It doesn't matter if the Dutch don't buy it because they think it's expensive. Even though the ironclad is indeed an extremely expensive weapon, due to its extraordinary performance and combat effectiveness, a certain new emperor has no shortage of buyers.
There are currently two of them, France and Zheng Zhilong!
The former is enough to buy four ships, and the latter has already ordered as many as eight ships.
The ironclad ships sold to France were sold at five million taels of silver each, but two of the ships were offset by the cost of sending German mercenaries and the French army.
Since Zheng Zhilong had made a large amount of advance payment in advance, and he also fought in the north and south, using the strength of the bus, the casualties of his troops were not small, so he enjoyed an extremely low discount price.
The four ships that a certain new emperor plans to export are soon to be available in stock. If he pays now, he is expected to get the warships next year, and the orphans will not have to worry about selling them.
However, it would be too late for the Marquis of Turenne to inform Prime Minister Mazarin of this extremely special situation. The communication cycle alone would take more than six months.
The only feasible way to shorten the collection time is to let Mr. Zheng eat the goods, but the price will not be discounted.
Ten million taels of silver for four ships, no counter-offer, this is already the price of the land that a certain new emperor paid when he reluctantly gave up his love.
If it is any lower, it is better to endure it for two years and save enough money for the Northern Expedition, so there is no need to sell ironclad ships.
If Old Fart Zheng also thinks it’s too expensive, then he can continue to build his imitation Western-style plywood boats...
Zheng Zhilong only got the news after arriving in Beijing during the Chinese New Year, and was immediately shocked.
It's not that it's too expensive, but that I can actually get four more armored ships, which is quite a feat.
Originally, eight ships were ordered. Adding these four ships, there will be twelve ships, which can form a fleet consisting of four ironclad ships on the left, center and right.
How can you refuse this?
If you have experienced it yourself, you will know that a boat costs only 2.5 million taels, which is definitely not expensive!
Zheng Zhilong didn't even think about counter-offering, he simply agreed and ate it all.
Otherwise, after three years and another three years, there will still be more than three years before the next batch of ironclad ships are launched.
By then, the development of the navy of the Dutch and Spanish barbarians may be completely different. We must take precautions and make early plans.
Zheng Zhilong is completely assured of the quality of this batch of warships. Because they were built for Denglai and Tianjin Navy, they are completely reliable in terms of quality.
A certain new emperor will not specifically block this financial owner. If these warships are sold to the Dutch, the missile will be the "Harpoon"-II.
If sold to Zheng Zhilong, the anti-ship missile will be directly upgraded to the "Harpoon"-V. As long as one hits, it can paralyze a wooden warship.
The Dutch can't buy top-notch equipment even if they pay a lot of money, that's for sure.
If you really want to buy it, you can bring it for 50 million taels of silver, otherwise there is no need to negotiate.
Facing the hundreds of warships and thousands of armed ships of the Dutch East India Company, Zheng Zhilong's twelve ironclads seemed to be few in number.
But good steel must be used on the blade, and the same is true for naval battles.
As long as you use ironclad ships to destroy the opponent's flagship first, thereby creating confusion in the command of the enemy fleet, the rest will be easy to handle.
What Zheng Zhilong lacks now is an offensive force that can match the giant Xiyi ships. These iron-clad ships just solve his urgent need.
After getting the money, a certain new emperor was not so interested in the "Zhiyuan".
Because after the Tianjin Shipyard launches the first batch of warships of the same class, in addition to continuing to build warships of this class, it will also build a "Yoshino" with a displacement of 4,200 tons.
Fortunately, the construction period is expected to be four to five years, and the construction cost is evenly spread to only 400,000 to 500,000 taels of silver per year. Otherwise, a certain new emperor would really not be able to spend this money.
It is expected to be launched before the twelfth year of Haojing (1655). If there is no problem with its seaworthiness, it can be built in batches.
Compared with the tonnage and cost of the "Zhiyuan", as well as possible inflationary pressure, the cost of the "Yoshino" will not be less than 17.8 million taels of silver.
According to the Northern Expedition plan of a certain new emperor, it is estimated that Liaodong will definitely be recovered in five years. The land reclaimed by Huang Taiji in its hinterland will depend on the specific situation.
If the financial pressure is not too great, a certain new emperor can purchase two "Zhiyuan" and "Yoshino" ships for each of the two major navies in the north.
But externally, except for Zheng Laofi, a VVVIP customer, within thirty years, unless the West builds a warship with similar combat effectiveness to the "Zhiyuan".
Otherwise, any other buyer can only buy the "Zhiyuan". The "Yoshino" with larger tonnage, higher speed and stronger firepower is the weapon to counter their counterattack.
Moreover, only countries with good relations with the Ming Dynasty can buy ironclad ships. Things like Britain and Spain have been out of the question in the past fifty years.
The British have done a lot of bad things in Zhejiang, and a certain new emperor has never heard of them taking the initiative to pay back the money, so let the British wait for the victims to come and take revenge!
So far, the only buyer in Europe is France. With the war in Europe temporarily coming to an end, France is also able to purchase ironclad ships for the navy.
But now it is very necessary to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. A certain new emperor is too slow to save money on his own, which seriously affects the great plan of beating Huang Taiji.
The new customer is also an old acquaintance and has a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty, that is, the Ottoman Empire.
Thanks to a certain new emperor, Ibrahim I is still alive and has not been deposed by the small gangs around him.
The reason is very simple, that is, the small gangs have made huge profits from the trade between this empire and the Ming Empire, and the construction of the canal is also a very fat project.
In order to ensure that both projects can operate in an orderly manner, even if the monarch Ibrahim I is not so satisfactory, the small group will tolerate it.
Changing people means taking big risks, but businessmen are willing to take risks for huge profits.
But no one is willing to take risks without seeing huge benefits.
If you can get a lot of benefits from buying ironclad ships, a certain new emperor believes that the entire Ottoman Empire will also be willing to buy them.
Even if you buy it and don’t use it, just displaying it there is still a very honorable thing!
Since France, the old enemy in the Mediterranean, already has ironclads, Ottoman, as its competitor, must carefully consider the purchase of ironclads.
Only one country in the world has the ability to manufacture this kind of weapon for naval warfare...
Starting from this year, a new emperor will be paid one million taels of silver every year, and he will get the first ironclad ship in six years!
If you choose a one-time payment, an armored ship only costs five million taels of silver. Isn't it a good deal to show off in the Istanbul Strait?
The Ottomans purchased ironclads at the same price as France. The reason is simple.
Back then, the "Lumi Gun" was a weapon used for friendly technology transfers, and Ming Dynasty reciprocated the favor.
Speaking of which, the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty has always been good. Because the interests of the two empires do not conflict, they rarely fall out.
In this case, why not keep it up?
Allowing the Ottoman army to continue to threaten Europe will, to a certain extent, inhibit the rise of other European countries except Britain, France, and Spain.
Especially for Russia, a powerful Ottoman would be very lethal to Russia.
A certain new emperor would love to see the Ottomans disembowel and bleed Russia, and he'd better do it more often!
The significance of the Ottoman Northern Expedition to Russia is equivalent to the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expedition, otherwise the bear will continue to advance eastward crazily.
When the Russians massacred the people of the Ming Dynasty, did they consider the feelings of a certain new emperor?
If not, then why does a certain new emperor care about Russia?
If you dare to kill my people, I will find someone to punish you day and night!
The lives of the Russians are important, but the lives of the people of the Ming Dynasty are not?
Except for the blond, graceful Russian beauty, everyone else must exist according to the requirements of a certain new emperor!
For them, this is the best result, otherwise the Russians are a plague, maggots, and the source of evil!
"Your Majesty, are you saying that the four ironclad ships have been sold?"
"Yes, that's right! You also know the buyer, Zheng Zhilong, also known as Zheng Yiguan!"
"real?"
"Zheng Zhilong has paid the full amount. I think it may be that the pressure of competition at sea is too great. I believe you also know that Zheng Zhilong, as the Sea Duke of the Ming Dynasty, will find ways to enhance the coastal defense strength in order to protect our Ming Dynasty's thousands of miles of sea territory!"
Putmans did not expect that the new emperor would sell four ironclads so quickly. He originally thought that the matter would be delayed until the summer, so that the East India Company would have time to respond.
"Your company has not realized one problem, that is, the ironclad ship has not experienced actual combat. Once it becomes famous in actual combat, it will become a hot super naval warfare weapon in the world. Every country that strives to get a piece of the maritime trade field will give priority to it. Purchase ironclads! But there is no doubt that not every country has the ability to build ironclads. As far as I know, so far, only our country has the ability to build such warships, and judging from the current level of scientific and technological development of various countries, I estimate that in the future In thirty years, only our country can build ironclad ships!"
Now that a certain new emperor mentioned this, he felt proud. This is a unique weapon in the world. It is useless for you to envy, envy or hate it.
"Your Majesty, although ironclad ships are good, they are expensive to build, and if they are very few in number, they may not play a decisive role in a naval battle!"
Putmans had seen the advantages and disadvantages of ironclads. For the Dutch Navy and the East India Company, the temptation of ironclads did not seem that great.
"With all due respect, Mr. Special Envoy, your company, and your country's navy have a misunderstanding, that is, the trust in high-tech weapons is not high. High-tech weapons will have problems of one kind or another in the early stages of their release. Compared with old-fashioned weapons, , will also reveal many shortcomings. Once it is continuously improved, its advantages will be used to explode powerful combat effectiveness and lethality. Another point is that the threshold for high-tech weapons is very high. Even if you are not able to build it yourself, just It will take a long time to learn and master. This is the cycle of weapons being put into actual combat. If you buy an ironclad ship now, it will take three years at the earliest to get the weapons. Coupled with the running-in of officers and sailors, it will take four years. It will form combat effectiveness. If the French Navy achieves this goal in the year after tomorrow, even if the Dutch Navy places an order now, it will be more than five years later than the French Navy. France has now purchased four ships and will soon place another four to eight ships. The Ottoman Empire will also purchase orders, and the quantity will be smaller than France, but it is a first step after all. It is obvious that in five years, the Dutch Navy should be the second navy in the Europa region after the French Navy, looking at the world If so, it will also be third. If the British navy defeats your navy in a naval battle that breaks out next year, the ranking will continue to drop."
This is the pinnacle of the Dutch navy and Dutch maritime trade, but neither Putmans, the East India Company, nor Tromp, the commander of the Dutch navy, realize it.
In ten years at most, as long as Mazarin is willing to continue spending money on Louis XIV's fleet, the French navy will surpass its Dutch counterparts and become the overlord of the waters in the Europa region.
As long as the French navy has twelve to sixteen ironclad ships, it can prevent the Dutch fleet from even leaving the port!
The navy was unable to fight, and the army was pushed flatly. The Netherlands had no other choice but to be defeated.
Presumably Mazarin also figured out this way, so that after consolidating the combat effectiveness of the French army, he would contribute to the navy.
Defeat the Netherlands once, and the money spent on the ironclad ship will be repaid. Is there an easier way than this? ? ?
Before that, the UK would take the lead, but this time they would not get the bulk of the benefits.
In view of the friendly relations between the Ming Dynasty and France, a certain new emperor had already written in a letter that a naval war would break out between Britain and the Netherlands.
As long as Mazarin receives this letter and sends spies to inquire about the information through multiple channels, he will always smell something unusual.
Cromwell took action first, followed closely by Mazarin. Britain and France formed an alliance and advanced by land and water. The destruction of the Netherlands was just around the corner!
As long as the British Navy and the Dutch Navy officially start fighting, it is estimated that the hundreds of thousands of elite French troops sharpening their swords will directly invade the Dutch mainland under the cover of tanks and airships...
Previously, a certain new emperor suggested that the Netherlands move, but the other party's feedback was very disdainful. Then we can foresee the fate of the Netherlands being defeated and suing for peace.
Once Britain and France formed a temporary alliance, it was useless for the Netherlands to win over Spain and the Habsburg family.
With the help of a certain new emperor, the French army has made a qualitative leap, and its combat effectiveness is now unprecedented.
No one in the Netherlands realizes that it is just an intermission between two wars, and the Netherlands will be the loser in the next war!
A certain new emperor encouraged Mazarin to attack the Netherlands so that when the time came, he could send Zheng Zhilong's fleet to capture the East Indies and completely open the route to Australia.
Cromwell struck first, Mazarin followed, and a certain new emperor made his final appearance. This is a classic combination of punches!
In the end, the Dutch fleet was gone, the mainland fell, and the East Indies were lost. This was the result of their own fault!
It doesn't matter if the trade volume between the Netherlands and the Ming Dynasty drops as a result. France, the beneficiary, will make up for it and take over the jobs left by the Dutch.
When the British dared to come again, a certain new emperor asked Zheng Zhilong to teach him a lesson called "The Ming Empire and the British Oriental Dad"!
Dad didn't catch you little bastard last time. If he catches you this time, he will definitely teach you an unforgettable lesson, including letting you feed the fish!
