The flintlock pistol was finely crafted and detailed, as if it were a work of art, clearly the latest model. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The barrel of the info gun is only two feet long, and the curved handle is just right to grasp with one hand. Li Tu grabbed it and glanced around, feeling like a captain in the Age of Discovery.

The flintlock pistol was ignited with flint, eliminating the arquebus ignition device. Using a flintlock pistol instead of an arquebus eliminates the need to blow the primer, load the arquebus, test the arquebus, etc., shorten the rifle reloading time and increase the firing speed. In the era of thermal weapons where the rate of fire is life, shortening the reload time directly improves the combat effectiveness of the musket.

Not only that, but because the primer disc of the flintlock pistol is airtight, the flintlock pistol also withstands wind and rain better than the arquebus. In light rain when the arquebus is turned off, the flintlock gun can still be fired. As a result, the adaptability of the musket was also greatly improved.

The structure of the flintlock pistol is not complicated, as long as the craftsman can make a Japanese-style iron cannon or a Ming-style bird gun, he can imitate the flintlock pistol. With this flintlock prototype, Li Tu can imitate the flintlock pistol in large quantities to improve the combat effectiveness of his crew.

Looking at the flintlock pistol in his hand, Li Tu's eyes lit up.

Putting the flintlock pistol back into the box, Li Tu closed the box and lifted it up, and said loudly to the British: "Three grams of oil!" ”

The two Englishmen didn't expect Li Tu to be able to speak a few words of English, so they laughed when they heard this, came up and shook hands with Li Tu, and said to Li Tu: "Our merchant house is in Hirado, if Captain Li needs our help in the future, you can come to Hirado to find us." ”

Li Tu thought for a moment and asked, "Can I buy a cannon with you?" ”

The two Englishmen glanced at each other, exchanged their opinions, and Oscar stood up and said, "Yes!" British cannons could be sold to Captain Lee. After a pause, he said: "But Britain is far away from Japan, and now it takes one year to send the order to Britain, and the next year it will be shipped, and it will take more than two years to get the artillery!" ”

Li Tu touched his chin and said lightly: "I see! ”

For Li Tu, who was in a hurry to equip himself with artillery, two years of waiting was too long. At present, it seems that it is more reliable to buy the artillery from the Shimazu family with the Satsuma Domain. Li Tu shook hands with the Englishman again and said with a smile: "Thank you!" My ship is in Satsuma Domain and Tsuga, so if you need my help, you can come to me. ”

#####

The news that the shogun had given Li Tu Zhu the seal soon spread. Li Tu, a maritime merchant, became a celebrity in Edo Castle. Over the next three days, seven or eight groups of people came to visit Li Tu at the Shimazu family's mansion. Most of these people were feudal retainers from various places, and Li Tu received them one by one, so he could be regarded as having an understanding of the situation in various parts of Japan.

That night, just after dinner, an attendant came to report that a man from Sendai, who claimed to be a friend of Li Tu's, had come to ask for an audience. Li Tu secretly wondered, he had never been to Sendai, what friends did he have? But it was okay anyway, so Li Tu called the general to be the translator, and asked the attendant to bring the man in.

In the middle of the night, the attendant walked in with an old man in his fifties dressed in a blue silk feather weaving. The old man was of medium height, with the Date family crest tattooed on the feather weaving, and his right eye covered with a silk cloth on his head, revealing only one left eye. Although he is old and has a harmonious attitude, there is a faint pride in the old man's gestures, which makes people dare not slack off.

The old man walked over with a smile and a squire behind him. Li Tu walked up to greet him.

Sitting down in Li Tu's room, the old man said straight to the point, "Down there is Date Masamune, the lord of the Sendai Domain. ”

Hearing this name, Li Tu was stunned, and secretly said that this is a celebrity.

Date Masamune was a prince of northeastern Japan. He was born in the late Warring States period, not many years after the unification of Japan, but in just a few years after he came to power, at the age of twenty-one, he conquered several nearby princes and became a tyrant in northeastern Japan. Because he lost an eye to smallpox as a child, he was known as the one-eyed dragon Masamune, a famous figure in the late Warring States period and the early Tokugawa shogunate in Japan.

Li Tu sat on the ground and bowed slightly, and said politely: "It turned out to be His Royal Highness Date of the Sendai Domain, and the lord of the Sendai Domain is coming, and it is shining. ”

Date Masamune saw that Li Tu respected him, smiled, and said, "I didn't expect Master Li to be so young!" What a teenage hero! ”

"His Royal Highness Date has won the prize!"

The two sat down and chatted. Li Tu asked Date Masamune some questions about Northeast Japan, Date Masamune answered them in detail, and asked Li Tu about the situation of the Ming Dynasty, and Li Tu also answered 1510.

After talking for a long time, Date Masamune changed the conversation and led the topic in the direction he wanted.

Date Masamune said: "I heard that His Excellency Li Tu said in front of the general that the lockdown decree shook the country's foundation, pointed directly to the key point, and affected the general's decision-making, so that the implementation of the lockdown decree was suspended. The old man happened to hear someone say what Master Li said, and he felt that it was an enlightenment. ”

Li Tu said lightly: "Your Highness Miao praised! ”

Date Masamune looked at Li Tu and said slowly, "It's good to suspend the lockdown order." The Sendai Domain also had a few ships going to sea for trade, and as soon as this lockdown order came, it is estimated that our ships will not be allowed to go to sea in a few years. His Excellency Li Tu was able to stand up and point out the absurdity of the lockdown order, and I don't know how many people will be inspired by it. ”

Japan's shipbuilding technology is backward, and if you want to trade in the ocean, you have to buy ships in China or the West. In addition, Japan lacks the accumulation of technology for ocean-going voyages, and there is a shortage of human resources, so it is very troublesome to hire Chinese captains and sailors to engage in ocean-going trade. As a result, Japanese merchants rarely let their ships go to sea. The Sendai Domain was ahead of its time by organizing fleets to trade at sea even before many difficulties.

Li Tu replied: "What kind of route is His Highness Date taking?" How's it going? ”

Date Masamune replied: "The Ming Dynasty did not allow Japanese ships to enter the port, and my fleet went to Luzon. As for the situation, there are tens of thousands of profits every year! ”

Li Tu said, "Among the feudal towns in Japan, His Royal Highness Date is one of the few feudal lords who practiced ocean trade, and it can be said that he is the pioneer! ”

Date Masamune smiled and said, "But Er'er! ”

After a pause, Date Masamune finally spoke, "I'm here to invite you to trade in the Sendai Domain!" Tapping his finger on the tatami mat, Date Masamune said, "The merchants of the Ming Kingdom like to go to the ports of Kyushu, but you don't know that the trade demand in our northern country is also very large. If your ship comes to Sendai Domain, I can give you a higher price for your goods. ”

Date Masamune came in a big way, and it turned out that he had come to dig the foot of the wall.

Hearing this, Li Tu leaned back and said lightly: "I have a happy cooperation with His Royal Highness Shimazu Tadahiro, and I have no plans to change places for a while." ”

Date Masamune looked at Li Tu and said slowly: "Sendai Domain, you can also provide iron cannons to Your Excellency!" Assist your arm. ”

When Li Tu heard this, he was stunned. I didn't expect this Date Masamune's news to be so well-informed. Kyushu and Northeast Japan are one in the south and the other in the north, and the whole of Japan is separated by the middle, and he even knows about the iron cannon he and the Shimazu family bought iron cannons. It seems that the eyeliner of the Date family is also all over Japan.