I started with the Shinsengumi in Bakumatsu

Chapter 154
After more than a month, Nobuyuki Nakajima returned to Nagasaki five days ago and arrived in Kyoto in October to report to Yagyu about the arms trade.

The cost of this arms trade was about 20 to 58 yen, but they obtained minerals worth 500 yen, which is almost 400 million yen. After excluding the cost, they made at least more than [-] million yen.

Yagyu also lamented that this arms business was really profitable.

Unfortunately, he also reaped the dividends of the American Civil War.

"We will not import food for the time being. You can talk to Ruan Changzuo. If the mining efficiency is not high, you can buy machines from us or contract the minerals to us.

In addition, you can discuss with Ruan Chao and we can lower the price and wholesale it to them so that they can sell it to surrounding countries at a high price. "

Yagyu planned to consume the arms in his hands as soon as possible.

As for Nanyang being the sphere of influence of Britain and France, he no longer cared about it. Even if France wanted to cause trouble, it had to stabilize Nanyang first.

As for the food issue, there is no need to worry. Liu Sheng has long introduced high-yielding grains. In the Qing Dynasty, the yield of sweet potatoes per mu was more than 200 kilograms. Although it was not more than rice, the planting conditions were not as harsh as rice.

In the past two years, as many as 50 acres of sweet potatoes have been planted, and more than 18 billion kilograms of sweet potatoes were harvested. After drying, there are only more than 7000 million kilograms, or more than 60 tons.

People don't necessarily have to eat white rice every meal. Most people can get by with some multigrain sweet potato rice.

In addition, the introduced potatoes and corn are still being cultivated, and the potatoes can be planted next year. The reason why it is so fast is mainly because there are mature potatoes on the market. Potatoes are also grown in the Qing Dynasty next door, and Japan only needs a little cultivation.

The yield of potatoes grown locally is about 350 kilograms per mu, which is not bad. As for potatoes in Europe, the yield per mu is about [-] to [-] kilograms.

Yagyu plans to grow potatoes in the Northeast, Hokkaido and Alaska to stabilize food production in the north. Especially since Hokkaido and Alaska are not suitable for growing rice, they will use them to grow potatoes.

If he wants to ensure that the country is not in chaos, Yagyu must ensure that the country is self-sufficient in food as much as possible.

He already has a plan to expand grain production, so there is no need to import grain from Vietnam. He has to free up the transportation fleet to transport coal and iron.

In addition, Japan's iron-making technology is still somewhat backward, and the output is not high. Yagyu has already inspected the iron-making plant, and he plans to use an indigenous method of iron-making to increase steel output.

Although it is an indigenous method, some of the data for the forged steel meet the requirements of modern steel. The iron produced by this method is called Su Steel, and this forging method was found throughout the southern part of the Qing Dynasty.

Yagyu sent people to buy a large number of books from the Qing Dynasty and found them.

Previously, Japan's annual steel production was less than [-] tons. This year, with the innovation of iron-making technology, it is expected to reach [-] tons, and will increase in the future.

With the increase in production, Japan needs more coal and iron. There is too little domestic coal and iron, so Yagyu has always imported it from the Qing Dynasty, and now it has one more place in Vietnam.

As for sending troops to capture Vietnam?Yagyu never had this plan. After all, Southeast Asia was near the British sphere of influence, and France also occupied colonies in Vietnam, Laos and other countries.

In addition, although Vietnam's suzerain country, the Qing Dynasty, was at odds with each other, after France occupied Vietnam, it had a solid fight with the Qing Dynasty.

If Yagyu sent troops to capture Vietnam, he would not only offend France, but also the Qing Dynasty.

Yagyu also needs to plant various raw materials in Hainan, and if it is hostile to the Qing Dynasty, its investment in Hainan will be in vain. And then to capture Taiwan for Nanyang, it will follow the old path of militarism.

Therefore, Yagyu only plans to have friendly trade with countries in Southeast Asia, but if some people think Japan is easy to handle, then he wants to flex his muscles.

The trade with the Nguyen Dynasty has been temporarily settled. Now he only needs to wait for the arms from the United States to be sent to the Nguyen Dynasty to complete the transaction.

Yagyu immediately ordered a second batch of arms from Botman, which made Botman relent and would definitely support Japan's lifting of the tariff treaty with the Netherlands.

However, Botman was a little worried about whether Japan's navy would be a rival to the Netherlands.

In fact, Yagyu had already found out the Dutch naval information through the relationship between Prussia and Tsarist Russia.

Although the Netherlands used to be a maritime coachman and was very powerful, it declined after the Anglo-Dutch naval war, and then went through the Napoleonic period. Now its national strength has recovered.

The strongest thing in the Netherlands is its navy, and more than [-]% of its warships are in Indonesia, guarding this richest colony.

The current main battleships of the Dutch Navy are similar to those of the Japanese Navy, mainly steam-powered three-masted iron-hulled ships. However, the Netherlands built ironclads a year before Japan, mainly coastal defense ironclads, and has not yet come to the Far East.

It can be said that if the Netherlands becomes angry and dispatches its fleet, Japan will not be unable to fight back.Moreover, the Dutch army is very stretched, and Yagyu can take the initiative and send the army to attack Indonesia and force the Netherlands to re-sign the treaty.

The only worry now is the attitude of Britain and France.

Yagyu endured it for the time being and continued to develop his national strength, at least until the new warships were built and adapted before he could take action.

……

Time passed by and the United States sent the first batch of arms. Yagyu immediately arranged for Nobuyuki Nakajima to transport the first batch of arms to Nagasaki and then to Vietnam.

At the Haiphong port, Ruan Changzuo learned that the Japanese fleet was coming, and immediately ran to the port to check. Sure enough, the Japanese fleet was coming.

After thirty ships entered the port, Nakajima Nobuyuki asked people to transport the arms. A large number of boxes were loaded onto horse-drawn carriages and transported all the way to the Yamen area before unloading.

Ruan Changzuo didn't bother to exchange greetings with Nobuyuki Nakajima, so he opened the long wooden box and looked inside. There was a brand new Enfield rifle lying inside. He immediately picked up one and checked it, then skillfully loaded and fired, all in one go.

"Okay, the quality is very good. Mr. Nakajima's goods are really good."

Nobuyuki Nakajima smiled and said, "Sir Ruan, will you look at our artillery again?"

Ruan Changzuo did not refuse. He looked at the ten artillery pieces carefully, then tested them and felt very satisfied.

"Mr. Nakajima, I am very satisfied with your goods. When we train a new army, I will buy from you again."

Nobuyuki Nakajima was not in a hurry to talk about cooperation. He asked: "We also have experience in training new troops. Do we need instructors?"

This sentence spoke to Ruan Changzuo's heart. They originally planned to go to the French shamelessly, but they were worried that the French would hide their secrets, so they were very entangled. Now Nakajima Nobuyuki's words give them a new choice.

He immediately replied: "If possible, of course we would like someone to teach us."

Nobuyuki Nakajima smiled and said: "This is a thank you gift for our cooperation. Next month I will send some instructors to help you train a Western-style army."

Ruan Changzuo was overjoyed. After seeing off Nobuyuki Nakajima, he immediately led troops to escort the arms to Hanoi, where more than 7000 new troops had gathered.

The person in charge of the new army was Minister Chen Jiancheng.

After delivering the munitions, Nguyen Chang Zuo rushed to Hue to meet Emperor Thu Duc. He reported to the emperor the agreement with Nobuyuki Nakajima.

Emperor Sude was overjoyed and said: "This country of Japan is really different from those wolves in France. The transaction is very fair."

However, Ruan Changzuo is a person who has seen the outside world after all. He reminded: "Your Majesty, although Japan is now on good terms with us, it does not mean that it will still be like this in the future."

Emperor Sude's excitement suddenly decreased a lot. He nodded and said: "I understand, but now we still have to be friendly with each other. After their people help us train the new army, we will first go to destroy the group of bandits in the north. .”

Ruan Changzuo also felt that it was time to deal with the long-haired bandits in the north.

These people are all remnants of the Taiping Army. Wu Kun's Yanling Kingdom has also been dispersed by the Qing army. Each tribe fled to northern Vietnam to establish their own rule. The Ruan Dynasty was unable to control them and could only turn a blind eye.

For example, Baosheng in the north was occupied by a Han named He Junchang. He set up a checkpoint to collect taxes, but the Ruan Dynasty could not interfere.

The Black Flag Army Liu Yongfu also captured the city in Lu'an Prefecture to expand his territory, the Yellow Flag Army Huang Chongying started a rebellion, and Wu Kun, the leader of the Yanling Kingdom, also occupied northern Vietnam to confront the Qing army.

It can be said that the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam was as troubled by internal and external troubles as the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Even if Ruan Changzuo is worried that Japan has evil intentions, he can only drink poison to quench his thirst at this moment, strengthen the army as soon as possible, first restore the situation in the north, stabilize the country, and then seek development and recapture the six lost southern provinces.

"Cough cough cough..."

Ruan Changzuo covered his mouth and coughed for a long time after leaving the palace.

He took a breath and prayed in his heart: "God, give me a few more years."

(End of this chapter)