37, bumped into two "ghosts" in broad daylight

I thought that Zenzhe Okamoto would need to make an appointment to go to his castle on a date, and maybe even go to Ota Castle, but I didn't expect that the next morning after the news was sent, they actually appeared at the door of our shop. It seems that although the Satake family is located in a remote area, they have a very "pragmatic" style, and from another point of view, they also happen to be near Kashima.

"Since I got Okamoto-sama's instructions, I have sent a message to the head office, so this time, in addition to the chief treasurer of Mitsui, the boss of Dairaku, one of the owners of the disdainful name, also came to Kashima...... "Matsushiro is indeed a businessman, and my accidental behavior has become a deliberate welcome to the Satake family, and everyone loves to listen to good words, and with the "respect" between each other, everything is easy to talk about!

Mitsui Takafuku and Okamoto Zenzhe have known each other for a long time, although they are not very familiar with each other, but it is inevitable that they will be polite. Since it was the first time I met, I kept my mouth shut after saying some "long admiration" that was not salty or light, and the matter began with some business details. Listening to the boring lengths and shorts, I began to pay attention to the people in front of me.

Since ancient times, the samurai of the eastern country have been more straightforward and tough than those in the south, which is inseparable from the relatively difficult living environment! I experienced this feeling when I played against the Takeda Army, and today these people from the Satake family once again proved that not only those two young samurai, but even the monk Okamoto Zenzhe also gave people a feeling similar to Lu Zhishen, but he was missing a big beard. Although he is full of muscles and muscles, in fact, his temperament does not seem to be violent, and his speech is full of straightforward honesty, such a person does not seem to be very suitable for the role of a diplomatic monk, but on the other hand, it is more trusting.

A twenty-four- or five-year-old samurai beside him had been silent, and his calm attitude was also not very in harmony with the muscles. There is very little expression on this person's face, and a pair of eyes are always cautiously observing everything, and of course, the main target is me! I noticed in his eyes a kind of light that combined the characteristics of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, but it was not as strong as the "yu wang" in the eyes of the two of them! Oda Nobunaga is naked; Tokugawa Ieyasu is hidden behind "sincerity"; And this person doesn't seem to have their attachment, but it makes his eyes clearer!

The third person is the only "model" with a uniform appearance, and the "pimple" on his body is also the most conspicuous of the three! One of his eyes was full of destructive emotions, and it seemed that only something related to "violence" could arouse his interest! It didn't take long for him to get tired of listening to such "esoteric" conversations, and he looked around, muttering a few words in his mouth.

Another point worth noting is that although these people should not have a low status, their clothing is very simple, and even the samurai regard their swords as life without any decoration such as gold or jade, although it seems that these things are not "ordinary". This situation is almost extinct in, where prosperity has gradually regained and even San'in is rare!

"It's a blessing to have the opportunity to meet with Boss Daraku and Boss Mitsui this time, and Tokiriku's growing prosperity is inseparable from the support of Mitsugakuya, and here I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of you on behalf of His Highness Yoshishishi, who is contemptuous!" Zenzhe Okamoto made a bow, but as is customary, this is also the beginning of a "serious topic". "You must also know that the Satake family has worked hard over the years, but it is not completely worry-free! Hojo to the west and Yuki to the north were harassed from time to time, and the family was exhausted from the process of holding on to them. Now that Mitsugakuya is the largest arms supplier in the eastern region, we would like to ask you to stop trading with these two companies, and of course we will compensate you for the losses you have suffered! ”

This was indeed a huge problem, and there was a cold scene in the house for a while. The two groups stared at each other, then turned to their own faces for answers.

"The Satake family and Okamoto-sama have always taken good care of the trumpet, and we know this! But...... But this matter ......," Mitsui Takafuku had a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Boss Mitsui may as well say it directly, and see if we can help your difficulty!" Okamoto Zenzhe reacted very quickly and immediately picked up the words.

"Since that's the case, I won't be outside, this matter is indeed difficult......" Mitsui Takafuku tested the other party's intentions. Lord Okamoto must also know that the disdain has always treated His Highnesses of the Eastern Kingdom equally! Of course, it is okay to give certain preferential treatment based on the relationship between you and me, but it seems inappropriate to ask for an exclusive one. First, your strength does not seem to be enough to bear all the goods of the store, secondly, you can't fully provide for our needs, and finally, the passage to the north of the store will pass through Shirakawa County under the rule of the Yuki family, and it is impossible to cut off such a passage! ”

"The family also understands your predicament, so I put myself in the shoes of a plan...... "Okamoto Zenzhe's expression was relaxed, which strengthened my suspicion that they were prepared." To the west of the Yuki family's territory is the Utsunomiya family, and the main family and they are related by in-laws! We have reached an understanding with them regarding the business of your store, and we can pass through their territory. The extra travel expenses can also be deducted from the tax for customs clearance, and they only ask for a branch in their castle town! ”

"This seems to be ......" Mitsui Takafuku didn't expect the other party to be so well prepared, and he didn't think of an excuse to deal with it for a while.

"Since it was Okamoto-sama who asked us to give up trading with others, what kind of benefits would it give us?" I suddenly picked up the topic and fixed my eyes on Zenzhe Okamoto.

"Oh? ...... may have been so straightforward that it was not in keeping with the samurai's nobility or the slickness of the merchant, and he didn't even think about how to express the conditions he had thought out beforehand.

"Boss Dale may not usually be very involved in the business, right? Looks like it's your first time in Hitachi? The quiet young man suddenly opened his mouth, and at once turned the straight "interest" confrontation into a homely affair.

"It's true that I haven't been lucky enough to be to the treasure land before, but I have never stopped my business for more than ten years, and it's all some 'big business'!" I myself often use this side-cutting method, so I consciously deal with it quite calmly. “…… It's just that the contemptible people have been dealing with the merchants of the Southern Barbarians, and they may be infected with some barbarian wildness unconsciously, please don't blame the adults! In fact, there are many products in the Nanban in addition to iron cannons and armor, such as glass, velvet, etc., and the thick cloth is also very suitable for the cold north, but for some reason it has not been able to open the market here! In, Shikoku, and Kyushu, these things are very popular, and this time I came to investigate the situation...... "Since he wants to play dumb riddles, I will accompany him, let's see who can survive whom!"

"Oh......" The calm young man probably didn't expect me to be such a "hob meat", and there was a flicker in his eyes.

"Shameless guy!" The young man, who looked very grumpy, roared at once. "You guys one or two will drill into the eyes of money, and there is no shame at all! What things are only measured by the amount of money, so how much should we samurai be worth to defend the country from birth to death?! ”

"What a great insight this lord has!" I just laughed at his offense, it's not worth exacerbating the contradictions for such a bad person. "Speaking of adults, samurai don't care about money, right? This kind of quality is really high-spirited, I wonder if adults can do it themselves? ”

"Of course!" He replied quickly, probably laughing in his heart that I would ask such a question.

"The adults of the Satake family...... Do they all think the same way as adults? I continued to ask with "reverence".

"Of course!" He replied with great pride and confidence.

"As far as I know......" I narrowed my eyes slightly as I saw him gradually enter the trap. The economy in the Satake family does not seem to be very developed, except for the abundant iron ore reserves, the scale of gold and silver mines is very small, is this true? ”

"So what! Are you laughing at our poverty?! His eyes widened in anger, but he didn't see the two companions calling. Tell you that this is the true nature of a samurai, you lowly merchants can't understand it! He snorted heavily.

"What a pity......" I let out a long sigh.

"What do you mean?!" He was completely enraged by me.

"If it were me, I would have tried to double, triple, or even quintuple the mine's output, but you're so content with the status quo! Writers and ministers are like this, isn't it the sorrow of the Satake family? ”

"You...... You ......" he pointed at me with trembling fingers, speechless for a moment.

"What if I seal off your shop and confiscate all your belongings?" Then the quiet young man suddenly asked, the expression on his face as cold as ice.

"This ......" Shopkeeper Matsushiro looked at the young man's eyes wide in horror, and it seemed that he still couldn't shake off the fear of the samurai instincts of the commoners.

"This is His Royal Highness! As for the other one, it's the real Bi clan! Probably to increase the credibility of the "threat", Zenzhe Okamoto introduced with a stiff face.

"It turned out to be His Royal Highness Satake Torokusuke, and it's really disrespectful to be here!" I'm not surprised by this outcome, and I'm even less shy about the outspoken threat. "Your Highness, are you kidding me? Please also forgive Your Highness, the contemptible person is really timid and cannot be frightened! ”

"How can you see this as a joke?" Satake Yoshishige neither affirmed nor denied, but asked me with slanted eyes.

"Three, there are three reasons!" I held up three fingers at him and shook it. "As long as one of the three reasons is true, Your Highness's words will no longer be a joke!"

"Tell me about it!"

"First, if Kashima is the main store of Mitsugatakeya, then His Highness would have done it a long time ago!" I glanced at the red-faced Zhenbi Gan on the side. "For the sake of the huge wealth of Sankutsuya, I believe that many people will do this, as long as they arrange a crime at will, they can rightfully receive the property here. It's a bit of a task, but at least the reputation is much better! It's a pity that this is just a transit station, and although there are a lot of materials in stock, they are really small compared to the tax revenue brought in for a long time! ”

"So the main store of Mitsukotsuya has all the wealth?" Yoshishige Satake looked at me with interest and asked.

"What do you say, Your Highness?" I asked him rhetorically.

"Ha, ha, ha......" the two of us laughed together. This reason is not valid, let's talk about the next one! ”

The second reason ...... "My smile is now more confident." If Sankugaya didn't have any impact or just dealt in general civilian goods, then I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to sleep for a long time! But is it worth it that not only will many merchants not dare to set foot in Hitachiku anymore, but will they even face a formidable opponent who has been armed by Mitsugakuya in retaliation, and this is only in exchange for such a small price? ”

"Let's talk about the third reason!" His face became expressionless again.

"The third reason is Your Highness...... He's a complete idiot! I ignored the stunned crowd and picked up the teacup in front of me, staring straight at a tea stalk floating on the water. If His Highness is an idiot, then it is entirely possible to ignore any consequences! May I ask Your Highness...... Are you? ”

———————————————————————————————————————

Bear in Winter: The name is due to the nicknames of Yoshishige Satake and Mabi, which are "Ghost Yoshishige" and "Oni Mabi", respectively. Another point to note is that I'm not sure if Yoshishige Satake was canonized at this time, Hitachisuke!