Chapter 526 26. The Cross Flag Comes From the Mountain

(Title of this chapter: The Crusaders came from within the mountains)

"Father, how many merchant ships do your country have trading on our routes?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know either."

"What about the type of merchant ship?"

"Most of them are Chinese-style Fu Chuan (sea-going ships built in Fujian) and Guangzhou Shipbuilding (sea-building ships built in Guangdong). As for other ship types, there are too many, such as Karak galleon, Caravel clipper, Galen galleon, and even Some tank boats and so on.”

"In other words, there are actually very few armed sailing ships?"

"Not too many, but I saw an 800-ton schooner in Luzon. It had 16 6-pound cannons on the upper deck, and 18 12-pound long-barreled Coffelin cannons on the middle and lower decks."

"The East India Company's flagship in the Far East?"

"It should be. It is said that sixty pirates' Chinese sailing ships once besieged it, but six were sunk and then defeated."

"How long will it take for him to come to Hamamatsu?"

"It's hard to say."

Father William spread his hands, indicating that he couldn't tell him accurately about this kind of thing.

"Is it because of the relationship between monsoons and ocean currents?"

"Fujiwara-sama is so knowledgeable. Have you actually learned navigation?"

"In the first half of every year, it only takes 24 days to go from Mozambique to Goa following the monsoon. And in autumn and winter, it takes only 22 days to reach Zanzibar from India?"

"You actually know this so well?"

"I understand a little bit."

Xiao Ping Tai Zhen has some understanding that the monsoons and ocean currents in the Indian Ocean have affected the maritime trade activities of the entire region since four thousand years ago and facilitated regional exchanges.

Similarly, in the Far East, that is, Luzon, Spice Islands, Malacca, Macau and other regions bound for Japan, most of them follow the pattern of February to September and October to February.

If the East India Company's fleet comes to Japan, it must come during a relatively favorable time in the summer.

In other words, assuming that Father William was kidnapped and taken to Odawara, Oheita immediately informed the Nanman Church in Hamamatsu that the news would reach Kyushu in about half a month, and more than half a month later in Macau.

It would take another month for Macau to contact Luzon, and it would take two to three months at the earliest before the East India Company would know that their future Archbishop of East Japan had been robbed.

The monsoon has also changed at this time, and it is impossible to sail against the wind. By next year, even if the East India Company summons a group of heroes, pulls in twenty or thirty European-style armed sailing ships, and directly "sails black ships" to Odawara, it will probably not be helpful.

People under the eaves have to bow their heads.

If you asked Father William to die as a martyr, he would probably not even blink an eye, and he would have been mentally prepared for it. But starve him for three to five days and let him teach the art of forging cannons?

For example, Nan Huairen later mastered the casting method of 12-pound cannon, and Father William might be able to cast long-barreled cannons? By then, maybe the Hongyi cannons will be cast for him and given to the Hojo family.

Who knows if the Hojo family planned to kidnap Father William and then use coercion and inducement.

Before he suffered the bullets and cannons of the imperialists of European powers, Koheita was very worried that the Hojo family would feel sorry for the gold ten thousand taels, so he made up his mind.

The East India Company was certainly not powerful enough to eliminate the Hojo family in Japan and open it up as a colony. But there is absolutely no problem in beating up Hojo Fatty until he loses Odawara Castle again.

But he can’t occupy this land!

Uesugi Teruhu didn't even occupy it, and the Yamauchi family was separated by a Takeda, which was beyond reach.

It’s impossible to bring the fleet over to wash Odawara every year, right? Isn’t it true that the Hojo family cannot retreat?

Once the East India Company's fleet leaves, the Hojo clan may be able to resurrect, and this resurgence is the result of mastering the red barbarian cannon.

Isn't that just to beat whoever you catch?

Although there were pioneers long ago, the story of the Hizen Matsuura family remains vivid in our minds. He was educated by hundreds of people on two Nanman merchant ships anchored in the port.

But Hojo may not necessarily believe this evil. The Matsuura Party is just a combination of water thieves and wealthy families, and thousands of soldiers and horses were killed. The Hojo family can draw a huge force of forty to fifty thousand people, which is no less than ten times more powerful.

Maybe they have expanded and want to compete with the southern barbarian forces to see who has more muscles.

"Father, if you go to Sagami, you may be in danger."

"Are you kidnapped and persecuted? I am always mentally prepared. Ever since I set foot on Japanese soil, I have been ready to sacrifice for the Lord."

"But there are so many believers in Hamamatsu, are you going to abandon them and leave?" Koheta couldn't say I was afraid that you would go and build cannons for others. He could only use the thousands of people in his diocese who respected him and were happy for him. Believers persuade.

"Holy Heavenly Father once ordered Peter, the patron saint, to look after the sheep for him three times. When the believers in Rome were persecuted and the believers advised him to leave, he took the initiative to stay, all to protect his believers. Don't you think so? Are you going to disobey the Lord’s teachings and leave your flock?”

"What are the Lord's teachings? The believers in Hamamatsu will have a new priest to look after them. My mission is to build more synagogues for the Lord and influence more lost sheep."

Unable to stop him, after completing the construction of the brewery and wine cellar in Fuchu, Father William packed his bags, and with the blessings and prayers of the believers, he took a boat out of Hamamatsu and headed for Odawara.

A galleon, a caravel, and a Chinese-style fuku ship just anchored in Hamamatsu Port heard that their Father William was going to a completely unfamiliar kingdom where no shipping routes had been opened to influence the king there and convert two million pagans to Christianity.

In order to boost the momentum of Father William, the three captains agreed to escort Father William to Odawara.

Escorting the priest is true, and opening up the shipping route is also true. Whoever arrives first in a land that has not been opened for trade will have the upper hand. Do you think these captains are not pious? They must be actively escorting.

Then Xiao Pingtai mobilized 200 religious militiamen, dispatched the careful Heiroku and the brave Nanakiri and 100 iron cannon foot soldiers to board two Kansen of the Hamamatsu navy, and a 1,000-ton Taikai ship rented from Naya to guide and escort Father William along the way.

Before leaving, Kobayata ordered Kiyokatsu Ataka and Yoshitsuna Shimizu of the navy to keep a close eye on Father William and sleep on the boat every night. If the Hojo family showed any signs of detaining William, they should immediately rescue him and withdraw to Hamamatsu. In addition, converts who could serve as translators were assigned to the Nanban ship and the Japanese ship to ensure smooth communication between the ships.

There were 600 sailors and guards in total, which should be able to protect Father William. As long as William was not robbed, everything would be fine.

Looking at the fleets leaving the port, there were huge crosses painted on the sails.

The Crusaders came from Yamauchi?