Soon, the people from the Ryukyu Mission also followed the relevant personnel from the Ministry of War and exited the court. Although they are a vassal state, they are not officials of the Yi Dynasty after all, and it is not appropriate to continue to stay.
The meeting continued until the end. Officials from the Ministry of War who had planned to send troops to Ryukyu presented rough data on the money, food and personnel required to send troops.
At this time, the people from the Ryukyu Mission were once again announced to the court.
After what they had just experienced, the people in the Ryukyu mission no longer seemed so nervous this time.
After another ceremony, Zhang Rui asked someone to take the memorial submitted by the Ministry of War to the people of the Ryukyu Mission.
The person who took over the memorial was Yang Mi, the chief envoy of the Ryukyu Mission.
Yang Mi gently unfolded the paper he received, and saw a lot of data listed on it, including troops sent, warships, artillery, food and wages, etc.
Yang Mi didn't look at the other specific data carefully, but when he saw the number of warships. Yang Mi couldn't help but take a deep breath. Among them, the number of large and small warships reached nearly two thousand.
"It is a big country, but the strength of the troops sent to support is beyond the imagination of Ryukyu. But where can Ryukyu have enough money to support such a strong force to fight?" Yang Mi was surprised and worried at the same time.
Sure enough, Yang Mi looked at the total data. I saw it clearly written on it: This battle is expected to take one year, and it is expected to require 8 million taels of silver for soldiers, 8 million taels of equipment, and 7,000 tons of grain and grass.
Although Yang Mi still doesn't know what the unit of tons is, it seems that there will be no less.
Looking at this data, Yang Mi couldn't help but tremble in his hands, and handed the memorial paper to the eldest prince Tiansun Wangchen.
The money and food data on this was so huge that Yang Mi felt that he couldn't make his own decisions. Even when he was on the mission, the King of Ryukyu said that everything was decided by him.
Tiansun Wangchen took it over and took a look, and couldn't help but take a breath. Even though he was born into a royal family, he had no worries about food and clothing since childhood. But he still understood how much money and food it cost.
Of course, if the Satsuma clan can really be driven away, it is possible that Ryukyu can raise enough money and food by gritting his teeth for about ten years. But the key point is that now Ryukyu's trade taxes have been taken by the Satsuma clan. Even the tributes from the Manchu and Qing Dynasties in previous years have not been spared by the Satsuma clan. How can Ryukyu get this money and food now?
However, if the Satsuma clan is not driven away, Ryukyu will never see the light of day.
"I have also read the above information. What do you think of this data? Do we still need to send troops to fight against Japan?" Zhang Rui asked after watching the people from the Ryukyu Mission turn around the memorial. road.
"I need it, Your Majesty." At this time, Tiansun Wangchen gritted his teeth and promised.
"However, all the money and food in Ryukyu have been taken away by little Japan, and now I really can't get the money and food out of it. I heard that China can make low-interest war loans. Can Ryukyu be allowed to do the same?"
"This..." Zhang Rui looked embarrassed.
"Please save Ryukyu, Your Majesty. I, Ryukyu, will never dare to forget Your Majesty's great kindness, and will follow the Celestial Empire forever!" King Tiansun knelt down and shouted.
After Zhang Rui hesitated for a while, he showed an embarrassed expression and said: "To be honest, I am also nervous about money. If possible, I really don't want to use troops at this time. But it's even more difficult to see you, so Allow me!"
"Yes, yes, I will always remember your kindness to Your Majesty, and I, Ryukyu, will never forget it from generation to generation." Tiansun Wangchen and others quickly kowtowed and knelt in thanks.
Although there is a lot of money and food, as long as Ryukyu can drive away the Satsuma clan and prevent it from sucking blood on Ryukyu, it will not be particularly difficult to pay off more than 8 million taels of silver due to Ryukyu's geographical location.
Importantly, Ryukyu also has a souvenir, which is brown sugar. This is hard inflation, and the Satsuma Domain relies on controlling this to quickly pay off its war debts and have a balance.
After driving away the Satsuma clan, Ryukyu can also quickly pay off the loan through trade.
"It's not easy to look at you, and I won't charge you any interest. I'll give you an interest-free loan for ten years. After we drive away Ryukyu, you will pay me back 800,000 taels of silver and 700 tons of grain every year. Are there any problems?" Zhang Rui asked.
"No problem." Tiansun Wangchen couldn't help but replied excitedly.
"You still have five islands to the north that were forcibly taken away by Japan?" Zhang Rui asked again.
"Yes. We have been robbed by them for more than a hundred years. During these more than a hundred years, we, the people of Ryukyu, have been living in darkness under the bullying of the Satsuma clan all the time." Tiansun Wangchen almost It was like bursting into tears.
"Since you are a vassal state of our dynasty, we will take care of this matter." Zhang Rui said grandly.
"My lord, thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Tiansun Wangchen shouted again in surprise.
"However, if I get it back for you this time, please don't lose it to me again. Otherwise, I will waste the blood of my soldiers and I won't be happy," Zhang Rui said.
"Your Majesty, this... we can only say that we will do our best to defend them." Tiansun Wangchen didn't know how to answer, so he could only express his opinion!
"If Japan attacks Ryukyu again in the future, are you confident that you can defend it? You can't ask me to send troops thousands of miles away for rescue every time! Even if I can afford to send troops, can you afford it?" Zhang Rui asked.
"Ryukyu is just a small country after all. If Japan comes with a strong force, there is nothing we can do!" Tiansun Wangchen replied with a helpless face.
"You guys... forget it, I suddenly have an idea, see if you are willing to accept it!" Zhang Rui said.
"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions."
"You will join the United Nations of the Sovereigns led by our country later! Although you have to pay some money as an annual fee, for your small country, it can prevent other countries from invading at will."
"Yes, I would like to thank Your Majesty for your grace." After hearing this, Tiansun Wangchen and others immediately thanked him again.
"After I help you get back the five islands to your north that were taken away by the Satsuma clan this time, I want the three closest to Japan."
"Of course, I don't want your island for nothing. I want to use it as a military base. When the time comes, I will send troops there to guard Japan and protect you. It will also save you from being invaded by Japan again in the future, and I will travel thousands of miles to the soldiers. Go to the rescue." Zhang Rui said righteously, as if he couldn't bear to see his little brother being bullied.
This sounds reasonable at first glance, but Tiansun Wangchen feels that something is wrong.
Is this just out of the tiger's mouth and into the wolf's den?
However, Tiansun Wangchen and others did not dare to have any opinions. After all, Zhang Rui's starting point seems to be really for the good of Ryukyu, and if the Yi Dynasty does not send troops to the five islands in the north, they will not be able to get them back at all.
