Plane Travel Guide

Since Japan closed its doors to the outside world—as a result of the previous war with the Mongolian Yuan—Hirado Port has become an important window for Japan's foreign trade.After the turmoil in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Hirado Port basically became Japan's only foreign trading port.

Raw silk, brocade, linen, red thread, mercury, sewing needles, ceramics, iron pots, books, calligraphy and paintings, musk, silk floss, copper coins and other goods produced in the Ming Dynasty can all be bought in Hirado, attracting countless people from Kyoto and Kaicho. merchant.

In East Asia, everyone knows that the products produced in China have always been the best, none of them.

Even during the most turbulent period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Hirado Port was the most prosperous place in Japan, even surpassing Kaicho and Kyoto to a certain extent, which also contributed to the prosperity of the Matsuura family, the lord of Hirado Port.

Since the Yuan Dynasty, the Matsuura family, who secretly supported the pirate group's external plunder, has a powerful navy, and is almost recognized as the most powerful pirate group in Japan.Plane Travel Guide 1460

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was determined to eat only the Southern Dynasties, but later it suffered a severe blow from the Northern Dynasties before Ashikaga Yoshimitsu used the righteousness of the Ming Dynasty Edict.When the Southern and Northern Dynasties officially merged, the Matsuura family also followed suit and became loyal ministers of the shogunate.

The suffering of being hit before was unspeakable, and the previous suffering days did not end until he sincerely surrendered to the shogunate.

The former general of the shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, used the excuse of the Ming emperor to suppress the Japanese pirates, and almost beat the Matsuura family to the point of financial bankruptcy. Although the Matsuura family's navy ranks first in Japan, it cannot hold back the overall strength of the Muromachi shogunate.

The outcome of a war often depends on the overall national strength of the opposing parties, but the Matsuura family, who are local feudal lords, is no match for the Muromachi Shogunate in this regard.The final result was the merger of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Matsuura family naturally surrendered to the shogunate.

Sure enough, good luck came to the Matsuura family shortly thereafter. The current shogun Ashikaga Yoshichi quickly terminated the suzerain-vassal relationship with the Ming country across the sea after he came to power. , the government decree that prohibited the Matsuura family from supporting Japanese pirates and piracy existed in name only.

As the ruler of the foreign trade port, the Matsuura family has long been accustomed to a life of doing business openly while robbing/robbing secretly.The strength of the Matsuura family is precisely because the family can gain a lot of profits from the two identities of light and dark.

As the shogunate relaxed its crackdown on the domestic pirate gangs, the Matsuura family immediately supported a large number of pirate gangs and began to commit crimes, and even many pirate gangs were formed by the Matsuura family themselves.

By the end of the 20s, the Matsuura family had basically recovered the strength of the day. The current patriarch, Ryunao Matsuura, was even more ambitious. He even wanted to unify all the pirate groups along the coast of the East China Sea and become the water overlord of the East China Sea!

At this time, the Matsuura family was powerful, with thousands of armored men under their command, and they could even mobilize nearly ten thousand people to fight in a hurry.

Especially the navy of the Matsuura family, almost no princes in Japan dared to provoke him, and even the shogunate had to use the powerful navy of the Matsuura family to control the surrounding waters of the Japanese archipelago.

Merchants in Ukaicho once claimed that the 26 large and small pirate groups active in the East China Sea secretly paid dividends to the Matsuura family in order to obtain the qualifications to trade in Hirado Port—what pirates rob is always traded out Just exchange money!

Therefore, the samurai of the Matsuura family who were active in Hirado Port have always been arrogant, looking at businessmen everywhere with their eyes turned upside down.

Of course, they also have the corresponding confidence. When any sea merchant enters Matsuura Port, he will be overwhelmed by the few ironclad ships moored on the pier.It is said that these iron-clad ships are invulnerable to swords and guns, impervious to fire and water, and are the first-class sea ships in the world!

Just seeing the pitch-black iron plate on the bow of the ship made one feel an unnatural throbbing in the heart.The majestic and tall ships moored on the pier are the basis for ensuring the strength and prosperity of the Matsuura family!

"Tsk tsk, is that the legendary iron-clad ship Toranomaru of the Matsuura family? I heard that this ship has never lost a single battle in sea battles? It is truly a unparalleled battleship!"

"What are you talking about? The wooden boat is covered with iron armor. Isn't that too heavy? How can such a boat sail on the sea? Isn't it incredible?"

"This is a big secret! It is said that only the successive heads of the Matsuura family know the secrets about the iron-clad ship. It is precisely because of the secret of the iron-clad ship sailing on the sea that the Matsuura family will prosper generation after generation. !"

Countless businessmen came and went, expressing their different feelings towards the Matsuura family with voices of envy and fear.After hearing such words too much, even the lowest-ranking Ashgaru guarding the watchtower of the Matsuura family would look down on the surrounding sea area with pride.

Every day when the sun is about to set, it is basically an announcement that Hirado Port, which has been busy all day, is about to usher in a peaceful and extravagant night.The ships that docked anchored and locked cables one after another, and lit small stoves on board to cook fish soup and stewed radishes for dinner.Plane Travel Guide 1460

And those businessmen who have made money or are waiting for business, start to call friends and prepare to go to the dormitory to drink and have fun overnight.Because it is a commercial port, the entertainment industry in Hirado Town has always been very developed.

Every time the sun goes down, the business of various dorms, taverns, casinos, art halls, and tea shops suddenly improves.When the lights of each house are lit, people can fully feel the charm of Hirado Port.

Looking around, there are busy people everywhere. Men and women are walking briskly on the small gravel road beside the street, looking extremely peaceful and peaceful.No one would have guessed that it is this peaceful and peaceful port where countless vicious Japanese pirates along the coast of East Asia are active!

"Yataro, I don't know if you have noticed, it seems that among the merchants who come to Hirado recently, there seems to be no Ming country people!"

"Ha, what's the matter? Don't you believe that rumor too?"

"Although I don't really believe it, the recent situation does seem to be a bit wrong. It's not that one or two merchants from the Ming Dynasty are missing, but basically they haven't been seen since three days ago. Tell me, If it wasn't for that, how could such a strange situation happen? It's not like you don't know how popular Ming products are!"

"Well, it seems that something is not quite right after you say that! However, I said Heishiro, sometimes you think too much. It doesn't matter whether the Ming people will come to retaliate. about my son..."

"But Yataro..."

"Baga, don't interrupt me, bastard!"

"Hay, please continue, Heishiro!"

"Well, what did you say just now? Oh, by the way, whether the Ming people will come to take revenge is a question that only adults need to consider. We are just ashigaru, why think so much? The mobilization of the empire is not something that can be done overnight.

"According to what my grandfather told me, the two wars between Wenyong and Hong'an did not start immediately. It took a long time to prepare on the other side of the sea before finally sending troops to fight. However, you know the result.

"We have won a complete victory! Huh, no one can easily fight here. Don't forget that we now have an iron-clad ship. With the power of the Matsuura family's number one navy in Japan, anyone who comes can only be a dead end." of.

"So Heishiro, don't worry about those vain rumors. The merchants spread so much to raise the price of Ming domestic products to make money! If you want me to say, it's better to go to the night house to see the beautiful leaves. "Hey, what's that?"