Chapter 78: Rich people do not stand under dangerous walls
Zheng Zhilong's eyes were like torches, shining with a shrewdness that was somewhat inconsistent with his actual age.
"Brother Yan, Sister Azhu, although there is a Yue Port switch at the moment, the Ming Dynasty still prohibits cargo owners from trading directly with the Japanese. If the Japanese want to expose the goods, they must either smuggle them on Shuangyu Island in Ningbo, or go around to Macau and transfer them through the French people.
Therefore, for the goods sold to the Japanese country, we have to price them at five times the cost to give them more room. Therefore, these tobacco bags, ordinary ones, cost two to three taels of silver, and better ones cost seven or eight taels."
Yan Siqi squinted his eyes and said: "The Japanese won't think this price is expensive. In fact, they have always admired the style of Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty. Those who can afford high-quality tobacco can also afford expensive accessories. They also like to be arty and compare with each other. Besides,
There are silver mines everywhere in Japan now, and silver is becoming less and less rare."
Zheng Haizhu also made the calculation in his mind.
If we compare the price of rice and the wages of craftsmen in the Jiangnan area, one tael of silver in the late Wanli era today is roughly equivalent to the purchasing power of about a thousand yuan in Shanghai in later generations.
According to the price quoted by Zheng Zhilong, a fine tobacco bag is roughly equivalent to the price of entry-level bags from some later luxury brands, and it will indeed not deter wealthy Japanese men and women.
In fact, Zheng Haizhu also thinks that the price is too low.
It should be noted that hundreds of years later, the cost of some big-name European and American bags was only one-tenth of the counter price. They had little technical content and were all industrial assembly line products.
As for the embroidered tobacco bags, they are purely handmade by our Ming craftsmen and belong to the intangible cultural heritage. How could the Indian salad craftsmen who were recruited by the Japanese to sew sealskins in this world make them?
Yan Siqi, who was sitting opposite Zheng Haizhu, obviously also felt that this kind of product could be made.
He thought for a while and then made a final decision: "Ah Zhu, the fragrant medicine you and I bought together last time was 6,000 taels of silver, and the profit was almost doubled. I will invest another 8,000 taels and collect 20,000 taels. I will exchange it later for
Place the money order that can be accepted in Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou with Uncle Tang in Nanhuizui. You will distribute this money in Jiangnan, including tobacco bags, purses, fans, and the two-toed cotton socks used by the Japanese to wear wooden clogs.
It's up to you."
Zheng Zhilong, who had always listened attentively, now volunteered: "Brother, I am young, so I can act as Uncle Tang's nephew and not attract attention. In the future, if you have any contact ashore, please send me to my brother, so that I can teach my younger brother how to practice."
"
Of course Zheng Haizhu wanted to be able to form a team with Zheng Zhilong. She immediately assisted and said: "The official came ashore today to contact us, and he did a good job."
Yan Siqi saw that Ah Zhu was very satisfied with this little brother, so he nodded happily and said: "Okay, First Officer, I will go back to Pingdo with you and report to Chief Li together."
Zheng Haizhu listened to Yan Siqi's words, and he kept talking about Li Dan and Japanese Hirado. He felt that at least in the past two years, Yan Siqi had not started to consider changing his home stadium and establishing his own company.
She then probed: "By the way, Brother Yan, I see that you and Yiguan are both wearing crosses. Do you believe in God like the Catholics in Songjiang?"
Yan Siqi took a sip of wine, touched the cross on his chest, and wrote lightly: "If we believe it, we who run the sea would still believe in Mazu Empress more. Wearing this bronze frame is just to socialize with the Japanese. Sincerely
After the Frankies started trading, many tax collectors, samurai, and even daimyo among the Japanese became foreign religions."
Zheng Yiguan said frankly: "I was baptized when I was born, and my uncle introduced me to foreign religion. However, in Macau, I often see Japanese people who believe in God and Japanese people who believe in Zen Buddhism, and they fight with each other if they disagree.
"
Zheng Haizhu thought to himself, this little brother is really good, just like handing someone a pillow when he sees him sleepy. This point you mentioned is exactly what I want to use.
Her expression turned solemn: "Brother Yan, younger brother Yiguan, I am in Yuegang this time. I heard from the Hongyi people that General Tokugawa is going to clean up various monasteries in the country and expel missionaries. Will you be affected?
?”
Yan Siqi's eyes widened: "Why, the Hongyi people have been able to enter Haicheng County?"
"Yes, they seem to have hit a wall in Macau, but Fujian has opened a hole for them."
"Hmph!" Yan Siqi said angrily, "These Hongyi people are more trouble-making than the Frankies. In order to squeeze into the various ports of the Japanese country, they sent people to send gifts to the Tokugawa family boatloads, and promised to only buy and sell goods.
, not preaching. Tokugawa was very dissatisfied with the Frankish monasteries in the past few years, fearing that they would develop too many Japanese as religious disciples, which would shake his empire. Now that the Hongyi people are instigating it, the shogunate is going to punish them severely.
Get rid of the Frankies."
Zheng Haizhu said "Oh" and asked again: "Brother Yan and Chief Li, are you standing with the Frankies?"
"Why should I stand against them?" Yan Siqi said in a more relaxed tone. "We are just afraid that this move will affect the religious Fujian people in Hirado. Furthermore, whether it is the Frankies or the religious Japanese, they are not the same as our Fujian people."
Maritime merchants have been doing business for many years and have intricate relationships. If they are eradicated, our business will be severely damaged."
Yan Siqi glanced at him, showing the look of a big brother who judged the younger brother to be too naive, and said with a smile: "First officer, do you think this is digging mussels? If this reef doesn't work, just change it. In Hirado, under the banner of the adoptive father, it's
There are more than thirty large ships, fifty or sixty shops, and more than a thousand men, not counting their family records. He has worked hard there for more than twenty years, how can he just leave?"
Hearing this, Zheng Haizhu looked at Yan Siqi with a hint of sigh.
"What's wrong, Azhu? Do you think I'm indecisive?" Yan Siqi asked sensitively.
Zheng Haizhu shook his head: "I don't think you are indecisive, but I am wondering if we can look further. If Captain Li and the entire fleet cannot leave immediately, at least the eldest brother can take some brothers to explore the road first."
She raised her head and saw the Golden Crow falling from the top of the mountain. She pointed to the gorgeous sunset sky and said, "Brother Yan, sitting on our little sand boat at this moment, we can no longer see the sun. But if we are on the other side of the mountain, we can still see the sun."
See the red sun shining on the earth, right?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Yan Siqi said sadly: "There is no place for us in the Ming Dynasty, and Luzon and the Manlajia Islands have long been occupied by the Frankies. Which mountain top can we go to?
?”
"Go to Taiwan."
"Taiwan?"
Hearing Zheng Haizhu speak the place name decisively and clearly, Yan Siqi and Zheng Zhilong looked confused.
"It was Ryukyu in the Yuan Dynasty. It was called Dongfan during the reign of Lord Jiajing, and it was located east of Penghu."
Yan Siqi suddenly realized: "You are talking about Bengang. Why is it called Moss Taiwan?"
Zheng Haizhu explained: "My eldest brother has been away from the country for a long time, and one official is far away in Macau. No wonder he doesn't know. In recent years, the imperial court has called the island Moss Bay. Because the natives on the island call their homeland 'Taiwan Bay'."
Yan Siqi pursed her lips tightly, as if she was seriously considering Zheng Haizhu's proposal.
Zheng Zhilong asked curiously: "How could Sister Azhu think of Taiwan?"
Zheng Haizhu said sincerely: "If you sit at the bottom of a well, you won't be able to think of it. It's not because I went out to walk around and heard the Chinese and foreign merchants mention the islands in the vast ocean. This time in Haicheng County, I also asked about teeth.
Shang, they said that the Hongyi people had actually landed there and captured the natives there to work in Nanyang."
When Yan Siqi heard this, the lines between his eyebrows deepened.
Zheng Zhilong spat: "If the Hongyi people are as big brother said, their ambition to dominate the world is probably far greater than those of the Frankies."
Zheng Haizhu looked at the stern faces of the two men in front of her and thought to herself, it's not just the Dutch, there are also England, France, Russia, Japan, and the United States... all of them are coming.
China has such a long coastline. Without strong national power, China is like a fat sheep in the forest, which can only fall into the mouths of ferocious beasts.
Unless you become a mighty dragon or unicorn. Although you disdain the company of wolves, tigers and leopards, you can still stand firm on your own.
Regardless of whether it is a dragon or a unicorn, they must actively attack, travel across the sea, and occupy the key points of maritime military and trade.
In fact, in that parallel time and space, Yan Siqi and Zheng Zhilong were the first batch of Fujian Chinese businessmen to go to Taiwan because they could not bear the persecution of the Japanese authorities. Otherwise, Yan Siqi was called the "King of Taiwan", and Zheng Zhilong even established a business that was comparable to that of the Dutch East India Company.
The countervailing Taiwan Strait trade empire.
What Zheng Haizhu wanted to do in this life was to show off his beauty as soon as possible. Zheng and his wife went to Taiwan with some planning, instead of hastily leaving Japan and fleeing south to the treasure island after seven or eight years.
As expected, Yan Siqi muttered and said: "What A-Zhu said, if you think about it carefully, maybe it's really a trick. There are some descendants of the Han ancestors in Bengang. When we go there, they will definitely not be like the Hongyi people."
They are generally hostile. As for the local natives..."
Just as he said this, he suddenly heard a sailor on the bow of the ship shout sharply: "Master, then, aren't those the young master Guozhu and our two brothers?"