Shang Yi said lightly: "I have just said that as long as the foreign merchants who do business in Hangzhou respect my laws and do business with integrity, other matters are all based on personal freedom. I will not interfere, and I will do it. Local officials in Hangzhou also have the responsibility to protect the personal safety of every businessman here.
**The nobles are so indifferent and have no reason to take away a disciplined business group from me. How can I explain to other businessmen?"[]
Abe Shigeji said: "But I have the order of the general of the Japanese to conquer the Yi..."
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Shang Yi and said, "Tokugawa Iemitsu is just a great general from Japan and cannot control China's affairs. Moreover, I and Tokugawa Iemitsu and I have no relatives and no reason, so why should I give him this face? .”
Of course, the translator dared not translate the name of Tokugawa Igami directly, so Abe Shigeji didn't know it, but he also felt that Shang Yi's words were not unreasonable. After a while of silence, he said: "Then Master Supervisor knows this. Is the true identity of the business group?"
Shang Yi nodded and said carelessly: "Of course I know that they are the old subordinates of Toyotomi clan, and are mainly appointed as the granddaughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. According to your Japanese custom, they can be called Toyotomi Princess."
Asbe Shigeji couldn't help but be a little surprised and said, "Since the Supervisor knows the true identity of this business group, he must also know that they are not a real business group, we..."
But his words were interrupted by Shang Yi again and said, "You don't need to say much about this. I know the grudge between Tokugawa and Toyotomi. It's because Tokugawa's family is in a bad way. Tokugawa's family died back then. Previously, I entrusted my youngest son Toyotomi Hidera to Tokugawa Ieyasu to take care of him, just like I would be entrusted with an orphan. However, I didn't expect Tokugawa Ieyasu to take the opportunity to attack and seize the Toyotomi family's world, and forced Hidera and Toyotomi Hideyoshi to death to death. , Do you want to attack his only granddaughter now?"
Abe Shigeji didn't expect Shang Yi to be so familiar with this history in Japan, so he felt a little embarrassed. After all, there are public opinions on this matter in Japan. Tokugawa's family did it inexplicably. It took a long time to realize it. : "The Master Supervisor misunderstood. Iekazu was forced to do something about that year. The death of Xiu Lai and Mrs. Dianjun was also an accident. Moreover, this time we want to bring the princess back to Japan, so we must not harm her. Instead, I hope to support her well to comfort the spirit of Taige in heaven."
Shang Yi waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't misunderstand it, I am not interested in the grievances between Tokugawa and Toyotomi families, nor do I want to make a mistake for them. How do you want to deal with the princess? I don’t want to care too much. I just want my envoy to know everything. If your country must bring back the mission, how will your country compensate for the benefits I lost?"
This time, Abe was a little confused and said in confusion: "I wonder what benefits did the Supervisor lose?"
In fact, Shang Yi had already scolded Abe for being so bitter, because the negotiation strategy was that his trump card was the later he would be, so Shang Yi spent so much talk and kept hinting. , I don't know if this Japanese man really didn't know that he was deliberately pretending to be confused, and he didn't say a single word, so Shang Yi had to express his attitude directly and said: "I have always encouraged overseas trade in Zhejiang, and your country's business is The group has been doing business in Hangzhou for three years and sold large amounts of our Chinese goods to Japan, which has brought me many benefits. Once the nobles took them away, my trade with you will be cut off. Wouldn't it be a huge loss? I wonder how your country plans to compensate me?"
Only then did Abe Shigei understand Shang Yi’s meaning. After a while, he said: “So what compensation does the Supervisor hope to get?”
After talking for a long time, Shang Yi finally waited for a word he needed and immediately said: "If your envoy takes the business group away, then your country must open a coastal city to me and conduct trade between me and you
The trading port allows me to set up Chinese commercial halls at the trading port to manage trade affairs, and provide preferential policies in terms of taxation, customs procedures, etc.
~”
In the early 17th century, Sino-Japan trade accounted for a large proportion of China's foreign trade, because most of China's commodities were very popular in Japan, and at this time, Japan discovered silver mines, and its purchasing power also changed.
It is very powerful. At the heyday of the red seal ship trade, the entire ship of silver was often transported to China to purchase goods.
Although Japan implemented a policy of completely locking the country after the Shimahara Rebellion and the trade of red seal ships was completely stopped, Japan also needed a certain amount of Chinese goods. Therefore, with his strong foundation in Japan, Zheng Zhilong not only maintained peace and harmony.
Our trade deals, and at the same time, took this opportunity to monopolize the trade of the Republic. More than half of Zheng Zhilong's overseas careers were trade deals with Japan.
Because now, if Shangyi wants to develop the economy, it must expand overseas trade, and Japan must not ignore it. Moreover, Gui Ji has silver in his hands, so he will not make any profit. At the same time, Shangyi also needs to import copper ore and sulfur from Japan.
. Therefore, Shang Yi has always wanted to expand trade with Japan, but he did not want to have a conflict with Zheng Zhilong, so he gave up temporarily.
Now Zheng Zhilong's power has collapsed, and Zheng Chenggong is full of feathers. A vacuum zone has appeared between China and Japan's trade. Shang Yi certainly hopes that he can fill this vacuum zone and monopolize Sino-Japanese trade, but Shang Yi does not have Zheng Zhilong in Japan.
The basis of this, and in a short period of time, cannot be opened with giant ships and heavy artillery like the Europeans. Therefore, at present, only Japanese merchants can use the help of Japanese merchant groups to develop trade with Japan.
Although the trade volume of Japanese merchant groups is very limited, it is better than nothing. However, if Japan can open a trading port to itself, Japanese merchant groups will certainly be dispensable. This is also the condition of Shangyi, only
It depends on Japan's attitude. Of course, it is another negotiation strategy to propose the requirements for opening a business hall, taxation, customs procedures, etc., which is also another negotiation strategy. If you are forced to play the cards first, then you might as well call the price higher and give it to
The other party left room for bargaining. However, after saying this, Shang Yi felt it was a bit ridiculous, which was a bit like a European power in the future.
However, in Abe Junji's opinion, Shang Yi was completely making trouble, so Abe Junji didn't have to think about it and immediately said: "Sir, I think you are really rude to make the conditions. I want to be a general.
I will never agree."
Japan's policy of blocking the country was implemented from the Tokugawa Ieyasu era. After the Shimahara Rebellion occurred in the Tokugawa Ieki era, this policy was also developed to the extreme. To put it bluntly, it was because it was afraid that after the founding of the country, it was introduced.
The thoughts of foreign forces influenced the control of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Even if Japan had a certain need for external goods, it was basically transferred from the Satsuma vassalon through Ryukyu and was in the mainland of Japan.
Almost completely cut off contact with the outside world,
Zheng Zhilong was able to monopolize the trade in Japan, which was just an exception. Because his relationship with Japan was indeed too close.
The Tokugawa Shogunate was also quite at ease with him. Therefore, Shang Yi made a request to open a trading port in Japan, but the Tokugawa Shogunate would definitely not agree.
After hearing Abe Shigeji's reply, Shang Yi said lightly: "That's the matter of Tokugawa Igami. He wants to maintain his rule. I want to protect my interests. If you can talk, you can talk. If you can't talk, you can fall down. .”
At this time, Abe Shigeji was also actively thinking about the purpose of Shang Yi's request. In fact, Abe Shigeji was also a very capable and knowledgeable minister in the Tokugawa shogunate, but was only subject to the sealed state of Japan's borders. The policy, and he knew almost nothing about the overseas world and did not know the general trend of the world. He did not expect that Shang Yi was asking Japan to open a trading port just to conduct trade. At the same time, due to his preconceived idea, Abe Shige I wonder if Shang Yi was deliberately making unreasonable demands to Japan. In fact, he was to protect the Japanese business group and did not want to take the Japanese business group back to China. From this point of view, what Shimazu Kokusa said, It may be true.
Following this idea, the more Abe Shigeji thinks, the more he feels that this is really the case. Many things can be explained, including the previous one, that he must let himself get a break, and Shang Yi actively seeks to reconcile the Japanese. I'm afraid the intention of the drunkard was not to drink when conducting trade, so I had already confirmed in my heart that Shang Yi had really joined forces with the Japanese business group.
Although Abe Shigeji was very angry and wanted to have an attack, he still remembered his responsibilities after all, and knew that he was on Shang Yi's land now. If he had a rash attack, he might not be able to get the good result, so he said: Okay, Master Supervisor, I have known your request, but I cannot decide this matter. I must reply to the General and make the decision. Therefore, I will say goodbye to you and I will return to Japan tomorrow. , report to the General.”
Shang Yi nodded and said, "Since that's the case, then I will reply to General Tokugawa."
In fact, from the expression on Abe Shigeji's face, Shang Yi could basically see his attitude, and he didn't have much hope for the Tokugawa shogunate. It seems that it is basically impossible to hope to make Japan's founding in peace talks. Just like two hundred years later, if Japan is not heavily attacked, the devils will not be honest. Of course, at that time, it will not be as simple as Japan's founding of a country and communicating. At least it will be a matter of making Japan become China. The colonies slowly annexed Japan.
However, at present, this is just an idea. His primary enemy is the Qing court. For Japan's trade, we can only rely on the Japanese merchant group to expand it. Shang Yi estimated that
Japanese business groups will definitely come to visit them in the near future.