Chapter Seventy-Nine: Sending Troops
The envoy sent to Fuzhou to take chicken feathers as arrows soon returned, and the conversation went very smoothly. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biqugeγ info
It is the tax supervisor Gao Gonggong of the flowing Fujian governor, as long as he doesn't go too far, this guy will be fine for the time being.
The newly appointed governor Chen Zizhen is dying, and he has heard what Chen Jian and others do before, and his attitude is quite friendly. The new Fujian general soldier is also greedy for money, and Chen Jian also sends people to Fujian magistrates to pay more bribes and accept them on weekdays, and he turns a blind eye to many things.
The possibility of the Ryukyus being invaded by the Japanese was not big or small, and the officials also felt that if there was no case, they would send someone to see if it was done, and if it was done, it would be a strategic plan, and if it didn't work, there would be nothing to do.
It's really not good for the navy, it can't manage that side, there are disasters everywhere in the country, and there is a shortage of military pay in various places. If something really happened to the Ryukyus, it would be a big deal to change the biennial tribute to once every ten years, so as to preserve dignity and prevent Japan from trading with the hands of the Ryukyus tributary.
However, this chicken feather arrow is very important to Jian Chen, with this chicken feather, he is a mercenary this time, and if he doesn't have it, some things can't be said clearly.
Wars are always for profit, and this time he was sure enough to get involved in the affairs of the Ryukyus.
The Shimazu family was on the wrong side during the Battle of Sekigahara, belonging to the untrustworthy group of people on the shogunate's side, and all the Tokugawa family wanted was to trade with the Ming Dynasty, and if something happened, the Shimazu family would be a backstabber, and the reputation of the Ming Dynasty still had a certain deterrent effect here in Asia at this time.
The Ryukyus, on the other hand, wanted to maintain their special status as a trading hub, relying on the permission of tributary trade to earn high profits. The Ming Dynasty carried the power of the three major conquests, and the Ryukyus felt that Japan still did not have the courage to do too much.
The Ryukyus also had their own plans for the threat of the Satsuma Domain and the fact that Japan hoped that the Ryukyus would come forward to help contact the Ming Dynasty to open trade, and once they negotiated their own status as a transit station, it would be very embarrassing, which was also the basis that the Ryukyus could not allow, and the more powerful the officials in charge of tributary trade of the pro-Ming faction, the less likely they would agree.
There was also a fierce factional struggle within the Satsuma Domain, so Jian Chen was not worried about the big movement affecting trade. As long as the Toyotomi family is not completely finished, and the shogunate does not have enough control, it will be impossible to lock the country.
Since the Ryukyus were a transit point for trade, they were bound to be strategically important. In the future, if they really turn against Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal, the Ryukyus will be able to cut off their trade with Japan if they are controlled by Taiwan, and create a basis for this infant maritime group to monopolize trade.
Soon after the return of the envoy sent to Fuzhou, the people sent to the Ryukyus to gather information also returned, and the news of the conflict between the Satsuma domain and the Ryukyus was almost confirmed.
Chen Jian was not in a hurry, and continued to send people to draw a map of Ryukyu, collect local customs and the construction methods of some forts and forts, and measure the time of tidal difference and high tide and ebb tide under the pretext of purchasing sulfur and offering sweet potato planting techniques to the king of Shangning in the Ryukyus, and came back on time to report.
Chen Jian himself squatted quietly in Wangbei City, the construction of Wangbei City is still ongoing, and a large-scale reclamation of sweet potatoes has begun, so as to accumulate enough food for immigrants for the upcoming floods in Fujian.
The rest of the time, Chen Jian became a teacher, teaching Sun Yuanhua and others geometry.
He was not a short teacher for a long time, and spent several years compiling "Arithmetic and Geometry", which was just right for Sun Yuanhua and others to accept.
Sun Yuanhua and others called Chen Jian Mr., and the age difference was not much, but Han Changli said that there was a precedence in hearing the Tao and a specialization in the art industry, and it was not a big deal to call Mr. Sheng.
Chen Jian also did not let go of the opportunity of imperceptible ideological education, and did not ask these people who were familiar with the books of the sages to change their thinking, but at least if something happened in the future, they could be the target of the united front.
In the blink of an eye, when Sun Yuanhua and others officially began to contact simple trigonometric functions, Wangbei City ushered in the first real political immigrants. Lin Zigui, a native of Zhangzhou, returned to sell his family property after returning from his last voyage and came to Wangbei City with his wife, where he began to learn written language, hoping to see some more radical ideological books in the future.
The people who came on the same boat as Chen Jian were also busy, some were busy organizing production and construction, and some were looking for someone to translate some books collected together and sort out some useful knowledge.
The upper echelons knew about the war, and the soldiers below only knew the rumors. Fighting for money, mobilizing and preaching too early makes no sense.
In February, Jian Chen began to prepare fresh water, food, and supplies, and to sort out gunpowder, and there were rumors below that there might be a war, and there were also rumors that he might go to the Ryukyus.
A small officer sent by Fujian also followed the boat to Wangbei City, taking the boat sent by Chen Jian and bringing more than 30 people, which can be regarded as quite important.
In late March, the Ryukyu Clipper finally delivered the news of the Satsuma Domain's invasion of the Ryukyus, and before the news arrived, the Satsuma Domain's army had already captured several small islands in the northern archipelago, and it was Shuri to whom the merchants had brought the news, and King ShΕning sent someone to sue for peace.
The officers of Wangbei City began to mobilize. The mobilization was simple, telling them that after the battle, a trading company would be set up in the future, and the participants were divided equally among the shares of the company of thirty thousand silver coins, according to the wounded, the dead in battle, and the normal participation in the war; Half of all the spoils were divided equally among the participants.
Simple mobilization, the soldiers thundered with joy, and the company shares promised by Chen Jian were no different from real money. Moreover, this is not to defend the country, and there is really nothing to stir up the emotions of the soldiers except money.
The soldiers had seen the Dutch system in Holland and felt that those people were just like that, they were a lot worse than their own in the use of artillery, and the arquebuses were definitely not as fast as the flintlock pistols in their hands.
Since it was a landing battle, presumably the other side did not have a large-scale cavalry, and the soldiers had nothing to fear.
After the mobilization here, Sun Yuanhua and others hurriedly found Jian Chen.
"Is this information reliable, sir? Are the Japanese really going to enter Koryukyu in a big way? If it is true, please also send a small boat to inform the governor of Fujian to prepare. β
Jian Chen said with a smile: "I have known the news for a long time, and the governor has also sent someone." Besides, I'm not going to send troops to defeat those Japanese? β
Sun Yuanhua was puzzled, he communicated with Jian Chen a lot, and knew that Jian Chen was a good talker, so he asked, "Sir, the student is a little puzzled. Mr. is not a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, this kind of thing has nothing to do with Mr., right? If Mr. said that he admired Wang Hua, I would not believe it. β
Jian Chen smiled: "Why is it okay? If I want to trade with the Ming Dynasty, I have to prove that I am not a person like the Wakos, right? This is called speaking with facts and proving one's innocence. Do you think, if we fight with the Japanese, won't your emperors and chiefs of the Ming Dynasty believe that we will not trade with the Japanese? If you can't always say it with your mouth, you have to make an appearance. β
Sun Yuanhua still couldn't quite understand, and Jian Chen said again: "Have you read that book of "The Chronicles of the Great Kyushu Sea"? Chixian Shenzhou has the system of Chixian Shenzhou, the system of tribute and education, which can be regarded as based on righteousness. The system of the rest of the states is based on profit, for the sake of trade, for the sake of profit, you can go to war and fight to the death. β
"The argument of righteousness?"
"Yes and no. Chuyang, although I am not a gentleman, I am also a person who understands righteousness. However, if the system of Chixian Shenzhou is the system of the Great Kyushu, there is only one strong country in the world, and the rest are weak, so it is natural to educate the tributaries. It's just that you have studied with me these days, do you really think that there is only one Chixian Shenzhou in this world? β
"Not really, but ...... But why did the gentleman say it so directly? If it is to help the Ryukyus out of righteousness out of admiration and education, wouldn't it be better to gain a better reputation? β
"But no, I'm an honest person. Out of righteousness? What is Righteousness? Who will carry out this righteousness? If so, at this time, the Ming Dynasty can be strong enough to be able to enforce justice at any time, and this justice can naturally be enforced. But if you can't, is your righteousness what others think you are? β
Sun Yuanhua said: "That's why we need to educate." If everyone knew what righteousness was, the ruler would do unrighteous deeds, and his subjects would oppose it. β
"Yes, you're right. But the Jesuit priests came to Daming from thousands of miles away, and Mr. Daming might have traveled thousands of miles to Europa for indoctrination? Since you can't educate, how can you make your righteousness the righteousness of the world? β
"Sir is wrong, righteousness is righteousness, as Mr. taught axiomatic geometry, right here as well as elsewhere. Moreover, my teacher also said that the teachings of Catholicism coincide with Confucianism, so it can be seen that righteousness does not become unrighteousness just because they are thousands of miles apart. β
Jian Chen sighed, nodded, and said, "It's excellent that you can think like this." The moral education of people is always similar, but the rule of three generations cannot be repeated; The kingdom of heaven on earth has never been realized. If morality is right, then the only way to achieve it by indoctrination is wrong. In this way, count me as a gentleman to make an invitation, if you have the opportunity in the future, you can go to your hometown to see, and you will figure out a lot of things when you get there. β
Sun Yuanhua nodded and said, "If you have the opportunity, you will naturally visit Mr.'s hometown." β
Chen Jian didn't explain much, everything in Wangbei City is still the primitive level of productivity, and many things are explained as rootless trees.
"Speaking of which, you have come just in time. Don't you think about Pingbo Jinghai and seal the wolf Juxu in the future? Do you have the guts to follow me to Ryukyu? Go see the real battlefield and don't talk about it. β
"Why don't you dare? Even if you don't tell me, I'd like to check it out. β
"That's good. You go and ask them who else wants to go? If you want to go, follow along. That's it, I still have to go beforehand, if you really want to go, clean up. β
"Yes."
After saluting and retreating, Jian Chen snapped his fingers and shook his head, went straight to Li Dan, and said to Li Dan, saying that he might need an interpreter who can speak Japanese.
Li Dan knew that Chen Jian was going to reassure him, but he was actually relieved to see these ships and soldiers, but Chen Jian still wanted to let him see it with his own eyes.