Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 927 Minister of the Three Kingdoms
Songshang refers to the merchants in the Kaesong area.

Bay merchants refer to Uiju merchants.

Among them, Yizhou, where the Bay merchants are located, is the most powerful because of its proximity to the Yalu River and the most convenient land, and it almost monopolizes overseas trade.

However, Songshang had previously supported the son's ascension to the throne in Pyongyang to counter the new king supported by Hong Chengchou, so in recent years, his strength has gradually expanded.

Different from Shanxi merchants and Huizhou merchants in Ming Dynasty, these two major chambers of commerce not only monopolize trade, but also exercise government responsibilities, such as taxation, escort, corvee, etc., and even have greater power than the government in some places.

For example, the eight-course tribute rice related to the livelihood of Seoul is almost all escorted by Taiwanese merchants, and the North Korean government has nothing to do with it.

Without it, because there are many hidden reefs at the mouth of the Han River, the real boatmen and the old sailors are all Gulf merchants. If the imperial court is allowed to transport them, the losses will be heavy.

The king of Yue knew that he was powerful, so he summoned him.

When the two major chambers of commerce heard the invitation from the envoy, although they were puzzled, they were still emotional and dared not ignore it.

The trade with the Ming Dynasty is an important profit for the two chambers of commerce.

"You two, I want food, a lot of food."

King Yue looked at the two shrewd businessmen, and said in a deep voice without any fuss.

"How much do you need?" Song Shang couldn't wait to ask: "A thousand stones is still five thousand stones. Although it is not available now, we can get you enough [-] stones within three days."

"Hmph, we Wanwan merchants can collect [-] shi in three days. As long as we have a few more days, I can even make [-] directly."

Wanshang was not far behind, stretching his neck and saying.

Seeing this, the King of Yue sighed in his heart: "As expected of a wealthy businessman who controls a country, he is really extraordinary."

"To be honest, I need at least one hundred thousand stones—"

The expressions of the two businessmen changed.

"However, I don't want it in a hurry, and it won't be too late to deliver it after the summer harvest."

"As far as I know, the Korean tribute to Daming is only one hundred thousand shi. Why do you need so much food?" the businessman asked with a look of vigilance.

"For the establishment of the country!" Seeing the two of them like this, the King of Yue did not hide it: "A certain is the King of Yue of the Ming Dynasty. Because he was granted the land of Xizo, he is planning to purchase some things in North Korea."

As soon as these words came out, the two of them were shocked, and then calmed down.

However, their attitudes were even more respectful, and their faces were full of flattery:

"I have long heard that His Highness was granted the title of Empress, and I never thought that I would come to North Korea. This is our good fortune."

"Whether it's timber, grain, cloth, ironware, etc., although the poor country is not as good as the upper country, it can be considered barely usable. No matter what your highness says, as long as North Korea has it, we can send it to you."

The king of Yue was noncommittal.

Just at that period of time, he had a general understanding of North Korea's prices.

The imperial court’s grain price is cheap, but the iron price is expensive. As long as there is a little skill, it is more expensive in North Korea than in Ming Dynasty.

For example, with the help of some Liaodong immigrants, North Korea staggered to make shotguns, but the quality was extremely poor.

Most of the goods imported into Daming are mink, otter, green mouse, leopard and other furs; sea cucumbers, abalones, shrimps, fish, kelp and other dried seafood.

Imported ones, such as scissors, tweezers, needles, bed stove, cauldron, suitcase, saddle, umbrella, wooden chopsticks, abacus, comb, buttons, cigarette pouch, glasses, porcelain, wool paper, square paper, flint, fire sickle, pen , ink, inkstone, copper pot, tin pot, compass and other daily groceries.

To put it simply, North Korea imports more than it exports. In this case, trade is naturally at a disadvantage.

After letting the two chatter for a while, he looked normal and said slowly, "Where's the person?"

"Your Highness wants to accept a concubine?"

"No, I mean common people, farmers who cultivate land, blacksmiths who forge iron, bamboo craftsmen, carpenters, and even scholars..."

King Yue's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the chest of the two of them until they couldn't breathe.

Is the slave trade, the slave trade on a large scale, legal?

Illegal and unreasonable.

Moreover, it is immoral and tarnished the reputation of the country to sell it to other countries with the people of the country.

"Don't get me wrong—"

"My country of Yue is in the land of Ezo, with a vast land and few people. What is most lacking now are the people."

The King of Yue said softly: "I need to secretly recruit some people to move there, and you are responsible for transporting and publicizing this matter."

"Men and women are not limited, as long as you are not sick, I will give you two silver dollars per person."

After hearing that it was not a sale but an escort, the two breathed a sigh of relief.

Two dollars, such a heavy interest, made their breath short.

This price is equivalent to two taels of silver.

You must know that in North Korea, copper is expensive, silver is expensive, and gold is cheap. The value of silver is actually overestimated.

The price of three shi rice in Ming Dynasty is enough to buy five or even six shi rice in North Korea.

There is very little silver on the market.

Just like the foreign exchange of later generations, there is never too much.

The two returned to the house, found a group of people from the chamber of commerce, and agreed to such a business.

In fact, for the Wan merchants and Song merchants, they were already connected to the North Korean government, and power rent-seeking was just a matter of leisure, which was a piece of cake.

Moreover, letting a group of impoverished people go overseas to make a living is also a way of life.

After convincing himself with such reasons, King Yue got what he wanted.

After the summer harvest, as long as the farmers paid off their debts, they were forced to go to Yue.

At that time, not only can you earn escort fees, but you can also occupy the land, which will kill two birds with one stone.

Rough conditions:

Before the end of June, Wanshang and Songshang escorted a thousand men and women.

In addition, the order also included [-] shi of grain, [-] bolts of coarse cloth, [-] catties of pig iron, and [-] shi of cotton.

The total value is about 20 silver dollars, which can be described as high quality and low price.

After a few days of delay, King Yue left North Korea in a hurry and came to Tsushima Island.

This is the country of Tsushima among Japan's 66 countries, which is where the name of Tsushima Island is located.

Interestingly speaking, as an island between North Korea and Japan, Tsushima Island is only a hundred miles away from North Korea, so it is Japan's smuggling center to North Korea.

The Zong family took root here.

It is precisely because of this that the daimyo of Tsushima surrendered to Japan and North Korea at the same time, which is a vent under the official trade ban.

In Tsushima Island, Zongshi can directly contact the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo, thus saving the trouble of communication.

Although it is said that Japan is also forced to trade, but in fact, like North Korea, it is only limited to Nagasaki, and the mainland is still in a closed state.

At this time, in Tsushima Island and Yanyuan City, the feudal lord Zongyi Zhen frowned, thinking about the construction of the Yarumen Gate of the Jinshi Pavilion in Yanyuan City.

The cost of it made him feel distressed.

On the surface, Tsushima Island has [-] shi, but in fact it relies mostly on trade. After years of land development and tax reform, it has only increased from [-] shi to [-] shi.

"Your Highness, the Yue King of the Ming Kingdom came to Fuzhong Port—"

The governor in charge of Fuchu Port couldn't wait to report.

"Ming Kingdom, King Yue? The son of Emperor Ming?"

"Yes, I heard that he is the fifth son."

"Why do you come to Tsushima Island?"

Zong Yi was really taken aback, he really didn't know what the King of Yue meant.

However, it was a matter of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and Daming was indeed the suzerain of Japan, so he did not dare to slack off and left in a hurry.

You know, the shogunate Tokugawa Ietsuna is just the king of Japan, the king of the county, and the prince of Yue is a prince, his rank is higher than that of the general, and he cannot be neglected.

At this time, the King of Yue was looking at the port, and suddenly caught a glimpse of a dock. He said in surprise: "The little Tsushima Clan has also built a dock."

"This feudal lord has some skills."

Soon, Zongyi's true face appeared in front of his eyes.

Good guy, when we first met, he simply knelt down without any hesitation.

The interpreter turned around and said, "Your Majesty, this is Zong Yizhen, the lord of the Tsushima Domain."

"Be flat!" King Yue smiled, waved his hands and said, "The feudal lord has the courage to build a dock."

"Xiaofan is only tens of miles away from North Korea, and it is difficult to travel without a boat." Zong Yizhen said respectfully.

Immediately, a group of people rushed King Yue into the mansion.

At this time, Zong Yizhen confided his Chinese, which surprised King Yue.

He said that in the trade between North Korea and Japan, the language is awkward, and Chinese is the most convenient, and it must be learned.

At this time, the king of Yue also made clear his intention of coming, and wanted him to report to the king of Japan on behalf of him to talk about the meeting.

Zong Yi breathed a sigh of relief: "This is a small matter. Although this island is not as good as Nagasaki, it has the right to speak directly to the general."

After talking about business, the two began to discuss governing the country.

Zongyi is really not stingy with words, and he talked about his implementation of the land equalization system, tax reform, the construction of Fuchu Port, the dock, and the expansion of the city.

In this regard, the king of Yue was very interested.

As the saying goes, governing a big country with Dao is like cooking a small dish. Only after the king of Yue had a deep understanding did he realize that it was not easy.

He sighed: "It's a small Tsushima Island, but it's so complicated with thousands of people. I don't know what will happen to the Yue Kingdom in the future."

At this time, Zong Yizhen also learned that the Yue Kingdom was built in Ezo, and sighed:
"Excuse me, Daming is extremely rich and has countless lands. Why did Your Majesty go to Ezo?"

"I heard that Ezo is covered with snow for half a year, and there are very few people. Even Japanese fishermen just use it as a resting place. It is really difficult for the king to establish a feudal domain there."

"Although the land of Ming Dynasty is vast, it belongs to the crown prince, and there is no place for me to stand."

The King of Yue smiled lightly and said, "Instead of enjoying wealth and honor in the capital, it would be better to build a country in the land of Yeyi, and be called a widow. Wouldn't it be beautiful?"

"Is your lord willing to abandon Tsushima Island and settle in Edo?"

Zong Yi shook his head quickly: "How is this possible?"

"That's right, because it's just human nature to prefer the head of a chicken to the tail of a phoenix."

The King of Yue realized the importance of Tsushima Island, which was an important foothold and supply point between Ming, Dynasty and Japan.

He talked about it casually.

Only then did Zong Yizhen realize that this was a big deal:

"Caravans from Vietnam, North Korea, Ming Dynasty, and Japan will all stop at Tsushima Island."

At this time, Zong Yizhen had a serious face, and asked solemnly:
"Your Majesty, Tsushima has been in charge of the trade between North Korea and Japan. Both countries have relations and caravans. If you want to buy or sell anything, I can do it for you, ensuring high quality and low price."

Obviously, the Tsushima feudal lord has already tasted the beauty of both sides and trade.

Regarding this, although King Yue was young, he was not confused. He shook his head: "I made a promise to others first, how can I go back on my word?"

Zongyi really showed disappointment.

There was a smile on the corner of King Yue's mouth, and he continued: "However, the location of Tsushima Island is important, and a large number of fleets are about to transit. I can put it here."

"Also, I can also hand over the business to you in Japan."

"What does Your Majesty want me to do?" Zong Yi asked earnestly, knowing that the world would never lose its pie.

"Didn't you surrender to North Korea and Japan at the same time? Then, you surrender to me today!"

King Yue's tone was slightly frivolous, but it weighed a thousand catties in Zongyi's true ears.

He was silent.

Tsushima Island is close to North Korea, and there are a lot of Han books. He has also read the books, and he has also read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The three-surname house slave is not a good word.

As the minister of the two countries, Tsushima is also forced to do so.

King Yue was relaxed, just watching him think.

"Your Majesty wants Tsushima Island?"

Zong Yizhen's eyes burst out with different emotions.

"No, I need you."

The King of Yue seriously said: "Tsushima Island is only the size of a palm, and any town in Daming has more people than this, let alone a small island like yours that is divided into layers?"

"You have done a lot of things over the years. Although you are only governing a county, I think you have a long-term vision and are a talent in the whole county."

"Assist me in governing Yue, I will not be stingy with rewards."

Zongyi was really shocked.

Visceral shock.

In fact, he also believed that Tsushima restricted him, after all, no matter how hard he tried, it was just an island.

"I am willing to be loyal to the Lord." Zong Yizhen bowed down.

"Okay, from today onwards, you are the judge of the Ministry of Rites of my Dai Viet Kingdom."

The king of Yue was overjoyed when he saw his action of bowing his head.

A few days later, news came from Edo that the king of Yue was allowed to visit Edo, but he emphasized that in terms of etiquette, the king of Yue and the general were equal and worshiped each other.

King Yue didn't care about these side details, so he agreed.

At the end of April, on a sea boat, he arrived at Edo Castle, the largest city in Japan.

In the city and the castle towns together, hundreds of thousands of people gathered.

Among them, [-]% of them serve the princes and daimyos who participated in Qinqin, and those who have nothing to do are reduced to the royal family and bannermen of the Eight Banners.

If you have to make an image metaphor, it would be like Kaifeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, where the whole country was raised as one city.

In the eyes of the King of Yue, although the buildings in this Edo city are small, it is densely populated, and the shops are numerous, and the star-like guise is dizzying.

Tens of thousands of people gathered to watch the demeanor of the Great Ming Yue King.

The king of Yue was not sensitive to the Japanese-style sedan chair, so he directly used the sedan chair made in Tsushima Island.

Bead curtains fall one after another, and the elegant demeanor of Edo can be seen in the haze.

But what impresses him the most is the long bridge like the Qingming Riverside Picture, the busy crowd, and the flexible boat like a weaving shuttle.

In the arid north, such waterways extending in all directions in a city are extremely rare.

Soon, he arrived at the temporary residence, and he was greeted by Hoshiyuki, the lord of the Aizu domain.

The king of Yue greeted him politely.

Because Zong Yizhen had told him a long time ago that this was the general's uncle.

"Your Highness, Edo is so simple, I have wronged you." Bao Ke Zhengzhi bowed down solemnly, his face full of guilt.

"How simple is it?" King Yue said earnestly, "Do you still need a house to prove the friendship between your country and me?"

(End of this chapter)