The third is more presented, asking for a monthly pass, asking for a monthly pass, asking for a recommendation, and asking for a subscription

Listening to Bai Siwen's words, Putiyating nodded: "I have also seen a similar point of view in the book written by a Dutch naval officer who used to work at the Dutch Merchant House in Nagasaki, and that officer once asked many Japanese merchants: If Nagasaki is invaded by foreigners, can you defend your city?" The merchant replied, "I don't know, it's a matter for the shogunate." When the lieutenant heard this, he thought that if this was the case, then the captain of the Dutch warship, with one officer and forty-five marines landing, would easily occupy all the vital points of Nagasaki. He also believed that the Satsuma Domain, among other powerful southwestern feudal domains, was in harmony with the shogunate, and that it was a good opportunity to conquer Japan. Now aren't we fulfilling the prophecy of this Dutch naval officer? ”

Putiyatin once led a small fleet in the name of a military diplomat to knock on Japan's door, so he collected a lot of information about Japan, mainly written by Dutch people who had contact with Japan. The content, of course, is full of Western pride and prejudice. Saying that Nagasaki can be captured with a few dozen people - this Dutch naval officer is really going to do this, and he will be chopped into meat sauce! Putiyatin had seen the tenacity of the Japanese samurai in the Ryukyu Kingdom, and of course he was not so optimistic, but he had also seen the Japanese merchants of the Ryukyu Kingdom open their doors to do business after the Russian occupation of the Ryukyu Kingdom, as if there were no troublemakers.

The Russian officers in the cabin all nodded in agreement, and Bai Siwen and Xiang Yonggong's faces were full of flattering smiles, looking like loyal slaves. That's when it happened. A Russian naval officer came in to report that the Russian fleet had approached Awaji Island in the eastern part of Shikoku Island, and that the Satsuma Army was preparing to land and occupy the Takakumsan Fort in the eastern part of Awaji Island, which held the Kitam Strait. After the capture of this battery. The route to Osaka was completely open.

Osaka is a city of merchants! Maybe you can plunder hundreds of thousands of gold rubles, just as Klevau (the British colonists took over Bengal with 900 white troops and 2,000 indigenous mercenaries) in Bengal! Putiyating thought in his heart, Japan is a small number of samurai are more difficult to deal with, and now that the Satsuma Domain is leading the way for Russia, this mission is probably not difficult to complete, right?

……

"Lord Wang! Emergency military intelligence! ”

In the early morning of July 16, the 3rd year of the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Hong, who was sleeping with the daughter of a Japanese junior samurai, was woken up by his officers. He sat up sharply and looked at an army major in front of him. He said in a deep voice: "Report it." ”

"Last night, the combined fleet of Russia and Satsuma had sailed through the Kitam Strait, and now it has reached Osaka Bay!" The major gasped: "It depends on the situation that the Russians will land soon!" ”

Zheng Hong was already dressed in the service of an almost naked Japanese girl. Walking briskly outside: "Did the Tokugawa Shogun send someone to summon him?" ”

The major hurriedly said: "Someone has already arrived, and the news that the Russians have entered Osaka Bay is brought by someone who came." ”

Zheng Hong didn't say anything more. He knew how to lure the enemy into the depths, and 68-pounder cannons had been deployed on the Takama batteries on Awaji Island, and 32-pounder cannons had been placed on several batteries along the coast of Osaka Bay. There are hundreds of doors in total. Although it was inferior to the firepower of the Russian fleet, it was equipped with powerful Hodchsky shells, and the Russian fleet could not escape a surprise attack if it came close to any of the batteries.

As for Osaka, there are also more than 10,000 new Japanese army troops in ambush. As long as the Russians come up, keep the whole army annihilated!

"Did the Russians start landing?"

"Not yet." The Major said. "Lord, this time it would be nice to leave all the Russian fleets in Osaka Bay."

Zheng Hong smiled: "It's impossible to leave all, it's not bad to be able to leave a third." ”

After entering the shogunate army command post in Osaka Castle Honmaru, Sakuma Zoyama, Matsudaira Kanyu, Saigo Takanaga, Zheng Yongichi and others, as well as Katsukaishu and Shi Dakai, who had just come from Tsuruga Port, had already arrived. Matsudaira Saimin, the army commander, and Suga Saiyu, the army commander, also arrived early in the morning. However, Tokugawa Iekei himself did not appear. It is said that he was invited to Kyoto by the emperor last night.

Zheng Hong is just a consultant, but he is actually here to cheer up the Japanese devils. It is not necessary to be involved in command. When it comes to military science, Saigo Takayong is more proficient than him, and the battle plan for this time was drawn up by Saigo. After sitting down cross-legged, Zheng Hong called Shi Dakai to his side: "Dare to be, have you seen the new army of the Japanese?" What do you think? ”

Shi Dakai has fought a few tough battles, and he is from a professional class, so his vision is naturally better than Zheng Hong's second knife.

"It's outdated, it's still the way of playing in the era of smoothbore guns, and if the Russian marines are equipped with Bessemai rifles, they will definitely suffer. In addition, their cavalry is not good, they are similar to the Eight Banners, and they are not suitable for the current war. However, the morale of the soldiers is very good, and the queue is very neat, no worse than our guards. ”

Shi Dakai paused and said, "Lord Wang, can you go and talk to the Japanese, let me go to the front line to see the Russian army." ”

The more than 2,000 brocade guards he brought with him had already arrived in Osaka, but they were arranged to serve as a reserve outside the Osaka castle - a practice left over from Japan's Warring States period, and the reinforcements who were invited to help the fist were the last to play.

"Well, it's time to see it." Zheng Hong said, "I'll go talk to Sakuma Xiangshan." ”

Zheng Hong's words really worked, Shi Dakai immediately got the right to move freely on the battlefield, and Saigo Takanaga also asked Zheng Yong to bring a team of samurai with bright armor to protect Shi Dakai out of Osaka Castle.

……

"Shogun, that's Osaka Castle!"

At the same moment, Komatsu Kiyoyu stretched out his hand and pointed to the glorious and magnificent castle in the distance, and said to the Russian Vice Admiral Putiyating beside him.

"What did he say?" Putiyatin couldn't understand Japanese, so he asked Bai Siwen on the other side.

"That's Osaka Castle...... It's the big house without a roof. Bai Siwen said.

"It looks sturdy!" Putiyatin asked with some concern, "The Satsuma army has the ability to take there, right?" ”

"No problem!" Kiyoyu Komatsu replied. He pointed to a large area of low-rise Japanese-style buildings near the sea, saying, "The castle town in Osaka is the commercial center of Japan, and HSBC has a branch in Osaka. Some of Japan's largest wealthy merchants are all from Osaka, and their head offices are also in Osaka, and Osaka castle town stores a large amount of gold and silver! ”

When Bai Sven translated these words to Putiyatin, the Russian lieutenant general finally had a greedy expression on his face.

"There are many situations in Osaka's castle town, there are hundreds of thousands, and it is a big city second only to Edo, and there are many beautiful girls!" Bai Siwen added salt and vinegar again, and he listened to the situation of several large cities in Japan, knowing that Edo is the largest city in Japan, with more inhabitants than Beijing (there are not many people in Beijing now), and Osaka and Kyoto are second only to Edo.

"Hundreds of thousands, that seems like a lot......" Putiyating said loudly, looking at the endless array of low wooden houses, "I order the Satsuma army to prepare for the landing, and the task is to seize the port and Osaka Castle!"

Pacific Fleet Marines prepare to capture the city of Osaka!

Battleship detachments shelled the city of Osaka with incendiary bombs! Get started now! ”

"The Russians are shelling!"

On the top floor of the HSBC branch in Osaka, before Shi Dakai's words fell, hundreds of shells like black dots whistled and fell into the continuous wooden houses of Osaka Castle at a speed that could be seen by the eyes.

"Damn! It's an incendiary bomb! Zheng Yongyi next to him immediately roared. Almost all the houses in Osaka Castle Town are made of wood, and the most feared thing is that it will burn! Hundreds of incendiary bombs set fire to a wooden house near the dock. Screams, shouts, and the footsteps of the crowd running followed. The residents of Osaka, who had been relatively calm, were suddenly in a panic, although most of them already knew that the Russian fleet was coming. However, due to the traditional Japanese tradition of samurai fighting, which rarely affected civilians and municipalities, they did not expect to rush away, let alone that the Russian shells would set the houses on fire at once. In a panic, many people screamed for their lives without even having time to take any of their belongings, and the city was in chaos! (To be continued......)