New Shun 1730

That's it for other places. It can be said that the mountains are high and the general is far away and cannot be controlled.

But even a place like Otsu, which was related to the "rice production" of the shogunate, was allowed to engage in such futures trading by the shogunate, which showed that it was completely out of control.

Otsu is on the south bank of Lake Biwa, and the "rice" around Lake Biwa must be subcontracted in Otsu with the help of water transportation.

It seems that the shogunate was really driven by the price of rice, and also by the poor lower-class samurai: the lower-class samurai were related to the stability of the shogunate.

It's just that the price of rice must not be too cheap, otherwise the samurai will be unlucky; but if it is too high, the whole of Japan will be in chaos.

The moment the treaty was signed with Japan, Liu Yu concluded that all reforms in Japan would inevitably fail.

Reform is no longer feasible and the only option is to purge all the old interest classes. Is the reform that ousts the old interest classes called reform? As the representative of the interests of the conservative class, the shogunate and the vassals were also the objects that Dashun wanted to protect. Without Westerners to get involved, there would be no possibility of the world changing.

Reform is nothing more than moving forward or going backward.

Once the treaty is signed, the already tight finances of each domain will become even more stretched. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to decentralize warriors, reduce corvee and small taxes, and protect small farmers. I have only heard of people who are short of money and are thinking about making money, but I have never heard of people who are short of money and send money to other countries.

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

Moving forward, all that can be thought of is franchise, monopoly, and commerce to expand fiscal revenue. This will inevitably lead to the expansion of the power of merchants and intrusion into the small peasant economy, the basis of samurai rule.

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

And Japan is prone to disasters. Coupled with the gambling-style rice futures exchange, it only takes one slightly more serious disaster for Japan's grain prices to skyrocket.

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

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

Volcanic eruptions, ash, tsunamis, earthquakes, ocean current disturbances... Although he did not know whether there would be large-scale famines in Japan in the next few years in history, with the impact on the rural economy after the opening of the port and the financial difficulties, the shogunate was bound to It will choose a pro-business and exclusive policy, and large-scale bankruptcies in rural areas and the flight of farmers are foreseeable.

Taking advantage of the situation, trading companies can only be used as a tool for major issues such as Whale Sea immigration and control of Japan's food pricing power. They do not yet have such capabilities.

The Privy Council will definitely come to an end, and it will have to rely on official power to control it and restore Guan Zhong's teachings.

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

However, there is still a lack of trust, and Liu Yu did not explain some things to avoid leaking the news. If you are smart, after this conversation, you should seize the opportunity, embrace it, and make great achievements in the future.

After asking about rice futures, Liu Yu did not continue to talk in depth, but smiled to himself: "Food is the foundation of a country. I am just curious about Japan's rice trading. I have always wanted to find an opportunity to ask. , but before Japan was locked down, I didn’t come into contact with any big rice merchants in Nagasaki. Although I went to Edo once, I never had the opportunity to go shopping, so I didn’t know that 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 know these things from you 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 are you taking advantage of the opportunity? Take advantage of the opening of the port and try your luck in the opening of the port?”

Honma Kosaku doesn’t know whether what Liu Yu said is true or not, at least he can’t be sure whether he is just curious about the specific details of rice futures or has another purpose.

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 will not inherit the family property. I plan to stay in Edo. Once Hyogotsu opens as a port, this place will definitely prosper." I want to stay here and learn some Chinese. I don’t plan to go back for the time being. I may find a job in a shop in Hyogotsu first. I can do arithmetic, and my father also has some business friends in Edo. ”

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

Moreover, even if it is a rice business, under the previous lockdown, if you want to speculate in rice, you only need to spend money to collect intelligence all over Japan.

There is no need or opportunity to consider the influence of the outside world. Under the lockdown, it is impossible for external food to enter Japan.

After the Arai-Shiraishi New Deal, trade letters were issued at Nagasaki Port. It’s not that grain, rice, bean sprouts and bean sprouts are not profitable, but given the fixed number of more than 30 ships every 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 Dojima rice futures in Osaka will have to consider the impact of Dashun in the future.

Thinking that the earl from Dashun invited him to meet in private today, it would also be a stepping stone for Dashun Maritime Merchant in the future.

Whoever can get online now and who can master Chinese the fastest may be able to dominate the rice price in Japan in the future.

He was not familiar with other businesses and had no connections. In his future plans, he did not consider doing business such as raw silk cloth, but was determined to compete with rice futures.

Now that the connection has been established, there is still one left to learn Chinese.

His father has been urging him to return to Sakata, but Honma Kousaku believes 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 forward will be followed by others in the future. .

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

"Will you sell grain and rice and participate in Osaka's rice trade?"

"Uh... Well... maybe not for the time being. At the beginning of trade, naturally we will do whatever is profitable, and we need to gradually become familiar with the market and people's preferences. Within two or three years, we should not participate. Unless Japan within three years In the wilderness, the people are in dire straits. At that time, we may be able to sell some grain and rice at a fair price. The merchants will benefit and the people will get rice. This is a win-win situation.”

What Liu Yu said was that it would not happen for the time being, and Honma Kousaku understood that this meant that it would still end in the future. Liu Yu added: "If you are in the grain business, it is not impossible. I heard those wealthy ship owners and merchants say that your family is one of the best rice merchants. But according to what you said, you still have an older brother, and you may not inherit the family business in the future. This The rice-growing business is impossible without connections. You said you plan to stay in Osaka, learn Chinese, and work in Hyogotsu’s business office to get familiar with it first.”

"That's good. You're a young man, very energetic and enterprising. But, I guess your father won't agree with you never going back, right?"

Honma Kosaku lowered his head and said: "My father is a very old-fashioned person. He has been in Deyu and has never been to Edo and Osaka. He doesn't know that the businessmen here are completely different from those in Tohoku. He just does the right thing. I originally planned to persuade my father to use my family’s property and control over rice to participate in the rice business in Osaka after I returned, but I thought my father would not agree.”

"So I decided to stay here and get familiar with the trade after the opening of the port, as well as the account rice business in Osaka. After ensuring 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 be like. They know that opening a port will definitely bring wealth, and dare to block all their property and future in the treaty port when the port has just been opened. Those who go up may not necessarily make a fortune, but it will definitely be more interesting than selling rice in a wine field. "

"Zhuangzai, let's do this. I like young people like you very much. I think if you don't come home, your father will be angry and cut off your wealth and force you to go back. I will personally give you some gold and silver. It’s not for anything else, I just think young people like you are very appetizing.”

He was only thirty years old, but in front of Honma Kosaku, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, he could still defeat one young man after another.

I called the people outside and asked them to get pen and paper. I wrote a note here and gave instructions in a low voice.

"I've got four thousand taels of silver with you, and you don't have to pay it back in the future. If you have the ability and make money from the account, it's all yours; if you lose it, it's nothing, it's just a tuition fee. On weekdays Learn Chinese more, use your father’s connections, and walk around the grain and rice market more. If merchants from China really do the rice and grain business in the future, they will definitely think of you first.”

"However, you have to do me a little favor. You don't have 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 also make a record.”

"If you can really make money with these four thousand taels of silver, you will return home in the future...Ha, do you know the story of the return of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty? People judge heroes by their success or failure. If you are penniless, you will have to When you go back, your father will probably hate you for not listening to him; but if you return home in fine clothes, it will be your old father praising his young, promising and far-sighted son."

These four thousand taels of silver are not a piece of gold, nor is it a matter of getting along with each other, or thinking that a rare commodity can be used to identify talents... Now that there are rice futures in Osaka, everyone who participates feels that they are the god of futures. It is estimated that if you go to the Dojima rice futures market at this time, you can talk eloquently to anyone you pick up. They talk about buying and selling short in advance of the times, but there may not be a few people who can actually make money without losing money.

These four thousand taels of silver actually bought the connections of a major grain trader in Sakata.

Even if the Honma ancient work in front of you cannot inherit the family business in the future, the personal connections are here. When things really come to an end in the future, channels can be facilitated.

Liu Yu knew this very well. Just like before he was knighted, he was not the eldest son and was not qualified to inherit the title. But the personal connections in the capital, even for officials of the fourth and fifth grades, are incomparable.

However, Honma Guzhu thought that many of his ideas were really his own, which made Liu Yu feel very knowledgeable, and he was very pleased with himself. Seeing that Liu Yu could easily make thousands of taels of silver, he was even more sure that Dashun was in the right position.

With the characteristic of young people pretending to be calm and pretending to be an outsider, he calmly accepted the note from Liu Yu that he could withdraw money from the merchant store after the opening of the port in Kobe. I thanked you quietly, but my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my throat.