The Whale Sea, located between Japan, Korea, and the Ningguta Vice-Metropolitan of the Qing Dynasty, is a very special ocean. The long chain of dam-like islands of the Japanese archipelago, Ezo Island, and Sakhalin Island separates the Whale Sea from the Pacific Ocean, leaving the Sea almost untidal and less salinity than other oceans. The climate of the Whale Sea is also very special, and every year from September to February of the following year (lunar calendar), a strong northwest wind blows, blowing cold and dry cold air, blowing the evaporated water vapor from the Whale Sea to the coast of Japan, causing heavy snow to fall on the coast and mountains of Hokuriku, Tohoku Mutsu, and Ezo in Japan. At this time, the waves on the whale sea are also very terrifying, often as high as three or four feet, which is not suitable for boating at all.

After March, when the weather warms up, the wind direction changes to the southeast. Compared with the previous violent northwest wind, the southeast wind on the whale sea is much milder, the whole wind is calm, the climate is pleasant, and it is definitely a good day to sail to the sea.

However, for Shi Lang, the commander of the Beiyang Navy Division of the Qing Dynasty, this good day of going to sea with calm waves is good, but the wind direction is not good - it has always been the southeast wind!

And Shi Lang's destination happens to be more than 2,000 miles northeast of Busan, Ezo Island, if you hit the middle of the whale sea, then all the way against the wind, although the boat skills are high, and the headwind can also drive forward, but the speed is slow, Shi Lang is still in a hurry!

So his fleet had to follow the coastline of the Japanese archipelago all the way east, using the land winds blowing into the sea and the currents in the Sea of Japan (the currents in the Sea of Japan turn in counterclockwise circles) to sail at a faster speed.

In April of the eighteenth year of Kangxi, the whale ocean surface. As night fell, a fleet of ten 500-ton old locks and twenty or thirty other large bird ships were sailing eastward against the Japanese coastline.

More than 100 sails were raised high, and it felt like covering the sky and the sun.

On every sail, there is a huge word "Sui", and those who don't know think that Emperor Yang of Sui sent troops to invade Japan!

However, even if the Japanese on the shore saw this mighty eastward bound "Great Sui Naval Fleet", they could not do anything. Because now the entire whale ocean surface is under Yang Qilong's world, and the Beiyang Naval Division completely controls the sea power. In the past, the Japanese navy that could have sent Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 100,000 invading troops to the coast of Korea now has not even a few small sea boats with a load of more than 500 koku - all of them have been wiped out by the Tokugawa shogunate, which implemented a policy of seclusion!

Although the new elder of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Mitsukuni, had begun to change his policy and tried to rebuild the navy by building Western-style soft sailing ships, Japan, which had not built large ships for decades and had not had a large demand for small boats, had long since lost the ability to build ships. The older generation of shipwrights is gone, and the new generation of shipwrights simply does not exist because they have no business and cannot make money.

Even if Tokugawa Mitsukuni could order the children and grandchildren of the old shipwright, they wouldn't know how to build ships, and they wouldn't even know where to learn. The masters have been dead for many years!

This shipbuilding craft. It's almost cut off in Japan!

In this case, the ten old lock boats that Li Zhongshan "approved" to Yang Qilong are the existence of walking sideways on the whale sea!

Each old lock boat can hold 18 cannons, of which 16 are 6-pound bronze cannons and 2 are 12-kilogram red-coated cannons. This firepower, not to mention that now the small Japanese 500 stone sea ships can't help but bombard them, just think that the big ship used by the old Japanese Toyotomi Hideyoshi to invade Korea was encountered, and it was also a "sinking road"!

On the "Dongfeng", the flagship of the Beiyang Naval Division, Yang Qilong was taking a leisurely walk on the deck at the top of the stern, doing a few stretching and relaxation exercises from time to time. Kyushu Inspector Yin Jian and Kyushu General Soldier Sabsu have now gained a firm foothold in northern Kyushu, and the Japanese samurai army's words are exaggerated, and they are no match for the new Korean army. Yang Qilong only mobilized 12 battalions of new troops and 100 galleys and crab boats, and he had already firmly occupied the coastal area of more than 100 miles between Fukuoka Castle and Karatsu Castle, and also captured several key islands to ensure communication with the Korean mainland.

Although it is still a little far from the goal of winning the whole of Kyushu, or at least half of Kyushu, it is undoubtedly a very good start.

According to the plan of the two old men, Yin Jian and Sabusu, the main task of the Kyushu Physical Inspection Envoy and the Kyushu General Army Yamen in the next stage is to consolidate, encroach, and colonize!

One of the consolidations was to build fortifications in the area between Fukuoka Castle and Karatsu Castle, and strive to form a cohesive defense system as soon as possible. And encroachment is to occupy as much territory as possible while fortifying. As for colonization. Of course, it was to "colonize" the beloved relatives and friends of the Korean sailors in the new Korean army and the Beiyang naval division to the territory of the Fukuoka domain and the Karatsu domain.

Their loved ones and friends have colonized Kyushu Island, so naturally they have to persist in resisting Japan on Kyushu Island. Even if they can't resist it in this life, they can still resist it from generation to generation.

Moreover, those Koreans are also willing to resist the Japanese on Kyushu Island, and most of their births are concubines, evil births, and prostitutes. Even if you follow the Yang Eunuch State, it is impossible to completely counterattack unless the Yang Eunuch Kingdom goes further, comes to a "prison guard and self-usurpation", and changes from the Prison State to the king!

However, Yang Qilong has no idea for the time being. He still has to think carefully, whether he usurped the Qing Dynasty or usurped the Korean state?

It's really embarrassing!

Unconsciously, Yang Qilong had stopped, staring ahead, thoughtful.

Shi Lang didn't know when he had arrived at his side, and reported in a low and respectful voice: "Grandpa, the front is the Toshima Peninsula of Ezo Island, and the Jinya of the Matsumae clan, the lord of Ezo Island, is at the southern end of the Toshima Peninsula. ”

Yang Qilong was stunned for a moment, hurriedly raised his telescope and looked ahead, and sure enough, he saw a large green mountain beam floating on the water.

Shi Lang said: "Grandpa, there is it. Matsumae's Jinya is there, and that house is Matsumae Town, and Jinya is in it. ”

The so-called array house is a compound surrounded by fortifications.

In the Edo period, "Jujo" was not something that anyone could own—"one country, one castle"! Only those who have a great name above the lord level can build a city for themselves.

Specifically, the Matsumae clan of Ezo Island is the "owner of the island", and to be specific, he is a "supernumerary lord", not to mention the lord of the country, the lord of the castle, and not even the flag book. Therefore, the Matsumae clan is not qualified to own the castle.

Historically, it was not until the middle of the 18th century that the Tokugawa family gave the Matsumae family a tengoku daimyo style, and the Matsumae family built a Fukuyama Castle.

But now Matsumae's house has a house for a while, and if you want to cage the city, you can't get a cage!

Yang Qilong put down the binoculars and said in a low voice, "Why is it so fast?" ”

Shi Lang smiled: "Isn't this God helping?" It's already more than 2,000 miles, and it's not a matter for a sea ship to travel thousands of miles a day, but this time we're quite smooth, so we'll be in the place tonight, and we will be able to land tomorrow. ”

"Is the landing site confirmed?"

"It's decided! After landing near the Jinya of the Matsumae clan of Ezo, take down the Jinya of the Matsumae clan and the castle town! ”

Yang Qilong asked again: "Are you sure?" Ezo Island is a bitter cold place, and perhaps the Japanese here are more powerful. ”

"Don't worry!" Shi Lang said, "Although Ezo Island is bitterly cold, the Matsumae clan and his retainers were originally the descendants of merchants who came to the island to trade with the Ezo people on the island, and now although they have changed their careers to become samurai, the merchant business is still doing it, and it can't be compared with the Kyushu samurai at all." Besides, we're going to send out the most elite Sauron warriors this time, and there are quite a few of them, 3,000 of them! ”

Yang Qilong nodded and said with a smile: "Okay!" Shi Junmen, then I can take a good look at it and remember, there can be no mistakes in the battle of landing on Ezo, General Li attaches great importance to Ezo Island. Say that this island is a springboard to the New World! I thought, this new continent we should also go and intervene, occupy a piece of land high and low, even if it is deserted now, maybe it will be useful in the future? ”

"Grandpa, you're right!" Shi Lang echoed, "I have calculated that if we can reach the New World by traveling 12,000 miles from Ezo Island, then our old lock boat will be able to pass." ”

"Really? Can the old lock boat also work? Yang Qilong is still a little uncertain.

If this old lock ship can complete the voyage of transporting a large number of people across the Pacific Ocean, it will be of great significance!

After all, Western soft sailing ships are too difficult to maneuver, while old lock ships with Western hulls and hard sails are easy to maneuver. And if the old lock ship can pass, it means that large bird ships and lucky ships can be used to transport people across the Pacific Ocean!

The number of these two types of ships is too large, there are at least tens of thousands of them off the coast of China!

The significance of them being able to carry a certain number of travelers across the ocean to the New World cannot be overemphasized!

You must know that Spain, the home country that occupies the largest area in the New World today, has a population of just over 6 million.

And the population of the entire East Asian world is bound to be 120 million, 20 times that of Spain!

"Yes!" Shi Lang nodded affirmatively, "It's just more than 10,000 miles. Play a little more generously, 20 days is enough! ”

"Good!" Yang Qilong slapped his face, "Shi Junmen, prepare well, you must be victorious!" ”

"Order!"

When Yang Qilong was ready to grab the springboard to the New World and then make a big move, on the other side of the earth, his former good brother-in-law Fuquan had grown into a great man who could go down in history. Traveler!

He had completed the long journey from Beijing to Paris and was now riding in a carriage to the Château de Fontainebleau in France. And he was accompanied by two other heavyweights, one was the Rakshasa princess Sofia, who weighed more than 200 catties, and the other was Golitsyn, the foreign minister of the Rakshasa country.

This time, Fuquan came all the way west from the Rakshasa Kingdom as the guest of honor of King Louis of France. He could have arrived in France a long time ago, but because the armistice negotiations of the Franco-Dutch War had not yet ended, Sofia feared that Fuquan might be detained by Louis's enemies on the way. So I just left him on the outskirts of Moscow and lived for a few more days, and by the way, I developed the relationship between the two!

And Fuquan also knew that if he didn't give something, the Rakshasa people would not be willing to give him to the French king Louis. So, he could only pinch his nose and flirt with Sofia, in order to show that he was "true love", he had to praise Sofia's good figure! Well, this Mongolian side is beautiful because of fat! Sofia is more than 200 catties, almost 100 catties heavier than his family's "Yang Guifei", can it not be beautiful?

Fuquan's attitude made Sofia very happy. She has grown so big, and she has met a lot of people who praise her for her intelligence, but this is the first time she has met someone who praises her beauty and good figure! And he was a very simple Mongolian prince.

This shows that she has finally met a prince-level wishful man who appreciates her!

So, Sofia asked Golitzin and Sivar to hint at Fuquan - propose immediately! Before proposing, there is also a conversion to Orthodoxy, so that the marriage can be successful!

When the proposal is successful, Sofia will take Fuquan to France to meet Louis. If possible, Sofia also hoped to have a wedding at the French court!

If this thing is to be done, the noblewomen and noble girls of the entire Rakshasa will envy her!

Fuquan looked at Sofia's figure and her face full of flesh and blood, and a pair of eyes that were always showing a fierce light, it was really a little uncomfortable, but thinking of his current situation, he had to grit his teeth and propose to Sofia, and before the proposal, he was baptized under the auspices of the Orthodox Patriarch of the Rakshasa country, thus becoming an Orthodox Christian, and also had a Christian name, what is called "Konstantin".

After the formalities for initiation and marriage proposal were completed, the French finally signed an armistice with the Dutch, English, Spanish, and Germans. Louis XIV finally won a decent victory—not much, but a winner! And he also got the honorific title of the Sun King, and he can claim to be the overlord of Europe.

It feels like that's pretty good!

After learning of the end of the Franco-Dutch War, Sofia finally took her fiancé "Konstantin. Foquansky", together embarked on a journey to the west.

The Sun King's distinguished guest was also a prince of Great Mongolia, and the Oriental issue had recently become a hot topic in Europe, so the journey between Fuquan and Sofia was quite pleasant, and they were warmly received by the rulers of various countries along the way. So it was delayed for a few more days, and it was not until the summer of 1679 that we reached France, the most powerful country in Europe.

"Look, that's the Palace of Fontainebleau! It's so beautiful, it's the palace of the King of France! ”

Sofia's exclamation woke up Fuquan, who was dozing off in the carriage - he was quite tired! is engaged, and his fiancée has more than 200 pounds! And it's not the kind of pure fat, but a fat man with a lot of strength!

So Fuquan can only try to cope.

"Arrived? Is it there? ”

Fuquan yawned, opened his sleepy eyes, poked his head out of the carriage and looked forward, and saw the dense trees that were "standing" very neatly on the side of the road, and then stepped into the eyes of a gorgeous gate. The entrance was guarded by soldiers of the Royal Guard of France in "robes", wigs and high hats. A royal attendant with a splendid royal family was standing outside the door, and when he saw two carriages coming one after the other, and a few Cossack cavalrymen in front of and behind the carriages, he knew that it was Princess Sofia and Prince Foquansky.

"Is it Prince Foquansky and Princess Sofia?" When the French chamberlain saw the carriage coming to a slow stop, he asked aloud questions in French.

In the driver's seat at the front of the carriage, Sofia rode in addition to a coachman who was driving the carriage, and there was also her butler, a Jew, also called Whosh, who heard the French attendant ask the law, and replied in fluent French: "Yes. Princess Sofia and Prince Foquansky are invited! ”

As he spoke, he took out an invitation and handed it over.

In fact, there is no need to look at the invitation, the attendant just stepped forward and glanced into the carriage - a prince from the East, a princess with a hairy bear of more than 200 pounds, it is rare to come to France today, can the two be wrong together?

This must be Sofia and Foquansky!

"Please follow me!" As he spoke, the attendant stepped on the pedal outside the front door of the carriage, and showed the coachman the way, and in a short time came to a courtyard paved with small stone slabs.

As soon as the carriage stopped and the doors opened, Foquansky saw a row of three-story houses and two curved staircases that had been built directly from the second floor to the outside. Between the two staircases, there was also a walkway leading to a large door, and a small pock-faced man with high heels, a wig on his head, and a somewhat overdecorated coat and leggings stood in the middle of the walkway.

This is Louis XIV? Fuquan looked at the "little pock", and his good mood disappeared all of a sudden: how can I see the little pockmark anywhere? There is a Kang Mazi in the Qing Dynasty, and there is a Lu Mazi in France. Unlucky!

(End of chapter)