My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 365 Sakai Port Treaty
Li Wenquan looked at the short Japanese man.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi's attire was mismatched and inappropriate.

As before Su Ze proposed equality among the four classes, Japanese merchants were suppressed in Japan.

The Japanese king once issued a decree prohibiting merchants from wearing silk.

However, as Japan entered the Warring States period, many daimyo (feudal lords) had to rely on merchants to purchase weapons, and some even had to borrow money from merchants to fight.

The authority of the Japanese emperor had long since vanished, and the nobles in Kyoto often went hungry.

Like the Ming Dynasty, these prohibitions gradually became mere formalities.

The merchants gathered at the dock all wore linen garments over silk coats, or simply linen vests as a formality.

The merchant had a handkerchief and a purse hanging from his belt.

As the war raged, the status of samurai in Japan rose, and high-ranking samurai generally wore silk clothes and kihachi (traditional Japanese hakama) skirts for their lower bodies.

Samurai typically carried a Japanese sword at their waist.

But the Japanese man in front of them was dressed in exquisite silk clothes, looking like a merchant, but he had a Japanese sword hanging at his waist.

Moreover, one can see from his silk clothes that he is wearing soft armor close to his body.

Li Wenquan noticed his difference and said:
"The cannons on the ships are fixed to the ship and can only be used at sea."

The interpreter beside Li Wenquan translated Li Wenquan's words to Kinoshita Hideyoshi.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi was somewhat disappointed, but Li Wenquan then said:

"By the way, we can't sell these cannons, but do you want the breech-loading cannons?"

Although Kinoshita Hideyoshi did not understand Chinese, the term "Flangjipao" was a loanword in both Ming Dynasty and Japan, with basically the same pronunciation. Moreover, Japanese language itself borrowed many Chinese words. His eyes lit up.

After the interpreter repeated it, Kinoshita Hideyoshi said urgently:
"Yes! Can I see the goods?"

Li Wenquan thought for a moment. He noticed that the short Japanese man was somewhat unusual, so he clapped his hands and told his men to unload the cargo box containing the breech-loading cannon.

The Ming Dynasty began casting breech-loading cannons very early on.

When Wang Yangming quelled the rebellion of Chenhao, he mass-produced breech-loading cannons and used them extensively in the suppression of the rebellion, achieving a decisive victory in one battle.

The Ming Dynasty had a long history of casting breech-loading cannons, especially in coastal areas, where a batch was purchased and manufactured to defend against Japanese pirates.

However, these types of weapons are now considered obsolete.

What Li Wenquan was carrying this time were breech-loading cannons he had collected in Shandong. After a simple rust removal process, they were loaded onto the ship.

The breech-loading cannon was far inferior to the muzzle-loading spindle cannons currently used by the Ming Dynasty in terms of airtightness, power, and range.

Before Li Wenquan arrived, Su Ze had told him that the Ministry of Works had begun developing new land-based artillery, including cannons suitable for concentrated use on plains and lightweight artillery suitable for use in mountainous areas. This made the breech-loading cannon even less valuable.

When the shopkeeper opened the box, Kinoshita Hideyoshi's eyes widened in astonishment!
Oda Nobunaga attached great importance to the use of artillery. His visit to Sakai Port was not only to demand an explanation, but also to urge Sakai merchants to purchase artillery from the Portuguese as soon as possible.

Sakai Port merchants also considered manufacturing it themselves.

However, the quality of Japanese iron ore was poor, and their steelmaking technology was also inadequate, making it impossible to produce qualified cannon barrels.

Japan's iron and steel industry is a very abnormal industry.

On the one hand, Japan's own iron ore was of poor quality, so Japan needed to import iron ore from the Ming Dynasty to smelt iron.

Japan's iron and steel industry also failed to develop high-temperature furnace steelmaking technology, instead focusing on "hand-rolling" steelmaking.

Japanese swords are a typical example.

Because there are no high-temperature furnaces to refine good steel, Japanese sword craftsmen improve the quality of the steel through repeated forging, thereby enhancing the performance of the swords.

This is somewhat similar to the Damascus steel that was later admired. Both used forging techniques to compensate for the shortcomings of the steel itself and hand-rolling to increase the strength of the steel.

But knives can be hand-made, so how do you hand-make cannons?

The artisans of Sakai Port offered another solution: to use copper, which was easier to cast but more durable, to make the cannons.

This suggestion was flatly rejected by Oda Nobunaga.

Copper was the main currency in circulation in Japan. Even Oda Nobunaga himself felt that there wasn't enough copper. Using it to cast cannons would be too extravagant!
Upon seeing the cannons brought by Li Wenquan, Kinoshita Hideyoshi excitedly asked:

"My lord, how much are these cannons?"

How to sell?
Li Wenquan frowned.

Actually, he hadn't decided on a price yet.

The price of the breech-loading cannon actually varies greatly.

In the earliest days, the Ming Dynasty also purchased them from the Portuguese.

At that time, the price of a breech-loading cannon was about 4000 taels of silver, which was extremely high.

When the Ming Dynasty began to imitate it, the price of the breech-loading cannon started to drop, and in the early Jiajing period, the price was about 800 taels of silver.

After the war against Japanese pirates, the price of the breech-loading cannon had dropped to 500 taels of silver.

Then they were replaced by cheaper new artillery. The good quality ones were recycled by the Ministry of Works and remelted into steel. The batch he had was all of poor quality.

Seeing Li Wenquan hesitate, Kinoshita Hideyoshi, fearing that the other party would raise the price, directly stated his bottom line:

"2000 taels of silver per gate! How about it!"

Upon hearing this number, Li Wenquan was stunned.

He knew that trade with Japan was profitable, but he didn't expect it to be this profitable!

2000 taels of silver can be exchanged for 2222 silver dollars according to the special policy of the Japanese Silver Company!

Each breech-loading cannon cost 2222 silver dollars. This time, Li Wenquan was relatively conservative and only brought a few breech-loading cannons for ballast purposes, so the entire fleet only brought 12 cannons.

Selling them all would yield 26,000 silver dollars!

However, Li Wenquan looked at Kinoshita Hideyoshi and, fearing the man was playing a trick on him, said:

"Transactions must be conducted in cash, with payment made upon delivery of the goods."

Upon hearing that the other party was willing to sell, Kinoshita Hideyoshi excitedly said:

"The payment is settled! However, I need to test the shot. May I ask if this is the only one available?"

Li Wenquan said:
"There are twelve doors in total. You can have them all if you want!"

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Hideyoshi was so excited he almost fainted.

Twenty-six thousand taels of silver is no small sum for any ordinary person, or even a wealthy merchant.

But now we live in the Warring States period, and silver is the least valuable commodity!
Good weapons can't be bought with silver! Besides, Oda Nobunaga has just taken control of the silver mines and received tribute from the Iwami Silver Mine, so he's not short of silver!

Although Kinoshita Hideyoshi does not currently have the funds, he can borrow them from merchants in Sakai Port.

And since I bought it so cheaply this time, my lord will surely reward me!
Kinoshita Hideyoshi truly thought that way.

Before he set off, Oda Nobunaga had summoned Organtino, a Portuguese man living in Sakai Port.

Organtino and Oda Nobunaga were old acquaintances.

Organtino was a Portuguese missionary, and it was through his connections that the Oda clan purchased their first cannons from Portuguese merchants.

Organtino thus obtained a special permission from Oda Nobunaga to preach and build churches in the Sakai port area.

This time, Oda Nobunaga summoned Organtino again, and the price he offered was 200 gold koban per gate!
200 gold coins, converted into silver, would be worth 3000 taels of silver in Japan!
Organtino's reasoning was that the Portuguese were currently vying with an enemy called the Ottomans for control of the Strait of Malacca.

The Portuguese governor of Goa ordered all the cannons to be transported to Malacca.

Moreover, Organtino only had a few breech-loading cannons in total.

Kinoshita Hideyoshi finalized the deal, revealed his identity, and asked Imai Munehisa to act as guarantor. The two parties agreed to raise the silver within three days and exchange the money for the goods.

After a day of commotion, Li Wenquan didn't return to the ship until dark.

To prevent the Japanese from taking any dirty tricks, Li Wenquan ordered all crew members to return to the ship.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of abacuses filled the air on every ship. When Li Wenquan saw the figures in the summary report, he was momentarily dazed.

The goods sold today, after a simple inventory check, are worth over 50,000 silver dollars!
What does 50,000 silver dollars mean?
Li Wenquan gathered the entire Penghu Colonization Corps and only managed to raise 50,000 silver dollars. He then used this money to invest in the Japanese Silver Company, becoming one of its top shareholders.

Li Wenquan knew that Japanese silver was easy to earn, but he never expected it to be this easy!

This is the first voyage, and there's still a lot of cargo that we haven't had time to sell!
Li Wenquan quickly had someone take inventory to see which goods would sell well.

Weapons are undoubtedly the best-selling items!

The breech-loading cannons that Li Wenquan sold alone were worth 26,000 silver dollars.

Secondly, there are materials such as saltpeter and ironware that can be used as raw materials for weapons.

Then there are luxury goods.

Silk, tea, and porcelain were also very popular among Japanese merchants.

Clearly, the war did not deter these Japanese elites from pursuing pleasure; in fact, the cruelty of the war made many of them even more pleasure-seeking. Who knows when these good days will end?

Glassware, mirrors, and glass containers sell very well in Japan.

This is probably because the Portuguese had been doing business in Japan for some time, and these kinds of Western luxury goods had already found a market.

Sugar and sugarcane wine were also highly sought after; these things that brought happiness were also in high demand during times of war.

However, the black tea failed to sell.

Japanese merchants were not interested in black tea; instead, they hoped the caravan would bring some broken tea leaves next time, as they preferred to process tea into powder.

Li Wenquan was speechless. These Japanese just couldn't stand eating fine food and insisted on drinking expensive liquor.

This kind of tea is no longer sold in even the worst teahouses in the capital; it is only provided free of charge to workers in factories and docks.

Kitchenware and daily necessities also failed to sell. According to the merchants of Sakai Port, the upper class of Japan did not need these items, and the lower class could not afford them.

The same principle applies to cotton cloth.

In the Ming Dynasty, with the development of technology, the price of cotton cloth became more and more affordable, and it gradually became a common material for keeping warm in the city.

Meanwhile, businessmen in Shanxi said that cotton has started to be grown on the grasslands, and the price of cotton cloth will drop further.

However, in Japan, only silk and linen are used for clothing.

The poor wear linen, while warriors and nobles wear silk.

In the end, the Japanese swords naturally failed to sell.

Forget it, if it doesn't work out, we can just take these Japanese swords back to the Ming Dynasty and sell them.

Li Wenquan was in high spirits. This trip to Japan had opened up trade routes with Japan and yielded such a large profit!
When we return to the Ming Dynasty, this haul will definitely shock the court, and those doubts about the Japanese Silver Company will disappear!
Just as Li Wenquan was doing his accounts, his subordinates announced that Chen Hao, the Pacification Commissioner of the Ming Navy, was requesting an audience.

Li Wenquan quickly put down his account book to greet the second-in-command of the Ming Dynasty navy.
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The following day, Chen Hao, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty navy, disembarked with Li Wenquan.

This time, Li Wenquan was doing business with a merchant, while Chen Hao began negotiations with the thirty-six members of Sakai Port.

Still in Imai Munehisa's tea house, Chen Hao sat in the main seat without any hesitation, negotiating with the thirty-six people represented by Imai Munehisa.

Almost all the big businessmen in Sakai Port speak Chinese, so Chenhao didn't want an interpreter and spoke directly in Chinese:

"I am the Pacification Commissioner of the Ming Dynasty Navy. Today, the Admiral has entrusted me to negotiate with you all."

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes and said, "We have come for free trade. You should all have seen the sincerity of the Ming Dynasty, right?"

The merchants were overjoyed; they had finally acquired the Ming Dynasty goods they had always dreamed of and were about to make a fortune.

But Chenhao immediately changed his attitude and said:
"Yesterday, you all obstructed the Ming Dynasty's navy, and the Admiral ordered them to open fire, consuming a number of cannons. Do you all know the saying, 'When cannons fire, gold is worth ten thousand taels of silver'?!"

The merchants felt a chill run down their spines, but Imai Munehisa reacted the fastest, immediately kneeling down and saying:
"We, the villains, have been blinded by evil spirits and have intercepted the fleet of the Celestial Empire. We deserve to die a thousand deaths. Please forgive us, Envoy. We are willing to pay for the cost of the artillery!"

The merchants realized what was happening and knelt down to apologize.

Chen Hao hadn't expected these Japanese merchants to be so spineless, so he had no choice but to say:

"We'll discuss this matter later. I've come here today to discuss trade."

"The Japanese Silver Company was established with the imperial approval of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, in order to facilitate smooth trade between the two countries, so that wealth can flow in like a tide and everyone can share the benefits."

"But what happened yesterday has also made the Japanese Silver Company worry. Our Ming Navy cannot always send out its entire fleet to escort ships. If we want the trade route to last, we need a plan."

Upon hearing this, Imai Munehisa immediately understood what he meant.

He said quickly:
"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency!"

Chenhao took out the agreement he had discussed with Li Wenquan the day before and said:
"There are three articles of agreement. First, trade shall be free and unimpeded. All silk, porcelain, tea, sugar and wine, refined iron, saltpeter, and even new-style items carried by our Ming merchant ships, as long as they are not prohibited from being sold in your territory, may be freely sold in Sakai Port, and you or other buyers may purchase them at your own discretion."

The thirty-six men of Sakai Port naturally agreed with this.

"Secondly, our Great Ming needs to lease an independent vacant lot in Sakai Port to build an exclusive wharf and trading post, which will serve as a place for ships to berth, for cargo storage, and for merchants to stay. The foundation and buildings therein will be managed by our Great Ming."

Oda Nobunaga also allowed the Portuguese to open trading posts, which doesn't seem like a big deal.

Chen Hao concluded by saying:
"Thirdly, and most importantly. All matters concerning the subjects of our Ming Dynasty, including those within the jurisdiction of our trading posts and docks, and those aboard our Ming Dynasty ships, shall be decided impartially by our Ming Dynasty officials in accordance with our Ming Dynasty Law. This is not an exception, but a universally accepted legal principle, and a fundamental guarantee for the peace and tranquility of trade between our two sides."

(End of this chapter)