In fact, in the eyes of the central shogunate, ordering the six daimyo to help cultivate the Ezo land really considered it as compensation:

First, the land was not divided into enfeoffments. Where to cultivate, and even the size of the area, the execution office negotiated with each family and reported it to the central government - in other words, it was Hakodate's decision to decide the right;

Second, although in view of the difficulty of reclamation in the North Land, each family in Ezo Land has been exempted from all taxes for three years, but this is only for the internal settlements of each family, in Hakodate and other religious areas, the six families

Fishing, hunting and trading are still subject to taxes;

And most importantly, the shogunate clearly stated in the decree:

"All royal affairs in Ezo and Northern Ezo are subject to the laws and regulations enacted by Hakodate, and no one can violate them."

Looking at it this way, the Hakodate Sanctuary is still the master of the northern region. Edo was just worried that the northern terrain where the Sanctuary was located was weak, so he hired some people to help. It was not that he wanted to kill himself. As for worrying that the shogunate would be dissatisfied with the Sanctuary, he just

There is no way to talk about it.

Moreover, when the central government of the shogunate communicated in advance, the six daimyo implicitly believed that this was a hard job. Even if it was not a hard job, it was just worthless. Of course, I don’t know what the retainers who actually performed it thought.

Well, if you have the idea of ​​​​"squeezing the oil out of your bones", wouldn't that mean you are too fat?

Before announcing the order in public the next day, Shiban Matsumae explained the details of the decree in detail to satisfy Naohide Yasu and Okubo.

In addition, Matsumae also explained the cancellation of the 100,000-hand deposit:

This year, for some unknown reason, another fire broke out in Edo Castle. The shogunate lost a lot of money, and rebuilding it cost a lot of money.

Therefore, "Since the construction of Goryokaku has been stopped, let's continue to stop it. Hakodate will be patient for the time being, and when Edo's finances ease a little, it will naturally compensate for the Hokage's 'knowing the general situation and considering the overall situation'. Oguri Toyogoshou

I was specifically asked to say, 'After all, this is the front line against the Lu people, and we must take care of it.'"

This is the benefit of having someone in the court. Not only can they make plans in advance and make things work, even if things go wrong, but they can also be dignified and reveal some inside information as they are now.

Naohide's good friend Oguri Tadatsun was not only an official in charge of the commission, but also a close confidant of the elder Ii Sobu. This time, Matsumae was promoted by Oguri. He was also old friends with Naohide and Okubo and had a close relationship.

Otherwise, no matter what you think, the imperial envoy announced the decree in public, how dare the execution office dare to question it!

Of course, before the Central Committee made a decision, it did not even consult the opinion of the Hakodate Administrative Office. This actually means that it really did not take Naohide seriously. However, after Ii Sobu became the elder, his governing style was so rigid.

Everyone is like this, and there is nothing to complain about - to be able to arrange for an old friend, Matsumae, to serve as envoy, the important ministers of Edo must have put a lot of thought into it.

Naoxiu was very appreciative of this, saying, "Northland is remote, but the 'domestic' local specialties are still good and can be a great addition."

Matsumae was such a perceptive person. As soon as Naohide mentioned it specifically, he knew that the gift was valuable. "This mission is not a loss, and all the thought I put into it before was not in vain."

So he revealed some more information:

Originally, when Naohide took over the Hakodate Executive Office last year, the position of Hakodate Executive Officer was considered a hot potato because he was facing another invasion of Lucia. However, Naohide's appointment went smoothly at that time.

But after formally negotiating peace with the Lu people this year, Edo had more regrets: "How could this country boy take such a huge advantage so easily!"

In fact, the Horie family originally lived in Shinjuku Town, which is not really a rural area, but Naohide was born in the second half of the family, not to mention Hatamoto, and was not even a member of the imperial family tree. In the past fifteen years, he has risen rapidly and has now reached the position of Hakodate. Therefore,

Don’t be jealous of too many people. “Country boy” is considered a nice word. You know, recently some people even call him “treacherous”!

But of course Matsumae, who is so charming and elegant, would not mention such a disappointing thing in person.

He denounced him in front of Naohide, "The loyalty of Hideo is beyond the reach of ordinary people. He deserves his reputation and deserves his reputation."

Naohide and Okubo met each other and laughed. Among the three people here, none of them came from a well-known family - Okubo was a corporal of the Shimazu family in Satsuma, and was dismissed before he became Naohide; Naohide was the second half of the imperial family; and

Matsumae's background is not very glorious, and he was only born in the second half of the family. Although he has the same name "Matsumae" as the Fukuyama Matsumae family, the two are not related at all. He is not from a famous family, and he is not a famous person in the shogunate.

There is no way out.

As one of the few ministers in the Naohide lineage, Matsumae's experience was very clear to the two of them:

Tianbao fourteenth year, three

The thirteen-year-old Matsumae Taro was still a sympathizer of the Nagasaki Mesuke Office. Although he was regarded as a confidant by the Mesuke-sama at the time because of his ability to exploit the camp, and was specially brought to Nagasaki to serve as his assistant, his family status was still second-half;

Speaking of which, Naohide was still a noble person of Matsumae. After the two had a relationship, in the third year of Koka (1846), Oguri Tadjun was appointed as Nagasaki Mefufu Assistant, and Matsumae began to switch to Oguri's sect, and then he began to rise to prominence.

Although he can't compare with Naohide, his promotion speed is also very fast.

In the third year of Kayei (1850), Oguri was promoted to Nagasaki Mesuke. He was promoted to Atsumetsu, and thus became the representative of the imperial family.

In the seventh year of Kaei (1854), Oguri became a minister in Nagasaki, and Matsumae, who had been operating in Nagasaki, was even more important.

After Oguri became the executor of the survey in the fifth year of Ansei (1858), Matsumae unexpectedly stayed at the Nagasaki Metsuke Office. In fact, in 1855, the shogunate began to secretly trade Fuso gold for overseas silver with Hamoyo Bank, and Matsumae was the executor Oguri.

An important helper of Tadashi. Although Oguri returned to Edo that year, the matter was still ongoing, and Matsumae was still an important figure in it.

In the sixth year of Ansei (1859), Matsumae finally left Nagasaki, where he had served for 16 years, and became a disciple of the shogunate. He accumulated merit and became a banner of 120 koku, and changed its name to "Matsuzen Shunfeng".

Even though Okubo now has a 200-stone flag, it was due to his military exploits in the two White Lord Wars. Not only did it lead to the North Land, but the 200-stone flag was also used to pay for his life in the bloody battle with Lucia.

Matsumae's one hundred and twenty koku may not seem like much, but he is a disciple of the central government of Edo, with a low and powerful position, which is completely different from that of a town in a remote place like Okubo - of course, Hakodate is now very important.

The Westerners opened ports for trade, and their status became more important, and Okubo could barely get along with the important ministers.

But the disciples are different. In addition to the Omatsu and the Gomatsu, there are only about fifty disciples in the Shogunate's headquarters. The Nagasaki and Hakodate offices can't compare with these fifty disciples - nominal

In the above, the damufu supervises the ministers, daimyo, and important ministers, and the Yumufu supervises the bannermen and ministers. However, it is not the tumufu who are actually doing the work. Therefore, they are in a low and powerful position and should not be taken lightly.

Naohide is now a 2,500-koku bannerman. Although he did not participate in the second White Lord War, the shogunate thought that he had managed the government well before and had a good foundation, so he still gave him an additional 300-koku banner.

Roku, the solemn Hakodate sect, what outsiders call "Ezo Land Exploration", does not mean that he should interact with his disciple Fu Matsumae on an equal footing.

However, in Edo, "Damings walked all over the streets and their flags were as numerous as dogs", and their family background was very strong. In addition, Ii, the elder who is now in power, pays special attention to family background. It must be that even with Oguri's protection, Matsumae would not be able to do anything at all.

There was no shortage of grievances.

Therefore, half of Song Qian's words "deservedly deserved the name" are about comforting Nao Xiu, and the other half are about pity for himself. It is unavoidable that the words are sincere and heart-wrenching.

"Now that the Tokugawa family is excited, it is a good opportunity for loyal people like you and me to serve!"

Who doesn’t know how to brag about each other in business, and Nao-soo’s words are truly heartfelt.

Although the important ministers of the shogunate have been at odds with each other over the years, and the shogunate government is also somewhat chaotic, under the pressure of the Westerners, the shogunate's duties, especially the navy, the ordnance industry, especially ordnance production, and the shogunate who are involved in foreign affairs, supervise all the expenses, are the most important.

It’s easy to get promoted, but I don’t know how many talents have taken advantage of the trend in recent years.

Of course, the risks of foreign diplomacy are too high, and wise people would not take them. However, this is the time for flattery, so of course we cannot mention this.

The three of them, Matsumae, who is the head of business, Naohide, who is involved in foreign affairs, and Okubo, talked about the future and had a good time.

However, after talking for a while, Uchibanmatsumae began to ask in a roundabout way whether Naohide had any Western merchants he liked after Hakodate opened to trade, especially those who were "particularly honest and reliable."

"finally come!"

You know, from the moment Matsumae got off the SF ship, Naohide was waiting for him to ask about this matter.

Under Naohide's instruction, Tiger Bamboo, also known as Takemae Toranosuke, who had already married and settled in Miren New York, suddenly instructed Xianheng Foreign Company to end the secret trade with the shogunate at the end of June in the Japanese calendar this year.

You must know that Xianheng Foreign Company has been of great help to the shogunate over the years, and has even become inseparable from it.

The reason why Oguri Tadatsun was able to become a confirmed executive among the "Top Three Executives" at an early age in his early thirties was because he single-handedly presided over the transaction with Xianheng Foreign Company.

Therefore, with the withdrawal of Xianheng Foreign Company, the shogunate seemed to be hanging in mid-air, neither up nor down, which was very uncomfortable.

Kayagazo

In 1850 (1850), the second year after Naohide returned to Fuso, his overseas power, Xianheng Foreign Company, began to trade with the shogunate in Nagasaki.

Of course, the shogunate had been closed off to the country for a long time, and it had put a lot of effort before starting trade. It had played tricks like barbarians offering treasures twice, and there was also the influence of Nagasaki head officer Oguri Tadjun, and the Xianheng foreign company was determined to lose money under Naohide's instructions.

I earned a lot of money and was willing to pay a large amount of consulting fees. This time I finally got through the joint.

Since 1851, books, newspapers, steam tanks, machine tools, Western ordnance, plant seeds, breeding animals, orchids, etc. have been flowing into Fusang through Xianheng Foreign Trade.

Compared with the Languo Commercial House at that time, Xianheng Foreign Company had no political requirements, and its prices were fair and honest. The most important thing was that it could be paid on credit, and consulting fees were paid in waves, so it gradually established its credibility -

- I think so. Naohide and others hired a group of people to spend all day and night working overseas to figure out what the shogunate needed. How could an institution with performance requirements like Languo Commercial Center compare with it!

The shogunate benefited greatly from this, and the legends of Xianheng Yangxing were particularly valued:

Since the first visit of the black ships in 1853, every move of the Westerners has been reported promptly by the Xianheng Company. Sometimes, just to deliver information in a timely manner, the Xianheng Company's ships will also make a special trip.

Such a righteous act naturally aroused suspicion - Fuso was already very suspicious of Westerners. In a world without Naohsiu's intrusion, the Languo Commercial Office notified the Black Ship's visit in advance, but was suspected of being deceitful and having ulterior motives, not to mention the Xianheng Foreign Company. This kind of behavior of selling people at a loss, and the so-called "showing courtesy for nothing is either adultery or stealing", is of course even more vigilant.

However, Xianheng Foreign Company successfully dispelled the shogunate's doubts on the grounds that "the shareholders are Celtic immigrants in the United States and are planning to restore the country" - this reason is true, and the shogunate once had such a plan to ensure the survival of the Lan Kingdom. A righteous act, it does sound reasonable.

In fact, vigilance and suspicion are not important. What is important is the "true fragrance". As long as Xianheng Foreign Company is of great benefit to the shogunate, this business can be done steadily.

In 1854, the shogunate established the Tsushima Naval Training Institute, and the ships and instructors were provided by Hamhyo Corporation.

In 1855, Xianheng Foreign Company also sent Western technicians to help the Jiushan Iron Works start the construction of the steelmaking industry.

Due to multiple major earthquakes and the increase in military preparations to deal with the Westerners, the shogunate suffered a serious financial deficit. In 1855, the shogunate had to start "exchanging fuso gold for overseas silver" through Xianheng Foreign Company - the price ratio of overseas gold and silver was 1:15 Around 50% for Fuso, which is twice the difference during the period, and the benefits are huge.

From 1855 to 1859, the shogunate invested a total of 1.5 million Tianbao small coins in exchange for gold and silver. This included both gold bars and a small amount of melted gold coins. After all, the shogunate did not have any surplus food. How could there be so much gold in stock? .

Xianheng Foreign Company was indeed an "honest and reliable young man". The amount of pure gold it handled was equivalent to 9.4 tons in later generations, but there was no mistake in the weight before and after, and he sent back nearly 38,000 guan (141 tons) of silver to the shogunate. , exactly the same - of course, Xianheng Foreign Company's help was not in vain, and it received 10% of the hard work fee.

This amount of silver is equivalent to more than 3.6 million taels of Chinese silver, which is equivalent to nearly 1.21 million pounds.

For such a large sum of money, Xianheng Foreign Company never had any delays in credit. On the contrary, the shogunate treated a gentleman with a villain's heart. At first, Xianheng Foreign Company was required to use the money as collateral for the goods. Later, when the amount was huge, they had to first see the silver before they were willing to pay the gold. , but Xianheng Foreign Company has never had any resentment.

This year, in June of the sixth year of Anzheng (1859), before the last gold-for-silver transaction, Xianheng Foreign Company specially sent a speeder to report the details of the second Battle of Dagukou.

But at the end of June, after the merchant ship left the port, while inspecting the gifts given by Xianheng Company to the official and important officials, a letter was discovered. In it, Xianheng Company reviewed its many trading experiences and expressed its reluctance to part with it. However, These are all clouds, but the key point is the words at the end of the letter: "The situation forced the trade to be suspended. The mountains are high and the rivers are far apart, and we cherish each other."

I had never noticed anything strange about the officials before, so you can imagine the shock!

After the news reached Edo, the ministers were greatly surprised, but everyone ran away. The detailed reason was not stated in the letter, so it became a mystery.

But others don't know, but how can the surveyor Oguri Tadashi not know?

This Xianheng foreign company has a close relationship with Hakodate's pursuit of Naohide, so he used his confidant Matsumae Shunfeng as an envoy to ask him to go to Hakodate to ask Naohide what was going on!
Chapter completed!