Zhang Shenyan, the Minister of Civil Affairs in Nanjing, was sitting cross-legged in the Tokugawa family's imperial palace, looking around at the Japanese-style house. Finally, a katana placed in the corner of the imperial palace caught Zhang Shenyan's attention. The katana was simple in shape and had a scabbard on it.
There is almost no decoration, but it is placed in the most prominent position in the entire palace. It is obviously not an ordinary one.
These Japanese people were really aggressive in their military affairs. The only decoration in the entire imperial palace was a samurai sword.
So how strong is the combat effectiveness of Li Zhihu's army, that it can defeat such a martial Japan?
Zhang Shenyan was thinking about it when he saw a sliding door behind the palace being opened, and a samurai wearing a haori came in and knelt on the ground. The four senior samurai sitting on both sides of the palace bowed forward.
Then a tall Japanese samurai walked in. Behind him was a middle-aged samurai with a serious face and a thin body.
The translator in front of Zhang Shenyan turned around and said: "The one walking in the front is the Japanese general Tokugawa Iemitsu, and the one behind is the actual boss Toi Toshikatsu."
Two Japanese rulers walked in and sat in front of the imperial palace. Tokugawa Iemitsu remained silent, while Doi Toshikatsu asked loudly: "Ming officials from Nanjing, why are you looking for us?"
After Zhang Shenyan listened to the translator's translation, he bowed slightly to Doi Toshikatsu and said, "I came to Japan to buy fire guns."
Doi Toshiki asked loudly: "Can't your Ming Dynasty produce your own firecrackers?"
Zhang Shenyan touched his beard and said: "It is too slow to make blunderbuss by myself. We in Jiangbei Town of Nanjing searched for 4,000 blunderbuss craftsmen from all over the south. After four months of making, we could only get 10,000 qualified blunderbuss. I heard that Japan
The firecrackers we sell are called iron cannons and they are well made, so I decided to come to Japan to buy them."
Doi Toshikatsu thought for a while and asked: "Why should we sell you a matchlock gun? This is a sophisticated firearm."
Zhang Shenyan said: "We can afford the price. We are willing to buy the gun from the shogunate for thirty guans a handful."
Doi Toshikatsu did not answer this sentence and looked at Zhang Shenyan expressionlessly. Japanese prices were more expensive than those in the Ming Dynasty. The price of thirty guan was only the cost price. Doi Toshiki was obviously unmoved.
Zhang Shenyan looked at Doi Toshikatsu with a smile and said, "Don't the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan hate Li Zhi? If you sell me the gun, you can avenge Li Zhi's occupation of Osaka."
Doi Toshi's expression changed, and there was a trace of unnaturalness on his face, which was sensitively caught by Zhang Shenyan.
Zhang Shenyan saw Doi Toshiki's interest and said with a smile: "I wonder if the Japanese shogunate knows about Jiangbei Second Town. This time we, the southern scholars, raised money to organize Jiangbei Second Town to attack Li Zhi. Now we have already
We have recruited 80,000 soldiers, led by two veteran generals, and are quite capable of fighting."
Doi Tosheng obviously knew what happened in the Second Town of Jiangbei in the Ming Dynasty. He shook his head and said: "You 80,000 people are no match for Li Zhi."
Zhang Shenyan laughed and said: "We can't defeat Li Zhi with 80,000 people. But now Li Zhi has offended too many people, whether it is the Jurchens outside the customs, Li Zicheng in Henan, or even you overseas Japanese and Westerners
The Hongyi people all hate Li Zhi. If we put in some effort in all aspects, Li Zhi will be unable to defeat him with two fists and four legs, and he will definitely be beaten to the ground by us."
Doi Toshikatsu thought for a long time and finally said: "You are no match for Li Zhi. You cannot stop Li Zhi's cannon."
Zhang Shenyan frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "I shouldn't have told this secret, but if I don't, I'm afraid you won't sell me the iron cannon."
After a pause, Zhang Shenyan said: "Hongyi, the Dutch you call them, have promised to sell us 600 heavy artillery pieces. Now the first batch of 300 heavy artillery pieces has been shipped from Taizhou, and our soldiers have begun to practice the artillery pieces.
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"The range of these heavy artillery is as far as Li Zhi's cannon. We will not suffer any loss if we encounter Li Zhi's cannon!"
After hearing Zhang Shenyan's words, Doi Toshikatsu lowered his head, seemingly moved.
Zhang Shenyan struck while the iron was hot and said: "You were beaten so badly by Li Zhi and lost so much money, don't you hate Li Zhi at all? If you don't dare to fight against Li Zhi, then sell us the iron cannon and let us take action!
You can just wait behind you! Is there anything better than this in the world?"
After thinking for a long time, Doi Toshiki asked: "How many iron cannons do you want?"
Zhang Shenyan was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "We want 60,000 iron cannons!"
Doi Toshikatsu shook his head and said: "Sixty thousand is too many, Li Zhi will definitely find out. If Li Zhi gets angry and attacks the Tokugawa family, the Tokugawa family will be finished."
Zhang Shenyan sneered, very dissatisfied with the Japanese's cowardice.
"As far as I know, the Tokugawa family has at least 100,000 iron cannons. I'm afraid there are only 30,000 spares in the warehouse. 60,000 is a lot? You can rest assured that if Li Zhi sends troops to attack Japan, our Jiangbei Second Town will definitely
Take the opportunity to go north to attack Shandong and let Li Zhi focus on one thing and not the other!"
Doi Toshikatsu shook his head and said: "We also hope to defeat Li Zhi, but the shogunate will sell up to 30,000 iron cannons to you! I hope your military fortune will be prosperous and you can really defeat Li Zhi."
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In the third hall of the Duke of Jin's Mansion, Li Zhi listened to Han Jinxin's report and was silent.
Han Jinxin raised his hand and said: "My lord, all the scholars from the south of the Yangtze River have joined the battle this time. The rich have contributed money and the powerful have contributed. The two towns in Jiangbei can not be underestimated. These officials and gentry don't know where they got hundreds of dollars from.
The cannons are being drilled day and night in the north of Yangzhou City, and the sound of the cannons can be heard for miles."
Li Zhi nodded and asked: "How many cannons did these officials and gentry bring?"
Han Jinxin said: "There are at least more than two hundred gates. I don't know the specific number."
"What kind of cannon is it?"
"According to the informant, the cannon has a very long barrel and is made of bronze. The cannon can travel ten miles and is regarded as a treasure by the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River."
Li Zhi snorted coldly and said: "It must be a European long cannon that can shoot so far. The force that can equip Jiangbei Town with more than 200 long cannons in the Far East at a time must be the Dutch. These
Hongmao is not willing to fail."
The Dutch were at their peak at this time, with 15,000 merchant ships around the world, and were known as the sea coachmen. Although the stronghold in Taiwan was removed by Li Zhi, the Dutch transported hundreds of cannons from other regions to East Asia
I still have the ability to come.
Only the Dutch had the determination to transport hundreds of cannons to embarrass Li Zhi.
Han Jinxin said worriedly: "My lord, our expedition against the Tatars this time has been reported to the court and everyone knows it. If the gentry's Jiangbei towns attack Shandong and Tianjin when our army goes north, I am afraid it will cause us great harm.
