In fact, when Kuze Guangzhou, the chief minister of Laozhong, sent people to test the marriage, Naohide was very ignorant:

He took his time and only arrived in Edo at the end of the first year of the second year of Bunkyu (1862) in order not to attract attention. In September of the first year of Manen (1860), the shogunate Hoshikokan started to develop Western industries. From then on

Since then, not only has Northland made rapid progress, it has also been carrying out drastic reforms. At such a critical time, there is no need to think about extraneous matters.

But when he thought about it carefully, it smelled really good!

What's wrong with my adopted daughter? She's also a princess of the Tokugawa family.

This father-in-law's daughter was originally a non-royal, top-ranking official. The Tokugawa main branch of the Gosan family, the Gosanqing family or the branches of the Matsudaira eighteen families did not marry. Even if she did marry, she would be a daimyo at the level of the king. As for being betrothed to Hatamoto,

Never heard of it.

Therefore, Juejia is about to make a fortune!

Sure enough, Yokoze Sadugu of the Tao family who came to test Naohide made the matter clear:

Nishimaru Iemo will get married next month. According to the agreement with the Kyoto court, the Kōkata family must retire. But before that, the Kōkata family must do several things, including the marriage of a Tokugawa princess to the Hori family.

That's one of them.

"Is this matter a little hasty?" Naoxiu was shocked when he heard this. There was no news at all before this.

Hearing this, Yokoze could only smile slightly - you feel rushed, and so do I! Who knew that this beanbag would hit Horie's head in the end.

The marriage between the Tokugawa family and the Shimazu family had been planned for a long time - the father-in-law family decided, the royal family Atsushi and his wife, and Qi Bin, the first of the old middle-aged people, had a long-standing relationship with the secluded hall of Satsuma, and the two families

The news of the engagement was only released at this time.

As for the young princess of the Shimazu family, Hinohime, being adopted as an adopted daughter like Nishimaru, it has been decided for a long time, but it has only recently become clear which powerful king she will marry.

Speaking of which, this is the reason why I show myself straight.

He was procrastinating and refused to come to Edo in advance, but instead made Gong Fangyang and Kuze, the leader of Lao Zhong, make up their mind that they would become rich. This big fish couldn't let go!

In fact, due to the family decision, Atsushi, including Qi Bin, has long been interested in the Hide family, but Kuze felt that it was a bit too much. Although Hide Naohide has made rapid progress in his official career, after all, only one generation has made a fortune. It is not good to hear it spread, so it is very

There was an argument.

It's funny to say that these four big guys have different perspectives, but their evaluation of the strength of the Uijia is almost the same, which is one word: "strong"!

Among them, Jia Ding's perspective was more unique. He felt that Naohsiu could predict earthquakes. This was a demon, and Zhuge Wuhou was nothing more than that.

But he doesn’t rely entirely on deception:

Over the years, Kitachi has been sending him new gadgets to Edo Castle. Others thought Naohide was flattering, but Iatei looked at the problem from a different perspective, and he found something interesting in it.

Jiading has been fond of exquisite gadgets since he was a child, so he often buys them from foreigners.

This "familiar with three hundred Tang poems, and he can recite them even if he can't compose them." Therefore, Jiading discovered a big secret, that is, there is a problem with Beidi's strength!

The reason is that the things Naohide sent are getting better and better. Especially after the port opened in June of the sixth year of Hakodate Ansei (1859), the goods sent from the north are no longer leather goods and dolls, but carriages, soaps, and air guns.

, the gramophone and the small telephone appeared.

Jia Ding asked someone to inquire, and found that some foreigners had it, but there were some things that foreigners didn’t have!

This is interesting. Although Naohide always said that he imitated foreigners, how could the foreigners imitate it without you?

In addition, Jiading had always had the impression of Naohsiu's "magnificent powers", so he accidentally discovered the fact that Naohsiu was keeping a low profile.

As for the Satsuma clan, they admired the Naohide family even more:

In Qi Bin's study, there is still something that has become Qi Bin's obsession.

What is it that makes Qi Bin unable to eat well and sleep well?

It turned out to be a breech-loading gun!

Jiayong four years (1851)

), Qi Bin, who had just taken over as the head of the family, wanted to engage in Ran-style iron smelting. At that time, Saigo Takanaga jumped out and said, "The success of the Nirayama Iron Smelting Works of the shogunate is due to one person, and that is the rise of Naohide, the White Lord Daiguan!"

So Qi Bin asked Xixiang to pretend to be a businessman and went to the North. As a result, Xixiang lived up to his trust and really brought back the art of iron-making. Naoxiu also bought one and got two free, and gave away "Secrets of Parenting" and a breech-loading gun.

manufacturing method.

This "Secret Technique of Parenting" is really effective. Qi Bin's children have never died in infancy since then, but the breech-loading gun is disgusting - after ten years of hard work, Kagoshima failed to imitate it successfully!

Speaking of which, it doesn't mean that you can't make one. It can be made by hand, but it can't be used for production.

This is also the reason why Qi Bin stayed in Kagoshima during the Bowu Disaster in the fifth year of Ansei (1858) - before, it was okay to follow Qi Zhao and wave the flag and shout, but from fanning the flames to going into battle himself, Qi Bin became a bit weak.

This breech-loading gun became Qi Bin's worry. He didn't dare to take action until he understood it.

In fact, there were still many problems with the breech-loading guns produced by the Naohideo series in North America:

There are copper washers, so the problem of air locking is not a big problem; the problem of shell jamming is not a big problem because there is a shell catcher; but there are still many problems in the process, especially the quality of the flash cap is unstable, and duds occur from time to time.

But the generational difference is the generational difference. It is not possible to fight one person against ten. It is better to fight against five.

Although Qi Bin has figured out the matter in a roundabout way over the years, the breech-loading guns were secretly bought by the shogunate from overseas, but there is one question that has always puzzled him, "How did Naohide obtain this manufacturing method?"

of?"

Since Satsuma took over Naha in 1637 (the 14th year of Kanei), the Shimadzu family has been different from other daimyo families in that it has always had unique external channels.

But until the 6th year of Ansei (1859), after the three ports of Fuso were opened to foreign trade, Westerners had been blocking Fuso from military weapons like this - it was difficult to buy them, let alone how to make them!

Because he could not figure out the details of Zhi Xiu, Qi Bin had always paid close attention to Zhi Xiu and his family.

"Everything in the world is difficult, only those who are willing to do so", or "If you are not afraid of thieves, you are afraid of thieves." After paying attention to it, Satsuma, an outsider, actually knows the details of the Northland better than the shogunate!

Speaking of which, it’s not surprising. In addition to Qi Bin, everyone in Kagoshima also attaches great importance to Naohide’s family:

Satsuma's largest income comes from cane sugar, but sugar beets have been widely grown in the north since the seventh year of Kaiei (1853). How can this competitor not pay attention?

After careful investigation, it was discovered that the source was Western seeds obtained by Naohide's family from Nagasaki.

What a scam, so the relationship between Satsuma and Shirozu became cold for a while, but Shirozu businessmen controlled more than half of the sugar beet output of the Hakodate Office at that time. It was impossible to break up the relationship, and they had to work together to raise prices even if they pinched their noses.

.

Later, the planting of sugar beets spread, and it was useless to join forces to raise prices. However, the White Lord began to purchase tobacco, tea and raw silk in Satsuma in large quantities. The prices were quite reasonable, so the trade volume between the two parties continued to expand - Satsuma has the channel of Naha.

But why can’t I sell it at a high price?

In the process, Qi Bin discovered that there may be a problem with Zhixiu's line:

Although he wears the appearance of a businessman, Qi Bin can push others by himself. This businessman is not controlled by the Wu family.

At that time, the shogunate canceled the Zhuzhongjian, but even if there were direct transactions between the vassals, it would be a bit unreasonable for you, an imperial leader, to do large-scale business with a daimyo, right?

Moreover, how many dings can Bai Zhu plus Hakoguan have? Is it enough to buy so many goods?

But at that time, Qi Bin thought that Naohide was doing foreign trade secretly like him. This person was most likely the British, American, and Lu Three Kingdoms. In the second year of Ansei (1855), Hakodate became the British, American, and Spanish country.

It is a supply port, and to the north of White Lord is the territory of the Lu people. There are still convenient conditions for doing secret trade.

In the fourth and fifth years of Anzheng (1857), two battles between the White Lords broke out. Qi Bin was even more convinced of this - without foreign aid, how could the Lu people be defeated? Don't explain, explanations are just cover-ups.

Decoration.

But since the opening of Hakodate in the first year of Wanyan (1859), the reclusive Qi Bin no longer dared to think so:

Of course, he also thought that Naohide and others were second-rate dealers, but this second-rate dealer was not only able to sell, but he could also produce it himself!

At that time, the three ports were opened to the outside world, and foreign merchants gathered there. There were no worries about buyers for Satsuma's sugar, tea and raw silk, so the trade with the Northland began to decline - but tobacco leaves could not be sold at high prices by foreigners, so Kagoshima and Hako

The trade of the pavilion has not been interrupted.

Then Qi Bin discovered that, unknowingly, Hakodate began to sell machinery, improved textile machines, silk reeling machines and even civilian steam tanks. These things were quietly sold.

Unlike the shogunate, which has a big family and a big business, Qi Bin founded the integrated museum business by himself. He has suffered a lot, but he really knows the difficulty - the one who knows the most about Western industry in the shogunate is the Nirayama Ekawa family, but the Ekawa family and the rising

What's the relationship between family? Why do you want to cause trouble like this when you have nothing to do?

Although they are all civilian machinery, after Qi Bin asked someone to evaluate them, it seems that there is no problem with the production of guns and ships at this level.

But Qi Bin was very cunning. He didn't tell anyone, including the shogunate, and he just silently adjusted his attitude towards Naohideo and his family.

This is the dark side of the lamp. Hakodate's self-built iron smelting plant was run by his predecessor Toshio Horihi. After Naohide took over, the shogunate paid no attention to it. With so many things going on in this government, who would care to pay attention to a small practice.

But Qi Bin was different. He always dreamed about how to participate in major political affairs. Otherwise, he said, "The enemy knows you best." He really noticed it through clues.

Of course, Naohide and his family have always had good relations with Kagoshima, and even after Saigo studied abroad, they still had an unclear relationship with the Satsuma Seichung Group through Okubo's previous relationship. This is also an important reason.

It turns out that after the two battles of Hakodate, Yoshii Tomomi and Shusho Atsushi wrote a letter asking Okubo:

"Which one is better, the Kagoshima Reishi or the Lucian people?"

"The outcome is uncertain."

Okubo saved face for the Satsuma samurai in his hometown, saying that there was no winner between the two, but for fear of causing misunderstanding, he added another sentence:

"A hundred Yingfo men can equal a thousand soldiers in Satsuma, and they are not only well equipped with weapons."

This disgusted Yoshii and the tax office, so they issued a letter to argue. In the end, Okubo had no choice but to invite the two of them to Hakodate to take a look in person.

In the end, these two people really went - in the first year of Wanyen (1860), Ii Soo was stabbed to death, and Qi Bin returned to Kagoshima through activities. These two people felt that there was no big deal in staying in Satsuma, so they asked for leave.

Went to Hakodate.

During the period from the fifth year of Ansei (1858) to the first year of Wanyan, Qi Bin controlled his retainers to fight against the old Shimazu Tadakyou and Tadoku, father and son. Among them, the Jingzhong group made great efforts. Therefore, Yoshii and the tax were asked to

Qi Bin agreed to go to the North to have a look, but told the two of them to "be sure to understand the reality of the Box Hall."

Speaking of which, the White Master family is the only one that has fought against Westerners, and its strength has always been the focus of everyone's attention. However, the White Master has become more and more mysterious in recent years, and no spies are of any use.

The reason is that although Lord Shiro was the royal leader of the shogunate, the shogunate paid no attention to it when it was founded. Basically, Naohide and his family started it from scratch, so it has a bit of a meaning of "water cannot be poured into it, and needle cannot be inserted into it".

In addition, Naohide and others put their strength in Fengyuan and strictly controlled the flow of personnel externally.

So outsiders can only visit Baizhu, but what can they tell?

But Naohide had followed suit, and the strength of the Hakodate team could also be used as a reference, so Qi Bin gave these two instructions.

It just so happens that every year in the seventh month of the Japanese calendar is the day for the public drill of Hakodate - this is to commemorate the two battles of the White Lord, and the second is to shock the Westerners.

Yoshii and the tax office happened to catch up, so he blended in with the crowd and watched openly.

But after reading it, the two of them turned pale. After running back to Kagoshima, a thousand words converged into one sentence:
Chapter completed!