Chapter 630: Dongying Strategy

"Who is the person sent by Dongying this time?"

Deciding to respond to the incident of the merchant ships being attacked, Fei Wen stood up, walked outside the door, and looked toward the North Gate of Malka City.

"It is our old friend, Ishida Xin," Shi Diwen said, folding his arms.

"Oh? Let him come to my office; it is time to talk about this problem," Fei Wen pondered for a moment and said.

Shi Diwen nodded, turned, and walked out.

Before long, an Eastern Japanese walked in under Shi Diwen's guidance; he was none other than Ishida Xin, the Envoy of the Dongying Foreign Affairs Office.

When Sato Masahisa brought the news to the Shogunate that the Dayan Wang's firearms were superior to those of Dongying, the Seii Taishogun Watanabe summoned the Shogunate generals and officials to discuss the matter.

In the end, they decided that Dongying should immediately prepare for war, recruit more soldiers, and at the same time, step up the construction of Sailing Warships in the inland rivers.

Moreover, the Shogunate also decided to increase propaganda regarding the threat of Dayan Wang to the Western Lands countries that possessed colonies in Dongtu, and to win them over to build a maritime alliance against Dayan Wang in the Dongtu seas.

Besides this, the Foreign Affairs Office would also send envoys to the Xitu Dalu to seek more advanced craftsmanship.

"Governor Fei Wen, long time no see." Arriving at the table, Ishida Xin bowed to Fei Wen, his body bent at a ninety-degree angle.

"It has indeed been a long time." Fei Wen nodded and made a gesture of invitation, signaling for Ishida Xin to sit down.

He had last seen Ishida Xin two years ago.

Sitting opposite each other, he brewed a cup of coffee for Ishida Xin and said slowly, "Regarding the matter of Dongying merchant ships also being attacked by the Black Shark Sea Bandits, I express my sympathy to you."

Ishida Xin took the ceramic coffee cup with both hands and deliberately sighed, "I am also saddened by the encounter of the Franks' merchant ships, but mere sympathy or sadness cannot change the fact that our trade routes are under threat."

After a pause, he continued, "To ensure this kind of thing does not happen again, we must unite as one and eliminate the Black Shark Sea Bandits, those lackeys of the Dayan Wang."

"Dayan Wang?" Fei Wen frowned.

Over the past year, he had heard this name more than once.

And what was most associated with this name was the Black Shark Sea Bandits, this maritime force that possessed Sailing Warships.

At first, he did not believe this news.

After all, in his view, the countries of Dongtu could not possibly have the ability to build such large Sailing Warships.

But after more and more merchant ships witnessed it with their own eyes, he no longer doubted it.

Instead, he actively investigated which Europe country had supported this Dayan Wang, such that in a short period, his manufacturing techniques for both firearms and warships had developed by leaps and bounds.

Yet until now, he had gained nothing.

Although he felt puzzled by this, he could only accept that an industrial region similar to the Europe countries was rising on the Dongtu continent.

And he tried his best to avoid conflict with the Dayan Wang who controlled this region.

But this time, he had been pushed to the forefront of the storm.

He had to show the Franks' attitude to this Dayan Wang,

and he also had to make him pay a price.

Thinking of this, he said, "This is also my thought, but I fear relying only on our own strength to deal with the Black Shark Sea Bandits is not enough; the Stedan people's merchant ships have also been attacked, and it is necessary to have them take action together with us."

Ishida Xin revealed a smile, "What a coincidence, the next place I am going to is Yajia City."

Fei Wen shrugged, "That is great; since that is the case, I will wait here for your good news."

Ishida Xin nodded; as long as the Franks agreed, the Stedan people should have no problem.

After chatting for a few more sentences, Fei Wen kept Ishida Xin for lunch.

In the afternoon, Ishida Xin left Malka City.

Shi Diwen escorted Ishida Xin to the North Gate, waved his hand to drive away the soldiers beside him, and said to Ishida Xin, "Do not forget the promise of you Eastern Japanese."

Ishida Xin looked up at Fei Wen's office, the corners of his mouth rising, "General Shi Diwen, please rest assured, in three days, three thousand taels of gold will arrive at your residence."

Shi Diwen laughed heartily, patted Ishida Xin on the shoulder, "That is good, I have been waiting impatiently."

Ishida Xin also laughed.

He knew very well that based solely on the dead on the merchant ships, the Franks and the Stedan people might not necessarily believe this was done by the Black Shark Sea Bandits; after all, there was no proof.

Therefore, he bribed Shi Diwen, this war maniac, and had him plant his own people on a merchant ship to prove that those who attacked them were indeed the Black Shark Sea Bandits.

Thus, with both human and material evidence present, Governor Fei Wen could not help but believe.

And once the Franks believed, the Stedan people would naturally believe as well.

Having given Shi Diwen his assurance, Ishida Xin arrived at the port on the west side of Malka City.

Docked here were six Dongying warships.

He prepared to board the warships and continue south to Yajia City.

"Lord Envoy, when we go south, should we take the opportunity to attack the merchant ships of the British, the Sam, and the Franks?"

Boarding the warship, an Eastern Japanese general said to Ishida Xin; he was none other than Xiangtian Tailang, the Island Master of the Wufeng Pirates.

Ishida Xin shook his head, "Everything must have a limit; if we overdo it, it will instead arouse suspicion."

"Among the Westerners' countries in the Dongtu seas, the Franks and the Stedan people have the most merchant ships going to the Dongying seas, while the British and the Sam Country basically only trade with the Liang Family and rarely have merchant ships heading north."

"And the Franks rarely participate in trade with Dayan, with their range of activity limited to Jiaozhi and its nearby regions; most importantly, they all know that the Black Shark Sea Bandits' range of action is only in the North Territory of Dayan."

"If the Black Shark Sea Bandits suddenly appeared in the south, they would definitely be suspicious; after all, the Liang Family and Dayan Wang have deep conflicts and would never let the Black Shark Sea Bandits' warships pass through the Yizhou seas."

"Moreover, if Dayan Wang could rise in the north, how could he be stupid enough to provoke so many Westerners' countries at the same time? By then, our Dongying's strategy would not only fail, but would also be exposed."

Xiangtian Tailang nodded.

He was just too eager to eliminate the Black Shark Sea Bandits; after all, having a threat to oneself in the vast ocean was truly uncomfortable.

However, even so, the propaganda about the threat of Dayan Wang to the British, the Sam, and the Franks still had to continue.

They wanted to make the Westerners feel that Dayan Wang was the devil they spoke of.

In this way, by using them to defeat Dayan Wang, Dongying could then squeeze the Westerners' countries out of the Dongtu continent after becoming strong.

This way, Dongying could control the entire Dongtu continent.

Xiangtian Tailang thought.

And this was the long-term strategy decided upon at the Shogunate meeting.

……

Pingyuan City.

While Dongying was in the midst of building an alliance to encircle and suppress the Black Shark Sea Bandits.

Zhao Xu was watching a folk play performed by personnel from the Propaganda Department.

After a month of selection and rehearsal, this play was finally performed vividly and true to life.

At this moment, on the high stage, the actor playing an old man was being beaten to the brink of death by the actor playing a member of a Rich Clan.

Afterwards, the subordinates led by the actor playing the Rich Clan forcibly dragged away the old man's daughter.

Thousands of Qi soldiers sat on the ground below the stage.

Their eyes were fixed on the stage, completely absorbed in the play.