Satsuma, Hirasa Castle.

It was half a month after Shimazu Tadamasa received his daughter's handwritten letter.

His marriage brought great benefits to his own territory.

After the marriage, Dong Qin taught Shimazu Tadashi the "Ash Blowing Method" to practice silver skills according to Yan Zheng's order.

This highly efficient silver refining technique, a combination of so-called lead and mercury injection, has led to a surge in silver production.

In another time and space, Japan gradually mastered this technology in the middle of the 16th century.

And the Shimazu clan, who mastered it in advance, also relied on this technology to make a fortune.

There is more silver, and Pingzuo City is naturally prosperous, and the Dongqin goods on the street are even more dazzling.

There are not only Dongqin cotton cloth and summer cloth, but also bone china, ironware, glass, sugar, as well as spices, amber and agate from Nanyang, Sumu and fragrant wood from Luzon, silk and raw silk from Daming.

Even the fine salt is from the Eastern Qin, the salt produced along the coast of the Shimadzu clan, and it is not at all comparable to the salt of the Eastern Qin. Whether in terms of price or quality, it quickly lost and lost the market in less than a few years.

It's a pity that Shimazu Tadamasa, who is not short of silver, has not been able to expand one more step in recent years, and the only expansion achievement is to swallow the territory of Erwuzai Xinna Zhongwu.

It was only after more than two years that he learned that it was not only him who had mastered the Ash Blowing Method of refining silver, but also that all the forces in Kyushu had mastered it sooner or later.

Therefore, these forces are no longer the poor ghosts of the original, and the prosperous trade has also brought them a large amount of business taxes.

Coupled with Yan Zheng's strict control of the arms trade, there is a strange balance between the various forces in Kyushu.

They hated each other, but they had deep business dealings with each other.

They want to annex each other, but they have to beware of other forces.

Take Shimazu Tadamasa as an example, if he wants to fight the Sagara clan and the liver Fu clan, he may have to face Otomo, Matsuura, and Shaoji stabbing chrysanthemums.

As for the expansion of the army, they have been doing it all along. Expanding the army means not expanding the army.

And what is most frustrating about Shimazu Tadamasa is that several forces with relatively weak forces actually bought more Eastern Qin firearms, and the Liver Fu clan even has more than 200 breech 75 cannons.

They don't know what offshore balance is, but they only dare to serve Dong Qin with low eyebrows and pleasing eyes over the years, for fear that Dong Qin will be angry and come to block trade and cut off arms.

When the news of the defeat of the Ming Dynasty reached Japan, they were even more shocked, and their attitude in the face of Eastern Qin was also lowered, for fear that the old man of Eastern Qin would be unhappy.

As for the other forces in the Japanese archipelago, they were extremely envious of the forces in Kyushu, and if they wanted to buy the goods of Eastern Qin, they had to buy them from these forces.

Gradually, all parties in Kyushu also looked down on the forces on the rest of the islands, feeling that no matter how prominent their families were, they could no longer do without them.

……

"Kaori has given birth to a son!"

Shimazu Tadamasa summoned his confidants and retainers to inform him of the good news.

Akiyama Tatsuhiko, who rushed over, heard it and said with great joy: "In this way, the princess's position in Dongqin is stable!" ”

Kamikawa Jiuya said: "Mother is precious by child, since she has given birth to a noble son, then the relationship between Dongqin and us will go to a higher level!" ”

Shimazu Tadamasa smiled, sighed and said: "It's good to go to the next level, I'm afraid I'm afraid of Dongqin, and there will be rain and dew again, and then we will be busy again!" ”

On the side, Yi Sakuzen bowed down for a long time and said, "My lord, didn't you notice that this time it was written by the princess herself?" In the past, Dongqin sent a diplomatic note! ”

"That's right!" Shimazu Tadamasa thought for a while, and this is the first handwritten letter from his daughter over the years.

"In this way, Kaori is indeed more favored in Dongqin!"

Isaku asked again: "The princess gave birth to the eldest son?" ”

"No, the letter said, it's only a quarter of an hour away." Shimazu Tadamasa is also quite regretful.

Yi Zuo Shanjiu smiled and said: "In this case, you might as well throw stones to ask for directions, send a messenger, and send a generous gift to congratulate one or two." ”

Tatsuhiko Akiyama answered, "The subordinate is willing to go for your lordship!" ”

"There's no rush on this matter!" Shimazu Tadamasa twisted his eyebrows and thought for a while: "Ladies and gentlemen, do you think that right now, is it a good opportunity to join forces!" ”

"Unite whom?"

"Matsuura! Let's release the news of Kaori's birth, and say that the Eastern Qin Emperor is quite kind to Kaori, and he promised to supply us with better cannons! So deterring the Quartet, unite with the Matsuura clan, let them help contain it, and ensure that no one will attack our back, and we will attack with all our strength to destroy the Sagara clan quickly! ”

"No!" Isakuyama's eyes widened for a long time and said, "This is the way to death!" ”

"What do you mean?"

Yi Zuo Shanjiu sighed and said: "Dongqin's sale of arms in Kyushu is all intentional, and it is also a combination of vertical and horizontal!" At present, even if they are as strong as the Ouchi clan, they have to be subject to the Eastern Qin, as long as they cut off saltpeter, they can control the situation of the war, cut off trade, and exhaust their finances. Cutting off arms can achieve one thing in a short period of time.

If the adults try to destroy the Sagara clan quickly, I am afraid that they will make Dongqin unhappy, and the gains will outweigh the losses at that time! For today's plan, the important thing is to befriend Dong Qin, to put it mildly, Dong Qin has now become the de facto master of all parties in Kyushu, whether it is commerce or military strength, it is in the hands of others. As long as Dong Qin is willing, a little trick can give us a headache! ”

Shimazu Tadamasa was silent for a while, then nodded depressedly. originally thought that if he became someone's father-in-law, he would be able to play a dozen son-in-law cards, but now he regrets it.

felt that not only did he lose his daughter, but he also lost his dowry.

When he cleaned up Xinna Zhongwu, he originally planned to continue the gang wave of the Liver Fu clan, but he looked at the dense breech 75 cannons at the head of the city and fell into deep thought.

"Could it be that what we do in the future, we have to communicate with the people of Dongqin?" Kamikawa asked a nonsense.

Isaku Yoshihisa, as a confidant, smiled and said, "Don't forget, my lord, after all, Dongqin and my Shimazu clan still have a marriage." This level of relationship is not comparable to other forces. Therefore, it is better to be honest with Dong Qin! Directly inform the monarch of the Eastern Qin Dynasty that we want to clean up the liver Fu clan, and we will fight if they nod, and if they don't nod, we will be patient for the time being.

And the current territory of the adults is far richer than the Liver Fu clan and the Sagara clan, and the one is a little slower, but it is always stronger than them! As long as we spare no effort to fight and fight, there will always be a chance to appear! At that time, we can maintain the balance of power, but swallow these two small forces! ”

Shimazu Tadamasa's eyes lit up, and the practice of swallowing yin is indeed clever!

In another time and space, the Shimazu clan used this cheap trick to deal with the Ryukyus, and directly swallowed it for hundreds of years.

"Alas, before I got in touch with the Eastern Qin people, I didn't have so many scruples, and now Kyushu is full of artillery and muskets, and the cost of attacking the city is too great! The various forces are attacking each other, how good it would be if they were to dominate (centralize and unify) early! ”

Isaku Zenjiu smiled and said: "My lord's words are wrong, right now, Kyushu, compared to other places, is not only richer, but also stronger!" If you don't be born in Kyushu, if you don't meet the people of Eastern Qin, where will the benefits of firearms? IMHO, in just a few decades, Kyushu will be far better than the rest of Japan! ”

Shimazu Tadamasa sighed, nodded and ordered: "Then Akiyama Shao Nayan will go on a trip and give a heavy gift to my grandson, and ask the meaning of the Eastern Qin monarch by the way." ”

Tatsuhiko Akiyama hurriedly knelt down on one knee and said, "I will not fail in my mission!" ”

Isaku Yoshihisa confessed: "Tatsuhiko, although you can't take the opportunity to plot, you still have to make everyone know about this trip, and let the entire Satsuma clan know that our good daughter of the Shimazu clan has given birth to an heir for the monarch of Eastern Qin!" I also have to write a letter to the shogunate to see if I can ask for another seal! ”

Shimazu Tadamasa nodded and said, "What I said is, if you don't get it, you have to get face!" ”

"I also ask in Xia to bring a few more generals to let them go to Dongqin to spy on one or two." Tatsuhiko Akiyama also said.

"That's as it should be!"

…………