Chapter 859 Sado Island has gold!

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【Today's second update is delivered!】

The two *** people brought by Dorgon, one named Hito Hito and the other named Kobayashi Nai, were recruited after Dorgon came to the *** and were considered Dorgon's assistants. They were all the kind of guys who had milk and were mothers, and they didn't care about who they were for.

Zhou Zhengyu said: "The weather is very good, let's discuss things on the deck."

Dorgon said: "Okay. Kobayashina, please give Commander Zhou a detailed introduction to the situation of Sado Island."

Zhou Zhengyu shook his head and said, "No need."

He took out a piece of information and handed it to Dorgon, and said casually: "This is what the governor told me to give it to you. He said that after you have read it, you will understand what to do."

Dorgon opened the information in a little puzzled manner and read it carefully. There was no special content in this information, it was all about Sado Island. However, it was this introduction that made Dorgon very curious. Because this introduction was more detailed and visionary than his investigation on the island.

According to Zhang Zhun's description, Sado Island is a large island on the north coast of ***, with an area of ​​about 800 square kilometers, which is equivalent to Chongming Island in the Ming Dynasty. However, Chongming Island is an island that hit the Yangtze River Delta port. With the development and destruction of the environment in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the turbidity of the Yangtze River's water quality has only been rapid in recent centuries and the development area has continued to expand. Sado Island is an island overseas and has existed for a long time.

The distance between Sado Island and Honshu Island is very narrow, slightly wider than that of the Qiongzhou Prefecture of Ming Dynasty (Hainan Island) and the Qiongzhou Strait on the mainland. If the entire terrain is like a pine caterpillar, Sado Island is on the back of the back of it. If the archipelago is like a big lobster, the land in the Kanazawa area protrudes northward like a fin, it is behind the back of the back of the fin. Honshu Island, which is slanted from the north to the southwest, is like a solid wall, blocking the vast majority of the east and south, making this area sit south to north and very wide.

Of course, these are not the most important. The most important thing is that there are a large number of gold and silver mines on Sado Island. In addition to Ishimi Yinshan, this is the largest gold and silver producing area. If it is purely gold ore, Ishimi Yinshan is not as good as Sado Island. It is precisely because Sado Island produces a large amount of gold that the price of gold has always been very low in the country.

During the period when the gold nuggets were at its peak, Sado Island could dig about 80,000 taels of gold (about 40 tons). Forty tons of gold, according to the domestic silver price in Ming Dynasty, it would be more than one million taels of silver. In other words, Sado Island could produce more than one million taels of silver every year. Such a quantity is of course quite considerable. If the production of Ishimi Yinshan is added, it would be even more abundant.

In the Ming Dynasty, under normal circumstances, one tael of gold could be exchanged for about eight to ten taels of silver. During the Wanli period, maritime trade developed rapidly, and a large amount of overseas silver poured in, causing the price of silver to continue to fall, and the price of gold to hit new highs. By the fifth year of Chongzhen, one tael of gold could be exchanged for more than thirteen taels of silver. There was even a trend of continued upward trend.

Because of the continuous rise in gold prices, Zhang Zhun of course had to go crazy to find the origin of gold mines. In Shandong, there were many gold mines, and the gold mines in Zhaoyuan and other places were quite famous. Unfortunately, the Zhaoyuan gold mine was developed by the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, and there was not much left. In addition, the Hu Ben Army was desperate to develop and fished in the dry pond. It is estimated that in less than many years, the Zhaoyuan gold mine would be exhausted.

From a long-term perspective, Zhang Jun must look for more undeveloped gold mines. Sado Island is here that comes into Zhang Jun's sight. In fact, at the beginning, Zhang Jun was still staring at Ishimi Yinshan. However, Ishimi Yinshan is the target of the shogunate's key protection and is in the inland of the *** state, which is not easy to control. Based on all aspects of the conditions, he had to start with Sado Island first.

For the Huben Army, Sado Island is indeed a rare and good place. It is basically in the border area ruled by the shogunate. The shogunate army is only symbolic and has no real combat power. Sado Island is also isolated overseas and is separated from Honshu Island. The Huben Army's maritime strength is strong and can basically curb the *** navy. Therefore, after the Huben Army took over Sado Island, the counterattack of the shogunate army would not become cruel even if it wanted to be cruel.

After reading the information, Dorgon looked at Zhou Zhengyu suspiciously. He suspected that the information was created by Zhou Zhengyu himself, and then gave it to him in the name of Zhang Zhun. Otherwise, how could Zhang Zhun, who was thousands of miles away, know about Sado Island? He knew so much.

Of course, Zhou Zhengyu didn't know Dorgon's guess. Seeing Dorgon's suspicious gaze, he casually said: "Do you have any questions?"

Dorgon said half-believingly: "Can Sado Island really excavate 80,000 taels of gold every year? 80,000 taels of gold, that's more than one million taels of silver!"

Zhou Zhengyu said affirmatively: "It should be right for the Governor to say this."

Dorgon said a little disbelief: "But according to my understanding, there seems to be no such many gold mines on Sado Island! Even if all silver mines are included, there is no such high output!"

He said to Kobayashinae, "Tell me."

Kobayashi Nao was obviously a standard Japanese traitor and was very obedient. He immediately stood up and explained in detail when he heard this. He knew a lot about Sado Island. It can be seen that Dorgon was also paying attention to Sado Island.

Sado Island is not unoccupied. There was a Sado Kingdom on the island a long time ago. The history of the local indigenous people is as long as the history of Honshu Island. However, Sado Kingdom is indeed too small, and the total population may be less than 10,000. During the Warring States Period, Sado Kingdom always existed as the Echigo Kingdom, a great country that relied on Honshu Island. Later, the Tokugawa shogunate basically unified the country, which also affected Sado Island.

Since twenty years ago, Sado Island has become the "Tenge Leader" of the Tokugawa Shogunate (i.e., the district directly under the jurisdiction). The Shogunate has set up a Kinja Mountain here, which is responsible for the development of gold and silver mines on Sado Island. Therefore, it can be said that the Shogunate also paid attention to the gold and silver mines on Sado Island. The location of the shogunate officials is in Aikawa Castle to the west.

Zhou Zhengyu asked cautiously: "How many troops are there in the shogunate stationed here?"

Dorgon replied: "More than five hundred."

Zhou Zhengyu nodded and said decisively: "Okay! Let's go to Aikawa Castle immediately! Log in there! Control Sado Island first!"

With a command, the fleet immediately turned north and leaned towards Aikawa Castle. Soon, they arrived on the sea opposite Aikawa Castle. Looking from the Qianli Mirror, the so-called Aikawa Castle is actually a small fortress, a small port, and a scattered market. In the vaguely, some people can be seen coming and going. This is the most lively place on Sado Island.

When a large number of warships arrived, the shogunate army stationed in Aikawa Castle rushed to fire guns and warn people on the shore, and they also hurriedly looked for a place to hide. The weapons of the shogunate army were all imported from Portugal, and there were quite a few so-called iron cannons (that is, muskets). After firing guns and warnings, more guns began to sound. Of course, their weapons were a little different from those of the Tiger Army.

"Three-wheeled volley!"

"fire!"

Zhou Zhengyu shouted sternly.

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

After a moment, sixteen sword-toothed ships opened fire together.

The first round of volleys was nearly 300 artillery guns. The fierce sound of cannons suddenly shocked the entire sea. The people on Sado Island have always been used to days when they were so calm that they could no longer be calm. Now, the deafening sound of cannons came, and they were almost scared.

The shogunate was stationed in Kansama, Aikawa Castle, and the person in charge was named Junjiro Koizumi. He was drinking tea leisurely when he suddenly heard the sound of cannons coming from afar and was stunned. Then, countless hail fell on the roof of the fortress. The roof of the tea room where he was also smashed by shells. Fortunately, he was very lucky and was not hit.

Almost subconsciously, Junjiro Koizumi hurriedly ran out of the tea room and hid behind the fortress wall. He ran away quickly and was lucky enough to avoid the bombardment of shells, but the followers behind him were not so lucky.

During the running, three of Koizumi Junjiro's sects were hit by solid bullets and turned into a ball of meat sauce. The most exaggerated thing was that there was a minion whose head was smashed and he ran desperately with Koizumi Junjiro until he ran twenty or thirty meters before he fell to the ground.

Junjiro Koizumi just turned around and saw this scene. He was frightened to his mind. He pressed against the city wall tightly and shouted hysterically to the surroundings: "What's going on? What's going on? Who's ***?"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

"Bangbangbangbang!"

Before he finished speaking, another series of cannon sounds came.

Junjiro Koizumi was frightened and hurriedly curled up behind the city wall, so he didn't dare to move.

The falling shells smashed all the debris behind him. Even the stone table as thick as his palm was smashed to pieces. Not only the roof of the house behind him was smashed, but the walls were smashed. Those who could not hide were hit by a series of iron lumps, either dead or injured, and the scene was in chaos.

After a while, a follower hurriedly arrived by Koizumi Junjiro and kept reporting something to him. However, no matter how he reported it, Koizumi Junjiro felt that he had not heard it. He only saw the other person's mouth shape, but could not hear the other person's voice. All the scenery in front of him also changed from color to black and white.
Chapter completed!