Dominate the Country

In Xi'an General's Mansion.

A group of strong cold air from 'Yongrong' has been lingering in the entire General's Mansion for a long time. From the time the Fuhan Army invaded Shanxi to the time Shanxi Governor E Bao abandoned Taiyuan and fled, there was no smile on Yong Rong's face. The entire maids, eunuchs (brought from Beijing) and maids and servants in the General's Mansion didn't even dare to breathe, for fear of disturbing the thick black clouds that flashed by lightning from time to time above their heads.

On this day, the news of Zhang Jia III's entry into the customs reached Xi'an. The Yongrong people did not explode with anger, but became completely black.

Mrs. Fucha's health is not very good. She was like this when she was in Beijing. When she arrived in the northwest, she didn't know whether it was because she couldn't adapt to the climate, and it was even worse. But now she has to take action herself no matter how bad her health is. Yong Rong has been sitting in the study since afternoon, and now it's eight o'clock. She is still sitting there, saying nothing, not making a sound, and not lighting any candles. Mrs. Fucha first brought a few simple and light meals from the kitchen. She picked up the food box and went to the door of the study and said softly: "Master, I have brought some meals. You can use some of them."

After she finished speaking, she waited at the door of the room, but for a long time no sound came from the room. Mrs. Fucha still has the guts of a real wife, even though her biggest backer, Fu Heng, is finished. "I'm coming in." He opened the door and walked in with a "squeak" sound.

The study was dark, and there was a lamp in her hand. The bottom of the flower pot under my feet made a "dang-dang" sound when it stepped on the floor, which made the house feel particularly quiet.

Yong Rong leaned back on the chair, his entire body buried in the darkness, exuding an aura of loneliness, loneliness, and death. I don't know what happened, but tears burst from Fucha's eyes.

Yong Rong had no ambitions, and his family had lived a comfortable life. Yong Rong's sister joined the Fucha family, and she married Fujin, the direct descendant of the Fucha family. Even if he was adopted and had no chance of inheriting the throne, her life should not be too comfortable.

But now, Yong Rong was called the "King of the Northwest" in Chen Han's newspapers, but the Fucha family would rather he remained an idle beile in Beijing.

Of course, Mrs. Fucha did not come to the study alone. The maids and eunuchs all stayed away. When they saw that Yong Rong's roar was not coming from the study, but the lights were turned on quietly, the group of people were relieved. One breath. This kind of thing is really dangerous. Who doesn't know that the front lines have been defeated one after another these days, and the Qing Dynasty looks like the Great Xia is about to fall. Yong Rong is holding back endless anger in his heart.

When Mrs. Fucha decided to have some sex, all the maids and eunuchs around her advised her not to get into trouble at this time. It is not that there are no other people in the house. Although the favored one, the Talash, was overturned by the desperate Youshi with a death blow, and the whole person was relegated to the "Lenggong". In terms of status, he is still Fujin, but in fact, he has passed away. She is not even as good as a decent palace maid. But there are also the Fujin Zhao family and the Niu Colu family in the mansion. More importantly, the Fucha family has been hit by firecrackers before, now they want to take the initiative to be bombed? Fucha didn't listen.

"Amitabha, Amitabha, Buddha bless, Buddha bless, Fujin is okay, it's okay..." A group of people were so happy that they couldn't help crying. This result couldn't be better.

"Master is not angry, Master is not angry. Fujin really made the right move this time. In the past, when Master got angry, it was always because of Fujin's side..."

Dozens of sharp glances made the quick-talking eunuch shut his mouth abruptly. In the Yongrong Mansion, the only person who could call Xi Fujin without being named was Talash. Before the accident, that woman was pampered and pampered by the Sixth Master in every possible way. She had never been able to conceive and give birth to a son and a half daughter. Otherwise, she would have been in charge of the Zhijun Prince's palace.

As for him, Talash has never been pregnant, and it has been several years since he entered the palace, and no good news has come out. From the initial gloating to the calm acceptance, everyone thought that if he, Talash, was favored again, it would be a disaster. A hen that doesn't lay eggs. Who would have thought that she doesn't lay eggs? She is deliberately trying to prevent pregnancy.

Youshi doesn’t have much confidence, right? Otherwise she should have exposed it long ago.

His Talash was particularly displeased with her. Before Talash entered the house, Youshi was still very favored. As a result, as soon as Talash entered the house, You's situation went from bad to worse. She struggled at first, then avoided, and finally begged for mercy, but Talash still forced her to a dead end.

The last hope was gone, and Youshi temporarily released a big bomb. Yong Rong ordered the imperial doctor to investigate, and indeed he found Huanhuacao from his room. This was Ding Meng's helpless move. Yong Rong doted on her, so it was impossible for her to have sex only during the safe period. And she didn't know much about Chinese medicine. She didn't pay attention to the problem that a condom could solve in her previous life. You can use Huanhuacao, an old method among the people and the palace, to prevent pregnancy.

She could follow Yong Rong first, which was something she couldn't escape, but she felt that she shouldn't have children. Firstly, her body is still young, and secondly, if Manchuria is about to collapse, having a child will be a burden, a big burden. A very 'romantic' thought has never gone away in her heart.

Of course Jinrou knew that this kind of thing must be kept secret, but there was no wall that was not airtight in the world. No matter how much it was kept secret, the flaws would be revealed over time. It's just that Youshi is not sure whether it is true or not, and feels unbelievable. So it wasn't until she finally broke the news.

Whether it is true or not has nothing to do with her. She was going to die anyway.

So, the Tatara concubine who had enjoyed unlimited glory in Yongrong's mansion fell into disbelief, and Yongrong was furious.

Jinrou had no reason to defend herself, and she could not explain why she had such a legitimate reason. And Yongrong felt like he was wearing a green hat. In this era, if a woman is unwilling to give birth to a child for her man, how much of this woman's heart can really treat her man? Even if such a woman is clean physically, Yongrong thinks she is dirty mentally. And he had favored her for several years. Whenever he thought of this, Yongrong was furious.

…

"Is this made of wool?"

Zhangjia III's eyes were about to fall to the ground when he saw the pile of wool in front of him. Don't think that he doesn't know anything about wool because he has been in Beijing for many years. He accompanied Qianlong every year when he toured the north. Every year, the Mongolian princes on the prairie sent him exquisite blankets, felts, leather mattresses and other items.

But Zhangjia III never thought that wool could be woven like cotton!

Chen Ming patted his chest. He was wearing the uniform of the general of the Fu Han Army, which was made of pure wool. "Hutuktu, not bad at all, absolutely wool." The uniforms of officers above the school level of the Fu Han Army were made of pure wool, while the uniforms of officers and soldiers below the school level were made of cotton and wool blends.

"If you want to make the Mongolians' lives rich and sufficient, grazing alone will not solve the problem." The resistance to natural disasters in this era is too poor. It is possible that a white disaster will come one year, and all the cattle and sheep will be destroyed.

There is no freezing technology in those days.

The Fu Han Army has already started to open several meat canning factories in Zhangjiakou and Xuanhua, but this cannot solve the big problem.

"Raising sheep and shearing wool is the second way to make money for Mongolia. How many sheep can be raised on the vast grassland? I don't want the materials for military uniforms to be imported from foreigners all the time. At the same time, our dynasty will pass on the silage technology to Mongolia." Except for a small part of cotton-wool blended fabrics, the rest of the fabrics used are imported from Britain and France.

Chen Ming said it very seriously. Zhangjia III went over the words in his mind and felt that it was reliable. Raising sheep is the specialty of the Mongolians. "It's just that the wool on the grassland seems..." It can't make any fine fabrics, right? And..., "What is silage?"

"Mongolian wool is really not good, too coarse, and too short. So Mongolian sheep need to be improved. Our dynasty has already signed a contract with foreigners to introduce their fine-wool sheep from the West, and use these Mongolian sheep as the mother to improve the sheep breed. Just like Mongolian horses, it's a little bit." Chen Ming really didn't know much about "improved breeds", and he thought it wouldn't take too long.

"As for the silage technology, it will be even more useful to the Mongols." Chen Ming explained to Zhangjia III what silage was, and he laughed in his heart. The utility of silage technology for animal husbandry is unquestionable, but at the same time, it will also allow many Mongols to switch from nomadic to fixed-point life.

"In addition, the logistics department has decided to include milk powder and milk tofu [cheese] in military supplies, as well as wind-dried meat. This is also a small benefit for the Mongols." The food supply of Chen Han's troops is now becoming more and more diversified and high-calorie. Food consumption will continue to decline in the next few years.

Zhangjia III saluted Chen Ming respectfully. What kind of actions Chen Han will take in the future, Zhangjia III did not think about it. Just look at it now. Chen Han treats the civilians of Mongolia better than the Qing Dynasty. The latter's rewards to Mongolia are all given to tribal leaders. How much of the rewards can those Mongolian princes share with their herdsmen?

On the contrary, the Fu Han Army's method can benefit the herders even if they are exploited by the princes above.

On the prairie, milk powder, milk tofu and dried meat are all necessities for ordinary herders. If these things that every household has can be exchanged for money, it will be a small benefit, as Chen Ming said. For the poor herders on the prairie, it is already very good.

...

The spring in Ezo in July is bright and beautiful, and all kinds of flowers dot this peaceful land. Since Japan began to move north and open up Ezo in the middle of the Muromachi period, their footprints have always lingered in the southern part of Ezo for hundreds of years. In Japan, when talking about Ezo, people's minds only have Hakodate and the main city of the small domain of Matsumae.

Their power in Japan's political and military map is insignificant. Even if they come to Edo to serve, they are quiet.

What is sankinkotai?

- It means that daimyos from all over the country take turns to come to Edo to "serve" the Tokugawa shogunate. As a local lord, the daimyo always has to bring many followers with him when he travels, which costs a lot of money. Japan is mountainous and transportation is inconvenient. The shogunate also has a limited date, and if it exceeds the date, it will be severely punished. Therefore, this measure is very effective. It not only limits the financial resources of the daimyo, but also wastes the daimyo's time. It also obtains the daimyo's hostages (the daimyo's wife must stay in Edo). This three-pronged approach greatly suppressed the rebelliousness of local daimyo, especially the outer daimyo, and forced the daimyo to be loyal to the shogunate. This has become an important reason why the Tokugawa shogunate has been able to maintain a stable rule for nearly 200 years.

So much so that Tokugawa Ieharu is now convening a large gathering of "world" daimyo, but he has not notified Matsumae Michihiro, the lord of the Matsumae domain who has just returned to Hakodate. But at this moment, Hakodate, the lord of the Matsumae domain in Hokkaido, Japan, is under a dark cloud.

When the general of Edo was still worrying about how to deal with Chen Han's future, the Matsumae clan had already received a notice from China.

Just five days ago, a fleet docked at Ishikari Bay. Tall ships were flying red flags. They ignored the obstruction of the Matsumae clan's "Ishikari site" and chose to establish a foothold in the east of Entsu, and had already enclosed a large area.

Ishikari Bay is the trading center between the Japanese and the Ainu people. Because it is located at the lower estuary of the Ishikari River, the inland Ainu people can also rush here conveniently along the river. The Matsumae clan made its fortune by war and trade with the Ainu people. Now the Chinese suddenly appeared in their sphere of influence, and they were very arrogant and directly ran horses and enclosed land in Ishikari Bay, but the Matsumae clan did not even have the qualifications to be angry.

Not to mention the comparison with the whole of China, just this fleet coming here can easily demolish the Matsumae clan's Hakodate.

The hatamoto who arrived at Hakodate by sea with the Chinese people on Chinese ships described the Chinese fleet in Ishikari Bay in a horrified tone. There were 20 warships with cannons on the decks and more than 40 transport ships. They moved 3,000 people up to Ishikari Bay at one time.

Many of them were Koreans.

The Matsumae clan knew the current situation in Korea. The Chinese relied on the islands outside the Korean mainland to strongly support the Korean righteous army. It actually allowed the remnants of the corrupt Lee Dynasty to gain a foothold in South Korea.

"The Chinese said that they set up a base in Ishikari Bay to target the Russians. The Russian army has entered Outer Mongolia. They set up a base here and will stockpile troops in the future. Then they will use Ishikari Bay as a base to advance to Sakhalin Island, which is what we call Taihua Island. They will set up bases along the way to completely cut off the Russians' passage from land to sea. At the same time, when necessary, they will also attack the Russians and Qing people on land from the sea."

"Ishikari Bay is not our land, nor is it Japan's land. They sent people here just to inform us in a friendly manner. At the same time, it is also to be able to trade with us when necessary. "

Matsumae Michihiro's face turned pale. This young man, who was just 20 years old, inherited the position of head of the family at the age of 12. He had a lot of contacts with the forces that opposed the shogunate, such as the same Hashiji, the Shimazu family, and the Date family. He abandoned the feudal government and indulged in various entertainment activities. He often went to Yoshiwara to play. He also took the lowly Yu-na [female branch girl] as a concubine, spending a lot of money. For this, he borrowed a lot of money from merchants, which led to financial tension.

The Matsumae domain is now heavily in debt, and the Chinese have clearly revealed their intention to "exchange what they have". Hakodate Magistrate Ichiro Oono looked at the face of Matsumae Michihiro, and psychologically he was a little unsure of his intention. However, the Matsumae domain now owes too much money.

"Sir, trading with China can make the Matsumae domain gain huge wealth and greatly ease the tense finances of the domain." As a vagrant, Ichiro Oono has no honor or dishonor in his eyes. Money is everything. Now that the Matsumae domain is heavily in debt, it is better to go all out.

The courtesan who was taken as a concubine by Matsumae Michihiro was Ichiro Oono's cousin. Ichiro Oono himself was not from the Matsumae domain. He was an unemployed vagrant in Edo. In order to pay off his debts, he sold his cousin to Yoshiwara as a courtesan. He was favored by the then Matsumae domain lord Matsumae Michihiro, and Ichiro Oono also benefited from his cousin's light and became a close attendant of Matsumae Keihiro. After arriving at Matsumae Fukuyama Castle, Ichiro Akino quickly established good relations with other female concubines of Matsumae Michihiro, and recognized them as sisters regardless of their age. With his scheming skills, Ichiro Akino was appointed as the magistrate of Hakodate by Matsumae Keihiro ten years ago.

Masahisa Niida, Hirotsugu Matsui and others glared at Ichiro Akino. This lowly villain with bad behavior would only lure the lord further and further into the path of mediocrity.

"Sir, the "Laws for the Samurai" have clear regulations, and you must not knowingly violate them. This matter must be reported to Edo as soon as possible. As for what the Chinese call mutual exchange of what you have, how can such a thing be done in the open?" Masahisa Niida is not a stubborn conservative. Why would he not want to solve the current financial difficulties of the Matsumae domain? But it must not give Edo an excuse or handle to interfere.