Chapter 279 Peace with Japan (Sixteen) Negotiation, Negotiation
Regarding the mineral resources of the Korean Peninsula, a well-known fact in later generations is that south of the 38th Parallel is very poor, 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 are basically concentrated in northern North Korea. Regarding this matter, there is a very good prerequisite, that is, these areas have been identified.
The army was restored and returned to the hands of the Joseon court, which was a bargaining chip that the Joseon court could use now.
According to Gao Pragmatic's memory and Liu Xin's determination, the area of the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th Parallel was only about 123,000 square kilometers in later generations, but its main mineral resource reserves accounted for more than 80% of the land area.
There are more than 300 kinds of minerals.
North Korea in later generations 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 hegemony 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. They are easily
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 North 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 the mineable capacity is said to be 3 billion tons. According to Liu Xin’s memory, the production capacity of the mine 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 mineral 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 or 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.
It is very large. Of course, the highest grade iron ore is the Pingan Dojiechuan 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 given the current consumption capacity.
The distribution of coal mines in North Korea is very common. There are four major coalfields 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 obtain 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. Considering the geographical location here and the location of the Mushan 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 export destinations in the future 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, so there is only one suitable place, and that is Chongjin - speaking of it, the Chongjin Steel Works in later North Korea is indeed
Set up here.
Li Hao was very satisfied with exchanging a large amount of food aid for several possible mines and coal fields (many of which had not been discovered by North Korea itself). At the same time, he had another idea deep in his heart that he did not dare to express openly: he dared to use it to a certain extent
Although he offended Song Yingchang, he did not dare to offend Gao pragmatism at all.
So the negotiations... well, there were no negotiations. Li Hao approved the project after a brief discussion with Yi Dooshou, Liu Chenglong and other important ministers. And since the essence of this project was an exchange, he also agreed to a side
The conditions are that mines and coal fields do not need to pay taxes to North Korea, and if Jinghua really builds an iron plant in Chongjin, it will only have to bear a tax rate of no more than 3%.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! This tax was insisted on by Ido Shou and Liu Chenglong, but the final tax rate was ten times lower than the 30% they insisted on at the beginning. The reason is the Ming Dynasty
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. However, in October, the Japanese envoys Konishi Ruan and Zong Yizhi accompanied Shen Weijing to Beijing. They were received by the cabinet, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War.
Shen Weijing served as the translator, and was supervised by a general manager who was proficient in Japanese.
The people in the cabinet were seated, and Shen Shixing raised his hand to indicate that he could read the table of surrender. Xiaoxi Ru'an and Zong Yizhi knelt down and bowed the table after worshiping. After Shen Weijing read, the officials of the cabinet, ceremony, and military departments were speechless in response, and each drank tea. It was quiet and the atmosphere was solemn, except for the sound of tea tasting and a few birds chirping outside the house.
Shen Weijing didn't know what he 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, you are here to ask for help." Even if North Korea obstructs the canonization and tribute, 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 Education is clear, 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 until the Ming Dynasty and were already dead in the belly of the fish. 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, so I used the pretense of asking for surrender to confuse the public, occupy the three roads of Korea, and eliminate hidden dangers while negotiating with the Ming Dynasty. Recharge your batteries and attack me unprepared? To be honest, I will 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 tribute requests. 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 that you are invading our vassal and bullying me? It is really puzzling that you are so ambitious that you have come 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 imperial court. 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 were 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. It is just that 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? Song Yingchang and Li Rusong didn't 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 misinterpreted its sincerity, so the war continued, and North Korea was defeated all the way. The Ming army suddenly arrived in Pyongyang, and we had no idea, so we could only fight reluctantly.
Later, the army of the Ming Dynasty came and met and talked. They wanted to use this to convey our country's wishes, but it turned out to be a trap. How could we dare to negotiate easily after that? At the same time, the Ming army's offensive was very urgent, and the battle continued until the two armies rested.
Only then could I take 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 whole 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 then 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 act in this way."
Report the truth. Moreover, we have not started a war with the Ming army. Please investigate clearly!" After saying this, Xiaoxi Ru'an and Zong Yizhi, under Shen Weijing's signal, just kowtowed and apologized.
Everyone discussed privately, and both Wang Jiaping and Wang Xijue believed that although there were still doubts about Japan's request to surrender, it should generally be credible. Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, suggested: "It is written in the surrender form that Japan wants to be the legitimate son of the Ming Dynasty. Although this is surprising.
It's funny, but the Japanese people understand the etiquette of saying this, so they can report 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 in Hideyoshi. Throughout the ages, there has never been such a relationship between king and minister that can be unharmed for a hundred years. I think Hideyoshi must have something.
He was so scrupulous that he did not dare to replace him, but whoever he was canonized would make things difficult for the Ming Dynasty.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! If you want 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 smooth sailing."
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 dismissed. 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 have to temporarily stop the troops to rest and recuperate. However, the Japanese pirates are cunning and cannot withdraw all the troops. Before the end of the seal, Qi Jin can be ordered to
Wu Weizhong led his troops to stay behind and seize the main roads to prevent changes. Song Yingchang and Li Rusong took care of Korean affairs, and the rest temporarily retreated 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 it 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 Xiao Xiruan and Zong Yizhi: "The emperor has a decree, and the Japanese country
After being sealed, you should quickly evacuate North Korea and Tsushima Island. After being sealed, you need to keep your peace, but you don't need to pay tribute and trade. Trade matters can be handled by the Beiyang Sea Trade Alliance.
From now on, Japan should make peace with North Korea and not invade again. The Ministry of Cabinet will ask for the decree to issue the canonization. The matter of withdrawing the troops will be explained to you by the Secretary of the Ministry of War." After saying this, 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: "The Ming Dynasty was rich all over the world, and many countries came to Korea, and there was no shortage of this country. The war was about to end, but the hostility was difficult to eliminate, and North Korea suffered deeply. How could the Ming Dynasty ignore its feelings when it comes to suffering? If Japan wants to pay tribute, the Japanese country 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 have 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 only canonize but are not allowed to ask for tribute, you may be prosecuted after returning to the country. Please try again To express my love 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 immediately withdraw from North Korea and wait for the seal, otherwise he will be exterminated immediately!"
Seeing this, Zong Yizhi said nothing, and together with Xiao Xi Ru'an, he followed Shen Weijing out, waiting for the edict to prepare to leave the capital.
----------
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Jie Speaks Out", "Cao Mianzi", "Zhi Yu Jing Feng Chen", "The Sun and the Moon Never Set in Hawaii", "Mythical Dragon", "Xinquan Man", "Sword Flying Peng Chonglou", "Qin Thank you for your monthly ticket support from "Chao Xiaozhu" and "GJC0516"!
Thanks to book friend "lyle" for your support with 9 monthly tickets, thank you!
PS: It was too late to watch the live broadcast of the Russian-Ukrainian war, so this chapter was posted a little late... Sorry.