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Chapter 1305 Potential Enemies

These weapons and ammunition given to the Persians for free or almost free were very valuable in the eyes of outsiders, but they were nothing in the eyes of the imperial army and were not even qualified to be equipped to reserve recruits.

The production of flintlock muskets had long been discontinued in the three large industrial bases. All equipment and technology were eliminated and handed over to small private factories. Most of the time, they were used to produce civilian tools, and only temporarily switched to production when special orders were received.

If you want to use them to fight against the Ming army, they are probably not as good as traditional bows and crossbows. The range is too short, the accuracy is much worse, it is more easily affected by the climate, and the production cost and difficulty are much higher.

The ammunition is used up and not replenished in time, or the imitation products are of poor quality, or the training is not in place, and the failure rate is so high that it will make the users want to die.

There is no such thing as a free meal. It is foolish to take advantage of Emperor Jingyang. He is a man who would lose money if he didn't pick up the silver coins he saw. He is always thinking of all kinds of tricks to cheat people. When it comes to the gifts he sends, the more he says he doesn't want the money, the more vigilant you should be. Otherwise, you will lose your skin if you don't die!
When it comes to the Persian issue, although Wang Datou agrees with Greg's inference, he is not particularly anxious. This is because the emperor's layout is not a one-shot deal. To use the new term in the Royal Academy, it has a high degree of redundancy and fault tolerance.

Even if the Persian Empire immediately sided with the European coalition and joined the Ottoman army in an expedition to the east, it would only provide Huang Taiji with a stage to display his military talents and allow him to perform more brilliantly.

But no matter what is said, the responsibilities that should be fulfilled cannot be reduced. So Wang Datou decided to return to the capital first, and tell Greg's arguments together with what he saw and heard, and listen to how the emperor would judge.

"I have indeed met him and talked to him for a few minutes, but I don't have a very deep impression of him. I do have some memories of the Portuguese from the Persian Gulf Mediterranean Company. How is he now?"

When reporting to the emperor, one cannot just speak like Greg did. At least one must convert the language into text and polish it before presenting it. Although the emperor often reads the report at a glance and does not take it seriously, and the person concerned still needs to dictate it in the end, not a single word should be omitted.

At this time, Hong Tao finished reading the secret report that Wang Datou had been working on for half the night in just over ten seconds. He was calm and calm. After he put it down, the topic changed and he talked about the trading company that he had temporarily established in Fao Port.

"Uh... He left the company behind and ran away with most of the property. He probably returned to Portugal. The consulting office has been secretly investigating, but there is no news yet."

Wang Datou had never expected the emperor to have such a good memory, and still think about the game he made that year. But when asked, he had to tell the truth, not daring to hide a word.

"He ran away! I still have 20 gold coins' worth of shares in the company... This really fulfills the old saying that playing with eagles all year round only to be pecked in the eye by a thief in my hometown!

Don't look for him anymore. The cost of sending people is higher than my investment. The more I pursue him, the more I lose. I guess he won't dare to come back in this lifetime. Write down his name and give it to Wang Chengen. I will carve it into a plaque and hang it high in the palace, so that we can always learn from it!"

Hong Tao really doesn't have a good memory. He had long forgotten the name of the Portuguese businessman. If he hadn't recorded the investment amount in a small notebook, he would probably have even forgotten about the company.

If he were not the emperor, he would have probably continued to investigate, and even went to Portugal to break his grandson's legs. But his status changed, and his concerns also changed. He seemed to be more open-minded, but in fact he was too busy.

But his shameless and two-faced temperament remained the same. If it were someone else, they would have to hide such a shameful thing, and even want to kill the person who handled it. But he was not like that. Not only did he not hide it, he also wrote it openly for everyone to comment on, as if he had done something great. This is the self-protection method he summed up. The more you don't care about anything, the more difficult it is for others to find a balance point. As the empire grows larger and is always at the center of power, it has to pay more attention to its own safety.

Although those who dared to openly oppose him have almost disappeared in recent years, people's hearts are hidden, especially when faced with the temptation of huge power, it is difficult to guarantee who will always be loyal, including those graduates of the Sea House Division and the Royal Academy.

"Yes, students will always take it as a warning! Should the supply of weapons from Persia be stopped, or should the production be reduced?" Wang Datou certainly didn't know the emperor's dirty thoughts. He was still sighing in his heart that the emperor had a big vision and he wanted to learn from him as a role model.

"It seems that you still don't fully understand what Greg means. The problem with Persia is not Persia, nor is it with the Ottomans, but with religion. The solution should not be to focus only on Persia, that would be a real trick. We must consider the whole situation, do you understand?"

It is not clear whether Wang Datou is really praising Hong Tao, nor does he want to know. At their age, they are no longer in the stage of worshipping anyone they meet. If they want their subordinates to work wholeheartedly, it is useless to just talk big. They must show some real skills, such as insight and prediction that surpass those of ordinary people.

"...comprehensively...can students understand it as all countries and regions that believe in Islam?" Wang Datou tried hard to think along the lines pointed out by the emperor, and then came to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

"more or less!"

"Doesn't that mean we need to be on guard against Bukhara and the Kazakh Khanate as well? Should we notify General Huang to keep an eye on the movements of the Khanate's troops and not to enter their camps at will?"

Now Wang Datou was really panicked. Persia alone could not cause much trouble, because Persia and the Ming Empire did not border each other, and there was Bukhara or the Kazakh Khanate in between.

If these two countries that have been vassalized for many years cannot be trusted, the most dangerous person is Huang Taiji in the Western Regions. He sent some elite cavalry troops to the vicinity of the two Khanate capitals, and it seems that he will personally inspect them.

If something goes wrong with the main general before the battle, the Western Region war zone will be leaderless. No matter who is appointed to replace him, the effect will be compromised.

"Don't worry about General Huang. He has a deeper understanding of this aspect than most generals. When he escorted the princess to the capital, he also submitted a secret report to me, which talked about how to prevent the two Khanates from turning against us in the middle of a battle.

The cavalry sent to the Khanate capitals were nominally there to help the Khanate army get familiar with the use of new weapons and the coordination of new tactics, but in reality they had taken over the security and defense of the two capitals, along with the Khan, most of the nobles, and their families, all of whom were hostages!"

Hong Tao laughed off Wang Datou's worries. He underestimated himself and the heroes of the world. Huang Taiji, as a winner who emerged from the bottom through bloody battles and internal struggles, had 99% of his mind filled with intrigues. He would sleep with one eye open, so how could he let two small Khanates plot against him?

(End of this chapter)