Inside the Jinya belonging to the Hizen Nabeshima Domain in Nagasaki Port Town (the Hizen Nabeshima and Kumamoto Kuroda Domains took turns serving as the Nagasaki Imperial Guardsmen, so there was a Jinya in Nagasaki), Tokugawa Yori walked slowly all the way. Fang and Matsudaira Nobutsuna finally met the Ming Dynasty diplomat Zheng Sen and Zheng Damu who had arrived in Japan for several months. The two sides were sitting down on their knees respectively. Also participating in the negotiations were Baba Shigetoshi, Tagawa Shichizaemon, Tokugawa Yorifusa's crown prince Tokugawa Mitsuhiro, as well as several Nagasaki general officials (all overseas Chinese) who were responsible for recording and translating. ).
Although it is said to be a negotiation, in fact, the general terms have been negotiated by the horse racers at both ends. Today's arrangement for Zheng Sen to meet with Tokugawa Yorifusa and Matsudaira Nobutsuna is just to finalize the conditions that both parties have negotiated.
"Nakagoshi, Izu Mamoru..." After the big guys on both sides got to know each other and said a lot of polite words, Baba Shigeri brought the conversation to the main topic.
The leader of the Nagasaki Domain first told Tokugawa Yorifusa and Matsudaira Nobutsuna in Japanese: "Marquis Zheng of the Ming Dynasty was a friend of the shogunate. Marquis Zheng's father, Lord Senshu, went to Odawara Castle to see Taitokuin (Tokugawa) in his early years. Xiuzhong), has been promoted by Taideyuan and can be trusted."
When Zheng Zhilong was young, he also had a "protagonist halo". When he was in Nagasaki in his early years, as a representative of the Chinese businessmen in Nagasaki, he went to Odawara Castle to visit the former general Hidetada, who was already known as the "Grand Imperial Palace". As a result, he received some support from the Nagasaki Administrative Office, and he was indeed considered a friend of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Zheng Sen has lived in Nagasaki since he was a child and did not go to China until he was seven years old. Therefore, he can understand Japanese and speak a little. Hearing Baba mention the "Odawara Meeting", he said to Yorifu in Japanese: "Nakagami, when my father learned about the death of Taitokuin in Fujian, he felt very sad. He always hoped to go to Sojoji Temple in Edo to perform a sweeping ceremony. The tomb of Tokuin. But there is no chance to make the trip. When I left Nanjing this time, my father asked me to go to the Edo Festival to sweep Tokuin. I wonder if I can make the trip?"
He is playing the emotional card now, and his purpose is to enter Edo and meet Tokugawa Iemitsu - he is not only an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, but also a vassal of the Ming Dynasty. His sister is also the concubine of the regent crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, and has a distinguished status. Once arriving in Edo, Tokugawa Iemitsu would most likely come out to entertain him.
And Zheng Sen also had the opportunity to directly discuss the signing of the "Tomorrow Trade Agreement" with the general... Japan implements a closed country system, only open to the Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands, and North Korea, and only opens to Nagasaki ( In fact, there is also a Ryukyu trade channel). North Korea itself is also locked down, so naturally no merchant ships can reach Japan. Therefore, Japan's foreign trade was actually monopolized by the Zheng family and the Dutch East India Company.
Of course monopoly means huge profits! Of course, two monopolies are not as comfortable as eating alone... Now because of Zhu Cihong's founding policy, the Zheng family has lost the right to conduct monopoly trade between China and the Netherlands with the Dutch East India Company, so they want to make up for it through Japanese trade. .
Tokugawa Yorifusa and Matsudaira Nobutsuna exchanged glances with each other, and then said: "This matter needs to be decided by the public, but I can make a request on my behalf. I believe the public will not refuse."
This is basically done!
Zheng Sen added: "I now know that the Toyotomi relics who occupied Jeju Island in Korea were not sent by the shogunate, and they were also enemies of the shogunate."
"That's right," Matsudaira Nobutsuna took over the topic and nodded. "Although they are loyal ministers, they are indeed the enemies of the shogunate! The shogunate is willing to send troops to expel them, but now that Japan is locked down, there are no big ships that can go to Jeju Island. , I also hope that the Zheng family will provide it."
Zheng Sen asked: "Then after the shogunate army expels Toyotomi's remaining ministers, who will occupy Jeju Island?"
"The shogunate has no ambitions for the land of Jeju Island," Tokugawa Yorifusa said, "but it must ensure that the island is not occupied again by Toyotomi's relics... With the strength of the Zheng family navy, it is not difficult to do it, right?"
Zheng Sen actually shook his head and said with a wry smile: "This matter is not simple!"
"What?" Matsudaira Nobutsuna frowned, "You can't do it? Do you want to ask the Dutch for help?"
"Haha," Zheng Sen smiled, "How did Izushou think these Toyotomi relics landed on Jeju Island?"
"What?"
"what do you mean?"
Tokugawa Yorifusa and Matsudaira Nobutsuna were both stunned.
Zheng Sen said: "According to my investigation, Toyotomi's relics arrived at Jeju Island on the soft-sailed Galen ship of the Westerners!"
"ah?"
"This is real?"
Zheng Sen said: "It's absolutely true!"
The ship that went to Jeju Island from Toyotomi's relics was the Galen ship bought by Zhu Cixiang from Macau. Most of the sailors on the ship were Westerners, and there were also some black people... When the Tokugawa shogunate army took the big bird provided by the Zheng family, When the ship goes to Jeju Island, they will see with their own eyes the Toyotomi relics escaping on the Western Galen ship!
Escape towards the Ryukyu Kingdom controlled by the Satsuma Domain...
Matsudaira Nobutsuna asked: "So when can the Zheng family provide warships to transport the shogunate army to Jeju Island?"
Zheng Sen replied: "Considering that the Toyotomi ministers are supported by Western warships, the Zheng family also needs to dispatch a certain number of warships, so we have to wait until next year.
In addition, we still need to negotiate with the Kingdom of North Korea... After all, Jeju Island is North Korea's territory! The shogunate has no objection to this, right? "
Matsudaira Nobutsuna answered firmly: "No objection."
Tokugawa Yorifusa added: “But the shogunate cannot apologize to North Korea for Toyotomi’s actions…and North Korea must ensure that Jeju Island is no longer used by Toyotomi as a means of disturbing Japan’s internal stability. stronghold!"
"Nakagami, Izushou," Zheng Sen considered his words, "If you insist on not apologizing and demand that Jeju Island is no longer used by Toyotomi's relics... then the date of dispatching troops may be delayed. Because I North Korea is now experiencing a catastrophe and can no longer control North Korea as it did in the past. We need more time to send envoys to negotiate with the King of North Korea.
In order to ensure communication between China, Japan and North Korea, we hope to open an embassy in Edo... and hope that the shogunate can allow the Zheng family's merchant ships to enter and leave the Edo port. "
Tokugawa Yorifusa and Matsudaira Nobutsuna were both surprised.
"What?"
"Your Zheng family merchant ship wants to enter and leave Edo?"
Zheng Sen smiled and nodded: "This is beneficial to both parties... My family is planning to open a route to New Spain via Japan. Some items produced in the Ming Dynasty or Nanyang will be transported to Edo and then shipped away. Whale oil and lacquerware produced in Japan. Gold, silver and brass will not be taken away from Japan.”
It is very profitable for the Zheng family's merchant ships to enter and exit Edo! Because Japan's real big market is in Edo - after the implementation of the handover system, the lords of Japan's "Three Hundred Domains" have become "Edo people". They and their families have lived in Edo for a long time and returned to Edo. The proportion of this feudal lord's time in his body is very small, equivalent to a business trip.
Therefore, the consumption of the feudal lord and a considerable number of important officials in the feudal clan was also in Edo! Once the Zheng family's merchant ships could legally enter and leave the Edo port, they could directly provide overseas luxuries to the feudal lords and ministers, the wealthiest class in Japan. It is conceivable that the benefits are huge.
Besides, now is the Age of Discovery! Japan is no longer a country at the end of the world. To the east of Japan, there is a vast new continent.
With the current sailing capabilities of Chinese sailing ships, it is very difficult to sail directly from the mainland to the New World without replenishing supplies. Even if they can sail there, they will not be able to carry much cargo.
Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a port in eastern Japan that can be settled, and Edo is of course the best choice - the Zheng family can even build a line starting from Shanghai, passing through Edo, and then to New Spain (Mexico), and then go closer The equatorial route (straight sailing along the ocean current) trade route back to Taiwan.
This trade route almost overlaps with the Spanish galleons trade route. The only difference is that it docks at Edo Port in Japan. Chinese raw silk and porcelain will not be the main commodities exported to the New World, but will be produced in Japan. Whale oil and lacquerware (japan can also be translated as lacquerware, which shows how popular Japanese lacquerware was in the West during the Age of Discovery) were products exported to New Spain.
