At the beginning of the twelfth year of Chongguan, the Goryeo army, including infantry and naval forces, under the personal leadership of Prime Minister Zuo Jing, braved the severe cold weather of early spring, trekked long distances from the snow-covered northern counties, or drove boats to the southwest one after another.
The troops gathered in Hai Duong County.
As of early February, the naval infantry force concentrated in Haiyang exceeded 20,000, and they planned to cross the Hainan to conquer Danluo.
The Danluo people on the island are also heavily armed and actively preparing for war, preparing to fight a war to protect their homeland and country.
The strength of the Danluo King's army increased from less than 1,000 men in two battalions before the war to nearly 4,000 men in six battalions in early February.
At the same time, the Li family of the Danra royal family took over Matsuura, Hirado, Goto and other places in the northern part of Kyushu Island from the Saga family of Fuso Chikushi Province, and established the Toshu Jishi Governor's Office.
The Danluo royal family appointed Chi Zhou as the governor of Dongzhou Dudufu, Nagasaki Xiuxiang as deputy governor, and Yan Baishan as the chief historian of the Dudufu.
Danluo established a new navy department, and attached five new bandits to the first, second and third battalions of the Royal Navy of Danluo. Chizhou was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the navy department of the royal army.
The Dongzhou Governor's Office leased Fukue Island and Kuga Island to the Huaidong Military Division to establish a free trade port. The garrison, civil affairs, and commercial affairs of the free trade port were all controlled by the Jeju Inspection Department.
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Although the Danluo royal family has limited control over the Dongzhou Dudufu, they do not have to bear any obligations and can still receive considerable tribute tax revenue every year. Why would the Danluo royal family not be happy with such an arrangement?
Chi Zhou became the biggest beneficiary of this assassination incident. He was cleared of his identity as the leader of the Five Islands pirates and transformed into the governor of Dongzhou of the Danluo Kingdom, officially possessing the power to govern the region. The Chi family was also naturally a pirate family, and was shaken
He transformed into a powerful and powerful clan in Dongzhou.
This kind of identity clearing, and even being able to continue to rule and control a larger area, for Chi Zhou, is undoubtedly a big pie falling from the sky, and it is precisely what Chi Zhou has been able to dream of for a long time.
owned.
Although Chizhou gave up Kuga Island, he gained Matsuura and Hirado for nothing, which was enough to make up for the loss.
In terms of area, the area of Hirado Island alone is three times that of Kuga Island; and the area of Kitamatsuura Peninsula, bounded by the former plateau, is more than twice that of the entire Goto Islands.
Except for Fukue Island and Kuga Island, the land temporarily under the jurisdiction of Dongzhou Governor's Office is slightly larger than Jeju Island (Dara). However, it is located in the fertile wilderness in the northern part of Kyushu Island. The Dingkou is about three times that of Danra, reaching 20,000
There are more than a thousand households, accounting for about one-fifth of the area and population controlled by the Saga family.
Even if we take a step back, in the face of the pressure from the Saga clan, even if the Chi family is not able to retain Dongzhou independently in the end, it is more than enough to trade Dongzhou with the Saga clan or other vassal forces of Fuso for several generations of wealth.
Cutting off such a large piece of flesh all at once made the Saga family's hearts bleed. But in any case, Lin Fu finally used Chi Zhou to temporarily lead Dongzhou, which made Saga Yorigen feel much better.
Chi Zhou established himself in Goto for more than ten years and was closely connected with the wealthy families in Kitakyushu Island. He even married the daughter of the Koizumi family of the local wealthy family in Matsuura. His fifth, sixth son, and fourth daughter were all from Fuso.
of ancestry.
By appointing Chi Zhou as the governor of Dongzhou, not only the Saga family can see the hope of taking back Dongzhou, but also the wealthy families and samurai groups in Kitakyushu Island will be more likely to accept such an arrangement.
The political power structure of the Fusang Islands is still at the stage of combining counties and feudal systems.
Although the Saga clan is in charge of the Chikushi Kingdom, the land under the direct jurisdiction of the Saga family accounts for less than one-third of the Chikushi Kingdom. The other areas are directly controlled by other large and small wealthy families.
The Dongzhou Dudufu was established, which was nominally under the supervision of the Danluo Kingdom. In a larger sense, it was the Chi family that rose up in the Dongzhou area, replacing the previous Nagasaki family. The Nagasaki family surrendered to the Huaidong Army, thus losing Matsuura City.
, should be punished like this.
Of course, the appointment of Nagasaki Hidego, the surrendered minister, as the deputy governor of Dongzhou was also to resolve the conflict between the local wealthy families and the common people.
After the structure of Dongzhou Dudufu finally emerged, the Saga clan and other Fuso feudal states could also see that the Huaidong Army Division had implemented restraint measures on the Dongzhou area. Using Danluo and Chi clan to restrain Saga.
At the same time, He also strictly restricted the Huaidong Military Division's own territorial ambitions for Kyushu Island.
Before the threat of death, Saga Yorimoto was forced to take responsibility for the assassination and signed an agreement to cede Matsuura, Hirado, Goto and other places. While signing the land cession agreement, they also agreed on the Saga clan and the Huaidong Army.
The company’s alliance matters.
The Saga family was initially full of shame, anger and hatred, and it was too late to inspire others. How could they seriously care about the bullshit alliance obligation?
However, seeing that the Huaidong Military Division implemented a restraint policy of both kindness and power in the Haidong region, and that both the Danluo people and the great bandit Chizhou were able to benefit from it and carve up the rights and interests of the Dongzhou area that belonged to the Saga clan, the Saga clan had no choice but to
Calm down and consider your alliance obligations with the Huaidong Military Division.
It is not difficult for Saga Yorigen to see that Goryeo's surrender to the Donghu people caused the Dai Viet Dynasty to bear more military pressure from the Donghu people on the northern border. The Huaidong Army Division, which was loyal to the Dai Viet Dynasty, could only have Goryeo as its enemy in the Haidong region.
people.
The Huaidong Military Division implemented the policy of restraint in the Haidong area, and the fundamental purpose was to crack down on the Koreans who had defected to Donghu.
With the strength of the Saga clan, once it becomes the core force of the Huaidong Military Division to implement the restraint policy in Haidong, it will naturally obtain corresponding benefits. Not only is it possible to take back the Dongzhou area, but it can even be eliminated with the help of the Huaidong Military Division.
The Taira clan and the Kingo clan unified Kyushu Island.
With these expectations, Saga Yorigen also sent Yamashita Keigo to represent the Saga family in the later period, and formally had frequent contacts with the Huaidong Army and the Dongzhou Governor's Office.
On the tenth day of February, Saga Yorimoto, accompanied by his retainer Yamashita Keigo, personally landed on Fukue Island and met with Lin Fu again, officially giving up the confrontational stance and recognizing the alliance.
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Lin Fu was in Songpu, but he had been paying attention to the assembly of the Goryeo army in Haiyang County.
The strait between Goryeo and Kyushu Island has a feature that is extremely beneficial to navigation. In the sea area adjacent to the northern part of Kyushu Island, the sea current flows in between Danluo Island and the northwest end of Kyushu Island, flowing from west to east, which is black water.
The tributaries of the Yangtze River are still strong in winter; in the sea area close to the southern part of the Koryo Peninsula, the direction of the current is reversed, flowing from east to west, belonging to the coastal current of the Sea of Japan, flowing out between Jeju Island and Haiyang County.
At that time, people still didn't know the cause of the ocean currents, but the two opposing ocean currents formed in the same sea area made the sea route of more than 400 miles from Jeju to Dongju, or from Dongju to Jeju, even if the wind was not favorable.
It only takes a little more than a day.
This is also the reason why the Goryeo army continues to gather in Haiyang County, but Lin Fu is still four hundred miles away, calmly implementing restraint and containment measures on the Dongzhou area.
Even if the Goryeo army was about to cross the sea to conquer Danluo Island, Lin Fu would be able to make the trip in time if he got the news and led the main force of the water camp to rush over to support them.
The Dongzhou Governor's Office was established, and Chi Zhou was pushed to the position of Dongzhou Governor. The fog of the situation in Kitakyushu Island has also been clarified a little. It can come to an end here for the time being, and it is time to return to Danluo Island to prepare for war.
Saga Yorigen and his retainer Yamashita Keigo landed on Fukue Island and formally recognized the alliance. Chi Zhou and Nagasaki Hidego happened to be on Fukue Island as well.
Lin Fu had nothing to do, so he climbed Mount Nara in the snow, and met Saga Yorigen and Chi Zhou at the top of Nara Mountain.
"The Lin family prospered because of business, ships, and water. I have had a dream since I was a child, which is to be able to control a large sailboat and sail deep into the sea to the end of the world," Lin Fu said with emotion while standing on the top of Nara Mountain.
He said, "It's a pity that I'm in such a position. I can't shirk my responsibilities. I can only leave my dreams to others to complete..."
It sounds like Lin Fu led his army over, killed six to seven hundred people, occupied Fujiang Island and Matsuura City, and forced the Saga clan to submit humiliatingly, just to fulfill a childhood wish of his.
Saga Yorigen's hostility towards Lin Fu could not be completely resolved easily, and he naturally felt disdain for Lin Fu's sentiments.
However, such emotion can quite arouse Chi Zhou's feelings.
Chi Zhou spent half his life wandering on the sea, from Nanyang to Haidong, experiencing countless winds and waves. Even if he was tired, he always had the wish that Lin Fu said with emotion at this time.
As Chi Zhou becomes the governor of Dongzhou, he may make decisions that are beneficial to himself and the Chi family based on more practical interests in the future, but for now, he is still impressed by Lin Fu's methods and courage.
After living for half his life, Chi Zhou was considered a hero, but he had never seen anyone with Lin Fu's skills.
The so-called courage is nothing more than power, means and the will to conquer people.
Lin Fu led his army, and Chi Zhou was overwhelmed from the beginning. He even planned to drag his family with him and escape from Haidong to find another way out. In the blink of an eye, he was carried to Dongzhou, which he never dared to think of.
In the position of governor, the changes in just one month were so drastic and unexpected, how could Chi Zhou not be impressed by Lin Fu's courage?
Chi Zhou turned sideways and looked down the mountain. The harbor surrounded by Kuga Island and Fukue Island was quiet, clear, and as blue as jasper. It would be the main port area of the free trade port.
The Saga clan, Danluo and Dongzhou governors all recognize the status of the free port and cannot prevent local merchants from entering the free port to trade goods, nor can they impose additional entry-exit taxes on traded goods.
Raw silk, tea, ironware, porcelain, cloth, paper and other items shipped from the Central Plains are extremely profitable. Those who can really participate in the maritime trade of these commodities are represented by the Saga family, Chi family, Nagasaki family, Yamashita family, etc.
The power of local wealthy families.
The emergence of free ports, at least for now, is in line with the interests of all parties.
Moreover, Lin Fu promised that the Dongzhou Governor's Office and the Saga clan, as long as they were not hostile forces of the Huaidong Military Division, could obtain the high-quality warships and sophisticated armor they urgently needed from Freeport.
The Huaidong Military Division, Dongzhou Dudufu, Saga clan and Danluo royal family will each receive a share of the interest tax collected in the Free Port Zone. Therefore, the Huaidong Military Division only plans to dispatch one battalion of armored soldiers to the Free Port to take charge of Fujiang Island.
, the security and defense of Kuga Island and the inner harbor, while the protection of the outer sea areas is the responsibility of the Toshu Governorate, and the Saga clan and Danluo Island are responsible for rescue duties.
The first transaction in the free port has been completed. From this transaction, Chi Zhou obtained four Jiyun-class warships, twelve bed crossbows, fifty crouching crossbows capable of shooting 200 steps, and shooting 150 steps.
He has one hundred crossbows, two hundred pairs of fine armor, and four hundred fine iron and steel knives.
Chi Zhou had never dared to think of such excellent warships, armor, and ordnance before. Even if he had money, he could not find a place to buy them.
A fine iron steel knife produced in Chongzhou cost only 2,000 yuan. It was sold to Chi Zhou at a tenfold increase and sold for 20,000 yuan. However, the same fine iron steel knife was forged in Fusang and cost only 2,000 yuan.
It cost about 10,000 yuan, and the supply was very limited. The Saga family's iron smelting workshop could not produce hundreds of fine iron steel knives a year.
After the upgrading of ordnance and warships, the combat effectiveness of the newly-organized three battalions of the Dongzhou Dudu Mansion's navy was at least two levels higher than when he was a pirate. Therefore, Chi Zhou did not hesitate much, and collected nearly half of his belongings and one hundred thousand taels of silver.
Took it out.
Chi Zhou actually wanted to obtain two more Jinhai-class warships.
Lin Fu's asking price is not high, an ordinary Jinhai-class long-sea merchant ship costs 25,000 taels of silver; if it is transformed into a warship, an additional 10,000 taels of silver will be added. Some shipyards in Guangnan and Eastern Fujian also build ships with a carrying capacity of more than 5,000 taels.
It is a large ship made of stone, but its cost is only one-tenth of that of the Jinhai-class warship. Only people who have been wandering at sea for most of their lives know the difference.
Chi Zhou thought about having nearly 2,000 soldiers under his command. Next, he had to restrain himself. He could not live by robbing, but also left some money to prepare for emergencies. For the time being, he did not dare to expect that his water camp would have a Jinhai-class warship.
It's not that Lin Fu didn't consider the issue of financial resources for Chi Zhou: "I will send my troops back to Danluo Island tomorrow to prepare for war. Dongzhou and the Saga family will attack Tsushima Island as promised! If Tsushima Island is captured, it will belong to the Saga family.
, the damage in the battle of Dongzhou was made up by the Saga clan. From then on, the former boundary between Dongzhou and the Saga clan was set. As long as the Saga clan occupied Tsushima Island for a day, they could not make territorial claims to Dongzhou. What do you think?
?”
"It all depends on what the envoy said. How dare we not die?" Saga Norimoto and Chi Zhou replied in unison.
Tsushima Island is located between Kyushu Island and Goryeo Shannan County. The area of the main island alone is equivalent to that of the Goto Islands and the area of Xisha Island in Chongzhou.
Goryeo and Fuso both occupied Tsushima Island at different times.
Sixty years ago, Tsushima's indigenous wealthy family, the retainer of the Saga clan, led his troops to defect to Goryeo. Tsushima Island has since become a county under Goryeo's Shannan County, and it is the second largest island in Goryeo after Danluo Island.
island.
In the past hundred years, the Saga clan has mainly competed with the Taira clan and the Kingo clan for the right to rule Kyushu Island. The naval force has never been strong, and it has never been able to recapture Tsushima Island from the Koreans.
Naturally, Lin Fu would not easily return Dongzhou to the Saga clan, and now he was using Tsushima Island to compensate the Saga clan.
As long as Tsushima Island can be captured, and then the pirate forces between Tsushima Island and Kyushu Island can be expelled or surrendered, and all the islands in the northern part of Kyushu Island except the Goto Islands can be merged into the Saga clan, it will almost be able to make up for the Saga clan.
Cession of Matsuura, territorial loss of Hirado.
Of course, the Saga clan had to fetch Tsushima Island themselves. The Saga clan was shorter than the water camp, so they had to rely on the Dongzhou navy under Chi Zhou.
Chizhou wanted to ease the antagonistic relationship with the Saga clan, at least to occupy the Dongzhou area in a more legitimate and legitimate manner, so he had to shoulder the obligation to send troops this time to help the Saga clan attack Tsushima Island.
Of course, Chi Zhou and the Saga clan joined forces to attack Tsushima Island. From then on, they stood on the same front as the Huaidong Army and declared war on the Koryo people. After the Huaidong Army and the Danluo King's Army fought against Koryo on the eastern front,
If they attack Tsushima Island at the same time, they can contain the Koreans on the western front.
Judging from the current situation, Saga Yorigen also knows that it is very unlikely to take Dongzhou back immediately. Unless a full-scale war with the Huaidong Army is launched, it will only plunge the Saga clan into the danger of annihilation.
Instead of suffering this humiliation, they used the power of the Huaidong Military Division to expand territory and even find ways to solve Dongzhou's problems after the Saga family unified Kyushu Island.
Military and state affairs always put interests first.
Tsushima Island is outside the Fukue Islands. Once the Saga clan captures Tsushima Island, they will naturally form a naval force to garrison Tsushima Island. The Free Trade Port is also on a relatively safe inside line, protected by the navy of the Toshu Governorate and Saga Island.
The navy of the Tsushima Island. Of course, first of all, the alliance between the Huaidong Military Division and the Saga clan, the Danluo Kingdom, and the Dongzhou Governor's Office must be maintained.