Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 508 The Problem of Matsumae Domain
February 3, 1642 (March 2), Fukuyama Castle.

The sea breeze at the southern tip of the Oshima Peninsula, carrying waves from the Tsugaru Strait, crashed violently against the stone walls of Fukuyama Castle, emitting a howling sound.

This main castle of the Matsumae clan has been developed over several generations from its initial simple "house" into a sizable Japanese mountain castle.

The stone walls are layered upon each other. Although the castle tower is not as magnificent as that of the daimyo of Honshu, it is complete with stone walls, turret gates, and turret platforms, standing tall and demonstrating the Matsumae Domain's ruling authority over this southern corner known as "Ezo".

The castle town was home to samurai, merchants, and artisans, and it thrived on trade with the mainland (Honshu) and sporadic transactions with the Ainu people.

However, this year's spring chill seemed more biting than in previous years, and an anxiety that was hard to dispel permeated the city. This anxiety did not come from the snow and wind in the north, but from terrible news from the south—a great famine that swept across Japan: rice paddies in Mutsu were cracked like tortoise shells, people in Kanto ate tree bark, and even in the Kinai region, there were tragic cases of people exchanging children to eat each other.

Inside the castle, in the main hall, the flickering candlelight cast long shadows of Matsumae Ujihiro, the lord of the Matsumae Domain, and several senior retainers onto the dim walls, the atmosphere as heavy as the leaden sky outside.

On the desk, the imperial edict from the shogunate, delivered by fast horse from Edo, was like a red-hot iron, so hot that no one dared to touch it easily.

Fifty thousand shi of grain!
The shogunate actually demanded that the Matsumae Domain find a way to purchase such a huge amount of grain in Ezo (Hokkaido) to relieve the famine in Mutsu, Kanto, and even the Kinai region.

Matsumae Ujihiro's young face was filled with worry, his gaze constantly shifting between his retainers, hoping they could offer even the slightest feasible suggestion.

He had only been in charge of the family for less than a year when he faced such a severe challenge. The shogunate's orders were like a mountain pressing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Inside the spacious room, the flames in the charcoal brazier crackled occasionally, but they couldn't dispel the almost solidified, heavy air.

“Fifty thousand koku…” Matsumae Ujihiro coughed lightly and said in a low voice, “Gentlemen of the shogunate, do you think that my Ezo region is a magical land where rice can grow out of thin air? My domain is already cautious about being self-sufficient, so where would fifty thousand koku of surplus grain come from to be transported to the mainland? Gentlemen, how do you explain this?”

After a long silence, the chief retainer, Kakizaki Nobuzumi, broke the silence with a hoarse voice: "My lord, this decree from the shogunate is truly... an unreasonable demand. Our Ezo region is not a fertile granary; the land is barren and the weather is cold. The grain produced is barely enough to feed our own domain, let alone gather 50,000 koku. Even if we exhaust all our reserves and forcibly requisition the meager mixed grains from the Ainu tribes along the coast, we probably won't even be able to gather a fraction of it, and it might even trigger a major upheaval."

Another retainer, Kobayashi Uemon, was even more radical: "My lord! This is simply asking the impossible! Perhaps... we should truthfully reply to the shogunate, explain the difficulties of our domain, and request a reduction in the amount or another solution? Or perhaps... we could suggest that the shogunate learn from the Tsushima clan and directly purchase from Korea?"

"Absurd!" Elder Yokoyama Michiyoshi immediately retorted. "The Tsushima clan has maintained relations with Korea for centuries and has its own channels. Moreover, Korea has been plagued by constant warfare in recent years, and its land is not fertile. How could there be any surplus grain to export? Furthermore, the shogunate's edict clearly requires 'requisitioning from Ezo territory.' If we push this problem back, wouldn't it demonstrate our incompetence, or even be suspected of shirking our responsibilities and disobeying orders? The shogunate is currently overwhelmed by famine. If it were to become angry, could the Matsumae Domain afford to take the blame?"

His words made Kobayashi Uemon's face turn pale. He moved his lips, but ultimately lowered his head.

Under the authority of the shogunate, any seemingly reasonable excuse could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Another retainer, Ōtani Heisuke, who was in charge of finance, also sighed, his face showing worry: "Not only that, but if we follow the usual practice of purchasing grain from Ōshu and Echigo at high prices, these places are now struggling to survive, and grain prices have skyrocketed, with no market for it. Moreover, the domain treasury doesn't have much silver left. Last year, we spent a lot on rebuilding the castle tower and expanding the outer garrison, so we simply cannot afford such high grain prices."

Matsumae Ujihiro frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

He was only twenty-two years old and had just taken office. His face still had a touch of youthful innocence, but at this moment, his forehead was etched with deep worry.

He knew all too well that this was an impossible task.
However, the shogunate's orders were not to be questioned, and if not handled properly, the very survival of the Matsumae Domain could be in jeopardy.

“How could I not know what you all are saying?” Shi Guang’s voice carried a hint of urgency. “But the general’s order is of paramount importance. We must find a way, at least… to make it seem like we are doing our best to carry it out, and to give an explanation.”

The hall fell silent once more, with only the sound of rain and the crackling of candlelight.

After a long silence, Murakami Saobezaemon, who had been silent all along, finally moved.

He was the magistrate in charge of trade negotiations with the Ainu tribes in the north and... those "newcomers" further north. He was relatively junior and didn't talk much, but he always managed to bring surprises to the domain in trade matters.

At that moment, he hesitated and raised his head. His voice was not loud, but it made everyone look at him instantly: "My lord, my lords... perhaps, we have another direction to try."

Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on him.

"You mean... the new Chinese in the North?" Shi Guang's mind stirred, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

“Exactly!” Zaemon bowed slightly, his tone respectful and cautious: “According to reports from our merchants sent to Hokyo, and from the Ainu tribes from the north, those new Chinese have opened up vast agricultural reclamation areas in the Ishikari Plain in southern Ezo and in the bays on the west coast.”

"They also built many fortified cities, named 'Linhai' (present-day Kushiro City, Hokkaido), 'Yongtai' (present-day Sapporo City), and 'Kaiping' (present-day Hakodate City). In addition, the farming methods of the new Chinese were very different from those of the Japanese, and were extremely efficient. They cultivated cold-resistant wheat, millet, and beans, and the new variety they introduced, 'Jiahe,' was very productive. After more than ten years of operation, perhaps... they have a large amount of grain stored up!"

Zaemon's words immediately caused the retainers present to straighten their backs and their faces to become solemn.

The name "Xinhua" is all too familiar to them. More than a decade ago, they began to appear in the northern coastal region of Ezo (Hokkaido).

Initially, there were only a few fleets and explorers, but soon they established many strongholds in places such as Ishikari Hirano and Tokachi Hirano.

They built cities, reclaimed wasteland, and constructed water conservancy projects. It is said that their strongholds in cities such as Linhai and Yongtai were larger in scale than Fushan City.

Their trade practices with the Ainu differed from those of the Matsumae Domain. They primarily exchanged ironware, cloth, high-quality weapons, and grain for furs and mountain goods, which won them the favor of some tribes.

Although the Matsumae Domain maintained a general peace with them, it always harbored deep vigilance and suspicion towards this rapidly expanding, well-organized, and militarily powerful neighbor.

Because they expanded so fast, they were almost at the doorstep of the Matsumae Domain!
Kakizaki Nobuzumi pondered for a moment, then frowned: "Those new Chinese are greedy and cunning, their speed in building castles and reclaiming wasteland is astonishing, and their relationship with the local Ainu is also very secretive. Would they be willing to sell us grain? Moreover, buying grain from such a group of people who have ulterior motives and are constantly encroaching on our domain is like asking a tiger for its skin! In addition, how will the shogunate view this matter?"

Saemon hurriedly explained, “Lord Nobuzumi, the famine is raging right now. What the shogunate needs is grain. As for where the grain comes from, that may not be the primary concern. We can simply say that it was ‘requisitioned’ in Ezo. The shogunate is far away in Edo and may not delve into the details. The key is whether the new Chinese have grain and whether they are willing to trade. I’ve heard that they are not entirely closed-minded and also need the copper, iron, lacquerware, silk, and even gold and silver that we trade with. Perhaps… we can trade with them.”

Upon hearing this, Matsumae Ujihiro turned to look at his other retainers.

He had heard about these new Chinese immigrants from the north before.

They built castles, reclaimed land, and traded in northern and eastern Ezo, expanding their power extremely rapidly. They even had some minor conflicts with the merchant ships of the Matsumae Domain in the early stages.

However, the two sides gradually began to cooperate in trade, and the scale of the cooperation grew larger and larger. As a result, the Matsumae Domain prospered. It not only rebuilt Fukuyama Castle, but also built a towering castle tower and expanded the outer garrison. The domain treasury also accumulated a lot of wealth.

However, they harbored a vague sense of vigilance and concern about the rapid expansion of the new Chinese community.

I wonder when the new Chinese will "squeeze" the Matsumae Domain out of Ezo.

At this moment, however, this may have become their only source of support.

"Yokoyama-kun, what do you think?" Ujihiro looked hopefully at his most trusted chief retainer.

"My lord," Yokoyama Danji bowed slightly, "I think it might be worth a try."

"Yokozan-kun!" Kakizaki Nobuyuki exclaimed, "If the New Chinese learn of our predicament and take the opportunity to make unreasonable demands, do you have a plan to deal with it?"

"What outrageous things would they propose?" Yokoyama Dangi asked rhetorically.

"For example, by further encroaching upon and expanding our territory, or by coercing us into granting us more trade facilitations?"

"If we hadn't faced this predicament, would we have had the resources to hinder the new Chinese in the slightest?"

"..." Nobuyuki Kakizaki was speechless and had no way to respond.

Yes, with the strength of the new Chinese in Ezo, even if they took the whole island or directly annexed the Matsumae Domain, would we still have the ability to resist?
“Zaemon…” Ujihiro took a deep breath and made up his mind, “You know their situation best. In your opinion, is it possible to ask them for tens of thousands of koku of grain?”

Saemon cautiously replied, “My lord, 100,000 or 80,000 koku might be difficult, but acquiring 20,000 or 30,000 koku shouldn’t be a problem. Even so, we can still give an explanation to the shogunate. However, there are both risks and opportunities in trading with them. Their leader, I’ve heard, is called a ‘commissioner,’ and his style of doing things is very different from that of our Japanese samurai. He values ​​practical benefits more. As long as we have enough bargaining chips, we should be able to reach an agreement. However, we must send an experienced and capable person to negotiate carefully.”

Ujihiro nodded, his gaze sweeping over his retainers: "It seems this is the only viable solution at the moment. The shogunate's edict is urgent; we must give it a try."

He turned to Yokoyama Danji: "Yokoyama-kun, I appoint you as plenipotentiary envoy. Take my personal letter and gift list, organize a delegation, and sail north to the main stronghold of the new Chinese... go to the place they call 'Kaiping City,' meet their leader, and discuss the purchase of grain. Remember, be humble, but also maintain the dignity of my Matsumae Domain. Most importantly, bring back grain!"

Yokoyama Danji bowed and accepted the order: "Your subject will certainly not fail the great trust placed in you by your lord!"

Ujihiro added, "When preparing the items for the trade, try to choose those they might need. The copper from the warehouse, some Echizen lacquerware, and the silver accumulated in the public treasury can all be brought along."

"Yes, sir!" Yokoyama Danji hesitated for a moment, then suggested in a low voice, "My lord, we can 'recruit' some young women from Mutsu. The new Chinese are quite eager for this."

"..." Upon hearing this, Ujihiro was taken aback, then revealed a strange expression. "Well, everything will be handled by Yokoyama-kun. If you need anything, just let me know afterwards."

"Yes, my lord!"
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(End of this chapter)