Chapter 638: The Battle for Tribute

A day or two later, detailed news came.

"This year, Japan has two rounds of tribute." Wu Fengyi explained to Zhu Houhuang. Also listening to the meeting were Wang Yangming, and other Dongyong ministers.

"Wait." Zhu Houhuang said: "How can Japan have two groups of envoys to pay tribute? ”

The news came too quickly, or Zhu Houhuang urged him too quickly, so he didn't have time to sort it out, so he could only report and explain at the same time.

"In the current Japan, the power of the Japanese lord has fallen, and Japan is divided into large and small princes, among which the Ouchi clan and the Hosokawa clan are the strongest, among which the Hosokawa clan is the son of heaven to order the princes, and the strength is above the Ouchi clan." Wu Fengyi explained, but his explanation was just the words of a family. It is to summarize the situation in Japan in the most understandable language. Among them, the emperor of Japan, he felt that he was too arrogant, and directly called the lord of Japan.

Zhu Houhuang nodded to indicate that he knew and let him continue.

Wu Fengyi continued: "The Ouchi clan came to Ningbo one step ahead of the Hosokawa clan, but the Hosokawa clan bribed the eunuchs of the city boss. So that the Hosokawa clan can enter the customs inspection one step ahead of Ouchi. Because of the contradictions between the two sides, the Ouchi clan was uneven, and led a team to attack and kill the envoy of the Hosokawa clan in Ningbo, and the two sides made a big move in Ningbo City, burning several streets. Later, he was besieged by the big-bellied officers and soldiers and seized the ship. Half of Ningbo City was burned, several thousands of households were killed in the battle, and tens of thousands of people were affected. ”

Zhu Houhuang nodded and said, "Is there anything else?" ”

"As far as the minister knows, there is also a survey problem." Xu Song said.

Xu Song is a native of Ningbo, and he is particularly well-informed about Ningbo.

"What survey?" Zhu Houhuang asked.

"It is a survey used by Japan to trade in Ningbo. Now the new emperor has ascended the throne and replaced the former emperor's investigation. Zhengde survey is invalid, and Jiajing survey must be used. Ouchi and Hosokawa both came to Ningbo to trade as Japanese lords. As a result, before Hosokawa bribed Ouchi, Ichiboji thought that how could there be two teams of envoys in one country, thinking that the first to arrive was true and the last to arrive was false, and refused to issue a survey for the Ouchi clan. The Ouchi clan was unwilling to return in vain, so there was a difficulty in Ningbo. Xu Song said.

"For the sake of a small trade, you will make a big move in the Celestial Empire? It's too much to lose, right? Yu Dayou said. He couldn't understand Japan's behavior, but he was sure that if Japan did this, the Ming Dynasty would definitely not give Japan a good face.

"No, they're forced too." Xu Song said: "In fact, there is a role for us? ”

Zhu Houhuang said strangely: "We? ”

Xu Song said: "Yes, His Royal Highness was originally in Ryukyu and made an alliance with the Hosokawa clan, so most of our goods were shipped directly to the Hosokawa clan. Most of the bulk dealers ship their goods directly to Nagasaki for sale. As a result, Hosokawa benefited more from trade than the Ouchi clan, and the Ouchi clan felt the pressure, especially in Japan, where the prices of various things produced in China rose sky-high. It made the Ouchi clan unbearable. And China's trade with the vassal states can be described as thick and thin.

The tributary trade became a lifesaver for the Ouchi clan to supplement their daily necessities. The minister speculated that this courtier of the Ouchi clan might have a mission? I can't afford to fail, so I have to take risks. ”

Speaking of which, the entire chaos in Ningbo can be regarded as all over.

Zhu Houhuang said: "Ladies and gentlemen, did the Ningbo Rebellion have a great impact on us? ”

Zhu Houhuang couldn't say clearly for a while, this matter had little impact on Dongyong, but he intuitively felt that this matter would be related to Dongyong.

For a moment, everyone frowned. They were all thinking, but no one spoke rashly.

Zhu Houhuang said to Wang Yangming: "Master Wang ---"

Wang Yangming said: "This incident has greatly disgraced the Celestial Dynasty, especially since the two groups of Japanese are only a few hundred people, and they have made a big move in Ningbo, as if they have entered a no-man's land, and the local guards have killed thousands of households in battle, and let them escape?" In the eyes of the imperial court, it was a great shame. The imperial court will definitely retaliate. But how will the court retaliate? Japan is a country that Taizu does not conquer, and the imperial court will not send troops easily. Therefore, the severance of trade with Japan was a natural problem. ”

"Japan is already short of goods, and this is happening again. I think that these Japanese daimyo may take risks, but with the presence of the Ryukyu fleet, it should not affect Dongyong. But that's just the ideal state. ”

Zhu Houhuang said: "If it's not ideal? ”

Wang Yangming was silent for a while, and said: "I'm afraid that the minister will take advantage of the topic to play today." ”

Zhu Houhuang understood a little and said, "How to use the topic to play?" ”

Wang Yangming said: "A stricter sea ban, even for a while, is enough for Dongyong to be unbearable. ”

When Zhu Houhuang heard this, his face turned a little pale, and he immediately asked: "Xu Song, if the goods of the Ming Dynasty are cut off, then how big is the gap in the goods that our Dongyong masters?" ”

Xu Song said with a somewhat wry smile: "Your Highness, you should ask, how much goods we can provide." ”

Xu Song said: "Nowadays, there are silkworm breeders in Dongyong and Annan, so silk can still provide some, and the rest of the goods can only be provided piecemeal, not much." The big head of porcelain is the most important issue. ”

Huang Shilong said: "Your Highness, the words of the king master are a bit absolute. The coastal military households can't survive, and they all count on running boats to eat, so no matter how the imperial court tosses, it can't stop the wind of smuggling, and Dongyong's source of goods may have to be borrowed from other places. However, to say that there is no supply, it is not necessarily. ”

"Nowadays, the price of silk, porcelain, tea, and other bulk goods in the Ming Dynasty has risen a lot. Even His Royal Highness, if it is really as Lord Wang said, then the price of the goods on the voyage of the South Seas will continue to rise, and Dongyong can't afford it at all. Xu Song said.

Yes. Dongyong's transportation of Daming's goods to the west is very profitable, but the problem is that Daming's two-and-two, two-and-three increase in prices will only make Dongyong's profits weaker and weaker. Especially because of the problem of the sea ban, Dongyong has already raised the price to its own downstream.

Zhu Houhuang frowned, he didn't know how to solve the problem in front of him, Wang Yangming said: "I'm not only worried about the sea ban, but also about Japan?" ”

"What's wrong with Japan?" Zhu Houhuang said.

"The shortage of goods in Japan will definitely be solved, especially the high prices in Japan, and I am afraid that the sea will never be as calm as it is now." Wang Yangming said.

Xu Song knows this too clearly.

Now the same batch of cloth, the price difference between Daming and Japan, is already surprising, if the difference doubles, then it is simply a benefit that no one can refuse.

The greed of capitalists to pursue profits will never go out of style, when they know that robbing a village in Daming will be well received in Japan, and they will not mind licking some blood from the knife edge again, anyway, running on the sea to live, in the law of Daming, is originally a capital crime.

When the profits are high to a certain level, they don't mind using the sword to gain profits.

Zhu Houhuang said: "Dongyong must be the producer of goods, not the transponder of it. Therefore, we must develop in Dongyong, the porcelain industry, the silk industry. Tea industry, and even sugar industry. ”

"Your Highness." Xu Song said: "Shaofu can be responsible for expanding the porcelain workshop. ”

Zhu Houhuang said: "Okay, this matter will be handed over to Shaofu." ”

Xu Song said: "Shaofu, you will definitely not live up to Your Highness's trust. ”

"Your Highness, the minister thinks that the peasants should be forced to plant trees and mulberry trees." Zheng Sui said.

"Okay." Zhu Houhuang will not refuse. However, the silk industry is not a day that can be done. The use of administrative orders to promote mulberry trees has been done by many imperial courts. "Okay, a sum of money allocated to Lord Zheng must be used to promote mulberry trees."

Wu Xingzhi said: "Yes." ”

In the past few years, Wu Xingzhi has also been a little exercised. He sat quietly behind Zhu Houhuang and said, "Yes." ”

The tea industry is not easy to implement, use flat land to plant the tea industry, not to mention, whether the tea can be planted well, just wasting so much land, it is enough for Zhu Houhuang to feel distressed, food production is the first, any other problems, must make concessions for this problem, the same is true of the tea industry. ”