C649 French Arms (1/2)
This sudden clash had actually allowed Zai Chun and his bodyguards to comprehend so much. Xiao Letian did not expect this outcome either, as he was currently in a tense discussion with the frightened Mr. Nuo Beier.
”Mr. Nuo Beier, I am truly sorry, I did not expect that there would be such a group of criminals hidden at the doorstep of Ryukyu that I am in charge of. I have truly frightened you …” Xiao Letian stood up and bowed to Mr. Nuo Beier in apology.
”No, no, no, you don't have to apologize to me. I know this is not a normal security case. This assassination was planned!” Nuo Beier's high IQ was not just for show. Actually, the moment he swam to the shore, he had already guessed the whole thing.
”The enemy clearly didn't come for the treasure. Our party has abandoned the ship and jumped into the sea, but why did the leading pirates chase after us instead of searching for the goods in the ship?”
”Looks like the news of us secretly coming to East Asia has already been leaked. Someone wants me to die in the Ryukyu Sea Area, under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister …” And would the pirates have been foolish enough to run into the gunnery range of the shore defense fort and rob it? ”” No, I don't think so, ”I said, and shook my head.” No, no.
”I also have another piece of news to tell Prime Minister. When we were replenishing our resources in Singapore, we went to visit a good friend, he was a Dutch businessman, and I received a very important piece of information from him … A group of Frenchmen rented a Dutch merchant ship and headed north. The ship was filled with Arms and ammunition. There were Remington, Enfield, and a few American Springfield rifles … ”
He was very familiar with the situation in East Asia. ”As far as I know, the internal war of Qing is gradually coming to an end, after the rebellion in the south has been pacified, there would definitely be large amounts of Arms and ammunition left. It should be enough time to support the turmoil in the Northwest, so the Xiangjun Group would not carry out weapons procurement right now …”
”My dear Xiao, I still have some understanding of the politics of your Qing Empire. Even after the war, we still have to purchase weapons. The Emperor will not tolerate this kind of behavior …”
”The other possibility is for the imperial government to purchase weapons. However, thinking about it, it's not possible. Right now, the imperial government of Qing Dynasty is extremely closely linked to you. I believe you won't let them buy or sell weapons from the French no matter what. This point can be ruled out …”
”Heavens, that is a whole ship's worth of firearms. It's enough to arm three to four thousand people. Who on earth would be able to buy and sell such a huge amount of firearms? North Korea, Annan? There aren't many countries in East Asia, so I think Japan is the most likely country... ”
Hearing this, Xiao Letian sucked in a breath of cold air. This information was too important, although Nuo Beier did not give him the answer he guessed, all the clues pointed to one place, which was the Japanese Mu Clan.
France was naturally unwilling to lose, and the hatred the French Emperor had for Xiao Letian could not be washed away. Currently, the most tense situation in East Asia was Japan, and the situation in Japan had directly affected Xiao Letian's overall strategy for East Asia.
As long as it made Xiao Letian unhappy, France would definitely be willing to do it, even if it meant losing money.
Due to his small butterfly flapping its wings, the originally smooth Minzhiweixin of Japan underwent a drastic change. According to the historical records of his previous life, when the Emperor died in 1867, the Crown Prince, the Emperor Guoluo Ren, ascended the throne.
On November 8 of the same year, the Emperor issued a confidential letter. On the 9th, General Mu Clan, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, requested to return the favor, but at the same time, he gathered elite troops in the Osaka in an attempt to rebel.
On January 3, 1868, the Emperor of the Sky issued the ”Order of the Restoration of the King”, abolishing the Mu House and making Tokugawa Yoshinobu ”resign and take possession of the land”. On August 10th, Tokugawa Yoshinobu declared the ”King's Restoration Order” illegal in the Osaka.
On January 27th, 5,000 members of the Sky Emperor Army, led by Sa and Changshansuo, fought a fierce battle against 15 thousand of the Mu Clan's troops near the capital, while Tokugawa Yoshinobu lost Jiang Hu. The Wanchen War had thus begun.
After that was the direct rule of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, Northeast Japan. They fought all the way to the Hokkaido, and finally ended the Wanchen War.
Thus, the entire situation of Japan in 1867 was in an extremely delicate state of cold war. The battlefields of both sides were still in the political struggle in the imperial court, and there were also assassinations.
Therefore, Xiao Letian did not feel any sense of urgency about the situation in Japan. What he needed to do now was to lay down more of his own chess pieces, and protect the great talents with strategic vision like Sakamoto Ryoma, Gao Shanjinzuo, and support them to form a strong group of civil servants.
But now that the French had joined in, it seemed like they were going to work together with the Mu Clan. If such a change happened, would the Mu Clan be able to wait for the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to threaten them? Wouldn't there be a third battle in the Changzhou region?
Without the participation of the new army, could the allied army really win this battle?
Thank you, Mr. Nuo Beier, for your information, you have really helped me. As you can see, East Asia is the eve of the major change, all the powers are restless, and those stubborn people will not easily hand over their rights.
If you want to break the shackles of the feudal system that spans thousands of years, it is impossible to not bleed and fight. We are not war maniacs and ambitious people, I think everything that I have done in the Beijing has proven my character, in the end, I did not take a single cent from the treasury of the Qing Dynasty …