"Your Excellency. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 "We have no problem with this distribution, but our Governor has asked me to ask Your Excellency whether we will attack Dongying together or fight separately." ”

"Attacking together, of course." Zhang Guodong said with a smile, "The power of the Dongying Kingdom is not weak, if we divide our troops to fight, I am afraid it will be difficult to defeat it." ”

"We have a problem in the Kingdom of the Netherlands." Van Ruud, the representative of the Netherlands, said, "We have always had trade relations with Toei in Nagasaki, and if we cede Nagasaki to General Zheng, we will lose our interests in the Netherlands, and we cannot agree to this." ”

"Mr. Van Rude, let me explain it to you." Leng Tianbing said with a smile, "Giving up Nagasaki, Hirado and the entire island of Kyushu to General Zheng is not to cut off your trade and trade. On the contrary, we also discussed with General Zheng that in the future, Nagasaki and Herado should be set up as an open port, and people from any country could go there to do business, but General Zheng would take control of it, which would be the same as Kyoto that was given to you. ”

"I want to reiterate one thing to you." Xia Yang continued, "In the future, after we take control of Dongying, it is not that each family will manage its own place alone, but that Dongying will become a completely open market, where everyone can find their own suitable business routes, and making money is the last word." ”

"But, dear gentlemen." The representative of Spain, Rodriguez, spoke, "Why attack Nagasaki instead of Kyoto first, wouldn't it be better to surrender directly to the king of Toei?" ”

"Your Excellency, you don't know the current Dongying Kingdom." Leng Tianbing explained, "The current Wa King does not have any power, and the power is controlled by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. Tokugawa Iemitsu currently has a monopoly on Nagasaki's foreign trade, and if we want to open up the Toei market, we must take Nagasaki. ”

"There is another circumstance that your Excellency may not know." Xia Yang added, "According to the information we have received, since last year, Amakusa Shiro has staged a riot to resist the shogunate's suppression of Catholics. Now that Amakusa Shiro has taken the original castle, if we attack Nagasaki, we can also help these believers in God. ”

Xia Yang glanced at Zheng Zhilong after speaking, but Zheng Zhilong didn't react.

"We also want to hear General Zheng Zhilong's opinion." Francisco said, "Because Nagasaki was to be assigned to General Zheng." ”

"I don't have a problem with that." Zheng Zhilong, who had not spoken, replied directly in Spanish, "I can assure you that after Nagasaki is conquered, any of you can do business, and there will be no obstacles in the future." ”

"If you don't have any opinions, let's discuss the issue of sending troops." Zhang Guodong raised a new topic, "Ladies and gentlemen, the division just now is only principled, and we ultimately have to decide the size of the benefits according to how much each family contributes." Whoever gives more power will share the greater fruit, and I don't think anyone will object to this principle. ”

"We can send 2 warships." Francisco was the first to say.

"We can also send 2 ships."

"We can ship three in the Netherlands."

"Hahahaha." Zheng Zhilong suddenly laughed, "You guys are really bold, you don't have to go to Dongying." ”

"What does General Zheng mean?" Rodriguez didn't understand Zheng Zhilong's counter-words.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we said just now, whoever has the most power will share the greater interests." Xia Yang became serious, "We can dispatch 8 warships and 10,000 soldiers in Yulin Bay; General Zheng has only a lot more there. Do you mean that we can divide Dongying with General Zheng equally? ”

Several Westerners finally understood that Yulinwan and Zheng Zhilong thought that they had sent fewer troops. But they didn't know that before this meeting, Yulinwan and Zheng Zhilong had already talked separately. Both sides felt that if they wanted to conquer Japan, they would probably have to use all their forces, because Japan was not weak. But if the two families send too many troops and the Westerners send too few troops, both families are worried that the Westerners will take advantage of this time to do something behind their backs. Therefore, Yulinwan and Zheng Zhilong discussed that they must force the Westerners to use most of their strength.

"Your Excellency." Francisco was helpless, "Our Lord Governor has made it clear that 2 warships is our maximum capacity. ”

"We, too, have done our best." Van Ruud and Rodriguez also said the same.

"Ladies and gentlemen, go back and thank you for your Governor." Zheng Zhilong stood up angrily, "There is no need for this meeting to continue, Zhilong said goodbye." ”

"General Zheng, don't worry." Zhang Guodong stopped Zheng Zhilong, turned his head and said to the Westerners, "Last time we were in Taiwan, your warships added up to nearly 20, why are there only so many now?" There are also a lot of warships in the Dongying Kingdom, if we fight to the death with General Zheng and the Dongying Kingdom, then do you think we can make greater profits? ”

Zhang Guodong directly said the true intentions of the Westerners, and several Westerners were slightly embarrassed.

"Dear Chairman Zhang, we didn't mean that." Rodriguez explained, "We're just expressing the opinion of our Governor, and we can discuss it again." ”

After several days of deliberation and bargaining, the parties finally came up with a rough resolution. Yulin Bay dispatched 8 warships, Zheng Zhilong dispatched 20 warships plus a group of Da Ming Fu ships, the Dutch dispatched 8 to 10 warships, and Portugal and Spain dispatched a total of 8 warships. The total number of warships will reach more than 40 and more than 30,000 soldiers, and Zheng Zhilong was elected as the commander-in-chief of this Dongying operation.

The parties will have more than five months to prepare, and in early November, the warships of all sides will converge in Taichung for an expedition to Japan. At the same time, Zheng Zhilong made a request, the Dutch must watch Liu Xiang, who has been hiding in the city of Gelanza, and not let him come out before the end of the Dongying operation.

The spoils sharing conference was finally over, and people from all sides went back to dispatch troops, and Zhang Guodong and Xia Yang talked separately again.

"Lao Xia, let's summarize the situation in all aspects first." Zhang Guodong said first, "It's May now, and there will be another change in two months." ”

"What, Chairman Zhang." Xia Yang smiled, "Can't bear me? ”

"Huh." Zhang Guodong laughed, "It's really a little reluctant, cooperating with you this year is the easiest time for me." ”

"Forget it, I'll talk about it first." Xia Yang flipped out several documents, "The first thing, Shen Daxing's steam engine has been officially running for 2 months, producing more than 200 rifled guns and more than 5,000 bullets. They are currently experimenting with flowering shells, and the final results are not yet available. If we set off for Taichung, it is estimated that a total of five or six hundred rifled guns can be produced, which can be equipped with a battalion. Since only the two of us know about this now, I would like to ask you what you mean, whether you need to go to Japan with rifled guns. ”

"I've thought about that too." Zhang Guodong said, "My opinion is not to use it. Because the number of rifled guns in our country is still very small, if they are used in Japan, it is difficult to say whether Tao Min will know. I think this thing should be used as a secret weapon, and I will take it out next time I fight with Tao Min, and good steel should be used on the blade. ”

"Okay then." Xia Yang wrote a few words on the document, "Just do what you want, anyway, our current firearms are enough to fight Japan." ”

"Is there any news from Lin Zhaolong?" Zhang Guodong asked again.

"Xu Lang Feige has come back." Xia Yang put a small note in front of Zhang Guodong, "Lin Zhaolong has gained a firm foothold in Yanchang County, but in view of the current situation in Shaanxi Province, they mean that it is best for the independent regiment to be stationed in Yanchang County, where it is still not very stable." ”

"A regiment is all in Yanchang County?" Zhang Guodong picked up the note and looked at it, "We only have more than 1,000 troops in Yulin Bay, if they don't come back, won't they have to recruit troops again?" ”

"I'm afraid so." Xia Yang said, "My personal opinion, Lin Zhaolong and Gu Yunkun stay in Yanchang County and let Xu Lang come back." Then we can call Han Wantao and Zhang Hai back in Beijing, and let Han Wantao and Zeng Guangxian be in charge of the recruitment of troops in Yulin Bay, and Zhang Hai will come back to bring his marines, who have not had a commander for a long time. ”

"Call Han Wantao and Zhang Hai back?" Zhang Guodong asked, "Then how does the Ming Dynasty government explain it, can they agree?" ”

"There is nothing big about Beijing now, Jiang Beiming can handle it alone." Xia Yang replied, "Let their people in Beijing find a way to explain to the imperial court, and if it doesn't work, they will send two more of their own people." If Zeng Guangxian is left alone in Yulin Bay, I'm afraid it won't work. ”

"Otherwise, let Xu Lang come back immediately, Dongying plans to let him come. Send another letter to Beijing, and ask Jiang Beiming and them to find a way to come back at least one, it is indeed not possible to have Zeng Guangxian alone at home. ”

After Zhang Guodong finished speaking, he asked, "What else is going on?" ”

Xia Yang flipped through the documents: "Then it's about money." ”

"Huh." Zhang Guodong smiled, "I'm short of money again." ”

"yes, I'm short of money again." Xia Yang also smiled, "Cheng Yiyi submitted a financial report, and the taxes in the past few months are not bad, about twenty or thirty thousand silver a month." The 300,000 advance payment from Westerners has also arrived, but we still don't have enough to spend. If we continue to recruit soldiers, it will cost 2,000 people to fill the vacancies of the independent regiment, and we will have to prepare for the Dongying operation, and the total number of conscripts will be about six or seven thousand, and this alone will cost more than 100,000 silver. ”

"It's not just silver, six or seven thousand people, Lao Xia, is there so much military source, Yulin Bay has a total population of only 60,000, plus Wanzhou is only 80,000."

"There's no way around this, we definitely can't just recruit soldiers in Yulin Bay." Xia Yang also expressed his helplessness, "But if the scope of conscription is expanded to the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture, I am worried about what the Ming Dynasty government will think." ”

"Let's talk about that." Zhang Guodong didn't have a good way, "Let's hold a meeting of the Military Commission to study it first." ”

"Then I don't have anything to do here."

"There's one more thing I've forgotten." Zhang Guodong found a few pieces of paper from the table, "This is an application submitted by Shen Daxing, he wants to develop a 24-pounder cannon and a 32-pounder gun. ”

"What are you doing studying this?" Xia Yang asked, "Don't we have 30 naval guns and 6-pounder guns now?" ”

"All the guns on our warships are 12-pounder guns, and the varieties are relatively simple." Zhang Guodong explained, "Zeng Guangxian and Wang Zhaoxing have said several times that it is best to have all kinds of artillery to form a long-range and near-range strike capability. ”

Xia Yang took a look at Shen Daxing's application, and he still knew relatively little about the sail battleship.

"Besides, Qiu Peng talked to me about one thing." Zhang Guodong did not explain the matter of artillery, "The year after tomorrow, that is, in 1637, the British battleship King of the Sea was launched. ”

"The Sea King?" Xia Yang pondered for a while, "I seem to have heard this name, but I don't know the specific situation, what happened to it in the water?" ”

"The Sea King was the largest battleship built by the British in this era, with a displacement of more than 1,600 tons, armed with 104 guns, four decks, and more than 800 sailors." Zhang Guodong stood up as he spoke, "That is to say, 1,500-ton warships have begun to appear, and future warships will become larger and larger, equipped with more and more artillery." And our battleship has only 500 tons and 24 cannons. ”

"Then Qiu Peng means that we also want to build a warship of more than 1,000 tons?" Xia Yang asked.