"That's right. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoBasically, the errands of the Ryukyu Kingdom to make money have the Japanese involved. If it weren't for the fact that Da Ming simply cut off the tributary trade of the Ryukyu Kingdom a few years ago, the Japanese gradually looked down on this place and let Shang Xian breathe a sigh of relief, I am afraid that there would be no matter of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Chen Jianhong said helplessly.

"This is really ......," Wang Fuzhi said, smiling bitterly.

Tributary trade was cut off, and relations between the two countries were actually at a low point. Although it actually helped the Ryukyu country, it made the Ryukyu country relieved that it had reduced its use value. But this actually shows the decline before the Ming Dynasty, and it is not a glorious thing.

"Let's go, let's go around first." Wang Fuzhi diverted the topic and wandered around the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The place worth turning to is Shurijo Castle. It's quite prosperous, with a lot of foot traffic and a thriving business. Although Wang Fuzhi couldn't understand what was said on the streets, he could hear Chinese from time to time.

Most of the houses in Shurijo Castle are Chinese-style, but some of the newly built houses also have Japanese-style architecture. Interestingly, there are mostly a few poorly dressed Japanese samurai standing at the entrance of the Japanese-style buildings, squinting and half-lying in the doorway. Although most of the wandering samurai were janitors, the deserted scene was enough to prove that the merchants in these Japanese-style buildings were not having a good time.

On the contrary, most of the trading companies under the banner of the Ming Kingdom had a large flow of people and were expected to prosper.

Quite eye-catching...... But it is a European-style building with a few spires.

"Westerners?" Wang Fuzhi raised his eyebrows.

Meeting foreigners is really new.

However, Wang Fuzhi is in a foreign country right now, and he has seen foreigners all the way, so he shouldn't be so surprised. I was surprised to see a foreigner with red hair and green eyes, and a foreigner with blond hair and blue eyes.

As a new-style diplomat of the Ming Dynasty and an ambassador to the embassy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be established, Wang Fuzhi has a clear understanding of world geography.

Zhu Cihong gave a world geography lesson to the North Koreans in Seoul, but before that, he had given a diplomatic lesson to the diplomats of the Ming Dynasty many times.

Europeans, Europaans. Colonists from thousands of miles away from the West were also competitors for the empire to step outward.

The opening of the Ryukyu port for trade was originally only open to the Ming Dynasty, allowing the Ming Dynasty to trade with Ryukyu merchants. But it's close to Japan, and it's also close to Taiwan. Merchants followed the copper stench of money like sharks smelling blood.

The Japanese set their sights on the Ryukyus, as did the Europeans.

Moreover, it was the blonde and blue-eyed English who came.

"The English moved quickly, learned from the Portuguese, and opened up the relationship between Shang Xian's close ministers. More importantly, in order to persuade Shangxian to agree to their entry into the Ryukyus trade, the English personally dismantled the guns from the warships and presented them to the Ryukyu officials as Hongyi cannons. "Chen Jianhong came early and heard about it.

Shang Hyun was very worried that the Satsuma clan would send troops again, so he took the issue of weapons very seriously. Although the Ming Dynasty also had weapons for the Ryukyuan people to buy, Shangxian had already emptied his family funds before, but he only bought back three coastal defense cannons to guard the Shuri royal city. In addition to this, only 500 firecrackers remained.

On top of the foreign arms trade, the price of the Jingshi Ordnance Workshop was obviously worthy of the grain and salary given to them by the state.

Otherwise, the DPRK and China would not be so calm about giving such concessions to the Ryukyu people. Obviously, win-win is the way to go. Sooner or later, the mean subject country will turn away from Germany.

In this respect, the English clearly grasped the main point. They were from a small family, the weakest of the many Western powers in East Asia, and even the declining Portuguese were stronger than them.

As for the most powerful, it is clearly the Netherlands.

"The Dutch occupy the majority, that is, Taiwan. They had fought with the Ming Dynasty before, and they were also embarrassed by Zheng Zhilong, and it was estimated that they would not think of coming to Ryukyu for a while. "Because of the previous Shimabara Rebellion, the Japanese shogunate was very wary of Western countries. The Tokugawa family always felt that the arrival of these Western colonists in the East would definitely change the color of the world and ideologically shake the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Therefore, every effort was made to close the country. No matter how strong the Dutch were, they could not resist a strong sovereign state. After several efforts, he finally had to withdraw from Japanese trade.

Of course, what all Westerners want most is Chinese specialties such as raw silk, porcelain, and tea sugar from the Chinese. Tea, in particular, is the life of the British.

"They came to the right place in the Ryukyus. Along with the arrival of the Second Fleet, three caravans, including the expeditionary company, arrived one after another, bringing with them a large number of goods. However, it was limited to trading with Ryukyu merchants. Chen continued.

Wang Fuzhi heard the meaning: "Your Majesty really loves Ryukyu." ”

They said that it was only for Ryukyu merchants, but in fact, they all understood that the Ryukyuan people could not digest so many huge quantities of goods, and they had to sell them to other people in the end. Westerners are obviously a good buyer.

This is actually supporting the commercial trade of the Ryukyus, allowing the Ryukyuan people to be second-hand dealers and make a huge difference.

"However, I am afraid that the Japanese will also take advantage of this." Chen Jianhong said, sighed, and stopped talking.

"If you have anything to say, just say it. What are you talking about? Wang Fuzhi guessed at once: "Or will it be sold to the Japanese?" How to do it. ”

Only then did Chen Jianhong make up his mind and said, "Zheng Zhilong of Fujian." This one is the most powerful maritime merchant in the East China Sea today. In particular, he himself has the official position of a guerrilla general......"

In the interior of the Ming Dynasty, especially in Beijing, which is far away from Fujian, the name of Zheng Zhilong in Fujian is rarely sung. Over the years, it has also become more and more low-key. Especially after the emergence of major events such as the destruction of slaves and the submission of North Korea, Zheng Zhilong's family behaved even more low-key.

However, as long as you are begging for a living at sea, you will inevitably encounter the Zheng Maritime Group.

"Their life is not easy, there are expeditionary companies, there are all kinds of merchants who have obtained permits, moved procedures, and paid customs duties. Trade between Manila, the Ryukyus, North Korea, and Annam will no longer be Zheng Zhilong's patent. Profit estimates will look at a big cut. I guess I thought about it, but it was still trade with Japan. Wang Fuzhi said, a little silent.

Zheng Zhilong has a deep relationship with Japan, and Zheng Chenggong was born in Japan. As a result, Zheng's trade with Japan went very smoothly. Even if the Tokugawa shogunate closed off the country, it did not affect the trade of the Zheng family.

When Chen Jianhong first arrived in Japan, he originally wanted to use the power of the Zheng family, and even more so to use the Zheng family as a link to solve Sino-Japanese diplomatic problems.

But after Wang Fuzhi heard about Chen Jianhong's plan, he just smiled and chose to refuse.

At first, Chen Jianhong was very incomprehensible. But it didn't take long for her to understand why.

Zheng Zhilong is smuggling!

In the past, when passing through the East Asian Sea, it was necessary to hang the Zheng family flag. A flag is a peace charm, not that you will not encounter wind and waves, but that you will not be robbed when you encounter the Zheng family's ship, which is equivalent to protection money.

But now, the imperial court is going to collect a tariff and cut it down with a knife, which is painful for the Zheng fleet, which has an exceptionally large trade scale.

Fortunately, Zheng Zhilong is very flexible, bought off the city, and tried to end the matter with a heavy amount of money and paying a tax of about 50,000 yuan a year.

In general, although the Zheng family is still an East Asian maritime giant, it can live a very uncomfortable life in the ever-increasing competition and under the alternative gaze of the court.

People, life is getting better day by day, and it is always happy and hopeful. But once it's going downhill, it's uncomfortable. Saving money is always happy, and once the deficit appears, even if you can survive for a few days, everyone will inevitably have a feeling that the death period is approaching.

At this time, it is also obvious that the Zheng family tried their best to smuggle on a large scale while the Ming Dynasty had not yet opened trade with Japan.

If we do not make a fuss and seize the huge profits of trade with Japan, the former maritime giants will sooner or later face an existential crisis.

"I see." Unlike later generations, smuggling is a deadly crime. In recent years, including Wang Fuzhi, they have not been very sensitive to the word smuggling.

Not to mention anything else, in Daming, for a long time, maritime trade was all smuggling.

It is rare to go to sea to do business, and the formalities are complete, and the smuggling trade is normal.

However, after all, Wang Fuzhi is a close minister of the Son of Heaven, and the amount of information he understands far exceeds that of others: "The Zheng family will not be in trouble for long. In the past, Japan's problems were not time-free. Can ...... now The palace has already reported the good news, and the biggest obstacle to His Majesty is gone. Zheng, how many days can you jump? ”

Chen Jianhong bowed his head heavily, but there was still some worry on his face: "Zheng Zhilong is cunning after all...... However, if His Majesty makes a move. Then the Zheng family really didn't have a few days to live. ”

"Of course, if you turn around now. Especially if they take the right position in the Ryukyu matter, then they still have a chance. If...... Hmph...... "Wang Fuzhi didn't say much. After all, these are all off-topic. Even, he didn't think that the Zheng family would really be so stupid that he shouldn't be a Ming person to be a widow.

The two gossiped all the way, and finally arrived at the Greenstone study.

After settling down for a while, early the next morning, Chen Jianhong happily found Wang Fuzhi: "The matter of meeting the king of the Ryukyus has been negotiated, and the king seems very happy about the arrival of the farmer, and he wants to celebrate the arrival of the lord." ”

"The ceremony or something is gone, and I'll go directly to the King of the Ryukyus today." Wang Fuzhi waved his hand, not caring about those red tape.

Although, it's a very long-faced thing. But as a diplomat of the Ming Empire, this is really ordinary. Is there a more powerful country in the world than the Ming Dynasty?

No.

That's it, it is destined that the diplomats of the Ming Dynasty will receive a grand welcome wherever they go.

It's no wonder, and it's no wonder that Wang Fuzhi is not interested.

Chen Weihong nodded vigorously, understanding this mood. Introduced all the way, passed through the shrine gate, passed through the imperial court, and arrived at the main hall. Inside, it's the inner court.

Wang Fuzhi saw the young Shang Xian, and Shang Xian also looked at Wang Fuzhi with great anticipation, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he threw Wang Fuzhi a difficult question: "Angel Rong Xiao Wang eagerly told that Amami Oshima Island has already increased the Satsuma Domain's troops by 3,000. Dare to ask the angels if they have heard? ”

……

Amami Oshima.

As the former station of the Satsuma Domain's invasion of the Ryukyu Kingdom, there was little resistance to the Japanese when they marched in, so that it was immediately treated as a direct territory by the Satsuma Domain, and it was governed by the Commissioner.

Yoshio Nishikawa, the current commissioner, is a capable middle-aged man, more than six feet long, and he is also quite strong among the Japanese people.

But today, in front of another group of people, Yoshio Nishikawa's stature is about to be compared again. Comparing their clothes, they can quickly recognize that this is Mingren.

Moreover, the leader of the team is Zheng Zhibao, who is famous in the southeast coast.

Zheng Zhibao's expression was very solemn, and it was not until Yoshio Nishikawa looked at the three thousand Satsuma Domain iron artillery team that arrived with him that he was slightly relieved: "I didn't expect that the Japanese also have firecrackers, and they also have war experience." ”

During the Warring States Period, the Japanese Iron Artillery Corps was quite famous, and it was the basis for several powerful feudal clans to be famous and win in the Warring States Period. This is undoubtedly good news for Zheng Zhibao, who is not good at the army.

Only then did his depression when he got his brother's decision a few days ago slightly alleviated.

"I just hope that the continent to the east ...... It's true. That's it, that's it, right now, we have to solve all the difficulties at the moment. It is not easy to satisfy the Japanese. What's more, it still makes them almost bloody ......" Putting aside the scattered thoughts, Zheng Zhibao followed Yoshio Nishikawa to observe the Japanese drills.

Zheng Zhibao is a dragon on the sea, and he doesn't understand the affairs of the army. Yoshio Nishikawa was sweating a lot, but seeing that Zheng Zhibao couldn't see anything famous, he took it easy.

Soon, he began to inquire about the fleet brought by Zheng Zhibao this time.

"The big army has already gone to Nagasaki first. The team I led was also stationed in Kagoshima. The officers and troops are stationed in the Ryukyus, how can they offend their brows. The combat effectiveness of the Second Fleet is not bad, and I, the Zheng family, are not afraid. But...... I don't think you feudal lords really want to fight. "Zheng Zhibao doesn't want to fight either. At the end of the day, he's just a businessman.

It's just that if it is forced to do so, or if the other party can afford to pay a higher price, Zheng Zhilong obviously doesn't mind working hard. All this depends on what results Zheng Zhilong can talk to the shogunate and Shimazu Mitsuhisa in Japan.

"Soga. Mine I see. I'll explain it to the lord of the domain. All in all, with the help of Zheng Sang. The Ryukyus will never leave the Great Japanese Empire! Yoshio Nishikawa spoke stiff Chinese, which made Zheng Zhibao turn his head with a smile, revealing an uncertain expression.

"Onboard!"

"Hey-ha!"

……

On Amami Oshima, the newly arrived 3,000 soldiers and horses were training quite diligently. They were in high spirits, and they were all eager for a war. Peace has arrived, but it also means that society has begun to stabilize. The opportunity to get ahead was even rarer for the samurai, who longed for a war to plunder the harvest, just as their predecessors did more than thirty years ago.