Yan Siqi shook his head: "The Japanese have not responded to the six countries' complaint. They have not responded to the defeat of the Shimazu family in Satsuma. The ship owner and several supervisors are very strange. What should be done next? The ship owner may have already The overall plan. But I don’t know much about it. When I arrived at the Japanese territory, I have been busy attacking various cities and towns and quelling the resistance of warriors everywhere..."
Chen Zhongji nodded: "So, the ship owner is indeed anxious. He wants to deal with the Shimadzu army in Ryukyu as soon as possible so that he can have more leverage in the next move."
Yan Siqi asked doubtfully: "Do you know what the captain will do next?"
"How do I know this?" Chen Zhongji quickly shook his head and denied: "Our top priority now is to deal with the Satsuma people on Ryukyu Island. Shipowner, come here. I must not have asked you to come here with this sentence. Tell me quickly. You What good things did you bring to me?"
"300 incendiary Thunderbolt rockets, 300 explosive Thunderbolt rockets, and a batch of gunpowder and tung oil obtained from the Satsuma people. At the same time, they also brought a blueprint and craftsmen sent by the Weapons Research Department." Yan Siqi handed a drawing to Chen Zhongji. Ji Zai unfolded it and exclaimed: "Trebuchet."
…
At the same time, Xu Xinsu, the general manager of the China United Company's commercial office in Nagasaki, handed a secret letter to the shogunate Akashiemonomonosuke. This was in the secret room of the Nagasaki Administrative Office. All the key points around were Tokugawa. The samurai directly under Ieyasu are on guard. It is impossible for anyone to approach. In the hall, business representatives and diplomatic envoys from the Netherlands, Portugal, Britain, France, Siam, etc. are waiting for Xu Xinsu, the representative of the six countries to jointly accuse the Satsuma domain of atrocities, and the shogunate. represents the result of direct negotiations.
Xu Xinsu has become a member of the board of directors. He is on an equal footing with his former boss Li Dan and now Li Lihua. He is a person who is good at seizing opportunities and an ambitious person. Although Yin Feng trusts him very much, he entrusts him with the management of the Ming Dynasty Mainland Ten For the Huaxing joint account business in the three provinces, someone from the Zeng family was also appointed as his accounting director; at the same time, the business of the Huaxing money account and the bank had also been transferred to someone from the Han family.
Yin Feng is a practical person. He does not pay attention to interpersonal relationships among employees but focuses on practical abilities. Xu Xinsu knows that if she wants to gain more power within the company's board of directors, she must achieve more. Originally, she went to Japan to file a complaint. It was Han Jing's mission. Xu Xinsu snatched it away on the grounds that she had been to Japan.
Now, he spent a large sum of money to bribe the Nagasaki executive officer of the shogunate to get this opportunity to talk directly with the shogunate's agent. After the Six Nations complaint was submitted, there was no response from the Tokugawa shogunate. It took a long time to send such a small A small official came to contact the representatives of the six countries. It was obvious that they wanted to delay him.
Xu Xinsu followed the Japanese etiquette and kowtowed to the official Xiaolan Nosuke: "My lord, the big boss of the Zhonghua Company, the Qianhu official of the Ming Dynasty, the Taiwan Inspection Department Yin Feng Yin once said: The general is the one he admires most in his life. My lord's attack on the Satsuma Domain is not a war with Japan. It is just a grudge against the Shimazu family. It has nothing to do with the Tokugawa family."
The shogunate Akashi Arashi nosuke was originally a small catcher in Kyoto. Later, by chance, he fell in love with Tokugawa Ieyasu and worked under him. Akari nosuke is now in his forties and has been busy with the foreign trade affairs of the Tokugawa family all year round. He was familiar with Chinese and Portuguese from all over the country. He immediately responded: "But, after all, you are invading Japanese territory. How can you say that it has nothing to do with our shogunate."
Xu Xinsu smiled, lowered her head and bowed again: "So, the Shimazu family of Satsuma attacked Taiwan, our territory of the Ming Dynasty. Could it be that the general wants to start another war with the Ming Dynasty court? So, my lord will tell the court according to this statement. Then the attack on Satsuma It will be the Ming Navy."
Xiaolan Nosuke was at a loss for words. However, he immediately smiled without changing his face and said: "The Shimazu family of Satsuma does not represent the will of my Lord the General... In this way, your lord has no intention of seizing the land of Satsuma."
"We only ask for compensation from the Shimadzu family and the Date family of the Sendai Domain. They must compensate for the losses of our businessmen from various countries in Taiwan. In addition, my lord's first wife died due to an attack by the Satsuma people. Therefore, the Shimazu family must have a head family. Relatives pay their lives for their lives. Other than that, my lord has nothing to ask for. Of course, the opinions of our Chinese company cannot replace the opinions of all the merchants from the six countries..."
Xiaolan Nosuke shook his head and said: "However, now your Zhonghua Company is the most powerful one among the overseas merchants trading with Japan. No matter what, your troops came to Kyushu Island. This still damaged the face of my general who conquered the barbarians. .After all, the General is the protector of all Japan."
"This has nothing to do with the General. My lord has said it; as long as the General privately acquiesces to the text of any treaty signed between us and the Shimadzu family, no matter how fierce the General's words appear on the surface, we can all understand. And we can go out and negotiate with him. Businessmen from the other five countries have negotiated a compensation agreement that satisfies them and the general..." Xu Xinsu pointed to the secret letter and said: "Regarding the terms of the proposed peace treaty, this secret letter has stated that we will not Infringe on the interests of any of the shogun's subordinates who are pro-domestic and generation daimyo. We only deal with those daimyo forces that openly and secretly oppose the Tokugawa shogunate. For example, the Satsuma Shimazu family, the Choshu Mori family..."
"The Mori family." Xiaolan Nosuke opened his eyes wide.
Xu Xinsu smiled nonchalantly: "I just got the news. The remnants of the Murakami navy belonging to the Maori family attacked our ships. My lord has authorized me to announce here: We, the China United Company-Taiwan Marine Corps, will land the army only with For the purpose of revenge, no soldier will ever appear outside the Shimazu family's territory in Satsuma. However, our navy must protect the shipping route. No one will be allowed to threaten our army's logistics route. Therefore, our navy may appear in Satsuma. Outside the territory of the domain. But there will never be a single soldier ashore."
Xiaolannosuke shook his head uncomfortably: "Is this a threat?"
"Haha. We are originally maritime merchants. Of course we pay special attention to the safety of sea routes. Moreover, the huge warships we can possess, I think all Japanese naval forces cannot deal with them."
Xu Xinsu felt that such a negotiation, with a lot of good cards in hand, was really refreshing. She really should do it more often.
Yin Feng was the first person in the entire China Company to understand Japan's domestic conditions. Yin Feng had explained Japan's national conditions to him beforehand, and had also given him orders asking him not to be too aggressive. So he knelt down and knelt down again and said : "Maybe at this moment, our fleet is already attacking Changzhou."
Xiaolan Nosuke straightened up. As a former catcher, he glanced at Xu Xinsu with keen eyes. He knew that he was not lying. He stood up angrily and said, "How presumptuous. You are really bullying others too much. Can you say that I am the whole country of Japan?" I can't help but be afraid of you Taiwanese maritime merchants."
Xu Xinsu leaned over and lowered her head. She sneered secretly: "My lord, please calm down. We attacked the Choshu Domain Mori family out of helplessness. Who made them join forces with the Shimazu family to oppose us."
"The Mori family and the Shimazu family join forces." Xiaolanosuke's eyes became more and more sharp.
"Yes. The Murakami navy of the Mori family and the Shimadzu family attacked Yamakawa Port. That's why we went to attack Choshu. My lord has no intention of confronting the general and Japan. I have made it clear again and again. Then again, you Can a great shogun really represent all of Japan?"
Xiaolan Nosuke calmed down and sat back down. He said coldly: "The General is the General of the Conquering Barbarians personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor. Of course he represents all of Japan."
"Haha. To tell you the truth, someone from Osaka Castle came to us and asked to buy a big iron cannon..."
"Who. Who. Who." Xiaolannosuke asked repeatedly: "You can't buy any weapons to Osaka..." He immediately calmed down and said calmly: "Okay. After you finish fighting Changshu, no. Will we land ashore?"
Xu Xinsu still admired the thin and short man in front of her for being able to calm down so quickly; now was the final bargaining. The Toyotomi family in Osaka was the weakness of the Tokugawa shogunate. It hinted that Osaka was in contact with the Chinese army. This was a Recruit the ultimate move.
"After we destroy all the sailors of the Choshu Maori family, we will never go ashore."
"Then, from now on, you will only ask for financial compensation from the Shimadzu family and the Date family."
"The Shimadzu family must send one person to save the life of my lord's wife. From now on, our Chinese maritime merchants will transport the best goods to Japan..." Xu Xinsu bowed her head and put on a show of courtesy.
Of course, Xiaoranosuke knew the substance behind this superficial humility. However, adhering to the Eastern cultural tradition, he did not expose it directly: "Then, after all these conditions are met for you, you will withdraw from the land of Satsuma Prefecture in Japan and return to Taiwan. .”
"certainly."
Xiaolan Nosuke nodded, unfolded the paper fan in his hand, and said with a cold smile: "I will return to Junfu and report to the general. However, I can tell you something in advance: before I came here, the general announced to the great names of Kyushu. Order to 'aggressively recover Satsuma Prefecture'."
This time, Xu Xinsu was shocked: "What. This..."
"We haven't reached an agreement yet, right? The general must act in line with his status. Otherwise, it will be dereliction of duty. Therefore, your troops in Satsuma, it is best to defend the current territory. Otherwise, retreat quickly. Before I Before you get a clear order from the General to return here, you'd better show sincerity."
Xu Xinsu stood up and replied with a Chinese-style hand salute: "We are waiting for your news; until then, we will keep our promise."
On the same day as the Nagasaki negotiations, the Chinese navy fleet came to the sea near Shimonoseki in Changshu. There were a total of three giant ships, ten three-masted Fuchuan gunboats, and twenty two-masted Fuchuan-type auxiliary warships. Before Zhou Fan could make any response, Mai Dahai ordered the entire fleet to open fire.
In an instant, the roar of artillery continued. Thousands of artillery shells were fired at Tanoura, Cape Kusuzaki and other coastal defense strongholds of the Choshu Domain. There were detailed information on merchants and Jesuit missionaries from various countries. The defense of the Choshu Domain by the Chinese army Know it like the back of your hand.