Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 845 Frustrated Change

On the 21st day of the turmoil in Edo Castle, several shogunate properties were burned down, and the people of Edo Castle shrouded in the shadow of the war were in panic all day long.The whole city of the shogunate was under martial law, and it was difficult to alleviate this tense atmosphere, because even some samurai in the shogunate were also afraid of the Kyushu army coming, which meant that they had to fight.And if you start a war, you will die...

"The Yokohama Concession has lifted the strict ban!"

"The Kyushu Army has no intention of declaring war, it's just a temporary martial law!"

Merchants from the port of Yokohama came back with definite news.

"What?! Our worries these days are unnecessary?!"

"Long live the peace!"

After the residents of Edo Castle heard the news, they repeatedly confirmed it and finally cheered.

The shogunate was also relieved to learn that the Kyushu Army did not declare war.They don't want to go to war with the Kyushu Army, which is so powerful that it is difficult to defeat.

"I was scared to death. I have hardly changed my armor in the past 20 days." A warrior finally changed his samurai armor, which weighed more than ten kilograms, to move his muscles and bones.

"What's the use of wearing this armor? It's useless if you can't stop the firearms of the Kyushu Army." A samurai next to him said.

"You still have to put on your armor to feel safe." The samurai who took off his armor patted the cold armor. The armor that was common in the Warring States Period had become flashy.

Tokugawa Iemitsu stood on the main castle, looking at the cheering residents of Edo Castle, not far away there was a burnt factory emitting black smoke.

The Kyushu Army has made the residents of Edo City ecstatic just by not going to war.

"This time we suffered heavy losses. Most of the rice shops, vegetable shops, and cloth shops were looted, and the direct loss amounted to as much as 10,000+ silver taels. Not counting the loss of our factory being burned, the price of one of those steam engines... plus The Huaxia businessmen maliciously purchased the factory shares held by our Dongying businessmen, and nearly half of the factories we built in the past year were plundered by the Huaxia people.” Sakai Tadakatsu came to Tokugawa Iemitsu’s side, and he hardly dared to talk to the Tokugawa family. light report.

He presided over land reform and the establishment of factories, but he was tricked by Da Yuer, and a year of hard work was wasted, and he was ashamed to meet Tokugawa Iemitsu who had high hopes for him.

"Our Edo Bank has suffered unprecedented losses. Although we blocked the residents who came to run the bank, the people have lost confidence in our Edo Bank. After the order is restored, they will definitely come to ask us for deposits one after another, and they will not see each other in the future." We have to put money with us. We have lost the capital to compete with the Tokyo branch." Abe Tadaaki said on the other side.

There was a livid lump on his forehead, which was hit by a mob with stones, and there was no way to find out who was responsible afterwards.

"The Kyushu Army hasn't started a war with us yet, but just released a small smoke bomb, and we lost hundreds of thousands of silver taels." Tokugawa Iemitsu felt deeply uncomfortable when he heard about the two retainers who suffered the most losses.

It was too difficult. Under the oppression of the Kyushu Army, even if their shogunate wanted to change, they were still struggling.

"In the final analysis, we lack sufficient force! Why the news of the war can cause panic in Edo Castle, but we cannot use force to suppress it is because we were frightened by the Beiyang Fleet. And because of the existence of the Beiyang Fleet, we have many means It cannot be used," said Nobuzuna Matsudaira, who oversees military reforms.

If it weren't for the Beiyang Fleet moored at the port of Yokohama hanging over the head of the shogunate like a sharp knife, the shogunate would very likely use the samurai army to flatten the Tokyo branch and suppress the people.

"If we want to change, we should take the lead in developing guns and artillery, and establish a standing army! Only by confronting the Beiyang Fleet with force can we develop other factories under the blockade of the Kyushu Army!" Through this incident, Matsudaira Nobuzuna summed up a set by himself. The doctrine of the priority of force.

"Sakai Tadakatsu, what do you think?" Tokugawa Iemitsu looked at the leader of the revolution.

"Give priority to the development of firearms factories... This is of course good, but the manufacture of firearms requires the support of steel and machinery... To mass-produce guns and artillery like the Kyushu Army requires a lot of investment. No textile factories, flour mills, or smelters will be built. We don't have enough silver to support the arsenal." Sakai Tadakatsu was a bit difficult.

Several of the highest figures in Japan on the castle castle were lost in thought.None of them had experience in reform, nor did they have any lessons learned from the past. They could only brave the suppression of the Kyushu Army and cross the river by feeling the stones.

"Matsudaira-kun, how is your smoothbore research going this year?" Abe Tadaaki asked Matsudaira Nobutsuna.

"The first batch of artillery produced exploded, killing several skilled workers and gunners..." Nobuzuna Matsudaira, who originally advocated the vigorous development of firearm technology, spoke of the artillery he supervised with a gloomy expression.

Without the mature skilled workers summoned by Chu Yun and the mature cannon-casting technology, the artillery he supervised was completely imitated of the artillery of the Kyushu Army. Many of the steps were unfamiliar, and the explosion of the chamber was inevitable.

"It's too difficult, too difficult." Tokugawa Iemitsu shook his head repeatedly when he saw that almost all reform measures encountered obstacles.

"I propose to build a new shipyard to produce fishing boats and merchant ships, and at the same time to accumulate naval warship technology. Even if we make progress in guns and artillery in the future, without warships, it is impossible to break the blockade of the Beiyang Fleet." Nobuna Matsudaira Said.

"The shipyard needs too much money, because the factory was burned down, and we still owe the residents of Edo Castle several 10 taels." Abe Tadaaki said.

"Let's raise donations, let all the samurai donate part of their family property, and use the power of the whole country to fight to the death." Tokugawa Iemitsu said, "Our Tokugawa family will take the lead in donating."

"Donation..." Tadakatsu Sakai, Tadaaki Abe and others looked at each other in blank dismay.

Fundraising is already a last resort, and it can indeed alleviate the financial crisis temporarily, but when the time comes, will someone be willing to donate their family property and tighten their pants to engage in an arms race with the unfathomable Kyushu Army?

"The Beiyang Fleet has been staying in Edo Bay. Our Edo Castle is equivalent to being exposed to the artillery of the Kyushu Army all the time, and we are being constrained everywhere. Should we change places for our shogunate? Kai Country or Ocho Country?" Tokugawa Iemitsu, who was dominated by the Kyushu Army, proposed a plan to move the capital to avoid the Beiyang Fleet.

"No, Edo Castle is very strong after decades of hard work by our Tokugawa family. If you rashly choose another place as the seat of the shogunate, it is likely to lose popular support. Furthermore, the Beiyang Fleet can come and go freely on the sea, and our Dongying It's an island country, so where can I escape to?" Sakai Tadakatsu vetoed Tokugawa Iemitsu's inexplicable idea because of his impatience.

(End of this chapter)