The two vermilion boats and the two customs boats slowly drove along the coast, the temperature of the autumn day was still very hot, and the breeze blowing from the south even carried the heat, blowing on people's faces very comfortably. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

The old Shiota of the Matsumae clan was enjoying tea on the deck while basking in the sun, and Shiota thought that this exploration of the West Ezo Land was an easy task.

As early as more than ten years ago, the Matsumae family continued to explore the West Ezo land, and established trade relations with the local area, and also stationed a small number of personnel.

A month ago, the Shogun Edojo sent a letter ordering the Matsumae Domain to draw a map of the Ezo Land and present it, and the Shogun's order was not to be disobeyed, and the Governor of the Matsumae Domain, Matsumae Kohiro, ordered Shiota Yoshiki, who was in charge of the transport ship, to take full responsibility for this.

Of course, Shiota Keiki bowed down to his fate.

It is said that this is just to inform the local Japanese merchants to cooperate with the feudal lord's investigators, as well as sell food and groceries, and send a subordinate samurai to go.

However, due to the edict of General Tokugawa Iemitsu, Shiota did not dare to be careless, and personally went north, carrying 20 investigators from the commission, including six minor officials and more than ten guards.

He planned to only survey the vicinity of Otaru in the winter, and next year he would send a few more ships and more than 100 people to comprehensively explore and draw.

Shiota who had been to Otaru knew that he would arrive in Otaru in no more than two days, and after dropping off his staff to unload the cargo, Shiota planned to return.

The territory of the Yiren was neither safe nor comfortable, and he came in person to show his seriousness on behalf of the Matsumae Domain, and he did not intend to be trapped in the snowy Ezo Land in winter.

Shiota in his early forties was bored after sitting for a long time, got up and unfolded his folding fan, waving it slowly. Look at the distant land. A long sigh. "It's a pity."

The shogunate ordered that the lord of the Matsumae Domain, Matsumae Kohiro, and all the elders of the family understood that the Tokugawa Shogunate had set its sights on the West Ezo land, and after decades of exploration, Kazuto had already known that there were large plains in the west and central parts of the Ezo land.

For Japan, which is crowded and narrow, this is the closest resettlement place according to Honshu, but it is only necessary to move Dingkou to open up forest land and open up roads, which will cost one million taels of silver. Not to mention the resistance of many barbaric Ainu, in short, the price was too great.

For 100 years, the Wato only established the Matsumae Domain and dozens of castles in the south and southeast, but the shogunate could first set up Ezo as a direct domain until Edo Castle was completely completed and the surplus food and wages were used before opening up.

Obviously, the Matsumae Domain's attempt to annex the entire Ezo region was shattered.

Shiota watched as he rowed his oars and struggled to follow the two ships of the Vermilion Boat he was on. Shaking his head, "It's too slow." ”

"It's too slow, my lord, if it weren't for them, the fleet would have arrived in Otaru ten days ago." The subordinate samurai Inada Yujiji on the side replied with a smile.

"There's no way, the Vermilion Ship still relies on their guards." Yantian said helplessly. As a warship, the rectangle ship is still very powerful in the near sea, surrounded by thick wooden guards, with gun emplacements and armor in the middle, and manpower oars also have their advantages in short-distance sprints.

"My lord, there's a big ship in the distance." The faint shouts of the watchmen were suddenly heard from the lookout.

Shiota frowned slightly, he understood that the sailors would not take the fishing boats of the Wajin Ainu as a threat, and they must have made a discovery.

"Honk, vigilance."

A long horn sounded from the lookout, and the two ships accelerated to the front of the team to set up a defensive line.

At the time of the tea, the other party's mast appeared in front of him, and Shiota understood the sailor's intention to call the police at a glance, this was the sail type he had never seen before, a thin and low ship, compared to the soft sails of the hull, and the two towering masts.

The other party walked briskly approaching the distance of three miles, Yantian carefully looked at the big Chinese character 'Zhao' fluttering on the opponent's mast, Yantian immediately ordered to prepare for war, he had never heard of the Miao character surnamed Zhao in Japan, only the Ming had such a Miao character, and since more than 100 years ago, the Ming Dynasty has become a mortal enemy with Japan.

At the sound of the rapid horn, the two ships quickly rowed close to the enemy ship, and the large gunners on board hurriedly loaded the gunpowder and the gunners, but the enemy ship did not give them a chance to fire, and it turned back briskly.

Shiota frowned and watched the enemy ship make a big arc and gradually move away with the splash, and the Guan boat behind tried his best to paddle and pursue, but he could only helplessly watch the enemy ship drift away.

Fast, incredibly fast, this is the biggest feeling this eccentric ship brings to Yantian.

The sound of laughter and scolding of the sailors and gunners of his subordinates sounded on several ships, and they were certainly entitled to laugh at the opponents who did not dare to flee in battle.

Yantian didn't smile, not only did he not smile, but Yantian frowned deeply and shook the folding fan gently.

Inada Xingji knew that the adult was encountering a problem, and he didn't say anything, just stood quietly beside him.

Shiota did not like the feeling of being in the clouds, and the enemy ships came and retreated quickly, making it look like a sentinel ship, although its tonnage was not much smaller than the one he was on.

Perhaps, the enemy was ahead, and Shiota had no choice but to probe forward, which was his duty as a Matsumae samurai.

Lan San stood on the back deck and used binoculars to look at the flying Ling Ling flag on the other party's mast again, as well as an orange salt field flag, as a boatswain Lan San wanted to confirm it again.

The Matsumae family's fleet spent the night in peace, and at the beginning of noon the next day, another alarm was heard, and this time the sailors on the lookout spotted several large ships, and four Matsumae ships' ships hurried to the alert.

With the help of his attendants, Shiota put on a red hat, but his thin figure was hard to call powerful even if he wore armor.

The ship's ashigaru was draped in bamboo armor, and the gunners were busy with large cylinders.

When the opposing fleet approached several miles, everyone in the Matsumae Domain, including Shiota, watched in amazement as the three huge gray and black ships slowly approached.

The boat-type of several ships that came this time was recognized by Shiotan as Nanban galleons, with huge gray and black hulls, towering masts, and huge fluttering soft sails, but the huge Chinese character 'Zhao' fluttering on the mast was fluttering.

Two of the smaller ships were more than twice as large as the ships that Yantian had boarded, and the largest one was more than three times as large.

This is the warship of the Ming people, when did the Ming people have such a southern barbarian giant ship. And why is it here? These are all unsolvable questions in Yantian's heart.

First, it was the low, strange sea ship heading towards the Matsumae flotilla.

"My lord, do you want to fire a cannon?" Inada asked on the side.

"No, wait." Shiota had seen the power of the Nanban cannon in Nagasaki, and although he was not worried about the combat power of the Ming ship's hand-to-hand combat, he was afraid of the power of the enemy's heavy artillery.

The clipper approached less than half a mile without hesitation, and a Japanese shout came from the ship, "Peace talks, peace talks." ”

Shiota nodded in agreement. Yukiji Inada shouted to get on the boat and reply.

The two boats approached quickly, then lowered their sails, and relied on the gang, and the armor of both sides was heavily armed.

Yantian saw that the opponent's armor was all black and iron, and his hands were either iron cannons, or spears and swords, and the formation was neat.

The first two of them boarded the vermilion ship,

"I am a Luzon Ming, who is the chief?" First, a stout man in iron armor pressed his sword and said.

A short man next to him interprets in Japanese.

Shiota looked at the diminutive man, who was a genuine Japanese from his level of proficiency in Japanese.

"I'm the Matsumae Domain's shipping commissioner. Yantian celebrates, who is coming? Shiota straightened his thin body.

"We are Luzon Ming. We will meet you here. Ming Jiang arched his hand and said.

"I also want to meet you and other commanders, but why don't you meet me on the ship?" Shiota Qingxi pretended to be arrogant and said.

After all, the momentum of the negotiation on whose ship is completely different.

Ming Jiang smiled disdainfully and turned back to the boat and gestured. A long horn sounded from the ship.

The gun window of a smaller Galen ship in the back opened,

"Boom, boom," the artillery on both sides fired one after another, and more than a dozen water columns rose on the sea a few miles away, startling the nearby seabirds to fly and chirp, breaking the tranquility of the sea.

"I hope your Excellency will follow me." Ming Jiang arched his hand and said.

"Bastard, how dare you be rude to adults." Rice field Xing's two qi pole pulled out the knife.

For a while, the two sides were armoured and armed, and the iron cannons and fire guns were flattened.

"Stop, put down your weapons." Shiotan shouted.

One by one, the Yantian subordinates laid down their weapons, and the Akito on the other side also laid down their weapons.

"Line two, follow the adults and I will go for a while." Shiota doesn't think that the other party has malicious intentions, and he can make his own side suffer a big loss with the other party's heavy artillery, so there is really no need to risk approaching the narrative, and Shiota also wants to know the other party's intentions.

As for whose ship to negotiate with, it depends on whose fist is bigger, but now it seems that the opponent's fist is bigger, and at this time, the Japanese have a forbearant personality that dominates Shiotan.

Shiota gave an account of the bow of the ship, and boarded the enemy ship with Yuji Inada and two escorts.

The clipper ship broke away from the Vermilion Ship, and under Lan San's order, the rudder picked up its head and headed towards the largest Galen battleship.

After Lan San picked up the head of the boat, he looked curiously at the four people who were draped all over his body, this was the first time Lan San saw the armored Japanese warriors, and Lan San, who was less than twenty, still retained the curious nature of young people.

Shiota also watched the armor on the opposing ship. Most of the opponents' armor were tall and stout, and they were surrounded by the relatively thin figure of the people, and they saw that the other party was wearing armor and weapons to surround a few of them, and many people's eyes were leaking fiercely.

Well, these Akito were very fierce and daring, unlike the more docile Akito he had seen in Nagasaki. Shiota said secretly in his heart.

As he approached the largest Nanban ship, Shiota sighed at its enormity, the largest Nanban ship he had ever seen.

After relying on the gang, the four of them boarded the giant ship, and dozens of armored Ming soldiers surrounded them.

"Hand over your weapons." A Ming soldier said.

Inada Yujiji looked at the salt field, and the salt field nodded. Several people handed over the sword and the rib difference. Several people, led by two Ming troops, walked to the bow of the ship.

"My lord, bring it with the people." The Ming army reported outside the bow cabin.

"Let them in." A gruff voice said.

A few people followed the others into the large cabin.

I saw a young black-faced general sitting behind the desk, this person was dressed in a silver Nanban with feet, a square scarf tied his hair, and his eyes looked at several people. Beside him, one tall and one short, two Ming generals dressed in Nanban were standing. In front of the case, a Ming man dressed as a scribe was stationed.

"I, the Matsumae Domain, are engaged in Shiota Keiki, and I've met my lord." Shiota bowed.

"No need to be polite." Zhao Lie got up and bowed in return.

Zhao Lie received a report from the sentinel ship that the warship was coming, so he brought three of the five Galen warships anchored in Fangmao Port, the Weiqing, Peng Yue, and Zhou Yafu.

After Zhao Lie got up, Yantian found that Zhao Lie's tall and stout figure was extremely powerful in the relatively low cabin, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself, and unconsciously straightened up. (To be continued.) )