Daming talker

Chapter 741 Political Economy and Military

After Lin Tianshuai helped President Konishi to broaden his horizons and envision the future, he let President Konishi go down and digest his teachings first.

Shen Weijing, the interpreter who was in charge of translation, had envy in his eyes and jealousy in his heart.

The future he planned for himself was to strive to become Lin Tianshuai's representative of interests in Japan.

As one of the few "Japan experts" in the Ming Dynasty, he felt that he had the ability and was the person closest to this position.

But he never expected that Lin Tianshuai would finally bypass him, the "Japan expert", and directly support the pure-blooded Japanese Konishi Yukinaga.

"This Konishi Yukinaga is so lucky." Shen Weijing couldn't help but sigh, with a hint of jealousy in his tone.

Lin Tianshuai glanced at Shen Weijing and replied, "A person's fate depends not only on the course of history, but also on his own characteristics.

After being captured, Konishi Yukinaga was destined to take this path. "

Shen Weijing couldn't help but recall the past. Looking back now, he seemed to be able to see some clues that he couldn't notice at the time.

After capturing the city defender Konishi Yukinaga alive in Pyongyang at the beginning, according to normal routine, Lin Tianshuai should have had a conversation with Konishi Yukinaga.

But Lin Tianshuai ignored the question at that time. Apart from asking Konishi Yukinaga to identify the identity of the head, there was no other conversation.

Konishi Yukinaga was directly taken away and locked up, and his treatment was no different from that of an ordinary Japanese soldier.

Could it be that Tianshuai started training Konishi Yukinaga from that time on?
Not to mention that later on, he repeatedly used the topic of "You are really useless" to drag Konishi Yukinaga into a fight, causing Konishi Yukinaga to act more actively than the traitors in order to prove that he was useful.

Thinking of this, Shen Weijing asked with resentment: "What qualities does Konishi Yukinaga have that made Tianshuai deliberately cultivate him since he was captured, and continue to observe him until now?"

In other words, what is the difference between me, Shen Weijing, and others, except that I am not Japanese? The key word of the spokesperson is "speaking for", and you don't have to be a daimyo to be one, right?
Lin Tianshuai answered very honestly: "Because he currently has no father and no son, this is his greatest characteristic."

Shen Weijing: “.”

Lin Tianshuai went on to explain: “Without a father alive and without a son, it means there is no need to worry.

Therefore, Konishi Yukinaga does not have to worry about his family being retaliated against in Japan, and has the possibility to wholeheartedly surrender to me.

If we capture such a Japanese daimyo alive, we must find a way to use him. Besides, Konishi Yukinaga is smart, has certain economic talents, and has no public resentment. "

After using political means to disrupt the enemy and making good political plans for the future, it was time for the military aspect that gave Lin Tianshuai the most headaches.

As for the best way to fight, it is definitely to lure the Japanese soldiers out and engage in field battles which the heavenly soldiers are good at - artillery bombards and cavalry charges, cavalry charges and artillery bombards.

Now the two armies are facing each other across the river, but Shuai Lin Tian has no ships and does not have the power to control the water, so it is difficult for him to launch an attack on the Japanese camp.

Therefore, the Japanese army, which had two or three hundred ships, had the ability to actively cross the Taihe River and launch an attack.

Even if the Japanese soldiers' attack was unsuccessful, they could withdraw to the south bank under the cover of the navy.

The Ming Dynasty military camp located on the north bank was far away from the Taihe River in order to prevent the Japanese army from suddenly crossing the river to attack the camp.

At the same time, leaving the north bank undefended was also to lure the Japanese army across the river.

But even so, the Japanese army, which had the initiative, still showed no signs of attacking, and all its advantages turned into a defensive position.

Lin Tianshuai sent people to shout and challenge in Japanese every day, and shot a few arrows at the Japanese soldiers from time to time, but still no Japanese soldiers came out.

After three days, Lin Tianshuai could no longer tolerate it and sent someone to fetch several sets of women's dresses from the old city of Ulsan.

Then he was sent to the Japanese camp and was specifically sent to the Japanese general Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Looking at several women's dresses, several knowledgeable Japanese generals engaged in a heated debate.

Shimazu Yoshihiro, the Lord of Satsuma, looked at Tokugawa Dainagon and said maliciously, "I remember that when Sima Yi received women's clothing in the Three Kingdoms period, he deliberately put it on and showed it off in public, right?"

Ii Naomasa, one of the four great kings of the Tokugawa family, refuted loudly, "Absolutely not! Sima Yi did receive women's clothing, but he definitely did not wear it. Shimazu, you are old and stupid and you must have made a mistake!"

Asano Nagamasa said in confusion: "I don't know why, but in my memory I feel like Sima Yi is wearing women's clothes?"

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was forced to accept women's clothing, turned pale. Sima, you bastards! Can you stop having Sima Yi on the left and Sima Yi on the right?
The enemy is trying to disrupt our morale. Don't you bastards realize this?

Just when Lin Tianshuai was bored because Tokugawa Ieyasu did not go to war, he suddenly received a report from Hamgyong Province.

Yang Dengshan, the lieutenant general stationed in the northern Hamgyong Province, reported that they had received 10,000 Japanese prisoners of war sent from Seoul, and after about a month of preliminary preparations, they could officially start mining the copper mine. He asked the Marshal to name the copper mine.

This is great news. After so much trouble, I am finally going to see the “return money”.

So Lin Tianshuai, who was doing nothing, immediately called over the young man Yu Zhongliang, who was the son of Yu Gongjing, the leader of the four great warriors among the old brothers from Suzhou and the captain of the Lin Family Compound Guard.

"My old nephew! You don't have to continue fighting on the front line, go north to Hamgyong Province!" Lin Tianshuai said to Zhongliang.

Yu Zhongliang couldn't help but asked in astonishment: "Why are you going there?"

Lin Tianshuai ordered: "Mining is about to start, and our people have to go there quickly. And you will represent the Lin Group to take over and manage the copper mine.

I have already thought of a name for the copper mine. Since it is close to the upper reaches of the Yalu River, it will be temporarily called Linjiang Copper Mine."

The young Yu Zhongliang was still somewhat clear-headed, but he became even more confused after hearing this.

As Lin Tianshuai's close aide, he also knew about the mining in the north of North Korea.

But wasn’t the government investing in this before? From the transportation of grain, the gathering of manpower and material resources to the initial construction of infrastructure and the supply of equipment such as oil lamps and wind cabinets, a large amount of national resources were mobilized.

How come it is now the Lin Group's turn to take over and manage it? From state investment to private takeover, is the ownership transfer so smooth?

Looking at the stunned Yu Zhongliang, Lin Tianshuai asked, "What's the matter? What's the problem? I've put so much effort into this, it can't be in vain, right?"

Yu Zhongliang asked in confusion, "How do we say it in name? It's not good to just say it's Lin's property, right?"

Lin Tianshuai nodded with satisfaction, "Very good, it seems that you also know the importance of clear property rights! As the saying goes, if the name is not right, the words will not flow.

First, the sixth prince of the Joseon Kingdom, Sunhwagun, was conferred the title of Duke of Lelang, and the Linjiang Copper Mine in Gapsan County was also within the territory of Duke of Lelang.

The Duke of Lelang contracted the permanent mining rights of the Linjiang Copper Mine to Suzhou Jinong Warehouse. Secondly, Suzhou Jinong Warehouse promised the emperor that each miner in the mining area would pay the emperor 20 kilograms of copper per year in exchange for the Ming court's initial investment in the copper mine.

After listening for a long time, Yu Zhongliang finally sorted out the internal relationships of the copper mine.

Just pay enough to the emperor, leave enough to keep the miners alive, and the rest belongs to the Lin family, and there is nothing for North Korea.

As for why the emperor did not directly take over the copper mine, it was probably because he still had some dignity left and did not want to be accused of embezzling the property of his vassal states.

Moreover, if the emperor directly built a mine, he would probably be advised by his ministers, so he did it through Suzhou Jinong Warehouse as a white glove.

However, when Yu Zhongliang thought of Suzhou Jinong Warehouse, he wanted to laugh. This economic entity, which was nominally "jointly managed by the government and the people and jointly operated by the public and private sectors", was really a bit mysterious.

When it comes to signboards, it is public; when it comes to operations and profits, they are private.

The name sounds very rustic. This Suzhou Jinong Warehouse is not only a charity organization in the traditional sense, but also the largest small loan issuance institution for the benefit of the people in Suzhou City, the largest operator of Suzhou's grain market, and the major shareholder behind the Xinwu Bank. What's more bizarre is that it is a major partner of Yangzhou Lin's Salt Industry, with more than 10,000 salt-paying capital!

Now Suzhou Jinong Warehouse has an additional "permanent contract right for Linjiang Copper Mine", which makes things look more and more strange.

Lin Tianshuai then gave Zhongliang detailed instructions: "Take a few dozen people with you. When you get there, the most important thing is to form a mining protection team.

At present and in the future, the main force of miners are Japanese captives. In addition to recruiting the remnants of the Liaodong army, a group of Koreans can also be recruited to form a mining protection team.

Then we need to get to know the situation in the mining area as soon as possible. Once you are familiar with it, I will withdraw Yang Dengshan from the mountain.

You are still young, and this is the time for you to work hard. Be prepared to stick with Linjiang Copper Mine for two to three years."

Yu Zhongliang nodded repeatedly, and couldn't help asking another question out of curiosity: "How much copper can be produced there that is worth the host making such a fuss?"

Lin Tianshuai replied: "The factor that limits the amount of copper produced by Linjiang Copper Mine is not the reserves, but the number of miners."

Whether it is political layout or economic construction, Lin Tianshuai has been going smoothly these days, but the military has been stagnant.

Ma Gui had to comfort himself by saying, "These 40,000 Japanese soldiers should be all the mobile forces of the Japanese army.

Keeping them here is not a loss in the overall situation, as it will reduce the pressure on other places.

Anyway, the Marshal is also waiting for the arrival of our Ming navy to completely cut off the Japanese army's retreat route at sea, so it will be a good deal if we can delay them before then!
Ulsan is only a few dozen miles away from Seosungpo. If we can get in touch with the navy commander Chen Lin, we can let them land in Seosungpo and directly outflank the rear of the Tokugawa army in front of us!
The situation at sea is unclear. I don’t know when Chen Lin will be able to arrive here. I really can’t tell the time.”

The Korean Peninsula is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the climate and water conditions are very complicated, so the speed of ships often depends on the weather.

The ship sails along the coastline from the west coast to the southeast coast here. When the wind and the sea are extremely favorable, it can travel four to five hundred miles a day.

When the wind and the sea are favorable, they can travel about 100 to 200 miles, but if they encounter extremely unfavorable conditions, they may not even be able to travel a few miles.

Therefore, even Lin Tianshuai, who was good at calculating, could not calculate the exact time when Chen Lin would arrive with the navy.

Even though Lin Tianshuai is invincible on land, if he really wants to achieve full success, he cannot do without the assistance of the navy.

The thousands of ships of the Japanese pirates are not just for show; they really have the ability to withdraw to Japan on a large scale by sea.

If there was no navy, Lin Tianshuai could only watch the Japanese pirates escape.

Listening to Ma Gui's rambling, Lin Tianshuai suddenly had an idea and asked, "What did you just say?"

Ma Gui said doubtfully, "I'm talking about the navy. I hope the navy will arrive here soon, and then let them land in Xishengpu. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Lin Tianshuai asked again: "Do you think the Japanese army knows the detailed information about our Ming navy?"

Ma Gui thought for a moment and replied, "Since the Japanese pirates retreated to the southern coast, they have only occupied an area of ​​200 miles from east to west, and have lost all other areas.

It can be said that the Japanese pirates have basically lost the ability to penetrate deep into our army's rear and collect detailed intelligence.

As we deliberately kept secret the details of our navy's arrival in Korea and its march south, the Japanese pirates probably did not know much about it.

Even if we vaguely know that there is a navy, we probably don’t know the number, strength, or combat intentions of the navy.”

Lin Tianshuai suddenly said, "Perhaps we can tell the Tokugawa Army on the other side that the Ming Navy is about to arrive. Will they be forced to fight?"

General Ma couldn't figure out the pros and cons, so he just responded, "Is this okay?"

Lin Tianshuai said thoughtfully: "We can use a more exaggerated way to reveal the news of the Ming Navy to the other side.

Whether the other side believes it or not, it is likely to cause internal chaos, after all, their ideas are not unified. "

So Lin Tianshuai called Konishi Yukinaga over again. Konishi Yukinaga was the most suitable person to carry out the task of delivering the message to the Japanese camp.

"What do you think is Tokugawa Ieyasu's ultimate intention of defending his position? Does he think he can wait out our army's retreat?" Lin Tianshuai asked casually.

Konishi Yukinaga replied: "According to my analysis, Tokugawa Ieyasu may be waiting for Shimayama Castle to collapse and fall completely.

In this way, rescuing Shimayama Castle would become meaningless, and Tokugawa Ieyasu could withdraw his troops as a matter of course.

Anyway, most of the generals trapped in Shimayama Castle, such as Fukushima Masanori, Hachisuka Iemasa, Asano Yukinaga, etc., are direct descendants of the Toyotomi family, and Tokugawa Ieyasu will not feel sorry for them.

I will explain to Taiko later that we were unable to rescue him in time because we encountered a powerful enemy like Tianshuai who personally blocked our way."

Lin Tianshuai chuckled a few times, "But Asano Nagamasa, who was ordered to supervise the army, would definitely not think so. He wants to save his own son."

Konishi Yukinaga also echoed, "Tokugawa and Asano must have different ideas. The fact that the other side is holding out means that Tokugawa can still suppress Asano, and Asano is temporarily obeying Tokugawa's command."

Lin Tianshuai suddenly changed the subject and said, "If I send you to pass the message across the street again, would you dare to go?"

Konishi Yukinaga answered without hesitation: "To serve the Heavenly Marshal, why wouldn't I be afraid to go through fire and water?"

Anyway, among the three biggest bosses on the opposite side, Asano Nagamasa and Shimazu Yoshihiro should protect himself, and the risk is not as big as it seems.

Even if Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted to kill him, he would not have been able to do so despite the opposition of Asano Nagamasa and Shimazu Yoshihiro.

Lin Tianshuai encouraged him, “Then go again and try to cause chaos inside the other side. This is called attacking the heart first!”

(End of this chapter)