From Matsudaira Nobutsuna's mouth, the top brass of the Nanchu Army smelled the smell of gunpowder that permeated the sky over Fuso Mishima.

The Daimyo of the Shimazu family, led by the Shimazu family, are secretly expanding their armaments, purchasing weapons, stockpiling grain, cloth, salt, canned meat, and other materials, and are ready to come to Osaka's Winter and Summer Battles again.

Oh, that's not quite right, both the Winter and Summer Formations were used by the shogunate to crusade against rebels in the name of legitimacy, while the Shimazu family and other southwestern vassals did not have a name from the emperor, at most it was the same act as the Onin War.

Matsudaira took out a long list of purchases from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. Someone took it and planned to hand it to Shouhan, but Shouhan waved his hand and motioned for him to hand it over to Li Peilin and asked Li Changshi to read it to everyone.

"Count 5,000 sets of nine-turn steel cuirasses, 3,000 spears, 1,000 iron cannons with 20 rounds of medicine, 2,000 barrels of gunpowder, 1,000 long knives, 5,000 boxes of canned pork, 1,000 boxes of canned beef, 1,000 stones of salt and refined sugar, and 10,000 horses of muslin."

After listening to it for a while, everyone couldn't help but look solemn, this was just part of a long purchase list.

"Brother Zong, please stop for a moment."

Shouhan waved his hand to signal Li Peilin to stop, and everyone cast their eyes on the short thirty Lang Matsudaira Nobutsuna.

"What else are you going to buy?"

There was no trace of emotion in Shouhan's tone, and he couldn't distinguish joy, anger and sorrow.

"The foreign minister plans to buy 200,000 stone of japonica rice at one time from the general, 50 gates of the big tube, and 20 gates of the collapse of the country. Equipped with their own ammunition of twenty rounds each. ”

"Purchasing so many weapons, armor, guns, food, rice and other things, who are you going to do?"

Shouhan's tone was as cold as ice.

Frightened, Matsudaira Nobutsuna fell to his knees with a pop. Speak out for yourself.

"The general knows that it is really intended to be used by the lower state to quell the civil strife and deter the small! The lord planned to equip all the 30,000 iron cavalry directly under the shogunate with the strong armor and sharp soldiers made in Nanchu. Suppress the domestic feudal domains with bullets! ”

"Bomb the feudal domains? This makes sense. However, what is the use of you pressing the various feudal clans to ask for so many big cylinders and national collapses?! ”

With Shouhan's words, someone next to him pulled out the saber on his waist, and the blade rubbed against the whetstone inlaid in the sheath, making a sound like a dragon's groan.

"I also have to buy 200,000 stone japonica rice at a time. These grains and rice are enough for 30,000 people to eat for a year, and if they are steamed rice, they are enough for 50,000 people to eat for a year! You're clearly going to war! Prepared military rations! ”

Matsudaira Nobutsuna suddenly realized. It turned out that I was a little more anxious. I forgot to communicate with the Nanzhong Army before, so I hastily took out the purchase list, so that the general mistakenly thought that the shogunate's purchase of these materials was intended to be unfavorable to the Nanzhong Army and the Ming Dynasty. It must be known that Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Sekibai crusaded against North Korea. The story of the 400 states of China that will turn them into Japan. But it's only been a few decades.

"In fact, the southwestern feudal domains of Kyushu, led by the Shimazu family of the Satsuma Domain, were the first to trade with Nanchu. The strength has expanded too fast, and there has been a tendency for ambition to expand in the past few years, and my general has to be on guard early! Today, the foreign minister came to Nanzhong to make a big purchase. It's also a matter of preparing for a rainy day! ”

Since ancient times, the ugliness of the family cannot be publicized, but once it is said, the first must be the truth, and the second person who says it is bound to feel at ease. That's the case with Matsudaira Nobutsuna right now.

Shouhan snickered in his heart, this guy is also a kind of Fu Zhigao, and he will say everything with a little mouthful. Doesn't he know that all the swords, guns, armor, weapons, and iron cannons that have been added to the hands of the southwestern feudal lords have been bought from me?

"Matsudaira Elder Middle School, please get up. Don't be surprised, it's really because of the harassment of North Korea by the traitor Ping Xiuji in your country during the Wanli period, which makes my Ming Dynasty still fresh in my memory. It is inevitable that the noble old man has once again purchased so many knives and guns for supplies. ”

"That's it! You said it earlier! I said I was going to deal with the group of bastards of the Shimazu family, wouldn't we have this misunderstanding?! Li Peiting pretended to be rude and expressed his attitude loudly.

"You fake bastards!" Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who hated it so much, hated to pull out the sword on his waist and said that this guy in front of him was cut into two pieces, who doesn't know that the Shimazu family, the Nabejima family, and your Nanchu Army were the first to carry out trade activities? Not to mention that the relationship is so good that you wear a pair of pants, at the very least, there are many people in your Nanzhong Army who are married to Kyushu women, right?!

That night, several high-ranking members of the Nanzhong Army, such as Li Peiting, who was in charge of Longsheng, Feng Mofeng, who was in charge of Ha Jing, and Mo Yu, who was in charge of the Hue City garrison, jointly hosted a banquet for Songping Laozhong, which shocked Lord Izu Mori.

There are as many as 30 hot dishes, more than 10 cold dishes, seven or eight kinds of dim sum, and a soup that must be served for every five dishes, so that Matsudaira Laozhong, who believes that Fuso is also more than a million people under one person, suddenly feels that he is a dumpling from the countryside of Kyushu to Edo.

Matsudaira Nobutsuna was better, after all, he was also a person he had seen with the Tokugawa shogun, but the attaché who came from Nanzhong with him was very discouraged.

A samurai watched a fat hen half-dip in a golden broth, and couldn't help but hear the sound of saliva dripping onto the clogs. If it weren't for the banquet held by the high-level of the Nanzhong Army today, I am afraid that Matsudaira Laozhong would be able to order the samurai to cut his stomach on the spot.

A group of celestial witches dressed in short skirts, with garters and stockings that extend to the base of their thighs on their legs, writhing in the light of the drums to the sound of heart-warming drums.

It was in this scene of wine and food that Matsudaira Laozhong and several adults of the Southern Central Army began a cordial, warm and open conversation.

"Lord Izu, please try this venison from Taiwan."

"Brother Matsudaira, you might as well try this wild boar."

"Lord Nobutsuna, how about you taste this beef?"

"Rank! Fill this cup! For my family's general birthday! ”

Under the continuous offensive of alcohol and meat launched by Li Peiting and others, Matsudaira Nobutsuna felt that his life was unprecedentedly full, although the high concentration of alcohol in shochu made his whole person seem to burn.

"Brother Matsudaira, why did you buy so many big Buddha machines?"

Look at Matsudaira Nobutsuna's wine, almost drunk. His eyes began to redden, and a pair of pupils stared at a waist-length Tianzhu orchid on the dance floor, with long legs, a watery waist, and a pair of big eyes that threw seductive eye waves around. Li Peiting's heart couldn't help but flutter, "This dwarf! It's going to pick women! This orchid got to the bed, it must be a rouge horse, a big stunner! ”

Although I thought about women in my heart, I didn't dare to miss the right thing.

From the mouth of Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who had been made a little slurred by alcohol, everyone figured out the purpose of the Tokugawa family's intention to buy a large number of kokusakai (that is, the Great Buddha Machine).

The reason is simple. It is to maintain the military superiority of the Daimyo and the remnants of the old Western Army!

And the Shimazu family. Not only was he the first daimyo to trade with the Nanchu army and obtain artillery, but he was also the first daimyo to appreciate the power of artillery.

As early as the era when Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan, the Shimazu family and the Otomo family conducted actual artillery battles. It's just that at that time, the Shimazu family was suppressed and beaten by the Otomo family!

It relied on the bustling port of Hakata and the trade with Portugal and other southern barbarian countries. At that time, the Otomo family was the first to use Western firearms such as iron cannon and national collapse. Not only was it the first to establish an iron artillery team. At the same time, it was also the first to introduce the collapse of the country. And use it in real combat.

In the 14th year of Tensho, that is, in the 14th year of Shenzong Wanli, the then head of the Shimazu family, the Shimazu family Hisashi, led 2,500 soldiers and horses to besiege the castle of Dansheng Island, where Otomo Sorin's seclusion lived. Although Dansang Island is a fortified city surrounded by water. In front of the Shimazu army that swept Kyushu, it looked extremely vulnerable. Fortunately, the castle of Dansheng Island is equipped with the most advanced cannon of the Otomo clan, "Kunapai". Although the elderly Otomo Sorin, despite being in seclusion, he showed his heroic qualities at this critical moment. Faced with the fact that the number of soldiers in the city was limited and the morale of the Shimazu army was high, Otomo Sorin, who ordered Takemiya to launch the "national collapse" placed in the city.

After a cannon shot, the Shimazu army, although the loss of personnel was not large, fell into confusion. Among the defenders, Usuki Zhensho and his son, Shibata Reinon and his son (Hirashimizu Mouth), Yoshioka Yoshiyoshi, Toshimitsuhiko Guard, Yoshida Kazusuke and others took advantage of the situation to lead the army to charge and kill, and defeated the Shimazu army. It was precisely because of the difficult attack of Dansheng Usuki Castle and the hard work of the generals of the Otomo family that the Otomo family waited until the arrival of the Toyotomi family's Kyushu crusade army.

It is precisely because of this defeat that the Shimazu family was so impressed that the pursuit of iron cannons and national collapse was the goal of the heads of the Shimazu family for generations.

Over the generations, the iron cannons collected by the Shimazu family from various sources have become at the forefront of the various daimyo in Fuso. In recent years, Tongguò has purchased a large number of iron cannons and gunpowder from Nanchu, and to put it mildly, the iron artillery team of the Satsuma Domain has been one of the best in Fuso.

Thinking of the nearly 2,000 iron artillery troops that the Shimazu family could mobilize, the Tokugawa shogun couldn't sleep well.

Therefore, Matsudaira Nobutsuna is to purchase a large number of large cylinders and national collapse, even if it is to pay the price of one tael of self-weight and one tael of silver in order to purchase these, it is not hesitant!

"I see!"

Shouhan handed Li Peilin the summary of the enemy situation report sent by the investigation room and the business intelligence room.

"Brother Zong, the situation mentioned above is basically the same as what the second brother learned when they dealt with Matsudaira, and now the Tokugawa family is a little like an ant on a hot pot. He wants to purchase a large number of armaments, expand his armed forces, and improve the treatment of his samurai in order to cope with the impending war. ”

"What does the lord mean, will this artillery be sold to the Tokugawa family or not?"

"Aren't they worried about the iron artillery of the Shimazu family and the southwestern domains? Tell them that artillery is expensive, and secondly, it is not easy to train gunners, and the consumption is large. It will take a long time to really be able to form combat effectiveness on the battlefield. Instead of spending a lot of money to buy artillery, that is, the big barrel and the collapse of the country in their mouths, it is better to use the previous budget funds to buy more iron cannons to go back. Iron gunners are easier to train than ashigaru infantry, and thousands of iron gunners shoot at the same time, which is not much more powerful than the artillery team?! ”

"What the lord meant, Pei Lin understood. Don't sell them artillery, only encourage them to buy arquebuses! It's just time to get rid of the arquebuses in stock! ”

"Not bad! And calculate how much of the replaced spears you can sell them. Since the Japanese kingdom wants civil strife and war, why don't we help them and make their war more lively? ”

A smile appeared on Shouhan's face, Li Peilin was familiar with this kind of smile, but whenever he showed such a smile. It's just that it's going to attack a certain force again.

"One more thing. My lord, our merchants in Telugu have been authorized by the Sultan of Telugu to freely choose land within the jurisdiction of the Sultan to grow cotton and other crops and develop mines. But the Sultan collects taxes for activities like these. The submission has gone to the official room, please show the lord, this kind of thing,"

"If there is such a thing in the future, you can promise it!"

Shouhan responded categorically.

How many imperialists have worked so hard to buy land, grow crops, and mine and log trees on other people's land? Now the Sultan has given it away. How can such a good thing be let go?

And even if it's to pay taxes. With the high added value of industrial products, that tax is just a drop in the bucket! Even if the Sultan collects taxes, they are used to purchase all kinds of luxury goods and military equipment, and the money is just a round trip in the Sultan's treasury.

The larger the planting area of cotton. The smaller the area under which grain is grown. In the era of no fertilizers and no pesticides. Changes in grain production are closely related to the area under cultivation......

Two days later, on the Colonel's field outside Hue City. Pei Lin once again met with the Tokugawa shogunate's arms procurement representative, Lao Zhong, and Izu Mamoru Matsudaira Nobutsuna.

Looking at Lord Izu, who had some dark circles in his eyes and a little unsteady in his steps, Pei Lin couldn't help but laugh in his heart. This Fusang dwarf doesn't seem to have any immunity to those Tianzhu orchids with thin waists, long legs, and waist-length black hair! Once encountered, it will be more than one day and the next, regardless of whether his Yuanyang is sufficient.

"Lord Changshi, summon the foreign minister today, but there is good news to tell you?"

Although being served by a few Tianzhu orchids in the past few days is like being in the clouds, fluttering and not knowing why, and realizing that the immortals are nothing more than that, Matsudaira Nobutsuna still remembers his mission very clearly.

"Izu-samaru, I don't hide it. But there was something to tell your envoy. ”

Li Peilin is still a polite child of the family.

"My lord and I have consulted with us for a few days, and I have considered the reality of the situation facing your lord at the moment, including the payment of money and food. My lord has decided not to sell you the big tube and the collapse of the country for the time being. At the same time, it was decided to increase the amount of grain exports to you, so that I could sell you 400,000 stone japonica rice at a time. ”

"Yikes!" One of the Zhixing behind Matsudaira Nobutsuna couldn't help but exclaim.

Selling 400,000 stone japonica rice to the Tokugawa family at one time is enough to make all the troops mobilized by the Tokugawa family's direct banners, pro-feudal daimyos, and pedigree daimyo eat white rice for more than a year!

Hearing someone behind him exclaim, Matsudaira Nobutsuna also knew that such a number was surprising enough, but the mission given to him by the Shogun was to buy a large cylinder!

He was also straightforward, and he said what came to his mind.

"It turns out that the reason why your monarch wants to buy a big cylinder is because of this idea!"

Shouhan let out a long laugh. Laughing so much that Matsudaira Nobutsuna was a little confused, and then he was a little annoyed and angry.

"General! If you have anything to say, please say it directly to your face! Don't make such a mockery of our people! ”

"Old man, my general didn't mean to laugh at you, he just felt that you chose the wrong weapon." On the side of the platform, Huang Leiting, an artillery battalion officer with a command flag pinned to his waist, explained to Matsudaira Laozhong the origin of Shouhan's laughter with a sincere face.

"But you must know that the weight of a cannon is the weight of gold and silver to buy. That's a lot of money. After that, the cannon asked for money, and the gunpowder asked for money, and the money was used like flowing water. And that's just the cost of buying artillery. ”

"When the cannon is in hand, can you put the cannon there just for viewing? It is necessary to select elites and drill artillery. Just now I said that the cannon costs money and the gunpowder costs money, and the cannon can be picked up and polished before being used. But gunpowder needed to be added. Moreover, after the gun is discharged, it is necessary to clean the gun chamber with vegetable oil, which is another expense. After all these calculations, a cannon goes out from our Nanzhong Army to your general's subordinates to really mature and form combat effectiveness, I am afraid that it will be a huge amount of silver! ”

Huang Leiting said a word, Matsudaira Nobutsuna's face turned white, and by the time Huang Leiting finished speaking, Matsudaira Old and Middle School's face had become like white paper. Gold and silver mining is currently in full swing in Iwami Ginzan and Sado Island, and both gold and silver producing areas are at their peak. However, such a huge expenditure is also something that the general cannot afford!

What's even worse is that in addition to the consumption of gold and silver, it is also a delay in time! I'm afraid that only Amaterasu knows when Shimazu and the other southwestern feudal clans and those damned monkey remnants will rebel? If you really bought the big barrel back, before the drill is mature, the gunners have not yet formed an army, and these inexhaustible thieves have already rebelled, then the general is afraid that someone will come out to apologize!

Thinking of the past few years in charge of trade with Nanzhong, although he has also made a lot of good connections, there are also countless people who are jealous of themselves, jealous of the power in their hands that can make people poor and rich overnight, as well as the gold and silver stored in the secret room in the mansion! When that time comes, will these people say a good word about themselves?

When Matsudaira Nobutsuna thought of this, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Thank you, General! Thank you, General, for thinking so much about our country! Lord Xingang was busy kowtowing to Shouhan and Huang Leiting and the others. The entourage behind him kowtowed like chickens pecking at broken rice. (To be continued......)