I started with the Shinsengumi in Bakumatsu

Chapter 95 Purchase arms and make friends with Prussia
Although Tokugawa Iemo was determined to forge ahead and innovate, he could not break away from the shackles of the Tokugawa family and the shogunate, and was tied to death on the shogunate's sinking ship. However, if Yagyu wanted to stop the radical Satsuma and Choshu, he must retain the shogunate's authority. power, otherwise civil war is inevitable.

It is urgent to enhance the strength of the imperial court, and he must make the power in his hands the decisive force in determining Japan's fate.

Nowadays, Britain prefers to support Satsuma, while France supports the shogunate. The conflict of interests between the two countries in Japan has made the situation in Japan even more tense.

The current French Second Empire is the hegemon on the European continent. Of course, this hegemon is actually powerful on the outside and powerful on the inside.

During the Victorian era, Britain's national strength was booming.

The Satsuma Domain was forging ahead, reforming the feudal government, and uniting internally. However, the shogunate was corrupt and degenerate, and talented people were not reused. People such as Katsu Kaishu and Sakuma Shoyama were squeezed out.

Regardless of the power behind it or its own strength, the shogunate is no match for Satsuma.

If the shogunate conquered Choshu as in history and the general died of illness and withdrew his troops, then Japan's political situation would have to be left to him to clean up the mess.

After Yagyu returned to the mansion, he immediately said to his deputy Ogata Shuntaro: "You immediately send letters to the Prussian and American embassies. I will invite the two ambassadors to discuss some business."

The next day, Yagyu took the lead in visiting the acting minister of the United States, Robert Pruin, who had returned to the United States due to the domestic civil war.

Yagyu stepped forward to greet Boatman and said, "Mr. Boatman, I heard that the civil war in your country is about to end?"

Boatman smiled and said: "Mr. Yagyu is really well-informed. The Confederacy is just struggling and they will surrender soon."

Yagyu smiled and said: "Congratulations, Mr. Boatman. After the war is over, America will be reborn. I really envy you."

Boatman wondered: "Why does Mr. Yagyu envy me?"

Yagyu said with a slightly regretful expression: "A war may break out in Japan, and the Choshu clan will become independent from the shogunate. This is something that the shogunate cannot tolerate, but what Japan needs most now is peace."

"Oh, that's such a pity." Botman said with some regret, "I thought Japan would become prosperous and powerful under the guidance of Mr. Yagyu."

Yagyu said regretfully: "I have been working hard, but unfortunately the imperial court is still too weak to suppress the Choshu clan and the shogunate. So this time I came to Mr. Botman, hoping to buy advanced weapons from the United States. Arms and an ironclad ship of about two thousand tons."

Botman's eyes lit up when he heard this. The war is about to end, and part of the domestic army will definitely be disbanded. By then, a large number of arms will be decommissioned, and the federal government plans to sell them cheaply to replenish blood.

"Mr. Yagyu, we are friends. I will definitely help with this matter."

Botman's tone was very eager.

Yagyu asked: "I want to buy a thousand Sharps rifles and a thousand Spencer rifles. Mr. Boatman, how much will it cost?"

Boatman thought for a while and found that the price of the Spencer rifle and the Sharps rifle in China was about thirty dollars. He said, "Mr. Yagyu, you are very far-sighted. Both of these guns are good. The Spencer rifle It can fire more than a dozen shots in one minute. It is a very powerful weapon. It is used by our soldiers, so the price is higher, 1 US dollars each.

The Sharps rifle is also a very powerful rifle. Its rate of fire is much higher than that of a muzzle-loading rifle. This gun is slightly inferior to the Spencer, so it only sells for 45 US dollars. I give this for the sake of my friends. offers. "

Yagyu asked directly without counter-offering: "So how much does an ironclad ship with a displacement of about two thousand tons cost in US dollars?"

Botman hesitated and said: "Mr. Yagyu, the ironclad is a new sea monster that has just appeared. It is a decisive force in naval battles and an important weapon of the country."

Yagyu raised his hand and said: "The ironclad ship I purchased before was more than [-] tons and sold for [-] US dollars. This time, I can offer [-] US dollars for the [-]-ton ironclad ship."

Botman frowned and reluctantly said, "Sixty thousand is not enough, we have to add more money."

"Seventy thousand dollars." "Deal!"

Botman immediately shook hands with Yagyu and then signed an arms contract worth more than $[-].

Shuntaro Ogata, who was following Yagyu, said in confusion: "Director, I heard that England and France are the best shipbuilders. Why do we buy from the United States?"

Yagyu explained: "England and France are established powers. If we buy arms from them, we will be squeezed, and we do not have the ability to bargain.

The United States is different. It was founded more than 80 years ago, and now a civil war has broken out in the country. It is not as powerful as England and France, and it will not be as aggressive as England when communicating with us.The same goes for making friends with Prussia.

Don’t worry, I have already planned to send international students to study abroad this year. After ten years, we can also create our own national weapon. "

Yagyu then went to the Prussian embassy and met with Minister Max von Barland.

Prussia’s contact with Japan can be traced back 20 years, but it was only after Perry opened the door to Japan that it formally established diplomatic relations with the shogunate and signed an unfair treaty in 1861.

In 1863, an envoy sent by Tokugawa Iemo met William I in Berlin, Prussia. The two sides formally established diplomatic relations and exchanged envoys.

Baland met Yagyu in the hall, and he wondered: "Is there a difference between an envoy from the imperial court and an envoy from the shogunate?"

Yagyu immediately explained: "The shogun of the shogunate is appointed by His Majesty the Emperor and entrusted to govern the country. This is equivalent to the king and prime minister of your country, except that the shogun of the shogunate is hereditary."

Baland seemed to understand, but in his opinion, Japan was just a small, backward country.

Yagyu saw that Barand's attitude was relatively cold, so he had no choice but to praise Prussia: "Mr. Barand, in fact, I envy your country. Under the governance of His Majesty William I and Prime Minister Bismarck, Prussia has become a powerful country. I heard that Prussia had defeated a country like Denmark and Austria, which was amazing.”

Baland smiled slightly proudly and said: "It's not bad. The most powerful country in the European continent now is France."

"But I believe that Prussia can surpass France and become the hegemon as long as it unifies the German nation." Yagyu said with a serious face, "I admire Mr. Bismarck's approach very much. If our court can also have strong strength to suppress those lords and shogunate, Then Japan can learn from Prussia and become a powerful country in East Asia."

"I came to Mr. Barland this time because I hope to purchase your country's arms. I also hope that Prussia will establish diplomatic relations with the imperial court. We will give Prussia the same treatment as Britain and France in customs."

Although Barand despised Japan as a small country, Prussia was too far behind Britain and France, and it was a good thing to expand Prussia's international influence.

He smiled and said, "I wonder what Mr. Yagyu wants to buy?"

Yagyu extended his hand and said: "Three thousand Dresser 1841 rifles and fifty Krupp breech-loading steel cannons. We can give you ten pounds for the Dresser rifles and three hundred pounds for the Krupp cannons."

Baland was a little surprised. According to this amount, including bullets and cannonballs, it was about 40 pounds. If converted into Prussian currency, it would be about more than [-] lixises.

"Mr. Yagyu, your choice is clear. Prussia is happy to have a partner like you."

Yagyu stepped forward and extended his hand: "Mr. Barland, I hope we can have a happy cooperation. If possible, I hope to send overseas students to study in Prussia.

I sincerely hope that the experience of Prussia's rise can be used to benefit my country. "

Baland said with great satisfaction: "Of course, Mr. Yagyu, your choice is very clear."

Yagyu left the embassy very satisfied, and more than half of the purpose of this trip was accomplished.

(End of this chapter)