Fortunately, before Matsushita Fukumei launched an attack on Fukuyama Castle, he knew that he was going to be in charge of this land on behalf of the Oriental Trading Company, so he was prepared.

"Your Highness, I need you to give me the power to recruit and train troops, make peace and declare war against the enemy, the Ezo people, and leave me plenty of food, cloth, and iron, and those weapons and armor captured in Iki and Yaku, if it is convenient, to stay here as well." Matsushita Tomaki knew that there was only one chance, so he tried his best to make his request in short words.

Li Zhaoji nodded: "I can also leave you four thousand taels of silver, and give you all the authority, you can execute anyone here." And I just need to have Fukuyama Castle and the port in our hands before the next fleet arrives. ”

Li Zhaoji was satisfied with Matsushita Fuming's request, because while asking for supplies, Matsushita Fuming had already indicated his ruling plan, that is, to pin his security on the Ezo people.

According to Yamae Kiryō, the Matsumae Domain's army in the northern land has a size of 2,000 people, of course, including craftsmen and people, less than half of them really have combat effectiveness, but this is still an opponent that Matsushita Tomiaki cannot match.

If you want to hold the land under your feet, you must form an alliance with the Ezo people, and hire and train the Ezo people to resist the army of the Matsumae Domain.

Even if there is a situation where you are defeated, you can retreat into the territory of the Ezo people and protect yourself.

"Mr. Yamae, can you assist Tomaki Matsushita in the matter of communication with the Ezo people?" Li Zhaoji asked.

Yamazen Mu Ling nodded slightly, and he said with a smile: "Your Highness, I am a businessman, you should know that whoever gives money to a businessman is a businessman's partner." Anui ..... No, the golden sand in the hands of the Ezo people is as charming as the Matsumae Domain. ”

Yamae Muling uses relatively obscure words to explain that his Ryohama group did indeed trade with the Ezo tribe.

"Yes, I wish the money I gave was even more charming than the golden sands of the Matsumae Domain." Li Zhaoji said.

Only then did Yamazen realize that he had said the wrong thing, and he immediately changed his words: "That's for sure, you are the most generous lord I have ever met, and I will do everything to serve you." ”

"Then you can help Panasonic and the Ezo people match, and complete this task, I will not hold you accountable for the fault of your words." Li Zhaoji said lightly.

"It's Your Highness!" Yamamae Muling said with joy on his face.

In fact, on the issue of the Ezo people, Yamae Kiryo lied, and the relationship between the Ryohama gumi and the Anui people was not a dark and secret matter, on the contrary, it was a public matter.

Since the territory of the Matsumae Domain was in Ezo and there was no stone height, it was naturally impossible to distribute it to its retainers, and the Matsumae Domain's method of distributing it was very simple, that is, to divide the nearby gathering points among their own retainers, who would tax the merchants and local people in the past.

The merchants, including the Ryohama group, were thus able to trade directly with the Anui with the permission of their retainers.

Therefore, it is not the prerogative of the Ryohama gumi to have contact with the Ezo people, but the way that the local merchants and the retainers of the Matsumae clan scattered all over the country have mastered, but Yamae Kiryo took on this task through this asymmetry of information.

Li Zhaoji said to Matsushita Tomaki: "Your task is not only to train the Ezo people to be your subordinates, the most important thing is to recruit them, no, not to recruit, but to get them."

There will also be wars between the Ezo people, and you can buy the Ezo captives.

You have limited resources, neither food nor weapons to build a large army. Therefore, all the Ezo people you get, except for those left for your own use, must be sent to Sado and handed over to Liu Shun. I will arrange for a boat to travel between Ezo and Sado to transport the Ezo people and replenish the supplies you need. ”

When Matsushita Fuming heard this, he nodded heavily, he knew that Li Zhaoji could not trust the Japanese, and if he was not a cutidan who could not integrate into Japan, he would not be reused.

On the contrary, the people of Ezo are more likely to be trusted, because they will not have any psychological burden in the war against Japan.

"Your Highness, you know my faith, may I ask, do you have any indication in this regard?" Tomaki Matsushita asked.

Li Zhaoji smiled and said: "You believe in Catholicism, but you are not a priest, I believe you do not have the zeal of mission. But I also need to remind you that you can maintain your faith, and I have given you those women, and they will naturally marry chickens and dogs.

If you have the skills, you can convert the Dutch from Protestantism to your faith in Catholicism. But don't proselytize the Japanese and Ezo here. ”

Matsushita Fuming was obviously a little disappointed, Li Zhaoji had no religious beliefs, so he couldn't understand Matsushita Fuming's persistence in this. And as an officer, Matsushita Tomaki firmly believes that the common belief has great significance for the improvement of military cohesion, but this is not what Li Zhaoji wants to see.

"Panasonic, don't be disappointed. You are the Acting Authority here, and you govern and rule here on my behalf. You have to be clear about that, but you also have to understand that you are not the lord here. Your contribution to the trading company is enough to earn a rich fief, and that will be in Sado.

I told you before that you can recruit Kishitan to Sado, and all this is still valid, and the Kishitans you recruit, as long as they are skilled craftsmen and soldiers with combat effectiveness, can get land in Sado.

But only in Sado, I can't think of any other place in the land under the rule of a trading company where this policy can still be implemented. Li Zhaoji said sincerely to Matsushita Fuming.

Matsushita Fuming lay on the ground: "No, Your Highness, Sado is very good, there is no better place than Sado." ”

As a matter of fact, among the territories owned by trading companies, only Sado has rich and mature land, and even freshwater is far from being able to match it. In addition, Sado has a mountain of gold and silver that is difficult for trading companies to give up, and Kirishitan is located in Sado, so you don't have to worry about being alone.

"This is your chance, Panasonic, you have to learn to be a deputy officer. Not only to fight wars, but also to govern their own people. You know, in my place, there are battles for you to fight, and there are merits for you to stand. For example, the Ezo land under your feet is a huge island.

If one day, you conquer this island for me and make all the Ezo people submit, I will give you Sado as your domain, except for the gold and silver mines, of course.

This is my promise to you, you can try to do it all. Li Zhaoji said.

"This is the promise of the king, and I will work hard for it." Matsushita Tomaki shouted thanks.

When the first snow fell from the sky, the north wind season had fully arrived, and the fleet left a boat behind and immediately headed south to Sado.

In Sado, Lee Siu Ki saw the half-finished fort, as well as the orderly market and streets, even the Japanese, all enjoyed peace, only one person was crying, that was Yamaqian Kiso, Lee Siu Ki saw the guy on the street, but ignored him.

"Why is that Yamamae Kiso crying?" Li Zhaoji walked into the office and asked Li Sizhi.

Li Sizhi said: "His family was killed. ”

"Is it true that the thieves and no-lodgets in the Sado Mountains haven't been cleaned up yet?" Lee asked.

"Not here, he was a native of Notokoku, and the Edo shogunate found out about his cooperation with a trading company and killed his wife and a son who remained in his hometown." Li Sizhi replied seriously.

"So, Yamagae served us wholeheartedly?" Li Zhaoji asked.

Li Sizhi said: "At least he doesn't dare to go back to Japan." ”

"Okay, that's good news, call Guo Xu." Li Zhaoji instructed that the lunch at noon on this day was to be eaten by several people.

"Have you ever considered where the bureaucrats and the flotilla stationed here should go when the Japanese army came to attack and Liu Shun led the army to defend the fortress and wait for rescue?" Li Zhaoji asked.

"Ulleungdo, the big treasurer. A few of us have consulted, go there. Just to the west of us, far away, is a large island, and there is no one on it. Guo Xu said, he took the map and pointed out the location of the island, apparently he had already surveyed it.

Li Zhaoji nodded, although the choice of this location was not in line with his heart, but these people thought of this, and he was already very satisfied.

"yes, but I have a better place." Lee Siu Kee said.

When Li Sizhi and Guo Xu heard this, they didn't even have the heart to eat, so they immediately cleaned up the leftovers and spread the map on the dining table, but the map did not show the location Li Zhaoji said.

"This is the Chao, Xian country, along its coastline all the way to the north, there will be a big river from west to east, called the Tumen River. This is the boundary river between the dynasty, the Xian and the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and to the north is the Jurchen homeland ruled by the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Half a day's journey north is what the Jurchens call Vladivostok. And it's a port that doesn't freeze. Li Zhaoji said.

"You mean, let's conquer there and build a stronghold where we can hide if Sado is gone." Guo Xu's eyes lit up and he said, but Li Sizhi frowned and was silent.

Obviously, in this matter, Guo Xu has more ideas, because Li Sizhi is in charge of Zuodu affairs, and Liu Shun wants to train troops, as long as he can be dispatched, and he has nothing to do now, and he is trying to expand his territory and establish meritorious deeds like Tang Mu and others.

Li Zhaoji shook his head slightly: "It's not to levy, but to trade." ”

"Trade?" Guo Xu frowned.

"Ginseng, deer antler, fur, which is not an expensive commodity in Daming, isn't it worth trading?" Li Zhaoji asked.

Guo Xu nodded again and again, and Li Zhaoji said again: "The cotton silk fabric and ironware in our hands are very attractive to those Jurchens. You can trade, by the way, listen to the local intelligence, and wait until the trading company grows stronger in the future, it may not be impossible to conquer it, attack the Manchus in the flank, and help the Ming Dynasty. ”

"Yes, big shopkeeper, there is nothing left and right, I can go." Guo Xu said.

Li Zhaoji shook his head: "You can indeed go, but you can't go with this appearance, you have to change into Japanese clothes, use Japanese hairstyle, and change the old plan of Diolei into eight checks." We want the Jurchens to know that it was the Japanese, not the Ming, who traded with them. ”

"Yes, if we were the Ming people, it would not be trade, but war." Li Sizhi hurriedly said.

Li Zhaoji asked Guo Xu with a smile: "Guo Xu, are you still going like this?" ”

"Go!" Guo Xu immediately said: "But I'm worried that I won't be able to do it." ”

"So, you're going to take it with you!"

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