Chapter One Thousand Three Hundred and Fifteen: A trade of one hundred pounds of gold, it’s worth the price!
"Ahem! Ichiro, keep these four pieces of gold charms away! ...Ahem! Don't wear them around your neck! Put them in the bamboo basket behind your back. There are so many warriors at home, relax, you can't lose them!
…”
The sun has set in the west, setting a golden red light. The warriors on both sides are sitting cross-legged on the ground to rest, eating simple dry food and water. Although they still remain vigilant, the atmosphere has become much calmer.
After Mitsuhiro Uizaki handed the golden talisman to his cronies, he finally regained his composure. With a wave of his hand, several samurai and four craftsmen were handed over to the hands of the Shantao tribe opposite. The craftsmen had a premonition of a bad outcome.
Some of them shed tears, some mourned and cried, and some looked numb, but they could not shake the determination of the warriors at all.
After all, these craftsmen were all recruited from the territory guarded by Matsumae in the name of "Bikou Santar". They are not fellow villagers at all with these Oyezaki samurai. Even if they are fellow townsmen, as long as they are not their own family members, and the head of the family they are loyal to is not from the same hometown.
Once a decision is made, they will resolutely implement it!
In this era of Japan, the compassion of samurai would only be shown to samurai with the same status, or to more noble samurai who were in decline. As for humble farmers and ordinary craftsmen, they were not within the scope of respect of samurai at all.
This is just like in Europe of this era, knights' respect for women was limited to noble matrons with high status! But when facing women from civilian families, there is no need to maintain etiquette at all, and it is not at all like what was beautified by later generations...
“Dear Chief Shantao, please allow me to show you several other craftsmen with outstanding skills!…”
Mitsuhiro Uyizaki smiled sincerely and waved again. Three more trembling craftsmen came up with their own tools. This time it was another combination of craftsmen. First, a leatherworker took out a piece of beef that had been shaped in advance.
The leather was circled into a bulging cowhide armor, and the joints were strung together with iron rings. Then, a seamstress carefully sewed the leather armor together with thick threads, and simply put the leather armor together.
The process of making this kind of leather armor seems to be different from that of the nomadic tribes in the far north. Zuvalo watched it with great interest, and this time he really understood it. Until finally, a painter came up and painted the leather armor with the cheapest paint.
Brown lacquer, accompanied by the pungent smell, formed an ashigaru-style leather armor. And Zuvalo's eyes changed from interesting to confused.
"Chief Kazuto, the dye at the end is black and sticky... what is it?..."
Hearing this, Mitsuhiro Uizaki raised his eyebrows, thoughtfully. He looked at Zuvalo deeply and said with a smile.
"Buddha bless you! This is lacquer, which can be painted on leather armor to make it more durable! As for the color of the lacquer, just add cinnabar to make it a beautiful red. And this outstanding craftsman,
He is a senior lacquer craftsman from Kazuto, called Haruki Lacquer!..."
"As for the other two, they are the leatherworker Ushio Natsuo, and the tailor and weaver Langda. Although their skills are good, they are not as good as the painters. They can only be regarded as ordinary craftsmen..."
"Lord God! Lacquer? Painter?... This is a craftsman I have never heard of. Even His Majesty's prophecy did not mention it! But being able to strengthen leather armor and strengthen tools seems to be very important! Hmm... the key
It’s this dark paint, I wonder where it came from?…”
Zuvalo carefully looked at the leather armor in the hands of the craftsman, looking at the thick layer of lacquer on it, and his expression became serious. It was obvious that he saw the military value of this "lacquer". With this new appearance
Compared with the leather armor coating, the Heren chief observed his words and described a "painter" who was probably an ordinary person as some kind of "senior craftsman"... This is irrelevant.
Anyway, it’s a big deal, but it’s just half a piece more, or at most a gold talisman. What a big deal! He was even happy to give more, so that the Heren chief could be diligent and busy, and he would collect more next time. The kingdom has never done this, and has never even done so.
An unheard of craftsman!
"...Chief Kazuto, my good friend Kazuto. Where did this kind of paint come from? Is it the black oily asphalt that comes out of the ground? Or is it the sap rubber that flows from the trees? But rubber doesn't turn black..."
"Huh?... That black oil coming out of the ground? What is that?... Oh! My good friend, you are right! This lacquer is the first white sap flowing down from the tree.
!But when these juices are left for a period of time, they naturally turn black..."
Mitsuhiro Uyizaki smiled and nodded complacently. Obviously, he did not realize how important the "black oil" and "white glue" mentioned by "Chief Shantao" were. And Zu
Varro's eyes also brightened, and he understood that "lacquer" and "rubber" are not the same. He looked at Mitsuhiro Uyizaki and asked impatiently.
"Ha! My good friend Kazuto! Then do you have the seeds of the lacquer-producing tree? Since you gave me the lacquer maker, you have to give me the 'lacquer tree'!..."
"Ah this? The seeds of the lacquer tree?...Oh! Yes, there are very few lacquer trees in the north, and they won't grow if it's too cold. So this Shantao chief has never seen a lacquer tree. So, I'm afraid the lacquer master has not seen it when he comes to his tribe.
Use it!…”
Mitsuhiro Uyizaki was startled, and patted his head in sudden realization. However, he was very tight-lipped and did not tell the growing environment of the sumac tree. He just nodded with a smile and promised "Shan Tao Liangyou" that he would definitely get some next time.
He brought the seeds of the sumac tree. Then he pointed to the three craftsmen with a smile and asked.
"My good friend Shantao! Are you satisfied with these three craftsmen?..."
"Well, it's okay! ... This painter is a bit interesting. I'll offer a gold charm, but it must include lacquer seeds! As for the cobbler and tailor, I'm always generous to my friends, so let's give them a gold charm for the price.
!”
Zuvarro nodded reservedly. Then, he once again took out two shining gold charms from his arms and threw them heavily into Mitsuhiro Uizaki's hands.
Mitsuhiro Uizaki held the golden charm, his heart pounded for a while, and then he quickly threw the golden charm to his confidant Kinichiro. He was afraid that he would lose his temper again in front of Chief Shanta, the elders and retainers. However, looking at Zuwa
Luo Yuanyuan kept taking out the golden talismans, and he was shocked to the point of numbness in his heart, even a little ecstatic, as if he was dreaming.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Buddha! What is the origin of this Shantao tribe? In the mysterious and dangerous extreme northern snowfield, there will really be a huge golden mountain. Will there be a huge mountain of gold?"
Is there such a wealthy Shantao tribe? Or, their obviously processed golden talismans are inherited from a once powerful force, are they the last branches and leaves left after the big tree falls?...For example, it was once extremely powerful.
of…"
Mitsuhiro Oyizaki had a premonition that he was getting closer and closer to the unknown "truth" of all this. But the enthusiastic and generous "Chief Yamata" interrupted his thoughts again.
"Haha! Don't worry! You are all excellent craftsmen, and the tribe will treat you well!"
Zuvaro smiled with satisfaction as he watched the three Kazuto craftsmen with forlorn expressions board the kingdom's longship. Then, he still had more to say, pointing to the last few remaining craftsmen and asking.
"My good friend Kazuto! What kind of craftsmen are these last few?..."
"Oh! This one is the mason Soichiro Asawa, with his two apprentices."
"Um...Mason?...Together these three people, I can only give you a gold charm."
"This?...Okay! For the sake of your best friends, take them away with a piece of gold talisman!..."
Mitsuhiro Uizaki looked embarrassed, but he was smiling in his heart. The so-called masons are more experienced construction workers who build large houses in castle towns or village communities. This kind of masons do not have any "unique skills" at all, and they work every day.
Life experience is accumulated slowly. They can't make much money at all. The tax they can pay to their family in a year is only one or two dan. And this golden talisman is a big sum of ninety dan!
Of course, Mitsuhiro Uizaki doesn't know what value these "ordinary skills" that are common in the old continent and have been passed down for a long time have to the plateau kingdom across the sea! The introduction of these skills will also enable the kingdom in the lake to
"Ah! There are only the last three. They are the three brothers of the potter's family. They don't have surnames, so they are called the potters Ichiro, Jiro, and Sanro. However, they are all good pottery makers, especially good at making large pots! Their firing skills
Tao skills are also famous in Matsumae!…”
"Potter? Ichiro, Erro, Sanro? The names of these Japanese craftsmen are somewhat similar to those of the Kingdom. They are all named after their occupations, but there is an additional family ranking at the end, which is really interesting!..."
"Blessed by the Lord God! I don't know how their skills compare with the potters in the Kingdom?...Can they make large clay pots? It seems that not many people in the Kingdom can do this..."
Zuvalo thought for a moment, then readily took out a golden talisman again and continued to ask with a smile.
"My brother Kazuto! Are there any craftsmen?"
"My brother Shantao is really gone now! If I had known you were so honest and reliable, I would have asked my family to recruit more craftsmen!..."
Mitsuhiro Uizaki shook his head helplessly, feeling greatly regretful and feeling more greedy.
There were not many craftsmen in Herendi, so he only brought thirteen craftsmen this time. Among them were a blacksmith, a carpenter, a bamboo stripper, a papermaker, a cobbler, a tailor, a painter, as well as a mason and a potter.
There were three craftsmen each. Unexpectedly, the Shantao chief was so generous. Not only did he accept all the orders, he also gave him eight pieces of gold talismans, a full eight pounds and one hundred and twenty-eight taels of gold!
You must know that these 128 taels of gold are equivalent to 720 shi of rice income! And 100 shi of Zhixing, excluding farmers' rations and tax losses, can usually only collect one-third of the current rice, which is 35 shi...
In other words, the transactions of these thirteen craftsmen alone brought the Oyizaki family an annual income of 2,000 koku! And this was cash that was not affected by the purchase price of rice seats and would not be eaten up by merchants again.
"Gold" is cash that can be used at any time, cash, cash!
Therefore, Mitsuhiro Uizaki was very clear about the important value of these precious golds to the Uyizaki family. Zuwaro was also extremely clear about the important value of these precious craftsmen to the kingdom in the lake.
At this moment, the two "good friends" looked at each other and had already elevated each other's status to that of their own "brothers"! Of course, if there is a temptation that is difficult to refuse in the future, at this time, the "brothers of different races and fathers"
", he would still pull out the knife without hesitation and stab his brother in both sides...
"Buddha! What on earth is this large Shanta tribe that suddenly appeared and recruited craftsmen at all costs going to do? Do they want... to restore the country?... Or to re-establish the country?..."
Mitsuhiro Oyezaki pondered for a moment, and decided to test the position of the "brother tribe" again, as well as the real "gold content" of the other party. So, with a smile on his face, he looked at the bold Zuvalo, bowed slightly and asked.
"My Shantao brothers! Do you need craftsmen who can grow mulberry and raise silkworms, and grow linen and weave cloth?..."
"A tree called 'mulberry'? A bug that spins silk? What is that? Weaving clothes with 'hemp'? Don't you have cotton?...Wait! I remembered it! Your Majesty mentioned in the prophecy that a bug that spins silk
, it is indeed a ‘silkworm’!…”
Zuvalo captured the key information and once again verified His Majesty's prediction. He suddenly looked excited and asked with a smile.
"My brother Kazuto! Isn't 'silkworm' a precious specialty that is only available to the 'Great Ming and Han Tribe Alliance' and the 'Korean Tribe Alliance'? Why, you and the Kazuto tribe also have it?..."
"Haha! My brother Shantao, you are joking. Planting mulberry and raising silkworms have long been brought into our country by the Tang people who moved eastward. And the latest silk spinning technology has also been 'exchanged' with the southwestern clans.
, was introduced to our country from North Korea...and now, although the silk industry in Kyoto is much inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty, it is already close to that of North Korea!..."
Mitsuhiro Uyizaki smiled respectfully. For such a truly powerful person, especially someone who can bring great benefits to himself and his family, it is worthy for him to lower his stature to the lowest level.
"My brother Shantao, I have a way to contact the big shots in Kyoto and get the best 'silkworm seeds', 'mulberry trees', and the outstanding 'North Korean senior silk craftsmen'! ... But the cost of this,
But it’s very high-spirited, very high-spirited!…”
Hearing this, Zuvarro raised his eyebrows and understood the unfinished meaning of this "cheap brother". He pondered for a moment, thinking of the "silkworm" specifically mentioned in His Majesty's divine revelation, and then asked calmly.
"Oh? My brother Kazuto, do you really have a way to get silkworms to plant mulberry trees, and some senior Korean silk craftsmen?..."
"Buddha's testimony! It's true! It's just that the cost is really high..."
"Oh! Then how much is this high cost?..."
Hearing this, Mitsuhiro Uizaki smiled and raised a finger. He paid close attention to Zuvalo's reaction and estimated the real "gold content" of the other party. If the other party was willing to spend such a large price to buy back the silkworm seeds
Mulberry trees and craftsmen, it proves that the other party not only has strong financial resources, but also is not located in the far north! After all, silkworms are afraid of cold, and silkworms cannot be raised in cold areas...
"One finger? You mean, ten gold charms?..."
"No! It's not ten, it's a hundred gold talismans!"
Mitsuhiro Oyezaki was determined and looked at each other with Zuvallo. Then, he raised a smile again and bowed respectfully.
"Believe me! My brother Shantao! The silkworm breeders in Kyoto and the silk craftsmen in Korea are worth the price!..."
