In ancient times, the three islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu were large islands, but due to crustal movements, volcanic eruptions, etc., the earth's crust subsided, and it was divided into three islands, and the collapsed area formed a narrow sea area that surrounded Shikoku and separated Kyushu and Honshu, which is often called the Seto Inland Sea, which means "narrow strait".

Located in the northernmost part of the Seto Inland Sea, the Shimonoseki Strait is a natural passage between Kyushu and Honshu.

However, since the Ming navy entered the Shimonoseki Strait, the narrow strait has become an insurmountable moat.

Looking from Shimonoseki, Spo Yoshishige could see the military flag of the Ming army on the opposite side, could see the Ming army's change of defense, and of course, he could see the Ming warships cruising back and forth in the strait.

"Ouchi-kun, how often do they cruise?" Si Boyi pointed to the Ming army ship road that passed from north to south.

"Lord Deacon, about a quarter of an hour away!" The guardian of Nagato Province, Ouchi Moricho, stood behind Spo Yi and replied respectfully.

"Two quarters of an hour?" Spoyi frowned and said, "What about our ship?" ”

"Our ships are all on land!"

"Land?" Si Boyi was stunned for a moment and said, "Are you saying that our ships don't dare to go to sea?" ”

"Yes!"

"How is that possible? Can't our sailors beat this kind of sea boat? ”

"Hehe," Ouchi Sheng Chang smiled bitterly: "My lord misunderstood, this kind of sea cangship is not terrible, what is terrible is the kind of gunboat of the Ming army, they will cruise once or twice a day, in the face of them, our sailors can only flee in the wilderness, and over time, our sailors will not come." ”

"Oh," Spoy nodded again, "Are there many gunboats like this in the Ming Kingdom?" ”

"It shouldn't be a lot, the last time the Ming army landed on the opposite side, there were only eight gunboats."

As he was talking, a piercing gong sounded, and there was a panic all around, Ouchi Shengchang jumped up, looked at the north, and then said: "My lord, look, the north, right there, the gunboats of the Ming army are coming!" Let's get to the back! ”

"Why?"

"The Ming army is likely to open fire!"

"No," Si Bo Yi gestured with his hand, "We are so far away, and the Ming army can also fight over?" ”

"Yes, my lord, let's go!"

Seeing Ouchi Moricho's anxious look, Spo Yoshishige did not continue to ask, but ran behind with Ouchi Moricho.

After running for more than 100 meters, Ouchi Morenaga stopped, panting and said, "My lord, it should be almost here too!" ”

Si Boyi looked left and right, and said suspiciously: "I can't see the situation on the beach clearly here, if the Ming army wants to land, how should our army respond?" ”

"This," Ouchi Moricho hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "My lord, if the Ming army lands, our army will not be able to defend on the beach, it will be self-defeating, it is said that Hakata Bay was broken by the Ming army in this way." ”

"Hakata Bay?" Spo Yoshishige recalled the stone defense line in Hakata Bay in his mind, and his face was a little ugly: "But, are we going to let the Ming army land?" ”

"Yes, we can only wait for the Ming army to enter the interior and leave the range of the gunboats before counterattacking."

"Oh," Spo nodded, shaking his hands.

At this moment, they heard the sound of explosions and sporadic screams coming from the direction of the beach, and both Yoshishige Spo and Ouchi Morimi stopped talking, as if they were worried that their words would be discovered by the Ming army.

......

After the Ming fleet was gone, Ouchi Moricho counted the losses and found that only two were dead and three were wounded.

"The Ming army's artillery bombardment doesn't seem to have any goals!" Spo Yizhong was silent for a moment and said.

"Yes, their shelling is reconnaissance," Ouchi Moricho shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Reconnaissance with shells is really an unimaginable luxury!" ”

"yes!" Si Boyi nodded again: "Compared to the Ming Kingdom, we are too poor, alas! By the way, what's that? ”

Following Spo Yoshishige's finger, Ouchi Moricho took a look at it and said with a smile: "It was a shell of the Ming army, it may be a problem with the fuse, it didn't explode." I've had someone mark it nearby, and I'll send someone to collect it and send it to Kyoto tomorrow morning! ”

"Sent to Kyoto?"

"Yes, the Minister of the Interior plans to copy the artillery of the Ming army, so he needs the shells of the Ming army as samples!"

"Oh," Spoy frowned heavily, "How's the copy?" ”

"It should be soon, I looked for someone to take a look, the principle of the Ming army's shells is not complicated."

"Well, if we can master the firearms of the Ming army, our army will not be so passive!" Si Boyi rubbed his palms heavily and said with some excitement.

"yes!" Ouchi Moricho sighed slightly and said in a low voice.

......

Text Guancun, command post of the Ming Army Marine Brigade.

"Tell the commander, the supervisor, there is a situation on the other side!"

"What's the situation?"

"There are people on the other side of the port with white flags, I don't know what the purpose is?"

"Oh? I'll check it out! ”

Chu Zheng was stunned for a moment, pushed the door out, came to the observation post, and looked at the opposite side with a telescope.

On the opposite port, there were four or five people standing, two people holding white flags, waving desperately, and three people holding long banners with four big characters written on them - the Japanese Mission, and in the middle of the strait is a Haicang ship, which is waving flags in this direction, probably waiting for orders.

"Brother, stay here, I'll take a look!"

"No," Xie Yuanzhen, the supervising envoy, shook his head: "This kind of thing is not something we can decide, in my opinion, let Tang Yandong go over first, bring the other party's national credentials, and then report to the general headquarters, we just need to wait for the order!" ”

“...... Okay," Chu Zheng scratched his head and said a little stupidly.

......

"Brothers, go and see!"

"Okay!"

With Tang Yandong's order, the Haicang boat turned around and sailed towards Xiaguan Wharf.

Two feet offshore, Tang Yandong ordered the ship to stop and said in a loud voice: "What are you doing?" ”

"General Mingguo, we are messengers! I'm going to meet your Emperor! ”

"Just a few of you?" Tang Yandong frowned: "One by one, how can Your Majesty meet you rats?" ”

"General Shangguo misunderstood," Kazuo Yamada walked up and said with a smile on his face, "A few of us are just passing the word, and our envoy Spo-sama is behind, and he will be there soon!" ”

"Spo? What a strange last name, what's your name? ”

"Little Kazuo Yamada, Kazuo Yamada!"

"Kazuo Yamada? The name of the Japanese people is really strange," Tang Yandong muttered a few words in a low voice before he said loudly: "Where is your Spo?" Hurry up and let him come over, Lao Tzu is busy? ”

"Come now, come right away!"

After a short time, Yoshishige Spo, accompanied by Ouchi Moricho and others, walked down the hillside and came to the dock.

"The contemptible Si Bo Yizhong, is a messenger, I hope to be able to meet His Majesty the Emperor of your country, I wonder if the general can make it convenient?"

"You're the Spo?"

"Yes!"

"I'm just a captain, I don't have the authority to make a convenient move, and the order I received is that you hand over the credentials and wait for the notice!"

"This," Si Boyi was stunned for a moment, but soon smiled all over his face: "No problem, there is an original copy of the national letter, it is for His Majesty the Great Emperor to see, and the copy may be handed over to the general, and the contemptible people are waiting for the general's good news here!" ”

"Alright, bring it!"

Looking at the Ming military ships that were leaving, Si Bo Yizhong's face turned pale: "The Ming army is so arrogant, a little captain dares not to take this deacon in his eyes!" ”

"Yes," Ouchi Morenaga walked up, "but what can be done?" Who makes them strong? ”

......

"Commander-in-chief, this is very interesting!"

"Interesting?" Sheng Yong took the document handed over by Yang Rong and asked suspiciously.

"The Japanese have sent envoys, and their conditions are very interesting!"

Sheng Yong browsed slightly, then shook his head: "These things, just leave them to you to deal with, I can't deal with them!" ”

"Well, no problem!"

......

The next day, Chu Zheng received an order to escort the envoy to Dazaifu.