The Han Chinese merchants really came, and even brought some cement to recruit local people to vigorously build the city townwell, the community outside the city.
At the same time, many goods were also shipped, such as cotton cloth and rice.
This made Zong Yizhen and his retainers feel that it would not be a bad idea to belong to the Celestial Dynasty. They have copper and silver mines in their hands. Silver cannot be consumed in North Korea, and copper ingots are often subject to economic sanctions by North Korea. Now they can be sold to Chinese businessmen.
In the past 100 years, the copper ingots in Tsushima Island have exploded twice, and the warehouse is full but cannot be sold. The reason is simple. They angered the king of North Korea and ordered a ban on the purchase of copper ingots from Tsushima Island.
The island is embarrassing.
When the population is less than 10,000, there is a lack of labor for mining, and there is also a lack of military protection and safety.
After the population exceeds 10,000, they are worried about the lack of food.
If the population exceeds 15,000, some of them will have to be evicted forcibly, otherwise famine will most likely occur. Because North Korea strictly controls grain exports, and Japan has a deadly enemy, there are silver and copper mines in Tsushima, but no grain can be bought.
After the Chinese merchants came, Zong Yizhen immediately made a fortune, and all the copper ingots in his hand were replaced with grain and cloth.
The retainers who own mines are now county magistrates, town chiefs, and village chiefs. Whenever there are mines on their land, they immediately organize the people to mine them, hoping to take the opportunity to make a fortune.
In fact, there are not many mines in Tsushima Island.
In the past, I thought there were a lot of mines because the sales were not good. Now that Chinese merchants have come, the silver and copper mines on the island are estimated to be exhausted in a decade or two.
Zong Yizhen can speak Japanese and Korean since he was a child, and knows how to write Chinese characters. Now that he is a county magistrate, he has started to learn Chinese again. When he sold copper ingots to Han merchants, he hired a man from the merchants to practice speaking Chinese all day long.
But the one who is really awesome is Guangyou Dapu, now changed to Guangyou Pu.
Pu Guangyou said to Zong Yizhen in private: "Xianzun, we used to be teachers and students, as well as monarchs and ministers. Now we are superiors and subordinates. The county lord asked me what I should do in the future. Do I want to hear the truth or lie?"
"What is the truth? What is the lie?" Zong Yizhen asked.
Pu Guangyou said: "False lies dormant secretly, accumulating strength and rebelling."
Zong Yizhen shook his head: "How is this possible? The island can only accommodate more than 10,000 people. If there are more than 12,000 people, there will be food shortages, and if there are more than 15,000 people, there will be famine. How can we have an army to fight against the Celestial Empire? Let alone the Celestial Empire, Even if the king of North Korea sends troops, we can't stop it at all."
Pu Guangyou said: "Since you can't rebel, you can be a Chinese courtier with peace of mind."
Zong Yizhen asked: "What should Chinese courtiers do?"
Pu Guangyou said: "The county lord is the lord of an island, but the emperor will not allow you to occupy the island for a long time. Maybe two or three years, maybe five or six years, the county lord will be promoted and transferred outside. The emperor will promote you, and the county lord will not leave you. leave?"
"There is no other way if you don't leave." Zong Yizhen said.
Pu Guangyou said: "The county officials will be transferred to other places. The county magistrate will be replaced by Han Chinese, and the officials of the county government will also be replaced by Han Chinese. Will you still be able to control the island by then?"
"No." Zong Yizhen shook his head.
Pu Guangyou said: "The county's honor is on the island, and the island property can be regarded as family property. Once you are transferred to Han as an official, you must be honest and selfless, because your superiors and subordinates are watching you. You must not be corrupt. You must not make mistakes, otherwise you will be severely punished, and the imperial court will take the opportunity to attack Tsushima Island."
Zong Yizhen thought about it: "It seems so."
Pu Guangyou said: "The county lords should learn to speak Chinese, and from now on they will regard themselves as Han people. Then, be honest and selfless, upright and upright, and it is best to make political achievements. The more you are like this, the more chances you will be promoted. The emperor also hopes that you will be like this. .¡±
"And then?" Zong Yizhen asked.
"You will be promoted very quickly, but when you reach a certain position, you may be transferred to the idle yamen. The Han people will not let you hold real power," Pu Guangyou said. "At that time, you should train your children and grandchildren and let them go to school. Be an official. It is best to move your whole family away from Tsushima Island, and the court will be completely relieved of you. And the Zong clan has the opportunity to become a big family in Han in the future. Being a big family in China is no more important than being the owner of Tsushima Island. powerful?"
Zong Yi really thought carefully and didn't speak again.
Pu Guangyou said again: "The retainers on the island, I guess the ending will not be very good. It is estimated that half of them will be beheaded or exiled. Only then can the Chinese emperor truly occupy Tsushima Island. If the county officials are not careful, I'm afraid I can't escape the fate of extermination."
Zong Yi was really terrified and asked, "How can I get promoted quickly?"
"Politics?Yes to war with China, but must first build a strong navy. The ships of all feudal clans should be assigned to the shogunate for dispatch. "
Abe Zhongqiu also said: "It must be so!"
These three veterans are all staunch supporters of seclusion. Their fiefdom is not close to the sea, and it is close to Edo. To maintain the rule of the shogunate is to protect themselves. Smuggling must be prohibited to prevent local lords from becoming stronger through sea trade.
Nobutsuna Matsudaira has the oldest qualifications. If it wasn't for his poor health, he should be the talker.
Facing the pressure of the three, Hoshina could only back down: "I am willing to dedicate all the ships to the shogunate. After returning to the territory, let the ships form a navy and immediately sail to Edo to obey the shogunate's dispatch."
Such a clean concession made the three elders at a loss as to what to do.
The shogunate has financial difficulties, and the local lords send ships. How can they use the money to support the naval forces?
This thing can only be let go!
The main issue is finance and official administration. In the past few decades, when the shogunate was established, Japanese politics was still relatively clear.
? With the shogun's resignation, it has become increasingly corrupt.
Especially after Tadaki Sakai came to power, this man is a big corrupt official. He blatantly sold his official titles, and later became a big boss, and even invented forms such as "bribery appointment schedule" and "designated bribes", which drove the bribery industry chain centered on luxury goods, imported products, and local specialties.
The whole country is already rotten, and the army of the whole country is also corrupt.
Smuggling by the sea was serious, but the retainers in the inland were also smuggling, and even appointed serving samurai to be responsible for securing the goods.
Such an army may compete with North Korea, and it is no longer the strong Japanese army of the Warring States Period.
Sakai Tadakiyo just opened the prelude to corruption. Tanuma Yiji, who later came to power, even publicly declared: "Gold and silver are more valuable than human life. Those who donate gold and silver to ask for the opportunity to serve the public must have loyalty in their hearts. The amount of gold and silver donated, It is enough to think about people's hearts." He also said, "I went to the city every day and worked hard for the country, and I never felt at ease for a moment. When I returned home, I saw gifts piled up like a mountain under the porch, and I forgot the fatigue of the day and felt refreshed."