The façade of Yamadaya is already quite small, equivalent to three or four doors of other houses, and when you enter it, you can see that there is a huge courtyard, which is different from the Chinese courtyard, which pursues boxy, this yard is very long, only part of it is used as a place for processing leather goods, and the rest is very empty.

On one side of the courtyard is a heavy rammed earth wall, and behind it is a large bamboo forest, in front of which are arrow targets, wooden figures and the like, and there are traces of sharp weapons on them.

Haruji Yamada was already a disabled person, and he couldn't use these things, apparently teaching young Kiritan.

Yamadaya is one such place, which serves as a source of income for the Kishitan people, as well as a relief organization, and also teaches some unique Japanese skills, such as the fighting skills of the samurai, the use of swords and bows, etc., and there are such places in many cities where Kishitan exists in the South Seas.

"Hey, Chunji, you're getting bolder." Seeing such a wide teaching venue, Nakata couldn't help but say.

Haruji said with a smile: "After that massacre, Chechitan has gained more trust from the Spaniards, and our status and authority have improved. ”

Although Nakata was helpless, he still nodded and didn't say much.

Haruji Yamada ordered someone to bring wine and food, drank and chatted with Yoshito Nakata under the vines in the courtyard, and asked about Nakata's expedition.

"Oriental Trading Company, is that the Ming Kingdom Trading Company that does a lot of business in the northern part of the bay?" Haruji Yamada said immediately when he heard that Nakata Yoshito was working for the Oriental Trading Company.

Nakata Yoshito was surprised: "Did you know so quickly?" ”

Haruji Yamada said: "Yes, four or five days ago, two Creole officers came from the royal city and sent deerskins, and paid us to make deerskin boots for them.

Since the people here are so welcoming, I asked people to buy a batch.

I knew that you were also from the Oriental Trading Company, so I asked you to come forward, and maybe you could save some money. ”

Nakata smiled and said, "Maybe, but I'm not in business at a trading company. By the way, I have something to do with the Oriental Trading Company, don't talk to outsiders. In fact, Shichiro and they are still working for it in Tamsui, and Matsushita Tomaki, do you still remember him? ”

Haruji Yamada immediately nodded: "Of course, he is unparalleled in archery." I can't imagine that even people like him are working for the Oriental Trading Company, and it seems that this trading company is very unusual. ”

The two drank wine, and Haruji Yamada found that Nakata seemed to have a lot of money in his hands, but he didn't want to talk about the source of the money, let alone mention the Oriental Trading Company, so he was vigilant.

After arranging for him to stay, Haruji Yamada called his youngest son, Shigezo, who was only fifteen years old. He said to him: "Your Uncle Nakata has returned, he has been away for a long time, and he is not familiar with this, so you have been serving him for the past few days, and by the way, you have recorded what he has done." ”

"Don't you often say that Uncle Nakata is your most loyal friend? Without him, you would not only have broken a leg, but you would have lost your life to Quang Nam. Mao San was puzzled and asked carefully.

Haruji Yamada said: "At that time, I was only one person, and it didn't matter if I entrusted my life to him, but now that I have you and this store, this involves dozens of families, so I can't be careless." ”

Haruji Yamada felt that if the Oriental Trading Company was just an ordinary trading company, it could trade directly in the port, and open a single trading ground in the northern section of the bay exit, it must have some disagreement with the local Spaniards, and Haruji Yamada could only choose to be careful.

For a few days in a row, Nakata Liangren went out at dawn and would come back at night, he went to many places, where there were many people, taverns, brothels, casinos, he was everywhere, he took the initiative to make friends with the local three religions and nine streams, and they had a lot of dealings.

"Chunji, I heard from Maosan that he was going to Wangcheng to deliver finished boots to the Spaniards, let me go, you know my Spanish is very good, but I have been stationed with them in Tamsui for a long time." Yoshito Nakata came to Haruji's room at night and said to him, but the scene in front of him made him stop, and he couldn't help but look around, and his hand unnaturally touched his waist.

"There's no one else here, and there's no axeman." Chunji took a sip of wine and said lightly.

On the table in front of Haruji was a table of sake, ready to entertain Nakata, but on the chair next to the door was a beautiful hat and a dagger encrusted with precious stones, which were gifts from Nakata Yoshito to Shigezo.

Nakata said, "You're going to talk to me, right?" ”

Chunji nodded, and when Nakata Liangren sat down, he said: "Liangren, you and I have fought together for many years, we are fellow villagers and comrades-in-arms, I know you, you are definitely not coming back to visit relatives, nor are you preparing to disarm and return to the field in Manila, you have other ideas, right, it has something to do with the Spaniards." ”

"Yes, Harunji." Seeing that there was no one around, Nakata said directly: "I am now sent by Master Li Zhaoji of the Oriental Trading Company to be a spy here. ”

"What are you probing, you were going to enter the royal city just now, are you going to reconnoiter the defense arrangement or kill people?" Haruji's face was full of suspicion.

Nakata Ryoto laughed: "Didn't you think that the Spaniards had slaughtered the Chinese, and the Oriental Trading Company sent me here to find out the military aircraft, launch a war in the future, and avenge the Chinese?" ”

Chunji shook his head: "Even Nikolai can't do it, and an Oriental trading company that has never heard a name can't do it." I am afraid that they have a relationship with the Dutch, and you should know that here, to associate with the Dutch, is a capital offense. ”

"Of course not, I'm sure you'll get the news from the Spaniards soon, that it was the Oriental Trading Company that helped them keep the city of San Salvador." Nakata said.

Haruji was still skeptical: "If that's the case, why do you need more places in Spain to carry out espionage?" ”

"Peace and friendship will not last forever, and the massacre, which cost 20,000 lives, will not be forgotten forever. Maybe one day, the two sides will go to war, and I will play a role. ”

Chunji nodded slightly, understanding what Nakata Liangren meant, this friend is a secret pile, he usually doesn't do anything, and he will only play a role when it is critical.

And Nakata Liangren said this, but Chunji did not object, but said: "Liangren, my most loyal friend, for the sake of us lonely souls and wild ghosts who can't return home, let's break up." ”

"I think so too, but I think about it for a while, after all, it will be inconvenient to come and go in the future." Nakata said.

The rupture between the two is inevitable, because this is the way of survival of Chechitan.

A few decades earlier, the leader of Chezhi Tam, Yamada Nagamasa, had been involved in the succession to the throne in Siam, and then gradually evolved into an armed division of the city, which lasted for twenty years before finally being defeated, and Yamada Haruji was one of Yamada's kindred people.

Since then, Cheechtan has no longer fully congregated, but has moved to Batavia, Manila and other countries in the South Seas, no longer putting all its eggs in one basket.

This is also the reason why Harunji and Nakata Yoshito both want to break up.

Kishitan does not have the ability to be independent in Nanyang, and can only rely on other forces, and it is inevitable to bet on all sides, so Haruji understands and supports Nakata Yoshito's practice of serving the Oriental Trading Company, but he will not put himself in it.

In this way, even if the Oriental Trading Company and the Spaniards were to divide the victory or defeat in the future, Kiritan would be preserved and continue to survive in the South Seas.

Harunji grabbed the flask, took a drink, and said, "I don't want to come to this point with you, but that's the reality." We must adhere to our ideals, but we must also yield to reality. ”

Nakata nodded, took the flask, and drank the contents of the wine. Chunji said, "What are you going to do?" ”

"Chejitan could not be integrated into the Spanish system of rule, which was exclusive to the Creoles (Spanish pure-blood, born in the colonies) and the Mestizos (Spanish mixed with other people), and if I were a mercenary, I would only see the army, not Spain.

So I'm going to open a shop and do some business, so that I can touch all kinds of things. Nakata said, and he still has some money given by Li Zhaoji in his hand, which is the start-up capital.

Chun Er thought about it carefully and said, "Lover, you can also open a leather goods store." ”

"Doing the same business as you, so how can it prove that you and I have broken up?" Nakata was puzzled, and he had to publicly prove that the two had broken up, otherwise he would be exposed in the future, and the Spaniards would blame the Chejitan group, including Yamadaya.

Chunji said: "You stay in my shop for a while, get in touch with the people here, you have money, you can poach a few skilled craftsmen at a high price, so that your shop can be opened, and we are peers, and you poach my people, and you and I will naturally break up." ”

"Yes..... But that's hurting your business. Nakata said.

Chun Er shook his head: "No, the storm has passed, the Chinese here are recovering, and those talents are my biggest competitors." ”

Nakata Yoshito sighed, smiled helplessly, and said, "I hope there will always be peace here." ”

Chunji drank too much wine, leaned back in his chair, and covered his face: "I hope that Kiritan can survive forever." ”

Inside the stream.

On the high ground by the river, there is a blue-brick courtyard with a mix of Chinese and Western styles, this building has a tall and heavy wall, and there are small buildings arranged with guns in the four corners, which is the home of Qian Dongxing, the famous leader of Manila.

The Qian family has been deeply involved in Manila for many years, and in the early years they were also maritime merchants who came to do business, and later made a fortune here and converted to Catholicism very early. Before the Manila massacre, he followed the orders of the Spaniards to open a plantation in Neihu Province, so he escaped.

After the massacre, the Qian family returned to Manila, and instead added a huge area of plantations in Neihu Province, and because many Chinese were sheltered by it, Qian Dongxing's prestige increased.

In order to attract the Chinese to regain the prosperity of Manila, the Spaniards invited Qian Dongxing back and returned his ancestral home.

On this day, Qian Dongxing had just returned from the plantation in Neihu Province when he heard about the arrival of the fleet of the Oriental Trading Company, and the housekeeper immediately brought some gifts, all of which were silk and satin from Guangdong, which were quite valuable.

"This is sent by the shopkeeper of Chen Liuzi, who is in charge of the trade of the fleet, he didn't come himself, he sent his subordinates, and asked to see you." The butler said carefully.

Qian Dongxing nodded slightly, Chinese businessmen who come and go to Manila will come to visit, after all, they come and go, it is inevitable that there will be conflicts and contradictions with the Spaniards, if they don't come and go, Qian Dongxing will not help to make peace at that time. The Oriental Trading Company came to pay homage to the dock, but it did not surprise him, and it seemed that the gifts were a lot heavier.

Qian Dongxing had just come back, and he was feeling tired and tired, and said: "I haven't heard of that Oriental Trading Company before, but I can say a few words, and I feel a little familiar." ”

"Coincidentally, do you remember that when the north wind first rose last year, a ship came from Fujian, and the shopkeeper of the Zheng family came to you to inquire, whether there was a man named Li Heji in Manila, isn't it the shopkeeper of the Oriental Trading Company?" The butler reminded.

Qian Dongxing's body immediately straightened up, and said, "The shopkeeper of our shop has been to trade with him?" ”

"Master, don't you know, the fleet of the Oriental Trading Company is very powerful. I don't know what means were used, not to mention the trade of a piece of land in North Bay alone, and the goods are sufficient and the price is fair, not to mention our family, even some small traders have flocked to it. ”

Qian Dongxing nodded: "Okay, immediately find a few people who are familiar with him, I will ask carefully." ”