The absence of wind and waves allows the island country's flat-bottomed boat technology to sail on the sea like a river. The absence of wind and snow allows the island's ice-free port to still bloom with flowers in winter.
The citizens of the castle town are busy and work hard every day just to make a living.
Compared with the endless wars outside, the customs established by the samurai family in order to obtain a large amount of commercial taxes at least ensured the peace of Sakai Port, and the townspeople were willing to endure exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes in exchange for peace.
It's just that the taxes that are becoming more and more onerous year by year are ultimately miserable.
At the townhouse, the two owners were complaining about the difficulty in doing business.
"Business at Yoshida House is booming recently, and you have made a fortune."
"Don't be ridiculous, how can the business of Nightingale House be better than yours? I heard that many Ji warriors from Settsu came to spend a lot of money. You are the one who really made a fortune."
The owner of Nightingale House waved his hand and said with a wry smile.
“These are all sales that have no repeat customers.
The Oda family has obtained permission from the shogunate to attack the Settsu Kingdom. They are about to fight again. Those Hime samurai who have no future today are not here to have fun, but only want the last happiness before death."
The owner of Yoshida House sighed.
"When will this battle be over?"
The owner of Nightingale House curled his lips.
"No matter how we fight, it's none of our business. Sakai Port is the territory of the saints. It's under the control of the Hosokawa family. No one dares to come here to cause trouble."
The owner of Yoshida House frowned.
"That's what I say, but the hearts of the Hosokawa family are too dark.
In charge of the conduct of the castle town, I asked for twenty guan of incense money a month. When the Miyoshi family was there, it was only 5 guan, and the Oda family only had 12 guan at that time.
My male cousin only pays a few tens of pennies per customer, and the incense fee alone costs twenty guan a month. All kinds of taxes must be paid, and the money I earn can be regarded as a filial piety to the prison, so what should I eat?"
The owner of Nightingale House sighed.
"Isn't that right? He's getting more and more sinister.
Recently, they have talked about building a civilized port town and changing the law to increase taxes. They really don't treat us who raise male cousins ​​as human beings, and they are breaking the bones and sucking out the marrow.
We have done all the bad things, and they have made all the money. They want both face and money, but they just won’t give us a way to survive, so why bother with the largest port city, the Pearl of Kinki, bah.”
The owner of Yoshida House sighed.
"I've been thinking about it these days. It's hard to do things in the town here at Sakai Port. How about crossing the river to the plains or Takai and trying another place?"
The owner of Nightingale House whispered.
"Don't mess around. Someone has already tried it, and several of them were stabbed to death by the Renshenglang bastards, claiming they were tax evasion.
I heard that the Takada family and the Hosokawa family are now united to clean up small businesses, and they are cramping and peeling off their skin. It's okay for us who are doing side jobs, but it's more difficult for serious business people.
The boss is short of money right now."
The owner of Yoshida House said angrily.
"It's neither possible to stay nor to leave. This is to force us to have no way to survive. How did Kinki Pearl end up like this? What about the mercy of the saint that we promised?"
The owner of Nightingale House scoffed.
"You believe this too?
The saint's compassion is compassion for the samurai family, and compassion for the Ji warriors in Shiba's establishment. Who are pariahs like you and me, worthy of a saint's look?
I heard that when Shiba Oda started the war, the saint spent a lot of money, it must be this amount."
The owner of Nightingale House drew a number, which made the owner of Yoshida House take a breath.
"four million?"
"Well, the whole four million dan, I heard it was all raised by Mr. Takada Haruno.
So, in the end, this money has to fall on the heads of untouchables like you and me. Spo’s food stamps are no longer falling, but the prices are soaring and taxes and miscellaneous taxes are rising. In the end, it’s not us who have to foot the bill?
You and I don't know anything else, we just know how to raise a male cousin. Don't think of any other way out, just take it one day at a time, just in case things get better in the future."
The owner of Yoshida House sighed and said angrily.
"What kind of saint from the Wu family is a rotten cousin? Maybe he's not as good as those of you and me who are scratchy or clean."
The owner of the Nightingale House was horrified. He covered the mouth of the owner of the Yoshida House and looked around for no one. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and cursed in a low voice.
"You don't want your life? You can arrange a saint? I shouldn't come out to drink with you, drink a few cups of yellow soup, and dare to say anything!"
The owner of Yoshida House also knew that he was quick to speak and said the wrong thing, so he apologized in a low voice.
"It's my fault, I'll punish myself with a drink."
She poured a glass of wine, swallowed it, and sighed. She had something to say, but she didn't dare to say it anymore. She stared blankly at the street outside.
The town of Sakai Port has always been prosperous, but what does this prosperous place have to do with you? Money is earned for others and kept for others.
Humph, saint, that is also a saint from the Wu family, it has nothing to do with us untouchables.
———
Not far away from where the two bosses were drinking, in the Shinsengumi station, Takada Yono put down his accounts and sighed slightly.
After Imai Munehisa bowed, he said worriedly.
"Sir, do we really want to accept this large amount of money from Guandong? I always feel that people over there are getting bolder and bolder. This is inappropriate."
Takada Yono said calmly.
"When Sibo Bank was founded, many people watched it from afar and did not dare to deposit money. I tried my best to get the money, but the amount was less than half of those rich people from Guandong.
How can we build market confidence if we don’t accept money from people in Guandong? If everyone has no confidence, how can this bank continue?
Just because of the money that Fujitaka Hosokawa plundered from Sakai Port? Just because the Shinsengumi threatened the businessmen with a knife to prevent them from running away?
For the Shiba Oda War, in just one year, we put more than four million stone food stamps on the market. Without external blood transfusion support, how could we maintain this situation?
Do you think I don’t know that those people in Guandong have problems? Do you think I am willing to accept their dirty money? But do I have a choice?"
Imai Muneji sighed.
"After all, this matter of tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall will not last long."
Takada Yono sneered.
"That's why I opened Spo Bank, and I swallowed the dirty money.
Whether it's to eat up the family or eat the dirty money, as long as I can destroy the excess Sibo food stamps, I am willing to do it.
At worst, if Kanto is allowed to run amok, what does it matter to me? I am the town official of the Shiba family, not a lackey of the Kanto court.
The chaos in Guandong was the result of their death. The collapse of the food stamps was the death of me. If you were me, how would you choose?"
Imai Munejiu grimaced.
"Did you plan to trick them to death from the beginning?"
Takata Yono shook his head and said.
"I don't have that much ability, so I have no choice but to protect myself, so I have to be prepared.
Yukino told me that she can only keep Hanzawa Naoyi safe for one year without causing trouble. The person behind Hanzawa Naoyoshi is Ii Naomasa. Xiaonizi is very stubborn and will not give up easily.
Rather than letting Hanzawa Naoyoshi come to harass me and investigate me again, it is better to divert trouble to the east and let Hanzawa Naoyoshi go to those people in Kanto.
Either the Kanto people kill Hanzawa Naoyoshi, or Hanzawa Naoyoshi overturns Kanto's bad debt. No matter what the outcome is, I can sit on the shore and watch the show peacefully.
I know too well the sage's tendency to take the overall situation into consideration. Once the economy of Kanto is in chaos, the sage will never allow another chaos to occur here, and I will be safe.
Not only can I use money from Kanto people to make up for the shortage of food stamps in Shiba, but I can also get rid of the entanglement between Ii Naomasa and Hanzawa Naoyoshi, killing two birds with one stone."
Takada Yono's cold words made Imai Munehisa couldn't help but tremble.
The water in the money and food accounts was too deep. If something happened, it would be a big deal, so Imai Munehisa couldn't avoid it. But she was Takada Harano's person, and the relationship was unclear, so she could only follow her boss and go crazy.
I just hope that in the days to come, it will be exactly as Takada Yono calculated, dead Taoist friends will not die poor Taoists, let the Kanto people die for us.
()
Chapter completed!