Regarding the mineral resources of the Korean Peninsula, a well-known fact in later generations is that south of the 38th Parallel is very rare, while north of the 38th Parallel is extremely rich. In human terms, according to the political regions of later generations, North Korea is rich in mineral resources, while South Korea in the south has no mines.
Because of this, the areas of interest mentioned by Gao Jingshi in his instructions to the North Korean branch of Jinghua Trading Company were basically concentrated in northern North Korea. Regarding this matter, there is a very good prerequisite, that is, these areas have been restored by the Ming army and returned to the hands of the North Korean court. They are the bargaining chips that the North Korean court can use now.
According to Gao Pragmatic's memory and Liu Xin's determination, the area of the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th Parallel in later generations was only about 123,000 square kilometers, but its main mineral resource reserves accounted for more than 80% of the land area. There are more than 300 kinds of minerals.
In later generations, North Korea has the world's largest rare earth deposits [Note: China's rare earth strength lies not only in its high total mineral output and rich heavy rare earths, but more importantly in its dominance of rare earth separation technology. Interested readers can check the information on their own to learn more. ], at that time some analysts said that North Korea’s development of rare earths was expected to double the world’s known rare earth oxide resources.
At the same time, North Korea's magnesite reserves rank first in the world. Among the top ten minerals in the world are tungsten, molybdenum, graphite, barite, and fluorite. The iron ore that Gao is currently more concerned about is iron ore. In terms of stone reserves, North Korea is also close to the top ten in the world; in addition, North Korea has been known as a gold-producing country since ancient times, and its gold mines often coexist with silver, copper and other mines.
In modern society before the arrival of the "internal combustion engine revolution", coal and iron were the most critical mineral resources in the first industrial revolution. Therefore, the mineral layout that Gao Wuzhi is most concerned about now generally revolves around coal and iron.
North Korea has very rich iron ore reserves. According to Liu Xin, its iron ore reserves are about 9 to 11 billion tons. They mainly include magnets, limonite and hematite, and are mostly distributed on the surface of the earth. Mining - This is also very important. After all, the current mining technology is much worse than that of later generations. There are basically no mines that are difficult to mine.
Typical deposits of iron ore deposits in northern Korea include Musan Iron Mine, Deokhyeon Iron Mine, Liyuan Iron Mine, Jiechuan Iron Mine, Ucheon Iron Mine, Haaseng Iron Mine, Oryong Iron Mine, Einli Iron Mine, and Zainyeong Iron ore etc.
Among them, the Musan Iron Mine located in the China-North Korea border area in North Hamgyong Province has proven reserves of more than 5 billion tons, and its exploitable capacity is said to be 3 billion tons. According to Liu Xin’s memory, the mine’s production capacity when she traveled through It has reached more than 8 million tons. It is the largest iron mine in North Korea and a world-class open-pit mine. At that time, there was a road connected to the Hong Dynasty.
This ore system is a sedimentary metamorphic iron ore deposit. The main ore type is magnetite, with a geological grade of about 33% Fe. The ore reserves are C1 and above 1.5 billion tons. This is a large mine that can be mined and smelted with the current strength of Jinghua.
Another example is the Yinli Iron Mine, which is found in shale, limestone and granite. The highest grade reaches 70%, and the resource reserves are 500 million tons. Although the mining difficulty is higher, the quality is very high, and the reserves are the largest in the world today. Very big. Of course, the highest grade iron ore is Ping An Dao Jie Chuan Iron Mine.
As for coal, it is also one of the richest mineral resources in northern Korea. Liu Xin said that its proven mineable reserves in later generations are about 15 billion tons, of which anthracite reserves are about 12 billion tons and lignite reserves are about 3 billion tons. Based on the technical conditions at that time The current recoverable reserves are about 8 billion tons. It is difficult to estimate how much can be mined at present, but at the same time, it will certainly not be small based on the current consumption capacity.
The distribution of coal mines in North Korea is very common. There are four major coal fields according to regional divisions, namely the southern part of North Pyongan Province, the north and south of South Pyongan Province, the northern part of North Hamkyong Province, and the southern part of South Hamkyong Province.
In this way, coal and iron resources intersect. To put it simply, the northeast and northwest corners of the Korean Peninsula are the areas where coal and iron resources are most concentrated. In this era of limited transportation capacity, these two areas are the most concentrated. Suitable for building iron works.
However, the northwest corner of North Korea is very close to the Ming Dynasty border, and just across the bank from Yiju in North Korea is the newly built Dandong City. Therefore, as long as Jinghua can get the mines and coal fields in northwestern North Korea, the iron plant itself does not need to be built in North Korea. It can be built in Dandong.
The advantage of Dandong is its convenient transportation. Firstly, ore can be transported through water transport in the lower reaches of the Yalu River (the gap between the upper and middle reaches is large). Secondly, because it is close to the sea, products can also be quickly transported to demand areas by sea. Basically, it is the best of both worlds.
However, the northwest corner is easy to handle, while the northeast corner is relatively troublesome. From the geographical location here and the location of the Maoshan Iron Mine, the construction of the iron ore must be as close to the mine as possible, and it must be close to the sea for easy export, so the optional areas are Not too many, and the best future export destinations are probably North Korea and Japan.
In this case, Hamhung, the largest city in Northeast Korea, is not suitable. We must continue to search in the northeast direction. In this way, there is only one suitable place, and that is Chongjin. Speaking of which, the Chongjin Steel Works in North Korea in later generations is indeed Set up here.
Li Hao is very satisfied with exchanging a large amount of food aid for several possible mines and coal fields (many of which have not been discovered by North Korea itself). At the same time, he has another idea deep in his heart that he does not dare to express openly: he dares to use it to a certain extent. Although he offended Song Yingchang, he did not dare to offend Gao Pragmatic at all.
So the negotiation... well, there was no negotiation. Li Hao approved the project after a brief discussion with several important ministers such as Yi Dooshou and Liu Chenglong, and since the essence of this project was an exchange, he also agreed to an incidental The conditions are that mines and coal fields do not need to pay taxes to North Korea, and if Jinghua really builds an iron factory in Chongjin, it will only have to bear a tax rate of no more than 3%.
This tax was what Ido Shou and Liu Chenglong insisted on, but the final tax rate was ten times lower than the 30% they initially insisted on. The reason is that Ming Dynasty's commercial taxes are very low. Except for luxury goods with high pragmatic standards, the tax rate on a large number of basic products does not exceed 3%. However, Jinghua Trading Company insists that North Korea's commercial tax on Ming Dynasty cannot exceed the tax rate of the suzerain country itself.
After this matter was settled, the grain transport ship from southern Xinjiang immediately set sail. There is no need to elaborate on this matter for the time being. But in October, the Japanese envoys Ru'an Konishi and Zong Yizhi accompanied Shen Weijing to Beijing. They were received by the cabinet together with the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War. Shen Weijing served as the translator and was supervised by the general secretary of the Huitongguan who spoke Japanese.
After sitting down in the pavilion, Shen Shixing raised his hand to indicate that he could read the table. After Xiaoxi Ru'an and Zong Yizhi paid homage, they knelt down and bowed their heads. After Shen Weijing recited the words, the cabinet and officials from the Ministry of Rites and Military Affairs all responded silently. They each drank tea. The surroundings were silent and the atmosphere was solemn. Only the sound of tasting the tea could be heard. There were several birds chirping outside the house.
Shen Weijing didn't know what it meant and didn't dare to say anything. Zong Yizhi and Xiao Xi Ru'an also felt uneasy. After a long time, Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, took the lead and asked: "According to what is said in the table, your Japanese originally came to ask for canonization and tribute. Even if North Korea obstructs it, why not enter the Ming Dynasty by sea?"
Konishi Ru'an replied: "The sea route is dangerous and the waves are strong and changeable. It is not suitable for our ships to sail far and it is difficult to ensure safety. Therefore, the land route to North Korea via Tsushima Island is the most convenient."
Yu Shenxing snorted softly and said: "That's nonsense. If the Japanese ships cannot sail far, how can the Japanese pirates harass our southeast coast for many years?"
Zong Yizhi replied: "The Ministry of Public Affairs clearly knows that first of all, those are Japanese rogue pirates, which have nothing to do with the will of the country. The country cleans them out every year. The pirates traveled across the ocean and were buried in the belly of the fish by the time of the Ming Dynasty. The survivors gathered overseas refugees and made money by plundering. I only have this misunderstanding because I am from Japan."
Shen Shixing asked tentatively: "It is convenient to ship to North Korea via Tsushima Island. According to this, the military rations should be sufficient. Why retreat? Could it be that the North Korean navy often blocks the waterway?"
Zong Yizhi replied: "That's not the case. With all due respect, it is difficult for the North Korean naval forces to hinder water transportation. However, there are many obstructions on the road from Busan to Hanyang, making transportation inconvenient. There are also North Korean rebels moving around and causing heavy losses. As a result, each army has a shortage of rations. , difficult to support.”
When Shen Shixing saw that Zong Yizhi had taken advantage of the trap, he immediately asked: "So as long as the military rations are sufficient, there will be no worries. Therefore, under the pretense of asking for surrender, he occupied the three roads of Korea and eliminated the hidden dangers while negotiating with the Ming Dynasty. Recharge your batteries and attack me unprepared? To be honest, I can spare your life."
Xiaoxi Ru'an hurriedly explained: "Your Excellency, this is really a misunderstanding. The shortage of military rations is just a fact. The original purpose of sending troops to North Korea was to retaliate against North Korea's obstruction of asking for tribute. The Lord of our country, His Highness Taige, always wants to be able to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty." We agree, as long as we can obtain canonization and tribute, our country will immediately withdraw its troops."
Wu Dui sternly asked: "Even if you are not allowed to pay tribute, you should withdraw your troops. Korea is a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, and it has been a vassal vassal for generations of the Ming Dynasty. How is it different for you to invade our vassal country and bully me? It is really puzzling that the wolf's ambition comes to kneel down and beg for tribute." "
Wang Jiaping asked again: "Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, it has been more than three hundred years since the Japanese Dynasty came to the dynasty. I also heard that the Japanese country has been involved in civil strife throughout the country since the Hongzhi period. The vassal towns were divided and conquered each other. It was not until ten years ago that the chaos ended. When the troops and horses are strong, the Japanese chief Toyotomi Taira Hideyoshi also suppressed his superiors and imprisoned the Japanese king, an ambitious man. Is such a person willing to beg for tribute from the Ming Dynasty?"
Zong Yizhi replied: "The Ming Dynasty and Korea share the same love as father and son. We regret it too much. We only sent out troops to vent our anger out of anger. His Majesty the Emperor of Japan is by no means under house arrest, but Japan has its own national conditions. His Majesty the Emperor is worshiped by all people, and the national government is in jeopardy. Taige. His Highness Taige is sincerely begging for tribute, and he hopes that the Ming Emperor will grant his request."
Shen Shixing was still unable to clear up his doubts and asked again: "You just said that the leader of the Japanese country always wanted to negotiate with the Ming Dynasty. Why didn't Zu Chengxun think about it when he first arrived in Pyongyang? Didn't Song Yingchang and Li Rusong think about it when they came? Instead, they fought successively until Did you remember this when you were trapped in Hanyang?"
Zong Yizhi replied: "When they landed in North Korea, the First Division had been trying to contact the North Korean ministers to convey their intention to withdraw immediately as long as they were given a tribute passage. At the same time, they also hoped to convey Japan's sincerity in paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty through North Korea.
Unexpectedly, North Korea obstructed it in every possible way and misunderstood its sincerity, so the war continued and North Korea lost all the way. The Ming army suddenly arrived in Pyongyang. We didn't know anything about it, so we could only fight it reluctantly.
Later, the army of the Ming Dynasty came, and they met and talked. They wanted to use this to convey our country's wishes, but who knew it was actually a trap. How can we dare to negotiate easily in the future? At the same time, the Ming army's offensive was very urgent, and the battle continued. It wasn't until the two armies were resting that they took the opportunity to mention it. "
Zhou Yongfa, Minister of the Ministry of War, asked: "Since you have asked for surrender, someone should have told you that no more war will start before the reply. It is reported that on June 29, the Japanese army captured Jinzhou, North Korea, massacred tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, and seized the entire country." Luo Dao, how do you explain this?"
Konishi Ru'an replied: "The Jinzhou incident was North Korea's first attack on us, and Japan invaded Jinzhou. The Koreans never listened to the Ming army's orders, and always acted without authorization. They also hated Japan very much and would never use it in this way." Report the truth. And we did not start a war with the Ming army. Please investigate clearly!" After saying that, Xiaoxi Ru'an and Zong Yizhi, under Shen Weijing's signal, just kowtowed and apologized.
Everyone discussed privately. Both Wang Jiaping and Wang Xijue believed that although Japan's request for surrender was still doubtful, it should generally be credible. Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, suggested: "In the surrender list, it is written that Japan wants to be the direct son of the Ming Dynasty. Although this is laughable, the Japanese country understands etiquette when it comes to saying this, so they can submit it to the emperor for canonization.
It's just that this Japanese king is just a puppet. The Japanese chief Hideyoshi is in charge of state affairs, and his ministers, generals and people have no objections. It can be seen that the hearts of the Japanese people are Hideyoshi. Throughout the ages, there has never been such a relationship between monarch and minister that has been intact for a hundred years. I think Hideyoshi Hideyoshi must have had some scruples and did not dare to replace him, but whoever he was canonized would make it difficult for the Ming Dynasty.
If it is to be conferred, it is better to ask the emperor to issue an edict to confer Hideyoshi Hideyoshi as the Japanese king, abolish the old and establish the new, and conform to the sentiments of the Japanese people. For Hideyoshi Hideyoshi, it should be a matter of course. "
Zhou Yong, Minister of the Ministry of War, immediately asked the chief assistant to make a decision: "If the canonization of the Japanese country is allowed, the troops will be stopped. How to decide this matter?"
Shen Shixing replied: "I still have doubts about this, but I can't ask about it for the moment. The national situation has been difficult in recent years, so I will temporarily stop the troops to recuperate. However, the Japanese pirates are cunning and cannot withdraw all the troops. Before the end of the seal, Qi Jin, Wu Weizhong led his troops to stay behind and seize the main roads to prevent changes, while Song Yingchang and Li Rusong took care of Korean affairs, and the rest temporarily withdrew to Liaodong."
Zhou Yong hesitated and said: "Recently, there have been serious floods in Henan, and relief grains have been withheld by some prefectures and counties for their own use. Gaoge Laoyue took the order and went south to supervise the relief work... He is the most important minister in the court who knows the inside story of Japan. Should we wait until Mr. Gao Ge returns to Beijing to discuss major matters?"
Of course that wouldn't work. Shen Shixing wanted to settle the matter while Gao Jingshi was not in the capital. How could he wait for Gao Jingshi to return to the capital? So Shen Shixing waved his hand and ordered to Konishi Ru'an and Zong Yizhi: "The emperor has decreed that the Japanese country will quickly evacuate North Korea and Tsushima Island after being granted the title. After the title, they must keep their own safety, but there is no need to pay tribute and trade. Trade matters include Beiyang Just ask the Sea Trade Alliance to do it for you.
From now on, Japan should make peace with North Korea and no further aggression should be allowed. This cabinet will request an order to issue the canonization. The matter of withdrawing troops will be explained to you by the Minister of War. "After saying that, Shen Shixing led the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites to leave.
Afterwards, Zong Yizhi asked Zhou Yong why tribute was not allowed? Shi Xing asked Shen Weijing to translate and said: "The Ming Dynasty is rich in the world, and all the countries come to Korea, and there is no shortage of this country. The war is about to end, but the hostility will not disappear, and Korea is suffering deeply, how can the Ming Dynasty ignore its feelings? If it wants to pay tribute, the Japanese country We must first make peace with North Korea, and then ask for tribute in the future. As for now, the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance is fully capable of handling this, so why do you need to come to trade in person?"
Zong Yizhi was anxious: "Budang, asking for canonization and paying tribute is something that Japan dreams of, and His Highness Taikaku is also looking forward to it. If you can only be canonized but not ask for tribute, you may be prosecuted after returning to the country. Please ask the department again. Make a complaint to the emperor."
Zhou Yong replied coldly: "The holy will has been decided and cannot be changed. If the Japanese chief is held accountable, he will say that this is the will of the heaven and cannot be discussed again. After returning, he will withdraw from North Korea immediately and wait for the seal, otherwise he will be exterminated immediately!"
Seeing this, Zong Yizhi didn't say much. He and Xiao Xi Ru'an left with Shen Weijing, waiting for the edict to prepare to leave Beijing.
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PS: I watched the Russian-Ukrainian war live broadcast too late, so this chapter was posted a little late... Sorry.
