New Shun 1730

Thirteen trade cards, this news is enough to make people happy.

And the sentence behind that allows rice vendors to smuggle goods is enough to add the word "crazy".

Once caught, they will die, and once released, they will be in chaos. It has always been like this.

Liu Yu knew too well the significance of the shogunate opening this small door.

Sixteen years ago, before Arai Shiraishi made the new order of Zhengde, there was no trade card, but only controlled the trade volume, first come first served.

Only the official total trade volume was controlled, and the number of ships coming was arbitrary.

So, the sea merchants took advantage of this opportunity.

Although the official share was so much, private smuggling and private transactions could not be controlled.

Japanese merchants would also choose smuggling transactions, and the number of private transactions was often several times the official trade volume.

As long as a small hole was opened, a big door could be torn open.

This is not a problem of ability, but the nature of merchants seeking profit. Japanese merchants are also merchants.

Even sixteen years ago, some sea merchants went to Kokura and Shimonoseki to smuggle.

If the Japanese hadn't really fired, they would probably have run to the Seto Inland Sea.

The shogunate allowed him to add some smuggled goods when transporting rice. The shogunate wouldn't accept it, but the merchants would. Of course, Japanese merchants were happy to make money, but they were too strict before.

The only problem was that the ship might be empty when he returned, because apart from copper, Liu Yu couldn't think of any other bulk goods in Japan that could make money.

The consumption capacity of ordinary people in Dashun was very limited, and Japan didn't have anything very special. Although it made less money, as long as the quantity was large, there would be no problem.

Dashun's rice would definitely not make much money when shipped to Japan, and Dashun didn't allow large-scale grain exports.

He could only try to buy rice in Thailand. It was said that the price was very low, only two or three coins of silver per stone.

He had already figured out a plan to carry smuggled goods for trade in the future, thinking that this great famine in Japan would take at least two or three years to subside, and these two or three years should be enough to tear a big hole.

He exchanged a few more words with the shogun, and this "audience" was over.

In the next few days, accompanied by Shi Shiyong, he walked around Edo Castle, asked about the prices, recorded what he saw and heard, and then went back.

Before leaving, Liu Yu once again told Shi Shiyong.

"Brother Heisei, remember my words. I am not asking you to be a spy, nor am I asking you to come and see the Japanese military equipment. This is meaningless. Just collect more information about the Japanese attitude towards our dynasty and some usurpatory remarks. Keep it in mind, and never write it down on paper."

"Yes, I have written it down. Brother Shouchang, don't worry."

Shi Shiyong didn't know how long he would stay here. Seeing that Liu Yu was about to leave, it was unlikely that anyone from Dashun would come in a short time, and he felt depressed.

There were also some Chinese in Edo Castle, but most of them fled here during the chaos in the late Ming Dynasty.

In just eighty years, Shi Shiyong and the descendants of these people were no longer compatible. Although the descendants of these people could still speak Chinese, there were huge differences in their attitudes towards Dashun, their understanding of orthodoxy, their worldview, etc.

Shi Shiyong felt a little lonely during his days in Edo. Thinking that he would have to endure such lonely days for a while, he had to bow to Liu Yu and thought: I don’t know when I can return to my homeland? Lord Liu’s words should be kept in mind. Keeping your life will be of great use in the future.

When Liu Yu and others returned to Nagasaki, it was already the first month of the lunar calendar.

It was the day when the director of the Dutch trading house went to Edo every year. The two sides met in Nagasaki. I don’t know if these Dutch people will make up stories about me.

He knew that in order to trade with the Japanese, the Dutch even made up the story of "the Dutch smashing the statue of Christ". Enemies without bottom lines are the most terrifying.

Looking at the Dutch going to Edo, Liu Yu was a little worried. The Dutch should be aware of his rise in Nagasaki, and it is almost inevitable that they will trip him up. I just don’t know what tricks they will use, so I can only deal with them as they come.

After receiving the trade letter in Nagasaki, the Nagasaki magistrate conveyed that Liu Yu was allowed to sell rice and carry some private goods, and finally checked the items Liu Yu brought.

Looking at the booklet with animal and plant specimens, the Japanese did not recognize the Chinese pinyin used for recording, nor did they see the map drawn on white paper with onion juice and ginger juice, so they let him go.

The fleet, which had exchanged all the rice for silver, finally began to return. After leaving Japan, everyone in the fleet relaxed.

"Sir, we won't have to come to this place again in a few years, right?"

Chen Qinghai asked while roasting some of the maps and records he drew with charcoal fire.

"No, the next time we come, it will be time to force them to open up their country."

"How many people do you think are needed to fight against the Japanese?"

"Seven or eight thousand is enough."

Liu Yu gave a very cheap number, estimating that the military expenditure would be only three or four million taels of silver.

These people followed him to Edo and saw the huge crowd of samurai in Edo City. Although their training level was insufficient, their numbers were indeed large.

Thinking that Japan was a big country with a population of tens of millions, did they think that seven or eight thousand people were a bit arrogant?

Seeing that these people did not underestimate the enemy, Liu Yu smiled and said, "You guys, although it is a good thing not to underestimate the enemy, you have never figured out one thing. The Japanese have a biggest weakness, and that is the shogunate."

"Protect Japan or protect the shogunate? You are the shogun, how do you choose? The shogunate pulls out its own bannermen and direct subordinates to fight with us, and then vacates Edo Castle for those daimyo?"

"When encountering such a thing, just think about the humble situation of Zhao and Song Dynasties after they crossed south, and think about the destructive deeds of the Yongchang period when they 'joined the bandits to suppress the bandits'."

The shameless ideas of the ruling class are quietly instilled, but they are said in an extremely obscure way.

Although Chen Qinghai has not yet assimilated, he agrees with Liu Yu's statement.

He carefully put the paper with the baked writing on it in his hand and asked again: "As your Excellency said, the Japanese are nothing to worry about. But we have to consider the Dutch. If we attack the Japanese, I'm afraid the Dutch will quietly help the Japanese and help them compile Build a new army and reform the navy.”

This is indeed a problem, but it is not unsolvable.

"One step is fast, each step is fast. The shogunate system is destined to fail. If the shogunate delegates power to the daimyo, the shogunate will die; if the shogunate does not delegate power, it will not work. As for the Dutch, they may be a trouble, but the problem is not big."

Taking the opportunity, I talked about some things in Europe with these confidants, and also talked about trade issues.

Dashun's overly open policy has both advantages and disadvantages.

It is like providing the Netherlands with an endless supply of nutrient solution, making the Dutch indulge in this beautiful illusion of "free trade".

This caused the Dutch East India Company to have a big problem. Once Dashun strangled the nutrient tube, the Dutch East India Company would inevitably experience a rupture in its capital flow.

Originally, before the late Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands used Batavia as a transit station.

They could not directly go ashore to get the goods from China. The Dutch were fooled by Li Dan, Yan Siqi and others into making an extremely stupid decision. They joined forces with the British to engage in gunboat diplomacy in Penghu, which completely cut off the possibility of direct trade with the Ming Dynasty. This allowed Li Dan and other maritime groups to completely control the channels for obtaining goods in the Netherlands.

Dashun liberalized trade, and the Dutch directly established a commercial office in Guangzhou, causing Batavia's transit status to decline sharply.

Trade with Japan and shipping porcelain, tea, silk, etc. to the Netherlands are all directly shipped in Guangzhou.

They even gave up the trade route of buying homespun cloth in India and going to Japan because it was more profitable to ship raw silk, white sugar, etc. from Guangzhou to Japan.

Once the Dutch were strangled and made to understand that true free trade was an illusion, the East India Company was bound to have big problems: the East India Company could only be incompetent and furious. With the delivery capabilities of this era, the Netherlands can deliver two to three thousand people in Southeast Asia. How can they expect this small number of people to use gunboat diplomacy to force Dashun to open up?

Although Britain and the Netherlands were allies, they were only allies on European issues. In Asia, the British wished the Dutch East India Company to die, and the British East India Company also had huge interests in Guangzhou.

Dashun is not prepared to declare war on all nations, and only makes trouble against the Netherlands. The British are rusty, so they will ignore free trade and follow the Dutch to send troops. First, Dashun will cut off trade, and then ask for an opening. trading?

After he explained these situations and made sure that everyone understood them, he asked: "In your opinion, in the future, should we attack the Japanese country first? Or should we destroy the Netherlands first and then attack the Japanese country?"

Without thinking, Mantou said: "Of course we have to attack the Japanese first. Firstly, it will be effective quickly, we can get money, and let the court know that the navy is profitable; secondly, we can force the Japanese to open up trade, and our money will be more and more There are many; the only ones who have interests in Japan are the Dutch."

"The Dutch have two choices. One is to follow our example, force the Japanese to trade, and cancel the credit card system. However, in this case, we can 'help' the Japanese to expel the Dutch and fulfill the emperor's promise."

"The second is not to learn from us, but to collude with the Japanese and help the Japanese. Then our government will have an excuse to declare war on the Netherlands."

"Besides that, if we attack the Netherlands first, we won't get a penny of profit, but the cost will be huge. It is simply not possible to support war with war, as your Excellency said. I'm afraid the court will object and think it is militancy. . After all, it is the Netherlands that has the money, not Batavia, and we cannot reach Amsterdam. If we attack Nanyang first, we will not get half a penny if we attack Southeast Asia, which also makes some merchants selling raw silk and sugar porcelain in the south of the Yangtze River dissatisfied. ”

Liu Yu did not express his position, but asked Chen Qinghai, Du Feng and others next to him: "What about you? What do you think?"

"We feel that Zi Ming's idea is right. Don't you often say that war is not fought for the sake of war. In the past, wars cost money and food, but you only said that war is the foundation of war. In this case, we, the Navy's third This battle should let people know that what you say is right.”

Seeing that the others had the same attitude, Liu Yu smiled and said: "Of course. That's exactly what I mean. The Japanese navy is not worth mentioning, but once a war starts against the Japanese, it must be foolproof to ensure that it can be defeated. The Netherlands can then declare war on the Japanese. Therefore, you have a long way to go. When the French ship arrives in a few days, you must seize the time to train. "

"Time waits for us. You remember what I told you about Europa, right? There is a question about the throne of Austria. The king of Austria still has no male son. He is nearly fifty years old and probably won't be able to give birth. He Once he dies, Europe will be in chaos. Then is the opportunity we are waiting for. However, how can we predict the fate of people? Who knows when the Austrian King will die? "

"That's why, when the French ship arrives, you must put in all your efforts. Seize the day, seize the day, remember this sentence. Don't let the King of Austria die by then, but you haven't yet If you have the ability to defeat the Netherlands in Nanyang, you will be the sinners of Zhuxia."