Late June.

Considering the typhoon-prone season, it will soon pass.

The top management of Xujiazhuang made the decision to make a big move in marine fishing.

It is planned to concentrate the Zhoushan fishing fleet, the Yellow Sea fishing fleet, the DPRK fishing fleet, and the newly established Hirado fishing fleet, and combine all the fishing vessels of these four fleets, plus the supporting refrigerated cargo ships and material supply ships, to form a large-scale super combined fishing fleet.

Then under the escort of ironclad warships.

I went straight to the Hokkaido fishing grounds, which are more than 2,500 kilometers away, no, it was a godsend for fish.

Fight a super battle of deep-sea fishing!

The aim is to catch more than 10 million koku (625,000 tons) of marine fish and seafood, so that they can go empty and return with a full load!

There is no doubt that this is a big move.

There must be nearly 1,000 fishing boats that need to be organized.

At least thirty seaborne cargo ships equipped with steam-powered refrigerated tanks must be prepared.

Tens of thousands of tons of oil have to be prepared.

Professional fishermen, fishermen, and sailors, not less than 100,000 people.

In short, it will be a battle of astonishing scale, but the target is not human forces, but fish and shrimp in the deep sea, after all, these are high-value food resources.

But!

The freezing and preservation capacity of the fishing fleet is limited, and the fish and shrimp are easy to die and rot after catching out of the sea, in order to avoid waste and maximize the use of resources, it is also necessary to establish a sheltered port in a place close to the Tianci fish sea, and at the same time establish a complete set of marine fish and seafood processing plants, and process the fish in a timely manner, such as processing into canned food, long-term freezing and sealing, salted and dried, etc., although the processed marine fish and seafood, not as delicious as the freshest state, but at least will not be wasted, Resource utilization is maximized.

So in the entire territory of the Kingdom of Japan, which place is suitable for establishing this safe haven?

I searched and analyzed it on the map.

The port of Aomori under the control of the Tsugaru domain was the most suitable, because this natural harbor was surrounded by land on three and a half sides, the internal bay area was large, which could accommodate thousands of ships, and the northern outlet to the sea was the Tsugaru Strait, which was less than 20 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, as long as the main channel of the strait could be controlled, it would be able to cut off the connection between Honshu Island and Hokkaido Island, and isolate the 83,000-square-kilometer island of Hokkaido, which was undoubtedly unbearable for the Kingdom of Japan, which was already a small country.

Therefore, as long as the port of Aomori is firmly occupied, Xujiazhuang will not only have an additional fishery processing center, but also a strategically important place, but any country at a normal point will never accept such a thing, and will desperately resist and oppose.

But so what?

Xu Jiazhuang intends to occupy this important point, what does it have to do with your kingdom of Japan?

No matter what kind of resistance will be encountered, this place in Aomori Port, Xu Jiazhuang has made up his mind, and no one can stop it.

……

July 15th.

After more than half a month of thorough preparation.

The harbor city, the outer harbor, including hundreds of functions of the huge combined fishing fleet, the mighty departure, the plan to arrive at the port of Hirado first, after a short rest, and then with the Hirado fishing fleet, along the west side of Japan north, sailing thousands of kilometers, after arriving at the Tsugaru Strait, immediately take the port of Aomori next to it, and then let the young people move down all kinds of building materials and equipment, start the construction of the fishery processing center, of course, the port must also be expanded and improved, military facilities must also be established, and at least a battalion of 1,000 marines must be stationed, to meet military challenges at any time.

Gain a foothold in Aomori Port!

It will take place in mid-to-late August, when the typhoon-prone season ends.

The huge combined fishing fleet can go straight to the Tianci Fish Sea hundreds of kilometers away, officially start the autumn fishing, use sonar and other advanced equipment to locate the location of the fish, and then like harvesting grain, crazy fishing fish, shrimp and crabs.

And this fishing battle can last at least until the end of October, until the 10 million stone fishing task is completed.

Above.

It's a basic overview of the plan.

……

Sixteenth.

Above the turquoise sea, a huge fleet headed east.

The sea cargo ship "Golden Mai Lang" is in the front position, and the three-cylinder steam engine outputs mid-range power, so that the speed is only less than 15 knots, so as to avoid too much distance from the fishing boats behind, after all, most of the fishing boats, the power system has been replaced by a 120 horsepower diesel engine, and in order to save fuel, it can only run out of thirteen or fourteen knots.

Twenty-six-year-old Donne Watson, from the Kingdom of England, who was proficient in mathematics and navigation, and had been running ships in the East for many years, and could speak Chinese, passed the recruitment examination and became the navigator of the 'Golden Wheat Wave', second only to the captain and first mate.

In fact, as a high-level talent, he actually prefers to play for his country, and has no plans to stay in the East for a long time.

But plans often don't keep up with change.

Especially two years ago, when he was still working for the Dutch East India Company, he arrived in Harbour City for the first time on a merchant ship.

He was so shaken by the city that he almost fell to his knees, and later saw heaven.

Then he was attracted by the city, and he came to the city many times to do business, and spent more than three months in the harbor city, and with his clever mind, he quickly learned the language here, was able to communicate with the locals, and became a navigator and translator who was highly valued by the company.

But even though he can do many jobs, his monthly salary is only 20 guilders (1 guilder is equal to about 0.5 silver dollars), and because he is English, the conflicts between countries often make him ostracized and suppressed by Dutch colleagues, and his life is not smooth.

This gave him the intention to return to England and play for his country, even if he enjoyed working and developing in the more prosperous East.

The turnaround occurred in June last year, due to the shortage of marine talent, Harbour City issued a recruitment announcement, intending to recruit a number of foreign talents, such as sailors, navigators, senior seafarers, etc., those who can speak Chinese are preferred, and those with academic qualifications are preferred...... Don Watson felt that he was a perfect fit for all the requirements, as if it were tailor-made for him.

Originally, Don Watson didn't think much about it, he still wanted to return to England, and besides, he was old, it was time to go back to fulfill the marriage contract with Winnie, and he couldn't let the woman wait too long for him - that's right, Don Watson was a nobleman, and he had declined in his generation, but there were still some foundations, otherwise there would not be a marriage partner.

But Harbour City offers too generous a package and too much.

The annual salary is not less than 300 silver dollars (senior navigator).

At least two months of leave.

Room and board included.

There are also year-end bonus benefits, etc.

Taken together, this level of pay is more than three times that of his work for the Dutch East India Company.

Job-hopping.

In short, after working here for two years, after saving a sum of money, it is better to return to England, although it is not to return home, but it is much better than going back with a depressed appearance.

It seems to be a blink of an eye.

Come back to your senses.

He had been a navigator on the Golden Wheat Lane for more than a year, taking part in 32 run-off missions, but the longer he worked, the more he felt less inclined to return to England.

The food here is so delicious that the food in my home country of England is all pig food.

It's clean, tidy and hygienic, unlike some cities in England that are simply filthy and messy with and urine.

The education, medical care, and law here are extremely advanced and developed, and England may not be able to catch up in three hundred years, because there is still a backward and decadent aristocratic rule.

The people here are very easy-going, warm and kind, although he was given the nickname 'Big Nose Sheng', but it was just a kind ridicule, no malice, not discrimination, and he slowly accepted it.

There are also such and such advantages, which are simply innumerable, and they are better than their native England everywhere anyway.

"I still have to go back next year, complete the marriage contract with Winnie, and then bring her over to continue this job to see if it is possible to settle in Xujiazhuang, yes, I have the aristocratic status of a baron, but to be a nobleman in backward England, it is better to be an ordinary person in Xujiazhuang, the people at the bottom here are better than nobles and even better than the king."

Don Watson sighed secretly.

Just as his thoughts were drifting.

Captain Wang Dafu, a middle-aged man, said to Sha Lixun, the first mate next to him: "Lao Sha, do you say that this time, the Japanese people will honestly give us that Aomori Port?" Or do you have to fight, clean them up, and then take the harbor, and then catch our fish well? ”

"Then it depends on whether the widows know each other or not, if they know each other, they will give up the place obediently, and if they don't know each other, they will be beaten to see how many people they can die." Sha Lixun smiled coldly.

"Captain, isn't it good that we have traveled so far in the past, occupying territory and killing people? Wouldn't it be too bullying. One of the crew members asked.

"Bullying?"

Sha Lixun looked at the crew member and asked: "Since the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, there have been Japanese robbers on the southeast coast of the Ming Dynasty, and they have continued to rob and kill people for hundreds of years. During the Wanli period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded North Korea twice on a large scale, seemingly trying to plot North Korea, but in fact the purpose was my Ming Dynasty, they had long wanted to kill on land and occupy my Huaxia Shenzhou, this time we came to fish, but it was just to borrow a place to use, and it was not counted before the old accounts, if the widows did not forgive, simply settle the previous accounts! Give them a ruined country and exterminate the species, and all the land is occupied, this is called the revenge of Xianggong Fu IX, the Spring and Autumn Period! So it's no problem to be ruthless with the widows. ”

"Makes sense."

"How can a small Wa kingdom beat us so many times and still haven't wiped it out?"

"The Wa Kingdom has always had wolf ambitions, like a poisonous snake next to the Ming Dynasty, always thinking of biting and harming people, and it must be killed."

"That's right, if it's another country, it's a little inappropriate for us to occupy their land, but it's too suitable for the Wa country, and it's even a little late."

Don Watson, who was in attendance, said secretly: "As long as the strength is strong enough to take away other people's land, do you need a reason for this?" As long as it is in the name of God to give itself, it is enough to rob directly, including England, all European countries do this, but these Chinese people are too moral, too kind, and always want to find a reasonable reason to act, which is really puzzling. ”

……

The other side.

On July 18, under the authorization of Xu Jiazhuang, Matsuura Nobutada was sent as an envoy to Kyoto to ask for an audience with the emperor and make representations on Xu Jiazhuang's behalf.

However, the current Emperor Meisho is only a twelve-year-old girl, and he does not have the right to participate in deciding major matters, but is just a puppet.

What Matsuura Nobutada wanted to meet was actually Tokugawa Iemitsu, the current shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, a thirty-two-year-old man who had always been strong, arbitrary, and rude.

Shogunate, inside the government palace.

Kneel facing each other.

After listening to Matsuura Nobusada's explanation, he said that Xujiazhuang would permanently lease the port of Aomori in the Tsugaru domain area, and it would not be negotiable.

"Impossible!"

Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes widened, and he said angrily: "The Tsugaru Domain is in an important place, and there is absolutely no possibility of leasing!" Unless it is exchanged for flesh and blood, for those who dare to invade, Yamato's tens of millions of people and millions of troops will surely drive all the incoming invaders into the sea! ”

"But in last year's Battle of Kamachi Bay, the Shogunate and the allied forces of the feudal domains killed nearly 100,000 people, but they couldn't even defeat the thousands of Xu Jiajun, and even none of them could be killed. Ten people, or fifty people? Does such a jade crush make sense? Nobutasha Matsuura asked.

"You-"

The Tokugawa family's bare face was flushed, and he was so grumpy that he almost vomited blood in anger, because this seriously poked his sore spot, and in last year's battle of Kamachi Bay, the shogunate and the allied forces of the feudal clans were defeated too badly.

After that battle, the prestige of the shogunate was greatly reduced, and more than a dozen vassal vassals on Kyushu Island, such as the Satsuma Domain, the Osumi Domain, and the Yin Dong Domain, no longer received orders from the shogunate, and rushed to send people to Xujiazhuang to show goodwill, and sent protons to study in Harbour City, which was equivalent to breaking away from the shogunate system, but Tokugawa Iemitsu was helpless against them.

But I didn't expect that Xujiazhuang would have to make an inch, and he would come to persecute this year, if he really agreed to lease Aomori Port, he might lose control of Hokkaido, not to mention, his prestige will decline again, and then I am afraid that even the feudal domains on Honshu Island will no longer be able to bird the shogunate, and it is no different from the fall of the shogunate.

Such a result is absolutely unacceptable.

However, the strength of Xujiazhuang is too strong, even if an army of millions is formed, I am afraid that it is not an opponent, but loses all the cards.

There is no choice.

The short-tempered Tokugawa Iemitsu could only suppress his anger and play the moral card, saying that it was not okay for Xu Jiazhuang to do this, it was an innocent teacher, it was an unrighteous act, and it was not a gentleman's doing, and he persuaded Xu Jiazhuang not to rely on the strong and bully the weak, and let Japan go.

Matsuura Nobusada cited the example of the Japanese invaders who committed many crimes, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi was even more arrogant and uncontrollable to the point that he wanted to swallow the big with the small, and now Xu Jiazhuang is returning with a tooth for a tooth and bullying the small with the big, so why not come back in order to take revenge on the other?

The Tokugawa family was dumbfounded, even if he wanted to say so many bad things, it was not his Tokugawa family who did it, but he couldn't deny it, Japan did cause a lot of harm to the Ming Dynasty, and Xu Jiazhuang had no problem using this as an excuse.

What to do?

Isn't there a good way to do it?

"General, the end of resistance is a dead end, all wealth and nobility come to naught, if you choose to obey and agree to give up the port, after Xujiazhuang's requirements are satisfied, you will naturally not find an excuse to make trouble, and then ask for more land, this is at the minimum price, and save the whole of Japan, as for those who oppose and want to resist, the general does not have to worry, you can support them to deal with Xujiazhuang, if they are too scared to go, what qualifications do you have to blame the general? Therefore, the prestige of the shogunate was only temporarily damaged, and it did not affect the stability of the shogunate's power, if those ambitious rebels did not dare to fight Xujiazhuang, but instead pointed the spearhead at the shogunate and carried out a crusade, then the general could simply learn from my Matsuura clan and simply take refuge in Xujiazhuang, and the troublemakers would not be able to make big waves. ”

Nobutada Matsuura analyzed.

"Take refuge in Xujiazhuang, this is an opponent, how can you take refuge?" Tokugawa Iemitsu's eyes widened.

"If you want to keep your family's wealth, who is not taking refuge? Xu Jiazhuang killed my brother, but he died of his own stupidity, I don't hate Xu Jiazhuang at all, on the contrary, after taking refuge in Xu Jiazhuang, the Matsuura family earned 150,000 silver dollars last year by running various businesses, equivalent to 300,000 stone high, and also entered the system of Xu Jiazhuang, enjoying all kinds of convenience, and living is not necessarily much worse than the shogunate. ”

Nobusada, Matsuura.

Silent.

Tokugawa Iemitsu fell silent, and he also knew that Matsuura Nobusada's suggestion was actually to hope that the Tokugawa clan would also be a dog, and that he would sell the country to gain benefits by listening to Xu Jiazhuang's words, and it would indeed bring great benefits to the Tokugawa clan, but ...... This really can't be done.

On the one hand, it is difficult to get over the face.

Besides, the wolf king can't be a loyal dog.

But choosing to resist is a dead end, and no one wants to choose.

"Then don't do anything, act as if nothing happened, haven't heard of it, don't understand it at all, just pretend to be a lake, if anyone can't help but resist Xujiazhuang, let them resist and perish...... Pretending to be deaf and dumb can always be done, right? ”

Nobusada Matsuura advised him to lie down and ignore it.

The Tokugawa family blackened his face and stopped talking, as if acquiescing to his suggestion.

In the corner of the government affairs hall, the twelve-year-old female emperor Xingzi, seeing the great general who was extremely strong in the past, with a cod liver colored face at this moment, was obviously insulted and despised by the envoy of Xujiazhuang many times, but she just didn't dare to attack, and she didn't even have the courage to kill this Matsuura Nobutada, which made her feel very surprised, is this the big general in her impression? This also made her more interested in that Xujiazhuang.

……

A week later.

July 25th.

The huge combined fishing fleet sent by Xujiazhuang entered the Tsugaru Strait, turned south, sailed into Aomori Bay, and went straight to Aomori Port.

Unexpectedly, the local Tsugaru clan did not dare to take any action to stop the Tsugaru clan, even if they discovered this large fleet in advance, but took the initiative to send ships to lead the way, took the initiative to withdraw the military and civilians, and gave up Aomori Port.

He even recruited a large number of people and strong men to help renovate and expand Aomori Port, which can be described as extremely cooperative and friendly.

The third lord of the Tsugaru Domain, Tsugaru Nobuyoshi, even asked for peace with Xujiazhuang, expressing his willingness to take refuge and be loyal to Xujiazhuang, and the only requirement was to obtain a status similar to that of the Matsuura clan and to share the dividends in the development of Aomori Port.

This small request was naturally agreed and approved, so Xu Jiazhuang accepted another loyal dog, and Tokugawa Iemitsu in Kyoto, knowing that the Tsugaru clan did not resist, but became Xu Jiazhuang's dog, decisively betrayed the shogunate, and was so angry that he almost vomited blood, and smashed a room of items like crazy, but there was nothing he could do about it.