Xu Leshan took the blue calico and told the bee Suka housekeeper about the advantages of cotton cloth, and finally concluded: "... According to the judgment of most merchants in our country, cotton cloth will inevitably replace silk in the future and become the preferred choice for making clothing..."

The housekeeper of Wasuka picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip lightly, interrupting the other party's explanation, and said, "The Patrol Mansion has asked the Honto to grow a large number of indigo, and plans to cooperate with the Honfu to build a printing and dyeing workshop, so as to give such a large fortune to the Honfan for nothing. So, what exactly does the Patrol House want from the Honshu? ”

Xu Leshan actually didn't want to have such a conversation without retreat, but when he knew that Li Chenfang had captured Osaka Castle, he knew that such a direct conversation was inevitable, and now it was more important to win over the Tokushima Domain to judge the true attitude of the Tokushima Domain towards the shogunate.

Xu Leshan slowly put down the cotton cloth in his hand, smoothed the wrinkles on his face, and then sat up straight and said to the housekeeping: "Actually, the Patrol Mansion doesn't want to get anything from the Tokushima Domain, we just hope that the Tokushima Domain can focus on the economic construction of the domain in the next period of time, and not be affected by the situation in the outside world." ”

The housekeeper stretched out his hand and lifted the iron kettle of the side charcoal stove to refill the tea for himself and the other party, and said casually: "Xu Jun's so-called external situation, isn't it the incident of the fall of Osaka Castle two days ago?"

Who gave Xu Patrol so much confidence that with the power of a Patrol House, he could stand up to my 20 million Japanese people? Have you forgotten that Japan is a country that even the Mongol Yuan has not conquered? ”

Xu Leshan thanked the housekeeper for pouring tea for himself, and said humbly: "No, no, the mage probably misunderstood something, the Patrol Mansion has no intention of conquering Japan, we just want to protect the right of our merchants to trade freely."

As for where the confidence of the Patrol House comes from, it only needs to be seen by the Master patiently. In fact, in my opinion, there is no need to lose anything in this transaction, and you only need to wait for the two sides to decide the winner before placing a bet. ”

The housekeeper stopped moving, and his eyes suddenly became cold, and there was no longer the calm and indisputable appearance just now. He stared at Xu Leshan for a long time, and when he saw that the other party was still smiling, he eased his expression and said.

"Wait for the two sides to decide before placing a bet, are you taking me for a fool? When a tiger and a lion fight, what will happen if you want to watch the lively and pick up cheap animals? Whoever wins the final victory, I'm afraid the first one to deal with is the Honkai. ”

Xu Leshan restrained his smile and sincerely persuaded the housekeeper: "In that case, the mage has to choose a good side to bet on, and it is not easy for the Bee Suhe family to obtain today's status, and it can't be wiped out of decades of struggle." ”

The housekeeper looked at him for a long time, and couldn't help laughing, "It seems that before the Patrol Mansion sent you over, you still worked your own family." Then I would like to ask Xu Jun, if I choose the side of the Patrol Mansion, how much benefit can the Patrol Mansion give to the Wasuka family? ”

Xu Leshan spread his hands and said, "I'm afraid the mage is going to be disappointed, the Patrol Mansion doesn't plan to give the Bee Suga family any additional benefits. Leaving the dye business to your clan is the greatest benefit you can get from maintaining your domain.

The Patrol Office hopes that your domain will maintain a standing attitude, not because we can't deal with your navy, but because we don't want to cause more trouble. If there are other benefits that the mage wants, it's up to you to become one of us. ”

Housekeeping immediately grasped the point and couldn't help asking, "We? Who are we that Xu Jun is talking about? ”

Xu Leshan thought for a moment and said, "Since the mage has already received the news from Osaka City, do you really think that this war was only launched by us in the name of His Royal Highness Zhongchang?" ”

The Buddhist bead in the left hand of the housekeeper suddenly stopped, and he asked in surprise: "Could it be that His Royal Highness Zhongchang really betrayed the general?" ”

Xu Leshan replied noncommittally: "Whether it's true or not, I won't know in a few days." It was only five or six days to get to Edo smoothly, and it was only ten days and half a month to go back and forth, so why did the mage ask me if His Royal Highness Tadashi was considered us? ”

Although the expression on the housekeeper's face did not change, the Buddhist beads in his hand quickly rotated. After coming over for a long time, he finally said to Xu Leshan: "This clan is naturally willing to cooperate with the Patrol Mansion in this dye business.

However, I hope that Xu Jun will be able to convey to Xu Xunyue that although the Tokushima Domain has two countries, it is still a small domain. If the shogunate takes over the wind in this battle..."

Xu Leshan Ma continued: "We will continue to cooperate with the Tokushima Domain in this business, but we will not ask the Tokushima Domain to confront the shogunate." The Patrol Mansion doesn't need it, your clan will take the fire for us..."

After determining the cooperation intention between the Tokushima Domain and the East China Sea Patrol Office, the housekeeper asked Xu Leshan to leave, and the specific cooperation agreement naturally had retainers to negotiate with him. As he stood under the porch and watched the back of Akito's departure, Inada Shikie walked up to him in small steps and reported, "Master, Osaka Castle Shigesumi Sakai and Naoji Ando, the old man of the Kishu clan, have just arrived at the docks and are asking to see you. ”

The housekeeper rubbed the Buddhist beads in his hand, and after a long time, he replied: "Ando, is this trying to lead the troubled waters to the head of this domain?" Let them go to the head of the house, saying that I am in retreat in Meishan, and it is difficult to contact me for a while..."

When the housekeeper of Wasuka was looking for an excuse to shirk Sakai Shigesumi and Ando's request to see him, Li Chenfang was taking a cadre of officials in Osaka Castle to see off Zheng Xiang and Kataoka's detachment at the humble Osaka wharf.

Zheng Xiang's ship, the Meiyong, and two 3- to 400-ton Fukuku, were to carry the 597 men recruited by Kataoka Saemon in the past two days to raid Hyogo, burn the quartermaster reserves of the Choshu crusade army, and occupy Hyogojin or the nearby Rokko Mountain as appropriate.

The journey from land to Hyogotsu was about 200 miles, but from the sea, it was shortened to 60 miles, which was only a few hours. Now we will arrive at about two or three o'clock in the afternoon.

The garrison of Hyogo Tsu was about 200 people, and the garrison at the nearby pass was roughly the same number as the Kataoka detachment. Therefore, when the members of the Kataoka detachment set out, they did not show a look of saying goodbye to their family and friends, but happily seemed to be going to a banquet.

Kataoka Saemon was the last to ship, and before the boat, he walked up to Li Chenfang again and saluted and swore: "Fangdian forgives the kindness of his subordinates, and his subordinates will not dare to forget." If you can't take Hyogo, you won't come back alive to see you. ”

Being able to send away so many restless ronins with the help of the Kataoka detachment, for Li Chenfang, this is already the biggest reward that Kataoka Saemon gave him. Therefore, whether Hyogozu can be taken or not, he is very open-minded.

However, he would not say it so bluntly, so he comforted Kataoka Saemon with a pleasant face, and told him to protect the lives of his subordinates more when fighting, and not to do unnecessary battles.

After Kataoka Saemon lifted the boat, Li Chenfang whispered to Zheng Xiang on the side: "After you arrive at Hyogo Tsu with them, you will return directly to Tanegashima early tomorrow morning, and you don't have to go back to Osaka Port again." ”

Zheng Xiang replied with some hesitation when he heard this: "Is Major Li also going back with me, and the matter here is better left to Li Wulang." Your safety is much more important than their lives. ”

Li Chenfang shook his head and said, "It's okay for Li Wulang to command operations on the battlefield, but let him manage such a big city, it is estimated that he will go crazy soon."

Besides, only if I'm here can these merchants, anyway, shogunate officers and soldiers, and ordinary citizens be at ease. If I leave now, I'm afraid those shogunate officers and soldiers who are anyway will have other ideas. In that case, the officers and soldiers mobilized by the shogunate from other places had not yet arrived in Osaka, and the hearts of the people of Osaka had already dispersed.

Besides, we have shipped up to a third of the gold and silver in the treasury of Osaka Castle, so do you want to return them to the shogunate? ”

Zheng Xiang immediately hesitated when he heard this, and the more than one ton of gold and more than thirty-nine tons of silver that were transported to his ship were worth about 2.4 million to 2.5 million Ming Yuan. However, after transferring the silver deposit from Ginza to Honmaru in the past two days, confiscating the property of some privileged merchants of the shogunate, and forcing some wealthy merchants to buy the public bonds of the shogunate, there are at least 80 or 90 tons of silver in the Honmaru vault.

He wouldn't be happy to throw such a large fortune away from others. After coming over for a long time, he said to Li Chenfang: "It's okay if Major Li is here, I will go early and return early, and come back with our reinforcements." But are you sure, is six guns enough? Do you want to get down from the boat a few more doors? ”

Li Chenfang shook his head and said, "No matter how many cannons there are, if there are no gunners, it is useless. Since there are no gunners to be dispatched, these six guns are enough. You can take the boat, but don't miss the auspicious time. ”

Zheng Xiang saluted Li Chenfang solemnly, and then turned his head and walked towards the ferry boat docked at the dock.

On the way back to the city from the pier, Li Chenfang was also thinking about the changes in the situation around Osaka Castle. There are 40 or 50 castle towns in Osaka Castle, but the most densely populated are the five towns of Uchimachi, Kitahama, Senba, Shimauchi, and Tenma.

After he posted an Anmin notice in the name of Osaka Shinjodai, the new policy quickly dispelled the suspicion and dislike of these townspeople. In particular, after he set the maximum price of grain and lowered the rent of the farmland, he immediately won the support of the peasants and craftsmen.

Although Mizuno Shinko and other officials of the old shogunate were still a little half-hearted at first, after seeing the support of the people in the town for Li Chenfang, the new generation of the new city, they also settled down a lot. The heads of some villages closer to Osaka came to collect the overpaid rent, and immediately said good things about the new city.

And those villages that were far away, instead of spontaneously driving away the unpopular garrison samurai, secretly came to Osaka to ask Shinshiro to send troops to help them drive out the bad samurai. As a result of this, Li Chenfang's order has now expanded from inside Osaka Castle to thirty miles beyond the city walls. Li Chenfang is now thinking about how to consolidate the support of these farmers and citizens for him, and once again expand the scope of Osaka Castle's influence.

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