In the winter of this year, many things happened, first of all, the great drought that affected the Kantobu Continent, the severity of the drought was unexpected, Hokuriku, Kanto, and even the Ha Olympics were affected, among which the most serious drought was Ueno, Shinano, Echigo, Echichu, and Hida The area was ruthlessly invaded by the drought demon, and many farmers cried with dead rice crops.

The Kanto region was relatively fortunate to suffer successive rains after the autumn to alleviate the drought, but the severely affected countries were not so lucky, except for Echigo, which had a solid foundation to withstand the drought and survived after paying the heavy price of a one-third reduction in grain production, Echichu and Hida, which were the least in other countries, were also the culprits of the halving of grain production.

Shinano and Ueno were hit hard, with an average yield drop of 60 percent, a small number of prefectures facing a harvest failure, and the inevitable outbreak of large-scale refugees.

The situation in the Kanto region was better, and with a good agricultural foundation and a unique geographical environment, the total number of displaced people who fled this time exceeded 100,000, of which nearly 40% poured into Echigo, and the remaining 60 parts were in various territories in the southern Kanto.

In the Musashi Province of the Kanto region, after a few years of recuperation, the economy and reputation of the Hojo family have been greatly restored, and the Kanto civil affairs family is not just talking, in order to retain the hearts of the people, the Hojo family sacrificed the public four people's six, and the various tax exemption plans were resolutely implemented, and the "Great Demon King" Hojo Shiyasu often appeared in the countryside, and gradually the farmers were not afraid of this middle-aged man with a kind smile.

In addition to recuperation, the Hojo family also made diplomatic and military progress. After several years of difficult contact. Furukawa was finally willing to sit down with the Hojo family to discuss the issue of peace. Although Harusuke Akita is disgusted with the Hojo family, who killed his father and nephew, reason tells him that he must learn to be patient and compromise.

Now Furukawa Gongfang is the third in line, and it is also the only Ashikaga Fujimasa of Miao descent, if you offend the Hojo family and put this lone seedling in, the Furukawa Gongfang family will be finished, and Harusuke Furuta and a group of retainers will also perish, without the banner of Furukawa Gongfang, they are not even a fart.

Regardless of what the vested interests think. Or is the Furukawa Gongfang really unable to make trouble anymore, and Harusuke Tanada has to consider making a false deal with the Hojo family, the dragon who crossed the river in the Kanto region, and saved the life of the Furukawa Gongfang in order to keep his position, especially in the past few years, the Furukawa Gongfang family has lost the family governor one after another, and the prestige has been hit to the point where it is almost unsustainable.

At the succession ceremony of Ashikaga Fujimasa, the Kwantung samurai basically chose to send envoys to watch the ceremony on their behalf, and this arrogant attitude expressed the contempt and disapproval of the Kwantung people for this Furukawa prince, and the deeply humiliated Harusuke Takada and the desperate Ashikaga Fujimasa met a friendly hand stretched out at this time, would they refuse? No.

The price offered by Hojo Shiyasu was very favorable, and he married his concubine to Ashikaga Fujimasa as the main room. In this way, Hojo Shiyasu and Furukawa Gongkata became sons-in-law, which was a continuation of his father's Hojo clan's strategy. At the same time, the territory of the Furukawa Princesses in Shimoki Province was guaranteed by his force, and the price that Ashikaga Fujimasa had to pay was to cooperate with things like waving the flag or showing the name of righteousness when the Hojo family went out.

Under such favorable conditions, Furukawa Gongfang Ashikaga Fujimasa agreed almost without much thought, he is only twelve years old this year, and there are still a few years before he becomes an adult ruler, and before that, he needs to accumulate popularity to gain support, and in his opinion, Hojo Shiyasu, who dominates Izu, Sagami, and Musashi, is the best choice at the moment.

As for revenge, revenge can be postponed for the time being, revenge will not be more important than surviving, inheriting the family business is the heavy responsibility he has to bear, he will not forget that he still has two underage brothers, he can't tolerate himself dying for revenge, and then give the position to the two lowly maids born of the concubine scumbag, not only can not cheapen them, but also find ways to execute them.

Knowing that the nephew had already been murdered, Harusuke Harusuke immediately put the two concubines and their mother under house arrest after reaching an agreement with Hojo Yasuke, and a month after Ashikaga Fujimasa's marriage, the two innocent children and their mother were reduced to ashes in a fire.

For the Furukawa Princess's move to hold hands with the Hojo family, the people of Kanto are both angry and remorseful, thinking about the arrogance and stupidity of the earlier, they have to connect together to give Ashikaga Fujimasa a dismount, so as to give up the only chance to get close to the Furukawa Prince, and now there is no way at all, so they can only break the jar and swear to boycott this Furukawa Prince, and threaten Ashikaga Fujimasa and Hojo Shiyasu to conspire to kill the two generations of Furukawa Princesses.

This kind of rumor is unfounded and untenable, but the angry and corrupt Kanto people are still very influential, and the reputation of the Hojo family was quickly played to a negative score, but this will only force Ashikaga Fujimasa to the Hojo family, and the Kanto samurai family, who have lost their righteous name, can only focus on the interests of each family's territory when they can't make a fuss.

In order to solve the problem that had plagued them for many years, the Hojo family quickly made the decision to attack Ueno Province, especially this year's drought greatly hit all the samurai families in Ueno Province, bringing great opportunities to the Hojo family, and launched the attack on Hirai Castle in September of the 23rd year of Astronomical, and for a time the people of Ueno were panicked.

It was rare to have peace in Kinai for a whole year, and the wind and rain were smooth and the harvest was good throughout the year, and when the Miyoshi family recovered, they did not forget the war, and the Harima expedition cleaned up the people of Higashi-Harima, and once again established the hegemony of the Miyoshi family, for which the Hatakeyama family and the Rokkaku family expressed disdain.

The imperial court and the shogunate don't care about you playing outside, as long as you don't fight Kinai, a few years of good life have made Kinai a little song and dance prosperity illusion, but soon new problems appeared, Honganji Zhengru suddenly fainted while setting up a room in Kii to teach his apprentice and son Ru Dharma, and died a few days later at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve.

It is said that before he died, he never forgot Ishiyama Honganji Temple, and pointed to the direction of Ishiyama Honganji Temple in the north and died with hatred, so Hino Harimitsu performed a bitter drama in the court to fight for a little more benefits for his family.

The imperial court also didn't know how Honganji Zhengru had been unconscious and never forgotten, and how he opened his eyes and pointed to the north and died with hatred, in short, death is greater. People can't say this without expression. I found Mt. Hiei Enryakuji Temple and discussed it for a day. Eventually, it was agreed that Ichijo would return to Ishiyama Honganji Temple to rebuild Garan, but it was necessary to restrict activities in Kinai.

At the same time, in accordance with the decree of Honganji Temple, such as "on deathbed", after the return of Ichijo Sect to Ishiyama Honganji Temple, Echizen, Kaga, and Echichu Ichijo Sect temples were allowed to rebuild Garan, and after three years, Hokuriku Ichijo Zong rose again, and the lessons of three years made this group of arrogant Ichishu army learn to restrain themselves, at least they dare not show their fangs in front of outsiders, as for how to play in Hokuriku...... Who cares?

God seems to have been touched by the struggle that has always been one. In the late autumn of this year, when the entire Hokuriku clan celebrates, Kaga's famous Hakusan volcano erupts again, the third eruption in five years and the largest in nearly 100 years, with rolling magma and obscuring ash covering the skies of several prefectures.

The followers of the Sect of Ichikoji were jumping, screaming, and running away in all directions among the drifting sparks and volcanic ash, and at this moment the gods and Buddhas were as far away as the end of the world.

At the beginning of October, Echigo Naoetsu welcomed a small fleet, huge galleons that were very different from Japanese ships, into the port. The peculiar banner and a group of red-haired, green-eyed Nanban people startled the townspeople of Echigo, this is not Sakai Town, Kyushu. No one had ever seen the Nanbanians, but fortunately, when the public heard the news, they came to solve the problems of the Nanbanians and informed Kira Yoshishi in time.

"Frank, I haven't seen you in two years, you're getting richer!"

"Joseph is getting taller and taller! In a few years it will overtake Old Frank. Old Frank compared the heights of the two and smiled and praised him for definitely being a super-standard tall man.

"Who is this?" I saw that old Frank was followed by a young man, who looked six or seven points similar to him, about one meter and early eighty, and looked very energetic.

Old Frank patted the young man on the shoulder, "This is my son, Ronald Argot, who is seventeen years old this year, and studied in Florence for five years before that, you should know that it is a beautiful place full of art, and amazing wealth always fascinates people, doesn't it?" ”

Kira Yoshitoki was not interested in discussing with him how wonderful Florence was, so he looked left and right and didn't see the blonde Lori, and asked suspiciously, "What about Claudia?" Why didn't you see her? Could she ......?"

"Claudia went to London, which is his hometown, and it's always exciting to come home, and she'll be learning etiquette in the church with Princess Elizabeth, I don't know." Princess Elizabeth as Frank calls her the future Queen Elizabeth, of course, at this time her princess position was deprived.

“…… I see! ”

Frank Argot said to him solemnly: "Although Claudia did not come, she asked me to bring you a message, which roughly means that she is very good, and her own fleet is developing rapidly in the North Sea, and I would like to thank you for your generous support...... Without further ado, this time I brought sixteen more horses, still Trekena and Holstein, at the same price as last time. ”

"I can't trade with you here." Kira Yoshishi smiled bitterly, he actually forgot about the coming of Argot's fleet, and he couldn't get so many trade goods in Jinnai, and Tongwu had accumulated a lot of silver in the smelting Yongle money, but he still felt that it was better to keep it, and it was also good to import it into Daming as a hard currency for trade.

Frank Argot didn't seem surprised at all, and said with a smile: "It's okay, we're just here to recognize the way, and at the same time pick up our employees, and the transaction is still in the original port." ”

"That's good!"

In the following days, Kira Yoshitomo accompanied them throughout the tour of Naoetsu, and also took time to take a bath in the nearby Yakiyama Hot Springs, during which Frank Argot said that he was old and wanted to return to Amsterdam to recuperate, and that his son Ronald Argot would take care of the business in the future.

Kira Yoshishi cooperated with him with understanding, saying that Ronald is a very honest gentleman, and the future cooperation will be very pleasant.

Hans, Rupert's Five, Karl the horse trainer and the interpreter of Nassau made it clear that they wanted to return to their homeland, and the two-year trip made them a lot of money and experienced the wonderful life in a foreign country, and finally Hans said that he could recommend his cousin to come back as an instructor in two years.

The watchmaker Kronberg is still struggling with his flintlock pistol, and he is not considering going back for the time being, anyway, the life here is superior, the food and clothing are the same as his hometown, and the good scientific research environment is perfect, of course, Kira Yoshitoki also said that he is very welcome to continue to stay with the watchmaker, and the annual salary will still remain the same as when he was employed.

The reason why Carl left happily was because there was another companion, John, a horse trainer who transported sixteen horses, and the two seemed to be good friends, after a cordial exchange, Carl told John all the problems he encountered, and at the same time introduced John to sign a two-year, annual salary agreement, in Carl's words: "This is my good friend, his horse training level is perfect, just like me!" ”

When John consulted with Carl and found Kirayoshi, he said that the two of them would take turns domesticating the horses for their employers if they wished, and Kira Yoshishi was happy to accept their suggestion, a horse has a lifespan of thirty-five years, and three years old is just a foal, and it is far from adulthood.

How to breed horses, treat diseases, and domesticate them to become a qualified war horse requires skills, and it will take at least ten years to breed these horse breeds, and it will not be until the second generation of foals is born to become an adult that the Keira's horse taming apprentice can be regarded as a teacher.

Frank's fleet finished loading their supplies and set sail back to Sakaicho, and as soon as they left, information from Sakai Town also came along with the news that Argot's fleet was interested in making a deal.

The Biwa House in Sakai Town had already traded with Argot as originally planned, and porcelain, silk, and raw silk were exchanged for similar trade goods last time, the only difference being that the scale had more than doubled, and it could be seen that Argot's fleet had doubled in the past two years.

Looking at this information, Kira Yoshitoki pondered: "He only came over ten ships this time, which is the same as the fleet he met for the first time, which means that most of the fleet is still in Sakai Town?" not only to recognize the route, but also to arrange for his son to ascend to the throne...... Forget it, it doesn't have much to do with me, it's good to be able to earn this business! ”

This time, the number of Ming specialties allocated was huge, and all the inventory of the pipa in Kyoto, Sakai Town, and Sakamoto was emptied, and the Ming Kingdom specialties worth 35,000 kan were used to buy Yongle money to plug this hole, and the total transaction amount exceeded 300,000 taels of silver, which was the largest order in Kinai in recent years, which made the wealthy merchants of Sakai Town very jealous.

How to divide the specific goods is not his worry about a headache, the worst thing is that the Ming Dynasty and Japan have not returned to normalcy at present, since 1549 the interruption of the trade has not been restored, the Kira family to obtain the Ming specialties are from Korea or even directly smuggled by sea, this transit is a large loss of profits, and the supply of goods is very unstable. (To be continued......)