"If there is a chance, I really want to see how the officials of the Edo shogunate would react when they saw the Nikki Maru and Hyakumaru that we spent a lot of effort and money to get." Smith said with his hands behind his back.

, smacking his lips with regret on his face, "Will you learn from the experience and regret for your country's backward technological level, and regret for your country's stupid lockdown order?"

Nikki Maru and Gyokumaru are the names of these two battleships of the Toyotomi Army.

Hyukamaru is the flagship of their small fleet with only two warships, which is the warship that Toyotomi Nobuhide, Smith, and Kasuho are currently riding.

"Smith, you are overthinking." Toyotomi Nobuhide laughed full of joking, "Do you know what the Edo shogunate is most afraid of?"

"They are most afraid of 'new things'."

“Because ‘new things’ often bring about change and transformation.”

"Changes and transformations may impact the dominance of the Edo shogunate..."

"That's why the Edo shogunate issued a 'lockdown order' to not allow any new things from the outside world to enter the country."

"'Let this country remain unchanged' was one of the governing ideas of the Edo shogunate."

"And in fact, they succeeded."

"It has been nearly two hundred years since the Edo shogunate was established. At this time, Japan's lifestyle and technological level are almost the same as Japan two hundred years ago."

"So they won't have any painful experiences."

The playful look on Toyotomi Nobuhide's face became intense at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Smith, I can boldly predict to you: If after tonight, our Toyotomi army withdraws completely and no longer attacks the Edo shogunate, what kind of reaction will the Edo shogunate make?"

"They will do their best to block the news and declare to the public that 'warships as big as hills do not exist.' Then the country will continue to operate as it was before."

"If you want them to learn a painful lesson? Then you have to beat them until they grin and really feel the 'pain'!"

"Even if you witness the weakness of your country's scientific and technological power, you won't easily change your original conservative ideas..." Smith looked puzzled, "It's really hard to understand..."

"You have never lived in this country, so it is normal for you to find it difficult to understand." Toyotomi Nobuhide smiled and patted Smith on the shoulder, then turned his head and said,

Looking towards Osaka with the flames soaring into the sky in the distance.

In this heavy firelight, Toyotomi Nobuhide could vaguely see a vague, towering shadow.

That is the shadow of Osaka Castle.

"Osaka Castle is really huge..." Toyotomi Nobuhide murmured,

“I don’t know what the ‘Toyotomi Osaka Castle’ was two hundred years ago.

Compared with the current "Tokugawa Osaka Castle",

Which city is more magnificent..."

The Osaka Castle built by the Toyotomi clan had been burned down in the war with the Edo shogunate two hundred years ago.

Osaka Castle now stands in the center of Osaka City,

It was Osaka Castle that was rebuilt on the original site by the Edo shogunate after the demise of the Toyotomi clan.

In order to easily distinguish between these two Osaka Castles, which have the same name but completely different builders and owners,

The former Osaka Castle was called "Toyotomi Osaka Castle", and the current Osaka Castle is called "Tokugawa Osaka Castle".

"It seems that Zuemon, who was responsible for attacking Osaka Castle, listened to my orders very well.

Osaka Castle was not damaged. Very good, very good.”

Toyotomi Nobuhide showed joy and clapped his hands vigorously several times.

"Thus,

Later, when we launch an artillery bombardment on Osaka Castle, which is basically intact...it must be very enjoyable!"

"Toyotomi-sama!" Kazuho's cheeks were now red with excitement,

"Do we have to wait until Yoshihisa and the others leave Osaka before we can launch a bombardment on Osaka Castle? I really want to start firing now!"

"Kasu Bee,

There are still Yoshihisa and his friends in Osaka City now. Now we are launching long-range artillery bombardment on Osaka City, it is very easy to accidentally injure our own people."

"So we still have to proceed as planned and wait until Yoshihisa and the others finish the 'Osaka Spring Formation'.

After everyone has withdrawn from Osaka, they will then launch an artillery attack on Osaka Castle."

"Ah..." Kasu Bee seemed to be itching all over,

Scratching every corner of the body,

"I really want to start firing on Osaka Castle quickly... to blow such a big castle to pieces.

It must be very enjoyable..."

"Bombarding Osaka Castle?" Smith looked at Toyotomi Nobuhide with a puzzled look on his face, and then looked at Kasuho, "Lord Toyotomi,

Do you want to destroy Osaka Castle?"

"Yes,

It seems that I haven’t told you Smith about the plan to ‘destroy Osaka Castle’.”

Toyotomi Nobuhide, who continued to look at the towering Osaka Castle in the distance, raised the corners of his mouth in a meaningful arc.

"The current Osaka Castle,

It has nothing to do with the Toyotomi clan." Toyotomi Nobuhide said calmly,

"Osaka Castle built by the Toyotomi clan,

It was destroyed two hundred years ago."

"The current Osaka Castle was built every brick and tile by the Tokugawa clan."

“This kind of fortress has a strong imprint of the Edo shogunate.

It’s better to destroy it.”

"But if we just set fire to destroy such a majestic castle,

I always feel it’s a pity, not impressive enough and not interesting enough.”

"So I decided to use a powerful enough method to raze Osaka Castle to the ground."

"I gave an order to Zuemon who was responsible for attacking Osaka Castle: after all the shogunate officials in Osaka Castle were cleared,

Don’t destroy Osaka Castle.”

"Then I will give Kasu Bee a death order: no matter what,

We all must lead Gourd Maru and Nikki Maru to the sea outside Osaka before tonight."

"Huluwan and Rikimaru have two tasks tonight."

"Mission 1: Destroy Osaka Port in Osaka and all ships in the port."

“Osaka Port is one of the largest ports in Japan.

Nearly half of the official ships of the shogunate docked at Osaka Port."

"By destroying Osaka Port and all the ships in the port, the already weak surface power of the Edo Shogunate will be further weakened, and the ability to threaten our Gyokumaru and Nikki Maru will be completely lost."

"As for the second mission, the 'Osaka Haru Formation and Battle for Disasters' that Yoshihisa was responsible for ended and all personnel withdrew from Osaka, using the naval guns of Gyokumaru and Nikki Maru to bombard Osaka Castle from a long distance."

Toyotomi Nobuhide's face slowly showed a look of intoxication.

Also looking intoxicated was Kazuho standing next to him.

"Such a majestic castle, after being bombarded by naval guns, the scene of rubble falling down... must be great."

"Are we going to use naval guns to bombard Osaka City?" Smith's mouth opened uncontrollably, "But... Osaka City is located far away from the sea..."

"Even if we get close to the sea and fire again, the distance is still very far."

"If you fire a cannon at such a long distance, the hit rate is very low. Maybe even 10 of the 10 rounds fired may not hit Osaka Castle."

"When Osaka Castle was razed to the ground with naval guns, most of the city might have been destroyed by the deflected shells."

"Toyotomi-sama, please forgive me... If you do this... let alone waste artillery shells, you will lose an unknown amount of people's hearts alone..."

Toyotomi Nobuhide seemed to have expected that Smith would say this, his expression remained unchanged and he still had a meaningful smile on his face.

Don't speak either.

He just turned his head silently and cast an intriguing look at Smith.

At this time, Smith also realized that what he just said seemed to be a bit excessive, so he quickly added:

"Ah, I just said it casually. Toyotomi-sama, you can just listen to it casually."

"Anyway, I'm just an arms dealer, and I don't know much about politics."

"Toyotomi-sama, since you want to use naval guns to bomb Osaka Castle, what should we do next?"

"Now the task of destroying Osaka Port and all the ships in the port has been completed." Toyotomi Nobuhide said slowly with his hands behind his back, "And I just said that before we bomb Osaka Castle, we have to wait for Yoshihisa and the others to complete the 'Osaka Spring Formation and Debate"

It can only be executed after the operation' and withdrawal from Osaka."
To be continued...