Chapter 272 Godsend Fish Sea Battle: Lease of Aomori Port
Late June.
Considering that the typhoon-prone season will pass soon.
The top management of Xujiazhuang made a decision to make a big move in ocean fishing.
It is planned to concentrate the Zhoushan fishing fleet, the Yellow Sea fishing fleet, the Korean fishing fleet and the newly established Hirado fishing fleet, and combine all the fishing boats of these four fleets, plus supporting refrigerated cargo ships and material supply ships.
, join forces together to form a large-scale super joint fishing fleet.
Then under the protection of armored warships.
He went straight to the fishing grounds of Hokkaido, which is more than 2,500 kilometers away. No, it was a sea of fish sent by God.
Fight a super battle of ocean fishing!
The goal is to catch more than 10 million stone (625,000 tons) of sea fish and seafood, leaving the boat empty and returning full!
There is no doubt that this is a generous move.
There must be nearly a thousand fishing boats that need to be organized.
At least thirty sea cargo ships equipped with steam power and refrigeration tanks must be prepared.
Tens of thousands of tons of oil must be prepared.
There are no less than 100,000 professional fishermen, fishermen, and sailors.
In short, this will be a battle of staggering scale, but the target is not human power, but fish and shrimp in the deep ocean. After all, these are high-value food resources.
but!
The freezing and preservation capacity of the fishing fleet is limited, and fish and shrimp are prone to death and spoilage after being taken out of the sea. In order to avoid waste and maximize the use of resources, it is necessary to build a shelter port close to the Tianci Fish Sea.
At the same time, a complete set of marine fish and seafood processing plants will be established to process the fish in a timely manner, such as processing into cans, freezing and sealing for a long time, salting and drying, etc. Although the processed marine fish and seafood are not as good as the freshest ones
Eat, but at least it won’t be wasted, and resource utilization is maximized.
So which place in the entire Kingdom of Japan is suitable for establishing this safe haven?
Searched and analyzed it on the map.
The Aomori Port under the control of the Tsugaru Domain is the most suitable because this natural harbor is surrounded by land on three and a half sides. The internal bay area is large and can accommodate thousands of ships. The northern outlet is the narrowest point.
The Tsugaru Strait is less than 20 kilometers long. As long as this strait can be controlled, the connection between Honshu Island and Hokkaido Island can be cut off, and the Hokkaido Island with an area of 83,000 square kilometers can be isolated. This is a very small country.
It is undoubtedly an unbearable thing for the Kingdom of Japan.
Therefore, as long as Aomori Port is firmly occupied, Xujiazhuang will not only have an additional fishery processing center, but also a strategic location. Any normal country will never accept such a thing and will definitely resist and oppose it desperately.
But so what?
Xujiazhuang plans to occupy this key point. What does it have to do with your Kingdom of Japan?
No matter what kind of resistance they may encounter, Xujiazhuang has decided on Aomori Port and no one can stop it.
…
July 15th.
After more than half a month of full preparation.
Harbor City, Outer Port, a huge joint fishing fleet including hundreds of ships with various functions, set off in a mighty manner, intending to arrive at Hirado Port first, after a short rest, and then take the Hirado fishing fleet together along the
Heading north from the west side of Japan, sailing thousands of kilometers, after arriving at the Tsugaru Strait, we immediately took over the nearby Aomori Port, and then let the young men move away all kinds of building materials and equipment to start the construction of a fishery processing center. Of course, the port also had to be expanded and
To improve the situation, military facilities must also be established, and at least one battalion of 1,000 Marines must be stationed to respond to military challenges at any time.
Establish a foothold in Aomori Port!
Wait until mid to late August, when the typhoon season ends.
The huge joint fishing fleet can go straight to the Tianci Fish Sea hundreds of kilometers away, officially start the autumn fishing, use sonar and other advanced equipment to locate the fish schools, and then like harvesting food, catch fish, shrimps and crabs like crazy.
.
This fishing battle will last until at least the end of October, until the 10 million stone fishing mission is completed.
above.
This is the basic outline of the plan.
…
16th.
On the blue sea, the huge fleet headed east.
The shipping cargo ship "Golden Wheat Wave" is in the forward position. The three-cylinder steam engine outputs mid-range power, making the speed less than 15 knots, avoiding too much distance from the fishing boats behind. After all, most fishing boats have power systems replaced by
It has a 120-horsepower diesel engine and in order to save fuel, it can only run at a speed of 13 or 13 knots.
Twenty-six-year-old Donn Watson is from the Kingdom of England. He is proficient in mathematics and navigation, and has been sailing in the East for many years. He can speak Chinese, so he passed the recruitment assessment and became the captain of the "Golden Wheat Wave"
Navigator, whose status is second only to the captain and first mate.
In fact, as a high-level talent, he actually prefers to play for his country and has no long-term plans to stay in the East.
But plans often fail to keep up with changes.
Especially two years ago, when he was still working for the Dutch East India Company, he took a merchant ship and arrived at the Harbor City for the first time.
He was so shocked by this city that he almost knelt on the ground and later saw heaven.
Then he was attracted by this city and came to do business on many ships. He stayed in the Harbor City for more than three months in total. With his clever mind, he quickly learned the language here and was able to communicate with the locals.
He became a navigator and translator valued by the company.
But even though he is qualified for multiple jobs, his monthly salary is only 20 guilders (1 guilder is approximately equal to 0.5 silver dollars), and because he is an Englishman, conflicts between countries mean that he is often excluded and suppressed by his Dutch colleagues.
, life was not going well.
This gave him the intention to return to England and serve his country, even though he really liked working and developing in the more prosperous East.
The turning point occurred in June last year. Due to the shortage of maritime talents, Harbor City issued a recruitment notice, intending to recruit a number of foreign talents, such as sailors, navigators, senior crew members, etc. Those who can speak Chinese will be given priority, and those with academic qualifications will be given priority...
According to the requirements, Don Watson felt that he was very suitable, as if it was tailor-made for him.
Originally, Twain Watson didn't think much about it. He still wanted to return to England. Besides, he was old and it was time to go back to fulfill his engagement with Winnie. He couldn't let the woman wait too long for him - yes, Twain
·Watson's ancestors were aristocrats, but they have declined in his generation, but he still has some foundation, otherwise he would not have a marriage partner.
But the benefits offered by Harbor City are too generous and they give too much.
The annual salary is no less than three hundred silver dollars (senior navigator).
At least two months' leave.
Room and board included.
There are also year-end bonus benefits, etc.
Taken together, this level of remuneration is more than three times that of his work for the Dutch East India Company.
Job hopping. Job hopping.
In short, work here for two years, save a lot of money, and then return to England. Although you won't be able to return to your homeland in glory, it will be much better than going back in despair.
It seems like a blink of an eye.
Come back to your senses.
He has been working as a navigator on the "Golden Wheat Wave" for more than a year and has participated in a total of 32 sailing missions. However, the longer he works, the less he feels like returning to England.
.
The food here is so delicious. In comparison, the food back home in England is all pig food.
It is clean, tidy and hygienic, unlike some cities in England, which are simply messy cities full of shit and urine.
The education, medical care, law, etc. here are all extremely advanced and developed. England may not be able to catch up in three hundred years because it is still ruled by a backward and decadent aristocracy.
The people here are very easy-going, enthusiastic and kind. Although they gave him the unpleasant nickname of "Dabisheng", it was just a friendly tease, not malicious, not to mention discriminatory. Gradually, he got used to it.
Accepted.
There are also countless advantages of this kind. Anyway, it is better than my motherland England in every way.
"I still have to go back next year to complete the engagement with Winnie, and then bring her over to continue this job and see if it is possible to settle in Xujiazhuang. Yes, I have the noble status of a baron, but I am falling behind.
Being an aristocrat in England is worse than being an ordinary citizen in Xujiazhuang. The people at the bottom here live better than the aristocrats and even the king."
Don Watson sighed secretly.
Just when his thoughts were wandering.
Captain Wang Dafu, a middle-aged man, said to the first mate Sha Lixun next to him: "Lao Sha, do you think this time, the Japanese will honestly give us the Aomori Port? We still have to fight a war and fight hard.
Give them a good beating, then seize the port, and then let us catch our fish properly?"
"Then it depends on whether the Japanese are aware of their nature. If they are aware of their nature, they will obediently give up their place. If they are not aware of their nature, they will fight. Let's see how many people they can die." Sha Lixun said with a cold smile.
"Captain, isn't it bad that we are so far away from each other, occupying territory and killing people? Isn't it too bullying?" asked a crew member.
"Bullying?"
Sha Lixun looked at the crew member and asked: "Since the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates have been harassing and plundering on the southeast coast of the Ming Dynasty. They have continued to rob and kill people for hundreds of years. I don't know how many people of the Ming Dynasty they killed and how much property they took away? During the Wanli period,
, Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded North Korea twice again. It seemed that he was plotting against North Korea, but in fact, his purpose was our Ming Dynasty. They had long wanted to invade the land and occupy our Chinese state. This time we came to fish, but we just borrowed a place.
It's just for use. We haven't settled the old accounts yet. If the Japanese are unwilling to give in, we might as well settle all the old accounts together! Give them a country-extinction and an extermination, and all the land will be taken over. This is called the revenge of the ninth generation of Duke Xiang.
, Spring and Autumn Period! So there is no problem at all in being cruel to the Japanese."
"That makes sense."
"A small Japanese country has attacked us so many times and still hasn't destroyed it. How can this be done?"
"The Japanese country has always had wolfish ambitions, like a poisonous snake next to the Ming Dynasty. It always wants to bite people and harm others, so it must be killed."
"Yes, if it were other countries, it would be a bit inappropriate for us to occupy their land, but it is so suitable for the Japanese country that it is even a little late."
Don En Watson, who was listening in the audience, secretly said: "As long as you are strong enough to take away other people's land, do you need a reason? Just use the name given to you by God and just start robbing. Including England, Europe
All countries do this, but these Chinese people have too strong a sense of morality and are too kind, and they always want to find a justifiable reason for their actions. This is really puzzling."
…
the other side.
On July 18, under the authorization of Xujiazhuang, Matsuura Nobuzada was sent as an envoy to Kyoto, requesting an audience with the emperor and making representations on behalf of Xujiazhuang.
However, the current Emperor Meisho is only a twelve-year-old girl and has no right to participate in making major decisions. He is just a puppet.
What Matsuura Nobuzada wanted to see was actually Tokugawa Iemitsu, the current general of the Tokugawa shogunate—a thirty-two-year-old man in his prime who had always been strong, arbitrary and rough.
In the shogunate, government hall.
Sit on your knees facing each other.
After listening to Matsuura Nobusada's explanation of his intention, he said that Xujiazhuang would permanently lease the Aomori Port in the Tsugaru Domain area and would not allow for negotiation.
"impossible!"
Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes widened and he said angrily: "The Tsugaru Domain is in a strategic location and there is absolutely no possibility of leasing it! Unless it is exchanged for flesh and blood, the tens of millions of Yamato people and millions of troops will be punished for those who dare to invade.
We will drive all the intruders into the sea!"
"But in the Battle of Shikamachi Bay last year, the shogunate and the allied forces of the vassals lost nearly a hundred thousand people, but they couldn't even defeat the Xu family's army, which numbered only a thousand men. They couldn't even kill one of them. Even if the shogunate organized another million-strong army, they would all die bravely.
, I wonder how many soldiers of the family army can be killed this time? Ten people, or fifty people? Is such jade fragments meaningful?" Matsuura Nobuzada asked.
"you--"
Tokugawa Iemitsu's face turned red from suppressing his anger, and he was so angry that he almost vomited blood because this seriously hurt him. In the Battle of Shikamachi Bay last year, the shogunate and the allied forces of the vassals suffered a terrible defeat.
After that battle, the prestige of the shogunate was greatly reduced. The Satsuma Domain, Ohsumi Domain, Ito Domain and more than a dozen feudal vassals on Kyushu Island no longer obeyed orders from the shogunate and rushed to send people to Xujiazhuang to show their goodwill.
, sending protons to study abroad in Harbor City was equivalent to breaking away from the shogunate system, but Tokugawa Iemitsu had nothing to do with them.
But I didn’t expect that Xujiazhuang would go further and come to force him this year. If he really agreed to lease Aomori Port, he might lose control of Hokkaido, and his prestige would definitely drop again. By then, even the vassals on Honshu Island would no longer be able to do so.
The collapse of the shogunate is no different from the fall of the shogunate.
Such a result is absolutely unacceptable.
However, Xujiazhuang's strength is too strong. Even if they form a million-strong army, they may not be able to defeat them, and they will lose all their cards.
With no choice.
The grumpy Tokugawa Iemitsu could only suppress his anger and played the moral card, saying that it was not okay for Xujiazhuang to do this. It was an unjust act to raise the army without guilt and was not the behavior of a gentleman. He advised Xujiazhuang not to rely on force.
This act of bullying allowed Japan to be spared.
Matsuura Nobuzada cited the example of Japanese pirates committing many crimes. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was even more arrogant and overestimated his capabilities to the extent that he wanted to swallow up the big with the small. Now Xujiazhuang is retaliating with tooth for tooth, bullying the small with the big, just to retaliate and come back, why not?
Tokugawa Iemitsu was speechless. Even if he wanted to say that so many bad things were not done by his Tokugawa family, he could not deny that Japan had indeed caused a lot of harm to the Ming Dynasty. Xu Jiazhuang had no problem using this as an excuse.
what to do?
Is there no good way left?
"General, resistance will lead to a dead end, and all wealth will be lost. If you choose to obey and agree to give up the port, after Xujiazhuang's demands are met, you will naturally find no excuse to launch an attack, and then ask for more land. This is at the minimum price.
, and to protect the whole of Japan, as for those who oppose and want to resist, the general does not need to worry, they can support them to deal with Xujiazhuang. If they are too scared to go, who have the right to accuse you, general? Therefore, the shogunate
The prestige is only temporarily damaged and does not affect the stability of the power of the shogunate. If those ambitious and rebellious people dare not attack Xujiazhuang, but instead target the shogunate and carry out crusade, then the general can simply learn from me, the Matsuura clan.
Just go to Xujiazhuang, and the troublemakers won't be able to make a big splash."
Matsuura Nobuzada analyzed and said.
"Take refuge in Xujiazhuang. This is your opponent. How can you take refuge?" Tokugawa Iemitsu said with wide eyes.
"If you want to keep your family's wealth, who should you turn to? Xujiazhuang killed my brother, but he died because of his own stupidity. I don't hate Xujiazhuang at all. On the contrary, after taking refuge in Xujiazhuang, the Matsuura family made a profit last year by running various businesses.
He paid 150,000 silver dollars, which is equivalent to 300,000 shi, and also entered the system of Xujiazhuang, enjoying all kinds of conveniences, and his life is not necessarily any worse than that of the shogunate."
Matsuura Nobusadaichi.
silence.
Tokugawa Iemitsu fell into silence. He also knew that Matsuura Nobusada's suggestion was actually to hope that the Tokugawa clan would become dogs and gain profits by selling out the country by listening to Xu Jiazhuang's words, and it would indeed bring huge benefits to the Tokugawa clan.
, but...this really can't be done.
On the one hand, it’s hard to save face.
Besides, the wolf king cannot be a loyal dog.
But choosing to resist is a dead end, and no one wants to choose it.
"Then don't do anything. Just pretend that nothing happened. You have never heard of it. You don't understand it at all. Just pretend to be confused. If anyone can't help but resist Xujiazhuang, just let them resist and perish... pretend to be deaf and dumb.
This can always be done, right?”
Matsuura Nobuzada advised him to lie down and ignore it.
Tokugawa Iemitsu kept a dark face and stopped talking, seemingly acquiescing to his suggestion.
In the corner of the Government Affairs Hall, the twelve-year-old female emperor Xingzi saw that the general, who had always been extremely powerful in the past, now had a fish-liver-colored face. He had clearly been insulted and despised many times by the Xujiazhuang envoys, but he did not dare to take offense.
She didn't even have the courage to kill Matsuura Nobuzada, which made her very surprised. Was this the general in her impression? This also made her more interested in Xujiazhuang.
…
One week later.
July 25th.
The huge joint fishing fleet sent by Xujiazhuang entered the Tsugaru Strait, turned south, sailed into Aomori Bay, and headed straight for Aomori Port.
Unexpectedly, the local Tsugaru clan, the Tsugaru clan, did not dare to take any blocking action even if they discovered this huge fleet in advance. Instead, they took the initiative to send ships to lead the way, evacuated their soldiers and civilians, and gave way to
Aomori Port.
They even recruited a large number of ordinary people and strong men to help transform and expand Aomori Port. They were extremely cooperative and friendly.
Tsugaru Nobuyoshi, the third generation lord of the Tsugaru clan, even sued for peace with Xujiazhuang and expressed his willingness to surrender and be loyal to Xujiazhuang. The only requirement was to obtain a similar status to the Matsuura clan and share the dividends from the development of Aomori Port.
This small request was naturally agreed and approved, so Xujiazhuang accepted another loyal dog. However, Tokugawa Iemitsu in Kyoto learned that the Tsugaru family had no resistance and instead became Xujiazhuang's dog, and decisively betrayed
The shogunate was so angry that he almost vomited blood and smashed a room full of items like crazy, but there was nothing he could do about it.
