Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 210: Yuheng Yaoguang Alliance (Part 2)
"Since we are allies, I will speak frankly. Mr. Tokugawa, can't you kill the current general by assassination or poisoning him and take over the throne sooner? Your country is not centralized like mine. After you take over the throne, you will have to spend quite some time to integrate the lords ."
"Your Majesty, you are right. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu is always protected by Hattori Hanzo. And even my retainers usually obey me, but if I dare to give such an order, I am afraid that the first thing they would think of is not to execute it, but to expose it."
"Handu Ichihansaku? Oh, that's Hattori Hanzo, right? Luckily, I played a lot of Samurai Shodown games when I was a kid before I traveled through time. Well, assassination doesn't work, how about poisoning? You have to know that our bodies are immune to all poisons. In recent years, I have used this method to poison and kill several disobedient local lords in my country."
Looking at Luoyafutu who was talking about killing people lightly, Tokugawa Yoshinao shook his head helplessly: "Japan is different from your country. The samurai class in my country is not devout to religion, but values the personal ability of the ruler. Therefore, at this time, I cannot kill Tokugawa Ieyasu. If I do so, not to mention those outer daimyo, even my brothers in this life will come to take my life!"
"Okay." Luo Zhifu Tu sighed in dissatisfaction and said, "Where have you climbed to in the technology tree now?"
"Because I don't have power in Japan, and my country's current general is obsessed with living a simple life behind closed doors, so the technology tree on my side is all research-oriented. Generally speaking, in terms of weapons, flintlock rifles have reached their peak. With the help of the Spanish time traveler, breech-loading rifles can now be produced by hand by some skilled craftsmen. In terms of gunpowder, black powder has reached its peak, and cotton powder can also be synthesized stably. In terms of artillery, various artillery with calibers ranging from 37 mm to 80 mm can be forged. In terms of materials science, the research and development of nickel-iron alloy steel has been completed, and there are also multiple types of carburized steel. However, my country lacks nickel ore. Once large-scale production begins, this mineral resource will be seriously insufficient..."
"Hmm." The other party certainly didn't tell the truth, but even the little he revealed made Luo Zhifutu frown unconsciously: "It seems that your country's steel research and development is ahead of ours. What about the machine gun?"
"Haha." It seems that this Thai time traveler doesn't know much about military technology. Tokugawa Yoshinao patiently explained: "To produce machine guns, first of all, you need to have...real realization, which will take a long time. In addition, the barrel is very important for long-term and continuous firing of bullets, which requires high-strength alloy steel. After these two problems are solved, the remaining problems will be easier to solve... In short, these things cannot be produced in a short time."
"Okay." Shrugging in a very Thai way, Luojafutu said, "I just heard you talk about so much, but it all seemed like military technology. What about other things? For example, education? Agriculture? Medicine?"
"This..." Tokugawa Yoshinao said helplessly, "I'm not a general yet. As for those things just now, Ieyasu supported me to do research and development because they were beneficial to the rule of the Tokugawa family. I say it again, this general thinks about how to live a small life behind closed doors all day long, and has no idea of challenging the Ming Dynasty. So I have been very restricted in doing things over the years."
"What about the Navy?"
"Well, that's not bad. A few years ago, because the Shimazu family of my country was completely destroyed by the navy of the Ming Dynasty in Ryukyu, Tokugawa Ieyasu strongly supported me in developing new warships. The warship we are on is the most popular galleon in the 17th century. In a one-on-one battle, the Spanish galleon you are on has a chance of winning. But once a fleet of more than ten ships conducts a traditional T-shaped bombardment, the galleon will have a chance of winning."
"I see. Alas, it's ridiculous that the Portuguese I hired said that this is the most powerful sailing warship of the era."
After shaking his head with a wry smile, Luo Jifu Tu said seriously: "I came to power the earliest, but to be honest, my country's technology tree climbed very slowly. As for what you just said, we have achieved most of it, but there are also quite a few that we have not achieved. However, my country's current technology tree is fully developed. In terms of education, my country has established Bangkok University, which has gathered some scholars from my country, Persia, Ottoman and Europe. In terms of agriculture, after my country stopped large-scale foreign conquests, it quickly achieved self-sufficiency in food and could also export a large amount. In terms of medicine, apart from introducing cinchona trees from South America controlled by Spain in order to control malaria, there is really no achievement. In terms of economy, it mainly exports food and spices, purchases artillery, and recruits talents...
At present, in terms of military, our country has organized ten regiments based on the military system of the 19th and 20th centuries, totaling 50,000 people. They mainly use flintlock rifles and bayonets, equipped with 12-pound artillery and very few cavalry. In addition, in wartime, our country can mobilize more than 200,000 traditional cold weapon soldiers.
As for the navy, you see all that our country has."
"...Alas, as you just said, our two countries are too weak compared to the Ming Dynasty in this era."
"Yes... In short, if we don't unite, we will have absolutely no chance. But if we unite, there is still a glimmer of hope."
"You are right." Nodding, Tokugawa Yoshinao said, "In our country, we plan to launch a war of annihilation against the Toyotomi family in one or two years. I have already made an agreement with Tokugawa Ieyasu that I will be the general by then. After this war, I can take over the military power of the Tokugawa family. After Ieyasu dies, I will spend two or three years to eliminate some unstable factors in our country, and then I can make my move."
"Hmm... that would be around 1618, right?" Luo Zhifu thought for a while and said, "Then, my country's development plan for the next five years is to first take over Cambodia and further expand food production. Then go south to capture Johor. When we declare war on the Ming Dynasty, we can immediately close the Strait of Malacca. Starting around 1616, I will go to capture the Mekong Delta."
"Annan? You don't care about Burma anymore?"
"Myanmar and my country are indeed enemies for generations. But why should I go to capture Myanmar? After capturing Myanmar, should I organize the army to attack Yunnan in the mountainous and densely forested Hengduan Mountains? It is said that Kaiyang has stationed powerful ministers and generals in Yunnan waiting for me. Why would I be so stupid as to run into them? When I go to capture Annan, I won't capture all of them. I just need to take over the Mekong Delta. Then I will send troops from the sea to harass the enemy's southern coastal provinces !"
"And at that time, if the Ming Dynasty wanted to fight back , it could only attack from the sea, right? Because Burma and Annan would become your land barriers?"
"Haha, that's it."
"Yoshi, that's a very good plan. Then, my plan is: after integrating Japan, I will enter North Korea again."
"Yes, when the time comes, you and I will go north and south, and I'm afraid Kaiyang will be distracted."
"That's right! And this game is not about occupying a certain amount of territory, it just requires killing the time travelers. We can completely ask the Ming Dynasty court: As long as you kill your own emperor, you can have peace."
"Hehehe..." Luojifutu laughed for a while and then looked at Tokugawa Yoshinao with cold eyes.
"Huh? You want to kill me?"
"Of course I would. After all, there can only be one winner in this game. But not now."
"Hahaha, that's right." Tokugawa Yoshinao laughed heartily: "But before we get rid of Kaiyang, we will all be allies, right?"
"Yes, and we are allies who must cooperate sincerely, otherwise we will all be miserable."
"Okay." Touching his bald head, Tokugawa Yoshinao said, "Since we are allies, let's cooperate at this stage."
"How do you want to cooperate?"
"My country is located in a barren archipelago with concentrated volcanoes and earthquakes. The land yield is limited and the people on the island are often in a semi-starved state. Therefore, my country needs a large amount of rice from your country."
"Yes, but it can't be given away for free. You have to buy it with silver. As you said, your country has many volcanoes, and naturally there are many precious metals."
"No, no, no." After repeatedly despising the ignorance of this agronomy major time traveler, Tokugawa Yoshinao said, "I don't want such a simple cooperation. My plan is: First, my country will provide silver, and you will buy a large amount of penicillin and other drugs from the Ming Dynasty, and then your country will resell them to Johor, India, Persia and other places. If the Spanish time traveler can do resale trade, why can't we do it? As for the money earned, we will share it equally."
"Well, this is good. Any more?"
"Of course, the second is that my country will provide your country with military technology, and then your country will pay with food."
"Okay. We can send our respective officials to discuss the specific transaction volume later."
"Okay." After saying this, Tokugawa Yoshinao apologized and walked out to check the sky. "It's getting late. Your Majesty, please go back quickly. If Kaiyang really gets angry and leads the Ming navy to block the road, it will not be fun."
"Okay, I wish us a happy cooperation!"
“It’s a pleasure to work with you!”
