Chapter 2778
Turning Japan into an emerging arms sales market is one of Haihan's stated goals at this stage. However, Haihan hopes to maintain a balance between the armed forces of North Korea and Japan in order to promote a long-term arms race between the two countries, so the arms sold to Japan will certainly not be significantly better than North Korea, and vice versa. No matter how high Japan bids, it is unlikely to break through the limits set for this purpose.
Bai Letong said: "So far, the largest buyer of type 29 flintlock guns and type 31 field guns from our country is North Korea. The scale of these two weapons installed in the North Korean army has even exceeded The traditional big buyer Annanguo. If Japan wants to catch up with North Korea, it is estimated that it will have to prepare six to seven million taels of silver just to purchase these two weapons.”
"But with Japan's current situation, establishing a large-scale army will not actually help the defense of North Korea, so I don't think the shogunate will invest so many resources in the army. Masuyama Masato's interest in army equipment is actually just To cover up, what the shogunate really wants to buy is warships. With the same budget, it can build a small but decent armed fleet."
Ha Jianyi said: "But the Japanese only want to buy new ships and are unwilling to accept a long delivery period. This is not easy to handle."
Bai Letong smiled and said: "He still has room to put on airs, which means the pressure he is under is not high enough. We have to use means to increase the pressure on him."
Tao Hongfang said: "It seems that your old man has already found a way."
Bai Letong did not deny it, nodded and said: "The envoy of the Satsuma clan has also arrived in Hangzhou."
"So fast?" Tao Hongfang was slightly surprised, and immediately reacted: "It should be General Amakusa who has taken measures in Japan, right?"
Bai Letong said: "I don't know what method General Amakusa used. In short, he persuaded the Satsuma Domain to purchase combat ships and weapons from our country."
Encouraging the Satsuma Domain in the Kyushu region of Japan to strengthen military independence was one of the arms promotion methods they formulated during their visit to Japan. However, the mission did not have direct contact with the Satsuma Domain at that time. It only reported the idea to the Executive Committee and suggested that the garrison at the Sasebo base should contact the Satsuma Domain.
It seems that after the mission returned home, the contact between Amakusa Shiro and the Satsuma clan went very smoothly. The two sides hit it off immediately, and the Satsuma clan sent an envoy to inspect and further communicate on arms purchase matters.
Tao Hongfang asked: "Does the shogunate envoy know the news?"
Bai Letong smiled and said: "Even if he doesn't know, we will find a way to let him know."
Ha Jianyi said: "But the Satsuma clan is only a local power after all. If we compete for financial resources, I'm afraid it will still be far inferior to the shogunate. I don't know if it can achieve the effect we expect if it is used to support fire."
Ning Zijing said: "The Satsuma clan has made a lot of money by secretly doing cross-border trade through Ryukyu in recent years. I estimate that their financial resources are about the same as those of the Tsushima clan. It shouldn't be a problem to bite the bullet and buy a small fleet."
Bai Letong said: "Satsuma Domain actually does not need to form a large-scale armed fleet to confront the shogunate. As long as the attack range can cover the neighboring Nagasaki Port, the shogunate will not turn a blind eye to such a threat." Tao Hongfang held up his hands. Yipai said: "Since then, those old ships that are about to be retired from the navy should be able to sell for a good price."
Bai Letong nodded and smiled: "That's right."
Zhu Zian has been silently listening to the discussion. If he did not have a clear understanding of this kind of transnational arms trade before, after his previous visit to North Korea and Japan with the mission, he already knew that there was actually something behind this special trade. Hidden are all kinds of means that are used to every possible means. The operation process of this arms sale to Japan is also the actual embodiment of these means.
Haihan's operation of dragging the Satsuma clan into the water reminded Zhu Zian that Haihan had behaved similarly towards the Ming Dynasty in his early years. Back then, Haihan sold a large amount of arms to Xu Xinsu, the commander-in-chief of Fujian Province, and secretly supported Xu Xinsu to form a private army, forming a warlord force that separated itself from one side. The situation is very similar to the current situation.
At that time, Xu Xinsu was also like the Satsuma clan. He accumulated a lot of wealth through cross-border trade. After forming an armed force with the help of Haihan, he began to stay away from the Ming court and became a local separatist force. It is not difficult for Zhu Zian to imagine that, if nothing unexpected happens, in a few years, the Satsuma clan will probably become a warlord like Xu Xinsu in Japan.
However, putting aside his position and thinking about it carefully, Zhu Zian felt that there was a clear difference between Haihan's treatment of the two. Haihan's purpose of supporting Xu Xinsu was mainly to weaken the Ming Dynasty's control in the southeastern coastal areas. He had no intention of letting Xu Xinsu establish his own business. He kept Fujian so-called separated but not divided until the Ming Dynasty surrendered. Officially took over the military and political power in Fujian.
Haihan's operations in Japan will obviously not be so "merciful". Zhu Zian had heard Tao Hongfang and others talk about it more than once, and when the time was right, Japan should return to the state of vassal separation during the Warring States Period. This should be the beginning stage of such an attempt. Haihan seems to have no interest in annexing Japan. This method of dividing Japan is simply to completely weaken the country so that it no longer poses a threat.
This is far more than Haihan's approach of dividing North Korea into two in order to exert control. Zhu Zian doesn't quite understand where Haihan, who made his fortune in the South China Sea, is wary of Japan, which is thousands of miles away. But If it can really eliminate Japan's ability to wage war abroad, he would be happy to see it happen.
"Zian, what do you think?"
When Zhu Zian heard Bai Letong ask him, he came back from his thoughts and responded in a deep voice: "This country has always known small etiquette but no great righteousness, and is afraid of power but not moral. It should indeed take measures to weaken it." Its national strength. If it can use the arms trade to make its country fall apart and become exhausted from internal fighting, it is really the best way to defeat the enemy without fighting."
Ha Jianyi praised: "Zian's words are right. Let's start with the Satsuma clan first, and then proceed slowly. The Tsushima clan and the Japanese king faction, which are used as puppets, can all be supported. The target! ”
Bai Letong said: "When there are a few more buyers in Japan, the shogunate will have no chance to negotiate terms with us. By then, everyone will have to rush to buy any equipment. Maybe the Ma Dalan Kingdom will reappear. The famous scene of bidding for arms with the Dutch East India Company in Sanya ”
In 1636, when the Netherlands and the Materan Kingdom bid face-to-face to buy Haihan arms, the people present were only young children, so they only heard about the famous scene from their parents when they grew up, and did not have the honor to experience it in person. However, in the future, if the envoys sent by the daimyo from all over Japan to purchase arms gather in Hangzhou, then they will really have the opportunity to see the famous scene reappear with their own eyes.
(End of chapter)