Nagasaki, Kofukuji Temple.

The sound of wooden fish coming from the hall, and on the copper incense burner in front of the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the pale blue smoke rises, giving the temple a more peaceful and mysterious atmosphere.

Ma Chang Li respectfully inserted three sticks of incense on the incense burner, and then kowtowed seriously, folded his hands, and prayed, looking extremely pious.

At this time, the Nagasaki executive was dressed only in a green coat and dressed like an ordinary residential Tang (Chinese who had lived in Nagasaki for a long time), so that people could not see the flaws.

After the prayer, he walked to the merit box, took out ten taels of silver, respectfully placed it on the board on the side, and said to the monk on the side: "This senior brother, please accept my merits." The monk got up, folded his hands with him, and said, "Do you dare to ask if it is a major person in the racecourse?" ”

Baba Toshishige is a firm believer in Buddhism, and since he became the Nagasaki Priest, he has repeatedly come to worship the shrine, but he has never revealed his identity, and I don't know how this monk knows.

"My lord, there is a pilgrim in the backyard who wants to see you." The monk said.

Baba Toshishige said, "If it's official business, please let him go to the Nagasaki office." ”

The monk said, "The abbot is also there." ”

Baba Toshige couldn't help but hesitate a little, the abbot of Kofukuji Temple is named Maen, came to Nagasaki from Fujian 20 years ago, built this Kofukuji Temple, in the whole Nagasaki, whether it is the Tang community or the Japanese, there is a good name, Baba Toshige was appointed as Nagasaki Executive, and when he handed over affairs with his predecessor, he heard from his predecessor that the abbot of Shinenju has unparalleled influence among the Tang people, and Baba Toshishige should treat him with courtesy, and he will help deal with affairs.

Immediately, he went to the backyard under the guidance of the monks, the backyard is antique and very quiet, but there is a cherry blossom tree, lush, it is the season when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the flowers are blooming all over the sky.

"Sit and drink the water, watch the ........" The abbot sits on a stone chair under the cherry blossom tree, smiling and chanting.

"There is no reason to hold a bowl and send it to tea lovers." Baba picked up the second half of the poem, faced the abbot, folded his hands, and asked, "Master, do you want to give you a cup of tea?" ”

"I heard that the adults of the horse farm are good at Confucianism, and it is also a pleasure to drink tea and enjoy the cherry blossoms with adults." Zhenyuan smiled and said, he asked again: "Do adults like Bai Letian's poems?" ”

Baba Toshige sat across from Maen, nodding slightly, in response to the knowingly asked question.

The Japanese admired the Tang Dynasty, and among the poets of the Tang Dynasty, they especially loved the poetry of Bai Juyi Bai Lotte, from the emperors and ministers in Kyoto to the local daimyo samurai. Baba Toshige was born as a flag samurai, and he reads poetry and literature on weekdays, especially fond.

Even though he knew that the mysterious person who wanted to see him had deliberately arranged it, he still sat down cross-legged and chatted with Master Zhenyuan.

Before the monk Zhenyuan, he was also a Confucian student who read poetry and books, and he was profoundly knowledgeable, especially for the study of poetry, and he was well-read and knowledgeable.

Therefore, Baba Toshige humbly asked for advice, and he was even more emotional, even if such a person went to the Edo shogunate, he could also become a guest.

"Master, you analyzed the essence of Bai Letian's poems for me, which really opened my eyes and made me grateful." Baba Toshishige said gratefully that for him, learning these essential explanations is not just a matter of mastering knowledge, and when he returns to Edo, he can meet his superiors and get reused.

Zhenyuan said with a smile: "The old monk has a friend, from Fujian, holding a copy of "Bai's Changqing Collection", which is said to be the Song version, if the horse farm Lord likes it, you can go to him, he is willing to give it." ”

True circle pointed to a bamboo forest in the back mountain, at this time Ma Chang Li Zhong was already a little crazy, he immediately got up and entered the bamboo forest, by a spring, sat a drinking young man, the form was profligate, but did not lose the nobility, Ma Chang Li Zhong saw that face clearly, lost his voice and said: "Lord Zheng Tai, it's you." ”

"Lord Race, I haven't seen you for many days, you are fine, it is not easy to ask to see you." Zheng Tai said.

Zheng Tai is Zheng Zhilong's nephew, older than Zheng Chenggong, and is reused on weekdays, at this time in Nagasaki to take care of trade with Japan, equivalent to the Zheng family's representative in Japan.

And when he saw Zheng Tai, Ma Chang Lizhong also knew his purpose.

Nagasaki was a distinguished and special magistrate of Nagasaki, a garrison commander to guard against enemy invasions and the spread of cults, a diplomat in charge of trade affairs, and a diplomat in dealings with foreign countries.

In the early days, there was only one Nagasaki commission, but after the Shimabara Rebellion, the number increased to two, but the Nagasaki commissioner also implemented an accountability system, that is, alternate replacement. One of them was in Edo, one was in Nagasaki, and when he was in Edo, he was in the prefecture, and when he was in Nagasaki, he was in the diligent administration, and he gave an account every September.

Along with Baba Toshishige, Masanobu Yamazaki was in Nagasaki at this time.

In September last year, the two confessed that Yamazaki Masanobu introduced Zheng Tai to him, and Yamazaki has always had a good relationship with the Zheng family, and he has made a lot of profits from the Zheng family.

Nagasaki was mostly a flag samurai, and their own income was higher than their original income, and they could buy imported goods at a price close to the original price in the name of the Imperial Order, and then resell them in Kyoto, Osaka and other places to make huge profits, and every August, they could also collect money from local citizens and merchants, which alone exceeded 1,000 taels of silver.

Gifts were also given by foreign merchants, as well as by neighboring feudal domains, and all of these incomes were privileged by the shogunate and could be safely pocketed.

However, Baba Toshishige was not interested in the Zheng family, and was even quite hostile, which was mainly related to raw silk.

Raw silk is the most important commodity in Nagasaki's import and export trade, and Japan implements a silk cutting system.

Under the guidance of Nagasaki, the leader of the guild, the Nian Yoshi, negotiated with foreign merchant ships to determine the purchase price of raw silk, and then bought all the raw silk from the guild.

The best quality raw silk was handed over to the shogunate, which was shogun silk, while the rest was distributed to merchants from all over the country.

This means that the price of raw silk is certain and the profit is fixed. But the problem is that there is also a loophole in this system, that is, the annual silk price is set in the spring.

In previous years, it was nothing, the Ming Kingdom, the South Seas and foreign ships all came to sell raw silk, compared with these people, the silk cutting Fu Nakama on behalf of Japan was strong, but over the years, the Zheng family gradually monopolized this market, and the direct result was that the Zheng family deliberately transported raw silk to Nagasaki in the spring, and also controlled other merchants to sell it at this time, resulting in a high price of raw silk in spring, and the price of spring is the price of a year, so that Japan suffered a lot of losses.

Masanobu Yamazaki and his predecessors accepted the benefits of the Zheng family and turned a blind eye to this matter, but Baba Toshishige was unwilling to do so.

But how can he fight against the entire silk cutting Fu Zhongma, the number of raw silk arriving in Hong Kong is too small, and the price of this year has been speculated again, and Zheng Tai has single-handedly caused this situation, and the attitude of Machang Lizhong towards him is naturally bad.

"If I had known that you had invited me, it was for Bai Lotte's poetry collection, I would not have come. Master Zheng, farewell! Baba threw his sleeves and left.

Zheng Tai said: "Today I beg you to do something, whether you agree or not, I will send you the poetry collection, if you leave now, then the Song version of the poetry collection, I will burn it, Lord Racecourse, in the second half of your life, every time you think of my violent destruction of heaven, maybe you will regret it." ”

"You're ......!" When Ma Chang Li heard this, he was furious and rushed up to grab Zheng Tai's neck.

Zheng Tai also had some kung fu, but Ma Chang Lizhong suddenly attacked, he didn't react, he didn't break free several times, kicked over a few times, and the sound of the broken wine utensils attracted the real circle outside.

Master Zhenyuan pulled away from the horse farm and said, "Lord Race, you should be sensible. ”

"Reason, what kind of reason do I have, the one I love has been treated like this by this guy, how can I be reasonable." Baba Li roared in anger.

Zheng Tai rubbed his neck, regretting that he threatened him, how could he be a rough man who knew how much a scholar worshiped the sages.

Zheng Tai said: "I'm just joking with you, what is being discussed today is beneficial to you, your country, and my Zheng family, why don't you agree?" ”

Ma Chang Li got up again and was about to leave, Zheng Tai shouted again: "Don't you think the price of silk this year is too high, I can let you get a batch of raw silk for nothing." ”

Hearing this, Baba Toshige stopped and said, "Then you can hear it." ”

"True round, serve tea." Jung Tae said to Mawon.

Ma Chang Li glared at Zheng Tai and said respectfully to Zhenyuan, "There is Master Lao." ”

Zhenyuan came with tea, and heard Zheng Tai tell about the Oriental Trading Company, of course, Zheng Tai said that the Oriental Trading Company was a heinous organization, bullying and slaughtering overseas, and committing evil in the Ming Dynasty, and was a group of lawless people.

"Then Li Zhaoji, taking advantage of the pirates in Guangdong, saw that the price of silk had decreased, so he bought it, and even tricked the local gentry into buying it together. As a result, many silkworm farmers went bankrupt and sold their wives and children, which was not miserable. Now, the Oriental Trading Company is coming to Nagasaki to trade and sell you the raw silk that you have stolen and swindled.

And that Li Zhaoji has a grudge against my Zheng family, and robbed my Zheng family's sea ship many times last year, and after he succeeded, he killed all the sailors and left no one alive. Jung Tae asked.

Zhenyuan was on the side, and did not speak, Ma Chang Lizhong heard this, and asked after a little thought: "There are two questions, one is that your Zheng family is the overlord of the sea, how can you be bullied by Li Zhaoji, how can he rob your merchant ships at every turn, how to do it." Second, how do you know that everyone is killed? ”

Zheng Tai said: "Then Li Zhaoji bought foreign ships from Francois and Greater Luzon, and with the strength of the ships and guns, he ran rampant and tyrannical in the open sea. And in order to support justice, my head sent a meticulous work to infiltrate and find out the truth. ”

Baba Li looked at Zhenyuan again: "Master, you are well-informed, and you can hear about Li Zhaoji and the Oriental Trading Company. ”

"I haven't heard of it." Madoka said.

"This is what happened last year, not many people know about it, and the head of my family is also taking precautions." Zheng Tai hurriedly explained.

Baba Toshishige said: "This matter will be investigated before it is decided, and when the fleet of the Oriental Trading Company arrives, the official will be in the district." If it is as you say, this official will not forgive. ”

"Yes, adults are righteous and do not wronged good people, nor do they spare bad people. However, I have heard that there are more than 3,700 quintals of raw silk on the thief ship, but more than half of them belong to the gentry of Guangdong, and I ask your Excellency to take back the property of those deceived gentry at that time. Zheng Tai said again.

The Zheng family is bent on exterminating Li Zhaoji, but even Zheng Zhilong does not dare to offend the Guangdong gentry easily, so he has such a request.

"Well said, well said." Ma Chang Lizhong nodded slightly, and the amount of raw silk in his heart is indeed not a small number, which is quite rare.