Chapter 3536
Chapter 3536
Chapter 3536
"Three thousand Type 28 matchlock rifles, one thousand Type 29A flintlock rifles, one hundred Type 33 flintlock pistols... one hundred Type 30B cannons, thirty Type C cannons... a total of forty thousand rounds of ammunition for various types of guns and artillery, eight thousand kilograms of explosives... twenty exploration-class warships, eight expedition-class warships, and ten barracuda-class troop transports..."
The order submitted by the shogunate this time was indeed not a small amount. It took Bai Kesi several minutes just to read the contents of the order.
Tao Donglai laughed and said, "It seems that the shogunate is really getting anxious. This is almost as much as the purchase volume of many countries combined!"
Ning Qi said: "If they can really buy these arms, then I'm afraid the Kyushu coalition will not be able to bear it, right?"
Shi Diwen explained: "The shogunate probably didn't expect to buy all the items on the order at once, so they set a larger number first so that they can bargain with us."
"I see!" Ning Qi nodded and asked, "Then how much should we sell to them?"
Shi Diwen said: "I plan to accept all the orders."
Ning Qi said: "What about the Kyushu coalition forces?"
Shi Diwen said: "As long as we extend the delivery period long enough, it will not bring too much pressure to the Kyushu coalition forces. On the contrary, it can speed up the speed at which the Kyushu fiefs place orders with us."
Shi Diwen knew very well that if these weapons and equipment were delivered to the shogunate army, it would immediately have a huge impact on the war situation, but the war period was the time when arms dealers made the most money, not to mention such a large order, which he could not just let go.
The only feasible way to sell arms to the shogunate without letting it overwhelm the Kyushu coalition was to extend the delivery period and minimize the impact on the Kyushu coalition.
As the person in charge of Hai Han's military industry, Bai Kesi naturally fully supports this plan. The profit that this order will bring to Hai Han is almost enough to cover the expenses of this inspection operation, and the income is considerable.
As for the delivery period, even without special arrangements, it is unlikely that Hai Han will be able to complete the delivery in the short term.
From the Zhoushan Forum to the present, more than ten countries have placed orders for a variety of weapons and equipment from Hai Han, including some of the best-selling models on the shogunate's orders. Even if the orders were placed in chronological order, the shogunate would have to wait a long time before receiving the first batch.
Moreover, many of the arms purchased by the shogunate before the war had not yet been delivered. For example, the warship order placed by Masatoshi Masuyama with the Fujian Shipyard during the Zhoushan Forum will not be delivered until the second half of this year at the earliest.
Shi Diwen continued, "When you meet with the daimyo in Kyushu later, show them this order. You don't have to rush them. They should send another one according to the number requested by the shogunate. Lao Bai, you will be busy from now on."
Bai Kesi said: "As long as you settle the settlement for me in Japan, the money will be in place, and other things will not be a problem. I will deliver the goods to you at that time, and you can decide when to deliver them."
Japan's affairs have always been handled by the East China Sea Region under Shi Diwen's jurisdiction, and military sales projects are no exception.
Bai Kesi was very clear about the ins and outs of this matter. He knew that the arms sold to Japan would never bypass the East China Sea region, so he did not intend to take over the main business. Instead, he took the initiative to express his attitude that he would not snatch the business in this area from Shi Diwen.
At this stage, Hai Han's objectives had been basically achieved. The Japanese civil war had officially broken out, and with Hai Han's instigation, it was unlikely to end in the short term. Both parties involved in this war had made sufficient preparations before the war began, and they were determined to completely defeat the other side before they would stop.
The multinational inspection teams watched closely the naval and land battles between the Kyushu Allied Forces and the Shogunate Army, and were deeply impressed by the extensive use of Hai Han weapons and equipment by both sides of the conflict. Many people have also realized that Hai Han’s influence on other countries is not just about trade, and that it is fully capable of plunging a country into war when necessary.
What Hai Han advocated during the Zhoushan Forum, "establishing an international security system and dialogue mechanism," originally seemed to be just a vague concept, but after the delegation came here to observe the Japanese civil war, everyone had a more precise understanding of it.
The essence of this system and mechanism is the international order dominated by Hai Han.
If you want to refuse to abide by such an international order, then Japan is a good example. Everyone can weigh for themselves how their own country's strength compares to Japan's and whether they can withstand the turmoil of civil war.
However, in such matters, those involved are always confused while bystanders can see things more clearly. As the parties involved in the conflict, the two sides have no intention of resolving the conflict through negotiation and dialogue. They are only thinking about how to defeat the other side on the battlefield.
After successfully withstanding the fierce attacks of the shogunate army in the first two days, the Kyushu coalition forces also began to launch a fierce counterattack against the shogunate in the direction of Honshu according to their own combat plan.
The main force of the Tsushima clan's armed fleet quietly left the Kanmon Strait, galloped 200 miles on the sea overnight, and raided Ogi Castle, the capital of the Choshu clan on the northern coast of Honshu.
The main force of the Choshu clan had already been transferred to the Kanmon Strait to participate in the war, and the clan lord Mori Tsunahiro also went to the front line to supervise the battle in person. No one expected that the Kyushu coalition forces would be able to free up their hands to launch a surprise attack when facing a large number of troops approaching.
Ogi Castle was built at the foot of Zhiyue Mountain by the sea. It is also known as Zhiyue Castle. It has been exactly half a century since its construction.
This place is not located near the main trade routes, nor does it have dangerous terrain like the Kanmon Strait. Therefore, it has never been a battleground for military strategists, and not many defensive facilities have been built there.
When it was just getting light, the fleet of Tsushima Domain appeared on the sea near Ogi Castle. People who saw this thought it was their own troops returning to the capital.
It was not until the fleet quietly approached the coast that the lookout in Ogi City noticed that many of the warships in the fleet were not of the standard appearance owned by the Choshu domain, and they hastily issued an alarm.
However, the time left for the defenders to assemble was too short. Before the confused people could figure out what was going on, the troops of Tsushima Domain had successfully landed and rushed into Ogi Castle in one go.
Most of the Mori clan members successfully evacuated Ogi Castle under the cover of the feudal army and were not captured alive by the enemy, but Ogi Castle soon fell into the hands of the Tsushima clan.
Of course, the purpose of this raid was not to occupy this place. So Yoshizane quickly issued an order to evacuate immediately after looting the property in Ogi City.
The troops of Tsushima Domain moved in and out quickly, and before noon, they had packed up all the looted property and loaded them onto the ship, ready to leave.
Before leaving, So Yoshizane ordered a huge fire to turn Ogi Castle into ashes.