prosperous age

Chapter 1070 1161 Satsuma Domain

"Lord, two Ryukyu merchant ships have arrived at the dock, delivering two ships of silk and porcelain, as well as sulfur, ironware and other items."

On the top floor of a three-story wooden attic in the center of Kagoshima City, the capital of the Satsuma Domain in Japan, a waiter knelt on the ground, bowing and reporting to the lord of the domain above.

"Is it something from Ming country?"

The current lord of Satsuma Domain, Shimazu Yoshihisa, simply asked.

"Yes, Lord, except for sulfur, all of them are Ming Dynasty products."

The waiter immediately replied, "Lord, do you want to seize the ship and the cargo?"

"Two cargoes?"

Shimazu Yoshihisa fell into silence for a moment, thinking about what to do with the two ships' cargo.

The Satsuma Domain, located in the southern part of Japan's Kyushu Island, and the Ryukyu Kingdom are close neighbors and have a long history of exchanges.

In 1372, the King of Chusan of the Ryukyu Kingdom accepted the title from Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Based on the tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty, the Ryukyu Kingdom actively carried out transit trade with Japan.

In line with the principle of "winning over distant nations, giving more and taking less", the Ming Dynasty always returned tributes from its vassal states at several or even dozens of times the price.

The Ming Dynasty knew that this was a loss-making business, so it limited the number of times its vassal states could pay tribute. Ryukyu was allowed to pay tribute "once every two years", but in reality Ryukyu paid tribute in various ways, and most of the tribute it received was sold to Japan.

Therefore, the old saying "All the people in the world are seeking profit" makes sense. Due to the frequent tributes of Ryukyu and its weak status, many Chinese people in later generations believed that Ryukyu, which was still independent at that time, was the most loyal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. But in fact, this vassal state also had its own little thoughts.

Of course, making money by taking advantage of the tribute policy of the Ming Dynasty was something that almost all vassal states did, but this does not negate Ryukyu’s loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, only when you are strong will the vassal states be loyal to you, and all they ask for is your protection.

Due to the influence of Japanese pirates, the Ming Dynasty restricted trade with Japan very early on, even banning sea trade.

If Japan wanted to purchase goods from the Ming Dynasty, the only way available to it, apart from smuggling, was to engage in transit trade with third countries.

Of course, this method is very expensive as there are middlemen making a profit from the price difference.

The third-party countries are naturally Korea and Ryukyu, the two vassal states that seem to be the most loyal to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute on time.

If you think about it, it's funny.

The so-called utmost loyalty is actually nothing more than inducement, but this is the eternal truth of the international community.

The hustle and bustle is all about profit.

Satsuma Domain, located at the southernmost tip of Japan, was naturally the main trading partner of the Ryukyu Kingdom. They sold their goods to Satsuma Domain, and then spread them to all parts of Japan.

In order to strengthen the management of merchant ships traveling between Satsuma and Ryukyu, in 1508, the Satsuma Domain began to issue "Ryukyu Ferry Red Seal Certificates", that is, Ryukyu Ferry Permits, abbreviated as "Inpan", to merchant ships sailing to Ryukyu.

In 1566, after Shimazu Yoshihisa inherited the title of lord of Satsuma Domain, Satsuma Domain strengthened its management of merchant ships sailing to Ryukyu, and adopted strict measures to confiscate goods and seize ships from merchant ships without "seals", and hoped to obtain cooperation from the Ryukyu Kingdom.

However, the Ryukyu Kingdom did not take this very seriously and still allowed some merchant ships without "seals" to engage in trading activities in Naha Port, which caused dissatisfaction from the Satsuma Domain.

No one would be unwelcome for trading ships, but no seal meant no taxes were paid to the Satsuma Domain.

  Without contribution, you will not be welcomed.

To this end, last year, in 1574, the Satsuma Domain compiled a list of the Ryukyu Kingdom's "breach of contract" cases over the years and sent it to the Ryukyu Kingdom, warning the Ryukyu Kingdom that if it did not "mend its ways", relations between the two sides would inevitably deteriorate.

In March of this year, the Ryukyu Kingdom sent a "monsen" to Satsuma Domain to congratulate Shimazu Yoshihisa on his succession to the throne of Satsuma Domain.

Satsuma Domain's important ministers Uehara Naochika and Kamii Kakukane confronted the Ryukyu Kingdom's envoys and demanded that they explain the Ryukyu Kingdom's "breach of contract" cases in recent years, the late arrival of the "monsen", and the meager gifts.

When Shimazu Yoshihisa inherited the throne of Satsuma Domain, King Sho Gen of the Ryukyu Kingdom had just passed away and King Sho Ei had ascended the throne. Due to the complicated state affairs, the Ryukyu Kingdom did not send envoys to congratulate in time.

As for the important officials of Satsuma Domain who used the "monsen" to launch an uprising, it was essentially because Shimazu Yoshihisa had been the hereditary lord of Satsuma Domain for nine years and his domestic power base was becoming increasingly stable. He hoped to control the Ryukyu Kingdom's maritime trade and gain economic benefits by forcing the Ryukyu Kingdom to accept Satsuma Domain's "Inpan" system.

The Satsuma Domain used the "monsen" incident to launch an attack in order to actually find a reason to control the Ryukyu Kingdom and an excuse to intervene in it or even invade it directly by force in the future.

At this time, Shimazu Yoshihisa was also thinking about whether he really should shoot down these two Ryukyu merchant ships.

Japan is now in the "Warring States" period. Villages across the country are fighting each other to the death for hegemony, and the demand for all kinds of materials is astonishing.

Of course, the output of materials in Japan cannot withstand such rapid consumption, so purchasing goods from overseas to replenish them becomes an inevitable choice.

If the two ships of cargo were confiscated at this time, coupled with the fact that the important ministers Uehara Naochika and Kamii Kakukane had accused the Ryukyu Kingdom of its rude behavior in the previous two months, it would inevitably cause dissatisfaction in the Ryukyu Kingdom, and it might even sever ties with the Satsuma Domain.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't matter, it's just a matter of who can afford to waste more time, but the situation is different now.

“How much sulfur did they bring?”

Shimazu Yoshihisa suddenly asked.

"A shipload of sulphur."

The waiter answered immediately.

"It seems they know what we lack most, haha"

Shimazu Yoshihisa sneered.

Just a few days ago, the Satsuma Domain received a large order for a large amount of sulfur, saltpeter and ironware.

Well, the buyer was Oda Nobunaga, a famous figure in Japan's Warring States Period.

At this time, he was busy preparing for the decisive battle with Takeda Katsuyori. At this time, the Takeda army recruited a "large" cavalry unit, ready to defeat the Oda army in one fell swoop, thus consolidating their position as the number one in Japan.

Oda Nobunaga did not have the military power to engage in a decisive battle with Takeda Katsuyori, so he was building a large number of iron cannons and manufacturing gunpowder. Regardless of whether they were homemade or purchased, the iron materials for making iron cannons and the raw materials for making gunpowder were the most urgently needed supplies for the Oda army.

"One shipload of sulfur and half a shipload of iron. Take them. Tell them to bring more for trade."

Shimazu Yoshihisa finally made the decision not to confiscate the two ships and supplies.

Compared with the value of the two ships, the steady flow of goods seemed to help the Satsuma Domain increase its strength and influence.

"Go and inform Kamii Kakukan to arrange for our merchants to transport the goods to Gifu Castle. Don't forget the batch of iron cannons."

Shimazu Yoshihisa gave the order. The Gifu Castle he mentioned was built by Oda Nobunaga after he captured Inabayama Castle.

Gifu Castle is located in central Japan and was an important stronghold of Oda Nobunaga during the Warring States Period.

The city controls the river mouth and the entrance to the plain, and can control the surrounding rivers and land. It can attack downstream when approaching, and can retreat to the dangerous place and hold on to the terrain and wait for help.

Due to its important strategic location, Gifu Castle became a key fortress in Oda Nobunaga's process of unifying Japan.

The decisive battle that Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Katsuyori were preparing for was the Battle of Nagashino in Japanese history, a famous battle in Japan's Warring States Period.

In this battle, the Oda-Tokugawa coalition forces defeated the Takeda army at Nagashino with absolute superiority, and it is often considered a victory of musket troops over cavalry.

The Battle of Nagashino became a famous battle during the Warring States Period in Japan not only because it was a battle between muskets and cavalry, but also because it was the beginning of the complete decline of the Takeda family.

For Takeda Katsuyori, this battle was a tragedy that he had to perform.

After he returned to his clan with a different surname and became the family head, his prestige was not enough to convince the people. Faced with many arrogant old generals left by his father Takeda Shingen, he had to win a decisive battle to make his throne as stable as a rock. For this reason, he could only send troops westward repeatedly, looking for opportunities for a decisive battle with Oda and Tokugawa.

However, at this time Oda Nobunaga had freed up his hands from the chaos in Kinai and led tens of thousands of troops to support Tokugawa Ieyasu. In comparison, the Takeda army was outnumbered and the soldiers were becoming increasingly exhausted after being stationed under the fortified city of Nagashino. From a military point of view, Katsurai should have withdrawn, but considering the political impact, he sadly had to fight this battle, and his prestige was immediately destroyed.

Oda Nobunaga deployed a large number of anti-horse wooden fences in front of the camp to delay the attack of the Takeda cavalry, and piled up a large number of arquebusiers and archers behind the camp, killing a large number of Takeda family cavalry and ultimately winning the war.

After this battle, Takeda Katsuyori's cavalry were either shot to death, trampled to death by horses, or their horses lost control and the situation was in chaos.

The elite cavalry "Akabi" that the Takeda family had cultivated for generations were completely destroyed, and three of the four famous ministers of Takeda were killed, causing the Takeda family to completely withdraw from the stage of the Japanese Warring States Period.

But it should be noted that the Takeda Cavalry Regiment is only a legend. In this Takeda army, the cavalry strength is only a few thousand people, and the rest are infantry.

However, the cavalry charge not only resulted in the destruction of all cavalry, but also caused many famous generals of the Takeda and Hojo families to die from muskets.

Due to the lack of outstanding generals, the remaining tens of thousands of infantry were quickly defeated by the Oda army.

However, the war had not yet begun at this time, and both sides were preparing for a decisive battle.

The Satsuma Domain not only sold sulfur and iron materials from Ryukyu to Oda Nobunaga, but also a batch of iron cannons they made.

Correspondingly, there was actually a batch of war horses that had been shipped to the Takeda family earlier.

If we sell these strategic materials at this time, the other party will offer a high premium for the gold and silver, which means they are not short of money at all.

As for why Japan, which produces sulfur itself, still needs to purchase it from other countries, it is naturally because the daimyo of Japan are frantically expanding their military equipment, which consumes a huge amount of materials, and the local production is simply not enough.

Shimazu Yoshihisa did not ask about the price of the Ryukyu Kingdom's goods. Needless to say, it was definitely much more expensive than those sold in the Ming Dynasty.

Without sufficient profits, they would not have been so active in trafficking to Satsuma Domain.

Merchants from the Ming Dynasty would come at a fixed time every year, and each time it would attract countless merchants to rush to buy goods, so the prices would naturally not be cheap.

"Damn it, they took all the money."

Shimazu Yoshihisa muttered to himself, and no one knew whether the "they" he was referring to were the Ming Dynasty merchants or the Ryukyu Kingdom.

However, at this time, a bold idea was gradually forming in Shimazu Yoshihisa's mind, that is, to attack the Ryukyu Kingdom by force and seize the Kanho from them.

By that time, the Satsuma Domain could use the Ryukyu Kingdom's Kangei to go to the Ming Dynasty for tribute trade.

Yes, trade.

When it came to paying tribute, the Satsuma clan didn't even respect the emperor, let alone the Ming emperor.

At the dock of Naha Port, several Ryukyu merchants who came out of the city gathered together, but if you look closely, you will find that they are vaguely surrounding a tall and strong man in the middle.

"Brother Chen, I heard from a Japanese merchant that the Takeda and Oda families are preparing for another war.

Previously, the Takeda family leader died unexpectedly, causing heavy losses to the Takeda army, which had been on the defensive. But now they have reached a point where they can no longer retreat. Facing the relentless pressure from the Oda and Tokugawa families, they have no choice but to fight a decisive battle. "

“Yes, I got similar news.

A batch of war horses were transported away just a few days ago. It is said that they were the war horses sold by the feudal lord to the Takeda family.

The blacksmiths in Satsuma are rushing to make iron cannons recently, and it is said that they were purchased by the Oda family. "

Several businessmen were talking at once about the news they had heard to the man in the middle, and the man just listened quietly with a faint smile on his face.

Yes, this person was naturally the secret agent sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His surname was Chen and his name was Shen. He arrived here on a Ming merchant ship bound for Ryukyu trade.

With the relationship of that merchant ship, Chen Shen operated in Ryukyu as a Ming merchant.

This time, I finally boarded a merchant ship from the Ryukyu Kingdom and set foot on Japanese soil for the first time.

"I heard that Japan has been fighting a lot in recent years. What are they fighting for?"

Before Chen Shen set out, he actually learned some information about Japan, but this time he still pretended to know nothing and asked, also in order to learn more about the current situation in Japan through the mouths of the Ryukyu people.

"In terms of territory and power, their emperor no longer has any influence."

As the Ryukyu merchants talked about what they knew about Japan, Chen Shen couldn't help but frown when he heard the word "Emperor" from their mouths.

The official documents of the Ming Dynasty would never use the word "Emperor" because in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, there would only be one emperor, and that was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and there would be no second emperor in the world.

Even though the imperial court knew that there was a Pope in the West, he was only a religious leader and did not take charge of secular affairs, so no one mentioned it too much.

But today, Chen Shen learned from the Ryukyu merchants that the King of Japan was actually called the Emperor. He couldn't help but frown and wondered whether he should report this matter back.

In fact, the top officials of the Ming Dynasty court had heard about this matter to some extent, but in their view it was nothing but arrogance on the part of a small king who dared to proclaim himself emperor.

In addition, Japan was in civil strife at that time, and everyone knew that the so-called emperor had actually been sidelined and had lost his power. He was no different from the King of Zhou during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and lived entirely on the charity of the princes, so everyone just laughed it off.

If the emperor had the real power in Japan at this time, I'm afraid the high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty would have been unable to sit still long ago.

Under Wei Guangde's order, the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty had already conducted an all-round investigation of Japan's intelligence. Not only did they set foot in Japan through the "smuggling maritime merchants" line, they also sent people to contact Japan from both the north and south of Korea and Ryukyu, striving to fully understand the situation and products of Japan at that time.

At this time, rumors about Japan's mountains of gold and silver had quietly spread among the high-ranking military officials of the Ming Dynasty.