Xinshun 1730

Chapter 467 The Layout of Grain Pricing Power
Other places are fine, and it can be said that the mountains are high and the generals are far away, so they can't control them.

But even a place like Otsu, which is related to the "grain rice" of the shogunate, is allowed by the shogunate to engage in this kind of futures trading, which shows that it is really out of control.

Otsu is on the south bank of Lake Piwa, and the "grain rice" around Lake Biwa is subcontracted in Otsu by means of water transport.

It seems that the shogunate was really driven by the price of rice, and also by the poor low-level samurai: the low-level samurai are related to the stability of the shogunate.

It's just that the price of rice shouldn't be too cheap, otherwise the samurai will suffer; but if it's too high, the whole of Japan will be in chaos.

The moment Japan signed the treaty, Liu Yu concluded that all reforms in Japan must fail.

Reform is no longer feasible. We can only cleanse all the old interest groups.Is the reform that drives the old interest classes out of power called reform?And the shogunate and feudal vassals, who spoke for the interests of the old-fashioned class, were also the objects that Dashun wanted to protect. Without the help of Westerners, there would be no possibility of changes in the world.

Reform is nothing more than going forward or going backward.

Once the treaty is signed, the already tight finances of the feudal vassals will be even more stretched.Under such circumstances, it is impossible to decentralize samurai, lighten corvee and reduce taxes, and protect small farmers. I only heard that people who lack money are thinking about making money, but I have never heard of people who are short of money and send money out.

You can't go backwards, you can only go forward.

And going forward, all you can think of is monopoly, monopoly, and business, so as to expand fiscal revenue.This will inevitably lead to the expansion of the power of merchants, invading the foundation of samurai rule - small peasant economy.

It is foreseeable that within ten years, a large number of small farmers will go bankrupt and flee the land to the cities.

And Japan is full of disasters, and with the gambling rice futures exchange, it only needs a slightly more serious disaster, and the price of food in Japan will go up to the sky.

This is a perfect opportunity to pinch the lifeline of Japan. If the pricing power of Japanese food can be held in his hands, this vassal will be more loyal.

Will Japan be short of disasters?Liu Yu can guarantee this, and there will be absolutely no shortage.

Volcanic eruption, volcanic ash, tsunami, earthquake, ocean current disturbance... Although he does not know whether there will be a large-scale famine in Japan in the following years, but with the impact on the rural economy after the opening of the port and the financial difficulties, the shogunate will inevitably It will choose a business-focused and exclusive policy, and large-scale bankruptcies in the countryside and farmers fleeing are all foreseeable.

Trading companies can only be used as a tool for major events such as whale immigration and control of Japan's grain pricing power, and they do not have such capabilities for the time being.

The Privy Council will definitely come to an end, relying on official power to control and resume Guan Zhongzhi's studies.

Liu Yu didn't know how famous this young man named Honma Guzuo was in history.But since the other party's family is engaged in rice production and sales, and their hometown is still in Sakata, which is very close to Ezo, this is undoubtedly a good agent candidate.

But now there is still a lack of trust, and Liu Yu did not explain some things, so as not to leak the wind.If you are smarter, after this conversation, you should take advantage of the opportunity and embrace your thighs, so that you can make great achievements in the future.

After asking questions about rice futures, Liu Yu did not continue to talk in-depth, but said with a smile: "Food is the foundation of a country. I am just a little curious about rice trading in Japan. I have always wanted to find an opportunity to ask , but Japan was locked down before, and I didn’t come into contact with any big rice merchants in Nagasaki. Although I went to Edo once after that, I never had the opportunity to go shopping, and I didn’t know there was such a strange thing.”

"There is a saying that stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade. I am very happy to learn from you these things that are difficult for others to know. By the way, what are your plans in the future? Are you planning to go home and inherit the property? Or take advantage of it? Take the opportunity of opening a port, and venture into the place where the port is opened?"

Honma Guzuo didn't know whether what Liu Yu said was true or not, at least he couldn't be sure whether he was just curious about the specific details of rice futures, or whether he had other purposes.

At this time, when Liu Yu asked about his future plans, he had no choice but to say: "I still have an elder brother, even if I go back, I won't inherit the family property. I plan to stay in Edo. Once Hyogojin is opened, this place will definitely prosper. I want to stay here and learn some Chinese, and I don’t plan to go back for the time being. Maybe I will find a job in a shop in Hyogotsu first. I can count and write, and my father also has some business friends in Edo .”

Even though Honma Guzuo is still young, he is keenly aware that once the port is opened, whoever can catch up with the merchants from Dashun will gain wealth.

Moreover, even if you are in the rice business, if you want to speculate in rice under the previous lock-down situation, you only need to spend money to collect information from all over Japan.

There is neither need nor opportunity to consider the influence of the outside world. Under the closed country, it is impossible for external food to enter Japan.

After the Arai Shiraishi New Deal, the Nagasaki port issued trade letters.It's not that grain, rice, beans, and beans don't make money, but that with a fixed number of more than 30 ships per year, merchants will of course choose raw silk, which is more profitable.

Now that external trade has been liberalized, Honma Kosaku is very clear that in the future, the Dojima rice futures in Osaka will have to consider the influence of Dashun.

Thinking that today the earl on Dashun's side invited him to meet privately, and that would be a stepping stone to Dashun's maritime merchants' side in the future.

Whoever can get on the line now, who can master Chinese the fastest, may be able to dominate the price of rice in Japan in the future.

He is neither familiar nor well-connected with other businesses. In his future plans, he did not consider doing business such as raw silk cloth, but he was determined to compete with rice futures.

Now that the line has been connected, there is still one more thing to learn Chinese.

His father has been urging him to go back to Sakata, but Honma Kosaku thinks that going back at this time is a waste of the best opportunity. In this situation, whoever learns Chinese first and takes half a step first will be chased by others in the future .

Having made up his mind not to go back, he wanted to tentatively ask Liu Yu if Dashun would be involved in the rice market in Osaka.

"Will you sell grain rice and participate in the trade of accounted rice in Osaka?"

"Uh... well. Maybe not for the time being. At the beginning of the trade, it is natural to do what is good and what to do, and you need to gradually get familiar with the market and the preferences of the people. In two or three years, you should not participate. Unless Japan In the wilderness, the people are struggling to survive, and at that time, some grain and rice can be sold at a par price. The merchants benefit and the common people get the rice. This is a win-win situation.”

What Liu Yu said was not for the time being, Honma Guzuo understood that this meant that he would still end up in the future.Liu Yu said again: "If you are in the grain business, it's not impossible. I heard from those shipowners and wealthy merchants that your family is one of the best rice merchants. But according to what you said, you have an elder brother, and you may not inherit the family business in the future. This The rice farming business cannot succeed without contacts. You said that you are going to stay in Osaka, learn Chinese, and at the same time work in a trading house in Hyogotsu, so get acquainted first.”

"It's very good. Young man, very energetic and aggressive. But, even if you think about it, your father will not agree with you not going back, right?"

Honma Kosaku bowed his head and said: "My father is a very old-fashioned person. He has been in Deba all the time, and he has never been to Edo and Osaka. He doesn't know that the merchants here are completely different from those in the Northeast. He is just doing the right way. I planned to persuade my father to use the family property and control over the rice to participate in the rice business in Osaka, but my father would not agree to it.”

"So I decided to stay here and get acquainted with the trade after the opening of the port and the rice business in Osaka. After making sure that I can make money, I will go back to persuade my father."

Liu Yu clapped his hands and praised: "Okay, this is what young people should look like. Knowing that opening a port will bring wealth, and dare to block all family property and future in the treaty port when the port is just opened People who are on the scene may not necessarily be able to make a fortune, but it is definitely more interesting than selling rice in a wine field."

"Zhuangzai, how about this, I like young people like you very much. If you don't come home, your father will be angry and cut off your money and force you to go back. I will personally send you some gold and silver, Not for anything else, I just think young people like you are very suitable."

He is only 30 years old, but in front of the sixteen or seventeen-year-old Honma Kosaku, he can still leave a young man and another young man.

Called the people outside, asked someone to fetch a pen and paper, wrote a note here, and ordered in a low voice.

"I have 4000 taels of silver with you, and you don't need to pay it back in the future. If you have the ability to make money in the account, it's all yours; if you lose it, it's nothing, it's nothing more than paying the tuition. Learn Chinese, and use your father's relationship to walk more in the grain and rice market. If the merchants of the Celestial Dynasty really do rice business in the future, they will think of you first."

"However, you have to do me a little favor. You don't need to do anything, just record the price of rice every day. If you have any ideas, you can also write it down. In addition to rice, there are also prices of soybeans and wheat. , and make a record.”

"If you can really make money with these 4000 taels of silver, you will return home in the future... Ha, do you know the story of Han Gaozu's return to his hometown? People judge heroes by success or failure. If you are penniless, you have to go back , your father will most likely hate you for not listening to him; but if you return home in good clothes, then the old father will praise his son for being young, promising and far-sighted."

The 4000 taels of silver are not the bone of gold, nor is it a matter of hit-and-miss, or they think that rare goods can be lived in with discerning talents... Since Osaka already has rice futures, everyone who participates feels that they are the gods of futures.It is estimated that when I go to the Dojima rice futures market at this time, I can talk about it casually. I usually talk about buying short and selling short beyond the times, but there may not be many who can really make money without losing money.

The 4000 taels of silver actually bought the connections of a large grain trader in Sakata.

Even if this ancient work in front of him cannot inherit the family business in the future, the relationship is here.In the future, when it is really time to end, the channel can also be facilitated.

Liu Yu couldn't be more clear about this point, as if he was not the eldest son before he was conferred the title, he was not qualified to inherit the title.But the connections in the capital, even for officials of the fourth and fifth ranks, are not comparable.

Benjian Guzuo thought it was really his own many ideas, which made Liu Yu feel very knowledgeable and pleased with himself, and seeing that Liu Yu was willing to make a casual move for a few thousand taels of silver, he was sure that Dashun's thigh was the right one.

With the pretense of calmness and informality unique to young people, he calmly accepted the note that Liu Yu handed over that he could pick up money at the merchant house after the opening of Kobe, pretending to be He said thank you lightly, but his heart seemed to jump out of his throat.

(End of this chapter)