelling of foreign merchant ships by the Choshu Clan could be reduced by two-thirds, and a million dollars could be given.
Otherwise, we will go to Kyoto and ask the emperor for approval, and if the emperor does not approve it, then there will only be "cannon smoke and bullets" to serve. You have seven days to think about it.
Shogun Masahiro and Matsumae Takahiro, the shogunate stationed in Hyogo, agreed to the request of the Great Powers. After the news came out, the imperial court was furious, and the emperor directly ordered that the two be punished.
This was completely impossible before, but Tokugawa Keiki did it.
Tokugawa Keiki was a strong contender for the 14th shogun, who later lost to Tokugawa Ieshige, but he played an extremely important role as a liaison between the shogunate and the emperor.
The punishment was agreed to by him, and Tokugawa Iemo was so angry that he asked the emperor to resign, giving way to Keiki, and saying, Please open the port quickly so as not to destroy the country. But his resignation was not approved.
Qingxi wouldn't want to take up the mess at this time, he had more important things to do.
He summoned his courtiers to Osaka and asked them how to cope.
Basically, the countermeasure was determined, that is, only greater opening up could solve the immediate crisis, and money and technology could be obtained from more trade, so as to accumulate strength for driving the great powers out of Japan in the future.
Tokugawa Keiki had Osaka's Inoue Yoshihiro tell foreigners that the shogunate had promised to open the port, but with a grace of at least ten days. why?
(Tokugawa Kei comedy photo)
Because "In fact, there is an emperor above our generals." Even the general had to obtain the emperor's permission before he could carry out such important matters. In other words, such a major national event as the opening of the port of Hyogo naturally has to be approved. It takes at least ten days to obtain the Emperor's permission."
The Meiji Emperor 1852-1912 records that the shogunate's confession was astonishing. Until this time, foreigners thought that the shogun (maharajah) was the supreme ruler of Japan, and the emperor (emperor) was only the "spiritual ruler."
That is to say, in contrast to Harris's diary, a few years later, the shogunate had already placed the heaviest responsibility on the emperor, in effect, recognizing his supreme authority.
The powers unexpectedly agreed to a ten-day grace period, but asked Inoue to come up with assurances that the emperor would approve it.
Inoue said, I can't offer any guarantees. But in Japan, when we have important promises, we will definitely shed the blood oath and press the handprint.
As he spoke, he drew his knife and tried to cut his fingers.
According to the "Records of the Emperor of Filial Piety", the foreigner was so frightened that his face turned blue and he rushed to stop him, saying that he believed him.
However, according to the Meiji Emperor Chronicle, the British envoy Pasha Li saw that he was going to cut off his fingers and said that he believed him.
Meaning, the foreigner was not intimidated by his actions, but felt that there was no need to do so.
After all, you will have to deal with it later, there will often be promises, you cut your hands again and again, bandage and waste negotiation time.
On the other hand, the imperial court summoned a meeting of the important ministers stationed in Beijing, and everyone said that it was best to open the port. This is the case in the world, and the Tokugawa shogunate's centuries-old path of being closed to the country is simply impossible. Otherwise, "Hyogo and Kyoshi suddenly became Daiyan, Hozo's safety was in danger, and the Ise Temple was also ashes, as if in front of him..."
In the end, Emperor Takamitsu, who hated yiren very much, had to agree that Hyogo and other places could open ports.
That is to say, in the face of the urgent need for foreign invasion, he unexpectedly partially regained the decision-making power that his ancestors had never enjoyed, and stamped his great seal on the most hated traitorous treaty.