Only by allowing the upper, middle and lower-level samurai families to benefit from the Shiba family and tie them to Shiba Yoshigan's chariot can their loyalty be guaranteed and the Maeda Toshi family's hope of marrying into the family be preserved.
In Yoshigan's view, it was really not easy for the Maeda Toshiie, in order to maintain the centripetal force of the Owari Shiba leader towards the Shiba family, to climb mountains and wading rivers to Nanao Port, and then specially take a boat to see him.
No matter how much impure admiration is mixed with her loyalty, Yiyin must accept it.
Yiyin asked softly.
"It's not a good journey, is it? How is things going in Owari Shiba? Have you encountered any difficulties in doing business at Nanao Port?"
Maeda Toshiie bowed and said.
“When the territory was still in Owari Province, Ise Bay was not far away, so I didn’t find it difficult to participate in trade.
But since arriving in Gunjo County, the Owari Shiba Territory's external communication channels have been completely monopolized by the Oda family. His Highness Oda did this to suppress the Owari Shiba Territory, and I cannot let it go.
At the end of this year, the situation in the Shiba area was good. After the spring plowing, we started preparing for the first annuity payment. The grain was raised directly from the Meinong Country by the Loyalty Fund, and there were no problems with transportation.
Your Highness Oda doesn't seem to want to embarrass me on this matter, maybe because she is afraid of offending you, after all, she is currently in a difficult situation in Japan."
Yiyin sneered.
"The food stamp system will be gradually implemented in Shiba Territory after that. You have to find a way to contact the caravans in Hokuriku Road to ensure that daily necessities can enter Owari Shiba Territory via mountain roads from Hokuriku Road.
We need to use the channels of the Oda family, but we also need to keep a back-up for ourselves. Oda Nobunaga, forget it, let’s not talk about her, she is in trouble right now and can’t take care of the Shiba family for the time being.”
Maeda Toshiie nodded.
"I sincerely follow your teachings.
From Gunjo County to Hokurikudo, the shortest distance is between Echizen Province and Kaga Province, but the Tsuruga Port in Echizen Province is too far away. The Kaga Ichiko clan has been causing trouble from time to time, and the ports and towns along the coast have declined.
This time I came to take the route from Hida Province, to Yue-China, and finally to Noto Province."
Yiyin thought deeply.
"This road is a bit far. I'm afraid the caravan is not willing to go. Even if it is willing, Owari Shiba will still have to bear a lot of logistics cost pressure."
Maeda Toshiie said.
“The Ryoshiro Mountains and the Hida Mountains are so towering that they are difficult to cross. The two countries of Echizen-Kaga seem to be close to each other but are actually far apart. On the contrary, the Hida Plateau between the two mountain ranges is easier to walk.
There are several rivers in the Hida Plateau extending northward into Toyama Bay across China. In particular, the Shogawa River runs from the south of Tonami County to the west side of Fuji Bay, very close to Nanao Port in Noto Province.
Through the port town near the Shogawa estuary, Owari Shiba's goods can be smoothly connected to Nanao Port. Although the journey is a bit far, it still has some commercial value and is suitable for long-term business."
Yiyin nodded.
"I am also familiar with the terrain in Tobo County and Zhuangchuan. When Yuezhong went into battle, I fought there with Yuezhong Yixiang Zong.
You are right, this waterway is indeed feasible, but the mountain road in Hida Plateau is difficult to travel, the transportation cost will be very high, and most caravans will not want to go, so you must be mentally prepared.
I will ask Takada Yono to think of a way to help you contact some caravans, and Naoejin will also provide some preferential tax exemption policies to help you negotiate with the caravans."
Seeing that the Maeda Toshiie was a man with a dusty body, and it turned out that he had climbed over from the Hida Plateau, Yoshigami couldn't help but feel pity for him.
He is determined to support the policy, and the pressure on the Maeda Toshi family will be much less. The Hokuriku Road trade route is dominated by the Shiba family, and the boss of Shiba has spoken. If the caravans along the way are not given face, they should not mess around in the future.
But Maeda Toshiie shook his head and said.
"Your Majesty, if you send the caravan with administrative orders, they will naturally not dare to disobey.
But flowers last forever, and no matter how many benefits there are in the Hokurikudo trade route, there is always a limit. Owari Shibo cannot always rely on policies to maintain trade routes. Such risks are too great and are not conducive to long-term peace and stability."
Yoshigan sighed, pointed at Maeda Toshiie and said to Kamao clan.
"Listen, this is what an old man says when he plans for a country.
There are so many people in the Spur Territory in the three places, inside and outside the Kanto Palace, who want to make more money on the Hokuriku Road trade route. Who is willing to calm down and think about the future?
Toshiie, you are right, but the situation of Owari Shiba is different. It was because you tipped me off that you were rejected by Oda Nobunaga, which put Owari Shiba in trouble.
It is not easy to survive in the mountain territory. All necessities of life have to be imported from the outside world. That bastard Oda Nobunaga just wants to use supplies to trap you.
I must help you find a way out at all costs, otherwise Owari Shiba will definitely be caused by Oda Nobunaga in the future.
Don't be stubborn and accept my kindness with peace of mind."
Yiyin understands the sadness of the mountain people very well.
Back then, the Takeda Shingen and Imagawa Hojo families turned against each other, and the other side used the salt control strategy, intending to cut off salt and other daily necessities in Kai and Shinano countries, forcing the Takeda family to fall into disarray.
If Echigo Kingdom hadn't imported supplies to Hoshin behind his back, Takeda Shingen might not have been able to survive this calamity so smoothly and enter Suruga Kingdom.
In the same way, Sanada Nobushige, whose territory was mainly in the mountains, also relied on the welfare and blood transfusions of the Kanto Palace to maintain the elite of the Sanada clan's hundreds of people.
When Yoshigan gets angry and wants to cut off this blood transfusion, Sanada Nobushige has to beg for mercy with snot and tears. A penny is too much for a heroic girl. She goes out to hang out in circles. If she has no money or food, you can say JB.
Sanada Nobushige's current situation is because she has found a few good people to help her develop the commercial value of dried matsutake mushrooms, and she relies on the big boss Yoshihiro Shiba to provide Naoetsu's business resources to make money.
Maeda Toshiie was sealed in Gunjo County by Oda Nobunaga. Behind her were the Ryoshiro Mountains on one side and the Hida Mountains on the other. If the Hida Plateau in the middle was not a place where merchants could still walk, she would not be able to fly even with her wings.
Yoshigan asked her to build a trade route to Hokuriku Road regardless of the cost, because he was worried that Oda Nobunaga would completely block Owari Shiba's territory in the future and destroy the Maeda Toshi family.
But Yoshigoshi tried to persuade him with good words, but Maeda Toshiie shook his head firmly and said.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I'm stubborn, it's just that I don't need your Majesty to deliberately pass administrative orders to help Owari Shiba lead the development of trade routes.
I have found something that can arouse the interest of the Yamagai caravan and make them voluntarily leave the Hida Plateau to trade with me.
I also hope that your Majesty can negotiate with the relevant forces along the Vietnam-China route and the Nanao Port in the country, so that they will not embarrass the caravans taking this trade route, so that I can earn materials and money."
When Yiyin heard this, he became interested.
"No problem, I have acquaintances at the Ichigo Temple in Tonami County, and Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna of Noto will also give me face.
It's just that I'm very curious about what good things there are in the mountains of the county that can make businessmen flock to them, and they are willing to travel across the mountains and Hida Plateau to trade with you."
Yiyin said it implicitly. Back then, he and his Baiqiji warriors killed Yixiang Zong in Yuezhong, killing them all in and out, and the Zhuang River was blocked by corpses.
The acquaintances there were either prisoners back then or defeated generals under his command. Who among these people would dare not agree to his orders?
As for Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna of Nanao Port, she was able to secure Nanao Castle and control Nanao Port only because Yoshigan Shiba helped her support her and smoothed out the various forces in Noto.
Without Yoshigan, Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna would not be able to sit still for a day in Noto country, and would be ready to run away at any time. Yoshigan specially greeted her, how dare she not pay attention to this matter?
Maeda Toshiie's request was a trivial matter for Yoshigan.
Seeing that Yoshihiro was in high spirits, Maeda Toshiie didn't give in. There were three people in the room, and the Kamao clan was a close official of Yoshihiro. Maeda Toshiie didn't worry that she would reveal his business secrets to the outside world, so he spoke directly.
"Salt and saltpeter."
Yiyin was stunned and asked.
"what?"
Maeda Toshiie said.
"It is recorded in the book "Tiangong Kaiwu" of the Celestial Dynasty that saltpeter and salt are of the same parent. When the tide rises and evaporates under the earth, the thin soil near the water is salt, and the thick soil near the mountains is saltpeter.
Yiyin narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before asking.
"You mean there are saltpeter producing areas in the mountains of Junshang County?"
Maeda Toshiie shook his head and said.
"Gunjo-gun does not have such blessings, it is in the Hida Plateau.
In the southern part of Tonami County, at the source of the Shogawa River lies Shirakawa-go. From Shirakawa-go to the south into Hida Country, there are five valleys: Akao Valley, Kamiri Valley, Shimotari Valley, Kodani, and Toga Valley, which are called Goka Valley.
The place where saltpeter is produced is in the Goka Mountain here, and I accidentally discovered this place by chance. With this specialty product of saltpeter in hand, businessmen will definitely be interested."
Yiyin frowned.
"Crossing the border between China and Hida Province, it's a bit far away from Mino Country's Upper County."
Maeda Toshiie shook his head and said.
“The mountains are barren and inaccessible. You may not be able to see a village or a single person even if you walk for a whole day.
Wuqi Mountain seems to be far away from Gunshang County, but there are not many human traces in the area. Salt and salt evaporate into saline-alkali land, where livestock and vegetation cannot survive, and no one lives on the bare barren mountains.
As long as I secretly set up a workshop in the valley and boil saltwater out of the mountains, I can make use of the nearby Zhuangchuan water transport and make a huge profit.
It’s just that this method is useless if I say it, so please keep it a secret for me, Your Majesty.”
Yiyin smiled.
"I'm very satisfied that you can make a living on your own, so how can I ruin your good deeds? It's just me and Kamoji here, so don't worry.
But you have to be careful yourself, don’t let the news leak out from yourself, then you can’t blame me.”
Maeda Toshiie smiled.
"It's just a windfall that I stumbled upon accidentally. It's God's will to make it happen within a few years. How dare you expect to be able to hide it from the eyes of the world forever?"
Yoshihiro nodded. It seemed that Maeda Toshiie was not optimistic that the current tacit understanding between the Shiba and Oda families would last too long.
The dilemma of Owari Shiba collar originated from Oda Nobunaga. One day the two families really turn against each other, the current situation of Owari Shiba collar will be solved.
No matter whether the outcome is good or bad, we have to see the outcome, and Maeda Toshiie no longer has to stay in the mountains and suffer.
Yiyin smiled.
"You've made a fortune since you found saltpeter. No wonder you dare to be so confident and don't want my help."
Making gunpowder requires saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The island country has many volcanoes and there is no shortage of sulfur, and there is enough charcoal, but saltpeter has always been a big problem.
As the new technology of iron cannon was gradually matured in the military, martial artists from all over the country began to equip iron cannons. The related gunpowder and lead shot were used as consumables, and the demand was increasing.
Saltpeter and lead were mainly imported through Nanman trade and were not easy to obtain.
Maeda Toshiie actually discovered the saltpeter producing area in the island. No wonder she was sure that merchants would be willing to cross the mountains and come to the mountains to do business with her.
Hearing Yoshigan's teasing, Maeda Toshiie said modestly.
"Your Majesty, it's a joke. The quality of saltpeter cooked by the local method is not as good as that of the Nanman. One stone of soil saltpeter can only be exchanged for fifteen stones of brown rice at most, which is far worse than the Nanman product."
Yoshigami shook his head helplessly, Maeda Toshiie was showing off his wealth.
It is indeed difficult to boil saltpeter in the mountains. The workers responsible for boiling it are probably short-lived ghosts. There is no such thing as chemical protection these days. They are all slave laborers with ordinary consumables.
But no matter how difficult it is to boil saltwater, can it be more difficult than farming?
There is not much good land on this damn volcanic island, and intensive farming for a year is not enough for people to eat. Being able to exchange one stone of soil and saltpeter for fifteen stones of food is a great thing that you can't even dream of.
Maeda Toshiie's territory in Gunjo County was only 20,000 koku, and it was still a barren land in the mountains. The four officials and six citizens were considered well-to-do, and they could only dig out eight thousand koku of grain from the ground.
If she can produce five hundred stones of soil and saltpeter a year, she can cover the territory's land output. If she can produce one thousand stones of soil and saltpeter, wealthy people like Yi Yin can't help but take a look.
Regardless of how much Yiyin earns, he spends more and spends money to fill the pits in everything he does. Even with a net income of 10,000 to 20,000 dan, he would be jealous for a long time.
Looking at Maeda Toshiie's pretty face that looks slightly tired, she can see that these five years of experience have made her more mature than she was then, even with a hint of vicissitudes.
Yoshigan recalled in a daze that Maeda Toshiie was nearly 20 years old at the time, and she should be 24 or 5 at this time. In this medieval era when thirty was considered an old woman, she was no longer considered a young person.
She dedicated the best five years of her youth to Yiyin, and Yiyin was able to enjoy the benefits without paying anything.
Yoshigan suddenly felt a little ashamed. Maeda Toshiie was like a young man who graduated from civil engineering in his previous life and worked at the construction site until he was thirty-five years old.
They are the women that society needs most. Just shouting a slogan and injecting a little chicken blood can drain their bodies.
Yiyin felt palpitations in his heart, because he still had a conscience, which was far less mature than his previous life.
Looking at Maeda Toshiie, Yoshigan knew what she wanted and what he could give her.
The marriage dispute was a trick by Akechi Mitsuhide to mislead Shiba's ministers, but Shiba's information was indeed the evidence leading to Yoshigan's harem.
Others' certificates were issued by Yi Bank on their own initiative. Only Maeda Toshiie's certificate was obtained by himself, and it contains more gold.
Yoshihiro could not favor one over the other, he wanted to make this visit to Maeda Toshiie worthwhile.
So, he said.
"Bama Shengji, I have something to discuss with the Lee family alone. You go out and guard the yard so that no one disturbs our conversation."
Maeda Toshiie's expression was calm. She still didn't know what Yoshigan meant by this. However, the Kamao clan was the old watchdog of the household, and there was a hint of uneasiness in her eyes at this time.
As expected, Junshang is related to Maeda Toshiie... Kamao clan's heart is slightly sad. As she grows older, she understands more and more what sorrow is.
Pretending not to care, he bowed and excused himself. Kamao clan left the room to a lonely man and a widow, leaving his sorrow to himself and left sadly.
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