"It's my honor to be received by you, respected Boss Dale Zongjing!" The red-haired and green-eyed Huo Sijin bowed respectfully to me with a modesty that was extremely incommensurate with his rough appearance, but he was still much taller than me.

"I asked you in such an abrupt way, and I was more than ten days late! It's really rude...... "I apologize to him with the humility of being a superior person, and as a strong people, I don't think they will like a weak and incompetent person." The main purpose of my coming here this time is to pull up a group of light cavalry mercenaries composed of Cossacks!

The idea of forming light cavalry has been brewing for a long time, but the lack of support from heavy equipment will greatly reduce the combat effectiveness makes me hesitate. In addition to the personal factors of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, the reason why Takeda "Akabei" and the Echigo cavalry were able to dominate the world was that they could recruit soldiers and low-ranking samurai who had excellent riding skills in ancient times, which was also an important guarantee for the cavalry to maintain a high standard. And these conditions cannot be achieved in and Western China, and I am really a little unwilling to let the troops I have built up be subservient to them!

But the thought of leading these bloodthirsty northern barbarians southward can't help but make me a little frightened! Much of my reputation was due to the strict discipline of the troops, and it is difficult to say whether these Cossacks could be controlled. In Europe, the Cossacks were thought of in much the same way as the Central Plains were to the northern nomadic tribes, and "barbarian" was probably the first word that came to mind.

What made me finally decide to embark on this trip to the north was Ikeda Tsuneko's Kai long-distance raid interspersed with battles! The conspicuous strategic role of light cavalry cannot be overlooked, and it is entirely possible to deal a devastating blow to the enemy's far-reaching and in-depth targets in a large-scale and multi-force melee such as the "Onin Rebellion" and the "Battle of Sekigahara" in a mobile and flexible manner, a strong long-range continuous combat capability, and a relatively high field combat capability compared with the infantry. There is no shortage of people in ancient and modern China and foreign countries, Huo Quai's surprise attack on the Xiongnu royal court, and the Khitan going south to break Kaifeng and destroy the Later Jin Dynasty are all classics in the classics of this kind of warfare. The "blitzkrieg" in which the German armored forces made a far-reaching breakthrough in World War II was also a strategic thinking adapted to the development of modern arms.

As our power continues to expand, there will be more and more opportunities to systematically fight in a certain area independently, and if we want to continue to develop our power in San'in and the entire western country, there will be not only conspirators like the Ukita Naoke, but also the deep-rooted behemoth of the Mori family. Maybe one day, I'll face enemies from several sides at once! Since this is the case, let's let go of our hands and feet, not afraid of smashing the altars and jars, and have an all-round war that is not limited to geography and has no front and rear!

The Cossacks are not just a class, they are a tribe, a complex social group! A small society enters a large society, and the conflict, adaptation, integration, and change between them is a trend that will inevitably occur, and there are both the occurrence of the assimilation of the Han people in the Central Plains and the occurrence of Shatuo, as well as the precedent of the Germanic migration to destroy the Roman Empire. What will come out of this "Pandora's box" that I am about to open, no one really knows for sure!

"Boss Dale can come to this bitter cold place in the far north for us, which shows your sincerity! Due to the twists and turns on the road, we ...... even more "Huo Sijin's tone is very sincere and his attitude is also very sincere. Judging by his attitude, he should already know what kind of person I am, but he may not know who I am, but it is no wonder that people here may not be able to understand the exact situation in the south.

Although this person's accent is very strange, with some habitual muttering tongue curls, the words are quite appropriate. Probably due to his long-term role in external contact, he seems to be reasonable and flexible, and with such a person in the middle of the run-in, this operation should go smoothly. Ah Xue and Xiaohu may have never seen such a European in fur fur, so they hid to the side and muttered quietly, with a curious look in their eyes. “…… It has been the care of 3 Tsugaya that has solved our most urgent needs, and we will never forget the way you have given us! ”

"Business is business, honesty is the principle, mutual benefit and reciprocity are the principles, not to talk about who thanks whom! In our long-term trade cooperation with yours, Mitsukoyaya and I have also made huge profits...... "I know that the other party's gratitude will be conducive to further negotiations, but I also know that a condescending attitude will inevitably lead to resentment. “…… Although the north is cold and the roads are far away, all the products produced in the south have extremely high value! You occupy this treasure land, self-reliance, accumulation, over time, it will not be difficult to open up a broad world. ”

"Boss Dale has won the award, and the hard work here is not enough for outsiders!" He shook his head, a wry smile of helplessness on his face. “…… The land of Ezo is freezing cold, and there are less than five months of the year to farm! Although the land is fertile, the water supply is scarce, and the crops produced are really limited. Although the people are good at animal husbandry, the aquatic plants of Ezo are really ...... It's ......" He couldn't think of what adjectives to use for a moment.

"It's really not as rich as your homeland in Ukraine and the Don, is that so?" I glanced at him playfully with a meaningful gaze.

"Oh?!" Huo Siking's eyes widened in astonishment. Although I didn't know the exact name and used the Japanese phonetic meaning, he clearly understood what I was saying. "Although...... We don't have the idea of hiding where we came from, but you ...... Inevitably......" he asked, skeptically.

"I'm here to seek cooperation, so naturally I will have a certain understanding of each other!" I said it solemnly, and my tone was full of sincerity. “…… The reason why I say this is because I don't intend to leave any 'hole cards' in my hand! Maybe the cooperation I proposed is a life-and-death decision for both of you, so I don't want to have any suspicions between us! Of course, I don't expect to get any promises right away, and maybe it would be better if I went to you myself and explained it in detail. ”

"In what field do you want our cooperation to be?" Probably having a premonition of the seriousness of the matter, he asked cautiously. "Although I don't think I have the authority to agree to what you are about to offer! But I think that getting the message back first, it will be beneficial for you to negotiate with our decision-makers without many detours. ”

"Your idea is steady, and I appreciate it!" I nodded and said, "First of all, let me ask, is your situation very difficult?" ”

"Yes!" He nodded in acknowledgement, not hiding the slightest.

"And do you want to get rid of it?"

"It's a dream all the time!"

"Well, this means that we have the initial basis for cooperation!" I straightened up slightly, my hands on the table, and my eyes were firmly fixed on Huo Sijin in front of me. "Is the eagle content to be tied to its wings? Would the blue wolf be willing to spend its life in a burrow like a marmot? Is the giant bear, the king of the snowfields, satisfied with the moss on the frozen soil? ”

"What do you mean...... I understand! After a long silence, Huo Sijin nodded heavily. But as you said, such a decision is a life-or-death decision for our clan! So I beg your pardon for having to go through a long period of time and coordination. ”

"I understand and agree with this very well!" I showed enough magnanimity and enthusiasm. “…… Whatever the final outcome, this is a great opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of each other! That's why I'd like to take you with you to your place of residence, which is also the need to continue to expand cooperation in trade in the future. As I said at the beginning, only by truly understanding your needs and all that you have is going to get the most out of your efforts in the South! ”

"This ......" Huo Sijin hesitated very obviously, looking a little dilemma. Ignorance...... I wonder how long the boss of Dale can stay in the north? ”

"About ...... Three or four months! "I've roughly calculated that nothing will happen through the winter. After the threat of Takeda Shingen disappears, even if there is any war nearby, it is unlikely that Oda Nobunaga will "trouble" me. When the weather warms up, it's time for me to get ready for someone else's "trouble"!

"It's going to be hard!" "It's the coldest time of the year," he said, "and the sea is full of ice floes!" As soon as ......" heard him say this, Mitsui Takafuku's face also changed.

"And Mr. Hoskin, how did you get here?" I asked, puzzled.

"Me? I was in a single canoe that could only carry four or five people......"

"Then we can do the same!" Ignoring Mitsui Takafuku's stunned gaze, I said resolutely.

**************************************************

"Is this person also a 'Southern Barbarian'?" After Huo Sijin, Mitsui Gaofu and the others left, Mirage Little Fox asked me curiously.

"Hmm...... I guess so! "I think in any case they are also Europeans from the western side of the Ural Mountains, and it is not a mistake to classify them as "Southern Barbarians".

"But the Nanban I saw in Sakai didn't dress like that?" Ah Xue is still a little skeptical about some details.

"It's not surprising that it's so cold in the north and it's thicker, but it's naturally much thinner in the warmer!" Mirage Little Fox said as a matter of course.

"Oh! No wonder the Nanban people all took boats to Sakai Town and Heido, it turned out that they lived on Ezo Island! Inspired by her, Ah Xue also had her own associations. “…… They always go south by boat, and the relationship with the Takeda family and the Hojo family is not very good. But...... It's still a little weird! ”

"What's so strange? I'll tell you! Mirage Little Fox said confidently.

"Ezo is always the northernmost part of Japan, so why don't you call them 'Northern Barbarians'?" Xue frowned in bewilderment.

"This ...... What a problem! The little fox of the mirage also began to think deeply.