boyutpedia Page 61
Page 61
Seeing this, Shinzaburo was too lazy to get angry. He pointed and calmly said to Hasegawa Munehito, "These are the returned goods."
Both men were greatly surprised. After exchanging bewildered glances, they dejectedly expressed their willingness to accept the standard of twelve coins.
Shinzaburo slowly shook his head and said coldly, "It's too late now, return it!"
The two men panicked and groveled, begging for mercy.
Then Hasegawa Munehito received a signal and chimed in with a couple of words.
Shinzaburo nodded reluctantly and said in a disgusted tone, "I'll leave it here for the sake of Lord Hasegawa."
The two of them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
It seems that being returned to the ransom broker is definitely not a good thing.
Finally, Hasegawa Munehito announced that these people would have to work as laborers for ninety days. The pay would be twelve mon per day, totaling one kan and eighty mon. At that time, not only would the owed one kan be offset, but they would also receive an extra eighty mon for travel expenses and be allowed to return home freely.
Perhaps because the menacing Shinzaburo was always standing there with ill intentions, the prisoners of war all showed obedience to Hasegawa Munehito.
After dealing with this matter, Shinzaburo suddenly realized that he seemed to have become a wicked feudal lord, oppressing the poor and pitiful people, and his feelings became complicated.
But on second thought, these prisoners of war were most likely "underground people," meaning they were small landowners rather than poor peasants.
Thinking about it this way makes things much easier.
Two days later, Takemura Hidetoshi and fourteen other surviving samurai of the Shingu faction arrived at the Tada copper mine.
Upon meeting, Takemura Hidetoshi said very solemnly, "To be honest, we are already struggling to afford food, lodging, and medicine. Thank you so much, Lord Kubo Genban, for your generosity!"
Shinzaburo smiled and said, "This is just the beginning. If you are willing to take over the responsibility of 'serving the public' from me in the future, that would be a delightful thing."
Hidetoshi Takemura and the others looked hesitant, saying they would consider it in the future, but did not give a definitive answer.
The very next day, Ikeda Katsumasa, the young lord of Ikeda Castle in the south, came to visit again. He had met his friends from the Shingu faction in Kyoto before and they hit it off quite well. They were delighted to see each other again and spent the time chatting and drinking together.
That night, another man in black with ill intentions arrived.
Although the warriors had drunk some wine and were slightly drunk, it did not interfere with their work. They quickly got to work and easily killed five people, scaring the other bandits into fleeing.
The warehouse where the crude silver was stored hadn't even had its door touched.
That's a good way to vent my anger.
Unfortunately, they went a bit too far and didn't manage to capture any prisoners for questioning, so they can't determine who did it.
However, Shinzaburo immediately sent someone to Akutagawa Castle to inform the Miyoshi family to send the body there so that the important figures could make a decision.
……
This experience is enough to prove that the mine is safe for the time being.
So Shinzaburo continued to Sakai Town as planned, intending to find some reliable ronin and samurai, recruit soldiers and build a team, in preparation for "taking up a post in the border region".
Hasegawa Munehito was able to manage the mining operations very well, and now that the safety issues have been resolved, Shinzaburo himself is actually superfluous. If it weren't for the negative impact of unexcused absences, he could have easily run away.
I must tell everyone that I'm going out on business this time.
It was indeed possible to take care of some business along the way, such as checking out new markets for copper ore in Sakai-cho. Although the matter seemed less important after the silver was mined, making more money was always a good thing.
The transportation from Tada Copper Mining Site to Sakai Town is very convenient.
Head south, cross the Yodo River via the Nose Road, then cross the Yamato River via the Kumano Road, and you'll arrive.
Although this route is not a particularly wide ancient national highway, the area it passes through is arguably the most prosperous region in present-day Japan, with a dense population, abundant water and soil, and numerous trade activities. Currently, under the jurisdiction of the Miyoshi family, it is relatively peaceful.
Correspondingly, prices are also frighteningly high.
When resting in the rocky mountains, the cost of food and lodging is already quite expensive.
Further along the roadside near Sakai-cho, I was truly amazed to see brown rice balls for three yen and soba mochi for five yen at roadside stalls. That's about three times the price in the Tamba area!
There were also glutinous rice balls coated in sugar, senbei pancakes smeared with soy sauce, a sweet called "yokan" that was actually made of red beans and wheat, and many other snacks that I hadn't seen much of in Tanba.
It would cost around ten coins to try it, and to have a proper meal, it would probably cost more than fifty coins.
At this time, Sakai-cho was roughly a rectangle, 800 meters wide from east to west and 2.5 kilometers long from north to south. Except for the seaside dock on the west side, the other three sides were fortified with moats of four zhang (approximately 16 meters) and walls of fifteen chi (approximately 15 feet). Inside, the main thoroughfares were the longitudinal "Dadaosuji" and the transverse "Daoxiaoji-dori," as well as a network of nine horizontal and four vertical roads, which divided the streets into neat and uniform blocks.
So well-organized, the route is clear at a glance no matter where you want to go, it was originally very clear.
However, Shinzaburo's attendants were all monkeys from Tanba Mountain who had never seen the world. When they saw the dazzling array of food and the high prices, they couldn't help but look around in amazement, which immediately revealed their rural background.
No local women came out to say anything harsh like, "These stinking outsiders have come to our Jieting to beg for food."
Instead, a street urchin-looking young man approached with a grin, bowed respectfully, and said, "Gentlemen, have you come from afar to Sakai Town to purchase goods? I am a native of this town and know every street and shop well. I know exactly where to go and who to contact for any business. For just thirty coins, I can be your guide."
Shinzaburo waved his hand and said, "I am not here to make a transaction, but to go to the Magistrate's Office."
"Oh dear... it's the adults from the Miyoshi family!" The spirited young man quickly suppressed his smile, bowed in fear, and said, "I was blind, I won't disturb you any longer!"
The man's quick reaction and agile thinking surprised Shinzaburo.
It's no wonder this is Sakai Town; even the street urchins are quite well-mannered.
Shinzaburo wasn't trying to scare anyone.
He was indeed planning to go directly to the magistrate's office to see the magistrate.
Because the current Sakai magistrate is Kaji Hisakatsu, a retainer of the Miyoshi family and a follower of Matsunaga Hisahide, so he is somewhat of an acquaintance.
Since we're already here, how could we not pay a visit?
But there's no need to go directly there.
First, you can try contacting two acquaintances: Imai Munehisa and Uozumi Hikoshiro, who are now running their own businesses.
Secondly, the Nanso-ji Temple south of Sakai-cho is headed by Zen Master Soto, the abbot of the Daitoku-ji branch of the Rinzai sect. Out of respect for Master Myoshu, we should at least go and pay our respects and give some incense money.
115 The unspoken rules of Sakai Town
It's a pity that God didn't want it.
Imai Munehisa and Uozumi Hikoshiro went out on business.
Nanzo Temple was recently damaged by fire and is currently undergoing renovations and is temporarily closed.
Feeling somewhat disgruntled, Shinzaburo spent thirty mon to hire a local street urchin, who enthusiastically recounted the history of Sakai-cho and introduced the characteristics of each street. He strolled around, simply to gather information and relieve his mood.
The prosperity of Sakai-cho goes without saying.
The harbor was bustling with ships, and dockworkers raced against time to load and unload cargo. The wide main road was teeming with traffic, a constant stream of shops displaying colorful flags. The side streets were equally vibrant, bustling with people and shops, everywhere filled with scenes of haggling. In the corners, artisans operated, their sounds of metal clanging and sawing wood filling the air.
The workshops for forging iron cannons, in particular, are very eye-catching; they are rare finds in Tanba.
The main products included six-eye cartridges costing 20-30 strings of cash, ten-eye cartridges costing 50-60 strings of cash, and thirty-eye cartridges costing over 100 strings of cash. Furthermore, considering the consumption of black powder, lead bullets, and matchlock, each firing cost at least several coins. Even a simple training session was quite expensive.
It's not easy to deploy them in large-scale real-world applications.
Afterwards, Shinzaburo rested briefly, packed his belongings, and then went to the magistrate's office.
The location of the Sakai Magistrate's Office is quite easy to find.
At the intersection of the north-south main road and the east-west main road, there are two religious sites: "Tenjin Shrine" and "Kakei Shrine". Although named shrines, they have actually been influenced by the "fusion of Shinto and Buddhism" and have become "Jinguji Temples", both enshrining Yakushi Nyorai.
The magistrate's office was located between these two "Jinguji Temples".
The area is not large, just a small courtyard that is fifty paces long and thirty paces wide, and it can probably accommodate a maximum of one hundred people.
In fact, the wealthy merchants of Sakai still have a high degree of autonomy, and are deeply influenced by Nichiren and Rinzai monks, so they do not bow down to the samurai.
The magistrate's office established by the Miyoshi family was less about management and more about coordination and negotiation.
Shinzaburo gave his name and was allowed to enter, where he met the magistrate, Kaji Hisakatsu.
This person claimed to be a descendant of the Sasaki clan, whose branch originated in Kamakura in the Kanto region, but it is unknown how they moved to the Kinai region.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kaji Hisakatsu asked, "Lord Kubo Genban, are you here about the mine? If you need to contact the merchants of 'Silver House,' I can make an introduction."
This guy is quite impatient, or rather, very dedicated.
However, Hasegawa Munehito had already formulated a plan to mint silver coins.
Shinzaburo smiled and said, "Thank you. But this matter has been resolved, so there's no need for Lord Hisashi to trouble himself."
“That’s true. Lord Kubo Genban certainly wouldn’t overlook anything.” Kaji Hisakatsu added, “Could it be that you’re here for the sale of the copper mine, not for the silver mine?”
Shinzaburo hadn't expected to sell the unsold crude copper, but increasing sales wouldn't be a bad thing, so he nodded slightly and said, "Let's consider that one of our goals."
Upon hearing this, Kaji Hisakatsu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Lord Kubo Genban, if you have no solution, what can I do? Nowadays, temples and shrines in the Kinai region are no longer building Buddhist statues and large bells on a large scale, so naturally they don't need so much crude copper."
Shinzaburo had actually had an idea before, but he was busy digging for silver and had to put it aside for the time being. At this moment, he took the opportunity to ask tentatively, "I heard that the Nanban people are good at making firearms from copper. I wonder if there are any people in Sakai Town who are proficient in this?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kaji Hisakatsu chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Such confidential matters will not be revealed by the Southern Barbarians unless they first convert to the 'Chechidan' religion."
The other party's answer was as expected.
Shinzaburo himself doesn't really care what religion he believes in, but there are still elderly people in his family. If he rashly announces that he has converted, he might anger his father, Kinbei, and Master Meishu to death.
They had no choice but to give up.
Immediately, Kaji Hisakatsu, for reasons unknown, casually remarked, "Whether the southern barbarians are skilled at making firearms from copper, I do not know. But in the past, they were good at trade, and could transport 300,000 copper coins to Tang China at a time for sale, making a huge profit."
This time it was Shinzaburo's turn to laugh: "Do you mean that I should go to Tang China and try to persuade the Great Meng court to reopen the Kanho trade? That's giving me too much credit."
Kaji Hisakatsu pointed westward and said with great interest, "That's not right. Although the Great Meng Dynasty forbids it now, private merchants along the coast of Kyushu Island never stop trading. If we can get on board with this line, we can sell as much copper mine as we want."
Shinzaburo's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he quickly asked, "Could it be that Lord Hisakatsu has some connections...?"
"No, not at all." Kaji Hisakatsu shook his head frankly and said, "I have never been to Kyushu in my life, how could I have connections with private merchants at sea?"
This guy, turns out he's just a keyboard warrior!
I thought I could actually be introduced to some big pirates like Wang Zhi or Xu Hai.
Shinzaburo temporarily set aside his thoughts on the copper mine, shook his head and said, "Since there's no way to get in touch with it, let's leave that aside for now. There's another matter I'd like to ask Lord Hisakatsu about."
Kaji Hisakatsu bowed and said, "Please speak."
Shinzaburo bowed and said, "A few days ago, I found some crude silver at the Tada copper mine. I then commissioned a silversmith to cast it into silver coins and presented them as 'transport coins' to Lords Hosokawa Ukyo and Miyoshi Chikuzen."
Kaji Hisakatsu interjected with a compliment: "Lord Kubo Genban is truly a master of skill; I am far inferior to him."
"How dare I!" Shinzaburo was speaking perfectly well, but the interruption forced him to feign politeness and continue, "Unexpectedly, the production of silver has attracted the covetous eyes of villains, and even some highly skilled thieves have appeared. I find this very troublesome, so I have no choice but to try to recruit highly skilled ronin as guards."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kaji Hisakatsu blinked and suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Actually, recently a ronin from Kanto has joined my ranks. This man is highly skilled, shrewd, and decisive, but he is somewhat stubborn by nature, and has caused some trouble. If Lord Kubo Genban can take him away, everyone will be very happy."
Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo was naturally curious and asked who this person was.
Hisakatsu Kaji sighed as he explained.
It turns out that there was a young man named Harumi Shinbei, the second son of a powerful family in Musashi Province in the Kanto region. He had studied swordsmanship in Kashima and originally served the Hojo family of Sagami. Later, he learned that a high-ranking official had taken money from a merchant to help him operate a monopoly, so he went to accuse him. Instead, he was severely scolded by his superior and banished.
It was common for high-ranking officials to have financial dealings with temples, shrines, or merchants. Exposing it would only bring shame to everyone involved.
This Qinghai Shi Gao can be described as a complete goofball.
He got into trouble, was fired, and couldn't make a living there, so he took a boat to Sakai-cho to look for work. He was taken in by the magistrate's office, but soon got into trouble again.
At this point, Kaji Hisakatsu asked, "Does Lord Kubo Genban know the price for temporarily hiring laborers in Sakai Town?"
Shinzaburo knew, of course: "I just hired a guide, which cost thirty mon."
Kaji Hisashi nodded: "That's the usual market price. When business at the docks is booming, it can reach as high as fifty coins a day."
Shinzaburo exclaimed in amazement, "That's more than three times the size of Tanba!"
Kaji Hisakatsu said with a smile, "But in Sakai, you never see migrant workers from afar."
"Why is that?" Shinzaburo was surprised at first, but quickly realized, "Could it be that the locals have united to monopolize the market..."
“Exactly.” Kaji Hisakatsu nodded and said, “North of Sakai-cho is ‘Goka-sho’ of Settsu Province, and south of Sakai-nan-sho is ‘Sakai-nan-sho’ of Izumi Province. Together, these two places have several thousand people. They have formed a ‘Kikyu’ and only allow their own people to work in Sakai-cho. Outsiders who want to come in have to pay one-third of their wages.”
Shinzaburo understood instantly: "Ten out of thirty mon will be paid. Twenty mon will still be a lot, but considering the high prices in Sakai Town, there won't be much left."
Kaji Hisakatsu nodded and said, "Occasionally, some people sneak in to work without paying. However, if they are discovered, they will inevitably be beaten or even thrown into the sea."
Shinzaburo asked doubtfully, "Don't the wealthy merchants of Sakai have any objections?"
Kaji Hisakatsu explained, "The wealthy merchants have adopted a tacit attitude. This small amount of labor cost is insignificant to them, but it can win the hearts of five thousand people in the vicinity."
Shinzaburo nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, "The Harumi-shitaka you just mentioned... could he be sheltering outsiders who sneaked in to work?"
Kaji Hisakatsu said helplessly, "That's right. A dozen or so strong local men went to teach a bad guy from out of town a lesson, but they were stopped by Harumi Ujitaka. He came from Kashima to learn swordsmanship, and with a bamboo stick in his hand, how could the common people be a match for him?"
Shinzaburo immediately sympathized: "This is difficult. There probably isn't any explicit written rule about not allowing outsiders to work here!"
Kaji Hisakatsu sighed, "Of course not! Even if it were written down, it wouldn't make sense. Neither merchants, temples and shrines, nor even I, the magistrate, would sign it."
Shinzaburo couldn't help but laugh: "So, on the surface, that Qinghai clansman is in the right, while it's those dozen or so strong men who are bullying outsiders who are in the wrong."