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Nagasaki's long history as a trading port began in the reign of Meimuzong Takakei (1570 AD), when it was mainly used as a window for Portuguese and Spanish missionaries to introduce European culture and goods, and its radius was only a part of Nishikyushu, and it was not comparable to the major ports where foreign merchants widely visited, such as Hirado and Sakai Port. (If you like this book, please bookmark biquge.info)

However, with the Tokugawa shogunate's fifth edict on the closure of the country in the 16th year of Kanei (1639), it became the only window in Japan where trade could be carried out with visiting Chinese and Dutch merchants, and it became increasingly prosperous. However, due to the distance and the restrictions of the lockdown order, compared with the Dutch merchant ships that visited Nagasaki once a year, the Chinese merchant ships that came to Nagasaki every spring, summer, and autumn were the main body of Japan's foreign trade—according to the diaries of the Hirado British Merchant House, the Hirado and Nagasaki Dutch Merchant Houses, in the first half of the 17th century, an average of about 50 or 60 Chinese merchant ships arrived in Nagasaki every year.

However, this extensive Sino-Japanese trade began to decline year by year after the Qing court took control of the whole of China, especially after Ao Bai ordered the implementation of the policy of relocating the borders of the five provinces, and by the 35th year of Yongli (1681 AD), the number of Chinese merchant ships arriving in Nagasaki was reduced to only 10 (note: all from Dongning).

"This time, 30 taels of raw silk, 120 taels of snow sugar, 100 catties of Poria cocos, 400 cans of sugarcane wine, 3,000 catties of betel nut, 500 catties of sumu, 4 ivory, 5 rhino horns, 100 bird guns, 15 collars of the cardia, 500 shark skins, 150 kun skins, one tiger squat cannon, and one Hongyi cannon."

"This time there seem to be a little more weapons." If it weren't for the fact that Tagawa Jiro Saemon was standing behind the Toning Zheng clan, this Osaka merchant from the silk buying and selling guild (a silk buying and selling guild composed of wealthy merchants from Kyoto, Sakai, Nagasaki, Edo, and Osaka) would not have knocked him with a straight eye, but Rao was so, and the big businessman who was coaxed by Niu B still expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of raw silk in the usual Japanese belly.

"There's no way, it hasn't rained in Dongning for a year, and a lot of mulberry trees have died." Fifty-six-year-old Tanakawa Nanazaemon replied slowly. "If it doesn't rain again, I'm afraid we won't even have a load of silk next year." This news made the faces of several other representatives of the Silk Cutting Fu Zhongma present solemn. "Please ask a few people to set a price for this year's raw silk."

"Three hundred and fifty taels."

The Osaka merchant bargained viciously, and Tian Chuan only bowed his head slightly: "It's too low, I'm afraid that this price Dongning would rather occupy the shipping space and transport it back, and it will not be sold in the same way, please give a reasonable price." ”

"Three hundred and seventy taels." The local merchants of Kyoto, Sakai and Nagasaki discussed it and raised it by twenty taels.

"Four hundred and fifty taels." Nanazaemon smiled faintly and reported a number: "Qing has not had a single ship of silk shipped to Nagasaki for many years, and if the silk from Dongning is not shipped, I am afraid that the silk industry in Japan will be next year?" ”

Before Jiro Saemon finished speaking, a representative of a wealthy merchant from Edo spoke: "The price of four hundred and fifty taels is too high, but this is still negotiable, but no matter how much the price is, what we want to know is how much silk Dongning can ship to Japan this year, and how much it can guarantee next year, and ask Boss Tagawa to give a clear explanation." ”

"This year, we can only transport 100 to 120 quintals at most, and if it still doesn't rain in Dongning, the number of imports will be further reduced next year." Tian Chuan replied like this, as the so-called scarcity is expensive, he doesn't think that the other party still has the confidence to reduce the price at this time. "In addition, I can tell you that Dongning has decided to collect a sea tax on Qing merchant ships entering the Ryukyu trade, so the price of raw silk and silk in the Qing Kingdom is bound to rise."

When the merchant in Osaka heard this, he became furious, but before he could make an accusation, the merchant in Nagasaki next to him gave him a look: "Boss Tagawa, if the price of silk is too high, it will cause the price of Japanese silk to skyrocket, and then the price of rice may also rise, which is very unfavorable to the people and some samurai." "Since all imported goods fluctuate according to the price of silk, the Japanese side naturally cannot watch Dongning sit on the ground and make a lot of money." Boss Tagawa is also Japanese, and he hopes to help convince Dongning. ”

Of course, Tagawa Nanazaemon heard the threat implied in the other party's words, but he was unmoved: "Although I have accepted the official position equivalent to the Imperial Highness in Dongning, I am also a businessman, and I know the principle that you have to make money in the year of the harvest and even more in the year of the disaster, so don't you think this is an opportunity?" ”

"Four hundred taels." Several representatives of the silk cutting Fu Zhongma discussed in a low voice for a while, and gave the final price they had identified.

"Since a few people insist, then forget it." When Tian Chuan heard this, he stopped bargaining, but said. "The raw silk shipped from Dongning this time will not be included in the list of sales."

The other merchants waiting outside the corridor were in a hurry, if the negotiation on the price of silk broke down, their business would also be ruined, but the power of the silk cutting Fu Nakama was granted by the shogunate, and they were fundamentally opposed, and they were looking at each other, only to see Tagawa open the screen door and walk out, bowing to the people outside.

"After replenishing the fresh water, the Zheng's ship will leave the port for Zhenhai immediately, and the Zheng's ship will not come again this year and next, so I am really sorry to let several bosses wait here in vain."

"Boss Tagawa, how can this be." One of them, Humpty Dumpty, jumped out. "Those ten pieces of scarlet armor and Hongyi cannons, the Sendai Domain has already made a deposit, and the Zheng ship is just leaving, how can you let me explain to Katakura Ichiza (Su Lao)."

One jumped out, and the others also came out, this one talking about snow candy and rock sugar, and the other about ivory and rhino horn, and for a while the noisy sound under the porch came into the room, making the representatives of the silk cutting Fu Zhongma present face pale, but they were always just merchants in the eyes of money rather than samurai who drew their swords in anger, so after being speechless for a while, several people immediately reached a consensus, so Tagawa Jiro Saemon was invited back to the house again.

"Boss Tagawa, a fixed price, four hundred and twenty-five taels, if Boss Tagawa is still not satisfied, then we have nothing to say."

"Yes," Nanazaemon didn't want to turn his face completely, so he also took a step back. "But I have one condition, this time all the goods must be settled in gold, and if not, all the goods will be paid in copper."

The price of gold and silver in Japan is only one to four, while in China and Southeast Asia it is as high as one to ten, and in Batavia and India it is even more than 11 to 12, and the people of the silk cutting Fu Zhongma are not fools, so it is naturally impossible to be cheap Ming and Zheng, so the two sides agreed that in the future, all the silk and silk fabrics exported to Japan will be paid for with copper, and the means of payment for other commodities will be confirmed by the underwriters and the Ming Zheng side respectively, and the silk cutting Fu Zhongma and Nagasaki Tang Tong Office will not be asked.

The negotiation was reached, but the few people in the middle of the silk cut were a little reluctant, so a conspiracy was born.

"Brother Ouyang, Brother He, have you heard of it? Toning arranged for the Tagawa family to be the owner of the merchant hall in Japan, and also gave the old guy Nanazaemon the official title of the five products. Jiang Qiguan, who was hired by the Tang General Affairs Office as one of the Tang Nian Divisions, said to his peers. In the future, goods from Dongning and even goods from the mainland must be stored in the merchant house."

Tagawa Jiro Saemon was appointed as the owner of the merchant hall and even became an official in fact, it had nothing to do with the Tang Dynasty officials, but the request to store all the Chinese goods imported into Nagasaki in the merchant hall set up in Dongning violated the interests of the Tang Dynasty officials, you must know that the people who lived in the Tang Dynasty made their fortune by keeping the goods for the Tang people who came to the Tang Dynasty, mediating intermediaries, collecting and paying for the goods, and booking the goods for the coming year.

"Dongning, Zheng, did he Zhu Qin still think it was when Zheng Yiguan was still there?" He Sanguan couldn't help but scold when he heard this. "He wants to take care of Dongning's goods, Lao Tzu can't control it, but he also wants to meddle in the mainland's goods, so he asked someone to make Tianchuan old ghost first and then smash his family's business hall."

"No, no!" Ouyang Yuntai waved his hand. "Not to mention that the merchant ships on the mainland have not arrived for a long time, let's just say that Tagawa is an old ghost, he is Japanese, if the Japanese samurai move him, it is okay, if we Tang people do it, the Japanese will never help us." Ouyang Yuntai said pointedly. "Even if there are Japanese standing behind us, in case Dongning retaliates, can the Japanese protect us?"

As soon as these words came out, Jiang Qiguan, who was the leader, couldn't help but be stunned, yes, Dongning still has tens of thousands of troops and the territory of several counties, although it can't beat the Qing army, and it is not as powerful as the Tokugawa shogunate, but it is not difficult to kill a few of himself, and he also made it difficult for a while: "Is it difficult to see the Dongning Merchant House eat our business?" ”

"Let's bear with it first," Ouyang Yuntai sneered. "I heard that the Tartars have sent Shi Lang south to prepare to cross the sea, as long as there is a fight, even if the Zheng family wins, it will be greatly damaged, and when the time comes, we will see how rampant he is."

Speaking of which, Ouyang and others also did not want to become slaves of the exiled country and fled to live in Japan, but just like Nanming was defeated in the internal struggle of his own family, they only cared about their own interests, and they did not support Dongning, the Han regime that finally held high the banner of the Ming Court, but were willing to stab their compatriots in the back while watching the fire from the other side.

"Brother Ouyang, there is some truth in this." Jiang Qiguan nodded. "Let's press it down and see how he defeats himself"

This side is ready to fall into the well, but Zheng Kezhang is not without a backhand, just when the Dongning Merchant House, which negotiated the price, and the Japanese merchant handed over the money and delivered the goods with one hand, a merchant ship in the port suddenly fired a cannon and hung a flag, shaking the whole Nagasaki.

"What? The envoy of the Emperor of the Ming Kingdom is on the ship, please submit the credentials to the shogunate? "Nagasaki's approach to Japan—there was a lot of trade between Tonying and Japan, but there was no direct diplomatic relationship between the two sides—and the last time an envoy from the Ming Dynasty came to Japan was during the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, how to deal with it was beyond Nagasaki's decision.

"Quick, quick, report to Edo immediately, and the Ming Dynasty will come to make diplomatic relations"

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