June 17, 15th year of the Astronomical Calendar, Ueno Castle Castle Town.

Since the pacification of the Ichikudo of Tsugaru Prefecture, the Tsugawa family's domain has returned to its former stability, and the number of merchants coming and going to the Tsugawa family has increased again. The impact on Ueno Castle was already small, so it recovered very quickly, and the castle town of Ueno Castle is now very lively.

Sanrakuya, the largest liquor house in Ueno Castle, has long been a place where merchants gather.

Merchants who come and go to the Tsugawa family will definitely come to Sanrakuya once every time they go to Ueno Castle, not because Sanrakuya is luxurious, but because the owner of Sanrakuya is now Yoshino Yoshino, a popular man of the Tsugawa family.

Since the Tsugawa family signed maritime trade agreements with the Noh mountaineers, the Echizen Asakura family, the Echigo Nagao family, and the Oysteraki family of Ezo, the Tsugawa family's maritime trade has flourished unprecedentedly. And Yoshino Yoshino, thanks to the support of the Tsugawa family, has now become the largest merchant in the Tohoku region, with nearly 100 large and small merchant ships under his command!

It can be said that Yoshino Ryoshinari has monopolized the entire Tsugawa family's maritime trade rights with foreign countries! Of course, all of this was approved by Tsugawa Soharu, and for this reason, Yoshino Yoshinari had to give six of the proceeds to the Tsugawa family.

Of course, Yoshino Ryoshi now has another identity, that is, the "trade officer" of the Tsugawa family, and has obtained the samurai status of the Tsugawa family, which is equivalent to becoming the spokesperson of the Tsugawa family's foreign trade.

Therefore, the merchants who came and went to the Tsugawa family were very eager to connect with Yoshino Yoshino, so more and more merchants came to Sanrakuya. Everyone has a fluke mentality in their hearts, what if they see Yoshino Yoshino in Sanrakuya? At that time, if you get on the line with Yoshino Yoshino, if you can join Yoshino's fleet, wouldn't it be too easy to make money?

......

"Kanemon, I recently heard that you have a batch of Ezo Nishiki to sell to Kyoto?" In a corner of the Sanle House, two businessman-like men were talking.

The merchant known as Kanemon drank all the sake in front of him, and said with a smile, "Not bad! Previously, due to the attack of the bandits in Tsugaru County, this batch of Ezo Nishiki in my hands has been backlogged for almost two months, and if I don't make a move, then I will die at a loss. “

"Do you know Yoshino-sama?" Another merchant said with a surprised expression.

Kanemon was stunned for a moment, and then said with a puzzled face, "Why do you say that?" What kind of character is Yoshino-sama, how can a small businessman like you and me be as eye-catching as Yoshino-sama? ”

"In that case, you still dare to sell things to Kyoto?" Yozaburo then asked.

Kanemon was even more puzzled, "What is there that you don't dare to sell?"

"If you want to get to Kyoto, it's the easiest way to get to Kyoto, and the cost is the lowest. If you take the road by road, not to mention the long time, the various business taxes paid on the road are enough to smooth out the profits, and the distance is very dangerous. ”

However, nowadays, if you go by sea, you must obtain a new "maritime order" issued by the Tsugawa family before you can go to sea from the port of the Tsugawa family. And the maritime order can only be issued by Yoshino-sama, since you don't know Yoshino-sama, how can you go to sea? He Saburo said with a puzzled expression.

Kanemon suddenly said with a worried face, "Is there such a thing?" ”

"You don't know?"

"Yes! Before, the Mutsu area was full of bandits, and I have been at Tanabe Castle in Kita-gun, and I only came to Ueno Castle yesterday, when did the Tsugawa family issue this maritime order? ”

"It only came out two days ago. I heard that there have been wars all over the Hazen area recently, and the roads have been blocked, so everyone wants to take the sea route, and there are not enough ships to get to the castle. That's why the Tsugawa family issued such a decree to control the number of people going to sea, otherwise Minato would have been in chaos a long time ago. ”

"If there is a war in the Yuzen region, we will fight him, what does it have to do with us?"

"It's a big deal!" He and Saburo inquired around, and then whispered, "The Tsugawa family is about to send troops to the Yuzen region, and when the time comes, the two sides will start a war, what if we take the land route, what if we are intercepted by those wealthy clans in the Yuzen region?" ”

"The Tsugawa family is going to send troops to Yumae? Why is that? Aren't the Tsugawa family and the Mogami family allies? Kanemon looked like a dirt bun from the countryside, and kept asking like a hundred thousand whys.

Yozaburo also knows everything about this, "It's not the last time in the Mutsu area!" Do you think those are really bandits? In fact, it is the remnants of the wealthy families in the former Mutsu area that the Mogami family secretly supported. ”

"How is this possible!"

"How could it not be? Now that the territory has spread all over the territory, the Mogami family is afraid of the strength of the Tsugawa family now, so they secretly launched a fight in the rear of the Tsugawa family, making the Tsugawa family unstable. In this way, he can attack the Tendo family in Murayama County without any scruples. ”

"I see!" Kanemon then said to Yozaburo with a grateful face, "Thank you so much for Saburo today!" But now that we can't go to sea or by land, what should we do as merchants? ”

"Alas! This was also bad luck, but luckily, the Tsugawa family had set up temporary collection points at trading posts along Ueno Castle and Minato Castle, so we could buy back our goods at the market price in the Ou area. Although we can't make any money in this way, we don't lose money anyway. He Saburo said with a sigh.

"So what are you waiting for?" Kanemon suddenly said anxiously, "Let's hurry up and sell the things to the Tsugawa family!" ”

"Good! I'll go back and pack my things here! ”

.............

"My lord! Now, the news is circulating everywhere in the family's territory about the secret stirring up of the Mogami family in the Mutsu area not long ago. Tsukawa Yashiki, Iwaki Jiro said respectfully to Tsugawa Soji, who was teasing Tokyo Maru.

Soji Tsugawa nodded, handed the Tokyo Pill in his arms to Lola Takizawa on the side, and then got up and said, "Very good!" In this way, the family has an excuse to send troops! ”

"The retainers have arrived, right?" Soji Tsugawa then asked.

"Hah! Everyone is waiting for the lord in the castle tower! Jiro Iwaki hurriedly replied.

"Hmm." Soji Tsugawa nodded, then got up and tidied up his clothes, and then slowly walked out of the house.

At the same time, in the castle tower of Ueno Castle, since Tsugawa Soji had not arrived, the retainers were discussing in twos and threes.

"Lord Nagano, messages about the Mogami family have been circulating everywhere in the family territory recently, and I am very puzzled below, how can the Mogami family launch a fight in the family territory, this makes no sense!" In the corner of the main hall, the lord of Omori Castle, the Tohi family, said to the Nagano Masato who was sitting in front of him with a puzzled expression.

Nagano Masabo turned around and said to Tufei's family with a smile on his face, "Why should Tufei-sama care if these rumors are credible or not, anyway, whether it is true or not, adults just need to know that this is what the lord is very willing to see." ”

"Shhh Hearing Nagano's words, the Tohi family seemed to think of something, and took a sharp breath of cold air, "Nagano-sama means that these rumors are the lord's ........"

"Huh! I didn't say that. Nagano Masafang interrupted Tufei's family with a voice, "There are some things that you and I just need to know, don't make a noise." ”

"Hah! Thank you, Nagano-sama, for being taught! Tufei's family hurriedly said gratefully.

At the same time, the figure of Soji Tsugawa slowly stepped into the castle tower.